Iran and Israel agree to tentative ceasefire. What to know.

Summary

Apple News Today: Iran and Israel Agree to Tentative Ceasefire. What to Know

Release Date: June 24, 2025
Host: Gideon Resnick (in place of Shumita Basu)

1. Iran-Israel Ceasefire Announcement

Timestamp: 00:05 – 01:35

The episode begins with Gideon Resnick reporting a significant development in Middle Eastern geopolitics. President Donald Trump announced a tentative ceasefire between Iran and Israel via social media, effectively ending what he termed the "12-day war." This declaration marks a rapid shift from hostilities initiated less than two weeks prior.

Key Points:

• The ceasefire includes a staggered timeline where Iran halts missile launches first, followed by Israel.
• Iranian Foreign Minister stated that Iran would cease operations if Israel did.
• Despite the announcement, both nations appeared to continue attacks until the deadline, with reported explosions in Tehran as the ceasefire was declared.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the agreement but later accused Iran of violating the truce by launching missiles.

Notable Quote:

President Trump [00:46]: "Israel and Iran have agreed to a complete and total ceasefire. Congratulations to both countries for ending what I labeled the 12-day war."
Andrew Cuomo [05:27]: "We are here because we know we can turn New York City around."

2. Vice President J.D. Vance's Remarks

Timestamp: 01:42 – 02:51

Following the ceasefire announcement, Vice President J.D. Vance appeared live on Fox News, seemingly reacting to the news in real time. He touted the success of the mission to cripple Iran's nuclear capabilities, emphasizing the administration's role in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Key Points:

• Vance asserted that Iran is now "incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it."
• He acknowledged differing intelligence reports but maintained confidence in the mission's success.
• The Vice President highlighted the elimination of key figures in Iran's leadership and the impact on their infrastructure.

Notable Quote:

J.D. Vance [02:24]: "We know that they cannot build a nuclear weapon."

3. Analysis of the Ceasefire

Timestamp: 02:51 – 04:42

Gideon Resnick provides a recap of the escalating tensions leading to the ceasefire, including the U.S. strike on an Iranian nuclear facility and Iran's retaliatory missile attacks on U.S. bases in Qatar. Intermediary efforts through Qatar facilitated the ceasefire, despite lingering uncertainties about its durability.

Key Points:

• The U.S. intercepted nearly all of Iran's missile attacks, resulting in no casualties.
• Firaz Maqsad from the Middle East Institute commented on Iran's weakened state, highlighting losses to leadership and infrastructure.

Notable Quote:

Firaz Maqsad [04:09]: "Iran has been significantly weakened."

4. New York City Mayoral Primary Elections

Timestamp: 04:42 – 09:04

Shifting focus to domestic politics, the podcast covers New York City's mayoral primary elections featuring over half a dozen Democratic candidates. The race is primarily between former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Democratic Socialist Zoran Mamdani, each representing divergent visions for the city's future.

Key Points:

• Andrew Cuomo: Leveraging his extensive political experience, Cuomo emphasizes raising the minimum wage, affordable housing, and public safety. Supported by Democratic heavyweights like Jim Clyburn and Bill Clinton, and financially backed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

  Notable Quote:

  Andrew Cuomo [05:27]: "We are here because we know we can turn New York City around."

• Zoran Mamdani: A younger candidate advocating for free public transportation, universal childcare, and rent freezes. Backed by progressive figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, his campaign thrives on grassroots support and small-dollar donations.

  Notable Quote:

  Zoran Mamdani [05:48]: "I always knew that we would build a campaign just like this."

• Laura Namias, Bloomberg News Reporter, notes the strategic approaches of both candidates, highlighting Cuomo's "rose garden strategy" and Mamdani's focus on younger, diverse voters.

Future Implications: Regardless of the primary outcome, there is potential for multiple candidates, including incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, to vie in the general election, possibly running on independent or third-party lines.

5. President Trump's Tax and Spending Bill

Timestamp: 09:04 – 11:38

The discussion shifts to a contentious component of President Trump's tax and spending legislation—the proposal to slash the national park budget by over $1 billion. This move, representing nearly 25% of the total budget, has sparked significant debate.

Key Points:

• Proposed Cuts: Reduction in staffing and services at national parks, with suggestions to transfer management to state authorities.
• Opposition: Conservation groups argue that states lack the resources for effective management. An analysis by the National Parks Conservation Association indicated that such cuts would necessitate selling off approximately 350 smaller national park sites.
• Legislation Beyond Parks: The bill also includes provisions to sell millions of acres of protected land in 11 Western states to housing developers, led by Senator Mike Lee of Utah.
• Republican Pushback: Figures like Representative Ryan Zinke and Senator Lisa Murkowski have opposed the plan, emphasizing local opposition and the importance of preserving national lands.

Notable Quote:

Wyatt Meiskow [09:32]: "This administration does not necessarily care about that, not when there's money on the line."

6. Additional News Highlights

Timestamp: 11:38 – 13:37

The podcast briefly touches on several other significant news stories:

• Supreme Court Deportation Ruling: The Supreme Court upheld the Trump administration's policy of deporting certain immigrants to countries without prior connections, including controversial cases like deporting individuals to South Sudan without adequate legal recourse.

• Abortion Trends Post-Dobbs: A study revealed an increase in abortions in the United States, partly attributed to the rise of telemedicine services. Approximately 25% of abortions last year were facilitated through telehealth, especially in states with restrictive bans.

• Rubin Telescope's First Images: The world’s largest digital camera, a 3,200-megapixel setup on the Rubin Telescope, has captured its inaugural images, unveiling thousands of previously unseen asteroids and detailed views of distant gas clouds. This advancement is expected to revolutionize astronomical observations and enhance our understanding of the universe.

Notable Quotes:

Brian Stone [13:17]: "The observatory will eventually capture more information about our universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined."

Conclusion

The episode of Apple News Today on June 24, 2025, delivered a comprehensive overview of pivotal events shaping both international relations and domestic politics. From the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel to the high-stakes New York City mayoral race, and the controversial federal budget proposals affecting national parks, the podcast provided listeners with in-depth analysis and diverse perspectives. Additionally, significant developments in immigration law, reproductive rights, and astronomical discoveries were succinctly covered, ensuring a well-rounded news briefing for the audience.

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the podcast episode, including direct quotes with appropriate attributions and timestamps to enhance understanding and provide clarity on the topics covered.

Transcript

[Host]

Good morning.

[Gideon Resnick]

It's Tuesday, June 24th. I'm Gideon Resnick in for Shamita Basu. This is Apple News today. On today's show, how a primary in New York City reflects a fight for the Democratic Party's future, one part of the Republican tax and spending plan that's getting less attention and what the first pictures by the world's largest digital camera reveal about space. But first, let's unpack the proposed Iran Israel ceasefire announced by President Trump, marking.

[Host]

A stunning change from only 24 hours.

[Gideon Resnick]

Ago and less than two weeks after.

[Host]

Israel began its strikes.

[Gideon Resnick]

Yesterday afternoon, Trump posted on social media that Israel and Iran had agreed to a complete and total ceasefire and congratulated.

[Host]

Both countries for ending what he labeled the 12 day war.

[Gideon Resnick]

Trump also gave a staggered timeline over a period of 12 hours, suggesting Iran would stop its missiles first and then Israel would follow. Iran's foreign minister said that if Israel.

[Host]

Ceased operations, Iran had no intention to continue its response.

[Gideon Resnick]

And it appeared the two countries were attacking each other right up until the deadline. CNN and the BBC reported explosions in Tehran as Trump made his announcement, while.

[Host]

The Iranian foreign minister said their operations continued until the very last minute.

[Gideon Resnick]

In a social media post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel had agreed to the proposal and that the.

[Host]

Country had achieved its goals.

[Gideon Resnick]

Later, Israel accused Iran of breaching the ceasefire, saying it had detected missile launches. Hours after Trump's statement and seconds after.

[Host]

Trump posted his message, Vice President J.D.

[Gideon Resnick]

Vance was live on Fox News for a pre scheduled interview with Bret Baier.

[Host]

Appearing to be learning the news in real time.

[J.D. Vance]

Well, we were actually working on that just as I left the White House to come over here. So that's good news that the President was able to get that across the finish line. I think what it means, Brett, is quite simple. First of all, the President, without knock on wood, having a single American casualty obliterated the Iranian nuclear program. We are now in a place where we weren't a week ago. A week ago, Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon. Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it.

[Host]

Intelligence reports differ on the extent to.

[Gideon Resnick]

Which Iran was actively pursuing the bomb.

[Host]

And it's still not clear exactly how.

[Gideon Resnick]

Much damage has been done to their capabilities.

[Host]

Asked by Bayer if he could be sure where all of the enriched uranium.

[Gideon Resnick]

In Iran was, Vance said the important.

[Host]

Question was whether the uranium could be used to build a weapon.

[J.D. Vance]

And we know based on the success of our mission, of course, the leadership of the President, but the incredible skill of our military that the two mission objectives are, are completely successful. We know that they cannot build a nuclear weapon.

[Gideon Resnick]

Let's just recap here.

[Host]

Only yesterday, it looked to some as.

[Gideon Resnick]

Though direct confrontation between the US And Iran was developing.

[Host]

The US had struck Iran's deep underground.

[Gideon Resnick]

Nuclear facility over the weekend, and on.

[Host]

Monday, Iran hit back with missiles towards.

[Gideon Resnick]

American military bases in Qatar. But as the day went on, we learned more about Iran's strikes, which appeared to be calibrated and carefully designed to.

[Host]

Avoid further US Response.

[Gideon Resnick]

Qatar and Trump offered slightly different figures.

[Host]

But both reported that the US Intercepted nearly all of Iran's missiles.

[Gideon Resnick]

There were no casualties.

[Host]

Advance notice was given to the Qataris.

[Gideon Resnick]

And therefore the US Via intermediary and analysts began talking about the attack as a kind of off ramp for the Iranian leadership. According to Reuters, Qatar then became involved in phone conversations with Iranian officials and.

[Host]

In those calls agreed to the US proposals.

[Gideon Resnick]

There's no guarantee the ceasefire will hold, of course, but most experts agree that.

[Host]

Iran has taken significant damage over the.

[Gideon Resnick]

Past couple of weeks, both in losses to senior members of its leadership and to physical infrastructure.

[Host]

There are now key questions for how Iran moves forward. Firaz Maqsad, a senior fellow at the.

[Gideon Resnick]

Middle East Institute, told the BBC.

[Host]

It would be a difficult path forward.

[Gideon Resnick]

For the Ayatollah, who may now have to make some concessions in future negotiations.

[Firaz Maqsad]

One has to take a moment and take stock of what's happened. Its proxy network, its forward line of defense strategy, the forward defense strategy that relied on Hezbollah, the Houthis, the militias in Iraq, those were nowhere to be seen as Iran itself and the regime were being attacked. The regime itself, its ballistic missile program is being set back significantly. Iran has been significantly weakened.

[Host]

Let's turn now to New York City.

[Gideon Resnick]

Which is holding primary elections today for its next mayor. More than half a dozen Democrats are.

[Host]

On the ballot, and the winner of.

[Gideon Resnick]

The Democratic primary is likely to be the favorite in November's general election. Current polling suggests the race has two frontrunners presenting starkly different visions for New York City and the Democratic Party. Indeed, in many ways, the primary's two leading candidates embody very different answers to.

[Host]

Some of the foundational questions that Democrats.

[Gideon Resnick]

Have been grappling with since losing the 2024 presidential election. There's Andrew Cuomo, who served as New York's governor from 2011 to 2021, when.

[Host]

He resigned after multiple sexual harassment allegations.

[Gideon Resnick]

He is 67 years old and comes.

[Host]

From a powerful political family.

[Andrew Cuomo]

We are here because we know we can turn New York City around. We have already showed what leadership and confidence and unity can do.

[Gideon Resnick]

The other frontrunner in the race is zoran Mamdani, a 33 year old democratic socialist from Queens who has served two.

[Host]

Terms as a New York State assembly member.

[Zoran Mamdani]

The so called experts said we would be lucky to break 5%, but I always knew that we would build a campaign just like this.

[Gideon Resnick]

Cuomo is running a pretty standard Democratic campaign. He's pledged to raise the city's minimum wage, make housing, transit and education affordable and accessible, and strengthen public safety. He also argues his experience in federal and state government makes him the best.

[Host]

Candidate to achieve progressive goals and to oppose President Trump. Cuomo has much of the Democratic establishment.

[Gideon Resnick]

On his side, including people like Representative Jim Clyburn and former President Bill Clinton. One of his biggest financial backers is former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose donations have helped give Cuomo the largest.

[Host]

Campaign war chest of all the candidates in the race.

[Gideon Resnick]

Bloomberg news reporter Laura Namias told us throughout the race, Cuomo has largely been riding on his reputation.

[Laura Namias]

Cuomo, I would say until very recently has pursued what some people have described as a rose garden strategy where his name identification was, was super high before he even entered the race. He sort of avoided the press, avoided a lot of public appearances that weren't very carefully staged. And he's been more visible in the last two weeks or so as the race tightened. He is seeking to appeal to moderate voters, particularly to black middle class voters in the outer boroughs. And he is seeking sort of a more traditional path among people who are likelier to vote in primaries, which tend to be older voters.

[Gideon Resnick]

Zoran Mamdani is also running on the city's affordability crisis. His platform includes free buses, universal childcare and freezing rent for roughly 1 million rent controlled apartments. His campaign has seen a lot of excitement from volunteers and has disproportionately attracted small dollar donors. He's been supported by the party's more left leaning lawmakers like Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders. And Mamdani says he wants to usher in a new generation of leadership for Democrats.

[Host]

Namia says that his campaign is pursuing.

[Gideon Resnick]

A largely untested path.

[Laura Namias]

It's more of a long shot, at least according to the polls. But Mamdani's path to victory would be primarily through Brooklyn, through voters who are under age 45. And he may be leaning on New York City's Asian, South Asian and East Asian voters who are obviously not a monolith, but who form a increasingly large percentage of New York's population and its voting population.

[Gideon Resnick]

But she also said no matter who wins the primary, it's possible we'll see both of their faces reappear in November. Along with the current mayor, Eric Adams, who is planning to appear on the general election ballot as an independent, Andrew.

[Laura Namias]

Cuomo has promised to continue running in the general election on his own independent ballot line if he were to lose the Democratic primary. It's also a likely possibility that Mamdani would continue running if he were to lose the Democratic primary on the third party line of the Working Families Party. So it ain't over yet. There's lots to pay attention to for months and months to come.

[Gideon Resnick]

Now to.

[Host]

President Trump's tax and spending bill.

[Gideon Resnick]

It's a massive piece of legislation that Senate Republicans are currently debating, and there are many disagreements in the party playing out over the level of spending cuts, particularly to Medicaid. But today we're going to take a closer look at the fight over part of this bill that's gotten far less attention.

[Host]

A proposal to cut the country's national.

[Gideon Resnick]

Park budget by over $1 billion over the next year, close to a quarter of the total budget.

[Wyatt Meiskow]

I mean, that's a whopping total.

[Host]

That's inside Climate News reporter Wyatt Meiskow.

[Wyatt Meiskow]

That means if you're visiting a national park, there will be less staff to help you when you're in need to come find you if you get lost. Taking you on a guided tour, answering your questions, helping you find the best place to camp. Just waiting long lines to get into the park. And those are all things that already have issues.

[Gideon Resnick]

Trump has claimed that too many sites.

[Host]

That are designated as national parks or.

[Gideon Resnick]

Monuments, and there are hundreds, don't get enough visitors.

[Host]

So he says many of them would be better managed by states.

[Gideon Resnick]

But a number of conservation groups have criticized this plan.

[Host]

The director of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks has said many states don't have the resources to manage these sites themselves.

[Gideon Resnick]

And an analysis by the National Parks Conservation association found that in order to cut that much out of the National Park Service's budget, Trump would need to.

[Host]

Sell off 350 smaller national park sites.

[Gideon Resnick]

That's more than half this budget bill goes beyond national parks, though. It would also give the government the power to sell millions of acres of.

[Host]

Protected public land across 11 Western states to housing developers.

[Gideon Resnick]

Republican Senator Mike Lee is leading that charge. He's previously tried to open up public.

[Host]

Land for sale in his home state.

[Gideon Resnick]

Of Utah and says it could be a solution to rising housing costs.

[Wyatt Meiskow]

There are plenty of companies that would love to develop some of this stuff, but they haven't been able to because of these protections or because it was too difficult to do right. This administration does not necessarily care about that, not when there's money on the line.

[Gideon Resnick]

Some Republicans have pushed back on the administration's plan during budget negotiations when the.

[Host]

Bill was in the House, Representative Ryan Zinke from Montana threatened to vote against.

[Gideon Resnick]

It unless his state was removed from the proposal. In the Senate, Lisa Murkowski, who represents Alaska, has been a vocal opponent. And Maiskow says that people who live near national parks and monuments are concerned, too.

[Wyatt Meiskow]

I go to protests at very small national monuments that most people have never heard of, and a couple hundred people show up and it truly just like shows that people care about these places, even if they only visited once in their entire life. They're being loud about voicing that opinion that they do not want that to happen.

[Gideon Resnick]

Republicans are hopeful to pass the overall tax and spending package before the July 4th recess. Before we let you go, a few other stories we're following. The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to continue deportations of certain immigrants to.

[Host]

Countries with which they have no prior connection.

[Gideon Resnick]

Earlier this year, the administration attempted to deport a number of people to South Sudan without giving them a meaningful opportunity to contest their removal, which a lower court placed an injunction on. The migrants in that case had been convicted of violent crimes, and US Immigration officials at the time said they were.

[Host]

Not able to quickly return them to.

[Gideon Resnick]

Their countries of origin, as is standard with many cases on the so called shadow docket.

[Host]

The Supreme Court's order gave no reason as to why the conservative majority decided.

[Gideon Resnick]

The case in this way, sticking with Supreme Court related news Today marks three.

[Host]

Years since the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

[Gideon Resnick]

A new study released on Monday found.

[Host]

That the number of abortions in the.

[Gideon Resnick]

United States had actually risen last year, driven in part by access to telemedicine.

[Host]

It estimated that pills prescribed by telehealth were responsible for about one fourth of.

[Gideon Resnick]

Abortions that year, according to The Washington.

[Host]

Post, 17 states ban all or most abortions, and telehealth was increasingly relied on for some in states with very restrictive bans.

[Gideon Resnick]

And finally, a revolutionary observatory has taken its first images.

[Host]

Using a 3,200megapixel camera, the largest ever.

[Gideon Resnick]

Built, the Rubin Telescope captured the light.

[Host]

From distant stars and galaxies and revealed thousands of previously unseen asteroids. One image showed colorful gas clouds swirling.

[Gideon Resnick]

In a region 9,000 light years away. Brian Stone at the National Science foundation.

[Host]

Said the observatory will eventually capture more.

[Gideon Resnick]

Information about our universe than all optical.

[Host]

Telescopes throughout history combined.

[Gideon Resnick]

And if there is another planet in our solar system, it expects to find it within a year. It should also detect asteroids in striking distance from Earth, so we can all sleep a little easier. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you are already listening to the News app, right now we have a narrated article that's coming up next. Scientific American has the story of the.

[Host]

Trend of men spending on testosterone supplements.

[Gideon Resnick]

And how many might not be aware of of some of the risks. If you're listening in the podcast app, you can follow Apple News plus narrated to find that story. And we'll be back with the news tomorrow.