News briefs

Tribune News Service on Jun 16, 2026

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People are betting on elections in prediction markets. Congress is watching

WASHINGTON — As Spencer Pratt fell behind in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, an unexpected group began claiming election fraud: people tracking the Republican’s success on prediction markets, the increasingly popular online exchanges on which people can make bets on almost anything.

“Crazy how much voter fraud can be done with mail in ballots,” one user following bets on the mayoral race wrote last week on Kalshi, one of the top trading platforms.

“Same old California fraud,” said another who had bet that Pratt would win.

Election fraud claims extended to social media, where a handful of influencers who post content for prediction market platforms questioned the ballot count. “It’s a dead heat on Kalshi,” one user wrote on social media. “Is CA cheating to get Spencer Pratt out?”

—Los Angeles Times

Where’s Luigi? Accused CEO killer Mangione misses key court date as DA drops the ball

NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione was MIA at a highly anticipated hearing on Tuesday after the Manhattan district attorney’s office forgot to ask his federal jailers to bring him to court.

State Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro rescheduled the appearance for Wednesday morning after lawyers for the suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson informed him of the administrative blunder.

“It’s on us,” Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann conceded, taking the rap for the undelivered writ to the Metropolitan Detention Center requesting that Mangione be produced.

Carro is yet to rule on a motion by Mangione’s defense team that invited speculation when they filed it under seal earlier this month. He was expected to reveal the reason for the ask and his decision on Tuesday.

—New York Daily News

5 University of Michigan threat case suspects were Democratic Party members, ex-chair says

LANSING, Mich. — A former Michigan Democratic Party chairman asked current party leadership on Monday to review the conduct of five Democrats accused of orchestrating threats against University of Michigan officials over the school's ties to Israel.

The five Democratic Party members were among a group of eight individuals indicted last week in Michigan and accused, by federal prosecutors, of damaging properties with spray-painted messages and throwing glass jars filled with noxious chemicals at a home.

Lon Johnson, who was the party's chairman from 2013 to 2015, asked the party's current chairman, Curtis Hertel Jr., to review the allegations against the five members and to determine whether further action, including suspension or expulsion, from the party is warranted.

"This request is not intended to prejudge the outcome of the criminal case but rather to ensure that the party's stated commitment to opposing harassment, intimidation and discriminatory conduct is applied consistently," Johnson said in an email to Hertel.

—The Detroit News

At G7 summit, Trump says Syria better than Israel at fighting Hezbollah

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump vented his frustration with Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon, going as far to suggest that Syria would do a better job fighting Hezbollah there.

During a meeting at the Group of Seven summit with Qatar’s leader, Trump said Israel’s campaign against the Iran-backed militant group had nearly derailed peace negotiations with Tehran. Trump’s suggestion is a clear jab at Israel. Syria is a longtime adversary of the Jewish state and Israeli leaders are deeply suspicious of the new government in Damascus.

“I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah,” Trump said Tuesday. “I’m not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah. They should have been able to do the job faster. It just goes on forever, and when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal, and that’s the deal with Iran.”

The president proposed the idea to officials from Israel and Lebanon during a meeting at the White House about a month and a half ago, Israeli public broadcaster Kan News reported later Tuesday.

—Bloomberg News