Possible hostage situation underway at Southern California bank

June 2, 2026 7:27 PM EDT / CBS News

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Faris Tanyos News Editor
Faris Tanyos is a news editor for CBSNews.com, where he writes and edits stories and tracks breaking news. He previously worked as a digital news producer at several local news stations up and down the West Coast.

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Authorities were engaged in a possible hostage situation Tuesday afternoon at a bank in the Southern California city of Bakersfield.

Bakersfield police said in a social media post that “a confirmed bomb threat” was taking place at a Chase bank branch downtown.

“Please stay out of the downtown area,” police said. “Road closures are in effect and will remain in effect until further notice.”

Police told CBS affiliate KBAK-TV that there was at least one hostage involved in the incident. The number of people in the bank and the number of suspects involved were unclear. No further details were immediately confirmed. There was no word on whether there were any injuries.

An official with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office told CBS News that Bakersfield police had closed off a three-block radius surrounding the bank.

Bakersfield police had alerted the sheriff’s office about the incident but had not asked for assistance, the official said.

Bakersfield is located about 110 miles north of Los Angeles.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Trump administration drops $1.8 billion ‘weaponization’ fund after Republican backlash

2026-06-02T20:04:05.361Z / Reuters

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) – The Trump administration is abandoning the president’s nearly $1.8 billion “weaponization” fund, U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday, after a rare backlash from Republican senators.

“We are not moving forward with the fund,” Blanche said. “Period.”

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But Blanche also told lawmakers that an agreement with Trump to bar future audits of his or his family’s past tax records will remain in place.

The fund emerged from a legal settlement between President Donald Trump and the Justice Department to resolve an unprecedented $10 billion Trump lawsuit against the IRS over the alleged mishandling of his tax records.

The fund was dropped after furious Republican lawmakers said it might threaten the passage of a $72 billion bill to fund Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Blanche, Trump’s former personal attorney, has held the top job at the Justice Department since early April, when Trump fired Pam Bondi as attorney general. A person familiar with the White House’s thinking said Blanche’s future hinged on his ability to address the concerns of Republican lawmakers about the fund.

The $1.776 billion fund was meant to pay people who said they had been the subject of government abuse, and Blanche angered senators last month when he would not commit to excluding people who assaulted police officers during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

White House officials spent much of Monday calling lawmakers to assure them there would be no payouts after the Republican revolt, said two sources familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The White House referred questions to the Justice Department, where a spokesperson said compensating people who have suffered from government abuse is still a priority for the administration.

“The goal of the fund was about continuing the process of fixing the wrongs committed by past administrations, but given the extraordinary misunderstanding of this, the DOJ is not proceeding with the fund,” spokesperson Emily Covington said.

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies before a House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee oversight hearing on the Department of Justice, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

BLANCHE SAYS HE WON’T PUT IT IN WRITING

At a hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Democratic lawmakers pressed for a definitive promise that the fund was dead, but Blanche said he would not put that in writing.

“Why do I need to put something in writing?” Blanche said. “I’m not committing to doing anything in writing.”

Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro said Blanche should not have signed off on the portion of the agreement that bars future tax audits of Trump and his businesses, noting that he formerly served as Trump’s personal attorney.

“You just gave the president and his family a tax immunity to the tune of about $100 million,” DeLauro said, referring to reports that Trump could face that amount in an IRS tax penalty. “Do you not find that there’s any conflict of interest in what you doing here as the acting attorney general of the United States?”

Blanche said the agreement did not give Trump “blanket immunity” and rejected DeLauro’s criticism.

“What are you saying is the conflict?” Blanche responded. “The fact that I used to have a job and I have a current job?”

House Republicans at the hearing did not criticize the fund.

Peter Ticktin, an attorney representing more than 400 January 6 defendants, said he and his clients are not dismayed about the announcement.

“They still expect to get paid,” said Ticktin, who has filed claims for 10 defendants requesting up to $3 million. “They trust Donald Trump.”

Reporting by Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Nandita Bose, Richard Cowan and Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Michael Learmonth, Andy Sullivan, Andrea Ricci, Deepa Babington and Cynthia Osterman

WATCH: Scandal-plagued Platner dodges questions before and after DC meeting with Democrats

The leading Democratic primary candidate refused to respond when asked if he deserves to represent Maine in the Senate

June 2, 2026 5:56pm EDT / Fox News

By Kiera McDonald Fox News

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner dodged questions from reporters Tuesday before and after a meeting at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee amid an alleged sexting scandal and criticism over resurfaced online posts.

“Mr. Platner, are you here to calm the waters, sir?” Platner was asked by Fox News Digital when confronted as he exited a car to meet with lawmakers, but he did not respond.

He then ignored other questions on whether he deserves to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate, whether he will stay in the race, and controversies from his past.

DEM SENATORS DEFLECT QUESTIONS ON PLATNER’S SCANDAL-PLAGUED CAMPAIGN: ‘NOT FOLLOWING THAT RACE CLOSELY’

The Democratic candidate looking to unseat Sen. Susan Collins in Maine has admitted to exchanging sexual sexts with several women after marrying his wife two years ago, according to a report.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Platner, who is currently leading in the polls, was attending a planned meeting with Democratic senators in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday as concerns from both sides of the political spectrum have emerged over sexual misconduct and infidelity allegations.

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Platner said: “Amy and I went through something hard — because of me.”

“We did the work, and I’m grateful for her every hour of every day,” he added. “I’ve learned throughout this campaign is that people don’t care about gossip or headlines, they care that you’re fighting for their hospitals, their paycheck, their kids.”

The Democratic candidate’s wife Amy Gertner, discovered text exchanges between Platner and multiple women just months after they were married in 2024.

Platner’s campaign confirmed the sexually-explicit messages to Politico after The Wall Street Journal reported that Gertner discovered the texts soon after they were wed and warned a campaign aide about potential political liabilities for Platner’s Senate bid.

SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT

Graham Platner with his wife Amy Gertner earlier this month.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

In a video posted to X on Saturday, Gertner also defended her husband against cheating-related attacks.

“So it makes me really angry — disappointed, and I find it really shameful that there’s a group of media outlets and people who are willing to spread gossip instead of talking about real issues that Graham is running on, like healthcare and education and childcare,” she said.

It was also discovered that Platner has an active account on Kik, an anonymous messaging app that has drawn criticism from child safety advocates and is widely associated with anonymous encounters. The profile, created in 2016 and reviewed by Fox News Digital, contains a sexually suggestive photo of Platner posing shirtless with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

A campaign official told Fox News Digital that Platner downloaded the app when he was single and claimed it has “long been deleted from his phone.”

PLATNER STILL HAS ACTIVE ACCOUNT ON ANONYMOUS APP DUBBED ‘PREDATOR’S PARADISE’ AMID CHEATING SCANDAL

Deleted online posts and a Nazi-linked tattoo have added to the controversies surrounding Platner and his bid for U.S. Senate.

Graham Platner, Democratic Senate candidate for Maine, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, attend a Fighting Oligarchy event in Portland, Maine, on May 25, 2026.(Sophie Park/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

The Marine Corps veteran who served four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan faced backlash for a June 2019 Reddit post he made saying Purple Heart veteran Teddy Daniels, who was shot four times during a 2012 clash with Taliban fighters, “didn’t deserve to live.”

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He declined to apologize for the online comments in a video taken by Fox News Digital last month.

Platner will appear on the ballot alongside David Costello in the Democratic Senate primary in Maine. Voters will decide on June 9 who will face incumbent five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign for comment.

Kiera McDonald is a Production Assistant for Fox News Digital.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6397349590112

Trump 2020 election denier Kurt Olsen joins Justice Department

2026-06-02T21:34:17.356Z / Reuters

Kurt Olsen looks on during his opening statement in an election challenge trial in Maricopa County in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., May 17, 2023. Mark Henle/The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) – Kurt Olsen, a White House official who aided President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 ​election, has joined the Justice Department as a senior attorney reporting to a prosecutor seeking to build a wide-ranging criminal case against ‌the president’s foes.

Olsen joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida on Monday, a Justice Department spokesperson confirmed.

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Olsen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Justice Department referred questions about his duties to the Miami-based U.S. Attorney’s Office, which did not respond to inquiries.

Among the matters overseen ​by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quinones, a group of prosecutors is examining whether past investigations ​of Trump amounted to a criminal conspiracy against him.

The effort is being supervised by Joe diGenova, a Trump ally ⁠now serving as a counselor to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and leader of a new civil rights unit in the Miami office.

In ​a post on X, Reding Quinones last month applauded the team diGenova is assembling.

“Joe diGenova is off to a fast start building our Criminal ​Civil Rights Section,” the May 19 post read. “He’s already assembled a team of 12 prosecutors, with more joining every week.”

A photo accompanying the post included Olsen among a group of people standing outside the U.S. federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, where Reding Quinones said the team met that day.

Olsen, an attorney with ​no prior record of experience as a prosecutor, was previously sanctioned by a federal court for making false statements while representing Trump ally Kari ​Lake in a case challenging Arizona voting procedures.

OLSEN INVESTIGATED VOTE-RIGGING THEORIES

Olsen has been leading the Trump administration’s election integrity effort, including reexamining Trump’s 2020 defeat and investigating disproven ‌vote-rigging theories, ⁠as a special government employee with the White House.

Olsen’s work has included probing potential foreign intervention in U.S. elections and seizing voting machines and materials in Puerto Rico, Georgia and Arizona to aid the investigation.

He has focused primarily on the disproven theory that the government of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was able to penetrate Dominion voting machines and flip votes by exploiting Venezuelan-origin code.

ELECTION PROBE INCLUDES OTHER TRUMP FOES

The Florida team’s investigation ​has been examining earlier inquiries into Trump ​including the probe into ties ⁠between his 2016 campaign and Russia as well as more recent cases brought by former Special Counsel Jack Smith and the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for classified documents in 2022.

The probe is part of ​a larger effort by the Justice Department under Trump to pursue the president’s grievances and political enemies.

Allegations ​of a broad ⁠anti-Trump conspiracy could be difficult to prove given prior investigations examined different issues and some investigative steps were approved by judges and grand juries. Officials involved in those cases have repeatedly said their work was conducted appropriately.

Olsen’s work on election-related matters predates his Justice Department role. As Reuters has reported, he ⁠has worked ​across agencies on efforts to revisit Trump’s 2020 defeat and examine disproven claims of ​voter fraud.

It was unclear whether Olsen’s election-related work has been folded into the Justice Department.

Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel have said in recent weeks their offices are examining potential ​voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Reporting by Andrew Goudsward in Washington and Erin Banco in New York; Editing by Michael Learmonth and Cynthia Osterman

Energy experts say gas prices are likely to remain high for months. Here’s why.

June 2, 2026 5:52 PM EDT / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch

American motorists would face pain at the pump for months even if the U.S. and Iran strike a peace deal and move quickly to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to energy experts.

“It is all contingent on when boats start moving through the Strait of Hormuz,” GasBuddy petroleum expert Patrick De Haan told CBS News. “If and when that happens, it will be a very long, multi-month to multi-year process for things to fully normalize.”

Across the U.S., a gallon of regular gas on Tuesday sold for an average of $4.29, down from more than$4.50 in May, according toAAA. Gas averaged $2.98 a gallon just before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February.

“We won’t see those levels until potentially mid-to-late 2027,” De Haan predicted, referring to pre-war fuel prices.

The Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, normally accounts for roughly 20% of global crude and liquefied natural gas supplies.

The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial passageway for oil shipments from Gulf states. Bedirhan Demirel/Anadolu via Getty Images

Although oil prices are likely to fall immediately if a deal ending the Iran war is announced, gas prices will fall more slowly because it will take time for more oil tankers to resume traveling through the strait and for global oil supplies to rebound. Crude would then need to be delivered to refineries so it can be turned into gas, diesel and other energy products.

“Even if overnight, Brent prices were to drop on positive sentiment around an agreement, it will take time for tanker flows through the strait to recover and for refiners to get back up to speed,” Jennifer Li, senior geopolitical analyst at Rystad Energy, told CBS News.

Oil prices, set on global markets, account for roughly 57% of the cost of a gallon of gas in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration. Refining, federal and state taxes, and distribution and marketing expenses account for the remaining costs.

“When a deal is announced, we’ll see an instant drop in crude, but that won’t be reflected in gasoline prices because supply is still tight,” Richard Joswick, executive director and global head of near-term oil analysis at S&P Global Energy, told CBS News.

Global oil inventories are low and will take time to replenish, keeping gas prices elevated for the foreseeable future, he said.

Once the Strait of Hormuz reopened, oil-producing nations would need weeks to restart facilities and return to typical output levels. De Haan likened the process to trying to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool with a garden hose.

“Most of what comes through the strait will be used to meet demand. It’s going to take a longer time for inventories to rebuild,” he said.

“It could then take months for that oil to hit the market,” De Haan noted. “This is a long-haul story.”

U.S. inflation in April hit an annual rate of 3.8%, the highest since May 2023, as the Middle East conflict drove up energy costs, according to the latest Consumer Price Index.

Americans have spent roughly $401 more per household for gas and diesel since the Iran war erupted, according to an estimate by Brown University researchers.

Edited by Alain Sherter

Who is Bill Pulte, Trump’s new acting director of national intelligence?

2026-06-02 5:32 PM EDT / CNN

Who is Bill Pulte, Trump’s new acting director of national intelligence?

The Lead

CNN’s Jake Tapper reports.

2:54 • Source: CNN

交易员对人民币的看涨情绪升至15年来最高

2026年6月3日 07:12 / 联合早报

交易员加大对人民币未来一年走强的押注，认为人民币国际化程度提升以及具有吸引力的估值，将帮助人民币渡过短期波动。

据彭博社报道，受科技产品出口强劲推动，人民币今年以来兑美元已上涨逾3%。星期二（6月2日），离岸人民币兑美元报6.76左右，接近逾三年来最强水平。

期权市场定价显示，市场对人民币未来一年进一步上涨的预期达到2011年以来的最乐观水平。

被称为市场仓位和情绪风向标的所谓一年期美元-人民币风险逆转指标星期二报0.37%，偏向看跌期权，反映出市场对离岸人民币进一步上涨持乐观态度。一个月前，该指标为0.05%，偏向看跌期权。押注美元-人民币走低的看跌期权相对于看涨期权的溢价持续扩大，尽管5月举行的中美元首会晤在汇率问题上并未取得多少具体成果。

“亚洲拥有全球一些估值最便宜的货币，而这些货币今年即使在美元走强期间仍持续上涨，”德意志银行新兴市场及亚太区研究主管Sameer Goel表示。“我们认为这一趋势有望延续，并且我们继续看好人民币，预计到年底人民币兑美元将进一步升向6.5。”

受科技产品出口强劲推动，人民币今年以来兑美元已上涨逾3%。 （香港中通社档案照）

Acting AG Blanche reveals fate of Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization fund’ under pressure from House lawmakers

2026-06-02 5:03pm EDT / Fox News

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Rep. Grace Meng Tuesday that DOJ will not move forward with its proposed anti-weaponization fund

By Elaine Mallon, Fox News

Published June 2, 2026 5:03pm EDT | Updated June 2, 2026 6:27pm EDT

Todd Blanche says DOJ will not move forward with Anti-Weaponization Fund

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers the Justice Department is abandoning plans for the Anti-Weaponization Fund, ending the effort after a federal judge temporarily blocked its creation.

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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Justice Department is abandoning its efforts to create the Anti-Weaponization Fund during a House Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday.

The fund, which stemmed from a lawsuit between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, was put on hold after a federal judge issued a temporary injunction blocking its creation. A hearing on the Anti-Weaponization Fund’s legal basis had been scheduled for June 12, but it will no longer take place, Blanche testified.

“We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche said. “The reasons for the fund are something that President Trump has talked about for a long time, which is the fact that there were a lot of people in this country who had their government weaponized against them. The reasons for the fund, I think, remain as important as they were before, but, we are not moving forward with the fund.”

JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS TRUMP DOJ’S NEARLY $2B ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on June 2, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The Justice Department oversight hearing was rescheduled from its original date of May 19.(Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

When announcing the fund’s creation in mid-May, the Justice Department described it as an opportunity for individuals deemed to be victims of lawfare by previous administrations to receive restitution, regardless of their political affiliation. The Anti-Weaponization Fund was created as part of a settlement between the Trump administration and the Internal Revenue Service over the disclosure of Trump’s tax returns.

Rather than receiving direct compensation, the settlement called for the creation of a $1.776 billion fund. Distributions would be determined by a five-member board appointed by Blanche, and the funding would come from the Judgment Fund, which is used to pay for federal government settlements. Critics called it a “slush fund” that would benefit the president and his supporters.

TRUMP ADMIN BACKS OFF CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND, CLEARING PATH FOR STALLED GOP IMMIGRATION BILL

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington.(Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)

During the hearing, Blanche stated that no work on establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund had begun amid ongoing litigation. To date, three separate lawsuits have been filed challenging the fund.

Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department challenging the creation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, arguing that the administration improperly sought to use the Federal Judgment Fund — which is intended to pay court judgments and settlements against the government — to establish a new compensation program without congressional approval. The lawsuit became the most significant challenge to the fund and led U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema to issue a temporary injunction on May 29, halting the program’s implementation while the court considered the case.

DAVID MARCUS: HE BARELY SURVIVED BIDEN LAWFARE, AND NOW HE DESERVES TO GET PAID

Department of Justice Federal Officers stand guard outside the Department of Justice next to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn (MDC Brooklyn) after the United States struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores overnight, in New York City, U.S., January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz(REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)

In granting the temporary restraining order, Brinkema found that the plaintiffs had raised serious legal questions about whether the executive branch had the authority to create and fund the Anti-Weaponization Fund without congressional approval. She also expressed concern that allowing the program to move forward could result in taxpayer money being distributed before the court had an opportunity to fully review the fund’s legality.

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The Justice Department has not yet announced whether it will formally dissolve the fund, withdraw related filings or seek dismissal of the pending lawsuits following Blanche’s announcement.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

Voters weigh Spencer Pratt vs Karen Bass in tight race for mayor

7:52 PM EDT, Tue June 2, 2026 / CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/02/politics/video/ebof-elex-michaelson-la-mayor-race-spencer-pratt-karen-bass

Erin Burnett Out Front

CNN’s Erin Burnett talks to anchor Elex Michaelson, reporting from a polling center in North Hollywood, as voters weigh reality TV star Spencer Pratt’s campaign for LA mayor.

3:11 • Source: CNN

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