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(The Center Square) – The U.S.  will “respond” after President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. Army helicopter downed over the Strait of Hormuz was shot down by Iran Monday night.

“I have just been informed by our great military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post. “There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”

Trump didn’t indicate how the U.S. will respond or if it will be similar to responses in recent weeks, which the military claims were defensive in nature. It is unclear if the latest targeting by Iran on American forces is enough to pull the plug on the fragile ceasefire.

U.S. Central Command confirmed the Army AH-64 Apache “went down near the coast of Oman” while patrolling regional waters. Both crew members were rescued “within approximately two hours.”

The region around the Strait of Hormuz has seen its fair share of exchanges of fire between the U.S. and Iran in recent weeks, with the Islamic Republic essentially holding the vital waterway hostage since the conflict began on Feb. 28.

Trump has maintained a commitment to seeking a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, saying the U.S. could determine within a couple of days whether a deal can be struck.

Despite the U.S. and Iran exchanging fire multiple times, and the missile exchanges over the weekend between Israel and Iran, the president claims the ceasefire, which went into effect April 8, is still in effect.

Trump quashed concerns that the recent dust-up between Israel and Iran was putting the fragile ceasefire in further jeopardy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "was hit hard by Iran, and he hit back. I can’t blame him for that. Now they’ve called it quits, so they’re going to leave each other alone for another week or something,” the president told reporters Monday evening. “They both agreed, through me to stop.”

Trump claimed once again, as he has for weeks, that a deal is on the horizon, reiterating his demand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

“We’re in the final throes of a very good deal that will not allow, in any way or form nuclear weapons.” The president added.

(The Center Square) – Vice President JD Vance said the Department of Justice's Fraud Division will investigate allegations that Minnesota officials failed to stop widespread taxpayer-funded fraud.

Vance said in a statement that it will be "criminal" investigations.

“Minnesota state officials are not above the law, and if they facilitated fraud, lied under oath about what they knew, or harassed and intimidated whistleblowers, they must face justice,” he said.

The announcement follows Monday's release of a 205-page report from the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that accused officials under Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of failing to act on repeated warnings about fraud, as previously reported by The Center Square.

Federal officials estimate that failure allowed upwards of $9 billion in taxpayer monies to be stolen across multiple programs.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., sent Vance a letter alongside the report requesting a federal review of Minnesota’s social service programs. Comer praised Vance’s decision.

“You are 100% right: Minnesota officials are not above the law,” Comer said. “The Trump administration is calling on the DOJ's Fraud Division to conduct a full criminal investigation into Governor Walz's failure to protect taxpayers. We won't stop here.”

The Walz administration and Ellison's office have previously disputed similar allegations. They did not respond to requests from The Center Square for comment.

(The Center Square) – Protesters who disrupted a Sunday worship service at Cities Church in January will not face state criminal charges, according to a decision announced last week by the St. Paul City Attorney's Office.

City Attorney Irene Kao said prosecutors reviewed video footage and other evidence related to the Jan. 18 protest before determining there was insufficient evidence “to meet that standard for criminal charges under Minnesota state statutes.”

“This decision should not be interpreted as an endorsement of unlawful behavior or public disorder,” Kao said. “The right to peacefully protest is protected, as is the right to exercise one's religious beliefs. Balancing these equally important rights is paramount to our decision today.”

Backlash to the decision came quickly.

U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, criticized the announcement in a post on social media on Monday.

“No state charges for ‘activists’ that stormed a church,” Jordan said. “No cooperation with federal immigration law. No serious investigation into the fraud until President Trump stepped in. Democrat-run Minnesota.”

The protest, which interrupted a Sunday morning service at the St. Paul church, drew national attention after demonstrators disrupted services while protesting the Jan. 7 death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.

Video posted by Black Lives Matter Minnesota showed protesters chanting “ICE out” and “justice for Renee Good” during the service. Another video circulating on social media shows protesters calling congregants “pretend Christians” and “comfortable white people.”

Jonathan Parnell, the lead pastor of Cities Church, criticized the announcement.

“According to the St. Paul City Attorney’s logic, it is perfectly fine for agitators to invade a mosque, a cathedral, or a temple, intimidate the families and children inside, and shut down their religious gathering,” Parnell said in a statement. “Just call it a ‘protest.’”

Federal authorities have taken a far different approach than the state to the incident, bringing charges in March against dozens of people accused of participating in the protest. So far, they have charged at least 39 protesters in connection with the protest, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon.

“YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us—we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “This Department of Justice STANDS for Christians and all Americans of faith.”

Those charged federally face allegations of conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship and interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship. The charges fall under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994, which prohibits obstruction or threats at abortion clinics and places of worship.

The federal prosecutions followed widespread calls for accountability after the incident gained national attention.

Caleb Phillips, a congregant at Cities Church, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview how the incident was for those in the church.

“The entire congregation came alive. Individuals who are planted from front to back throughout the entire place stood up,” Phillips said. “It felt like we were surrounded, because they were all throughout the congregation.”

(The Center Square) – An investigation is underway following a Monday evening downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter around the Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump vowing a deal with Iran could be days away.

U.S. Central Command said the Army AH-64 Apache “went down near the coast of Oman” while patrolling regional waters. Both crew members were rescued “within approximately two hours” and remain in stable condition.

There’s no word on whether the incident was caused by enemy fire or by technical issues.

The region around the Strait of Hormuz has seen its fair share of exchanges of fire between the U.S. and Iran in recent weeks, with the Islamic Republic essentially holding the vital waterway hostage since the conflict began on Feb. 28.

Trump maintains a commitment to seeking a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, saying the U.S. could determine within a couple of days whether a deal can be struck.

Despite the U.S. and Iran exchanging fire multiple times, and the missile exchanges over the weekend between Israel and Iran, the president claims the ceasefire, which went into effect April 8, is still in effect.

Trump quashed concerns that the recent dust-up between Israel and Iran was putting the fragile ceasefire in further jeopardy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "was hit hard by Iran, and he hit back. I can’t blame him for that. Now they’ve called it quits, so they’re going to leave each other alone for another week or something,” the president told reporters Monday evening. “They both agreed, through me to stop.”

Trump claimed once again, as he has for weeks, that a deal is on the horizon, reiterating his demand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

“We’re in the final throes of a very good deal that will not allow, in any way or form nuclear weapons.” The president added.

Trial lawyers have added furniture seller Ikea, snack food giant Mondelez International, and retailer Abercrombie & Fitch to the list of companies facing class action lawsuits for allegedly improperly profiting from hiking prices to cover tariffs illegally imposed by President Trump.

In late May, lawsuits were filed against each of the companies in Cook County Circuit Court.

Attorneys from the firm of McGuire Law, of Chicago, filed the lawsuits against Pennsylvania-based Ikea and Chicago-based Mondelez.

Lawyers from the firm of Stephan Zouras, of Chicago, filed the complaint against Abercrombie & Fitch, which is based in Ohio.

The lawsuits represented the latest in a growing raft of litigation filed in courts in Chicago and elsewhere in the U.S. accusing retailers and other companies of allegedly attempting to claim "windfall profits" from consumers following the end of the tariff regimes established by President Donald Trump in 2025 under the federal International Emergency Economics Act.

While many of the lawsuits have been leveled against parcel and shipping company FedEx, other lawsuits have been lodged against warehouse retailer Costco; Chinese online discount sellers Temu and Shein; and activewear seller Fabletics, among others.

Some of the lawsuits date back to the early spring, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court declared Trump had improperly relied upon the IEEA law to unilaterally impose the tariffs on many countries, particularly including China, without authorization from Congress.

The lawsuits all rest on similar allegations: That the companies hiked consumer prices in response to cover their increased costs from the tariffs, but, after the tariffs were rescinded, have not lowered their prices or offered consumers a refund, even as they pursue legal action to obtain refunds from the government for the illegal tariffs they paid throughout much of 2025.

Some of the companies targeted by the lawsuits have pushed back in court. Costco, for instance, has asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit pending against it. The retailer has argued it hasn't yet received a refund. And even if it does, Costco says the lawsuit's claims have no legal ground to stand on, because the company never defrauded anyone or violated any state consumer fraud law.

"It does not matter whether plaintiff paid a higher price then he thinks he should have paid," Costco wrote in a brief in support of its motion to dismiss.

Temu and Shein have sought to redirect the class action lawsuits against them into arbitration, saying user agreements prohibit the lawsuits.

In the latest cases, Ikea, Mondelez and Abercrombie all have not yet responded to the claims in court.

However, those lawsuits also rest on claims that the companies violated Illinois' consumer fraud law by allegedly showing no indication of refunding any of the additional money collected to cover the cost of the tariffs, even as the companies allegedly pursue refunds from the federal government.

The lawsuits against Ikea and Mondelez were filed on behalf of named plaintiffs John Adams and Adam Sorkin, respectively, identified only as residents of Cook County.

According to the complaints, Sorkin purchased Halls cough drops, Triscuit snack crackers, and Sour Patch Kids candy, all products made by Mondelez, in 2025 and early 2026, while Adams made 15 purchases from Ikea from May-August 2025.

The lawsuit against Abercrombie was filed on behalf of named plaintiff Luciana Di Lorenzo, identified only as a resident of Illinois, who purchased $400 worth of merchandise from Abercrombie & Fitch from August 2025 to January 2026.

All of the plaintiffs said the prices they paid for their purchases were increased, ostensibly to account for Trump's IEEA tariffs.

The lawsuits all seek to expand the action to include potentially hundreds of thousands or even millions of class members throughout the U.S. who allegedly were similarly overcharged.

(The Center Square) – Assemblymember James Gallagher, R-East Nicolaus, gave his final remarks on the Assembly floor Monday afternoon before he leaves the California Legislature to begin his term as a congressman.

Gallagher won the June 2 special election to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a Republican who died suddenly in January. Gallagher, a Northern California native, will now represent California’s 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives and will be sworn into office later this week to serve the rest of LaMalfa's term, which will end Jan. 3. Gallagher also advanced in the June 2 primary for the new term starting Jan. 3 against California Sen. Mike McGuire with 47.2% of the vote against McGuire’s 37.5%. So far, it appears Gallagher will square off against McGuire in the Nov. 3 election, according to previous reporting by The Center Square.

For now, getting to work in Congress is on Gallagher's mind.

“When I am sworn in this week, it will be the first time ever that I’ve been in the majority,” Gallagher said during remarks on the Assembly floor.

“I think that’s been really good for me, actually," he said about being in the Republican minority in the Legislature. "I think it has really honed my skills and helped me to understand how minority voices are heard.”

Gallagher was first elected to the Assembly in 2014. In 2025, he was the Assembly minority leader. In his time representing the Assembly 3rd District, Gallagher introduced a bill that would limit the governor’s emergency powers and supported awarding more recovery money to California communities affected by wildfires. In 2025, Gallagher also advanced a proposal that would split California into two states, with counties in Northern California seceding from the state to form a new one. That proposal did not advance in the Assembly.

He also opposed congressional redistricting during debates last summer on the Assembly floor.

“It is not lost on me as I stand here today that I was elected overwhelmingly by the people of my district,” Gallagher said. “If things go to plan, my district won’t be able to elect a person of their choice, and that’s a frustrating thing. I think we need to change that.”

Mid-decade congressional redistricting, which California voters passed in November 2025, gave Democrats a chance to pick up five new seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in the midterm elections this November. Gallagher and other Republican lawmakers opposed the redistricting effort, which Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom supported in response to Texas’ own mid-decade redistricting in summer 2025 to add five Republican seats.

Other prominent Republican lawmakers on the Assembly floor spoke out in support of Gallagher during the floor session on Monday afternoon.

“It’s when James became [assembly minority] leader that he became the conscience of the caucus,” Assemblymember Tom Lackey, R-Lancaster, said. “He also decided it was time for us to make our mark instead of just existing.”

Assembly Minority Leader Heath Flora, R-Ripon, who succeeded Gallagher in that role, said on the Assembly floor that the caucus turned around under Gallagher’s leadership.

“It has been an example for all of us and all those coming after you to be a strong, courageous leader that’s also respectful,” Flora said.

Gallagher will be sworn in later this week in Washington, D.C. and will have a ceremonial oath of office ceremony on June 16 in Oroville, according to his Facebook page. 

MISSOULA, Mont. — Western Watersheds Project, represented by the Western Environmental Law Center, has appealed the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to revoke American Prairie’s authority to graze bison on public lands in northeastern Montana.

BLM approved the permits in 2022 after a multi-year environmental review that found bison grazing was allowed on public lands and would be better for prairie grasslands than cattle. The groups said the agency later reversed course in five months and used a new “production-oriented” standard without defining it.

The legal challenge centers on whether privately owned bison qualify as livestock under federal law. The groups said BLM had already concluded in 2022 that bison met that standard under the Taylor Grazing Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act. 

"BLM’s new interpretation has no basis in law and contradicts its own findings," said Pete Frost, attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center, in a joint release, "BLM reversed itself due to politics, not the law, nor the need to restore prairie grasslands."

The groups also pointed to Montana’s treatment of American Prairie’s herd as livestock through taxes and disease testing requirements. They said American Prairie has also provided thousands of pounds of bison meat to area food banks and supplied bison for food, commercial and cultural uses.

“The Trump administration’s revocation of these bison grazing permits is beyond bizarre because bison evolved with High Plains ecosystems and are better for land health, better for wildlife and better for the public than cattle,” said Erik Molvar. “Tribes also have bison herds for cultural, ecological and subsistence purposes, which this permit revocation would threaten if it went through.”

A Congressional Research Service report published January 22, 2026, found that 88% of BLM grazing authorizations were for cattle, yearlings and bison, and it reaffirmed the Interior Department’s conclusion that bison qualify as livestock under the Taylor Grazing Act, the release said.

The groups also said proposed grazing rules released days after the revocation used the same “production-oriented” requirement. If adopted, they said those rules could block bison restoration on 155 million acres of public land across the western U.S. 

Western Environmental Law Center and Western Watersheds Project said they plan to keep pursuing administrative appeals and would file suit if needed.

(The Center Square) – Proposed tariffs on imports from 60 economies could raise nearly $970 billion over the next decade, according to estimates released Monday by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

The tariffs, proposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, represent the broadest use of that authority to date and the Trump administration's largest effort to rebuild its tariff revenue base after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in February.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated the new Section 301 tariffs would generate about $980 billion in revenue over 10 years. After accounting for an estimated $10 billion reduction tied to changes in steel, aluminum and copper tariffs, the net revenue gain would total roughly $970 billion on a conventional basis.

Combined with tariffs already in place, the administration is projected to collect about $1.9 trillion in tariff revenue through fiscal year 2036, down from a projected $2.7 trillion before the Supreme Court's February ruling.

Despite the additional revenue, federal debt is still projected to reach 122% of gross domestic product by 2036, according to CRFB. Before the court ruling, debt was projected to reach 120% of GDP by that year.

Since losing its authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the administration has relied on multiple trade statutes to pursue its tariff agenda. Courts also struck down a 10% global tariff imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act in May.

A pending Supreme Court case, HMTX Industries v. United States, could limit the federal government's ability to expand Section 301 tariffs.

Economists generally conclude that tariffs are paid largely by American consumers and businesses rather than foreign governments. Research from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that the costs of tariffs are primarily borne domestically.

The Yale Budget Lab, a nonpartisan policy research center, estimates the existing tariffs cost the average U.S. household between $600 and $800 annually, a figure that does not include the proposed Section 301 tariffs.

The White House disputes that assessment.

"The cost of tariffs will ultimately be borne by foreign exporters who rely on access to the American economy," White House spokesman Kush Desai previously told The Center Square.

Public comments on the proposed tariffs are due by July 6. Hearings are scheduled for July 7.

(The Center Square) - Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft, will testify before the U.S. House Oversight Committee in a closed-door hearing on Wednesday over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Gates is among several individuals brought in by lawmakers on the oversight committee to testify about their relationship with Epstein. Previously, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, former Attorney General Pam Bondi and former president Bill Clinton were brought in to testify about Epstein.

Gates was mentioned various times throughout the U.S. Department of Justice’s release of documents associated with Epstein. He appeared with Epstein in estate photos released by the DOJ in December 2025.

Gates said he met with Epstein several times starting in 2011, after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 on charges of solicitation of prostitution with a minor.

“I was foolish to spend time with him,” Gates said in an interview. “I was one of many people who regret ever knowing him.”

In drafted emails from July 2013, Epstein claims Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection. A spokesperson for Gates has denied claims in the email.

“While Mr. Gates acknowledges that meeting with Epstein was a serious error in judgment, he unequivocally denies any improper conduct related to Epstein and the horrible activities in which Epstein was involved,” the spokesperson said.

In February, Gates told a news outlet his meetings with Epstein were limited to dinners and that he regretted the time he spent with the deceased child sex offender. Gates has also denied Epstein’s financial involvement in his philanthropic endeavours.

“The foundation did not pursue any collaboration with Epstein and no fund was ever created,” the Gates Foundation wrote. “At no time were financial payments made by the foundation to Epstein, nor was he employed by the foundation at any time.”

Epstein also claimed Gates asked him to facilitate illicit sexual encounters and purchase drugs.

House Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said lawmakers on the committee will interview individuals associated with Epstein over the next few weeks. Leon Black, founder of Apollo Global Management; Doug Band, former aide to President Bill Clinton; and Kathy Ruemmler, former White House counsel for President Barack Obama, will testify on their relationship to and knowledge of Epstein.

Gates will testify to lawmakers behind closed doors and his testimony will nto be immediately available to the public.

Two of Missouri's most successful men's basketball programs are set to share the court again after a quarter-century hiatus.

Missouri and Saint Louis announced Monday they will renew their long-dormant rivalry with a three-game series. The first is scheduled for Nov. 6 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, followed by games in both 2027 and 2028. The November matchup will mark the first meeting between the schools since the 2001 season.

The programs first met in 1931 and have played 40 times overall. Mizzou holds a narrow 21-19 advantage in the all-time series, but opportunities to add to that history have been rare in recent decades. The Tigers and Billikens have faced each other only three times since 1980, with Missouri claiming a 69-67 victory in the most recent meeting on Dec. 3, 2001.

The revival comes at a time when both programs are enjoying some success.

Missouri reached the 2026 NCAA Tournament, finishing 20-13 overall and 10-8 in Southeastern Conference play under coach Dennis Gates. The Tigers earned a No. 10 seed before their season ended with a first-round loss to Miami.

Saint Louis is coming off one of the strongest seasons in school history. Under coach Josh Schertz, the Billikens finished 29-6 overall and captured the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season championship with a 15-3 league record. Saint Louis advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after a dominant victory over Georgia before falling to eventual national champion Michigan.

The series also reflects Missouri's effort to strengthen its nonconference schedule. With the NCAA Tournament expanding to 76 teams next year, quality opponents outside conference play are increasingly important for teams seeking a berth or a lower seed.

For decades, Enterprise Center has hosted major college basketball events, including the first two rounds of last March's madness. It will be designated a neutral venue for the Mizzou matchup since SLU plays its home games at nearby Chaifetz Arena.

Early projections for both teams are promising in 2027. Mizzou has one of the nation's best recruiting classes incoming and SLU returns its core talent outside departing senior center Robbie Avila. The November showdown could provide an early measuring stick for two programs with postseason aspirations.