Nation and World
-
Israel and Hezbollah agree to halt fighting as talks between the US and Iran hang in the balance
Jun 19, 2026 7:38 am - Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group agreed Friday to halt the heavy fighting in southern Lebanon that had threatened to unravel an interim peace agreement between the United States and Iran, officials said. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah immediately confirmed the truce.
-
US lifts blockade of Iran and Iranian supreme leader endorses direct talks with American officials
Jun 18, 2026 7:20 pm - The U.S. on Thursday lifted its blockade of Iran, and oil tankers began freely moving through the Strait of Hormuz after months of being unable to use the critical channel, as the tentative agreement to end the war took effect.
-
Tropical storm remnants drench Gulf states after tornadoes hit the Midwest
Jun 18, 2026 7:13 pm - The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur battered parts of the southeastern United States with drenching rains and strong wind on Thursday, tearing through buildings, flooding homes and launching water rescues along the Gulf Coast.
-
FDA panel backs first-of-its-kind flu vaccine using mRNA technology
Jun 18, 2026 4:25 pm - A new kind of flu vaccine moved a step closer to the U.S. market Thursday as federal health advisers recommended approval of the first made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
Government can’t restrict gun ownership over marijuana use, Supreme Court rules
Jun 18, 2026 3:54 pm - The Supreme Court on Thursday found that a Texas man could not be prosecuted under a federal law that prohibits regular users of controlled substances, such as marijuana, from possessing firearms.
-
Stranded ships have begun transiting the Strait of Hormuz, maritime data company says
Jun 18, 2026 2:55 pm - Major shipowners have begun moving vessels through the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Iran signed an interim agreement to end their war, maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence said Thursday.
-
Vance slams Israeli reaction to Iran deal as U.S. military lifts blockade
Jun 18, 2026 2:52 pm - Israeli leaders need to “wake up and smell the reality” that they are isolated internationally, Vice President JD Vance said Thursday, responding to Israeli criticism of the deal the Trump administration struck with Iran this week, as the U.S. military said it has lifted a blockade of Iranian ports.
-
Hegseth attacks NATO allies and announces a review of US forces in Europe
Jun 18, 2026 2:49 pm - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at NATO allies on Thursday as he announced a six-month Pentagon review of American forces in Europe whose outcome will depend on how fast the Europeans take responsibility for their own security.
-
Federal regulators order grid operators to speed power to energy-hungry AI data centers
Jun 18, 2026 1:07 pm - Federal regulators on Thursday agreed to let large energy users connect more quickly to the nation’s inefficient and aging electric transmission system to accommodate surging demand from power-hungry artificial intelligence data centers.
-
Ukrainian drones set a Moscow refinery ablaze in a major attack on the Russian capital
Jun 18, 2026 9:13 am - Ukraine struck a major Moscow oil refinery Thursday for a second time in a week, sending huge plumes of black smoke over the capital and disrupting flights at its airports in one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia’s full-scale invasion over four years ago, officials said.