NEWS - MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2026 - NEWS
More Latin Americans identify with the right than at any time over the last two decades, giving President Trump a slate of willing partners as he seeks to expand U.S. power, combat drug cartels and counter growing Chinese influence in the region. LA Times
VOA VIEW: As it should be - your word is your bond.
Three base jumpers sparked controversy at Yosemite National Park after allegedly making an illegal leap from the famous El Capitan cliff and disappearing into the surrounding forest before rangers could catch them. New York Post
Nevada’s game-changing lithium reserves are fueling the surge, with the mineral becoming increasingly valuable as demand for artificial intelligence technology grows. New York Post
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GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Sunday that he thinks the US peace talks with Iran are going to fail -- and that President Trump is going to seize the Strait of Hormuz "by force." New York Post
VOA VIEW: Iran's mistake.
"If AI continues to be used as an accessory to that crime, it has to be stopped.'' New York Post
Neither the war nor the agreement terminated the main threats emanating from Iran. New York Times
VOA VIEW: It's the lying nature Iran.
The pool has taken on clouds of algae after a hasty renovation. A three-time Olympian was charged with destroying government property after he says he touched one of the strands of blue paint peeling off the pool’s bottom. New York Times
The strength of the mayor’s political brand will be tested on Tuesday, when his slate of leftist congressional candidates takes aim at Democratic incumbents. New York Times
VOA VIEW: He should lose.
After dozens of people were victimized by shootings in Chicago over the weekend, President Donald Trump called out the extreme violence, claiming he could reduce crime in The Windy City. OANN
VOA VIEW: They have to end coruption.
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Freedom 250, an organization planning several events celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence, has announced the 2026 Patriot Games, inviting teenage athletes from across the country to compete. OANN
Firefighters continue to battle a massive warehouse fire in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood, now entering its fourth day, as city officials have declared a local state of emergency amid deteriorating air quality. OANN
Peace talks have kicked off in Switzerland as top United States and Iranian officials met in the Central European nation, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar. OANN
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is returning to normal, even as Iran threatened to close the critical waterway again because of Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Washington Times
VOA VIEW: Iran may blow the deal.
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A hot air balloon ride ended roughly in Pahrump, Nevada, 50 miles west of Las Vegas, on Thursday when the craft made a hard landing and injured several people on board. Washington Times
Utah has spent the past year fighting measles outbreaks - a grim milestone that could affect whether the United States can keep its measles-free designation. Washington Times
Millions of bees were unleashed after a tractor-trailer carrying beehives overturned on a highway near Yellowstone National Park in Montana. Washington Times
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Twenty-six state and local governments will raise their minimum wage on July 1 -- a flurry of legislative action that supporters say is long overdue and critics insist will worsen the nation's affordability crisis. Washington Times
VOA VIEW: It will worsen affordability.
President Trump claims the problems with the Reflecting Pool in Washington are due to vandalism. CBS
VOA VIEW: They should be arrested.
The historic Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C., which closed for a multi-year renovation, has temporarily reopened to the public for America's 250th anniversary. CBS
U.S. drivers are feeling less pain at the pump than in recent months. But for many, it's tough to feel a change. CBS
Emergency responders arrived to find the hikers already deceased on the trails, according to the National Park Service. CBS
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In front of a roaring Seattle crowd, the U.S. men's soccer team on Friday defeated Australia in its second World Cup match, clinching a spot in the Round of 32 in the process. CBS
A judge on Friday cleared the way for the DOJ to disclose former President Joe Biden's conversations with his biographer to the Heritage Foundation. Later in the day, she blocked the release for three weeks. CBS
Spirit's bankruptcy as United and Delta fly high suggests there's more to success in airline industry than low fares, and failure isn't about jet fuel spikes. CNBC
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While high home values mean homeowners are sitting on an estimated $11 trillion in equity, it should not be viewed as free money. CNBC
Russia has pledged to carry out frequent and "massive group strikes" against Ukraine shortly after Kyiv launched a barrage of drones on Moscow. CNBC
VOA VIEW: Russia would wise to end the war.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Germany's proposal to reduce spending on medicines was "a serious step backwards." CNBC
VOA VIEW: Germany acting foolishly.
A mass shooting in Hanover, Maryland, left six people wounded early Saturday, including two children, according to Anne Arundel County police. FOX News
The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward in the hunt for Oscar Sanchez-Munoz, 22, accused of a violent cross-state crime spree, including highway shootings near a World Cup venue. FOX News
Herbert Leon Kimble, accused of a $1.2 billion Medicare fraud scheme targeting the elderly, was captured in the Philippines and returned to the U.S. FOX News
Arnoldo Jimenez, allegedly accused of killing his wife on their wedding night in Illinois, has been returned to Chicago after a decade on the run. FOX News
U.S. military carried out a lethal strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing three men described as narco-terrorists, according to SOUTHCOM. FOX News
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency as the city fights a major fire at a warehouse in the city's Boyle Heights neighborhood. UPI
A Boeing 747-200 made its last flight as Air Force One after it brought President Donald Trump home from Europe this week. It has flown since 1990. UPI
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COMMENTARY OF THE DAY
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Thanking the U.S. support and showing defiance against China's intentions, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te issued a stern five-point message of independence Sunday, rebuking China as "the root cause of regional instability" and "the destruction of regional peace." All sides are saying something different.
"Taiwan will not, under pressure, give up national sovereignty and dignity, or its democratic and free way of life," the president wrote in a Facebook post, as translated by multiple sources. "Taiwan will never be sacrificed or traded." Lai's comments were his first direct response to the summit last week in Beijing between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping that raised concerns in democratically governed Taiwan about the potential of a Chinese invasion.
Trump remains mum on new weapons sales to Taiwan, but stressed the U.S. was "not looking to have somebody say, 'Let's go independent because the United States is backing us'." Long-term Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation and arms sales were based on the Taiwan Relations Act, Lai said, referencing the 1979 law that mandates the sale of weapons to the island. "This is not only a U.S. security commitment to Taiwan, but also the most important deterrent force over the years against actions that undermine regional peace and stability," he wrote.
Lai's five-point Facebook message was a stern rejection of China's claims of control over Taiwan, and a call for Trump's self-defense assistance:
- "First, Taiwan is the defender of the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region."
- "Second, China is the root cause of regional instability and changes to the status quo."
- "Third, defending the status quo of the Republic of China is not an issue of 'Taiwan independence.'"
- "Fourth, Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation and arms sales are key elements in maintaining regional peace and stability."
- "Fifth, Taiwan is at the heart of global core interests, and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait must never be sacrificed or traded."
