Deal or no deal?

Happy Saturday – depending on who you're rooting for, The Knicks or The Spurs! 🤪

This week's top stories are the wars on Iran and Lebanon — plus one I moved up the ranking. On its own it's a small story, but for the thousands of Americans disillusioned with the country under Trump, it carries real weight. Some weeks, it's the small victories that carry us through the hardest fights.

1) War on Iran

I’m sure you’re tired of hearing that the war may be close to ending — and skeptical when anyone says it. You’re not alone.

As of Saturday, the US, Iran and Pakistan have all confirmed that a “memorandum of understanding” — or MOU — is close to being signed by the US and Iran. An MOU is a short-term agreement outlining the steps each side must take while they work toward a permanent deal to end the war.

Here’s what we know — or rather, what we’ve been told by the Trump administration:

One unnamed senior administration official who briefed reporters on the deal said that, in addition to extending the so-called “ceasefire” by 60 to 90 days:

1. Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and the US would end its blockade on ships going into and out of Iranian ports.
2. Iran would promise not to produce a nuclear weapon and would hand over any enriched nuclear material it already has.
3. If Iran meets its obligations, the US would lift sanctions that have severely crippled Iran’s economy for years.

“‘The Iranians don't get anything upon the signing of the MOU or upon the negotiation itself, what they get is that they get rewarded economically for complying with their obligations under the deal,’” one official told reporters, per ABC News. That same official said they were about 80 to 85% confident the deal would be signed.

To be clear: The Strait of Hormuz was open before the war and Iran had already promised not to build nuclear weapons as part of former President Obama’s 2015 Iran deal, known as the JCPOA – which Trump tore up in his first term. So while Trump et al may claim this as a victory – if these are the final terms – this deal accomplishes nothing new – except to take the lives of 13 U.S. service members, 168 Iranian school children and teachers in Minab, and kill and injure thousands more in a four month long war that did not need to happen.

Here’s what else is troubling about this agreement:

• The US and Iran can’t even agree on when the deal would be signed. Trump claims it is happening Sunday, and the US appears to be moving assets into place so Vice President JD Vance can travel to Europe to meet with mediators and sign the deal. Iran says it is definitely not happening Sunday. The Washington Post reports that “an Iranian media outlet closely affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps criticized what it described as Trump’s ‘unusual insistence’ on a Sunday signing, noting that Iranian officials had not endorsed the timeline and suggesting that the U.S. president was seeking to secure a deal that would coincide with his 80th birthday, which is also Sunday.”
• Various news outlets report that Iran’s Supreme Leader has not signed off on the deal yet.
• Iran has been clear from the start that any agreement to stop or pause fighting must include Lebanon. The administration official said the current agreement is “broad” and includes Lebanon. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who has been hell-bent on attacking Lebanon — was not involved in the negotiations, which “came as a surprise” to him, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, whose entire job it seems is to print what US and Israeli officials want you to know or think. “In recent days, Netanyahu found himself in the dark, calling allies close to the Trump administration to try and gather information, according to a U.S. source with direct knowledge.” If true, I doubt that telling Netanyahu he has to stop doing something will go well.
• Netanyahu has every incentive to keep the war in Lebanon going. Northern Israeli residents are pressuring him to seize Lebanese land closest to the border because they believe it will keep them safe from Hezbollah attacks. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition also sees any ceasefire as defeat. Netanyahu faces re-election in October – so he needs the support of those residents and the far-right coalition.
• Iran’s foreign minister said there would be no discussion of the “nuclear issue” in the MOU, which means the most essential sticking point — whether Iran can retain any nuclear capacity — may be punted down the road.

#2) War on Lebanon

The situation in Lebanon remains dire. Israel is continuing its attacks in the south, pushing residents out with nowhere to go and destroying homes so they cannot return. This week alone, Israel ordered residents from more than 20 towns and villages to leave.

The most alarming escalation came in Tyre, one of Lebanon’s oldest cities. On Tuesday, Israel struck the city, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Minutes after the strike was first reported, Israel issued an evacuation order for the entire city — including Tyre’s Christian quarter, which had previously been spared and had become a refuge for people fleeing other parts of the south. Doctors Without Borders suspended work at nearby hospitals and mobile clinics, citing unsafe and chaotic conditions.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun appealed directly to Israel to pursue talks instead of war. In an interview with CNN, Aoun said Lebanon is willing to negotiate under US mediation and proposed a non-aggression pact — not a full peace treaty — with Israel. He also accused Iran of using Lebanese lives as leverage in its negotiations with Washington.

#3) Kennedy Center Name Restored

This story does not meet the criteria I usually use for a ranked item, but I’m making an editorial exception because of what it symbolizes.

On Saturday, Donald J. Trump’s name was removed from the Kennedy Center after a judge ordered the performing arts center to strip all references to the current president and restore the name of the institution established to honor President John F. Kennedy.

Hundreds gathered outside as workers set up scaffolding to remove the 18 letters added under Trump’s egomaniacal order. But the scaffolding was not just there for the workers. It was also used to hang a curtain blocking the public’s view of the letters coming down — much to the dismay of people who had gathered with champagne and joy to celebrate the restoration of a D.C. institution.

Either way, it’s done. The Kennedy Center has been restored to its original name — not just on the outside of the building, but on all signage — in compliance with the court order.

The judge ruled that the name could not be changed without congressional approval after Rep. Joyce Beatty, who sits on the Kennedy Center board, sued. Beatty says that when the center’s board — which had been replaced with Trump loyalists — discussed the name change, she was muted on a call while trying to object.

• US troops have deployed to Kenya to help build an Ebola quarantine facility, Stars and Stripes reports. The project has sparked protests in a country that has never faced an Ebola outbreak, and three protesters have been shot and killed so far. Kenyan courts ruled the facility can't open, but that hasn't stopped US construction. Public health experts argue the US should instead bring affected Americans home and treat them at established facilities here. A hearing is set for June 23 for Kenyan officials to disclose the terms of any agreement they've signed with the US. As of Friday, there are 708 confirmed cases and 158 deaths, per the CDC. Most are in Congo, with some in Uganda.
• ICE is asking county officials for access to their voter rolls, Axios reports. Voter fraud is extremely rare. "Using ICE to pursue a problem this rare should concern everyone. ... Americans have a right to understand the full scope of the administration's actions," said Dan McGrath, senior oversight counsel at Democracy Forward.
• The FBI raided the offices of an Ohio voter-registration group, MS NOW reports. "The sources briefed on the search said they are concerned this new effort in Ohio is part of the Trump administration's efforts to sow doubt and distrust in voting integrity in key swing states ahead of the midterm elections."
• Senate Republicans on the Armed Services Committee voted down a Democratic amendment to bar federal agents from entering polling stations or seizing ballots and voting machines, MS NOW reports. "I introduced these amendments to protect our free and fair elections from military interference," Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said. "It's deeply concerning that none of my Republican colleagues on the committee voted to include it."
• Violence in occupied Palestinian territories. Last week, I shared the story of Sam Abu Haikal, a seven-month-old fatally shot by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank. At the time, the Israeli military claimed the family's vehicle was speeding toward the soldier, which is why he fired. This week, Israeli rights group B'Tselem released two videos of the June 5 incident in Hebron. The footage shows the vehicle stopping at the soldier's direction, and the soldiers leaving without rendering aid as the family looked on helplessly. The baby died; his mother and father were both wounded.
• ICE detained an average of 25 children ages 3 and younger every day between January 2025 and March 2026 — a sharp jump from fewer than three a day under Biden, MS NOW reports. "Our immigration system is breaking children," said Marsha Griffin, a pediatrics professor with the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Vice President JD Vance, who leads the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, says he referred Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Attorney General Keith Ellison to the DOJ for a criminal fraud investigation. Vance cited a House Oversight Committee report alleging they failed to stop fraudulent social-services payments and retaliated against whistleblowers. Both deny it; Ellison called it politically motivated.

• Trump announced he will nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and former SEC chair, to serve as director of national intelligence after bipartisan backlash over his initial pick, Bill Pulte. The role oversees 18 intelligence agencies, and lawmakers in both parties questioned Pulte's lack of intelligence experience. Clayton also lacks a traditional intelligence background, but he appears to be getting a warmer reception on Capitol Hill. The problem for Trump: Democrats say nominating Clayton isn't enough unless Pulte is removed from the acting role now. Current DNI Tulsi Gabbard announced she is stepping down, citing her husband's cancer diagnosis; her last day is June 19. Pulte would step in until Clayton is confirmed – but Democrats say that's not acceptable.
• In protest over the Pulte pick, Democrats refused to extend Section 702 of FISA, a major surveillance authority that lets U.S. intelligence agencies collect communications from foreign targets overseas without a warrant. The House vote failed 198-218, with 19 Republicans and nearly all Democrats voting no, and Senate efforts also collapsed. The authority expired Friday at midnight. The wiretaps won't stop overnight, though: a court order keeps collection running through March 2027. For now it's a legal cloud, not a blackout — over a tool the government says feeds more than 60% of the president's daily intelligence briefing.
• The Atlantic 🎁 reports that, despite the administration's public statements, plans to compensate the president's allies with taxpayer-funded payouts aren't dead just because the Anti-Weaponization Fund apparently is. "Rather, they say, officials are exploring whether elements of the fund can be reactivated while also examining alternative arrangements to make sure loyalists get compensated. Across the administration, and even within the Justice Department, officials have differing perspectives on whether the fund itself will ultimately be restored. But either way, officials see a path forward for the government to pay those who say they are victims of supposed government 'weaponization.'"
• The Trump administration ordered national parks to remove materials referencing slavery, civil rights, or climate change. This week, though, a federal judge gave the administration three weeks to restore them, The Washington Post reports. The judge wrote: "History cannot be faithfully told while excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions, struggles, and achievements form an important part of our Nation's story… Indeed, at a time of facts and alternative facts, the only thing we must be able to rely on as undeniable truth is history. And telling the full truths of our shared story helps our Nation heal from past wrongs, rather than prolonging us." The administration plans to appeal.
• Trump and Republicans are exploring ways to expunge his two impeachments — the most of any president. Good luck with that: experts told the WSJ "the Constitution provides no procedure for undoing an impeachment."Trustees say Social Security could be critically low by 2032 — earlier than expected. Trump's new tax laws cut revenue plus lower fertility and reduced immigration mean less payroll tax. Beginning in 2033, 69 million recipients could face a 22% benefit cut unless Congress raises taxes, borrows, or reduces benefits.
• May inflation hit 4.2%, the highest in three years. Asked about it, Trump said, "I love the inflation," insisting gas prices will come crashing down soon. If you say so!
• Meta says Israeli spyware firm NSO Group is linked to phishing attempts that tricked WhatsApp users into clicking malicious links off the app, violating a 2025 injunction. Meta is now asking a court to hold NSO in contempt. WhatsApp said the activity resembled a 2024 campaign in Jordan that infected targets with Pegasus, NSO's spyware. The U.S. blacklisted NSO in 2021.
• A federal judge ruled the administration's $100,000 H-1B visa fee unlawful, finding the president lacks the authority to impose it. Companies use the H-1B program to recruit top talent from abroad, The Wall Street Journal reports.
• A Reuters investigation finds 96% of the people Trump pardoned or granted commutations to "didn't fulfill longstanding DOJ guidelines for such requests." For scale: it was 1% under Biden and 14% in Trump's own first term.
• Speaking of which, Trump pardoned former congressman Stephen Buyer, who was convicted of insider trading and served two years. Republicans claimed Buyer was targeted because he served as a prosecutor during Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment trial. NBC News
• Trump formally nominated Acting AG — and former personal attorney — Todd Blanche to serve permanently, after firing Pam Bondi. Blanche oversaw Trump's IRS settlement, which created the controversial Anti-Weaponization Fund. He would need nearly every Senate Republican; Sens. Thom Tillis (NC) and John Cornyn (TX), both not facing reelection, say they have concerns.
• Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire this week after his company SpaceX went public. "Musk's coronation as the first person in history to be worth $1 trillion is likely to add fuel to the debate over wealth inequality and the rise in power of America's richest tech founders," CNBC reports.
• The investigation into Jeffrey Epstein continues, with both his personal assistant Lesley Groff and Microsoft founder Bill Gates appearing before the House Oversight Committee. Groff, who testified behind closed doors, said she didn't know Epstein was committing crimes and called him a "master manipulator," ABC News reports. Gates also claimed he was unaware of Epstein's crimes, calling his decision to meet with Epstein a "grave error in judgment." The committee now wants to subpoena lawyer Alan Dershowitz: Rep. James Comer (R) "expressed his desire for Dershowitz to appear before the committee, telling reporters that the panel had questions after hearing from former Epstein assistant Lesley Groff and some survivors," The Hill reports.
• Greg Bovino — the former CBP chief who led raids in Chicago and Minneapolis where bystanders Alex Pretti and Renee Good were killed by agents — formed a 2028 presidential exploratory committee, which lets a potential candidate raise funds to "test the waters." The Daily Beast
• The House voted 214-212 to approve a $70 billion immigration enforcement package, ending a four-month gap and the longest DHS shutdown in history; it now goes to Trump's desk and funds ICE/CBP through 2028. Democrats opposed it after CBP agents killed two American citizens (Renee Good, Alex Pretti) in Minneapolis. Republicans had delayed the package amid anger over the $1.8 billion slush fund and ballroom funding, both now apparently tabled. AP
• Trump saw 22 medical specialists at his last checkup — a record, and nearly double prior years — and the White House won't say why. Cardiologist Jonathan Reiner called it "an extraordinary number." Trump turns 80 on Sunday. Washington Post
• After accepting a $400 million jet from Qatar — which the White House has retrofitted for presidential travel and security — NBC News reports Trump may take it for a test spin next month when he visits Mount Rushmore. Hopefully not to announce he's having his face carved into the mountain.
• Republicans are pushing to formally rename the Department of Defense the "Department of War," tucking the change into the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which sets the Pentagon's spending priorities. Only Congress can rename the department — but the Trump administration has already spent millions rebranding.
• A federal judge on Friday cleared the way for Trump's $60 million UFC fight on the White House South Lawn this Sunday, staged for his 80th birthday – the most obscene and embarrassing event to take place at the "People's House."