Morning Minute: Go Day in Cali

60 Minutes meeting blow-up has CBS News reeling: 'By far the worst I've ever seen'

In the aftermath of the explosive first meeting between the remaining "60 Minutes” staffers and new Bari Weiss hand-picked executive producer Nick Bilton, executives at CBS News are picking through the rubble of the very public spectacle of a news organization in crisis.According to media watchdog Status, during the brief 15-minute Monday meeting, noted 60 Minutes co-host Scott Pelley raked Bilton over the coals as Pelley pointed out that his boss, Weiss, has "no qualifications for her job" and added that Bilton has “slender qualifications for this job."According to audio obtained from the meeting by Status, that came after Pelley accused, "She's murdering '60 Minutes'. She does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it—and she's doing exactly that."Late Monday, Status reported that Weiss has since been nowhere to be seen, with Oliver Darcy reporting, “Pelley’s extraordinary remarks immediately led staffers inside '60 Minutes' to wonder whether he was leaving the program. Pelley has not commented on the matter, but I’m told he has not quit—at least not yet. Instead, it appears he is daring Weiss to fire him.""Bari may have six bodyguards but she seems afraid to stand by her man Nick and face the grilling at '60 Minutes,'" one television news executive told Status. "No other explanation for sending him [Bilton] to slaughter today and not being there."Inside CBS News and parent company Paramount, Pelley's takedown detonated like "a nuclear bomb," dominating conversations throughout the media conglomerate. Yet the silence from leadership was equally striking, Darcy wrote.Hours after Pelley's attack, CBS News had issued no statement addressing the crisis. Weiss remained notably absent, and network leadership — to whom Weiss directly reports — offered nothing beyond a Paramount spokesperson declining to comment.A veteran television news executive told Status that Pelley's confrontation was unprecedented in scale and severity. "Every new executive lives in terror of those meetings with star talent and staff, and we have all been put through the wringer by angry anchors and employees. But this was by far the worst I've ever seen. By far. A star anchor says you don't have the relevant experience, why did you even take this job, you'll never be welcome here. Savage," the executive said.Despite the apparent catastrophe, one top media executive suggested the situation could be salvaged, telling Darcy during a phone call that the best path forward is to "move Weiss back to her anti-'woke' The Free Press, pay out Bilton's contract, rehire the fired '60 Minutes' staff, and admit the recent moves had been a mistake. Then install a seasoned news manager to oversee CBS News."

Tuesday is a big primary day. Here are key races to watch

Six states — California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota and New Mexico — hold elections on Tuesday. Here are key races to follow.

The Morning Briefing: It's Primary Day in California — Raise a Glass to the Underdogs

Dems hit by last-minute Platner anxiety before Maine Senate primary

Democrats have been caught in the bind Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) sought to avoid when he backed Gov. Janet Mills over Graham Platner in the Maine Senate race.Why it matters: Democrats must now support an untested and largely unvetted outsider as he faces intense media scrutiny over his relationship with women in a must-win race.⏰ Maine's Democratic primary to take on Sen. Susan Collins (R) in November is in eight days.🔄 Zoom in: Practically, it might be feasible to swap out candidates. Politically, it will be close to impossible."I've heard some of my colleagues' concerns about what we've read in the papers," Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who backed Mills, told Axios. "But at the end of the day, we've got to win.""We know that at this point this man can still win the race, and as long as he continues, I think we'll all be there," Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said.✈️ Driving the news: Platner will have an opportunity to address senators' concerns during a meeting with Senate Democrats tomorrow afternoon, followed by two fundraisers, as Axios scooped today."I'll know more after tomorrow's briefing on that," Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) said. "But clearly, campaigns and candidates have to be fully transparent as things come out.""He has to answer those questions directly and forthrightly. They're fair questions," Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said. "It's going to be on him to answer them, and it's going to be up to the voters of Maine to decide."⚡️ The intrigue: Some of Mills' political allies have encouraged her to reactivate her campaign, according to people familiar with the matter. So far, she has demurred.But she fueled speculation today that she could rejoin the race, telling the Portland (Maine) Press Herald: "People have the impression that I 'withdrew' or 'dropped out,' but I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot."🪓 Between the lines: Democrats do have a break-glass option if more damaging revelations emerge.Maine law allows a party to replace its nominee if the primary winner withdraws by the second Monday in July, which is July 13. The replacement would be selected at a party convention rather than through another primary.✅ The bottom line: Progressive senators who backed Platner in their proxy battle with Schumer aren't abandoning him."I think it's important for us to focus on the issues facing working families a little bit more than Graham Platner's marriage," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said."Susan Collins has a history of supporting Donald Trump," Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told reporters. "Graham Platner is showing the courage and determination to take that on. I believe that's what the people of Maine care most about."

Candidates scramble for last-minute votes across CA before governor and mayor primaries

On the eve of California’s primary election, candidates are crisscrossing the state to make their final pitch to voters before they head to the polls on Tuesday. 

Morning news brief

DOJ says it will pause its 'anti-weaponization' fund after judge's ruling, Trump says he urged Israel, Hezbollah to hold fire amid rising tensions over Lebanon, Californians vote in state's primaries.

Newark mayor to file lawsuit calling for shutdown of Delaney Hall immigration center after 10 days of clashes: Report

The mayor of Newark is to file a lawsuit Tuesday calling for the shutdown of the Delaney Hall immigration detention center after 10 days of clashes between keffiyeh-clad leftist yobs and law enforcement. Ras Baraka, 56, is filing the lawsuit on health and safety grounds, and lashed out at the GEO Group – the organization...

Anthropic files with SEC to go public

Anthropic has confidentially filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to go public, the artificial intelligence (AI) company said Monday. The filing tees up what is expected to be a massive initial public offering (IPO) for Anthropic, as it competes with other AI firms looking to make their stock market debut in the…