Courting a Guarantee

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for June 12, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Donald Trump’s administration has one week to provide a written guarantee that his “anti-weaponization” fund is dead. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before Congress that the fund was scrapped — but had declined to put that in writing.

Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, a Bill Clinton appointee, indefinitely barred movement on the fund and said she’d likely drop the case if the government files a “clear, unambiguous” declaration that the fund was permanently canceled before a Friday deadline.

The Kennedy Center began work to take down Trump’s name from the building walls today after a federal judge denied a last-minute attempt from the board to block its removal.

• The Washington National Opera is suing to recover $17 million of its funds managed by the Kennedy Center. A Kennedy Center spokesperson said the opera company, which ended its partnership with the center in January, “financially burdened” the center and accumulated a $72 million deficit.

THE ADMINISTRATION

Iran and the U.S. are attempting to tamp down what JD Vance called “fake information” after an Iranian state media outlet reported that the country had made “no commitment regarding transferring control of the Strait of Hormuz” — a key U.S. demand.

A federal judge denied a last-minute bid to halt Sunday’s UFC fight on the South Lawn.

The Trump administration is rolling back more than a dozen historic and environmental preservation laws, which could allow the government to quickly construct a physical barrier across Big Bend National Park.

THE HILL

Federal regulators investigated why former Rep. Devin Nunes, a Trump ally from California, has $14.5 million in campaign funds — despite not running for office since 2020.

THE MARKETS

Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire after his rocket company SpaceX went public today, opening at $150 per share.

STARS AND STRIPES

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Missy Khamvongsa and Erik Schutz. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.