The Daily Brief — June 17, 2026
US–Iran peace deal provisions, Trump pauses DNI confirmation, interest rate unchanged
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Iran to Get Financial Relief
Under the peace deal that ended its war with the US, Iran will be allowed to sell its oil again and could eventually gain access to a $300 billion fund to rebuild its economy.
The terms come from a 14-point memorandum of understanding the two sides signed digitally over the weekend and plan to sign formally Friday in Geneva.
According to leaked copies of the deal, the US would issue waivers to let Iran resume oil exports. In return, Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war shipping levels, and the US said it would lift its naval blockade. Access to the $300 billion development fund is also conditional: Iran would have to meet commitments on its nuclear program in later talks. US officials say the money would not come from the US government.
The document leaves two major questions to future negotiations: Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and the full lifting of all sanctions against Iran, including the UN Security Council resolutions and the ones imposed by the US. Iran has also faced sanctions from IAEA, the nuclear watchdog agency, over its nuclear program. Iran reiterated that it would never build a nuclear weapon, a position it has long held.
Interest Rate Unchanged
The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged but signaled that a rate hike remains possible later this year. In the first policy meeting chaired by Kevin Warsh today, the Fed unanimously voted to keep the federal funds rate the same for the fourth consecutive meeting.
Updated projections showed that nine Fed policymakers expect at least one rate increase before the end of the year, while six project two or more hikes.
The Fed has held rates steady despite repeated calls from President Trump for lower borrowing costs.
Trump Pauses National Intelligence Director Confirmation
President Trump abruptly halted the confirmation of his nominee for director of national intelligence, setting a condition the Senate must meet before it can move forward.
Trump nominated Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, but says he won’t allow Clayton to leave the prosecutor’s office for the new job until the Senate confirms the person who would replace him — James McDonald, Trump’s former personal lawyer.
The Senate Intelligence Committee postponed Clayton’s hearing after Trump directed him not to appear. Its chairman, Sen. Tom Cotton, said he still hopes to confirm Clayton soon.
Newsbreak
With Father’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to grab a book for your history-loving dad (or yourself, if you’re the history-loving dad!). For a truly sweeping, grand view of history, check out Origin Story. Author David Christian takes readers on a wild ride through the entire 13.8 billion years we’ve come to know as “history.” By focusing on defining events (thresholds), major trends, and profound questions about our origins, Christian exposes the hidden threads that tie everything together — from the creation of the planet to the advent of agriculture, nuclear war, and beyond.
Haitian TPS Case
Newly disclosed Homeland Security emails show that the Trump administration decided to end Haiti’s temporary protected status before completing the review the law requires, and that Trump’s political appointees overruled career experts who recommended keeping the protections in place.
Citing those emails, Haitian immigrants asked the Supreme Court yesterday to toss a case that could strip about 350,000 of them of their legal status and expose them to deportation. A federal judge in Washington blocked the termination in February, finding DHS had skipped the review and citing evidence that the decision was driven by “anti-Black and anti-Haitian animus.” The Trump administration then appealed to the Supreme Court, asking the judge to lift that block and to rule that courts have no power to review these decisions.
TPS is a congressionally created program that lets people from countries hit by disaster or conflict live and work in the US legally.
The justices already heard arguments in the case, Trump v. Miot, on April 29. The government’s main argument is that courts have no authority to review these decisions at all. The plaintiffs’ lawyers asked the Court to dismiss the government’s appeal without ruling on it.
Georgia Elections
President Trump saw mixed results in Georgia’s runoff elections yesterday, with one of his preferred candidates winning the Republican Senate primary but another losing the gubernatorial contest.
Rep. Mike Collins defeated former college football coach Deeke Dooley, who was backed by Gov. Brian Kemp, to secure the Republican nomination for the November Senate election. He will face Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff.
In the Republican runoff for governor, however, billionaire Rick Jackson defeated Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Jackson spent $100 million of his own money on the race and will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, in November.
Education Department
The Trump administration has ended the Department of Education’s oversight of special education programs and civil rights enforcement. Those are among the department’s core jobs: its civil rights office investigates discrimination complaints in schools and its special education programs enforce the laws guaranteeing that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education.
The department announced yesterday that the Justice Department will assume responsibility for civil rights enforcement and student privacy protections, while the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education initiatives for students with disabilities.
The administration has steadily reduced staffing at the Education Department. In March, officials said portions of the federal student loan portfolio would be transferred to the Treasury Department. That same month, the department relocated from its headquarters in Washington to a smaller office in the capital.
During his 2024 reelection campaign, Trump pledged to close the Education Department outright. After taking office, he signed an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling it. Only Congress can formally abolish the department.
Reflecting Pool Turns Green
President Trump spent millions painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool what he calls “American flag blue” for the country’s 250th birthday — and within days of refilling it, the water turned green with algae. Prior to the paint job, the basin of the pool was a neutral gray color.
The Interior Department said the bloom is residual algae from supply lines that sat idle during construction, called it part of the normal startup process, and said new equipment would keep the pool clear.
The cost has drawn scrutiny. When Trump launched the project this spring, he pegged it at $1.8 million. The price later rose to $13 million and is now estimated at $14.2 million. The Interior Department awarded the work to a Virginia firm without competitive bidding.
I'm curious what you think the longer-term ramifications of HHS taking over Special Education? I'm worried.