Rubio lets Vance take the fall as Iran deal questions mount

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood silent and stone-faced behind Donald Trump on Wednesday as the president joked of passing the buck if his deal with Iran, under increasingly withering criticism and scrutiny, ultimately falls apart.

The blame, Trump said, would likely fall on his vice president, JD Vance, who led the negotiations toward a memorandum of understanding with Iran and will sign the agreement this week in Switzerland — a ceremony that will generate indelible images for a politician openly considering a run for the White House.

The controversial diplomatic breakthrough poses a quandary for Vance, whose aides see Rubio as his most viable challenger for the Republican presidential nomination should the secretary choose to run.

“If it works out, I’m going to take the credit,” Trump said of the Iran deal, with Rubio by his side. “If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD,” he joked. “You better be careful, JD!”

—Los Angeles Times

‘Bad policy costs lives.’ Medical professionals urged to improve Black patient outcomes — by voting

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The head of the National Medical Association passionately urged Black medical professionals to use the ballot box to reshape Florida healthcare policies that jeopardize communities.

“Your vote determines who expands or restricts Medicaid and Medicare, who invests in rural hospitals, and who protects clean water,” Dr. Roger Mitchell, president of the National Medical Association, said to about 500 people as he opened the Health Foundation of South Florida’s 2026 Black Health Summit in Pembroke Pines on Tuesday. “Your vote determines who writes laws, and laws determine lives.”

Mitchell repeatedly illustrated how health policy and funding decisions in Florida affect the Black community and the medical professionals who care for them.

“Good policy saves lives. Bad policy costs lives,” he said. Florida’s healthcare policy landscape has undergone massive, sweeping changes over the last couple of legislative sessions. Those changes have negatively affected Medicaid eligibility, diversity initiatives in medical education, and access to reproductive care.

—South Florida Sun Sentinel

Don’t touch the bat! Officials in Colorado's Jefferson County warn of rabies exposure

DENVER — Despite their cuddly demeanor, Coloradans should be wary of touching wild bats, even if injured, Jefferson County health officials said.

The warning comes after several people picked up or touched an injured bat near the Evergreen Lake trailhead on Sunday afternoon, according to a news release from Jefferson County Public Health. Animal control officers searched for the bat but could not find it, so the bat could not be tested for rabies.

However, several other bats found in homes or on trails in Jefferson County in recent months have tested positive for rabies, health officials said.

Anyone who touched the bat may have been exposed and should contact a healthcare provider or Jefferson County Public Health as soon as possible, officials stated in the release. Rabies is a serious disease affecting the brain and nervous system that can be deadly to people and animals if not treated right away. Treatment can prevent rabies if it is started soon after an exposure, health officials said.

—The Denver Post

Record Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow targets refinery

Russia’s capital faced a record air bombardment overnight, with drones reaching the Moscow Oil Refinery, disrupting airport operations and forcing the closure of several major roads in and around the city.

At least 194 drones were downed over Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram. Some drones reached the refinery, a key supplier of road fuel to the capital and the surrounding areas, Sobyanin said, without elaborating.

Operations were suspended at all four of Moscow’s passenger airports, Interfax reported, citing Russia’s air transport agency. The largest hub, Sheremetyevo, had to evacuate passengers into shelters and delay multiple flights, according to its Telegram channel. All airports later resumed services. Moscow’s law-enforcement agencies closed traffic at several key highways for security reasons, state-run Tass news service reported.

The assault on the capital is the second so far this week, after a strike Tuesday previously set the refinery ablaze. Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks in an effort to bring the Kremlin to the negotiating table. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has also intensified strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

—Bloomberg News