14 dead, thousands stranded: Inside the plight of mariners trapped in the Strait of Hormuz

2026-06-16T13:41:57-0400 / CBS News

By Joanne Stocker Verification producer
Joanne Stocker is a verification producer for CBS News Confirmed. She was previously chief editor of Kurdistan 24 English and managing editor at The Defense Post. She has combined open-source investigation methods with on-the-ground reporting to cover conflict, terrorism, and misinformation for over 15 years.

Read Full Bio

June 16, 2026 / 1:41 PM EDT / CBS News

Add CBS News on Google

The U.S.-Iran deal due to be signed Friday may offer some hope for tens of thousands of commercial sailors trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, but it’s unlikely to quickly end what for many has been a brutal ordeal.

“It is, at best, the beginning,” the International Transport Workers’ Federation, a global association of transport workers’ unions, said in a statement Monday.

Both Iran and the U.S. have detained and attacked commercial vessels accused of transgressing regulations imposed on the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters during the 109-day war.

At least 14 commercial mariners have died during the war, including three Indian nationals killed in a U.S. strike on an Iranian tanker last week. Others have been wounded, detained by military forces or stuck at sea in hellish conditions.

About 600 vessels remain trapped in the Persian Gulf, according to business intelligence firm Kpler, and shipping companies expect it to take weeks— if not months — for normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to resume. The narrow strait is the only way in or out of the Gulf.

Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman’s northern Musandam Peninsula, in a May 17, 2026 file photo. AFP/Getty

While there is cautious optimism, evacuation and repatriation of the workers on the stranded ships does not appear imminent.

“Words on paper must now translate into action for the transport workers who have paid the price of this conflict,” said the International Transport Workers’ Federation, adding it was already working on evacuation plans with the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization.

“Our hearts are shattered”

Many of the mariners stuck at sea are Indian nationals.

Conditions on ships around the Gulf were “unbearable” last week, as U.S. strikes on three commercial vessels left the three Indian nationals dead, according to Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India.

“They were absolutely not feeling well. Many called us and said they are not able to sail further,” Yadav told CBS News in a Monday phone interview.

India’s commercial shipping ministry said this week that nearly 18,000 Indian mariners remain in the region, and Yadav said many had “expressed they are feeling like [they are] in jail.”

CBS News

A fourth Indian mariner, Second Officer Nishanth Uirthanathan, died on board the MT Celestial Sea tanker last week, about a month after the U.S. Navy diverted the vessel, according to the Indian seafarers union. The Iranian-flagged ship had been bound for India, but was rerouted by some 400 miles to Oman’s Duqm Port, the union said, where Uirthanathan died on June 11 while awaiting medical evacuation.

His body remained on board the ship for three days without refrigeration, Yadav said Monday.

The U.S. military’s Central Command said on May 20 that forces had boarded the Celestial as it was “suspected of attempting to violate the U.S. blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port.”

The U.S. forces “released the vessel after searching and directing the ship’s crew to alter course,” CENTCOM said at the time.

Seafarers left trapped by the conflict have faced shortages of food, water and medical care on their vessels, as well as the threat of attacks.

“The seafarers were the sufferers,” Yadav said.

Members of the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan student organization shout slogans against President Trump during a protest over the killing of three Indian sailors in a U.S. strike on a commercial vessel, June 15, 2026, in New Delhi, India. Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times/Getty

Some Indian nationals have managed to abandon their ships near enough to Iranian ports to make their way back to India by land, albeit without their wages, he added.

Mariners on U.S.-sanctioned vessels such as the MT Marivex, which was struck by the U.S. on June 9, may not even be aware the ships they’re on are subject to sanctions.

“They are just looking, what are the size of the vessel, where are the trading areas, and how much salary they will get,” Yadav said. “That is their primary need, rather than finding out whether it is [sanctioned] or not.”

CENTCOM has “disabled” nine ships for failing to comply with its blockade and turned back 135 others, it said.

Yadav said the U.S. could have struck the ships in a way that avoided casualties, and the union has demanded that the United Nations investigate the strike on the Marivex — and that the U.S. government pay at least $5 million in compensation to the families of the three mariners killed in the strike on the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello and the fourth who died on the Celestial Sea.

“We want to know the full truth of what happened,” the grandfather of one of the men who died on the Settebello, Aditya Sharma, told the Press Trust of India. “Our hearts are shattered.”

Reflecting Pool woes: Trump administration turns to hydrogen peroxide in latest bid to beat back algae

2026-06-16 1:52 PM ET / CNN

By Sunlen Serfaty, Kit Maher, Dugald McConnell
Updated Jun 16, 2026, 2:12 PM ET

A U.S. National Park Service worker dumps bottles of hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as part of their effort to mitigate an algae bloom which followed the completion of recent renovations in Washington, D.C. on June 16, 2026.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Summary

• Just over a week after Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, algae has returned to affect the iconic landmark.
• The Trump administration is deploying hydrogen peroxide treatments and advanced filtration technology to combat the murky green water.
• Workers say cleaning the pool could take a lifetime despite officials saying new nanobubbler technology has destroyed the algae.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

President Donald Trump’s more than $13 million Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation was completed just over a week ago, with its iconic 2,800 square feet refilled with 6.5 million gallons of clean water.

But already it’s been hit with a problem that has haunted administrations for decades: algae.

Over the past week, the Trump administration has jumped into action, sending crews clad in hip-waders to vacuum up the clumps of algae and on Tuesday, dispatching workers to dump gallons of hydrogen peroxide in the pool.

Nevertheless, the pool has grown increasingly into a murky shade of green – calling into question whether the president’s goal of cleaning and beautifying a pool he once disparaged as “disgusting” and “not representative of the country” can ever really be met.

A worker who spoke to CNN on Tuesday quipped that it would take “an entire lifetime” to clean the pool.

Foam floats on the surface as U.S. National Park Service workers dump bottles of hydrogen peroxide in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as part of their effort to mitigate an algae bloom which followed the completion of recent renovations in Washington, D.C. June 16, 2026.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

The Department of Interior says “state of the art” filtration known as the “ozone nanobubbler” has been installed and is working.

“Due to deploying the advanced nanobubbler technology, the algae is dead and being vacuumed up as we speak,” a Department of Interior spokesperson told CNN. “The nanobubbler technology has successfully destroyed the algae bloom that has plagued every pool reopening.”

The spokesperson also told CNN that hydrogen peroxide is being used as a “milder treatment” for algae in addition to the nanobubbler, adding that it has “no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment.”

Other parties involved with the Reflecting Pool’s refurbishing distanced themselves or stayed mum on the algae problem.

“My company had nothing to do with water, only water proofing and water tightening,” Eddie Wood, of Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the company that resurfaced the pool, told CNN. He added that he is proud of the part of the work his company did on the project.

Public records show that an Ohio company, Greenwater Services, was hired to install the filtration system. Its website boasts that the company provides “the only water purification system in the world whose patented technology is backed by government and academic research” and that its “breakthrough solutions significantly reduce toxins, algae, microcystins, nitrates, and phosphates from contaminated water.”

The company did not return CNN’s request for comment about the current algae situation.

The White House did not comment on whether Trump is aware of cleanup efforts or has spoken to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about it, directing questions back to the Interior department.

CNN’s Christine Lien and Abigail Roedersheimer contributed to this report.

Potential first tropical cyclone of the year developing off Texas’ Gulf Coast

June 16, 2026 / 2:22 PM EDT / CBS News

By

Emily Mae Czachor News Editor
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and climate. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

Read Full Bio

Forecasters are monitoring the potential first tropical cyclone of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, saying it could develop into a fully formed storm by Wednesday, they said.

The National Hurricane Center issued a preliminary weather advisory for the system, currently a tropical disturbance called Potential Tropical Cyclone One, on Tuesday morning.

It came as record rainfall and life-threatening flash floods continued to drench parts of the South, where communities braced for up to 7 or 8 inches of additional rain throughout the rest of the week.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One was located in the western Gulf early Tuesday, between Corpus Christi, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was traveling northeastward with winds of 30 mph, below the 39-mph threshold necessary to designate it a tropical storm.

Nikki Nolan/CBS News

The potential tropical cyclone also lacked a well-defined center as of the most recent update, although forecasters said the system will likely intensify and have tropical storm-force winds on Wednesday. Whether that happens or not, the National Hurricane Center emphasized the system could bring serious hazards to coastal sections of northeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, as well as parts of Alabama and Mississippi. Far-western portions of the Florida Panhandle could be affected, too.

Dangerous rainfall and flash flooding were the primary threats associated with the potential cyclone, forecasters said, adding that “significant river flooding” was possible and, in some spots, “prolonged rainfall may extend the flood threat into the weekend.”

A tropical storm watch was issued Tuesday for a stretch of the northwestern Gulf Coast, from Sargent, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana, which means tropical storm conditions could take shape there in the next 24 to 36 hours.

Several major cities, including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and New Orleans, could experience ongoing spells of excessive rainfall, especially over the next 48 hours or so, forecasts showed. Various flood watches and warnings were in effect for more than 40 million people across the region, as meteorologists predicted some areas could see rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour, or higher.

Nikki Nolan/CBS News

Multiple places still vulnerable to flooding before the week’s end have already been battered by heavy rain. National Weather Service offices in Austin, San Antonio and Shreveport, Louisiana, each reported record rainfall in their cities on Monday, with the latter two receiving more rain in a single day than either had seen since the late 19th century.

Texas’ capital city broke a daily rainfall record set in 1964, according to the National Weather Service.

Nikki Nolan contributed to this report.

Trump’s Iran agreement raises a basic question: Is it actually a deal?

June 16, 2026 2:03pm EDT / Fox News

A senior official says negotiators will know within weeks whether the framework becomes an actual agreement

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Donald Trump has hailed the newly signed Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) as a breakthrough that normalizes relations between the two countries after months of fighting.

But by the White House’s own account, the agreement settles few of the issues that dominated months of negotiations, leaving sanctions relief, frozen assets and Iran’s nuclear program for a new round of talks.

“This is really just the first MOU and then we’re going to launch into the real technical discussions later this week,” a senior administration official told reporters Monday.

The memorandum, signed digitally by Trump and Vice President JD Vance Sunday, kicks off a 60-day period for technical talks aimed at a final agreement. A formal signing ceremony with U.S. and Iranian officials, along with Pakistani and Qatari mediators, is planned for Friday. Yet even administration officials acknowledge that the memorandum leaves many of the most contentious issues unresolved.

“We’ll know over the next two to three weeks whether those understandings will turn into an actual agreement,” a senior administration official said.

TRUMP MAY HAVE WON A STRATEGIC PAUSE IN IRAN. NOW COMES THE HARD PART

Nate Swanson, a former senior advisor on Iran policy to successive administrations and now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the memorandum appears to postpone rather than resolve disputes over sanctions relief, Iran’s nuclear program and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

“It does not appear to resolve the core issues surrounding the mechanics of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian nuclear concessions, or Iranian financial incentives and sanctions relief,” Swanson wrote in an analysis published by the Atlantic Council.

The memorandum of understanding signed digitally by Trump and Vice President JD Vance Sunday, kicks off a 60-day period for technical talks aimed at a final agreement. A formal signing ceremony is planned for Friday.(Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

The remark was striking given that U.S. and Iranian officials have been negotiating since the April ceasefire and already had announced a signed memorandum and upcoming signing ceremony.

The president expressed optimism for a final deal.

“I think it’s going to happen, fairly on time, but we’ve been both involved. I think they’re going to want to get it done. Iran wants to get it done. They have to get back to business. And the relationship is now normalized,” Trump said during the G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains, France.

JD VANCE REVEALS DETAILS OF US-IRAN DEAL, ADDRESSES WHETHER TAXPAYER MONEY WILL GO TO TEHRAN

The administration has yet to publicly release the text of the memorandum, but officials indicated that many of the issues that have dominated months of negotiations remain subject to future talks, including sanctions relief, frozen Iranian assets and the disposition of Iran’s remaining enriched uranium stockpiles.

“Here’s what it says: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. That’s what it says. It won’t have one to buy, to develop. They will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters Tuesday.

Administration officials said Monday the text of the deal would be released Tuesday or Wednesday.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signed the deal along with the U.S.(Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

On perhaps the most disputed issue, White House officials insisted Monday that no frozen Iranian assets have been released, despite reports in Iranian state-linked media that Iran could gain access to roughly $24 billion in blocked funds during the negotiation period.

“The very simple fact is, $0 of unfrozen assets have been released by the United States or any other country.”

The administration also said it will maintain its current military posture in the region during the negotiations, despite Iranian accounts suggesting the framework contemplates a future reduction in U.S. forces around Iran.

“The plan is to keep the current force posture during the 60-day negotiations.”

Officials repeatedly stressed that any concessions would be tied to verification rather than promises.

“We’re still at the early phases where we’re building trust.”

“This memorandum does not mean trusting the enemy; it has been written with active distrust,” Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to Iranian state-linked Mehr News. “We will monitor the implementation of US commitments.”

The clearest immediate effect appears to be the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass,and a commitment by both sides to preserve the ceasefire while negotiations continue. Oil prices fell to their lowest levels in three months on the agreement to lift the blockade and open the strait.

Administration officials repeatedly described the memorandum as a framework that could eventually lead to sanctions relief, economic normalization and a broader settlement of Iran’s nuclear program — if negotiators can reach a final agreement in the coming weeks.

U.S. Central Command shared footage of strikes targeting airplanes amid the Iran conflict.(US Central Command)

“Nothing is on the table if it doesn’t come along with real performance.”

Iranian state-linked media have described the framework as already containing commitments on sanctions relief, access to roughly $24 billion in frozen assets, future reductions in U.S. military forces in the region and a $300 billion reconstruction program. The White House has disputed key elements of that characterization.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“We don’t pay them — there was some statement. We’re going to spend $300 billion. No, we’re allowed to go and invest if we wanted to. Someday, in the future. We have no obligation whatsoever,” Trump said during the G7 Summit.

The competing descriptions underscore how much remains unsettled.

“There will likely be a significant delta between the aspirations outlined in the MOU and what emerges in a final deal,” Swanson said.

Some congressional Republicans already are questioning whether Washington and Iran are describing the same agreement.

“I think we’d all like to see the terms of the memorandum and hopefully end up with a real deal,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told reporters at the Capitol Tuesday.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in Congress that’s ever gonna support giving money to them,” he went on.

“They ought pay for what it cost us to do this to bring them to their senses to stop killing us … I want to get reimbursed for the money we’ve had to spend to bring them to their senses. They’ve got plenty of oil, they can rebuild their own country.”

“I am pleased to hear the memorandum of understanding with Iran to allow the Strait of Hormuz to open has been agreed to. I will be watching closely the ensuing negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program and other matters. I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming.”

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6398557188112

Could a DOJ tax probe into Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife help him politically? One Dem strategist calls it a ‘badge of honor’

2026-06-16 1:41 PM EDT / CNN

By Phil Mattingly, CNN

Could a DOJ tax probe into Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife help him politically? One Dem strategist calls it a ‘badge of honor’

Inside Politics

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is vowing to fight back against President Trump’s “lawlessness”—that’s how he describes a DOJ probe into his wife over possible tax-related crimes. In a party craving a fighter, could perceived persecution at the hands of the Trump administration actually help burnish Newsom’s credentials ahead of a possible 2028 run? The Inside Politics panel breaks down how the probe—and Newsom’s response—could impact his presidential ambitions.

7:01 • Source: CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/16/politics/video/inside-politics-newsom-tax-probe-kamala-harris

Russian artist and Putin critic Semyon Skrepetsky shot dead in Poland

June 16, 2026 1:03 PM EDT / CBS News

By Anna Noryskiewicz

Russian artist and Kremlin critic Semyon Skrepetsky was shot dead Monday morning in Poland, officials said, in a killing that has shocked opposition activists and raised questions about whether his political work played a role in his death.

Prosecutors identified the victim as 44-year-old Robert Kuzovkov, better known by his artistic name, Semyon Skrepetsky. He had been living in Poland since leaving Russia several years ago and was known for performances and artwork attacking Vladimir Putin and other authoritarian leaders.

Russian dissident Semyon Skrepetsky with some of his art on May 6, 2026, in Venice, Italy. Stefano Mazzola / Getty Images

The shooting happened shortly before 10 a.m. in a residential area of the eastern Polish city of Biała Podlaska. According to investigators, a man approached Skrepetsky on a pedestrian path and opened fire. Three shots were fired first, they said. After Skrepetsky fell to the ground, the attacker reportedly walked closer and fired two more times.

A preliminary examination found five gunshot wounds, including injuries to the chest and head. Investigators have not publicly described the attack as an execution, but the details released so far suggest the gunman wanted to make sure the victim was dead.

The killer escaped and has not been found.

Police launched a large search operation after the shooting, setting up checkpoints and looking for witnesses. Officers have secured surveillance footage and collected forensic evidence from the scene, prosecutors said.

On Tuesday, authorities confirmed that two Belarusian citizens had been detained near the Belarusian consulate in Biała Podlaska. Prosecutors stressed that the men have not been charged and that investigators are still trying to determine whether they have any connection to the killing.

Skrepetsky left Russia in 2021 saying he feared political persecution. After arriving in Poland, he continued creating anti-Kremlin artwork and public performances. His targets included Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

Just days before his death, he staged a protest in Berlin in front of the Russian embassy. One of the works he displayed linked modern Russia’s leadership to the Soviet past. Images from the performance spread online and drew attention within Russian opposition circles.

According to Polish media reports, friends and supporters have said Skrepetsky received threats because of his activism. Investigators have not confirmed any link between those threats and the shooting, but they have not ruled out a political motive.

What we know about the Justice Department investigation into Jennifer Siebel Newsom

2026-06-16T18:10:19.880Z / CNN

By Tierney Sneed, Hannah Rabinowitz, Katelyn Polantz

PUBLISHED Jun 16, 2026, 2:10 PM ET

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California’s first partner, speaks during a Gender Equity Summit in Sacramento, California, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. Bloomberg’s Emily Chang meets California’s First Couple, Governor Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and visits their home in Marin County and offices in Sacramento to see how they work together. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images

A Justice Department probe into the wife of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom burst into public view Monday after Newsom — prominent critic of President Donald Trump and a potential 2028 White House contender — accused the administration of spearheading a politically motivated investigation into his inner circle.

CNN confirmed Monday that California’s first lady, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is under investigation. However, a person familiar with the probe denied that it was launched by the department’s Trump-appointed leadership in DC.

Related article California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, looks on during an election night gathering on November 4, 2025, in Sacramento. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Justice Department tax probe includes Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife 5 min read

Still, the conduct of the department in the investigation — and any charges it ultimately produces — will be closely scrutinized after Trump’s Justice Department has brought a series of prosecutions against the president’s foes. Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, could face questions about it as well, as he advances in his Senate confirmation proceedings, which are expected to begin as soon as next month.

Here is what to know about the Newsom investigation.

What are federal investigators looking at?

Siebel Newsom, who founded a non-profit focused on gender equity in media, is being investigated for tax-related conduct, as are other people with connections to the governor, a person familiar with the investigation told CNN on Monday.

It has involved both interviews of potential witnesses and grand jury subpoenas, the person said.

People close to Newsom and his wife have been interviewed by investigators, according to Newsom’s office, which believes that records related to the family’s finances have also been subpoenaed.

Newsom’s office has not confirmed that documentary subpoenas were issued but believes records have been obtained based on the nature of the questions to the family’s associates were asked.

When was the probe launched and who launched it?

The investigation was launched last year by the US attorney’s office based in Sacramento, which is California’s capital city. The person familiar with the probe told CNN it was started based on whistleblower reports, insisting that the leadership of the DOJ headquarters in DC was not involved in opening the probe.

Newsom and his allies are nonetheless drawing attention to Trump’s demands that his DOJ prosecute his political foes and the willingness of the Justice Department to pursue those cases.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 04: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (L) speaks as his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom (R) looks on during an election night gathering at the California Democrats headquarters on November 04, 2025 in Sacramento, California. California voters approved Proposition 50, a measure that will replace the state’s current congressional district map with new, legislature-drawn lines from 2026 through 2030. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Who else in Newsom’s circle has been ensnared by DOJ’s investigations?

The investigation into Siebel Newsom began last year, according to the person familiar.

Separately, in November, a top aide to the governor, Dana Williamson, was indicted on charges that she was involved in a conspiracy to illegally funnel money from a dormant account of a past campaign of former federal Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra.

Before her indictment, Williamson, who was once Newson’s chief of staff, spoke with the US Attorney’s Office in Sacramento, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

Investigators had pressed her toward speaking about a separate matter that surrounded Newsom — an inquiry into his administration’s handling of the company Activision, the person said. But Williamson had nothing to disclose related to Newsom and Activision, and wasn’t asked about Newsom’s wife or her businesses, the person said.

Last month, Williamson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, subscribing to a false tax return, and making false statements to a federal agent.

While investigators have been looking at various threads into people or entities close to Newsom for years — including the Williamson case — the probe into his wife is a separate investigation and is being worked on by investigators in Washington and Sacramento, according to two people familiar with the effort.

Becerra meanwhile is running to replace Newsom, having made it to a run-off election against the Trump-backed Republican Steve Hilton. While Beccera’s primary opponents attempted to use the Williamson prosecution to impact him, the Democrat argued that he had not been implicated in the case.

What has Newsom said about the investigation?

Newsom blasted the investigation in a video posted Monday, in which he claimed that Trump was “coming after me because I’m considering running for president, because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out, over and over again, for his lies and deceit.”

The video cited the other Trump opponents who have found themselves in the DOJ’s crosshairs, including former chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell and former FBI Director James Comey. Newsom called his wife “a public servant, a woman who’s dedicated her life to supporting women and girls.”

“If they can’t intimidate me, they’ll go after the mother of our children,” Newsom said. “Donald Trump picked the wrong target. We have nothing to hide.”

What are DOJ leaders saying about it?

The disclosure of the probe comes as Blanche is seeking to win over skeptical senators whose support he’ll need to be confirmed to as DOJ’s permanent leader. This week he is meeting with senators one-on-one on Capitol Hill, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is slated to host him for a public confirmation hearing next month.

Blanche repeatedly declined to respond to questions from CNN’s Manu Raju on Monday about Newsom’s claims.

“I’m not here to make any comments,” Blanche said during a pause in a closed-door meeting with Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.

Kevin Warsh set to lead his first Federal Reserve interest rate meeting. Here’s what to expect.

2026-06-16T15:08:00-0400 / CBS News

By

Updated on: June 16, 2026 / 3:09 PM EDT / CBS News

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh will hold his first press conference on Wednesday, offering borrowers and investors a chance to assess his plans to keep the U.S. economy on track.

Warsh, who has vowed that the Fed will remain “strictly independent” in overseeing monetary policy, last month succeeded former chair Jerome Powell at a difficult juncture, with inflation surging to its highest level in more than three years.

At the same time, President Trump has previously underlined his eagerness for the Fed to lower interest rates, the central bank’s main tool for spurring economic growth. Yet Warsh could also benefit from some economic tailwinds, including robust job growth in recent months.

With investors overwhelmingly expecting the Fed to keep its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday, the focus will be on Warsh himself and his handling of the press conference that follows the central bank’s policy statement, economists told CBS News.

“The story at this meeting is not what’s going to happen with rates — that’s pretty much a foregone conclusion,” said NerdWallet senior economist Elizabeth Renter. “The most interesting thing that’s happening at this meeting is Warsh’s debut and what that means for how we see the Fed moving forward.”

Warsh, a former Fed board governor, has suggested the Federal Reserve should provide less guidance on future rate moves and expressed his view that the AI boom will boost economic productivity, helping to ease inflation and potentially supporting lower borrowing costs.

To be sure, much has changed about the economic outlook since December, when the Fed penciled in one interest rate cut for 2026. Since the Iran war started in late February, inflation has flared amid higher oil and gas prices, pushing the Consumer Price Index to an annual rate of 4.2% in May— the highest since April 2023.

Some economists now think the Fed’s next interest rate move could be to raise borrowing costs to counter rising inflation.

Relatedly, the jump in both consumer and producer prices makes it far more difficult for Warsh and other members of the Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed’s rate-setting panel, to push for a rate cut in 2026, according to economists.

What will the Fed do with interest rates?

Economists overwhelmingly expect the Federal Reserve to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Wednesday, keeping the federal funds rate — what banks charge each other for short-term loans — in a range of 3.5% to 3.75%, according to FactSet.

The Fed has kept its short-term rate steady throughout 2026, with its last cut occurring in December 2025.

Investors and borrowers will instead focus on Wednesday’s release of the Fed’s Summary of Economic Projections, a report that distills the FOMC’s forecasts for unemployment, GDP growth and other barometers. The projections also include the so-called “dot plot,” which shows policymakers’ expectations for interest rates over the coming years.

The June dot-plot could “show the Fed on hold for the rest of this year,” noted Bank of America U.S. economist Aditya Bhave in a report. At least three of the FOMC’s 12 voting members may also project rate hikes this year, he added.

When is the Fed’s interest rate announcement?

The Federal Reserve will announce its interest rate decision at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

That will be followed by a press conference with new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh at 2:30 p.m. ET, where he’ll take questions from journalists.

What will Warsh say about future interest rates?

Investors will pay particular attention to Warsh’s comments about inflation and, more broadly, the path of monetary policy, especially given Mr. Trump’s criticism of former Fed Chair Jerome Powell for moving too slowly to cut interest rates.

“Watch for questions asking Mr. Warsh to reconcile statements seeking to lower interest rates with recent trends in inflation and employment,” Jerry Tempelman, former senior analyst at the New York Federal Reserve Bank and vice president of economic and fixed income research at Mutual of America Capital Management, in an email.

Warsh will likely use the press conference to start putting his own stamp on the central bank, especially given Powell’s decision to remain a Fed governor after stepping down as chair. Although no policy changes are expected this week, investors are looking for whether Warsh will signal changes in how the Fed communicates its economic views or interprets inflation data.

“We already know it’s going to be contentious because there’s a lot of feelings out there, but he’s probably got to exert his control quicker,” Ben Fulton, CEO at investment advisor WEBs Investments, told CBS News.

Is the Fed likely to cut interest rates later this year?

That is seen as increasingly unlikely given the hottest inflation in more than three years, according to economists. Instead, the Federal Reserve is more likely to keep rates steady for the remainder of 2026 — or even usher in a rate hike to tame rising prices.

“The balance of risks has definitely shifted toward inflation being the biggest concern, and so that’s really going to drive any language around what the Fed’s next steps might be,” Renter of NerdWallet said.

She added, “In the past several Fed meetings, the language is really skewed toward that potential future cut, and I think that’s going to be missing both from the policy statement and possibly in the press conference.”

Blue state’s anti-ICE pledge collapses as GOP warns of new sanctuary ‘confederacy’

June 16, 2026 1:34pm EDT / Fox News

Gov Jared Polis signed a bill creating a carveout after attorneys said the state was coopting them into sanctuary policies

By Charles Creitz, Fox News

Former ICE official says Trump has ‘strong argument’ in sanctuary lawsuit of Colorado, city of Denver

Retired ICE field director John Fabbricatore joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss the Department of Justice suing Colorado and the city of Denver for their sanctuary city policies.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Colorado has reversed a controversial requirement that attorneys using the state’s court e-filing system certify they would not use court information to assist federal immigration enforcement efforts.

The verification requirement was removed from state law last week after Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 26-1276, creating a carveout for attorneys seeking to use the filing system.

Multiple attorneys spoke out in April after the state’s e-file system required them to certify they would not share such personal information with the federal government — a requirement Colorado officials said stemmed from the Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status Act of 2025.

Colorado Springs attorney Ian Speir told Fox News Digital that Colorado appeared to be “unlawfully coopting private attorneys across the state to further its anti-federal sanctuary policies,” while noting that he doesn’t practice criminal nor immigration law but couldn’t sign into the state court system without “saluting the resistance.”

COLORADO LAWYERS SAY COURT E-FILE SYSTEM NOW MAKES THEM CERTIFY THEY WON’T ASSIST ICE

Video

The House Judiciary Committee took note of Fox News Digital’s reporting on the matter and notified Colorado officials in April that their immigration-related certification wrongly “commandeers private attorneys into Colorado’s radical sanctuary policies, handcuffs federal officials from enforcing immigration law in Colorado, and violates fundamental free speech principles.”

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s immigration integrity, security and enforcement subcommittee, told Fox News Digital in a Monday interview that he was pleased to see Colorado reverse itself but warned that the incident is just the latest volley in sanctuary states’ battle against federal supremacy.

He called it the latest example of the notion that any state “can obstruct federal laws they don’t like.”

REP JIM JORDAN, REP TOM MCCLINTOCK: DEMOCRATS THINK THEY CAN OVERRULE LAWS

“I think they’ve crossed the line into obstruction by forbidding attorneys access to the court system without this outrageous pledge under penalty and perjury that they wouldn’t report any information for federal immigration enforcement purposes,” McClintock said.

“Obviously, the state recognized what tenuous ground they had staked out, and it reversed themselves. But I remain concerned over what other sanctuary jurisdictions that comprise this new ‘Confederacy’ may take in the future.”

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., arrives for the House Judiciary Committee markup on the Justice in Policing Act in the Capitol Visitor Center on June 17, 2020.(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA)

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), celebrated the news and noted it was prepared to file a lawsuit against the state government in Denver on First Amendment grounds if it did not repeal the provision.

“Colorado made the right move removing the certification requirement, which was a clear viewpoint-based regulation that violated the First Amendment,” the Washington-based group said in a statement.

Speir added that while the state may be able to tell its own public lawyers what to say to ICE, he, as a private attorney, “work for my clients, not the government.”

Greg Greubel, FIRE’s senior attorney, said in a statement that the government by law cannot condition an attorney’s access to courts “on a promise not to use information for a lawful purpose the state disfavors.”

BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG PUT ON NOTICE AS NEW BILL CURBS BLUE STATE SANCTUARY POLICIES

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stand outside Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey, May 28, 2026.(Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital.)

“Kudos to Colorado legislators and the governor for acting quickly to resolve this issue, but it’s troubling that the state attempted this in the first place.”

Laws restricting speech must be viewpoint-neutral under the First Amendment, but critics argued that by forcing attorneys not to speak with ICE, they were putting their thumb on the partisan scale.

McClintock said his panel’s focus continues to be on the variety of sanctuary policies in states and cities that are “resisting and in many cases obstructing federal law enforcement,” citing the Supremacy Clause’s assertion that immigration falls under the federal government’s authority.

“That’s particularly important in regions such as mine where the local sheriffs very much want to cooperate with ICE,” said McClintock, who notably chaired the raucous hearing that featured Fairfax County, Virginia, prosecutor Stephen Descano and Sheriff Stacey Kincaid who have been lambasted for their handling of illegal immigrant-related cases.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A measure his panel is working on would allow victims of sanctuary policies to sue those jurisdictions for damages created by the release of illegal immigrant criminals and the like.

Fox News Digital reached out to Polis and ICE for comment.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.

Lawmakers in the dark on Iran deal as Trump says he will send it to Congress

2026-06-16T18:18:00.867Z / Reuters

Summary

Trump says he will send deal to Congress after formal signing
US president typically briefs ‘Gang of Eight’ on big news
Thune says Republicans press Trump for memorandum text

WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was willing to send his interim deal to end the war with Iran for review by the U.S. Congress, as lawmakers, including many of his fellow Republicans, said they were largely in the dark about the pact.

The U.S.-Iran agreement, announced on Sunday, has spurred optimism that a conflict that has killed thousands and disrupted the global economy will soon end.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

According to officials from both countries, the memorandum of understanding would extend a tenuous ceasefire announced in April by another 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route effectively blocked since the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28.

But the details remain unclear and the text of the pact has not been released or sent to Congress.

Trump also insisted on Tuesday that Iran would abandon its nuclear weapons program. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Democrats have questioned Trump’s latest promise of a peace deal.

“We’ve been told dozens of times that the war is over and dozens of times we’ve been disappointed,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said as he opened the Senate session on Tuesday.

“It’s been two days since Trump claimed he had reached an ‘understanding’ with Iran and he still hasn’t released any details… about what it actually is,” Schumer said.

Schumer called on the Trump administration to hold a classified briefing for Congress’ “Gang of Eight,” a group of intelligence committee and congressional leaders typically briefed on major national security developments.

Schumer also said officials should brief the entire Congress, and inform the American people.

No plans for any such events have been released.

‘I LIKE THE IDEA’

Trump told reporters in France that he had not thought about sending the memorandum of understanding with Iran to Congress for review but that he would do it. “I like the idea,” he said during his meeting with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, on the sidelines of the G7.

Trump said he wanted to wait until after a formal signing ceremony expected on Friday.

Trump could be legally obligated to involve Congress. Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, a 2015 U.S. law passed as Democratic President Barack Obama’s administration finalized an Iran nuclear agreement, any such agreement must be submitted to Congress for review before sanctions can be eased.

That review leaves open the possibility that lawmakers could try to block parts of the deal.

Some Republican lawmakers have been willing to break with the president, voting with Democrats, unsuccessfully, to force Trump to seek congressional approval for the Iran war. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war.

But most Republicans, who hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, have shown little appetite during Trump’s second term for challenging his foreign policy.

Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the Senate’s Republican leader, told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday that party members were pressing Trump to provide the text of the MOU.

“We’re trying to get it,” he said, acknowledging that it is unusual for an administration not to share information about such a major development with its own party.

“Since I’ve been in this job, we haven’t had this issue,” Thune said.

Other Republicans joined Democrats in expressing frustration at the lack of information.

“If it’s a secret deal, then how can I take it seriously?” Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina told reporters on Monday evening.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Don Durfee and Sanjeev Miglani

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.