Today’s Top Stories from NBC News

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2026

In today’s newsletter: The House passes a war powers resolution in a symbolic disapproval of the Iran war. The student who called out CBS News in an Emmys speech applauds an ousted “60 Minutes” correspondent. And science runs in the family for one Harvard grad: the U.S. men’s soccer team’s goalkeeper.

Here’s what to know today.

▼ The Lead

House offers rare rebuke to Trump on Iran war

(Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The House’s vote to pass a Democratic-led measure to end President Donald Trump’s war with Iran was a rare rebuke that some Republicans fear will weaken the U.S.’s attempts to secure a nuclear deal. “They just want a stupid political vote, which is what this is,” said Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, a Republican. He called the action “a total BS vote.”

The Iran war powers resolution passed 215-208, with four Republicans joining all Democrats in voting yes. The resolution directs Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran, unless Congress votes to declare war or authorizes using military force against it. It would not force the president to end the conflict, however, making the resolution a symbolic expression of disapproval with the war.

The House vote comes after Republicans rejected three other attempts to pass a war powers resolution this year. Last month, the resolution was abruptly pulled from the floor when it appeared too many Republicans were absent to defeat it.

The vote also gives momentum to the Senate’s version of the war powers resolution.

How the Senate’s resolution differs from the House version.

More coverage of Middle East conflicts:

Iran traded more strikes with the U.S. amid a fragile ceasefire and stalled peace talks.

Israel’s military will continue to carry out operations in Lebanon for the time being and will not be withdrawing from the country, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday, despite the announcement of a new ceasefire.

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How a Trump-backed candidate’s home turf contributed to his surprise loss

Rep. Randy Feenstra seemed to have every edge in his bid for Iowa’s Republican nomination for governor, from superior fundraising to Trump’s endorsement. But he committed the cardinal sin of campaign politics: He didn’t guard his own backyard.

In his own 4th District, Feenstra led by less than 4 percentage points against businessman Zach Lahn. The win on his home turf wasn’t enough to offset his losses in other parts of the state, leading Lahn to a primary victory.

Here’s what Lahn did that Feenstra didn’t.

Trump will nominate Todd Blanche to be the country’s permanent top prosecutor, he said yesterday at a private White House event. Blanche took over as acting attorney general in April after Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi. Previously, he served as Bondi’s deputy.

Since he took the acting position, Blanche has taken steps to demonstrate he would be loyal to Trump. Under Blanche’s leadership, the Justice Department secured an indictment for former FBI Director James Comey.

More on Blanche’s relationship with Trump.

More politics news:

Trump’s pick to be acting director of national intelligence is part of a small circle of allies and shares the president’s sense of urgency. Critics worry about his unfettered access to a trove of intelligence.

Trump injected fresh uncertainty into the status of the “anti-weaponization” fund when asked whether it was dead or just on hold.

Staff at an ICE detention center in Louisiana used a prohibited chokehold on a detainee and stabbed another with a pen, according to a DHS watchdog report.

For subscribers: A CIA officer arrested after $40 million in gold bars was found at his home worked on the Pentagon’s nuclear submarine program.

For subscribers: Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner’s account on the platform Kik thrusts the messaging app into the national spotlight and highlights its dark reputation.

▶️ Tune in to Here's the Scoop's special Supreme Court Edition, where Senior Legal Correspondent Laura Jarrett goes deep on major cases.

Student who called out CBS applauds ousted ‘60 Minutes’ veteran

The student who called out CBS leadership at a recent Emmys ceremony said former “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley did the “right thing” in criticizing the news organization before he was fired. “I think he did what the situation demanded of him and faced the consequences. Even if the consequences were not just,” Santiago Campos told NBC News.

Campos, who last week accepted a CBS News-funded scholarship, turned heads when he used his 90-second speech to call out “corporate elites” taking over journalism. Pelley, who was on stage with Campos, said to him, “We need young people like you right behind us.”

Days later, Pelley was fired after he criticized the hiring of new executive producer Nick Bolton by “60 Minutes” and accused CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss of “murdering” the storied newsmagazine. Weiss yesterday said Pelley was fired after newsroom leaders could not “find a way back.” Pelley rejected the statement.

What else Campos said about Pelley’s firing.

Flesh-eating screwworm returns to U.S. after 60 years, threatening cattle herd

A flesh-eating parasite that had been kept out of U.S. livestock for decades has been detected in Texas, threatening the nation’s cattle industry and food supply at a time when prices are already high.

The case of New World screwworm was confirmed in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, near the U.S.-Mexico border, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said yesterday.

The parasitic fly’s larvae feed exclusively on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. While the fly is capable of infecting humans and pets, such cases are rare and pose little risk to the broader public, according to experts.

The parasite does not pose a food safety threat, but a wider outbreak could still cost the livestock industry billions of dollars and put additional pressure on beef prices that are already at record highs.

The case is the first confirmed detection of New World screwworm in Texas since 1966, and is the only confirmed case identified in the country so far, said Rollins.

Read the full story here.

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St. Petersburg residents fear more Ukrainian strikes

As one of the Kremlin’s most important international events was set to get underway in St. Petersburg, Ukraine launched hundreds of strikes in and around the city, leaving some residents frightened as the war came close to home.

Some were awakened by explosions; others pulled back their curtains in the early hours to see plumes of black smoke rising above the city. “It’s nightmarish,” 21-year-old Iliya told NBC News.

Officials, meanwhile, continued with preparations for the International Economic Forum dubbed “Putin's Davos,” which brings together senior Russian officials, business leaders and foreign delegates each year. For the first time in many years, a U.S. delegation will attend, the Kremlin said.

Read the full story here.

NBC News chief foreign correspondent Keir Simmons is in St. Petersburg to cover this week’s event. Submit your question here, and he may answer it live today at 1 p.m. ET.

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▼ Read All About It

The California man who was killed by law enforcement after a standoff involving hostages had a violent criminal history.

Ohio State University agreed to pay $100 million in damages to 279 former students who said former campus Dr. Richard Strauss sexually assaulted them decades ago.

A judge’s decision to let three boys found guilty of rape at knifepoint to walk free has sparked outrage across the U.K.

The New York Knicks won 105-95 against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, with Jalen Brunson scoring 30 points despite a rough start.

▼ Staff Pick

For the Freese family, success is a science

Leading up to the World Cup, I was assigned to profile Matt Freese, the presumed starting goalkeeper for the U.S. men’s national team. There seemed to be two biographical details mentioned in every story about him: that he attended Harvard, and that he once wrote a college project on penalty kicks.

When I researched more, though, I found that Freese came from a family of scientists. His paternal grandparents worked for the National Institutes of Health. His father Andy, was also a leading neurosurgeon, and his aunt, Katherine, is an astrophysicist who’s an expert in dark matter.

His father died a few years ago, but I interviewed his aunt, as well as one of his father’s research partners, and I learned all about this brilliant family. We talked about what Matt might’ve inherited, and how it might translate to the field.

I spoke with Matt, too, and learned about his preparation, how he considers himself a perpetual “student of the game.” It all resulted in a profile that gives readers a deeper understanding of the national team’s brainiac goalie.

— Tim Rohan, sports editor

▼ NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

It’s official: Amazon Prime Day 2026 is happening from June 23 to 26. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Prime-member exclusive sale. If you’re hoping to get ahead of the virtual crowds, NBC Select editors sifted through hundreds of deals to find the best ones to shop now.