I’m Will Dove
And I’m Hannah Bern, and this is the rest of the news for today, Friday, June 20th.
Last Friday, Israel launched massive air strikes on Iran, with Tehran responding by firing missiles at Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Iranians directly, claiming Israel’s actions aim both to halt Iran’s nuclear program and to “clear the path for you to achieve your freedom.” However, young Iranian dissidents expressed sharply divided views on the conflict.
Many Iranian opposition figures and activists have joined calls from abroad, including Reza Pahlavi’s pro-monarchy movement and the exiled Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation, but inside Iran, even basic communication is difficult. Authorities have restricted internet access and social media, especially during evacuations, according to 26-year-old Tara. She describes how checkpoints and tolls are used to trap people in targeted zones.
Some, like Amir, 23, support the attacks “100%,” seeing no other means to challenge the regime after years of brutal crackdowns—including the 2022 protests where 537 were killed. Sima, 27, is exhausted and hopes Israel will “rid us and the world” of the IRGC and Supreme Leader Khamenei, but others call Netanyahu’s gestures “absurd” or suspect ulterior motives.
The regime has cracked down on any public solidarity with Israel or even the sharing of campaigns by foreign officials.
In Canada, abortion pills cannot be obtained without a prescription, however the situation is very different in the U.S., where easy access poses a severe health threat to women.
Abortion pills are now easier than ever to order in the U.S., prompting warnings from critics about health and legal risks. In a recent investigation, the Daily Caller News Foundation found that in as little as five minutes, women can order mifepristone—approved for use up to 10 weeks—without any doctor verifying eligibility or confirming pregnancy.
Groups such as Aid Access, OPTIO Women’s Health, and Abuzz Health—all using FDA-approved manufacturers—offer mail-order services with minimal screening. Pills arrive within days, but recipients may not be informed of risks or complications, like hemorrhage or infection, particularly if used beyond the recommended timeframe. Some groups even offer instructions for use up to 12 or 14 weeks, well beyond FDA guidelines.
A study of Medicaid data found that 83.5% of abortion-related ER visits resulting from mifepristone were miscoded as miscarriages, making complications difficult to track.
One in ten women may experience a “serious adverse event,” according to insurance data, while the drug label lists the risk as under 0.5%. Yet, the groups report surging demand, with thousands of requests after recent political events and many stocking up “just in case.”
Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are emerging as a potential game-changer in nuclear energy, offering safer and more efficient alternatives to conventional uranium-powered reactors. While current reactors typically use enriched uranium—extracting as little as 1% of available energy in natural uranium and only up to 4–5% in modern cycles—breeder reactors, especially MSRs, could use nearly every bit of uranium or thorium fuel.
Thorium itself is not a fissile material but can be bred into uranium-233, which burns like uranium-235. The breeding process in MSRs could theoretically increase fuel utilization by up to a hundredfold compared to traditional light water reactors. In practice, fast breeder reactors (FBRs) can use 60–70% of uranium’s potential energy, leaving significantly less dangerous, shorter-lived nuclear waste.
A key advantage of MSRs is their design, which allows the reactor fuel to be a liquid circulating at atmospheric pressure, avoiding steam explosions. Gravity can empty the fuel and shut down the reactor instantly in an emergency. Pioneered by Alvin Weinberg in the 1950s and 1960s at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, MSR research was discontinued in the 1970s due to shifting priorities, but countries like Canada, Indonesia, and China have since invested in the technology. Notably, China launched the first fully operational thorium-based molten salt reactor in 2024 and plans a 10 MW version by 2030, positioning itself at the forefront of nuclear innovation.
The war in the middle east has already expanded significantly beyond the original Hamas-Israel conflict, and there are fears it may continue to involve other countries.
The Turkish public has grown increasingly anxious about the risk of a direct conflict with Israel, following recent dramatic escalations in the Middle East. Israel recently launched large-scale attacks against Iran’s military and nuclear facilities, killing over 500 and injuring at least 1,300, many civilians. Iranian missile barrages struck Israeli cities in response, further inflaming the region.
Turkey, although not directly involved, was among a select group of U.S. allies informed in advance of Israel’s actions. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had already prepared contingency plans, anticipating possible waves of refugees and wider regional instability.
Public fear is palpable: officials have scrambled fighter jets in response to Israeli incursions, and nationalist leaders warn of an Israeli strategy to encircle Turkey. In response to the perceived threat, Erdogan has accelerated Turkey’s missile program and vowed to strengthen national defense independence, urging regional leaders to stay out of the Israel-Iran conflict.
Niger’s military junta has announced the nationalization of the majority French-owned uranium mining company Somaïr, intensifying tensions with France and marking a new step in the junta’s drive for greater local control over valuable mineral resources. Somaïr, operated by French nuclear fuels giant Orano—which holds a 63% stake—has been accused by Niger’s authorities of “irresponsible acts.” The junta stated that nationalizing the company would result in “healthier and more sustainable management” and ensure Nigeriens derive more benefit from the country’s uranium wealth. Niger is the world’s seventh-largest uranium producer and has Africa’s highest-grade ores.
Since taking power in 2023, Niger’s military leaders have distanced themselves from France, seeking closer ties with Russia and emphasizing the end of French economic dominance established post-independence in 1960. Authorities seized operational control of Somaïr last year; Orano has since launched legal action. Analysts warn the move could threaten hundreds of jobs and export earnings, adding to regional instability. Meanwhile, Mali, also under military control, is building a gold refinery with Russian partners, signaling a broader shift away from French and Western influence in the region.
UK universities have been directed to scrap policies that enforce diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requirements for staff, according to new guidance from the Office for Students aimed at protecting free speech on campus. The guidance warns that requiring staff to support or demonstrate commitment to “social justice” or political values, as some universities have demanded through codes of conduct or inclusion statements, could breach the forthcoming Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, which we reported on yesterday. The Act is set to become law this August.
The Office for Students, led by free speech advocate Arif Ahmed, states that academics should not be compelled to sign codes of conduct or prove their support for equality, diversity, and inclusion as a condition of employment. Critics argue such measures enforce “ideological conformity” and stifle dissent. Earlier this year, campaigners claimed that universities like Oxford routinely required job applicants to express support for diversity measures. The new guidance is intended to remove barriers to open debate and prevent discrimination based on differing viewpoints.
The American National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on Wednesdy that it is ending all gain-of-function research, acting in compliance with a presidential executive order issued by Donald Trump on May 5 of this year.
NIH will suspend or terminate funding awards tied to gain-of-function studies and has directed awardees to review their portfolios by June 30 to confirm these projects are stopped. The executive order also blocks federal funding for gain-of-function research in countries of concern—notably China and Iran—and prohibits support for foreign research that could increase the risk of a released pathogen.
The White House defended the order by referencing past incidents, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the 1977 Russian flu, as examples of the potential dangers of underregulated laboratory research with pathogens. According to a White House fact sheet, the measures are intended to reduce the risk of lab-related incidents similar to the bat coronavirus research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was partly funded by NIH through the EcoHealth Alliance.
I’m Will Dove
And I’m Hannah Bern, and that’s the rest of the news for today, Friday, June 20th.
