Friday morning news: June 12, 2026

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Trump says Iran deal is close, cuts off strikes » President Trump called off a third round of airstrikes against Iran, saying a deal to end the war in Iran, in Trump’s words, “a great settlement,” is almost finalized.

TRUMP: They will not have a nuclear weapon. They’ve agreed to that… They will not only not have, they will not purchase, develop in any way, any shape, in any way shape or form a nuclear weapon. They will not have a nuclear weapon.

Trump also says the Strait of Hormuz will open as soon as the agreement is signed. He says that could happen as soon as this weekend in Europe, with Vice President Vance handling the signing for the U.S. on the president’s behalf.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, however, says the country has not reached a final decision on any agreement.

Earlier in the day, before he announced the potential breakthrough, Trump had promised more bombing, saying the U.S. was ready to take over Iran’s oil and gas markets.

Stocks have best day in over two months, oil prices fall » On Wall Street:

SOUND: [Closing bell]

Reaction to the president’s announcement was extremely positive.

Stocks rallied to their best day in more than two months, with all three major indices jumping between 1.8 percent and 2.5 percent.

Oil prices also dropped sharply amid the news that a deal to end the conflict with Iran could be close at hand.

Jay Clayton is new DNI nominee » President Trump has announced his long-term pick for director of national intelligence. He is turning to Jay Clayton, the current U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and former chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission.

This comes after intense pushback to Trump’s pick of Bill Pulte as acting DNI. Democrats have held up passage of an important foreign surveillance measure in opposition to Pulte, who they see as a Trump loyalist with no national security experience.

Democratic Congressman Adam Smith of Washington says he doesn’t trust either of Trump’s DNI picks.

SMITH: I don’t trust this guy any more than anyone else, cause at the end of the day it’s Trump. Trump is the one that I do not trust… I do not trust Trump with the sensitive information. He’s made it very clear he is going to use it to pursue his own personal, political, vindictive agenda, not to protect the national security interest of the United States.

Reaction from other Democrats has been less severe, with Virginia Senator Mark Warner saying he respects Clayton.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says the Senate will move quickly on Clayton’s nomination, with one source telling the Associated Press the Senate Intelligence Committee is planning a confirmation hearing for Wednesday.

Trump says Pulte will still serve as acting DNI briefly while Clayton awaits confirmation.

FISA Section 702 reauthorization fails » Meantime, lawmakers failed Thursday to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, FISA, which allows warrantless surveillance of foreign targets outside the U.S.

That is the section Democrats refused to extend because of President Trump’s choice of Bill Pulte as Acting DNI. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries:

JEFFRIES: To get back to good faith negotiations about surveillance authority, the proposed elevation of Bill Pulte needs to be reversed.

Thursday was lawmakers’ last chance to extend the FISA provision before it expired at midnight. House Speaker Mike Johnson:

JOHNSON: We did everything within our power to try to ensure that this statute does not expire, and the Democrats are using it as a political hostage.

Johnson, however, also lost more than a dozen Republicans on the vote. It failed 218 to 198 in the House, where it needed a two-thirds majority to pass.

Late Thursday, President Trump said he is considering an executive order to extend FISA Section 702, though some lawmakers question his legal authority to draft such an order.

Man accused of shooting MN lawmakers & spouses pleads guilty » The man accused of gunning down two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses last summer, killing House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, switched his plea to guilty Thursday.

Vance Boelter agreed to serve two consecutive life sentences, plus 40 years.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel Rosen explains why prosecutors took the death penalty off the table in exchange for a plea deal:

ROSEN: When you have a defendant that is prepared to plead guilty, take consecutive life terms plus, to ensure that he never sees freedom again in his entire life… that was an opportunity that we just could not pass up.

Boelter impersonated a police officer to gain access to his victims inside their homes. He also faces several more state charges, including murder and impersonating a police officer.

Trump threatens D.C. takeover » President Trump is threatening a federal takeover of Washington, D.C.

The mayoral primary is Tuesday, and because the city leans heavily Democrat, whoever wins then is likely to also win the general election. 

D.C. Council Member Janeese Lewis George, a self-described democratic socialist, is one of the prime contenders, and the prospect of her winning concerns Trump.

TRUMP: I wouldn't like it, and maybe we'll take back Washington, run it on a federal basis. We won't put up with it.

Last year, Trump started a series of National Guard surges to cut down on crime in the nation’s capital, and he’s often touted lower crime rates as a result.

But one recent criminal has managed to elude the U.S. Park Police so far: Someone marked the numbers “86-47” on the lawn of the National Mall near the Washington Monument this week. “86” can serve as slang in the restaurant industry for “get rid of,” and that combination of numbers is widely considered a threat against Donald Trump, the 47th president.

I’m Mark Mellinger.

Straight ahead: John Stonestreet is here for Culture Friday. And later, Collin Garbarino sizes up the latest Steven Spielberg movie to hit the big screen.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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