Late-Night Peace Talks, Military Flu Outbreak & Soccer Fans Try Ranch - Monday, June 22, 2026

**Erica Mandy** (0:00)
Today is Monday, June 22nd. We'll tell you about the progress coming out of late night negotiations between the US and Iran, and how threats nearly derailed the talks, and what the Supreme Court decided about marijuana and guns. Also, where Americans are dealing with extreme weather this week, and how one condiment in the US seems to be bringing World Cup fans from all different countries together. Plus, why one Air Force base is now making an exception to a recent rule change, which type of medical mysteries were possibly solved with AI, and how talk show host Jimmy Kimmel seems to be sending a message with his choice of a fill-in. Those stories and more news to know coming up.
Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
The US and Iran have wrapped up a long first round of high-level talks under their new peace deal. Negotiations involving Vice President JD. Vance, top Iranian officials and mediators got underway yesterday morning at a Swiss resort. And at 3 a.m. today in Switzerland, mediators finally announced there had been what they called encouraging progress. The announcement came as a relief to many international observers, because just hours earlier, news outlets reported the talks were stalled. The issue was reportedly comments President Trump made during an interview with Fox News. In that interview, he said he could do whatever he wanted after 60 days, including bombing Iran and collecting tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's lead negotiator responded on social media to say the US should be careful about issuing threats, adding, quote, no matter how much they talk, it is we who act. Now mediators from Pakistan and Qatar say all sides have agreed to create a high-level committee to offer political oversight of the mediation process. They also announced Iran and the US formed a line of communication to manage incidents in the Strait of Hormuz. That was seen as critical since just two days ago, Iran claimed it closed the trade route over ongoing fighting in Lebanon. Also of note from the talks yesterday, the US and Iran signed on to an effort meant to make sure military operations in Lebanon come to an end. After yesterday's talks, Iran put out its own statement saying sanctions on Iranian oil have been waived and some frozen assets have been released. It also said a major reconstruction and development plan for Iran has been launched. Talks are scheduled to continue for the rest of the week.
Americans are now contending with more extreme weather like intense heat. Much of the Western US from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast saw above average temperatures over the weekend. And even hotter temps are now expected in the days to come in places like Los Angeles where an extreme heat watch has been issued. Sadly, multiple people have already died in places like the Grand Canyon in what seems to be heat related deaths. And heat combined with drought and windy conditions have fueled several wildfires. A fire in Utah forced the evacuation of a small town southwest of Salt Lake City. Another one forced evacuations near Sedona, Arizona. And in much of Colorado, a red flag warning is still in effect today. Meanwhile, thunderstorms are the issue for the Central and Eastern US. Another outbreak tore through the Midwest yesterday, bringing large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes to places like Illinois, where people have already been dealing with several rounds of storms. And the threat continues today, spreading heavy rain to the Midwest and eventually the East. This afternoon, there's a chance of severe storms and heavy rain across a broad area that includes Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, DC.
Some Americans who use marijuana regularly should be able to own guns. That's the word from the US Supreme Court that handed down a unanimous decision. It stems from a case involving a man who admitted to the FBI he used marijuana about every other day. He was soon indicted under the Federal Gun Control Act that makes it a crime for drug users to own weapons, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. To be clear, though, the high court decision did not strike down that law entirely. The government can still keep guns away from people who are addicted to drugs or who carry weapons while they're impaired. And Justice Neil Gorsuch stressed, this ruling is limited in part because marijuana has become widely accepted.
By the way, the Supreme Court is now coming up on its summer recess with several big cases still left to decide. Some of the most highly anticipated rulings left include cases involving birthright citizenship, campaign finance limits, transgender athletes and many more. So stay tuned.