Iran releases wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Dena Karari

President Donald Trump and legal counsel Jared Genser announced the release of Dena Karari, a U.S. Citizen who had been held in Iran since December 2024. Trump described the release as a gesture of Goodwill by Iran! and noted that Karari is now safely outside the country and in good condition.

The release comes as Trump has increased pressure on Iran, recently signing off on several new rounds of U.S. Strikes.

Justice Department Confirmation Hearing

The announcement coincided with the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Blanche, a former defense attorney for Trump, has led the department on an interim basis since April after Trump ousted Pam Bondi. The nomination process has been complicated by the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., which left the committee with 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats.

During the hearing, Blanche faced scrutiny over the Anti-Weaponization Fund, a $1.776 billion initiative created as part of a settlement from Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. While Blanche testified under oath that the fund is not moving forward, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., expressed concern that the administration has not committed this in writing. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., also expressed a desire to stick a fork in this turkey of a 1776 fund, though he later indicated he is a lean yes on Blanche's nomination.

Blanche also addressed the handling of Jeffrey Epstein's records. He acknowledged that mistakes were made in the release process, stating that "in about 1% of the documents mistakes were made".

Family members of accuser Virginia Giuffre told NBC News that Blanche failed to answer substantive questions about the sex offender. Sky Roberts said the hearing felt heavy and described the proceedings as just a show.

Legal Battles and Federal Actions

The Justice Department is currently engaged in a court fight with The New York Times. The newspaper filed a motion in the Southern District of New York to quash subpoenas served on three journalists who reported on security concerns regarding a Qatari-gifted Air Force One. David McCraw, senior vice president and deputy general counsel for The Times, alleged the subpoenas were brought in bad faith to punish the paper's coverage.

Blanche defended the subpoenas during his hearing, telling Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., that the reporters were material witnesses and that the department seeks to identify who provided classified national security information.

In other legal developments, a California judge awarded Hunter Biden $1.7 million in a defamation lawsuit against former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne. The suit concerned Byrne's 2023 claims that Biden had offered to unfreeze $8 billion in Iranian funds in exchange for a bribe.

Other Government Developments

• Military Health: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the U.S. Military will begin testing the testosterone levels of some service members and recommending hormone therapy if needed.
• ICE Policy: Trump overturned a Department of Homeland Security suspension of ICE vehicle stops. The suspension had been implemented following fatal shootings by officers in Texas and Maine.
• Legislative Action: The House voted 104-314 to reject an amendment by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., which would have blocked $3.3 billion in aid to Israel. Separately, Massie introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act II to allow more lawsuits against the DOJ over the handling of Epstein records.

Regarding the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a preliminary examination by D.C.'s chief medical examiner found that Graham died of a rupture of his aorta. While federal law enforcement sources maintain there continues to be no indication of foul play, the FBI is conducting additional toxicology tests at its laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. Trump stated that the FBI is wasting their time by investigating it.