MORNING HEADLINES | President Donald Trump announced on Saturday night that the United States had launched successful air strikes on three key nuclear facilities in Iran. While assessments of the strikes’ effectiveness are still underway, Republicans in Trump’s corner are already lauding the president’s preemptive strike against the Middle East nation.
“This was the right call,” U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., posted on X. “Well done, President.”
He wasn’t alone, as fellow S.C. Republicans Tim Scott and Nancy Mace also congratulated the president on his “decisive American leadership.” On the other side of the aisle, and even among some Republicans, however, the decision has been met with grave concern.
“President Trump’s unilateral decision to attack Iran without Congressional approval is unconstitutional and unwise,” U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said in a statement. “This move, a rash sequel to his withdrawal from the nuclear deal, puts our nation, our troops, and innocents at grave risk.
“Trump promised to be a peacemaker and vowed to avoid plunging the U.S. into more wars in the Middle East. This attack is inconsistent with his promise to the American people.”
U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, raised similar concerns just hours after the strikes on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“In the first Iraq War, the second Iraq War, and the war in Afghanistan, Congress first got the briefings, Congress met and debated,” Massie said. “We haven’t had that. This has been turned upside down, the process.”
Across the Middle East, reactions ranged from concern to outright condemnation. Saudi Arabian officials have called for urgent diplomacy, while the governments of Iraq and Qatar warned the strikes risked destabilizing an already-volatile region.
In Israel, however, the strikes were hailed as a long-overdue move to eliminate what leaders described as an existential threat.
In other headlines:
Duke Energy asks S.C. regulators for residential rate increase. The S.C. Public Service Commission is reviewing a Duke Energy rate-increase request that would raise consumer power bills by about $20 per month. If approved, the rate hike would go into effect Feb. 1, 2026.
North Charleston celebrates Juneteenth. Hundreds gathered this weekend in North Charleston for the Liberty Hill Historical and Genealogical Society’s Juneteenth parade and after-party celebrating Black emancipation from slavery.
Organizers push back on Charleston protest ordinance. A Charleston ordinance that gives its police department wide latitude to determine when and where protests can take place is drawing fire from local organizers, as well as the city’s Human Affairs and Racial Conciliation Commission.
Mount Pleasant Town Center redevelopment plan gets thumbs up from planning commission. A plan to replace a significant portion of Mount Pleasant Town Center’s existing retail space with up to 421 residential units, more than 87,000 square feet of office space, and 188 hotel rooms was approved by the town’s planning commission.
Push for local shrimp prompts question for Charleston restaurants. When recent testing showed that most shrimp served in Charleston restaurants came from foreign waters, area shrimpers and consumers called for change. But when asked if there’s enough local catch to meet demand, many experts tend to say no.
Charleston County schools partner with university for expanded coursework. CCSD and Charleston Southern University are partnering on a new initiative to offer more college-level coursework options to area high school students. CCSD Superintendent Anita Huggins called it “a big win” for students and families in the announcement release.
Major U.S. pharmacy relocates HQ to Charleston. Guardian Pharmacy, which serves long-term care facilities across the country, has moved into its new headquarters near Charleston’s Daniel Island.
Rising temperatures may be changing ocean color in S.C. and around the world. In any given part of the world, the ocean is either blue or green, depending on chlorophyll levels. As temperatures rise, higher chlorophyll levels in once solidly blue waters appear to be giving them a greenish hue.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.