Cbs News

• The FDA has approved Moderna's mFLUSIVA, the first seasonal influenza vaccine utilizing mRNA technology to receive official authorization. • The vaccine is specifically approved for use in adults aged 50 and older, marking a significant milestone for the drugmaker's mRNA platform. • This approval is critical as it demonstrates the potential for mRNA technology to address broader public health challenges beyond COVID-19.

• President Trump has labeled Iran "unbelievably duplicitous," warning that current opportunities represent a "last chance" for Tehran to reach a deal and avoid further escalation. • Despite these remarks, U.S. officials informed CBS News that no new formal negotiations with Iran are currently planned. • Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zeidi is reportedly attempting to mediate between the two nations, carrying messages from the U.S. to Tehran following a White House visit.

• The Trump administration reiterated allegations on Thursday that China engaged in election interference by collecting millions of American voter registration files. • This claim follows a primetime address delivered by President Trump two weeks prior, signaling a continued escalation of tensions regarding foreign influence. • The situation matters as it highlights concerns over the security of sensitive voter data and the potential for foreign adversaries to manipulate U.S. democratic processes.

• House Republicans passed a budget resolution that includes a $95 billion plan to fund efforts related to the Iran war and the "SAVE America Act." • The resolution initiates the party-line reconciliation process, which allows for certain legislative changes to pass with a simple majority. • The plan includes controversial voting regulations, such as requiring photo IDs to cast ballots and proof of citizenship for voter registration.

• President Trump delivered a primetime address claiming that the United States election system falls "catastrophically short" of necessary security standards. • During the speech, Trump revisited long-standing allegations of widespread voter fraud, though he provided no new evidence to support these claims. • The address is significant as it reinforces disputed narratives that election experts and officials have repeatedly debunked.

• The 2026 World Cup has commenced across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, featuring a record 48 teams and 104 matches. • The tournament has already been defined by significant upsets, including a surprising run by Cape Verde, and a highly competitive race for the Golden Boot. • Major contenders are fighting for glory, with Spain seeking their first title in 16 years and Argentina aiming to become back-to-back champions.

• Congress returns to Washington on Monday to tackle a dense legislative agenda before the upcoming August recess and the midterm election cycle. • Lawmakers face a constrained timeline to address several key priorities, though the specific legislative goals were not detailed in the report. • The return to the Capitol is overshadowed by the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham, adding a layer of mourning to the political proceedings.

• NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the United States is currently engaged in a "space race" against China. • The competition centers on the goal of landing astronauts on the moon and establishing a near-permanent lunar presence. • This rivalry underscores the strategic geopolitical tension between the two superpowers as they vie for lunar dominance.

• Emerging public health risks, including the spread of screwworm and flesh-eating bacteria, are increasing following deep budget cuts to federal health agencies under the Trump administration. • These funding reductions have targeted specific health programs, potentially limiting the ability of agencies to track and contain dangerous pathogens. • Federal officials have denied that these cuts put the public at risk, asserting that the CDC maintains visibility into disease trends through alternative national surveillance systems.

• The Supreme Court struck down an executive order issued by President Trump that sought to end birthright citizenship in the United States. • The ruling reaffirms a legal understanding spanning over 100 years that nearly all individuals born on U.S. soil are granted citizenship. • This decision is significant as it prevents the administration from unilaterally altering citizenship eligibility through executive action.

• The Supreme Court issued several rulings regarding Donald Trump's agenda, balancing the expansion of presidential authority with significant legal setbacks. • The Court rejected the government's attempt to fire Federal Reserve official Cook, ruling that doing so would improperly transform "for-cause protection" into "at-will employment" and threaten central bank independence. • In a separate decision, the Court ruled that states may count mail-in ballots cast by Election Day even if they arrive later, dismissing a GOP challenge to Mississippi's specific ballot laws.

• NASA is initiating a $30 million salvage operation as early as this week to prevent an aging telescope from falling back to Earth. • The mission involves launching a robotic "lifesaver" to rescue the Swift telescope, which is designed to rapidly capture astronomical events like gamma ray bursts. • Saving the telescope is critical because it serves as "NASA's first responder," providing essential data to complement findings from the Webb and upcoming Roman Space Telescopes.

• The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that states are permitted to count mail-in ballots that were cast by Election Day even if they arrive after the deadline. • The decision rejects a legal challenge brought by the RNC and the Trump administration against a Mississippi law, which argued that all ballots must be received by Election Day. • This ruling maintains flexibility for states in managing mail-in voting timelines, countering efforts to strictly limit ballot reception to a single day.

• The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a case regarding whether federal law prevents Arizona from implementing stricter voting restrictions. • A key point of contention is a state measure requiring voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote on a state form. • The dispute highlights a broader national conflict over efforts to prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting amid claims of election fraud.

• The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that removal protections for members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are unconstitutional. • This decision overturns a 90-year-old legal precedent that previously allowed Congress to shield officials in independent agencies from being fired by the president at will. • The ruling significantly expands presidential power by granting the executive branch greater authority to remove agency leaders.

Editor-in-chief has developed network of UK thinkers she believes reject what she regards as overly ‘woke’ consensusIn the six years since she very publicly resigned from the New York Times, and in her tumultuous eight months as editor-in-chief of one of the US’s most prestigious television networks, Bari Weiss has become renowned as a media disruptor and challenger of what she regards as an overly “woke” journalistic consensus.As Weiss continues to face bitter internal and external opposition to her leadership of CBS News, she has been turning to figures from UK journalism in her attempts to tackle what she sees as US newsroom “groupthink”. Continue reading...

• Senate Democrats, led by Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, are demanding more information and a hearing regarding a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. • The group alleges that the Justice Department may have violated internal policies by agreeing to create the fund as part of a settlement with President Trump. • The inquiry is directed at Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to determine the legality and procedural validity of the controversial program.

• The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, rose at an annual rate of 4.1% in May. • This figure represents the fastest pace of price increases seen in three years and aligned with economists' forecasts provided by FactSet. • The data underscores the significant challenges the central bank faces in its ongoing efforts to rein in inflation and stabilize prices.

• Tech stocks, including industry giants Nvidia and Alphabet, experienced a second consecutive day of declines as investor sentiment shifted. • The selloff is driven by Wall Street's transition from rewarding AI spending to demanding concrete evidence of outsized financial returns. • Market volatility is further compounded by rising interest rate expectations, with CME Group data showing a nearly 90% chance of a Fed rate hike by year-end, up from 57% a week prior.

British journalist to become one of most prominent appointments made by embattled editor-in-chief Bari WeissCBS News is planning to hire the prominent British broadcaster Trevor Phillips, currently a Sunday morning presenter on Sky News, as a global affairs correspondent for the network, a significant hire for embattled top editor Bari Weiss.The network has not yet announced the appointment, which was first reported by Breaker, and a spokesperson declined comment when asked about it. Phillips did not respond to a Thursday morning message from the Guardian seeking comment. Continue reading...

Move comes after meeting in which Pelley said network chief Bari Weiss was ‘murdering’ news showScott Pelley, one of the most well-known and respected journalists in broadcast journalism, has been fired by CBS News after clashing with network brass over last week’s severe round of cuts at 60 Minutes, the show he has worked on since 2004, the Guardian confirmed.While changes were long expected at 60 Minutes, CBS News management shocked staffers last week by firing the network’s executive producer, executive editor and two correspondents, Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi, without giving a specific reason for their terminations. Continue reading...

Dozens of former news staffers press David Ellison to commit to fair coverage in wake of major firings on the showSeveral dozen veterans of CBS News – including many former 60 Minutes employees – signed a letter to the Paramount Skydance CEO, David Ellison, on Monday, pressing him to commit to the show’s editorial independence four days after network management fired several top staffers and correspondents.On Thursday, the CBS News editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, and president, Tom Cibrowski, ousted the show’s executive producer, executive editor and two prominent correspondents, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Both Alfonsi and Vega released blistering statements alleging that the show’s editorial independence had been compromised for political purposes. Continue reading...

Santiago Campos says he felt obligated to criticize the network’s direction, which ‘stains legacy of Mike Wallace’Standing in front of the most powerful and well-known people in the television news business on Wednesday night, in a glitzy New York City ballroom, 18-year-old high school student Santiago Campos shocked – but also delighted – many in attendance when he called out the network that funded the scholarship he received: CBS News.Campos, a graduating senior at the District of Columbia international school who had traveled to New York for the 47th annual news and documentary Emmy awards with his mother and teacher, was awarded the Mike Wallace memorial scholarship, honoring the legendary television interviewer. Campos was given the award by veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, who said: “Mike would see something of himself in this year’s recipient.” Continue reading...

Sharyn Alfonsi confirms contract expiration after decrying network over ‘the spread of corporate meddling’ last monthThe Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi has accused CBS News of penalizing her for “refusing to sanitize factually accurate reporting” and sending a “chilling message” to the newsroom by declining to renew her contract for the show.Alfonsi was at the center of a national firestorm after the CBS News editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, shelved a segment she had reported on a notorious prison in El Salvador. She confirmed to the Guardian that she had not been offered a contract to return for the show’s 59th season, which begins in the fall. Continue reading...

The online publication Puck previously reported Weiss could be moved to a new role with less oversight of the networkSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailCBS News parent company Paramount is standing by CBS News’ editor in chief, Bari Weiss, amid a torrent of controversies and lagging ratings on some programs.The network released a statement supporting her after a report that senior leadership at the company has discussed changing Weiss’s role to lessen her oversight of CBS News – and, potentially, CNN, if the company’s acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery receives government approval. Continue reading...

Shayndi Raice to lead CBS’s foreign coverage after Weiss ousts bureau chief over reported tensionsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxBari Weiss, the CBS News boss, has ousted a veteran bureau chief following tensions over coverage of the Middle East and brought in a new foreign editor who, according to sources, is more aligned with Weiss’s pro-Israel agenda.Paramount, which owns CBS, announced on Wednesday that it had hired Shayndi Raice, a Wall Street Journal editor who most recently served as the paper’s deputy bureau chief for the Middle East and north Africa, based in Israel. Raice will move to London, where she’ll oversee the network’s international coverage in a newly created position, the company said. In a social media post, Weiss called Raice “a scoophound reporter, a brilliant editor, and a clear-eyed leader”. Continue reading...

Union has reached a tentative agreement for a three-year contract after holding a 24-hour walkout in MarchEmployees of the CBS News streaming channel CBS News 24/7, who held a 24-hour walkout last month amid an impasse in contract negotiations, have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract.About 60 CBS News employees are part of the union. In the coming days, they will vote to ratify the new agreement. More details about the agreement will be provided after the agreement is ratified, the union said. Continue reading...

• NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas held second place in Q1 2026 ratings with 6.93 million total viewers and 1.04 million viewers in the key 25-54 demographic, marking growth from the previous quarter. • CBS Evening News, now anchored by Tony Dokoupil since January 5, averaged only 4.24 million total viewers and 532,000 demo viewers through March 20, significantly trailing competitors. • NBC's ratings increased from 6.22 million total viewers in Q4 2025 and showed slight growth compared to Q1 2025's 6.6 million viewers, indicating sustained viewership momentum.