Plus: US And Israel Should Prepare For Destructive Iranian Cyberattacks, Ex-Intel Officer Says |
Good morning,
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Let’s get into the headlines, |
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| A ceasefire between Israel and Iran announced by President Donald Trump—and confirmed by both sides on Tuesday—appeared to weaken as Israeli officials accused Iran of violating the truce by launching missile strikes, a claim Tehran has denied. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the IDF to respond with “intense strikes” against Iran, while Trump urged Israel not to respond in a post on Truth Social. MORE: The announcement of a ceasefire came after officials at the Department of Defense said the Al Udeid Air Force base near Doha—one of the largest U.S. air force bases in the Middle East—was targeted by short and medium-range ballistic missiles, but no casualties were reported. |
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 | | Khoshiran/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images |
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| In the aftermath of American strikes against multiple Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday, the country retaliated with strikes on Israel and on a U.S. base in Qatar, where no casualties were reported. But longer term, in lieu of a nuclear bomb or significant firepower in the face of U.S. and Israeli military might, Iran may turn to cyberattacks. The country has a “robust cyber apparatus,” according to Sanaz Yashar, a former intelligence officer in Israel who fled Iran as a teenager and now runs a cybersecurity startup. She expects Iran’s cyber offensive units to respond soon with “quick and dirty” operations, which will be disruptive but not catastrophic. In the longer term, “there will be investment in destructive cyber capabilities” because they’re “impactful and deniable,” Yashar added. On Sunday, the DHS warned of an increased risk of cyberattacks either from Iran-friendly hacktivist groups or from the Iranian regime itself. U.S. cyber infrastructure, however, may not be adequately prepared because of staff losses at the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, which currently lacks a permanent director. The agency has been bleeding talent since many of its leadership, including former director Jen Easterly, have departed or were fired. President Donald Trump’s nominated director, Sean Plankey, is yet to be confirmed. One CISA insider told Forbes that if there was to be an increase in Iranian cyber activity, the agency would be stretched to respond to the mass of threats currently facing America in cyberspace. “Any new work is going to cause more strain on CISA because we aren’t even being given the resources needed for our current workload,” they said. |
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| Iranian hackers have in recent years been accused of several significant cyberattacks, including a 2023 hack on a number of American water plants. While it’s disputed just how much of a digital threat Iran poses, Yashar said the country’s hackers will likely want to use attacks as a type of influence operation to “show off and enhance regime stability internally.” “The biggest concern would be they go after databases of naval, aviation and shipping information for further targeting,” she said. |
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| If Iran were to retaliate against U.S. strikes by blocking a crucial chokepoint for global energy, Goldman Sachs warned, oil prices could reach multiyear highs—a potential complication in the fight against inflation. The Strait of Hormuz is the only water passageway linking the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, and the equivalent of about 20% of global oil consumption moved through the strait in 2024, per the U.S. Department of Energy. Tesla’s robotaxi launch sent its stock on a tear Monday, closing the day up 8% and enriching CEO Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, by billions of dollars. Although the rollout of the driverless cabs was limited, and comes as Tesla has faced years of safety issues and unfulfilled promises in its full self-driving initiatives, the company added $85 billion to its market cap. |
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| WEALTH + ENTREPRENEURSHIP |
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| After a dramatic split from his onetime girlfriend and cofounder, billionaire Phil Shawe bought out her half of their translation business TransPerfect in 2018, and has nearly doubled the company’s revenue since taking over. Key to its success is an embrace of AI, which, along with humans, is used to translate sensitive information and adapt content to other languages and cultures for hundreds of customers, including Microsoft, P&G, United and Pfizer. Hims & Hers cofounder and CEO Andrew Dudum dropped out of Forbes’ billionaire ranks on Monday—less than two months after joining the three-comma-club. Dudum, 36, lost more than $400 million in a single trading day, after shares of his telehealth firm fell by 35%. The sudden selloff came after drugmaker Novo Nordisk announced that it is ending a short-lived partnership with Hims & Hers to sell the popular weight loss drug Wegovy. |
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| Despite resigning as New York’s governor in scandal, Andrew Cuomo has increased his fortune by roughly fivefold in the last decade to about $10 million, Forbes estimates. Now a candidate in Tuesday’s New York City mayoral primary, Cuomo profited off a $5.2 million book deal at the height of his pandemic popularity, and later joined the advisory board of a nuclear company, earning him stock options worth over $4 million. The Supreme Court will allow the Trump Administration to continue deporting undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes to third-party countries like South Sudan, allowing the government to send migrants to countries they have no previous connection to. The court did not give a reason for its decision, but Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a 19-page opinion in dissent. |
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| The State Department issued a warning for Americans abroad to “exercise increased caution” in the wake of the U.S. bombing of Iran, but the language signals a relatively low risk. The wording is consistent with Level 2 on the State Department’s tiered risk assessment scale, which is the advisory many Western European and some Middle Eastern destinations currently fall under. |
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| Despite President Donald Trump’s claims that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “completely destroyed” by U.S. strikes, military officials, nuclear watchdogs and Vice President JD Vance suggested the damage remains unconfirmed. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement that the agency would need to verify damage to Iran’s underground Fordow facility, but noted that the U.S. strikes likely caused “very significant” damage. |
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| The Supreme Court will resume a case over a Biden-era student loan forgiveness rule after the Trump Administration briefly put the litigation on pause. The ruling could affect thousands of borrowers seeking to discharge their loans after their schools closed or engaged in misconduct: |
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June 2026 | When the Supreme Court’s decision is expected | |
| $188.8 billion | The amount the Biden Administration said in January it had approved in student loan forgiveness | |
| ‘American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral’ | Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in April, as the Trump Administration has largely been opposed to student loan forgiveness |
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| As attention spans decrease, it can be increasingly difficult to stay focused at work. Try scheduling your most demanding work when your energy is at its peak, taking regular breaks including walks outside, and prioritizing your physical health. Work to minimize digital distractions by putting your phone in a hard-to-reach place, scheduling specific times to check Slack and email, and silencing notifications during designated focus periods. |
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