The New York Times-the Evening Newsletter
"Trump's fund is done, Voters cast primary votes, Martin Scorsesse embraces AI."
Views expressed in this World and U.S. news summary are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 02 June 2026, 2316 UTC.
Content and Source: "The New York Times-The Evening Newsletter."
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQgMChRwwLkftHtCzwZKFGJhWJM
URL--https://www.nytimes.com.
Please check email link, URL, or scroll down to read your selections.
Thanks for joining us today.
Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).
 June 2, 2026 |
Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
|
 |
| Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, on Capitol Hill today. Demetrius Freeman for The New York Times |
Trump’s $1.8 billion fund is ‘not moving forward’
After a swell of criticism from both sides of the aisle, President Trump’s acting attorney general said this afternoon that the administration was permanently halting its plans to create a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who claim to be victims of political persecution.
“We’re not moving forward with the fund, period,” said Todd Blanche, the president’s former personal lawyer who now leads the Justice Department. “Not moving forward ever?” a House Democrat asked him. “Correct,” Blanche said.
Still, Blanche said that a separate plan, to give Trump and his family protection from I.R.S. audits, remained in effect.
In other Trump administration news:
|
 |
| Philip Cheung and Minh Connors for The New York Times |
California votes on its next governor
It is Primary Election Day in six states. But no contest is bigger than the governor’s race in California, where a long list of candidates are seeking to succeed Gavin Newsom as the leader of America’s most populous state.
The state is very likely to elect a Democrat to its top office, but only two candidates earn a spot today in November’s general election. There is no front-runner, but polls have made clear who is in the top three: There’s Xavier Becerra, a former House member who has the support of many moderate Democrats; Tom Steyer, a billionaire with no experience in elected office, who aligns more with progressives; and Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by Trump.
We do not expect to know which two will advance tonight, because California has historically been slow to count votes. But my colleagues and I will be following the results here. Polls close at 11 p.m. Eastern.
Other interesting races:
|
 |
| Roman Pilipey/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images; Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press; Alina Smutko/Reuters |
Russia bombards Ukraine’s capital
After warning of a major attack on Kyiv for more than a week, Russia finally struck today. Hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles rained down on Ukraine this morning, killing at least 22 people, the authorities there said.
But the bombardment could not hide the increasing signs of Moscow’s weakness. Russia appears to have lost more ground in May than it gained. Some analysts believe that the stepped-up strikes are an attempt to reclaim an advantage in potential talks and to re-engage the Trump administration, which has become more focused on the war in Iran.
 |
| Deanna Donegan/The New York Times; Photographs by Getty Images |
As vaccinations decline, hospitals see more disease
Doctors around the country told my colleagues that they were seeing more cases of serious, sometimes life-threatening illnesses that vaccines have long kept at bay, including whooping cough and bacterial infections that can cause pneumonia or meningitis. Measles has also spread in parts of the country.
The increase in cases, some of which is borne out in national data, appears to be fueled by an overall decline in vaccination rates after distrust in vaccines grew during the pandemic.
More top news
|
TIME TO UNWIND |
 |
| Philip Montgomery for The New York Times |
Hollywood is softening its stance on A.I.
Martin Scorsese, the 16-time Academy Award nominee and essentially the living embodiment of cinema as high art, is embracing artificial intelligence. He joined an A.I. start-up as a partner and used the technology during preproduction for a new film. “Cinema is a young medium, only around 125 years old,” Scorsese said. “We have to be open to how it can evolve.”
His comments are a sign of the movie industry’s shifting views on A.I. After loud opposition, some of Hollywood’s big names have softened their criticism. (Others, like Seth Rogen and Guillermo del Toro, are still vocal detractors.)
For more: Some content creators are making substantial money off A.I. slop.
 |
| “Cap d’Ail, Alpes-Maritimes,” 1952. Artwork: Royal Academy of Arts, London; photograph: John Hammond |
Consider Winston Churchill, the artist
Much has been said about Winston Churchill’s leadership during times of war and peace. Less time has been spent assessing the hundreds of artworks he painted through the highs and lows of his power.
That’s why a London museum decided to put together a serious retrospective of the famous prime minister’s work. His paintings seem to offer a glimpse into the inner life of one of the 20th century’s most defining figures. See them here.
 |
| Thea Traff for The New York Times |
Dinner table topics
|
WHAT TO DO TONIGHT |
 |
| Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. |
Cook: You’re going to want more than one slice of this jalapeño Cheddar zucchini bread.
Read our review of Jill Biden’s memoir, which came out today.
Party like a Swede with help from this guide to celebrating Midsummer.
Try these Wirecutter-recommended conditioners, sorted by hair type.
Take our quiz to see how well you know these books that changed the world.
Play: Here are today’s Connections, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
ONE LAST THING |
 |
| Lindsay Harapa, via Storyful |
Out of the audience and into the orchestra
Last weekend, the Academy Award-winning composer Justin Hurwitz was leading an orchestral accompaniment to a screening of the movie “La La Land” when his keyboard player fell ill. So he turned to the audience of 2,000 and asked, “Is anybody like an amazing sight reader?”
Turns out, the answer was yes. A 21-year-old international relations student named Sterling Nasa stepped up and, after a 30-second briefing, stole the show — with a solo during the song “Start a Fire” and even a bit of improvisation. He told us the performance gave him the confidence to consider pursuing music as a career.
Have a masterful evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow — Matthew
Eli Cohen was our photo editor.
We welcome your feedback. Reach us at evening@nytimes.com.
 |
Writer: Matthew Cullen Editor: Whet Moser |
If you received this newsletter from someone else, subscribe here. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. | |||||
| |||||
  | |||||
The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 |
Comments
Post a Comment
Welcome to my geopolitics blog site. This is a Hawaii Island news site focusing on geopolitical news, analysis, information, and commentary. I will cite a variety of sources, ranging from all sides of the political spectrum.