Daily Recap: Politics — 15 June 2026

Politics today swung between confrontation, diplomacy and damage control. In the US, California Governor Gavin Newsom accused President Trump of directing the Justice Department to investigate him and his wife, casting it as political retaliation as he weighs a White House run, though no independent confirmation has emerged. Trump was also at the center of a very different development overseas, with US officials saying he and Vice President J.D. Vance electronically signed a memorandum with Iran intended to ease Gulf tensions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Elsewhere, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called the Philippine Congress into special session to push stalled priority bills and long-delayed appointments. Beyond formal politics, public pressure drove an unusual corporate response in South Korea, where Starbucks will close stores early nationwide for historical sensitivity training, while the UN warned Sudan’s war is exacting an ever higher civilian toll, with drone strikes killing more than 1,000 people this year alone.

Top Politics stories

• Newsom says DOJ investigates him and his wife, alleging politically motivated action (25 sources)
• UN: Drone strikes in Sudan kill over 1,000 civilians in first five months of 2026 (11 sources)
• Starbucks Korea closes all stores early for mandatory history and social sensitivity training (10 sources)
• Trump and Vance electronically sign US-Iran memorandum with Iran parliament speaker (8 sources)
• Court Orders INEC to Deregister ADC and Four Other Political Parties (7 sources)
• NDC names Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso as Kano deputy governorship running mate for 2027 (6 sources)
• Trump says Strait of Hormuz will be completely open by Friday (6 sources)
• Trump announces July 4 rally in Washington for U.S. 250th anniversary (6 sources)

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