Police in Bakersfield, California, are negotiating with a man who is holding several people hostage inside a building that contains a Chase Bank branch and a school district office. The police received a bomb threat call, evacuated nearby buildings, and have secured the area while working to safely resolve the situation.
Key Facts
The incident began around 1 p.m. local time when police responded to a bomb threat at the Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield.
A man barricaded himself inside the building with multiple hostages.
Two hostages were released during negotiations; the rest remain inside and are reported to be in good health.
Police have evacuated nearby buildings including city hall and police headquarters for safety.
A perimeter has been set up around the building and nearby businesses to control the situation.
The Chase Bank branch inside the building is currently empty and the company is cooperating with authorities.
Multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI are at the scene.
The police urge the public to avoid the area as the situation remains active.
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The Trump administration announced proposed tariffs of 10% or more on products from 60 countries accused of not stopping forced labor in their supply chains. These tariffs aim to create fair competition for American workers and will go through a review process before being finalized.
Key Facts
The tariffs target 60 trading partners, including major economies like China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, the UK, Canada, Mexico, and the EU.
Most countries face a 12.5% tariff, while 16 partners with some anti-forced labor actions face a 10% tariff.
Certain goods like beef, tomatoes, and coffee are exempt from tariffs.
A rule under consideration might reduce tariffs on textiles if countries import equal amounts of U.S. textiles.
The tariffs are based on Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, which addresses unfair trade practices.
These tariffs come after the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s earlier country-specific tariffs earlier this year.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expects these tariffs to restore rates to previous levels within five months.
The administration argues these tariffs help stop unfair competition from goods made with forced labor and protect U.S. workers.
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has moved on to the November run-off election to decide who will lead Los Angeles, the largest city in California. She may face either city council member Nithya Raman or Republican newcomer Spencer Pratt in the final race.
Key Facts
Karen Bass is the current Democratic mayor of Los Angeles and has advanced to the run-off election.
Los Angeles uses a "jungle primary" system where the top two candidates, regardless of party, go to the run-off if no one gets more than 50% of the vote.
With about half of the votes counted, Bass has 36.5%, Pratt has 29.5%, and Raman has 21%.
Spencer Pratt is a Republican newcomer and former reality TV star with no previous public office experience.
Nithya Raman is a progressive city council member and urban planner.
Issues in the race include homelessness, affordable housing, and the city’s response to recent wildfires.
Bass is seeking her second and final term as mayor.
The election is part of many primaries shaping the November midterm elections in the U.S.
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Zach Lahn won the Republican primary for Iowa governor, defeating Trump-backed Congressman Randy Feenstra. Lahn will face Democrat Rob Sand in the November election, in what is expected to be a competitive race.
Key Facts
Zach Lahn is a farmer and businessman who promotes the "Make America Healthy Again" movement.
Lahn's campaign focuses on boosting local farmland ownership and addressing Iowa's high cancer rate.
President Donald Trump endorsed Randy Feenstra, who lost the primary and conceded the race.
Lahn has support from groups linked to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the late Charlie Kirk.
Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee and two-term state auditor, is running unopposed in his primary.
Sand emphasizes government accountability and supports universal pre-K, criticizing GOP policies.
Iowa has been trending Republican, with Trump winning the state three times and GOP Governor Kim Reynolds reelected by large margins.
The Iowa governor race is rated a tossup by political analysts and could be highly competitive in November.
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California voters will soon pick two candidates to advance to the November 2026 general election for governor. The race includes a variety of candidates from different backgrounds, with Republican Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer currently leading.
Key Facts
California's 2026 primary election will choose the top two candidates for governor regardless of party.
The current governor, Gavin Newsom, is term-limited and cannot run again.
Leading candidates include Republican Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer.
Several prominent candidates like Katie Porter, Matt Mahan, and Antonio Villaraigosa have dropped out.
Voters are concerned about the high cost of living, homelessness, housing, public safety, and energy policy.
Steve Hilton’s campaign focuses on making housing more affordable and restoring the "California Dream."
President Donald Trump endorsed Steve Hilton in April.
Republican Chad Bianco has fallen behind Hilton in polling despite earlier competition.
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The Australian government admitted it illegally cancelled around 300,000 Centrelink welfare payments due to a glitch in an automated system related to job-seeking rules. The cancellations happened before the legally required 28-day waiting period, affecting people who should have kept their payments.
Key Facts
About 300,000 Centrelink payments were cancelled illegally between 2020 and 2024.
The cancellations happened because an automated system wrongly ended payments after people missed compulsory job-related activities.
Legally, payments must not be cancelled until 28 days after a missed job activity, but cancellations happened before this.
Many cancellations affected people who still needed payments, not just those who found work.
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations paused payment cancellations in July 2024 due to this issue.
Economic Justice Australia first revealed the problem and says about 20% of affected people may get help to fix it.
The government plans to change how employment services work to better support job seekers.
Some groups worry that automatic systems do not apply proper judgment and harm people unfairly.
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California held a primary election for governor with over 60 candidates competing. The main contenders included Democrat Xavier Becerra, Democrat Tom Steyer, and Republican Steve Hilton, who offered differing visions between experience and promises of change. The top two candidates from this primary will move on to the general election in November.
Key Facts
California's governor primary featured more than 60 candidates from all parties on a single ballot.
The top two finishers in the primary advance to the November general election.
Democrat Xavier Becerra is a former state attorney general and U.S. health secretary, promoting steady leadership.
Democrat Tom Steyer is a billionaire climate activist promising progressive reforms like a government-run health system.
Republican Steve Hilton, a former British political adviser, seeks to shift California's liberal policies with a conservative reset.
Other notable candidates included Republican Chad Bianco, Democrat Katie Porter, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who conceded after polls closed.
A main issue in the campaign was California's high cost of living, including expensive housing, high gas prices, and high electricity rates.
Voters have been deciding between experience and new approaches to lead the state, the most populous in the U.S.
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CBS News fired Scott Pelley, a longtime correspondent for the show "60 Minutes," after he criticized the new management led by Bari Weiss. Pelley accused the leadership of harming the program and said he was asked to include bias in his reporting, while the new executive producer said Pelley showed hostility and was not interested in the show's future.
Key Facts
Scott Pelley, aged 68, was fired from "60 Minutes" after publicly criticizing CBS News' new management.
Pelley called Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss "murdering the show" and questioned the qualifications of the new executive producer, Nick Bilton.
Nick Bilton, a technology journalist with no traditional broadcast news experience, accused Pelley of disrupting a meeting with staff and showing hostility.
Pelley claimed the new leadership asked him to include falsehoods and bias in his work but did not give details.
Bari Weiss became head of CBS News in October 2025 and initiated management changes at "60 Minutes."
CEO David Ellison, an ally of President Donald Trump, owns CBS News since a 2025 merger with Skydance Media.
Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski announced plans to modernize "60 Minutes," which has aired since 1968.
Several correspondents were recently fired or left the show amid the leadership changes, including Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will move on to the final election in her effort to keep her job, according to early projections. It is not yet clear who her opponent will be in the runoff.
Key Facts
Karen Bass is the current mayor of Los Angeles.
She is running for reelection to a second term.
Early results show Bass will advance to the final election round.
The final opponent for the runoff has not been decided yet.
Bass identifies as a Democrat.
One of her challengers was Republican Spencer Pratt, known from reality TV.
The race has been competitive with several candidates.
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Australians are using more nicotine now than eight years ago, but they are spending less money on it because most cigarettes smoked are cheap, illegal products. The illegal tobacco market has grown a lot, making it harder for the government to collect taxes and fight health problems.
Key Facts
Nicotine use in Australia increased by 40% from 2017 to 2025.
Population growth in the same period was 14%.
Illegal tobacco went from 12% of total consumption in 2017 to 80% in 2025.
Legal cigarette prices tripled, but illegal cigarette prices stayed steady.
Government tax revenue from legal tobacco dropped to the lowest in 14 years, causing a $6.9 billion budget gap.
New South Wales and Victoria have introduced strong penalties, including heavy fines and prison time, for selling or possessing illegal tobacco.
There is debate about whether lowering taxes on legal tobacco would help reduce illegal sales or if tougher law enforcement is better.
The ABS used new methods, including wastewater testing, to estimate illegal tobacco use for the first time.
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is moving on to a November runoff election because she did not get more than 50% of the votes in the primary. She will face either Spencer Pratt, a Republican-leaning independent, or Nithya Raman, a Democrat city council member.
Key Facts
Karen Bass is the current mayor of Los Angeles and a Democrat.
Bass led the primary vote but did not win more than half the votes.
Because no candidate passed 50%, a runoff election will happen in November.
Bass’s opponent will be either Spencer Pratt or Nithya Raman.
Spencer Pratt is a registered Republican and reality TV star running as an independent.
President Donald Trump has expressed support for Spencer Pratt.
Nithya Raman is a Democratic member of the Los Angeles city council.
The final runoff matchup is not yet decided and will be determined by the remaining primary votes.
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The California governor’s race is very close, with no clear winner yet as many votes remain uncounted. The top candidates currently are Republican Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer, while two other Democrats have conceded. California’s unique election system means it may take days to know who will move on to the general election in November.
Key Facts
The California governor’s race has many candidates, with 61 people running.
Early results show Republicans Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer leading.
Two Democrats, Matt Mahan and Antonio Villaraigosa, have dropped out after early results.
California uses a "jungle primary," where all candidates compete together and the top two move on regardless of party.
Many votes are mailed in and counted slowly to ensure accuracy, delaying final results.
Voters are concerned about housing, homelessness, wildfires, and the cost of living.
Key Democratic leaders did not enter the race, and party support is divided among the candidates.
In the Los Angeles mayoral race, incumbent Karen Bass is moving to the general election, with Spencer Pratt leading another candidate for the second spot.
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Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is projected to advance to the November runoff election in Los Angeles. Her main opponents, Councilmember Nithya Raman and newcomer Spencer Pratt, are competing for the second spot in a closely contested race.
Key Facts
Only the top two candidates in the primary will move on to the November runoff election.
A recent poll showed Bass with a narrow lead of 26%, Raman at 25%, and Pratt at 22%, all within the margin of error.
Many voters were undecided until recently, but now fewer than 10% remain undecided.
The race is drawing national attention due to recent events like major fires and immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles.
Pratt's residency was questioned after he said he lived in a trailer on his fire-damaged property; he has criticized his opponents’ upscale homes.
Bass has served as a congresswoman and California state assembly speaker before becoming mayor.
She says this will be her last campaign for elected office.
During her term, Bass dealt with challenges like labor strikes, the homelessness crisis, and a $1 billion city budget shortfall.
Bass claims her administration reduced homelessness by 18%, while it rose nationally by the same percentage.
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Karen Bass led the Los Angeles mayoral primary but did not get more than half the votes, so she will face a runoff election in November against either Spencer Pratt or Nithya Raman. Bass, the current mayor, focused her campaign on fighting homelessness and building housing, while Pratt criticized her response to last year’s deadly wildfires.
Key Facts
Karen Bass got the most votes in the LA mayor primary but less than 50%, so there will be a runoff election in November.
Bass will compete against either Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star, or city council member Nithya Raman.
Bass pledged to address homelessness and increase housing construction during her next term.
Last year, wildfires killed at least 31 people in LA, and Bass faced criticism for being abroad during the fires and for fire department budget cuts.
Bass declared a state of emergency on homelessness early in her term and launched a program to clear encampments and provide interim housing.
Spencer Pratt gained attention with controversial campaign videos and debates, criticizing Bass’s leadership, especially on wildfires.
Pratt is a registered Republican and former reality TV figure, known for his role on MTV’s The Hills.
President Trump expressed support for Pratt, though Pratt said he focuses on local issues, not national politics.
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Federal officials are investigating whether Congressman George Santos used inside information to place a bet on an online prediction market about attending President Trump’s State of the Union address. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Department of Justice are looking into the case after the betting platform Kalshi reported the suspicious trade.
Key Facts
George Santos allegedly placed a bet on Kalshi predicting if he would attend the State of the Union address in February.
Santos had posted on social media that he planned to attend but later said travel issues stopped him.
Kalshi flagged the bet to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
The Department of Justice (DoJ) is investigating Santos for potential insider trading.
Kalshi and another betting platform, Polymarket, have faced lawmaker scrutiny over insider trading concerns.
Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023 for ethics violations involving misuse of campaign funds.
In April 2025, Santos was sentenced to seven years in prison for wire fraud and identity theft but had his sentence commuted by President Trump.
Santos did not confirm or deny having a Kalshi account and criticized the news reports on social media.
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Peter Murrell, former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), stole over £400,000 using the party’s funds by manipulating the accounting system and using fake invoices. He will be sentenced on June 23 and faces possible prison time and legal action to recover the stolen money.
Key Facts
Peter Murrell embezzled more than £400,000 from the SNP.
He used false data, fake invoices, and credit cards linked to the party to hide his theft.
The theft went undetected for many years despite party audits and officials.
Murrell’s sentencing is scheduled for June 23.
Scotland lacks low-security prisons for white-collar criminals, so he will likely serve time in a mainstream prison.
HMP Dumfries is a probable prison where he might be placed for safety and separation reasons.
He could later be moved to an open prison if classified as low risk.
Legal action will be taken to recover the stolen funds under proceeds of crime laws, which may include selling assets or savings.
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The Trump administration plans to impose extra tariffs of 10% or more on products from many major trading partners after a review found they did not stop imports made with forced labor. These additional taxes aim to address unfair competition against American workers and push countries to better enforce rules against forced labor.
Key Facts
The U.S. Trade Representative proposes tariffs of 10% or more on goods from countries like Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, and the UK.
China, Japan, India, South Korea, Brazil, and Switzerland would face 12.5% extra tariffs.
The tariffs respond to a report that 60 countries failed to stop imports made with forced labor.
The investigation used Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows tariffs for unfair trade practices.
Public hearings on the proposed tariffs are scheduled to start on July 7, with tariffs not taking effect immediately.
President Trump recently met with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, to discuss trade and investment improvements.
The move follows recent trade tensions and tariff agreements involving the European Union.
U.S. officials say forced labor imports create unfair competition for American workers and disrupt U.S. commerce.
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A woman who says she was trafficked and abused linked to Mohamed Al Fayed revealed that the Metropolitan Police mistakenly sent her personal details to the wrong person. The police have launched an investigation into the case, which is part of a broader inquiry into alleged abuse connected to Al Fayed.
Key Facts
Joanna Brittan, who says she was trafficked to Mohamed Al Fayed and abused, gave a statement in 2017 which police shared by mistake with another alleged victim in Australia.
The personal details sent included her handwritten notes, address, contact number, and date of birth.
The police data breach was caused by human error and has been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office.
The Met Police began investigating Al Fayed’s abuse in November 2024, after many women reported abuse before Al Fayed's death in 2023.
Allegations include abuse by Ahmed Obaidly, a UAE diplomat and associate of Al Fayed, who died in 2015, so his case cannot proceed.
The criminal investigations related to Al Fayed are part of “Operation Cornpoppy,” looking into people who may have helped or allowed abuse.
Over 200 alleged survivors of Al Fayed will meet virtually with Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss the issue.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating five current or former Metropolitan Police officers for possible misconduct in handling abuse reports.
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A church in Boston, Lincolnshire, has seen more people come for free hot meals because many struggle to pay bills and buy food on limited incomes. The government says household incomes have grown and food bank use has decreased, but some people still find it hard to get help.
Key Facts
Carol Kemp, 64, uses free meals at Centenary Methodist Church and sometimes has only soup and bread for dinner.
The church’s meal service began during the Covid-19 pandemic for homeless people and now serves a wider group.
The number of people coming for meals increased by about 50% since early in the year, from 60-70 to over 90.
Many users, like single dad Scott, struggle with rising costs such as petrol, gas, and electricity.
The café also helps reduce loneliness, with attendees like 90-year-old Audrey Burrell finding company and support.
Meals are served twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 am to 1 pm.
The Department for Work and Pensions says UK household incomes have risen by 5% in real terms, food bank use has fallen, and a £1 billion fund helps local areas prevent crises.
Despite government help, some people find it hard to admit they need assistance or find available support.
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The UK government will invite thousands more Black men to join a prostate cancer screening trial but will not start screening all men for the disease. The decision follows expert advice that widespread testing may cause more harm than good, but men with a high-risk gene mutation will be regularly screened.
Key Facts
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in UK men, with over 64,000 cases yearly.
The UK National Screening Committee recommended against using PSA blood tests for all men.
Men with a BRCA2 gene mutation, which raises prostate cancer risk, will be screened every two years from ages 45 to 61.
Around a few thousand high-risk men will be screened annually under this plan.
A £20 million investment was announced to support prostate cancer research, including expanding the Transform screening trial.
The trial will include more Black men aged 45 to 74 who have not had recent PSA or MRI tests.
Some campaigners criticized the government for not widening screening to all Black men, citing concerns about health inequalities.
The program rollout is expected to begin in 2027.
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