In Case You Missed It … This Week in News

A lot happened in the world this week – Make sure you didn’t miss it with Liberty Nation GenZ’s weekly news roundup!

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Iran Says It’s Closing the Strait of Hormuz Again

Iran said on June 20 that it is closing the Strait of Hormuz again amid Israel’s continued strikes on Lebanon. The global chokepoint that handles about 20% of the world’s oil supply has been at the center of the three-month-old conflict. Despite the US-Iran memorandum of understanding that would reopen the narrow waterway, Tehran says it is shutting the strait because Israeli attacks violate the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran.

JD Vance Heading to Switzerland for Ceasefire Talks

Vice President JD Vance headed to Switzerland on June 20 as part of ceasefire talks between Washington and Tehran. Negotiations were scheduled to begin on June 19, but they were delayed because of escalating attacks between Lebanon and the Iran-backed Hezbollah. Vance will lead a US delegation involving special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

US Tolls Could Start in the Strait of Hormuz: Trump

While Iran is restricted from charging tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump said that the United States could implement a tolling system if a deal with Iran is not finalized in 60 days. For weeks, there have been reports that Tehran has been using a tolling system to transit oil in the area.

Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Vandalized, Trump Says

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was vandalized, President Trump confirmed on his social media platform on June 20. He alluded to an incident where the numbers “86 47” were drawn in the grass on the National Mall near the pool. This comes as reports surfaced of an algae bloom and peeling paint two weeks after the completion of the $14 million project. Law enforcement is “actively investigating” the vandalism, he added.

Monday, June 22, 2026

First Round of US-Iran Negotiations Ends Amid Verbal Tensions

The first round of high-level peace talks in Switzerland between US and Iranian officials concluded on Sunday as Tehran expressed its strong displeasure with comments made by President Donald Trump threatening a renewal of hostilities.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Judge Blocks Trump Social Security Database to Track Citizenship

US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, a Joe Biden appointee based in the District of Columbia, on Monday “blocked the Trump administration from creating a centralized database containing Social Security numbers along with information about voters’ citizenship status and other sensitive data,” The Hill reports.

Judge Tosses DOJ Walz Subpoenas in Immigration Case

Chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota Patrick Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, on Monday tossed out multiple Justice Department subpoenas to Minnesota Democrat Gov. Tim Walz and other officials in a probe of the state’s cooperation with federal immigration law enforcement agents.

Nancy Guthrie Ransom Note Said She Is Dead

Authorities believe “two ransom notes addressed to Nancy Guthrie’s family days after her disappearance – including a note that said she had died – were likely sent by the person or group of people who abducted her, according to investigators familiar with the case. Investigators believe the same person or people sent both notes and that both were likely sent from the same computer IP address,” CBS News reports. Guthrie is the mother of NBC Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.

MLB: Players Won’t Be Punished for Bible Quotes on Pride Caps

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has told Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) that San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible quotes on their Pride Night caps will not be disciplined.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Trump Touts Economy, Falling Oil Prices in Pennsylvania Visit

President Donald Trump on Tuesday visited the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania to talk up economic progress under his administration and a coming fall in oil prices as the Iran war concludes. Pennsylvania once again will be a key state in US midterm elections this November.

DOJ: 455 Charged, Including 90 Doctors, in Health Fraud Sweep

The Justice Department on Tuesday unveiled “the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death,” a DOJ statement read.

Federal Court Allows ICE to Expand Expedited Deportations

A federal appeals court on Tuesday “allowed the Trump administration to move forward with an effort to expand fast-track deportations throughout the US in a legal win for the president’s crackdown on illegal immigration,” CBS News reports.

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Judge Blocks Trump’s Executive Order on Election Integrity

US District Judge Denise Casper permanently barred the Trump administration’s executive order requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and mandating that mail-in ballots be received by Election Day.

Postmaster General Will Obey Trump Mail-In Ballot Directives

At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed that the US Postal Service will not deliver mail-in ballots in states that refuse to provide voter data to the federal government. The move aligns with rules proposed by President Donald Trump.

Venezuela Rocked by Two Violent Earthquakes

A pair of “powerful earthquakes slammed Venezuela less than a minute apart Wednesday evening, collapsing buildings in the capital, Caracas,” NBC News reports.