{"id":132934,"date":"2026-06-12T10:56:55","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/the-latest-trump-says-hes-really-close-to-a-deal-with-iran-ahead-of-whirlwind-weekend\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T11:20:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T17:20:22","slug":"the-latest-judge-extends-block-on-trumps-1-8-billion-anti-weaponization-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/the-latest-judge-extends-block-on-trumps-1-8-billion-anti-weaponization-fund\/","title":{"rendered":"The Latest: Judge extends block on Trump\u2019s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"President
President Donald Trump is pictured during an event where he signs a proclamation about the fishing industry, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A federal judge agreed Friday to extend a court-ordered block<\/a> on the Trump administration\u2019s creation and operation of a $1.8 billion settlement fund<\/a> for compensating people who claim to be victims of a weaponized government.<\/p>\n

Even though acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress<\/a> the government is scrapping its plans earlier this month, plaintiffs\u2019 attorneys weren\u2019t satisfied by Blanche\u2019s assurances that the fund won\u2019t move forward. President Donald Trump hasn’t publicly and unequivocally endorsed its cancellation.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a new AP-NORC polling analysis finds<\/a> independents have grown increasingly unhappy with Trump during his second term, particularly those without a college degree.<\/p>\n

Here’s the latest:<\/p>\n

Thunderbirds and Blue Angels fly over White House before Sunday\u2019s UFC matches<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dana White, president and CEO of UFC, was on hand to watch as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Navy Blue Angels did a practice run over the White House, where the lawn is set up for Sunday\u2019s matches.<\/p>\n

White is a big Trump supporter. Sunday is also Trump\u2019s 80th birthday.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s name remains on Kennedy Center as removal deadline approaches<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yet there were signs of activity on this steamy summer afternoon, as workers put up scaffolding around a section of the performing arts venue that includes Trump\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

Workers have appeared in the area before so it\u2019s unclear whether they were preparing to immediately take down his name.<\/p>\n

Much of the attention is on U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who must decide whether to grant a last-minute pause for his earlier ruling to remove Trump\u2019s name. The judge ruled in May that only Congress could make such changes.<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, made a filing earlier Friday opposing the request. An ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center\u2019s board, she filed the lawsuit seeking to remove Trump\u2019s name from the institution.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s top diplomat says a deal with the US is close<\/strong><\/p>\n

Striking an unusually optimistic tone, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that a Pakistan-brokered agreement between the U.S. and Iran to end their war \u201chas never been closer.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that the media should not speculate about the deal\u2019s content, apparently in reference to reports circulating with lists of points purportedly included in the agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll details will be shared with the public in due course,\u201d Araghchi said in a post on X.<\/p>\n

Trump shared Araghchi\u2019s post on his own social media account.<\/p>\n

Official details US reductions to NATO resources in Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n

The U.S. notified NATO in early June that it\u2019s reducing the American military assets that would be available to Europe in case of attack, according to a NATO official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n

The reduction included an aircraft carrier strike group as well as a number of submarines, fighter jets, maritime patrol aircraft, air refueling planes and drones, the official said. However, U.S. space capabilities that help with targeting are not being drawn down.<\/p>\n

The official said details are still being worked out on exactly when those assets are being reduced and when other NATO countries will step in to fill gaps left by the U.S. The timeline will be discussed further at the NATO summit in Turkey in July.<\/p>\n

German news outlet Die Welt earlier reported some details of the cuts.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ben Finley<\/p>\n

Vice President JD Vance pushes back on critics of in-the-works Iran deal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vance in a social media post appeared to be chiding some of the president\u2019s supporters who \u201csaid Donald Trump was a historic president a month ago\u201d were now \u201ccriticizing a deal based on unconfirmed media reports.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe president is going to get us a good outcome, one way or the other,\u201d Vance said.<\/p>\n

The vice president in his post said the Iranians \u201care not receiving any cash,\u201d but that Iran would receive \u201ceconomic benefits\u201d if it meets obligations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis deal has the potential to remake the region and lead to lasting peace,\u201d he said, without releasing details.<\/p>\n

Judge extends block on Trump\u2019s $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund<\/strong><\/p>\n

The federal judge agreed Friday to extend a court-ordered block on the Trump administration\u2019s creation and operation of a $1.8 billion settlement fund<\/a> for compensating people who claim to be victims of a weaponized government.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress<\/a> the government is scrapping its plans for the fund in the face of a fierce bipartisan backlash. Government attorneys have argued that lawsuits challenging the fund are now moot, but plaintiffs\u2019 attorneys aren\u2019t satisfied by Blanche\u2019s assurances that the fund won\u2019t move forward.<\/p>\n

President Trump, meanwhile, has not publicly and unequivocally endorsed its cancellation.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

US official says Iran deal has five key terms that include destroying and removing nuclear material<\/strong><\/p>\n

A senior U.S. official said there are five key terms in the agreement: Iran\u2019s nuclear material will be destroyed and removed, its nuclear program will be dismantled, none of its frozen money will be released until it meets certain demands, the Strait of Hormuz will be open, and Iran must not fund terrorist groups.<\/p>\n

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details about the sensitive talks.<\/p>\n

Trump on Friday lashed out at Iranian officials on social media and said, \u201cThey better get their act together, and FAST!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Collin Binkley<\/p>\n

NATO weighs options to defend Europe as the US plans for conflict elsewhere<\/strong><\/p>\n

NATO\u2019s top military officer is weighing alternative plans to defend Europe should it come under attack from Russia, after the United States announced it\u2019s cutting the number of aircraft and warships it would provide in a security crisis.<\/p>\n

The so-called NATO<\/a> Force Model is Plan A for making forces from the 32 member nations available in times of peace, crisis or war. It sets out the military assets commanders can call on in phases over the first six months of any conflict.<\/p>\n

But last month, the Pentagon warned its NATO allies it would be scaling down<\/a> its commitment to focus on potential threats elsewhere, notably from China in the Indo-Pacific region.<\/p>\n

European countries and Canada had waited impatiently for over a year for the Trump administration to detail its plans after it warned that Europe is no longer a top U.S. security priority<\/a>. They knew cuts were coming<\/a>, but not how big, fast or what kind.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Tensions between Trump and Macron could be on full display at next week\u2019s G7 summit in France<\/strong><\/p>\n

The relationship between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron<\/a> started simply enough, with a handshake<\/a>, nearly a decade ago.<\/p>\n

But even then, there were signs of strain in their relationship \u2014 tensions that could be on full display during next week\u2019s G7 summit in France.<\/p>\n

Back in 2017, Trump was a brash businessman just elected to America\u2019s most powerful office, and Macron was an upstart politician who had won his race<\/a> in a landslide. At a NATO summit in Brussels, they clinched hands<\/a> far longer than most people do when they meet for the first time. Neither seemed to want to be the first to break a grip so tight that it exposed white knuckles.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, a friendship was born. And early on, Macron seemed to be the one European leader with a knack for managing his mercurial, three-decades-older counterpart.<\/p>\n

But by the end of Trump\u2019s first term, the bromance had faded. And in his second term, the leaders now openly trade barbs, disagreeing over tariffs, Ukraine and the Iran war.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

A key US government surveillance program is set to expire<\/strong><\/p>\n

The surveillance tool<\/a> seen as vital in preventing terror attacks and catching foreign spies is set to expire Friday after congressional efforts to temporarily extend it failed in bipartisan fashion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a significant lapse for the program known as Section 702, and even as President Donald Trump nominates a new national intelligence director<\/a> more palatable to both Republicans and Democrats than his initial pick, it\u2019s unclear how soon lawmakers \u2014 set for recess \u2014 would be able to revive the spy program.<\/p>\n

Still, there may not be an immediate drop-off given that a court order from March authorized these government surveillance powers to remain in effect for another year.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Ahead of G7, Carney softens tone toward Trump with trade talks at stake<\/strong><\/p>\n

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney<\/a> became a symbol of middle power resistance after a celebrated speech earlier this year, but he is expected to be more muted in his criticism of Trump at an upcoming summit<\/a> in Europe.<\/p>\n

Carney\u2019s speech at the World Economic Forum<\/a> in Davos, Switzerland, helped make him an international political star in January, when he declared the global rules-based order over and condemned coercion by great powers on smaller countries. The prime minister received widespread praise and attention for his remarks<\/a> and upstaged Trump at the gathering.<\/p>\n

But the Group of Seven summit of industrialized democracies<\/a> that begins Monday in France comes ahead of the scheduled July 1 review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the latest iteration of the North American free-trade pact that has intertwined the economies of the United States, Mexico and Canada since the early 1990s. It is a crucial moment in trade talks, and Trump said this week that he may not renew the deal.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Kennedy Center board seeks pause of ruling ordering removal of Trump\u2019s name by Friday deadline<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s handpicked board at the Kennedy Center is mounting a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the iconic performing arts facility before a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday.<\/p>\n

The board voted Thursday to seek a stay of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper\u2019s May 29 ruling that said Trump\u2019s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center, according to a person familiar with the move who requested anonymity to discuss a private meeting. The formal request was filed late Thursday.<\/p>\n

Cooper ruled that only Congress could institute a change to the Kennedy Center\u2019s name and ordered references to Trump be removed by Friday. He also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Where Trump has lost support with independents, according to AP-NORC polling<\/strong><\/p>\n

Independents have grown increasingly unhappy with Trump during his second term, a new AP-NORC polling analysis finds, particularly those without a college degree.<\/p>\n

The analysis from researchers at The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research<\/a> shows that while about half of independents without a college education had a positive view of Trump around the 2024 election, his approval with that group fell to about one-quarter this spring. That shift has erased the large education gap that existed among independents in the months before Trump took office for his second term, with independents now holding similarly negative views of the president regardless of their level of education.<\/p>\n

The analysis was conducted by aggregating nearly two dozen AP-NORC polls conducted between July 2024 and April 2026, allowing for a deeper look at how support for Trump changed during several distinct periods, including the last six months of 2024, the first 100 days of Trump\u2019s presidency, the summer of 2025 when the Big Beautiful Bill passed, last fall\u2019s government shutdown and the beginning of the Iran war.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Trump is raising expectations that this time he really will close deal with Iran to wind down war<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trump has long been looking for this weekend to be a big one for his presidency.<\/p>\n

The World Cup<\/a> returns to the U.S. on Friday for the first time in 32 years after Trump threw himself into winning the bid<\/a> to co-host the soccer tourney during his first term. He\u2019ll be feted Sunday, his 80th birthday, during a UFC fight night that\u2019s expected to draw thousands<\/a> to the White House grounds. Hours after the final bout, he\u2019s scheduled to jet off to the G7 summit in the French Alps<\/a> for talks with several world leaders he\u2019s been beefing with over war and tariffs.<\/p>\n

But Trump set expectations even higher for the coming days when he announced Thursday that the U.S. and Iran could come to terms this weekend<\/a> on an agreement that would set the pathway to end the three-month-old war that\u2019s been broadly unpopular with Americans and has rattled global oil markets.<\/a> He said he plans to dispatch Vice President JD Vance<\/a> to the signing of the agreement.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds and Blue Angels do a practice flyover of the White House, Octagon and Washington Monument, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Washington, ahead of the UFC fight. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
The American flag is raised in front of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/John McDonnell<\/span>The American flag is raised in front of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/John McDonnell<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
A small motorboat passes anchored vessels in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Thursday, June 11, 2026.(Amirhosein Khorgooi\/ISNA via AP)<\/span>(Amirhosein Khorgooi\/ISNA via AP)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Donald Trump is pictured during an event where he signs a proclamation about the fishing industry, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin)(AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin) A federal judge agreed Friday to extend a court-ordered block on the Trump administration\u2019s creation and operation of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":132935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5734],"tags":[],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-132934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-associated-press"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132934"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132934\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":132975,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132934\/revisions\/132975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132934"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=132934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}