JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Federal officials will conduct another oil and gas lease auction Friday for Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, marking the latest effort in the administration’s campaign to expand energy development in the state.
Environmental advocates opposing drilling activities in the refuge’s coastal plain have highlighted the limited corporate participation in previous auctions and the ongoing environmental changes affecting Alaska’s northern regions as evidence that the area should remain protected from energy extraction. However, development proponents view the coastal plain, which spans an area comparable to Delaware’s size, as an unexploited energy source that could enhance domestic oil output while creating employment opportunities and generating revenue.
Earlier this year, a group of environmental organizations delivered correspondence to executives at 11 oil companies, including major Alaska operators ConocoPhillips and Hilcorp, requesting they avoid participating in the upcoming auction. The correspondence highlighted continuing legal challenges to the leasing program that began during President Donald Trump’s initial administration and cautioned about “financial, operational and reputational risks.”
The correspondence, endorsed by organizations such as The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club and Earthjustice, described the refuge as a premier location within the nation’s public land network and noted widespread public support for its preservation, “making any action there especially visible and consequential.”
Megan Olson, a spokesperson for ConocoPhillips Alaska, stated the company does not reveal its lease sale strategies. A Hilcorp representative did not provide a response when contacted for comment.
The current administration has demonstrated significant focus on Alaska, with last year’s congressional tax and spending legislation containing requirements for lease auctions in three state regions. Beyond the refuge’s coastal plain, leasing opportunities have been made available in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and Cook Inlet, a mature production area that has supplied natural gas to Alaska’s largest population center for many years.
The Cook Inlet auction in March attracted no bidders. However, the first National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska sale since 2019 drew hundreds of bids from major oil corporations, despite ongoing legal challenges to the leasing program. The administration has worked to make additional reserve lands available for drilling while reducing environmental protections. ConocoPhillips Alaska is currently advancing the substantial Willow oil development within the petroleum reserve.
Across Alaska’s expansive, oil-rich North Slope, the major production areas of Prudhoe Bay and Kuparuk are situated between the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, a state corporation, currently maintains leases within the refuge, though no active drilling operations exist. The U.S. Geological Survey has projected the coastal plain may hold between 4.25 billion and 11.8 billion barrels of extractable oil, though detailed information about the oil’s quantity and grade remains limited.
The coastal plain, which borders the Beaufort Sea in northeastern Alaska, contains rolling terrain and tundra that serves as habitat for various wildlife including musk oxen and migratory birds. The Gwich’in people consider it sacred territory, as the caribou herds essential to their way of life give birth there. Representatives from Gwich’in communities near the refuge have committed to ongoing resistance against drilling activities.
However, certain Alaska Native communities have supported development initiatives and consider them vital to the regional economy.
Nagruk Harcharek, president and CEO of Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, an advocacy organization representing leaders from Alaska Native communities across the North Slope, explained there’s an established tradition of harmonizing development with culturally significant activities like subsistence hunting. Responsible development represents a crucial aspect of self-determination, especially for Kaktovik residents, the sole community located within the refuge boundaries, who favor drilling activities, he noted.
Kaktovik community members conduct hunting and fishing activities on the coastal plain and “will be a big part of whatever project moves forward in making sure that all of those resources are protected and that their people are taken care of,” he stated.
Financial markets are preparing for a busy week ahead, with Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX set to make its stock market debut in what could become one of the largest initial public offerings in recent history.
The space exploration and satellite firm is scheduled to begin trading on the Nasdaq exchange on June 12, with plans to raise a massive $75 billion and target a company valuation of $1.75 trillion. If successful, the offering would position SpaceX among the ten most valuable publicly traded companies in the United States.
Market analysts expect the SpaceX launch to be the first of several major tech company debuts, with artificial intelligence companies OpenAI and Anthropic also preparing for public listings. Anthropic announced on June 1 that it had privately submitted paperwork for a U.S. stock offering.
Meanwhile, central banking decisions are drawing attention overseas. The European Central Bank appears ready to raise interest rates by 25 basis points on Thursday, making it the first major central bank to hike rates since the Iran conflict began. Officials view the expected rate increase as “insurance” against inflation rather than the beginning of an aggressive tightening cycle.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins Thursday across Mexico, Canada and the United States. While the tournament is expected to boost revenues for beverage makers like Molson Coors and Heineken, sports gear companies such as Adidas, and travel-related businesses, economists say the overall economic impact tends to be temporary. Goldman Sachs’ prediction model gives Spain a 26% chance of winning, followed by France, Argentina and Brazil.
Oil markets are watching for OPEC+ ministers to meet Sunday and likely approve increased production targets for July. The group has signaled it plans to continue normal operations despite ongoing Middle East tensions. Oil prices dropped more than 19% in May amid hopes for diplomatic progress.
Economic data from China is also on tap, with May trade figures due Tuesday and inflation numbers expected Wednesday. Investors want to see how Asia’s largest economy has handled the third month of the Iran conflict.
Back in the U.S., monthly consumer price data will be closely watched as investors monitor inflation concerns tied to higher energy costs. Technology company Oracle’s earnings report will also keep focus on the artificial intelligence investment trend.
A major Australian data center company revealed plans Friday to pour $30 billion into India’s technology infrastructure over the coming four years, targeting the construction of 5 gigawatts worth of new data center facilities across the South Asian country.
AirTrunk, which operates from Sydney and receives financial backing from Blackstone and Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, made its entry into India’s market this past April through acquiring Lumina CloudInfra.
The company currently has 600 megawatts worth of capacity projects in development across Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad, but plans to significantly expand this portfolio through the massive new investment commitment.
Following a Friday meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Executive Robin Khuda described India as among the Australian firm’s most important long-term investment targets.
“One of the strongest messages we took away from this week was a genuine sense of urgency. There is a recognition that AI investment is a global race and that capital will flow to places that are prepared to compete for it,” Khuda said.
“Every market has strengths and challenges. What investors consistently look for is certainty, coordination and speed.”
India has positioned itself as an attractive destination for artificial intelligence development by providing tax incentives to international companies that operate through local data centers.
Major Indian business groups are also ramping up their technology infrastructure investments, with Reliance and Adani announcing commitments of approximately $110 billion and $100 billion respectively in February.
Registration numbers for China’s demanding national university entrance examination have plummeted this year, with 450,000 fewer students signing up compared to last year, bringing the total to 12.9 million test-takers.
The Ministry of Education released these statistics on Wednesday, showing the second straight year of declining participation in the exam scheduled to start Sunday. This follows a decrease of 70,000 registrations in the previous year from 2024.
The drop reflects both a shrinking population of college-aged youth and deteriorating employment conditions, with joblessness among 16 to 24-year-olds surpassing 16%. Economic experts anticipate unemployment rates will climb further when a record 12.7 million college graduates flood the job market this summer.
Education officials did not address the falling registration numbers but stated they would “resolutely crack down on illegal and irregular activities such as false publicity, high fees, organising fraud or cheating.”
The trend shows growing student preference for vocational training programs that typically lead directly to employment. Local news outlets reported hundreds of parents lined up at a Beijing trade school in May competing for only 30 openings. Shanghai’s vocational institutions have experienced a 15% jump in enrollment over the past three years.
The challenging job climate became evident when over 700 people applied for just two shepherd positions in remote grasslands south of Mongolia. Chinese farm owner Zuo Xiaoyong’s online job posting attracted 59 million views on Weibo, China’s version of X, within hours and drew applications from urban professionals in major cities like Shanghai and Chongqing, factory employees nationwide, and college graduates.
This massive response underscores the mounting pressure in the nation’s employment sector.
For students taking this year’s examination, education authorities have implemented enhanced security protocols, including “intelligent screening systems to prevent high-tech cheating involving devices such as mobile phones and smart glasses.”
A British single-board computing manufacturer announced Friday it has upgraded its profit expectations for the full year 2026, citing robust artificial intelligence-driven demand that is projected to push adjusted core earnings “significantly ahead” of what analysts had predicted.
The firm anticipates first-half core earnings will reach a minimum of $38 million, alongside unit deliveries surpassing 4 million during the six-month period concluding June 30. This strong showing is attributed to increased shipment volumes, an advantageous product portfolio, and stockpiled inventory from fiscal year 2025.
The computing company cautioned, however, that per-unit profit margins will likely decline during the latter half of the year as memory chip reserves dwindle. Officials indicated the company plans to utilize debt financing for strategic memory component acquisitions to ensure adequate supply during what they described as an exceptional shortage caused by skyrocketing artificial intelligence demand.
A major American investment firm has walked away from a multi-billion dollar acquisition deal involving a British industrial company, according to announcements made Friday by both organizations.
Apollo Global Management confirmed it will not proceed with a formal takeover bid for Bodycote, a thermal processing services firm based in the United Kingdom. The proposed deal was valued at £1.52 billion, equivalent to approximately $2.04 billion.
Last month, the alternative asset manager had put forward a conditional cash proposal following multiple earlier attempts to engage the company. The offer of 885 pence per share represented a substantial premium of nearly 27% above market value, causing Bodycote’s stock price to jump significantly.
Apollo provided no explanation for abandoning the acquisition attempt. Under British regulations governing corporate takeovers, the firm is now prohibited from making another bid for the next six months, except under certain specified circumstances.
“Apollo continues to hold Bodycote and its management team in high regard, is appreciative of the discussions with them and Bodycote’s board of directors,” the group said in a statement.
Television and movie performers have overwhelmingly endorsed a new four-year agreement with studios and streaming platforms, following negotiations that union leaders say secured safeguards against digitally-created actors using artificial intelligence technology.
The approval was anticipated and contract talks proceeded smoothly without threats of work stoppages, but the ratification ensures the entertainment industry won’t face a repeat of the damaging 2023 strikes by actors and writers.
Over 90% of Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists members who participated endorsed the agreement, with approximately 19% of qualified members submitting votes.
Similar to the Writers Guild of America, which ratified their own agreement on April 24, the performers’ contract extends for four years rather than the typical three-year term, adding another level of workplace stability to the industry.
SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin stated in a release that the agreement “delivers meaningful gains in compensation, strengthens protections around artificial intelligence and digital identity, reinforces the long-term security of members’ benefit plans and recognizes the realities of how performers work today.”
The agreement stipulates that artificial intelligence performers must provide “significant additional value” beyond what a live actor or digital recording of them could offer before producers can utilize them. Union officials believe this requirement and other clauses will limit AI actor usage.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, representing a group of Hollywood’s leading studios, streaming services and production companies, praised the union for the ratification.
“SAG-AFTRA’s leadership brought a genuine commitment to partnership, and together with the WGA agreement, these deals demonstrate what is possible when the industry works toward practical solutions,” the alliance stated.
Alliance negotiators have been conducting contract discussions with the Directors Guild of America since May 11. These talks mark the first negotiations under new DGA president Christopher Nolan. That agreement expires June 30.
TIVAT, Montenegro (AP) — Top officials from the European Union and Balkan nations convened Friday in Montenegro to explore expanding the EU to encompass regional countries, viewed as crucial territory for addressing security and economic challenges from Russia and China.
The EU-Western Balkans conference, taking place in the coastal Adriatic town of Tivat, brings together European officials including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, alongside leaders from other Balkan EU hopefuls and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Central to discussions will be Montenegro’s EU membership bid. This small, mountainous former Yugoslav republic celebrated the 20th anniversary last month of declaring independence from its union with neighboring Serbia.
Following its 2017 NATO membership, the nation of 623,000 residents has set an ambitious goal of becoming the EU’s 28th member state by 2028. The slogan “28 by 28” appears on aircraft belonging to Montenegro’s national carrier.
Brussels has established a working group to prepare Montenegro’s membership agreement — indicating that joining the bloc is achievable. The country leads other regional candidates including Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
These nations are progressing through various phases of the membership process, with the EU recently pushing for reforms among candidate countries due to concerns over expanding Russian and Chinese influence.
Prospective members must align their legislation across 35 policy sectors or “chapters,” covering everything from judicial standards to agricultural and fisheries regulations. All 27 current EU nations must approve opening each chapter and closing it afterward.
Ukraine and Moldova also rank among roughly ten nations seeking to join the organization. Iceland plans an August referendum on whether to submit an application.
European Council President Antonio Costa will lead the summit. During his Western Balkans tour this week, he has stressed the bloc’s commitment to expansion.
With conflicts ongoing in Ukraine, Iran and the Middle East, and questions surrounding Europe’s security as the United States appears less dedicated to NATO partnerships, EU nations have prioritized strengthening military capacity and defending against an increasingly hostile Russia.
Following his Thursday meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Costa stated that amid “global geopolitical uncertainty and economic instability,” EU expansion is “not just an opportunity. It is a geostrategic necessity for Europe.”
Faruk Bašić, who researches at the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, predicted the summit will accelerate Montenegro’s 2028 membership timeline while establishing new measures to prevent member states from violating EU principles.
This marks the first EU leaders’ gathering since Viktor Orbán’s surprising April defeat. Hungary’s former Russia-aligned prime minister spent 16 years undermining EU democratic and rule-of-law standards while building relationships with other authoritarian leaders.
Learning from Orbán’s democratic deterioration and his frequent use of European Council vetoes, the EU is developing alternative approaches using financial sanctions or limited single market access to pressure new members toward reform and compliance with bloc standards, Bašić explained.
“The EU is trying to find a way how to admit a country that isn’t fully ready to be admitted without losing the ability to hold it accountable after the fact,” he said, referencing Ukraine’s membership application as well as Western Balkan nations like Serbia and Kosovo.
WASHINGTON — Senators are conducting an all-night session to advance legislation funding President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations while Democrats and certain Republicans attempt to insert provisions permanently preventing Trump from establishing a $1.776 billion settlement fund.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Republicans defeated a Democratic proposal to eliminate the fund, designed to provide compensation to the president’s supporters who claim they faced political persecution. However, additional amendments were expected overnight, with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana announcing plans for another attempt to stop the settlement.
These amendment votes tested party loyalty and posed risks to the immigration spending legislation, as multiple Republicans have consistently opposed the fund. The initial settlement vote remained open for approximately three hours while several GOP senators deliberated their positions.
“I feel optimistic that we’ll get there in the end,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., stated Thursday evening, though he admitted uncertainty about the voting outcomes.
For weeks, Thune has urged GOP colleagues to maintain focus on funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, which Democrats have obstructed since early this year, while avoiding additional provisions that might complicate approval.
Should an amendment restricting the settlement succeed, Thune indicated it would create difficulties when transmitting the legislation to the House. Such action could also trigger a White House veto of the immigration spending measure, which has otherwise united Trump and Republicans.
When the Senate previously modified a Homeland Security funding package in March, the House rejected the changes and adjourned.
Trump’s judgment fund, established through a settlement resolving his lawsuit against the IRS regarding leaked tax returns, has frustrated numerous Republican senators.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced this week that the fund would not proceed. However, Trump, who has clashed with Senate Republicans recently, created fresh uncertainty about the settlement’s status Wednesday afternoon — immediately after the Senate voted to begin immigration bill debate — when he informed reporters the settlement is “very important” and stated “I don’t know” whether it remains dormant or canceled.
“I’d have to ask the lawyers,” he commented.
The Senate defeated a second amendment Thursday from Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina that would have similarly prohibited the settlement fund while transferring funds to a separate anti-fraud program at the Department of Justice. Most Democrats opposed the amendment, ensuring its failure, though over 10 Republicans backed it.
Tillis argued the settlement fund, which could potentially benefit Trump supporters who assaulted police and stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, creates political problems for the party.
“If Blanche says this is largely inoperative, why not use this moment to codify that?” Tillis questioned. “Otherwise, you’re exposing every one of our members who are in cycle to having to deal with this between today and Election Day, and that makes no sense for something that the DOJ says they’re not moving forward with.”
Republican voting patterns on future amendments remained uncertain.
Cassidy, who lost reelection last month after Trump supported his primary challenger, confirmed plans to propose an amendment banning settlement payouts. He informed reporters he might also introduce an amendment blocking a separate settlement component granting Trump and his family immunity from IRS audits.
Multiple Republican senators expressed support for the concept but required review of final language before deciding. Sen. John Cornyn, who also lost reelection last month following Trump’s endorsement of his opponent, said he supports the “thrust of it” but would await the amendment text. Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah expressed similar sentiments.
Thune stated his belief that the final legislation should pass without settlement prohibition language.
“This is about border funding,” Thune explained. “It’s about law enforcement, it’s about ICE and CBP. So I’m trying to, you know, keep it about the main thing.”
Democrats continued proposing amendments throughout the night, addressing Trump’s tariffs, his conflict with Iran, and his immigration enforcement operations.
“Amendment after amendment, vote after vote, Republicans are going to have to answer to the American people,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer declared at the day’s start.
Approving the approximately $70 billion measure funding ICE and Border Patrol would conclude the Democratic blockade that demanded policy modifications following fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents in January. The legislation would provide three-year funding through Trump’s term conclusion.
Senate Republicans are employing complex procedural tactics to circumvent the filibuster and approve the budget legislation without Democratic support. However, bringing the bill to the Senate floor required weeks as Republicans addressed various passage obstacles created by Trump and the White House — including a $1 billion proposal for White House security and Trump’s ballroom that they ultimately abandoned, plus intense bipartisan opposition to the settlement fund.
Democrats maintain that any Homeland Security Department funding should impose restrictions on federal immigration authorities, including improved officer identification and increased judicial warrant usage, among other demands.
Following federal agents’ shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Trump accepted a Democratic request separating the Homeland Security bill from broader spending legislation that became law. Bipartisan negotiations stalled, and department funding expired in mid-February without agreement on Trump administration immigration enforcement modifications.
Congress eventually funded remaining Homeland Security Department operations in late April with Democratic backing, but ICE and Border Patrol continued operating without regular funding.
President Donald Trump’s administration has unveiled plans for new tariffs targeting 60 nations that Washington claims aren’t doing enough to eliminate forced labor from their trade goods, but specialists and advocacy organizations warn the approach may backfire in the fight against modern slavery.
The proposed import duties of 10% to 12.5% represent the administration’s newest trade action, emerging from a Section 301 investigation into unfair trade practices by the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. The initiative aims to reinstate Trump’s emergency tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned them in February.
However, trade specialists and human rights advocates question whether this strategy will meaningfully address widespread problems including child labor, forced labor, and other exploitative work conditions throughout global supply chains.
“The essence of this new measure has very little or anything to do with forced labour. It’s just a new justification for trade tariffs,” said Ram Ben Tzion, co-founder and CEO of digital shipment-vetting platform Publican.
Data from the International Labour Organization shows 27.6 million individuals currently work under forced labor conditions globally – representing a 2.7 million increase since 2016. Export-focused industries including manufacturing, construction, agriculture, fishing, and mining account for nearly half of all private sector forced labor situations.
The administration’s case against the European Union has attracted significant attention, given the trade relationship between the two partners. Washington’s report criticized the EU’s Forced Labour Regulation, scheduled to take effect in December 2027, arguing it establishes stricter evidence requirements than American standards and mandates officials demonstrate substantial concern before taking action.
European Commission officials called the tariffs unjustified while reaffirming their dedication to last year’s trade agreement with Washington that limits U.S. tariff rates on most EU products to 15%.
The international human rights organization Walk Free has determined that no G20 nation is adequately addressing forced labor relative to their economic capacity. According to Walk Free’s findings, the U.S. ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest numbers of people living under modern slavery conditions.
Andrew Wilson, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce, expressed concern about what he called the “arbitrary nature” of the proposed tariffs.
“It doesn’t make sense if the object of this is to enhance controls on modern slavery,” Wilson stated, noting that planned EU measures would eventually surpass U.S. regulations once implemented. “The EU regime may ultimately have broader market reach because it covers imports, products sold in the EU, and exports from the EU.”
Sebastian Ruenz, an ESG and supply chain specialist at law firm Taylor Wessing, disputed Washington’s characterization of EU frameworks as inadequate. The EU prohibition applies to forced labor products from any global location, regardless of their country of origin.
“It will be structurally far more comprehensive than the U.S. law,” Ruenz explained, highlighting that Germany’s Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and France’s comparable legislation have already created national forced labor standards.
Even advocates who generally support import restrictions as tools against modern slavery expressed doubts about tariffs designed around trade volumes rather than exploitation severity achieving substantial progress.
Hélène de Rengerve, senior advocate for corporate accountability at Human Rights Watch, pointed out that the most severe forced labor systems – including state-imposed programs in China’s Xinjiang region, Turkmenistan’s cotton industry, and North Korea – aren’t the main focus of these tariffs, which instead reflect trade volumes and geopolitical factors.
“It is also not clear how will this be an incentive to actually improve the situation,” de Rengerve said. “It might even create more political resistance in some countries. I fear it might be counterproductive to the objective of fighting forced labour.”
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing is considering plans to significantly increase monthly production of its most popular 737 aircraft, according to a Thursday report from the Air Current.
The company is developing strategies and evaluating whether its supply partners could handle boosting manufacturing of its single-aisle planes to approximately 70 units each month, sources with knowledge of the situation told the publication.
Such an ambitious manufacturing goal would challenge the strength of Boeing’s supplier network and move the company’s production objectives much closer to competitor Airbus’s manufacturing targets for its comparable single-aisle aircraft lineup.
According to the report, these evaluations remain in preliminary phases and the increased production rate might not be implemented.
Last month, the American aircraft manufacturer announced it would increase 737 MAX production to 47 units monthly, up from 42, following discussions with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
“We’re off and rolling at the 47 rate, and we should be there in the next couple months,” CEO Kelly Ortberg stated during the Bernstein conference in May.
Boeing representatives directed inquiries to Ortberg’s previous conference statements when asked for additional comment.
Airbus has maintained long-standing goals of producing 75 A320neo-family aircraft monthly but has consistently delayed this timeline due to supply chain challenges. The company now projects reaching 70-75 monthly units by late 2027, with intentions to maintain steady production at 75 units afterward.
Currently, Airbus manufactures approximately 60 single-aisle jets per month on average.
RALEIGH, N.C. — An unsuccessful coach’s challenge by John Tortorella became a pivotal turning point during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday evening.
The Vegas Golden Knights thought they had found the back of the net with five minutes remaining in regulation time, but referee Jean Hebert immediately disallowed the goal, ruling goaltender interference. Hebert declared that he and his fellow on-ice officials believed Ivan Barbashev had pushed Carolina Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen while forcing the puck into the goal.
Following some consideration, Tortorella chose to challenge the ruling, and officials along with the on-site NHL situation room quickly upheld the original no-goal decision. Carolina converted on the resulting power play just 25 seconds afterward and ultimately prevailed 4-3 in overtime to even the series.
“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie,” Tortorella said. “Our player stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it goes through him into the other side. I’d challenge it 10 out of 10 times.”
The review focused exclusively on goalie interference and had no connection to whether the whistle had blown before the puck entered the net.
“The ruling on the play was goaltender interference,” executive vice president and director of officiating Stephen Walkom told a pool reporter. “He waved it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie, and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waived it off immediately.”
Mark Jankowski had evened the score for the Hurricanes just moments before after Logan Stankoven began the rally from a 2-0 deficit. On Carolina’s bench, players and coach Rod Brind’Amour remained uncertain about how the review would conclude.
“Obviously, you’re hoping for the best,” center Sebsastian Aho said. “You can’t really control it. I didn’t have a really good view of it, so I had no clue. So, I was just hoping for the best.”
Brind’Amour chose not to challenge a potential goalie interference situation in Game 1 on Tuesday evening because multiple factors were involved. His judgment proved correct once more.
“It happened to us in I guess the first game: When it’s called a goal or no goal on the ice, it better be 100% to challenge it,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s the rule we go by. So, they called no goal on the ice, so that’s kind of how I think it worked out. I don’t know. I don’t know what the explanation is. It looked like he had it covered, and then all of a sudden it was in the net. I don’t know. I haven’t really looked at it. I was just happy that it went our way.”
Andersen stretched to his limit to make a paddle save against Barbashev’s initial attempt. A scramble developed near the crease as players lunged for the puck, trying either to score or prevent a goal.
“To me, it felt like a no goal,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “Obviously, I’m on the other side, but I’m sure they have a different opinion. My gut was like, ‘Man, there’s no way.’ What an incredible effort my Freddie just staying with that one and finding a way to get a piece of that. I was flopping everywhere. I didn’t know what was going on. Freddy just stuck with it. The guy’s an absolute animal. That was a pretty crazy play and obviously a game-changer for us.”
A failed coach’s challenge results in a two-minute minor penalty. Vegas had successfully killed all four previous Carolina power plays in the series up to that moment.
“I’m not sure how they go about their thought process, Brind’Amour said. “They’ve obviously killed all the penalties. That’s a big one.”
Staal ensured the Golden Knights couldn’t kill this penalty, deflecting defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere’s shot from the point for Carolina’s eighth power play goal of the playoffs. Seth Jarvis added the ninth with his overtime winner, though the extra period might never have occurred without Tortorella’s challenge.
“You’d like to make them pay every time,” Aho said. “It’s a big swing because the other option is going down a goal. But other than that, every time you get a power play, you’re trying to score. So, it’s not that different, but obviously it was a big swing.”
RALEIGH, N.C. — Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was forced to exit Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night after being struck in the face by a puck.
McNabb was hit directly in the face by a slap shot from Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers during the first period. The defenseman immediately dropped his stick, fell to the ice, and clutched his nose before skating off and heading to the locker room.
“It’s a scary play,” forward Brett Howden said. “You never want to see that. Just hope he’s doing all right. We haven’t seen him yet but hope he’s doing OK.”
McNabb was unable to return to action, forcing Vegas to continue the game with only five defensemen available.
“You lose a guy like Nabber who logs heavy minutes, such a good teammate, plays the game so hard, it’s tough,” captain Mark Stone said. “They battled as hard as they could.”
Coach John Tortorella said “they played well” and had no update when asked about McNabb’s condition after the Hurricanes’ overtime victory that tied the series.
The injury came after McNabb recorded the first three-assist game of his NHL career in Game 1. He is among three original Golden Knights players who have remained with the franchise throughout its nine-year history and are appearing in the final for a third time.
“Any time you see that happen to a teammate, especially to a guy like Nabber who is a huge part of this team, a leader, it’s tough,” fellow D-man Noah Hanifin said. “It’s hard to see that happen to any guy on the ice. We’re just hoping for the best for him.”
The Golden Knights had restored their complete, healthy roster for the series opener when Jeremy Lauzon returned from injury. However, that full lineup was short-lived.
If McNabb cannot play in Game 3 on Saturday, either Ben Hutton, a left-handed shooter, or Kaedan Korczak, who had been filling in for Lauzon, is expected to take his place.
Australian environmental officials announced Friday they had confiscated more than 100,000 prohibited live cockroaches from a commercial breeder in what authorities describe as the nation’s biggest seizure of exotic invertebrates ever recorded.
The massive collection of Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, valued at 200,000 Australian dollars ($142,000), was taken from a breeder operating in Bathurst, New South Wales state, during a May operation, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water reported.
Madagascar hissing cockroaches rank among the planet’s largest cockroach species, growing to lengths of 2 to 3 inches. Department photographs revealed glossy, brown creatures exceeding the size of human fingers.
These exotic insects dwarf Australia’s native cockroach species, which typically measure just 0.9 to 1.4 inches long. The continent’s subtropical climate conditions support cockroach populations, with hundreds of different species calling Australia home.
Local snake catcher Stefanie Lesser explained to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that these oversized exotic varieties were probably marketed as economical food for reptiles since their substantial size reduced the quantity needed per feeding. Department officials recommended pet owners choose crickets or wood roaches as alternative food sources for their lizards.
Australian law prohibits importing both Madagascar hissing and dubia cockroaches. The insects cannot be legally possessed, bred, or sold regardless of how someone acquired them, according to departmental statements.
The country maintains rigorous border security measures designed to safeguard its farming industries and indigenous wildlife from invasive pest problems. Individuals caught smuggling undeclared or prohibited animals, insects, or plant materials face substantial monetary penalties.
These foreign cockroach species “have not been subject to an environmental risk assessment” and could potentially transmit diseases or threaten local wildlife populations, officials explained. Authorities warned they would pursue legal action against anyone found possessing these invertebrates.
A department spokesperson confirmed no criminal charges were filed against the Bathurst breeder. Officials stated the confiscated cockroaches would be destroyed.
Stock markets throughout Asia experienced significant losses Friday, with South Korea’s primary index plummeting more than 5% following steep drops in major artificial intelligence companies on Wall Street.
Futures trading in the United States also showed declines.
Thursday’s trading session on Wall Street saw computer chip manufacturer Broadcom experience a 12.6% decline after the company issued forecasts that disappointed investor expectations, sparking worries about the broader artificial intelligence and technology industries.
Memory chip producer Micron Technology saw its shares fall 7.7%, while cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Holdings declined 3.8%.
Despite these losses, the S&P 500 benchmark managed to rise 0.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.7% to reach a new record. The technology-focused Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%.
However, Asian investors sold off major AI-related stocks, with South Korea’s SK Hynix tumbling 8.4% and Samsung Electronics losing 5.4%.
The Kospi index dropped 5.1% by midday trading to reach 8,185.62. This index has approximately doubled over the past year, boosted by gains in major technology companies.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 decreased 1.4% to 66,532.35, with technology stocks leading the downturn, despite official data revealing that Japan’s real wages increased for the fourth consecutive month. Chip equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron saw its shares decline 7.2%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8% to 25,047.83, while the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.4% to 4,075.31.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.5% to 8,639.50.
Taiwan’s Taiex lost 1.5%, while India’s Sensex gained 0.2%.
Petroleum prices found stability after Thursday’s declines. Brent crude, the international benchmark, increased 0.4% to $95.42 per barrel. It had fallen to approximately $95.03 per barrel Thursday, compared to roughly $70 per barrel before the conflict began in late February.
U.S. crude benchmark traded 0.1% higher at $93.15 per barrel.
Robust corporate earnings and enthusiasm surrounding AI demand have helped drive some stock markets to record levels, despite ongoing disruptions from the Iran war. Oil prices remain pressured as the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil and natural gas shipments, stays effectively blocked, and the war-related energy crisis threatens to hamper economic growth and increase inflation across many nations.
American and Iranian negotiators achieved a preliminary agreement last week to extend their ceasefire, but the deal remains unfinished, while developments in Lebanon have raised questions about prospects for a lasting resolution to the conflict.
Thursday saw the Iran-backed Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah refuse the most recent ceasefire agreement between Lebanese and Israel governments.
“While there are few signs of progress in US-Iran talks, the oil market continues to trade on expectations of an imminent deal that would resume flows through the Strait of Hormuz,” ING commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a report.
Expectations regarding the U.S.-Iran negotiations may have been “overly optimistic,” they said.
In early Friday currency trading, the U.S. dollar declined to 159.97 Japanese yen from 160.03 yen. The euro traded at $1.1614, up from $1.1610.
A top Japanese technology official issued a stark warning Friday that the nation faces the risk of becoming an “AI colony” unless it accelerates its artificial intelligence development efforts.
Digital Minister Hisashi Matsumoto delivered the cautionary message while supporting proposed legislation that would modify Japan’s data privacy regulations. The changes would permit artificial intelligence companies to use personal information, including medical and criminal records, for training their systems without obtaining consent from individuals.
“I hope many Japanese people understand that we need to press ahead with AI development, or we’ll end up becoming an ‘AI colony’,” Matsumoto stated.
The minister emphasized the urgency behind the proposed legal changes during a news conference. “The point of this change is that, with AI development moving so fast, Japan can’t afford to fall behind,” he explained to reporters.
Opposition political groups have raised objections to the government-sponsored legislation, expressing worries about potential data security breaches. The measure successfully cleared the lower chamber of parliament last week and is currently under consideration in the upper house.
Japanese leadership has intensified initiatives to bolster domestic artificial intelligence capabilities through various means including financial subsidies, strategic purchasing programs, and regulatory adjustments. These efforts come as the nation navigates an increasingly competitive global technology landscape dominated by the United States and China.
The country has pursued partnerships with American technology firms including Microsoft and OpenAI while simultaneously supporting domestic companies such as SoftBank, Sakura Internet, and semiconductor manufacturers to expand locally-developed AI systems and computing infrastructure.
Japan’s determination to maintain competitiveness in artificial intelligence development mirrors similar concerns among governments globally, as nations worry about technological dependence on foreign entities. This week, the European Union announced a comprehensive technology independence initiative aimed at strengthening domestic cloud computing, AI, and semiconductor sectors while reducing reliance on American technology companies.
A recent analysis shows German automobile manufacturers faced significant challenges during the opening months of 2024, experiencing revenue drops while international rivals posted growth.
Global automotive industry revenues climbed 2% during the first quarter, with Japanese and American companies driving the increase, according to research released Friday by EY. However, German automakers bucked this trend, recording a 4% drop in revenue.
“The entire German automotive industry is undergoing a profound structural transformation,” said Constantin Gall, an EY sector specialist. He pointed to declining performance in crucial markets including the U.S. and China, along with expensive excess production capacity, substantial software development costs, and challenges transitioning to electric vehicle production.
Additional uncertainty stems from the Iran crisis, which analysts expect will drive up fuel costs and inflation, potentially reducing European consumer demand.
Gall predicts German automakers will continue facing headwinds, stating: “2026 will be another crisis year for the automotive industry.”
The chief executive of technology company Nvidia told journalists on Friday that he believes robotics will emerge as South Korea’s next significant industry sector.
Jensen Huang made these comments while speaking with members of the press following his arrival at Gimpo airport in South Korea, where he had flown in from Taiwan.
During his visit to the country, Huang indicated he has arranged meetings with several major Korean corporations, including Hyundai, LG, SK, Samsung and Naver.
When asked by reporters about whether he had brought any gifts to Korea, Huang responded: “Did I bring any gifts for Korea? I brought a lot of business for Korea.” He also mentioned: “I have some surprises.”
RALEIGH, N.C. — Carolina Hurricanes players had been saying all along that their star players and power-play unit would eventually deliver crucial performances.
It appears they were correct.
The timing couldn’t have been better, as it allowed the Hurricanes to stay alive in their Stanley Cup Final matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Seth Jarvis fired a one-timer beyond Carter Hart during a power play 3:56 into overtime — a pivotal moment for both Jarvis and a special teams unit that had struggled during the postseason — propelling the Hurricanes to a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday evening. The win capped a remarkable evening that saw Carolina down 2-0 heading into the final period and appearing outplayed, before mounting a comeback with three straight goals, then regrouping after surrendering a late equalizer that sent the game to extra time.
More significantly, the Hurricanes transformed what could have been a devastating 0-2 series hole after dropping both home games into a deadlocked series as they prepare to travel west following this dramatic shift in momentum.
Carolina’s man-advantage unit had managed only 7 goals in 58 opportunities (12.1%) entering Thursday’s contest after finishing fourth during the regular season with a 24.9% success rate. However, that same unit delivered twice when it mattered most on Thursday, beginning when captain Jordan Staal deflected Shayne Gostisbehere’s shot past Carter Hart from near the crease to give Carolina a 3-2 advantage with the extra man.
Jarvis then provided the decisive strike, marking just his fourth playoff goal for the top-line player who paced the team with 32 goals during the regular season.
After connecting from the left circle, he glided toward the blue line and dropped to one knee, sliding across the ice as his teammates poured over the boards in an emotional celebration.
The third contest of this best-of-seven series takes place Saturday in Las Vegas.
Pope Leo XIV plans to address one of Europe’s most contentious issues by traveling to two major migration centers — Spain’s Canary Islands next week and Italy’s Lampedusa island in early July.
These isolated European territories have faced overwhelming challenges as tens of thousands of primarily African migrants arrive via some of the globe’s most dangerous sea routes. Despite declining numbers this year, particularly in the Canaries, migration remains a divisive political issue in these traditionally Catholic nations.
Catholic leaders and migrants anticipate the papal visits will redirect focus toward compassion and assistance rather than polarizing political arguments that divide both conservative and liberal factions.
“Stuck in the middle are the migrants,” said the Most Rev. José Mazuelos, the bishop of Canarias, whose diocese includes several of the islands. “So the church says, ‘Let’s give them a face, because we’re talking about people, not numbers.’”
One such person is Eslim Jallow, 27, who left Gambia with his younger brother seeking better opportunities and reached the Canary Islands in 2023. Initially facing difficulties adjusting, Jallow mastered Spanish, completed training programs, and now works as a programmer and web developer in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
“Perhaps the pope will change the way in which people here look at immigrants,” Jallow said. “Immigrants should be treated with dignity and respect, not ignored.”
Though not Catholic himself like most arriving migrants, he believes Leo “speaks for us, he reminds the world we are also human beings.”
Supporting migrants worldwide was central to Pope Francis’s mission. His first pastoral journey outside Rome brought him to Lampedusa in 2013, and three years later he returned from the Greek island of Lesbos with twelve Syrian Muslim refugees.
Pope Leo has maintained the Catholic Church’s commitment to advocating humane treatment of migrants internationally, including condemning mass deportations in his native United States.
“Pope Leo is signaling how important immigration is to him by doing these two trips early in his papacy,” said Michele Pistone, a Villanova University professor who leads its new center on immigration.
Leo’s Canary Islands itinerary includes a June 11 visit to Gran Canaria’s port of Arguineguín to honor thousands of migrants who perished or vanished during their journeys. The following day, he will meet with migrants at a Tenerife camp.
The island chain became the center of a humanitarian emergency in 2024 when nearly 47,000 migrants from North and West Africa arrived, including thousands of unaccompanied children.
Similar to Jallow, half landed on El Hierro island — almost tripling its population, according to the Most Rev. Eloy Santiago, bishop of Tenerife, whose diocese encompasses the smaller island. Resources reached critical limits despite most migrants staying only briefly.
“If a boat arrives, the couple of local doctors have to go out running to take care of them, and then the local residents who had their medical appointments can’t have them,” Santiago said.
Catholic organizations join others in assisting migrants from their first moments stepping off overcrowded, unsafe boats.
While arrivals have dropped significantly this year due partly to enhanced African coastal controls, the greatest challenge persists — supporting those who arrived as minors under state care but face homelessness at 18, typically without employment opportunities or assistance.
Jallow worries about his younger brother’s future when he becomes an adult next year. The brother has been paralyzed from the neck down following an accident shortly after arriving in the Canaries and resides in a Catholic hospital in Las Palmas.
Caya Suárez, secretary general for the Catholic charity Caritas in the Canaries, has witnessed how migrants aging out of care become extremely vulnerable.
“That’s a very bad moment, even though they’d been waiting for it with hope, because they see they are still stuck without alternatives,” she said.
Caritas assists young adults in securing housing and employment, she explained. The organization has also relocated some young migrants to Madrid, a small village in the predominantly rural Galicia region, and other mainland locations with parish support, even as other Spanish regional governments resist accepting underage migrants.
Many Canary Islands residents feel abandoned to handle an impossible situation — extending already strained resources for migrants who expected economic opportunities and European Union travel freedom but instead face homelessness while struggling to send money home and find ways to leave.
Combined with perceptions that national and European institutions view this as solely an “island problem,” the circumstances create growing frustration even among generous islanders historically accustomed to migration connections with Latin America, according to the Canaries’ bishops.
“The pope’s word can help so that in the middle of this fatigue, people can buck up again because they see they are supported,” said Santiago, who was born and ordained a priest on the islands.
Nationally, Spain’s Catholic Church has endorsed new legislation granting temporary residency permits to potentially over half a million undocumented foreigners, many from Latin America.
These individuals frequently work in hospitality, farming, and elderly care, strengthening the economy according to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s socialist government — and the church.
“In the matter of immigration, the church’s position gets into a head-on collision with the position of the right,” said Pablo Simón, a political science professor at University Carlos III in Madrid.
This has created tension between the church and far-right parties like Vox in Spain, which has criticized church immigration positions despite frequently framing anti-migrant messaging in religious language.
The Rev. Fernando Redondo, who leads the migration department of the Spanish bishops’ conference, said the church’s position aligns with Christian teachings to welcome strangers. However, he noted the need for better understanding among faithful who believe migrants take jobs or exploit welfare systems.
“We have a big challenge, which is raising awareness among our faithful … that from the viewpoint of faith, to welcome a migrant person is to welcome Christ himself,” Redondo said. “Then, of course, there needs to be ways, proper social and political ways, so that migration doesn’t become a total mess.”
In the Canaries, ordinary citizens have confronted life-threatening chaos firsthand — fishermen providing water to migrants on makeshift rafts, beachgoers rushing into water to assist landing migrants, volunteers greeting them in over a dozen languages.
Yet they have also witnessed successful integration, such as in a declining mountain village that revitalized after opening a center for three dozen migrant children, creating employment and filling the school — and the local church’s annual feast day procession.
Many therefore anticipate Leo delivering a straightforward but essential message of reconciliation focusing on affected individuals rather than politics.
“The pope doesn’t support this slogan of ‘let’s go, open doors for the whole world here.’ Nobody supports that,” Mazuelos said. “When here comes a gentleman in a wooden boat after five days in the Atlantic, what are we supposed to do, kick him back? We’ve got to find a way to welcome him.”
A new photo gallery captures a week of significant events across Latin America and the Caribbean, showcasing demonstrations and political developments throughout the region.
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, thousands of people took to the streets in demonstrations against femicide. Meanwhile, elderly citizens gathered in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, demanding improved healthcare and retirement benefits. In Mexico City, educators held rallies seeking increased wages, and Chilean students engaged in confrontations with law enforcement while opposing proposed reductions to education funding.
Political activity was also prominent during this period. Citizens in Colombia participated in the initial round of presidential voting, while Peru made preparations for an upcoming runoff election. Mexico continued its preparations to serve as host nation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The photo collection was assembled by photojournalist Marco Ugarte, who is based in Mexico City.
NEW YORK (AP) — Scott Pelley’s career at CBS already included international assignments, prestigious awards, and a substantial salary that most could only dream of. Now the veteran journalist has achieved something else that stirs workplace envy: publicly confronting his superiors in spectacular fashion.
The “60 Minutes” reporter delivered a blistering criticism of CBS leadership during a recent staff meeting, challenging his supervisors’ qualifications and decisions. While this confrontation reportedly led to his termination, it represented the kind of workplace rebellion that employees across the country fantasize about but rarely execute.
“That’s the American dream — to be able to tell off your boss and walk out the door,” says Zach Tyra, a 40-year-old data analyst from Jones, Oklahoma, who found a kindred spirit in the newsman, recalling his own experience with a former boss he said was clueless. “I couldn’t do what Scott Pelley did because I didn’t have the safety net or the resources or the network that he has. I couldn’t tell my boss to stick it. I just had to sit there and eat it.”
While Pelley delivered his criticism in the polished tone of a seasoned broadcaster, his bold confrontation resonated with countless workers who have experienced frustration with incompetent management turning their professional lives into daily struggles.
“It’s also kind of weird, like, Pelley isn’t some blue-collar hero. There’s a wide gap between, like, Pelley and your local everyday guy down at the hardware store,” Tyra says. “But I think everyone can relate to standing up for what they believe.”
The dramatic confrontation occurred during a Monday staff meeting with the new executive producer of “60 Minutes,” Nick Bilton, brought aboard by Bari Weiss, who became CBS News’ editor-in-chief in October. The correspondent reportedly grilled Bilton about the firings last week of Bilton’s predecessor, Tanya Simon, and correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, accusing management of “murdering” the program, a revered cornerstone of TV journalism and a mainstay of Sunday nights for nearly six decades.
“She has no qualifications for her job,” Pelley said of Weiss, according to the media news site Status, which reported he then turned his ire at Bilton. “You have slender qualifications for this job.”
In firing Pelley, Bilton called his outburst an “ambush” of “remarkable incivility and contempt.” But, with Pelley becoming a proxy for the American worker, others cheered.
Parry Headrick, who runs a public relations firm in Boston, was immediately transported to his days as a young reporter at a small newspaper, where he had been carefully chronicling the trials of people who fell ill from what was believed to be exposure to toxic waste.
He had earned the trust of one family only to find editors plastered a headline on the story that reduced the sick child to a “toxic boy” and caused Headrick to lose all faith in his bosses. He screamed at the paper’s publisher and editor-in-chief before quitting.
“I lost my goddamn mind when they did that. And the story with Pelley resonated so hard specifically because of that,” says 57-year-old Headrick, who thinks many people can see Pelley’s point of view. “There exists in most Americans the desire to speak truth to power.”
That such an outburst arose in the news business may be no surprise; journalists pride themselves as a truth-to-power, voice-for-the-voiceless bunch. Staff meetings with reporters sassing editors are common, and in newsrooms everywhere, managers have been subjected to the type of tough questions they pay their people to ask others.
The line separating acceptable discourse with fireable offense is as different in each workplace as the settings themselves, whether a dive bar or diocesan chancery.
“In the real world, there are layers of politeness and cordiality that don’t really exist in journalism,” says Headrick, who cheered Pelley “pushing back on something larger.”
Clare Haynes had a middle-management role at a nonprofit when she had her Pelley moment two decades ago. She was three weeks into a job where she thought she’d been brought aboard to institute changes that would achieve an innovative work culture. But every suggestion she made was dismissed. Her boss said his boss wouldn’t buy the idea.
“Are you saying you’re too weak to ask?” she snapped. His mouth fell open. He stared at her silently for a full minute.
Haynes survived, lasting three more years at the firm, but things were never the same.
“I didn’t lose my job, but I paid the price, being seen as maverick,” says 55-year-old Haynes, of Royal Leamington Spa, England, who now runs a coaching firm that trains executives how to handle difficult workplace conversations.
Johan Konst was working at a Swedish media company when he felt pushed to the limit seven years ago. After years of high-stress, hard-selling days pushing advertising he didn’t believe in, he finally said his piece, delivering a blunt, profanity-dotted message to his boss.
He was promptly shown the door.
“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” says 34-year-old Konst, of Amsterdam, who walked away with a nice severance check. “At some point, this had to happen.”
RENO, Nev. — For the first time in a decade and a half, Nevada’s sole Republican House seat is up for grabs, setting up a primary battle that will gauge whether GOP voters prefer seasoned political experience or fresh faces with President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
After Republican Rep. Mark Amodei declared his retirement this year, an opportunity emerged in the state’s 2nd District, encompassing all of northern Nevada. Former state Sen. James Settelmeyer has gained support from Amodei and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, while retired Lt. Col. David Flippo — who lacks elected office experience but secured Trump’s endorsement along with key MAGA movement figures — presents the alternative. Voters head to the polls Tuesday.
The district heavily favors Republicans in voter registration, and political observers are monitoring the contest for insights into Trump’s ongoing sway over party members as he navigates the latter portion of his final presidential term. Nevada Democrats acknowledge the challenging path ahead but plan to compete for the seat, believing Flippo might prove more vulnerable due to his Trump connections potentially alienating independent voters in swing county Washoe, which includes Reno.
With nearly twenty years of legislative and state government experience, Settelmeyer emerged as an early favorite upon joining the race. However, Flippo rapidly drew attention after switching from a southern Nevada congressional campaign. He established residency by renting a home to pursue the seat and brought endorsements from prominent conservative organizations like Turning Point Action, established by the late political activist Charlie Kirk.
Following both candidates’ efforts to demonstrate their Trump connections, the former president endorsed Flippo last week. Settelmeyer had previously served as a co-chair of Trump’s 2024 Nevada campaign.
“I love the State — The People are special! I will never let you down and, with David Flippo, I am just adding to that Statement,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
Both candidates have concentrated on economic issues, water resources, and land management — particularly significant in Nevada where federal ownership encompasses most of the state’s territory — and share similar policy positions. Consequently, their backgrounds and personal qualities have become central campaign themes.
Financial adviser Flippo joined the race after prominent Nevada conservative leaders chose not to run, arguing the contest required a “strong conservative.”
His campaign strategy has targeted Settelmeyer’s legislative history, particularly his support for legislation permitting undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
“I’m strong on my values, I’m stronger on the conservative principles, and I don’t have the voting record,” Flippo stated in a recent interview.
However, Settelmeyer contends his legislative background demonstrates his grasp of state issues and governance capabilities. His service spans both the Senate and Assembly, plus his role as director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. He has committed to maintaining regular travel between Nevada and Washington, following Amodei’s example.
“It’s just very important that at the end of the day, that northern Nevada chooses a northern Nevadan to go to DC to represent northern Nevada,” Settelmeyer told a small gathering in Washoe Valley recently.
He has reinforced this theme by highlighting Flippo’s recent relocation to the district and absence of political experience. Flippo previously competed in the Republican primary for Nevada’s 4th District in 2024 but was unsuccessful.
“Twenty years ago, we would have said this race is probably a shoe-in for the more experienced candidate,” observed Jeremy Gelman, a political science professor at the University of Nevada in Reno. “The way Republican primary politics have evolved, that’s not the case anymore.”
Amodei’s effectiveness stemmed partly from his ability to advance Trump’s priorities while occasionally challenging him, noted Fred Lokken, political science professor at the Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno.
He became the first House Republican to endorse an impeachment inquiry into Trump in 2019, though he eventually opposed impeachment. He criticized Trump’s immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota this year and resisted proposals to eliminate public broadcasting funding in 2025.
Trump’s influence proved decisive in recent Senate primaries in Louisiana and Texas, Gelman noted. The former president appears focused on identifying allies who will advance his priority agenda during his term’s final two years, likely viewing Flippo as more reliable given his campaign’s emphasis on national issues.
Flippo has secured backing from national Republicans closely tied to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, including former Rep. Matt Gaetz and the Freedom Caucus Fund, the political action committee representing the hard-right conservative House Republican faction. In his endorsement, Trump highlighted that Flippo has support from “the most Highly Respected MAGA Warriors in Nevada.”
Settelmeyer’s campaign responded that northern Nevada voters “deserve a representative who knows our issues, understands our communities, and has the experience to represent them in Washington, not someone who only moved here when a political opportunity opened up.”
PORTLAND, Maine — Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Graham Platner plans to stage his first significant campaign event Friday evening while facing ongoing scrutiny over his conduct with women.
His campaign dealt with revelations last weekend regarding sexually explicit communications Platner allegedly sent to multiple women during his marriage. Thursday brought additional reporting from The New York Times about his romantic history, with some former partners describing him in positive terms while others characterized him as unpredictable and demeaning.
One former partner accused Platner of physically restraining her arm during a dispute and confining her to a room. Platner has denied this claim.
With Maine’s primary election scheduled for Tuesday and Democrats eager to unite behind a nominee capable of unseating Republican Sen. Susan Collins this fall, there has been minimal indication that voters or political supporters are distancing themselves from Platner, who has presented himself as a flawed individual seeking redemption.
Some have dismissed the text message reports as personal business that should remain between spouses. Others contend that the Democratic Party’s need to regain Senate control from Republicans is too critical to abandon candidates with imperfections.
However, concerns persist about whether additional damaging information about Platner might surface before November’s general election.
“I think a lot of people are afraid,” said Deb Dagnan, chair of Maine’s Piscataquis County Democrats. “They’re waiting for the other shoe to drop after he gets the nomination. Then what do we do?”
Platner represents a crucial component of Democratic efforts to reclaim Senate control this cycle. However, he has faced persistent controversies including disclosure of a previously concealed tattoo featuring Nazi imagery, a record of provocative social media posts, and the recent messaging allegations.
Despite these issues, Platner’s high-profile endorsers have maintained their support, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Ruben Gallego. Platner is set to appear in Bar Harbor Friday evening alongside progressive Rep. Ro Khanna of California, plus Democratic nominees for U.S. House and governor, for a voter mobilization event in the coastal community.
The gathering occurs just days before the state’s June 9 primary contest, where Platner is anticipated to claim the Democratic nomination. His leading challenger, Gov. Janet Mills, ended her campaign in late April.
He faces renewed examination following reports that he and spouse Amy Gertner have experienced marital strain and pursued counseling after he reportedly sent sexually explicit messages to other women.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Gertner informed the campaign in August about the messages, which she discovered on his device last year, to ensure they wouldn’t damage the campaign. Platner’s team reportedly concluded the texts were private matters being addressed by the couple, who wed in 2023.
Genevieve McDonald, a former campaign staffer for Platner, told The Associated Press that the candidate was “sexting multiple women while married” and that “the campaign tried to assess that as an election vulnerability.”
Following the story’s publication, Platner released a five-minute video recorded by Gertner, who avoided directly addressing her husband’s alleged texts but called the broader media attention “gossip” and noted “being married is hard.”
Gertner’s candid remarks about working through marital challenges have connected with some women, who express outrage that a former campaign worker would violate confidentiality and believe the matter should remain between the spouses.
“It’s none of my business as far as I’m concerned,” said Joanne Mason, a local Democratic leader from south-central Maine. “And I would hope that people wouldn’t judge any one person on their own private marriage.”
Valerie Tate, a Democrat from Belfast, praised Gertner’s openness about addressing their mental health and relationship challenges.
“That is not a scandal,” Tate wrote in an email. “That is integrity. Personal growth is not a disqualification from public life. For many of us, it is precisely what made us worthy of it.”
Nevertheless, Tate acknowledged lingering unease. As the public continues learning about Platner’s background, there remains possibility that something could emerge as a deal-breaker for voters.
“Of course, there is that concern as there would be in any race with somebody we don’t know all the dramas and the journeys they’ve been on,” she wrote. “Something could come out that would be disqualifying.”
This marks another chapter in Platner’s pattern of facing questions about his history. He previously had a tattoo associated with Nazi symbolism, which he covered after launching his campaign.
Platner has claimed he was unaware of the tattoo’s significance. However, a former girlfriend informed the Times he made jokes about it being a Nazi symbol and referred to it as “my Totenkopf.”
Platner’s past Reddit activity has also drawn scrutiny, including posts that minimized military sexual assaults and contained homophobic language, for which he has expressed regret.
Having never served in elected office, Platner has built a direct-speaking, progressive, populist campaign centered on issues including economic inequality, healthcare access barriers, and housing affordability. His approach has drawn thousands to rallies and events while generating millions in campaign contributions to amplify his message.
“People want somebody new,” said Paige Zeigler, a former Maine Democratic lawmaker and head of the Waldo County Democrats, explaining Platner’s continued strength. “They want somebody that they feel that they can embrace. And Platner is riding that wave.”
WASHINGTON — The nation’s employment sector has emerged from a difficult period, yet continues moving forward at a sluggish pace, leaving young workers and job hunters feeling discouraged.
Economic forecasters surveyed by FactSet anticipate the Labor Department will announce Friday that employers across private companies, nonprofits, and government sectors created 105,000 new positions in May. While this figure represents decent progress given recent modest employment trends, it marks a decline from April’s 115,000 job additions.
Employment growth has recovered this year following a disappointing 2025, demonstrating surprising strength despite economic instability and severely elevated energy costs stemming from the Iran war.
The unemployment rate is projected to hold steady at 4.3% for May, according to FactSet projections. However, even with improvements since last year, job creation remains significantly below the surge that occurred after pandemic restrictions ended.
Employees, job hunters, and business owners find themselves trapped in an uncomfortable “no-hire, no-fire” employment environment. “Those who have jobs are clinging to them, while those without are left wanting,” wrote Diane Swonk, chief economist at the tax and consulting firm KPMG, in analysis released before the employment report. “The result is a sense of being frozen or left in a sort of labor market purgatory.”
Numerous young adults face difficulties entering a stalled job market. Workers who have lost their positions also encounter challenges returning to employment. Over 25% of unemployed individuals in April had been without work for more than six months, an increase from under 20% two years earlier.
With diminished opportunities, Americans hesitate to leave current positions to pursue better options elsewhere. The number of people voluntarily leaving jobs fell to its lowest point since August 2020’s concerning period when COVID-19 was spreading widely.
During the previous year, businesses created just 9,700 positions monthly, the smallest increase outside a recession since 2002.
Employment has improved this year, generating an average of 76,000 new positions monthly from January through April. Substantial tax refunds resulting from President Donald Trump’s 2025 tax legislation have boosted the economy, balancing out higher energy costs since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February. However, most refunds have been saved, and gas prices continue exceeding $4 per gallon.
Medical sector companies have been supporting the employment market.
During the past year, they have created over 456,000 positions while all other American employers combined have eliminated 205,000 jobs.
Martha Gimbel and Ryan Nunn from Yale University’s Budget Lab observe that robust healthcare employment growth is expected as Americans age and require more medications and medical visits. The sector’s job expansion aligns with Labor Department forecasts from ten years ago. “The question is not why healthcare has kept hiring—it is why other industries have not,” they stated in research released Tuesday, proposing that an immigration enforcement campaign reducing foreign-born workers might explain this trend.
At minimum, the United States requires fewer new positions than previously needed. Decreased immigration and increasing Baby Boomer retirements mean fewer people seek employment. Consequently, the break-even threshold—new jobs needed to maintain stable unemployment—has likely fallen to nearly zero from the typical 155,000 monthly additions required two or three years ago, a Federal Reserve analysis indicates.
Some experts worry artificial intelligence will eliminate entry-level positions. However, economists Gregory Daco and Lydia Boussour from tax and consulting firm EY-Parthenon noted Tuesday that AI “adoption is proving more gradual and costly than many anticipated. Firms are increasingly using AI to enhance productivity and control labor costs.” Yet AI has decreased hiring rather than “triggering broad-based layoffs.”
A recent Federal Reserve Bank of New York study identified another factor behind young people’s difficulty securing post-graduation employment: remote work expansion. Companies appear hesitant to hire recent graduates for home-based positions because training and mentoring becomes more challenging without office presence.
Employment experts anticipate that the United States added jobs at a more measured pace during May, following two consecutive months of robust hiring activity, though the rate would likely continue reflecting steady labor market conditions.
Economic analysts expected the Labor Department’s highly anticipated employment data released Friday to show that the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has driven up inflation through rising oil costs, has not yet significantly affected employment trends.
Government financial support through tax and tariff refund programs has strengthened business earnings and enabled companies to avoid widespread workforce reductions, according to analysts.
Companies have remained hesitant to expand their workforce while navigating uncertainty, initially from sweeping tariffs implemented last year and currently from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Minimal job cuts are stabilizing the employment market, maintaining what analysts describe as a “slow-hire, slow-fire” balance that allows the Federal Reserve flexibility to maintain current interest rates while observing inflation effects from the conflict.
“I’m a bit surprised that things have held up as long as they have, but there’s a couple of things that are playing out, tariff and tax refunds, those two factors, at least so far, have been sufficient to offset the higher gasoline and fuel prices,” stated Brian Bethune, an economics professor at Boston College.
“Tariff refunds, which are playing out probably to the tune of $150 to $200 billion, support corporate profits, so corporations are not really under severe pressure. The environment remains positive, although not terrific.”
Employment outside of farming sectors likely grew by 85,000 positions last month following an increase of 115,000 in April, according to a Reuters economist survey. Projections for employment growth varied from 50,000 to 125,000. Job numbers jumped by 185,000 in March. May’s expected increase would exceed the monthly average of 76,000 recorded this year.
Analysts anticipated minimal adjustments to previous employment figures after the Bureau of Labor Statistics updated its “birth-death” calculation method used to estimate job changes from business openings and closures during specific periods.
Economic experts calculated that the economy requires between zero and 50,000 new positions monthly to match working-age population growth. This threshold has decreased due to immigration restrictions that have reduced available workers, limiting unemployment rate increases.
The jobless rate was projected to remain at 4.3% for three consecutive months, though some economists thought it might increase to 4.4%, which wouldn’t alter the stable labor market outlook. The workforce has decreased by approximately 500,000 since February, and recovery was possible, potentially raising unemployment figures.
Financial markets anticipate the central bank will maintain its primary overnight interest rate between 3.50%-3.75% through next year. The Supreme Court eliminated the tariffs in February and various companies have requested refunds. Business earnings rose by $40.4 billion during the first quarter and have increased since the second quarter of 2025.
The Middle East situation, now in its fourth month, has increased gasoline costs by over 40%. Price increases reached their fastest rate in three years during April, according to last week’s government data.
Considering oil market volatility, recruitment remains limited, and historically minimal layoffs contribute significantly to employment growth. The Fed’s Beige Book report Wednesday observed that “hiring remained selective and primarily focused on critical roles or attrition replacement” during May.
“The stability is going to persist, but we’re not betting on a strong rebound,” explained Stephen Douglass, chief economist at NISA Investment Advisors. “The risk is tilted toward the unemployment rate creeping higher over the next 12 months or so, and that will be enough to get the Fed to deliver a few more cuts after the war is resolved conclusively.”
The expected employment growth slowdown last month would reflect diminishing benefits from good weather conditions in April. A work stoppage by 4,000 Harvard Graduate Students Union members was also anticipated to limit job increases. Transportation sector losses following federal restrictions on commercial driving permits for non-citizens were likely, with analyst estimates around 10,000 monthly.
Additional federal workforce reductions are expected. The administration launched an extensive effort last year to reduce government employment as part of restructuring plans. However, some agencies have recently begun rebuilding their staff numbers.
Economists disagreed on when Spirit Airlines’ bankruptcy would appear in employment statistics. The healthcare field was expected to continue supporting job numbers due to population aging. Growth was anticipated in leisure and hospitality sectors, partially connected to early preparations for soccer World Cup events.
Economists at JPMorgan observed that recent hiring acceleration focused on industries employing significant numbers of non-citizens and believed this trend could continue.
“Although immigration enforcement remains high, it is not in the headlines as much these days, and immigrants at risk of deportation could have become more focused on finding work given limited savings,” they noted.
The Chicago Cubs pulled off a stunning comeback Thursday night, erasing a five-run deficit with four runs in the final inning to defeat the Athletics 7-6 in dramatic fashion.
Dansby Swanson came through with the game-tying hit while Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered the walk-off single that sealed the victory for Chicago, who had struggled recently with only three wins in their previous 17 contests.
Crow-Armstrong also contributed a solo home run earlier in the game, while Ian Happ powered a two-run homer and drove in three runs total for the Cubs.
The Athletics received strong offensive performances from Shea Langeliers, who connected for two home runs including a rare inside-the-park blast. Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim also homered for the visiting team, but their efforts weren’t enough to complete a series sweep.
The ninth-inning collapse fell on Joel Kuhnel (1-2), who couldn’t preserve a three-run advantage for the Athletics. Michael Busch started the rally with a leadoff double and came around to score on Happ’s one-out double, cutting the deficit to 6-4. Nico Hoerner followed with a base hit to put runners at first and third.
After Hoerner was caught stealing for the second out, Moises Ballesteros managed an infield hit that brought Happ home. Pinch-hitter Seiya Suzuki then reached base safely with another single to left field.
Swanson’s clutch hit to center field off Luis Medina evened the score at 6-6, setting the stage for Crow-Armstrong’s soft single to right field that brought Suzuki home with the winning run.
Ryan Rolison (4-1) earned the victory after throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings and recording three strikeouts for Chicago.
Athletics starter J.T. Ginn turned in a quality performance, allowing just one run on two hits across six innings while striking out eight and walking one batter.
Chicago’s Shota Imanaga endured his worst outing of the season, surrendering a career-high four home runs over six-plus innings. He was charged with six runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one.
The game remained scoreless through three innings before Langeliers opened the scoring in the fourth with an opposite-field drive that barely cleared the ivy-covered wall in right-center field.
The Athletics extended their lead in the sixth when Williams drew a walk with one out and scored on Henry Bolte’s double to left-center field.
Langeliers added to his night with two outs when he lifted a fly ball to center field that Crow-Armstrong misjudged completely. The outfielder stood motionless with his arms outstretched as the ball landed roughly 30 feet behind him, allowing Langeliers to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
The Cubs finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth when Crow-Armstrong crushed an 0-2 slider from Ginn into the right field seats.
The Athletics appeared to put the game away in the seventh inning when Soderstrom launched the fifth pitch from Imanaga over the left-center field wall. Two pitches later, Heim followed with his own blast to center, giving the visitors a commanding 6-1 advantage.
Chicago responded immediately in their half of the seventh against reliever Scott Barlow. Alex Bregman led off with a double, and Happ followed with a towering 446-foot home run to right field that brought the Cubs within three runs and set up their eventual comeback.
China’s top leader will make a state visit to North Korea early next week, marking his first journey to the neighboring nation in almost seven years, officials from both countries confirmed Friday.
The diplomatic trip comes just one day after North Korea revealed a new nuclear facility designed to produce bomb-making materials. Analysts believe the timing of the facility’s disclosure suggests North Korea’s leader is working to strengthen his nation’s nuclear credentials before the Chinese leader’s arrival.
State media from both nations reported the visit will span Monday through Tuesday. The Chinese leader’s previous trip to North Korea occurred in June 2019.
This visit follows recent separate meetings the Chinese leader held with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing just weeks ago.
North Korea’s leader has recently focused on strengthening ties with Russia, providing military personnel and weapons to assist in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. However, he has also been working to improve relations with China, which serves as North Korea’s primary trading partner and source of aid.
The two leaders met in Beijing during September, where they committed to mutual support and increased cooperation. The North Korean leader was visiting China’s capital to participate in a military parade alongside other international figures, including Putin.
Military officials in South Korea have identified the newly revealed nuclear facility as a uranium enrichment plant. During his tour of the facility, the North Korean leader announced intentions to strengthen his country’s nuclear capabilities “at an exponential rate.”
According to experts, the North Korean leader seeks global acknowledgment of his country’s nuclear status to pressure for the removal of U.N. economic sanctions. Analysts suggest he ultimately aims to engage in arms reduction negotiations with the U.S. to secure benefits in exchange for partially reducing his nuclear arsenal.
Trump has consistently indicated interest in restarting diplomatic talks with the North Korean leader, but North Korea has responded that the U.S. must first abandon its requirement for North Korea to eliminate its nuclear weapons before negotiations can begin.
Both Russia and China, which hold veto power on the U.N. Security Council, have previously blocked efforts by the U.S. and other nations to strengthen international sanctions against North Korea, despite its prohibited weapons testing.
During their Beijing meeting last month, Putin and the Chinese leader voiced their opposition to “foreign policy isolation, economic sanctions, military pressure and other methods of creating threats to the security” of North Korea, according to a Kremlin statement.
Adopting concepts of a “new Cold War” and a multipolar world order, the North Korean leader has pursued a more aggressive foreign policy approach by strengthening relationships with nations that are in conflict with the United States.
NEW YORK (AP) — A contentious debate erupted Thursday evening among Democratic candidates seeking a highly sought-after Manhattan congressional seat, with tensions flaring over technology industry influence and which contender could best challenge President Donald Trump.
State lawmaker Alex Bores found himself at the center of the attacks, facing criticism over his artificial intelligence regulatory proposals that have triggered significant industry expenditures both opposing and supporting his candidacy.
Early in the debate, state Assembly Member Micah Lasher accused Bores of being influenced by major technology corporations backing his campaign.
“Alex only wants to tell you half the story, about one AI company that’s spending millions to defeat him, and that’s bad,” Lasher said. “But he’s not telling you the story about Anthropic, which is spending a million dollars to elect him, or a crypto billionaire who is spending $3.5 million to send him to Congress,” Lasher continued.
Shortly afterward, Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, echoed similar concerns, contending that Bores’ proposed artificial intelligence regulation “is a dream come true” for tech companies because it would give them too much control.
Bores responded: “With friends like these, who needs Republicans?”
“The Trump disinformation is coming from inside the party,” said Bores, a former data scientist at the tech firm Palantir who says he quit after it signed a deal to help the first Trump administration with immigration enforcement.
The televised forum, broadcast by local cable channel PIX11, occurred just weeks before the June 23 primary election for the District 12 congressional position that will be left open by retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler. The constituency encompasses affluent neighborhoods surrounding Central Park and Times Square in Midtown Manhattan. The seat is viewed as securely Democratic, making the Democratic primary the decisive competition.
Following Nadler’s retirement announcement, numerous Democrats launched campaigns, though the field of contenders has somewhat narrowed.
Nadler has endorsed Lasher, a former staffer who has held several behind-the-scenes posts in New York government before becoming a lawmaker in the state Assembly.
Schlossberg, whose zany social media antics and Kennedy lineage brought national eyes to the race, has cast himself as an fresh face to a party searching for stars during Trump’s second term.
George Conway, who was once married to former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway before becoming a leading antagonist of the president, is running a campaign centered on removing Trump from office.
Bores entered the race without the fanfare of a Kennedy or a Conway but has since become a major player after an artificial intelligence-aligned group started spending to hobble his campaign. The spending has seemed to elevate his campaign, rather than damage him, helping Bores frame himself as the candidate who wants to regulate a technology that has unnerved many Americans worried about impacts such as job losses.
During the entire debate, Bores, who sponsored state legislation to require major AI developers to report dangerous incidents to the state, defended against criticism.
Following one heated exchange, he attempted to respond but was interrupted when the program broke for advertisements. Three of the five commercials focused on Bores, demonstrating the heavy spending surrounding the contest.
The opening advertisement, funded by the AI-backed Think Big PAC, alleged Bores was “bought and sold” by corporate interests. The next two advertisements supported Bores, with one featuring a robotic voice that identified itself as “the AI super PAC funded by Trump’s megadonors designed to destroy Alex Bores,” and the other casting Bores as a champion of the working class.
“You’ve seen tonight that I’m nothing like the incessant text and mailers and TV ads that are being sent out to demonize me. But I am terrifying to Trump’s megadonors and apparently to my opponents as well,” Bores said when the debate resumed.
Conway, meanwhile, lamented the combative nature of the night.
“What we saw here tonight was something that Democrats sometimes do a little too well, which was a circular, or really a triangular firing squad, and I think that’s a shame,” he said.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s governing alliance confronts a critical examination of public confidence following announcements this week that two states will hold unexpected elections, raising questions about potential early national voting.
Coalition partners of Anwar control the state governments in Negeri Sembilan and Johor, where legislative bodies were disbanded on Friday and Monday respectively, triggering elections that must occur within two months.
Although these regional contests won’t directly affect Anwar’s parliamentary majority at the national level, substantial defeats could damage his coalition’s standing before the next general election scheduled for early 2028. Last month, Anwar indicated he might call an early national vote if disagreements within his government continue expanding.
Officials from Anwar’s office had not responded to requests for comment by Friday.
Anwar’s governing partnership, comprising his Pakatan Harapan group, former opponent Barisan Nasional, and several smaller parties, has experienced disagreements over approaches to ethnic and religious matters in the diverse, predominantly Muslim nation. Progressive coalition members have expressed dissatisfaction with the gradual implementation of reform measures.
The prime minister has also faced demands from the previously powerful United Malays National Organisation, a Barisan component, regarding its campaign for royal clemency for former prime minister and UMNO chief Najib Razak, who received a prison sentence in 2022 for his involvement in the massive 1MDB financial scandal.
Pakatan currently controls Negeri Sembilan state, where voting wasn’t scheduled until late 2028, while Barisan oversees Johor, where elections weren’t expected until next year.
Highlighting coalition strains, Barisan announced it will compete in Johor’s state elections alone, without Pakatan backing. In Negeri Sembilan, Pakatan plans to field candidates for all 36 available positions, having secured 17 seats in the previous state contest.
Two additional states, Malacca and Sarawak, must also conduct elections in upcoming months. The Election Commission, responsible for scheduling state voting, has noted that an early general election would enable simultaneous state contests, reducing expenses.
Australia’s financial watchdog announced Friday it has begun a formal investigation targeting three KPMG partners following whistleblower accusations that the accounting giant improperly accessed confidential client information to secure profitable audit deals.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission revealed it started preliminary inquiries into KPMG in April before escalating to a full investigation following last week’s departure of the company’s chief executive and head of auditing.
“We have commenced our formal investigation earlier this week and I should also make clear that we have issued multiple compulsory notices throughout that period to KPMG,” ASIC Chair Sarah Court testified before a Senate committee Friday.
“There are three registered company auditors that are currently within the scope of what we were looking at, but I have to say this is an ever-moving feast at the moment as more information comes our way. So I don’t know that will be the end of it.”
KPMG representatives did not provide immediate comment when contacted.
The controversy began in March when Deborah O’Neill, a senator from Australia’s ruling Labor party, presented whistleblower accusations of wrongdoing at KPMG to parliament. The allegations included claims that private board documents from real estate firm Lendlease were inappropriately utilized to support proposals for significant audit contracts with Westpac, a major bank, and Dexus, a property company.
While KPMG completed an internal review of these accusations, the firm found no evidence of wrongdoing. The company has now hired law firm Allens to perform an independent external review.
Court expressed “deep concerns” regarding the alleged misconduct but noted that ASIC lacks authority to directly regulate the firm because of its partnership structure, limiting oversight to individual auditors only.
ASIC CEO Scott Gregson stated the regulatory agency has also requested guarantees from KPMG that no partners connected to the controversy are working on the regulator’s current contracts with the firm.
The Reserve Bank of Australia’s Governor Michele Bullock revealed Thursday that KPMG operated a whistleblower program for the central bank under a contract valued at A$10,000 ($7,121) annually.
“I don’t think we’ll be reappointing them to the whistleblower service,” she told a Senate committee hearing.
Bullock added that another KPMG contract for managing international employee recruitment would also be put out for new bids.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea from June 8 to 9, according to state news agency Xinhua’s announcement Friday, marking his first visit in nearly seven years as China works to strengthen relationships with Pyongyang.
The trip comes after Xi recently hosted separate summits in Beijing with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin last month. Trump, who held three meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term, has previously indicated willingness to meet with the North Korean leader again.
Kim attended a large-scale military parade in Beijing last September, making the journey to China’s capital aboard his distinctive green armored train.
China has been working to bring Pyongyang — its sole formal treaty ally — back into closer alignment after COVID-19 restrictions halted diplomatic exchanges and the North Korean leader strengthened ties with Moscow through military support, including troops and weapons for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dover Police have activated a Gold Alert as they search for a 77-year-old woman who vanished from her home Thursday evening.
Marie Gabrielle was last spotted leaving her Blue Beach Drive residence around 6:25 p.m. on June 4th, 2026, according to authorities. She was traveling on foot at the time of her disappearance.
When Gabrielle was last observed, she had on a pink tank top, a black and white skirt, a pink and white bonnet, and white sandals, police reported.
According to the Dover Police Department, Gabrielle potentially suffers from a medical condition that could impact her health and safety without proper supervision.
Anyone with information about Gabrielle’s location is urged to contact the Dover Police Department at 302-736-7111.
The case has been assigned incident number 50-26-17. Lieutenant Mark Hoffman serves as the Public Information Officer for this investigation and can be reached at [email protected].
Wall Street experienced significant gains Thursday as declining oil prices and lower bond yields provided relief to investors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.7% to reach a new record high, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.4% for its tenth positive day in the past eleven trading sessions, recovering from Wednesday’s drop from its peak. The Nasdaq composite edged down 0.1%. Banking stocks and smaller companies drove much of the rally after crude oil dropped nearly 3% and Treasury yields decreased. These gains offset declines in several major artificial intelligence stocks, which fell despite strong earnings from Broadcom.
In a significant legal decision, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of the Trump administration regarding federal oversight of telecommunications firms. The ruling Thursday maintained a crucial enforcement mechanism for the Federal Communications Commission. Verizon and AT&T had contested multi-million dollar fines levied after regulators found the companies failed to protect customer location information. The telecommunications giants argued the FCC’s procedures violated constitutional standards and sought to expand recent Supreme Court decisions that have curtailed federal agency authority. However, the court rejected their arguments, even as the administration indicated companies wouldn’t need to immediately pay the penalties.
A dangerous agricultural pest has returned to threaten America’s $113 billion cattle sector for the first time in over fifty years. The New World screwworm fly, whose flesh-consuming larvae pose serious risks to livestock, has been detected in south Texas. Officials confirmed the infestation in a three-week-old calf located in La Pryor, roughly 100 miles southwest of San Antonio. Federal and state authorities had been working to prevent the parasite from entering Texas following its emergence in southern Mexico in late 2024. Previously, the pest had been confined to Panama for many years. The United States eliminated this threat in the early 1970s through a program that bred sterile male flies and released them from aircraft to mate with wild females, and millions are now being deployed weekly in this renewed effort.
President Donald Trump unveiled a nearly $700 million initiative Thursday aimed at revitalizing America’s coal sector. The plan would provide funding for coal-fired power facilities and coal export operations. According to a White House official, the administration will invoke Cold War-era national defense legislation to support thirteen coal plants nationwide and assist in constructing new facilities in Alaska and West Virginia. These would mark the first new American coal plants built since 2013. The funding will also help reactivate a coal plant in Maryland and support development of a long-delayed coal export facility in Oakland, California. Environmental groups criticized the proposal, stating it would “put polluters first” and endanger public health.
Tyco Fire Products has reached a $10 million agreement with Wisconsin to resolve claims over PFAS chemical contamination that affected the state’s water supply for decades. The state’s governor and attorney general, both Democrats, revealed the settlement Thursday. Gov. Tony Evers described the agreement as a “historic and important milestone” in efforts to secure clean water access. The resolution addresses contamination from firefighting foam that polluted northeast Wisconsin’s water systems. This settlement occurs as communities nationwide grapple with PFAS pollution. These substances are commonly called “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in groundwater and environmental systems.
American unemployment benefit applications reached their highest point in four months last week, though layoffs continue at historically low levels despite economic concerns related to the Iran conflict. Applications for the week ending May 30 rose by 13,000 to 225,000, the Labor Department announced Thursday. This represents the peak level since early February, before American and Israeli military actions against Iran began, yet remains at historically modest levels. Weekly unemployment filings serve as an indicator of American layoffs and provide near real-time insight into employment market conditions.
The Supreme Court unanimously supported a broad interpretation of Securities and Exchange Commission powers to recover fraudulent profits Thursday. The justices ruled against Ongkaruck Sripetch, who had pleaded guilty to selling unregistered securities in a high-risk penny stock scheme. The Los Angeles resident had contested a court directive to repay over $3 million, including interest. The central question was whether the SEC needed to demonstrate that individual investors suffered losses from purchasing the securities. The Supreme Court determined such proof was unnecessary.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted discussions with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez Thursday as India has boosted Venezuelan crude oil purchases in recent months. Rudrendra Tandon, a senior foreign ministry official, indicated the talks emphasized strengthening energy partnerships as New Delhi aims to expand relationships with the oil-rich country following global energy supply disruptions from the Iran war. Venezuela has emerged as India’s third-largest crude oil provider in recent weeks. Rodriguez plans to tour Indian energy, pharmaceutical, and automotive facilities during her visit.
The average American long-term mortgage rate decreased this week from its nine-month peak, providing welcome news for potential homebuyers. Mortgage purchaser Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the standard 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to 6.48% from the previous week’s 6.53%. The current average stays below the 6.85% rate from one year ago. Declining mortgage rates enhance homebuyers’ purchasing capacity. Multiple factors influence mortgage rates, including Federal Reserve policy decisions and bond market investors’ economic and inflation expectations.
The Vegas Golden Knights have positioned themselves well in the Stanley Cup Final, holding a 2-0 advantage over the Carolina Hurricanes through two periods of their second matchup. Brett Howden powered the Golden Knights’ offense with a pair of goals, bringing his playoff total to a series-leading 13 scores as Vegas pursues back-to-back wins in the championship series.
The Golden Knights faced a setback when defenseman Brayden McNabb suffered an injury midway through the opening period. McNabb was struck in the face by a slap shot from Nikolaj Ehlers, immediately left the ice, and did not return for the second period. The series continues Saturday when the teams head to Las Vegas for the third game.
In basketball news, the NBA has issued lifetime bans to two individuals following a court invasion during the opening game of the NBA Finals. One person was taken into custody after rushing onto the playing surface and apparently taking a photograph with Victor Wembanyama during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s matchup between San Antonio and New York. The Spurs center seemed unaffected by the disruption. League officials have not revealed the second person’s involvement in the incident.
A separate situation arose in the game’s closing moments when New York’s Jalen Brunson appeared disturbed by comments from a courtside spectator. Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the league is investigating what was communicated to Brunson during that exchange.
New York City has erupted in celebration as the Knicks reach their first NBA Finals in nearly three decades. The enthusiasm spans from Bay Ridge to the Bronx, with skyrocketing ticket costs and packed venues at Madison Square Garden. Thousands gathered outside the arena to witness the Knicks’ 105-95 triumph over San Antonio in the series opener.
Brooklyn establishments overflowed with fans, and “Knicks in Four” cheers rang out past midnight following the victory. Central Park hosted a complimentary viewing event, with similar celebrations occurring throughout all five boroughs of the city.
President Donald Trump has announced plans to attend an upcoming NBA Finals contest in New York to support his hometown team. The president revealed Thursday he has accepted an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan, with Monday’s third game as his target date for attendance. Trump, a longtime sports enthusiast and New York native, watched portions of the Knicks’ opening win against San Antonio and described the team as “dominant.” League officials believe Trump would become the first sitting president to witness an NBA Finals game in person.
At the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, defending champion Scottie Scheffler faces an uphill battle after a challenging opening round. Windy conditions at Muirfield Village contributed to Scheffler’s 73, placing him six strokes behind the leaders as he seeks his third consecutive title at the event.
Four players share the top spot: Tommy Fleetwood, Wyndham Clark, U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, and Ryan Gerard, all posting scores of 67. Only seven competitors managed to break 70, while 22 players finished under par. Gerard’s round included just five pars in what he described as a wild day. Scheffler expressed particular frustration at the 16th hole when shifting winds caused his ball to find the water.
FIFA has implemented a last-minute policy change prohibiting World Cup attendees from bringing refillable water containers into the tournament’s 16 venues across North America. Many stadiums offer minimal protection from sun exposure, making the decision controversial among fan groups.
The England supporters organization Free Lions criticized the move, stating FIFA had previously assured fans they could carry empty plastic bottles to fill with complimentary water at a tournament where extreme heat is anticipated. FIFA justified the restriction as necessary “to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees” from thrown bottles, promising water pricing consistent with other stadium events.
Iranian national team players have opened up about the challenges of World Cup preparation amid ongoing tensions with the host nation, creating an unprecedented tournament situation. Two team members discussed their efforts to maintain soccer focus despite political distractions.
Midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, 29, acknowledged the difficulty of balancing political circumstances while preparing for his third World Cup appearance. The squad has been training in Turkey and plans to relocate to Tijuana, Mexico, due to visa complications. First-time World Cup participant Mohammad Ghorbani stressed the significance of representing their nation, saying the team hopes to deliver happiness and pride to Iranian supporters.
The Green Bay Packers have secured another key receiver with a contract extension for Christian Watson. The team announced Thursday they had reached terms with Watson without revealing specifics, but a source familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press the 27-year-old receiver signed a four-year, $110.5 million extension running through 2030, including a $31 million signing bonus.
This continues the Packers’ strategy of locking up their top pass-catchers, following Jayden Reed’s April extension worth $50.25 million in new money with $20 million guaranteed over three years.
Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens remains absent from voluntary offseason activities, though coach Brian Schottenheimer reports positive communication with the player. Pickens signed his $27.3 million franchise tag over a month ago but has not joined team workouts.
The Pro Bowl selection isn’t obligated to participate until mandatory minicamp from June 16-18. Pickens delayed signing the one-year deal for two months; the contract triples the 25-year-old’s earnings from his four-year rookie agreement while he “takes care of his business,” according to Schottenheimer.
The NCAA stands ready to expand Division I athlete eligibility from four competitive seasons to five while establishing age restrictions. This addresses a debate that has persisted since college athletics began, when participation length and age requirements have remained contentious issues.
Historical examples include Walter Camp, known as football’s founding father, who was in his seventh playing season at Yale when injury ended his 1882 campaign. Amos Alonzo Stagg was 27 during his fifth season in 1889. The proposed rule modification aims to address concerns about increasingly older team rosters.
WASHINGTON — GOP senators rejected multiple proposed changes Thursday night while working to approve funding for President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations, including turning down a Democratic proposal to permanently prevent Trump from establishing a $1.776 billion settlement fund for allies claiming government persecution.
However, Republicans continued facing numerous proposed amendments before the legislation could move forward, creating a challenge for party solidarity that extended deep into the evening. The most significant danger to the bill may come from another proposal to prohibit the settlement fund — this one from Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who was defeated for reelection last month following Trump’s endorsement of his primary challenger.
“I feel optimistic that we’ll get there in the end,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., stated Thursday evening, though he admitted uncertainty about how the voting would unfold.
Thune has spent weeks urging GOP senators to maintain the bill’s focus on funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, which Democrats have prevented since early this year, while avoiding additional provisions that might complicate approval.
Should a settlement-limiting amendment succeed, Thune explained, it would create difficulties when sending the bill to the House. It might also trigger a White House veto of the immigration spending legislation, which has otherwise brought Trump and Republicans together.
When the Senate suddenly modified a Homeland Security funding package in March, the House simply rejected it and adjourned.
The judgment fund, established through a settlement resolving Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS regarding his leaked tax returns, has frustrated numerous Republican senators.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced this week that the fund would not proceed. However, Trump, who has disagreed with Senate Republicans recently, created fresh uncertainty about the settlement’s status Wednesday afternoon — immediately after the Senate voted to begin immigration bill discussions — when he informed reporters that the settlement is “very important” and stated “I don’t know” whether it has been terminated or postponed.
“I’d have to ask the lawyers,” he said.
The Democratic proposal to eliminate the fund, the day’s initial vote, remained open for approximately three hours while Cassidy, Jon Husted of Ohio and Dan Sullivan of Alaska delayed their decisions. Ultimately, Cassidy opposed the Democratic motion while the other two GOP senators — both facing reelection this year — supported it.
Senators rejected a second proposal from Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina that would similarly prohibit the settlement fund while transferring the money to a separate anti-fraud fund at the Department of Justice. Most Democrats opposed the amendment, ensuring its failure, though more than 10 Republicans backed it.
Tillis argued the settlement fund, which could potentially benefit Trump supporters who assaulted police and attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, represents a political burden for the party.
“If Blanche says this is largely inoperative, why not use this moment to codify that?” Tillis questioned. “Otherwise, you’re exposing every one of our members who are in cycle to having to deal with this between today and Election Day, and that makes no sense for something that the DOJ says they’re not moving forward with.”
Republican voting intentions on additional amendments remained uncertain.
Cassidy, who spent the day consulting with the Senate parliamentarian, confirmed he still intended to propose an amendment banning settlement payouts. He informed reporters he might also suggest an amendment blocking a separate settlement provision granting Trump and his family immunity from IRS audits.
Multiple Republican senators expressed support for the concept but said they needed to review the final wording before deciding. Sen. John Cornyn, who also lost reelection last month after Trump endorsed his opponent, said he supports the “thrust of it” but would await the amendment. Republican Sen. John Curtis expressed similar sentiments.
Thune acknowledged uncertainty about whether the final bill could pass without some settlement prohibition.
“We’re going to find out soon enough,” he said Thursday evening.
Democrats scheduled additional votes throughout the night, covering Trump’s tariffs, his conflict with Iran and his immigration enforcement initiatives.
“Amendment after amendment, vote after vote, Republicans are going to have to answer to the American people,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer declared.
Approving the approximately $70 billion bill funding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol would conclude the Democratic blockade, which demanded policy modifications following the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents in January. The legislation would provide agency funding for three years, covering Trump’s entire term.
Senate Republicans are employing a complex procedural strategy to bypass the filibuster and approve the budget legislation without Democratic support. However, bringing the bill to the Senate floor required weeks as Republicans addressed various passage obstacles created by Trump and the White House — including a $1 billion White House security proposal they ultimately abandoned and the intense bipartisan opposition to the settlement fund.
Democrats maintain that any Homeland Security Department funding bill should impose restrictions on federal immigration authorities, including improved officer identification and increased judicial warrant usage, among other demands.
Following federal agents’ shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Trump agreed to a Democratic request separating the Homeland Security bill from a larger spending measure that became law. However, bipartisan negotiations stalled, and department funding expired in mid-February without agreement on Trump administration immigration enforcement changes.
Congress eventually funded the remaining Homeland Security Department at April’s end with Democratic backing. But ICE and Border Patrol continued without regular funding, prompting Republicans to launch a new effort providing three years of agency funding without Democratic votes.
VIENNA (AP) — International nuclear monitors have been blocked from accessing Iranian nuclear sites impacted by ongoing warfare since June, according to a classified document from the U.N. nuclear oversight body that was distributed to member nations and obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
The International Atomic Energy Agency stated it “cannot provide any information on the current size, composition or whereabouts of the stockpile of enriched uranium in Iran or whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities.”
The IAEA cautioned that it was “unable to discharge its safeguards responsibilities” required under the Safeguards Agreement of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, emphasizing that Tehran’s compliance with Treaty obligations is “indispensable and urgent.”
Since February’s previous report, IAEA inspectors have only been able to examine one Iranian nuclear site — the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which they visited June 1-3. The facility’s operational reactor utilizes Russian-supplied uranium enriched to 4.5%, the minimal concentration required for electricity production at such installations.
This classified assessment emerges amid escalating Middle East tensions.
Iranian drones severely struck a passenger terminal at Kuwait’s primary airport Wednesday, resulting in one death and injuring dozens while temporarily shuttering the facility — marking another episode in the ongoing exchange of strikes between Iran and the U.S. that challenges a tenuous ceasefire.
The IAEA reports Iran possesses 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity — requiring only minor technical advancement to reach weapons-grade concentrations of 90%.
This stockpile could enable Iran to construct up to 10 nuclear weapons if it chose to militarize its program, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi cautioned in a recent AP interview. He emphasized this doesn’t indicate Iran currently possesses such weapons.
Nuclear material enriched to such high levels typically requires monthly verification under IAEA protocols.
The assessment noted Grossi’s continued “full support to the negotiations underway aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution to issues related to Iran’s nuclear programme, and his readiness … to support an eventual agreement.”
Diplomatic discussions have continued for weeks as intermediaries pursue a more lasting ceasefire in the conflict, now entering its fourth month. These efforts face increasing pressure from Israel’s expanding confrontation with Iran-supported Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.
Iran continues controlling the Strait of Hormuz — a vital passage for global oil and natural gas shipments plus related commodities like fertilizer — while the U.S. maintains its embargo of Iranian ports. International energy costs stay elevated, with conflict impacts extending far beyond the immediate region.
Armed attackers stormed a student residence in Nigeria’s northwest region and abducted seven students, according to local police authorities.
The raid took place in the early morning hours on Wednesday in Kaura Namoda, located in Zamfara state, which has been plagued by ongoing conflict, police spokesman Yazid Abubakar reported in an official statement. One student managed to flee during the attack and is now being held in protective custody.
According to the police spokesman, authorities are uncertain about the location where the abducted students were transported, though rescue operations are currently in progress to locate the six remaining victims.
The region of Zamfara has become a center of activity for criminal organizations that conduct kidnapping operations to collect ransom payments, with student abductions becoming more frequent throughout Nigeria in recent years.
Research conducted by local news organization Premium Times revealed that no fewer than 1,900 students have been taken from 20 educational institutions since the large-scale 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 female students from Chibok in Borno state.
GUIZHOU, China — A colossal suspension bridge in China’s southwestern mountains has transformed into more than just a spectacular photo opportunity for visitors. While tourists flock to capture social media moments at the impressive structure, local communities are experiencing something much more significant: dramatically reduced travel times and unprecedented connectivity through high-speed internet infrastructure investments.
Standing 625 meters (2,050 feet) above the valley floor, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province holds the distinction of being the planet’s tallest bridge. The massive structure spans 2,890 meters (9,482 feet) across the canyon, featuring a central span measuring 1,420 meters (4,660 feet).
Following its September 2025 opening, the bridge has attracted thousands of visitors to the previously isolated region, where telecommunications companies are simultaneously developing advanced 5G network capabilities. This tourism boom has sparked the creation of numerous local enterprises, including retail shops, dining establishments, and guest accommodations designed for travelers.
The Associated Press participated in a recent media expedition to explore the area’s transformation.
China’s expansion of transportation networks and digital infrastructure into isolated regions has delivered significant benefits to surrounding communities through enhanced internet connectivity. Tianlong Tunpu, a historic settlement with over six centuries of history situated more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the bridge, exemplifies these improvements.
Founded as a military garrison during the Ming Dynasty era, this ancient community is renowned for its distinctive Dixi opera performances. These theatrical productions feature military narratives, elaborate wooden masks, and unique performance techniques that distinguish them from other Chinese opera traditions.
Local inhabitants report increasing visitor numbers, attributing part of this growth to social media platforms that enable them to showcase their community to broader audiences.
SAN ANTONIO — While Jalen Brunson showed tremendous determination in New York’s opening NBA Finals win, veteran utility player Josh Hart ranks as the second most crucial performer in the series’ opening contest.
The 6-foot-5 Hart managed just three points on 1-of-5 shooting. However, he dominated the boards with 15 rebounds while adding six assists and four steals in New York’s 105-95 triumph over the home team San Antonio Spurs. Hart is eager to continue his impact when the teams meet again Friday evening for Game 2.
The 31-year-old Hart grabbed three more boards than any other player on the court, including San Antonio’s 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama.
“His energy is just relentless, it doesn’t stop,” Brunson said Thursday of Hart, his former college teammate at Villanova. “I mean, he eats candy all the time. That tells you who he is. He’s a big kid with an absurd amount of energy.”
Hart’s impact proved valuable as New York extended its playoff victory streak to 12 games, matching the second-longest run in NBA history.
Hart posted averages of 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists across 66 regular-season contests. His playoff statistics show 10.9, 9.1 and 4.7, respectively.
Hart, however, focuses solely on statistics when discussing wins and losses.
“It takes humility and just a willingness to sacrifice,” Hart said. “We’re in the NBA Finals — there’s millions of people watching. It’s easy to get wrapped up in human nature of wanting to get recognition, wanting to score the ball, wanting to show people what you can do on the biggest stage.
“That’s not everyone’s calling and not everyone’s assignment. I know for me, that’s not really my assignment. It takes a little bit of time to find that humility.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown appreciates having such a selfless player like Hart on his roster.
“He rebounded the basketball. He was great,” Brown said. “He was great on the weak side defensively. He impacted the game in so many different ways for us. When you look at what he shot from the field, you wouldn’t think that he was probably the most impactful guy on the game last night.”
Brunson served as the offensive catalyst, scoring 13 of his 30 points during the fourth quarter. Brunson also battled through injuries — right knee, left ankle — suffered during the opening half.
New York finished Game 1 with an 11-0 surge to leave San Antonio stunned on their home court.
San Antonio managed only 6-of-21 shooting and turned the ball over five times while getting outscored by 10 points in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs roster includes numerous players experiencing their first NBA Finals, but coach Mitch Johnson rejected the idea that inexperience caused their late-game struggles.
“Old teams make bad decisions, too, at the end of games,” Johnson said. “It’s looking at a picture, understand if you see that moving forward, whatever that pattern is, whatever led to that situation, if you can recognize it and make a better decision next time or understand maybe where there’s a better opportunity to look for an advantage, we’ll try to help them with that.”
The most telling indicator of their loss was Wembanyama’s 6-of-21 field goal performance. The French star also turned the ball over six times.
He insisted he didn’t feel overwhelmed by the pressure of his debut on basketball’s biggest stage. Wembanyama also received a message from legendary director of basketball operations Gregg Popovich regarding his showing.
“In the big lines, it was that I’ve been bad and I’m better than this,” Wembanyama said of what Popovich’s message entailed.
Wembanyama still managed 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.
One San Antonio player who struggled was De’Aaron Fox, who managed seven points on 3-of-13 shooting while frequently guarding Brunson.
Fox acknowledged the obvious Thursday — his shooting must improve — while emphasizing that Wednesday’s contest represents just one defeat.
“We know it’s a long series,” Fox said. “Obviously you want to win every game that you have on your home court, but it’s not the way it happens every day. We try to go in and fix the things we need to fix. Obviously we want a different outcome.”
President Donald Trump has confirmed his plans to be in attendance for upcoming NBA Finals matchups in New York after receiving an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan.
When asked Thursday about attending the championship series featuring the Knicks versus the San Antonio Spurs, Trump responded: “The answer is yes. (Dolan) has invited me, and I’m going. I’ll be there. It could be Monday (for Game 3). Maybe I’ll do both (with Game 4 on Wednesday).”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged that having the president in attendance will necessitate additional security measures at Madison Square Garden, though he doesn’t expect it to take away from the games themselves.
“I am sure there will be announcements about coming early,” Silver commented, “but I think fans are very understanding of that. They recognize that it adds to the bigness of the event.”
Should Trump attend, he would make history as the first sitting president to watch the NBA Finals. The most recent sitting president to attend a regular-season NBA contest was Barack Obama in 2015.
“I think sports in particular is something where we can emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart,” Silver noted. “It creates a sense of belonging. We’re seeing that in New York and I think President Trump is very much a New Yorker and I’m thrilled that yet another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knick team.”
Trump revealed that Dolan had previously offered him tickets to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals last month, but the Knicks completed a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
The Knicks are once again facing the Spurs, the same team they met in 1999. San Antonio won that series and is now working to deny New York their first championship since 1973.
New York captured a 105-95 victory over the host Spurs on Wednesday, extending their winning streak to 12 games. They have the opportunity to take a 2-0 series advantage on the road Friday in the best-of-seven format.
“(The Knicks) find a way to do it,” Trump said Thursday. “They’re really great, a great team. I’m happy for Jim (Dolan) because Jim has really been fighting hard to produce such a team.”
Throughout his presidency, Trump has been a regular attendee at major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, U.S. Open tennis tournament, Ryder Cup and Daytona 500 across his two terms in office. Most recently, he attended a UFC event at Madison Square Garden in November 2024.
Trump’s connection to New York runs deep, having been a longtime resident, and he maintains relationships with both the franchise and Dolan, who also manages the venue and the NHL’s New York Rangers.
“Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan,” Silver said regarding Trump. “I’ve been with the league for a long time. I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days. He attended many of our drafts when they used to take place at Madison Square Garden, and he actually appeared in one of our ‘I love this Game’ spots when I was running NBA entertainment years ago” (in 2004).
Markets across Asia tumbled Friday as investors stepped back from technology investments and adopted a cautious stance heading into the weekend, concerned about rising tensions in the Middle East while diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran remain stalled.
The Iran-supported Hezbollah militia turned down a fresh ceasefire proposal in Lebanon Thursday, while Israel announced it would keep its military forces in the country. This development has complicated efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the conflict and negotiate a peace agreement with Tehran.
At the same time, the artificial intelligence boom that had lifted markets earlier this week came to an abrupt halt after chipmaker Broadcom delivered disappointing financial results.
These developments pushed MSCI’s comprehensive Asia-Pacific stock index (excluding Japan) down 1.6% during early trading hours. South Korea’s technology-focused Kospi index plummeted more than 6%, while Japan’s Nikkei dropped 1.3%.
“(It) seems like quite a risk-off today,” said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo.
“Korea has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI memory supercycle, so when Broadcom disappointed on AI expectations, investors quickly de-risked the whole semiconductor chain.
“The issue is not that AI demand has disappeared – it is that expectations had become extremely high, and even good numbers are no longer enough unless guidance keeps moving higher.”
U.S. market futures also showed weakness, with Nasdaq futures dropping 1% and S&P 500 futures declining 0.5% following a volatile session on Wall Street the previous day. European market futures showed similar weakness, with EUROSTOXX 50 futures down 0.2%, DAX futures falling 0.5%, and FTSE futures remaining unchanged.
CRUDE OIL POISED FOR WEEKLY GAINS
Energy markets showed minimal movement Friday as investors waited for developments in U.S.-Iran diplomatic discussions, though crude prices were positioned for weekly increases due to earlier conflict-related supply concerns.
Brent crude futures held steady at $95 per barrel and appeared headed for a weekly increase exceeding 3%, while U.S. crude slipped 0.3% to $92.73 per barrel but remained on course for a weekly gain surpassing 6%.
Kristian Kerr, head of macro strategy at LPL Financial, warned that markets were failing to grasp the challenges involved in returning shipping operations through the Strait of Hormuz to normal levels, even if Washington and Tehran successfully negotiate an agreement.
“Any early increase in barrels is likely to come from already produced crude, including crude sitting on stranded or floating vessels and Iranian cargoes in storage, rather than a sustained restart in production or exports,” he said.
“In other words, this is more about clearing existing bottlenecks than reflating the supply base.”
ATTENTION TURNS TO EMPLOYMENT DATA
Currency markets saw the dollar positioned for a 0.5% weekly increase, bolstered by Middle East instability.
The Japanese yen remained weak near the 160 per dollar mark, trading at 159.96, as Japanese authorities intensified their warnings about the struggling currency, keeping market participants alert for potential government intervention.
Friday’s data revealed that Japan’s foreign currency reserves decreased by $77 billion during May.
Among other major currencies, the euro traded at $1.1611, while the British pound remained relatively stable at $1.3421.
Market attention now shifts to the highly anticipated U.S. nonfarm payrolls report scheduled for release later Friday.
Economic forecasters predict a robust employment increase of 85,000 positions, with the unemployment rate expected to hold at 4.3%. Results exceeding expectations would likely reduce speculation about potential Federal Reserve interest rate increases.
Gold prices edged lower, with spot gold declining 0.2% to $4,465.23 per ounce.
A leading figure from Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party has conducted meetings with high-ranking Russian officials, including sanctioned energy executives and advisors to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Markus Frohnmaier, who serves as the AfD’s parliamentary foreign policy spokesperson, participated in Putin’s signature economic summit in St Petersburg despite explicit warnings from Germany’s foreign ministry, which stated it “explicitly advised the AfD against these trips”.
Through posts on social media platform X, Frohnmaier revealed he had conducted meetings with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, during Wednesday’s events.
All three individuals – Dmitriev, Miller and Gazprom – face Western sanctions related to Russia’s military conflict in Ukraine.
Frohnmaier, who has consistently advocated for Germany to restore diplomatic ties with Russia for energy supply purposes, indicated the discussion with Miller centered on pipeline infrastructure and complete restoration of Russian gas shipments to Germany.
“Germany is caught in a severe economic downward spiral, and a key driver of this is the high cost of energy,” Frohnmaier stated.
“That is why all options must be put back on the table, including the recommissioning of Nord Stream and the resumption of trade relations with Russia.”
Gazprom officials also verified the meeting occurred with Frohnmaier.
“Looking forward to building a great FUTURE together with AfD, Germany’s most popular party,” Dmitriev posted on his X account.
Germany’s economic foundation relied heavily on affordable Russian energy resources for many years. Before Moscow’s military action in Ukraine began, Russia provided more than one-third of crude oil imports and over half of natural gas supplies.
The nation has faced significant challenges recovering from the disruption caused by the Nord Stream pipeline shutdown, which suffered damage from explosions in September 2022, forcing Berlin to seek alternative energy sources urgently.
The blasts damaged both pipelines in Nord Stream 1. Nord Stream 2, which was completed in 2021, maintains one undamaged pipeline, but Germany suspended the project and operations never commenced.
Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for the pipeline attack, though Kyiv has consistently rejected any responsibility.
Current polling data indicates the AfD, presently the main opposition party in parliament, is gaining ground against Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives, who maintain a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats.
With two significant state elections approaching in eastern Germany this September, the AfD aims to secure governmental control for the first time in Saxony-Anhalt, while polling suggests the party could capture the most votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The party, which has also achieved notable success in recent western German elections, has criticized Merz’s robust Ukraine support and indicates it would seek to rebuild diplomatic ties with Moscow.
“At a time when many seem more comfortable with confrontation than conversation, genuine dialogue matters more than ever,” Frohnmaier posted on X following his meeting with Dmitriev.
HONG KONG, June 5 (Reuters) – Japan’s currency approached a crucial 160-per-dollar threshold on Friday, triggering warnings from Japanese authorities, as the American dollar gains strength from Middle Eastern conflict concerns driving investors toward safer assets.
The yen dropped to the significant 160-per-dollar benchmark during early trading hours, reaching this level for three consecutive sessions despite official cautionary statements from authorities. Market observers widely regard the 160 threshold as a potential trigger point for government market intervention.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama stated Friday that Japan stands prepared to act appropriately whenever necessary regarding foreign exchange matters and maintains authority to implement “decisive action” to counter extreme market volatility.
The Japanese currency now faces its fourth consecutive week of losses, a pattern unseen since February, essentially eliminating intervention-driven gains accumulated over recent weeks at an expense of $73 billion.
“The critical question remains whether officials are willing to resume their battle against formidable macro headwinds” including elevated energy prices, robust U.S. data, and higher yields, wrote Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG.
Earlier intervention attempts in late April produced only temporary effects, he noted, adding that the dollar would require sustained weakness below 155 to meaningfully challenge the current upward trajectory.
Japanese real wages increased 1.9% in April compared to the previous year, according to Friday’s government statistics, representing the fourth straight month of growth. The Bank of Japan, scheduled to examine interest rates June 15-16, views consistent wage and price increases as fundamental requirements for additional rate increases.
Sources informed Reuters that the BOJ anticipates raising interest rates unless significant Middle East conflict escalation disrupts markets, as rising fuel expenses from energy disruptions contribute to growing economic price pressures.
MIDDLE EAST CONFLICTS STRENGTHEN DOLLAR APPEAL
U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiatives to end Middle Eastern fighting and establish peace with Tehran encounter new challenges after Iran-backed Hezbollah militia dismissed a fresh Lebanese ceasefire Thursday while Israel announced it would maintain troop presence in the country.
This week’s renewed hostilities, including confrontations between Iranian and American forces, have driven Brent futures solidly above $90 for weekly gains while supporting dollar strength through safe-haven investment flows.
The euro remained at $1.1612, gaining 0.02% during Asian trading, while sterling held steady at $1.34228. Both currencies approach minor weekly decreases.
The risk-sensitive Australian dollar declined 0.1% to $0.71265, and the New Zealand dollar stayed flat at $0.5867 despite a 2% weekly increase.
The dollar index, measuring the greenback against multiple currencies including the yen and euro, showed minimal change at 99.434, tracking toward a 0.5% weekly gain.
Regarding upcoming data, markets eagerly anticipate nonfarm payroll figures scheduled for release later globally. A Reuters economist survey projected an 85,000 job increase for May, slower than April’s 115,000 rise. The unemployment rate forecast remains unchanged at 4.3%.
A U.S. Senate hopeful from Maine is facing serious accusations from former romantic partners who claim he engaged in physically aggressive behavior during their relationships over a decade ago.
According to a recent New York Times investigation, Lyndsey Fifield has accused Graham Platner of repeatedly gripping her forcefully enough to create bruises, yanking her out of a taxi by her wrist, and in one particularly troubling episode, forcing her arm behind her back before pushing her into a bedroom and preventing her from leaving the room. Fifield, who works as a conservative activist, told the newspaper that while Platner never struck or punched her during their approximately two-year relationship beginning in 2013, these encounters left her frightened and disturbed. At the time, Platner was attending George Washington University after completing his military service.
The Times investigation examined Platner’s romantic history, interviewing multiple former partners who offered varying perspectives – some spoke favorably of him while others described patterns of insulting language, unpredictable behavior, or infidelity.
A second woman, Jenny Racicot, shared her own troubling experiences with the publication. Racicot, who identifies as a Maine Democrat, said she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner from 2019 to 2021. She recounted an incident in 2021 when Platner arrived at her residence intoxicated despite her explicit request that he not visit. She characterized his actions as “reckless” and “unsettling.”
The 41-year-old oyster farmer and military veteran, who is expected to secure victory in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, has categorically rejected claims of violent behavior in his response to the Associated Press. The Times reported that he refused their interview requests.
“Throughout this campaign, I’ve been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend. I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better,” the statement said. “Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated. I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.”
The Associated Press was unable to contact either Fifield or Racicot for additional comment.
Platner has gained significant attention throughout Maine with his powerful speaking style and progressive political positions. Despite having no prior experience in elected office, he has built his campaign around working-class concerns including expensive housing and healthcare costs. His expected matchup against Republican Sen. Susan Collins this November represents a crucial opportunity for Democrats seeking to regain Senate control.
Describing a specific incident, Fifield told the newspaper that during arguments involving alcohol, Platner could become physically rough. She detailed one episode where he forced her arm behind her back, pushed her into a bedroom, and held the door shut from the outside, trapping her inside.
“It hurt,” she told the paper, adding: “It didn’t cause an injury, it didn’t break my arm.”
During a Thursday evening appearance on MS NOW, Platner directly contradicted Fifield’s account of being forced into a room, telling host Chris Hayes that her version of events was untrue. He suggested the accusations stemmed from political motivations.
“There are things in this that I absolutely will take responsibility for and have been speaking about openly for months,” Platner said. “But those serious allegations are just not true.”
In her Times interview, Fifield firmly rejected any suggestion that political considerations influenced her decision to come forward.
This latest controversy follows recent public disclosure that Platner sent sexually explicit messages to multiple women during his marriage.
Additional questions have emerged regarding a skull tattoo that experts recognize as a Nazi symbol. Platner claims he was unaware of its meaning until several weeks after launching his campaign, at which point he had it modified with a different design. He maintains he was ignorant of the tattoo’s significance.
However, Fifield told the Times that he made jokes about its Nazi connections and referred to it as “my Totenkopf.”
During his MS NOW appearance, Platner once again insisted he was unaware of his tattoo’s meaning.
Notable supporters including independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have maintained their backing despite these revelations. As of Thursday, no prominent Democratic figures had publicly withdrawn their endorsements.
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat scheduled to join Platner at a Maine campaign event Friday, condemned the behavior described in the Times as “wrong and toxic,” but added, “Graham has acknowledged that and sought redemption. The people of Maine deserve a senator who is going to stand up to the billionaire class, against genocide, and for the working class.”
Platner has also faced scrutiny over previous Reddit posts that minimized military sexual assaults and contained homophobic language, issues for which he has issued apologies.
His campaign has survived these earlier controversies in what was previously viewed as a highly competitive Democratic primary before Gov. Janet Mills withdrew from the race in late April citing insufficient campaign funding.
A recent survey by Ipsos reveals that Peru’s presidential runoff election has become a dead heat between the two remaining candidates ahead of Sunday’s decisive vote.
The leftist contender Roberto Sanchez, who has connections to the previously removed and imprisoned former President Pedro Castillo, has narrowed the gap considerably and now holds 43.8% support according to the polling data released Thursday. His opponent, conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori, whose father previously served as president, captured 43.2% of voter intentions in the same survey.
The numbers show a dramatic shift from Ipsos polling conducted on May 31, which had Fujimori leading with 38% compared to Sanchez’s 35%, while 27% of respondents remained undecided at that time.
Key details from the latest polling:
• The survey was completed on June 3 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1%, according to sources familiar with Ipsos methodology.
• Approximately 13% of those polled indicated they would submit blank or invalid ballots.
• Fujimori, making her fourth presidential bid and known for her pro-market positions, secured victory in the initial round of voting on April 12 with 17.18% of the vote.
• Sanchez finished as the runner-up in that first round, earning 12.03% of votes cast.
Sanchez has recently adjusted his campaign approach, softening his rhetoric as the runoff approaches.
Peruvian election law prohibits the publication of polling results during the final week before a presidential election, though surveys may still be conducted as long as domestic news outlets do not report the findings.
The International Monetary Fund has chosen Alvaro Piris Chavarri to serve as its new mission chief for Venezuela, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, according to sources with knowledge of the decision.
When contacted by Reuters, the IMF declined to provide comment on personnel matters.
Piris currently holds the position of assistant director within the IMF’s African Department and serves as mission chief for Ethiopia, the IMF confirmed. His background includes heading IMF missions in Mozambique, Lebanon and China.
This selection follows Venezuela’s announcement last month that it would begin restructuring efforts after defaulting on its external debt in 2017. Analysts believe the total amount owed, which includes unpaid bonds, arbitration awards and accumulated interest, surpasses $150 billion.
Venezuela is working to rejoin the global financial community after reestablishing connections with the IMF and World Bank, relationships that were halted in 2019 due to disagreements over government recognition.
The IMF confirmed it is exploring a pathway toward conducting an “Article IV” consultation with Venezuela, indicating that engagement with Caracas is progressing toward standard economic oversight.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton announced Thursday that quarterback Bo Nix is making steady progress recovering from his fractured ankle and should be ready for the team’s mandatory minicamp scheduled for June 16-18.
Nix was present but did not take part in team activities during the Broncos’ initial three days of voluntary organized team activities, which wrapped up Thursday in the first session accessible to reporters.
Payton described Nix’s rehabilitation as progressing well following the right ankle fracture he sustained during Denver’s divisional-round playoff victory against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 17.
The coach noted that while media observers don’t witness pre-practice activities, Nix has been working on his throwing. “You don’t see the pre-practice, but he’s been throwing,” Payton explained. “I do think in our third week, when you guys (media) are out here for three straight days, I think you’ll see more of a role.”
According to Payton, Nix will likely sit out the second round of organized team activities planned for June 9-11 as well.
Currently, quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger are battling for the backup quarterback spot behind Nix.
The 26-year-old Nix underwent surgery three days following his injury and had an additional planned procedure performed on his ankle in April.
Since Denver selected him 12th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Nix has energized the franchise over two seasons. His regular-season performance includes a 24-10 record, 64.8 completion percentage, 7,706 passing yards, and 54 touchdown passes against 23 interceptions. Additionally, he has contributed 786 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, helping guide the Broncos to playoff appearances in both seasons.
The Texas Rangers brought back star shortstop Corey Seager from the 10-day injured list on Thursday, with plans for him to play in Friday’s home matchup against the Cleveland Guardians.
Seager had been sidelined with lower-back inflammation, with his most recent game appearance occurring on May 13.
The 32-year-old player is struggling offensively this season with a .179 batting average and is currently in a career-worst streak of 27 consecutive at-bats without a hit. Through 42 games, he has contributed seven home runs and 20 RBIs.
This marks Seager’s fifth campaign with Texas, following his 2023 World Series MVP performance when the Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games. That same year, he finished second in regular-season MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani, who was then playing for the Los Angeles Angels.
Seager previously earned World Series MVP honors with the champion Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 and has been selected as an All-Star five times throughout his career.
The Rangers are also considering bringing back outfielder Wyatt Langford before Friday’s contest.
Langford has been recovering from a forearm flexor strain suffered in April, with his last appearance for Texas coming on April 21. His current season statistics show a .238 batting average with one home run and four RBIs across 20 games. During the previous season, he produced 22 home runs, 62 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in 134 games.
The 24-year-old Langford started his rehabilitation assignment at Round Rock on Saturday, posting a 2-for-10 record with one homer and two RBIs through four minor league contests.
In corresponding roster moves, Texas sent outfielder Alejandro Osuna, 23, and third baseman Cody Freeman, 25, to Triple-A Round Rock.
Osuna compiled a .253 batting average with nine RBIs over 37 games, while Freeman went 1-for-2 in his single appearance on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives approved legislation Thursday that would deliver assistance to Ukraine and establish additional sanctions against Russia, marking another instance where some Republican lawmakers have chosen to oppose their party’s leadership and challenge President Donald Trump’s position.
Lawmakers voted 226 to 195 in favor of the Ukraine Support Act, which had been stalled for several months before reaching the floor. A small number of Republicans joined with Democrats to sign a discharge petition that forced the legislation to a vote.
During Thursday’s vote, 18 Republicans and one independent who typically sides with them voted alongside Democrats to approve the measure. The vote represents another indication of fractures within what had previously been nearly universal Republican backing for Trump’s policy positions.
The vote occurred one day after a smaller contingent of House Republicans sided with Democrats to approve a resolution requiring troop withdrawal from conflicts with Iran unless Congress formally declares war or authorizes military action.
The Ukraine Support Act faces an unclear path forward, however. The legislation must gain approval in the Senate to become law, but Republican Senate leaders have blocked votes on Russia sanctions measures that enjoy broad bipartisan backing, stating they would await Trump’s direction.
Should the Senate approve the bill, Trump would likely veto the legislation.
Although lawmakers from both parties demonstrated strong support for Ukraine during the initial period following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, some of Trump’s closest Republican supporters – including House and Senate leadership – have become less supportive of Kyiv since Trump began his second term in January 2025.
The president has also maintained control over sanctions decisions within the White House rather than Congress since beginning his second term.
American assistance to the Kyiv government has decreased significantly even as Russia and Ukraine continue exchanging attacks using missiles, drones and artillery. Diplomatic efforts remain deadlocked, with Ukraine refusing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands to surrender territory it has successfully protected since 2022.
The Ukraine Support Act contains provisions to assist Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction efforts, authorizes more than $1 billion in direct assistance for Kyiv, and provides up to $8 billion in support through direct loans.
The legislation also establishes strict sanctions and export restrictions targeting Russia, including measures affecting financial institutions, oil and mining sectors, and Russian government officials.
Crude oil markets remained relatively stable Friday morning after experiencing substantial losses during the prior trading session, as the likelihood of a swift resolution to the ongoing U.S.-Iranian conflict appeared to decrease following Hezbollah’s dismissal of a proposed ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
Brent crude futures dropped 21 cents, representing a 0.22% decline to $95.24 per barrel by 0003 GMT, coming after a 2.84% decrease in the previous trading period.
West Texas Intermediate crude traded at $92.94 per barrel, falling 10 cents or 0.11%, after experiencing a 3.1% decline on Thursday.
Despite the recent drops, both oil contracts appear positioned to record their first weekly increases in three weeks, with WTI climbing more than 6%. This rise followed escalated Middle Eastern hostilities as peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran continued without resolution, while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – a critical passage for one-fifth of global oil supplies – remained restricted.
Market experts have raised alarms about declining worldwide oil stockpiles that could trigger significant price increases during the third quarter.
On Thursday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem turned down a U.S.-facilitated arrangement between Israel and Lebanon’s government aimed at ending hostilities. Tehran has established a Lebanese ceasefire as a prerequisite for any peace agreement with Washington.
The president stated Thursday that he saw advancement occurring between Israel and Lebanon, expressing his belief that Lebanon should experience peace.
“Any optimism remains heavily clouded by a tangled web of headlines and counter-headlines,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said in a note.
“From a technical perspective, as long as (WTI) crude oil remains above trendline support in the low $80s, the risks remain skewed to the upside.”
OPEC maintains its projection for oil demand growth of 1.2 million barrels daily this year, Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais announced Thursday, despite ongoing Middle Eastern tensions and the Strait of Hormuz restrictions.
According to maritime data, Iranian oil shipments have reached their lowest point in six years, primarily attributed to the U.S. naval blockade, though reduced Chinese demand has kept prices for that oil suppressed.
A highly anticipated college basketball showdown between Duke and Michigan is reportedly switching venues from New York’s Madison Square Garden to a baseball stadium in Miami, according to multiple sports media outlets.
CBS Sports and Front Office Sports report that the Blue Devils and defending national champion Wolverines will now face off at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, rather than at the iconic Manhattan arena.
The December 21 contest will still proceed as planned with Amazon Prime Video maintaining broadcasting rights, though venue change contracts have yet to be finalized, according to the reports.
The venue switch reportedly stems from Duke’s groundbreaking streaming deal with Amazon and complications with conference television territory agreements.
Fox serves as the Big Ten’s main broadcasting partner and objected to Amazon streaming Michigan’s game from Madison Square Garden, citing the venue falls within conference territory. Conference teams including Rutgers have previously competed at MSG, and Illinois battled Duke there in February 2024.
When Duke and Michigan launched their series last year in Washington, D.C., ESPN handled the broadcast as the ACC’s primary partner. The Big Ten anticipated its broadcast partner would cover the Duke-Michigan matchup and was reportedly “miffed” when Duke signed a three-game Amazon agreement, according to Yahoo.
Relocating to Miami removes the game from Big Ten territory, but instead of selecting a traditional basketball venue, Michigan coach Dusty May contacted Marlins owner Bruce Sherman directly, CBS Sports reports. May developed a relationship with Sherman during his tenure at Florida Atlantic, which he guided to a surprising Final Four appearance in 2023.
Sherman had previously proposed hosting an FAU game at loanDepot Park and now welcomes the Duke-Michigan clash instead.
The retractable-roof facility has never hosted basketball, though other Major League Baseball stadiums have accommodated the sport. Wisconsin and Stanford men’s teams played at Milwaukee’s American Family Field in 2022, along with Wisconsin and Kansas State women’s squads. The University of San Diego and San Diego State also competed at Petco Park in 2015.
Additionally, loanDepot Park expanded beyond baseball when it hosted the NHL Winter Classic on January 2 this year.
WASHINGTON — A U.S. journalist residing in China for more than a decade entered a guilty plea Thursday in federal court for operating as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government, according to the Justice Department.
Thomas Pauken II will face sentencing on Sept. 1 in U.S. District Court and could receive up to a decade behind bars, officials announced. The journalist publishes work under the byline Tom McGregor to distinguish himself from his father, who previously led the Texas Republican Party during the 1990s and mounted a gubernatorial campaign over ten years ago.
The case represents another example in a series of prosecutions the federal government has pursued against individuals allegedly operating on behalf of the Chinese government without required registration.
In May, Eileen Wang, who previously served as mayor of Arcadia, California, entered into an agreement to plead guilty to similar charges of acting as an unregistered Chinese agent. Authorities alleged she carried out tasks for Chinese officials, including distributing content that portrayed Beijing favorably.
Linda Sun, who formerly worked as an aide to New York governors, faced accusations of leveraging her position for the Chinese government’s benefit. Sun entered a not guilty plea to allegations including failure to register as a foreign agent, money laundering conspiracy with her spouse, and assisting in visa fraud schemes to bring people into the U.S. illegally. Her December trial concluded without a verdict when jurors could not reach consensus.
Authorities took Pauken into custody in February following his arrival in Washington from China. According to court documents, he arranged to meet with an individual seeking employment in the Trump administration, planning to provide that person with a SIM card and offer $10,000 in exchange for reports intended for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Court filings suggest Pauken viewed his role as a connector between Chinese operatives and potential sources who might supply classified intelligence to Beijing. His attorney has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Beginning no later than 2019, Pauken maintained working relationships with Chinese operatives, including an individual known as “Cathy,” whom he understood to be affiliated with China’s security services. Court documents indicate that from 2019 through 2025, Pauken collected $100,000 for intelligence reports delivered to Cathy, plus funded travel to the United States. Cathy informed him the materials would reach Xi directly.
Border protection officers detained Pauken during his January 2025 return to the United States. During questioning by border and FBI personnel, Pauken revealed plans to meet someone pursuing a position in the Trump administration, intending to supply that individual with a Samsung device and laptop computer. He expressed being “80% sure” the person, if successfully hired, would share classified materials with Beijing, court records show.
Federal agents released Pauken with instructions to proceed with his planned activities. The individual Pauken contacted later told investigators that while Pauken requested publicly available information, he also suggested his Chinese contacts regularly sought more sensitive intelligence. That person indicated having no plans to cooperate with Pauken.
Twelve months later, Pauken returned to the United States for another attempt to recruit this individual, having reconnected over potential commercial petroleum business opportunities. They conducted meetings at a Washington restaurant on Feb. 23 and subsequently at a hotel two days afterward, where federal agents conducted surveillance.
During these encounters, Pauken provided the SIM card and outlined the $10,000 incentive for supplying Cathy with regular reports designed to “influence policy and be read by Xi Jinping,” according to court filings.
Background investigations confirmed that Pauken never completed registration requirements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act nor informed the U.S. attorney general of his activities on China’s behalf.
The Justice Department also revealed that Pauken provided intelligence reports to Chinese nationals from the central city of Wuhan, who requested information regarding technology and Justice Department operations while asking Pauken to locate expertise to assist in cyber espionage activities.
High-ranking federal officials have engaged in early-stage conversations with leading artificial intelligence companies regarding the possibility of the government acquiring ownership positions in these firms, according to a Thursday report from digital news publication NOTUS, which cited three sources with knowledge of the discussions.
The planning remains in development with shifting details, but conversations have focused on arrangements where companies would voluntarily transfer ownership shares to the federal government, according to the report.
Profits from these investments could potentially be allocated for public benefit, including distributing dividend payments to American families nationwide, the report indicated.
Reuters was unable to immediately verify the report’s claims.
This news emerges as OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing for major public stock offerings. OpenAI is getting ready to privately submit IPO paperwork, as Reuters had previously reported, while Anthropic, the company behind Claude, privately filed for a U.S. public offering on Monday.
According to the report, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has engaged in discussions about this concept with government officials since President Donald Trump started his second term. Altman initially presented the idea directly to Trump during a 2025 conversation and has revisited the topic with senior administration officials in recent weeks as a method to more widely share AI’s economic advantages with the general public, NOTUS reported.
In 2025, Altman stated that OpenAI has engaged with the federal government regarding potential federal loan guarantees to encourage domestic chip manufacturing facility construction, though the company has not pursued government guarantees for its data center development.
The report noted that Anthropic is not engaging in discussions with the administration about offering government equity.
OpenAI, Anthropic, and the White House did not provide immediate responses to Reuters’ requests for comment regarding the NOTUS report.
On Tuesday, Trump issued an executive order requesting that major AI developers voluntarily submit their most advanced models for government cybersecurity evaluation prior to public release.
The administration announced in May that it would acquire $2 billion in ownership stakes across nine quantum computing companies.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he conducted meetings with automotive industry executives regarding legislation surrounding vehicle repair rights.
The discussions included GM CEO Mary Barra, Ford Motor senior executive Andrew Frick, and leadership from the National Automobile Dealers Association and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, alongside Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, who previously worked as an auto dealer.
Ford verified its participation in the discussions, while the automotive organizations chose not to provide statements. GM did not reply to requests for comment.
“We had the auto industry in yesterday. They don’t want people to fix their car. I said ‘That’s strange!’” Trump stated. “They have a thing; nobody’s allowed to fix their car.”
The automotive sector has engaged in disputes with independent mechanics and advocacy organizations for years regarding the ability to service newer vehicles. The annual value of the U.S. automotive service industry reaches approximately $200 billion.
A U.S. House of Representatives committee approved legislation last week that would codify current industry agreements and grant the Federal Trade Commission enforcement powers over these arrangements.
The automotive alliance, representing most major car manufacturers, endorsed the measure and highlighted that 75% of vehicle repairs after warranty expiration occur at independent facilities. The organization stated that in 2014, automakers pledged to provide comprehensive repair guidance, equipment access, and diagnostic information to both dealerships and independent mechanics.
Numerous legislators and independent repair facilities believe additional measures are necessary and seek congressional approval of separate bills ensuring vehicle owners can access and distribute repair-related information, including diagnostic details.
The proposed measures would mandate that vehicle manufacturers provide owners and independent mechanics with access to diagnostic information, repair procedures, and calibration data.
Several lawmakers contend that limiting data access allows automakers to increase costs and forces independent repair shops to pay substantial fees for repair software access.
The automotive dealers organization opposes the proposed legislation, claiming it would allow aftermarket manufacturers to copy automotive components and create inferior replicas, while also providing insurance companies greater influence over repair choices.
Leading Chinese solar panel manufacturers are expanding their operations into battery storage production as traditional photovoltaic sales experience a downturn, according to industry reports from Shanghai.
Major companies in the solar sector are facing challenges from reduced domestic installations, declining export numbers, and historically low pricing, with industry leaders anticipating a drop in worldwide demand by 2026.
This market pressure has prompted companies such as JinkoSolar, JA Solar, LONGi Green Energy and Trina Solar to speed up their entry into battery storage markets, according to company representatives speaking with Reuters.
JinkoSolar is planning to expand its battery production capacity nearly threefold, growing from 5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) to 13-14 GWh before year’s end, as energy developers work to solve renewable energy’s intermittency challenges, according to a company representative at SNEC, a solar industry conference that drew over half a million attendees.
“We are seeing some goodwill from our company’s directors’ point of view, in that we are having massive investments,” Titus Koech, a regional technical head for energy storage systems, told Reuters.
Nations with significant renewable energy adoption, such as Japan, Vietnam and India, along with Germany, the Netherlands, the U.S. and Australia, ranked among the top battery importers from China in 2025, based on data from energy research organization Ember.
Energy storage products dominated JA Solar’s exhibition space, representing a departure from the photovoltaic-centered presentations of past conferences, according to Gloria Gao, marketing director of its storage division.
“If you only own a solar business, it’s not helping your business grow because the margins are really small. That’s why we started our energy storage business, because we foresee the future,” Gao told Reuters.
Export sales of solar panels, which generally provide higher profit margins than domestic transactions, increased by 4.7% in 2025, marking the most sluggish growth rate since 2018, according to Ember statistics. Growth during the May through December period is projected to fall short of the performance seen in the year’s opening four months, noted Rystad Energy analyst Fei Chen.
In contrast, battery exports for energy storage applications are projected to surge 30% to reach 150 GWh in 2026, according to Rystad projections.
Chinese solar manufacturers are moving into a sector currently controlled by battery industry leaders including CATL and BYD, but are counting on their supply chain knowledge and capacity to provide combined solar-and-storage systems.
This integration approach has transformed energy storage into “the second growth curve” following photovoltaics, according to a Trina Solar representative.
The company’s energy storage deliveries during the March quarter, with approximately 90% going to export markets, increased more than four times compared to the previous year, the representative noted, though they requested anonymity as they lacked authorization to speak with media.
CATL, the global leader in battery manufacturing, anticipates energy storage will represent half of its worldwide sales by 2030, rising from the current 25%, fueled by requirements to support variable renewable energy sources.
LONGi’s combined solar-and-storage initiative was featured on a massive, curved LED display that spanned nearly the full width of its exhibition space, taking priority over individual PV products at SNEC.
Research firm Wood Mackenzie indicated this trend demonstrates changing purchasing behaviors.
“When you’re buying solar and storage, you’re getting married to these companies for the next 20 years,” said Yana Hryshko, head of solar supply chain research.
“LONGi and JA just joined (the energy storage business) because you don’t buy your solar from one manufacturer and your storage from another. In the next two years, we’re not going to talk about solar without storage.”
An artificial intelligence company issued a warning Thursday that the tech industry needs to establish a unified approach for temporarily halting AI advancement when systems start evolving beyond society’s ability to safely oversee them.
The AI startup emphasized that while self-improving artificial intelligence would mark a historic technological breakthrough, such capabilities could dramatically increase the danger of humans losing oversight of these systems.
“If systems are capable of fully building their own successors, the ways we secure them, monitor them, and shape their behavior all grow much more important,” the company stated.
To illustrate current AI capabilities, the company revealed that as of May, over 80% of code integrated into its programming system was created by Claude, its AI assistant.
The firm argued it would benefit society to have mechanisms in place for slowing or pausing cutting-edge AI research, allowing social frameworks and safety studies to match the pace of technological progress.
The company warned, however, that uncoordinated slowdowns by individual companies could prove counterproductive if other less safety-conscious organizations continue their research, potentially decreasing overall security.
Any effective pause would require cooperation among “multiple well-resourced labs” working at the technology’s forefront, along with clear guidelines about what circumstances would initiate or end such a halt and who would provide oversight.
While a single company could more easily implement its own development pause, this approach would have minimal effect and would mainly transfer industry leadership rather than encouraging worldwide discussion.
The company’s research division plans to investigate and develop frameworks needed to support potential industry slowdowns.
Over the next several months, the organization intends to organize conversations with government officials, scientists, community organizations, and other AI companies to address critical concerns.
These discussions will focus on managing AI-related dangers like self-improvement capabilities and enhancing cooperation methods among industry players.
The company recently completed a funding round that established its value at $965 billion and privately submitted paperwork for a U.S. stock market debut on Monday.
LONOKE, Ark. — An Arkansas judge has thrown out murder charges against a sheriff candidate who was accused of fatally shooting his teenage daughter’s alleged sexual abuser last year.
Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. tossed the case against Aaron Spencer on Thursday afternoon, weeks before his second-degree murder trial was set to start. The dismissal came after law enforcement officials lost a dash camera memory card that potentially recorded the fatal shooting.
“The court finds that conduct by law enforcement was so egregious that dismissal of this case is warranted,” Wilson stated in his ruling.
Spencer’s defense team never disputed that their client shot and killed 67-year-old Michael Fosler. At the time of the shooting, Fosler was free on bail following charges involving dozens of sexual crimes against Spencer’s daughter, who was 13 years old.
According to court filings, Spencer discovered his daughter was missing when he woke up that night. He later located the girl sitting in the passenger seat of Fosler’s vehicle. Spencer then forced Fosler’s truck off the roadway, and following a confrontation, contacted 911 to report that he had shot the man.
Prosecutors argued that Spencer had premeditated the killing and should have contacted authorities while chasing Fosler. However, Spencer entered a not guilty plea and argued he was defending his child from a predator.
Defense attorney Erin Cassinelli expressed gratitude for the court’s ruling.
“No member of this family should ever again be forced to walk into a courtroom and relive this horror,” she stated. “This father should have never been charged for protecting his child.”
While The Associated Press generally does not name victims of sexual abuse, Spencer has centered his daughter’s experience with the justice system as a key element of his sheriff campaign.
The Pan American Health Organization announced Thursday that it’s ramping up assistance to nations throughout the Americas to bolster their Ebola readiness, despite the continued low threat level of the disease in the region.
The organization has put its incident management system into action and is collaborating with health departments to enhance monitoring, laboratory testing and infection prevention measures, enabling nations to quickly identify and handle potential cases.
According to the agency, it’s getting ready to send supplies and testing materials for identifying the Bundibugyo ebolavirus to certain nations that have adequate biosafety capabilities, determined through risk evaluations.
This uncommon Ebola variant called Bundibugyo has led the World Health Organization to issue a public health emergency declaration of international significance.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has documented 344 verified cases and 60 confirmed fatalities, plus 116 additional suspected cases currently being examined.
Verified cases have emerged across multiple provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Uganda has documented 15 confirmed cases, with one resulting in death.
“Even with low risk, countries must be ready to detect and respond quickly to any possible importation to protect health workers and communities, and to prevent further transmission,” said Dr. Ciro Ugarte, director of health emergencies at the organization.
The agency is additionally coordinating international cooperation to guarantee prompt laboratory testing by sending samples to specialized regional testing facilities.
The organization also emphasized that nations should enhance their readiness systems while avoiding travel or trade restrictions.
Motorists traveling on Vance Neck Road should plan for possible delays as road crews continue milling and paving work in the area.
The construction activity is taking place along the stretch of Vance Neck Road that runs between Bayview Road and Silver Run Road (Route 9). Workers are conducting intermittent operations that may cause temporary traffic disruptions.
The road work is expected to wrap up by 5 PM today. Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and exercise caution when passing through the construction zone.
A traffic accident has prompted the closure of Mill Creek Road in both directions, affecting the stretch between McKennans Church Road and Stoney Batter Road.
Emergency crews are currently responding to the crash scene. Drivers traveling through the area are advised to find alternative routes until the roadway can be safely reopened.
No timeline has been provided for when normal traffic flow will resume on this section of Mill Creek Road.
Formula One racing will remain a fixture in Las Vegas for years to come after officials announced Thursday a decade-long contract extension keeping the Grand Prix in Nevada’s entertainment capital through 2037.
The nighttime spectacle under bright lights showcases drivers speeding down the iconic Strip at speeds exceeding 200mph, making it one of three Formula One events held annually in the United States alongside races in Austin and Miami. Las Vegas welcomed its first Grand Prix in 2023.
The Texas venue has secured racing rights until 2034, while Miami’s agreement runs through 2041.
“We are thrilled that Formula One will continue racing in Las Vegas for many years to come,” Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali stated before this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. The sport is owned by Liberty Media.
“Since its debut in 2023, the event has been extraordinary, rapidly establishing itself as a premier destination for great racing, world-class entertainment, global business leaders, A-list celebrities and influencers,” he added.
“We always believed that Las Vegas would become a cornerstone of our presence in the United States and this extension, together with the success of recent years, reinforces our long-term commitment to this important market.”
According to Formula One officials, the Las Vegas race has brought $3.2 billion in total economic benefits to Southern Nevada since its launch, with every event selling out completely. Official records show 300,000 people attended last year’s three-day racing weekend.
The previous year’s competition produced $43 million in combined state and local tax income while donating over $2 million to charitable organizations.
“Securing a 10-year extension through 2037 is a defining moment for the Las Vegas Grand Prix and a reflection of the strength of our local partnerships,” stated Las Vegas Grand Prix president and CEO Emily Prazer.
Multiple organizations including Las Vegas Grand Prix Inc, Clark County leadership and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority have pledged their support for the race’s continued operation.
The convention authority’s president Steve Hill called the extension a “major moment” for both the racing event and the city.
“As the spotlight of the world turns to Las Vegas, the event continues to reinforce our evolution as a premier sports and entertainment destination,” Hill commented.
Motorists traveling on RT-72 should expect delays due to ongoing construction work that has resulted in lane restrictions in both directions.
The construction zone spans from Brook Hill Drive to Bellevue Road, where crews have closed the left lane for northbound traffic and the right lane for southbound traffic.
These lane restrictions are scheduled to remain in place until 7AM, according to traffic officials.
Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and use caution when passing through the work zone.
The discussion surrounding Israel’s ultra-Orthodox population has evolved beyond religious and political considerations into a pressing economic challenge, according to experts who spoke at a prominent policy conference this week.
As military expenditures climb toward 8% of the nation’s gross domestic product and approximately 25% of the government budget, while the ultra-Orthodox are expected to represent an increasing portion of military-age Jewish citizens, the issue has taken on new urgency.
Military service forms part of Israel’s social framework, defense costs consume an expanding portion of national resources, and the armed forces represent a shared experience for most Jewish citizens. Under these mounting pressures, ultra-Orthodox integration has transformed from a dispute about exemptions into a budgetary, military, and economic concern.
The implications are clear. As the ultra-Orthodox become a larger segment of Israel’s population, the mix of military exemptions, restricted core education, reduced male workforce participation, and political influence could burden the military, tax system, and skilled economy that Israel increasingly relies upon.
This theme permeated the Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society, hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem. While the conference addressed defense spending, artificial intelligence, technology, living costs, reconstruction, healthcare, and the national budget, the ultra-Orthodox issue emerged repeatedly through discussions of human capital, labor participation, education, and public priorities.
The ultra-Orthodox community refers to Israel’s rapidly expanding religious population whose traditional male institutions focus on full-time religious study. Many ultra-Orthodox boys don’t receive the standard curriculum in mathematics, English, and science that other Israelis do; many men don’t serve in the military and enter employment late or remain outside the workforce for long periods. Ultra-Orthodox women work at higher rates, often supporting large families, but household earnings remain relatively modest.
Gilad Cohen Kovacs, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute who led a session on “The Economy as a Driver of Change in Haredi Autonomy,” contended that the matter also involves how a separate institutional framework affects growth, employment, and social services.
Cohen Kovacs stated that subsidies supporting the current ultra-Orthodox model total approximately 35 to 37 billion shekels annually, roughly 5.5% of the national budget. Without modifications, he cautioned, that amount could increase to more than 60 billion shekels yearly in coming decades. These numbers were part of his conference presentation analyzing ultra-Orthodox autonomy and government support.
He emphasized that the issue shouldn’t be viewed as simply transferring “money to Haredim.” In his assessment, some funding encourages behaviors that keep ultra-Orthodox men out of the workforce, while other portions strengthen what he called a parallel system of authority, educational networks, community institutions, and political influence.
A welfare system, Cohen Kovacs explained, aims to assist those unable to work, protect those who have been harmed, and enable advancement. In the ultra-Orthodox situation, he maintained, part of the subsidy supports the reverse pattern: reduced use of earning potential, partial employment, large families, and a religious study-centered lifestyle.
“These are not the conditions for which the welfare state was built,” he said.
This perspective redirects attention from individual poverty toward policy incentives that, according to Cohen Kovacs, maintain dependence and separation. His overall finding was that the present model creates a substantial cross-community transfer from non-ultra-Orthodox Jewish households to ultra-Orthodox households through tax differences, public services, subsidies, and exemptions from shared responsibilities.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also referenced research on this balance. According to Bennett, what he termed a “Zionist household”—a non-ultra-Orthodox Jewish household participating in military service and the job market—contributes about 6,000 shekels more monthly to the state than it uses or receives, while an ultra-Orthodox household receives about 4,000 shekels more monthly than it contributes. He characterized this as approximately a 10,000 shekel monthly difference between the two household categories.
The comparison brought the budget discussion from national figures to family income levels. It wasn’t presented as claiming one specific family directly supports another, but as an overall measurement of taxes, government services, subsidies, benefits, and participation in public duties.
Dr. Gilad Malach, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute who presented separate research on defense burdens, told The Media Line that his work examined one particular aspect of the broader subsidy discussion: security. He noted Israel typically views defense spending as a national budget matter, without examining how this burden distributes across different community sectors.
Malach said it would be “too simplistic” to attribute the disparity solely to the ultra-Orthodox community being poorer and therefore paying less tax. “You might say, ‘OK, this is a poor society, so they pay less than their share in the population,’” he said. “But we see that the gaps between them and others—it’s much more than that.”
According to Malach, the apparent security budget totals about 120 billion shekels annually, but the actual cost approaches 150 billion once hidden burdens are included: conscripts paid below their market value, delayed workforce entry, and costs to employers when reservists leave jobs for extended service.
If the ultra-Orthodox represent about 14% of Israel’s population, he said, they should bear roughly 21 billion shekels of that burden. In reality, he estimated, they contribute about 6 billion.
“So, the gap is 15 billion,” he said.
This figure carries political weight because it positions the draft discussion within a broader fiscal framework: who funds security, who serves, and who bears the indirect costs of a society structured around extended military service.
Malach was cautious not to claim the gap could close rapidly. He said the policy measures he presented could reduce it, but not eliminate it. At best, he estimated, the immediate impact could be several billion shekels, not the complete 15 billion.
“Just to make the situation less unequal, more equal than today, but not a real equality between the population,” he said.
The demographic projection was more alarming. Some forecasts, Malach noted, project the ultra-Orthodox population at around 30% of Israel’s total population within roughly four decades. The more significant figure, he added, isn’t the overall population percentage, but the proportion among draft-eligible Jews.
Among Jewish 18-year-olds, he said, the ultra-Orthodox percentage could surpass half. In his assessment, if this forecast materialized, “We won’t have manpower for an army if the situation would be that they are not serving in the army. And we can’t have a prosperous economy if so many people won’t have the ability to work in a modern labor market.”
Reem Aminoach, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies who previously served as financial adviser to the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, told The Media Line that the problem is often portrayed as more complex than necessary.
“All you need is to cancel the deferral,” he stated, referring to the legal process that has permitted many ultra-Orthodox men to avoid conscription while remaining in religious study.
In his opinion, eliminating the deferral would create a clearer choice: service, employment, or another publicly accountable framework, rather than a system where avoiding the army also discourages work. Aminoach said the army’s requirement is practical and urgent.
“The army lacks fighters, not clerks,” he said.
Shaul Meridor, a former senior Finance Ministry official, brought the discussion from national totals to individual Israeli family level. He described a middle- or lower-middle-class family in places such as Migdal HaEmek or Dimona, with five children, one serving in Lebanon, and struggling financially. Based on figures he cited from a recent study, such a family subsidizes a comparable low-income ultra-Orthodox family by nearly 1,000 shekels monthly.
“Many times we talk about high-tech and the rich and all kinds of other people who subsidize,” Meridor said. “I am talking about socioeconomic cluster four. Whoever knows what that means understands that this is not high-tech, and these are not people sitting in Tel Aviv or Ramat Hasharon. These are people who do not finish the month.”
He said the moral question after October 7 was no longer theoretical.
“Why should a family that does not finish the month have to allocate, from money it does not have, 1,000 shekels net a month to subsidize a Haredi family that chose a different life?”
Meridor also maintained that Israel’s current policies damage ultra-Orthodox children themselves by directing them toward poverty.
“As leadership, we must not condemn Haredi children to poverty,” he said. “And that is what we are doing today.”
His suggested principle was straightforward: those who serve should receive benefits, those who don’t serve should not. Combat service, he said, should receive the most; other service should receive less; avoidance should receive nothing. But he warned that dismantling ultra-Orthodox autonomy wouldn’t happen through one major law. It would require changes in thousands of government decisions, benefits, tax rules, and allocations that currently favor institutions over individuals.
Political speakers addressed the same matter from various angles. Bennett concentrated on education and subsidies, using his remarks to criticize daycare payments for families where the father doesn’t work and doesn’t serve. He also suggested broad education reform based on a shared state curriculum, while maintaining limited community autonomy.
Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Yisrael Beitenu and a former defense and finance minister, approached the issue through coalition politics. In a discussion with Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, Liberman contended that Israel cannot maintain higher defense spending while preserving sectoral budgets and avoiding structural reform. He said meaningful change would require a government not reliant on the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.
Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz provided a more measured criticism. He said parts of the ultra-Orthodox leadership were making a serious error by continuing a situation where the community takes precedence over the state. Simultaneously, he stressed that there are ultra-Orthodox who work, study, serve, and contribute to the economy, and they deserve recognition.
Meirav Cohen, a Yesh Atid lawmaker and former minister for social equality, used Jerusalem as a cautionary example. Speaking as a Jerusalem resident, she said the capital already demonstrates what occurs when integration in the army, employment, and education doesn’t advance quickly enough. Jerusalem, she said, has dropped in fewer than three decades from socioeconomic cluster five to cluster two. Every second household receives a municipal property tax discount, she said, meaning the other half must bear some of Israel’s highest municipal tax burdens.
“There is no economic model for this,” Cohen said. “You don’t need prophecies or warnings. Look at what happened to us in Jerusalem.”
The ultra-Orthodox discussion occurred during a conference focused on rising security costs and shrinking civilian spending space. Former Bank of Israel Governor Karnit Flug said in the opening budget session that Israel’s economy had demonstrated resilience, but the Israel-Hamas war had imposed a significant cost. Defense spending, she said, now reaches nearly 8% of GDP, compared with slightly more than 4% before October 7, 2023. Its budget share has increased to about one-quarter, compared with 16% before the war.
This broader fiscal context helps explain why ultra-Orthodox integration is no longer viewed solely as a dispute over religious exemptions. Israel is attempting to fund a larger defense establishment, increased rehabilitation needs, more reservist support, reconstruction in the north and south, health-system gaps, transportation infrastructure, and a technology sector facing global competition. Speakers also warned that insufficient investment in Arab society carries its own cost in lost output, making the broader point that Israel cannot afford to underinvest in any large population group while defense and rehabilitation needs are increasing.
Artificial intelligence and technology added another dimension. The Israel Innovation Authority’s 2026 report, presented at the conference, showed that technology remains Israel’s primary growth engine. In 2025, the sector contributed roughly half of the economy’s growth, reached 18.3% of GDP, accounted for 58% of exports, and employed more than 400,000 people. But the same report also warned of employment share stagnation, declining research and development jobs in Israel, activity expansion abroad, and growing pressure from currency appreciation.
This is why ultra-Orthodox integration now intersects with the artificial intelligence discussion. Israel wants to compete in a global economy based on advanced skills, data science, engineering, defense technology, and artificial intelligence. But a growing portion of its future workforce is educated in systems that often don’t provide the tools required for that economy. The point wasn’t that every Israeli must work in technology, but that the next economy will demand basic quantitative and digital skills across far more jobs.
Eli Hurvitz, CEO of the Eddie and Jules Trump Family Foundation, told the conference that children currently choosing what to study in high school will be the workforce of 2040. In an artificial intelligence-driven world, he said, mathematics, data, teamwork, and independent learning will become basic requirements for opportunity.
The challenge of ultra-Orthodox integration doesn’t fit easily into familiar categories of minority rights or welfare policy. In Israel, it connects to compulsory service, repeated wars, high defense costs, a knowledge-based economy, and a parliamentary system where sectoral parties can hold the balance of power. The ultra-Orthodox community is a growing part of Israel’s electorate, budget, labor market, and future security burden. This is why the discussion has become one of the country’s central governance tests.
The conference produced no single, comprehensive solution. Some speakers emphasized immediate enforcement of the existing draft framework. Others focused on incentives, core education, tax benefits, or direct ties between the state and ultra-Orthodox individuals rather than through community institutions. Some warned against coercion that could backfire, while others argued that decades of gradualism have failed. But there was notable agreement around one point: the status quo is no longer to be treated as a manageable inconvenience.
The discussion, as reflected in the conference sessions and interviews cited here, was dominated by economists, former senior officials, and political figures warning about the long-term costs of the current model. Representatives of the major ultra-Orthodox parties were not quoted in those sessions or interviews.
Malach expressed the warning in the most direct terms. Israel has survived enormous shocks, he said, and remains a wealthy country with a strong economy. But if current patterns continue as the ultra-Orthodox population grows, the problem will not remain a matter of resentment or budgetary imbalance. It will become a question of manpower, productivity, and national resilience.
“Right now, it’s very hard, but we are handling,” he said. “The point is that if you call today’s situation very bad, things would be worse than that.”
What emerged in Jerusalem was more than an argument over the draft. It was a broader economic assessment of who serves, who pays, who studies the skills needed for the next economy, and whether the state can continue financing separate rules for a growing part of its population. Israel’s next election may decide the coalition arithmetic. The harder question, raised throughout the conference, is whether any government will be willing to change the arithmetic of the country itself.
New statistics from the New York Police Department reveal a troubling surge in hate crimes targeting Jewish residents, with anti-Jewish incidents rising dramatically over the past year.
Police data shows antisemitic offenses increased by 71% in May when compared to May of the previous year. The numbers also reflect a 46% jump from the three-month average recorded earlier this year.
The statistics reveal that Jewish residents comprised 60% of all verified hate crime victims throughout the city, despite making up approximately 10% of New York City’s total population.
Law enforcement data further shows that crimes against Jewish people surpassed the combined number of hate crimes targeting all other demographic categories during the same timeframe.
Officials documented 41 antisemitic incidents in May alone, establishing Jewish residents as the most frequently attacked group in the city’s hate crime records.
Additional incidents recorded during the period included three attacks on Asian individuals, five against Muslims, five motivated by sexual orientation, one against a Hispanic person, one targeting a white individual, one based on gender, one against someone of unspecified ethnicity, and 10 against unspecified religious communities.
The numbers highlight the overwhelming focus of anti-Jewish incidents within New York City’s overall hate crime pattern.
These local statistics emerge alongside growing national alarm about antisemitism throughout the country. Recent nationwide data referenced in the report indicates that physical attacks against Jewish Americans have reached their highest level in 46 years.
Specialists warn that official statistics may not capture the full extent of the issue, pointing out that numerous incidents go unreported to police authorities.
Authorities are requesting prolonged custody for 62 individuals taken into custody during a destructive demonstration at the residence of High Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, where protesters opposing military conscription requirements for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students damaged property and fought with law enforcement.
The individuals in custody are set to appear at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court Thursday morning, where authorities will ask that they continue to be held while the investigation proceeds.
Law enforcement officials report that 65 individuals were taken into custody after the disturbances occurred. Walla news outlet indicated that 62 continued to be held and would face a judge.
The violent demonstration took place Wednesday evening as large groups of protesters gathered at Sohlberg’s residence in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut. Throughout the disturbance, demonstrators broke windows at the justice’s residence and car, while also destroying flower containers at the property’s entrance.
According to Ynet reporting, authorities seized drones and GoPro cameras that were in the possession of several suspects.
The demonstration stemmed from resistance among certain ultra-Orthodox activists to Supreme Court rulings regarding military service requirements. Sohlberg had recently overseen decisions mandating that the government enhance enforcement actions against those avoiding the draft, which made him a focus for protesters opposing the military service of yeshiva students.
Following the dispersal of the crowd, Magen David Adom medical personnel responded to the residence after Sohlberg reportedly became ill.
Meira Sohlberg, his wife, voiced her dismay at the destruction that occurred during the disturbance.
“How is it possible that Jews are hurting each other?” she said. “Look at this destruction, a pogrom, what is this, Kristallnacht?” according to Ynet.
Police Commissioner Danny Levy denounced the violence and directed officers to pursue those involved “to the fullest extent of the law.” Authorities stated that Levy received a briefing from Jerusalem District Deputy Commander Yishai Shalem and emphasized that lawful demonstration cannot involve violence, property destruction or assaults on government officials.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently contacted Sohlberg and denounced the incident.
United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzhak Goldknopf and Shas MK Yinon Azoulai similarly criticized the violence.
Subsequently, numerous ultra-Orthodox demonstrators obstructed Jerusalem’s Kikar Shabbat junction in protest of the arrests.
Michael Rabello, who has served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal attorney for many years, won election as Israel’s state comptroller Wednesday in a disputed Knesset vote marked by allegations of voting irregularities.
The attorney claimed victory in a runoff election after both candidates failed to reach the necessary vote count in the first round of balloting.
During the initial vote, former Supreme Court justice Yosef Elron garnered 60 votes compared to Rabello’s 57. Parliamentary regulations require 61 votes for a first-round victory.
The decisive second round saw Rabello prevail over Elron with a 61-57 vote margin.
Controversy erupted over claims that the voting process violated ballot secrecy requirements. News reports indicated that Likud party members faced pressure to take photos or videos of their ballots as proof they supported Rabello, despite laws mandating secret voting.
These claims drew harsh condemnation from opposition lawmakers, who characterized the ruling Likud party’s behavior as resembling a “crime organization.”
Media reports also suggested that cabinet members believed to favor Elron were called to Netanyahu’s office while voting was underway.
Due to the mounting concerns, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana mandated a complete restart of the second voting round. Ohana declared that any directive telling legislators to document their ballots was “illegal and invalid.”
Vote totals shifted between the rounds, suggesting some parliament members altered their choices.
Opposition groups plan to challenge the election results in the High Court of Justice, citing alleged procedural violations.
Rabello’s legal work has encompassed representing Netanyahu across multiple court cases and has also included representation of Netanyahu’s spouse, Sara Netanyahu. His professional duties have extended to participating in political negotiations tied to the prime minister.
The state comptroller position functions as an independent watchdog agency answerable directly to the Knesset. This office conducts audits of government departments, oversees municipal government operations, examines political party finances, and safeguards public interests.
Motorists traveling on northbound Route 896 will encounter a lane shift due to ongoing construction work, according to DelDOT traffic alerts.
The lane shift affects the stretch of roadway from the Interstate 95 northbound ramp (Ramp J) to Welsh Tract Road. The temporary traffic pattern is scheduled to remain in effect until 7 a.m.
Drivers are advised to exercise caution and allow extra travel time when navigating through the construction zone.
ARLINGTON, Va., June 4, 2026 — The National Grain and Feed Association expressed appreciation to the U.S. House of Representatives following approval of the fiscal year 2027 agriculture appropriations bill.
The cross-party measure contains multiple key provisions advocated by the organization aimed at bolstering reliability, transparency, and international competitiveness within America’s grain and feed sector:
Directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create and execute a backup plan ensuring official grain inspection and weighing services continue during future interruptions. The association strongly endorses this requirement, which stresses clear operational protocols and involvement from stakeholders, including export elevators and Officially Designated and Delegated Agencies.
Promoting better collaboration between the USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration to speed up approvals for grain reconditioning plans, boosting efficiency at export locations when grain shipments need remedial measures.
Highlighting the critical nature of maintaining continuous grain terminal operations for U.S. grain exports.
Emphasizing the need for dependable, consistent information by instructing USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to preserve essential reports and surveys while providing Congress advance warning before implementing major modifications to data gathering initiatives.
Acknowledging the significance of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine to the nation’s food supply by ensuring adequate resource allocation for its functions.
“The House’s passage of the agriculture appropriations bill marks an important step forward for America’s grain and feed industry,” said NGFA President and CEO Mike Seyfert. “By safeguarding export inspection services, improving federal coordination, and preserving critical market data, the bill supports the industry’s ability to sustain more than one million U.S. grain and feed-related jobs and drive economic growth in America.”
The organization anticipates ongoing collaboration with the Senate as the appropriations process moves forward.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs’ journey to the NBA Finals has been filled with obstacles and challenges.
During their first-round matchup with Portland, they surrendered home-court advantage before ultimately claiming the series victory. The same pattern repeated itself in the second round against Minnesota. In their Western Conference finals battle with Oklahoma City, they fell behind 2-1 before managing to eliminate the reigning champion Thunder in a grueling seven-game series.
Now in the championship round, they’ve once again surrendered home-court advantage after dropping Game 1 to the New York Knicks. It’s another familiar challenge for this resilient squad.
“We’ve been consistent in that regard,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Thursday as his team prepares for Game 2 on Friday night. “I think one thing we have learned in our three series is that series are long. Games are long. Things shift quickly, whether that’s health, who’s playing well or hot, quote-unquote, at the time. Teams at this stage typically have shown the ability to evolve on the fly and improve within a series.”
Such improvement will be essential if the Spurs want to travel to New York with the series tied at one game each.
Their Game 1 performance featured numerous struggles: poor shooting overall (36%), dismal three-point accuracy (26%, connecting on just 11 of 43 attempts), insufficient ball movement with only 16 assists, being outscored 50-42 in the paint, and failing to protect a 14-point advantage in the third quarter. While New York deserves recognition for causing many of these problems, the Spurs recognize they can perform at a much higher level.
“I think the reason we lost that game isn’t even technical (or) tactical,” Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said. “We need to approach the game with a better mental state. We just need to play our game. We just need to be normal.”
Normal?
“‘Normal’ means trusting each other, trusting the basketball gods, trusting the game plan, executing, and not relying on talent so much to make shots or to save the day,” Wembanyama said. “We’ve been playing a certain way all season. We’ve been successful this way. There’s no reason to change the day the finals start.”
Identifying areas for improvement came easily for the Spurs.
For the Knicks currently, that task proves much more challenging.
New York has won 12 consecutive games, becoming just the third team to accomplish this feat during a single postseason. The previous two teams to achieve this — San Antonio in 1999 and Golden State in 2017 — both captured NBA titles. While the Knicks are performing like championship contenders, star guard Jalen Brunson emphasizes that New York cannot adopt any mindset suggesting their work is complete and victory is guaranteed.
“It’s all about just getting better every single day, keep chipping away, keep chipping away, being 1% better,” said Brunson, who led all scorers with 30 points in his finals debut Wednesday. “When you take steps back, how can you improve? … Having that mentality and focus and approach I think allows us to still be students of the game and still find ways to learn, even through wins, and I think we need to continue to do that.”
The Knicks had experienced their second nine-day layoff between series — an unexpected result of sweeping Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference semifinals and Cleveland in the East finals — and managed the extended break effectively.
However, New York’s Mikal Bridges anticipates Game 2 will showcase better play.
“I don’t think our Game 1s, even though we won, have been great at all,” Bridges said. “It’s tough to assimilate the emotional aspect, how physical it’s going to be when you’re in practice every day, besides being in those games. It’s tough. … Now, we kind of got a rhythm. We’ve got to be better and I know we will be Game 2.”
The Spurs share similar expectations for improvement.
While this isn’t yet a must-win situation for San Antonio, traveling to New York trailing 2-0 would make their championship quest significantly more difficult. The Spurs have overcome every challenge presented during these playoffs and must rise to the occasion once more.
“It’s very reassuring,” Wembanyama said. “We know we’re not here by chance. We’ve been through some weird — what do you call it? — weird situations, whatever. Yes, it’s reassuring to know that these guys, the 18 guys we got, are built this way. They are resilient.”
The excitement surrounding star player Jalen Brunson was evident when he learned about the astronomical cost of the most affordable seat for the upcoming Game 3 matchup between New York and San Antonio at Madison Square Garden – a staggering $7,500 on resale platforms.
When asked what entertainment would justify such an expense, the Knicks standout needed a moment to consider his response.
“That’s a good question,” Brunson remarked on Thursday, taking several seconds to think before responding: “A live Michael Jackson performance.”
The excitement is certainly electrifying.
Across all five boroughs, New York has embraced basketball fever like never before.
Not only has the franchise reached the championship series for the first time since 1997, but they’ve also maintained a perfect 12-0 streak following their comeback victory over San Antonio. After trailing by 14 points in the second half, New York secured a 105-95 triumph in Wednesday evening’s opener. The second contest takes place Friday evening in San Antonio before action returns to New York on Monday.
The entire metropolitan area appears united in support. Thousands packed Madison Square Garden to view the contest on large screens, while equally impressive crowds gathered outside beneath the Empire State Building, which was illuminated in the team’s signature blue and orange.
The MTA — the city’s transit authority — joined the celebration by decorating multiple subway stations near the arena with team colors. Mayor Zohran Mamdani even issued an executive order temporarily extending children’s bedtime hours.
“Knicks in Four!” echoed through the streets past midnight as supporters climbed streetlights and even scaled an ambulance parked outside MSG.
Comparable celebrations occurred at a complimentary viewing event in Central Park and throughout all boroughs.
Outside a Brooklyn establishment, patrons overflowed onto the sidewalk to catch the action on indoor televisions. At a nearby pizza shop, supporters gathered around a television someone had positioned in a vehicle’s open trunk.
This enthusiasm stems from the possibility of witnessing history 53 years in the making, dating back to when Willis Reed and his teammates last delivered an NBA championship to this basketball-obsessed city. The local excitement has overshadowed much discussion about the World Cup, which begins next week.
“Honestly, I just feel grateful to be here and experience the New York Knicks, doing what we haven’t done in a long time,” Owen Odigie expressed while celebrating the Game 1 victory inside Madison Square Garden. “It’s special. It’s beautiful.”
Forward Karl-Anthony Towns sensed the metropolitan area’s energy from approximately 1,800 miles away in San Antonio after the opening game.
“You feel the energy in the city, the grit, the grind, the hard work you’ve got to put in to make it in the city,” commented Towns, a New Jersey native. “I think we reflect all our fans … when we step on that court with a Knicks jersey.”
New York supporters made their mark in San Antonio as well, joining recognizable celebrities including Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller and others. Approximately 20% of the San Antonio audience consisted of Knicks supporters, some making themselves heard by chanting “Let’s go, Knicks” during the national anthem.
Considering the expensive home ticket prices, traveling to San Antonio proved more economical for many fans, even factoring in airfare and accommodation expenses. Opening game tickets in San Antonio began around $750 on resale markets.
San Antonio guard Julian Champagnie — a New York native — anticipated seeing the visiting fan contingent.
“I kind of expected that,” Champagnie commented. “I’m from New York. I know how New York fans travel and stuff like that, so I kind of expected that.”
President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that he intends to attend an NBA Finals matchup at Madison Square Garden next week, accepting an invitation from the team’s ownership.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump expressed his enthusiasm as a devoted supporter of both the franchise and owner James Dolan. He indicated his attendance would likely occur during Game 3 on Monday, though he hasn’t eliminated the possibility of also appearing at Game 4 on Wednesday.
“The answer is yes — he’s invited me, I’m going,” Trump stated regarding Dolan’s invitation. “Maybe I’ll do both.”
According to the NBA, Trump would become the first sitting president to witness an NBA Finals contest in person. The president described himself as a “big fan” of both the team and its owner.
Despite managing ongoing military conflicts in Iran, congressional tensions, and approaching midterm elections, Trump made time to watch portions of Wednesday’s Game 1, where the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs to take an early series advantage.
“I missed the middle because I talk to generals all night long now, but I watched that end of the game and they were dominant,” Trump explained. “Really amazing.”
During a press availability following an event promoting his administration’s coal industry initiatives, Trump provided his own analysis of the game’s outcome. He noted the contest “wasn’t looking good” initially for the Knicks but praised their defensive strategy against Victor Wembanyama, the imposing Spurs center.
“I say, how do you guard this guy? He’s 7-foot-5 and he’s got a great shot, right? But they find a way to do it. They’re really great.”
Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that no previous sitting president has attended NBA Finals games, though some former presidents have been in attendance. Silver recalled Trump’s long-standing connection to the franchise from before his political career began.
“Donald Trump, before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan,” Silver noted. “I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days. He attended many of our drafts when they used to take place at Madison Square Garden.”
The commissioner emphasized themes of unity through sports, building on comments he made Wednesday when reports first emerged about Trump’s potential attendance.
“We can emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart,” Silver said. “We’re seeing that in New York and I think President Trump is very much a New Yorker, and I’m thrilled that yet another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knick team.”
Silver acknowledged that presidential security requirements will create additional logistical challenges and likely cause delays for fans entering and leaving Madison Square Garden.
“I think the fans are very understanding of that,” Silver said. “I think they recognize that it adds to the bigness of the event.”
Family members of people killed in police encounters across Minnesota voiced outrage Thursday over the state Republican Party’s decision to conduct a silent prayer for Derek Chauvin, the ex-officer imprisoned for George Floyd’s murder.
“That is the most hurtful thing you can do,” said Valerie Castile, the mother of Philando Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker who was shot and killed by a Minnesota police officer in 2016. “You give a moment of silence to a murderer? Come on.”
Castile joined other community members at a press conference hosted by Twin Cities Coalition For Justice.
The Minnesota Republican Party nominating convention conducted a moment of silence last weekend for Chauvin.
Once news of this action spread, it sparked fierce criticism.
Civil rights organizations, racial justice activists and Democratic elected officials quickly denounced party leaders, claiming they were blindly backing law enforcement while showing disrespect to Floyd and his relatives.
Chauvin has been serving time in federal prison since 2021, following his conviction for Floyd’s murder six years ago. Mobile phone footage showing Chauvin pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes while Floyd repeatedly said “I can’t breathe” ignited widespread racial justice demonstrations throughout the second half of 2020.
On Floyd’s death anniversary one year later, people gathered at the location and knelt silently, representing the 9 minutes and 29 seconds Floyd remained pinned beneath Chauvin.
A convention attendee at the Minnesota GOP meeting in Duluth on Saturday suggested recognizing Chauvin, based on local media coverage. This happened just days following the sixth anniversary of Floyd’s death.
“The moment of silent prayer was a spontaneous motion brought forward from the convention floor. It was not part of the official convention program, it was not proposed by Convention Chairman Danny Nadeau, and it was not a statement from party leadership,” the Minnesota Republican Party said in a statement.
Castile emphasized that regardless of limited participation, the action remained painful.
“I am proud of the ones who did not do the moment of silence,” she said. “Those that did, they should be reprimanded in some fashion.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who headed the state’s case against Chauvin, expressed in a statement this week that he was “heartbroken and frankly shocked” by the prayer.
“This decision dishonors the memory of George Floyd and wounds his loved ones all over again. As the lead prosecutor whose team presented this case to a jury of twelve Minnesotans and then prevailed at every step of the appeals process, I am deeply troubled by what this says about the state of our politics,” Ellison said.
Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, the attorneys who represented Floyd’s family in a wrongful death lawsuit, were left “sickened by this lack of respect.” They also demanded the Minnesota GOP retract their moment of silence and apologize to Floyd’s family.
“The audacity of the Minnesota Republican Party to honor an individual who has both been convicted by a jury of his peers for the murder of a fellow human being, while at the same time (violating) a professional oath to protect and serve his community, is disgusting,” they said in a statement.
Reached via text message on Thursday, Floyd’s New York-based brother, Terrence Floyd, said he was “glad to see people are still fighting with us for complete justice.”
The silent tribute for Chauvin follows a familiar pattern where conservatives have responded to police violence incidents with “back the blue” campaigns. Even before 2020, when George Floyd’s murder sparked the biggest racial justice protests since the Civil Rights Movement, certain officers became symbols of “law and order” or opposition to Black Lives Matter.
In 2014, following Darren Wilson — the former Ferguson, Missouri, police officer who is white — fatally shooting 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was Black, a GoFundMe campaign collected hundreds of thousands of dollars for the officer’s family and legal costs. This sum far exceeded what was raised for Brown’s family. Wilson was never charged criminally or with federal civil rights violations.
Police officers involved in high-profile deaths of Laquan McDonald in Chicago and Eric Garner in New York also received substantial backing from law enforcement unions that portrayed criminal charges or disciplinary actions against officers as unfair and politically driven.
While legal results differ significantly across these cases, most notable instances of support for officers facing charges in deadly encounters do not lead to overturned convictions.
___ Associated Press editor Aaron Morrison in New York City contributed to this report.
Standing in the early morning light near the Sandia Mountains, Deb Haaland spent the final hours of New Mexico’s primary election doing what she’s done for years – connecting with voters at the tribal community where she once served as an administrator.
At San Felipe Pueblo, where Haaland previously worked, she greeted passing drivers and urged them to cast their ballots. The Laguna Pueblo citizen spent time with former coworkers and friends, discussing everything from meals to family and handmade silver jewelry with Pueblo women who have followed her career with admiration and hope to witness her become America’s first Native woman governor.
By evening, Haaland had claimed the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Her journey from Congress to serving as U.S. Interior secretary has shattered multiple glass ceilings, and she now stands positioned to reach another historic achievement if she can overcome Republican challenger Gregg Hull this November.
Political forecasters give Haaland strong chances of victory, considering New Mexico’s shift toward Democratic candidates over the past ten years. However, Hull, who previously served as mayor three separate times, argues the state requires new leadership after extended Democratic control to address persistent issues including poor education performance, elevated crime rates, and widespread poverty.
The incoming governor will face enduring challenges while dealing with policies implemented during the Trump administration. During her primary victory remarks Tuesday evening, Haaland immediately referenced President Donald Trump and has accused him of increasing costs for New Mexico residents by reducing crucial federal assistance programs.
In an upcoming memoir scheduled for publication this month, she revealed that Trump’s reelection inspired her gubernatorial campaign, viewing the governor’s office as the “first line of defense against the worst policies coming out of this administration.”
Hull avoided mentioning Trump in his victory speech, instead criticizing Haaland’s previous stance against the oil and gas sector, which funds everything from schools to free childcare in New Mexico, the nation’s second-largest oil producer after Texas.
While Haaland acknowledges that energy revenue will influence her affordability plans and recognizes the industry’s role in creating well-paying positions, she previously supported the Green New Deal advocating for an economic transition away from fossil fuels. During congressional hearings, lawmakers frequently questioned her drilling positions.
“It’s a choice between an energy policy that’s built on common sense and not one that’s built on ideologies,” Hull stated Tuesday evening. “New Mexico is an energy state.”
Haaland emphasized that America has waited too long for a female Native governor. Only Oklahoma has elected a tribal citizen as governor, doing so twice – first with Democrat Johnston Murray in the early 1950s and currently with Republican Kevin Stitt.
“I feel so strongly that representation matters,” Haaland declared. “I mean, that’s what got me into politics in the first place, is because I wanted more Native people to vote.”
Hull acknowledged Haaland’s service as one of the first two Native American women in Congress and the first Native American Cabinet secretary, but maintained that Democratic policies have disappointed New Mexico.
At Hull’s election celebration, David Bearshield, who is Cheyanne and Arapaho, ceremonially presented Hull and his wife with Pendleton blankets as a gesture of endorsement and a demonstration that Native voters don’t share uniform political views.
According to Bearshield, some Native voters and tribal governments favor more conservative politicians, particularly regarding energy development. He referenced the continuing dispute around Chaco Culture National Historical Park, where certain Navajos oppose the drilling moratorium Haaland established as Interior secretary.
“It doesn’t have to be like that,” Bearshield stated. “Those people don’t have to be in poverty.”
Advocacy organizations view Haaland’s campaign as a valuable chance to elevate tribal visibility and guarantee their participation in governance. However, Haaland understands both the enhanced attention and criticism that accompany representing frequently marginalized communities, according to Jordan James Harvill from the advocacy group Advance Native Political Leadership.
“The weight on her is the weight to solve 500 years of colonization,” he explained. “It’s just because there’s been so few of us.”
Harvill’s organization works to expand Native representation on county boards and in state legislatures by recruiting over 1,000 Native Americans interested in community service. The group also joined a coalition that urged the Biden administration to select Haaland as Interior secretary.
During primary night festivities at Albuquerque’s historic Old Town plaza, mariachi music and hoop dancers created a celebratory atmosphere where campaign workers and supporters marked a convincing primary win by “Auntie Deb,” her affectionate nickname in parts of Indian Country.
When Haaland appeared on stage wearing beaded earrings and red cowboy boots to accept the nomination, Ann Chavez Barudin of Santo Domingo Pueblo observed from the audience. She recognized herself, her mother, and her daughters in the candidate.
“It’s emotional. It’s powerful,” Chavez Barudin expressed. “I didn’t think I would ever see this day happen.”
A Colorado appeals court ruled Thursday that two emergency medical workers convicted in connection with Elijah McClain’s death must face a new trial, overturning their homicide convictions due to flawed jury instructions.
McClain, who worked as a massage therapist and was 23 years old, encountered police in Aurora, located near Denver, during 2019 following a call about allegedly suspicious activity. Law enforcement officers restrained him using a chokehold technique, while emergency medical personnel Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec administered what authorities determined was an inappropriately large amount of ketamine. McClain subsequently died from his injuries.
The tragic incident led to significant changes in Colorado’s law enforcement practices, most notably legislation prohibiting the use of chokeholds by police.
Both Cooper and Cichuniec faced conviction for criminally negligent homicide in 2023. Thursday’s ruling by the Colorado Court of Appeals overturned these convictions due to problems with how the jury was instructed, though the court maintained Cichuniec’s conviction on a separate charge of second-degree felony assault.
Cooper received his sentence in 2024, consisting of 14 months in a work-release facility plus four years under probation supervision.
Cichuniec gained early release from incarceration in 2024 when a judge modified his original sentence to four years of probation.
Legal representatives for McClain’s mother and both paramedics did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case against three police officers resulted in mixed verdicts from a jury.
Randy Roedema received a guilty verdict for criminally negligent homicide while Jason Rosenblatt was acquitted of both manslaughter and assault charges.
A third officer, Nathan Woodyard, was cleared of manslaughter charges.
European Union officials on Thursday expressed broad support for restricting temporary protection access for Ukrainian men eligible for military service, according to Sweden’s migration minister.
The bloc implemented its Temporary Protection Directive following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to handle the massive influx of displaced individuals fleeing the conflict.
This protection program, which has received three extensions and is scheduled to end in March 2027, provides recipients with residence permits along with work authorization and social benefits access.
Sweden’s Migration Minister Johan Forssell indicated his nation backs the proposal that was deliberated during a Justice and Home Affairs session in Luxembourg. He emphasized that any new limitations would only affect future applicants for temporary protection status, while current beneficiaries would remain unaffected.
“It is essential for us to provide Ukrainians with protection, but at the same time the war needs to be fought and won. For that to happen, it is essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight,” Forssell stated before the meeting commenced.
Any extension or changes to the current framework would require a proposal from the European Commission, followed by approval from member nations.
Current Eurostat figures show that over 4.33 million Ukrainian refugees are receiving benefits under this directive.
According to the same data, Germany accommodates the highest number of Ukrainians under this program, representing approximately 29% of the EU’s total, with Poland and Czechia following in the rankings.
Two relief pitchers for the Milwaukee Brewers suffered injuries during Thursday’s home matchup against the San Francisco Giants, forcing both players to leave the game.
DL Hall was the first to get hurt in the fifth inning when he appeared to injure himself after throwing his 27th pitch of the game. After discussions with Brewers manager Pat Murphy and Milwaukee’s training staff, Hall was taken out of the contest.
Grant Anderson suffered his injury later when a line drive hit by Bryce Eldridge struck him in the right forearm. The Milwaukee pitcher was also pulled from the game following the incident.
Before his injury, Hall had pitched effectively for 2 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and no runs after the Giants had scored six times against starting pitcher Coleman Crow. Anderson pitched 1 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on three hits.
At the time of the report, San Francisco was leading 12-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has yet to determine his starting quarterback as the battle continues between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray.
Murray joined the team following his release from the Arizona Cardinals and is now challenging McCarthy, the incumbent starter. McCarthy, who was selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, moved into the top quarterback position after Sam Darnold departed to join the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent before the previous season.
According to O’Connell, a “transparent competition” is currently underway between the two quarterbacks.
“I’ve been really happy with the way both of those guys, J.J. and Kyler, have kind of attacked it in their own individual kind of ways knowing that they’re competing. It’s a competition,” O’Connell stated. “These guys are working every day, they know that. But the greater good of the Minnesota Vikings and our team ceiling is the most important thing that’s clear to both of those guys.”
During a recent interview, McCarthy revealed that he and Murray sit on “opposite sides” of the quarterback meeting room, suggesting the two former first-round selections aren’t particularly close friends.
O’Connell indicated he doesn’t require the quarterbacks to maintain a close relationship and isn’t concerned about external opinions regarding the competition. Many observers believe the Vikings acquired Murray with the intention of making him the starter when O’Connell reaches his decision.
“What actually matters is what I care about,” O’Connell explained. “Did we take the right footwork on a play? Did we have our eyes in the right spot? Did we make a protection call against one of (our practice) blitz looks? Did we do our jobs to manufacture the starting point and potential path to success for the offense? And there’s enough that goes into that, that I don’t have a ton of space left over for who says what and how they say it.”
“… It’s all a reflection of how people handle competitive situations and we’re all going to handle them differently. What I care about is when they step between the white lines, that there’s growth and development and that it really is a competition.”
SpaceX has informed financial institutions that it remains firm on its $135 per share pricing for its massive $75 billion initial public offering, according to sources who spoke with Reuters.
The aerospace company revealed this pricing in an updated IPO document filed on Wednesday, and sources indicate the firm has no intention of adjusting the figure despite traditional Wall Street practices that typically involve price modifications based on investor input.
This approach represents another example of Elon Musk conducting what would be the largest initial public offering in history according to his own terms, breaking from established financial industry customs. However, sources cautioned that this stance could still shift before the public offering occurs. The company has not yet provided a response to requests for comment.
The company kicked off investor meetings Thursday as part of its IPO roadshow, a standard process where companies and their banking partners usually collect feedback from potential investors before setting final share prices in meetings held one day prior to trading launch.
Three individuals with knowledge of the roadshow characterized investor interest as extremely strong. Investment analysts handling the offering have been receiving up to 20 daily calls from interested investors, which exceeds the typical 10 to 15 calls seen during high-demand offerings, according to one source.
SpaceX shares are anticipated to begin trading on Friday, June 12.
Listen to the Evening Delmarva Farm Report Update — June 4, 2026
DELMARVA — Federal agriculture inspectors confirmed Thursday they have detected New World screwworm in a 3-week-old calf in southern Texas near the Mexican border. It is the first verified case of the livestock parasite crossing into the United States.
Markets
The discovery sent shockwaves through cattle markets. Livestock futures surged dramatically at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. August live cattle contracts finished $3.67 higher, closing at $241.52. October live cattle ended $4.80 higher at $233.80. August feeder cattle jumped $10.75. The gains came on oversold conditions and the screwworm news out of Texas.
Disease Concerns
In other livestock developments, highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks have been identified in Texas and Utah, adding to disease concerns affecting dairy operations.
Meanwhile, Illinois cattle ranchers are reporting a strong start to this year’s hay season. One rancher says the hay is abundant this year, a welcome contrast to last season’s short crop.
Local Markets
Locally, corn at Laurel Grain Company in Laurel, Delaware is bringing $4.70 a bushel for July delivery. Soybeans are $10.70 for July.
Forecast
Clear skies are expected tonight with a low around 64°. Friday brings mostly sunny conditions with a high near 81°. Fair weather continues into Saturday before a chance of showers and thunderstorms moves in Saturday night.
This article is based on the Delmarva Farm Report Update Evening Edition, June 4, 2026. Hosted by Tom Bradley.
A section of Mill Creek Road in New Castle County remains shut down Wednesday as police investigate a collision between a vehicle and pedestrian.
The New Castle County Division of Police reports the crash occurred on Mill Creek Road, prompting authorities to close the roadway between McKennans Church Road and Stoney Batter Road.
Police are asking drivers to stay away from the area and find alternative routes while the investigation continues. No timeline has been given for when the road will reopen.
The condition of the pedestrian involved in the crash has not been released.
Federal officials have moved forward with President Donald Trump’s proposal for a massive commemorative arch in Washington, D.C., while requesting additional details about the ambitious project’s potential effects on aviation and local infrastructure.
The National Capital Planning Commission voted Thursday to gather more information from the Department of the Interior regarding the proposed 250-foot structure planned for construction between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The decision followed nearly three hours of public testimony from approximately 20 speakers, including representatives from historical and architectural organizations, with the majority expressing opposition to the arch project that represents one of several initiatives the Republican president is advancing to establish his legacy in the nation’s capital.
Site preparation work including preliminary surveys and testing commenced last month, while additional approvals continue moving through the process. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has already given its approval to the arch’s design, marking an important milestone in the project’s development though not directly affecting construction scheduling.
Currently, the National Capital Planning Commission wants additional justification for the monument’s proposed towering height, along with comprehensive details regarding illumination plans, stormwater management systems, and visitor traffic and parking arrangements.
Will Scharf, who has served as Trump’s White House staff secretary, heads the commission and recognized the applicant “has some homework to do,” Scharf said, recommending more information on how it would appear from other monuments in the Washington area. But, Scharf said ultimately, this year’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence “is as good an opportunity as any to add something to Washington, D.C., that will hopefully stand the test of time.
Stuart Levenbach, Trump appointee and commission vice chairman, said the proposed site represented “one of the few locations” in the area where such an “iconic civic monument could be appropriate,” although he added that “it’s reasonable to consider whether a significant architectural statement belongs in such a location.”
Numerous individuals who contacted the commission prior to Thursday’s session expressed concerns about the structure’s enormous size, interference with the city’s skyline, and public safety in the busy area. Some comments characterized it as a “waste of taxpayer money,” while others labeled it Trump’s “vanity project” or a “disgusting and disrespectful move by a man who wants to be king.”
Dozens of speakers had registered for Thursday’s session, many having previously spoken against the proposal at earlier meetings, representing groups such as the National Parks Conservation Association, National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Society of Architectural Historians.
Multiple speakers, including Gary Langston, a military veteran, criticized the arch for being oversized, requiring congressional authorization, or disrupting the visual connection between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery that was established to represent post-Civil War reunification.
“What’s required here, if anything, is a solemn memorial rather than a monument,” Langston said.
Trump has asserted that he doesn’t need congressional approval because he’s building it on federal land.
The monument would rise 250 feet tall (76 meters) from ground level to a torch carried by a Lady Liberty-style figure atop the structure, accompanied by two golden eagles. However, four lions originally planned to guard the base have been eliminated. The inscriptions “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would appear in golden letters on each side of the monument, with the Pledge of Allegiance text displayed on both eastern and western faces.
A visitor observation platform at the top would offer panoramic views of the surrounding area. The structure would feature a granite exterior.
Opponents have contended that the monument would overwhelm the skyline and interfere with intentionally designed sight lines between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The structure would stand more than double the height of the Lincoln Memorial at 99 feet (30 meters), and approximately half the height of the Washington Monument at roughly 555 feet (169 meters).
One Thursday speaker offered alternative suggestions. Shady Migally, an architect in California, recommended that any arch project should demonstrate more creativity than simply reinterpreting Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, presenting an alternative design matching the administration’s proposed height but featuring less dense side columns and a taller inner archway that, based on digital renderings, would preserve more visibility between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
Trump had said last year that the arch could be paid for with private donations left over from the ballroom project. A cost estimate for the arch is still being calculated, but a mix of taxpayer and private funds is expected to pay for it, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the president has not publicly discussed the project’s cost.
A group of veterans and a historian have sued the Trump administration in federal court to block the arch construction over concerns about disruptions to the sightline.
In an Oval Office event on Thursday, Trump called the arch a tribute to military victories.
“Nobody’s had more military victories, including recently, than we have,” he said.
The president has announced that some of his additional projects, including applying a blue coating to the interior of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, will enhance the city’s appearance for July 4 celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary. His administration announced Thursday that the renovation work had been finished and the pool was prepared for water filling.
The White House East Wing was demolished to build a large ballroom.
Until a judge determined last week that it had been unlawfully installed and ordered its removal, Trump’s name had been placed on the Kennedy Center.
Opposition voices have argued that Trump, a Republican, is dedicating excessive time and focus to his personal projects rather than addressing concerns important to voters, such as living costs, as the November elections approach.
That project is also the subject of a court challenge brought by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, which said repainting the bottom of the Reflecting Pool blue without first undergoing relevant reviews runs afoul of federal preservation laws governing historic sites.
An order in the case hasn’t come yet, and on Wednesday, the Trump administration notified the court that the work was complete, with the basin set to be filled by Sunday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two former FirstEnergy Corp. executives are facing fresh criminal charges after Ohio’s attorney general announced Thursday that a grand jury has issued new indictments in the state’s massive $60 million corruption case.
Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, worked alongside Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich to outline 22 new criminal charges targeting Charles “Chuck” Jones, the former chief executive of the Akron-based utility company, and Michael Dowling, who previously served as the company’s lead lobbyist. The pair’s original prosecutions concluded in mistrial earlier this year.
“The roots of this complex case haven’t changed — FirstEnergy was hijacked by two scheming executives who sought to control the regulator that influenced the company’s stock prices,” Yost said in a statement. “I’m confident that Ohio’s ratepayers will get justice when the facts are unearthed in the courtroom.”
The charges against each defendant include engaging in corrupt activity patterns, bribery, conspiracy, evidence tampering, and two telecommunications fraud counts. Jones faces two additional obstruction of justice charges, while Dowling is hit with 14 extra counts of record tampering.
These fresh indictments arrive while defense attorneys for both executives are pursuing acquittals from Summit County Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross. Their six-week trial in Akron concluded in March without jury consensus after nine days of deliberations.
At the heart of the prosecution’s case lies a $4.3 million payment FirstEnergy delivered to experienced attorney and lobbyist Sam Randazzo in 2019, just before his appointment as Ohio’s chief utility regulator. Prosecutors contend Jones and Dowling orchestrated this substantial payment to Randazzo in return for regulatory and legislative benefits he would provide as chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. These favors allegedly included helping craft and promote House Bill 6, which contained a $1 billion rescue package for two deteriorating FirstEnergy-connected nuclear facilities.
FirstEnergy terminated both executives in October 2020 for breaking company policies and conduct standards.
Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is currently serving 20 years in prison for leading a FirstEnergy-backed conspiracy to gain power, install political allies, and pass the legislation, followed by running a smear campaign against repeal efforts. The scheme resulted in five total indictments: one person received five years for blocking the repeal, another died by suicide after entering a not guilty plea, and two others await sentencing while assisting investigators.
Randazzo also took his own life while facing state and federal charges. A major trial dispute centered on whether he counted as a public official when the alleged bribe occurred. The $4.3 million transfer happened just before Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine named him PUCO chairman. Republican U.S. Sen. and former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who is campaigning to keep his position this fall, testified that Jones and Dowling were still advocating for a different candidate for the role.
Yost revealed Thursday that investigators have uncovered fresh evidence since the original charges.
“This new indictment includes some additional facts that were not known to us at the time of the first indictment that we became aware of because of a civil lawsuit against FirstEnergy,” he said in a video message. Both DeWine and Husted, who face no accusations of misconduct, received subpoenas in that separate legal action.
The latest indictment alleges that Jones and Dowling operated as part of a criminal organization, executing an extensive secret conspiracy from 2010 through 2021 to bribe state officials and unlawfully promote FirstEnergy’s financial interests along with their own. They’re accused of collaborating to “steal the power of government and bend it to the will of FirstEnergy” while hiding their activities through fraudulent ethics filings.
Dowling’s legal representatives stated the new indictment repeats many previous charges and incorporates additional material that the judge specifically barred during trial, including particular criminal allegations against both defendants that she dismissed.
“The timing of the new indictment comes within days of Attorney General Dave Yost leaving office on Monday,” the statement notes, and just before oral arguments on Dowling’s and Jones’ post-verdict motions for acquittal, which are set for Friday.
Yost faces term limits and was essentially pushed out of the governor’s race last year when GOP backing shifted toward biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. He announced in May his resignation six months early to accept an executive role at Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal organization. Public Safety Director Andy Wilson has been named interim attorney general through January.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Bill Pulte, the federal housing finance regulator he selected as acting director of national intelligence, will not receive his nomination for the permanent position.
The Republican president’s decision follows days of bipartisan criticism from lawmakers on Capitol Hill regarding Pulte’s absence of national security background. The role requires Senate approval, which legislators suggested would be unlikely if Pulte were nominated.
“He’s not going to be permanent because, you know, I don’t think he’d want to be permanent,” Trump stated during a question session in the Oval Office following a coal-related event. He described Pulte as a “very smart guy” and mentioned he might examine previous elections that Trump alleges, without credible evidence, were “rigged” against him.
Trump indicated that other potential nominees are being evaluated for the position. “We’re interviewing people right now,” he stated.
Pulte, whose grandfather established PulteGroup, has generated controversy within the administration through his role as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and his supervision of mortgage entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
In his current position, Pulte has targeted Trump’s perceived political opponents over alleged mortgage fraud and has publicly criticized Jerome Powell, whose Federal Reserve chairman tenure recently concluded following months of attacks from Trump and Pulte over interest rate policies. The federal housing finance regulator also promoted a 50-year mortgage concept that failed because it would delay wealth accumulation through homeownership.
Senators from both parties voiced reservations about Pulte’s qualifications for overseeing the coordination of 18 federal agencies handling domestic and international security matters. Trump’s original director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, stepped down last month due to her husband’s cancer diagnosis.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, stated the national intelligence director position shouldn’t be “weaponized” and requires leadership by “professionals.”
Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas, who are each leaving the chamber after this year’s elections, also expressed concerns about Pulte.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged reports that he had threatened to oppose Pulte in September of 2025, demonstrating the tensions the federal housing finance director created within the administration.
However, Pulte maintains a strong relationship with Trump as a regular Air Force One passenger.
“He’s a person who’s got high integrity,” Trump said Thursday about Pulte.
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department announced Thursday it has placed financial sanctions on Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel and four additional officials, according to documents posted on the department’s website.
Among those targeted by the sanctions is Alejandro Castro Espín, whose father is former President Raúl Castro.
The financial penalties follow President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order that broadened sanctions against the Caribbean nation.
These latest sanctions increase economic pressure on Cuban leadership, though this marks just another instance in a long history of the United States targeting foreign leaders and their family members with similar measures.
Previous sanctions have targeted leaders including former Sudanese President Omar Bashir and former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in the early 2000s, as well as more recent penalties against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his spouse.
Officials appointed by Russia at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility in Ukraine claimed Thursday that Ukrainian forces conducted drone strikes against a thermal power station essential for maintaining electricity to the nuclear site.
The facility’s Russian-installed administrators reported that Ukrainian military forces carried out what they described as a “multiple attack using heavy unmanned aerial vehicles” in the vicinity of the nuclear plant.
“More than 20 drone strikes have been recorded,” the management stated.
According to the officials, the strikes targeted the thermal power facility, which they described as “site of critically important energy infrastructure that ensures the operation of the… Ferrosplavnaya-1 power transmission line.”
The administrators warned that “such attacks pose a direct threat to the reliability of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant power supply and once again demonstrate disregard for the principles of nuclear safety.”
Ukrainian officials have not responded to these accusations.
Russian military forces captured the nuclear facility, which contains six reactors and ranks as Europe’s largest, during the initial weeks after Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Since that time, both nations have consistently blamed each other for military actions that endanger nuclear security.
While the facility currently produces no power, it requires external electricity to prevent nuclear fuel stored at the location from overheating.
Two power lines provide grid connections, though one has remained offline since late March. The International Atomic Energy Agency has been working to establish a ceasefire that would allow repairs to the damaged line.
The IAEA reported Thursday that Russian plant management had notified them of the incident, and agency monitors stationed permanently at the site observed light smoke rising from the thermal plant area.
Rafael Grossi, IAEA director general, called for an immediate halt to attacks to avoid an extended loss of external power.
The nation’s largest retailer is broadening its rapid delivery options by incorporating Subway restaurant meals into its mobile app service, as competition intensifies in the online shopping marketplace.
On Thursday, Walmart announced plans to roll out quick delivery for Subway food to roughly 1,400 locations before summer ends. The service is currently operating in select states and represents the retailer’s effort to capitalize on its biggest in-store restaurant partnership.
This move could signal broader ambitions for the company’s delivery strategy.
“Subway is a great starting point … but naturally for us, we want to make sure that any in-tenant location for our customers has the ability to have delivery via express,” said Tracy Poulliot, Walmart’s executive vice president of U.S. e-commerce and marketing, speaking Thursday during the company’s annual Associates Week event.
The Arkansas-based company finds itself in intense rivalry with Amazon as both companies vie for control of the delivery market. Walmart has been experimenting with drone deliveries and artificial intelligence improvements for inventory management while pursuing more affluent shoppers.
Using its network of more than 4,600 locations to handle online orders, Walmart extended its half-hour delivery service for groceries and various products to approximately 33 cities this year.
Company leadership reported in May that this rapid delivery option represents their fastest-growing service as shoppers increasingly prioritize convenience. Sales through store-based delivery have more than doubled in the past two years, according to Walmart CFO John David Rainey’s May presentation to Wall Street analysts.
This development occurs as the U.S. economy becomes increasingly divided, with lower-income families – traditionally Walmart’s core customers – reducing their overall spending.
Subway restaurants have operated inside Walmart supercenters since 2004. Other fast food brands including Taco Bell, McDonald’s and Wendy’s also maintain locations within Walmart stores, alongside regional chains like Auntie Anne’s.
A French billionaire made his first appearance before lawmakers Thursday to outline his mission of advancing conservative and free-market principles in French politics, with the country’s presidential election approaching next year.
Pierre-Edouard Sterin, an entrepreneur who moved to Belgium to avoid French taxes, testified before senators as part of an investigation into political financing practices and whether his organizations comply with applicable rules.
“Our aim is to spread free-market, conservative ideas as widely as possible,” Sterin explained to the senators, characterizing his activities as “meta-political.”
“We hope it will, in the coming months and years, bring free-market, conservative right‑wing ideas to power in France,” he added.
The 52-year-old businessman, who had previously refused to respond to parliamentary requests to appear, rejected any suggestion of improper conduct. “There is no ongoing legal procedure, no investigation, no breach of the law,” he stated during his testimony.
Operating through an organization called Pericles, Sterin has remained largely unknown to the French public until recent years while funding various projects aligned with his political vision. Documents that appeared in the French publication L’Humanite in 2024 and later verified by Sterin revealed his objectives include combating “socialism, wokism, Islamism, immigration.”
The political influence of his network has grown, with Pericles co-founder Francois Durvye now serving as a special adviser to far-right leader Jordan Bardella, who current polling suggests leads the field for next year’s presidential race.
During his Senate testimony, Sterin, a practicing Catholic and father of five who resides in Belgium, stood by controversial immigration positions that have drawn criticism.
“I am in favour of the re-migration of foreign criminals, undocumented migrants or those unemployed for more than 12 months,” he declared, noting these views put him “to the right of the (French) far right.”
The businessman built his wealth through Smartbox, a company specializing in gift vouchers, and describes himself as a “tax exile of the François Hollande generation.”
His reference pointed to France’s Socialist leader who served as president from 2012 to 2017 and proposed implementing a 75% tax rate on millionaires. Sterin relocated to Belgium in 2012, and despite the constitutional council quickly rejecting the tax proposal, he chose not to return to France.
“Hollande doesn’t like the rich, and I don’t like the social‑communists,” Sterin remarked.
He told senators that his residence outside France has enabled him to reduce his tax burden by €100,000 to €200,000 annually, allowing him to direct larger amounts toward charitable projects within France.
Stock markets surged Thursday as traders seized on hopeful developments regarding potential peace in the Middle East, driving share prices up while sending oil costs down. Technology companies faced pressure from artificial intelligence worries, but other market sectors provided strong support as investors await Friday’s jobs report.
Market analyst Jamie McGeever examined the U.S. employment situation ahead of the payroll numbers, noting that while the job market cannot be described as robust and some recent figures raise concerns, overall data trends suggest improvement and indicate a positive shift may be underway.
Wall Street demonstrated remarkable strength Thursday. The Nasdaq recovered from opening losses of more than 1% to finish unchanged, while the S&P 500 also staged an impressive comeback. The Dow avoided any downturn entirely, accelerating throughout the session to close 1.7% higher at a fresh record.
Market activity showed widespread buying across most sectors. Only two S&P 500 segments declined: technology fell 1.4% and consumer staples dropped 0.1%. Nine sectors posted gains, with financial companies leading at 2.7% higher and healthcare advancing 3%. Individual standouts included Blackstone gaining 7.5% and Humana rising 6.8%, while Broadcom tumbled 12.6% and Micron Technology fell 7.7%.
Currency markets saw the dollar weaken slightly, with the USD/JPY pair hovering near 160.00. Bitcoin dropped 2% to reach a four-month low. Bond yields decreased 2-4 basis points as the yield curve steepened. Oil prices declined 3%.
Traders continue purchasing during market dips regardless of geopolitical tensions, AI developments, or economic news. Financial conditions remain at their most accommodating levels in years, with volatility measures near yearly lows. Three-month euro/dollar implied volatility fell below 5% this week for the first time since 2021, reflecting calm market conditions.
Private credit markets faced renewed scrutiny as withdrawal requests increased. Investors in Blackstone’s main $79 billion private credit fund requested to withdraw 10% of shares in the second quarter, up from 7.9% in the first quarter. The firm limited withdrawals to 5%. Similarly, Cliffwater reported Tuesday that investors in its $31 billion fund attempted to redeem 17% of shares in Q2, also capped at 5%.
Bitcoin reached a four-month low around $61,000 Thursday, losing half its value since peaking above $126,000 in October and declining 20% over two weeks. The selloff accelerated after Michael Saylor’s Strategy, the largest corporate bitcoin holder, announced its first sale since 2022.
However, some analysts remain optimistic. Geoff Kendrick at Standard Chartered, a prominent cryptocurrency supporter, maintains his prediction of $100,000 by year-end. “When we look back at the end of 2026 with bitcoin at $100k we will say this was the buying zone we all wanted,” he stated.
Friday’s market focus includes potential Middle East developments, central bank communications from New Zealand and Australia officials, economic data from Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, India’s interest rate decision and GDP figures, revised eurozone GDP numbers, Bank of England speeches, Canadian employment data, and U.S. nonfarm payrolls.
LONDON, June 4 – Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham indicated Thursday that he would participate in a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer, contingent on winning a local election scheduled for later this month.
During a BBC debate with other candidates competing for a parliamentary seat in northern England, the Labour mayor stated that the governing Labour Party requires fundamental change as it continues to lag behind in public opinion surveys.
Prime Minister Starmer, who currently holds some of the poorest approval ratings of any British leader, has pledged to defend his position. However, potential challengers are positioning themselves, including Burnham and former health minister Wes Streeting, who stepped down from his role last month in opposition to the prime minister’s performance.
When questioned about his political aspirations, Burnham, who previously made two unsuccessful bids for Labour leadership, expressed that he didn’t want to get “ahead of himself.” He emphasized that he must first secure victory in the Makerfield election on June 18 before he can mount any challenge to Starmer.
“I can’t do anything unless I’m lucky enough to get the support of people here (in Makerfield). But if I get your support, I would seek to represent you at the highest possible level,” Burnham stated during the debate.
Burnham suggested that Streeting appeared to have already “launched a leadership contest,” though the former health minister has not yet made any formal announcement.
“So if that is running, I would seek to join it. But I’d have to persuade members of the parliamentary Labour Party to do the same. So that’s the only question,” Burnham explained.
A major agricultural trade organization is pushing federal commodity regulators to accelerate the release of critical market data that farmers and grain businesses depend on for managing financial risks.
The National Grain and Feed Association submitted comments on June 4, 2026, to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission backing the agency’s examination of its Commitments of Traders Reporting Program while proposing modifications to enhance market transparency and risk oversight for agricultural industry participants.
The trade group highlighted that these trader commitment reports serve as an essential information source for farmers, cooperatives, grain companies, processors, exporters, and other commercial entities who depend on futures markets for price risk protection. Although these reports rank among the CFTC’s most popular resources, the association believes the program needs updating to better match current rapid-paced and increasingly connected markets.
The organization’s suggestions include having the Commission release trader commitment reports twice weekly while shortening the existing three-day delay between information gathering and public release, assuming the agency can maintain report precision and reliability. The association also recommended that the CFTC investigate supplementary market information that might offer a fuller view of trading patterns.
The trade group stressed that such enhancements would assist market users in making better-informed risk management choices while maintaining information accuracy and trader privacy protection.
“Commitments of Traders reports are an important transparency tool for agricultural markets,” said NGFA President and CEO Mike Seyfert. “NGFA applauds the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s efforts to review and strengthen the program and looks forward to working with the Commission as it considers opportunities to enhance the usefulness and accessibility of market data for all participants.”
A dangerous parasite that hasn’t been seen in the United States for more than fifty years has returned, creating serious concerns for America’s $113 billion cattle industry. Officials have verified that the New World screwworm fly has infected livestock in southern Texas.
Authorities discovered the outbreak in a 3-week-old calf located in La Pryor, Texas, positioned roughly 100 miles southwest of San Antonio and 50 miles from the Mexican border. Both federal and state agencies had been working to prevent this parasite from entering Texas, which houses $17 billion in cattle value and leads the nation in this agricultural sector.
Officials detected these dangerous insects in Mexico during late 2024 following years of successful containment in Panama.
From the 1930s through the 1960s, this pest regularly plagued cattle operations during warm seasons, until American authorities eliminated it through a unique approach involving breeding infertile male flies and releasing massive quantities from aircraft to mate with wild females. According to the USDA, this recent discovery marks the first Texas case since 1966.
The New World screwworm fly found in the Western Hemisphere, along with its Old World relative in Africa and Asia, stands apart from other flies because its larvae consume living tissue and bodily fluids rather than decomposing matter. After mating just once during their months-long lifespan, females deposit eggs in open injuries and mucous membranes.
All warm-blooded creatures, including wild animals, domestic pets, and sometimes humans, face potential infestation risks.
Cattle face particular vulnerability due to standard handling procedures, explained Lee Haines, an associate research professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, in Thursday email correspondence. Common cattle management activities that break skin include shearing and de-horning, while moving animals through corrals can create scrapes and cuts. The birthing process also leaves both mothers and calves at risk, she noted.
Stephen Diebel, a Texas rancher and president of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, emphasized that even injuries “as small as a tick bite,” can endanger cattle.
“These flies can lay eggs in very, very small places,” he stated.
Researchers and cattle organizations report that infected wounds develop terrible odors and cause severe suffering or death when infestations go untreated. During previous decades, ranchers experienced tens of millions in financial losses — equivalent to potentially billions in current currency.
However, agricultural authorities emphasized that this fly does not contaminate food products.
Federal and state officials along with cattle industry representatives have been issuing public warnings about the fly’s movement through Mexico toward the United States since confirming a case in southern Mexico during November 2024.
This spread has severely damaged Mexico’s beef sector, especially after U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins shut down border entry points to livestock imports in July 2025 to keep the fly from entering Texas.
Mexico has documented thousands of infestations, and Rollins has contended that the Mexican government hasn’t taken sufficient action to regulate animal movement within their borders, a claim Mexican officials have disputed. Rollins has also criticized former Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, claiming that inadequate border security contributed to the flies’ migration.
However, Haines identified climate change as a crucial factor in the expansion of this tropical species that flourishes in warm conditions and previously vanished during cold periods in the United States.
“The cold snaps that once suppressed stray populations in marginal northern regions are becoming rarer and less severe, thus removing a natural biological check on the flies’ migration north,” she explained. “Warmer temperatures are also expanding the geographical band of suitable habitat northward.”
Texas State Veterinarian Bud Dinges established a 12-mile quarantine zone encompassing most of Zavala County, which includes La Pryor, and a small section of adjacent Uvalde County. Animals cannot exit this area without inspection. Dinges has encouraged residents to examine their animals — including pets — and to “stay put.”
Rollins explained that the fly cannot travel hundreds or even dozens of miles independently. “The only way this spreads is through animal movement,” she stated.
Area ranchers worry the fly will spread among wild animals, especially deer. The previous U.S. outbreak primarily affected deer in the Florida Keys during 2016, although officials confirmed one case last year in a Maryland man who had visited El Salvador and recovered. During the 2016 Florida situation, authorities eliminated the fly within six months by releasing sterile males to mate with females.
In Texas, Haines forecasted, “Their numbers will continue to expand in wildlife populations.”
Rollins reported that the USDA has been releasing millions of sterile male flies in south Texas since February to prevent the insects’ expansion. Officials plan to maintain this strategy.
The USDA established a center in south Texas during February to distribute flies bred in Panama, and invested $21 million in a new fly-breeding facility in southern Mexico expected to begin operations next month.
Diebel, whose family operation sits approximately 200 miles east of the quarantine area, said ranchers are preventively administering injections that block screwworm infestation. They’re also taking additional precautions to treat injuries from ear tagging and other procedures while closely monitoring for illness signs.
“Surveillance is one of the biggest things — just constantly monitoring those cattle,” Diebel explained.
He said he wouldn’t be shocked to see additional isolated cases confirmed, but added, “I’m very confident we can keep this at bay.”
Government and industry representatives express confidence in containing the fly within the United States because the most effective eradication method is both proven and highly successful: releasing sterile males into natural populations. While males are “promiscuous,” scientifically speaking, females are not, and if their single mating encounter involves a sterile male, none of that female’s eggs will develop.
When sterile males become sufficiently abundant — with millions released weekly — the fly population decreases and eventually disappears.
The United States closed its own fly production facilities after eliminating the pest decades ago, leaving only an international breeding operation in Panama in the Western Hemisphere until the new Mexican facility opens. Nevertheless, the USDA is also investing $750 million to construct a fly factory in southern Texas capable of producing up to 300 million sterile flies weekly.
“The sterile insect is not only the most effective tool we have, but it is also considered one of the most environmental friendly insect pest control methods ever developed,” Rollins stated.
The Maryland Horse Industry Board has announced its upcoming meeting scheduled for Friday, June 26th, 2026, beginning at 10 am in Adamstown, Maryland.
The board session will be held at Loch Moy Farm, which is simultaneously serving as the venue for the Maryland International CCI and HT + Young Rider Championships running from June 26-28, 2026.
The farm will serve dual purposes during this weekend, accommodating both the board’s official business meeting and the equestrian championship competitions.
Maryland officials have announced an upcoming virtual meeting of the Governor’s Intergovernmental Commission for Agriculture scheduled for June 11th, 2026.
The online session is set to begin at 1:00 pm and will be conducted through Google Meet. Participants can join using the video call link https://meet.google.com/tqk-xdni-uhf or by dialing (US) +1 650-457-1375 with PIN: 668 138 752#.
Secretary Kevin Atticks will serve as the chair for the meeting. The agenda includes a welcome session led by Atticks, followed by the approval of minutes from December 2025.
The commission serves as an intergovernmental body focused on agricultural matters within the state.
Delaware Capitol Police have launched an investigation following the discovery of a body in a forested area behind the Dover Department of Motor Vehicles facility.
The deceased individual was found in woods behind the DMV building situated at 303 Transportation Circle in Dover. Capitol Police officers were called to the scene at around 9:57 a.m. after Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) workers reported that members of a state service agency had made the discovery.
Detectives from the Delaware Capitol Police are working alongside the Delaware State Police to examine the circumstances of the death. Authorities have not disclosed the identity of the person who died, as they are waiting to inform family members first.
Officials say no other details about the victim are being shared at this time. Investigators do not currently believe foul play was involved in the death.
Federal aviation safety investigators have determined that a United Airlines Boeing 767 was operating at insufficient speed and altitude during its approach to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey last month, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The aircraft, which had flown from Italy, was being piloted by a captain who maintained dangerously low speed and altitude before the landing attempt, investigators found. During the approach, the plane collided with a light pole, causing damage to a vehicle traveling on the adjacent turnpike.
The NTSB’s preliminary findings point to the flight crew’s failure to maintain proper approach parameters as a contributing factor in the incident at the New Jersey airport.
KYIV, Ukraine — In an unprecedented move, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a public letter directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, requesting face-to-face talks to resolve the ongoing conflict.
This marks the first direct written communication Zelenskyy has made public to Putin since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022. The letter contained a broad condemnation of Putin’s 26-year tenure in office.
Recognizing changing U.S. priorities, Zelenskyy noted it would be incorrect to merely wait for the Trump administration to refocus on resolving the Ukraine conflict while it remains concentrated on the Iran war.
“I am proposing a meeting,” Zelenskyy stated in his letter.
U.S. President Donald Trump responded positively to the proposal, saying it “would be great” if the two leaders met. “They should get it done,” Trump commented.
When questioned about what concessions he had recommended Putin make to conclude the war, Trump refused to elaborate but indicated both parties would need to make sacrifices.
“They’re going to both make compromises,” he stated. “I suggested those compromises.”
Zelenskyy seems to be capitalizing on what he views as a crucial turning point in the conflict, as Ukraine has started to recover some military advantage primarily through enhanced long-range strike capabilities that have hindered Russian progress. Meanwhile, Moscow has escalated its lethal air offensive throughout Ukraine, attempting to capitalize on Kyiv’s resource shortages and ongoing susceptibility to ballistic missile strikes.
The Ukrainian president suggested the discussions could take place in an impartial third nation, excluding both Moscow and Kyiv as potential locations. He recommended Switzerland, Turkey, or Arab nations as possible hosts for the negotiations.
“It is leaders who resolve the key issues. That has always been the case, and it always will be,” he stated. “I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.”
According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian intelligence suggests Russia is contemplating extending the war through 2027 and 2028, while depending more heavily on ballistic missile attacks to achieve objectives that its ground operations have failed to secure.
Zelenskyy also charged Moscow with attempting to involve Belarus more deeply in the conflict and trying to create instability around Transnistria, the Russian-supported breakaway region of Moldova.
The Ukrainian president contended that Russia is increasingly experiencing the war’s consequences, citing drone strikes far within Russian borders, economic pressure, fuel shortages, inflation, and the need for additional military conscription.
Zelenskyy reported that Russia lost more than 30,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded in May alone, claiming Ukraine possessed “video confirmation” of these battlefield casualties and that such loss rates have continued consistently each month.
He acknowledged that Ukraine also continues to experience significant losses despite what he characterized as a favorable casualty ratio.
Zelenskyy indicated Ukraine was ready to establish a complete ceasefire throughout the negotiation period and suggested a comprehensive prisoner exchange as an initial step toward resolving the conflict.
The Ukrainian leader also demanded the return of civilians and children removed from Ukraine during the war.
“The world has not grown tired of Ukraine, as you long hoped it would. But there is growing fatigue with Russia,” Zelenskyy declared.
Several days following California’s primary election, voters across the state find themselves in a routine waiting game — anticipating results for key contests including the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral races.
The ongoing uncertainty in these high-stakes competitions, along with multiple tight congressional battles, comes as no shock since California consistently requires days or weeks to complete vote tallying. President Donald Trump’s complaints about the counting timeline and fraud allegations, which he voiced Thursday, also follow his established pattern of criticism.
However, Trump’s Thursday declaration that his Department of Justice was examining the count marked an unusual escalation: “Why the vote counting DELAY???,” the president wrote on his social media platform.
Trump implied that California’s Democrats were manipulating results to prevent two of his preferred candidates — Republican Steve Hilton seeking the governor’s office and Spencer Pratt running for mayor in the nonpartisan contest — from securing top-two positions needed to advance to November’s general election.
“You see what’s happening in California, they’re rigging the election,” he stated to reporters during a Thursday Oval Office event.
The president’s social media statements drew a reaction from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose communications team shared a CNN segment detailing how the nation’s largest state emphasizes precision and voter access rather than rapid results, extending the counting period.
“For the record: we wish the votes were counted faster, too,” Newsom’s office responded.
A representative from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles refused to discuss whether any investigation into ballot counting was underway.
California’s legal framework essentially requires an extended counting process. Mail ballots go to all qualified voters — approximately 23 million people — and the state maintains flexible return policies. Ballots receive counting if postmarked by Election Day and delivered to election offices within a week.
Local election workers can only begin the extensive process of confirming late mail ballot authenticity and counting them after polling locations close and most Americans have retired for the night.
When voter signatures on ballot envelopes don’t align with official records, election administrators must provide those voters opportunities to verify their identity for ballot inclusion, further extending final tallies.
“We might not like how California administers its elections (and I don’t),” Stephen Richer, a former Republican election official in Maricopa County, Arizona, posted on social platform X. “But that doesn’t make it fraud.”
Newsom approved legislation last year mandating vote counting completion within 13 days instead of the previous 30-day limit. Counties seeking extensions must notify the Secretary of State’s Office with justification for delays.
This timeline fails to satisfy the president: “The Dumocrats are at it again!” he posted on his social media account. “They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS.”
State Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Democrat who authored the accelerated counting legislation, called Trump’s statements disappointing and “a lie.”
“While Trump is laser focused on lying about our elections and undermining voters’ faith in our democracy, so that Republicans can then try to pass policies like Voter ID laws that make it harder for people to vote, our priority is to make sure that every validly cast ballot is counted,” he declared in a statement.
Several analysts cautioned that Tuesday’s primary tallying might extend longer than previous election cycles.
“What compounds things this time around is that Democrats have been holding on to their ballots,” explained Rick Hasen, a UCLA law professor.
California’s millions of Democratic voters demonstrated unusual reluctance to submit ballots early this year, seemingly delaying decisions until final moments in the continuously shifting gubernatorial contest. The state uses a primary system where the leading two vote recipients, regardless of party affiliation, proceed to the general election, and Democrats had spent months worrying that numerous Democratic candidates would divide support, potentially allowing two Republicans to claim both advancing positions.
Democratic voters seemed to postpone choices until seeing which candidates gained momentum. The substantial volume of late ballots will likely extend the delay in obtaining complete results even further.
Although millions of votes have been processed, remaining uncounted ballots carry the greatest significance for tight competitions.
Despite California’s overwhelming Democratic lean, the state has hosted some of America’s closest congressional contests, occasionally determined by mere hundreds of votes, making winner determination impossible until the weeks-long counting concludes. In 2024, one House contest remained undecided until December.
Primary elections like Tuesday’s create additional complexity. The crucial information includes not just the leading vote recipient but also the runner-up. Determining true race outcomes requires sufficient vote tallies to definitively identify first and second place finishers.
The massive influx of late mail ballots counted last creates another consequence: final vote totals become increasingly Democratic. This occurs because Republicans more frequently return ballots early or vote in person on Election Day, with those ballots counted first.
The progressive shift toward Democratic candidates as counting continues has generated various conspiracy theories.
Republicans have consistently criticized California’s counting methods, despite GOP success in close House races statewide in 2024. The Republican National Committee has pursued legal challenges in other states questioning the validity of counting mail ballots arriving after Election Day, with the U.S. Supreme Court expected to address the matter this month.
However, concerns about California’s vote counting extend beyond partisan lines. Voting rights advocates have pressed state legislators to increase funding for local election offices to process the flood of late ballots more quickly.
“The Legislature needs to throw a lot more money to get the count quicker,” Hasen stated.
