Evening News Podcast for Wednesday, June 11

Good evening. I'm Will Dove And I’m Hannah Bern, and this is the nightly news for Wednesday, June 11. Nearly 200 anti-ICE agitators were arrested in downtown Los Angeles following a newly imposed citywide curfew set by Mayor Karen Bass, with 197 arrests specifically noted by the LAPD. The unrest has spanned five consecutive days, leading to extensive property damage, including 23 businesses looted or destroyed in a single night. Graffiti and torching of vehicles have caused significant harm to businesses and public properties within the affected zones. Police established multiple skirmish lines and issued repeated dispersal orders; those who failed to comply were arrested. Among the charges are failure to disperse, vandalism, looting, attempted murder using a Molotov cocktail, resisting arrest, and blocking freeways and public safety operations. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell emphasized the danger and unlawfulness of such actions, warning anyone in the curfew zone without a legal exemption would be arrested. Over 2,100 California Army National Guard members have been deployed, with President Donald Trump ordering an additional 700 US Marines to assist local law enforcement. The ongoing situation has raised alarms about public safety and has drawn attention to a shifting political landscape among immigrant communities regarding border security and ICE enforcement. According to CNN data analysts cited in a separate report, there is a reported 40-point shift among some immigrant groups toward the Republican Party under Donald Trump, largely on the issue of border security and ICE enforcement. We’ll remind you of yesterday’s news report where we revealed that the LA Riots are being incited and funded by globalist interests… Israel has escalated its military response to the Iran-aligned Houthi militia in Yemen, executing its eleventh strike on the group but breaking new ground by using naval capabilities for the first time. On Tuesday, the Israeli Navy conducted a large-scale operation targeting the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida in western Yemen. The attack, launched from Israeli Sa’ar 6-class corvettes using long-range guided missiles, is described by the IDF as “unprecedented,” particularly as it was carried out from approximately 1,800 kilometres away from Israeli territory. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned the Houthis that continued attacks on Israel would be met with powerful retaliation, including the possibility of a full naval and air blockade. Katz stressed that the strike was a response to Houthi drone and missile attacks frequently directed at Tel Aviv and its international airport. With the US having recently withdrawn significant forces from the Red Sea following a ceasefire declaration, Israel has increased its naval presence to fill the gap, while American military assets remain in the region but play a reduced role… Non-essential American embassy staff and their dependents in Baghdad are being evacuated from Iraq due to heightened security threats, according to U.S. government sources. While officials have not specified the exact trigger for the evacuation, recent developments—particularly the stalled talks over Iran’s nuclear program—are widely cited as contributing factors. A U.S. State Department official explained that the embassy is “constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture,” and decided to reduce its mission footprint based on the latest analysis. The situation is further complicated by comments from Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who warned that his country would retaliate against American bases if negotiations break down and U.S. military action is ordered. Reuters also reported that U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth approved the voluntary departure of military families from countries across the Middle East, including Kuwait and Bahrain. With around 2,500 American troops in Iraq, the move signals growing concern over regional stability. The UK Maritime Trade Operations issued a warning about heightened military tensions impacting shipping, and oil prices spiked more than 4% as markets reacted to fears of disrupted supply. U.S. authorities have charged Han Chengxuan, a PhD candidate from Wuhan’s Huazhong University of Science and Technology, with smuggling biological materials into the United States after her arrest at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8. Han reportedly sent four packages containing biological materials to the University of Michigan laboratory, and she is the third Chinese national charged in a week for similar biological research smuggling, according to court filings. Customs officials intercepted the shipments, which lacked proper permits or documentation for importing roundworm-related materials. The materials included petri dishes of nematode (roundworm) growth medium and plasmids—circular DNA molecules—sent in envelopes. Han allegedly admitted to shipping five to 10 packages, some of which were lost in transit, and claimed both her professors and U.S. lab recipients were unaware of the contents, describing the packages as “surprises.” Han was found to have lied to customs agents about the packages’ contents, initially claiming they were plastic cups and a book. Upon further questioning, she acknowledged the true nature of the shipments. In her research, Han uses plasmids—produced in E. coli—to study how genes, drugs, and neural circuits affect animal behavior using roundworms… The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is launching a new high-profile government medical journal in an effort to change the culture of scientific research, according to recent remarks by NIH Director doctor Jay Bhattacharya. The initiative is aimed at publishing replication research and making such studies more searchable and accessible. Currently, the scientific community does not widely reward replication—repeating studies to verify results—making it difficult for researchers to pursue careers in this vital area. Bhattacharya emphasized that the new journal will also publish negative results, where replication attempts fail, in an effort to make published scientific literature more trustworthy. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has proposed that up to 20% of the NIH budget be allocated for replication work, addressing concerns that existing journals do not publish all supporting data or negative findings. The NIH director acknowledged recent controversy, including the termination of over 2,000 grants valued at $9.5 billion and $2.6 billion in contracts, as well as some cuts to grants labeled under diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Bhattacharya stated that while the NIH continues to support research on vulnerable populations, funding will not support studies based on the idea of structural racism as the primary driver of minority health outcomes, as he indicated he does not believe it is falsifiable by scientific experiment... A large international study has found that glyphosate, the main ingredient in the widely used herbicide Roundup, caused multiple types of cancer in rats. The investigation, one of the more extensive of its kind, examined the long-term effects of exposure to glyphosate-based weedkillers. While full statistical results and sample sizes were not detailed, the findings further stir the debate over glyphosate’s safety for humans and the environment. Glyphosate, produced by Bayer after its acquisition of Monsanto, has been the subject of numerous lawsuits and scientific disputes. Critics have long argued that exposure to the herbicide could increase the risk of cancer and other health problems, while manufacturers and some health agencies have previously stated it is safe when used as directed. This new research suggests significant health risks from long-term exposure to glyphosate, lending weight to calls for more stringent regulation and transparency regarding pesticide use... The Satanic Temple is set to open a telehealth abortion clinic in the state of Maine, with the launch date coinciding with President Donald Trump’s birthday. According to the announcement, the clinic will provide abortion information and consultations remotely to patients, leveraging recent changes in state law and growing telehealth options. The group describes its initiative as a way to protect reproductive rights and provide medical access outside of traditional religious healthcare systems. The timing and symbolism of the launch have generated controversy, with critics arguing that the group is making a political point by connecting the clinic’s opening to Trump’s birthday. The Satanic Temple has stated that its goal is to offer alternatives to individuals seeking abortions, particularly in states where access to abortion is restricted or contested… And in good news today, a recent ruling in the United States has reaffirmed the right of sororities to remain women-only organizations. The Department of Education (DOE) ruled that sororities do not have to admit men or individuals who do not identify as women, marking a victory for advocates of single-sex organizations. Supporters of the ruling argue that single-sex spaces are important for fostering sisterhood and providing support networks for women. Critics have contended that such policies may exclude transgender and non-binary individuals, but said critics are clearly as delusional as men who think they are women… I’m Will Dove and I’m Hannah Bern, and that’s the news for today, Wednesday, June 11th.