Here's a roundup of today's top headlines, pulling from major news and information sources and established outlets.
U.S. and Iran sign initial deal to end the war. Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding laying out terms for ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz at Versailles on Wednesday. The 14-point MOU has the U.S. lifting sanctions and unfreezing Iranian funds and assets, while allowing Tehran to sell its oil freely again. It declares an "immediate and permanent termination of military operations" in the war that began Feb. 28, with both sides committing to a "final deal" within 60 days. Iran reaffirms it won't pursue nuclear weapons, though no enforcement mechanism for its enriched-uranium stockpile has been finalized yet. Iran's supreme leader said he authorized the deal despite "a different view," and Israel has signaled it doesn't feel bound by the Lebanon provisions. NBC News + 3
Republicans blast the Iran deal. The agreement drew scorching public criticism from some Republicans once copies circulated on Capitol Hill Thursday — one senator called it the "worst foreign policy blunder in decades". Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker said the MOU "negotiates away" U.S. military gains and opposed lifting sanctions or unfreezing funds, particularly over the proposed $300 billion Iran reconstruction fund. Trump fired back on social media, calling critics "fools" who are "jealous, bad people, or stupid", pointing to record stock prices and falling oil prices. The Jerusalem Post + 2
Hegseth lashes out at NATO allies. At a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ripped into allies while announcing a new six-month review of U.S. troop deployments in Europe, accusing the alliance of being a "paper tiger". He berated allies as "shameful" for failing a test Trump put to them seeking base access to launch strikes on Iran, and took shots at their focus on "gender equity and climate change" and migration policies. NATO's Mark Rutte pushed back, noting Europe and Canada upped defense spending by $90 billion last year alone. The HillPBS
New Stonehenge discovery. Archaeologists uncovered two large pits in Bulford, Wiltshire — about 3 miles from Stonehenge — that once held wooden posts aligned with the summer and winter solstices, the same way Stonehenge's stones are. Carbon dating puts the site at roughly 2950 B.C., about 500 years before Stonehenge's famous stones were placed. Lead archaeologist Phil Harding called it one of the biggest finds of his career, though not all experts are convinced two postholes prove a real alignment. NBC NewsScientific American
Texas track-meet stabbing video released. Newly released body-camera and surveillance footage shows the moments after a teen fatally stabbed a rival athlete in the bleachers at a Frisco, Texas high school track meet last year. Karmelo Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder on June 10 in the death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years; a jury rejected his self-defense claim. ABC7ABC7
Trump blames "vandalism" for Reflecting Pool problems. Trump announced "multiple arrests" of people he said were vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as he struggled to explain why his $14 million-plus renovation seemingly backfired. The pool, repainted blue to better reflect the Washington Monument, quickly turned green again from algae, and the new paint has been peeling. Park Police, National Park Service, and Interior did not respond to requests for comment, and Trump offered no evidence for the vandalism claim; one man arrested near the pool disputed the characterization of his actions. PBS + 2
Appeals court blocks new CFPB staff cuts. A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration's bid to immediately resume slashing staff at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, though it sent the case back to the district court. The Justice Department had previously sought to cut up to 90% of CFPB employees; Trump officials have called for the agency's outright abolition. HuffPostHuffPost
Acting spy chief seeks to fire hundreds. Bill Pulte, Trump's new acting Director of National Intelligence, arrived at ODNI a day early after requesting a full staff list to assess who to fire, according to CNN sources. Pulte previously lacked a security clearance and has no intelligence background; a House Intelligence Committee Democrat said the reports show why Pulte "should never spend a minute" in the role. CNN + 2
