National and international media news & headlines compiled by CLG
U.S. lifts sanctions on Iranian oil | 22 June 2026 | The U.S. has issued a temporary sanctions waiver for Iran’s oil sector, authorizing the production, sale, delivery, and import of Iranian crude oil and petrochemicals, the Treasury Department has said. The announcement comes as negotiations between Washington and Tehran continue following the first round of talks in Switzerland over the weekend. Iran General License X authorizes “the production, delivery and sale of crude oil, petrochemical products, and petroleum products of Iranian origin” for a 60-day period, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on X on Monday. The license also covers services linked to the energy trade, including vessel management, insurance, crewing, bunkering, classification, and emergency repairs.
Iran to set up Hormuz hotline with U.S. | 23 June 2026 | Iran has agreed to set up a “hotline” with the US and other countries to “prevent and resolve any misunderstandings” involving ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has said. The strait will henceforth be “managed under Iranian arrangements” and will “never return to what it was before the war,” Ghalibaf said on Monday, returning from the first round of talks with the U.S. in Switzerland. “Problems can arise in the Strait of Hormuz, so we agreed to establish a center and a communications line so that if issues occur, we can resolve them more quickly within a 30-day period,” Ghalibaf was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.
Trump says Iran missiles ‘aren’t the problem’ | 20 June 2026 | President Donald Trump is now suggesting that Iran having missiles may not be a problem at all. “If other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them not to have some. If Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and they all have some, I would say that in relative proportion, I think it’s okay,” Trump said at the G7 international forum Wednesday. “Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but (Iran) can’t have them? It doesn’t work that way.” “Missiles aren’t the problem. They hurt a little location, but they don’t blow up the planet.” “The Gulf nations will address the nonnuclear issues, as we’ll be talking about the ballistic missiles,” the president added… Trump made the remarks while discussing whether Iran should be permitted to retain missile capabilities in a news conference at the G7 in Évian-les-Bains, France, just as details of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran were being released.
Trump says Iran will be allowed to have missiles as part of peace deal: ‘They don’t blow up the planet’ | 17 June 2026 | In a stunning departure from decades of established U.S. foreign policy, President Donald Trump revealed that a forthcoming peace agreement with Iran will likely allow the country to retain its conventional ballistic missiles. Standing before reporters at the G7 meeting in France, the President argued that a complete ban is unrealistic because “they got to have some.” “What am I going to do? Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but they can’t have them?” Trump said during the briefing. “Missiles aren’t the problem. They hurt a little location, but they don’t blow up the planet.” The President also said that he might stick around for the signing of the memorandum on Friday, but added that it “might not be the kind of document” he should sign.
Trump on Israeli military action in Lebanon: ‘You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody’ –Trump asserts “too many people are being killed” | 16 June 2026 | President Donald Trump said Tuesday during a meeting with the reigning Emir of Qatar that Syria should “take care” of Hezbollah. “Israel’s fighting Hezbollah for too long, and too many people are being killed,” Trump said during the meeting. “You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody because there’s a lot of people in those apartment houses and they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you.” Trump said that he made the suggestion to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah, because they’d do a “better job of doing it.” During the meeting, Trump was also asked about his relationship with Netanyahu. “I didn’t like that he did an attack [over] a very minor little thing with some drones,” Trump said, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Vance slams Israeli ‘freakout’ over Iran deal, says Trump only world leader who still likes Israel | 18 June 2026 | U.S. Vice President JD Vance castigated Israeli officials on Thursday for not backing the U.S.’s nuclear deal with Iran, accusing far-right cabinet ministers of lacking appreciation for American support, as he made the case for the newly signed memorandum of understanding at a White House press briefing. “You have seen people within Bibi’s cabinet, who have come out and attacked the deal, and in some ways very personally attacked the president of the United States,” he told reporters, using a nickname for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he exempted from his explicit ire. “Number one, Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. And he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower,” Vance said. “If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”
Zelensky ‘acted like Mr. Bean on crack,’ U.S. Treasury chief reportedly said | 22 June 2026 | U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who had negotiated a much-touted rare earth minerals deal with Kiev, was reportedly worried that the “little f**ker” Vladimir Zelensky would mess up the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, according to a new book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. The infamous confrontation last year took place as the Ukrainian leader sat down with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance to finalize a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. The televised press conference took a nasty turn when Zelensky criticized Trump’s efforts to mediate a settlement with Moscow rather than increase military support for Kiev. “I’ve dealt with this little f**ker,” Bessent, who was present in the room, told his associates, according to excerpts published by The Guardian. “He’s tricky. He’s like the special-needs child for the Europeans. And he’s acting like Mr. Bean on crack.” [Truer words never spoken.]
5 killed in Ukrainian missile attack on Russian city – governor | 22 June 2026 | Five people have been killed and dozens injured in a Ukrainian attack on the Russian city of Voronezh, Governor Aleksandr Gusev has said. A missile attack warning was issued for the region, around 450 km south of Moscow, on Monday morning. Gusev reported that air defenses intercepted “high-speed aerial targets” over the city. According to the governor, the strike hit an industrial facility, causing “significant damage” and a fire which has since been extinguished. The attack damaged a dozen apartment blocks, as well as six single-family homes and around 50 vehicles, Gusev said in a statement published on Telegram. Media reports have claimed that British-French Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles were used.
Zelensky threatens to attack Belarus –Zelensky demanded Minsk remove its air defense radars from the border within a week, vowing to destroy them otherwise | 19 June 2026 | Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has issued an ultimatum to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, threatening him with military action if Minsk fails to meet Kiev’s demand, just days after a deadly drone strike on a bus carrying a children’s soccer team from Belarus. Earlier this week, Lukashenko said that those seeking to drag his nation into the conflict “will have to pay dearly for that,” demanding answers from Kiev over the strike on the bus and other “provocations.” The attack in Russia’s Bryansk Region injured six minors and killed the wife of a Belarusian school soccer team coach who was accompanying the young athletes to a Russian seaside resort. Kiev denied responsibility.
UK’s Starmer resigns as prime minister | 22 June 2026 | British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that he will resign from his post and will step down as the leader of the Labour Party. In an address outside 10 Downing Street on Monday, Starmer said he already informed King Charles III of his decision and asked the Labour Party to lay out a timetable to elect a new leader by September, adding that he will remain in his post until then. Starmer became prime minister in 2024 following the Labour Party’s victory in that year’s general election. He has repeatedly vowed to stay in the post, but has faced pressure to resign amid growing discontent and the declining popularity of his party. His resignation makes him the sixth UK prime minister to leave office in the past ten years.
8 believed dead after B-52 crashes shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base | 15 June 2026 | Eight crew members are believed to have been killed after a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, California, on Monday, officials said. The bomber was carrying eight people on a routine test mission when it went down on the Edwards airfield around 11:20 a.m. PDT, according to the base. “An Air Force B-52 Stratofortress carrying eight people on a routine test mission crashed today shortly after take-off at 11:20 a.m. (PDT). Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” Edwards Air Force Base said in a statement. “Emergency response personnel are on scene, and officials are working to account for all personnel.”
Missing scientist found dead after 11 months took two shocking items with her that cast doubt on suicide theory | 23 June 2026 | The case of a missing nuclear lab employee who was found dead nearly a year after vanishing has taken a troubling turn, with new details raising questions about the suicide theory. Melissa Casias, 53, a former administrative assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), disappeared from her home in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, on June 26, 2025. Her skeletal remains, along with a reported gunshot wound to the head, were discovered in New Mexico’s Carson National Forest on May 28, lying next to a handgun that her family insists did not belong to the wife and mother. Now, new details about her final moments have been released, revealing Casias took her toothbrush and thyroid medication before walking out the door of her Ranchos de Taos home for the last time. Los Angeles Magazine contributor Lauren Conlin, who has been following Casias’s case closely and first reported on the items, told NewsNation that they are “things that might indicate you’re planning to stay alive.” Morgan Wright, founder and CEO of the National Center for Open and Unsolved Cases, also said that there are key aspects of Casias’s disappearance and the discovery of her remains that do not add up.
Manhunt underway for Kansas City suspect of mass shooting near World Cup venue – FBI offers $25K reward | 20 June 2026 | A multi-agency manhunt is underway for a 22-year-old suspect accused of a violent cross-state crime spree, which included a string of highway shootings near the FIFA World Cup at Arrowhead Stadium and a fiery standoff with police. The FBI’s Kansas City field office announced a reward of up to 25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Oscar Sanchez-Munoz, who is described as a white and Hispanic man weighing about 184 pounds. Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) officials said they believe Sanchez-Munoz is also the prime suspect in five shootings Tuesday night in Kansas City, Missouri, which happened along Interstate 70, just miles from Arrowhead Stadium — where several FIFA World Cup matches were being held. The hunt for Sanchez-Munoz stems from multiple violent incidents spanning both Kansas and Missouri.
White House UFC terror plot ‘ringleader’ is Mexican illegal immigrant, DHS confirms | 18 June 2026 | Abraham Alvarez, identified in federal documents as the alleged “ringleader” of a plot to carry out a mass casualty event at the UFC White House event on June 14, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who overstayed his visa, according to Homeland Security information first obtained by Fox News Digital. Alvarez came to the United States as a child and was granted by the Obama administration in 2014 deportation relief through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program after he failed to leave the country when his B2 visa expired in 2001. Five co-conspirators were arrested so far this month for allegedly planning with others to use drones equipped with explosives to force an evacuation from the White House event on Sunday and, in the ensuing chaos, a team of snipers was allegedly set to open fire on the crowds.
Former Olympian seen in handcuffs as Trump threatens ‘years in jail’ and more arrests after vandals sabotage Reflecting Pool with ‘corrosive and destructive chemicals’ | 20 June 2026 | Donald Trump claimed protesters at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool could face “years in jail” after being arrested this weekend. Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to blame liberal vandals for the damage at the recently renovated pool, as its “American flag blue” has already begun to peel away from the bottom. The President on Saturday followed up by posting that Park Police “have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll,” correcting his spelling to “Pool” later. He went on: “Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail!” Trump went on a longer screed against the vandals later Saturday, accusing them of using “corrosive and destructive” chemicals to ruin the pool.
Navy finds massive cache of deadly radiological material including uranium hidden in California | 17 June 2026 | Government officials found a cache of radiological materials at a San Francisco shipyard that was allegedly stashed there by a former employee of a US Navy subcontractor. The Navy and the subcontractor said the suspect is an employee of RSI Entech, which was hired by the military to remediate the area. Around 200 radiological items — including samples of uranium and thorium — were found in a locked cabinet within a large complex called Building 400A in Hunters Point in April. The items also included liquid scintillators, a specialized laboratory instrument used for radiological analysis. Most of the items were radioactive isotopes known as “check sources” that are used to calibrate devices like a Geiger counter. Jeff Bale, director of operations at RSI Entech, said the materials were stored there by a “rogue” employee.
Spy agency quashed complaint against Fauci for lying to Congress about ‘gain of function’ research, new documents show | 19 June 2026 | Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a trove of files Friday detailing Dr. Anthony Fauci’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic — showing that officials protected him from a whistleblower complaint alleging he lied to Congress about “gain of function” research after he suggested pangolins were to blame for the [his] outbreak that killed millions. Fauci, the documents show, met with a group of CIA officials on June 4, 2021, weeks after his fiery May 11 denial to Congress that he funded risky research into coronaviruses in the same Chinese city where the pandemic began… he Gabbard-released files do not appear to expand on what is known about Fauci’s funding for the Wuhan lab. The release comes just over a month after Fauci survived the five-year deadline for criminal charges to be filed against him for allegedly lying to Congress — though Justice Department officials are still considering how he might be punished for his role in the alleged coverup.
U.S. publishes docs on ‘dangerous’ Ukrainian biolabs working with anthrax, avian flu, Ebola, plague, and TB –The documents confirm Russia’s claims that the labs were working with potential bioweapons | 12 June 2026 | U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has released new evidence that U.S.-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine were researching dangerous pathogens. Washington previously denied any role in running these labs. Published on Friday, the declassified documents reveal that the U.S. “built and supported” 40 biolabs in Ukraine, which worked with “especially dangerous pathogens” including anthrax, avian flu, Ebola, plague, and tuberculosis. At least 12 of these laboratories were carrying out human research. Some of the laboratories were engaged in so-called “gain of function” research, a controversial practice whereby animal viruses are modified to increase their virulence and transmissibility to study their effects on humans.
Ebola deaths rise in DR Congo | 15 June 2026 | Ebola cases in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) have climbed to 782, with 181 deaths recorded, the Health Ministry has said, as the country battles a fast-spreading outbreak in a conflict-torn region. The ministry reported 72 new confirmed cases and 29 additional deaths on Sunday in its latest update on the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, bringing the case fatality rate from 21% to 23.1%. It said 40 people have recovered since the outbreak was declared on May 15. According to the World Health Organization, there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus, although work is underway to test potential candidates. Confirmed cases have now been reported in 31 health zones across three eastern provinces, including two newly affected zones as of June 13.
SPLC boss funneled $1.2 million to lover in neo-Nazi group – pair even had joint bank account | 16 June 2026 | A top Southern Poverty Law Center official is accused of helping funnel 1.2 million in donor m-ney to an informant in the National Alliance white supremacist group — who was also allegedly her lover. The Department of Justice filed a superseding indictment against the SPLC accusing it of funneling donor c-sh to hate groups they were then telling donors they were fighting. One figure, referred to as “Employee-2” in the indictment, is described as a “person who would become Director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project.” It also describes how “Employee-2” wrote an article based on material stolen from National Alliance headquarters in 2014 and then paid off an informant to take the blame for the robbery.
Spencer Pratt claims political enemies torched his business after blaze tears through office and leaves it in ruins | 12 June 2026 | Spencer Pratt has blamed his political rivals for a huge blaze which broke out at his California crystal business. The fire erupted at Pratt’s company office in the Pacific Palisades late Thursday afternoon, the California Post reported. Multiple units with the Los Angeles Fire Department rushed to the building, located inside the Highlands Circle complex on Palisades Drive and battled the flames. Pratt claimed the fire was “very suspicious.” He told the Post that he thinks it was started because of “contentious election tomfoolery.” “I want to be careful not to compromise an arson investigation, but this incident is very suspicious. I will wait for investigators to make public the details, but this was no accident and the timing of this on the heels of all of the contentious election tomfoolery in the last two weeks, it is very suspect, indeed,” the former reality TV star said.
Suspected illegal immigrants accused of stealing Americans’ IDs to get benefits | 18 June 2026 | A nationwide welfare fraud crackdown reached Massachusetts this week, as federal authorities announced the arrests of 15 people — 11 of them illegal immigrants — accused of stealing more than 1.4 million in American taxpayer-funded benefits. The defendants are accused of fraudulently obtaining benefits through programs including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance, MassHealth, Social Security disability payments, housing assistance and unemployment benefits, according to the Department of Justice. “Alarmingly, 11 of the 15 charged defendants are suspected illegal aliens, some of whom assumed stolen identities to steal these taxpayer-funded benefits and avoid detection,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Colin MacDonald said during a Thursday press conference in Boston.
Subcontractors say they’re owed millions after helping build Obama Presidential Center | 17 June 2026 | The Obama Presidential Center was billed as a lasting legacy to former President Barack Obama, and its construction was touted as an ambitious model built with aggressive goals for minority-owned and local businesses. But now, some of the very subcontractors who helped build the 19.3-acre campus on Chicago’s South Side say they are facing financial ruin as they race to recover millions of dollars they claim remain unpaid ahead of the center’s grand opening Friday. Overall construction costs were reported to be 830 million in 2021, and have likely climbed past the one billion mark. A Fox News Digital investigation identified multiple construction firms claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions.
U.S. Justice Department clears Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros | 12 June 2026 | The U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division said it has cleared Paramount Skydance Corp’s planned 110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Department of Justice officials said in a statement released late on Friday that it determined the transaction did not pose a threat to competition in streaming, the traditional television business or film. The clearance gives Paramount another regulatory green light to point to as it seeks to ward off a potential challenge to the deal by states. Analysts had expected the DOJ not to challenge the deal because of Paramount’s political connections. Paramount CEO David Ellison’s father, billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, has cultivated ties with President Donald Trump, and the company has hired former Trump officials.