In San Antonio, Luke Kornet isn’t preoccupied with dreams of reaching the NBA Finals or crafting a legendary play for his team. His journey began far from the spotlight, with the Westchester Knicks in a modest 5,000-seat arena in White Plains, where the stands were often empty.

“When you talk about playing on the NBA Finals stage, it’s quite different from performing on the literal stage at the Westchester County Center at one end of the court,” Kornet, now a center for the Spurs, remarked on Tuesday at Frost Bank Arena. “Back then, I was focused on carving out a niche for myself, discovering what it meant to be part of the NBA. Those first two years in Westchester were great. We played some really exciting basketball that I fondly remember. The talent level was high, with many young players, and it felt like an extension of college ball. It was a period of significant growth for me. While many players view the G-League as something to escape, I genuinely enjoyed my time there.”

Kornet’s NBA journey began after going undrafted from Vanderbilt in 2017. He then secured a two-way contract with the New York Knicks.

Spending most of his debut season in Westchester, Kornet appeared in 36 games. However, the following season brought new opportunities, allowing him to showcase his skills at the iconic Madison Square Garden.

He spent the bulk of that season in Westchester, appearing in 36 games, but the next year Kornet saw more opportunities at Madison Square Garden.

In the 2018-19 season, Kornet averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.0 minutes, while appearing in 46 games (18 starts) for the Knicks, alongside the likes of Kevin Knox, Emmanuel Mudiay and Noah Vonleh on a 17-win team that matched the worst record in team history.

“It’s definitely a cool, full-circle moment playing the Knicks and having started there,” Kornet said. “Now it’s like my third Finals … one of those things that maybe 20 years from now I’ll have a little more perspective on, but for the moment just trying to succeed and win a championship.”

Kornet already has one ring, which he earned with the Celtics in 2024, finally carving out a key role on a team after four brief tenures elsewhere.

Kornet, 30, left Boston for San Antonio last summer after receiving a four-year, $41 million contract as a free agent to serve as Victor Wembanyama’s backup and provide experience on a roster that would become the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals since 1954.

Kornet — who recorded a career-high seven blocks against the Knicks in Game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals — has been scrutinized in the postseason for the Spurs’ struggles with Wembanyama off the floor, but the backup recently made the biggest play of his career when he chased down Isaiah Hartenstein for a block late in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, helping send San Antonio to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.

“Someone from the bench yelled, ‘Who is it? LeBron James?’” Kornet said. “We’ll see which one has more staying power in the record books of history.”

Romania’s foreign minister disclosed to News Media that Bucharest has responded to the Trump administration’s request for allied assistance in the Middle East. This support involves permitting the use of Romanian military bases for “defensive activities” amid rising tensions with Iran and efforts to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have allowed access for defensive operations, such as air refueling, because we believe it’s crucial for allies to support each other,” stated Romania’s interim Foreign Affairs Minister, Oana-Silvia Ţoiu, during an exclusive interview at the United Nations.

Ţoiu emphasized, “While we are not engaging in warfare, nor do we plan to, we are committed to collective defense efforts and are actively involved in diplomatic initiatives aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.”

Her remarks follow President Donald Trump’s ongoing encouragement for European allies to boost their defense spending and play a more significant role in global security, particularly concerning maritime security in the Middle East.

NATO LEADERS ANTICIPATE THE ERA OF 2% DEFENSE SPENDING ‘LIKELY OVER’ AS TRUMP REPORTEDLY SUGGESTS A HIGHER TARGET

A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the foreground in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)

Ţoiu acknowledged growing tensions between Washington and some European allies over support related to the conflict with Iran, but said both sides recognize the need for closer coordination.

“I’m pretty sure that both on the U.S. side and the European side, we do understand that we need to enhance our dialog in order to prevent moments when we create tension in the transatlantic partnership,” she told News Media. “And I do believe a better dialog ahead of time on all sides leads to better results, specifically on the request of help in terms of the conflict in the Middle East.”

The Romanian foreign minister said Bucharest approved the use of its military bases and infrastructure for defensive operations linked to regional security efforts.

“Romania has approved through Parliament the proposal of the President, the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry for defense and the prime minister, the use of our military bases and infrastructure for defensive activities, for activities such as air-fuelling, for example, because we are aware of the fact that it is needed that we trust each other,” she said.

“I think we share clear objectives here in Europe, between the U.S. and countries around the world, such as lowering energy prices, such as allowing for fertilizers not to be blocked anymore there.”

Oana-Silvia Toiu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania speaks during emergency Security Council meeting requested by Romania and supported by France after Russian military drone entered Romanian airspace and injuring civilians when exploded at UN Headquarters in New York, NY on June 1, 2026.  (Lev Radin/Sipa USA)

Romania, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, has emerged as one of the alliance’s key eastern flank states amid growing concerns over both Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.

“We do agree with President Trump on the need to increase budgets,” Ţoiu said.

She noted that Romania raised defense spending to 2% of GDP during Trump’s previous term and plans to allocate an average of 3.4% next year through a combination of military procurement and strategic infrastructure investments.

Her remarks came just hours after Romania requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday following a Russian drone strike that hit a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați on May 29.

The emergency briefing marked the first time in Romania’s roughly 70-year history at the United Nations that it requested a Security Council session over a direct threat to its national security, according to Romanian officials.

Romanian law enforcement officers work at the site of an explosion in a residential block of flats following a reported drone strike near the border with Ukraine, in Galati, Romania, May 29, 2026.  (Inquam Photos/George Calin via Reuters)

Speaking at the Security Council, Ţoiu said a drone carrying explosives violated Romanian airspace for approximately four minutes before crashing into the 10th floor of a residential building, injuring a mother and child.

“We do have the military analysis that shows clearly that it is a Russian-made drone in type of design, type of pieces of equipment, and also the chemical analysis that they have done,” she told News Media.

Ţoiu said the drone was believed to be part of a larger Russian attack targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure near the Danube River.

“We wanted to call on the international community to make sure we collectively state that this is a blatant violation of international law,” she said.

“And irrespective of whether that was the intention or not, the responsibility is very clear. And these reckless escalations need to stop.”

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz meets with Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Ţoiu at U.N. headquarters in New York following an emergency Security Council session on a Russian drone strike in Romania, June 1, 2026.  (U.S. Mission to the United Nations)

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya rejected the accusations during the session, calling them “unfounded and biased.”

Nebenzya argued that if a Geran-2 drone had directly hit the building, the damage would have been far more severe, claiming Romanian media footage showed only fire damage rather than complete destruction.

He also called for a “thorough, objective, and depoliticized investigation” involving Russia and suggested the incident could have been a Ukrainian provocation intended to drag NATO deeper into the war.

The U.S. military has been enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, even during the ceasefire. (U.S. Central Command)

Ţoiu pushed back against Moscow’s position and questioned how a permanent member of the Security Council can simultaneously act as an aggressor state.

“We do now have a question that’s not just a question on Romania’s side, but the question of the international community of how can a member of the Security Council contribute to its mission there, which is peace and security, while also being an aggressor state,” she said.

“And of course, its veto [ is not currently] used towards peace and security.”

The United States joined more than 50 countries backing Romania in a joint statement condemning the strike.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz later wrote on X that he met with Ţoiu following “the reckless Russian drone strike on a Romanian apartment building.

“The violence must end before more innocent people suffer,” Waltz wrote.

Ţoiu told News Media she also held meetings with the U.S. delegation at the United Nations following the emergency session.

NATO leaders participate in a summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025, where they pledged to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 as requested by President Donald Trump. (Handout / Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect)

“The United States has joined our common statement alongside more than 50 countries in making a clear public message on the attack,” she said.

“We are working with the United States not just through our partnership in NATO, but also strategic partners.”

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California Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News personality, was poised to secure a spot in the November runoff for the governor’s race. However, the outcome remains uncertain as the state continues to process a vast number of mail-in ballots.

As of early Wednesday morning, Hilton was leading the field. Xavier Becerra, the former Health and Human Services Secretary, emerged as the leading Democratic contender, while billionaire Tom Steyer was trailing in third place.

The final results in this high-stakes race to govern the world’s fourth-largest economy might not be known for several days.

In the final weeks of the gubernatorial primary campaign, it became clear that the competition had narrowed down to a three-way battle to succeed term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom.

California employs a “jungle primary” system, where the top two candidates with the most votes, irrespective of their party affiliation, move forward to the November election, instead of each party selecting a candidate for the general election.

Deep blue California hasn’t seen a Republican governor since movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tenure, from 2003 to 2011. 

Hilton gave a hat-tip to Schwarzenegger onstage with supporters Tuesday night, revealing he had a jacket made that had American and California flags stitched inside. 

‘Arnold, that was for you!’ he said. 

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Steve Hilton shows off his jacket that has a California and USA flag stitched inside as he addresses supporters Tuesday night. Hilton looked poised to head to the general election 

Leading the race Tuesday night was former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (left) while billionaire and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Tom Steyer (right) was coming in third, early results showed 

Catering to the independents and Democrats he’d need to win in a general election, Hilton vowed that his run wasn’t ‘ideological.’

‘It’s time for positive, practical things,’ Hilton said. 

Earlier on CNN, he said the results were ‘obviously encouraging.’ 

‘What we’re really watching is the gap between me and the third-place candidate, Tom Steyer. As long as that gap stays roughly where it is, then Californians will have a choice for change in the general election – that’s what really matters here,’ the London-born Hilton added. 

Polling generally showed that Becerra had taken Representative Eric Swalwell’s place as the frontrunner. 

Swalwell bowed out of the race after his campaign was derailed by sex abuse allegations in April, which also prompted the California Democrat to resign from Congress. Swalwell has denied the claims. 

Becerra came to the race as an experienced politician.

Besides serving in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet, he was formerly California’s Attorney General and a former US House member representing portions of Los Angeles. 

Still, some in the Democratic Party had reservations about his candidacy.   

Former Department of Justice official Xochitl Hinojosa said on a CNN panel last month that Democrats who worked for Biden are wary that Becerra would be able to stand up to President Donald Trump. 

‘Can I tell you after working in Joe Biden’s administration, I do not trust Xavier Becerra to do that,’ she said. 

‘He was not effective in government,’ Hinojosa went on, when prodded by host Abby Phillip. ‘And I think a lot of people in the Biden administration are talking about this because they realize he’s not an effective HHS secretary. If you ask any Cabinet secretary, they would tell you the same thing.’  

Republican California gubernatorial hopeful Steve Hilton was born in London and previously served in the British government before becoming a US citizen and mounting his campaign where he started out Election Day as the leading GOP candidate

The two leading Democrats before Election Day were former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (left) and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer (right), who previously ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary 

Going into Election Day, the top three California gubernatorial candidates appeared to be (from left) Republican Steve Hilton, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Democrat Tom Steyer

Last month, Becerra also took heat for an awkward interview he had with KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos, where he attempted to set the ground rules while the cameras rolled. 

‘By the way, this is a profile piece, this is not a gotcha piece, right?’ Becerra asked. 

Hilton, a London-born US citizen, became a Fox News star on the heels of Trump’s first election. 

He previously served as part of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s government before giving politics a try across the pond. 

Hilton portrayed himself as someone who could get along with the current administration – instead of fighting them tooth and nail like Newsom. 

He also pledged to make California ‘Californable’ – by lowering income and business taxes and expanding domestic energy production to push gas prices down to $3.  

He was officially endorsed by Trump for California governor in April, though fellow Republican, Sheriff Chad Bianco, stayed in the race. 

On Saturday, Hilton publicly encouraged Bianco to drop out of the race to ensure that at least one Republican would appear on the November ballot. 

Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton exits his pickup truck emblazoned with the campaign slogan ‘Golden Again’ 

Republican hopeful for California governor, Sheriff Chad Bianco, (pictured) has remained in the race, despite pleas from fellow Republican Steve Hilton to bow out so that Hilton has a chance to make it to the November general election 

‘There is one person who can stop this doomsday scenario,’ Hilton said in a social media post. ‘And that is my friend, Chad Bianco. Chad, the best time to drop out would have been a couple of weeks ago. The second best time is right now.’ 

That’s because Hilton has been battling the billionaire Steyer for a November ballot slot.

Steyer was a 2020 Democratic hopeful for the White House, who dropped out of the race after a poor showing in the South Carolina primary. 

His plaid ties and decision to sing ‘Back the Azz Up’ alongside rapper Juvenile at his final event in the Palmetto State could not overcome powerful Representative Jim Clyburn’s endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden – who went on to win the primary and the presidential race. 

Steyer rebooted his political career with the California run, where he’s spent more than $200 million just on advertising, according to the Associated Press – topping every other candidate across the nation in spending. 

He used gimmicky social media posts to enhance his candidacy, too. 

On Monday night, Steyer visited a West Hollywood gay bar for a karaoke session to kick off Pride month.

In a social media post, Steyer admitted that while he can’t sing, he and his wife, Kat, belted out Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down. 

On Election Day, billionaire Tom Steyer told voters ‘I’m about to ride the D,’ meaning the newly opened D line on the Los Angeles Metro 

Former Representative Katie Porter saw her gubernatorial campaign get derailed by viral videos that saw her berating a staffer and walking out on a reporter. In 2024, she lost California’s Senate primary to Senator Adam Schiff

And then on Election Day, the candidate shared a post that said: ‘I’m Tom Steyer and I’m about to ride the D.’ 

The ‘D’ he was referring to was LA’s D Line, a branch of the Metro that opened earlier this year. 

A handful of other Democrats remained in the governor’s race despite party worries that both Republicans, Hilton and Bianco, could advance to the general election due to the overcrowded field. 

Notably, former Democratic Representative Katie Porter stayed the course. 

She was elected to Congress in 2018 as part of a substantial anti-Trump blue wave and became a household name thanks to viral moments during committee hearings. 

But her political career hit a roadblock when she lost the 2024 California Senate primary to now Senator Adam Schiff. 

She appeared to be well-positioned in the governor’s race, but her brand got tainted after videos went viral of her berating a staffer and walking out on a CBS interview.

Porter was tracking to end the race earning just 5 percent of the vote.