How Iranian Americans Feel About Iran in the World Cup

Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, June 15, 2026:

• The state legislature is expected to vote today on a budget plan that rejects some of the health care cuts proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
• California Democrats are urging the Trump administration to release millions in transportation funds it withheld in a dispute over drivers licenses for immigrant truckers.
• Iran’s men’s soccer team is scheduled to play its first match in this year’s World Cup this evening in Inglewood. But many members of the Iranian diaspora say they can’t support the team.

A Vote On the State Budget

Today,  June 15th, is the deadline for the state legislature to pass a balanced budget. But that budget plan is not set in stone. What follows will be a series of negotiations between the Governor’s Office and state lawmakers, in which several amendments to the budget will likely take place.

Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing for savings by raising Medi-Cal premiums on undocumented adults and lowering the assets seniors on Medi-Cal are allowed to have from $130,000 dollars to $2000. KQED Politics Correspondent Guy Marzorati reports that the plan from Democratic leaders in the Senate and Assembly delays both issues to next year – for a new governor to decide.

CA Dems Demand Trump Release Transportation Funds

Currently, the Trump Administration is withholding $160 million in transportation funds that go to highway safety. That’s because California hasn’t complied with federal guidelines requiring states to deny commercial drivers licenses to certain lawful immigrants with work permits, but not visas. This law disqualified hundreds of thousands of formerly eligible drivers.

On Friday, June 12th, Senator Adam Schiff, along with 21 other congressmembers sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demanding the release of those funds. In the letter, he says that disqualifying 200-thousand experienced drivers a quarter of them in California will bottleneck commerce.

The Department of Transportation says the new rule is for safety. But Schiff says, the government’s own data shows these truckers are actually among the safest on the road.

Iran Set to Play In World Cup Today

Iran’s men’s soccer team is set to face off against New Zealand in the FIFA World Cup today. The game will take place in Inglewood, California. The soccer match comes just after the announcement of a deal between the United States and Iran to end the months-long war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Many people within the Iranian diaspora are not rooting for the Iranian team, seeing the team as an extension or representation for the current Iranian regime. When the men’s soccer team arrived in Southern California, they were met with widespread protests. “It’s not Iran’s team. It’s the regime’s team,” says Sam Beykzadeh, an Iranian book store owner.

But, other people within the Iranian diaspora are excited to see the team play. Ryan Mortazavi and his family flew from Dallas to Southern California to attend the  soccer match. “When it’s our own country, you don’t want to miss them play,” say Mortazavi. This will be the 7th World Cup that Iran has participated in.