Trump weighs military move on Iran as two-week clock starts: Unbiased Updates, June 20, 2025
A ticking clock looms over Iran as President Donald Trump sets a deadline for a potential U.S. military strike, indicating that the next two weeks could bring major changes.
In California, a major development has happened: a court ruled that Trump had the right to take control of the National Guard. This decision could have important consequences and shows that the ongoing conflict is not over yet.
A dispute arose between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Department of Homeland Security after the team claimed ICE agents attempted to access Dodger Stadium’s parking lot.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, June 20, 2025.
Trump to decide whether US will directly attack Iran within two weeks
The White House provided a timeline for when President Donald Trump will decide whether the U.S. will join Israel in a potential strike to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the president would decide over the next two weeks.
“I have a message directly from the president, and I quote, based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Leavitt said.
At the heart of the decision is Iran’s Fordo uranium enrichment facility. It’s buried deep under a mountain, heavily fortified, and believed to be out of reach for all but America’s most powerful bunker-buster bombs. The White House is now stating that Iran has never been closer to having a nuclear weapon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Trump’s announcement, showering him with praise.
“President Trump will do what’s best for America. I trust his judgment. He’s a tremendous friend, a tremendous world leader, a tremendous friend of Israel and the Jewish people. And we will do what we have to do, and we are doing it,” Netanyahu said. “We are committed to destroying the nuclear threat, the threat of a nuclear annihilation against Israel. But I have to say that the partnership with the United States, the partnership with President Trump, with whom I speak to almost every day, is incredible.”
This follows a deadly escalation on Thursday, June 19, when Iran fired missiles that struck a hospital in southern Israel and caused damage to residential buildings near Tel Aviv. At least 240 people were wounded.
In response, Israel’s defense minister issued a chilling warning, saying Iran’s supreme leader “absolutely should not continue to exist.”
Appeals court sides with Trump in National Guard dispute
A federal appeals court supported Trump in his ongoing legal battle with California Gov. Gavin Newsom regarding the control of the state’s National Guard. In a unanimous ruling Thursday night, June 19, the Ninth Circuit decided that Trump is allowed to maintain command over guard troops stationed in Los Angeles, dismissing Newsom’s argument that this decision was unconstitutional and heightened tensions.
Trump federalized the National Guard after protests over ICE tactics escalated, citing threats to federal property and officers.
A lower court stated that this wasn’t sufficient. However, the appeals panel, consisting of two Trump-appointed judges and one Biden-appointed judge, disagreed, asserting that the president possesses broad authority to act when federal law enforcement is at risk.
It’s a temporary win for Trump. The battle continues in district court Friday, June 20.
Los Angeles Dodgers claim to have blocked federal agents from entering stadium
Protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continued in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 19, with demonstrators blocking the entrance to Dodger Stadium.
Dozens of federal agents were spotted near the stadium, and the team claimed it prevented ICE agents from entering. However, ICE called that claim false in a post on X, and the Department of Homeland Security backed that up, stating, “This had nothing to do with the Dodgers.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicles were briefly seen in the stadium parking lot, unrelated to any operation or enforcement. However, DHS did not explain the initial presence of CBP agents there.
Biden marks Juneteenth at historic Texas church
Former President Joe Biden marked Juneteenth in Galveston, Texas — the birthplace of the holiday — with a fiery message about history, unity and unfinished work. and what sounded like a not-so-subtle jab at his predecessor.
Speaking at the historic Reed Chapel A.M.E. Church — one of the sites where enslaved Texans first learned they were free — Biden warned of what he called “ongoing efforts to erase history.”
“Still today, some say to me and you that this doesn’t deserve to be a federal holiday. They don’t want to remember the moral stain of slavery. I’ve often called it America’s original sin,” Biden said. “Folks, we have to remember who we are, we’re the United States of America, for God’s sake.”
That message came as Trump posted this on Truth Social on Thursday night:
“Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our country $billions of dollars to keep all of these businesses closed … It must change if we are going to make America great again!”
Biden—who signed Juneteenth into law as a federal holiday in 2021—described it as a day to reflect, to unite and to keep pushing America forward.
Erick hits as Category 3, now downgraded to tropical storm
Hurricane Erick slammed into Mexico’s Pacific coast Thursday, June 19, as a powerful Category 3 storm, with winds exceeding 125 miles per hour. Heavy rain and damaging winds battered the coastline, hitting tourist hotspots like Acapulco and Puerto Escondido.
Officials reported downed trees and power poles, along with landslides in some areas. Erick is expected to drop up to eight inches of rain in parts of Mexico by the end of the day, increasing the risk of flash flooding.
The National Hurricane Center has now downgraded Erick to a tropical storm as we approach the weekend.
And how about this? Over in the Atlantic, nothing is brewing right now. For Florida and the Southeast, it’s nearing late June, and so far, this hurricane season has been quiet.
Pacers rally against Thunder to force first finals Game 7 in nearly a decade
It’s winner-take-all in the NBA Finals this Sunday, June 22. For the first time in nearly a decade, the NBA Finals will see a Game 7.
The Indiana Pacers came alive in Game 6 on Thursday night, June 19, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 108 to 91 and tying the series at three games each.
It was a significant upset. Many people anticipated that the Thunder would win the title last night. Heading into Game 6, it remained uncertain if Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton would even play after straining his calf in Game 5.
He played, which provided a boost to the Pacers. Haliburton scored 14 points, recorded five assists, and made two steals. The Pacers missed their first eight shots and quickly fell behind 10 to 2. However, they managed to turn the game around with a surge that spanned the second and third quarters, leading by 30 after the third quarter.
Thursday marked the Pacers’ first double-digit win of the series — and the Thunder’s second-largest deficit of the season. Game 7 begins this Sunday at 7 p.m. CT.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
