The Latest: US says foreign students seeking visas must unlock social media accounts

The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that it is restarting the process for foreigners to apply for student visas but says all applicants must have their social media accounts set to ‘public’ to allow review by officials.

Consular officers will be looking for activity, posts and messages showing “any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States," the department said.

The announcement is the latest step in the Trump administration’s crackdown on international students, and the U.S. said applicants who refuse may have their applications rejected.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators on that the Pentagon is providing options to President Donald Trump as he decides next steps on Iran but would not say whether the military was planning to assist with Israeli strikes, an action that could risk dragging America into a wider war in the Middle East.

Here is the Latest:

Top Senate Democrats ‘deeply concerned’ over escalating tensions with Iran

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and the top Democrats on several key committees said in a joint statement Wednesday evening that they are “deeply concerned about a lack of preparation, strategy, and clearly defined objectives” amid uncertainty about whether President Trump will decide to strike Iran.

The Democrats say Trump should seek authorization from Congress if he is “considering taking the country to war.”

They urged Trump to “prioritize diplomacy and pursue a binding agreement that can prevent a nuclear-armed Iran and reduce the risk to our diplomats, our service members, and the hundreds of thousands of Americans living in the Middle East.”

Vance’s new Bluesky account was briefly suspended

Roughly 15 minutes after Vance announced on X that he was joining Bluesky, his account seemed to be suspended.

“Account has been suspended,” said the social media platform when users tried to view his posts.

However, the account became accessible again shortly afterwards.

Representatives for Vance and Bluesky did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

No US plans to be part of EU-Iran talks — for now

There are no plans for American involvement in nuclear talks set between senior European diplomats and Iran in Geneva, although that could change, a U.S. official says.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic communications, also noted that the Europeans have been wanting to play a role in the negotiations for months but have been held back by the U.S.

That position, the official said, may be changing as the hostilities intensify.

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— Matthew Lee

Vance joins Bluesky with post about transgender care

Bluesky, the social media platform favored by liberals who fled from the Elon Musk-run site X, has a new arrival.

Vice President JD Vance set up his account on Wednesday, extending his reputation for stirring the pot online.

“I’ve been told this app has become the place to go for common sense political discussion and analysis,” he wrote. “So I’m thrilled to be here to engage with all of you.”

His first topic? The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. He cited Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion and argued “that many of our so-called ‘experts’ have used bad arguments and substandard science to push experimental therapies on our youth.”

Situation Room meeting ends

Trump’s huddle with advisers has wrapped up, according to a White House official. The president has been weighing whether to participate in Israel’s attacks on Iran.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting.

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— Chris Megerian

Senior European diplomats are set to hold nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva on Friday

Senior European diplomats are set to hold nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva on Friday, according to a European official familiar with the matter.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the high-ranking diplomats from Germany, France and the United Kingdom as well as the European Union’s top diplomat will gather for the meeting in Switzerland.

The planned meeting comes as President Donald Trump is weighing approval for the U.S. military to join Israel in carrying out strikes on Iran’s nuclear program.

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— Joseph Krauss, Jon Gambrell and Julia Frankel

Trump administration plans to remove 988 hotline service tailored to LGBTQ+ youth

The 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will stop providing the tailored support options on July 17, according to a statement on a federal agency’s website.

The decision preempts the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal to cut funding for 988’s LGBTQ+ youth and young adult services, and is raising alarm bells among LGBTQ+ advocates.

Federal data shows the LGBTQ+ youth program has served nearly 1.3 million callers since it started in September 2022. The services were accessible under the “Press 3” option on the phone or by replying “PRIDE” via text.

The decision was was made to “no longer silo” the services and “to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said in a statement.

▶ Read more about the removal of 988’s tailored LGBTQ+ youth service

US starts evacuating some diplomats from its embassy in Israel

Two U.S. officials said a government plane evacuated a number of diplomats and family members who had asked to leave Israel Wednesday, shortly before U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on X that the embassy was making plans for evacuation flights and ships for private American citizens.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive diplomatic movements.

There was no indication of how many diplomats and family members left on the flight.