Obama Says U.S. Is 'Maybe A Little Bit Worse Off' Due To Iran WarIn an interview with NBC's Craig Melvin released on Friday, former President Barack Obama said the U.S. is probably a "little bit worse off" compared with when it went to war against Iran in late February."We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, you know, put enormous strain on our military. A lot of people have died. And it feels like we're back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse off," the former president said.Obama's assessment directly undercuts President Donald Trump's claim that the conflict he started has "diminished Iran." Trump also lashed out at critics who have suggested the Iranian government is emboldened as a result of his war."How stupid can some people be?" Trump asked, referring to his detractors.Iran Plans To Meet With U.S. In The Coming Days After Postponing Friday’s Discussions: ReportsIran's Foreign Ministry said Friday's planned meeting to discuss ending the war with the U.S. has been postponed, with efforts underway to reschedule the talks in the coming days, according to reports.The ministry said it’s no longer urgent for both sides to meet since a memorandum of understanding on ending the war was signed digitally, Reuters reported.Negotiations starting on the final peace deal will hinge on specified terms, outlined in the memorandum, being carried out, ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.Iranian officials earlier said that fighting in Lebanon would need to stop before talks on ending the war could take place, The Associated Press reported, citing three regional officials and a fourth person familiar with the matter.Vice President JD Vance had planned to travel to Switzerland to resume negotiations on Friday, but scrapped his plans on Thursday evening.Trump Allegedly Frustrated Over Vance's Defense Of June 2025 Iran Strikes: ReportDonald Trump was allegedly frustrated at JD Vance last summer, contending that his vice president did not adequately promote his declaration that U.S. military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities "totally obliterated" Tehran's nuclear program, according to an excerpt of a forthcoming book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan obtained by Politico.In an interview with ABC News' Jonathan Karl in the hours after the strikes, Vance was asked if Iran's nuclear facilities were actually "obliterated" as a result of the strikes."Well, Jon, severely damaged versus obliterated, I’m not exactly sure what the difference is. What we know is we set their nuclear program back substantially," Vance said.That apparently wasn't enough for Trump."Everyone needs to say fucking 'obliterated.' … That’s the word. Everyone just needs to copy what I say. Obliterated. Obliterated,'" Trump allegedly told one associate, per the book.Trump also reportedly did not take well to Vance's suggestion that he soften his language on the June 2025 strikes, telling his VP: "I know what I'm doing.""Seemingly irritated by Vance’s second-guessing, Trump turned his back on the vice president without saying any more," Haberman and Swan write, per Politico.Read more at Politico:Trump Baselessly Claims His Unpopular War 'Diminished' IranPresident Donald Trump on Friday fiercely defended his war against Iran as a memorandum of understanding he signed is garnering widespread criticism."The War has diminished Iran!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, rejecting suggestions that Iran "is better off now" than it was before the start of the war."How stupid can some people be??" Trump asked.Despite Trump's claims, his war did not accomplish any of the goals the White House had set out for the military action, while also leaving Iran's government emboldened and with major financial leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.Trump's post comes as U.S.-Iran talks scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday were postponed.Israel, Hezbollah Reach Ceasefire Agreement, U.S. Official Tells ReutersIsrael and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire starting at 4 p.m. local time Friday, a senior U.S. official told Reuters.“We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire,” the official reportedly said on background.Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 people overnight in Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry said. Israel said four of its soldiers died.Italy's Top Diplomat Cancels U.S. Trip As Meloni Slams Trump's Claim She 'Begged' For A Photo With HimThe Italian government on Friday slammed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Premier Giorgia Meloni had “begged” for a photo with him during the recent G7 summit, a pushback that suggested the longtime U.S. ally had had enough of Trump’s boasting.Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly cancelled a planned trip to the United States this weekend, calling Trump’s claims “serious and offensive” toward Meloni and all of Italy.For her part, Meloni posted a video calling Trump’s claims “completely fabricated,” which she concluded with: “Italy and I do not beg.”Read more from The Associated Press:Iran Says It Will Waive Fees For Hormuz During 60-Day Negotiation PeriodIran's Strait of Hormuz body said on Friday it would waive planned fees to use the strait during a 60-day negotiation period under the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States this week.Ships seeking passage through the strait while the interim agreement is in force must submit transit requests at least 48 hours before arrival, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said in a notice.Iran would waive fees for security, safety, environmental services and related insurance during the period, while requiring vessels to coordinate routes and transit times in advance due to areas affected by mines and to ensure safe navigation.Bill Pulte Eyes Major Cuts At ODNI: ReportBill Pulte, President Donald Trump's pick to serve as acting director of national intelligence, showed up at the office on Tulsi Gabbard's last day as DNI, sources told CNN, as he prepares to order mass firings.Gabbard herself was only informed of his plans to visit the office shortly before he arrived, per CNN.Pulte has requested the names of all people employed by the office so he can determine who to fire, CNN reported.In an ODNI briefing Pulte received last week, the Trump loyalist allegedly asked whether he could bring the President's Daily Briefing to his house, fueling concerns among intelligence officials. He also wanted to know whether he would have access to a government plane and whether his security clearance was top secret, CNN reported.A source told the network Pulte had requested a personal security detail before he assumed the job of acting DNI.Read more at CNN:Wall Street Journal Skewers Trump's Iran DealThe conservative editorial board of The Wall Street Journal condemned the U.S.-Iran agreement signed by Donald Trump earlier this week, saying the president negotiated from a position of weakness and "blinked at the risk" of more economic fallout from his unpopular war.The board pointed to Trump's recent comments that the Strait of Hormuz would have stayed closed in the absence of a deal and led to a surge in inflation."All of this strongly suggests the memorandum of understanding was reached from a position of U.S. weakness, not strength," the board wrote Thursday."The U.S. had options but Mr. Trump blinked at the risk," it continued.The board characterized Trump's comments defending the deal as "a gift to the regime, and not the only one.""Trump and Vance express in the Iranian regime’s transformation, the more desperate they sound. How else to read their sudden defense of Iran’s missile program, after stopping it had been a declared U.S. war aim?" it asked.Read the full editorial at The Wall Street Journal:Keir Starmer Says He Will Run In Potential Labour Leadership ContestIn an interview following Andy Burnham's victory in a closely-watched special election, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday confirmed he plans to run in a potential Labour leadership contest."If there is a contest, just to be clear with you, then yes, I will run," Starmer said. "I will stand, and I've said repeatedly I'm not going to walk away from that."Burham's win puts him in a strong position to challenge Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party and the country.Starmer has been under growing pressure to resign following his party's poor performance in the May local elections but he has repeatedly defied calls to step aside. Burnham, as well as any other potential candidate, would need to secure the support of at least 20% of the Labour parliamentary party to formally challenge Starmer.Ex-Trump Energy Secretary Says U.S.-Iran Deal Is 'A Little Too Generous' To TehranDan Brouilette, who served as U.S. energy secretary between 2019 and 2021 in the first Trump administration, told CNN that the memorandum of understanding signed by the president earlier this week is "a little too generous" to Tehran.Brouilette said that the agreement offers Tehran "certain things up front," including the right to immediately sell oil and fuel, which could provide Iran's government a major financial lifeline."It’s enormously helpful to them," Brouilette told CNN.Brouilette added that the U.S. could have waited a little longer before making concessions like committing to backing the creation of a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran at this stage of the negoations."Perhaps I would have done things a little differently… I want to see more performance, if you will, before I would release sanctioned funds or create some new fund for the rebuilding of Iran," he told the network.'There Are No Limits': Trump Makes Alarming Statement In First Interview Since Iran DealIn his first interview since signing the "memorandum of understanding" with Iran, President Donald Trump made some striking statements about the limits of his power.Speaking with Axios' Marc Caputo in an excerpt from the pre-taped interview, Trump was asked what he learned about the constraints of his power as a result of the war in Iran."There are no limits," Trump said.Read more here:Labour's Andy Burnham Wins A Special Election, Setting Up A Showdown With Starmer To Lead BritainLabour's Andy Burnham, the current mayor of Greater Manchester, has won a special election for a seat in Parliament that puts him in a position to challenge embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer for leadership of the country.Burnham decisively won the seat of Makerfield in northwest England over Rob Kenyon of the anti-immigration party Reform UK.The victory announced early Friday cements the status of Burnham, a 56-year-old politician nicknamed the King of the North, as the top contender to replace Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the country.Read more at The Associated Press:Israeli Military Strikes In Southern Lebanon In Intense Fighting As U.S.-Iran Talks PostponedIsrael’s military said Friday its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war.Talks planned for Friday in Switzerland between Iran and the United States, which Vice President JD Vance had been scheduled to attend, found themselves postponed as the fighting intensified. Mediators worked to reschedule the meetings crucial for starting talks over a permanent end to the Iran war, with much of the attention focused on Lebanon, regional officials said.Read more at The Associated Press:Hannah Pingree Projected To Win Maine Democratic Gubernatorial PrimaryHannah Pingree, the former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, is projected to win the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary to replace outgoing Gov. Janet Mills who is termed out of office.Pingree will compete against Republican Robert Charles in November's general election.No candidate won over 50% of the vote in the crowded June 9 Democratic primary, prompting the ranked choice runoff that Pingree won.Matthew Dunlap Wins Maine Democratic Primary To Face Paul LePageMatthew Dunlap is the projected winner of the Democratic primary in Maine to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Jared Golden.Dunlap, who currently serves as state auditor, will face former Maine Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, in November’s general election.The district, Maine’s second, voted for President Donald Trump by a nine-point margin in 2024. One prominent analyst has said Golden’s retirement gives Republicans a chance to capture the seat.Read more here:Jonathan Bush, Nephew Of Former President, Loses Maine GOP PrimaryJonathan Bush, the nephew of former President George H.W. Bush and cousin of former President George W. Bush, is projected to lose the crowded Republican Maine gubernatorial primary.Former U.S. assistant Secretary of State Robert Charles won the primary Friday after the June 9 race advanced to ranked choice voting.Read more here:Business Linked To Trump Donor Got No-Bid Contract To Install Water Purification System In Reflecting Pool: NYTA firm with ties to a Trump donor was able to bypass a competitive bidding process for a project at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to The New York Times. The business, Greenwater Services, is owned by J.J. Cafaro Investment Trust, which is run by Trump supporter John J. Cafaro. It received a $1.7 million no-bid contract to install a water purification system at the reflecting pool this spring.That work is now attracting new attention given the recent outgrowth of algae at the historic landmark. The White House and Interior Department both told The Times that the White House was not involved in choosing the firm, with an agency spokesperson noting that Greenwater Services was selected because it had the “expertise, work force and materials” required to finish the job in a timely fashion. Read more at The New York Times: Viewership Of Trump's UFC Fight Didn't Get Anywhere Near ‘Super Bowl-Type Numbers’Viewership numbers for last weekend's UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House fell far short of what its supporters were predicting, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics data shared by Paramount+."We’re expecting Super Bowl-type numbers for this fight,’’ UFC CEO Dana White said earlier this month. The 2026 Super Bowl averaged 125.6 million viewers. Likewise, Secretary of State Marco Rubio envisioned a fight in which a billion people tuned in.But Paramount+ reported just 17 million viewers across the U.S. and Latin America during UFC Freedom 250, meaning White was short by about 108 million viewers, and Rubio by approximately 980 million.It’s also worth noting that Paramount, which exclusively streamed UFC Freedom 250, only has about 80 million subscribers.Still, the event, which President Donald Trump dubbed “one of the most exciting days in the History of our fabled White House,” did break a January UFC record of five million average viewers for UFC 324.Jonathan David's Hat Trick Powers Canada To First Ever World Cup Victory Over QatarJonathan David scored three goals and Canada won its first World Cup match while all but securing a spot in the knockout round with a 6-0 victory over Qatar on Thursday.Qatar was reduced to nine players because of red cards in the chaotic match. Assim Madibo was handed a red early in the second half after a tackle on Ismaël Koné, who was stretched off with a serious injury to his lower left leg. Homan Ahmed was sent off in the first half for a challenge on Tajon Buchanan.Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the match after missing the team’s opener in Toronto last week because of the G7 summit in France. He sat with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.Cyle Larin scored his second goal of the tournament on a rebound in the 16th minute. Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada punched away David’s volley but it fell to Larin, who pointed to his ears in celebration as the red-clad crowd roared.David doubled the lead with a right-footed volley in the 29th, for his first goal in the run of play in more than a year.Read more from the Associated Press here: ICE Makes Major Reversal On Plans To Use Warehouses As Detention Facilities: NYTIn a major reversal, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is offloading multiple warehouses it procured for use as detention facilities, according to a New York Times report. Per documents obtained by the publication, the agency is selling or giving away seven warehouses, while moving forward with plans for four others. The move signals the agency’s shift away from an initiative championed by former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after it drew environmental lawsuits and outcry from a number of local communities. Read more from the Times: