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In the past 70 years, the subject of the Salem Witch Trials has been hijacked by the political left as a historic example of the authoritarian nature of the "patriarchy". Arthur Miller used the trials as an allegory for "anti-communist hysteria" in his famous 1953 play, The Crucible. As we now know, however, Joseph McCarthy was mostly right when he warned about an insidious and organized Marxist takeover of America's social and educational institutions. A more nuanced historic analysis shows that witchcraft was indeed a problem in the colonies just as it was a problem in Europe. Not so much because of "black magic" or dark curses, but because "witches" were often early representations of social malcontents causing problems in Christian communities just as they cause problems in the western world today. There were false accusations, there's no doubt. But the narrative that most or all witch burnings were unjustified is simply false. The reason women (and some men) were accused of being witches and burned at the stake was because they willfully engaged in highly destructive anti-social behaviors. The local witch was often the village abortionist, a seller of poisons, and the town prostitute or harlot plying her "trade" at a time when there was zero tolerance for this kind of behavior. It should be noted that the practice of casting out or executing sociopaths, psychopaths and other people with destructive social tendencies (considered black magic) is common among religious groups around the world, not just in Puritan towns and Christian society. This includes Native American tribes that feminists tend to idolize. When human beings lived in small villages, broken and dangerous people were much easier to identify and remove before they did significant damage. In the new era of metropolitan isolation within mass population centers, they easily blend into the crowd. Sometimes they are even celebrated as "visionaries" by Hollywood and the media. Modern feminists proudly draw connections to the subversive world of witches because they tend toward delusional fantasies of dominance. Women, by their biological nature, lack any real ability to project power, so they fabricate notions of magical influence in their minds. Some of the most popular women's trends today revolve around concepts of New Age "manifestation", which is just a modern way of believing in magic. It's not surprising that feminists in the US in 2026 are flocking to "witchcraft communes", an idea recently applauded in a expose by The Guardian. The outlet notes: "Witchcraft retreats...have proliferated across the US and Europe over the last decade. The practice they’re built around resists easy definition. Equal parts ancient folk magic, herbal remedies and self-soothing rituals, it encompasses everything from the spellcasting done by self-directed pagans to solitary practitioners who scatter protective salts around their homes. If you buy a crystal, that’s witchcraft. If you practice manifestation, that’s witchcraft..." "The retreat boom was foreshadowed by an interest in witchcraft that has grown since the counterculture movement in the 1960s, says Helen Berger, a Harvard Divinity School-based sociologist of religion and one of the leading scholars of contemporary paganism. While it’s hard to really identify a single catalyst driving women to witchcraft, Berger sees a pattern: spikes in alternative spirituality tend to coincide with spikes in anti-authoritarianism. In 1968, for example, several feminist groups co-opted occult imagery, adopted the acronym Witch..." The reason witchcraft appeals so much to women on the political left is because leftist movements operate on the same value system - Meaning, they have no values. The problem is, Atheism leaves an emotional and spiritual void, leaving people desperate for answers to questions that scientific explanation does not satisfy. The occult promises people answers, but without all those nasty rules and responsibilities commonly attached to Christianity. In other words, witchcraft is a religion for people who think they are above moral obligation. People who think they can revolt against the natural order. In this way, witchcraft and feminism are fundamentally the same thing. The Guardian continues: "Clauré hosts at least two witchcraft retreats a year, in Savannah, Georgia and Salem, Massachusetts; prices run anywhere from $2,700 to $5,200 to attend. She says women are searching for something beyond the slumber party Ouija board rituals that loosely inspired her retreats in the first place. “The patriarchy is not good for anybody, men or women,” Clauré says. “Women have been inherently drawn to [witchcraft spaces] after being demonized or called hysterical or stigmatized. We’re so [censored] sick of it that we’re gonna do things our way, whether you call it crazy or not.”..." "“If you look at the larger social gestalt right now, in which power is being systematically taken away from women and queer people, the traditional witch is the opposite of ‘right’ society,” says Sabina Magliocco, a professor of anthropology and religion at the University of British Columbia and a former Guggenheim fellow. “But if ‘right’ society is depriving women of rights, is excluding women, is saying that it is perfectly fine to sexually abuse women, that there aren’t going to be any consequences, then maybe being the opposite of right society is aligning with the forces of justice.”" It's impossible to distinguish between the political rhetoric of modern witchcraft and feminists; they are symbiotic. Fantasies of victimhood usually coincide with societal expectations. Liberal women see basic laws, social norms and meritocracy as "oppressive". But really, they are narcissists who refuse to accept that the entire world does not revolve around them and their wishes. This is who witchcraft appeals to. The wider implications are serious, and not because these women have any real magical powers. Rather, feminism and similar movements are a psychological plague that spreads, rotting nations from within. If they face backlash it's not because they are female or queer, it's because they deliberately engineer disruption and encourage degeneracy that breaks society down. They revel in chaos. The witches of old were burned at the stake for such behavior; behaviors which the "Patriarchy" kept in check before they infested the greater community. Feminists are lucky that they're only mocked or shunned in modern times. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/feminists-are-increasingly-joining-witchcraft-communes-fill-spiritual-void

Extreme heat expected again at the Grand Canyon after 3 hikers die in heat-related incidents GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park are being warned about extreme temperatures that will hit the popular destination early next week after a recent increase in heat-related incidents in the inner canyon, including the deaths of three hikers. https://apnews.com/article/extreme-heat-grand-canyon-8ab303cc459a96503c46708bfc12d262?

France restricts public alcohol consumption and outdoor sports as heat wave bakes parts of Europe PARIS (AP) — France endured sizzling temperatures on Sunday, with trains, concerts and sports events canceled and authorities cracking down on drinking alcohol in public, as an exceptional heat wave unfurled across parts of Europe. https://apnews.com/article/heat-wave-france-europe-music-day-337471b5950543447c92010ca1081a8d?

Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian gasoline sales Sunday as Ukraine ramped up attacks on fuel supplies on the Black Sea peninsula. https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-was-crimea-gas-fuel-1bd4d0980a353fa0f8221040215e6435?

Ten years on, Brexit still divides Britain and casts a pall over its economy Ten years ago, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in a referendum that forges political identities to this day and that shattered a half-century project to get closer to the continent. Brexit, short for British exit, became a reality on June 23, 2016, when 52% — or more than 17 million people — voted to leave the EU. Though the margin was narrow, the vote led to the most dramatic shake-up of the U.K. economy and society since World War II. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Starmer is on the precipice as pressure builds for the UK leader to resign Who is Andy Burnham, the lawmaker seeking to replace Keir Starmer

Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that federal authorities had made “multiple arrests” of people he said were vandalizing the Reflecting Pool as he struggled to explain why the $14-million-plus rehabilitation project he launched for the nation’s 250th anniversary seemingly backfired. He offered no details to substantiate his claim and agencies responsible for law enforcement and upkeep on the National Mall did not respond to requests for comment. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Kennedy Center says it isn't required to reschedule shows after judge blocks 2-year closure President Donald Trump unveils the new Air Force One, a converted Qatari jet Trump deepens the dustup with Italy's Meloni, who says his 'unprovoked attacks are senseless' Warsh's gamble: A quieter Federal Reserve could mean volatile markets, higher rates Friction between Trump and Republican senators is growing before the pivotal midterm elections

🍻 Foreign fans meet U.S. tipping culture Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios Millions of World Cup visitors are experiencing American cuisine for the first time, and there's one menu item that's completely foreign: tipping. Many restaurants in host cities are adding 20% gratuities to customers' bills this summer to accommodate international fans who might otherwise accidentally stiff their servers, Axios' Josephine Walker reports. Tipping isn't customary in many countries, but in the U.S., tips are central to workers' pay. Anne Calimano, who co-owns Hurley's Saloon in Manhattan, told the New York Post her bar has been jam-packed with the NBA Finals and the World Cup, and her staff has learned to roll with the confusion. "They know they're not going to get the 20% or whatever. And they're fine because they're busy and they're making money." Keep reading.

🇮🇹 Trump's Italian feud President Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's war of words over a factually contested photo op request at the G-7 exploded yesterday, with the one-time friends blasting each other in angry terms on social media. Why it matters: Even as Trump lavishes praise on American adversaries like China's Xi Jinping, close allies are increasingly willing to split with him, Axios' Ben Berkowitz writes. ⚡ Catch up quick: The controversy erupted earlier this week when Trump claimed Meloni begged him for a photo together at the global gathering in France. Trump took to Truth Social yesterday to again insist she'd begged for a picture in an effort to improve her poll numbers, and to accuse her of being ungrateful for American support. "he wants to be friends again in order to get her 'numbers up.' No thanks!!!" Trump wrote. Meloni blasted Trump in an Instagram post: "[M]y popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours." 🔎 Between the lines: The U.S.-Italy relationship has grown strained in recent months over the war in Iran. At one point, Italy denied U.S. aircraft permission to land at its bases. Meloni, in her Instagram post, defended that decision as a matter of protecting Italian sovereignty. ps:So pathetic!!!!!!!

🏛️ Draining the swamp Photo: Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images Above, you see algae-ridden water being drained from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool yesterday. Trump wrote on Truth Social last night: "We met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible." He blamed "terrible Vandals," and said there'll be many more arrests, even though the algae's return was foreseeable. Catch up quick: Crews have been working to kill the algae bloom that's tinted the pool green since the $14.7 million renovation wrapped with hydrogen peroxide. More recently, the fresh "American flag blue" paint at the bottom of the pool appeared to be peeling away and floating in the water. One person arrested by U.S. Park Police was David Hearn, a 67-year-old cyclist and former Olympian. Hearn told The Washington Post he "didn't destroy or break or peel anything" and was arrested after reaching down to touch a piece of already-peeled paint floating in the pool. More on the arrest (WP gift link).

🏡 Map du jour: $1M starter homes Data: Zillow. (Starter homes are those in the bottom third of home values in a given region.) Map: Sami Sparber/Axios A record 242 U.S. cities now have typical starter homes valued at $1 million or more, Axios' Sami Sparber writes from a new Zillow report. California has the most cities — 105 — with sky-high starter-home prices, followed by New York (41) and New Jersey (26). Reality check: Seven-figure prices for entry-level homes are still the exception. The typical U.S. starter home is worth less than $200,000, the report finds. Explore the data ...

Vance meets top Iranian officials as US looks to prod Iran to ‘turn over a new leaf’ OBBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Sunday there was an opportunity to “turn over a new leaf” with Iran as the sides held talks aimed at building out the interim deal to end the war in Iran reached by the two sides last week. https://apnews.com/article/iran-vance-trump-nuclear-negotiations-2edf9268aae550883252080014013963?

June 21, 2026 Good morning. Almost exactly a year ago, we introduced you to our new chief restaurant critics, Tejal Rao and Ligaya Mishan. Today, we’re checking back in with them to see what they’ve been eating. Tejal Rao and Ligaya Mishan. Designed by Janet Kim. Photos by Tony Cenicola/The New York Times. Sweet or salty? David Gardner, The Times’s director of employee storytelling, and Sarah Bahr, an editor who writes about culture and style, recently conducted separate interviews with Tejal and Ligaya. We’ve combined excerpts from the two conversations here. What were the highlights from the year? Tejal: Barbs B Q in Lockhart, and all of the excellent barbecue that I ate in Texas. Every meal at Diane’s in Minneapolis, but especially the chicken soup for breakfast. And the tasting menu at Emeril’s in New Orleans, which totally took me by surprise and reminded me that tasting menus can actually be fun. Ligaya: I just completed the top 100 restaurants in New York City list. I feel like I’ve run a marathon. There were days when I ate at five restaurants in a day, and I was going all over town. Sometimes the subway ride was much longer than the actual meal. Your jobs depend on being able to get reservations at the hottest restaurants — and you don’t cut the line. What are your tips? Tejal: Nobody wants to hear this, but go at terrible times! Very early or very late. Also, if they accept walk-ins, give it a shot and be willing to wait. Ligaya: You just have to devote hours of your life to it. I set multiple alarms for when reservations drop. Sometimes I’m working the apps on both mobile and desktop. I’ve found that if you keep refreshing in the first hour, time slots disappear but then pop back up. A lot of reservations now require full payment up front, and people back out. You read a lot when dining alone. What book has stayed with you? Tejal: I just finished “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” by Kiran Desai. The characters are still with me. It was such an immersive experience, I sometimes forgot where I was and what I was supposed to be doing. Ligaya: “Spring Snow” by Yukio Mishima. It’s so full of quiet violence of emotions in a very buttoned-up society. What’s your go-to meal at home at the moment? Ligaya: My husband is the best chef in the city. My happiest meals are just vegetables and rice. The way he roasts carrots and eggplant — it’s so good. Tejal: We do a lot of — in part because it’s easy and something my toddler loves to eat too — a stack of crisp nori, hot rice, a little protein of some kind and everyone’s favorite condiments. But after I’ve been on a trip, I truly crave and appreciate good salads. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve eaten in the past year? Tejal: I have a few of those humiliating parent-of-toddler meals just eating things I don’t want my daughter to waste: A dried out quarter of a PB&J, half a squished apricot, a bit of cold chicken that may or may not have been chewed on already, who can say? Ligaya: When I’m stuck at my desk writing, I eat a lot of Yasso bars. Sometimes like four a day, if the writing’s not going well. When you’re just dining out for fun, do you order dessert? Tejal: Yes. Ligaya: 100 percent. Butter or olive oil? Tejal: Butter. Ligaya: Olive oil. Sweet or salty? Tejal: Salty. Ligaya: Both at once. You can read Sarah’s full conversation with the critics here. And sign up to get our restaurants newsletter, “Where to Eat,” delivered to your inbox. THE LATEST NEWS War in the Middle East In Switzerland this morning. Pool photo by Urs Flueeler American and Iranian delegations arrived in Switzerland for a new round of talks. The talks are expected to address the status of Iran’s nuclear program. The U.S. said that 55 commercial ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, the largest number to cross in a day since early in the war. Iran later said it was closing the strait again. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon threatens efforts to reach a broader peace. Politics President Trump said that the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool would likely need to be drained for repairs and that vandalism was responsible for the problems. A Roman Catholic diocese in New Mexico is fighting with the Trump administration over a proposed border wall that could cut off access to a giant statue of Jesus. Around the World In Albania. Valdrin Xhemaj/Reuters Protests in Albania set off by an episode at the site of a development project partly financed by Jared Kushner are actually about local politics, participants say. A court in Pakistan sentenced the father and an uncle of a 14-year-old girl from New York to life imprisonment for her killing. The father told investigators that her clothing choices, lifestyle and social relationships had brought shame to his family. Other Big Stories The Times asked scholars across America to identify historical figures who shaped the country — and whose legacies remain debated. Read about eight. (We’ve made this link free for you.) A TikTok trend promoting the benefits of protein is a factor in a cottage cheese shortage. THE SUNDAY DEBATE A Times investigation revealed how the industry around kratom, a drug sold at convenience stores that is linked to thousands of deaths, has benefited from close ties to the Trump administration. Should the government ban kratom? Yes. Kratom is a dangerous drug and the government has failed to act on it for too long, Kevin Sabet writes for the Washington Examiner: “Between 2020 and 2024, nearly 5,300 people died from overdoses involving kratom. From celebrities to everyday teenagers, our failed approach to kratom impacts Americans of all stripes.” No. The war on drugs proved that bans just lead to black markets and dangerous drug use. Kratom should instead be regulated, Bryan Mauk writes for the Dayton Daily News: “Criminalizing users of kratom derivatives would do little to address addiction. In fact, the trauma of incarceration often worsens substance use and leaves lasting scars on families and communities.” FROM OPINION Hannah Jacobs Zach Ellams worried about the complications of being a trans dad. He learned that his identity wasn’t complicated for his daughter. Breakthroughs in medical research can sometimes take years, but Trump is dismantling the system that funds it, Jeff Coller writes. Here’s a column from Jamelle Bouie on why Trump talks so much about voter fraud. (We’ve made this link free for you.) Subscribers always win. Here’s why. You can now save 75% on your first year of a New York Times Games subscription. Discover all of our word and logic games (and play past puzzles), earn badges for your achievements, plus more. Time is running out though, so subscribe today. MORNING READS Congo’s national soccer team arriving in Houston. Troy Taormina/Imagn Images, via Reuters Leopard print: You can spot the Congolese World Cup team’s style a mile away. Ask the therapist: A couple wonders why their family doesn’t support their estrangement from their toxic daughter. (We’ve made this link free for you.) Metropolitan Diary: A special anniversary column, with some notable contributors. Master of the sitcom: James Burrows helped create “Cheers” and directed more than 1,000 episodes of hit shows like “Taxi,” “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory.” He died at 85. WORLD CUP Deniz Undav of Germany is making a pretty good case that he can be a true scorer. After bagging a goal as a sub in the team’s opening match, he added two more against Ivory Coast. Curaçao got its first-ever World Cup point with a draw against Ecuador, thanks to the goalkeeper Eloy Room’s 15 saves. He may have tied the record held by the U.S. legend Tim Howard. The Netherlands’ 5-1 defeat of Sweden made for tactically interesting viewing despite the final score. Japan scored four goals — the most by an Asian team in a World Cup game — in an impressive 4-0 win over Tunisia. A tiny private school in New Jersey has played host to World Cup teams for decades. Why? (We’ve made this link free for you.) A NEW SHOW FROM ‘SERIAL’ Pablo Delcan True crime podcasts are ubiquitous, thanks in large part to “Serial,” which defined the medium when it came out in 2014. A new show from the “Serial” team twists a convention of the genre: the re-investigation of cases in which men on death row claim innocence. “The Last 12 Weeks” focuses on the “habeas” lawyers who spend years fighting to spare clients from execution. One is a profanity-spewing cowboy. Another is austere, eating plain turkey and cheese sandwiches in a motel as he awaits word from the court. You really cannot predict the fate of the convicted serial killer they’re working to clear — a man known as the Desert Killer — until the very end. You can listen to the whole five-episode series here. Or hear the show in the podcast app of your choice: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon THE INTERVIEW Philip Montgomery for The New York Times By David Marchese This week’s subject for The Interview is Danny McBride, who is known for his wounded, vulgar and beloved male characters in shows like “The Righteous Gemstones” and “Eastbound & Down.” McBride is now publishing his first collection of short stories, “Thrilling Tales of Modern Men.” A lot of the characters in the book are struggling to find purpose in their life, or they’re looking for meaning. Maybe because they feel emasculated or feel anxiety about their status. Where do you think people find meaning and purpose? I grew up going to church. My mom was a puppet minister. My parents were really involved. After they got divorced when I was in sixth grade, we just stopped going. So now I have kids, and church isn’t really a part of our life either. And I started thinking, there are all these basic things I learned from going to church, basic morals and values, and I’m taking for granted that my kids are going to pick all that stuff up from the world around them, but they’re not. You do have to think about that. Can you tell me about your mom’s puppet ministry? Maybe I’m betraying my own ignorance here, but I wasn’t really aware that was a thing. You seem like you’d be really into puppet ministry. I actually like puppet ministry, but I mean puppets of the band Ministry. [Laughs] When I was a kid, we went to this little Baptist church in Spotsylvania, Va. My mom bought these puppets, and she would write these plays and do the children’s sermons during church. On Sunday mornings, we would load the stage and the puppets into the car and go to church early to help her get set up. I kept those puppets for a long time. I didn’t know what to do with them. You have these puppets that your mom had when you were a kid. The idea of them sitting in a dumpster somewhere is heartbreaking. Read more of the interview here. (We’ve made this link free for you.) THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE Photo illustration by Alex Merto Read this week’s magazine. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Ask your dad these questions today. You’ll get to know him better. Host a ’90s-style hangout. That means no smartphones. Let a robot clean your windows. It leaves some streaks, but otherwise it’s pretty good! Snag an early Prime Day deal. (The real thing starts on Tuesday.) MEAL PLAN Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. The perfect pancakes have crisp edges, fluffy centers and are easy to cook even if you’re not fully caffeinated. Melissa Clark’s recipe hits all the right notes. It uses buttermilk for tang, a combination of baking soda and powder for lightness and a touch of honey or sugar for gentle sweetness. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were drowning, wording and wrongdoing. Can you put eight historical events — including Shakespeare’s death, the original Pied Piper and the invention of the Super Soaker — in chronological order? Take this week’s Flashback quiz. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Crossplay, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

The Tehran Children The story of the Jewish orphans of Poland who found refuge in Iran. https://aish.com/the-tehran-children/?

Trump’s Strait Deal Collapses While He Obsesses Over How to Spell ‘Dumb’ “Which do you prefer, Dumocrat or Dumbocrat?” the commander in chief asked. President Donald Trump’s priorities are being called into question after he made a bizarre post on Saturday morning. Just as Iran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz and accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire agreement, Trump took to Truth Social to seek feedback on his derogatory new nickname for Democrats. Trump posted a poll asking his followers, “Which do you prefer, Dumocrat or Dumbocrat?” The 80-year-old president then offered a truly bizarre explanation of each spelling. “In one case, you simply exchange the ‘e’ for ‘u,’ so simple and precise (Many people don’t know, or assume, that DUMB ends in ‘b’),” Trump wrote. He continued, “In the other case, you spell out DUMB, but it seems to lose some of the identity to Democrats when done this way. Which is better?” He ended the post with his now-familiar sign-off: “Thank you for your attention to this very important matter! President DJT.”The president has been repeatedly musing on the word “dumb” in recent months, claiming multiple times that “a lot of people don’t know dumb has a ‘b.’” An hour into the poll, Trump’s followers preferred the president’s spelling of “Dumocrat,” which received 63 percent of the vote. It was the same spelling Trump used earlier in the day during a posting spree in which he wrote that “Dumocrats realize how well we have done in our War against Iran.” Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran on Wednesday, but it is already showing signs of falling apart, with Iran shutting down the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic. Critics and supporters alike have noted it falls far short of his earlier call for “unconditional surrender.” The agreement ends military operations, lifts U.S. sanctions on Iran, and establishes a $300 billion reconstruction fund, while Iran commits not to pursue nuclear weapons. It also sets out a phased U.S. withdrawal from its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days. Iran said Saturday it was closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to implement a peace deal were due to take place in Switzerland on Friday but were postponed. Vice President JD Vance, who was set to lead the talks, did not travel to Switzerland. Instead, he said that Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff were on the ground and “dealing with some of the technical elements of this negotiation.” Trump has joked that he will blame the vice president if the deal falls through. “If it works out, I’m going to take the credit,” Trump said. “If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-strait-deal-collapses-while-he-obsesses-over-how-to-spell-dumb/? ps:So predictably pathetic!!!!!!!!!!

Vance Boast Blows Up in His Face While Live on Air The Strait of Hormuz was closed by Iran just as the vice president touted its opening on Fox News. JD Vance was boasting about the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on Fox News just as news broke that Iran had actually closed the all-important waterway. Asked by the Fox & Friends panel if the strait was open, Vance said that it was. “We got 16 million barrels [of oil] out of the Strait of Hormuz in just the last 24 hours, that is basically to where it was before the war started, and so that suggests that the straits really are open,” he said. He put forward a theory that a ship may have been prevented from entering dangerous waters, but was adamant that the waterway was open to commercial traffic. “Now what I would believe is that if a ship is going near a minefield, either our navy or another country’s navy—there are a lot of countries other than Iran who are in the region—might say, ‘No, don’t go there because there are mines there,’” he said. He then doubled down. “No, we’re not seeing any evidence that the Iranians are still closing down the Strait of Hormuz,” he said. “It is going to take some time to clear those mines, though.” Around the same time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy declared the strait closed in a statement, saying the waterway was off limits because the United States failed to prevent the Israeli military from operating in Lebanon. “In light of the United States’ clear bad faith and breach of its commitment to implement the first clause of the memorandum of understanding for ending the war, and in response to the continuous and ongoing violations of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon, it is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to maritime traffic,” the IRGC said in a statement. The vice president and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israeli strikes on Saturday in southern Lebanon reportedly killed at least 16 people, including two children, according to Lebanese state media. U.S. Central Command released a statement at 10.28 a.m. Saturday that said ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz had increased. “Safe passage through the international waterway remained intact today as 55 merchant ships transited, moving large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets,” they wrote. President Donald Trump, 80, boasted this week that he is the “reason Israel exists” and that he tells the nation what to do. But it appears he has been unable to dictate how Israel handles its conflict with Lebanon, with Israel allegedly breaking a ceasefire that was insisted on by Iran as part of the Memorandum of Understanding the president signed this week. The Israeli strikes on Lebanon were reportedly retaliation for a Hezbollah attack. An Israeli military official said Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight. Hezbollah issued a statement Saturday that accused Israel of deliberately sabotaging the ceasefire. Israeli media reported Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz had ordered a ceasefire in southern Lebanon, but would not be withdrawing from the occupied areas. The decision was reportedly made in coordination with the United States. Vance is planning to join U.S. negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in Switzerland on Sunday or Monday for talks with Iran over its nuclear program. https://www.thedailybeast.com/vice-president-jd-vances-boast-blows-up-in-his-face-while-live-on-air/?

Trump, 80, Spirals as Reflecting Pool Fiasco Takes Another Mortifying Turn The president’s promises to improve a national monument have ended with algae, arrests, accusations of sabotage—and a likely draining. President Donald Trump has found someone new to blame for his Reflecting Pool disaster. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, the president claimed several alleged vandals had been arrested after damage was discovered at the newly refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. “The United States Park Police have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations [sic] magnificent Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote. “Who would do such a thing?” Hours later, Trump claimed that “many additional people” had been arrested and alleged that vandals used a knife or blade to carve a 250-foot gash into the pool’s new lining. He also accused unidentified individuals of pouring “corrosive and destructive chemicals” into the water. Trump also acknowledged that the problems at the Reflecting Pool have become so severe that much of the water may need to be drained again for repairs. “We met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs,” he wrote. The admission marks another setback for a renovation that was originally expected to take a week but stretched into nearly two months before being overtaken by algae days after reopening. “The Reflecting Pool was never so beautiful as it was just one week ago,” Trump wrote. “We are very proud of what we have done with this magnificent structure.” Trump’s vandalism claims quickly became fodder for critics online. “They’ve arrested more people for touching the peeling paint at the Reflecting Pool than they’ve arrested from the Epstein files,” one person wrote. “Keeping his promise to drain the swamp,” another wrote. Others accused Trump of looking for a scapegoat rather than accepting responsibility for the troubled project. “Why admit it when you can blame your own citizens?” one person commented. One of the people caught up in the crackdown insists he was doing little more than satisfying his curiosity. David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympic canoe racer from Bethesda, Maryland, told the Associated Press he was detained Friday after reaching down and touching part of the new coating. “I’m a curious citizen,” Hearn said. “I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.” According to Hearn, he immediately stopped when a worker instructed him to leave it alone, but was nevertheless detained by National Guard troops and Park Police officers for roughly five hours. The Washington Post reported that Hearn has been ordered to appear in court next month and is seeking legal assistance. The arrests come as the Reflecting Pool makeover threatens to overshadow Trump’s broader campaign to spruce up Washington, D.C. Trump had earlier on Saturday been celebrating what he described as his administration’s efforts to make Washington “SAFE & BEAUTIFUL.” In a graphic posted to Truth Social, the president boasted that workers had fixed 1,695 lights, rehabilitated or installed 1,143 benches, cleaned 500 instances of graffiti, removed 152 homeless encampments, repaired 22 fountains, and cleaned dozens of monuments and statues. The Reflecting Pool makeover was prominently featured among the administration’s accomplishments. Minutes later, Trump was blaming alleged vandals for damaging the project. “These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments,” Trump wrote. “Years in jail! Work will begin immediately on its repair.” The Daily Beast reached out to the White House and National Park Service for comment. The project’s troubles are particularly awkward for the White House as Trump personally championed a plan to repaint the basin in what he called “American flag blue.” Originally expected to cost about $1.8 million and take a week to complete, the renovation dragged on for nearly two months and ultimately cost taxpayers an estimated $14 million. The problems began almost immediately after the pool reopened earlier this month. Within days, a major algae bloom turned much of the water green, undermining Trump’s promise of a more picturesque landmark. Workers have spent days trying to rescue the troubled renovation, including removing algae from the water and pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool to control the bloom. Trump claimed Friday that the algae was already “75% gone” and would soon be completely eliminated. Yet pictures of the Reflecting Pool continue to show a landmark struggling to shake its green tint. https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-donald-trump-80-spirals-as-his-dc-makeover-turns-into-slimy-fiasco/?

THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 21 1788 U.S. Constitution ratified New Hampshire becomes the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1876 General Santa Anna dies in Mexico City 1813 France pushed out of Spain in the decisive battle of the Peninsular War 1980s 1982 John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan, found not guilty American Revolution 1779 Spain declares war against Great Britain Arts & Entertainment 1965 “Mr. Tambourine Man” is released, and the folk-rock revolution is on 1956 Arthur Miller refuses to name communists 1920 Hollywood stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks mobbed by crowds Crime 1975 A teenage girl’s boyfriend murders her parents 1964 The KKK kills three civil rights activists Latin American & Caribbean History 1916 U.S. General John J. Pershing’s force attacked by Mexican troops Natural Disasters & Environment 1990 Earthquake devastates Iran Space Exploration 2004 First privately owned spacecraft, SS1, travels beyond the earth’s atmosphere U.S. Presidents 1810 Zachary Taylor and Richard Nixon marry their future first ladies World War II 1942 Allies surrender at Tobruk, Libya

One of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments, Stonehenge is located about 90 miles west of London on England’s Salisbury Plain. Built roughly 5,000 years ago—around the same time as Egypt’s Great Pyramid—the site has captivated observers for centuries. > One of the most popular theories about Stonehenge is that the monument is a solar calendar. (More, w/video) > Take a virtual tour inside Stonehenge. (More) Its massive standing stones, some weighing up to 30 tons, were arranged with remarkable precision, indicating sophisticated planning and deep cultural significance among their builders. Archaeologists believe the stones were moved over generations using wooden rollers, sleds, and rafts, along with coordinated human labor, and then raised into place with levers and ramps. > See how Stonehenge was built using ancient technologies. (More, w/video) > New scientific tools have transformed what we know about who built Stonehenge. (More) The site’s purpose remains debated. Burials, ritual gatherings, and alignments with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset suggest Stonehenge functioned as both a ceremonial center and an astronomical marker. Today, Stonehenge is visited by over 1 million people each year, from tourists and researchers to modern-day druids who gather to mark the solstices. > The connection between druids and Stonehenge stems from a historical misconception. (More) > The solstice has been celebrated globally for millennia. (More) Discover more: > Hear the story of the police crackdown on a Stonehenge festival in 1985. (More, w/video) > Stonehenge may have functioned as an echo chamber designed to keep ceremonies secret from outsiders. (More) > A 4,000-year-old timber circle discovered on a remote UK beach is nicknamed Seahenge, despite technically not being a henge. (More)

1 ⚽ thing: USA in knockout round U.S. player Alex Freeman celebrates scoring his team's second goal against Australia in Seattle yesterday. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/FIFA via Getty Images The U.S. national soccer team found a way to advance to the knockout Round of 32 without Christian Pulisic — their superstar injured forward — on the field, beating Australia 2-0 yesterday. With Paraguay's Friday night victory over Turkey, the U.S. has also secured first place in Group D, winning its group for the first time since the 2010 Cup. Stat du jour: The Americans have scored six goals in this tournament so far, one off their record for most in a single World Cup. Go deeper.

🎨 Pic du jour: Reflecting flop Reflecting Pool renovations as photographed on May 2, May 28, June 7, June 12, June 16 and June 18. Photos: Reuters The new "American flag blue" paint at the bottom of D.C.'s freshly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool appeared to be peeling away this week — less than two weeks after the $14.7 million project was completed, Reuters reports. Frantic work to kill the algae bloom that has tinted the water green post-renovation is ongoing. Watch a video: ABC's Jonathan Karl reports from the Reflecting Pool.

🏳️‍🌈 Migration myth Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios The "red-state exodus" narrative misses a quieter reality: Affordability and work are drawing LGBTQ+ residents to places that may be politically complicated but economically viable, Axios' Russell Contreras reports. 💰 By the numbers: Homebuyers need to earn $150,364 annually to afford the median-priced home in states with LGBTQ+ housing protections, per an Axios analysis of real estate company Redfin data. That's 46.8% more than in states without such protections. Zoom in: There's evidence of strong LGBTQ+ populations in the Southern metros — including Atlanta, Raleigh and Charlotte — that complicates the old "blue enclave" frame. Cities with stronger protections like San Francisco and Boston often come with significantly higher housing costs. Read on.

🏆 Tourists discover America Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images The World Cup is generating an army of modern-day Alexis de Tocquevilles discovering America — a huge moment for U.S. soft power as the country nears its 250th birthday with a mixed global reputation at best, Alex Fitzpatrick writes. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Boston welcoming Scottish fans is the off-the-pitch story of the tournament so far. The Scots seem enamored with Beantown, and vice versa. They drank the Sam Adams brewery dry. They brought soccer superfan energy to Fenway (one lad took home a souvenir). They're cleaning up after themselves, too. 🇩🇪 Then there's "Freddy," the Germany fan whose low-budget odyssey across America has gone viral. His awe-inspired takes on U.S. arenas, food and even gas stations (Buc-ee's and Waffle House got rave reviews) have captured the hearts of millions of Americans, helping us see ourselves only the way an open-minded tourist with fresh eyes can. Scotland soccer fans cheer on the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park last Sunday. Photo: Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images 🇯🇵 A Japan supporter has racked up over 16 million views on their downright poetic missive about free chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant. "In my land, hospitality is a debt. Every gift creates an obligation, weighed carefully, returned in the proper season with interest of feeling." "Here, the gift arrives before you have even proven you can pay for dinner. This is not an appetizer. This is a declaration: We trust you. Eat." ♻️ Like the Scots, Japanese fans are also winning over hearts and minds with their tradition of cleaning up arenas after games.

🇨🇳 Trump's ode to Xi President Trump had glowing praise for Chinese President Xi Jinping in his interview for "The Axios Show," calling him one of the world's greatest leaders, Axios' Josephine Walker writes. Trump told Axios' Marc Caputo that all great leaders share one trait: intelligence. He singled out Xi as especially sharp. "They're all smart," Trump said. "You can't get to that level without being smart. You know who is very smart ... President Xi of China. He's a very smart man. You don't get to those levels where you are running a country, even if it was a small country, you have something special." 💪 Trump praised Xi for being a "strong man. He's no games. He won't sit down and say: 'Oh, what a beautiful day. ... Look how beautiful. Look at the sunshine.' There's none of that stuff. It's like all business, which I like. I think it's great." "[H]e's got a great look. Looks don't matter, right? ... They say: Don't talk about looks. But he's tall. He's 6-foot-2. He's got a great stature. He's got great confidence, and he is smart." Reality check: Xi is usually described as being around 5-foot-11. 🎬 Watch the episode.

Tech moguls as heads of nation-states Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images It was a historic, even jarring, scene that captures a once-unimaginable geopolitical ordering. The world's most powerful heads of state gathered in the French Alps this week for the annual G7 summit, with the CEOs of America's dominant AI companies seated and treated like heads of nation-states themselves. Why it matters: This is the future many leaders and AI CEOs envision — heads of state and the masters of tech in constant discussion, and sometimes conflict, over who controls AI, its rules, and its application to governing and world security. Think of Anthropic vs. Trump as merely a small test run of this dynamic, with governments battling private companies over their products' threat to U.S. or global security. AI CEOs sat around the table with leaders of the world's democracies, treated as peers. The companies, creating the world's future economy and security infrastructure, are now the equivalent of nation-states. 📷 In the photo above, you see President Trump (upper left above) flanked by OpenAI CEO Altman at his right and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, a Nobel laureate, on his left. The G7 host, French President Emmanuel Macron (upper right above), is flanked by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. 🕶️ Altman was swarmed on Wednesday as he entered the summit room in Évian-les-Bains for a working lunch with the heads of actual states, with ministers and cabinet members from around the world straining for a look. Altman held bilateral meetings — bilats, in diplomatic shorthand — with many of the heads of state. He heard again and again that the countries want the AI companies as dependable partners. "Do not cede your responsibilities to AI labs like mine," Altman said in closed-door remarks. He later added: "No single lab should be making the decisions." Amodei, Altman and Meta chief AI officer Alexandr Wang each posed with Macron for bilat photos with the French flag behind them, in the chair typically occupied by a president, prime minister or chancellor. 🎤 The working lunch was closed to the press. But I've confirmed remarks by the three AI titans. Each urged Western powers to work together to be sure democracies continue to dominate AI. Keep reading for a quote from each. 📱 Go deeper: Watch Marc Caputo's post-G-7 interview with President Trump.