Trump, Iran sign peace deal early; Arthur raises flood threat along Gulf Coast

The U.S. and Iran sign a deal sooner than expected, but the biggest issue is still unresolved. The fighting stops while negotiators turn to Iran’s nuclear program.

Plus, the Fed leaves rates unchanged, and the new chairman lays out his first roadmap on inflation.

And Tropical Storm Arthur is weakening, but the flood threat is growing. One forecast detail could make all the difference along the Gulf Coast.

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, June 18, 2026.

60-day clock for final nuclear agreement begins as US, Iran sign a deal

The U. S. and Iran officially signed a peace agreement Wednesday, starting a 60-day push to reach a final deal on Iran’s nuclear program.

“This was not easy,” President Donald Trump said. “I can tell you.”

The agreement took effect immediately after Trump signed it. 

Under the deal, Iran agrees to address its enriched uranium stockpile in future talks, while the U.S. moves toward lifting sanctions and allowing Iranian oil exports to resume.

Critics argue the agreement gives Tehran too much leverage going into the next round of negotiations. Trump defended the deal, saying it prevented a broader economic shock.

“So the one thing I didn’t want to see — I didn’t want to see economic catastrophe. If you kept this going, that could have happened. But all I know is every time we talked about the possibility of peace, the stock market shot up like a rocket ship. It never went down. They didn’t like it, the people, you know the stock market is more brilliant than anybody else there is, including the people on this stage other than me of course,” Trump said.

Iran’s president also signed the agreement, which the two sides were originally expected to formalize in Switzerland on Friday.

Trump also warned that if Iran violates the deal, the U.S. would respond forcefully. Pakistan, which helped mediate the agreement, also signed the document.

Markets responded positively to the news.

Oil prices have fallen sharply from their wartime peaks, and the national average price for gasoline has dropped below $4 a gallon for the first time since March.

Warsh holds rates steady as Fed officials leave door open to hike

Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, has left interest rates unchanged for now. In his first policy decision as Fed chair, Warsh announced that interest rates will remain in the current range of 3.5% to 3.75%.

Despite inflation remaining above the Fed’s 2% target, Warsh said high prices have been a problem for years, and insisted the central bank is focused on bringing them under control.

“We recognize that inflation has been running well ahead of the Fed’s long-stated inflation goal of 2%,” Warsh said. “That’s been going on for more than five years. Persistently high prices are a burden for the American people, but the recent past need not be prologue.”

Warsh also pledged that the Fed would deliver “price stability.”

At the same time, nearly half of the Fed officials who help set interest rate policy say they could support a rate hike before the end of the year.

Warsh also announced a series of internal reviews looking at how the Fed communicates, the data it relies on and the economic forecasts it releases, all while breaking with tradition by not issuing his own quarterly projection.

Tropical Storm Arthur weakens along the Gulf Coast, but flood threat grows

Hurricane season has officially begun, and while Tropical Storm Arthur has weakened after moving onshore along the Gulf Coast, forecasters warn the flood threat is far from over.

Arthur now moves along the Gulf Coast as a low-pressure system, still potent, dumping up to 20 inches of rain in parts of Texas and triggering flooding.

The system is moving east, with forecasters warning of flash flooding from Louisiana to Alabama. The heaviest rain is expected around the Mobile area.

Emergency managers are also monitoring how quickly the system is moving. If it slows or stalls, some communities could experience hours of torrential rainfall.

Parts of Georgia and the Florida Panhandle might also be affected, while coastal areas face the risk of storm surge, high tides and gusty winds.

Ammonia leak and smoke from warehouse fire forces LA residents indoors

A massive fire in Los Angeles sent a thick column of black smoke into the sky and forced people in surrounding neighborhoods to shelter in place. Crews spent hours battling the blaze at a huge cold storage warehouse in the Boyle Heights area Wednesday afternoon.

The fire started on the building’s roof, which was covered with solar panels.

Crews also discovered an ammonia leak inside the facility, forcing firefighters to pull back as the fire grew. With flames spreading across the massive roof, fire officials called in helicopters to drop thousands of gallons of water from the air — something rarely seen in a structure fire.

Nearby residents were told to stay inside, close their windows and shut off air conditioning as thick smoke drifted across parts of east Los Angeles. The shelter-in-place order was later lifted, and no injuries have been reported.

Fire crews have remained on scene throughout the morning, monitoring hot spots and investigating what sparked the fire.

Trump drops Oklahoma pastor endorsement hours after texting scandal

Just weeks after Trump called Jackson Lahmeyer a “MAGA warrior” and gave him his full endorsement, the president has now withdrawn his support.

Trump announced he was switching his endorsement to Oklahoma State Rep. Mark Tedford, writing that Tedford is “pro-Trump and MAGA all the way.”

Minutes later, Lahmeyer suspended his campaign, saying he did not want to distract his family, his church or voters in the district. With Lahmeyer out, Tedford now has a clear path to the Republican nomination in a district that leans heavily Republican.

FTC sues leading transgender health group

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a lawsuit against the leading transgender health care association, alleging it misled parents about treatments for minors.

The FTC said the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) made deceptive claims regarding gender-related medical care for children and teens.

The lawsuit accuses the group of downplaying risks, failing to fully disclose potential side effects and including what the FTC calls false or unsubstantiated claims about the safety and effectiveness of certain treatments in its guidelines.

The complaint also alleges that WPATH classified nearly all medical transition services as “medically necessary” to increase the likelihood that insurers would cover them.

Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas joined the case.

WPATH called the lawsuit “baseless” and said the FTC is “not a medical provider and has no place interfering with individualized medical decision-making.”

Obama Presidential Center set to open in Chicago after years of planning

A project nearly a decade in the making officially opens its doors Thursday in Chicago.

The Obama Presidential Center will be dedicated on Chicago’s South Side, the city where Barack and Michelle Obama built their careers, raised their family and launched a political movement that would eventually reach the White House.

The $850 million campus includes a museum, library, community spaces and exhibits focused on both the presidency and the people behind it. One of the biggest attractions is a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, complete with a copy of the Resolute Desk, where visitors can walk in, take a seat and get a feel for the room where presidential decisions are made.

“Many presidential libraries and institutions have some of these iconic features. There are some that have the replica of the limousine or Air Force One, but President Obama chose the Oval Office. If you remember, the white house was designed to be the people’s house, and President Obama opened the White House to more people in our history than ever before.”

Josh Harris, The Obama Foundation’s vice president of public engagement

There’s also a look at life inside the Obama White House, including several of Michelle Obama’s most recognizable outfits from her tenure as first lady.

The couple spoke with ABC News this week about the opening and their legacy.

“The thing that we were good at and allowed me to sleep at night and get up and go back at it was I always felt that when we made decisions, we were making decisions with the American people in mind,” Barack Obama told “Good Morning America.”

The former president said he wanted the center to be more than a presidential library, calling it a place that encourages people to engage in their communities and public life.

A dedication ceremony will take place Thursday afternoon, featuring the Obamas, dignitaries and a lineup of performers, including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend and Jennifer Hudson.

---

More from Straight Arrow:

Taylor Swift, Matthew McConaughey among celebrities fighting AI impersonations

“Alright, alright, alright.” 

This Matthew McConaughey line, delivered in the actor’s silky-smooth Southern drawl in the 1993 film “Dazed and Confused,” has lived on for decades.

Now, that signature phrase is protected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 

It took two years, but the actor and his legal team managed to do something cutting-edge: They secured a trademark for this recognizable soundbite, as well as six other phrases and visual clips of the Oscar winner — all to prevent their unauthorized use through artificial intelligence. 

Read the full story now>

Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief