Pentagon Estimates Iran War Cost $25B; Supreme Court Rules on Louisiana Map

The Pentagon estimates the war in Iran has already cost $25 billion, according to Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst. Hurst testified before the House Armed Services Committee yesterday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who offered no indication of when the war might end during his combative testimony.

There are no signs that the U.S. or Iran will budge on their blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, NPR's Greg Myre tells Up First. Shipping traffic through the waterway remains at a standstill, and both sides say they are inflicting economic pain. Both sides also believe the other will give in first, Myre adds. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan says the U.S. could keep the blockade in place indefinitely. Iran also believes it can maintain the blockade by using a mix of mines at sea and drones and missiles from the shore. Donegan tells Myre that the U.S. could clear Iran's mines, but it would take time to do so and to further weaken Iran's forces on land. Myre says a negotiated agreement would be the safest way to reopen the Strait, but those talks are currently stalled.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Louisiana's 2024 election map was an "unconstitutional racial gerrymander." The map established a second majority-Black congressional district. The justices' 6-3 decision fell along partisan lines. While the court technically kept Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act intact, the ruling contributes to a series of decisions undermining the landmark 1965 law that protected racial minorities' collective voting power. Experts expect the ruling to reduce minority representation across all levels of government.

The court's ruling reinterprets the longstanding protections against racial discrimination in Section 2, NPR's Hansi Lo Wang says. Decades ago, Congress amended the Voting Rights Act to say that Section 2 should focus on any discriminatory effects of a redistricting plan. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court's majority opinion that the focus of Section 2 should be intentional racial discrimination. Legal expert Atiba Ellis tells Lo Wang that proving racist intent is notoriously difficult, and the ruling essentially asks plaintiffs to "now find a smoking gun." Lo Wang adds that with a further weakened Voting Rights Act, the U.S. could see the largest-ever decline in representation by Black members of Congress.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell plans to remain on the central bank's governing board for a period of time after his term as chairman ends next month. Powell's announcement highlights the economic and political pressure the Fed has faced in recent years. Fed chairs typically step aside after their terms end, NPR's Scott Horsley says. Powell is exercising his right to remain on the governing board through early 2028, at least for a while. He said he's doing this to help safeguard the Fed's ability to operate without political pressure. President Trump has threatened to fire Powell and another Fed governor, Horsley says. The Department of Justice also launched a criminal investigation into the Fed. Powell and his colleagues have so far resisted the Trump administration's efforts. But Powell says the battle is not over yet. He says he plans to keep a low profile after he is no longer chairman and won't compete with Kevin Warsh, Trump's nominee to be the next leader of the central bank.

The war in Iran has nearly doubled jet fuel prices in the U.S., driving up the cost for wildfire-fighting aircraft operations this summer. Taxpayers will be the ones to fork over tens of millions of dollars this year to cover the cost of fighting those fires. Last year, the nearly 500 or so aircraft the U.S. government used to fight most large wildfires burned through about $50 million worth of jet fuel. If this year is similar to last season, the fuel bill could double to nearly $100 million.