NEWS - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 03, 2026 - NEWS
Local governments in a few U.S. towns and cities have banned data centers, but Monterey Park could be the first city to ban them by popular vote. LA Times
VOA VIEW: Liberal breakout.
The lawsuit alleges the San Francisco company prioritized speed and commercial gain over safety concerns, including the use of AI for self-harm and violence. LA Times
Johnston County Public Schools said the teen's speech included unapproved remarks, prompting them to bring the speech to an abruptly halt to "maintain the integrity and focus," of the graduation ceremony. New York Post
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Some of Talarico's past statements on race, gender ideology, abortion and religion are now causing headaches for his campaign. New York Post
The suit was filed on behalf of Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner. New York Post
Mayor Zohran Mamdani refused to distance himself from a controversial far-left US House candidate — despite a slew of inflammatory social media posts emerging after his endorsement. New York Post
VOA VIEW: Mamdani is a markist disgrace.
The order, which signaled a shift from the hands-off approach the White House had previously taken toward A.I., followed debates over how to gain control of A.I. models without disrupting innovation. New York Times
A new proposal would allow the administration to block grants if they do not satisfy President Trump’s agenda or support what it calls “anti-American” values. New York Times
VOA VIEW: It may be a good idea.
Moscow’s repeated warnings of a major strike, combined with the delay before it happened, seemed intended to inflict a psychological toll on the Ukrainian capital. New York Times
VOA VIEW: Russia is seeking conflict.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney’s comments followed calls for action from Jewish organizations and after a government report found that antisemitism had surged in Canada in recent years. New York Times
In Chicago, the $850 million Obama Presidential Center aims to remake a neighborhood with a 19.3-acre community hub and a brooding 225-foot museum. New York Times
United States and Mexican authorities have uncovered a 2,000-foot-long cross-border tunnel that led to the arrests of four individuals who have been charged with trafficking about $45 million worth of cocaine. OANN
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is expected to lead Tuesday's White House press briefing. OANN
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United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Rosario "Pete" Vasquez was appointed as the new chief of U.S. Border Patrol, where he will oversee close to 20,000 agents and staff members across the nation. OANN
President Donald Trump in his most recent update on the conflict announced that the ongoing peace talks between the United States and Iran are continuing at a "rapid pace," despite reports that Iran had ceased negotiations. OANN
President Donald Trump appointed William Pulte as the Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) after current DNI Tulsi Gabbard submitted her resignation. OANN
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The Department of Health and Human Services is investigating a complaint that three of its Biden-era healthcare training programs are illegally distributing federal grant money based on applicants' skin color. Washington Times
Displaying an "86 47" flag cannot be interfered with by the National Park Service, a federal judge ruled Monday -- the same anti-Trump message that led to former FBI Director James B. Comey's indictment for threatening the president. Washington Times
VOA VIEW: The judge does not have the authority.
A sharply divided Louisiana Supreme Court on Monday signed off on abolishing an elected office won by a New Orleans exoneree who had spent nearly 30 years in prison for murder before his conviction was vacated. Washington Times
Champion Foods LLC of New Boston, Michigan, is voluntarily recalling certain batches of its Motor City Pizza Co. 5 Cheese Bread products over concerns of potential Salmonella contamination, the company announced May 29, 2026. Washington Times
"It's not anything to do with politics. I don't know why they're turning it into politics," Vanilla Ice said of the Freedom 250 concerts planned in Washington, D.C. CBS
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The Justice Department said it will stop work on the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund following a district judge's decision temporarily blocking the program. CBS
Wholesalers and restaurant-owners explain to Jason Allen how they're trying to absorb rising costs, rather than pass them on to customers. CBS
VOA VIEW: It is rational.
A divided federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration's policy banning transgender individuals from serving in the military is likely unconstitutional. CBS
VOA VIEW: Care could cause a proble.
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According to air traffic control audio, security came to inspect the aircraft after someone named their Bluetooth device a "certain four-letter word." CBS
A TIAA-Stanford University survey found that fewer people can correctly answer questions involving basic financial concepts. CBS
NASA has tapped Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin for several contracts in the agency's Artemis return-to-the-moon program. CNBC
Amazon's four-day shopping fest comes after U.S. consumer sentiment dropped in May to a record low. CNBC
U.S Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that the investigation under Section 301 was launched at the direction of U.S. President Donald Trump. CNBC
Vice President Vance has seen his odds slip since the start of the year, as the secretary of State's chances have been buoyed by international conflicts. CNBC
VOA VIEW: It will be interesting.
President Trump made late-night endorsements ahead of Tuesday primaries in six states, backing candidates for California and Iowa governor races. FOX News
VOA VIEW: Not much notice.
A nationwide FBI operation called Operation Spring Cleaning netted over 1,100 arrests and seized hundreds of firearms and massive quantities of drugs. FOX News
Iowa's largest school district ex-superintendent sentenced to prison for illegally possessing firearms while living in the U.S. as an illegal alien. FOX News
The Trump administration unveiled a new rule Monday adding work requirements to Medicaid eligibility, attracting condemnation from patient groups. UPI
A partial cease-fire brokered by Donald Trump failed to stop fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and across the Israeli border. UPI
VOA VIEW: There is little chance for peace.
Russia launched massive drone-and-missile attack overnight, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens more in Dnipro, Kyiv and Kharkiv. UPI
VOA VIEW: Russia deserves reprisals.
A report from the New York Fed says a rise in remote work since the COVID-19 pandemic is connected to a rise in unemployment among younger employees. UPI
Paraguayan authorities are probing a suspected international drug-trafficking operation after discovering 577 pounds of hashish on a private jet. UPI
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Pinkies up for brain health! A TikTok demonstrating “pinky time” has gone viral with the promise that this simple daily digit exercise can stave off cognitive decline. In the clip, creator Daniela Paez-Pumar films herself and friends as they wrap their middle and pointer fingers together, touch their ring fingers to their thumbs and move their pinkies up and down for several seconds. Tik Tok cannot be trusted.
Paez-Pumar shared that she observes “pinky time” every night at 7:45 p.m. No one is exempt from pinky time — we keep that brain HEALTHY,” she wrote in the caption. As the caption indicates, “pinky time” is thought to slow cognitive decline, and experts are cosigning the craze. “When you pause, concentrate and try a new movement that your body isn’t used to, like wiggling your pinky, it lights up your motor cortex, cerebellum and other areas of your noggin,” Dr. Kelly Gonderman, a licensed clinical psychologist, told Bustle.
She notes that pinky time falls into the category of fine motor tasks, one that requires coordination between muscles and joints and becomes more challenging with age-related mental decline. “That cross-hemisphere coordination is genuinely good for the brain,” said Gonderman. “Ten seconds of finger movement a day isn’t going to prevent Alzheimer’s on its own, but activities that challenge the brain through novelty and coordination are worth doing regularly,” she told Bustle.
Other content creators maintain that pinky time is not only a means of preventing cognitive decline but diagnosing it. Essentially, if you can do the movement with ease, your cognition is top-tier, and if you struggle with the digit dance, your brain is in danger. Gonderman says not so much. “The idea that struggling with it signals poor brain health is where I’d pump the brakes,” she said. “Difficulty with a novel motor task can reflect lots of things: hand dominance, arthritis, practice, attention in that moment.”
She underscores that making or struggling to make hand positions is not an effective diagnostic tool. “The broader principle behind it — that fine motor activity, learning new physical skills and hand-brain coordination exercises support cognitive health as we age — is supported by research,” she told Bustle. As Gonderman points out, many studies suggest that challenging the brain helps preserve and protect cognitive function.
