The Headlines - Trump’s Iran Deadline, and TikTok’s Future in the U.S.

Episode Date: June 20, 2025

Plus, a fast-food gimmick turns 20.On Today’s Episode: Live Updates: Europe Pushes Diplomacy as Trump Delays Iran War Decision, by Patrick KingsleyU.S. Spy Agencies Assess Iran Remains Undecided on Building a Bomb, by Julian E. BarnesAppeals Court Lets Trump Keep Control of California National Guard in L.A., by Charlie Savage and Laurel RosenhallTikTok Hits Cannes, Where a U.S. Ban Seems a Distant Dream, by Sapna MaheshwariHybrid Cars, Once Derided and Dismissed, Have Become Popular, by Neal E. BoudetteThe Fast-Food Gimmick That Became an Unlikely Muse for Chefs, by Luke FortneyTune in every weekday morning. To get our full audio journalism and storytelling experience, download the New York Times Audio app — available to Times news subscribers on iOS — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.Tell us what you think at: [e-mail]. 

From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Michael Simon Johnson. Today's Friday, June 20th. Here's what we're covering. I have a message directly from the president, and I quote, based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future. I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks."

That's a quote directly from the president for all of you today. The White House announced on Thursday that President Trump may take up to two weeks to decide whether the U.S. will join Israel in its war against Iran. The deadline gives the U.S. time to prepare for possible military action, for example, allowing a second aircraft carrier to get into place and defend U.S. bases in the region. American intelligence agencies believe Iran has still not decided whether to make a nuclear bomb.

If the U.S. were to attack Iran or its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials say that could drive the country towards producing a nuclear weapon. But Trump's timeline also gives Iran a chance or its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials say that could drive the country towards producing a nuclear weapon. But Trump's timeline also gives Iran a chance to reenter negotiations over the future of its nuclear program.

Iran's supreme leader rejected a deal earlier this month, which would have cut off the country's main path to a nuclear weapon by ending enrichment on Iranian soil. The country's foreign minister is set to be in Geneva today to meet with top diplomats from Britain, France, and Germany. They're expected to push Iran on making significant concessions in its nuclear program. Meanwhile, Israel has accused Iran of firing cluster munitions into a populated area. Those are bombs that burst and scatter smaller bombs indiscriminately, which can remain unexploded

for months or years like landmines. The Times spoke with experts who said the evidence supports Israel's claim. More than 100 countries have signed an agreement to ban cluster munitions, but neither Iran nor Israel have adopted that ban. The US and other powers like Russia, China, and India have also not signed the agreement. In California, a federal appeals court has cleared the way for President Trump to use the National Guard in response to immigration protests in Los Angeles. The three-judge panel issued a unanimous ruling.

Two of the judges had been appointed by Trump and one by former president Joe Biden. A lower court judge had previously ruled that the protests were not severe enough for Trump to invoke a rarely used law and federalize the National Guard over objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom. But the appeals court said the conditions in Los Angeles,

which had hindered some immigration enforcement, were sufficient to invoke the law. The Trump administration had also argued that the judiciary should not have the power at all to review the president's decision to take control of the National Guard. The federal appeals court, however, rejected that argument, saying judicial review is warranted. President Trump has given the Chinese owners

of the video app TikTok another opportunity to avoid a US ban. On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order giving TikTok's parent company ByteDance 90 more days to find a new owner, just as Trump's previous extension, signed in April, ended. Last year, Congress passed a law prohibiting platforms in the US from hosting the app until it sold,

citing national security concerns. But Trump's executive orders tell the Justice Department not to enforce that ban. This marks the third extension that Trump has given ByteDance since he took office. ByteDance says they're quote, "'absolutely confident' in a resolution." But at the White House, reporters pressed Caroline Leavitt,

Trump's press secretary, on why this time would be different. Why does President Trump believe that this 90-day extension on TikTok will provide more runway perhaps than the previous extensions that haven't led to a divestment deal? Because it's more time, more time to make a good deal. Simple question, Dasha. Just a few months ago, TikTok's future

in the United States seemed anything but certain. The Supreme Court had ruled in favor of this law that was calling to ban the company and people were freaking out. But now they're in a very, very different position. My colleague Sapna Maheshwari has been reporting on how TikTok is responding to the legal limbo. They've been going out telling advertisers

that their future is looking secure and great. And I wanted to go this week to this big advertising festival in Cannes, France to see what the company would be doing there. So there on the French Riviera, TikTok was in fantastic spirits. They had set up shop at an incredibly fancy hotel called the Carlton Hotel

and created something called TikTok Garden. They flew out big creators who were there to do panels and to meet with fans. While I was there, I talked to advertisers and creators who all said the same thing that the ban was the furthest thing from their minds. They said it didn't seem like it was really happening. And it was just not on their radar the way it was in January when people were signing up for Red Note, this Chinese app, they were posting tearful videos talking about the fact that TikTok might be going away any day now. So the company now has until the middle of September with this latest extension,

which raises the question, of course, how many times is President Trump going to give TikTok an extension to either sell or be banned? Could this continue throughout the rest of his administration? And I think that's a real possibility. It could also be that TikTok is something of a bargaining chip if talks with China sour at any point. Or the company, if these extensions continue, could be vulnerable if a new administration comes in and decides that the federal law should be upheld. But ultimately, what we're looking at with TikTok is a pretty unprecedented situation

where a federal law signed by a previous president and upheld by the Supreme Court is all but being ignored. After years of automakers pivoting to the electric vehicle market, hybrid cars are starting to see a resurgence. In the first three months of this year, hybrids made up about 14% of all light vehicles sold in the U.S., about double that of EVs. Companies like Ford and Honda are seeing sales of their hybrid models rise significantly. So far this year, half of all cars and trucks sold by Toyota and its luxury brand Lexus have

been hybrids. Once seen as a transition between a gasoline-powered past and an inevitable all-electric future, hybrid cars seem to have staying power. They're much more affordable than purely electric vehicles, and their gas mileage is better than purely gas-powered cars. Plus, today's hybrids are much smoother than earlier models, making the transition between electric and gas power virtually unnoticeable. Proposed federal legislation could push hybrid sales even higher. A Republican bill working its way through Congress would eliminate a $7,500 tax credit for electric

vehicles, presumably making hybrids a more attractive option to some buyers. The bill still includes a $100 annual tax on hybrid ownership. And finally, the Crunchwrap Supreme classic Taco Bell tastes grilled to go anywhere. This weekend, Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme officially turns 20. Happy birthday, my friend. And in those two decades, the fast food mashup has gone from an almost comical menu item to an unlikely inspiration for chefs. When the Crunchwrap first debuted in 2005, the brainchild of Taco Bell product developer, Lois Carson,

it wildly exceeded expectations, becoming the fastest selling menu item in the chain's history. The dish, if you're unfamiliar with this culinary wonder. Seasoned beef, warm nacho cheese sauce, a crunchy tostada shell, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream all loaded into a flour tortilla. Was designed in a way that addressed one

of Taco Bell's longstanding problems, how to make a wrap that wasn't messy to eat in the car. I just made the famous Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme at home. Now chefs across the country are having fun creating their own versions with trademark skirting names. The restaurant Aunt Ginny's in Queens, New York makes a crisp wrap ultimate with slow roasted pork. In Portland, Oregon, food truck chef Han Lee Huang folds bulgogi and pickled banshan into

a munch wrap extreme. My personal favorite is Ali Zaman's quenchwap supweem at the Afghan restaurant Blue Hour in Brooklyn, which is inside a gas station. Taco Bell for its part doesn't seem to mind. The company's chief food innovation officer, Liz Matthews, says that these imitations essentially act as free advertising.

As one chef puts it, the crunch wrap is no longer just a gimmick owned by Taco Bell, but quote, an acceptable form of selling food like the burrito. By the way, if you wanna make your own Crunch Wrap, the Times has a crunchy queso wrap recipe on New York Times cooking from Alexa Y. Bell that I will be making as soon as humanly possible.

Those are the headlines, but stick around, we've got the Friday news quiz for you after the credits. And on today's episode of The Daily, what the science does and doesn't tell us about treating gender dysphoria in minors. That's next in the New York Times audio app, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. This show is made by Will Jarvis, Jessica Metzger,

Tracy Mumford, Jan Stewart, and me, Michael Simon Johnson. Original theme by Dan Powell. Special thanks to Isabella Anderson, Larissa Anderson, Jake Lucas, Jeffrey Miranda, Zoe Murphy, Katie O'Brien, Paula Schuman, and Chris Wood. Now for the quiz. We've got questions about three stories The Times has covered this week. Can you answer them all? First up. My supporters are America first. They make America great again. My supporters don't

want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon. President Trump is facing criticism from some of his most loyal supporters over his openness to involving the U.S. in Israel's attacks on Iran. The issue has split Trump's coalition and led to some public feuds. We're going to play a clip from one of those debates that went viral this week. Can you name the two men arguing? How many people live in Iran, by the way?

I don't know the population. At all? No, I don't know the population. You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple? I don't sit around memorizing population tables. Well, it's kind of relevant because you're calling for the overthrow of the government.

Why is it relevant whether it's- That was Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and right-wing media personality Tucker Carlson. So actually the country- Okay, I am not the Tucker Carlson expert on Iran. And if that was too easy, a bonus question, what is the population of Iran? The answer, according to the CIA World Factbook, is 88 million.

Carlson put the figure at 92 million. Okay, next question. This week, Chef and Food Network star Anne Burrell died at the age of 55. All right, well, your fish is under season, your caponata is under season, the pesto measurements are incorrect, garlic did not go in, there's like no salt in it. She most recently hosted a Food Network show that's been running for nearly 30 seasons. What is the name of that show? A hint, it's a cooking competition show with people who have terrible skills in the kitchen. The answer?

Worst cooks in America. Reggie, why did you just throw those tomatoes away? I apologize. On the show, Burrell came off as a tough but fun aunt with a big down-to-earth personality. Fellow Food Network star Rachel Ray called her the Betty Davis of food TV celebrity. Okay, last question. The once and future king who has grown to fulfill a destiny of greatness.

In the world of competitive eating, there is one man who stands alone. I give you the number one ranked eater in the world. Joey Chestnut, the Michael Jordan of stuffing his face with Frankfurters has won the annual Nathan's famous hot dog eating contest 16 times. He set the event's record in 2021, crushing 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes. This week, Chestnut announced he will be back in Coney Island for the contest next month after organizers blocked him from competing last year.

So why had he been banned? Was it A. A sponsorship conflict? B. Allegations of cheating? Or C. Making derogatory comments about Major League Eating, which runs the competition. The answer is A, a sponsorship conflict, at least according to Nathan's. Chestnut had inked a deal with a company

that makes plant-based hot dogs, perhaps a faux pas for someone competing in a meat-based event. He said he and organizers had come to an agreement on the sponsorship issue for this year, and he'll be back on ESPN for the contest. Chestnut also said he'll continue to partner with companies in the plant-based space, while noting, quote, those relationships were never a conflict with my love for hot dogs. All right, that's it for the news quiz. If you wanna tell us how you did

or what you think about the quiz, you can always email us at theheadlines at nytimes.com. This show will be back on Monday and we'll try a few more questions next Friday.