Good Morning!

It's Tuesday, June 17, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• In a rare move, Louvre shuts down amid staff strikes. 

• Ads come to WhatsApp. 

• The world's most liveable city is not Vienna in 2025!

Love this newsletter? Don’t keep it all to yourself—share it with your friends!

Help us be better, write at: [email protected]

Spill The News

Israel-Iran Strikes Escalate

Israel intensified its strikes across Iran on Monday, targeting the Quds Force command center and Iran’s state broadcaster, as its offensive stretched into a fourth day. One blast was caught live on Iranian state TV, injuring staff and briefly taking the network off air. The Quds Force, a key wing of Iran’s military, oversees foreign operations, including support for Hezbollah and Hamas — making its disruption a major blow to Iran’s regional influence. Where is Israel’s operation heading?

Iran retaliated with missile fire, including one aimed at Israel’s largest oil refinery, though most were intercepted. Its ambassador to the U.N., Amir Saeid Iravani, called the attacks “proportionate defensive operations directed exclusively at military objectives”, and warned that any third-party cooperation with Israel “makes them complicit in the legal responsibility and consequences of this crisis.”

In Alberta for the G7 summit, President Donald Trump urged Tehran to “immediately evacuate”, blaming Iran for not signing a nuclear deal before the strikes began. Asked whether the U.S. military would intervene, he said, “I don’t want to talk about that.” Still, the USS Nimitz was rerouted from the South China Sea to the Middle East, placing two American aircraft carriers in the region. Dozens of U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft have also been deployed to Europe in preparation for potential operations. Trump maintained a deal is still possible: “I think Iran is foolish not to sign.” European foreign ministers echoed that sentiment, urging Tehran to return to negotiations. But Iran’s foreign minister reportedly said confronting Israel remains the country’s top priority.

NYC’s Abortion Access Under Attack

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday revived a challenge by the Catholic Diocese of Albany against a 2017 New York regulation requiring most employer-sponsored health insurance plans to cover abortions, including in cases of rape and incest. It threw out a 2024 ruling by New York’s top court, which had upheld the regulation, and directed the court to reconsider.

The rule, adopted by New York’s Department of Financial Services and later codified into law in 2022, exempts nonprofits primarily devoted to “the inculcation of religious values” and serving co-religionists. 

The Supreme Court also agreed to hear a related case involving First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, a Christian anti-abortion group in New Jersey. The group is challenging the state attorney general’s investigation into whether it misled women by implying it offers abortions. The justices will consider whether the group can bring a federal lawsuit before contesting the state’s subpoena in New Jersey courts. The case, expected to be heard in the next term starting October, could determine how far states can go in regulating crisis pregnancy centers, which critics argue are deceptive.

World’s Most Visited Museum Louvre Shuts Doors Due To Staff Strikes

The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum, abruptly shut down on Monday as striking staff protested overwhelming crowds, understaffing, and deteriorating working conditions. “Tens of thousands” of visitors now flood the museum daily, with employees calling the strain “untenable”.

The walkout, which began during an internal meeting, comes amid mounting global backlash against mass tourism. Just a day earlier, anti-tourism protests swept cities across southern Europe, including Venice and Barcelona. Despite recent efforts by President Macron to revamp the museum’s aging infrastructure, Louvre workers say problems are only worsening — from water leaks and heat swings to outdated facilities ill-equipped for the 8.7 million visitors it hosted last year.

At the center of the chaos is the Mona Lisa. Nearly 20,000 people a day cram into one gallery to glimpse the painting behind glass, often ignoring surrounding masterpieces by Titian and Veronese. Watch. Staff say even capped entry numbers can’t fix what’s become “a daily test of endurance”.

Click-Worthy

✈️ Trump departs early from G7 amid Israel-Iran crisis; urges NSC to be prepared.

📢 Ads are now coming to WhatsApp!

📲 Trump mobile — President’s family launches a mobile phone company.

🕵️‍♀️ In a first, Britain’s spy agency MI6 to be led by a female chief!

🛂 Trump’s travel ban could extend to 36 more nations.

📰 Most of the U.S. now gets news majorly from social media. Do we like?

📉 Millions of Americans’ credit scores take dive as student loan collections restart.

🌆 What is the world’s most liveable city in 2025? Hint: It isn’t Vienna anymore.

🚫 First time in 116 years, NAACP to not invite sitting president to convention.

🤖 OpenAI lands $200 million Defense Department contract for AI development.

Her Hustle

🎓 Gen Z’s graduation gift? Vanishing jobs, vague LinkedIn posts, and a brutal crash course in real-world rejection.

🗣️ When young women get talked over, how can mentors help them find and use their voices effectively?

The Style Edit

👗 Minimalist summer dresses are having a major moment — celebrities like Dakota Johnson, Cardi B, and Bella Hadid embrace sleek, neutral-day-to-night styles.

🩳 Lace‑trim shorts are summer’s surprising breakout. Shirt them with sweatshirts, leather jackets, even jelly flats for a bold, elegant-contrast style.

The Fame Frame

🏆 Emmy predictions — who could win what?

😤 Justin Bieber’s new IG post goes on about “anger issues”.

⚖️ Doctor who supplied Ketamine to Matthew Perry to plead guilty.

🏈 Travis Kelce drops 25 pounds this offseason following weight criticism.

👀 Diddy’s trial draws influencers, not journalists, outside the courthouse.

Weigh In

“We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn.”

— Mary Catherine Bateson