503 events on record Subscribe June 29, 2026
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Timeline

Every entry in the archive, ordered by event date. Page 1 of 11, showing June 11, 2026 to June 27, 2026. Pages contain 50 entries each; entries for a given date may continue on the next or previous page.

2026

June

Trump resumed Iran strikes defying first-ever bicameral war-powers resolution directing end to hostilities

On June 27–28, 2026, U.S. Central Command struck Iranian military sites near the Strait of Hormuz, days after Congress — for the first time in American history — passed a war-powers resolution through both chambers directing the president to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran absent a declaration of war or congressional authorization. The Senate voted 50–48 on June 23 to join the House, which had passed the same measure 215–208 on June 3. Trump called the resolution "poorly timed and meaningless," said "there are no limits" to his executive power, and directed strikes that Iran met with retaliatory attacks on U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain on June 28.

DOJ used DEI investigation as leverage to force University of Virginia President Jim Ryan to resign

On June 27, 2026, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan announced his resignation, effective no later than August 15, under direct pressure from the Department of Justice. The DOJ's Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, had sent Ryan letters in April and June accusing him of failing to dismantle UVA's DEI programs and warning that "the department's patience is wearing thin." PBS NewsHour and NBC News reported that DOJ officials demanded Ryan's resignation as the condition for resolving the investigation, marking the first documented case of the federal government forcing a public university president from office through an active federal probe.

Trump's Religious Liberty Commission released draft report urging DOJ to narrow Establishment Clause protections

On June 26, 2026, the Presidential Advisory Commission on Religious Liberty — a federal advisory body established by Trump executive order — released a 12-point draft report calling for a stronger government role in promoting religion and recommending that the Department of Justice issue guidance to narrow First Amendment Establishment Clause doctrine. The report proposes replacing the concept of church-state separation with government "bridges" to religion and additionally recommends eliminating the Johnson Amendment, which bars tax-exempt religious organizations from endorsing political candidates. President Trump personally met with the commission and publicly stated, "We're going to bring religion back."

The Advocate reported EEOC investigators were directed to halt all transgender workplace discrimination investigations, defying Bostock ruling

On June 26, 2026, The Advocate published a documented EEOC investigator's written confirmation that the agency had been directed to halt all investigations into transgender workplace discrimination. The investigator told complainant Flint Del Sol—an educator whose Title VII case had been open for nearly three years—that the agency was "not permitted to conduct/continue any investigation regarding transgender cases, and that is coming from the chain of command." The directive applies to all such cases and conflicts directly with the Supreme Court's Bostock v. Clayton County ruling (2020), which held that Title VII covers discrimination based on gender identity.

Texas State Board of Education voted to mandate Bible passages as required K–12 reading for 5 million public school students

The Texas State Board of Education voted on June 26, 2026 to adopt a mandatory K–12 reading list that includes Bible passages—including New Testament stories about Jesus—alongside secular literary works, applying to roughly 5 million Texas public school students. The list is the first of its kind in the United States; no other state has a mandatory reading list that includes religious texts. Implementation is staggered, beginning with elementary students in 2030.

HHS/ORR compiled expedited removal list for 500+ unaccompanied migrant children, bypassing TVPRA individual case process

On June 25, 2026, the Trump administration's Department of Health and Human Services, through its Office of Refugee Resettlement, identified more than 500 unaccompanied migrant children in federal custody for expedited mass removal. Senator Ron Wyden publicly warned that the planned removal would bypass the individualized case management, legal referral, and sponsor-placement process that the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act requires for each child. Multiple major outlets confirmed the list had been compiled and removal was imminent.

CDC ordered health grantees to adopt 'parental authority' priorities and abandon harm reduction, threatening funding loss

The CDC issued a memo on June 25, 2026, to state, territorial, tribal, and local health program grantees requiring compliance with new agency priorities within five business days — by July 1 — or risk funding cancellation. The new priorities, obtained by The Guardian, included "parental authority" over children's education and required programs to move away from evidence-based harm reduction; programs covering immunizations, HIV, hepatitis, tobacco, and overdose prevention were affected. HHS confirmed the action after the story was published, and CDC program staff were reported to be unaware the memo had been sent.

Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Trump has unreviewable power to terminate TPS for 330,000 Haitian and 3,800 Syrian nationals

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 25, 2026, that the Trump administration has virtually unreviewable power to terminate Temporary Protected Status for approximately 330,000 Haitian and 3,800 Syrian nationals living legally in the United States. Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Samuel Alito held that the TPS statute bars judicial review of presidential TPS decisions and rejected a constitutional racial-animus claim, despite Justice Elena Kagan's dissent quoting Trump's own statements describing Haitians in explicitly racist terms.

Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that CBP metering policy does not violate asylum law, eliminating asylum seekers' principal legal challenge avenue

On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado that U.S. Customs and Border Protection's "metering" policy — systematically turning asylum seekers away at ports of entry before they physically cross the border line — does not violate federal asylum law. Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito held that noncitizens physically blocked at a port of entry have not "arrived in the United States" within the meaning of 8 U.S.C. § 1158 and therefore have no statutory right to apply for asylum. The decision forecloses the primary legal avenue that had permitted asylum seekers to challenge their systematic exclusion at the border.

HHS canceled Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants, redirected $67M to 'parental rights' and 'body literacy' competitions

The Department of Health and Human Services canceled most active grants under the congressionally funded Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program on June 24, 2026, and simultaneously published $71.7 million in new grant competitions requiring content aligned with "parental rights" and "body literacy" and explicitly excluding programs that "promote or advance gender ideology." An HHS official confirmed the reclaimed TPPP funds would be redirected to the new competitions. A federal court had previously vacated similar HHS guidance stripping gender-identity content from existing TPPP grantees; HHS achieved the same result by terminating and recompeting the grants.

Hegseth forced out Gen. Donahue, last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan, amid Pentagon leadership purge

On June 24, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forced out Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and the last U.S. service member to board the final flight out of Afghanistan in 2021. The Pentagon announced Donahue would relinquish command on July 2, 2026, after just 18 months of a typical three-year tour, without providing a reason for the abrupt change. Donahue's removal is the latest in a series of senior military leadership purges under Hegseth, who has removed more than a dozen top generals and admirals since taking office.

DHS agents entered Syracuse polling place, threatened election worker over Instagram post naming officer who fatally shot protester Renée Good

On June 24, 2026, two DHS/ICE agents arrived at Syracuse Central Library — an active polling place during the city's primary election — and confronted elections inspector Paigelynne Gonyea over a January 2026 Instagram post in which she named the ICE officer who fatally shot anti-ICE protester Renée Good. Agents handed Gonyea a form letter warning her she "may be in violation of federal law" for the post, which was based on a published Minneapolis Star Tribune investigation, and pressured her to delete it. Gonyea refused.

Postmaster General Steiner announced USPS will refuse mail ballot delivery in states withholding voter data under Trump elections order

On June 24, 2026, U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner announced that the Postal Service would refuse to deliver mailed ballots in states that declined to submit voter lists and associated ballot barcodes to the federal government, as demanded by a proposed rule implementing President Trump's Executive Order 14399. The announcement came as all 47 Democratic senators wrote to USPS warning that such voter lists would be "ripe for abuse" and likely to contain inaccuracies that would prevent eligible voters from casting ballots. The coercive policy was announced on the same day a federal court blocked separate provisions of EO 14399 requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that criminal suspicion alone justifies immigration parole of lawful permanent residents

On June 23, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the Trump administration, holding that an immigration officer's unverified allegation of criminal wrongdoing is sufficient to place a lawful permanent resident on immigration parole at a border crossing. The majority opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, found that border officers need not establish criminal activity by clear and convincing evidence before restricting a green card holder's rights. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's dissent, joined by both other liberal justices, warned the ruling handed the government a "massive blank check" to weaken due-process protections for the approximately 13.5 million lawful permanent residents in the United States.

DOJ sued New York to block state law requiring ICE agents to unmask and display identification

On June 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, seeking to block a New York law requiring federal law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, to unmask during operations and display individual identifying information. The law, scheduled to take effect June 26, also bars 287(g) cooperative agreements in jurisdictions that maintain mask bans. DOJ argues the law violates the Supremacy Clause and poses officer safety risks; Hochul and James filed a countersuit the same day seeking to preserve the law.

Supreme Court 6-3 eliminated human rights claims under Alien Tort Statute in Cisco Systems v. Doe, overruling Sosa

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 23, 2026 in Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe that federal courts may no longer hear any human rights claims under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), categorically overruling Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain (2004) and ending 46 years of ATS human rights litigation. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the conservative majority; Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissented. The ruling also held that aiding-and-abetting liability is not available under the Torture Victim Protection Act.

Supreme Court ruled 6-3 prisoners cannot sue individual guards for money damages under RLUIPA, eliminating key religious-freedom remedy

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 23, 2026 that prisoners cannot sue individual prison guards for money damages under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), leaving only injunctive relief as a remedy for religious freedom violations by prison staff. The case arose from Damon Landor, a Rastafarian man whose dreadlocks were forcibly cut by Louisiana prison guards in 2020. The conservative majority held that individual guards did not consent to personal liability under RLUIPA, while the dissent warned the ruling leaves prisoners with "little reason to expect guards to abide by legal protections."

DOJ issued grand jury subpoenas compelling Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reporters to testify about sources

On June 23, 2026, the Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas ordering reporters at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to testify about their confidential sources, then withdrew the subpoenas after they became public. The Associated Press confirmed the issuance and withdrawal via sources familiar with the matter. The subpoenas targeted newsgathering activity, not disclosures of classified information, making them a direct threat to press-source confidentiality at two of the country's largest newspapers.

Acting DNI Pulte ordered ODNI offices to rank personnel for mass firings, targeting career intelligence professionals

On June 22, 2026, acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte directed Office of the Director of National Intelligence offices to submit ranked lists of their personnel for cuts, beginning an expected mass purge of career intelligence professionals. The National Counterterrorism Center and National Counterintelligence and Security Center were identified as facing the deepest cuts. Pulte, who has no national-security background, assumed the acting DNI role on June 19 following Tulsi Gabbard's departure, and the firings proceed under a June 5 Trump directive to reduce the size of the intelligence community.

Supreme Court declined to review 8th Circuit ruling barring private enforcement of VRA Section 208 in seven states

On June 22, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a 2025 8th Circuit ruling holding that private parties lack standing to sue to enforce Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act, which guarantees voters with disabilities or limited literacy the right to choose their own poll assistant. The brief, unsigned cert denial left in place the only federal appeals court ruling to eliminate private enforcement of Section 208, creating a two-tiered VRA enforcement landscape for voters in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Private enforcement — historically the primary driver of VRA litigation — is now unavailable in those seven states, leaving compliance dependent on Justice Department action.

JTF Southern Spear killed 2 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Caribbean Sea; ~66th strike, ~213 campaign deaths

On June 21, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted its approximately 66th lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing 2 men and rescuing 6 others. U.S. Southern Command issued an official "Lethal Kinetic Strike" press release confirming the action on June 22. The strike brought the campaign's reported death toll to approximately 213 people since Operation Southern Spear launched in September 2025, all conducted without formal congressional war authorization.

New York Times reported Trump DOJ appointees killed criminal probe into alleged payments for Gentile commutation

On June 21, 2026, the New York Times reported that Trump administration DOJ appointees shut down a criminal probe examining whether improper payments secured David Gentile's November 2025 commutation. Gentile, convicted of operating a $1.6 billion Ponzi scheme, was freed within two weeks of beginning a seven-year sentence. The probe ended abruptly after the Times began asking the White House and federal prosecutors about the investigation.

DOJ refused judge's order to confirm termination of $1.8B 'anti-weaponization fund'

On June 19, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice refused to comply with Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema's order to submit a sworn declaration that the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" created to settle Trump's personal lawsuit against the IRS is permanently terminated. Judge Brinkema had issued a preliminary injunction on June 12 blocking the fund; she then required DOJ to formally confirm its termination in writing, but the department called the requirement "unnecessary" and raised "separation of powers concerns"—effectively rejecting judicial authority. The judge converted the preliminary injunction into an indefinite block on June 20.

Mother Jones report reveals Trump DOJ building case for forced psychiatric institutionalization, undermining Olmstead

On June 19, 2026, Mother Jones reported that the Trump administration's Department of Justice had issued a memo outlining legal arguments to justify forcing people with psychiatric disabilities into institutions, effectively reinterpreting the Olmstead mandate that guarantees community integration. Law professors characterized the memo as inconsistent with established precedent, and reports indicate the White House directed DOJ to produce the document as prelude to an executive order rolling back Olmstead enforcement.

Reuters exclusive reveals White House suppressed ODNI voting machine vulnerability report for months ahead of 2026 midterms

White House officials delayed the release of an unclassified Office of the Director of National Intelligence report on voting machine vulnerabilities for months ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. Reuters reported on June 19, 2026, citing three sources familiar with the matter, that officials internally debated shelving the report over concerns it could undermine Republican voter confidence — and separately that some objected the report did not go far enough in supporting Trump's false claims about the 2020 election. The ODNI assessment examined security gaps in voting machines and recommended remedial measures such as software updates; it did not conclude that any votes had been flipped.

Department of Education opened Title IX investigations into three Michigan school districts over trans-inclusive sports and locker room policies

The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened Title IX civil rights investigations on June 19, 2026, into three Michigan school districts — Ann Arbor Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools, and Chippewa Valley School District — for allowing transgender students to participate in sports and use locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. The DOE framed the investigations as protecting "the rights of cisgender students," asserting that trans-inclusive policies violate Title IX as reinterpreted by the current administration. The action was part of a coordinated wave of federal enforcement targeting schools with trans-inclusive policies during Pride Month, following a similar investigation opened against a North Carolina district the prior day.

DOJ sues Philadelphia to block federal officer identification and local oversight requirements

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a 28-page lawsuit on June 18, 2026, against Philadelphia, challenging City Bill No. 260060, which requires federal law enforcement officers to display visible identification, use marked vehicles, and comply with local regulations during operations in the city. If successful, the suit would nullify a civil-rights protection that Philadelphia enacted to ensure accountability in immigration enforcement — reducing residents' ability to identify and report federal agents operating in their communities. DOJ argues that municipalities lack authority to regulate federal officers and claims the law threatens officer safety.

JTF Southern Spear killed 3 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in eastern Pacific; 65th strike, ~211 campaign deaths

On June 18, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted its 65th lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men. SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan confirmed the strike and released video footage of the targeted vessel. The strike brought the campaign's reported death toll to approximately 211 people since Operation Southern Spear launched in September 2025, all killed without formal congressional war authorization.

Trump cancels Jay Clayton DNI confirmation hearing, demands Senate pass SAVE America Act

At approximately 4 a.m. ET on June 17, 2026, President Trump posted on Truth Social canceling Jay Clayton's Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing for Director of National Intelligence, hours before it was scheduled to begin. Trump conditioned Clayton's confirmation on the Senate passing the SAVE America Act — a voter ID bill that had already failed — and also threatened to block reauthorization of FISA Section 702, a major intelligence surveillance authority, unless it was tied to that legislation. The move left Bill Pulte, Trump's acting DNI pick with no intelligence background, in the role for at least several additional weeks.

Trump DOJ inspector general nominee Don Berthiaume declines to call January 6 an 'attack' during Senate confirmation hearing

Don Berthiaume, Trump's nominee for Inspector General of the Department of Justice, refused during his June 17, 2026 Senate confirmation hearing to characterize the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack as an "attack," instead describing the events as "protests and such." The hearing was held before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as part of Berthiaume's confirmation process for the role of the DOJ's primary independent oversight official.

JTF Southern Spear killed 1 aboard suspected narcotics vessel in Eastern Pacific; 64th strike, ~204 campaign deaths

On June 17, 2026, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted its 64th lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person and leaving two survivors. The U.S. Coast Guard launched search and rescue operations but suspended them after 20 hours and a 46-mile search area, leaving the survivors' fate unknown. The strike was confirmed by U.S. Southern Command; the campaign had killed at least 203 people across 63 prior strikes since September 2025, all without formal congressional war authorization.

House Democrats blocked from detainee access during statutory ICE facility oversight visit

On June 17, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement blocked six House Democrats from accessing detainees during a statutory congressional oversight visit to Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey. The Department of Homeland Security has also implemented a policy requiring 7 days advance notice for congressional facility visits, contradicting the 2019 appropriations law that grants lawmakers unannounced oversight authority.

ICE blocks House Democrats from detainee access during statutory oversight visit to Delaney Hall

On June 17, 2026, six House Democrats conducting statutory congressional oversight visited the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. ICE officials blocked the delegation from accessing detainees and conducting interviews despite their statutory authority to conduct unannounced oversight. The Department of Homeland Security has also implemented a policy requiring members of Congress to provide 7 days advance notice before visiting ICE facilities—contrary to appropriations law in effect since 2019.

FBI expands Ohio Organizing Collaborative probe to affiliated national elections network

Federal agents have expanded the FBI's criminal investigation of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC), a pro-democracy voter registration nonprofit raided on June 11, 2026, to include an affiliated national elections advocacy network. The expansion suggests a broader targeting of voter registration efforts ahead of the 2026 midterms, with evidence suggesting pre-election surveillance more than a year prior.

FTC sues WPATH, the leading transgender medical standards body, alleging 'deceptive claims' on youth care

The Federal Trade Commission filed suit on June 17, 2026, against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), alleging the organization made "deceptive claims" about gender-affirming care for minors and that its members profited from those claims. Four state attorneys general — Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas — joined the suit. The action came after a federal judge ruled in May 2026 that an earlier FTC investigation of WPATH likely violated the organization's First Amendment rights, and as the FTC conducted parallel investigations into two other major medical bodies — the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society — over their gender-affirming care guidelines.

Brian Kemp convened Georgia redistricting session under Trump pressure to reduce minority representation; legislature blocked it

Following the Supreme Court's June 2026 Louisiana v. Callais ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act's Section 2 protections, President Trump pressured Republican-led states to redraw electoral maps mid-decade to reduce minority representation. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp convened a special legislative session on June 17, 2026 to undertake redistricting; voting rights groups estimated ~26 legislative seats with large minority populations were at risk. House Speaker Jon Burns blocked the session before it could proceed, announcing the legislature would not take up redistricting without more public input and further court development of post-Callais doctrine.

DOJ sues to halt Evanston reparations program, citing Equal Protection Clause

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a legal challenge to halt Evanston, Illinois's reparations program, the first such program in the United States, arguing it violates the Equal Protection Clause and constitutes racial discrimination. The program provides $25,000 housing grants to Black residents who meet eligibility criteria based on residency and documented exposure to housing discrimination, with more than $20 million allocated over 10 years.

DOJ sues to halt Evanston reparations program, calling it 'racially discriminatory' under Equal Protection Clause

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a legal challenge on June 16, 2026, seeking to halt Evanston, Illinois's municipally-funded reparations program — the first such program in the United States — calling it "racially discriminatory" in violation of the Equal Protection Clause. The program offers eligible Black residents $25,000 in housing grants to address documented housing discrimination and historical segregation. The DOJ intervention inverts the traditional role of the Civil Rights Division, which has historically used equal protection law to enforce civil rights rather than block local remedies for documented harm.

Education Dept. transfers Office for Civil Rights to DOJ and special education office to HHS

The U.S. Department of Education announced interagency agreements on June 16, 2026, transferring its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division under Harmeet Dhillon, and its special education oversight office (OSERS) to the Department of Health and Human Services. OCR handles discrimination complaints in K-12 and higher education; OSERS oversees implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guaranteeing services for disabled students. Legal experts called the OCR move "illegal," saying DOJ lawyers lack specialized education-law expertise and the transfer will make it harder for students to secure relief from discrimination.

Washington Post report reveals ICE revised detention standards at Geo Group's private request, exempting detainees from minimum-wage protections

On June 16, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued new national detention standards that, according to Washington Post reporting, incorporated language privately requested by Geo Group, the country's largest private immigration detention contractor. Geo Group had asked ICE to remove contractor obligations to comply with state and local detainee-treatment laws and to add language supporting its legal position that paying detainees $1 per day does not violate minimum-wage laws because detainees are not employees. The newly published standards include both categories of change: they explicitly state that detainees are not employees and are not entitled to wages or benefits under applicable wage or labor laws.

U.S. Attorney charges 15 Minnesota anti-ICE protesters as 'antifa,' invoking Trump's domestic-terrorist executive order

On June 16, 2026, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen and HSI Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy announced federal conspiracy charges against 15 members of Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN), framing them as "antifa" and explicitly tying the case to President Trump's September 2025 executive order designating antifa a domestic-terrorist organization. The lead charge — conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer — rested substantially on protest-organizing conduct including Signal communications, training sessions, and surveillance of federal vehicles. The announcement came days after DOJ dropped more than a third of its earlier Metro Surge assault cases for prosecutorial misconduct, with one judge barring re-prosecution to prevent "prosecutorial harassment."

House Judiciary Democrats allege Kash Patel directed $1M+ in unlawful FBI bonuses to loyalist 'Payback Squad'

Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, launched an investigation on June 16, 2026, into an alleged scheme by FBI Director Kash Patel to direct over $1 million in taxpayer-funded bonuses to a small group of loyalist agents on his personal security detail and "Director's Advisory Team," many of whom called themselves the "Payback Squad" for their willingness to pursue political targets and overlook legal requirements. Some agents received five consecutive $8,000 payments totaling nearly $40,000 per person, exceeding federal statutory pay limits.

Newsom says Trump's DOJ is investigating him and his wife, alleging political retaliation

On June 15, 2026, California Gov. Gavin Newsom disclosed that the U.S. Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and accused President Trump of personally directing the probe as political retaliation for his potential 2028 presidential run. The DOJ's Public Integrity Section, working with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, has been examining alleged tax fraud and misuse of nonprofit funds tied to Siebel Newsom, issuing subpoenas and interviewing associates. Justice Department officials have said the inquiry originated earlier from whistleblower information and was not ordered by the White House.

White House hosts UFC 'Freedom 250' with fighter bonuses paid in Trump-family crypto

President Trump hosted a UFC mixed-martial-arts card, "Freedom 250," on the White House South Lawn on June 14, 2026, his 80th birthday. World Liberty Financial — a crypto venture of the Trump family, which reportedly receives roughly 75% of net token proceeds — served as presenting partner of the event's fighter bonus pool, adding about $250,000 in "Performance of the Night" bonuses paid in its own USD1 stablecoin. The Trump Organization separately marketed commemorative coins tied to the event.

ICE's HSI unit obtains individual voter files from Texas and North Carolina counties to investigate alleged noncitizen voting

Election officials in Webb County, Texas, and Forsyth County, North Carolina, turned over individual voter-file records — including registration history, addresses, dates of birth, driver's-license numbers, and voting histories — to agents of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations unit as part of the Trump administration's campaign against alleged noncitizen voting, according to emails obtained by Democracy Forward and first reported by Axios on June 13, 2026. The requests reached Webb County in May 2026 and Forsyth County in November 2025, and on June 9 DHS General Counsel James Percival directed ICE to pursue stricter penalties, including deportation, for noncitizens found to have voted.

U.S. strike in Venezuela kills Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Guerrero Flores

President Trump announced on June 12, 2026, that U.S. Southern Command carried out a "kinetic strike" in Bolívar state, Venezuela, that killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores ("Niño Guerrero"), the alleged longtime leader of Tren de Aragua. The named target had been indicted in U.S. federal court and carried a $5 million U.S. bounty, but was killed without arrest, trial, or judicial process. Trump said the operation was closely coordinated with the Venezuelan government, which confirmed a combined operation in Bolívar state.

U.S. Attorney's Office charged two Cop City activists under Trump's NSPM-7 domestic-terrorism framework

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Katie Kloth, 39, and Tyler Norman, 42, on June 12, 2026, on arson and civil disorder charges related to a 2022 protest at the headquarters of the contractor building the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center ("Cop City"). The Justice Department's own press release cited the case as part of Trump's nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, led by "Joint Task Force Vanguard," a task force created to pursue left-leaning political activists under a domestic-terrorism framework. The charges mark the second publicly documented use of NSPM-7 as a prosecutorial predicate against political protesters.

ICE deports Adelanto hunger-strike organizer Kyon Swaso to Belize after no-notice out-of-state transfers

On June 12, 2026, ICE deported Kyon Shakeel Swaso — a Belizean national and lead organizer of the hunger strike at California's GEO Group-run Adelanto ICE Processing Center — to Belize, following a series of no-notice transfers to facilities in Texas and Louisiana that his attorneys say violated Central District of California General Order 26-05's advance-notice requirement. The deportation proceeded despite a pending Stay of Removal and Motion to Reopen. The removal came eleven days after Swaso met with members of Congress to report inhumane conditions at Adelanto; DHS disputes that a hunger strike is occurring and characterizes the removal as routine.

Commerce Department forces Anthropic to disable two AI models for all foreign nationals in a first-of-its-kind export-control order

On June 12, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce — in a letter from Secretary Howard Lutnick to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei — issued an export-control directive citing national-security authorities that suspended all access to Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models by any foreign national, inside or outside the United States, including the company's own foreign-national employees. To comply, Anthropic abruptly disabled both models for all customers worldwide; its other models were unaffected. The government's stated basis was a belief that a method of "jailbreaking" Fable 5 existed, though the letter gave no details; Anthropic said the cited technique surfaced only minor, previously known vulnerabilities also found in other public models and disputed that it justified recalling a model used by hundreds of millions. Contemporaneous reporting described the order as the first time the U.S. government has forced a leading American AI company to take a publicly deployed model offline.

U.S. resumes Iran strikes for a second straight day, defying House war-powers resolution

On June 10–11, 2026, the United States resumed major airstrikes against Iran for a second consecutive day, collapsing a ceasefire that had held since early April and re-escalating a war the executive branch began on February 28, 2026 without congressional authorization. The strikes came barely a week after the House passed a War Powers Resolution, 215–208, directing the President to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran absent a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force. The administration continued to assert that the resolution's 60-day clock did not apply because a ceasefire had "paused" it, pressing ahead with strikes over Congress's recorded objection.