🔵 US-Iran Nuclear Deal

Author

Citizen Frank
May 15, 2025

Good morning. It’s Thursday, May 15.

 

President Donald Trump said he is confident Iran is serious about signing a deal restricting its ability to build nuclear weapons.

Ali Shamkhani, a top political, military, and nuclear adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told NBC News on Wednesday that Tehran is ready at a moment’s notice to sign a nuclear deal in which Iran would only enrich uranium to lower levels needed for civilian use in exchange for the lifting of all economic sanctions. In Qatar on Thursday morning, Trump alluded to the comments, confirming that a deal is close.

“You probably read today that Iran has sort of agreed to the terms,” he said. “They’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran. And we’ve been strong. I want them to succeed. I want them to end up being a great country, frankly, but they can’t have a nuclear weapon. … And people are getting close to maybe doing a deal.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday backtracked on enrolling illegal migrants into California’s taxpayer-funded health care program — blaming the abrupt move on its higher-than-expected price tag.

The Democrat — who reportedly has eyes on the White House in 2028 — said he now wants to stop enrolling more low-income immigrants in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, from 2026 and begin charging those already enrolled a monthly premium the following year.

The about-face comes after Newsom insisted in March that he would refuse to roll back health benefits for illegal migrants even as the Golden State was grappling with a $6.2 billion Medicaid shortfall.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Turkey today for what he hoped would be face-to-face negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, he was met with Putin’s underlings.

On Sunday, Putin first proposed direct talks with Ukraine to bring the three-year war to a close during a televised address.

“We are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” Putin said. “We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.”

Walmart expects to raise some prices because of the impact of President Trump’s tariffs, officials said Thursday.

The world’s largest retailer, which had pledged to hold the line on pricing, said it was now too late to avoid higher costs for consumers, even with the China trade deal earlier this week.

“We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Thursday during the retailer’s quarterly earnings call. “But given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins.”

The Justice Department is investigating UnitedHealth Group for possible criminal Medicare fraud, people familiar with the matter said.

The healthcare-fraud unit of the Justice Department’s criminal division is overseeing the investigation, the people said, and it has been an active probe since at least last summer.

While the exact nature of the potential criminal allegations against UnitedHealth is unclear, the people said the federal investigation is focusing on the company’s Medicare Advantage business practices.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura wrapped up her direct testimony against the rap mogul on Wednesday (May 14), telling jurors that Combs threatened to blow up Kid Cudi’s car and revealing the dollar amount of a bombshell settlement that set off the sex-trafficking probe.

Ventura, an R&B singer who dated Combs on and off for 11 years, is the star witness in Combs’ criminal trial. She’s been on the witness stand since Tuesday (May 13), testifying that Combs physically abused her and forced her to have sex with male escorts during drug-fueled events known as “freak offs.”

In her final day of direct testimony, Ventura reportedly told the jury that Combs became enraged when he discovered she was dating Cudi (Scott Mescudi) in 2011, according to The New York Times, which also reported that Ventura testified that Combs lunged at her with a wine opener and threatened to release freak off videos and hurt both her and Mescudi.

Suspected teen killer Karmelo Anthony will graduate from his Texas high school despite missing the last month and a half of classes as he faces a murder charge in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf.

Anthony’s parents and an activist group vocal in supporting the accused murderer played prominent roles negotiating for the teen to receive his diploma from Frisco’s Centennial High School while under house arrest, WFAA reported.

Next Generation Action Network, the controversial group backing Anthony’s legal troubles, announced the teen’s high school achievement after his parents met with officials in the Frisco Independent School District.

Valeria Marquez was addressing her TikTok followers in a livestream from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Mexico, when someone arrived at her door to deliver a small parcel.

“He’s a little piglet!” the 23-year-old beauty influencer exclaimed as she returned to her viewers and unwrapped the stuffed animal, smiling as she tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

Moments later she was dead, slumped over in her chair with blood pooling on the desk in front of her, even as the livestream continued. The footage ended only when another person picked up her phone, their face momentarily showing to viewers.

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