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June 16, 2026
President Trump Lost This War
(NY Times) His biggest achievement in the cease-fire framework is the expected reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping traffic, which will eventually reduce the prices of energy and other goods. That, of course, is merely a reversion to the prewar status quo. Iran closed the strait in retaliation, to damage the global economy and increase political pressure on the United States. The move worked, and Iran’s leaders now understand that they hold a powerful economic weapon. On balance, Iran emerges the strategic winner of the four-month war. The United States, for its part, looks weaker in the eyes of the world.
Go to discussionIran deal is tacit admission of strategic defeat by Trump administration
(Sky News) The Iran "deal" is a tacit admission of strategic defeat by the Trump administration and of a failure to achieve nearly all of his war aims. The US and Iran have agreed to stop fighting and to open the Strait of Hormuz. Everything else is being kicked down the road over 60 days of ceasefire and beyond. Given that the Strait was open before the conflict was started by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, reopening it is no great achievement. It simply restores the status quo ante bellum.
Go to discussionTrump hails Iran deal that fixes nothing except a problem his war caused
(The Guardian) If we get to a Friday signing ceremony without this uncertain new US-Iran deal being derailed by any of its inherent ambiguities, then nuclear talks can finally restart in the same place – and at almost exactly the same point they were before this conflict started. The world will have irrevocably been changed in other ways. There is no going back for the 120 Iranian children in Minab killed in their primary school in the war’s first hours, nor for their bereaved parents, or any of the thousands in Iran, Lebanon and around the region whose lives were erased or blighted by a feckless war of choice.
Go to discussionCIA director doubts Iran's intentions on deal, sources say
(Axios) CIA Director John Ratcliffe told President Trump and other senior officials that intelligence gathered by U.S. intelligence agencies raised serious doubts about Iran's willingness to make the nuclear concessions the U.S. is seeking in any final deal, according to three sources familiar with those discussions. Ratcliffe isn't the only skeptic in Trump's top team. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have both expressed concerns and raised questions about the deal in internal discussions, while Vice President Vance and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner advocated for it, according to two of the sources.
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Fed set to make interest rate decision as inflation hits 3-year high
(ABC News) The Federal Reserve is set to announce its latest decision on interest rates on Wednesday as the central bank weathers the highest inflation in three years. The announcement will mark the first possible adjustment of the benchmark interest rate since Trump nominee Kevin Warsh began his four-year term as Fed chair last month. The policy move is also set to arrive at a moment of flux for the nation’s economy, just days after an agreement between the United States and Iran offered hope for some price relief.
Go to discussionBlanche, other Trump officials could face subpoenas on 'day one' of Democrat majority, Garcia says
(The Hill) Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other Trump administration officials are likely to face subpoenas on “day one” of a Democratic majority if the party takes control of the lower chamber after the midterm elections. Garcia said a more in-depth probe into those associated with deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will commence if Democrats regain the House.
Go to discussionVoting officials fear DHS may actually be a threat to elections this year
(NPR) Gary Berntsen is convinced Venezuela stole the 2020 U.S. election. That myth has been debunked numerous times, including as part of Fox News' 2023 $787 million settlement with voting machine company Dominion, but Berntsen, a former CIA operative, has been pushing it for years. Ahead of the 2024 election, Berntsen says he couldn't get anyone to listen to him. Not the FBI. Not the media. Finally, he went to Congress, where he says he was similarly rebuffed by almost everyone, including Republicans. Except one.
Go to discussionAir Force B-52 bomber crashes shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California
(ABC News) An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday, the base said. "Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing," the base said in a statement. The crash was reported at about 11:20 a.m. local time. The base has closed the airfield and said all inbound planes are being diverted.
Go to discussion'Snowflake': Donald Trump's Kennedy Center tarp cover-up sparks criticism
(EuroNews) It's been a busy weekend for Donald Trump, with the announcement of a framework deal to end the war with Iran, the World Cup in full swing in the US, the New York Knicks securing their first NBA victory in 53 years, and his 80th birthday celebrations yesterday with the controversial UFC cage fight on the White House lawn. However, there's one embarrassing element that is literally being covered up: the removal of Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – the national cultural center in Washington DC.
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