As the months get warmer, lemonade starts making a very appealing appearance at many of our tables. To really usher summer in, add this tropical fruit.
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Month: June 2026
A Libertarian challenger in a top Iowa battleground says Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the district’s current representative, GOP Rep. Zach Nunn, privately pressured him to drop out.
Marco Battaglia, who hopes to run for the state’s 3rd Congressional District, has faced multiple challenges from Republicans over his eligibility and was even struck from the ballot on Monday — though he plans to appeal the state election panel’s decision.
Battaglia said Nunn visited his home on June 7 to convince him to exit the race. Then, a day later, came a call from Washington — and Kennedy, allegedly, was on the other line.
Battaglia said Kennedy told him that it would be a direct blow to Kennedy, personally, if Republicans lost the seat.
“If this seat flips, it’ll make my life hell,” Kennedy said, according to Battaglia’s recollection. It’s not clear what Kennedy was referring to, but the HHS secretary could face impeachment should Democrats retake control of the House.
Battaglia shared screenshots of his call log with POLITICO that show an incoming call from a phone number Kennedy has previously used. The call arrived at 12:44 p.m. central and lasted nearly 12 minutes. POLITICO also reviewed screenshots of text messages Battaglia later sent to the number associated with Kennedy, which did not garner responses.
Kennedy’s office did not respond to a request for comment. In recent weeks, the secretary has stepped up his involvement in battleground races, visiting Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s 3rd District and Democratic Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s 9th District. He will appear with GOP Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s 7th District on Tuesday.
Nunn’s campaign did not dispute that he visited Battaglia’s home, but adviser Annie Kuhle said in a statement that the purpose was to inform Battaglia of challenges to his signatures and invite him to cooperate with the investigation.
Kuhle said there is “strong evidence” Battaglia’s signatures were gathered “by dark-money outside groups with ties to the Democrat Party.” Nunn’s meeting with Battaglia was first reported by the Des Moines Register.
Battaglia was removed from the ballot Monday after the Iowa State Objection Panel — which adjudicates challenges to candidate eligibility — determined he was ineligible because he did not use his legal name: Mark Thomas Andersen.
Battaglia told POLITICO he plans to appeal the decision, as his party did in 2024 when all Libertarians were removed from the ballot for not following state law in their nominating process. When that appeal failed, Battaglia and other Libertarian candidates launched write-in campaigns.
“Iowa Republicans know they can’t win on ideas, so they are resorting to their favorite tactic: suppressing voter choice,” Evan McMahon, chair of the national Libertarian Party, said in a statement. “When a third party gathers a record number of signatures and earns its place on the ballot, the answer is to debate them, not to bully them, bribe them, or sue them off the ballot.”
The 3rd District is one of Democrats’ top targets this cycle, a seat Nunn won by fewer than four points in 2024 even as Trump won the state by 13 points. State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democratic nominee, is a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program.
Republicans have already spent nearly $4.5 million to defend the seat, according to the political advertising tracker AdImpact. Republicans warn Battaglia’s presence on the ballot — drawing conservative votes away from Nunn — could tip a close race.
The Republican National Committee did not respond to a request for comment.
Battaglia says Nunn, during his June 7 visit to his home, offered him a deal and referenced the HHS secretary: “We’ll fly you out to D.C. and you can be my wing man,” Nunn allegedly said, per Battaglia’s recollection. “We’ll make you the poster boy for election integrity, and we’ll hang out with Robert Kennedy Jr.”
Nunn’s campaign denies the representative said any such thing. “No offer, inducement, or thing of value was ever proposed or provided in exchange for withdrawing the nomination petitions,” said Kuhle, the Nunn campaign strategist, in a statement.
In a text message to Kuhle and Nunn after the meeting, Battaglia said he would “reconsider withdrawal” if Nunn pledged to “formally introduce impeachment of the President for Treason, Bribery, and other high Crimes and Misdemeanors,” according to a screenshot reviewed by POLITICO.
A spokesperson for Nunn’s campaign, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said they “kept stakeholders, including the White House, informed of our concerns,” but they “did not ask them to take any action on our behalf, and were not aware of any actions taken until Marco informed us of the call [with Kennedy].”
Battaglia is a longtime Kennedy supporter who backed him when he launched a Democratic bid for president in 2023. Battaglia said he met Kennedy during a campaign stop in Des Moines in August 2023, when the then-Democrat spoke at a coffee shop. Battaglia said he presented Kennedy with a gift: A VHS tape of “The Second Gun,” a documentary exploring an alternate theory of Kennedy’s father’s assassination.
“He seemed to respond to it warmly,” Battaglia said. “It was a nice gift.”
Politics
This 5-ingredient Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe is simple yet delicious, relying on basic ingredients (and plenty of mayo) for that key creamy flavor profile.
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We have tragic news to report from the world of reality TV today.
James Barker, a producer on Love Island USA, has passed away while filming the show’s eighth season in Fiji.
News of Barker’s death comes courtesy of a statement from Peacock and ITV America.
“James’ unimaginable loss has been deeply felt across not just the entire Love Island USA production, but throughout all of ITV and Peacock,” the networks said in a joint statement (via People).
“He was a beloved and greatly valued member of our collective family whose kindness, talent and dedication left an indelible mark on all of us and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.”
Peacock and ITV also announced that Barker will be honored during the June 16 episode of Love Island USA.
No cause of death has been publicly disclosed, but insiders have divulged that Barker died following an “unexpected medical emergency” last week.
Barker joined Love Island USA in 2020 as a story producer before rising through the ranks to become executive producer for the show’s past three seasons.
Along the way, he played a key role in both production and post-production and helped oversee the series’ soundtrack.
Barker’s television career began at Leftfield Pictures in 2011, where he worked on popular reality programs including Pawn Stars, Forged in Fire, and Counting Cars.
He later added credits on Queer Eye and several other unscripted projects before becoming one of the driving creative forces behind Love Island USA and its spinoffs.
Just days before his death, Barker celebrated the launch of Season 8 on social media.
“We come to Fiji for magic,” he wrote in a June 3 Instagram post while praising the cast and crew behind the series.
News of Barker’s death sent shockwaves through the Love Island community, particularly because the producer had become such an integral part of the franchise’s recent success.
Season 8 premiered on June 2 with Ariana Madix returning as host, and production has continued in Fiji following Barker’s passing.
Tributes from colleagues and fans quickly began appearing online after the announcement, with many expressing disbelief over the sudden loss of a producer who was widely respected throughout the reality television industry.
Our thoughts go out to Barker’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
James Barker Cause of Death: ‘Love Island USA’ Producer Passes Away at 40 … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
U.S. World Cup Team Training Base (IRVINE, Calif.) — Although U.S. men’s national team forward Christian Pulisic participated in a “modified training” session on Monday after leaving last week’s 2026 FIFA World Cup-opening win over Paraguay with a sore calf, midfielder Tyler Adams insisted that Pulisic “will be ready” for the Americans’ second Group B match against Australia on Friday in Seattle. After setting up the USA’s first two goals en route to a record-smashing 4-1 victory over the Paraguayans, Pulisic — the Stars and Stripes’ headliner and their most irreplaceable attacking player — was subbed out of the match at halftime with a sore left calf. “We’re hopeful the next game he’ll be available,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Friday after the game. Adams expects that he will. “Come on, Christian will be ready,” Adams said with a chuckle before the Americans trained as a group for the first time since last Friday’s triumph. “Everyone, let’s relax.” Despite Pochettino’s revelation that Pulisic “could not walk when he finished the first half,” the 27-year-old AC Milan star wasn’t noticeably limping when he strode to a microphone to answer questions about 30 minutes following the final whistle. The players who started against Paraguay, including Pulisic, went through a light “regeneration session” on Saturday before a team barbecue at the team’s swanky ocean-front hotel. Pulisic’s leg wasn’t taped in pictures of that event posted to social media. Yet when training began on Monday, Pulisic wasn’t on the field with the rest of the other 25 members of the USA’s squad. He was in the gym working out instead and did individual work on the field later in the session here at Great Park. Pochettino told FOX Sports sideline reporter Jenny Taft that the Pennsylvania native was removed as a precaution from the opener, which the World Cup co-hosts were leading 3-0 at the time. The former Paris Saint-Germain manager gave his players Sunday off, allowing them to rest mentally as well as physically. “He picked up a knock a few days before the game, and I think he got kicked in the same spot again during the game,” Adams said of Pulisic on Monday. “And when you go into halftime, things obviously get tight within the 15-20 minute break. “He’ll be fine.”Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Sam’s Club has expanded its Member’s Mark brand, which now has over 1,200 products. Below are 11 known food companies behind many of the private label products.
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How Elvis Presley Liked His Coffee
While some of Elvis Presley’s favorite recipes have become the stuff of legend, the King had a very specific order when it came to his morning coffee.
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Carly Pearce experienced a hair malfunction on stage over the weekend when one of her clip-in extensions came loose mid-show. Instead of letting the unexpected moment throw her off, the country star handled it with humor and grace, proving once again why fans love her authenticity.
During a recent concert, Pearce was in the middle of telling a story when she casually reached up to touch her hair. To her surprise, when she pulled her hand away, part of her hair came with it. Clearly caught off guard, Pearce paused for a moment as she processed what had just happened.
“Uh-oh. Uh-Oh. Wow, this has never happened to me,” she told the crowd.
Rather than panic, Pearce decided to lean into the moment. With fans watching, she fully removed the extension and held it up for everyone to see, drawing cheers and laughter from the audience as she revealed the clip-in piece dangling from her hand.
A member of her team quickly approached the stage to help, but Pearce wasn’t about to let a minor hair mishap derail her show.
“Oh no, I’m just going to clip it back in. It’s fine!” she assured him.
Fans watched as the Kentucky native effortlessly reattached the extension right there on stage before getting back to business.
Once it was securely back in place, Pearce joked with the crowd, “If y’all think my hair’s real, it ain’t!”
Fans and fellow artists took to the comments section of her post to applaud her, with many calling her “so real” and praising her for her honesty.
Pearce is preparing to enter a new chapter of her career after signing with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville’s Stoney Creek Records imprint.
The news was announced last week and follows Peace’s long-term run with the Big Machine Label Group.
“Signing with BMG feels less like turning a new page and more like finding the best next chapter. I am incredibly grateful to be surrounded by a team that truly hears my voice and matches my ambition. The horizon looks exactly how it’s supposed to,” Pearce shared in a statement.
The Kentucky native has been teasing a new album, but has yet to share any details surrounding the project.
Fans can catch Carly Pearce performing on CMA Fest presented by SoFi, returning to ABC and Hulu later this month.
Pearce will be joined by artists such as Bailey Zimmerman, Ella Langley, The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and so many more when the three-hour event airs on Thursday, June 25 at 8/7c on ABC.
The post Carly Pearce’s Hair Extension Fell Out Mid-Show, And She Handled It Like a Pro appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Who could have seen that coming? Spain, the betting co-favorite to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, opened its tournament with a scoreless draw against Cape Verde, which made its World Cup debut on Monday at Atlanta Stadium. Going into the match, Spain had -1500 odds to beat Cape Verde. There have been stunning upsets in World Cup history, but where does Cape Verde’s result against Spain rank all-time? Here are the most shocking results — win, loss or draw — in World Cup history based on FIFA ranking, which was introduced in 1992. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. 5. Spain 1, Russia 1 (2018) Russia FIFA Rank: 70Spain FIFA Rank: 10Difference: 60 spots The best moment in Russia’s World Cup history. Against a stacked Spain side that was on a 23-match unbeaten streak entering the Round of 16, the host nation knocked Spain out of the 2018 World Cup through a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. Spain took the lead in the 12th minute off an own goal from Sergei Ignashevich, but Artem Dzyuba brought Russia level after converting his penalty kick just before the halftime break. With both sides unable to separate themselves from each other in regulation and extra time, it went to penalties, where Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev became a national hero, famously saving penalties from Koke and Iago Aspas to send his country to the quarterfinals. 4. Cape Verde 0, Spain 0 (2026) Cape Verde FIFA Rank: 67Spain FIFA Rank: 2Difference: 65 spots What a way to make your tournament debut. Cape Verde, the second-smallest country in the tournament by population size (529,000), held Euro 2024 champions Spain to a scoreless draw in its first-ever World Cup match at Atlanta stadium. Spain dominated possession in the first half with 70% to Cape Verde’s 30% but was unable to score. In an effort to break the deadlock, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente subbed on Lamine Yamal, but even the teenage superstar was unable to break the tie. Instead, the Man of the Match honors went to Cape Verde’s 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, who stopped all seven of Spain’s shots on target. 3. South Africa 1, Mexico 1 (2010) South Africa FIFA Rank: 83Mexico FIFA Rank: 17Difference: 66 spots South Africa marked the opening match of the first-ever World Cup on African soil with an unforgettable 1-1 draw against Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg. Mexico dominated the first half and sent the host nation into the halftime break with a lot to figure out, and South Africa responded almost immediately with an absolute rocket of a goal from Siphiwe Tshabalala in the 55th minute. Mexico would still manage to play spoiler in the 79th minute, when an unmarked Rafael Márquez equalized for El Tri, but for South Africa, it was close to a dream start in a tough Group A with Mexico, France and Uruguay. 2. Italy 1, New Zealand 1 (2010) New Zealand FIFA Rank: 78Italy FIFA Rank: 5Difference: 73 spots This match between the defending world champions and a group of mostly semi-professional players didn’t go the way many people predicted, and certainly not the way Italy had hoped. Italy, which lifted the World Cup trophy in 2006, needed a win against New Zealand to put itself in a comfortable position to advance after a shock 1-1 draw against Paraguay in its group stage opener, and it had every reason to believe it would get one against a New Zealand side that failed to stack up on paper. Instead, Italy was humiliated, conceding in the 7th minute of the match and failing to mount a comeback despite an aggressive attacking strategy from head coach Marco Lippi. New Zealand would be eliminated from the tournament after managing just three points in two matches, but so too would Italy, and with the added shock value of finishing last in the group with two points. For the All Whites, history. For the Azzurri, a low point that they’ve been unable to rebound from since. 1. South Africa 2, France 1 (2010) South Africa FIFA Rank: 83France FIFA Rank: 9Difference: 74 spots France’s nightmarish run at the 2010 World Cup hit rock bottom when tournament hosts South Africa pulled off arguably the greatest upset in World Cup history at Vodafone Park. Arriving at its final group game amidst an internal mutiny against its manager, Raymond Domenech, Les Bleus finally imploded, allowing South Africa to take a 2-0 lead in the first half through Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela and going down 10 men due to a straight red card that was shown to Yoann Gourcuff. Though Florent Malouda pulled one back for France in the second half, Bafana Bafana held on for a historic victory, and France’s tumultuous 2006 World Cup was put to a merciful end.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, which served as the key negotiator between the U.S. and Iran, announced on June 14, 2026, that the two sides had agreed on a deal to end the war. It will be officially signed on June 19 in Switzerland.
President Donald Trump announced it on Truth Social as a triumph, claiming that the Strait of Hormuz is open for everyone, the U.S. blockade has been lifted, and the oil is flowing again. What Trump did not mention was Iran’s nuclear program and what happens to its enriched uranium stockpile, one of the main reasons cited for starting the war.
The nuclear issue – along with core issues such as ballistic missiles and Iran’s proxies – has been deferred for 60 days.
This raises two important questions: What was the war actually for? And what did the U.S. achieve?
As an international and nuclear security expert, I believe the answer is nothing – and in the process the U.S. lost credibility as a negotiating partner.
Why the nuclear question is the hardest
The “rationalist theory of war,” as developed by political scientist James Fearon in 1995, identifies three problems that drive states to war when they would prefer to reach a deal: incomplete information about each other’s resolve; the inability to credibly promise a deal or commitment; and what international relations scholars call the indivisibility problem – when the thing in dispute cannot be split or shared, because it leaves no middle ground to settle on.
The war clarified the first reason. Each side saw what the other would actually do – how much force the U.S. was willing to use and what Iran could absorb while still staying in the fight.
What the war could not solve was the nuclear commitment problem. And this goes far back between the U.S. and Iran.
Iran adhered to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the landmark nuclear deal that restricted Tehran’s nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency verified that Tehran kept uranium enrichment to 3.67% and its stockpile under 300 kilograms – a concentration used to fuel a power reactor but far too low for a weapons program.
But the U.S. walked away in 2018, and Trump later called it “the worst deal ever” over its sunset clauses and on its silence on Iran’s ballistic missiles.
AP Photo/Vahid Salemi
Iran returned to negotiations in 2025, and the U.S. and Israel bombed Iran while those talks were still taking place. Similarly, in February 2026 the negotiations were ongoing and a deal was within reach when Israel and the U.S. struck Iran – killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and lead negotiator Ali Larijani.
The U.S. has demonstrated a record of reneging on its deals and breaking the negotiating process. Which is why Iran now insists on guarantees and demands sanctions relief before signing a deal, and not just good faith.
A state that previously kept its commitments and was still bombed has little reason to accept promises of relief in the future. For this reason, I believe the 60-day deferral is a window for Tehran to watch whether the U.S. and Israel will hold the ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon.
The third problem of indivisibility – when the thing or issue in dispute can’t be split or shared – is why the nuclear question is the hardest.
Most disputes can be split. Sanctions, for example, can be lifted by degrees. Even a nuclear program can be split, which the world saw in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action deal, with centrifuges counted, enrichment capped and a stockpile metered.
What cannot be split is the U.S. demand for zero uranium enrichment and Tehran calling uranium enrichment a sovereign right.
A deal, a war and a ceasefire
The 2015 nuclear deal also limited Iran’s centrifuges – the machines that do the enriching – and placed Iran’s nuclear program under the most intrusive inspections, all in exchange for sanctions relief.
The nuclear question was not part of the 2015 deal – it was the actual deal.
During the June 2025 negotiations with Iran, and again in February 2026, the U.S. position was about the nuclear program, but in the opposite direction from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. It was not about limits but the total elimination of Iran’s nuclear program.
In both rounds of talks in 2025 and 2026, Washington’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, demanded zero enrichment and the dismantling of Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan – Iran’s three most important nuclear sites. Iran called enrichment a sovereign right and refused.
Both rounds of negotiations ended in bombings.
Fred Tanneau/AFP via Getty Images
The current deal to be signed on June 19 does not put a cap on Iran’s enrichment, nor does it discuss the elimination of its nuclear program. It ends the fighting, reopens the Strait of Hormuz and consigns enrichment, the stockpile, missiles and Iran’s regional proxies to 60-day negotiations.
In a recent New York Times interview, Trump said he was in no rush to remove the near-bomb-grade fuel still buried under the bombed sites. He claimed Iran would suspend enrichment for 15 or 20 years and enrich only for nonmilitary purposes.
In the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action deal under President Barack Obama, the nuclear question was addressed where 97% of Iran’s stockpile was shipped out of the country and the cap was a verified fact.
Because it doesn’t address any of these issues, the Trump deal is a ceasefire agreement, not a nuclear agreement.
A costly return to the status quo
Going back to the bargaining theory, we know the war settled the information problem – it revealed what each side would endure.
The commitment problem remains. Neither side can yet make a promise the other believes, least of all an Iran whose negotiators were killed.
And I believe the indivisibility problem is now worse. The question of zero enrichment versus a sovereign right cannot be split. The current 60-day deferral is not a resolution. It is the same unsolved problem with a clock attached.
The one thing that could change is American restraint. If Washington holds Israel from striking Iran and Lebanon, it can slowly rebuild its credibility that was destroyed by the two wars. And that is a real challenge for the Trump administration.
Even as the deal was being finalized, Israel struck Beirut, the kind of action that can derail any talks.
In my view, the 60-day window should be read not as the path to a settlement but as the interval or pause before the next one fails.
I argued in April that this conflict would not end in a clean settlement but in a series of contested pauses. The deal to be signed on June 19 is the first of them.
Iran emerges with its enrichment knowledge intact, its stockpile buried and fresh reason to believe that only a nuclear weapon would have deterred the U.S.-Israel attack.
But Iran also knows that it stood its ground and was able to strike U.S. bases and allies in the region. It has discovered leverage it did not previously know it held. The Strait of Hormuz has proved a better deterrent than the nuclear bomb.
The strait is open, the oil is flowing, and the question the war was fought over sits exactly where it began. Thousands of lives were lost to arrive back to square one. Nobody has won, though both sides will say they did.
Farah N. Jan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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