Salem News Channel

The U.S. opens its home World Cup with a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay, sparked by Balogun’s 2 goals. Folarin Balogun scored twice in the Americans’ historic three-goal first half, and the U.S. opened its first home World Cup in 32 years with its biggest win in the tournament, a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night. Christian Pulisic had an assist in a stellar first-half playmaking performance for the Americans, who enthralled their Southern California fans with an aggressive attack while streaking to a 3-0 halftime lead – the team’s largest in any World Cup game. Gio Reyna ripped another goal in the dying moments of second-half injury time, giving the Americans four goals in a World Cup match for the first time.

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INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Iranian Americans are torn over Iran's participation in the World Cup, as some community members plan to watch Monday's match and others plan to protest outside the stadium where the team will play. A rally is planned for outside the stadium near Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran. Many of Southern California’s Iranian Americans arrived after the Islamic Revolution, and a hub of eateries, shops and markets about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the stadium is known as “Tehrangeles.” Rally participants plan to wear lion-and-sun T-shirts and wave the country's flag from before the 1979 Islamic Revolution in protest of Tehran’s deadly January crackdown on dissent. Ali Javahery, a 59-year-old consultant who was born in Iran and lives in California's Orange County, said he will be outside protesting Iran's opening match against New Zealand, not inside watching it. He said soccer and politics are intertwined, and though he loves the sport, he says the national team's players are under pressure to adhere to the Iranian government's positions. “This is not ‘Team Melli,’” as the national team is known in Persian, Javahery said. “This is Team Islamic Republic.” Iran's participation in the tournament has been fraught with conflict because of the country's war with U.S. and Israeli forces. The team moved its training base to Mexico from Tucson, Arizona, and some of the country's key soccer officials had not been granted visas to enter the United States. Many in the diaspora have mixed feelings over how to show their support of the Iranian people, but not the government, through their love of soccer. “We play for every Iranian, be it in the diaspora or in Iran. People have different opinions, but we are here to unite people and we will try to bring joy to all Iranians wherever they live,” team captain Mehdi Taremi said at a press conference Sunday. “We are here to bring joy to Iranian people. We do not get involved in politics. We are here to play football.” Reza Garajedaghi, 57, said he will watch the game with his 96-year-old father in San Diego. He said he didn’t buy tickets for the game, partly because of the sky-high pricing. But he said he supports the team, politics aside, while respecting the wide range of views shared by Iranians in the diaspora. “I’m a football die-hard, and the boys, they’re representing all Persians, Iranians around the world,” said Garajedaghi, who left Iran when he was 10 years old. “To me, it has nothing to do with whatever government they have in Iran.” Watch parties are planned to cheer on the team in Southern California, and when Iran was assigned last year to play in LA, many bought tickets. But in recent months some said they have sold off their tickets in anger, following January's brutal repression. Some Iranian American soccer fans have also said the team is currently tied up in politics. In the past, Iranian athletes have faced serious consequences for speaking out. In 2022, a prominent former member of the national team was arrested for allegedly protesting against the country’s leadership, and star striker Sardar Azmoun wasn’t selected for the World Cup squad this year, reportedly because of a social media post that angered authorities. Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei called Azmoun an “excellent player” and said he wished he were with the team. “I am just happy that they are coming to watch us and I hope that they will pray for us and I hope that they will encourage us,” Ghalenoei said Sunday when asked about the sizable diaspora. He added that he hoped the team would pay back that loyalty by playing a good game. Some Iranian Americans are also upset about FIFA's rule barring political flags from being flown. They want to fly the pre-revolution lion-and-sun flag, which is not the official flag of Iran. The Iranian American Institute for Voices for Liberty said it filed a lawsuit last week in California to challenge FIFA’s flag rule. During Friday's opening ceremony in Los Angeles, members of the mostly American crowd booed when Iran's flag was brought onto the field. Late Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. had reached a deal with Iran to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28 has rattled the region and virtually shut down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. Details of the deal, expected to be signed Friday, weren't available.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump hosted a UFC event on the White House Lawn for his 80th birthday. Fighters from around the world joined the celebration, marking a unique moment for the sport. The event called Freedom 250 featured seven fights and celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence's signing. UFC President Dana White and Trump enjoyed chants of "USA! USA!" as they watched the action. Bo Nickal won his match and thanked Trump for the opportunity. The event highlighted the close relationship between Trump and White, with thousands of fans attending, including notable figures like Mark Zuckerberg.

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EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France, June 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump joined global leaders on Monday at the Group of Seven summit at a French lakeside resort, where he touted his preliminary deal to end the Iran war and said he would now seek to end the fighting in Ukraine and Lebanon. Trump's arrival at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains comes as global leaders grow increasingly wary of the United States. While many of them expressed relief over a deal that could bring closure to the Iran conflict, it was tempered by unease over new Trump tariff threats aimed at France and his warnings about the dangers of immigration. In comments to the press alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said a memorandum of understanding aiming to end the war in the Gulf has already been signed by the United States and Iran, but he was unclear on when the text would be released. Trump said some ships were already traversing the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for global oil and gas supplies that Iran had effectively shut down, and that they would be passing toll-free. With the Iran deal secured, Trump said he would now turn his attention to trying to secure peace between Ukraine and Russia, while also seeking to bring closure to fighting in Lebanon. "We had a very good conversation yesterday with President Zelenskiy and President Putin, and I think maybe we can do something there. I really do. I think they're both open to it," he said. The fallout from wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East is just one of several issues G7 leaders will wrestle with during the June 15 to 17 summit. They will also seek common ground on tackling global economic imbalances, sourcing critical minerals outside of the dominant supplier China and AI. CRUCIAL UKRAINE MEETING Trump is due to attend a working session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the summit, whose hand has improved since Trump told him in the Oval Office last year: "You don't have the cards." Russian advances in Ukraine have slowed and Ukraine is seeking more military funding from its allies amid a barrage of attacks on Kyiv. Zelenskiy said on Monday he had offered to meet Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the G7 summit for talks to end their more than four-year-old war, but Putin was ?not ready to speak. It remains to be seen if Zelenskiy can secure greater U.S. support while Trump prioritises drawing a permanent line under an Iran conflict that has dented his support domestically. Securing guarantees from Trump may be hard. He is viewed as a volatile partner by G7 leaders, many of whom have been directly impacted by unilateral Trump decisions that have upended the Middle East, global trade and diplomacy, and prompted deeper soul-searching over the U.S. commitment to the post-war global order it helped establish. FRESH TARIFF THREATS Underscoring the tensions, Trump told the New York Post before leaving for France he would "have no choice" but to apply 100% tariffs on French wine unless Paris eliminates its digital tax on U.S. tech giants. Then, in a social media post just before arriving at the summit, he turned to a subject that has been a regular source of tension with centrist European allies: immigration. "Sadly, if you import people from Third World Countries, you quickly become a Third World Country — And there's not a thing you can do about it," he wrote. Macron, whose term ends next year, is increasingly seen as a lame duck at home but he was still able to lure Trump to a glitzy dinner at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday to mark 250 years of U.S. independence. The French leader told TF1 that France would not yield to Trump's threats, adding, "tariffs don't do anyone any good, especially tariffs between G7 countries."

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An ICE agent was injured while trying to make an arrest in New Jersey Monday morning. An investigation is underway after an ICE agent fired a weapon during an attempted arrest in Ocean County, New Jersey around 9:30 a.m. Authorities say the agent was trying to take a person into custody when that individual fled in a vehicle and allegedly struck the agent.

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DUBAI/BEIRUT/WASHINGTON/EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France, June 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday a memorandum of understanding aiming to end the war in the Gulf has already been signed by the United States and Iran, drawing calls from his opponents to publish the text. "The deal's all signed. And the strait is already partially opened," Trump said shortly after arriving in France for a summit of the G7 group of big economies, hailing the agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz, where a three-month blockade of Gulf oil supplies has caused global economic disruption. An official signing ceremony for the agreement is due to be held on Friday in Geneva, just an hour's drive away along the lakeshore from the summit venue of Evian-les-Bains in the French Alps. Asked when the text of the memorandum would be made public, Trump said: "Probably pretty soon. I would say after sometime after Friday... I think sometime in the very near future." U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York called on Trump to release the details publicly and brief Congress. "The American people deserve details and full transparency - what exactly is in this 'understanding'?" Schumer asked in a statement. "Will servicemembers remain in harm's way. And what have we actually gained here from Trump's war?" In an early reminder of the agreement's fragility, Israel - which launched the war alongside the United States in February and was not consulted on the talks to end it - struck a car with a drone in southern Lebanon, where it has been battling the Iran-aligned Hezbollah movement. Iran has said the deal requires a full cessation of hostilities there. Israel says it retains the right to act militarily. A U.S. official said Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon was not a condition of the deal: "The deal is a ceasefire, and it will not be a one-way ceasefire, meaning that if Iran is not able to control Hezbollah, and if they attack Israeli positions or Israeli towns, Israel will have the right to defend themselves and respond." Oil prices tumbled on the prospect of an end to disruption to global energy supplies, and share prices soared, some hitting new records. 60-DAY NEGOTIATION PERIOD According to accounts from both sides, the agreement would reopen the blockaded strait and extend a ceasefire for a 60-day negotiation period, when contentious issues such as the future of Iran's nuclear programme are due to be decided. While the terms remain unpublished, U.S. officials say economic benefits to Iran foreseen under the deal are contingent on it satisfying U.S. demands never to build a nuclear weapon. Vance, speaking to CBS News, said the deal could ultimately end with Iran being given access to a reconstruction fund of up to $300 billion, funded by its Gulf Arab neighbours, provided it fulfills promises to give up nuclear material. Iranian officials, who have always denied intending to build a nuclear weapon, say they have given up little and have secured Washington's commitment to lift sanctions, release frozen assets and pay damages for the war Trump launched alongside Israel. Meanwhile, the immediate fate of the pact could hinge on Lebanon, where Israel has been battling the Iran-aligned Hezbollah armed group in parallel with the wider war that it launched alongside the United States against Iran in February. Security sources said fighting in southern Lebanon had tamped down on Monday after the agreement was announced but had not ceased entirely. In the first strike of its kind since the announcement, an Israeli drone struck a car in the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit, killing the driver, Lebanese state media reported. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike. LEBANON HAS BEEN A STICKING POINT While the U.S. and Iran had largely ceased hostilities in early April, fighting has not ceased in Lebanon, where Hezbollah opened fire on Israel in support of Tehran on March 2 and Israel responded with an air campaign and ground invasion that has uprooted some 1.2 million people. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there must be a complete halt to Israeli attacks against Lebanon and wrote on Telegram that the U.S. bears responsibility for implementing the framework deal. Hezbollah welcomed the deal and said the inclusion of Lebanon reflected Iran's commitment to securing a halt to the war and preserving Lebanon's rights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to respond publicly to the U.S.-Iran agreement. Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Israel would remain "indefinitely" in areas it is occupying in southern Lebanon to eliminate what it perceives as militant threats. Privately, Israeli officials' views of the deal have been negative. One senior Israeli official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the agreement was "terrible for Israel," and that this assessment was shared throughout the government from Netanyahu on down. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would help solve a global energy crisis precipitated by the war, which has hurt Trump's political fortunes by forcing up gasoline prices in the United States. "Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!" he wrote on Sunday.

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The Deal is Here: Will it Last?

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The UFC, country music, fighter jets, motorcycles, and unapologetic patriotism are the authentic, energetic culture of real America — precisely the kind of working-class vigor that out-of-touch elites and the left resent and seek to undermine.

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Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a message of humility and gratitude to the American people, crediting their patience for allowing the Trump administration to finally solve the long-standing problem of a terrorist-supporting Iran racing toward a nuclear weapon.

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Twelve people were killed after a plane carrying a group of skydivers crashed in western Missouri on Sunday, according to authorities. The aircraft went down in a field near Butler, about 65 miles south of Kansas City, and caught fire after impact. Officials said the pilot and 11 passengers were on board at the time of the crash. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the plane was transporting people for a skydiving outing when it plunged into the field. Emergency crews responded to the scene, but there were no survivors. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have been dispatched to the crash site and are working to determine what caused the aircraft to go down. Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims as the investigation continues.

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Iran’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is drawing mixed reactions from Iranian Americans in Southern California, where both watch parties and protests are planned ahead of the team's game against New Zealand. The match is being held near Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran. While many fans plan to support the national team, others say they will gather outside the stadium to protest the Iranian government's crackdown on dissent and human rights concerns. Some members of the Iranian diaspora say they remain proud of the players and want to separate the team from politics. Others argue the national team has become too closely associated with the government and are using the global spotlight of the World Cup to voice opposition. The differing reactions highlight deep divisions within the Iranian American community as many balance their love of soccer with concerns about events unfolding in Iran. Despite the controversy, supporters and protesters alike are expected to turn out in large numbers for the highly anticipated match.

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New York City erupted in celebration after the New York Knicks captured their first NBA championship in 53 years, ending one of the longest title droughts in professional basketball. Thousands of fans poured into the streets Saturday night following the Knicks' comeback victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Celebrations centered around Madison Square Garden and spread throughout Midtown Manhattan as fans cheered, chanted, and celebrated the historic win. However, the festivities quickly turned chaotic in some areas. Police reported multiple arrests after crowds clashed with officers, damaged property, and created disturbances throughout the city. Authorities said some fans climbed scaffolding, light poles, and vehicles, while others vandalized police property. Officials are continuing to assess the damage and review incidents connected to the post-game celebrations as the city marks the Knicks' long-awaited championship victory.

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A growing debate is underway over whether television programs aimed at children should include new content warnings for parents. The discussion comes after calls from lawmakers and advocacy groups for the Federal Communications Commission to consider adding labels that would alert parents when children's programming includes themes related to gender identity or LGBT topics. Supporters argue parents should have more information about the content their children are watching, while critics say existing television ratings systems already provide guidance for families. Current TV ratings include categories such as TV-Y, TV-G, TV-PG and TV-14, along with content descriptors for violence, language and sexual content. Advocates of the proposal say additional disclosures would improve transparency and help parents make informed viewing decisions. The issue remains under review, and any changes to the ratings system would likely require further public input and regulatory consideration.

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President Donald Trump has announced plans to nominate attorney James McDonald to serve as the next U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most prominent federal prosecutor positions in the country. McDonald is a former federal prosecutor and currently serves on Trump's legal team, helping handle the president's appeal of his New York felony convictions related to hush money payments made during the 2016 campaign. If confirmed, McDonald would succeed Jay Clayton, who was recently tapped by Trump to serve as director of national intelligence. The Southern District of New York oversees many of the nation's highest-profile financial, public corruption, and national security cases. The nomination will require Senate confirmation before McDonald can officially take office.

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President Donald Trump marked his 80th birthday Sunday by attending a special UFC fight night held on the White House lawn. Thousands of spectators gathered for the event, which featured seven fights and was organized as part of celebrations leading up to the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026. The unique venue transformed the White House grounds into an outdoor arena for the evening's matches. Trump, a longtime supporter of the UFC and a frequent attendee of major fight events, greeted fighters and fans throughout the night. The event combined sports and patriotism, drawing supporters and visitors to the nation's capital for the historic celebration. The White House UFC showcase is one of several events planned as the country prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year.

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President Donald Trump is traveling to France for the Group of Seven summit following the announcement of a tentative agreement aimed at ending the conflict with Iran. The summit, taking place in the French Alps, is expected to focus heavily on developments in the Middle East, including efforts to reopen shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz after months of disruption tied to the conflict. World leaders are also expected to discuss the global economic impact of the fighting, including energy prices and supply chain concerns. Trump arrives at the gathering after unveiling the preliminary agreement, which would extend the ceasefire and begin the process of reopening one of the world's most important shipping routes. While details of the agreement are still being finalized, the development is expected to dominate discussions among allied leaders. In addition to the situation in Iran, Trump is expected to meet with fellow G-7 leaders and discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, including talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other international partners. The summit is expected to address security, trade, and broader geopolitical challenges facing the alliance.

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Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say the country’s Ebola outbreak continues to worsen, with 782 confirmed cases and 181 deaths reported since the outbreak was declared on May 15. The outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Health authorities say the majority of cases have been concentrated in the eastern Ituri province, though infections have also spread to neighboring North and South Kivu provinces and into Uganda. Efforts to contain the outbreak have been complicated by ongoing armed conflict, attacks on healthcare workers, and mistrust of public health officials in affected communities. The movement of displaced residents and artisanal miners throughout the region has also made contact tracing and monitoring more difficult. International health agencies continue to support response efforts as officials work to slow the spread of the deadly virus and prevent additional fatalities.

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Posting on Truth Social Sunday night, President Trump writes: "The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

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Obama's Damaging Policies

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Liberals Hate the UFC White House Event

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