Trump News for Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Trump slams NATO over lax participation in Iran war in talk with Mark Rutte

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

NATO chief Mark Rutte points to use of US bases in Europe as he stresses support for US war on Iran.

Trump asks Congress for $87bn, mostly for 'urgent' Iran war costs

https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews, BBC News

But the proposal faces an uphill battle and comes one day after Congress passed a resolution rebuking Trump's military action in Iran.

After release of Epstein files, Ghislaine Maxwell again challenges her conviction

James Hill, Abcnews.com

Ghislaine Maxwell argues in newly released filings that the release of Epstein files has exposed alleged violations that invalidate her 2021 sex-trafficking conviction.

Trump White House requests $87.6bn in spending, including for Iran war

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The request is likely to face an uphill battle in Congress, which voted a day earlier to rein in Trump's war powers.

Court filing reveals President Trump spoke to Live Nation CEO before antitrust case was settled

LARRY NEUMEISTER, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump spoke personally with the chief executive of Live Nation in the weeks before the Justice Department abruptly settled its longstanding...

Trump’s Other Paint Job

Nick Miroff, The Atlantic

Before he botched the Reflecting Pool, the president wanted the border wall black.

Why urban Democrats love socialists now

Andrew Prokop, Vox

Democratic socialists won big in New York’s primaries Tuesday, as two members of the Democratic Socialists of America defeated the Democratic establishment choices in congressional primaries, and several more triumphed in state legislative primaries. The vict…

The Left Is Unstoppable, According to Republicans

Noah Hurowitz, The Intercept

As some on the right panicked over the ascent of “communists,” others gloated over the downfall of the Democratic establishment. The post The Left Is Unstoppable, According to Republicans appeared first on The Intercept.

The Whiplash of Trump’s Iran Capitulation

Tom Nichols, The Atlantic

America’s foreign policy is about one man and little else.

Trump’s No-Limits Presidency

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

Most presidents become chastened about their power over time. Trump is doing the opposite.

Elon Musk Threatens To Sue Rep. Khanna For… Citing The Lancet About How DOGE Cuts Will Likely Lead To Millions Of Deaths

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

We’ve been pointing out for years that the supposedly “free speech absolutist” Elon Musk is one of the most aggressive abusers of state power to create chilling effects against his critics. So it should come as little surprise to anyone paying attention, that…

Why Trump is blocking a big housing bill

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: President Donald Trump is sabotaging a rare bipartisan…

Charlie Kirk’s legacy is a 30-year sentence for moving zines

Gaby Del Valle, The Verge

Just days after a gunman killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk, it became clear that President Donald Trump would use the assassination to fuel a crackdown on free speech. To avenge Kirk's death, the administration vowed to go after so-called "antifa" (ot…

Trump and Cassidy clash over war powers vote in meeting with Republican senators

Rachel Scott, Lalee Ibssa, Abcnews.com

President Trump clashed with Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy in a meeting with Republican senators over his vote on the war powers resolution passed Tuesday in the Senate.

Bill Pulte, the Unlawful Intelligence Director?

Shane Harris, Vivian Salama, The Atlantic

The law that created the position says one person can fill it, and it’s not the person Trump wants. ​​​​

Meta's Zuckerberg enters the prediction market arena — again, a step behind

Jan Klauth, Business Insider

Mark Zuckerberg is launching his next major project: a betting platform modeled after Polymarket. The prospects for success are good, alarming experts.

Don’t Overestimate the Pink Tide

Adam Serwer, The Atlantic

Democratic socialists aren’t taking over America.

Gov. Hochul moves to de-escalate Penn Station fight between MTA and Amtrak

Ramsey Khalifeh, Gothamist

MTA Chair Janno Lieber (left) said there is no daylight between him and Gov. Kathy Hochul (right) in their handling of the Trump administration's push to rebuild Penn Station. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who controls the MTA and appointed its chair, urged both side…

Top European leaders vow ‘strong’ support for Ukraine ahead of NATO summit

Alex Milan Durie, Al Jazeera English

E5 talks in Berlin took place between heads of state of Britain, France, Italy, Poland and Germany ahead of July summit.

US judge blocks Trump subpoenas into transgender care at New York hospitals

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration has called for a probe into transgender healthcare, leading it to subpoena medical records.

He Moved A Box Of Leftist Zines. MAGA’s Favorite Judge Just Gave Him 30 Years.

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

In Trump’s America, the First Amendment is a dead letter. If you’re seen as anti-Trump, you apparently no longer have any rights at all. We’ll get to the man who moved a box of zines and got thirty years — he wasn’t even at the protest, but the judge claimed …

De la Espriella pledges to restore Colombia’s relations with Israel

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The far-right president-elect has pledged to rebuild ties with Israel and the US following tensions under Gustavo Petro.

“He really doesn’t care”: Warren slams Trump’s decision to hold up affordable housing bill

Alex Galbraith, Salon

The senator said Donald Trump is stymying affordable housing because he's indifferent to the cost crunch.

Tillis So Sorry for Voting to Confirm Pete...

Al Weaver, Ed Demaria, Notus.org

Tillis So Sorry for Voting to Confirm Pete... (First column, 13th story, link) Related stories:POLL: ONLY 24% SAY IRAN WAR WORTH IT... DEAL BOMBS WITH REPUBLICANS... Wounded soldiers accuse Pentagon of downplaying injuries... Hegseth …

UN nuclear chief says Iran inspections will happen, Tehran says after deal

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said the MoU stated 'explicitly' that the agency would supervise inspections in Iran.

A new legal filing calls to stop the transfer of millions of student-loan borrowers off a key affordable repayment plan

Ayelet Sheffey, Business Insider

Millions of student-loan borrowers on SAVE will soon have to find a new repayment plan. A lawsuit wants to halt that.

Judge temporarily blocks Trump officials from accessing NYC trans kids’ medical records

Caroline Lewis, Gothamist

The Department of Justice is seeking the hospital records of patients who received gender-affirming care. [ more › ]

Ivan Cepeda concedes defeat in Colombia election, sealing right-wing win

Alfie Pannell, Al Jazeera English

Presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda accepted the victory of his opponent Abelardo de la Espriella.

A judge says the Kennedy Center must update him on its plans — and address that tarp

Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR

A federal judge has ordered the Kennedy Center to update him on programming and operational plans. But with most of the staff gone and many artists booked elsewhere, what shows would they present?

Judge permanently blocks Trump EO requiring proof of citizenship to vote

ABC NEWS, Abcnews.com

Judge Denise Casper ruled that the president lacks the authority to oversee elections.

Live Nation Discloses That CEO Spoke With Trump Before Surprise Antitrust Trial Settlement

Steven J. Horowitz, Variety

Live Nation has confirmed that the company had several meetings with the Department of Justice and the Office of the White House Counsel before a surprise antitrust trial settlement, while its president and CEO, Michael Rapino, held a conversation with Presid…

What the bipartisan housing bill that Trump refuses to sign would mean for you

Allie Kelly,Martina Nacach Cowan Ros, Business Insider

Congress overwhelmingly passed a massive affordable housing bill. Here's what it means for American households.

Melania Trump and Donald Trump repeatedly butted heads over White House renovations, new book says

Talia Lakritz, Business Insider

The new book "Regime Change" sheds light on Donald Trump's White House renovations and how Melania Trump wasn't always pleased with them.

The $27 million Al proxy war over Alex Bores ends in a draw

Tina Nguyen, The Verge

The expensive, $27 million political proxy war between Anthropic and OpenAI came to a draw last night when Alex Bores, a New York state Assemblyman whose popularity surged after being targeted by a pro-AI super PAC, narrowly lost the Democratic primary to rep…

ABC ‘fighting back’, urging US public to defend stations amid FCC scrutiny

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump has intensified criticism of ABC, alleging bias and threatening lawsuits over network's recent coverage.

Trump cancels housing bill signing, demands US voter ID law first

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The affordable housing bill had been passed by bipartisan support, a rare move in a deeply divided US Congress.

Postal Service says its cash crisis is delayed until at least 2031, but problems loom

Hansi Lo Wang, NPR

The U.S. Postal Service is no longer set to be out of cash in 2027, the agency's head says. But its finances remain shaky as Trump officials keep putting it in political hot water.

Anthropic’s Mythos AI Reportedly Hacked the NSA’s Most Sensitive Systems ‘in Hours’

Webb Wright, Gizmodo.com

That's not the whole story, though.

Judge Wants Update On “Purpose And Status” Of Tarp That Conceals Kennedy Center Facade After Donald Trump’s Name Was Removed

Ted Johnson, Deadline

A federal judge wants an update on the purpose of a tarp being placed over a part of the facade of the Kennedy Center, installed after workers removed Donald Trump’s name from the arts institution. Last month, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered th…

WATCH: The Mamdani effect on New York primaries

ABC News, Abcnews.com

ABC News political director Averi Harper discusses the impact New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani had on candidates he supported.

Trump says DOJ will 'immediately' look into price gouging at the gas pump

Alex Ederson, Abcnews.com

President Donald Trump has called for the Department of Justice to "immediately start looking into" oil companies as he accused them of price gouging.

Judge blocks Trump administration from arresting migrants at immigration courts

Luke Barr, Armando Garcia, Laura Romero, Abcnews.com

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from arresting migrants at immigration courts, saying that the policy violates a federal statute.

Trump cancels signing of bipartisan housing bill until his SAVE America Act is passed

ABC NEWS, Abcnews.com

President Trump said he is putting off signing a bipartisan housing reform bill until Congress passes his SAVE America Act.

The Democratic Party's Insurgency Has Arrived

Jacob Weindling, Jezebel

Zohran Mamdani and Hakeem Jeffries backed different primary candidates in New York, and Mamdani's candidates swept those endorsed by the Democratic House Minority Leader

Is It Really So Bad That Donald Trump Is Trying to Make Washington D.C. Look Like Paris?

Jerome London, Thoughtcatalog.com

People are furious, and the projects are real. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was drained and coated in “American flag blue,” only to bloom with algae and shed pieces of its new liner shortly after reopening.

Progressive candidate concedes Colombian presidential election to Trump-endorsed outsider

Yahoo Entertainment

Rubio says Iran cannot charge tolls in Hormuz: What we know

Caolán Magee, Al Jazeera English

Tehran says the strait 'will never return' to its prewar conditions and claims it can charge fees for services.

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Admin From Policing SNAP Recipients

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Speaking to the New York Times, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice's Katharine Deabler-Meadows called the decision “a major step in restoring essential food assistance to the millions of families that rely on SNAP nationwide.”

Rubio tries to reassure Gulf allies on US-Iran deal details

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Rubio tours Gulf in bid to allay allies' security concerns over the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

How right-wing media turns Trump’s failures into conspiracies

Sophia Tesfaye, Salon

With no evidence behind them, Trump has amplified MAGA media's claims about the Reflecting Pool

New York pushes back after DOJ joins lawsuit over transgender resident protections

Giulia Heyward, Gothamist

The Rosary Hill Home in Westchester. A Catholic hospice in Westchester argues a New York law protecting transgender nursing home residents violates the religious freedom of the nuns who operate the facility. [ more › ]

What does Pakistan stand to gain from helping broker the US-Iran deal?

Abid Hussain, Al Jazeera English

Pakistan sees strategic opportunity in the US-Iran thaw, including trade, energy access and renewed regional relevance.

Iranians cautiously optimistic about thorny deal with US

Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera English

Iran is watching closely as months of complex negotiations lie ahead amid internal political disputes.

A Crashing-Out Trump Refuses to Sign Just-Passed Bipartisan Housing Bill

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

President Toddler, rather than signing a popular piece of legislation, is demanding the Senate GOP nuke the filibuster instead.

UN nuclear chief says inspectors will visit Iran sites as part of war deal

https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews, BBC News

Rafael Grossi says the global nuclear watchdog is "working on modalities" but an Iranian minister says such access would only be part of a final deal with the US.

Trump Threatens ABC For Doing Journalism About His Reflection Pool Screw Up

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Earlier this year America’s idiot king offered a no-bid contract to one of his ex-con Mara Lago donors to “fix” the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. It… did not go well. Said pool is now full of algae and peeling paint, and it’s created an interesting attent…

“In Cuba, there’s no food shortage; it’s a wage shortage. People can’t afford to get food.”

Claire Boobbyer, Adventure.com

The US oil blockade has created huge geopolitical and economic pressures for Cubans, leading to government advisories warning against travel to Cuba. But while the island remains open for visitors, what is everyday life like for local people and businesses re…

The Slate Auto pickup truck starts at $24,950

Jess Weatherbed, The Verge

We now know the price of Slate Auto's affordable American-made electric truck, almost a year after the company warned it wouldn't hit its initial "under $20,000" target price. The no-frills pickup starts at $24,950 - matching the revised mid-$20,000 price ran…

US Senate approves Iran war powers resolution: What that means for Trump

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Four Republicans cross party lines to vote in favour of the measure.

Michigan Senate candidate accuses Trump of keeping Canada-US bridge closed to help donor

JOEY CAPPELLETTI, Yahoo Entertainment

The delayed opening of a bridge connecting Michigan and Canada is spilling into one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races, as Democratic candida...

Why MAGA buys Trump’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool hoax

Amanda Marcotte, Salon

The GOP base would love to arrest people who laugh at them

Authorities Seize Over 300 Drones at US World Cup Venues

Pesala Bandara, PetaPixel

U.S. agencies have seized hundreds of drones near FIFA World Cup venues since the tournament ​began less than two weeks ago. [Read More]

A cold call to Donald Trump revealed what matters in DC

Alex Cuadros, Salon

An unexpected interview with the president revealed DC's priorities.

War and Consequences

Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic

The damage will not be undone when the Trump administration is gone.

It’s the Oddest, Dirtiest Military Tradition. Pete Hegseth Would Hate It. It’s Perfect.

Pat Cassels, Slate Magazine

Miraculously, it hasn’t been canceled or banned or removed for being “too woke.”

Trump Administration to Meta: Pretty Please Let Us Vet Your AI Models?

Mike Pearl, Gizmodo.com

Trump's AI executive order does not require compliance.

What the Pool’s Reflecting

Mary Harris, Slate Magazine

The green ew deal.

Student-loan borrowers are struggling with repayment. A new federal report shows a key reason.

asheffey@businessinsider.com (Ayelet Sheffey), Business Insider

The Education Department's inspector general released a new report detailing how key offices overseeing federal student loans have been cut.

Mamdani-backed candidates sweep New York City Democratic primaries

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Democratic socialist candidates backed by New York City mayor win key primaries, ousting two sitting congressmen.

Iran war day 117: Nuclear inspections dispute as US Senate curbs war powers

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

Iran and the US clash over nuclear inspections and Hormuz as negotiators push for a final deal within 60 days.

Appeals court allows Trump administration expanded use of speedy deportations

The Associated Press, NPR

A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to resume carrying out speedy deportations of undocumented migrants throughout the United States, not just near the border.

An AI startup is suing the US government for taking away Anthropic's new model

Shubhangi Goel, Business Insider

Legal tech company Legion filed a suit over a order requiring Anthropic to keep its models Fable 5 and Mythos 5 away from foreign nationals.

Zohran Mamdani just became a congressional kingmaker

Andrew Prokop, Vox

Zohran Mamdani just took his first steps toward remaking the national Democratic Party. The New York City mayor took on his state’s Democratic establishment in three key congressional primaries Tuesday — and in all three, he prevailed. Brad Lander, the former…

Trump claims US recouped Venezuela war costs 28 times over

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump claimed the United States has recovered its costs 28 times over through oil extraction.

Clean sweep as 3 candidates endorsed by Mamdani win primaries in New York

Jared Kofsky, Halle Troadec, Abcnews.com

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani flexed his political muscle, getting a clean sweep as his three endorsed congressional candidates advanced to November’s general election

Syrians reject Trump’s call for Syria to combat Hezbollah in Lebanon

Al Jazeera English

Residents in Damascus rejected US President Donald Trump's suggestion that Syria should confront Hezbollah in Lebanon.

US Senate votes to pause Iran war in rare rebuke to Trump

Al Jazeera English

US Senate votes to pause Iran war in rare rebuke to Trump

Eight sentenced to 450 years in prison over anti-ICE riot where officer was shot

https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews, BBC News

An officer was shot in the neck during the Texas disorder by "Antifa Cell operatives", prosecutors said.

Iran war live: Trump, Tehran at odds over nuclear inspections, Hormuz

Lyndal Rowlands, Daniel Khalili-Tari, Al Jazeera English

US and Iran offer conflicting statements as negotiators push towards reaching a final, comprehensive deal.