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Jun 15, 2026 - World

Vice President JD Vance took aim at late Pope Francis and the Vatican in his new book, describing the meeting with the Roman Catholic Church's leader who died roughly 24 hours after the conversation, according to The Washington Post.Vance described the meeting as "'unsettling' as the officials uttered what he describes as 'trite platitudes' and 'clichés,' adding that he preferred the direct rebukes offered by Pope Francis," The Post reported.In the new book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith," which is slated to be released on Tuesday, Vance talked about his short conversation with Francis and Vatican diplomats on Easter morning. He wrote about being "unusually nervous" on the drive to the Vatican — and what would later be known as the last day of Francis's life."The vice president’s criticism of Vatican officials in his new book contrasts with his favorable accounts of both Francis and Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope. His account follows efforts by U.S. and Vatican officials to downplay tensions between the two sides as they’ve disagreed over the last year and a half on matters of immigration and war," according to The Post.Vance argued that Vatican officials were "too diplomatic" in the talks and "unwilling to talk in specifics about the subjects on which the U.S. and the Holy See disagreed," The Post reported."He acknowledges that the diplomats probably avoided specifics 'out of a desire to be, well, diplomatic,' but writes that their comments were 'too abstract to be helpful,'" according to The Post.The vice president converted to Catholicism in 2019 and in his new book, shares his faith experiences. "Vance adds he was 'struck that one of the few institutions with the moral authority and global perspective to address the migration question seemed so afraid of saying something controversial that it chose, effectively, to say nothing at all,'" The Post reported.In the book, he reflected on the encounter and on other decisions he made during his 2021 Senate campaign."One of the dumbest things I ever said came when I argued that ‘childless cat ladies’ across the Democrat Party were running our country into the ground," Vance wrote in his new book. "It was a boneheaded comment, intentionally (and successfully) provocative rather than illuminating."

Jun 15, 2026 - World

A Republican lawmaker's comments about the Iran agreement during an interview with Fox News on Monday drew laughs online.Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), an Army veteran and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the Trump administration's reported move to give Iran billions of dollars, saying it was good and that the taxpayer-funded expense made sense because "we destroyed so much.""OK, maybe they do end up getting $20 billion, let's say—we're still $300 to $500 billion ahead considering we destroyed their Navy, destroyed their Air Force, destroyed all those nuclear facilities I already spoke about, their steel manufacturing, their drone manufacturing," Mast said.Journalists and political commentators questioned the GOP congressman's math."Math degree from Trump University," S.V. Dáte, White House correspondent at HuffPost, wrote on X."This is not how anything works," Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic, wrote on X."This time we'll send barges full of cash. That will show them! Mast leaves out that when Obama sent cash, it was the Iranians' money that had sat in interest-bearing accounts for decades. This time it will be U.S. Taxpayers who foot the bill," Decoding Fox News, a newsletter and podcast founded by Juliet Jeske, wrote on X."Would Brian Mast call this...., 'palettes [SIC] of cash,' or 'plane loads of cash?'" Comedian and artist Patric Reynolds wrote on Bluesky.Math degree from Trump University. https://t.co/mi2hGX1bn4— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) June 15, 2026

Jun 15, 2026 - World

Experts were raising questions about President Donald Trump's health after photo and video footage showed the now octogenarian traveling between back-to-back events across the ocean.Trump went from Sunday night's UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House to France for the G7 Summit to discuss the next steps in the deal with Iran to stop the military conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Political commentators reacted to the president's appearance in Évian-les-Bains, France, with French President Emmanuel Macron."The WH is trying to project Trump as the president who never stops working, going right from the UFC thing to Paris and nailing down the Iran agreement when others were sleeping. In reality, he looks and sounds totally spent. How much longer can they keep the plates spinning?" Conspiracy expert and author Mike Rothschild wrote on X."Trump does not look like a man that’s in full control of his faculties," entrepreneur and technologist Gissur Simonarson, co-founder of Cloud Sherpa, wrote on X."Trump looks like death warmed over," journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on X."Trump, now 80 years old, is looking banged up after his big night at the fights and a flight to Europe," Rupar wrote in a separate X post."The blank eyes. A portal to hell," political commentator Bill Johnson wrote on X.The WH is trying to project Trump as the president who never stops working, going right from the UFC thing to Paris and nailing down the Iran agreement when others were sleeping.In reality, he looks and sounds totally spent. How much longer can they keep the plates spinning? https://t.co/Unfvq3uzBE— Mike (not a) Rothschild (@rothschildmd) June 15, 2026

Jun 15, 2026 - World

The accomplished musician, who recorded over 70 albums in his career, died peacefully in Germany after a short illnessThe South African jazz composer and pianist Abdullah Ibrahim has died at the age of 91.His family announced his death in a statement released on Monday. Continue reading...

Jun 15, 2026 - World

The internet was stunned on Monday after Vice President JD Vance confirmed that Iranians could gain access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund, one of the terms in the Iran agreement.In an interview with CBS, Vance described that component of the agreement and argued that Tehran hard-liners would emphasize the benefits of the deal and not what the country will have to give up to secure it."That's the sort of thing they could have access to, funded by the Gulf Coast coalition, so long as they honor their end of the obligation," Vance said, adding that Iran would have to make concessions regarding the country's nuclear program, including oversight of it.Social media commentators and political experts were quick to question the agreement."Can we talk about the scale of problems that are going to arise from spending 300 billion? This is 500%-600% larger than the entire annual budget of the Iranian govt. It is one year of Iranian GDP *of the ENTIRE COUNTRY.* This is insane," Karl Rohe, Statistics Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, wrote on X."Kinda makes Obama's giving back $1.7 billion of Iran's own money seem insignificant," Scott Greenfield, Criminal defense lawyer and blogger at Simple Justice, wrote on X."We are going to pay Iran $300 billion to rebuild from the war we started. Wrap your head around that when they claim that Trump is a master negotiator," Fred Wellman, a U.S. Army veteran and Lincoln Project communications strategist, wrote on X. "Oh, look. Trump’s deal is explained as providing no money for Iran…unless they stick with the deal. Which means, of course: IRAN IS GETTING MONEY under the deal. Yet, Trump said 2 months ago it’d already been agreed Iran would receive no money 'in any way, shape, or form,'" Joel Lawson, political strategist and former chair of Gender Action, wrote on X.We are going to pay Iran $300 billion to rebuild from the war we started. Wrap your head around that when they claim that Trump is a master negotiator. https://t.co/smHwEohk2z— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) June 15, 2026