Houston Man Killed In ICE Shooting Was Not Target Of Traffic Stop: NYTA man who was killed by federal immigration agents during a traffic stop in Houston on Tuesday was not the target of their investigation, The New York Times reported.Federal agents were investigating two people from Guatemala and had surveilled a home with two white vans outside, the report said. When agents returned to the home, "they observed a white van with an individual who resembled the target,” a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman told the Times.Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was driving a white van, was shot in the abdomen after agents initiated a traffic stop. DHS said that Araujo “weaponized his vehicle” but has not provided evidence to support the claim. Agents were not wearing body cameras, the spokeswoman said.Read more at The New York Times:Latest Live UpdatesHouse Republican Offers Candid Take About The Political Risks Of Trump’s Iran Strikes: PoliticoAn unnamed Republican lawmaker didn't hold back while telling Politico the political risks that President Donald Trump’s fresh strikes on Iran pose to the GOP come this fall. "Midterms are still beyond Trump’s focus zone," the anonymous House Republican told the publication. "Not screwing us might be his goal, but he’s screwing us into political oblivion."The ongoing war with Iran is highly unpopular with the American public and could continue to drive higher gas prices that voters penalize Republicans for this fall. Read more from Politico: New Air Force One Falls Short On Defensive Countermeasures: ReportThe new Air Force One donated by Qatar has fewer defensive countermeasures than the previous aircraft, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing multiple officials.The news comes a day after the Secret Service pushed Trump to leave Turkey early on the previous presidential plane. The White House communications director, Steven Cheung, defended the “state-of-the-art aircraft” to The Times in a statement, saying it has “high-level security protocols.”Read more at The New York Times.Breaking UpdateTrump Terminates Election Assistance Commission MembersU.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday terminated the members of the Election Assistance Commission, the independent, federal commission that assists election administration officials nationwide, according to one person familiar with the decision and two other people briefed on the terminations.Read more from Reuters.Israel Told U.S. That Intelligence Revealed Iranian Plot To Target Trump: ReportsIsrael disclosed intelligence to the U.S. that it said pointed to an Iranian plan to kill President Donald Trump, according to The Wall Street Journal and CNN, both of which cited anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The Thursday reports come amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran as the countries have exchanged fresh strikes in recent days. Trump has also referenced the possibility of Iran targeting him in public statements this week. “I'm number one on the kill list for Iran,” Trump said while speaking at a news conference at a NATO summit on Wednesday. The Israeli embassy in Washington declined the The Journal’s request for comment and Iran’s Mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to the publication's request. Read more:Planning Commission Helmed By Trump Allies Advances His DC ArchThe National Capital Planning Commission, a panel led by President Donald Trump’s handpicked chair, voted to advance plans for his prized D.C. arch in a meeting on Thursday.The proposed 250-foot tall structure, which has garnered significant public opposition, will still need additional approval to proceed, though this week's vote greenlit preliminary site and building plans. The panel also tabled issues regarding the height of the project and concerns that its 166-foot mezzanine would be in breach of the 1910 Heights of Buildings Act. That law restricts the heights of buildings in the capital to 130 feet on commercial streets, though the Interior Department has contended that it doesn’t apply to federal structures. Will Scharf, the Trump-appointed chair for the Planning Commission, described the Interior Department’s claim as “compelling” and noted that the question could be addressed at a later meeting. 8 Men Indicted For Alleged Plot To Attack Trump's White House UFC FightEight men were indicted on federal charges in Ohio for allegedly planning to kill government officials at President Donald Trump's birthday UFC fight last month.The men had allegedly gathered weapons, ammunition and tactical gear for their plot to attack the White House Freedom 250 event.The group allegedly had plans to murder the president, vice president, other federal officials, the prime minister of Israel, Elon Musk and “other high value targets” at the event, according to the Justice Department.The eight suspects, ranging in ages from 19 to 32, were arrested in their home states across the country, including in Missouri, Washington and California. Platner Waiting Until Last Minute To Formally Withdraw From Senate Race: ReportsMaine Democrat Graham Platner is waiting until the last minute to formally withdraw from the U.S. Senate race, sources told Axios and Bloomberg. Platner reportedly told his staff he will wait to suspend his campaign until Monday -- the last day that he can withdraw under Maine law so that the party can pick another candidate. The Maine Secretary of State's office confirmed to USA Today that it had not received an official withdrawal notice from Platner as of Thursday morning. Several individuals have announced plans to run to replace Platner, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former state Sen. Troy Jackson.South Florida's Palm Beach Airport Has Officially Been Renamed — After TrumpA South Florida airport officially changed its name on Thursday to the President Donald J. Trump International Airport.Signs for the Palm Beach International Airport have been removed, while new signage goes up.“Because an entire airport transformation doesn’t happen overnight, you’ll notice a combination of both our classic look and our new brand elements coexisting while traveling through the terminal over the next several weeks,” airport officials said in a Facebook post.Read more, via AP:Maine Sec. Of State Joins Crowded Senate Race To Replace PlatnerMaine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced her campaign for U.S. Senate, joining a growing list of candidates vying for the seat after progressive Graham Platner dropped out. Bellows, a former Maine state senator, previously ran for Senate in 2014, but lost to incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R), who she will face again in the upcoming election. Others who have jumped into the race include former Democratic candidate for Maine governor Nirav Shah and former State Senator Troy Jackson. The Maine Democratic Party announced Wednesday it would host a convention to replace Platner, who suspended his campaign after several sexual assault allegations were made against him.White House Hangs Giant Tarps Over Stone Columns Amid Trump MakeoverPresident Donald Trump's sweeping makeover of the White House continued Thursday as images emerged of massive tarps being draped over the columns of the famous North Portico entrance. The new coverings on the building’s façade, held up by scaffolding, are printed with images of the columns underneath.On Monday, Trump referred to work being done to the columns as he surveyed his remodeling of the People's House, saying “we’ve taken about 150 years of paint off of the columns.”“If you don’t strip the paint off, it gets worse and worse and worse,” the president added.The White House hasn’t announced details on what is being done.On Thursday, Vaughn Hillyard, MS Now's senior White House reporter, cited an official saying the work being carried out is “standard stonework and crack repairs,” and that the plan is to keep the columns white.Since returning to office, Trump has overseen a White House construction blitz, including demolishing the East Wing to make way for a huge ballroom.Trump White Housevia Associated PressTrump White Housevia Associated Press1/42/43/44/4See All Updates