Trump News for Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Why is newly renovated Reflecting Pool in Washington DC full of algae?

BBC News

The historic pool has turned green with algae just days after it was refilled with water following renovations.

WATCH: World Cup fever sweeps US as global fans arrive

ABC News, Abcnews.com

ABC News contributor Mike Muse discusses how international fans are experiencing the United States as World Cup matches draw crowds across the country.

WATCH: The phone call is having a comeback

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Why some parents are introducing their kids to landlines and why some experts say it could be good for childhood development.

DOJ seeks to dismiss air pollution lawsuit against xAI data center

MATTHEW DALY Associated Press, BERNARD CONDON Associated Press, Abcnews.com

The Trump administration is helping one of Elon Musk’s companies fight a civil rights lawsuit that alleges it is illegally running dozens of natural gas turbines to power a $20 billion data center in Mississippi

Vance, on 'The View,' appears to acknowledge Situation Room meetings on Epstein files

Hannah Demissie, Abcnews.com

The vice president said he was a "conspiracy theorist" on Epstein.

The Surreal Spectacle of Trump’s White House Cage Fights

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Donald Trump's UFC event at the White House was a surreal spectacle, as billionaires and politicians watched the bloody carnage on the South Lawn.

US officials downplay text of the Iran agreement, saying it doesn’t account for back-channel commitments

Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak, CNN, CNN

US negotiators are working to quickly release the text of the agreement between Washington and Tehran, even as they downplay the significance of the specific...

Brazilian court convicts Eduardo Bolsonaro of courting US interference

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US placed tariffs on Brazilian goods and sanctioned judicial officials involved in trial of the father for coup plot.

Fox News Viewership Increases Belief In False Conspiracy Theories About Immigration

Adam Eichen, Jesse Rhodes, and Tatishe Nteta, Techdirt

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. During a Washington Nationals baseball game on May 17, 2026, three people unfurled a large banner from the upper deck of Nationals Park displaying a…

Proposed White House regulations could kill 5,000 clinical trials, analysis finds

Dan Vergano, Scientific American

The Trump administration is mulling new rules that would give political appointees final say on research grants

J.D. Vance’s Visit to The View Made for One of the Most Chaotic Episodes of TV I’ve Ever Seen

Heather Schwedel, Slate Magazine

At least four of the six co-hosts seemed openly hostile to Vance.

All 78 World Cup matches have counter-drone technology: White House official

Luke Barr, Abcnews.com

Andrew Giuliani spoke to ABC News after an alleged UFC 250 drone attack plot was disrupted by authorities.

Microsoft Mulls China’s DeepSeek for Copilot, Probably to Trump’s Chagrin

AJ Dellinger, Gizmodo.com

Don't see this going over well.

You’re paying for Trump’s ballroom

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: You’re paying for Donald Trump’s ballroom. And it’s ge…

Democratic socialists think fatigue with mainstream could open paths in midterms

Will Lennon, Abcnews.com

Trump threatened to "take back" D.C. if democratic socialist wins mayor's race.

‘The View’ Hosts Did a Better Job Grilling J.D. Vance Than Most Actual Journalists

Nikkimccannramirez, Rolling Stone

Vice President J.D. Vance struggled in a lengthy interview with ABC's "The View," where he was grilled on his support for Donald Trump.

US Justice Department accuses 15 Minnesota activists of ‘antifa’ activities

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Prosecutors have accused the activists of seeking 'to interfere with lawful immigration enforcement operations'.

The Doha Connection

Shane Harris, The Atlantic

Trump’s off-ramp from war with Iran runs through Qatar.

An Iran peace deal won't lower airfares anytime soon, analysts say

Taylor Rains, Business Insider

Analysts say tight seat supply and strong demand give airlines little incentive to cut fares, even if the US-Iran war ends and oil prices fall.

Trump Just Lost His War on Wind Energy

Ellyn Lapointe, Gizmodo.com

The administration has withdrawn its appeal of a federal court ruling that shot down Trump’s freeze on federal leasing and permitting for wind projects.

US judge upholds conviction of ex-judge who helped man evade federal agents

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Activists say former judge Hannah Dugan was targeted by the Trump administration for defiance over immigration raids.

Oil Prices Might Not Go Back to Normal Anytime Soon

Rogé Karma, The Atlantic

There’s a big difference between reopening the Strait of Hormuz on paper and actually resuming the flow of oil through it.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine opposes death penalty, reversing past support

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

Support for capital punishment has steadily declined in the United States, with several states rolling back its use.

Apparently The Real Reason Anthropic’s Models Are Offline: A Six-Year-Old Trump Grudge

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Yesterday we wrote about the Trump administration forcing Anthropic to shut down Fable 5 and Mythos 5. The short version: dumb. Today, Axios got White House officials on the record, and it turns out the real reason is even dumber than we thought. In that orig…

Under Trump, DOJ Moves to Intervene in NAACP Lawsuit in Support of Musk’s xAI

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

In a memo, the DOJ said xAI's Grok is vital for national security efforts, especially in Iran.

Trump admin seeks to block restoration of historical sites at national parks

Deena Zaru, Abcnews.com

The National Park Service filed an appeal to dismiss a judge's ruling that the federal government must restore historical sites and materials at national parks.

Trump further guts Education Dept. by shifting oversight of special ed, civil rights

Jonaki Mehta, NPR

The moves to the federal departments of Health and Human Services and Justice, respectively, would further dismantle an agency that President Donald Trump has vowed to close.

Trump slams Israeli attacks on Lebanon at G7 summit

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump slammed Israeli attacks on Lebanon at the G7 Summit.

Alfredo Sauce Becomes the Latest Casualty in That Massive Powdered Milk Recall

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

It turns out *a lot* of products use powdered milk.

WATCH: ABC News interviews Barack and Michelle Obama: Exclusive

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Here is a first look at Robin Roberts' conversation with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama ahead of this week's opening of the Obama Presidential Center.

Department of Education takes major step in dismantling itself: Sources

Arthur Jones II, Abcnews.com

It plans to move special education and civil rights functions to HHS and DOJ.

Hot mics at the G7 capture world leaders' chats between weighty topics

ROB GILLIES, SYLVIE CORBET, DARLENE SUPERVILLE and COLLIN BINKLEY, Yahoo Entertainment

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — The leaders of the world’s richest democracies are talking about how to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems this week,...

FBI Raids Offices Of Ohio Voter Registration Group That Fought GOP Redistricting Efforts

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Just once I’d like to see this administration engage in the slightest bit of subtlety. Just once. It would be a refreshing change from literally everything it has done during this current iteration. Sure, it’s easier to prove actions are vindictive if they’re…

Ghislaine Maxwell reportedly finds her mean-girls table in prison

Jason Weisberger, Boing Boing

Raw Story, citing the Daily Mail, says Maxwell has formed a "highly secretive" group at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas, where she allegedly whispers with three women she considers among the "finest and best educated" prisoners. The reported crew has a cer…

Trump invokes Defense Production Act for munitions, supply chains

Yahoo Entertainment

Nearly all children globally exposed to at least one climate hazard: Report

Daniel Khalili-Tari, Al Jazeera English

Report highlights the growing threats posed by climate change and calls for the green transition to be accelerated.

Israel went to war with Iran, but Netanyahu may be the loser

Simon Speakman Cordall, Al Jazeera English

Critics say PM Benjamin Netanyahu's Iran war strengthened Tehran, strained US ties, and left Israel weaker.

Trump Lost the Iran War

Jacob Weindling, Jezebel

President deals gave away all his leverage just to try to turn back the clock to February 27th.

From JCPOA exit to the 2026 deal: How US-Iran ties soured under Trump

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Ties between the US and Iran have been strained through both of Donald Trump's terms as US president.

With Israel unleashed, there can be no peace in the Middle East

Hussein Chokr, Al Jazeera English

The US has long extended unconditional support for Israeli aggression. Now, it struggles to rein it in.

Why July 4 Turned Into a Trump Rally

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

The president has never accepted that the head of state and the leader of the Republican Party are separate roles.

Why the Supreme Court is fighting over deadly gas and firing squads

Ian Millhiser, Vox

Last week, the Supreme Court handed an unusual — if temporary — victory to an Alabama man on death row. As Steve Vladeck, a Georgetown law professor, writes, this is the first time in over five years that this Court refused to “un-block an execution that a lo…

Judge who had sex in courthouse and attended political event agrees to exit Georgia election case

KATE BRUMBACK, Yahoo Entertainment

A federal judge who was disciplined after an investigation found that she had sex with a police officer in her chambers and attended a partisan event, then l...

US Limits on Anthropic Fable AI Could Hurt Cybersecurity

Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American

Fable 5 was built to help with advanced cybersecurity work. Its sudden shutdown highlights a dilemma at the heart of AI security: the same tools can aid both defenders and attackers

The EU just passed the Turnberry trade deal. The tech fight is only starting.

Alina Maria Stan, The Next Web

The European Parliament voted on Tuesday to ratify the Turnberry Agreement, the trade deal struck at Donald Trump’s Scottish golf resort in July 2025. The final tally was 440 in favour, 151 against, with 50 abstentions. Under the deal, the EU will eliminate m…

Could Trump’s last-minute endorsement prevail in Georgia’s high-stakes Senate race?

Halle Troadec, Abcnews.com

Trump's 11th-hour endorsement of Collins in the Georgia Senate runoff puts him at odds with popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who endorsed Dooley.

The SpaceX IPO Sends Elon Musk And Trump’s Starlink Cronyism Into The Thermosphere

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Last week Elon Musk successfully conned America and U.S. regulators into signing off on his preposterous SpaceX IPO, which immediately generated Musk $75 billion by comically over-stating the value of SpaceX, xAI, and Starlink. Then bone-grafting the entire p…

Trump warns ‘all hell will rain down’ if Iran tries to get a nuclear weapon

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US president also made unusually critical comments about Israel's military offensive in Lebanon.

Will a US-Iran deal unlock $300bn in investment fund for Tehran?

Federica Marsi, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration has been adamant the investment fund is not a payout for Iranian enriched uranium.

Montana’s SB535 and a Potential Biotech Renaissance in America

Alex Tabarrok, Marginalrevolution.com

In 2024, China’s NMPA approved 83 new drugs, the FDA approved 50. China’s share of new commercial clinical trials jumped from 8% globally in 2013 to 30% in 2024, just behind the US at 35%. Last year, China-based Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals overtook AstraZ…

Trump Arch in D.C. to be tremendously large and golden

Rob Beschizza, Boing Boing

When President Trump first showed reporters a model of the proposed United States Triumphal Arch, CBS News's Ed O'Keefe asked who it was for. "Me," said Trump. "It's going to be beautiful." The arch, formally in honor of the United States' 250th anniversary, …

Trump says ‘hell will rain down’ if Iran gets nuclear weapons

Al Jazeera English

Trump says ‘hell will rain down’ if Iran gets nuclear weapons

USAID disappeared. She built a coalition to feed Gaza and South Sudan

Talib Visram, Fast Company

In January 2025, while helping to screen children for malnutrition in Sierra Leone, Navyn Salem received a phone call with dreadful news. The U.S. government would be freezing all global humanitarian aid, effective immediately. That’s not a welcome call wh…

Qatar’s Emir hails Iran deal and touts US investments in Trump meeting

Al Jazeera English

Qatar’s Emir hails Iran deal and touts US investments in Trump meeting.

As US nears 250th birthday, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows many Americans doubt it will last another 250 years

By Jason Lange, Yahoo Entertainment

By Jason Lange WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) - As the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday next month, two out of five Americans do not believe it will endure...

America’s compact between science and politics is broken

Adam Rogers, Scientific American

How did we get here?

Trump’s Genesis Mission is putting AI to work on nuclear weapons

Sarah Scoles, Scientific American

The Department of Energy bills Genesis as an AI push for scientific discovery. Its first public challenges tell a different story

Science is under pressure again. Here’s what that means for young researchers

Deborah Blum, Scientific American

It’s a complicated time to be a young scientist in America. Lessons from history can tell us what the future might hold

U.S. scientists are being lured abroad—and they aren't looking back

Sarah Scoles, Scientific American

The great American brain drain could define science for a generation

Inside U.S. labs at a moment of fear—and unexpected promise

Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American

Despite funding woes, American scientists are finding reasons for optimism

Why U.S. science funding needs reform

Dan Vergano, Scientific American

The federal funding system for scientific research in the U.S. is crumbling. Here’s how it can be rebuilt

Autonomous labs are running science experiments 24/7

Patrick Sisson, Scientific American

Robots and AI are running experiments around the clock, from battery chemistry to cancer therapies. But can they be trusted to get it right?

Trump-endorsed pastor says he 'crossed boundary' with texts

Carla Hinton, The Oklahoman, USA Today

Married Tulsa pastor and congressional candidate Jackson Lahmeyer admits to crossing boundary line with text messages to Miss Oklahoma USA 2007.

All eyes turn to Fed chair Kevin Warsh and his first moves on interest rates

CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer, Abcnews.com

Ever since Kevin Warsh was nominated by President Trump in late January to lead the Federal Reserve, a question has lingered: Will he seek to raise interest rates to tame inflation or cut them as Trump has long demanded

The White House Was Reportedly Ready to Go After Claude Mythos Long Before Fable 5 Was Released

Mike Pearl, Gizmodo.com

The fateful export control directive may have already been locked and loaded.

Somebody Get Kristi Noem a Map

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Since 2007, Jezebel has been the Internet's most treasured source for everything celebrities, sex, and politics...with teeth.

Fed set to make interest rate decision as inflation hits 3-year high

Max Zahn, Abcnews.com

Futures markets overwhelmingly expect the Fed to hold interest rates steady.

G7 leaders meet in France with Iran and Ukraine high on agenda

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday’s lunch summit would focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Strait of Hormuz transit will take ‘weeks’ to resume, largest tanker operator tells FT

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

June 16 (Reuters) - Shipowners will not resume transit through the Strait of Hormuz for weeks until they are confident that the U.S.-Iran peace deal is "mate...

Apple once faced a US export control on its 'supercomputer.' Steve Jobs turned it into a marketing moment.

Ben Shimkus, Business Insider

In 1999, Apple's Power Mac G4 exceeded the allowed computing threshold for US exports to some countries. Steve Jobs leaned into the moment.

What to know about this week’s US primary elections

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Primaries are set to take place in Alabama, California, Oklahoma, Georgia, and the capital, Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

A Huge Raw Milk Producer Found Tons of Pathogens in Its Milk. So They Just Sold It as Cheese Instead.

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Sure, the raw milk may or may not contain potentially deadly pathogens, but turning it into cheese will obviously fix the problem!

Zelenskiy seeks to convince Trump at G7 that Russia now on the defensive

By John Irish, Michel Rose and Gabriel Stargardter, Yahoo Entertainment

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France, June 16 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived at the G7 summit on Tuesday, hoping to impress upon U. leader Donald Trump...

Iran war day 109: Tehran, Washington, sign MoU electronically

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Iran’s National Security Council said on Monday that the deal ends fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Geoffrey Hinton

K. R. Callaway, Scientific American

The machine-learning guru discusses how politics is undermining U.S. science

Robert Langer

Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American

The M.I.T. professor and expert on innovation on why science is worth celebrating

Gavin Newsom

Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American

The governor of California, where science and technology are large parts of the economy, on finding the balance in innovation between taking risks and being reckless

New lawsuit challenges Trump’s planned 'National Garden of American Heroes'

Peter Charalambous, Abcnews.com

The suit against the National Parks Service and Interior Department claims the project ignores laws governing public land use in D.C.

UFC boss Dana White says 'never again' to another White House fight night

The Associated Press, NPR

The headaches over weather concerns in the outdoors show, the logistics of construction of the cage and staging events at federal landmarks and the soaring cost made Freedom 250 a one-off.

G7 leaders open summit talks in France on Ukraine and the Middle East

The Associated Press, NPR

The talks come on the heels of President Trump's announcement of an agreement to end the U.S. war against Iran. In recent weeks, the Iranian conflict has overshadowed the war in Ukraine.

Inside the fight over Claude Mythos 5

Hayden Field, The Verge

As the rest of the country celebrated the USA's first World Cup win and the New York Knicks championship, Anthropic spent its weekend fighting the Trump administration over its latest model release. At 5:21 PM on Friday, the company received a US export contr…

Anthropic Is Still at Odds With the White House Over Claude Fable 5

Maxwell Zeff, Wired

Anthropic leaders flew to Washington, DC, to meet with White House officials on Monday. After high-level talks, they're still split on the risk Claude Fable 5 presents.

Gavin Newsom says he’s being investigated by Trump

Al Jazeera English

California’s Democratic Governor claims President Donald Trump has launched a criminal investigation against him.

Iran war live: Trump says MoU with Tehran signed electronically

Faisal Ali, Lyndal Rowlands, Zaid Sabah, Al Jazeera English

Backlash to US-Iran deal grows in Israel as Iranian vessels pass through Strait of Hormuz after US lifts naval blockade.