Karen Bass advances in LA mayoral race; Trump names new intelligence chief amid policy shifts

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is currently running for re-election and has advanced in the primary election held on June 2, 2026. Early results indicate Bass is leading, and she is expected to proceed to a November runoff election against another top contender. Among her challengers, reality television personality Spencer Pratt is currently polling in second place, with City Councilmember Nithya Raman in third.

Concurrently, on June 2, 2026, President Trump announced his decision to appoint Bill Pulte, who heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as the acting Director of National Intelligence. This move comes as Tulsi Gabbard is set to resign from the role at the end of the month. Pulte's appointment has drawn considerable criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans, largely due to his reported lack of national security or intelligence experience and his history of pursuing mortgage fraud allegations against Trump's political adversaries.