by: Josie Fischels

Posted: Jun 29, 2026 / 07:25 PM CDT

Updated: Jun 29, 2026 / 07:25 PM CDT

(NewsNation) — Stargazers across the Northern Hemisphere are in for a celestial treat as the Strawberry Moon graces the sky this Monday, June 29. This year’s spectacle is set to trace an unusually low trajectory, offering a unique viewing experience.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the moon will reach its fullest and brightest point at 7:56 p.m. ET. Unlike the full moons of winter that shine high above, this summer moon will dance along the southern horizon. Rising from the southeast, it will stay low in the sky throughout the night before setting in the southwest.

The reason for the moon hanging so low is due to its tilted orbit. We’re still experiencing the effects of a “major lunar standstill” that peaked in 2024 and 2025. The cycle repeats about every 19 years, so we won’t see it dip that low again until 2043, according to Live Science.

No, the Strawberry Moon won’t be red or pink

Despite its name, June’s Strawberry full moons aren’t called that due to their color or appearance. Native American Algonquian tribes, along with the Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota peoples, used the name to mark the time when wild strawberries would ripen, according to the Almanac.

Because the moon will be so low and best viewed right at dusk, it could appear reddish-orange or pink in hue for a short time due to how its light passes through the atmosphere when its low in the horizon.

For the best view, Space recommends finding a clear space with an unobstructed view of the low southeast sky.

The New York Yankees seem to have lost their knack for key aspects of the game: hitting, pitching, and fielding.

These are essentially the bread and butter of baseball, and their absence is leaving fans disappointed and yearning for better days. On a slightly brighter note, the team competes in the American League, which, some might say, is not particularly strong at the moment.

In a league where only a handful of teams manage to keep their win-loss record above .500 consistently, the Yankees’ issues are somewhat masked. While this has seen their slide from the top of the AL East standings, they’re not yet in immediate peril overall. Nevertheless, the struggles faced by rival teams can only obscure their problems to a certain extent. The Yankees are not just facing losses—having dropped five in a row and nine out of their last 12—they’re doing it with noticeable flaws in every department.

In their 7-3 defeat against the Tigers on Monday, the scoreline doesn’t quite capture the extent of their woes, which were compounded by injuries. A notable mishap involved Jasson Domínguez, whose defensive skills leave much room for improvement. During an attempt to catch a pop-up in the fourth inning, Domínguez collided with Jazz Chisholm Jr., hitting him in the jaw with an elbow. Domínguez claimed he had called for the ball, but Chisholm, who was moving back from the infield, apparently didn’t hear him. As a result, Chisholm had to leave the game and is undergoing concussion protocol.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico is calling for financial reparations from the federal government. She accuses the DEA of facilitating the influx of millions of fentanyl pills into the state during an undercover sting operation, without alerting local or state authorities.

Expressing her outrage, Lujan Grisham described the covert operation as “the most derelict, despicable act in my long career.” She highlighted that the repercussions have compelled New Mexico to invest over $1.5 billion in law enforcement, mental health services, addiction treatment, and other essential public safety measures to combat the surge in overdose deaths and rampant addiction.

During a news conference on Monday, Lujan Grisham criticized the DEA for passively observing as thousands of fentanyl pills were distributed without making arrests, gathering evidence, or notifying any officials. “Someone must account for the damage inflicted on this state,” she stated, emphasizing the enduring public safety risks New Mexico will face for years to come.

The governor is seeking reimbursement from the federal government for New Mexico’s expenditures on addressing the fentanyl crisis. This includes funding for law enforcement operations, mental health support, addiction treatment programs, overdose prevention efforts, and various public safety initiatives.

She also called on Congress to prohibit similar DEA operations in the future, require the federal government to fully fund the costs imposed on states by such operations and hold the officials involved personally accountable.

“I’ve had to do this since 2019 three times,” Lujan Grisham said. “We’re here again, and this one, in fact, I think is the most devastating.”

The Democratic governor compared the controversy to previous federal failures she said harmed New Mexico, including the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. Forest Service’s prescribed burns that sparked the state’s largest wildfire. She noted the wildfire ultimately resulted in a multibillion-dollar federal liability settlement, arguing the DEA operation should lead to similar accountability.

Lujan Grisham said her administration repeatedly asked both the Biden and Trump administrations for more federal resources to combat New Mexico’s escalating fentanyl crisis, including additional DEA agents and coordinated enforcement efforts, but those requests went unanswered.

“Everybody behind me and the Office of the Governor have been asking both administrations… to do more about public safety in the state of New Mexico,” she said, adding that her administration held multiple meetings, sent multiple letters and requested additional resources and agents, yet “it’s been remarkably silent.”

Lujan Grisham also urged lawmakers to require federal agencies to notify state and local officials before conducting similar operations, restore roughly $25 million in federal behavioral health and public safety funding she said has been cut and enact legislation preventing similar DEA tactics from being used in the future.

Her remarks came days after New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced a criminal investigation into allegations that the DEA knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach New Mexico communities while agents pursued larger criminal investigations.

The Associated Press previously reported that DEA agents repeatedly monitored, but did not seize, large fentanyl shipments between 2023 and 2025 while attempting to build broader criminal cases.

Torrez said the investigation will examine potential legal remedies, including criminal prosecution, civil litigation and structural reforms intended to prevent similar conduct by DEA agents in the future.

“The families who have lost children, siblings, and parents to fentanyl deserve the truth about what the federal government knew and what it failed to do,” Torrez said in a statement.

“If the DEA stood by while poison flooded our communities, that is not a bureaucratic failure,” he continued. “It is a betrayal of the people it was sworn to protect.”

Torrez said his office “will pursue every legal avenue available to hold the responsible parties accountable and make certain this never happens again.”

On Monday, Lujan Grisham echoed Torrez’s call for accountability, saying those who approved or oversaw the operation should face consequences.

“I want the people who knew this distribution was occurring without notifying anyone and allowing it to occur over and over again held accountable,” Lujan Grisham said. “My bet is many of those people are still in that DEA office.”

“I am so angry. This is an outrage,” she added. “They should be accountable for the length of time it’s going to take us to combat the scourge of addiction and fentanyl overdose deaths.”

News Media has reached out to the DEA for comment on the matter.

On Monday, President Donald Trump issued a demand for gas stations to reduce fuel prices ‘immediately,’ advocating for gasoline to be priced near $2.50 per gallon. He cautioned that failing to make these changes could lead to ‘big problems.’

In a passionate message on Truth Social, Trump criticized fuel prices, asserting that they were not aligning with the recent decrease in crude oil prices. He claimed that, despite oil prices falling to approximately $68 per barrel, retailers were still charging motorists excessively.

Trump exclaimed, ‘Gasoline Retailers must get their Prices down, IMMEDIATELY!’

He continued, ‘They’re too high considering that Oil is now at $68 a Barrel, and heading south. Retailers need to swiftly respond to this alert and do what’s right — DROP YOUR PRICE FOR OUR GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE!’

Trump further cautioned retailers against exploiting the decrease in oil prices to their advantage at the expense of consumers.

‘There will be no gauging [sic], which is totally illegal. If Retailers don’t do this, big problems lie ahead!’ he wrote.

The president made a direct plea for retailers to ‘Start targeting around the $2.50 a Gallon number,’ before turning his attention to California’s fuel taxes.

‘And California should stop charging such heavy Taxes on their Gasoline. Soon the Tax will be higher than the Product itself, and the United States will not stand for it, nor will the People of California, who are being abused by these ridiculous Taxes, and by their own Government,’ Trump wrote.

The swipe marked Trump’s latest attack on fuel prices as he increases pressure on the energy industry to pass on lower crude oil costs to drivers filling up at the pump.

Just last week, Trump revealed he had instructed the Department of Justice to investigate whether major oil companies were keeping gasoline prices artificially high despite a decline in crude prices.

At the time, the president accused the industry of ‘gouging’ motorists by failing to reduce prices quickly enough after oil markets eased.

Oil prices surged earlier this year after the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and Gulf states hosting American military bases.

The heightened tensions rattled global energy markets and sent crude prices sharply higher, fueling concerns that Americans would once again face soaring costs at the pump.

Since then, diplomacy between Washington and Tehran and the extension of a ceasefire have helped ease fears of a broader regional conflict, allowing oil prices to retreat and providing some relief for motorists.

Trump argued those lower crude prices should now be reflected almost immediately at gas stations across the country.

Retail gasoline prices can lag because stations may still be selling fuel bought when oil was more expensive. 

Refining costs, transportation expenses, taxes and inventories all influence the final price drivers see on roadside signs.

Still, Trump’s constant intervention piles pressure on refiners, distributors and retailers as his administration tries to show consumers that lower oil prices are translating into savings.

As of Monday, the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.86 per gallon nationwide after hitting about $4.50 in recent months. 

Crude oil is hovering around $70 a barrel after topping $100 on several occasions since February, when the Iran war broke out. 

In response, Iran shuttered the Strait of Hormuz through which 20 percent of the world’s oil flows.  The US and Iran have reached a tenuous ceasefire. 

This renewed push by Trump to lower fuel prices comes as consumers continue to voice frustration over the cost of filling their tanks, with Republicans seeking to defend their narrow congressional majorities in November’s midterm elections.

While crude oil has fallen back from its recent highs, Trump has made clear he believes retailers have been too slow to pass those savings on to customers.