Iran military official says renewed war with US 'likely'

(The Center Square) - Indiana voters head to the polls Tuesday to elect party representatives in several competitive primary races.

Across the Hoosier state, local political figures are seeking to oust representatives in the U.S. House. Here are some of the most competitive primary races throughout the state.

District 4

U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind., is seeking a fifth term in office to represent Indiana’s fourth congressional district. Baird, first elected in 2018, has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.

“Congressman Jim Baird is a Tremendous Champion for the Great People of Indiana’s 4th Congressional District!” Trump wrote on social media.

In previous cycles, Baird has comfortably won the Republican primary and gone on to win the general election. However, this year, state Rep. Craig Haggard is mounting a primary challenge against the incumbent.

Haggard has focused his campaign on reducing the national debt and advancing causes for military service members. He was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2022.

“He is not afraid to break ranks and vote against legislation that works to increase taxes,” Haggard wrote in Ballotpedia’s candidate connection survey.

Haggard also said he would advocate for the Second Amendment and work to advance constitutional protections for gun rights, if elected.

Baird has focused his campaign on his experience in the position as a representative in Congress. He also said he would continue to advocate for Trump’s agenda if reelected.

“I will continue working with President Trump to deliver results for Hoosiers, grow our economy, stand up for American agriculture, strengthen our military, secure our border and put America first,” Baird said.

The primary is likely to be the toughest race Baird has faced in his career in the U.S. House, analysts say. The most recent filing data from the Federal Elections Commission found Baird raised $139,000 and spent $172,000 in the race and Haggard raised $99,000 and spent $43,000.

A slew of Democrats are also competing for the party’s nomination in the historically Republican-held district.

District 5

In yet another challenge to an incumbent, U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., will face off against fellow Republican Scott King. Spartz is seeking a fourth term against King, who previously sought the seat.

Spartz is coming off a narrow primary win in 2024, where she took 39% of the vote, with her next closest competitor, Chuck Goodrich, obtaining 33% of the vote.

President Donald Trump also endorsed Spartz in the 5th district race. Spartz has called for Congress to help implement Trump’s agenda and stop furthering the national debt.

“The swamp will be back in business in four years if not drained through the law,” Spartz said shortly after Trump’s 2024 election victory. “Congress cannot fail President Trump and the American people again.”

King, an army veteran, said he plans to bring a more pragmatic and transparent approach to government.

“When I first get to Washington I will start weekly VLOGs to inform my constituents back in my beautiful Home State of Indiana. It is important to show as much transparency as possible,” King wrote in Ballotpedia’s candidate connection survey.

District 7

Indiana’s seventh congressional district, which includes all of Indianapolis and surrounding area, will see fierce competition for the Democratic nomination.

Incumbent Rep. André Carson, 51, faces a tough primary challenge from three Democrats to secure the party’s nomination for November general election.

Carson has focused his campaign on expanding access to early childhood education and pushing back on the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal Education Department. He called for raising teacher pay, and reducing barriers to entry for teacher’s licenses.

“Investing in teachers means investing in students, and I will continue to advocate for policies that support educators and improve learning outcomes,” Carson said.

Denise Paul Hatch, George Hornedo and Destiny Scott Wells are all challenging Carson for the Democratic nomination.

Hornedo, a former U.S. Department of Justice official during the Obama administration, criticized Carson as “one of the least effective members of Congress,” according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking.

Hornedo called for better political infrastructure within Indiana to get more Democrats elected.

“Indianapolis deserves stronger, more accountable representation – someone who can do more for the people who live here,” Hornedo said.

Other races

Hoosier state voters will also head to the polls on Tuesday to elect party representatives in the Indiana Senate and House of Representatives. There are 25 seats open for election in the Indiana Senate and all 100 seats are up for election in the Indiana House of Represenatives. 

State senators are elected to four year terms in Indiana while state representatives are elected for two year terms. Indiana has a Republican trifecta, which means the GOP controls the state House, Senate and governors office. 

In the Indiana Senate, 40 seats are controlled by Republicans. The GOP controls 70 seats in the Indiana House. 

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

GREAT FALLS, Mont. - Check out these great things you can get up to around Great Falls!

Montana's largest car show, Crusin' the Drag, is Saturday on Central Avenue from 10 am to 3 pm. 

You can find out more about participating in Cruisin' the Drag on their website here. 

Get a look at Great Falls' namesake as Ryan Island opens on Mother's Day! Recreationists can visit Ryan Dam through Labor Day when it closes for the season.

Read more on the Great Falls from Visit Great Falls here! 

If seeing what the city was named after has you hungry for more history, check out the downtown walking tours with The History Museum!

Hear unique stories, learn about the city's origins and what shaped the Electric City on Tuesdays in May, from May 12 through May 26 at 6pm, and on Saturdays from May 16 through May 30 at 1 pm.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Saturday announced his arrival in Eswatini -- Taipei's only diplomatic ally in Africa -- after an earlier trip was cancelled when several countries revoked overflight permits.

Those various African nations withdrew overflight permission following "intense pressure" from Beijing, one of Lai's closest advisers said at the time, forcing cancellation of the initially scheduled April 22-26 trip.

Lai on Saturday said only that his initial visit had been "suspended due to unexpected external forces".

But "after days of secret arrangements by the diplomatic and national security teams, we arrived successfully today (Saturday)," he said in a Facebook post.

"I hope this trip will contribute to even deeper friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini, thanks to closer economic, agricultural, cultural and educational links, as well as promote Taiwan's international cooperation," he added.

In response to Lai's trip, China's foreign ministry on Saturday accused him of making a "stowaway-style escape farce" that made him "an international laughing stock".

"No matter how the DPP authorities collude with external forces ... it is all in vain and cannot change the fact that Taiwan is part of China," an unnamed spokesperson said in a statement on the ministry's website, referring to Lai's party.

"We urge Eswatini and other individual countries to see clearly the general trend of history ... and not pull chestnuts out of the fire for a handful of 'Taiwan independence' separatists," the statement said. 

Eswatini, a small enclave kingdom formerly known as Swaziland, is one of 12 countries that still recognise Taiwan. China has persuaded other nations to break diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island, which it claims as part of its territory.

Lai was due in Eswatini in April for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession to the throne, but cancelled the visit after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked overflight permissions, "unexpectedly and without notice", according to his office.

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A senior Iranian military officer said on Saturday that renewed fighting with the US was "likely", hours after President Donald Trump said he was not satisfied with an Iranian negotiating proposal.

Iran delivered the new draft to mediator Pakistan on Thursday evening, state media reported, without detailing its contents.

The war, launched by the United States and Israel in late February, has been on hold since April 8, with one failed round of peace talks having taken place in Pakistan since then.

"At this moment I'm not satisfied with what they're offering," Trump told reporters, blaming stalled talks on "tremendous discord" within Iran's leadership.

"Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever -- or do we want to try and make a deal?" he added, saying he would "prefer not" to take the first option "on a human basis".

On Saturday morning, Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a senior figure in the Iranian military's central command, said "a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely", in quotes published by Iran's Fars news agency.

"Evidence has shown that the United States is not committed to any promises or agreements," he added.

- 'Like pirates' -

Iran's judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on Friday that his country had "never shied away from negotiations", but would not accept an "imposition" of peace terms.

The White House has declined to provide details on the latest Iranian proposal, but news site Axios reported that US envoy Steve Witkoff had submitted amendments to a previous one putting Tehran's nuclear programme back on the negotiating table.

The changes reportedly include demands that Iran not move enriched uranium from bombed sites or resume activity there during talks.

News of the Iranian proposal briefly pushed oil prices down nearly five percent, though they remain about 50 percent above pre-war levels amid the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has maintained a stranglehold on the strait since the war began, choking off major flows of oil, gas and fertiliser to the world economy, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

Speaking at a rally on Friday, Trump said "we're like pirates" as he described an earlier helicopter raid on an oil tanker under the blockade.   

Despite the ceasefire in the Gulf, fighting has continued in Lebanon, where Israel has carried out deadly strikes despite a separate truce with the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.

Lebanon's health ministry said 13 people were killed in strikes in the south, including in the town of Habboush, where the Israeli military had issued an evacuation warning.

Meanwhile, Washington announced late Friday it had approved major arms sales to its allies in the Middle East, including a $4 billion Patriot missile deal with Qatar and nearly $1 billion in precision weapons systems to Israel.

- 'Terminated' -

In Washington, lawmakers were wrestling with a legal dispute over whether Trump had breached a deadline to seek congressional approval for the war.

Administration officials argue that the ceasefire pauses a 60-day limit, after which congressional authorisation would be required -- a claim disputed by opposition Democrats.

Trump faces growing domestic pressure, with inflation rising, no clear victory in sight and midterm elections approaching.

"There has been no exchange of fire between United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026," Trump said in letters to congressional leaders, adding that the hostilities "have terminated".

In Iran, the war's economic toll is deepening.

Washington has imposed new sanctions on three Iranian currency firms and warned others against paying a "toll" for safe passage through Hormuz, as demanded by Iran.

The US military says its blockade of Iranian ports has stopped $6 billion in Iranian oil exports, while inflation in Iran, already high before the war, has surged past 50 percent.

"Everyone is trying to endure it, but... they are falling apart," 40-year-old Amir, a Tehran resident, told an AFP reporter based outside the country.

"We still have not seen much of the economic effects because everyone had a bit of savings. They had some gold and dollars for a rainy day. When they run out, things will change."

Meanwhile, the Iranian authorities executed two men on Saturday convicted of spying for Israel, the judiciary said, the latest in a string of executions in recent weeks.

One of the men was found guilty of assisting Israel during last June's 12-day war.

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(The Center Square) – The U.S. national debt is now larger than the entire American economy and is only set to keep growing, further exacerbating the affordability crisis and risking national security.

Out of the $39 trillion total national debt, debt held by the public hit $31.27 trillion on March 31, surpassing the $31.22 trillion in Gross Domestic Product over the past 12 months.

The fact that the national debt has reached 100% of GDP – the highest in history except for the years immediately following World War II – is “deeply troubling,” Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the Cato Institute, told The Center Square.

“Following World War II, we actually had a good reason for having such a high debt, and the government was on a path to reduce that debt after the war ended,” Boccia said. “In this case, we have debt as high as since World War II, except we are on a steep upward trajectory, and it's not driven by a temporary war but by permanent entitlement obligations that are expanding – that's Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.”

Social Security and Medicare spending alone made up more than 30% of federal outlays in fiscal year 2025, and that spending is projected to continuously increase in the near future.

While some U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern over the unprecedented debt increase, there is little to no action on substantially reducing federal spending.

Yet if Congress does not rein in deficits quickly, current and future generations of American taxpayers will feel the economic brunt of the rising interest costs that servicing the debt requires.

“The reason we concern ourselves with debt to GDP is primarily because of the burden it poses for current and future generations, and that is primarily measured in the interest costs that servicing the debt requires from working Americans and taxpayers,” Boccia said.

“There's strong research indicating that when debt grows to such high levels, above 80% of GDP, it tends to crowd out private sector investment, which reduces economic growth, and therefore economic opportunities, jobs, and higher wages.”

In the immediate term, rising debt worsens affordability by spiking interest costs on Americans’ credit card debts, mortgages, car loans, student loans and more.

“The federal government is using up so much credit in the market that it’s driving up interest costs, and it affects all of us,” Boccia said. “It has these downstream effects.”

The U.S. currently spends more money on financing debt interest costs than it does on national defense – even as high debt ratios directly endanger national security.

“The reason we want governments to maintain low stable debt ratios, preferably below 60% of GDP, is so that they have room, so-called fiscal capacity, to borrow during times of crisis. And that can be a pandemic, a national security crisis, a financial crisis, or an economic recession like we saw in 2008,” Boccia said.

“When governments have that room to borrow for that emergency response, it means that their recessions aren't as severe and they can more easily return to normal economic growth after the crisis ends,” she added. “But when a government enters a crisis already over-leveraged, holding too much debt, they're not able to borrow as much as they otherwise would have in order to weather the crisis, and so the crisis will be more severe.”

In a situation where America is at war, the results would be disastrous.

“If you don’t have the fiscal capacity to respond to a military threat, then you are leaving yourself at risk of not being able to defend yourself,” Boccia said. The national debt is our greatest national security risk.”

Without major changes to federal fiscal policy, the U.S. government will default on its debt in about 20 years, according to Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates.

Around 20,000 partygoers gathered on Saturday for an illegal rave at a military site in France, defying warnings about the risk of unexploded ordnance and possible blasts.

The rave near the town of Bourges in central France kicked off on Friday and organisers expect as many as 30,000 people from France and neighbouring countries to arrive at the peak of the event this weekend.

"Despite its illegal nature, the government has mobilised to ensure the safety of this event and limit any disturbances, particularly for nearby residents," the prefecture said in a statement.

Speaking to AFP, Philippe Le Moing Surzur, the top regional official, said the site was "extremely dangerous due to the unexploded ordnance it may contain."

While modern shells posed no threat, he warned of the risk from older unexploded ordnance and urged revellers to avoid the nearby woods.

"This is a site that has been in use for 150 years, and we know there are potentially old artillery shells there," he said, adding that bomb disposal experts discover them regularly.

Revellers see the giant party not only as a chance to unwind, but also as a protest against tighter legislation targeting illegal techno gatherings.

"I had heard there were going to be a lot of people, but once you’re there, it's still a shock to see so many people gathered in one place," a 22-year-old man told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Another partygoer, 19, said the turnout was "a strong message against repression."

Around 600 police and 45 firefighters have been deployed at the site.

"We're getting ready for a big get-together tonight," said Edith Raquin, the mayor of Cornusse, a village of 220 people located less than two kilometres (about one mile) from the site. 

"We might stay awake all night."

No major incidents were reported, with emergency services treating a dozen people for minor injuries.

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US rapper Kanye West will perform in the Albanian capital Tirana in July, Culture Minister Blendi Gonxhe told AFP on Saturday, exulting that the country was on its way to becoming a destination for top cultural events.

The US rapper, also known as Ye, is known for glorifying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and for antisemitic and hate-filled rants which he blames on having bipolar disorder.

Due to his controversial comments and songs, West's appearances in London and in Poland have been cancelled.

Britain said it has blocked West from entering the country, leading to the cancellation of a London music festival where he had been scheduled to perform over three nights in July.

The Polish stadium where West was due to perform on June 19 has also cancelled the event.

"The widely discussed actions of Kanye West, linked to his promotion of Nazism, are in manifest contradiction with Poland's values," Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska had said earlier.

The 48-year-old musician has lost fans and several sponsorships in recent years following inflammatory comments and actions. 

Gonxhe said the July 11 concert "marks a new step in making Albania a destination for major cultural events."

A special structure is being built for the concert to accomodate 60,000 people.

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The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- US Navy 'acting like pirates' -

President Donald Trump said the US Navy was acting "like pirates" as he described an operation seizing a ship amid the tit-for-tat American blockade of Iranian ports.

"We... land on top of it and we took over the ship. We took over the cargo, took over the oil. It's a very profitable business," Trump told a rally in Florida.

"We're like pirates," he added to cheers from the crowd. "We're sort of like pirates. But we're not playing games."

- Troop withdrawal 'expected' -

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the withdrawal of 5,000 American troops from Germany had been expected and that Europe needed to do more to ensure its own security.

"That US troops are withdrawing from Europe and also from Germany was to be expected," Boris Pistorius said in a statement sent to AFP by his ministry. "We Europeans must take greater responsibility for our security," he added.

NATO's spokesperson said on Saturday: "We are working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany."

- Renewed war 'likely' -

A senior Iranian military officer said on Saturday that renewed fighting between the United States and Iran was "likely", hours after Trump said he was "not satisfied" with a new Iranian negotiating proposal.

Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a senior figure in the Iranian military's central command, said "a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely", in quotes published by Iran's Fars news agency.

"Evidence has shown that the United States is not committed to any promises or agreements," he added.

- US to slash troops in Germany -

The Pentagon said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within the next year.

The announcement came after Trump threatened this week to remove troops from NATO ally Germany amid a row with its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, over the US-Israeli war against Iran.

- Iran executions -

Iran hanged two men on Saturday convicted of spying for Israel, the judiciary said, the latest in a string of executions in recent weeks.

"Yaghoub Karimpour and Nasser Bekrzadeh were hanged for the crime of intelligence cooperation and espionage in favour of the Zionist regime," the judiciary's Mizan Online website said.

It was not immediately clear when the two men were arrested.

- Lebanon says 13 killed in strikes -

Lebanon's health ministry said 13 people were killed Friday in Israeli strikes on the country's south, including in a town where Israel's army had issued an evacuation order despite a ceasefire.

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A humpback whale that had been struggling to survive after beaching near the German coast was released Saturday into the North Sea off Denmark, after being transported in a barge in a last-ditch rescue operation.

The whale, dubbed "Timmy" in Germany -- where its ordeal captured hearts and sparked a media frenzy -- exited the barge, blew air through its blowhole and swam off, said Karin Walter-Mommert, one of the wealthy entrepreneurs who financed the rescue initiative.

It was now swimming on its own and, at least for the time being, in the right direction, she said.

The whale "has some small injuries -- probably from being transported in rough seas -- but they are superficial", said Walter-Mommert.

It "should now swim up the Norwegian coast toward the Arctic", added the entrepreneur, who made her fortune in horse racing.

The whale was first spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23 near the city of Luebeck, on Germany's Baltic Sea coast, before freeing itself and then becoming stuck again several times.

Various attempts to save it had failed, and authorities had announced they were giving up -- prompting Walter-Mommert and another wealthy entrepreneur to step in.

They came up with what many saw as a long-shot plan: coax the whale into the water-filled hold of a special barge and tow it back to its natural habitat.

Some experts criticised the privately financed rescue plan, saying it would only cause the animal more distress.

But the plan appeared to have succeeded against the odds, as the whale left the barge from Wismar Bay on the Baltic coast at around 8:45 am (0645 GMT), organisers said.

- Weeks-long saga -

To get the whale onto the barge, rescuers had attached straps to it and heaved it down a channel that had been specially dug in the sand to allow it to reach the vessel.

Rescuers then swam alongside it as it sped up and entered the barge -- sparking cheers from the crowd watching from shore.

The barge idea was hatched after the entrepreneurs' initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful.

Officials gave the green light for the rescue after veterinarians said the whale was fit to be transported.

The saga has drawn non-stop coverage from TV channels, online outlets and social media influencers -- but has also led to angry spats and conspiracy theories about how the whale got off track in the first place.

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Japan's prime minister vowed Saturday to do more to ensure a "free and open Indo-Pacific", using a speech in communist Vietnam to tout a regional strategy that has long rankled neighbouring China.

"I am renewing my determination to fulfil Japan's responsibilities and... to play an even more proactive role than ever before in building an international order based on freedom, openness, diversity, inclusiveness, and the rule of law," Sanae Takaichi said in an address at a Hanoi university.

In an era of "intensifying geopolitical competition, accelerating technological innovation", the Japanese premier called for Asian countries to cultivate "resilience" and the ability to "determine their own future".

Japan and Vietnam share common concerns about China's territorial claims in the East and South China Seas, and both have sought to hedge against US-driven trade disruptions by broadening economic and security ties.

But Hanoi aims to stay on good terms with all global powers through its traditional "bamboo diplomacy" approach, while Tokyo has seen its already frosty relations with Beijing deteriorate markedly in recent months.

That makes Vietnam a striking choice of venue for a Japanese foreign policy speech touting a strategy backed by Washington and closely associated with US President Donald Trump.

First articulated a decade ago by Takaichi's mentor Shinzo Abe, the idea of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific has since been embraced by multiple US partners and allies seeking to curb China's influence in the region.

Beijing has slammed the initiative as veiled attempt to promote bloc confrontation, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian accusing Tokyo of "stirring up confrontation between camps".

In her address Saturday, Takaichi said she was updating the diplomatic vision for a "challenging" new era.

Without naming Beijing directly, she warned against "excessive dependence on a single country for critical goods", saying this often results from "unduly low prices" and calling for a "level playing field".

She also underscored the importance of open shipping lanes, saying "regional supply chains are underpinned by the safe and open navigation of sea".

- Taiwan tightrope -

Long considered a China hawk, Takaichi drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing in November when she suggested that close US ally Japan might intervene militarily to thwart any Chinese attempt to take Taiwan.

China, which regards democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to annex it, summoned Japan's ambassador, warned Chinese citizens against visiting Japan and imposed trade restrictions.

Japan, which like others in the region has territorial disputes with China, has moved to deepen security cooperation ties, in particular with the Philippines.

Takaichi, on her first visit to Vietnam since becoming prime minister in October, aims to deepen bilateral cooperation on energy security and supply chain resilience amid major disruptions stemming from the Middle East crisis.

Japan is Vietnam's largest provider of official development assistance and a key investor and trading partner, with two-way trade surpassing $50 billion for the first time last year.

Takaichi met Saturday with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung as well as top leader To Lam, the Communist Party boss who last month became president as well.

They agreed to advance their high-level strategic partnership to a "new phase of development", Hung said, and inked six agreements spanning technology, climate preparedness and information and communication.

The two sides also agreed to deepen security cooperation and "reaffirmed the importance of resolving disputes in the South China Sea through peaceful means based on international law," according to the Vietnamese prime minister.

Prior to her speech, Takaichi said "Vietnam highlights strategic self-reliance with a positive and active external foreign policy".

"Therefore, increasing cooperation with Vietnam is extremely important for the realisation and progress of (a) free and open Indo-Pacific".

Takaichi will travel to Australia after departing Vietnam on Sunday.

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