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By Nadja Lovadinov
June 26, 2026
By Nadja Lovadinov
June 26, 2026
Welcome back. In the news today: A key inflation gauge jumps to a three-year high; how the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on Syrian and Haitian immigrants could affect 1.3 million immigrants; and an official says that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool liner was cut. Also, maybe you’ve seen online claims that Norway’s World Cup team brought its own food because it doesn’t trust the quality of what’s available in the U.S. Well, that’s false. Our Fact Focus has the real story below.
A customer at a Ridgeland, Miss., Costco, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
US NEWS
Inflation jumps again with gas prices running higher than in past years
The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge rose to a new three-year high in May as gas prices peaked, a sign rising costs could pose political problems for President Donald Trump and his political party as midterm elections near. Read more.
What to know:
Consumer prices rose 4.1% in May from a year earlier, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The increase was largely driven by more expensive gas, as well as pricier semiconductors and other computer equipment that are in high demand for the AI buildout.
Oil and gas prices have fallen substantially since Trump agreed to a peace deal with Iran earlier this month, according to AAA. But gas prices are still more than 20% above prices at this time last year.
Supreme Court’s ruling to end protections for Haitian, Syrian immigrants could have broader impact
Thursday’s decision to end temporary legal protections to about 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians may be a sign of what’s in store for nearly 1.3 million people from 17 countries on Temporary Protected Status. Read more.
What to know:
The decision exposes TPS holders from Haiti and Syria to potential detention and deportation. It could also pave the way for hundreds of thousands of other beneficiaries with pending asylum claims or other immigration relief to be forced to leave the country. Many have lived and worked in the United States for decades and have American children.
Reflecting Pool liner was cut with a sharp knife or razor, National Park Service says
The cut caused damage to the foam sealant installed as part of a $16 million rehabilitation project, said Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the park service. Read more.
Why this matters:
Lands made the statement in a court document filed late Wednesday as part of a lawsuit filed by a nonprofit organization to halt the Trump administration’s work on the project. His statement does not say when exactly the damage occurred or whether it was a suspected case of vandalism and does not identify anyone who might have been involved. This is the first time the Republican administration has offered specifics for when and how the Reflecting Pool may have been damaged after work on the project was substantially completed.
