Spencer Pratt’s stunning Los Angeles mayoral surge now has a viral election-night reaction to go with it. Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman became visibly emotional as the early mayoral numbers put Pratt in second place and left her runoff path looking increasingly difficult. The video does not show a race that is officially over. It does show the moment the progressive favorite realized the math was moving hard against her. Watch the clip here: Nithya Raman walked out to her campaign funeral in literal tears last night She can't hide her disappointment at the red wave that showed out in LA Mayoral race Angelenos are taking their city back from the grip of incompetence. pic.twitter.com/8q1ybdgQmG — Danny De Urbina (@dannydeurbina) June 3, 2026 The clip spread after Trending Politics reported that Raman became emotional as her path to the runoff appeared to slip away. According to NBC News, the Los Angeles mayoral race had 63.1 percent of the expected vote in. NBC listed Mayor Karen Bass at 34.8 percent with 172,720 votes, Pratt at 30.4 percent with 151,149 votes, and Raman at 22.3 percent with 110,848 votes. Bass has secured a runoff spot, while Pratt is holding second place with a sizable advantage over Raman. That is the political gut punch in this story. Raman, one of the city’s most prominent progressive voices, is staring at a gap of more than 40,000 votes behind a reality television star turned anti-establishment mayoral candidate. Pratt’s supporters were already treating the count as a major breakthrough:

A man who had been holding several people hostage overnight inside a California bank has been shot and killed by the FBI. “All hostages have been rescued and a suspect is dead in a standoff that began at a bank in Bakersfield, California on Tuesday afternoon,” ABC News wrote. Watch below: All hostages have been rescued and a suspect is dead in a standoff that began at a bank in Bakersfield, California on Tuesday afternoon. ABC News' Melissa Adan reports. https://t.co/qVWskQ0c1p pic.twitter.com/TFc2kdnH6s — ABC News (@ABC) June 3, 2026 ABC News has more: The standoff began after a reported bomb threat at a bank in California. Two hostages were first released after hours of ongoing negotiations with a suspect, according to authorities. The bomb threat was reported at a Chase Bank building in downtown Bakersfield around 1 p.m. local time Tuesday, police said. An unidentified man entered the bank and was “barricaded” with an unknown number of people inside, Bakersfield Police Department Sgt. Eric Celedon told reporters earlier. “We remain on scene at the Chase Bank building and have negotiated the release of a second hostage,” Bakersfield police said in an update on social media, shortly after 9 p.m. local time. “There are currently no injuries reported.” Crisis negotiators were in contact with the individual over the phone, according to police. Celedon said authorities have not confirmed if there is a bomb. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are assisting, and other resources are coming in from throughout the state, police said. The suspect was killed in “an officer-involved shooting involving Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel,” the Bakersfield Police Department said in a statement. “Bakersfield Police Department personnel were not involved in the use of force. All hostages were located unharmed and received medical evaluation and treatment at the scene,” it continued. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: pic.twitter.com/8XSJsJqyeI — Bakersfield Police Department (@bakersfieldpd) June 3, 2026 BBC noted: Bakersfield City Hall, the local police headquarters, nearby buildings and multiple roads were closed during the hostage situation, as the police department’s negotiation team began contacting the suspect via telephone. “Every single resource is at the site’s disposal,” Bakersfield Police Sergeant Eric Celedon told the press on Tuesday. “SWAT team, bomb squad, K9 team, gang unit, negotiators, drone team. Every single asset we have to bring this to the safest conclusion is out here right now,” he continued. Members of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team were also on the scene, according to CNN. Representatives for Chase Bank said on Tuesday the company was “aware of the ongoing situation occurring at the building where our branch is located on the ground floor”.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did not win her reelection bid outright. She failed to clear the majority needed to avoid a runoff, which means voters get a second look at her record in November. Under the city’s top-two rule, if no candidate clears 50 percent, the top two finishers advance to a November 3 runoff. Bass made the cut. The question is who joins her. SPENCER PRATT WILL FACE BASS IN RUNOFF for LA MAYOR: ‘I didn't know I would be here tonight, but it's obviously God's plan, and I'm going to go all the way and I'm going to show everybody that I'm their MAYOR’ pic.twitter.com/jgJMBX03sx — RT (@RT_com) June 3, 2026 In early returns, the second slot belongs to Spencer Pratt, the outsider who built his campaign around everything Bass has gotten wrong. The Associated Press has not yet called the second runoff candidate, so Pratt is on track and projected by others while the count continues. The trend line is the story, and it has Bass headed into a fight she clearly hoped to avoid. Pratt ran as a critic, not an apologist. He hammered Bass over the city’s wildfire response, the homelessness crisis that never seems to shrink, rising crime, and a city government that residents say does not work. That message landed in a city where the establishment expected an easy coronation. And the establishment is exactly what Bass has behind her. WOW! Spencer Pratt just ADVANCED to a runoff mayoral election in LA after Karen Bass gets barely a THIRD of the vote Pratt is currently over 30%, 2nd place! “Obviously, God wanted 5 more months of me exposing all the failures of our mayor.” 1v1 matchup, time for LA to… — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 3, 2026 Bass carries the backing of California’s Democratic machine, including Governor Gavin Newsom, with major Democratic figures lined up to keep her in office. All of that institutional weight, and she still could not close it out in one round. President Trump previously signaled support for Pratt, putting a national spotlight on a race the political class wanted to keep local and quiet. Conservative Brief reported the race is likely headed toward a Bass-Pratt November fight: Los Angeles Democrat Mayor Karen Bass is moving on to a runoff election after failing to secure the 51% of votes required to win outright in a reelection campaign that has garnered global attention. As Bass attempts to win a second term as mayor of Los Angeles, she has faced intense political criticism from both the left and the right. Challenger Spencer Pratt has criticized Bass from the right for not holding the government responsible for things like disaster response and homelessness. Nithya Raman, a fellow Democratic candidate from the left, has criticized Bass for not doing enough to advance affordability. According to preliminary poll results, Pratt is in second place, and Raman is even further behind. No candidate appears likely to exceed the 50% threshold to win outright, which means the top two will meet head-to-head in the November election. Pratt has not officially been declared as finishing in second place, but his margin over Ramen is very likely to be too much for her to overcome. The runoff math is simple. No one hit 50 percent plus one, so the top two move on to November 3, and the second-place finish decides who stands across from Bass. There were also pre-election incidents now under review, including reports of burned ballots and vandalism at a voting center. Those are being looked into and have not been shown to have changed any outcome. Worth watching, not worth pretending we know more than we do. RACE CALL: Spencer Pratt is projected to advance to a runoff against incumbent LA Mayor Karen Bass. pic.twitter.com/eoRayLEhUj — Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) June 3, 2026 What is not in doubt is the political reality for Bass. An incumbent mayor with the governor and the party apparatus behind her got dragged into November by a challenger who refused to play along. That is the leverage Pratt has now, and the next five months are his to press it.

The Trump administration has proposed tariffs of up to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 trading partners, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Australia, over alleged failure to crack down on goods made with forced labor. “Economies with partial forced labor bans face a 10% duty; all others face 12.5%,” CNBC stated. The determination was made under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative proposed new additional tariffs of at least 10% on 60 trading partners after an investigation into the handling and import of goods allegedly made using forced labor.Read more: https://t.co/TgPp0mCtpnPhoto: Alex Wroblewski/AFP via… pic.twitter.com/sHbacGv6HR — Forbes (@Forbes) June 3, 2026 More from The New York Times: Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, said on Tuesday night that investigations found that the 59 countries, along with the 27-nation European Union, had failed to enact or effectively enforce laws prohibiting imports made with forced labor. The administration, invoking a legal provision known as Section 301, proposed a 12.5 percent duty on imports from countries including China, Brazil, South Korea, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Goods from the European Union, Canada and Mexico would face 10 percent import taxes. Mr. Trump has signaled he intends to use Section 301 to rebuild his tariff agenda after the Supreme Court ruled that he exceeded his authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, to impose duties without congressional approval. After the court struck down those tariffs, Mr. Trump sought to revive them partially with a global 10 percent duty under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a never-before-used provision. A trade court ruled in May that the move violated the law. The tariffs were initially scheduled to expire at the end of July. Mr. Greer’s office has also opened an investigation into what the Trump administration has described as “excess manufacturing capacity” among 16 of America’s largest trading partners. The tariffs are not immediate. Written comments for the proposal are due by July 6, with public hearings scheduled on July 7. “The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable. This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field,” Greer said, according to CNBC. “We will no longer tolerate this disparity,” he added. US tariffs were down, but they’re not out. Donald Trump is once again proposing levies of at least 10% on imports from 60 trading partners, after his earlier tariffs were killed off by the US Supreme Court: Here is your Evening Briefing. https://t.co/YbTsYzsvXG — Bloomberg (@business) June 3, 2026 CNBC explained further: An EU spokesperson described the reasoning behind the latest barrage of U.S. tariffs as “unjustified.” “On the EU side, we are on track to ensure implementation of our Joint Statement tariff commitments by the end of June,” they added in comments reported by Reuters. While the Supreme Court setback helped slow down the tariff timeline, it has not “de-fanged” the president’s agenda, said Nick Marro, principal at Economist Intelligence Unit, who expects the Trump administration to unleash further investigations and tariff announcements in preparation for renewed rounds of trade talks. The impact of proposed tariffs will, however, likely be softened by significant exemptions on goods including electronics and artificial intelligence-related products, Marro added. While the tariff rates under Section 301 may be further adjusted, any meaningful changes will reshape global supply chains by creating different economic incentives for firms, said Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation. Separately, the U.S. government also started seeking public comments Wednesday on the scope of a new U.S.-China Board of Trade — agreed by the two sides during a bilateral summit last month — which would lead to reduced tariff rates on each other’s goods. The government has also sought public opinion on non-sensitive sectors that could benefit from tariff modifications on both sides.

Senate Democrats are threatening to withhold their votes to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) after President Trump’s appointment of Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, William J. Pulte, to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence, Punchbowl News reports. President Trump Names Acting Director Of National Intelligence "MARK WARNER has told JOHN THUNE to try to get @pulte removed as DNI. If he's in the job, Democrats are threatening to withhold their votes for FISA, which expires in 9 days. FISA is at real risk of expiring due to Trump's decision to put PULTE in as DNI. Almost certain that JOHNSON cannot put the bill on suspension now. And can he get it out of rules?" Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman wrote. HUGE scoop from @AndrewDesiderio and @LauraEWeiss16 MARK WARNER has told JOHN THUNE to try to get @pulte removed as DNI. If he's in the job, Democrats are threatening to withhold their votes for FISA, which expires in 9 days. FISA is at real risk of expiring due to Trump's… — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) June 3, 2026 Punchbowl News explained further: Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Tuesday to use his influence with the White House to reverse Trump’s move to install Pulte as overseer of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Warner, who’s been critical in building Democratic support for a bipartisan deal to extend FISA Section 702, made clear to Thune that all options are on the table to reverse what Democrats see as a dangerous Trump pick to lead ODNI. Pulte, who currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has no national security experience and has used his existing role to exact revenge on Trump’s political foes. From Warner’s perspective, it’s impossible to convince enough Democrats to support a reauthorization of Section 702 when Pulte would be the one overseeing the program. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has also privately told senators that the Pulte appointment makes passing a FISA deal much more difficult. Plus, Democrats believe they’d be doing Republicans a favor because they also see Pulte as unqualified for the job, even if few openly say it. As we scooped Tuesday, the White House had indicated to top Republicans that Aaron Lukas, whom Trump announced as the acting DNI 12 days ago, would remain in the role for an extended period. Senate Republicans felt blindsided. "The idea that they would try to play politics right now because they don't like the president's choice of an appointment is absolutely stunning to me," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said. Watch below: .@SpeakerJohnson on Democrats regarding Bill Pulte and FISA: "The idea that they would try to play politics right now because they don't like the president's choice of an appointment is absolutely stunning to me." pic.twitter.com/w4UkELlQEl — CSPAN (@cspan) June 3, 2026 More from The Guardian: The powerful intelligence tool has long attracted controversy, since the program targets foreign nationals whose messages may pass through US servers or involve US contacts, meaning a wide array of domestic communications can be swept up without a warrant ever being sought. The FBI in 2020 was discovered using section 702 to investigate whether protesters involved with Black Lives Matter had any ties to terrorists, according to a declassified memo released by the office of the director of national intelligence in 2023, a seat that would soon be filled by Pulte. Mark Warner, a Democrat and vice-chair of the US Senate intelligence committee, trashed Pulte’s lack of experience for the position. “What qualifications from my standpoint does Mr Pulte bring to the office? Well, he has shown that he is willing to do anything that President Trump wants, legal or otherwise,” he said during a hearing on Tuesday. In an interview with NPR on Wednesday morning, Warner went further, saying that Pulte’s appointment had upended what he described as an already difficult path to renewal of section 702. “I do not have the confidence I had yesterday,” he said, adding that the move amounted to placing “someone with no intelligence background, any record of misusing private information, in charge of Director of National Intelligence” at the worst possible moment.