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 | President Donald Trump threatened intense bombing if Iran peace talks fail. | - Where things stand: Trump said Iran has accepted parts of a U.S. proposal to end the war. But he warned that, if a deal isn’t reached, strikes will resume “at a much higher level.”
- This morning: Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with with Pope Leo, who has clashed with Trump over the war. Privately, the Vatican has taken deep offense to Trump’s rhetoric.
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 | A purported suicide note from Jeffrey Epstein was released last night. | | | Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, said he discovered the note in July 2019 — weeks before Epstein’s death. (U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York/Reuters) | - What it says: Part of the note reads “They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!,” adding that the allegations dated back years. You can read it in full here.
- Why are we seeing this now? A federal judge ordered its release. It had been kept under court seal for years as controversy persisted over Epstein’s death in custody in 2019.
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 | Democrats are increasingly optimistic about retaking the Senate in the midterms. | - Why? Trump’s crumbling approval ratings and the Iran war’s weight on the economy have given the party fresh hope. However, Democrats must overcome these major obstacles.
- A rift inside the MAGA movement: Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of Elon Musk’s children, renounced her life as a pro-Trump influencer and is now torching the online right.
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 | Global authorities are scrambling to contain an outbreak of the deadly hantavirus. | | | The outbreak is linked to the polar expedition ship Hondius, which is on its way to the Canary Islands. (Reuters) | - The latest: Urgent efforts are underway to track passengers who disembarked a cruise ship linked to the outbreak. They are from at least a dozen countries.
- What is hantavirus? Normally linked to exposure to infected rodents’ urine or feces, officials say it may have spread between people on the boat. Here are the symptoms.
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 | Ted Turner, the cable TV visionary who created CNN, died yesterday. | - The “Mouth of the South”: Turner will be remembered for revolutionizing TV news. His personality also made him one of the most captivating public figures of his generation.
- According to a spokesman: The 87-year-old died at his home near Tallahassee. In 2018, he revealed he was diagnosed with the progressive brain disorder Lewy body dementia.
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 | The coming El Niño could be the strongest in over a century. | - According to new data: Warming water in part of the Pacific Ocean is raising the odds for the biggest El Niño on record. The weather pattern could fully form by July.
- Potential impacts: It could lead to record high global temperatures and food shortages, and shift patterns of droughts, floods, humidity and sea ice across the planet.
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 | A longevity expert told us which supplements he takes to protect his brain. | | | Instead of taking the claims on a label for granted, it is best to assume pills or powders don’t do anything. (Emma Kumer/The Washington Post; iStock) | - Products claiming to boost brain health are booming: Most aren’t backed up by real science, but Americans spend billions each year chasing the idea of a sharper mind.
- Gary Small is the former director of the UCLA Longevity Center: He takes curcumin, found in turmeric, and two other supplements — while avoiding six others.
Before you go … are weight-loss drugs hard on your muscles? See what the latest science says. Plus: Here’s what sitting all day actually does to your body. One more good read: Federal workers had their annual award show. Many were too afraid to show up. We want to hear from you: Do you have questions about stories you’ve seen in The 7? Send them here. We’ll find the right person to answer them and share responses in our weekend edition. And finally … take a game break: | |
Jamie Ross and 
