Bari Weiss Fired Scott Pelley Because He Wouldn't LIE in His 60 Minutes Stories
The Morning Sixpack - 06/03/2026: CBS' Scott Pelley fired, Iran hits Kuwait airport, Trump stumbles in Iowa, gas fears grow, aliens.gov debuts #MorningSixpack
CBS just fired one of its most recognizable journalists after he openly challenged management over the future of “60 Minutes”—and that fight is now impossible to hide.
CBS Fires Scott Pelley After Explosive Clash Over ‘60 Minutes’
Scott Pelley is out at CBS after a public confrontation over the leadership and direction of “60 Minutes.” The network terminated the longtime correspondent one day after he accused CBS News leadership of “murdering ‘60 Minutes’” during a tense staff meeting.
Editor: When one of the most respected names in television news gets fired for challenging management, it’s no longer an internal dispute—it’s a full-blown civil war, except that the South is gonna win this one.
Pelley, who spent decades at CBS and became one of the defining faces of “60 Minutes,” reportedly blasted new executive producer Nick Bilton and questioned the network’s decision to remove key leaders and correspondents from the program. CBS then moved quickly, informing him he was being terminated “for cause.”
The key quote says plenty about where things stand. “I have been in combat in Afghanistan,” Pelley said. “I have been in combat in Iraq. I have been in the war zone in Ukraine multiple times, risking my life and the happiness of my family because of my devotion to the broadcast.”
What makes this story bigger than one firing is that “60 Minutes” wasn’t struggling. According to the report, viewership was up and the program remained one of the highest-rated shows on television. Yet CBS has replaced leadership, removed multiple correspondents and now shown one of its biggest stars the door.
Source: The New York Times report
Editor: Nothing builds confidence in a newsroom overhaul quite like firing a veteran reporter after he tells everyone the newsroom overhaul is a disaster. That’s one way to shorten the staff meeting agenda.
Here’s Pelley’s statement after he was fired:
There has never been anything in America like 60 Minutes.
The Sunday tradition is the most successful program of any kind in history. For more than a decade, its innovative growth on every major online platform has extended its reach to countless millions around the world. This spring, at the end of our 58th season, 60 Minutes grew rapidly with an unheard-of 9% jump in viewers on CBS.
“60” has been the number-one program in America for decades because our beloved audience finds integrity, quality, and humanity in our stories. When stewardship of the program passed to my colleagues and me, our responsibility was to expand energetically into a new age of media technology while preserving the values our audience expects. Now, the new owner of our network is casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration.
The waste is heartbreaking.
Last month, 60 Minutes lost its DNA when our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause. Good people were silenced because they stood up for our audience. They stood for fairness against the forces of political bias; they stood for professionalism against chaos.
For my part, new management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified. To date, in every case, I have managed to ignore these instructions or refuse them. Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast. Giving politicians control over 60 Minutes interviews is not how this is done. Finally, incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc. In a case involving one of my stories, the entire program came within 19 minutes of not getting on the air at all.
At 60 Minutes, we have fought harder than anyone knows to save the program that became an American icon. We owed that to our millions of viewers. I am deeply moved by the thousands of wishes we have received to “keep up the good fight.” Most of the men and women of CBS News are still in that fight. But now the collapse of values at the top has become untenable. The leadership of 60 Minutes is no longer recognizable. The principles I hold dear are gone, and so I must leave as well.
I depart after 37 years at CBS with one emotion—a heart brimming with gratitude for the men and women of CBS News who encouraged and enriched my work, very often at the risk of their own lives. I pray for a day when those people and their ideals are honored again—a day when sanity, competence, and courage return.
Scott Pelley
Iran just expanded the battlefield beyond military targets, hitting Kuwait’s main airport and dragging another Gulf state deeper into the conflict.
Iranian Strike Shuts Down Kuwait’s Main Airport as Gulf Conflict Widens
Iranian drones and missiles struck Kuwait International Airport, killing at least one person, injuring dozens and temporarily shutting down one of the Gulf’s busiest aviation hubs. The attack marks one of the most direct hits on civilian infrastructure since the regional conflict escalated earlier this year.
According to Kuwaiti authorities, drones and ballistic missiles damaged airport facilities, forced a suspension of operations and left at least 63 people injured. Kuwait said dozens of projectiles were launched toward the country, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard later claimed responsibility, describing the strike as retaliation for recent U.S. attacks on Iran’s Qeshm Island and activity in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attack also carried international consequences. India confirmed that one of its citizens was killed and several others were injured in the strike. Kuwait responded by summoning Iran’s chargé d’affaires and demanding that two Iranian embassy staff members leave the country within 24 hours.
Beyond the immediate damage, the bigger concern is the widening scope of the conflict. Iran is now openly accusing Kuwait and Bahrain of supporting U.S. military operations, while Gulf leaders are calling for a unified regional response. Meanwhile, negotiations between Washington and Tehran appear increasingly fragile as missile exchanges continue despite repeated claims of ceasefire understandings and ongoing diplomatic contacts.
Source: Al Jazeera report
Editor: Nothing says “we’re still committed to diplomacy” quite like trading missiles across the Gulf while airports close, diplomats get expelled and shipping lanes stay choked. At some point, the actions start speaking louder than the press releases.
Democrats got a boost in Iowa, Trump finally took an endorsement loss, and California voters turned a governor’s race into a political free-for-all.
Trump’s Endorsement Machine Stumbles as California Chaos Takes Center Stage
Tuesday’s primaries delivered a rare political setback for Donald Trump while setting the stage for several of the most closely watched races of 2026. From Iowa’s Senate battle to California’s crowded governor’s contest, voters offered an early look at the political landscape heading into November.
The biggest surprise came in Iowa’s Republican gubernatorial primary, where Trump-backed Rep. Randy Feenstra lost to conservative outsider Zach Lahn. The defeat interrupted a remarkable run of Trump-backed victories and gives Democrats hope in a state that has become increasingly difficult territory. Meanwhile, Democrats rallied behind former Paralympian and state Rep. Josh Turek in a marquee Senate race that could test whether the party can rebuild support across the Midwest.
California, as usual, supplied the drama. With Gov. Gavin Newsom term-limited, roughly 60 candidates competed to replace him. Early results showed Democrat Xavier Becerra, billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, and Republican Steve Hilton leading the pack. The outcome could reveal whether voters want another traditional Democrat or are ready to gamble on a more disruptive path.
Editor: Note that Hilton beat everybody.
Elsewhere, New Mexico’s Deb Haaland moved closer to making history as the nation’s first elected Native American woman governor, while New Jersey Democrats selected former Navy pilot Rebecca Bennett for a House race that could help determine control of Congress. The primaries also highlighted a growing Democratic strategy in deeply Republican states: quietly hoping independent candidates can succeed where the party label cannot.
Source: Associated Press report
Editor: Politicians spent millions, voters spent hours at the polls, and California still managed to produce a ballot that looked like someone accidentally printed the rough draft. Meanwhile, Iowa reminded us that even presidential endorsements come with an expiration date.
The oil shock from the Iran conflict may be just getting started—even if the shooting stops tomorrow.
Gas Prices Could Climb Much Higher Even If the Iran War Ends Soon
Global oil and fuel inventories are falling so fast that energy executives warn consumers may face another surge in gasoline prices regardless of whether the conflict with Iran cools down. The world has been living off emergency reserves for months, and those stockpiles are running dangerously low.
Energy leaders from Chevron and Exxon say governments and companies have been masking supply shortages by drawing down reserves accumulated over years. Analysts now warn that if inventories continue to shrink, oil prices could spike dramatically, with some forecasts putting Brent crude as high as $150 to $160 per barrel.
The root of the problem remains the Strait of Hormuz, which carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies before the conflict disrupted traffic. Even if shipping resumes immediately, experts say it could take months to replenish depleted stockpiles, restart supply chains and stabilize fuel markets. One analyst summed it up this way: “Even if the strait magically opens tomorrow, it is not as simple as snapping your fingers and everything goes back to the way it was.”
The White House argues it has plans in place to limit the damage and insists markets are underestimating ongoing diplomatic efforts. But energy analysts are increasingly focused on hard numbers rather than optimistic forecasts. Gasoline inventories in the United States are already declining faster than normal heading into the summer driving season, while strategic reserves around the world have been heavily depleted.
Source: The Washington Post report (gift)
Editor: Remember when politicians told us energy independence would make these overseas conflicts less painful? Turns out the global economy still has a vote. And unfortunately, it votes at the gas pump. #ThanksTrump
The White House launched a website that looks like an alien conspiracy page—but the target isn’t UFOs, it’s illegal immigration.
White House Turns Immigration Crackdown Into an ‘Alien’ Conspiracy-Themed Website
The Trump administration has unveiled a new government website that uses UFO imagery, X-Files-style graphics, and “alien invasion” language to promote its immigration enforcement agenda. The site, aliens.gov, presents undocumented immigrants as “aliens” while borrowing heavily from pop culture references to extraterrestrials.
The page opens with glowing green text declaring “THEY WALK AMONG US” and suggests that generations of political leaders concealed the truth about “aliens.” The twist comes moments later: The website isn’t discussing extraterrestrials at all. Instead, it pivots to immigration enforcement and urges the deportation of undocumented immigrants.
Critics argue the messaging crosses a line from political branding into dehumanization. Immigration scholars interviewed by NPR said comparing immigrants to extraterrestrial invaders risks encouraging hostility and fear toward noncitizens. The site even refers to an “Alien” as “it” in one section discussing deportation.
The controversy extends beyond the language. Researchers questioned statistics displayed on the site, saying some immigration figures lack clear sourcing or appear inconsistent with publicly available enforcement data. NPR also reported that portions of the website’s source code contain comments commonly associated with AI-assisted coding tools, raising questions about how quickly the page was assembled.
Source: NPR report
Editor: Somewhere in Washington, a communications consultant got paid real money to ask, “What if immigration policy looked more like a sci-fi movie trailer?” And apparently nobody in the room said, “Maybe let’s not.”
Conducting “other” campaigns to literally dehumanize actual humans is about as low as you can go. But have faith: Trump and his goon squad will exceed our expectations!
And in case you thought that was bad… A federal whistleblower who accused DOGE of mishandling government data now says someone cut his brake lines—and he’s blaming Elon Musk’s public attacks for putting a target on his back.
DOGE Whistleblower Says His Brake Lines Were Cut After Musk Amplified Attacks
The federal IT employee who publicly accused DOGE of improperly accessing sensitive government data has filed a lawsuit claiming Elon Musk’s online comments helped fuel threats against him before a frightening incident involving his car. The case adds another layer of controversy to the already contentious debate surrounding DOGE’s activities inside federal agencies.
Dan Berulis, a former National Labor Relations Board IT staffer, alleges that after he filed a congressional whistleblower complaint about DOGE’s access to agency systems, he became the target of intimidation. He says a threatening note appeared at his home containing photos of him walking his dog, and days later he crashed his vehicle after discovering what he claims were cut brake lines. A police report cited in the article notes that a mechanic found damage to brake components and other vehicle systems.
The lawsuit focuses on Musk’s social media activity after Berulis went public. Musk reposted claims suggesting Berulis had filed a false whistleblower complaint and wrote, “Filing a deliberately false whistleblower claim is a serious crime.” According to the lawsuit, the post led to online harassment, with some users calling for prosecution or worse. Berulis argues the attention increased the threats against him and endangered his safety.
Importantly, many of the underlying allegations remain disputed. DOGE supporters and critics continue to argue over whether improper access to government systems occurred (it did). The National Labor Relations Board’s inspector general has investigated aspects of the matter, and public statements from various officials have reached differing conclusions (of course, the “officials” know who buttered their bread). Berulis says his goal is not only to clear his name but also to shed light on how DOGE operated and to help protect future whistleblowers.
Source: WIRED report
Editor: Whether Berulis ultimately wins or loses in court, one thing is hard to ignore: When billionaire psychopaths, federal agencies, anonymous internet accounts, and sabotage all end up in the same story, somebody’s life has become far more complicated than it ever should have been.