memeorandum: The paint is already peeling in Trump's renovated Washington Reflecting Pool (Jasper Ward/Reuters)

2:55 PM ET, June 19, 2026

Top Items:

Linda Kinstler / New York Times:

Our Allies Are Wondering Whether Supporting the American War Machine Is Worth It — Is the Iran war an early sign of “superpower suicide”? — President Trump was triumphant when he announced that his 106-day war with Iran had ended. This initial agreement, which Trump signed at Versailles …

Discussion: The American Conservative

William Kristol / The Bulwark:

MAGA Hates This Holiday — Thanks to their operational control of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran was able to get away with murder in setting the terms of further peace talks with the United States—and now they're pushing for even more. The first round of scheduled peace talks under …

Discussion: MeidasTouch, Townhall, Time, Governor of California, Truthout, The Federalist, Houston Public Media, American Thinker and Salon

Bloomberg:

Iran Delays Nuclear Talks With US as Lebanon Clashes Worsen — Iran delayed the start of negotiations over a permanent peace deal with the US after fighting intensified in southern Lebanon, a potential setback to Donald Trump's efforts to end the war and curb Tehran's nuclear program.

Reuters:
US-Iran peace talks postponed, clouding prospects for lasting truce

Discussion: Associated Press, New York Times, Straight Arrow, The Daily Caller, Reason, Blaze Media, Forbes, Breitbart, American Greatness, Bloomberg, HotAir, Joe.My.God., New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, Agence France-Presse, Al Jazeera and CBS News

Washington Post:
U.S. intelligence warns Israel is likely to undermine Iran peace deal, officials say

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, Algemeiner.com and Reuters

Reuters:
US-Iran peace talks in Switzerland called off, clouding prospects for lasting truce

Discussion: New York Times, CNBC, Al Jazeera, Truthout, MS NOW, GB News, Politico, RTÉ, Daily Mail, Semafor and abc7NY

Financial Times:
Israel and Hizbollah agree ceasefire

Discussion: Breitbart, CBS News, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, New Yorker, The Intercept, The Gateway Pundit, Israpundit, Middle East Monitor and Semafor

Vox: How Iran won the war

Jeremy Scahill / Drop Site News:
Iran Warned Trump: If You Do Not End War on Lebanon, We May Strike Israel Without Warning

Discussion: Raw Story and Middle East Monitor

NBC News:
U.S.-Iran talks postponed as Vance cancels trip and Israel intensifies strikes in southern Lebanon

Caitlin Doornbos / New York Post:
Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz closed again after US lifts blockade

Discussion: NewsMax.com, Townhall, Mississippi Free Press, PBS NewsHour, NPR, Al Jazeera, Washington Post, Associated Press and Stars & Stripes

New York Times:
Vance's Defense of Iran Deal Rests on Vague and Misleading Claims

Discussion: Lawfare, Washington Examiner, Reality Tea, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Post, The Spectator, Wall Street Journal, NBC News, Al Jazeera, The Wrap, NewsMax.com, The Independent, RTÉ, HuffPost and Mediaite

Steve Holland / Reuters:
Israel, Hezbollah agree to ceasefire starting on Friday -U.S. official

Discussion: Fox News, CBS News, Legal Insurrection, Al Jazeera, Townhall, Axios and Washington Times

Jennifer Hansler / CNN:

Italian foreign minister cancels trip to US over Trump's comments about Meloni — US President Donald Trump's comments to an Italian media outlet about the country's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have sparked a fresh diplomatic incident. — Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced Friday …

Discussion: NOTUS, New York Times, Reuters, National Review, BBC, UPI, NewsMax.com and Mediaite

Reuters:

Meloni fights back after Trump tells Italian TV she ‘begged’ for photo with him at G7 — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused her one-time close ally Donald Trump of fabricating a story about her on Friday, after the U.S. President told an Italian TV channel that she had “begged” him to take a photo with her at a G7 summit.

Discussion: Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Scripps News, MeidasTouch, GB News, TMZ.com, The Daily Caller, Bloomberg, Metro.co.uk, RTÉ, Raw Story and New Republic

Agenzia ANSA:

I never beg, nor does Italy, Meloni says responding to Trump — Italian premier ‘stunned’ at US president's ‘fabricated’ declarations — Premier Giorgia Meloni on Friday said US President Donald Trump's assertion that she begged him to have a photo with her during this week's G7 summit is false.

Discussion: Financial Times, The Guardian and Joe.My.God.

Axios:

Trump's all-powerful “Great Man” theory — President Trump declared on “The Axios Show” on Thursday that he's discovered “no limits” to his power since going to war with Iran. — A forthcoming book reveals he's been entertaining an even grander idea: that he may be the most powerful man in history.

Discussion: The Guardian, Politico, Wide World of News, New Republic, Mediaite, CNN, Raw Story and Joe.My.God., more at Mediagazer »

Frank Andrews / CBS News:
Italy nixes envoy's U.S. visit as leader Meloni “stunned” by Trump comments: “Neither I nor Italy beg”

Discussion: The Guardian, NewsNation, New York Post, The Hill, Legal Insurrection, Forbes, Raw Story, Mediaite, Politico, Washington Examiner and Reality Tea

Dave Lawler / Axios:
Exclusive: Trump tells The Axios Show there are “no limits” to his power after Iran war

Discussion: Raw Story, Reality Tea, HuffPost, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, Middle East Monitor and Maine Democratic Party

CNN:

Trump's new acting intel chief Bill Pulte arrives early, eyes firing hundreds — Donald Trump National security Tulsi Gabbard Trump appointments — President Donald Trump's pick for acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, showed up at his new job a day early on Thursday …

Discussion: Straight Arrow, Politico, The Gateway Pundit, Dallas Express, Washington Examiner, Raw Story, Daily Mail, GV Wire, The Independent, New Republic and Mediaite

Reuters:

White House delays release of US voting machine study as midterms near — White House officials have for months delayed the release of a U.S. government report that outlines what it describes as significant vulnerabilities in the nation's voting machines ahead of the November midterms …

Discussion: Raw Story

Cate Brown / The Guardian:
Bill Pulte assumes role of US acting director of national intelligence

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Scripps News, The Hill and Daily Mail

Rebecca Shabad / NBC News:

Obama says U.S. may be ‘worse off’ now than before Iran war — The former president told NBC's “TODAY” show he questioned the rationale for President Donald Trump's war on Iran. — Former President Barack Obama said it seems like the United States has either returned to the status quo or is …

Discussion: The Hill, New York Times, New Republic, Reality Tea, The Guardian, Mediaite, NewsMax.com and NewsNation

Associated Press:
Trump approval on Iran low even as tentative deal to end fighting emerged, new AP-NORC poll finds

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Newsweek, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, KSTP-TV, NPR, Raw Story and PBS NewsHour

Fred Fleitz / American Greatness: Trump's Iran Deal: Pragmatic Victory, Not Appeasement

New York Times:

Secret Vetting and Blocked Promotions: Inside Hegseth's War on Diversity — A Black admiral fixed one of the Navy's worst messes. Mr. Hegseth blocked his promotion anyway. — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked the promotions of at least 40 senior officers to general and admiral ranks this year.

Discussion: Raw Story and Honolulu Star-Advertiser

David A. Fahrenthold / New York Times:

Firm Tied to Trump Donor Got No-Bid Contract to Clean Reflecting Pool — A White House spokeswoman said the president was not involved in selecting Greenwater Services, the business owned by a trust led by John J. Cafaro. — A business tied to a longtime supporter of President Trump …

Discussion: Washington Post, Newsweek, Mediaite, Forbes, The Independent, Raw Story and The Hill

Jasper Ward / Reuters:
The paint is already peeling in Trump's renovated Washington Reflecting Pool

Discussion: NewsNation, USA Today, Slate, Salon, NPR, CNN, Mediaite, Washington Times, Straight Arrow, Metro.co.uk, ABC News, Reality Tea, Newsbusters, Legal Insurrection, Staff Stories, Joe.My.God., New Republic, The Independent, Al Jazeera, Gizmodo and New York Magazine

Wall Street Journal:

'I'm the President and You're Not': Trump Tests His Power and Frustrates the GOP — The president has made a series of decisions that have confounded Republicans and are challenging his grip on the party. — President Trump has delivered the same retort to political allies who have offered …

Discussion: Politico, The Independent, Raw Story and OutsideTheBeltway

Catie Edmondson / New York Times:
Trump's Military Budget Hits Snags Amid Questions on Iran War Costs

Discussion: Raw Story and Politico

Wall Street Journal:
Pentagon Tells Lawmakers It Needs $80 Billion for Iran War and Other Bills

Discussion: Straight Arrow, GV Wire, Joe.My.God., NewsMax.com and The Independent

Cuneyt Dil / Axios:

How a democratic socialist swept D.C. … - Unhappiness with the city's direction stood at the highest level (55%) since Marion Barry's reign 28 years ago, per a Washington Post-Schar School poll. … - Washington's influx of white residents, who tend to be younger and more progressive …

Discussion: Associated Press, El País, NOTUS, The American Conservative, Scripps News, Politico, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Bloomberg, Fox News and RedState

Ben Weiss / Fortune:

Exclusive: Son of pro-crypto New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand raises $30 million to launch a derivatives exchange — The 22-year-old son of a crypto-friendly senator plans to launch his own exchange for a type of derivative popularized by digital asset traders.

Nikki Schwab / Daily Mail:

Behind Trump and Melania's separate White House bedroom doors: Missing decorations, simmering tension and the habit that stunned staff — Call it the battle for the better bedroom. — It's long been lore that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump keep separate quarters on the second floor of the White House residence.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Raw Story, The Independent, Wonkette, Reality Tea and Mediaite

Sam Meredith / CNBC:

Russia threatens escalation after Ukraine hits Moscow with largest-ever drone attack … Russia has pledged to carry out frequent and “massive group strikes” against Ukraine shortly after Kyiv launched a barrage of drones on Moscow, triggering a huge explosion in one of the Russian capital's key oil refineries.

Jon Seidel / Chicago Sun Times:

Video contradicts FBI agent's account of shooting during undercover sting in Country Club Hills — U.S. Magistrate Judge Keri Holleb Hotaling ordered the video's public release Thursday after its discovery prompted federal prosecutors to drop charges related to an attempted robbery of undercover federal agents in the south suburb.

Alan Feuer / New York Times:

During Trump's Immigration Crackdown, Minnesota Protester Remained Shackled in Hospital for Days — The story of one progressive activist arrested in Minnesota in January shows what critics say is the aggressive nature of the Trump administration's response to those who have protested its immigration crackdown.

Discussion: MPR News, Heartland Signal and JURIST