Kuwait Airport Strike, Bank Hostage Standoff, & Sewer People

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Adam Rogers
June 04, 2026

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Iran struck Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday, killing one person, injuring 63, and briefly suspending all flights after missile and drone attacks caused significant damage to Terminal 1. Kuwait expelled two Iranian diplomats and warned it had a "full and inherent right to defend itself." US forces shot down Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz and struck Iran's Qeshm Island the same day.
The exchanges added new strain to already fragile peace talks. Iran threatened to walk away over Israel's escalating campaign in Lebanon, which continued Wednesday despite Trump announcing a de-escalation agreement. Trump confirmed in a podcast interview that he called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu "crazy" during a tense call about Lebanon, saying he was "a little perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon."
Meanwhile, the US blockade showed no signs of easing. American forces disabled an Iranian tanker with a Hellfire missile, shot down Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz, and struck Iran's Qeshm Island the same day. However, Trump said the blockade was "unlikely" to still be in place by Labor Day.

A 15-hour bank hostage standoff in Bakersfield, California, ended early Wednesday when FBI personnel shot and killed a suspect who had barricaded himself inside a building housing a Chase Bank branch with a bomb threat. All remaining hostages were unharmed.
The standoff began around 1 p.m. Tuesday when Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, 41, barricaded himself on the second floor with employees. Five hostages were tied up, and Searles-Harris claimed to have a bomb and had attached explosive devices to several hostages. Two hostages were released through negotiation — one early Tuesday evening and a second after 9 p.m. Attempts to negotiate further releases failed.
At 4:20 a.m. Wednesday, the FBI's hostage rescue team shot and killed Searles-Harris. FBI Special Agent Sid Patel said Searles-Harris was "no stranger to law enforcement.” He had been dishonorably discharged from the Army, had a criminal record, and was a registered sex offender.

Hungary lifted its two-year veto on Ukraine's EU membership bid Wednesday, allowing Ukraine and Moldova to formally open the first cluster of accession negotiations. The breakthrough came suddenly during a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels, where Hungary dropped its objections, and the 27 member states reached the required unanimity.
Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán imposed the veto in 2023 as Hungary assumed the rotating EU Council presidency. It only fell after Orbán was defeated at the polls by Péter Magyar, who resolved a long-standing dispute with Ukraine over the rights of the 100,000-strong Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Transcarpathia region.
The formal opening of the first negotiation cluster is expected on June 15-16 in Luxembourg. Hungary could theoretically reimpose a veto at any time, but diplomats in Brussels are confident the conference will proceed.

The House voted 215-208 to force Trump to end the Iran war without congressional approval, the first time the chamber has defied the White House on the conflict. Four Republicans crossed party lines. (More)

Prediction market Kalshi reported George Santos to federal prosecutors after the former congressman bragged about attending Trump's State of the Union, then bet against his own appearance. (More)

The US proposed tariffs of up to 12.5% on imports from 60 countries, including China, the EU, and Japan, for failing to ban goods made with forced labor. (More)

Protesters attacked police in Southampton, England, after a teenager died while handcuffed. His killer had falsely claimed the teen attacked him, and officers initially treated the dying boy as a suspect. (More)

Ukrainian drones struck and set fire to an oil terminal in St. Petersburg Wednesday, flying over 600 miles to hit Putin's hometown while Russia hosted a major foreign investment conference. (More)

Spain's Meliá Hotels is dropping 15 Cuba military-linked hotels, becoming the fourth international chain to cut ties with the island in a week ahead of new US sanctions. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Wednesday (S&P -0.74%, Nasdaq -0.89%, Dow -1.21%) as the US-Iran conflict raised inflation concerns. (More)

Private employers added 122,000 jobs in May, the strongest month since January 2025, with hiring spread broadly across industries per ADP. (More)

Nearly 6% of US home listings were pulled in April, tied for the highest rate since the pandemic, as sellers struggle to find buyers willing to meet their asking prices. (More)

The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. (More)

Shia LaBeouf pleaded guilty to punching three people outside a New Orleans bar during Mardi Gras in February. (More)

CBS News fired veteran 60 Minutes anchor Scott Pelley after he accused new leadership of pushing falsehoods and "murdering" the show. (More)

Scientists found living yeast in Ötzi the Iceman's 5,300-year-old frozen gut and used it to bake sourdough bread. (More)

British regulators ordered Google to let news publishers opt out of having their content scraped for AI features, a world first. (More)

NASA declared its Maven spacecraft dead Wednesday after it went silent in December. (More)

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