Trump’s Iran ceasefire deadline nears and Artemis II crew celebrates moon fly-by: Morning Rundown


Iran remains defiant ahead of President Trump’s deadline to agree to a ceasefire proposal by tonight. The Artemis II crew makes a historic trip around the moon. And Michigan wins the NCAA men’s tournament with an all-transfer starting five.

Here’s what to know today.

Iran rejects temporary ceasefire proposal as Trump’s deadline nears

President Donald Trump has given Iran until 8 p.m. Eastern to agree to a deal to end the war or else the U.S. will bomb the country to the “Stone Ages.” And this time, Trump said he doesn’t plan to extend this evening’s deadline, saying at a press conference yesterday, “they’re going to have no bridges. They’re going to have no power plants.”

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Asked if he has concerns about bombing Iran’s infrastructure amounting to a war crime, Trump said, “No, not at all.”

Iran has rejected proposals for a temporary ceasefire, including a 45-day proposal that was recently delivered by Pakistan to both the U.S. and Iranian officials, sources said. Trump has not signed off on the proposal, a White House official said.

Iran, for its part, has been demanding a permanent end to the war. Iranian state media IRNA reported that Tehran would reject a temporary ceasefire given that during previous rounds of negotiations with the U.S., the Trump administration launched military strikes while talks were ongoing.

Read more on the ongoing communication between the U.S. and Iran.

Follow live updates on our blog.

More Iran news:

  • Trump said the American F-15 fighter jet was brought down last week by a shoulder-fired missile, a reminder of the threat Iran still poses through asymmetric warfare.
  • The president also threatened to jail journalists at the media outlet that first reported a second airman was missing — which the government had hoped to keep secret.

‘Absolutely spectacular’: Artemis II astronaut describes historic view of the moon

The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft are on their way back to Earth after a record-setting trip around the moon — and the most anticipated moment of the Artemis II mission.

At around 7:02 p.m. ET, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen reached the farthest distance from Earth ever recorded at an estimated 252,756 miles, surpassing the Apollo 13 record by more than 4,100 miles. In another first, the astronauts were the first humans to witness a solar eclipse from space, during which the moon blocked the sun’s light from the perspective of the Orion capsule.

“It’s indescribable,” Wiseman said of the view. “No matter how long we look at this, our brains are not processing this image in front of us. It is absolutely spectacular, surreal.”

Later, the team spoke about their experience to President Trump, who invited them to the White House and asked for the group’s autographs.

Today, the astronauts will enjoy some well-earned off-duty time. They’re scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on Friday.

See more highlights from the historic day in space.

Voters set to decide important Wisconsin and Georgia races

A split composite image of Maria Lazar, left, and Chris Taylor.
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Maria Lazar, left, and Chris Taylor.Wisconsin Court System

Democrats in Wisconsin are optimistic headed into an election today for a state Supreme Court seat, as the party looks to capitalize on anti-Trump fervor ahead of the November midterms.

Democratic-backed Chris Taylor and Republican-backed Maria Lazar are in a race to fill a seat held by retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley. Taylor, an appeals court judge, has largely focused her campaign on her support for reproductive rights, as well as economic issues such as rising costs. Lazar, also an appeals court judge, has defended her anti-abortion positions and focused on contrasting her judicial career with Taylor’s.

In Georgia, Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris are in a special runoff election to fill Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene’s seat after she resigned in January. Fuller, a prosecutor, enters the runoff as the favorite and has pitched himself as the best choice for voters who support Trump. Harris, a retired Army brigadier general and cattle rancher, has knocked “out of touch politicians” in election ads.

Here’s what else to know about today’s elections.

Michigan defeats UConn to win men’s NCAA Tournament title

UConn v Michigan
Michigan head coach Dusty May hoists the trophy after the Wolverines defeated the UConn Huskies 69-63 to win the 2026 NCAA men’s tournament championship.Michael Reaves / Getty Images

Michigan won its second national championship in men’s college basketball and its first since 1989, defeating Connecticut 69-63 in Indianapolis. It’s the first championship for coach Dusty May, who is in his second season of leading the team.

The Wolverines were dominant in their tournament run, winning each of their first five games by double digits. In last night’s game, junior guard Elliot Cadeau led the team with 19 points and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. UConn cut the deficit to as little as four in the final minute, but Michigan largely controlled the action. More highlights from the 2026 championship game.

Michigan’s win also marked the first time in NCAA basketball history that a team with an all-transfer starting five won the championship. Such a roster construction might have been unthinkable once, but in a more permissive NCAA era, it’s a modern prototype for wealthy schools. Here’s why some schools, like Michigan, are pursuing transfer-centric rosters — and why others, like UConn, have a different philosophy.

Read All About It

  • The rapper Offset is stable after he was shot in Florida, his representative said.

Staff Pick: Chinese Gen Z’s digital lucky charm

Gen Z social media users are channeling Kris Jenner's “momager” energy to manifest their own prosperity in a tough economy.
Gen Z social media users are channeling Kris Jenner’s “momager” energy to manifest their own prosperity in a tough economy.via Instagram

Do you feel like you need some boss energy? Young people in China are turning to Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner for inspiration. All over Chinese platforms, social media users are using the reality TV star as their profile pictures, customizing them to show Jenner in different professions in order to manifest their career goals. It comes at a time when a Chinese economic downturn has made career prospects uncertain, and Jenner is seen as a strong and ambitious businesswoman whose “momager” energy young Chinese say they want to channel.

It may seem like an unlikely cultural crossover, considering Jenner isn’t known to have visited China. But she and her family have a digital footprint in the country through their multiple TV shows and brands like Kim Kardashian’s Skims.

Manifested or not, the memes are providing some humor in a stressful time. And if it brings a little luck along the way, what is there to lose? Dawn Liu, producer at NBC News’ Beijing bureau

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

It’s only Tuesday and the NBC Select team is already thinking about sleeping in this weekend. Why? Because we found a set of cooling pillows for 70% off. And in the name of making our bedroom a mini oasis, our editors tracked down the best bed sheets and tested white noise machines to help you get a better night’s rest. Plus, if you’re curious about mouth taping to prevent snoring, we researched that too.

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Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.

  



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