Iran and Israel Exchange First Strikes Since Cease-Fire, and Texas Ranchers Sound the Alarm

0:28I'm David Sanger. From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Monday, June 8th. Here's what we're covering.

0:46Over the last 24 hours, Iran and Israel have been launching airstrikes at each other, the first time the two countries have exchanged attacks since a ceasefire paused the fighting two months ago. The attacks began late last night when Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel, setting off air raid sirens in multiple cities. Hours later, Israel's military responded, sending dozens of fighter jets to attack Iranian targets, including a huge petrochemical plant. Israeli forces then said they detected more missiles coming from Iran. So far, the country's missile defense systems seem to have been working, though schools across Israel are closed today as a precautionary measure.

1:25In terms of what kicked things off again, Iran says it attacked because of Israel's ongoing campaign in Lebanon, where Israel's been fighting with the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah. Iran has claimed that violates the ceasefire. And in a statement, the Revolutionary Guards Corps said, Meanwhile,

1:50the Times has learned that recent Pentagon intelligence reports have sounded the alarm about Israel spying on the U.S. Israel and the U.S. have known for years that they're both gathering intelligence on the other and have generally tolerated that. But the new reports have raised concerns that the Israeli effort has been accelerating, with one U.S. official calling it, quote, unhinged. For example, one report noted that American defense personnel in Israel found secret software on their phones designed to tap their communications. Another report said that last year, Israeli intelligence officers were caught trying to plant a listening device inside a Secret Service vehicle.

2:30The documents also describe concerns that Israel has been trying to eavesdrop on the top American negotiators who are working to reach a peace deal with Iran, including Steve Whitcoff. Senior U.S. officials the Times talked with said Israel has been looking for insights into Trump's strategy and his shifting stances on those negotiations. In response to questions from The Times, a White House official said the Pentagon account was false, and a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Washington denied that Israel had spied on any American officials or entities.

3:10In Washington, a new lawsuit was filed over the weekend that's aimed at stopping the UFC fights scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House. America was built on bold ideas. And on June 14th, we are going to pull off the boldest idea in sports history. The event is set for Sunday, President Trump's birthday, and is being billed as part of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of America's founding. But the lawsuit argues that the event was designed to benefit Trump and his allies. It notes that earlier this year, the president bought as much as$50 ,000 worth of stock in the parent company of UFC, even as he was promoting the event.

3:52It also cites reporting that UFC is selling premium tickets for more than a million dollars and that Paramount Skydance, the media company owned by the Ellisons, who have close ties to Trump, will collect fees for streaming the fights. Overall, the suit claims that UFC is getting, quote, unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial to stage a private for-profit sports event. Beyond the financial claims, the lawsuit also argues that the scale of the undertaking, which has included the construction of a 600-ton steel arch on the White House lawn, should have gotten congressional approval.

4:29The suit was filed by a political organizer and by a Vietnam veteran, who both say they're offended by the spectacle being held outside national monuments. In a statement, the White House called the suit obstructionist and said it was without merit.

4:49In Texas. Check your animals daily. Treat wounds promptly. And work to reduce fly populations around your operations. State officials are warning about the potential for a dangerous new outbreak on cattle farms. The New World Scrooge worm is not a worm. It's a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on animals, particularly livestock. The pest has been found in tens of thousands of animals in Mexico and Central America. and now it's made it up to the U.S. If left untreated, it can cause serious injury or death. There's only been two confirmed cases so far, but ranchers are on high alert. I was just a teen in the mid-50s when I faced this, Pascal.

5:32And when I heard about it again, the nightmare and the horrors that it brought back was just unbelievable. Screwworm was eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s after scientists bred hundreds of millions of sterile flies and drop them from airplanes to try and thwart reproduction. Now, if the flesh-eating fly takes hold again, it could lead to billion-dollar losses for the U.S. cattle industry, which is already struggling. Ranchers have been dealing with widespread drought, and the size of the U.S. herd is the smallest it's been in 75 years due to a variety of factors. Any additional stress could drive up prices for consumers even more.

6:12The average price of a pound of ground beef is almost$7 right now, up 30 % from two years ago.

6:24Over the past 20 years, in many countries around the world, including the U.S., there's been a sweeping decline in the fertility rate. Researchers have looked at all kinds of explanations. the rise of contraception use, abortion access, even whether the MTV reality show, 16 and Pregnant, might have been a very effective cautionary tale. Now, two studies point at a new possible explanation, the smartphone. One of those studies, which was published today in the National Bureau of Economic Research, tested this theory by looking at where the iPhone was first rolled out in the US. From 2007 to 2011, it was only available on the AT &T network.

7:07So the study compared fertility rates in U.S. counties that had widespread AT &T coverage with counties that had little or none. In all, they concluded the iPhone caused as much as half of the fertility rate decline during those years. The most pronounced effects were among those aged 15 to 24. One explanation may be that young people started to socialize more on their phones than in person, making them less likely to have sex and become pregnant. The phones may also have made pornography more accessible, leading young people to substitute that instead. It's also possible the phones gave people better access to information about contraception, etc.

7:46The other study, using data from the World Bank, looked beyond the U.S. at 128 different countries. It found that in places as varied as Chile, Turkey, Costa Rica, and Iran, teenage fertility declines accelerated once smartphones became a mass phenomenon. Still, one expert not involved in either study cautioned that people shouldn't necessarily take the iPhone link so literally, like, oh, it's the iPhone's fault. Instead, he said, quote, it's an example of the kinds of social influences that have led to the decline in birth rate.

8:27And finally.

8:34It was Broadway's biggest night of the year last night with the Tony Awards. A star-studded production of Death of a Salesman took home the most statues, six in all, including for Best Play Revival. For Best New Musical, the Tony went to Schmigadoon, a satire that lovingly skewers musical theater, imagining a couple stuck in an otherworldly town where people just keep bursting into song. Some people's nightmare, some people's dream. Now, one of the nominees last night, who did not win, but likely set a record just by being in the mix, was the 96-year-old actress June Squibb. Squibb landed her first Broadway role 66 years ago, and this was her first nomination more than half a century later for a role in Marjorie Prime, a play about aging and grief.

9:28She told the Times people warned her that taking on a Broadway role at her age might be a lot. Eight shows a week is a lot for anyone. But Squibb powered through and said she only missed one performance because of a blizzard. And she has no plans to stop anytime soon. She's also got TV shows in the works, a true crime series called Killer Grannies. And she told the Times, quote, I have about five films that I've been asked to do. Those are the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.

10:05This podcast is supported by Helen Keller International. This is a moment of growing urgency. Families around the world are facing widening gaps in healthcare and nutrition, but solutions are within reach. Just 75 cents can provide treatment for neglected tropical diseases, and$2 can help protect a child's sight and health. For a limited time, donations are being matched, helping expand that impact. Learn more at HelenKellerINTL.org slash the headlines.