New Mexico Epstein commission makes first subpoenas

2026-06-01 23:41:46 UTC / Reuters

By Andrew Hay

June 1, 2026 11:41 PM UTC Updated 18 mins ago

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SANTA FE, N.M., May 26 (Reuters) – New Mexico legislators probing Jeffrey Epstein on Monday said they have issued ​their first subpoenas, calling for evidence on the late ‌sex offender from 14 entities including federal law enforcement agencies, the state governor’s office and a Santa Fe scientific institute.

The New ​Mexico Truth Commission, in its second meeting since it ​was set up in February, also heard testimony from ⁠Rachel Benavidez, a survivor of alleged sexual abuse at ​Epstein’s New Mexico ranch, as well as family members of ​the late Virginia Giuffre, another survivor.

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The commission was established following the Justice Department’s release of millions of Epstein-related files that shed new light on ​activities at the ranch.

State Representative Andrea Reeb, a member ​of the bi-partisan committee, said the investigation would seek information on how ‌state ⁠and federal agencies failed with regards to Epstein before subpoenaing individuals.

“Let’s say, for example, we decide to pull in the former attorney general, we need to have that information ​of what ​their office has ⁠in order to properly question them,” Reeb told reporters after the meeting.

Among those the ​Truth Commission subpoenaed were Deutsche Bank, the FBI, ​the New ⁠Mexico Department of Justice, the New Mexico State Land Commission, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Fe ⁠Institute, ​a scientific foundation in the state’s ​capitol, according to New Mexico Representative Andrea Romero, chair of the group.

Reporting ​by Andrew Hay in New Mexico; Editing by Stephen Coates

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Trump administration signals to GOP congressional leaders it will back off $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

2026-06-01T21:55:21.756Z / CNN

The Trump administration has signaled to Republican congressional leaders that it plans to drop the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, though it was unclear how firm or permanent that plan is, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

President Donald Trump has not committed publicly to terminating the controversial pot of money, and a third source familiar with the discussions indicated the administration was merely pausing efforts to pursue the fund — not dropping those plans altogether.

That characterization more closely matches a public statement from the Department of Justice Monday, which said that it would “abide by” a federal court ruling that paused the fund until at least June 12. A fourth source familiar with the matter said Trump himself still believes in the fund, even as he acknowledges vehement pushback to the concept.

Trump himself told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl in a phone call, “We are subject to the courts.”

“At this moment, that’s what it is,” Trump said, adding, “If a court doesn’t allow it, and right now a court has it held up, what can you do?”

The plan to back off the fund for now came after Trump held a lengthy meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson, where the “anti-weaponization” fund was among the topics the two discussed. But it’s unclear if the Trump administration’s message will satisfy GOP lawmakers as fury over the fund has stalled the GOP’s broader agenda.

Republican leaders have been struggling to pass additional funding for immigration enforcement. And on Monday, even Senate Majority Leader John Thune called for the administration to “shut it down themselves,” in regards to the fund. Continued efforts to get that spending legislation over the finish line will almost certainly involve more attempts to kill the “anti-weaponization” fund permanently.

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida confirmed to reporters Monday evening that a White House official told him the fund would be “dropped.” He did not say who he spoke to or if the decision to stop pursuing the fund was temporary or permanent.

“I have talked to the White House. What they told me is they’re dropping it,” Scott said.

But other GOP senators weren’t convinced, with some saying they needed more specific and concrete assurances the fund was gone for good.

“If the administration has changed its position on the weaponization fund, it should say so definitively, definitively,” said Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana. “But just saying, ‘We’re going to abide by the court order,’ I mean, I can’t speak for my colleagues, but speaking personally, you’re not talking to Bambi’s baby brother here. Saying you’re going to follow a court order doesn’t tell me anything. You have to follow the court order.”

The federal judge set a hearing for June 12 to hear arguments over whether she should issue a longer pause. Until then, she barred the Justice Department from allocating money to create the fund, considering any claims or distributing any money to applicants.

It’s unclear if the Trump administration will continue fighting for the fund in that hearing.

The controversial fund was created to settle an unprecedented lawsuit Trump brought against the IRS over the unauthorized disclosure of his tax returns years ago. But since its announcement, the fund has faced weeks of unrelenting push back from the president’s own party both in public and in private, with some saying it’s essentially a slush fund to pay out Trump’s allies.

At first, senior Justice Department officials insisted that they wouldn’t change the details of the fund despite pushback from within the GOP, sources told CNN. But congressional Republicans have remained furious, with some allies encouraging the president to scrap it entirely.

And the pause by the Virginia judge wasn’t the only court setback for the fund. A second judge in Florida who oversaw Trump’s initial suit against the IRS ordered the president and others to respond to allegations that he worked in a collusive manner with Justice Department lawyers representing the IRS to reach an out-of-court settlement — in other words, that he defrauded the court.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, Lauren Fox and Ellis Kim contributed to this report.

US agency announces interim guidance on Medicaid work requirements

2026-06-01 22:24:48 / Reuters

Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz speaks, after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order about easing restrictions on mental health treatments, including, ibogaine, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 18, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

NEW YORK, June 1 (Reuters) – The U.S. agency that runs the Medicare and Medicaid programs on Monday announced interim guidance on how states ​should implement new work requirements for Americans enrolled in Medicaid health plans.

The rule announced ‌last year as part of President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending bill requires 80 hours of work per month to be eligible to receive Medicaid, the health program for low-income Americans.

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Eligibility for enrollees must be verified at least ​every six months or at plan renewals, but states can choose to conduct checks more ​frequently.

“These folks are crowding out programs that were originally designed for those truly ⁠in need,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz.

Oz said the initiative aims to ​move able-bodied enrollees to employer-sponsored health plans and “free up critical space in the program for our most ​vulnerable populations.”

Medicaid is jointly funded by state and federal governments, unlike Medicare for older Americans, which is fully federal. States will receive a combined $200 million in grants to support implementation.

U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, said the ​requirements make it more difficult for Americans to receive care.

“People are already struggling to get by ​as prices on everyday expenses skyrocket, and now millions of Americans will lose their healthcare not because they’re not ‌working, ⁠but simply because they got buried in paperwork,” said Pallone in a statement.

The new requirements go into effect January 1, 2027, but a CMS official said before 2028 Medicaid members can self-attest to having met the requirements.

Members who are pregnant, receiving postpartum care, disabled or deemed to be medically frail are ​exempt from the work ​rules. Those who have ⁠already met work requirements introduced for receiving food assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, are also exempt.

Medicaid Director Dan Brillman said the ​agency aims to conduct real-time verifications by relying on existing electronic data, ​such as ⁠medical claims information.

Beginning in 2028, enrollees will only be able to self-attest once that they have met the new requirements and will have to provide documentation. For those seeking medical exemptions, states must first check ⁠health insurance ​claims history to confirm frailty, a CMS official said.

“We are ​serious about the consequences of dishonesty in self-attestation,” said Oz. “We will be speaking with different enforcement bodies to make sure that ​folks know that is not a joke.”

Reporting by Amina Niasse in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Mamdani-backed congressional candidate deleted posts calling to seize private property, abolish police, borders, prisons

2026-06-01T21:09:32.800Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/01/politics/kfile-ny-13-darializa-avila-chevalier-deleted-tweets-defund-abolish-police-prisons-deportations

• A congressional candidate endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani deleted thousands of social media posts.
• Avila Chevalier told CNN the posts did not reflect who she is today and accused her opponent of living in the past.
• The primary on June 23 has become a closely watched proxy battle between establishment and democratic-socialist Democrats.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist congressional candidate endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, deleted a previous Twitter account that included thousands of posts and reposts expressing support for abolishing police, prisons and borders, as well as seizing private property and nationalizing major industries and calling into question Israel’s right to exist.

Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old investigator at a public defender’s office in New York City and doctoral student, has emerged as one of the most prominent left-wing challengers in the country after Mamdani endorsed her bid to unseat longtime Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District.

But the posts from her since-deleted account from over the last decade have drawn scrutiny amid her high-profile challenge of Espaillat, a five-term incumbent and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. That primary, scheduled for June 23, has become a closely watched proxy battle between the Democratic Party’s establishment and its ascendant democratic-socialist wing, with Mamdani’s endorsement last week elevating the race’s national profile.

While reports in the New York Post and Politico previously highlighted several deleted social media posts in which Avila Chevalier criticized police, Israel and Democratic politicians, a CNN KFile review of hundreds of deleted posts and reposts found ones that called for abolishing police, prisons and borders; tweets about communism; calls for open borders and zero deportations; and expletive-laden attacks on Democrats.

In a statement to CNN, Avila Chevalier said the posts did not reflect who she is today and accused Espaillat of trying to distract from issues facing the district.

“My opponent wants to live in the past. He is re-litigating social media posts from half a decade ago, and continuing to champion an outdated politics that fails to serve our people,” Avila Chevalier said. “I have grown considerably since in the years since these tweets, and I am focused on our community and our community’s future.”

In another statement provided to CNN, Mayor Mamdani reiterated his support for Avila Chevalier’s citing her work advocating for immigrants and working-class New Yorkers.

“In Congress, she’ll take on corporate greed, bad landlords, and D.C.’s broken political system. At a time when power is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, Darializa will fight in Congress for New York City’s working families. She’s the champion we need for a city New Yorkers can actually afford.”

The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine saved more than 3,600 tweets from Avila Chevalier’s account between 2018–2022. It’s unclear when the account was deleted but the last archived tweet is from May 2022.

In August 2020, Avila Chevalier reposted a tweet responding to a social media prompt that asked, “Israel suddenly disappears, your third emoji is your reaction.” The reposted tweet replied, “Trick question – Israel doesn’t exist!”

“A world without borders—just like a world without prisons or police—is possible, necessary, and the only moral way forward,” read one deleted repost from September 2021.

During a three-day period in September 2021, Avila Chevalier also reposted now-deleted messages declaring, “Yes, literally, abolish the border” and that “all deportation is wrong.”

Her Twitter profile biography also at one point included the phrase “how communist of you,” the hashtags “#BlackLivesMatter” and “#FreePalestine,” and described her location as “Occupied Lenape Land” and later “Lenapehoking (NYC)” — an acknowledgment to Indigenous claims to New York City.

Her current campaign account lists “Manhattan, NY.”

During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, Avila Chevalier reposted a message calling for a sweeping government takeover of large parts of the economy. The repost advocated nationalizing utilities, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies; suspending rent and mortgage payments; dissolving private health insurance companies; and “seiz[ing] all properties from landlords.”

Other deleted posts and reposts included references to communism and anti-capitalist politics. In one April 2020 post, Avila Chevalier wrote that while most of the political theory she had read was communist, “the pyromania associated with anarchism is very intriguing to me,” adding a laughing emoji.

“Seize the means of production,” she wrote in a since-deleted 2019 post, the phrase commonly associated with Marxism.

The deleted posts also included repeated calls for abolishing police.

During the nationwide protests in 2020 following the killing of George Floyd, Avila Chevalier responded to a user asking what a better slogan would be than “defund the police,” by posting, “F**k you. We’re gonna defund and abolish. You don’t get to water down our movements.”

Two days later, Avila Chevalier rejected an argument that abolishing police meant ending policing only “as we know it.”

“No. It means ending policing full stop. Period. No more police at all ever,” she replied, adding several clap emojis.

In another deleted post, she captioned a selfie showing her wearing a face mask with the slogan “Defund Police.”

“Felt cute. F**k 12,” she wrote, referring to a slang word for the police.

She also reposted a message stating, “In New York they don’t say ‘I love you,’ they say ‘NYPD suck my dick’ and I think that’s beautiful.”

In another repost from 2021 she shared a message declaring that “ALL PIGS EVERYWHERE ARE HARAM,” an Arabic term used in Islam to describe something that is forbidden. Avila Chevalier is a Muslim-convert.

The deleted posts also reflected hostility toward prominent Democrats couched in profane terms after Bernie Sanders ended his 2020 presidential campaign.

“This is for 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐍𝐂 u big 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 white nasty 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐨 bitch why u took 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐞 off the muhfuckin 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 with ur trifflin dirty 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 ass u 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 ass bitc,” read an April 2020 repost.

“I have no nuance to add. Fuck Kamala Harris,” she posted after Harris told Guatemalan migrants in September 2021 not to come to the United States illegally.

比亚迪销量九个月来首次增长 海外需求强劲

2026年6月2日 07:13 / 联合早报

比亚迪5月份汽车销量实现九个月来首次增长，海外需求成为主要推动力。图为英国展会上的一辆比亚迪海豹。 （路透社）

比亚迪5月份汽车销量实现九个月来首次增长。在油价高企推动消费者转向电动汽车的背景下，海外需求成为主要推动力。

据彭博社报道，根据比亚迪星期一（6月1日）发布的数据，公司5月共销售汽车38万3453辆，同比增长0.3%。

其中，海外市场销量达到16万644辆，凸显出在中国国内需求降温之际，国际市场扩张对比亚迪的重要性。

比亚迪今年的目标是在中国以外市场销售130万辆汽车，较2025年增长约25%。

这份数据也提振了投资者信心。此前，比亚迪公布的上一季度利润大幅下滑，原因包括政府补贴逐步退出以及来自其他中国车企日益激烈的竞争。

为推动年内余下时间的销售增长，比亚迪正押注于一系列新车型以及快速充电电池技术。面对国内价格战压力，公司持续加快海外扩张步伐，尤其是在欧洲市场销量快速增长。此前，比亚迪与Stellantis NV及其他欧洲汽车制造商展开洽谈，希望接手当地部分产能利用率较低的工厂。

中使馆敦促柬埔寨全力侦办中国公民遇害案件

2026年6月2日 07:46 / 联合早报

针对此前有媒体报道指一名居住在金边的中国公民疑遭绑架遇害，中国驻柬埔寨大使馆敦促柬方全力侦办，切实维护在柬中国公民生命财产安全。

据中新社报道，中国驻柬埔寨大使馆当地时间星期一（6月1日）晚发文称，5月30日，柬埔寨金边市发现一具中国公民遗体，经警方鉴定，死因为谋杀。

中国驻柬使馆称，使馆对此高度重视，第一时间向柬警方核实情况，并分别做柬政府、警察总署和金边市警察局工作，敦促柬方尽快查明案件真相，全力缉捕犯罪嫌疑人，依法严惩凶犯，切实维护中国公民生命财产安全。

中国驻柬使馆表示，柬埔寨有关部门表示高度关注此案，目前正全力推进案件侦办工作。驻柬使馆已与遇害中国公民家属建立联系，将密切跟踪案件进展，持续敦促柬方全力侦办。

US Homeland Security chief sees no need to stop international flight processing at Newark Airport

2026-06-01T22:54:00.012Z / Reuters

By David Shepardson

June 1, 2026 10:54 PM UTC Updated 36 mins ago

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 27, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) – U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Monday ​he does not need to halt international flight processing at New Jersey’s Newark ‌Liberty International Airport, citing cooperation from state and local law enforcement officials near a detention center.

“As long as we continue to have this partnership with local and state law enforcement, then there’ll be no need to ​do so,” Mullin said at a press conference in Dallas.

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New Jersey Governor Mikie ​Sherrill on Friday ordered state police to assume control outside a migrant detention center ⁠in Newark that had become a weeklong flashpoint for clashes between protesters and federal Immigration ​and Customs Enforcement agents.

Sherrill, a Democrat, said she was acting to quell escalating tensions and episodes ​of violence outside Delaney Hall, the 1,000-bed jail operated by the private company Geo Group (GEO.N), opens new tab.

Mullin again acknowledged he had a plan to pull customs agents from the airport to assist with security efforts at Newark Airport – ​a major United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab hub outside New York City – but said it was not currently ​needed because of efforts by state and local law enforcement.

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On Thursday, Mullin had warned that the Trump administration ‌could ⁠soon stop processing international travelers and cargo at Newark Airport. Major airline, travel and business groups on Friday warned that barring border processing at Newark Airport or other major U.S. airports could lead to chaos, strand thousands of tourists and Americans trying to get home, and prevent crucial ​cargo shipments.

Mullin has repeatedly ​said he could also ⁠halt immigration processing at more than a dozen other airports in so-called sanctuary cities, including Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and ​San Francisco.

Shutting down all international flights in the 18 airports serving the ​sanctuary cities ⁠would result in a more than $70 billion hit to the economy and impact 68 million international passengers per year, the U.S. Travel Association said.

blob:https://www.reuters.com/cea8da25-d94e-4f63-9653-de8cd233713a

Foreign visitors are expected to stream in for this ⁠month’s soccer World ​Cup, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. ​The final will be held on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, about 12 miles (19.31 km) from Newark Airport.

Reporting ​by David Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis

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Ex-FBI agents launch support group for employees struggling to adjust under Kash Patel’s leadership

2026-06-01 5:02 PM ET / CNN

By Holmes Lybrand

PUBLISHED Jun 1, 2026, 5:02 PM ET

Federal agencies

The J. Edgar Hoover Building, which served as the headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 1975, in Washington, DC.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images/File

Summary

• Former FBI agents have launched a support network to help bureau employees struggling under Director Kash Patel’s leadership.
• The group says it will provide free legal representation, mental health services and job placement assistance to agents facing termination.
• Patel has fired dozens of agents for perceived bias, including those who worked on Trump investigations.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

In the wake of FBI Director Kash Patel’s efforts to root out so-called weaponization in the agency, firing dozens of employees for their perceived bias, former agents set up their own group to help those struggling under the new leadership.

Former Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mike Feinberg said in a statement that the FBI Support Network will serve “to offer tangible assistance” to agents inside.

That help will include free legal representation, mental health services and assistance in finding jobs for those wanting to leave, according to a release announcing the group, which says it is adding “an army of former FBI officials who want to assist those inside.”The group is a part of “Justice Connection,” which has been offering similar assistance to Justice Department employees.

CNN reached out to the FBI for comment on the new support group.

Former FBI agents have sued Patel and the Justice Department over their ousting, arguing the firings were clearly political, did not follow FBI protocol and in some instances violated their constitutional rights.

FBI Director Kash Patel speaks during a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill on May 12 in Washington, DC.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

In several lawsuits, agents say they have struggled to find other employment and have had their careers stripped from them for doing their job.

Patel has fired agents who worked on past investigations into Trump; agents who were captured kneeling during protests over George Floyd’s death; and others, including Brian Driscoll, who ran the agency for a brief time before Patel was sworn in.

In a video announcing the group, Driscoll, a member, said agents “facing these unprecedented times are not alone,” noting that it was time to help “the special agents, intelligence analysts and the professional staff who are under attack.”

Driscoll is also suing the agency over his termination in August after he worked to prevent the very layoffs Patel later oversaw.

Brian Driscoll, former acting director of the FBI, participates in a panel discussion during a summit on terrorism and political violence in New York on September 10, 2025.

Seth Wenig/AP

Driscoll recently told CNN that while being vetted for the top job, he was asked a series of questions by incoming Trump officials about his personal politics, including whom he voted for, when he started supporting Trump, and whether he’d voted for a Democrat in recent elections. The questions alarmed him, he said.

“It’s time for those of us who also once carried credentials, badges, and sidearms alongside our FBI colleagues to offer tangible assistance when they are faced with the choice between an order and what they know is just, and to help them when they have to weather the consequences of upholding their oaths,” Feinberg’s statement said.

Florida sues OpenAI, alleging company could have minimized harms caused by ChatGPT

June 1, 2026 / 4:01 PM EDT / CBS News

On its parental resource page, OpenAI says ChatGPT is built with safety in mind.

“Not so,” according to a lawsuit filed by Florida State Attorney General James Uthmeier on Monday. The phrase was accompanied by a screenshot of an OpenAI post about safety and transparency at the start of the complaint.

Florida is the first state to sue OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging the company prioritized profit and speed over user safety and that the harms caused by ChatGPT “are substantial and outweigh any benefits of ChatGPT use.”

“People are getting hurt, parents are getting deceived, and they need to pay for it,” Uthmeier said in a press conference Monday morning.

In an 83-page suit, Uthmeier says that OpenAI failed to provide warnings about the risks of ChatGPT, which the suit claims can cause addiction and behavioral harm, and said the company could have used alternative designs to minimize harms by the chatbot.

The suit says the company either knew or should have known that its design encourages self-harm and violence, among other things harmful to Floridians — particularly children and teens. It alleges Altman knew the dangers of ChatGPT, but ignored them.

“The threat of ChatGPT to Floridians (and humanity) is not lost on either OpenAI or Altman,” the suit reads.

The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI is driven by an “insatiable quest to win the AI arms race and amass large fortunes, despite knowing the danger of ChatGPT.” It claims the company leverages user data to boost its market value “at unacceptable costs” and that the rise of the company is “attributable to a web of deceit and the exploitation of users.”

The suit lays out several cases where ChatGPT was linked to incidents with devastating consequences, such as in the death of Adam Raine, a 16-year-old who died by suicide after extensive conversations with ChatGPT where he expressed suicidal thoughts. The chatbot wrote his suicide note for him, according to the suit.

“ChatGPT did not simply respond to Adam. It promoted and aided his suicide, volunteering information that would assist in his death,” the suit reads.

The lawsuit also pointed to the shooting last April at Florida State University, where two people were killed and several others wounded after an FSU student opened fire on campus. The suspect had asked ChatGPT how many shooting victims it would take to garner media attention and the busiest time at the FSU student union, where the shooting took place, according to chat logs shared by the Florida State Attorney’s Office with CBS News in April.

In April, Florida opened up a criminal investigation into OpenAI after determining the suspect was offered “significant advice” by ChatGPT before the shooting. That same month, a man accused of killing two University of South Florida graduate students was linked to ChatGPT after asking what would happen if someone was “put in a black garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster.”

In his press briefing, Uthmeier also referenced a mass shooting in Canada earlier this year. The shooter had long conversations with ChatGPT about scenarios involving gun violence before carrying out the attack, according to a lawsuit filed in April by the families of the victims.

“Today we’re going to send a message to Open AI,” Uthmeier said in his Monday morning press briefing. “Get ready for a fight, and there’s not one more important than this right now.”

In a statement to CBS News, OpenAI said it has built safety for minors into its products, like age protection tools, a more protective experience specifically for minors and parental tools to monitor their child’s use of AI.

“Losing a child is the most devastating tragedy that can happen to a family and we know that no words can come close to addressing the pain of such a loss,” the company said. It also said AI is a “new and powerful technology” and that minors need “significant protection.”

“We know pointing to this work will not bring a child back, but we’re committed to getting this right,” the statement said.

Trump admin backs off controversial $2B fund, clearing path for stalled GOP immigration bill

June 1, 2026 4:09pm EDT / Fox News

John Thune says Trump administration must be ‘crystal clear’ about whether the DOJ ‘anti-weaponization’ fund is permanently shut down

By Alex Miller, Fox News

GOP, Dems clash on Capitol Hill over DOJ anti-weaponization fund proposal

The ‘Fox News Sunday’ panel discusses the controversy in Washington, D.C., surrounding the Department of Justice’s proposed anti-weaponization fund.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The Department of Justice (DOJ) pressed pause on the Trump administration’s “anti-weaponization” fund on Monday, giving Senate Republicans runway to hammer through a massive immigration enforcement funding package in the process.

The DOJ announced on X that it would abide by a Virginia federal court’s order to not move forward with the fund. It comes as Republicans in the upper chamber punted their plan to advance a $72 billion immigration enforcement package over deep concerns about who could access the flow of taxpayer dollars from the nearly $2 billion fund.

The DOJ said in a statement that it “disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund” by the Virginia district court, “wherein the Court stated that, under no circumstances, may the Department of Justice proceed with the Anti-Weaponization Fund recently established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people.”

SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING

President Donald Trump looks on during a swearing-in ceremony for new Chairman of the Federal Reserve Kevin Warsh in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 2026.(Aaron Schwartz/AFP via Getty Images)

“This fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise,” the agency said. “The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling.”

For the time being, that could ease Republicans’ concerns over whether those convicted of assaulting police officers on Jan. 6, 2021, could access the money. And it will likely allow the GOP to restart the budget reconciliation process with that political pressure point now sidelined.

It comes as Democrats are gearing up for a deluge of bills and amendments that likely could have passed had the administration not halted the fund. But still, it’s unclear if it means the fund has totally been nixed, or if it’s just a temporary pause.

GOP’S PRIMED FOR PRIMARY SEASON PAYBACK ON TRUMP’S MOST AMBITION, CONTROVERSIAL POLICY

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Sen Johnson accuses Dems of ‘sabotaging’ Republican efforts to fund ICE, CBP

When asked if he thought Democratic amendments and bills would survive, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that the administration would have to be crystal clear about what happens next.

“If the administration effectively shuts it down, and makes that very, very clear, and that, to me, should answer the question,” Thune said.

Whether the fund has permanently come to an end is still an open question. Fox News Digital was referred to the DOJ by the White House for comment, and the DOJ did not immediately respond.

Given that grey area, Senate Democrats plan to move full-steam ahead with their slate of legislation and amendments geared toward completely terminating the “anti-weaponization” fund.

CONGRESS BARRELS TOWARD DEADLINE PILE-UP AS GOP DIVISIONS THREATEN TRUMP AGENDA

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during a news conference after a weekly Democrat policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 2026.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“If Trump and Republicans are truly abandoning this corrupt scheme, they should have zero problem banning it in law,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on X. “This week, Senate Democrats will push legislation to ban this slush fund and ensure no president can ever do this again. Trump’s word is nowhere near enough.”

Schumer had already primed Democrats to take advantage of the brewing dissent within the GOP with an aggressive legislative strategy during the forthcoming “vote-a-rama,” where both sides of the aisle will get a near unlimited number of amendments to vote on for the immigration package.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., already plans to introduce three bills that would redirect the funding to address growing affordability concerns in the country.

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“My bills will redirect the $1.8 BILLION slush fund money to SNAP, Medicaid, and law enforcement programs like those that help our local police departments hire more officers,” Rosen said on X.

“You work hard for your money, and I’ll be damned if I let Donald Trump or anyone else use it for a slush fund for their friends. Let’s see if Washington Republicans agree,” she continued.

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.