Trump rewrites Iran deal while strikes continue; Platner challenges new reports
Deal talks continue, but so do the strikes. The U.S. and Iran exchange new attacks even as President Donald Trump sends revised terms back to Tehran.
Plus, Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner pushes back against reports about his personal life, but his response has drawn very different reactions from some of the party’s biggest names.
And Trump thinks he has a solution to a concert lineup problem. After several performers pull out of a major America 250 celebration, the president volunteers a replacement that only he could propose.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, June 1, 2026.
Trump returns revised Iran deal after weekend of military action
The U.S. military said it carried out more “self-defense” strikes over the weekend, targeting Iranian radar and command-and-control sites. American officials said the attacks were a response to what they called aggressive Iranian actions, including the shooting down of a U.S. drone over international waters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, meanwhile, said it struck the air base used to launch a U.S. attack on a telecommunications tower on Sirik Island. Iran did not identify the base, but Kuwait said it intercepted incoming fire over the weekend.
The exchange comes as President Donald Trump said early Monday morning that Iran “really wants to make a deal” and predicted an agreement would be a good one for the United States.
The White House has now returned Iran’s latest proposal with its own revisions.
Officials have not released details, but sources said the changes include tougher terms on Iran’s nuclear program and guarantees for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel takes control of previously held castle in Lebanon
Israel has expanded its invasion in Lebanon, with troops pushing farther north and new strikes now ordered in Beirut.
Israeli forces on Sunday captured the 900-year-old Beaufort castle in southern Lebanon. It’s a hilltop fortress that overlooks large parts of both southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
The castle sits about nine miles inside Lebanon. Israel first captured the castle more than four decades ago before retreating from southern Lebanon in 2000.
Video shows troops raising an Israeli flag over the fortress after taking control of the site.
The move comes despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has been in place since April, though both sides have continued to trade fire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the operation a success and said he has ordered troops to push deeper into areas previously controlled by Hezbollah.
Monday morning, Netanyahu ordered new strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, accusing the group of repeatedly violating the April ceasefire agreement.
The new attacks have drawn criticism from Lebanon and several European governments, including France, Britain and Germany, which are calling for the ceasefire to be respected.
Platner rejects accusations as Democrats weigh in on fallout in key Senate race
The political fallout is growing for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, and now he’s fighting back.
The issue followed Democrats onto the Sunday shows after weekend reports from The Wall Street Journal and New York Times revealed that Platner’s campaign knew last year about sexually explicit texts he exchanged with other women while married.
Sen. Cory Booker was asked whether the story could jeopardize a seat Democrats view as one of their best pickup opportunities in the country.
“Yeah, I have concerns. That guy has questions to answer. And that’s what campaigns are for,” Booker said. “So much is riding on democrats’ taking control of the Senate.”
According to the New York Times, Platner addressed the controversy for the first time on Sunday, accusing a former campaign aide of spreading false claims and criticizing The Times and Wall Street Journal for their reporting.
He also acknowledged that his marriage had faced challenges, saying he and his wife had worked through them and remained together. The reports said Platner’s wife alerted campaign officials to the texts last summer before the issue became public.
Campaign officials have confirmed the texts existed and said the communications ended before Platner launched his Senate bid.
Platner’s wife posted a video over the weekend defending her husband and their marriage.
“Our marriage counselor helps, my personal counselor helps, Graham’s personal counselor helps, and we work on our mental health every day,” she said. “No marriage is perfect, and I don’t want a perfect marriage. I want my marriage, and I want to be married to Graham.”
Not all Democrats share Booker’s concerns.
Sen. Chris Murphy defended Platner on CBS Sunday, saying the combat veteran has acknowledged his mistakes.
“He has certainly admitted that he has made mistakes,” Murphy said. “But I think this is going to be a pretty clear contrast in Maine between somebody who has spent his life protecting us versus somebody who seems to be protecting Donald Trump’s corruption.”
Platner is expected to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races.
Republicans have quickly turned the story into a campaign issue as Platner prepares for the general election fight this fall.
Trump offers to headline Great American State Fair as musicians exit
Some musical acts may be dropping out of America’s 250th birthday celebration, but Trump said he has a replacement in mind: himself.
After several musicians backed out of the upcoming Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Trump took to social media with an alternative plan. The president suggested replacing what he called “third-rate artists” with “the GOAT,” aka “Donald J. Trump.”
Organizers later announced that Trump will, in fact, help kick off the celebration when it opens in Washington later this month.
The fair is part of the nation’s yearlong commemoration of America’s 250th birthday. Several performers, including Martina McBride, Brett Michaels and The Commodores, have pulled out after raising concerns about the event’s political tone.
Trump responded with another post, saying the fair should instead hold a massive “Make America Great Again” rally.
Not everyone is leaving, though. Organizers said Flo Rida, Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli are still scheduled to appear.
Colombia sets presidential runoff
Colombia’s presidential race is now down to two candidates, and they couldn’t be more different.
Right-wing lawyer and political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella finished first in Sunday’s vote, securing more than 43 percent of the vote. Left-wing Sen. Ivan Cepeda was close behind with just over 40 percent. Neither candidate reached the 50 percent needed to win outright, sending the race to a June 21 runoff.
Photo by Luis ACOSTA and Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP via Getty Images
The results have already faced pushback.
Cepeda and outgoing President Gustavo Petro have raised concerns about preliminary vote counts, citing potential software issues and discrepancies in the tabulation process.
Election officials have defended the count, and Human Rights Watch’s Americas director has called Colombia’s electoral system trustworthy and urged political leaders to respect the results.
The election unfolds amid escalating violence, mounting security concerns and record cocaine production. The two finalists offer voters starkly different visions for the country.
De la Espriella has campaigned as a law-and-order outsider, drawing comparisons to Trump and pledging a tougher crackdown on crime. Cepeda has backed continuing peace talks with armed groups and argues negotiation is the better path to reducing violence.
Meteor triggers sonic booms, fireball rattles Northeast
A meteor streaked over New England before breaking apart high above Earth, producing sonic booms heard across the region.
NASA said the object was about three feet wide and traveling nearly 75,000 miles per hour when it fragmented about 40 miles above the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border.
The result: a bright fireball in the sky and sonic booms heard across parts of the Northeast and eastern Canada.
The American Meteorological Society received reports from people who saw the flash, heard the blasts or felt their homes shake.
NASA said the energy released when the meteor broke apart was roughly equivalent to 300 tons of TNT. So far, there’s no evidence that any pieces reached the ground.
More from Straight Arrow:
Why Chicago is pouring millions into neighborhoods the banks forgot
As rent and cost of living mount nationwide, cities like Chicago are doing everything they can to invest in new affordable housing.
Last month, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the city would invest roughly $300 million in 15 affordable housing developments. Combined with private funding and other financing, the projects will cost $711 million and are expected to create or preserve 1,223 housing units —1,164 of which will be affordable to those who earn roughly 60% or less of the area’s median income. According to data from the city, 60% AMI is $72,900 for a four-person household.
Some developments are reserved for residents with even lower incomes. The city designated 130 units for households earning closer to 30% of the area median income.
“As we continue to make the critical investments we need to increase housing accessibility and equity, we are redoubling our efforts to ensure Chicagoans have access to not just stable housing, but enjoy security and dignity throughout their lives,” Johnson said in a statement.
The announcement arrives at a critical moment for Chicago, which is growing for the first time in years, according to new U.S. Census data.
Once a major magnet during the Great Migration, Chicago has battled a long-term loss of Black residents since the 1990s. Many of the folks moving out have left neighborhoods on the South and West sides amid school closures, gentrification, rising costs and deteriorating housing.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
