Rubio: Iranian athletes welcome, IRGC-linked figures not

 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Iranian athletes competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup will not face difficulties entering the country, but warned that Washington will closely scrutinize members of Iran's delegation.

Rubio said the Iranian national team has chosen to stay in Mexico rather than the United States during the tournament. He stressed that the US has "no problem" with athletes or their support staff. However, Rubio said US authorities would not allow individuals with alleged ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to enter under the guise of participating in the sporting event.

"But what we're not going to allow is for them to embed in their delegation a bunch of people that we know have nothing to do with athletics and have ties to the IRGC," he stressed, adding that officials would continue monitoring the issue closely.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Rubio:-Iranian-athletes-welcome-IRGC-linked-figures-not/66421347

US issues new Iran-related sanctions

 The United States Department of State announced on Tuesday that it sanctioned Tehran's "largest digital asset exchanges and their leadership for supporting the Iranian regime's terrorist activities and sanctions evasion efforts."

In a statement, Washington mentioned that the sanctioned exchanges not only helped the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to carry out its "illicit transactions" but also allowed Iranian officials to have access to international financial systems.

The department stressed that with today's decision, pressure on Tehran continues, with the US locked in on its goal to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/US-issues-new-Iran-related-sanctions/66421326

Travere licenses BTK inhibitor civorebrutinib for rare kidney diseases from Everest for $112.5 m upfront

 

Travere Therapeutics licenses BTK inhibitor civorebrutinib for rare kidney diseases from Everest Medicines for $112.5 million upfront

• H.C. Wainwright raised Travere Therapeutics price target to $67 from $57, reiterating Buy after civorebrutinib deal with Everest Medicines.

https://finviz.com/stock?t=TVTX&p=d

Praxis pauses enrollment after Phase 2/3 in focal onset seizures misses primary endpoint

 

• Company is pausing enrollment in the POWER2 trial to reassess the vormatrigine program following the POWER1 study results.

https://finviz.com/stock?t=PRAX&p=d

Trump establishes early government access to most advanced AI models

 

Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at strengthening oversight of the most advanced artificial intelligence models in the United States. The text provides for the creation of a framework to evaluate the cyber capabilities of models in order to identify those deemed strategic. Companies may voluntarily participate in this program and provide the government with access to their technologies up to thirty days prior to public release. The administration will also be able to intervene in the selection of partners authorized to conduct early testing of these models.

The executive order specifies that it creates neither a mandatory licensing system, nor a requirement for prior government authorization to develop or market AI models. This initiative comes as several major industry players, including Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI, are preparing for or considering initial public offerings that could value their businesses at several hundred billion dollars. The administration is thus seeking to increase its visibility into the most sensitive technologies without imposing a restrictive regulatory framework.

The measure follows debates sparked by Claude Mythos Preview, an Anthropic model specialized in identifying IT vulnerabilities. The order also directs the Department of Defense to strengthen the protection of its information systems. This decision is part of a context of persistent tensions between the Pentagon and Anthropic, whose technology currently remains restricted in certain national defense contracts, a decision the company is contesting in court.

https://www.marketscreener.com/news/trump-establishes-early-government-access-to-most-advanced-ai-models-ce7f5ddedf8dff27

'Schumer meets with Maine Senate candidate Platner ahead of primary'

 

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that he met with Graham Platner, the party's leading Senate candidate from Maine who has battled a string of controversies ahead of next week's primary election.

"I have endorsed Graham Platner. We are going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate," Schumer said at a news conference, declining to comment further.

Platner, a former Marine and oyster farmer, is expected to win the June 9 Democratic nomination to take on Collins, the incumbent Republican senator. The race is seen as a must-win for Democrats to take control of the Senate in the November midterm elections. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber.

Several news outlets have reported that Platner sent sexually explicit texts to multiple women in the latest controversy to hit his populist campaign, following revelations of controversial internet posts and a tattoo that resembled a Nazi insignia. Platner has apologized for the posts and has said he did not know the tattoo had Nazi links and has since gotten it covered up. Platner's campaign did not respond to a request for comment. 

His top rival, Governor Janet Mills, suspended her campaign in April but told local media on Monday that her name was still on the ballot. Schumer had initially backed Mills.

Platner, who was not at Schumer's news conference, also was due to hold fundraisers while in Washington, according to Politico.

https://www.marketscreener.com/news/schumer-meets-with-maine-senate-candidate-platner-ahead-of-primary-ce7f5dded18cf227

Venezuela Moves to Open Power Sector to Private Investment

 

Venezuela’s National Assembly will debate a reform that would open the country’s electricity sector to private investment, allowing companies to generate, distribute and sell power under government concessions after more than 15 years of state control.

The proposal would permit private firms, mixed enterprises and companies with minority state ownership to operate in the sector alongside the state, according to draft legislation seen by Bloomberg. The bill also says it would establish tariffs designed to reflect the cost of providing service and allow operators a reasonable return on investment.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-02/venezuela-moves-to-open-power-sector-to-private-investment