Headlines June 11, 2026 from Democracy Now!

U.S. Continues to Strike Iran for a Second Day in a Row

JUN 11, 2026

Image Credit: U.S. Central Command

The U.S. has struck Iran for a second day in a row, and President Trump is threatening more strikes as hopes for an imminent deal to end the war are fading. In retaliation, Iran said it launched missiles at the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as well at air bases in Kuwait and Jordan. Iran has also declared the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Ministry says the U.S. strikes have rendered the ceasefire “practically meaningless.” On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened more strikes.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “President Trump, he’s willing to go back and fight as necessary, but has given Iran an open hand to make this deal. It’s right there. They have that chance. They’re choosing to play games. They’re choosing to tap. If they want to tap, then — then the president will turn to the War Department. If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs. And we’re very good at it.”

Hegseth was speaking during a visit to Guantánamo, the U.S. military base in Cuba. During his visit, Hegseth also said the Pentagon is “postured for any possible contingency” in Cuba, which is facing escalating threats from the Trump administration.

 

U.S. Attacks Tanker Off the Coast of Oman, Killing 3 Indian Sailors

JUN 11, 2026

A U.S. attack on a tanker off the coast of Oman has killed three Indian sailors. U.S. Central Command said the ship was targeted for attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade. The U.N.’s International Maritime Organization condemned the U.S. strike. The father of one of the sailors spoke to a reporter in India after learning his son had been killed after being at sea for over eight months.

Ramji Chaurasiya: “We were informed that a bomb had been dropped on the ship.”

Reporter: “What information have you received?”

Ramji Chaurasiya: “We were informed that my son…”

India has summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to lodge a “strong protest” over the attack on the tanker.

 

Amnesty International Accuses Israel of Ethnic Cleansing in the West Bank

JUN 11, 2026

Amnesty International has accused Israel of ethnic cleansing as part of a “brutal campaign to forcibly displace Palestinians and expand its control over land in the West Bank.” Amnesty described the campaign as state-led and not just driven by rogue settlers. Amnesty is calling on nations to halt trade, cooperation and investment relations that enable what it describes as Israel’s “unlawful occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.”

The Amnesty report was released on Wednesday, one day after Israeli settlers attacked the historic Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank. Settlers set fire to parts of the village and then attempted to block Palestinians from putting out the blazes. This is Father Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest of Taybeh.

Father Bashar Fawadleh: “They forbidden us to arrive to the fire, to turn it off. … I arrived there. I wanted to make something very special for our people, to protect them, but we — shooting three times. We arrived to the area. There is attacks by the settlers, and they also attacked our people. They stolen the phones, and they attacked also the cars.”

 

FBI Conducts Raids of Pro-Palestinian Activists in Michigan

JUN 11, 2026

On Wednesday morning, the FBI conducted a number of raids in Michigan targeting eight pro-Palestinian activists who have been indicted on federal charges for allegedly threatening University of Michigan officials as part of a campaign to push the school to divest from Israel. The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the arrests as an attempt to “chill speech on campuses.”

 

Anti-Immigrant Riots Continue in Belfast as Police Deploy Water Cannons to Quell Second Night of Unrest

JUN 11, 2026

In Northern Ireland, police in Belfast deployed water cannons to quell a second night of anti-immigration riots. Sixteen people were arrested. Twelve police officers were injured. The unrest began earlier this week after an asylum seeker from Sudan was charged with attempted murder in a stabbing attack.
In recent days, masked men have been seen attempting to burn families out of their homes. In one incident, four masked men reportedly chased a nurse of color into the Ulster Hospital. Hilary Benn, the U.K. Northern Ireland secretary, condemned the violence as “racist thuggery.” Benn said a “sense of terror and fear” has spread among immigrant families in the area.

 

U.S. Inflation Hits Highest Level in 3 Years Driven by Increasing Gas Prices

JUN 11, 2026

U.S. inflation hit its highest level in three years. The consumer price index rose at an annual rate of 4.2% in May. Energy prices accounted for more than 60% of the monthly increase, driven by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which has disrupted oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices are now up more than 40% compared to a year ago. President Trump dismissed the latest inflation data.

Reporter: “Are you concerned, Mr. President, about the latest inflation number, which came out this morning? Could that be a” —

President Donald Trump: “No, I love it.”

Reporter: “— “negative for Republicans” —

President Donald Trump: “The numbers were great. You know what I really love? I love the inflation.”

Senator Elizabeth Warren responded to Trump, writing online, “So there you have it: President Trump loves that you’re paying higher prices.”

 

New Jersey Health Inspectors Find Unsafe and Unsanitary Food Prep at Delaney Hall

JUN 11, 2026

A new report from New Jersey health inspectors finds bad employee hygiene, unclean surfaces and poor food storage at the ICE jail known as Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey. The report is based on an inspection of Delaney Hall last month, when inspectors were only given access to food service areas. Immigrants detained at Delaney Hall have launched a hunger and labor strike to protest inhumane conditions and demand their release, while protesters gathered outside in support. Clashes have repeatedly broken out between demonstrators and ICE agents.

On Monday, educator and YouTube star Ms. Rachel paid a visit to the children of parents detained at Delaney Hall. On Wednesday, Ms. Rachel delivered over 500 packets of letters and pictures from immigrants detained at the ICE jail in Dilley, Texas, to congressmembers, as well as a letter from herself urging Congress to end family detention and separation. This is Ms. Rachel.

Ms. Rachel: “I wanted to let you know that I’m at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., and I have your words right here, and your letters, and I’m delivering them to members of Congress, because they need to hear your voices. Your voices are so valuable. You have human rights, and your rights should never be violated. And no child should ever be in detention, and we need to end family detention. And I’m sending you so much love, and I’m always going to stand with you.”

 

GAO Report Finds Sweeping Failures at ICE Jail in Fort Bliss, Texas

JUN 11, 2026

Image Credit: Reuters/Paul Ratje

A new report from the Government Accountability Office has found sweeping failures at Camp East Montana, which is the federal government’s largest ICE jail, located in Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. The facility holds up to 5,000 detainees. Among the violations detailed in the report: a security guard lost a loaded firearm inside the facility; immigrants with HIV and diabetes were left untreated; a contractor skipped required TB skin tests and used questionnaires instead; detained immigrants were even offered cookies to clean their units. According to the GAO, the facility wasted up to $11.5 million of taxpayer funds during its first two weeks of operation last year. Back in March, Camp East Montana also faced a measles outbreak.

U.S. Measles Cases Top 2,000 for Second Straight Year

JUN 11, 2026

U.S. measles cases have now topped 2,000 for the second straight year, but experts think the real number is about three times higher. The CDC confirmed cases across 38 states and Washington, D.C., with the majority among children and teenagers. About 92% of cases involve people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 20% of adults believe the false claim that the measles vaccine is more dangerous than the disease itself.

 

NYT: RFK Jr. Disengaged in Running Health and Human Services Department

JUN 11, 2026

The New York Times reports Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has demonstrated little interest in managing his sprawling department as he focuses on food and vaccine policies. The report says Kennedy rarely attends weekly meetings held by the chiefs of HHS’s 13 operating divisions; when he does attend, according to colleagues who spoke with the Times, he often appears disengaged and spends the time scrolling on his phone.

 

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