The briefing for Thursday, July 23.

Yemen's Houthi rebels say they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Wednesday as the US conducted its 12th straight night of airstrikes on Iran. The Iran-backed group claimed responsibility for striking the Encelia and Layla tankers with drones and missiles, marking what would be the first attacks since the Houthis announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia confirmed the Encelia was hit while sailing in the Red Sea, resulting in a fire on its bow, though all crew members were safe.

The escalation comes as Iran's Revolutionary Guard declared the Strait of Hormuz 'completely closed' after an explosion in a mined route, with one tanker catching fire and two others turning back. President Trump had threatened earlier Wednesday to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant if Iran attacked ships in the strait, and to 'take care of' the Houthis if they blocked the Red Sea. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of an 'eye for an eye' response to attacks on Iran.

The disruption threatens international shipping through both critical waterways, with at least seven tankers making U-turns near Yemen since the embargo announcement. The Red Sea has become crucial for Saudi oil shipments during the US-Israeli war with Iran, which effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Global fuel prices have fluctuated significantly as hostilities in the region continue, and peace negotiations have effectively stalled.

The United States and Saudi Arabia formally signed a 30-year nuclear cooperation agreement on Wednesday that could allow the kingdom to enrich uranium on its own soil for civilian nuclear power. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the deal, which the Trump administration says upholds the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation. However, the agreement does not include the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, which would allow for more monitoring, inspections and verification.

The deal represents a major departure from previous US policy, which insisted Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel in exchange for nuclear technology. Nuclear experts and Israeli officials have voiced concern that the agreement could ultimately enable Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear weapons capability. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told CBS News in 2018 that if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, Saudi Arabia would 'follow suit as soon as possible.'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the agreement, saying the US would not reach any deal that leads to proliferation risks. The pact will be sent to Congress for review, where it's expected to face opposition from both Democrats and Republicans concerned about sparking a nuclear arms race in the volatile Middle East. The deal comes during the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, which was launched in part to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators at a contentious hearing Tuesday that the Iran war has cost the United States $37.5 billion so far, as he requested an additional $95 billion in funding. Hegseth argued the supplemental funding would be a 'generational investment' to ensure US military forces don't play 'catch-up' with other nations. However, sources familiar with the matter told CBS that the actual cost is likely much higher, as the $37.5 billion figure doesn't include expenses like construction for damaged American bases.

The funding request includes $60 billion for the Pentagon and $13 billion for other national security needs, along with $12 billion for farmers struggling under Trump's tariffs and $10 billion for voting law changes. Most Democrats oppose the request, with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand accusing the administration of seeking 'unlimited money for bombs' while Americans cannot afford to 'feed their families.' Some Republican fiscal hawks also want spending cuts elsewhere to offset the budget.

The hearing culminated in a shouting match between Hegseth and Democratic Senator Gary Peters, who called the defense secretary a 'failure' and accused the administration of creating another 'forever war.' Either way, Congress won't be back in joint session until September, meaning the Pentagon won't receive any additional funds for at least two months. Trump attended the dignified transfer of four service members killed in the Middle East on Wednesday, bringing the military death toll to 18.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on Tuesday, days after removing popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in a move that triggered street protests across the country. Syrskyi, 60, is seen by many in Ukraine as a Soviet-school commander reluctant to implement radical changes, while Fedorov, 35, has been widely praised for energizing the ministry and transforming the armed forces. The conflict between the two men had become increasingly bitter in recent months.

Zelensky replaced Syrskyi with Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, a battle-hardened general who is popular among troops and seen as representing a younger generation of commanders. Drapatyi's credibility was earned on the battlefield rather than inherited through the Soviet military system, and he's thought to be a close friend of Fedorov's. Fedorov publicly endorsed Drapatyi's appointment, describing it as 'a new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice' and 'the voice of change that could not be ignored.'

The six days of widespread protests had put mounting pressure on Zelensky to dismiss Syrskyi, who had become a symbol of frustrations within the military over rigid command structures, Soviet-era thinking, and constant mobilization challenges. Zelensky also revealed he met with Fedorov and offered him a 'worthy position in power,' though it's unclear whether the offer was accepted. Fedorov remains acting defense minister for now, with Zelensky asking him and Drapatyi to develop a new defense strategy covering military reforms, weapons supply, and drone programs.

Federal agencies that terminated more than a thousand University of California research grants last year admitted in court filings that they used keyword searches related to diversity, gender, vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 to screen projects. The admission, made in signed stipulations filed in federal court last week, represents a major development in the lawsuit Thakur v. Trump filed by UC researchers against the Trump administration. The agencies acknowledged they did not terminate grants based on alleged noncompliance with grant terms, but instead used 'general criteria' rather than grant-specific assessments.

Lawyers for the UC professors are now asking the judge to skip a trial and formally declare that the White House violated the constitution, including the First Amendment. They argue the keyword-based mass terminations targeted research the administration found politically disfavorable, rather than reviewing grants individually on their merits. The lawyers also contend that by terminating 283 Department of Energy grants from states where a majority voted for Kamala Harris while leaving untouched grants to 'red' states, the administration wrongly punished researchers for living in politically opposed states.

The lawsuit argues the Trump administration violated the constitution by not spending money in ways Congress specifically required through laws on how research funds should be used, terminating billions in grants without rerouting the money to other opportunities. Judge Rita F. Lin has repeatedly sided with the UC professors, issuing several preliminary injections forcing federal agencies to restore grants while she reviews the full merits of the case. A court hearing on whether to formally declare constitutional violations is scheduled for October 20. The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Around 100 LGBTQ+ aid workers in Nepal who lost their jobs after US foreign aid cuts have turned to sex work to survive, walking the streets alongside the very people they once helped. Rubi Lama, 28, who is transgender, devoted nine years to conducting HIV outreach in Nepal's marginalized communities before USAID funding was eliminated. Now she works the same darkened highway where she once visited as an aid worker offering free HIV tests and counseling to sex workers.

The impact extends far beyond the former aid workers' personal circumstances. With US funding cuts also eliminating access to HIV prevention medication in Nepal, health experts fear a spike in HIV prevalence among the surging ranks of sex workers and LGBTQ+ community members. In impoverished Nepal, where conservative culture leaves openly transgender people with few legal job options, the aid workers face both the threat of HIV and violence from clients, which nearly all former colleagues who have taken to the streets have endured.

Of the more than 281,000 jobs lost due to Trump's dismantling of USAID, just 23,000 were American, with the rest overseas in conflict zones or economically depressed regions where other employment options are scarce. In Nepal alone, an estimated 35,000 aid workers lost their jobs. The State Department said the Trump administration had reinvigorated assistance programs to focus on efficiency and effectiveness, adding that 'the rest of the world needs to contribute more and share the burden.' The former headquarters of Friends Hetauda, which offered HIV testing and prevention services, now sits empty with USAID logos still clinging to unused laptops and empty condom distribution containers.