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Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group agreed Friday to halt the heavy fighting in southern Lebanon that had threatened to unravel an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to end their war, officials said. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah immediately confirmed the truce.
It came after a heavy exchange of fire killed 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.
The interim agreement to end the Iran war has already reopened the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively closed, cutting the global economy off from significant supplies of oil and natural gas. The deal would also relaunch talks on Iran’s nuclear program, the core issue over which Israel and the U.S. began the war on Feb. 28.
Iranian officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting that the fighting in Lebanon must stop before the talks can take place, according to the two regional officials, an Iranian official and a fourth person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations behind the scenes. U.S. Vice President JD Vance also postponed his trip.
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—The Associated Press
Lawmakers are questioning U.S. involvement with a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran that was part of the memorandum of understanding signed by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian this week aimed at ending their war.
According to the document: “The United States of America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least U.S.D. 300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for the implementation of this plan will be finalized as part of a final deal within 60 days. All required licenses, waivers and permissions needed for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America.”
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are sounding alarms, including several Republicans.
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—Spectrum News’ Susan Carpenter
President Donald Trump on Friday showed off the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet that has been converted into the official U.S. presidential aircraft.
The new aircraft eschews the Kennedy-era robin’s egg blue exterior of the old plane for a bolder look, with the underbelly of the plane painted navy blue with a red stripe above it. The plane’s left side, where the president boards, features the presidential seal, while the tail of the aircraft has a massive American flag on it.
The gift from Qatar is serving as a so-called "bridge" aircraft to carry the president until the new planes ordered directly from Boeing arrive. That is currently slated for 2028. The administration formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar last year to be used as the presidential airplane, despite questions about the ethics and legality of accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign nation
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—The Associated Press
Days after visitors to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool started noticing green algae growing in the newly refinished manmade lake at the U.S. Capitol, pieces of the pool’s new floor appear to be peeling.
Several accounts on X are posting videos of the Reflecting Pool with chips missing from the new paint and larger chunks that have detached. Spectrum News also witnessed what appeared to be thick chunks of painting peeling at the bottom of the pool.
Already, President Donald Trump’s remodeled reflecting pool with its “American flag blue” bottom has turned chartreuse from an algal bloom that National Park Service workers have been struggling to address since its $14 million renovation was completed this month.
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—Spectrum News’ Susan Carpenter
The Italian government closed ranks on Friday to slam U.S. President Donald Trump over his claim that Premier Giorgia Meloni had "begged" for a photo with him during the recent G7 summit, a pushback that suggested the longtime U.S. ally had had enough of Trump’s boasting.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly cancelled a planned trip to the United States this weekend, calling Trump’s claims "serious and offensive" toward Meloni and all of Italy.
Meloni for her part posted a video calling Trump’s claims "completely fabricated" and expressing astonishment that he would invent such things about an ally. She concluded: "Italy and I do not beg."
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—The Associated Press
• As Juneteenth is celebrated across the U.S., Obama’s presidential center opens in Chicago
• Senator urges FAA to reject pressure from White House over arch approval
• Senators seek to block Hegseth’s travel funds until Pentagon releases report on Iran school strike
• Dermatologists warn against ‘tanmaxxing’ as Trump administration approves a new protective ingredient in sunscreen
• U.S. strike on alleged drug boat kills 3 in eastern Pacific Ocean
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