June 12, 2026 - Trump Calls Off Iran Strikes for Deal

A quick L.A. story.

Two decades ago I did a remote radio broadcast from Los Angeles and had back-to-back in-studio guests: Arianna Huffington and Dana White. The Huffington Post was hot but White was kinda on the bubble. When the latter interview ended, he invited me to meet him at the Comedy Factory on Sunset Boulevard. He said a friend of his was performing, "Joe Rogan." "Oh," I replied, "the guy from Fear Factor?" I went to the show with a buddy.

That was at a time when UFC was fighting for respectability. White had bought it for $2 million when it was banned in 36 states, dismissed as "human cockfighting" by Senator John McCain, and had less distribution than pornography. When I bumped into a few months ago, he thanked me for putting him on air to promote his business when others would not.

Fast forward. This week Dana White graced the cover of Time. And Sunday night he will stage a full card on the South Lawn of the White House for President Trump's 80th birthday. It's called UFC Freedom 250. Two title bouts. A 92-foot lighting rig shipped from Belgium and initially assembled in Philly. Seventy-five thousand people expected on site. White says UFC is covering the $60 million tab. There's a lawsuit trying to stop it. Critics call it a Trump birthday party disguised as a patriotic celebration.

My preference has always been boxing. Anyone remember the Blue Horizon?  And I loved going to the fights in Atlantic City during the Tyson era - many of them promoted by Donald Trump, who owned Trump Plaza next to Convention Hall. But boxing collapsed when Tyson retired and the sport never recovered its mainstream footing. Dana White filled that void with UFC.

Yes, it's brutal. But these fighters are trained to the teeth. They fight by rules. There's a science to how they fight. Dana White had a vision.

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President Trump said he canceled planned strikes on Iran after Tehran's leadership signaled approval of a draft agreement to extend a ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin 60 days of nuclear talks, though Iranian officials insisted no final decision had been made.

Axios

Trump’s massive UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House — coinciding with Flag Day and the President's 80th birthday — is expected to draw 125,000 spectators and cost more than $60 million, requiring an unprecedented logistical operation involving hundreds of contractors, extensive security measures, nearly 500 portable toilets, and a custom-built arena on the South Lawn.

CNN

The Washington Post lays out 43 humorous "rules" for watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup, covering everything from breakfast beers and jersey etiquette to embracing underdogs, tolerating draws, learning soccer lingo and fully immersing yourself in the camaraderie, chaos and global spectacle of the tournament.

The Washington Post

A major new study of more than 2,300 preteens found that socioeconomic factors such as family income, education, and neighborhood quality are more strongly linked to differences in brain development than IQ or mental health, suggesting that childhood environments may become biologically embedded through pathways involving stress, sleep, and screen use.

NPR

Karmelo Anthony’s father spoke out after the 19-year-old was sentenced to 35 years for the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas, arguing that race and the absence of Black jurors influenced the outcome of a case that has fueled intense national debate, while both families report receiving threats amid the controversy.

Forbes

U.S. Park Police are investigating after the numbers "86 47" — the phrase at the center of former FBI Director James Comey's indictment for allegedly threatening President Donald Trump — appeared etched into the grass on the National Mall near the site of Trump's upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event.

ABC News

After losing his bid to advance in the Los Angeles mayoral race, Spencer Pratt broke his silence on X with a terse "Are they done counting yet?" The AP called the L.A. mayoral primary for City Council Member Nithya Raman, who will face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in a November 3 showdown.

The Hollywood Reporter

A former girlfriend of Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner told the New York Post he cheated on his then-fiancée in 2021 and bragged that he kept his Totenkopf tattoo as a reminder that "the US was the evil bad guy overseas," contradicting his claim he didn't know its Nazi origins until last fall.

New York Post

A female employee at a San Diego-area golf club accused Phil Mickelson of nonconsensual inappropriate physical contact earlier this year, prompting an investigation that led to the pro golfer's departure from the club, while Mickelson's representatives dispute aspects of the allegations and say he is focused on a separate family health matter.

Golf Digest

The Trump administration and congressional allies are discussing a resolution to "expunge" Donald Trump’s two impeachments, a largely symbolic effort that supporters say would correct partisan actions while constitutional scholars argue Congress has no authority to erase impeachments from the historical record.

The Wall Street Journal