Four Fingers News — Monday, June 29, 2026
FOUR FINGERS NEWS
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Monday, June 29, 2026
FROM THE EDITOR · June 29, 2026
Day 122. The guns went quiet this morning — a stand-down, they’re calling it, which is the kind of word you reach for when ‘ceasefire’ has already failed twice. A weekend of strikes both ways, a tanker holed near Hormuz, a man in Qatar dead from shrapnel that wasn’t aimed at him, and now Monday calm because everyone needed a breath. Tehran’s supposedly getting six billion of its money back from Qatar today. That part I believe — money moves. What I don’t believe yet are the talks: Washington’s sending Witkoff and Kushner to Doha tomorrow, and Tehran’s already calling the meeting ‘not confirmed.’ Stand-downs end. Wired funds clear. Watch which one lands first. Glasses up.
— T.
The Run Down
IRAN
U.S. and Iran Stand Down After Weekend Strikes; Split on When Talks Resume
After U.S. strikes on Iran’s coast and Iranian missiles and drones on U.S. bases in Bahrain and Kuwait over the weekend, the two sides agreed Sunday to stand down and let ships move freely through the Strait of Hormuz — Washington says technical talks resume within days, while Tehran says nothing is scheduled.
VENEZUELA
Venezuela Quake Toll Nears 1,500 as Crews Dig Into a Fifth Day
Five days after back-to-back magnitude-7.2 and 7.5 quakes struck Yaracuy state, the official death toll is approaching 1,500 with thousands still missing as rescue teams from Virginia, Los Angeles County and Mexico join the dig.
NORTHWEST
Washington Pump Prices Hit Records Even as Crude Slides
Crude eased toward four-month lows as ships returned to Hormuz, but the relief hasn’t reached drivers: Washington’s unleaded average sits near $5.30 and diesel has set records above $6.50, with Seattle higher still.
IMMIGRATION
Trump Picks an Oklahoma Trooper to Run ICE
The president named Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and Marine, to direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement as deportation operations expand; the nomination heads to the Senate for confirmation.
REACTORS
Two Startups Go Critical Before a Jul 4 Reactor Deadline
Antares Nuclear and Valar Atomics have switched on experimental reactors ahead of the White House goal of three running by the nation’s 250th birthday, helped by a federal pilot program that thinned the usual licensing.
WORLD CUP
World Cup Knockouts Open; Seattle’s Turn Comes Wednesday
The Round of 32 is underway, with Brazil–Japan, Germany–Paraguay and Netherlands–Morocco on Monday’s card; Lumen Field hosts Belgium against Senegal on Wednesday, Seattle’s first knockout match.
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