The Power of the People
6/19/202615 min
June 18. 2026
Ukraine launched its biggest attack on Moscow since Russia's invasion, Russia struck one of Ukraine’s most important landmarks, Kyiv-Oechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Area, Trump and J.D. Vance are trying hard to sell the MOU with Iran as a victory, but their claims are hollow and brittle, The parade for the New York Knicks, this year’s NBA Champions, was, by contrast, a powerful message that the momentum is with the people, Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave a triumphant speech, which combined the Knicks' victory with the political power of the people of New York, In Chicago a similar message was celebrated at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, The mood was jubilant as former presidents (but not the current one) filled the stage and performers sang, danced, and spoke, In her speech, Michelle Obama recognized the challenges of the moment but urged people to remember the power of choice, and "the steady work of change,” She championed the power of the people, and urged people to come together, and to reignite optimism, and empathy, and ambition that is part of democracy and has powered the country’s greatest change. She said, "when we truly see each other, when we strive to bring out the best in ourselves and one another, oh, there is no limit to how high we can go."
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsHeather Cox Richardson· Host0:00
[theme music] June 18th, 2026. Overnight, Ukraine launched its biggest attack on Moscow, the capital of Russia, since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine's waves of drone strikes on a major Moscow oil refinery have shrouded the city in flames and black smoke. Last week, Russia struck one of Ukraine's most important religious and cultural landmarks, the thousand-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The ancient monastery, with its churches and bell towers, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site described by the United Nations agency as a masterpiece of Ukrainian art. Russia denied responsibility for the strike. After the Moscow strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a video saying, "If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn, too." In the U.S., President Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance are trying hard to sell the administration's memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with Iran, which Trump signed yesterday at the Palace of Versailles in a scene that recalled Germany's surrender after World War I. Trump is posting in all caps on social media that the deal is a triumph and that those who disagree with it