America in Brief

Iran’s Leader Killed

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Feb. 28 that Iranian leader Ali Khamenei was killed during U.S.–Israel strikes on Iran, following months of failed nuclear negotiations.

The strikes began at 1:15 a.m. ET, lasting throughout the day.

In a Truth Social post, Trump described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in History.”

“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,” Trump said.

Iranian civilians had been protesting the Iranian regime since December, triggered by economic collapse, resulting in the death of at least 7,000 civilians, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Removal of DEI From Scouting America

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Feb. 27 the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies (DEI) from Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America—the American equivalent of the Scout Association.

Hegseth described DEI as an “Insidious, radical, woke ideology that is both anti-America and anti-American.”

This is in line with President Donald Trump’s executive order entitled “Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” aimed at removing DEI from the U.S. federal government and its contractors.

The Boy Scouts of America, which was renamed in 2012, has longstanding ties with the U.S. military.

Hegseth noted that scouting membership had dropped from 10 million in 1970 to less than 1 million in 2026.

Trump Delivers State of the Union

President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, in which he touted the United States’ economic comeback and his successes at the border with Mexico, among other things.

Among the medals handed out were the nation’s highest civilian award—the Presidential Medal of Freedom—to Connor Hellebuyck, goaltender for the U.S. Men’s Olympic hockey team; and the nation’s highest military award—the Medal of Honor—to retired Navy veteran Capt. Royce Williams for his actions during the Korean War and Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover for his actions in the recent operation in Venezuela that led to the arrest of former regime leader Nicholas Maduro.

The State of the Union has been an integral part of U.S. politics since the United States’ founding, allowing the president to address Congress and the nation on his accomplishments over the year and plans for the future.

US Charges 30 Suspects in Minnesota Church Probe

The Department of Justice has charged 30 more individuals in a case involving an anti-immigration enforcement protest during a church service in Minnesota on Jan. 18.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that 25 of them had already been arrested, bringing the total to 39 people charged.

On Jan. 18, a crowd of anti-immigration enforcement protesters stormed a church during a Sunday service, to protest a pastor who also worked as an immigration enforcement official, shouting slogans causing distress.

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who filmed the protest, was previously arrested.