· The rug-pull: Trump scraps the signing of the first major housing bill in 30 years, rostrum already up, and holds it hostage to the dead SAVE Act — it becomes law in 10 days anyway
· The lunch is a venting session: Trump mad as a murder hornet over the 50-48 war-powers rebuke, a screaming match with Cassidy over Iran, then 'I don't like a few people'
· The money ask: Trump sends Congress an ~$88B war supplemental, dead on arrival; Rubio says technical talks resume June 29-30 in Switzerland
· Markets: oil falls hard, Brent $73.87 / WTI $70.34, the pump sticky at $3.93 and a DOJ gouging probe; gold ~$4,140; crypto crushed intraday, BTC back above $60K, XRP recovered to ~$1.07
· A judge permanently blocks the proof-of-citizenship voting order; World Cup: Switzerland beats Canada to win Group B
DAY 117 WED 6:30 PM ET EVENING BRIEF — War 117 / Deal signed Day 7 / Trickle-Back Day 10 / Midterms T-132. THREE EVENING MOVES on top of the morning's Legacy Play -15 to 82 — Domestic Coalition -4 to 32, Energy -2 to 70, Crypto -7 to 70 (crushed), Mr. Robert's calls. Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT.
• THE RUG-PULL — the resistance that stirred this morning met its mirror image this afternoon: Trump scrapped the signing of the first major housing bill in 30 years with the rostrum already up in Statuary Hall, dismissing his own party's achievement as of minor importance and holding it hostage to the dead SAVE Act voting bill. Mr. Robert's read: the bill becomes law in ten days anyway absent a veto, and the majorities are veto-proof, so the hostage has no value — he torched a midterm affordability win to chase a vote count Thune keeps telling him isn't there.
• THE LUNCH — the GOP Steering lunch became, in one senator's words, a venting session: Trump arrived mad as a murder hornet over Tuesday's 50-48 war-powers rebuke, got into a screaming match with Cassidy over the Iran MoU, lit into Murkowski and the absent McConnell, then walked out praising Thune with we like everybody — I don't like a few people. A party heading into the midterms airing grievances, not closing ranks.
• THE MONEY ASK — Trump sent Congress an ~$88B emergency request: ~$67B for the Pentagon ($21B to rebuild munitions), $11B for farmers, $1.4B for Ebola, $1B for Penn Station. Dead on arrival in a Senate that needs 60 — Democrats won't fund a war they call illegal, and GOP war-skeptics balk weeks before November.
• THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON — Rubio confirms technical talks resume June 29-30 in Switzerland on the nuclear file; Trump again says no Hormuz tolls or it's a game-changer; the US says 20M barrels exited the strait in 24 hours as the UN begins evacuating ~11,000 stranded sailors. Bessent defends the deal — we didn't have regime change, we changed the regime. Israel's Katz: no withdrawal from Lebanon, no US demand to.
• MARKETS — oil fell hard as the strait reopens: Brent -3.8% to $73.87, WTI -3.9% to $70.34, with the pump sticky at $3.93 and Trump ordering a DOJ gouging probe. Equities steadied — S&P -0.1% after the rout, the Kospi clawing back from -10%, TSMC -4%. Gold ~$4,140, -1.5%, holding just above its seven-month low; BTC back above $60K and XRP ~$1.07 after both were crushed below $60K and $1 intraday.
• THE COURTS — a federal judge permanently blocked as unconstitutional Trump's executive order requiring documentary proof of citizenship to vote, ruling elections are for the states and Congress, not the president — the same fight he is now trying to legislate through the stalled SAVE Act.
• ELSEWHERE + THE CUP — the DSA surge keeps building toward a Schumer challenge as New York's left consolidates; Hegseth pushes out Gen. Donahue in the ongoing brass purge. World Cup: Switzerland knocked off Canada to win Group B, the tournament still delivering; Ronaldo's six-World-Cup record and Norway's Viking row are the color.
• BOTTOM LINE — the morning's resistance and the afternoon's rug-pull are the same story from two ends: a President who treats his own party's wins as leverage and its rebukes as betrayal. The talks are live, Lebanon is the wire, the pump is the number, T-132 to November.
Day 117 Wednesday Evening 6:30 PM ET. War 117 / Deal signed Day 7 / Hormuz recovering / Trickle-Back Day 10 / Midterms T-132. THE RUG-PULL: hours before facing the Senate GOP, Trump scrapped the signing of the first major housing bill in 30 years — the rostrum already up in Statuary Hall — dismissing his party's achievement as of minor importance and holding it hostage to the dead SAVE Act voting bill. Mr. Robert: the hostage has no value; the bill becomes law in ten days anyway and the majorities are veto-proof.
THE LUNCH WAS A VENTING SESSION — Trump arrived, by one senator's account, mad as a murder hornet over Tuesday's 50-48 war-powers rebuke, got into a screaming match with Cassidy over the Iran MoU, lit into Murkowski and the absent McConnell, and pressed again to gut the filibuster. He left praising Thune — I don't like a few people, you know who they are. A party venting grievances rather than closing ranks weeks from the midterms; Mr. Robert: the morning's resistance and the afternoon's rug-pull are the same story from two ends.
THE MONEY ASK — Trump sent Congress an emergency request for roughly $88B: about $67B for the Pentagon, including $21B to rebuild munitions, plus $11B for farmers, $1.4B for Ebola and $1B for Penn Station. It is dead on arrival in a 60-vote Senate — Democrats won't fund a war they call illegal, and GOP war-skeptics balk weeks before November. Meanwhile a top Pentagon official has pegged the war's running cost near $29B, before base repairs.
THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON — Rubio confirmed the technical teams resume June 29-30 in Switzerland to take up the nuclear file, said Iran may charge no tolls on Hormuz, and warned Tehran to keep its commitments or the President has options including reversing the relief. The US says 20M barrels exited the strait in 24 hours as the UN began evacuating the ~11,000 stranded sailors; Bessent defended the deal — we didn't have regime change, we changed the regime. Israel's Katz: no withdrawal from Lebanon, and no US demand to.
MARKETS — OIL FALLS HARD as the strait reopens: Brent -3.8% to $73.87 and WTI -3.9% to $70.34, the pump sticky at a $3.93 national average (+32% since the war) with Trump ordering a DOJ gouging probe. Equities steadied after the rout — S&P -0.1%, the Kospi clawing back from Tuesday's 10% plunge, TSMC -4%. Gold eased ~1.5% to ~$4,140, holding just above its seven-month low; BTC back above $60K and XRP ~$1.07 after an extreme-fear sell-off crushed both below $60K and $1 intraday.
INDEX DAY 117 EVENING: THREE CALLED MOVES on top of the morning's Legacy Play -15 to 82 — Domestic Coalition -4 to 32 on the housing rug-pull, the venting lunch and the DOA $88B ask; Energy -2 to 70 on the now-confirmed sub-$75 week; Crypto -7 to 70 as BTC dipped below $60K and XRP below $1 intraday before clawing back to ~$60K and ~$1.07. A cockup up-tick stays a candidate as the housing torch compounds the reflecting-pool farce. Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT — the judge's block on the proof-of-citizenship voting order is a check that holds, not a structural break.
ELSEWHERE AND THE CUP — the DSA surge keeps building toward a Schumer challenge as New York's left consolidates and the establishment takes it as a five-alarm fire; Hegseth pushed out Gen. Donahue, the best warfighter at every level by one account, in the ongoing brass purge. The courts blocked the voting order. WORLD CUP — Switzerland knocked off Canada to win Group B, the tournament still delivering; Ronaldo's six-World-Cup record and Norway's Viking row are the color. The talks are live and Lebanon is still the wire, the pump is the number, T-132 to November.
6:30 PM ET WEDNESDAY — DAY 117. The morning's resistance met its mirror image this afternoon. Hours before facing the Senate GOP, Trump scrapped the signing of the first major housing bill in 30 years — the rostrum already up in Statuary Hall — dismissing his own party's achievement as of minor importance and holding it hostage to the dead SAVE Act voting bill. Mr. Robert: the hostage has no value; the bill becomes law in ten days anyway and the majorities are veto-proof.
THE LUNCH WAS A VENTING SESSION — Trump arrived, by one senator's account, mad as a murder hornet over Tuesday's 50-48 war-powers rebuke, got into a screaming match with Cassidy over the Iran MoU, lit into Murkowski and the absent, hospitalized McConnell, and pressed again to gut the filibuster. He left praising Thune — we like everybody, I don't like a few people, you know who they are — a party venting grievances rather than closing ranks weeks from the midterms.
THE MONEY ASK — Trump sent Congress an emergency request for roughly $88B: about $67B for the Pentagon, including $21B to rebuild the munitions spent in the war, plus $11B for farmers, $1.4B for the Ebola outbreak and $1B for Penn Station. It is dead on arrival in a Senate that needs 60 votes — Democrats won't fund a war they call illegal, and GOP war-skeptics balk at the bill weeks before November.
THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON — Rubio confirmed the technical teams resume June 29-30 in Switzerland to take up the nuclear file, said Iran may charge no tolls on Hormuz, and warned Tehran to keep its commitments or the President has options. The US says 20M barrels exited the strait in 24 hours as the UN began evacuating the ~11,000 stranded sailors; Bessent defended the deal — we didn't have regime change, we changed the regime.
MARKETS — oil fell hard as the strait reopens: Brent -3.8% to $73.87 and WTI -3.9% to $70.34, with the pump sticky at a $3.93 national average (+32% since the war) and Trump ordering a DOJ gouging probe. Equities steadied after the rout — S&P -0.1%, the Kospi clawing back from Tuesday's 10% plunge, TSMC -4%. Gold eased ~1.5% to ~$4,140, holding just above its seven-month low; BTC back above $60K and XRP ~$1.07 after both were crushed below $60K and $1 intraday.
THE COURTS — a federal judge permanently blocked as unconstitutional Trump's executive order requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register and vote, ruling that the Constitution gives elections to the states and Congress, not the president — the same authority he is now trying to legislate through the stalled SAVE Act.
LEBANON + ISRAEL — Katz said Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon and that Washington has not demanded it, even as US intelligence warns Israel is likely to undermine the Iran peace deal; the strikes on Hezbollah continue inside the security zone.
ELSEWHERE AND THE CUP — the DSA surge keeps building toward a Schumer challenge as New York's left consolidates, and Hegseth pushed out Gen. Donahue in the ongoing brass purge. World Cup: Switzerland knocked off Canada to win Group B, the tournament still delivering; Ronaldo's six-World-Cup record and Norway's Viking row are the color. The talks are live, Lebanon is the wire, the pump is the number, T-132 to November.
DAY 117 EVENING 6:30 PM ET \u2014 THE RUG-PULL: Trump Scraps The Signing Of The First Major Housing Bill In 30 Years, Rostrum Already Up, And Holds It Hostage To The Dead SAVE Act \u2014 It Becomes Law In 10 Days Anyway, The Majorities Veto-Proof / THE LUNCH IS A VENTING SESSION: Mad As A Murder Hornet Over The 50-48 Rebuke, A Screaming Match With Cassidy Over Iran, Then I Don\u2019t Like A Few People / THE MONEY ASK: An ~$88B War Supplemental, Dead On Arrival / THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON: Talks Resume June 29-30 In Switzerland, No Hormuz Tolls, 20M Barrels Out In 24 Hours, The UN Evacuates 11,000 Sailors / BESSENT: WE CHANGED THE REGIME / A JUDGE PERMANENTLY BLOCKS THE PROOF-OF-CITIZENSHIP VOTING ORDER / MARKETS: OIL FALLS HARD, Brent $73.87 / WTI $70.34, Gold ~$4,140, BTC ~$60K, XRP ~$1.07 / WORLD CUP: SWITZERLAND BEATS CANADA TO WIN GROUP B / INDEX DAY 117 EVENING: THREE CALLED MOVES \u2014 COALITION -4 TO 32, ENERGY -2 TO 70, CRYPTO -7 TO 70, LEGITIMACY 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT, T-132 — Day 117 Wednesday Evening 6:30 PM ET. June 24, 2026. The morning\u2019s resistance met its mirror image this afternoon. Trump scrapped the signing of the first major housing bill in 30 years, the rostrum already up in Statuary Hall, and held it hostage to the dead SAVE Act \u2014 a bill that becomes law in ten days anyway and carries veto-proof majorities. Mr. Robert: the hostage has no value; he torched a midterm affordability win to chase a vote count Thune keeps telling him isn\u2019t there. The GOP Steering lunch became a venting session: Trump arrived mad as a murder hornet over Tuesday\u2019s 50-48 war-powers rebuke, got into a screaming match with Cassidy over the Iran MoU, lit into Murkowski and the absent McConnell, and left praising Thune with I don\u2019t like a few people, you know who they are. Trump sent Congress an ~$88B war supplemental \u2014 ~$67B Pentagon, $11B farmers, $1.4B Ebola, $1B Penn Station \u2014 dead on arrival in a 60-vote Senate. Rubio confirmed technical talks resume June 29-30 in Switzerland, said Iran may charge no tolls on Hormuz, and warned Tehran to keep its commitments or Trump has options; the US says 20M barrels exited the strait in 24 hours as the UN began evacuating ~11,000 sailors; Bessent defended the deal \u2014 we didn\u2019t have regime change, we changed the regime. A federal judge permanently blocked Trump\u2019s proof-of-citizenship voting order as unconstitutional. MARKETS: oil fell hard \u2014 Brent -3.8% to $73.87, WTI -3.9% to $70.34 \u2014 the pump sticky at $3.93 with a DOJ gouging probe; equities steadied, S&P -0.1%; gold eased ~1.5% to ~$4,140; BTC back above $60K and XRP ~$1.07 after both were crushed below $60K and $1 intraday. INDEX DAY 117 EVENING: THREE CALLED MOVES on top of the morning\u2019s Legacy Play -15 to 82 \u2014 Coalition -4 to 32 on the rug-pull and venting lunch, Energy -2 to 70 on the confirmed sub-$75 week, Crypto -7 to 70 as BTC dipped below $60K and XRP cracked $1 before clawing back to ~$60K and ~$1.07. A cockup up-tick stays a candidate. Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT. World Cup: Switzerland beats Canada to win Group B. The talks are live and Lebanon is still the wire, T-132 to November.
DAY 117 MORNING 9:20 AM ET — THE RESISTANCE SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE: The Senate Rebukes Trump On Iran 50-48, Four Republicans Crossing, The First Bicameral War-Powers Rebuke Since 1973 — But The Rebels Are Lame Ducks Trump Already Pushed Out And The Concurrent Resolution Has No Force Of Law / THE COCKUP REGISTERS: The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting-Pool Farce Becomes The Cockup Story Of America 250, Mr. Robert Moves The Legacy Play -15 To 82 / TRUMP TO THE HILL To Face The GOP Lunch And Push The Dead SAVE Act, Then Signs The First Housing Bill In 30 Years / THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON: Trump Says Iran Told Him No Hormuz Tolls Or Talks End, Tehran Says Fees Come After 60 Days, Grossi Says Inspections Will Happen, Talks Resume Next Week / RUBIO REASSURES THE GULF AS DUBAI SOURS / LEBANON: Katz Says Israel Will Not Withdraw Even If Washington Demands It / MARKETS: A WARY TECH REBOUND, Nasdaq Futures +0.6%, Micron Tonight, Brent ~$76, Gold Below $4,100 Seven-Month Low, A DOJ Gas-Gouging Probe / THE DSA RISES: Mamdani’s Slate Sweeps Three NY Primaries, Doubles The Socialist Caucus, A Schumer Headache / WORLD CUP DAY 14: ENGLAND DROPS TO NO. 6, RONALDO SCORES AT A SIXTH WORLD CUP / INDEX DAY 117 MORNING: ONE MOVE, THIRTEEN HOLD — LEGACY PLAY -15 TO 82, LEGITIMACY 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT, T-132 — Day 117 Wednesday Morning 9:20 AM ET. June 24, 2026. War 117 / Deal signed Day 7 / Hormuz recovering / Trickle-Back Day 10 / Midterms T-132. THE RESISTANCE SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE. For the first time since the war began the Republican Party stirred against Trump: the Senate passed a war-powers resolution 50-48 directing him to end the Iran war or seek authorization, with Paul, Murkowski, Collins and Cassidy crossing and Fetterman the lone Democrat against — the first time both chambers have approved a concurrent resolution telling a president to end a conflict since the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Mr. Robert: read it precisely. The rebels are lame ducks Trump already pushed out — Cornyn lost to Paxton, Cassidy lost his primary, Tillis isn’t running, Collins and Murkowski are perennial defectors, McConnell was absent — and a concurrent resolution carries no force of law. The resistance is real but structurally toothless: leverage without a lever. Trump called the four losers giving aid and comfort to Iran. THE COCKUP REGISTERS. The Lincoln Memorial reflecting-pool farce became the cockup story of America 250: peeling American-flag-blue paint, algae blooms, dead ducks, a fenced and drilled National Mall less than two weeks from the 250th-birthday celebration, Trump blaming knife-wielding vandals while the internal records point to too little sealant under a no-bid contract. Mr. Robert moves the Legacy Play -15 to 82 — signal still maxed at 100, the cockup column finally registering at 18; an ended war and a falling pump still bank the legacy, but the self-inflicted birthday farce is the durable drag. TRUMP TO THE HILL. He faces the GOP Steering lunch at 1pm to push the dead SAVE Act as Thune says the votes aren’t there for the filibuster or the bill, signs the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act at noon — the first major housing package in 30 years, though the build is years out — and meets Rutte at 3:30. THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON. Trump posted that Iran told him there will be no tolls, insurance costs or charges on Hormuz and warned talks would end immediately if false; Tehran says service fees come after the 60-day window, Grossi says inspections are going to happen and Iran’s Gharibabadi insists access comes only inside a final deal with sanctions lifted; talks resume next week. Trump is releasing US-controlled funds for American farm exports to Iran. THE GULF. Rubio reassured the UAE and heads to Kuwait and Bahrain as Dubai sours on the war (we got played); $12B is releasing toward the $300B reconstruction fund. LEBANON. Israel’s Katz says the troops will not withdraw even if Washington demands it and a minister warns of a US-Israel collision course over the Iran terms; the de-confliction cell holds. MARKETS. A wary rebound after a two-session chip rout: Nasdaq futures +0.6%, the Kospi back +3%, Micron earnings after the bell tonight the AI tell. Oil kept falling — Brent ~$76, WTI ~$72 — and Trump ordered a DOJ gas-gouging probe; gas eased toward $3.90, diesel under $5. Gold broke below $4,100 to a seven-month low on a hawkish Warsh Fed pricing a December hike above 89%; BTC ~$62.5K and XRP ~$1.10 stayed soft, down about 5% on the week. THE DSA RISES. Mamdani’s slate swept three New York House primaries, doubling the Democratic socialist caucus from two to four and ousting Hispanic Caucus chair Espaillat and impeachment-lawyer Goldman in an anti-AIPAC night, while Lasher held NY-12; Mr. Robert: the Democratic left’s 2028 fault line drawn in a night, and a Schumer headache in more ways than one. ELSEWHERE. The E5 meet in Berlin on a post-American NATO and a Russia track; Colombia’s Trump-backed de la Espriella is set to certify. WORLD CUP — Day 14: England’s meh 0-0 with Ghana dropped them to No. 6 behind France, Ronaldo became the first to score at six World Cups in Portugal’s 5-0 over Uzbekistan, and Mr. Robert holds the USMNT at No. 7, Norway No. 8, Argentina No. 1. INDEX DAY 117 MORNING: ONE MOVE, THIRTEEN HOLD — Legacy Play -15 to 82 (signal 100, cockup 3 to 18); Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT. Candidates: a Coalition down-tick on the rebuke and the SAVE deadlock, a Gold down-tick on the break below $4,100, an Energy -2 to 70 on a clean sub-$75 week. The talks are live and Lebanon is still the wire, T-132 to November.
Switzerland beat co-host Canada to win Group B, the latest twist in a tournament that keeps delivering — Canada had thumped Qatar 6-0 only days earlier, and the Swiss flipped the group on the final matchday. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, remains the story of the week as the only player to score at six World Cups after a brace in Portugal's 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan, with Portugal all but through. Off the pitch, Norway's fans have turned New York into a Viking-row spectacle in the nation's first World Cup in 28 years, and South Korea's squad is boycotting domestic media over a slight to captain Son Heung-min — international affairs and the World Cup, running together.
Mr. Robert's read: Switzerland's group win earns a bump up the order — 1 Argentina, 2 France, 3 Spain, 4 Germany, 5 Netherlands, 6 England, 7 United States, 8 Norway, 9 Switzerland, 10 Brazil, 11 Morocco, 12 Mexico, 13 Portugal. England's flat Ghana draw still leaves them sixth; the knockouts are where the seedings get settled. Expand any edition for the chart and the reasoning.
For the first time since the war began, Senate Republicans broke with Trump on Iran. The chamber adopted a war-powers resolution 50-48 instructing the president to halt operations or seek authorization, with Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy crossing and John Fetterman the lone Democrat against. It is the first time since the 1973 War Powers Resolution that both chambers have approved a concurrent resolution directing a president to end a conflict — the House passed it earlier this month. Trump called the four ‘losers’ giving ‘aid and comfort’ to Iran and heads to a Rick Scott Steering Committee lunch today, where a wider group will press him on the deal’s cost as the administration readies an ~$80B emergency Pentagon request nobody has been briefed on.
A concurrent resolution needs no signature but, under the 1983 Chadha ruling, carries no force of law; Foreign Relations chair Risch said it will have no effect and Trump will pay it no attention. The rebels are nearly all spent: Cornyn lost his primary to Trump-backed Paxton, Cassidy lost his, Tillis is not running, Collins and Murkowski are perennial, McConnell is hospitalized and absent. There are still some 50,000 US troops in the region and two carriers.
Trump blames vandals working with knives ‘in the dark of night’ for the peeling ‘American flag blue’ coating and algae blooms marring his $16.4M Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, the centerpiece of his remake of the capital for the nation’s 250th birthday. But internal Park Service documents obtained by the Times tell another story: the foam cuts workers found were not related to the peeling sealant or the algae; the coating appears to have gone on too thin on two no-bid contracts rushed for July 4; the ozone nanobubblers meant to kill algae kept failing; and DC phosphate-treated water plus duck droppings fed the bloom. Work may not be finished until after July 4, dead ducks have turned up nearby, and a fence is going up early.
The administration awarded a $14.7M no-bid coating contract and a $1.7M nanobubbler contract, bypassing competitive bidding for an ‘urgent’ 250th deadline. A coatings expert who reviewed the records said the peeling looks like too little material applied too hastily. Tillis mocked the prosecution threat against the alleged vandals next to Trump’s blanket J6 pardons. A WaPo critic called the fiasco a metaphor for the presidency.
Hours before facing the Senate GOP, Trump scrapped the signing of the first major housing bill in 30 years — the rostrum already up in Statuary Hall — dismissing his party's achievement as of minor importance and refusing to sign until the chamber passes the dead SAVE Act voting bill. The catch: the bill becomes law in ten days anyway and the majorities are veto-proof, so the hostage has no value. The lunch that followed was, by one senator's account, a venting session — Trump mad as a murder hornet over the 50-48 war-powers rebuke, a screaming match with Cassidy over the Iran MoU, attacks on Murkowski and the absent McConnell, then 'I don't like a few people, you know who they are.'
Retiring Tillis was incredulous — holding a bill hostage over a bill that will never pass makes no sense; Kennedy said if housing dies you'd see a grown man cry; Cornyn, now a self-styled YOLO Republican, noted the midterms are coming. Thune keeps telling Trump the votes are not there to gut the filibuster or pass SAVE, and test votes have not topped 48 of the 60 needed. House hardliners then shut down the floor in protest before the July 4 recess.
The dueling-claims fight kept resolving into process. Rubio confirmed the technical teams — lower-level diplomats on both sides — return to Switzerland on June 29 or 30 to take up the Iranian nuclear and enrichment file, said Iran may charge no tolls or fees on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz under any final deal, and warned Tehran to keep its commitments or Trump has options including reversing the relief. US Energy Secretary Wright said 20 million barrels of crude exited the strait in the last 24 hours, and the UN's IMO began evacuating the roughly 11,000 sailors and 500-600 ships still stranded in the Gulf. Grossi says inspections are expected even as Washington and Tehran disagree publicly over what Iran has accepted.
Iran's foreign ministry warned against 'contradictory statements' by US officials and insists access to bombed sites waits on a final agreement; Iran never fully severed the IAEA relationship but parliament law routes inspections through its security council. Bessent defended the deal — 'we didn't have regime change, we changed the regime' — while critics note all the sanctions relief is front-loaded. The toll-versus-fee distinction is the live fight: Iran keeps the chokepoint as a pricing mechanism after the 60-day pause.
Colombia swung hard right. Abelardo de la Espriella — a brash, tough-on-crime outsider lawyer nicknamed 'El Tigre,' backed by Trump — clinched Sunday's presidential runoff, and on Wednesday his left-wing rival Iván Cepeda conceded. De la Espriella will succeed the leftist Gustavo Petro, who cut diplomatic ties with Israel in 2024 over Gaza, and the president-elect moved fast to reverse course, posting after a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar that 'Israel can count on Colombia as a loyal friend and steadfast ally' and vowing to 'restore and strengthen' relations like never before. He takes office Aug 7. Colombia becomes the latest Latin American country to tilt rightward, alongside Peru, where Trump-aligned Keiko Fujimori holds an apparently insurmountable runoff lead.
De la Espriella ran a hardline law-and-order campaign in a country exhausted by Petro-era turbulence, and his win realigns Bogota toward Washington on security, migration and Israel after years of friction. Petro had been one of the hemisphere's loudest critics of Israel's war in Gaza; the reversal is immediate and symbolic. The shift slots into a broader regional pattern — Colombia, Peru and others moving into the US orbit as the administration runs its Pacific boat-strike campaign and its southern mission.
Six months into City Hall, Mayor Mamdani became an overnight kingmaker, sweeping three Democratic House primaries with handpicked insurgents: Brad Lander routed Dan Goldman, democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier upset Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair Adriano Espaillat, and democratic socialist Claire Valdez beat the retiring incumbent’s pick — doubling the socialist bloc in the House to four. It was an anti-AIPAC night in America’s most heavily Jewish city, with Valdez’s crowd chanting against the lobby and pro-Israel incumbents routed; the establishment’s Micah Lasher held NY-12 over AI-targeted Alex Bores.
The wins accelerate the party’s shift away from Israel and expose its New York leaders: Schumer, underwater in the polls, now faces a live 2028 primary threat from the left, and Jeffries, eyeing the speakership, must knit a fractious caucus as DSA-backed members decline to commit to backing him. Outside New York the trend was mixed — AIPAC’s Boafo won in Maryland — so it is a New York earthquake, not yet a national one. DSA is surveying its 250 chapters for a 2028 presidential pick.
Oil fell hard as cargoes pour out of Hormuz and key markets turn awash in supply: Brent dropped 3.8% to $73.87 and WTI 3.9% to $70.34, pre-war lows. Equities steadied after the two-session chip rout — the S&P eased just 0.1%, South Korea's Kospi clawed back from Tuesday's near-10% plunge, and the Stoxx 600 and FTSE edged up while Taiwan fell 2% with TSMC -4%; Micron's earnings after the bell are the AI tell. The pump stayed sticky at a $3.93 national average (+32% since the war) and diesel at $4.98, and Trump ordered a DOJ probe into gas 'gouging.' Gold eased ~1.5% to ~$4,140, holding just above its seven-month low; BTC back above $60K and XRP ~$1.07 after both were crushed below $60K and $1 intraday.
Deutsche Bank said falling crude eased stagflation fears and investors priced out fast rate hikes; the bullion sell-off is a tell on a hawkish Warsh Fed and a firmer dollar. Crypto got crushed intraday — BTC dipped below $60,000 and XRP below $1 (-4.2% / -6.4% at the lows), the Fear & Greed Index in extreme fear — before recovering to ~$60K and ~$1.07, BTC still off roughly half its October ~$126K high. SK Hynix is planning a ~$29B US listing.
NATO chief Mark Rutte meets Trump at 3:30 to set the stage for a summit in Turkey in two weeks, walking a tightrope: assure Trump the alliance will do more without overpromising for allies who have little left to give. Trump remains stung that NATO members did not rush warships to the Middle East during the war — they say, no, we would rather not help — and his team is pushing ‘burden-shifting,’ pulling US troop categories out of immediate NATO command. The White House pointedly framed it around the war: allies should have been there for the United States during the successful Operation Epic Fury. Meanwhile the E5 — France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the UK — convene in Berlin to prepare for Ankara and to jockey over who leads any Russia talks.
Last year’s Hague summit won a 5% spending goal and Trump’s praise; this year there are fewer big swings and more anxiety, with the UK, Spain and Czechia near their limits. Starmer attends Berlin as a lame duck after announcing his resignation; Meloni and Tusk resist letting the E3 lead Russia diplomacy. Rutte’s message: unity, no surprises, no public discord.
Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz said the military will not withdraw from southern Lebanon even if Washington demands it: 200,000 residents will not return, citing the risk of roadside bombs and attacks in any security zone with a civilian population. The Israeli army said it struck two Hezbollah fighters in the Ali al-Taher area, calling them an immediate threat. And Culture Minister Miki Zohar warned that Washington is on a ‘collision course’ with Israel over its Iran deal, saying a US agreement will not solve the nuclear-weapons issue and the war phase will return faster than people think.
The friction is the gap the deal cannot close: the US-Iran-Lebanon deconfliction cell pointedly excludes Israel, and President Aoun says Lebanon will consolidate the truce by deploying its army after an Israeli pullout — a pullout Katz now rules out. The EU is drafting a three-year mission to train Lebanese forces. Fighting has quieted in recent days, but the structural standoff is unresolved.
· The resistance stirs: the Senate rebukes Trump on Iran 50-48, four Republicans crossing — but the rebels are lame ducks and the measure has no force of law
· The cockup registers: the reflecting-pool farce becomes the America 250 story; Mr. Robert moves the Legacy Play -15 to 82
· The contradiction runs on: Trump says Iran told him no Hormuz tolls or talks end; Tehran says fees come after 60 days; Grossi says inspections will happen
· Markets: a wary tech rebound, Nasdaq futures +0.6%, Micron tonight; oil keeps falling, Brent ~$76; gold breaks below $4,100 to a seven-month low
· The DSA rises: Mamdani's slate sweeps three NY primaries, a Schumer headache; England's meh draw drops them to No. 6; Ronaldo scores at a sixth World Cup
DAY 117 WED 9:20 AM ET MORNING BRIEF — War 117 / Deal signed Day 7 / Trickle-Back Day 10 / Midterms T-132. ONE MOVE, THIRTEEN HOLD — Legacy Play -15 to 82 (cockup 3 to 18), Mr. Robert's call; Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT.
• THE RESISTANCE STIRS — for the first time since the war began the Republican Party shows signs of life: the Senate passed a war-powers resolution 50-48, four Republicans crossing, the first time both chambers have directed a president to end a war since 1973. Mr. Robert's read: read it precisely — the rebels are lame ducks Trump already pushed out (Cornyn, Cassidy, Tillis, Collins, Murkowski, McConnell absent) and the resolution is a concurrent one with no force of law; the resistance is real but structurally toothless, leverage without a lever.
• THE COCKUP REGISTERS — the Lincoln Memorial reflecting-pool farce becomes the cockup story of America 250: peeling blue paint, algae, dead ducks, a fenced Mall, Trump blaming vandals while the internal records say too little sealant. Mr. Robert moves Legacy Play -15 to 82 — signal still maxed at 100, the cockup column finally registering at 18; an ended war and a falling pump still bank the legacy, but the self-inflicted 250th-birthday farce is the drag.
• THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON — Trump posts Iran told him no tolls on Hormuz or talks end immediately; Tehran says service fees come after the 60-day window; Grossi says inspections are going to happen, Iran says only inside a final deal. Talks resume next week. The dueling claims are the noise; the working groups are the signal.
• THE MONEY + THE GULF — Rubio reassures the UAE, then Kuwait and Bahrain, as Dubai sours (we got played); $12B releasing, the $300B reconstruction fund routing through Gulf money; Trump releasing controlled funds for US farm exports to Iran.
• MARKETS — a wary tech rebound after a two-day rout: Nasdaq futures +0.6%, the Kospi back +3%, Micron earnings tonight the AI tell. Oil keeps falling — Brent ~$76, WTI ~$72 — and Trump orders a DOJ gas-gouging probe. Gold breaks below $4,100 to a seven-month low on a hawkish Warsh Fed; BTC ~$62.5K, XRP ~$1.10 soft with the tape.
• THE DSA RISES — Mamdani's slate sweeps three New York House primaries, doubling the socialist caucus and ousting Espaillat and Goldman; an anti-AIPAC night that puts Schumer and Jeffries on notice. Mr. Robert: the Democratic left's 2028 fault line, and a Schumer headache in more ways than one.
• HOUSING — Trump signs the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the first major housing package in 30 years, but the build is years out, nothing felt by November.
• WORLD CUP — England's meh 0-0 with Ghana drops them to No. 6 behind France; Ronaldo becomes the first to score at six World Cups; the USMNT holds No. 7, Norway No. 8.
• BOTTOM LINE — the resistance stirs but the rebels are spent, the cockup is the real drag; the talks are live and Lebanon is still the wire, T-132 to November.
Day 117 Wednesday Morning 9:20 AM ET. War 117 / Deal signed Day 7 / Hormuz recovering / Trickle-Back Day 10 / Midterms T-132. THE RESISTANCE SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE: for the first time since the war began the Republican Party stirred against Trump — the Senate passed a war-powers resolution 50-48 directing him to end the Iran war or seek authorization, with Paul, Murkowski, Collins and Cassidy crossing and Fetterman the lone Democrat against, the first bicameral concurrent resolution to direct a president to end a conflict since 1973.
THE READ — Mr. Robert: read it precisely. The rebels are lame ducks Trump already pushed out — Cornyn lost his primary to Paxton, Cassidy lost his, Tillis isn't running, Collins and Murkowski are perennial defectors, McConnell was absent — and a concurrent resolution carries no force of law. The resistance is real but structurally toothless: leverage without a lever. Trump called the four losers giving aid and comfort to Iran and goes to the GOP lunch today to push the dead SAVE Act as Thune says the votes aren't there.
THE COCKUP REGISTERS — the Lincoln Memorial reflecting-pool farce became the cockup story of America 250: peeling American-flag-blue paint, algae blooms, dead ducks, a fenced and drilled National Mall less than two weeks from the 250th-birthday celebration, with Trump blaming knife-wielding vandals while the internal records point to too little sealant applied under a no-bid contract. Mr. Robert moves the Legacy Play -15 to 82 — signal still maxed at 100, the cockup column finally registering at 18. An ended war and a falling pump still bank the legacy; the self-inflicted birthday farce is the durable drag.
THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON — Trump posted that Iran told him there will be no tolls, insurance costs or charges on Hormuz and warned talks would end immediately if that were false; Tehran says service fees come only after the 60-day window, and the IAEA's Grossi says inspections are going to happen while Iran's Gharibabadi insists access comes only inside a final deal with sanctions lifted. Talks resume next week. THE MONEY — Rubio reassures the UAE, then Kuwait and Bahrain, as Dubai sours on the war (we got played); $12B is releasing toward the $300B reconstruction fund, and Trump is releasing US-controlled funds for American farm exports to Iran.
MARKETS — A WARY TECH REBOUND. After a two-session chip rout, US futures steadied: Nasdaq futures +0.6%, S&P +0.2%, the Kospi recovering 3% from Tuesday's 10% plunge, with Micron earnings after the bell tonight the health check on AI demand. Oil kept falling — Brent ~$76, WTI ~$72 on the sanctions relief and the recovering strait — and Trump ordered a DOJ probe into gas-station gouging; gas eased toward $3.90, diesel under $5. Gold broke below $4,100 to a seven-month low as a hawkish Warsh Fed priced a December hike above 89% and tech-driven selling drew bullion liquidation; BTC ~$62.5K and XRP ~$1.10 stayed soft, down about 5% on the week.
INDEX DAY 117 MORNING: ONE MOVE, THIRTEEN HOLD: Legacy Play -15 to 82 (signal 100, cockup 3 to 18), Mr. Robert's call on the reflecting-pool farce and the lame-duck resistance. CANDIDATES: a Coalition down-tick on the war-powers rebuke and the SAVE deadlock, offset by the housing-bill win and the falling pump; a Gold down-tick on the break below $4,100; an Energy -2 to 70 on a clean sub-$75 week. Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT — the war-powers rebuke is a check that holds, a symbolic dent in executive reach, not a structural break.
ELSEWHERE AND THE CUP — Mamdani's slate swept three New York House primaries, doubling the Democratic socialist caucus from two to four and ousting Hispanic Caucus chair Espaillat and impeachment-lawyer Goldman in an anti-AIPAC night that puts Schumer and Jeffries on notice; Mr. Robert: the Democratic left's 2028 fault line drawn in a night, and a Schumer headache in more ways than one. Trump signs the first major housing bill in 30 years, the build years out. Lebanon's Katz says Israel will not withdraw even if Washington demands it. WORLD CUP — England's meh 0-0 with Ghana dropped them to No. 6 behind France, Ronaldo became the first to score at six World Cups, and Mr. Robert holds the USMNT at No. 7, Norway No. 8, with Argentina still No. 1. The talks are live and Lebanon is still the wire, T-132 to November.
9:20 AM ET WEDNESDAY — DAY 117. The resistance shows its first real signs of life. The Senate passed a war-powers resolution 50-48 Tuesday directing Trump to end the Iran war or seek authorization, four Republicans — Paul, Murkowski, Collins and Cassidy — crossing the aisle and Fetterman the lone Democrat against; it is the first time since 1973 that both chambers have approved a concurrent resolution telling a president to end a conflict. Mr. Robert: read it precisely — the rebels are lame ducks Trump already pushed out, and the measure has no force of law; the resistance is real but structurally toothless.
THE COCKUP REGISTERS — the Lincoln Memorial reflecting-pool farce has become the cockup story of America 250: peeling American-flag-blue paint, algae blooms, dead ducks, a fenced and drilled Mall, Trump blaming knife-wielding vandals while the internal records point to too little sealant. Mr. Robert moves the Legacy Play -15 to 82 — signal still maxed at 100, the cockup column finally registering at 18. Trump goes to the Hill today to face the GOP lunch and push the dead SAVE Act, then signs the first major housing bill in 30 years and meets Rutte.
THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON — Trump posted that Iran told him there will be no tolls, insurance costs or charges on Hormuz, warning talks would end immediately if that were false; Tehran says service fees come after the 60-day window, and Grossi says inspections are going to happen while Iran insists only inside a final deal. Talks resume next week. Rubio reassures the UAE, then Kuwait and Bahrain, as Dubai sours on the war — we got played — with $12B releasing toward the $300B reconstruction fund.
MARKETS — a wary rebound after a two-day tech rout: Nasdaq futures +0.6% and the Kospi back +3% as Micron earnings tonight loom as the AI tell. Oil keeps falling — Brent ~$76, WTI ~$72 — and Trump ordered a DOJ probe into gas-station gouging; gas eased toward $3.90, diesel under $5. Gold broke below $4,100 to a seven-month low on a hawkish Warsh Fed pricing a December hike above 89%; BTC ~$62.5K and XRP ~$1.10 stayed soft with the tape. One move, thirteen hold: Legacy Play -15 to 82.
ELSEWHERE AND THE CUP — Mamdani's slate swept three New York House primaries, doubling the Democratic socialist caucus and ousting Espaillat and Goldman in an anti-AIPAC night that puts Schumer and Jeffries on notice; Lebanon's Katz says Israel will not withdraw even if Washington demands it. World Cup: England's meh 0-0 with Ghana dropped them to No. 6 behind France, and Ronaldo became the first to score at six World Cups. The talks are live and Lebanon is still the wire, T-132 to November.
DAY 117 MORNING 9:20 AM ET — THE RESISTANCE SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE: The Senate Rebukes Trump On Iran 50-48, Four Republicans Crossing, The First Bicameral War-Powers Rebuke Since 1973 — But The Rebels Are Lame Ducks Trump Already Pushed Out And The Concurrent Resolution Has No Force Of Law / THE COCKUP REGISTERS: The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting-Pool Farce Becomes The Cockup Story Of America 250, Mr. Robert Moves The Legacy Play -15 To 82 / TRUMP TO THE HILL To Face The GOP Lunch And Push The Dead SAVE Act, Then Signs The First Housing Bill In 30 Years / THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON: Trump Says Iran Told Him No Hormuz Tolls Or Talks End, Tehran Says Fees Come After 60 Days, Grossi Says Inspections Will Happen, Talks Resume Next Week / RUBIO REASSURES THE GULF AS DUBAI SOURS / LEBANON: Katz Says Israel Will Not Withdraw Even If Washington Demands It / MARKETS: A WARY TECH REBOUND, Nasdaq Futures +0.6%, Micron Tonight, Brent ~$76, Gold Below $4,100 Seven-Month Low, A DOJ Gas-Gouging Probe / THE DSA RISES: Mamdani’s Slate Sweeps Three NY Primaries, Doubles The Socialist Caucus, A Schumer Headache / WORLD CUP DAY 14: ENGLAND DROPS TO NO. 6, RONALDO SCORES AT A SIXTH WORLD CUP / INDEX DAY 117 MORNING: ONE MOVE, THIRTEEN HOLD — LEGACY PLAY -15 TO 82, LEGITIMACY 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT, T-132 — Day 117 Wednesday Morning 9:20 AM ET. June 24, 2026. War 117 / Deal signed Day 7 / Hormuz recovering / Trickle-Back Day 10 / Midterms T-132. THE RESISTANCE SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE. For the first time since the war began the Republican Party stirred against Trump: the Senate passed a war-powers resolution 50-48 directing him to end the Iran war or seek authorization, with Paul, Murkowski, Collins and Cassidy crossing and Fetterman the lone Democrat against — the first time both chambers have approved a concurrent resolution telling a president to end a conflict since the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Mr. Robert: read it precisely. The rebels are lame ducks Trump already pushed out — Cornyn lost to Paxton, Cassidy lost his primary, Tillis isn’t running, Collins and Murkowski are perennial defectors, McConnell was absent — and a concurrent resolution carries no force of law. The resistance is real but structurally toothless: leverage without a lever. Trump called the four losers giving aid and comfort to Iran. THE COCKUP REGISTERS. The Lincoln Memorial reflecting-pool farce became the cockup story of America 250: peeling American-flag-blue paint, algae blooms, dead ducks, a fenced and drilled National Mall less than two weeks from the 250th-birthday celebration, Trump blaming knife-wielding vandals while the internal records point to too little sealant under a no-bid contract. Mr. Robert moves the Legacy Play -15 to 82 — signal still maxed at 100, the cockup column finally registering at 18; an ended war and a falling pump still bank the legacy, but the self-inflicted birthday farce is the durable drag. TRUMP TO THE HILL. He faces the GOP Steering lunch at 1pm to push the dead SAVE Act as Thune says the votes aren’t there for the filibuster or the bill, signs the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act at noon — the first major housing package in 30 years, though the build is years out — and meets Rutte at 3:30. THE CONTRADICTION RUNS ON. Trump posted that Iran told him there will be no tolls, insurance costs or charges on Hormuz and warned talks would end immediately if false; Tehran says service fees come after the 60-day window, Grossi says inspections are going to happen and Iran’s Gharibabadi insists access comes only inside a final deal with sanctions lifted; talks resume next week. Trump is releasing US-controlled funds for American farm exports to Iran. THE GULF. Rubio reassured the UAE and heads to Kuwait and Bahrain as Dubai sours on the war (we got played); $12B is releasing toward the $300B reconstruction fund. LEBANON. Israel’s Katz says the troops will not withdraw even if Washington demands it and a minister warns of a US-Israel collision course over the Iran terms; the de-confliction cell holds. MARKETS. A wary rebound after a two-session chip rout: Nasdaq futures +0.6%, the Kospi back +3%, Micron earnings after the bell tonight the AI tell. Oil kept falling — Brent ~$76, WTI ~$72 — and Trump ordered a DOJ gas-gouging probe; gas eased toward $3.90, diesel under $5. Gold broke below $4,100 to a seven-month low on a hawkish Warsh Fed pricing a December hike above 89%; BTC ~$62.5K and XRP ~$1.10 stayed soft, down about 5% on the week. THE DSA RISES. Mamdani’s slate swept three New York House primaries, doubling the Democratic socialist caucus from two to four and ousting Hispanic Caucus chair Espaillat and impeachment-lawyer Goldman in an anti-AIPAC night, while Lasher held NY-12; Mr. Robert: the Democratic left’s 2028 fault line drawn in a night, and a Schumer headache in more ways than one. ELSEWHERE. The E5 meet in Berlin on a post-American NATO and a Russia track; Colombia’s Trump-backed de la Espriella is set to certify. WORLD CUP — Day 14: England’s meh 0-0 with Ghana dropped them to No. 6 behind France, Ronaldo became the first to score at six World Cups in Portugal’s 5-0 over Uzbekistan, and Mr. Robert holds the USMNT at No. 7, Norway No. 8, Argentina No. 1. INDEX DAY 117 MORNING: ONE MOVE, THIRTEEN HOLD — Legacy Play -15 to 82 (signal 100, cockup 3 to 18); Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT. Candidates: a Coalition down-tick on the rebuke and the SAVE deadlock, a Gold down-tick on the break below $4,100, an Energy -2 to 70 on a clean sub-$75 week. The talks are live and Lebanon is still the wire, T-132 to November.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, became the only player to score at six World Cups, bagging a brace in Portugal’s 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan and roaring ‘I’m back’ at the cameras — now both his country’s youngest and oldest World Cup scorer, with Portugal all but through. England, by contrast, followed its rampant Croatia win with a stodgy 0-0 against Ghana in Boston, the familiar big-win-then-draw pattern that punctures the Kane-lifts-the-trophy fantasy. France remain the standout, eyeing a third straight final; the Golden Boot race stays alive with Messi still atop on five.
Mr. Robert’s read: the updated order moves England down after the meh Ghana showing — 1 Argentina, 2 France, 3 Spain, 4 Germany, 5 Netherlands, 6 England, 7 United States, 8 Norway, 9 Brazil, 10 Morocco, 11 Mexico, 12 Colombia, 13 Portugal. Ronaldo’s record brace papers over the stat-padding question against 58th-ranked Uzbekistan; the knockouts are where it counts. Expand any edition for the chart and the reasoning.
For the first time since the war began, Senate Republicans broke with Trump on Iran. The chamber adopted a war-powers resolution 50-48 instructing the president to halt operations or seek authorization, with Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy crossing and John Fetterman the lone Democrat against. It is the first time since the 1973 War Powers Resolution that both chambers have approved a concurrent resolution directing a president to end a conflict — the House passed it earlier this month. Trump called the four ‘losers’ giving ‘aid and comfort’ to Iran and heads to a Rick Scott Steering Committee lunch today, where a wider group will press him on the deal’s cost as the administration readies an ~$80B emergency Pentagon request nobody has been briefed on.
A concurrent resolution needs no signature but, under the 1983 Chadha ruling, carries no force of law; Foreign Relations chair Risch said it will have no effect and Trump will pay it no attention. The rebels are nearly all spent: Cornyn lost his primary to Trump-backed Paxton, Cassidy lost his, Tillis is not running, Collins and Murkowski are perennial, McConnell is hospitalized and absent. There are still some 50,000 US troops in the region and two carriers.
Trump blames vandals working with knives ‘in the dark of night’ for the peeling ‘American flag blue’ coating and algae blooms marring his $16.4M Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, the centerpiece of his remake of the capital for the nation’s 250th birthday. But internal Park Service documents obtained by the Times tell another story: the foam cuts workers found were not related to the peeling sealant or the algae; the coating appears to have gone on too thin on two no-bid contracts rushed for July 4; the ozone nanobubblers meant to kill algae kept failing; and DC phosphate-treated water plus duck droppings fed the bloom. Work may not be finished until after July 4, dead ducks have turned up nearby, and a fence is going up early.
The administration awarded a $14.7M no-bid coating contract and a $1.7M nanobubbler contract, bypassing competitive bidding for an ‘urgent’ 250th deadline. A coatings expert who reviewed the records said the peeling looks like too little material applied too hastily. Tillis mocked the prosecution threat against the alleged vandals next to Trump’s blanket J6 pardons. A WaPo critic called the fiasco a metaphor for the presidency.
Trump signs the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act at noon — the first major housing legislation in more than 30 years, a bipartisan bill that relaxes federal building rules, models local zoning and bars large investors from snapping up single-family homes — a rare affordability win Republicans can show voters, even though experts say nothing will be felt on the ground by November. Hours later he visits a Senate GOP lunch where his No. 1 priority, the SAVE America Act, is going nowhere: Thune keeps telling him the votes are not there to nix the filibuster, and departing Republicans (Cornyn, Tillis, Cassidy) are there to tell him to move on.
The housing bill cleared after months of House-Senate divides; Trump downplayed it for months before claiming it. On SAVE, test votes have not topped 48 of the 60 needed; Trump has threatened to veto a FISA 702 extension unless SAVE is attached, a nonstarter. The White House wants to pivot to cost-of-living messaging before the midterms — if Trump can stay on it.
The dueling-claims fight softened into a process. Trump posted that Iran told the US no tolls, insurance costs or charges are being sought on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and that negotiations would end immediately if that proves false. Pakistan, a mediator, says US-Iran talks resume next week — most likely Tuesday — with a direct communication line to avoid miscommunication, a high-level political oversight committee, a 60-day roadmap and a Lebanon-inclusive deconfliction cell. IAEA chief Grossi says inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites are ‘going to happen,’ whether in days or weeks; Iran’s deputy FM counters that access waits on a final agreement and sanctions relief.
Iran and Oman are working with the UN’s IMO on a temporary Hormuz transit corridor, and ships have begun crossing under the scheme. But an Iranian academic warns the service-fee regime returns after the 60-day pause — the money is not the real core, the point is imposing new protocols. UAE exports are back to ~85% of prewar and Qatari LNG nears normal within weeks.
Rubio met UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi to open a Gulf tour through Kuwait and Bahrain, reaffirming US security guarantees and insisting no country may charge tolls on an international waterway. Publicly the Gulf stands by Washington; privately the mood has curdled. A WaPo dispatch from Dubai captures it: businessmen who had high hopes for a ‘no-war’ Trump now say ‘we got played’ after Iran fired some 2,600 drones and missiles at the UAE during the war, hitting refineries, ports and hotels. Emirati billionaire Khalaf Al Habtoor’s viral letter lambasted Trump’s ‘dangerous decision’ to drag the region into war.
Gulf capitals welcome the ceasefire but worry the MoU does nothing on Iran’s missiles or proxies and routes large sums to Tehran — the ~$12B releasing toward ~$50B, plus a $300B reconstruction fund Trump wants the Gulf, not Washington, to finance. Iran’s central bank says it will take payment in any currency and has no obligation to buy US grain, contradicting Vance. Do we have any other choice, one Emirati economist said of sticking with the US.
Six months into City Hall, Mayor Mamdani became an overnight kingmaker, sweeping three Democratic House primaries with handpicked insurgents: Brad Lander routed Dan Goldman, democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier upset Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair Adriano Espaillat, and democratic socialist Claire Valdez beat the retiring incumbent’s pick — doubling the socialist bloc in the House to four. It was an anti-AIPAC night in America’s most heavily Jewish city, with Valdez’s crowd chanting against the lobby and pro-Israel incumbents routed; the establishment’s Micah Lasher held NY-12 over AI-targeted Alex Bores.
The wins accelerate the party’s shift away from Israel and expose its New York leaders: Schumer, underwater in the polls, now faces a live 2028 primary threat from the left, and Jeffries, eyeing the speakership, must knit a fractious caucus as DSA-backed members decline to commit to backing him. Outside New York the trend was mixed — AIPAC’s Boafo won in Maryland — so it is a New York earthquake, not yet a national one. DSA is surveying its 250 chapters for a 2028 presidential pick.
US tech futures rebounded — Nasdaq futures up about 0.5%, South Korea’s Kospi recovering ~3% — after a brutal two-day chip rout that saw the S&P close -1.4% to 7,365 and the Nasdaq Composite -2.2% to 25,587 on Tuesday, as AI-valuation worries and dot-com parallels spread; Micron earnings after the bell are the tell. Oil kept sliding on the Hormuz recovery: Brent fell below $76 and WTI to ~$72 as more tankers crossed and Trump ordered a DOJ probe into gas ‘gouging,’ with diesel dropping below $5 a gallon for the first time since March. Gold broke below $4,100 to a seven-month low.
The bullion sell-off is a tell on the Warsh Fed: a stronger dollar above 100 and high December-hike odds drove a tech-driven liquidation of gold even as risk assets wobbled. Crypto paired the risk-off move — BTC ~$62.5K and XRP ~$1.10, both down roughly 5% on the week with BTC near its lowest since late 2024. SK Hynix is planning a ~$29B US listing; FedEx slid despite an earnings beat.
NATO chief Mark Rutte meets Trump at 3:30 to set the stage for a summit in Turkey in two weeks, walking a tightrope: assure Trump the alliance will do more without overpromising for allies who have little left to give. Trump remains stung that NATO members did not rush warships to the Middle East during the war — they say, no, we would rather not help — and his team is pushing ‘burden-shifting,’ pulling US troop categories out of immediate NATO command. The White House pointedly framed it around the war: allies should have been there for the United States during the successful Operation Epic Fury. Meanwhile the E5 — France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the UK — convene in Berlin to prepare for Ankara and to jockey over who leads any Russia talks.
Last year’s Hague summit won a 5% spending goal and Trump’s praise; this year there are fewer big swings and more anxiety, with the UK, Spain and Czechia near their limits. Starmer attends Berlin as a lame duck after announcing his resignation; Meloni and Tusk resist letting the E3 lead Russia diplomacy. Rutte’s message: unity, no surprises, no public discord.
Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz said the military will not withdraw from southern Lebanon even if Washington demands it: 200,000 residents will not return, citing the risk of roadside bombs and attacks in any security zone with a civilian population. The Israeli army said it struck two Hezbollah fighters in the Ali al-Taher area, calling them an immediate threat. And Culture Minister Miki Zohar warned that Washington is on a ‘collision course’ with Israel over its Iran deal, saying a US agreement will not solve the nuclear-weapons issue and the war phase will return faster than people think.
The friction is the gap the deal cannot close: the US-Iran-Lebanon deconfliction cell pointedly excludes Israel, and President Aoun says Lebanon will consolidate the truce by deploying its army after an Israeli pullout — a pullout Katz now rules out. The EU is drafting a three-year mission to train Lebanese forces. Fighting has quieted in recent days, but the structural standoff is unresolved.