June 14-20, 2026
NEWS DIGEST
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NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
Iran and the U.S. make opposing claims on the Strait of Hormuz ahead of talks in Switzerland: Iran said it is closing the vital waterway in response to renewed Israeli strikes in Lebanon. The US military denied Iran’s claim to control the strait, and President Donald Trump threatened to impose US tolls in the shipping lane if a deal with Tehran is not ultimately reached. CNN
How many Americans can afford high-quality healthcare? A new poll finds the number has fallen: New data from the West Health-Gallup Affordability Index show that only about half of U.S. adults could afford their healthcare and had access to quality care last year. Concerns about affording healthcare in the year ahead were at a record high since tracking began in 2021, signaling that many were feeling anxious about rising healthcare costs as 2025 ended. AP
WORST ADMINISTRATION EVER
After months of war, Trump says Iran has right to nuclear program: “It is a little hard that when you say that somebody wants it, other people have it, other adjoining states have it, and you’re not letting them have it for purposes of electricity and things like that. It’s always a little tough. You have to use a little common sense,” Trump said at the G7 summit in France. TNR
Secret vetting and blocked promotions in the Pentagon: Inside Pete Hegseth’s war on diversity: So far this year, Hegseth has blocked the promotions of at least 40 senior officers to general and admiral ranks. About half of those are women or members of minority groups. NYT
Nearly 160 sick with flu at US Air Force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccines: An influenza outbreak has reportedly sickened more than 150 recruits in training at Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas. The outbreak comes just weeks after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ended mandatory flu vaccination for the military, citing the need for bodily autonomy for servicemembers. THE GUARDIAN
ICE Spent $700 Million on 7 Warehouses. Now It Wants to Get Rid of Them: In a major turnabout, the agency is planning to offload seven warehouses purchased for more than $700 million by either giving them to other federal agencies or selling them outright, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.
Trump administration blames Obama after ‘blue’ Reflecting Pool turns green after $14M refurb: The Trump administration has hit out at former President Obama after the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool water turned green, despite a much-touted $14 million renovation. Work on the pool was completed last week, after President Donald Trump vowed to paint the space an “American flag blue.” However, the familiar green algae often spotted in the pool returned just days later. THE INDEPENDENT
The Tennessee health department warns parents that their children will be reported to immigration officials: Letters give parents until June 30 to decide whether to keep their disabled children on a public health program that provides life-sustaining care or risk reporting. TENNESSEE LOOKOUT
Trump said no taxpayer money would be spent on the ballroom. A contractor’s invoices show otherwise: A detailed project summary prepared for the White House by the contractor more than three weeks before Trump’s comments estimated the total construction cost at $600 million, with more than half coming from taxpayers, according to a copy of the contractor estimate obtained by The Washington Post. WP
Trump further guts Education Dept. by shifting oversight of special ed, civil rights: The Trump administration said Tuesday it will move much of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). OSERS manages programs that support students with disabilities, offering guidance and oversight to ensure states follow the landmark Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a law that guarantees disabled students access to an equitable public education. KQED
The US Government Is Letting a Key Data Center Regulation Expire: The US government is quietly planning to allow a rule outlining the standards for federal data center usage and operations, known as the Federal Data Center Enhancement Act (FDCEA), to expire, according to sources who spoke to WIRED. Neither Congress nor the Trump administration appears to be making significant moves to protect or extend the rule or to put alternative plans in place. WIRED
DESI NEWS
The end of legal “grace” for green card seekers in the U.S.?: A policy memorandum issued very recently by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has sent shockwaves through immigrant communities and the legal sectors that support them. The directive— “Adjustment of Status as a Matter of Discretion and Administrative Grace”—fundamentally alters the landscape for individuals seeking permanent residency from within the U.S. By reframing what has long been a standard legal pathway as an “extraordinary remedy,” the policy threatens to force hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants, high-skilled workers, and family members of U.S. citizens out of the country to wait indefinitely for green card approvals abroad. INDIA CURRENTS
SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND SAFETY
Trump reviews slowed screwworm response, former officials say: USDA reviews held up funding for the construction of one facility that is crucial to slowing the flesh-eating pest’s threat to the U.S. cattle supply, according to the three former officials, who, like the fourth person, were granted anonymity to discuss internal decision-making. A $100 million research initiative designed to create new tools to slow the screwworm’s advance was also delayed. POLITICO
Trump administration to pay $765 million to scrap four more offshore wind leases: The Department of the Interior said in a statement that it will refund $765 million to Invenergy, which will use those funds to develop natural gas power plants in four Midwestern states and geothermal projects in the Western United States. MSN
CORRUPTION ALERT
Trump Plans to Protect Methane-Leaking Stripper Wells. This Billionaire Donor Will Benefit..: Trump’s EPA is planning to weaken restrictions on oil and gas wells that produce very little energy but release vast amounts of methane. Oil billionaire Jeffery Hildebrand, a major Trump donor, is set to reap the benefits. A former Hildebrand lobbyist now rewriting the EPA’s methane rules has solicited input from oil industry groups backed by the billionaire. PRO PUBLICA
NASA Chief Bought Millions in SpaceX-Linked Stock Before IPO, While Pushing SpaceX's Agenda: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman bought up to $50 million in stock in his former company, Shift4 Payments, in May—just weeks before SpaceX, a key Shift4 business partner, went public in the largest IPO in history. Isaacman oversees SpaceX’s NASA contracts and has been leading a federal push to develop the nuclear technology that SpaceX says it needs to colonize Mars. SLUDGE
GOOD NEWS
Georgia GOP Rejects Trump’s Push to Redraw Legislative Maps Ahead of 2028 Elections: Georgia’s state Legislature has rejected a push by President Trump to redraw congressional and legislative districts. Republican Governor Brian Kemp had proposed a special session to revise Georgia’s political maps ahead of the 2028 elections. But on Wednesday, Republican lawmakers revolted, declaring there would be no vote on redistricting, after protesters filled the state Capitol. DEMOCRACY NOW
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