Today in One Sentence. Trump insisted that talks with Iran to extend the April ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and set terms for future nuclear negotiations were continuing “at a rapid pace,” despite Iran’s state-affiliated media reporting that Tehran had suspended talks and was threatening to “completely block” the strait White House economic director Kevin Hassett insisted that Americans are better off despite rising inflation, high gas prices, and worsening consumer sentiment Trump plans to drop his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund after a federal judge blocked it a federal judge ordered Trump to answer allegations that his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS was a pretext to create a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for his political allies a federal judge ordered Trump’s name removed from the Kennedy Center and blocked his handpicked board from closing the venue for a two-year renovation former Attorney General Pam Bondi shifted responsibility for the release of the Epstein files to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche a former Colorado county clerk who was convicted for breaching voting systems in search of election fraud in 2020 was released from prison Trump will headline the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair after more than half of the performers withdrew saying they had been misled about the event’s political ties and the White House released a medical memo from his third Walter Reed checkup in 13 months, saying Trump’s in “excellent health” and “fully fit” to serve despite persistent questions about bruising on his hands, swelling in his legs, and apparent drowsiness in televised meetings.

1/ Trump insisted that talks with Iran to extend the April ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and set terms for future nuclear negotiations were continuing “at a rapid pace,” despite Iran’s state-affiliated media reporting that Tehran had suspended talks and was threatening to “completely block” the strait, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply. The report cited no source and wasn’t directly confirmed by Iranian officials, but oil prices jumped more than 7% anyway. Trump, meanwhile, said he “couldn’t care less” if negotiations were over, because they had “started to get very boring,” adding: “We’ll keep the blockade.” Separately, the U.S. said it struck Iranian radar and drone sites near the Strait of Hormuz after Iran downed an American drone, while Iran fired two ballistic missiles toward U.S. forces in Kuwait that CENTCOM said were intercepted. Iran’s foreign ministry accused the U.S. and Israel of violating the ceasefire “on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” where Israel ordered new strikes near Beirut before Trump claimed Israel and Hezbollah had agreed that “all shooting will stop.” (CNBC / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / ABC News / CBS News / CNBC / CNN / Bloomberg / Associated Press / Reuters)

  • The U.S. military killed three men in another strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific – the fourth in a week. The campaign has now killed 205 people since September. (CBS News / NBC News)

2/ White House economic director Kevin Hassett insisted that Americans are better off despite rising inflation, high gas prices, and worsening consumer sentiment. Hassett argued that Americans should “smooth through the ups and downs” and focus on real wages, even though the latest Labor Department report showed inflation (3.8%) was outpacing wage growth (3.6%). Gas prices, meanwhile, have jumped to $4.34 a gallon from $3.15 a year ago since. Gallup’s economic confidence index, meanwhile, fell to its lowest level since October 2022, and the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey hit its lowest level ever recorded. “People look at their wallets,” Hassett said, “and if they look at their wallets and look at how much money they have after the increase in prices, they’re going to find that they have a lot more money.” (Politico / ABC News / The Hill / ABC News / Associated Press)

  • Jerome Powell warned that the Fed’s credibility is at risk if presidents can fire central bank officials over policy disagreements, saying “future administrations will do so as well” and the public would lose faith that the central bank makes decisions “based only on what’s best for all Americans.” (Bloomberg / Politico / Associated Press / Reuters / Axios / ABC News)

3/ Trump plans to drop his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund after a federal judge blocked it. Lawmakers in both parties also objected to the possibility of taxpayer-funded payouts to Trump allies and Jan. 6 rioters. Two senior administration officials said the fund is “dead for now” and that the White House is “planning to respect the courts,” though one noted that “nothing is final until it’s final” because Trump still “likes the fund.” U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema temporarily barred the administration from transferring money into the fund, considering claims, or paying out funds until a June 12 hearing to “ensure that no funds are irreversibly disbursed.” (Axios / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / Politico / Reuters / CNN / NBC News / Washington Post)

4/ A federal judge ordered Trump to answer allegations that his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS was a pretext to create a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for his political allies. 35 former federal judges urged U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams to reopen the case and investigate “grievous allegations” that the settlement was “premised on deception” and amounted to “serious misconduct.” Williams gave Trump’s lawyers until June 12 to address whether Trump colluded with his own government “to avoid judicial scrutiny” and filed “for the sole purpose of forcing a settlement.” Trump had sued the IRS for $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns, but the case was dismissed before the Justice Department filed a defense. The Justice Department then announced a settlement creating a nearly $1.8 billion fund for people described as victims of government weaponization. (New York Times / Bloomberg / Politico / Axios)

5/ A federal judge ordered Trump’s name removed from the Kennedy Center and blocked his handpicked board from closing the venue for a two-year renovation, saying “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.” Judge Christopher Cooper said the board “overstepped its statutory bounds” by rebranding the building as the “Trump Kennedy Center” and gave officials 14 days to remove Trump’s name from the building, website, and official materials. Cooper also temporarily halted the planned closure, calling the board’s March vote “ill-informed and seemingly preordained.” Trump responded by attacking Cooper as “an anti Trump Hater,” saying the judge “should be ashamed of himself,” and claiming the building was too dangerous to keep open because of “rotting beams,” parking areas “subject to collapse,” and other “Life and Safety problems.” He added that he had “no interest” in continuing the renovations unless he was “free” to run it his way, warned the center would “soon be closed, probably never to open again,” and claimed he’d ordered the Commerce Department to work with Congress on a “full and complete transfer” of the center’s operation, maintenance, and management. (NBC News / ABC News / The Guardian / The Hill / Associated Press / Reuters / CNN / Politico / Bloomberg / Washington Post)

6/ Former Attorney General Pam Bondi shifted responsibility for the release of the Epstein files to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. During a closed-door House Oversight interview that wasn’t under oath or videotaped, Bondi said she “did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct that document review” herself and delegated the review to Blanche. Democrats said DOJ lawyers blocked Bondi from answering questions about Trump, and will seek testimony from Blanche next with FBI Director Kash Patel “number two on the list.” (New York Times / Politico / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / Washington Post)

7/ A former Colorado county clerk who was convicted for breaching voting systems in search of election fraud in 2020 was released from prison. Tina Peters was convicted in 2024 of attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, violation of duty, and other crimes after allowing an outside computer expert affiliated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to access the county’s Dominion Voting Systems server during a 2021 software update. Gov. Jared Polis commuted her nearly nine-year sentence, saying Peters wasn’t innocent and that he disagreed with her false claims about the 2020 election, but argued that her sentence was “extremely unusual and lengthy” for a first-time, nonviolent offender. Shortly after leaving prison, Peters appeared on Steve Bannon’s podcast and claimed, without evidence, that Democrats “are going to cheat” in the midterms and that she had been imprisoned as “retribution” for exposing machines that “allow the votes to be flipped.” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called the clemency “an affront to our democracy” and said Peters’ release “will embolden the election denial movement.” (ABC News / CNN / Associated Press / Politico)

8/ Trump will headline the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair after more than half of the performers withdrew saying they had been misled about the event’s political ties. Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day and the Time, and the Commodores all withdrew after the lineup was announced, with McBride saying she was offered “a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.” Trump, meanwhile, called the performers “Third Rate ‘Artists,’” suggested replacing the concerts with “a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY,” and said he would give “a major speech” to rally “the Country forward.” (Associated Press / NBC News / ABC News / Washington Post / New York Times / NPR / Wall Street Journal)

9/ The White House released a medical memo from his third Walter Reed checkup in 13 months, saying Trump’s in “excellent health” and “fully fit” to serve despite persistent questions about bruising on his hands, swelling in his legs, and apparent drowsiness in televised meetings. Trump reportedly scored 30 out of 30 on a cognitive screening, had normal cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and lab results, and showed “slight lower leg swelling” that had improved since last year’s diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency. The memo also said Trump weighs 238 pounds (14 pounds more than last year) and was counseled to increase physical activity, lose weight, follow diet guidance, and take low-dose aspirin. Outside physicians, however, said the report left out standard details from Trump’s cardiovascular tests, including calcium, plaque, and artery-narrowing scores. (NBC News / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Axios / Washington Post / ABC News)

⏰ Dept. of I Ran Out of Time Today: Appeals court rules Trump policy illegally banned transgender troops from military; Scott Pelley accused CBS News boss of “murdering” 60 Minutes; and a Trump administration plan would allow for quick asylum rejections without interviews.

The 2026 midterms are in 155 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 890 days.