June 8, 2026 | By Cate Martel
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It’s Monday. We have made it to the best part of the year — or what I consider the “Friday” of the year. Hear me out: Memorial Day weekend is the year’s Thursday night. June is Friday. The Fourth of July is Friday night. July is Saturday. August is Sunday. And finally, Labor Day weekend is Sunday evening. So really, I should be saying, Happy Friday! 😉
Oh, and there’s a chance you could see northern lights tonight or tomorrow!
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Iran, Israel signal progress after weekend of fighting Trump storms out mid-NBC interview Johnson’s job this week: Pass ICE funding Rumblings of GOP plotting 3rd reconciliation bill Spencer Pratt loses LA mayoral primary Trump attends tonight’s NBA Finals NYC watch party canceled over Trump security
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Stop it. Stop it, both of you!: |
President Trump demanded this morning that Israel and Iran stop “shooting” after a weekend of strikes between the two countries.
And it *might* have worked? Shortly after, Iran announced an end to attacks on Israel. Iran framed the end to the strikes as their mission being a “complete success.” There is a caveat, though: Iran warned it will restart strikes against Iran if Israel reignites fighting with Lebanon.
Trump then signaled progress toward a ceasefire between the two countries, arguing “final negotiations on ‘Peace’ are proceeding,” though he noted “ignorance or stupidity” could get in the way.
💬 Follow today’s live blog
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A LITTLE SPORTS INTERMISSION: |
Trump’s spicy interview with NBC: |
President Trump stormed out of an interview with NBC News’s Kristen Welker over the weekend, ending the sit-down early after clashing with the “Meet the Press” host.
Heavy rain pounded on the barn where the interview was taped, and Trump later acknowledged the rain made him angry. “Because it was raining, I got a little bit angry at them,” he told farmers at an event shortly after.
What set Trump off?: Much of the interview was tense but Trump got particularly irritated by questions about his administration’s planned $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” to pay MAGA allies, potentially including convicted Jan. 6, 2021, rioters.
Trump accused Welker, media networks and “your elections” of being “crooked.” Welker also noted there is no evidence that the 2020 presidential election or the California primary was rigged.
“Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time,” the president said. He then yanked off his microphone, tossed it to the ground and walked off.
💻 Watch the full interview — Trump walks out around the 40-minute mark
🔎 Four takeaways from Trump’s explosive interview
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Republicans’ budget reconciliation package is now in the House’s hands after the Senate passed it after pulling an all-nighter last week.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will need near-unanimous support to pass the package. No Democrat is expected to vote for it so Republicans can only lose two votes, assuming all members are present.
But that’s not the only headache this week: The U.S.’s warrantless spy powers expire on Friday, June 12. If you feel like you’re having déjà vu, that’s because lawmakers keep punting this deadline.
There are roadblocks from both Republicans and Democrats:
🔴 Privacy hawks in the House want a permanent ban on central bank digital currency (CBDC) to be included in the bill.
🔵 And Democrats says they will block the spy powers bill until Trump withdraws his appointment of Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.
If Johnson cannot get enough support from Republicans, then he can pass it through a fast-track process, but that would require two-thirds support in the House, meaning it would need significant support from Democrats.
Read more: What else is happening on Capitol Hill this week
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RELATED READ — TRUMP MIGHT AS WELL BE HOUSE SPEAKER: |
“It’s become a running joke among some Republican members: Speaker Mike Johnson has had to rely on President Donald Trump so much, Trump is actually the one running the House,” writes NOTUS’s Reese Gorman. “Trump is in on the joke too.”
“In at least one meeting with Johnson and a handful of other lawmakers, Trump teased Johnson over how much the speaker has had to lean on the president to get members in line, three sources told NOTUS. … But it’s more than just a joke. Time and again, Johnson has summoned Trump to cajole members into supporting Republicans’ agenda.”
Read more: ‘It’s Johnson’s Gavel But Trump’s House’
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Sooo, there may be *another* reconciliation bill in the works: |
There are rumblings on Capitol Hill about a third reconciliation package moving through Congress in the next few weeks to lock in more of President Trump’s priorities.
Johnson told reporters last week that he expects another reconciliation bill to move “in the coming weeks” and this time, the theme would be “fraud, waste and abuse in government.”
Specifically: Republicans want to include defense spending, Iran war funding, health care reform, fraud prevention, etc., according to The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi. What we know
Why use reconciliation again?: Republicans can move legislation without any Democratic help, as long as they have enough internal support.
💡 But keep in mind: Republicans will face a lot of hurdles in moving another reconciliation package, both because of timing and internal GOP clashes. Lawmakers are taking off a week in June and two weeks in July. Plus, GOP frustrations with the Trump administration are mounting, adding to the challenges.
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Follow Washington closely? Something new is coming
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The Hill Insider launches July 2026. Premium access to the reporting and analysis most readers never see. Be among the first inside.
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This chapter of Spencer Pratt’s journey is no longer ~unwritten~: |
^ If you know, you know.
The general election for Los Angeles mayor has been set. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass (D) and Democrat Nithya Raman will face off in November.
That means former reality TV star and Republican candidate, Spencer Pratt, has lost. And now, he will be staring at the blank page before him.
It was a close vote: With 87 percent of votes in, Bass won 34.68 percent of the vote, followed by Raman at 27.12 percent. Pratt is in third with 26.69 percent of the vote, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Keep in mind: There wasn’t a Republican primary and a Democratic primary. Instead, all candidates were on the same ballot. Whoever placed in first and second place would advance to the general election in November.
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The Wall Street Journal: The World’s Most Surprising Economic Success Story Is…North Korea
The Washington Post: This agent sent models to meet Jeffrey Epstein. Now he’s trying to explain why.
The New York Times: How the Drive to Find a Conspiracy Against Trump Rocked the Justice Dept.
The Hill: Divisions mount between GOP lawmakers, Trump, raising tensions
The Atlantic: The Supreme Court Has Invented a Right to Discriminate
Vox: Trump’s cuts at sea could make the coming super El Niño harder to predict
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The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Bedminster, N.J. (All times EDT)
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5:30 p.m. Trump participates in a tele-rally from Bedminster.
5:30 p.m. The Senate votes on a confirmation. 📆 Today’s agenda
6:30 p.m. First and last House votes for the day. 📆 Today’s agenda
8:30 p.m. Trump attends the NBA finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Tonight: Trump returns to the White House.
Tuesday: Trump has a light schedule with “executive time” and policies meetings, all closed to the press.
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🍩 Celebrate: Today is National Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day.
☕ How to avoid coffee messing up your sleep: An analysis of studies found that you should have your last cup of coffee no later than nine hours before you plan to go to sleep. Read more
⚽ World Cup teams are all spread out: The Wall Street Journal published a fascinating graphic showing where each of the World Cup teams is staying as their home bases. Some of the teams’ commutes to their games look brutal. The WSJ noted “it will take nearly 7,500 flight miles [for Bosnia and Herzegovina], just to make it to their group games.” See the team HQ superlatives (hottest location, most luxurious, etc.)
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To slowly ease you into the week, watch this dog’s rather unusual snore.
“Embarrassing my dog for views,” the caption reads. 😂
^ Side note: My dog, Moose, sounds like he’s popping bubbles when he snores. We call them bubble dreams!
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