New York passes bill banning prices based on personal data

2026-06-05 17:29:42 UTC / Reuters

By Jody Godoy

June 5, 2026 5:29 PM UTC Updated 53 mins ago

The Brooklyn Bridge and parts of the New York City skyline are visible in New York City, U.S., November 5, 2025. REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

June 5 (Reuters) – New York state lawmakers ​on Thursday passed a ban on businesses setting ‌individualized prices for consumers based on their personal data, in the strongest move yet by a state against the practice.

Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here.

• If New York Governor ​Kathy Hochul signs it into law, the One ​Fair Price Act would prohibit companies from setting prices ⁠based on data that could be traced to a ​person or their device, such as browsing history, income and ​real-time location.
• Discounts for seniors, teachers and other specific groups, as well as discounts offered through loyalty programs, would still be allowed.
• Companies would also ​have to disclose when they are using prices that fluctuate ​automatically based on an algorithm, also called “dynamic pricing.”
• New York would be the ‌third ⁠state to prohibit the practice. Grace Gedye, a policy analyst at the consumer advocacy group Consumer Reports, said the bill improves upon those passed in Maryland and Connecticut, but still has ​flaws the legislature ​should address ⁠in the future.
• Hochul is likely to face corporate lobbying to weaken the bill, Gedye said. ​A spokesperson for Hochul said she is reviewing ​bill. ⁠The governor has until the end of the year to act on the legislation.
• The proposal would replace a law Hochul signed ⁠last ​year that requires a disclaimer when ​prices are set by an algorithm using individuals’ personal data.

Reporting by Jody Godoy ​in New York; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Aurora Ellis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Bondi’s replacement saddled with Epstein baggage as he awaits grueling confirmation battle

2026-06-05 15:26 EDT / Fox News

Senators in both parties have criticized the redaction process and missing documents from the millions of files released

By Elaine Mallon Fox News

Published June 5, 2026 3:26pm EDT | Updated June 5, 2026 3:28pm EDT

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that Todd Blanche, who at the time was second in command at the Justice Department, was put in charge of the release of the millions of documents from the Epstein files during her closed-door hearing before Congress late last month.

“As the head of a large department with broad responsibilities, I did not lead every aspect of this effort nor conduct that document review myself,” Bondi said during the hearing. “I delegated that oversight over this process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.”

The House Oversight Committee released its transcript from Bondi’s May 29 hearing just a day after President Donald Trump announced he intended to nominate Blanche as his permanent attorney general nominee, potentially complicating Blanche’s confirmation as senators on both sides of the political aisle have heavily criticized the files’ rollout.

Blanche has been serving as Acting Attorney General since April 2, when Trump announced Bondi’s dismissal.

LAPSED EPSTEIN DEADLINE UNDERSCORES CHALLENGE OF REVIEWING TROVES OF FILES IN 30 DAYS

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche arrives to 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.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The release of the transcript, which placed responsibility for the Epstein files rollout squarely on Blanche’s shoulders, comes just days after Blanche announced during a hearing that the Justice Department will be eliminating its controversial Anti-Weaponization Fund, which was created to compensate alleged victims of politicized prosecution and labeled a “slush fund” for Trump and his supporters by critics. The Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files and the Anti-Weaponization Fund, both overseen by Blanche, has drawn concern from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

Bondi’s testimony revealed that Blanche had been her point man on the Epstein files and was tasked with briefing her on the release of the Epstein files.

The former attorney general found herself in hot water last July following a joint release by the Justice Department and FBI finding that there was no evidence that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who is alleged to have hundreds of underage victims, had kept a client list.

BONDI SAYS EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST ‘SITTING ON MY DESK RIGHT NOW’, AND IS REVIEWING JFK, MLK FILES

Then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Feb. 11, 2026 in Washington, D.C.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The joint statement, which Bondi said during May’s hearing was penned by Blanche and not her, comes after months of the Trump administration teasing the release of the Epstein files. In February 2025, Fox News’ John Roberts asked Bondi about the release of Epstein’s “client list,” which Bondi responded by saying that it was “sitting on her desk.” Bondi and the White House clarified after the fact that she was referring to the files as a whole and not Epstein’s “client list.”

Members of Congress asked Bondi why Blanche interviewed Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, who was in prison, weeks after the joint memo release. Bondi replied by saying Blanche “was leading the Epstein matter and the release of everything from the beginning.”

Once Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025, Bondi stated Blanche oversaw the release of millions of documents, which entailed overseeing the redaction process, including its protocols and guidelines, determining which documents were privileged and making corrections to redactions.

Rep. Thomas Massie speaks alongside Reps. Ro Khanna and Marjorie Taylor Greene during a news conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 18, 2025.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

DOJ’S EPSTEIN DISCLOSURE DRAWS FIRE FOR WEBSITE GLITCHES, MISSING DOCUMENTS, REDACTIONS

“He was in charge of the process and the entire release of the Epstein files,” Bondi said.

But the Justice Department faced scrutiny over failures to redact all identifiable information from some of Epstein’s victims, allegations that some redactions were heavy-handed and that some documents were completely missing, prompting a bipartisan group of senators to send a letter in March requesting that the Government Accountability Office lead an investigation into the Justice Department’s redaction process.

“Not only has DOJ withheld files, but those records that were disclosed are largely information that was already public,” the letter stated. “Even those records are so heavily redacted that there are serious questions as to whether the Department is properly applying the limited exceptions for redaction that are permitted under the Act. Moreover, several records appear to have been removed, without explanation, from the files the Department did released.”

SENATE REPUBLICAN DEMANDS STATE, FEDERAL COURTS ‘IMMEDIATELY UNSEAL ALL’ EPSTEIN DOCS

Interim Attorney General Todd Blanche rejects speculation surrounding Pam Bondi’s firing: ‘Simply not true’ https://www.foxnews.com/video/6392478701112(https://www.foxnews.com/video/6392478701112)

However, Bondi said during the hearing that she was not blaming Blanche and that the error rate for the redaction was 1%, which was what Blanche had told her.

“He managed this investigation — and it was a Herculean task — with very little error,” Bondi said during the hearing. “And Todd did an excellent job, in my opinion, and is doing an excellent job as our Attorney General.”

Following her closed-door testimony, Bondi pushed back on allegations from Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., that she is pushing the blame of the Epstein Files rollouts on Blanche.

“NOT TRUE,” Bondi posted on X. “I praised Acting AG Blanche’s management of this Herculean task. I said his ethics are beyond reproach and that he is an incredible Attorney General.”

A White House spokesperson said that Blanche was doing an “excellent job” and will continue to perform well.

“Todd Blanche is an American patriot who fearlessly fought on behalf of President Trump against the Democrats’ illegal and unprecedented lawfare campaign,” said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman. “The President’s entire team at the Department of Justice is doing a great job advocating for sanity, law and order, and policies that keep Americans safe.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Blanche’s nomination is also expected to face scrutiny from Democrats who have questioned whether the former Trump defense attorney can serve as an independent attorney general. Last month, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., launched a Senate Judiciary Committee inquiry based on allegations that Blanche disregarded ethics guidance advising him to recuse himself from matters at the Justice Department involving Trump, who he previously served as a personal lawyer to.

Fox News Digital reached out to Senate Judiciary Committee leadership and the Justice Department for comment.

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

Anthony Head, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Ted Lasso” star, dies at age 72

June 5, 2026 / 1:10 PM EDT / CBS News

By Kerry Breen News Editor

British actor Anthony Head, best known for playing librarian and mentor Rupert Giles on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has died at 72, his talent agency Gordon & French confirmed to CBS News on Friday.

Head’s daughters said he had died of complications from pneumonia.

“Our grief is far greater than the hole he has left behind, but we know his legacy will live on, in the shows he was a part of, and in the audiences that love them,” Daisy and Emily Head said in a statement shared with CBS News partner BBC News. “How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us.”

Head rose to fame in England in the 1980s, then became internationally known with his leading role on “Buffy” in the late 1990s. He was best known for his deep baritone voice and was a frequent face on television, including a role on the British classic “Doctor Who.” He also appeared in films including “The Iron Lady” with Meryl Streep and 2024’s “Upgraded.”

Anthony Head at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, March 20, 2017. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

Head most recently appeared on Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso,” where he played villainous team owner Rupert Mannion throughout the show’s first three seasons. Head did not appear in a recent teaser trailer for the show’s upcoming fourth season.

Daisy and Emily Head noted that their father “always considered himself very lucky” and said that he “loved his job very much.” They also said “his legacy will live on” through his entertainment work.

Head spent his life in England. He shared his two daughters with longtime partner Sarah Fisher. Fisher, an animal welfare advocate, died in December, according to BBC News.

Daisy and Emily Head said their father died surrounded by his family.

“It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many,” they said.

Head’s “Buffy” co-star Nicholas Brendon died from natural causes in March at the age of 54. Michelle Trachtenberg, who joined the supernatural series in its fourth season, died in February 2025 due to diabetes complications.

Federal judge strikes down Trump admin limits on asylum and immigration applications

2026-06-05 1:05 PM ET / CNN

By Priscilla Alvarez

Updated 1 hr 37 min ago
Updated Jun 5, 2026, 1:58 PM ET
PUBLISHED Jun 5, 2026, 1:05 PM ET

A citizenship candidate holds a flag during the US Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony at Rockefeller Plaza in New York, in September 2019.

Shannon Stapleton/Reuters/File

Summary

• A federal judge struck down Trump administration policies that suspended asylum processing and froze certain immigration applications.
• Judge John McConnell criticized what he described as strong evidence of anti-immigrant animus in his 135-page ruling.
• The policies left millions of immigrants without work authorization or legal status for over six months.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

A federal judge struck down a series of Trump administration policies targeting asylum seekers and immigrants seeking benefits in a scathing court ruling Friday.

Last year, the administration indefinitely suspended asylum adjudications and froze immigration applications for people who fell under the travel ban, among other measures, leaving millions of immigrants in the United States in legal limbo.

Judge John J. McConnell Jr. acknowledged that uncertainty in his 135-page opinion.

“(T)he Challenged Policies placed the lives of countless individuals on hold – solely by virtue of their countries of birth,” wrote McConnell, a nominee of former President Barack Obama. “Over six months later, many of those individuals remain without work, without legal status, and without any meaningful ability to plan for their futures.”

McConnell went on to lambast what he described as “strong evidence of anti-immigrant animus.”

“The Government effectively invites the Court to shut its eyes and ignore the strong evidence of anti-immigrant animus before it,” the judge wrote. “Doing so would require profound naiveté on the Court’s part. Unfortunately for the Government, that is an invitation that this Court will have to decline.”

US Citizenship and Immigration Services enacted the changes last year after an Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington, DC. He has pleaded not guilty.

Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, an advocacy organization, said in a statement that the ruling “reaffirms a basic principle: the federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from,”

“We are pleased that the court recognized the devastating human consequences of these policies. Our communities deserve a fair process governed by law, not political targeting rooted in fear and discrimination,” Perryman added.

DHS General Counsel James Percival blasted Friday’s decision.

“The Left has been running the same gambit with so called ‘animus’ claims since 2017. It is sabotage dressed in legal clothing,” Percival said in a statement. “It goes like this: (1) the admin is racist, (2) therefore a policy I don’t like is motivated by race, (3) therefore it is invalid. They have used it on virtually every Trump era Department of Homeland Security policy.”

This story has been updated with comment from DHS.

WATCH: AOC leaves door open to 2028 White House bid: ‘Maybe, maybe not’

June 5, 2026 2:49pm EDT / Fox News

The congresswoman said guaranteeing healthcare is a greater measure of success than securing the presidency

By Hannah Brennan Fox News

WATCH: AOC responds to 2028 presidential buzz, says healthcare is what ‘matters more’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responds to speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run, saying her main focus is on guaranteeing healthcare for all Americans. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

blob:https://www.foxnews.com/3f9717fc-286f-42db-8054-14cb460b15d8

Listen to this article

3 min

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., refused to rule out a 2028 presidential run, but said expanding healthcare remains more important than pursuing higher office.

“Could I be president?” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Could I not be president? Maybe, maybe not.”

She repeatedly steered the conversation away from her own political future and back toward policy outcomes, arguing that the value of holding office depends on what can be accomplished with it. She suggested that achieving universal healthcare would be a greater measure of success than securing any particular title, including the presidency.

“What matters more is that we guarantee healthcare in this country,” she told Fox News Digital.

AOC DODGES QUESTIONS ON ABUSE ALLEGATIONS, NAZI TATTOO CLAIMS ROCKING PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks at TU Berlin in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 15, 2026.(Annette Riedl/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)

Speculation about Ocasio-Cortez’s political future has grown as some Democrats view her as a potential contender in the 2028 presidential race. While she has never formally announced a 2028 campaign, she has also declined to rule one out.

“I mean the answer is the answer,” she said when asked whether she was considering a run.

Ocasio-Cortez framed her response around expanding healthcare access, suggesting policy outcomes matter more than holding office and questioning whether the presidency would be the best path to achieving universal healthcare.

“There’s a world where in order to do that, I shouldn’t have that job,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “There’s a world where, maybe. But the most important thing is getting everyone healthcare in this country.”

WHAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS WOULD TELL AOC ABOUT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Video

This is not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has addressed questions about a potential White House bid. During a conversation with Democratic strategist David Axelrod at an event in Chicago last month, she said her ambitions extend beyond holding a particular office, arguing that her “ambition is to change this country.”

“Presidents come and go; Senate, House seats, elected officials come and go, but single-payer healthcare is forever,” she said to Axelrod. “A living wage is forever. Workers’ rights are forever. Women’s rights, all of that.”

Speculation about a potential 2028 bid intensified after she reposted a Verasight poll on X in December that showed her narrowly ahead of Vice President J.D. Vance — 51% to 49%.

AOC PREDICTS TRIUMPH OVER JD VANCE IN HYPOTHETICAL 2028 MATCHUP: ‘LET THE RECORD SHOW: I WOULD STOMP HIM’

Vice President JD Vance has said military action against Iran is on the table if an agreement to end the conflict is not reached.(Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Her initial comment in the repost was “Bloop!” She later made a second comment on the poll, stating she would “stomp him” if the two went head-to-head in an election.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Ocasio-Cortez is among a growing list of Democrats whose names have surfaced in early discussions about the party’s 2028 presidential field, alongside figures such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Hannah Brennan is a Digital Production Assistant on the Politics team. She previously interned at the Aspen Daily News, where she covered local government meetings, community developments, cultural events and nationally significant political events. Her reporting included coverage of the Aspen Security Forum and appearances by prominent leaders such as former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. She graduated early with high distinction from the University of Colorado Boulder in December 2025 and joined Fox News Digital in January 2026.

Ned Jarrett, NASCAR Hall of Famer and CBS announcer, dies at 93

June 5, 2026 / 3:46 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Ned Jarrett, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and longtime broadcaster, died Thursday of natural causes in his home, his family said in a statement shared by the racing organization. He was 93.

Jarrett was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011 after 50 career wins on the sport’s top circuit, including championships in 1961 and 1965. He was part of the second five-member NASCAR Hall of Fame class. He still holds the record for the largest margin of victory in a NASCAR race, the organization said.

Ned Jarrett holds his trophy, The Governor’s Cup, as he receives a hug from his wife after winning the Dixie 400 stock car auto race June 8, 1964 in Atlanta. Associated Press

Jarrett, known as “Gentleman Ned” for his demeanor, may have been better known by younger NASCAR fans for his broadcasting career. Jarrett spent over 20 years with CBS, working as a pit reporter from 1979 to 1984 and serving as a color analyst from 1984 to 2000. One of his signature moments in the booth came in the 1993 Daytona 500 when he didn’t try to restrain from rooting as his son, Dale Jarrett, held off Dale Earnhardt for the win.

Dale Jarrett won the Cup Series in 1999. The Jarretts became the second father-son combination to win Cup Series championships, following Lee and Richard Petty. Bill Elliott and his son, Chase, later completed the father-son achievement.

In NASCAR’s statement, CEO Steve O’Donnell remembered Jarrett as a racing legend.

Dale Jarrett is interviewed by father Ned Jarrett as he prepares for the start of the NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Nov. 21, 1999. Ric Feld/Associated Press

“Despite his calm demeanor, ‘Gentleman’ Ned Jarrett was as fierce a competitor as NASCAR has ever seen,” O’Donnell said in a statement. “His on-track accomplishments speak for themselves with wins and championships across several NASCAR divisions.”

“But it was his off-the-track persona that separated Ned from his peers. He was as kind as his nickname indicated. And his endearing personality helped him excel in his second career as a broadcaster,” he added. “Ned was an outstanding ambassador for the sport for more than six decades and he will be dearly missed.”

Jarrett’s wife Martha died in February 2023, according to NASCAR. The two shared three children: Dale, Glenn and Patti. All three have connections to the racing world, NASCAR said.

Jarrett’s family described him as “a devout Christian and a devoted, loving family man.”

“He was a friend to everyone he met and NASCAR’s oldest living champion,” Jarrett’s family said in their statement. “By all accounts, he was a true NASCAR legend. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate the remarkable life of an amazing man and truly the best father anyone could have wished for. Rest in Peace, Dad.”

Texas grid flags risks as data centers, crypto sites fail voltage tests

2026-06-05T16:53:23.668Z / Reuters

Summary

• Several large data centers, crypto sites failed grid reliability tests ahead of summer peak
• ERCOT reviewing failures, developing mitigation plans as abrupt disconnections risk outages
• Regulators tightening rules to ensure facilities withstand voltage disturbances without disconnecting

June 5 (Reuters) – Several ​large data centers and crypto facilities planning to connect to the Texas power grid ahead of ‌peak summer demand have failed key reliability tests, raising the risk of power outages just as electricity use hits its seasonal high, according to the state grid operator.

The rapid expansion of data centers processing vast amounts of data for artificial intelligence and crypto mining is ​straining power grids across the United States.

The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here.

Unlike traditional industrial customers, which tend to draw electricity steadily and ​predictably, data centers are engineered to cut their connection to the grid at the first sign ⁠of trouble to protect their equipment and keep services running. That makes them an unpredictable and potentially destabilizing force ​on grids already under pressure from rising demand.

Four groups of unnamed large electricity users, including data centers, abruptly disconnected ​from the Texas grid during a test of how they would handle routine voltage disturbances, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said in a report dated May 21.

When large customers abruptly cut their power use, it can knock the grid off balance and trigger wider ​outages.

ERCOT, which manages electricity for most of Texas, said it reviewed about 20 gigawatts of large customers seeking to connect ​to the system, including eight projects totaling roughly 3.9 gigawatts aiming to start up before July 1. It said it identified ‌four groups ⁠of large power users that could each trigger more than 5,000 megawatts of demand tripping under certain fault conditions, based on simulations of transmission system disturbances.

Those abrupt drops in demand were equivalent to the electricity consumption of a large city such as Boston.

ERCOT said it is reviewing the test failures and drawing up plans to protect the grid from ​disruptions. So-called voltage ride-through failures ​have become a top ⁠priority for ERCOT’s board as the risk grows with more data centers and crypto miners connecting to the grid.

Since 2023, ERCOT has identified at least 26 events in which ​data centers or crypto mining facilities have abruptly disconnected from the grid because they ​could not handle ⁠disturbances in the flow of electricity.

In December 2022, a failed transformer at a substation in west Texas caused nearly 400 crypto miners, data centers and oil and gas production facilities to unplug without warning. The mass disconnection produced a surplus of nearly ⁠1,700 ​megawatts of electricity, about 5% of the grid’s total demand, and forced ​112 megawatts of power generation to shut down, according to ERCOT.

ERCOT and regulators have been tightening interconnection and performance requirements, including new rules aimed ​at ensuring such facilities can ride through voltage and frequency disturbances without disconnecting.

Tim McLaughlin in Boston; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani

Companies to add 40 mln barrels of oil to US SPR after Iran war ends, energy secretary says

2026-06-05 16:11 UTC / Reuters

By Timothy Gardner and Katharine Jackson

June 5, 2026 4:11 PM UTC Updated 3 hours ago

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaks next to U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) during a Small Business Summit in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 4, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) – Companies that borrowed oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve ‌in recent months will add back an extra 40 million barrels of crude in the form of premiums after the conflict in Iran is over, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on ​Friday in an interview on Fox Business.

Fuel prices have spiked since the ​U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in February, but Wright said he is ⁠not worried about stock levels in the SPR, which at 357.1 million barrels have sunk ​to the lowest levels in more than two years.

The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here.

“I’m not concerned, because we’re not ​selling any barrels of oil, we’re flowing oil to the marketplace in the short term when it needs it, and we’re trading those barrels,” Wright said on Fox Business’ “Varney & Company” program.

The DOE is ​loaning about 133 million barrels of oil from the SPR, which is held ​in underground caverns in Texas and Louisiana, to companies that will repay in crude, with premiums ‌of ⁠up to 24%. The department says that system will help stabilize markets at no cost to U.S. taxpayers.

“Each barrel we flow out, we’re getting 1.25 barrels back next year. We’re going to add 40 million barrels to the SPR after this ​conflict is over, at ​no cost to ⁠the taxpayer, with deals already made,” he said.

The loans are part of a wider deal struck in March with countries in ​the International Energy Agency to release up to 400 million ​barrels from ⁠international reserves to help calm global oil markets after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy facilities.

Some 14 million barrels per day of oil ⁠have ​been lost from Gulf producers due to the ​war and the IEA warned this week that emergency stock releases are temporary and not a solution to supply ​losses.

Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Timothy Gardner; Editing by David Ljunggren and Andrea Ricci

By Dana Bash, CNN

Published 1:34 PM EDT, Fri June 5, 2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/05/politics/video/inside-politics-senate-battleground-map-maine

How Graham Platner’s scandals are putting Democrats’ best Senate pick-up opportunity at risk

Inside Politics

Dana Bash breaks down this year’s Senate map as Democrats grapple with fresh allegations against Graham Platner, their likely nominee in Maine, the only state Kamala Harris won in 2024 that also has a Republican senator.

War of words ignites over Trump admin rebuke of British police after teen bled to death in handcuffs

2026-06-05 14:01:52 EDT / Fox News

Henry Nowak died from a stabbing after UK police believed his killer’s claim of racial abuse

Henry Nowak, 18, bled out while in police custody in December after his killer accused him of racial abuse and police ignored his exasperated cries for help. (Credit: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary/Reuters)

A war of words has erupted between U.S. and British officials after a young Briton with a bright future bled out in handcuffs as police took him into custody on suspicion of making racial remarks, only to learn later that his killer fabricated the allegation.

The State Department issued a harsh rebuke Thursday night amid online outrage stemming from the stabbing of Henry Nowak, and Vice President JD Vance was quick to pile-on, claiming the incident proves that western civilization is at risk.

“Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline,” the State Department wrote Thursday in a viral post on X. “They must be rejected across the West. The United States sends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time.”

It was the first time the Trump administration commented publicly on the horrific stabbing.

Freshman student Henry Nowak was stabbed many times by Vikram Digwa who used an eight inch ceremonial knife in December 2025. Digwa was found guilty of murder in late May.(Hampshire police handout.)

In December 2025, Nowak was returning home from a night playing soccer with friends in the southern England city of Southampton when he encountered 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, a British Sikh man of Indian heritage wearing a turban and carrying a long ceremonial knife.

Nowak was later handcuffed by police after Digwa claimed the student was racist against him, and police refused to believe him when he said he was stabbed. He died while in police custody.

“Henry Nowak died the same way a civilization dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him, and accused of hate crimes he did not commit,” Vance wrote on X in a lengthy post addressing the overseas crime.

“His murder is as tragic as it is enraging,” the vice president continued. “He should still be alive today, and he would be if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it.”

He reiterated how a top priority of the Trump administration is working to preserve western civilization by stopping mass migration.

ENGLISH COPS CUFFED TEEN STABBING VICTIM AFTER ATTACKER CLAIMED RACIAL ASSAULT

Vickrum Digwa was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of murdering university student Henry Nowak by stabbing him five times with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife on Dec. 3, 2025, in Southampton. Digwa falsely claimed he was the victim of a racist attack after the stabbing.(Press Association via AP Images)

Vance’s post drew an immediate response from across the pond.

“In recent days we have seen people trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

“The Nowak family are grieving after Henry’s horrific murder. They have said they do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We should be respecting their wishes,” the statement continued. “Our politics should bring people together even in the most terrible of circumstances. That is who we are as a country.”

Nowak filmed the initial encounter before his death, where he called Digwa a “bad man.”

“I am a bad man,” Digwa replied, taking offense to the comment. He then stabbed the student five times, including a fatal wound to his chest. What came next sparked worldwide outrage while Digwa, now convicted of murder, was on trial in May.

Body cameras worn by officers show Digwa alleging racial abuse and claiming Nowak removed his turban. The police took Digwa’s word, and handcuffed Nowak when they located him. Footage shows Nowak lying on the ground, repeatedly telling officers he couldn’t breathe.

When Nowak told officers he had been stabbed, one is heard dismissing him with: “Don’t think you have, mate.”

The young student bled to death in police custody.

DAN GAINOR: THE ENGLAND WE LOVE IS LOST. IF WE DON’T CHANGE, AMERICA WILL BE, TOO

Vice President JD Vance during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (L) Britain’s PM Starmer speaks during a press conference, in London.(Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Thomas Krych/Pool via REUTERS)

It was later revealed that Digwa called his mother, Kiran Kaur, who arrived at the crime scene before the police so she could take the murder weapon to their family home and hide it. She was recently found guilty of assisting an offender and will be sentenced July 17.

Digwa was sentenced on June 1 to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.

UK ACTOR IDRIS ELBA SUGGESTS KITCHEN KNIVES BE BLUNTED, OTHERS BANNED TO PREVENT STABBINGS

Carrying knives in Britain is a heavily regulated practice, and certain types of knives are banned entirely. Digwa’s knife was considered an exception due to his religious beliefs, which also fanned the flames of the controversy surrounding the murder.

British law has a provision allowing Sikhs to carry kirpans, which are ceremonial religious knives. In Digwa’s case, he was carrying an eight-inch blade.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6397446466112

The country’s tightening speech laws have also come to the forefront, with critics arguing that police in Nowak’s case were too blinded by the report of racism to notice he had been mortally wounded. Since the Online Safety Act of 2023 took effect, swaths of Britons have been jailedfor internet posts deemed racist by authorities.

AMERICA STILL CAN’T PUT DOWN THE RACE CARD. AND IT’S THE SHAME OF OUR NATION

Police eventually apologized for the way the stabbing was handled.

“I want to say that I am sorry that Henry couldn’t be saved that night. I’m sorry that he was handcuffed and arrested in the moments before he lost consciousness,” Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Robert France of the Hampshire Constabulary said, according to Sky News.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during a dedication ceremony for an annex building at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi on May 23, 2026.(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AFP)

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Miss., also responded amid the controversy.

“Britain has a regime willing to jail people for tweets, but unwilling to protect its own citizens from bleeding out in the street,” he said in response to the State Department’s post. “Henry Nowak deserved better. That is what civilizational decline looks like. This is the future the Left is trying to import. We have to stop it.”

So did SpaceX founder and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk, who posted multiple times about the case.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Send the video to everyone you know showing how heinously Nowak was treated by the police in his dying moments and how the police cravenly kowtowed to his murderer,” he said in one post that was viewed 28 million times. “Legacy mainstream media, same ones who wrote about George Floyd millions of times, are dead silent about Nowak.”

“The West has created an utterly evil state religion where an accusation of ‘racism’ is the gravest offense that can be committed, even worse than rape or murder!” he said in another, “So if police show up at a crime scene and a British boy is bleeding out and an immigrant says the British boy is racist the cops will cuff the dying British boy.”

Peter D’Abrosca is a reporter at Fox News Digital covering politics.

Follow Peter on X at @pmd_reports. Send story tips to peter.dabrosca@fox.com.