A Chinese technology company has initiated fresh legal proceedings against a Dutch semiconductor firm, seeking massive financial compensation in a dispute that could reignite international tensions over chip manufacturing control.
Wingtech Technology, along with a subsidiary, has taken legal action against Nexperia B.V. and five additional entities, claiming that restrictions on its authority over the Dutch chipmaker continue to impact operations. The company is provisionally requesting 8 billion yuan, equivalent to approximately $1.18 billion, to cover economic damages.
The legal filing was accepted by a court in China’s southern Guangdong province, according to documents submitted to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Friday.
Nexperia responded to the lawsuit announcement, stating: “Nexperia has taken note of Wingtech’s announcement and understands that the relevant court has not opened the case for trial.”
The Dutch company expressed disappointment with the legal approach, adding: “We regret that Wingtech appears not to be interested at all in reaching a solution that would be beneficial to all stakeholders, including Wingtech’s shareholders, and continue to urge Wingtech to engage in an open dialogue.”
This renewed legal battle traces back to events that unfolded last September, when Dutch authorities assumed control of the Netherlands-based semiconductor company. Officials cited concerns that the firm was relocating operations and transferring intellectual property to China. The Dutch government subsequently reversed this decision.
The ongoing dispute has significantly impacted Wingtech’s financial performance. The company reported that its net losses expanded to 8.7 billion yuan in 2025, compared to a 2.8-billion-yuan loss the previous year, with the Nexperia control conflict contributing to the deteriorating results.
Earlier this year in January, Wingtech pursued international arbitration proceedings, seeking damages that could reach as high as $8 billion.
The current legal action references China’s anti-foreign sanctions law, which Beijing has been implementing with increased strictness. Wingtech Technology and Yucheng Holdings claim they are legally entitled to seek compensation under this framework.
In Friday’s court filing, Wingtech argued: “The defendants’ unlawful implementation of, or assistance in implementing, the discriminatory restrictive measures of the Dutch side has caused the plaintiffs irreparable and enormous losses.”
This latest lawsuit represents a potential escalation in a conflict that had remained relatively dormant since late last year. At that time, China agreed to reduce export restrictions on Nexperia semiconductor products in exchange for the Netherlands postponing its plans to seize operational control of Nexperia from Wingtech.
ISTANBUL — Internal turmoil within Turkey’s primary opposition political organization intensified Friday following a court decision that has created competing claims to party leadership.
A judicial panel in Ankara ruled Thursday to invalidate the Republican Peoples’ Party’s November 2023 leadership convention, where Ozgur Ozel won election to succeed former party head Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
The court’s action has temporarily removed Ozel and current executive committee members from their positions. Kilicdaroglu and officials who served prior to the November 2023 gathering will assume control on an interim basis.
Party officials contend the judicial ruling stems from political interference.
Previously, a trial court had dismissed challenges regarding voting irregularities and improper conduct during Ozel’s selection, but Thursday’s appellate decision reversed that earlier judgment.
Government representatives supported the legal challenge against the Republican Peoples’ Party, stating that party members themselves raised the corruption allegations. The most prominent complainant was former Antakya Mayor Lutfu Savas, who faced party expulsion for disciplinary violations in December 2024 before filing his lawsuit two months afterward to invalidate the leadership convention.
The party quickly challenged Thursday’s decision, but the court denied their request Friday. An evening appeal to the Supreme Election Council also failed, though the Supreme Court agreed to hear Ozel’s petition.
Friday saw Kilicdaroglu dismiss three party attorneys who had submitted the appeals. News outlets reported he began contacting previous associates to form his leadership team and updated his social media profile from “7th chairman of the CHP” to “chairman of the CHP.”
The 77-year-old Kilicdaroglu stepped down after 13 years leading the organization during which it never secured national electoral victory. In contrast, Ozel achieved significant success against Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party in his first major test during 2024’s municipal contests.
Thursday’s decision represents another significant challenge for the struggling party as it confronts numerous legal proceedings targeting its members and elected representatives.
The country’s next presidential contest is scheduled for 2028, though Erdogan retains authority to schedule an earlier vote. His primary political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from the Republican Peoples’ Party, has been incarcerated since March and faces corruption trial proceedings.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, who previously handled multiple cases against the party as Istanbul’s top prosecutor, characterized the court’s action as strengthening “our citizens’ trust in democracy.”
Political analysts widely view the legal actions against the Republican Peoples’ Party — primarily involving corruption accusations — as politically driven efforts to weaken the organization before upcoming elections. Government officials maintain that Turkish courts operate independently without political influence.
Erdogan has governed Turkey since 2003, serving first as prime minister then president. His electoral dominance faced challenges in 2019 when the opposition captured control of several major urban areas. Imamoglu’s victory in Istanbul established him as an appealing leader whom many believed capable of defeating Erdogan.
BOGOTA, Colombia — More than 500 Colombian military personnel flooded into the southwestern municipality of Silvia on Friday after deadly fighting erupted between two Indigenous communities over disputed land, killing at least seven people and injuring more than 100 others.
Military officials announced on social media that over 500 troops, supported by air units, would be sent to the region to secure the communities and stop further violence from breaking out.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez told reporters Friday that preliminary casualty figures show at least seven fatalities and more than 110 wounded — the majority suffering gunshot wounds. “This figure could rise,” he warned.
The violent confrontation occurred in a rural section of the Cauca department, where the Misak and Nasa Indigenous communities are fighting over the same piece of land that both groups say belongs to them.
According to a statement from Colombia’s government-run National Land Agency, officials have been working since April when conflicts first began to help resolve the dispute through mediation meetings and technical committees aimed at “providing clarity regarding the territorial boundaries of the two groups.” The agency called on both communities to continue participating in negotiations.
On Thursday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia released a statement calling for peace between the communities and demanding that government officials investigate and bring charges against those who caused the deaths and injuries.
Criminal armed organizations operate throughout the area, including breakaway groups from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, that refused to accept the historic 2016 peace deal with the government.
Farmers across the nation saw a modest increase in what they earned for peanuts during the week that concluded on May 16, according to new agricultural data.
Growers received an average of 23.7 cents per pound for all farmer stock peanuts, representing an uptick of 0.8 cent from the previous reporting period.
The pricing information reflects what agricultural producers earned for their peanut crops during that specific weekly timeframe.
Dairy production showed strong growth last month across the country’s leading milk-producing regions, according to new federal data.
The 24 major milk-producing states generated a combined 19.2 billion pounds of milk in April, marking a 2.8 percent increase compared to April of the previous year.
The uptick in production reflects continued strength in the nation’s dairy industry during the spring season when output typically begins to rise.
The number of cattle being fattened in feedlots nationwide has grown by 2 percent, according to new federal agricultural data.
The increase reflects current livestock market conditions as ranchers and agricultural operations continue preparing cattle for eventual processing and sale to consumers.
Federal agriculture officials regularly track these numbers as part of ongoing monitoring of the nation’s livestock industry and food supply chain.
The poultry industry has recorded a notable increase in ready-to-cook weight, showing a 6 percent rise from the previous year’s numbers.
According to recently released data, this uptick indicates growth in poultry processing operations across the country.
The weight measurement represents birds that have been processed and prepared for consumer purchase, providing insight into industry production levels and market trends.
Refrigerated warehouse facilities across the country reported mixed trends in natural cheese inventory levels as of the end of April 2026, according to new data.
The total volume of natural cheese held in cold storage facilities showed a 1 percent increase compared to March levels, indicating a modest monthly gain in stockpiled dairy products.
However, when measured against the same timeframe in the previous year, the cheese inventory figures revealed a 1 percent decrease from April 30, 2025 totals.
The data reflects the ongoing fluctuations in dairy product storage levels that warehouse operators and industry stakeholders monitor to track market conditions and supply chain dynamics.
A pet food manufacturer has issued an expanded voluntary recall of dog food products due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
Raaw Energy announced it is alerting consumers about recalled items manufactured during a period spanning from July 17, 2025 through December 23, 2025. The company is also recalling its Beef and Turkey Medley product with a batch date of March 31, 2026.
According to the company’s notice, not every product manufactured during the specified timeframe has tested positive for the harmful bacteria. However, the recall is being implemented as a precautionary measure.
The recall notice appears to be incomplete in the original FDA safety alert, cutting off mid-sentence while explaining the reasoning behind the expanded recall action.
With summer arriving, Maryland state parks are showcasing significant improvements designed to enhance visitor experiences across the state’s public lands network.
Over the past year, teams of park rangers, construction crews, historians, and planning experts with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources have worked to launch a new state park, construct additional trails, rehabilitate historic buildings, and create improved harbor facilities for public use.
The Maryland Park Service is currently operating two recreational challenges with prizes for participants – Miles for Maryland, which encourages visitors to complete 250 miles of hiking in state parks during 2026, and America in Miniature, featuring a photography treasure hunt throughout state parks to commemorate America’s semi-quincentennial celebration. Officials recommend purchasing an Annual State Park and Trail Passport for those interested in participating in these year-long outdoor activities.
Reservation System Grows
Following the effective implementation of a day-use booking and visitor management system at the state’s most popular parks in 2025, the Maryland Park Service will broaden day-use reservations during the current summer season.
Advance booking is required at Swallow Falls State Park daily from May 23 through Sept. 7.
Weekend and holiday reservations are mandatory at these locations: Greenbrier, Point Lookout, North Point, Newtowne Neck State Parks and Sandy Point. Bookings become available seven days ahead of time.
Additional public lands and attractions scheduled for inclusion in the reservation system are: Elk Neck – Turkey Point Lighthouse, Gunpowder Falls – Hammerman Area, Rocks, and Rocky Gap state parks, plus Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area (NRMA).
Visitors should watch for further announcements throughout the year. To secure your reservation, visit the online booking system. Officials encourage advance planning and recommend using the Park Dashboard to verify if your chosen park is operational, closed, or has any special conditions or events.
New Park Chronicles African-American Family’s Journey from Enslavement
This May, DNR and the Maryland Park Service held the opening ceremony for Freedman’s State Park, a 1,000-acre facility in Montgomery County. The park sits on land previously owned and cultivated by Enoch George and Harriet Howard, along with their descendants, who played important roles in Maryland’s Civil Rights Movement.
The park takes its name from “freedman,” referring to someone who gained freedom from enslavement. The Maryland General Assembly established Freedman’s State Park in 2022 to honor all Marylanders who were liberated from slavery.
Renovated structures and new exhibits planned for the location will chronicle the African-American family’s journey from enslavement to becoming a successful and influential presence in northern Montgomery County, Baltimore, and Canada. Plans include a trail system connecting different areas of the park.
Earlier this year, the Maryland Park Service received a two-acre land donation that includes a historic African-American burial ground, where enslaved skilled laborers from the historic Catoctin Furnace were laid to rest. The cemetery and adjacent property now belongs to Cunningham Falls State Park.
Catoctin Furnace began operations in 1776, supplying iron for the revolutionary war effort and George Washington’s military forces. The furnace ruins already exist within Cunningham Falls State Park, and adding the workers’ burial ground will allow Maryland Park Service to present the location’s full historical narrative.
The Maryland Park Service recognizes the contributions of the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, which helped discover, document, and maintain the cemetery’s history while managing the property.
The related nonprofit Catoctin Furnace Friends Group Inc. is actively raising money on behalf of DNR and the Historical Society to create a conservation and preservation management strategy and perform a ground-penetrating radar study for a planned trail connection to the location.
North Point Trolley Station Pavilion Restoration
The Historic Trolley Station Pavilion at North Point State Park has reopened following major renovations. Deteriorated concrete flooring was replaced with new decorative concrete designed to resemble winding trolley tracks approaching the station.
The structure received a new roof and updated electrical systems, with fresh shingles and lighting fixtures that reflect the former amusement park’s early 20th century era. The walkway linking the station, a historic fountain and the visitor center was also rebuilt, with over 2,000 feet of new pavement installed.
Flexible Recreation Options
Those seeking hiking or biking trails with adaptable difficulty levels can explore new Western Maryland paths that opened recently, featuring connected routes that allow users to switch between easier and more challenging sections.
The Margraff Plantation Trails launched last July within Savage River State Forest, offering six miles of newly-built trail systems.
Located in the Western Maryland mountains near Accident in Garrett County, the Margraff features a 1.4-mile beginner route, a 1.4-mile intermediate path, a 1.2-mile advanced trail and a 2-mile intermediate-level adaptive trail.
The trail network traverses varied terrain including pine forests, deciduous woodlands, mountain laurel groves and open meadows. At 2,800 feet elevation, the location provides spectacular mountain vistas.
Further east at Dans Mountain State Park, a small connector trail has expanded options for hikers on the Lonacona Loop. The 4.5-mile Lonacona Loop travels through hardwood and conifer stands, and with 650 feet of elevation change, the complete circuit presents a significant challenge. A new quarter-mile connecting path through the middle now allows hikers to take a shorter route without retracing their steps.
Also in Allegany County, trail users seeking variety can experience the Bear Ridge Area of Rocky Gap State Park – four miles of pathway featuring two connecting loops. The red-marked trail is less demanding, the blue-marked trail is more challenging, and both are wide enough for adaptive mountain bike users, with consistent grade changes.
Boating Improvements
Rocky Gap visitors will notice an enhanced campground boat launch on Lake Habeeb. When operational, users will benefit from numerous ADA improvements including a vault restroom, boat trailer parking spaces, additional standard parking, beach access using MobiMat, a beach wheelchair, and an ADA compliant kayak launch. The facility is currently closed due to low water conditions from drought.
DNR has also finished major improvements to Rogues Harbor boat launch at Elk Neck State Park. A protective breakwater now shields users from wind and boat wakes, creating safer conditions for launching and retrieving watercraft. The breakwater will minimize seasonal maintenance requirements by protecting the ramp and pier from ice damage and floating debris.
The pier remains available for fishing and crabbing activities, continuing to serve as a popular venue for bass fishing tournaments with capacity for up to 50 boats.
Assateague Facility Upgrades
At the Atlantic coastline, Assateague State Park has completed extensive renovations to its beachside amenities, featuring completely new fixtures, updated restrooms, fresh changing areas and new shower facilities.
Key improvements include 12 new ADA-compliant showers positioned along the boardwalk for visitors to wash away salt and sand. The renovated restroom facilities feature abundant natural lighting through solar tube systems, highlighting new lighter-colored tile and durable non-slip flooring materials.
NCPR has announced plans for an upcoming community event called Play All Day VA, set to take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
The organization is inviting residents to participate in what they’re describing as a passport-themed adventure that will span across Northampton County.
Details about specific activities and locations within the county have not yet been released, but organizers are encouraging community members to save the date for this summer adventure event.
Delaware’s legislature has approved new legislation that significantly strengthens the state’s stalking laws by expanding definitions and imposing harsher criminal penalties on offenders.
The legislation broadens what constitutes a “course of conduct” under Delaware’s stalking statutes, giving prosecutors more tools to address threatening behavior patterns. At the same time, the law includes safeguards requiring courts to exclude evidence if they determine the alleged conduct falls under constitutionally protected activities.
Under the new penalties, certain stalking violations will now carry much stiffer consequences. Offenses previously classified as class F felonies will be elevated to class D felonies, while other violations will jump from class G to class E felony status.
The measure also includes technical language updates to bring the stalking statutes in line with current Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual standards.
Delaware lawmakers are considering legislation that would rebrand a state government division focused on workplace culture and employee relations.
House Bill 254 would modify state code to rename the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, giving it a new title: the Division of People and Culture.
According to the bill’s language, the name change represents a shift toward a more expansive strategy for building an inclusive work environment. The proposed new title emphasizes the division’s role in shaping employee experiences and workplace culture across state agencies.
The legislation describes the rebranding as positioning the division to play a central role in both cultural transformation and organizational effectiveness within Delaware’s Department of Human Resources.
Delaware public schools will soon be required to include crisis hotline information on student identification cards under new legislation targeting grades 7 through 12.
The measure mandates that schools print specific contact information on student ID cards, including the Teen Dating Violence Hotline at 1-866-331-9474 or text “loveis” to 22522, and the Stop Bullying Now Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Previously, including this information was at the discretion of individual schools.
The legislation also eliminates previous application deadlines from earlier versions of the law that covered both middle and high school ID cards as well as college student identification cards. Lawmakers removed these dates to prevent confusion about whether the requirements were only temporary measures for specific academic years.
Under the updated law, the hotline requirements will become mandatory starting July 1, 2026. The bill also includes technical language adjustments to align with current legislative drafting standards.
Historical truth advocates are marking a significant milestone – two centuries and three decades since Ona Judge made her brave break from bondage under George Washington’s ownership.
Born into enslavement on Washington’s estate, Judge was just 22 when she made her bold move on May 21, 1796, fleeing from the president’s official Philadelphia home. She concealed herself aboard a vessel bound for New Hampshire, where she eventually wed and bore three children.
Philadelphia has officially recognized May 21st as Ona Judge Day, with Thursday’s demonstration held at the President’s House location. This site became a focal point of the Trump administration’s campaign to eliminate what it considered “disparaging” content about Americans from government properties. Rally attendees shouted “Tell the truth! Restore our history!” while listening to speakers involved in the battle to reinstate displays about Judge and others who were enslaved there.
The informational displays were suddenly taken down this past January after President Donald Trump issued an executive directive. While some exhibits returned following a court ruling, that restoration work stopped when the administration filed an appeal.
Judge’s display panel has been reinstalled, and her memory lives on through a series of bronze footprint markers placed in the pavement to represent her journey to liberty.
“We remember her courage, her passion, her determination, that we make sure that in no way, shape or form she is ever forgotten,” said Cindy Bass, a member of the Philadelphia City Council. “Each one, teach one. Everyone, tell someone.”
Dawn Chavous, a volunteer for the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, said it’s important to acknowledge the contributions of all people who shaped the country.
“You can’t love America without knowing the good, the bad and the ugly,” she said. “Slavery was part of our American story, and that is not something that we should hide or run away from.”
Meanwhile in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a large-scale artwork honoring Judge will be revealed Saturday – a 13-by-25-foot wall painting on property belonging to the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. This group has highlighted her narrative through guided tours and educational initiatives for many years.
“At a time when stories of struggle and freedom are being erased, New Hampshire is choosing something different: to make the quest for freedom visible, permanent, and undeniable,” the organization said in announcing the mural project.
WASHINGTON — The nation’s intelligence chief announced her departure on Friday, with Tulsi Gabbard stepping down from her position as director of national intelligence to care for her husband who is fighting cancer. Her exit marks the fourth Cabinet departure since President Donald Trump began his second term.
Through a resignation letter shared on social media, Gabbard informed Trump of her intention to leave her post on June 30. She explained that her spouse had received a recent diagnosis of an uncommon bone cancer type and “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.”
“At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” she stated in the letter, which Fox News initially reported.
Trump acknowledged her departure through his own social media announcement, stating “Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her.” He named her principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, as the interim intelligence director.
Lukas previously worked as an intelligence assistant to the acting director of national intelligence, Ric Grenell, during Trump’s first presidency in 2020. The former policy researcher at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, also held the position of deputy senior director for Europe and Russia at the National Security Council during Trump’s initial administration’s final year.
Speculation had emerged about potential tensions between Gabbard and Trump following the president’s choice to attack Iran, creating divisions within his administration. Joe Kent, who heads the National Counterterrorism Center, stepped down in March, stating he “cannot in good conscience” support the war.
The former Democratic representative from Hawaii and military veteran established her political reputation through her opposition to international military conflicts. This stance created complications when the United States partnered with Israel to launch strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
Her cautious remarks during a March congressional hearing stood out for their deliberate avoidance of endorsing Trump’s Iran strike decision. She consistently avoided answering questions about whether the White House received warnings regarding potential consequences from the conflict, including Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
In written statements to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard reported that Iran had made no attempts to reconstruct its nuclear capabilities following U.S. attacks that “obliterated” its nuclear program the previous year. This assessment conflicted with Trump’s repeated claims that military action was essential to prevent an immediate threat from the Islamic Republic.
These differences led to uncomfortable moments with legislators who sought Gabbard’s assessment of Iran’s danger level in her role as the country’s chief intelligence officer. She consistently maintained that the strike decision belonged to Trump, not her.
“It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” she stated.
Her resignation comes after Trump removed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in late March amid growing criticism of her department leadership, particularly regarding immigration enforcement and disaster response management.
Attorney General Pam Bondi became the second Cabinet member to depart, responding to increasing frustration over the Justice Department’s management of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned in April following various misconduct investigations.
Despite her military background, Gabbard lacked intelligence experience, making her selection to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence unexpected. This office supervises the country’s 18 intelligence organizations. She pursued the presidency in 2020 with a progressive agenda centered on opposing U.S. participation in foreign military operations.
Drawing on her military service, she contended that American wars in the Middle East had created regional instability, reduced U.S. security, and resulted in thousands of American casualties. Gabbard eventually withdrew from the presidential race and supported the eventual victor, President Joe Biden.
She departed the Democratic Party two years later to become an independent, criticizing her former party as controlled by an “elitist cabal of warmongers” and “woke” ideologues. She subsequently supported several prominent Republicans and joined Fox News as a contributor.
Her endorsement went to Trump, who similarly criticized previous U.S. Middle Eastern wars and promised to prevent unnecessary conflicts and overseas nation-building efforts.
However, disagreements with the president emerged shortly after he started his second term and selected Gabbard to head ODNI, an agency established following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to enhance intelligence agency coordination.
Soon after assuming her role, Gabbard told lawmakers that no intelligence indicated Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons development. Following Trump’s June attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, he declared Gabbard incorrect and dismissed her assessments.
She seemed to regain Trump’s favor when she took a prominent role in his efforts to challenge his 2020 election defeat to Biden, whom Gabbard had previously endorsed. She participated in an FBI search of election offices in Fulton County, Georgia, despite her agency’s focus on foreign espionage rather than state elections.
This week, she testified during an annual threats hearing that last year’s Iranian nuclear site strikes had “obliterated” their nuclear program without subsequent rebuilding efforts.
Her statement appeared to contradict Trump’s ongoing claims about Iran’s immediate threat level, leading to uncomfortable exchanges with legislators seeking her professional opinion on Iran’s danger as the nation’s top intelligence official. She maintained that strike decisions belonged to Trump.
“It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” she reiterated during this week’s hearings.
Gabbard promised to end what she characterized as intelligence politicization by government insiders. However, she quickly utilized her position to advance Trump’s partisan arguments, including his claims of winning the 2020 election.
She also worked to undermine previous investigations into Trump’s Russian connections.
During her tenure, Gabbard supervised significant intelligence workforce reductions and established a new task force to consider major intelligence service modifications.
An intelligence sector whistleblower filed a complaint earlier this year alleging that Gabbard withheld intelligence for political purposes, prompting Democratic calls for her resignation.
The 44-year-old was born in American Samoa, grew up in Hawaii, and spent part of her childhood in the Philippines. She won election to Hawaii’s House of Representatives at age 21 but had to leave after one term when her National Guard unit deployed to Iraq.
As the House’s first Hindu member, Gabbard took her oath with her hand on the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu devotional text. She also became the first American Samoan elected to Congress.
Throughout her four House terms, she gained recognition for challenging her party’s leadership. Her early backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 Democratic presidential primary campaign elevated her profile in national progressive politics.
WASHINGTON — Kevin Warsh officially became the new Federal Reserve chair during a White House ceremony on Friday, with President Donald Trump presiding over the oath-taking and expressing optimism about economic cooperation while stressing the central bank’s independence.
Trump had repeatedly criticized Warsh’s predecessor, Jerome Powell, for hesitating to reduce interest rates, with the Republican president contending that decreased borrowing costs would boost the economy. The decision to conduct the ceremony in the East Room rather than at Federal Reserve headquarters demonstrated Trump’s satisfaction with the leadership change.
Rising gas prices, unsettled financial markets, and inflation worries stemming from the war with Iran have created economic uncertainty. These factors have raised questions about whether Warsh might respond to Trump’s appeals and advocate for the Fed to reduce rates.
However, Trump expressed confidence that Warsh would focus on economic strength.
“Thankfully, unlike some of his predecessors, Kevin understands that when the economy is booming, it is, that’s a good thing,” the president said. Trump said it was not necessary “to go crazy. Just let it go. We want it to boom.”
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas conducted the oath administration. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Justice Brett Kavanaugh, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Cabinet members attended the event.
“I expect he will go down as one of the truly great chairmen of the Federal Reserve that we’ve ever had,” Trump said of Warsh.
Republican President Ronald Reagan conducted Alan Greenspan’s Fed chair swearing-in at the White House in 1987. Republican President George W. Bush participated in the 2006 ceremony at central bank headquarters when Ben Bernanke assumed the role.
However, hosting the event at the White House creates additional concerns about the Fed’s independence during a period when Trump has repeatedly attempted to influence the independent central bank according to his preferences.
Trump’s Department of Justice initiated an investigation into Powell and the Fed’s extensive building renovations. Lawmakers criticized this action and the department abandoned the investigation. The Fed’s internal watchdog now oversees the matter. Powell’s term as chair concluded last week, although he has chosen to continue serving on the Fed board for the time being.
Trump emphasized during his comments, “Honestly, I really mean this. This is not said in any other way: I want Kevin to be totally independent.”
“I want him to be independent and just do a great job,” Trump said. “Don’t look at me, don’t look at anybody. Just do your own thing.”
In the next breath, however, Trump said that “in the eyes of many, the Fed has lost its way in recent years” under his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden. Trump also suggested that Warsh is looking to lead policies that promote “positive economic growth” and that doing so did not have to mean higher inflation.
Trump also noted that the stock market had risen Friday. “That means they like you,” he said of Warsh.
Warsh once harshly criticized Fed’s policies, including its low interest rate policies coming out of the coronavirus pandemic, which he says contributed to the largest U.S. inflation spike in four decades in 2021-2022. More recently, he has sometimes echoed Trump’s demands for lower rates.
Warsh says productivity gains from artificial intelligence will help the economy grow more quickly without spurring inflation, enabling the Fed to reduce borrowing costs. Many Fed officials, however, disagree that AI’s development will support rate cuts, especially because the technology has also been blamed for large-scale layoffs in the computer sector and other parts of the economy.
On Friday, Warsh promised “to lead a reform oriented Federal Reserve, learning from past successes and mistakes, both escaping static frameworks and models and upholding clear standards of integrity and performance.”
He told Trump that he believes “these years can bring unmatched prosperity that will raise living standards for Americans from all walks of life. And the Fed has something to do with it.”
Warsh further noted that the Fed’s mandate “is to promote price stability and maximum employment. When we pursue those aims with wisdom and clarity, independence and resolve, inflation can be lower; growth, stronger; real take home pay, higher and America can more prosperous.”
As he left the ceremony, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced Trump’s message, predicting to reporters that Warsh will “do the right thing for inflation and growth.”
DOVER — Speed enforcement cameras monitoring northbound I-95 through the Churchmans Marsh construction area will begin issuing actual violations this Saturday, May 23, 2026.
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and Delaware State Police launched the Electronic Speed Safety Program (ESSP) at this location on May 2, 2026.
For the initial three weeks of operation, drivers caught speeding received only warning notices without any financial penalties.
Starting this weekend, vehicle owners cited for their first violation will face a $20.00 base fine, plus additional charges calculated by how many miles per hour they exceeded the 55 MPH work zone speed limit, according to Delaware law.
The nation’s top intelligence official has announced her departure from the Trump administration, stepping down from her role as Director of National Intelligence due to her husband’s battle with cancer.
Tulsi Gabbard’s resignation marks another high-profile exit from the current Cabinet, joining what has become a pattern of departures from key administration positions.
The decision comes as Gabbard prioritizes her family during this challenging health crisis, choosing to leave her national security role to focus on personal matters.
Her exit continues a trend of Cabinet-level officials departing the Trump administration, though this departure appears to be driven by personal rather than political circumstances.
LIV Golf is presenting a streamlined 10-tournament international calendar to prospective investors as the organization searches for new financial backing, according to reports from Sportico and CNBC.
The professional golf circuit is actively pursuing between $250 million and $350 million in investment capital to sustain operations past the current season, following Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s announcement that its financial support will conclude when this season ends.
The reports indicate that LIV Golf’s presentation to investors centers on a strategy emphasizing global tournaments, highlighting strong attendance numbers from events in Australia and South Africa as examples of the league’s international appeal.
The organization’s original 2026 schedule included 14 tournaments, with five planned for the United States. However, a tournament that was set for New Orleans from June 25-28 has been delayed.
Earlier this week, Bloomberg published a report suggesting LIV Golf is making preparations for a possible bankruptcy proceeding.
A spokesperson for LIV Golf provided Golf Digest with an extensive response to that report.
“LIV Golf is firmly focused on securing a transaction that positions the organization for the long-term,” the statement said. “As we begin presenting our go-forward business plan to prospective capital partners, we are focused on achieving a sustainable future and there are multiple pathways under active exploration.
“We continue to see great momentum on the course and with support through the 2026 season and a clear plan to raise capital, leadership is focused on identifying the right long-term strategic partners who believe in our mission to grow the game of golf worldwide. These conversations are just getting underway, and as they progress, the company expects to gain further clarity around the structure and timing of a potential transaction.”
Beyond losing PIF funding, LIV Golf may also face challenges retaining players. Golf Digest has reported that representatives for multiple players have contacted the PGA Tour regarding possible routes for their clients to return to that organization.
The Chicago Cubs brought up highly-rated infield prospect Pedro Ramirez from Triple-A Iowa on Friday as the team continues to struggle on the field.
In a corresponding roster move, infielder/outfielder Matt Shaw was placed on the 10-day injured list due to mid-back tightness.
The Cubs are mired in a difficult stretch, having lost five consecutive games and nine of their last 11 contests as they prepared to begin a three-game home series against the Houston Astros on Friday.
The 22-year-old Ramirez has never appeared in a major league game. He was not included in Friday afternoon’s starting lineup at Wrigley Field.
MLB Pipeline ranks Ramirez as Chicago’s second-best prospect and 85th overall. This season at Iowa, he’s posted impressive numbers with a .312 batting average, .942 OPS, nine home runs, 40 RBIs and 19 stolen bases across 43 games.
In 2025, Ramirez earned a minor league Gold Glove award while playing both second and third base at Double-A Knoxville.
Shaw, 24, has struggled this season with a .242 batting average, three home runs and 12 RBIs in 42 games. The 2023 first-round draft selection has demonstrated versatility by playing every defensive position except catcher and shortstop this season.
President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will skip his eldest son’s wedding this weekend, citing urgent government responsibilities that require him to remain in Washington.
The president revealed his decision in a Truth Social post, explaining that he cannot attend Donald Trump Jr.’s marriage to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson due to official duties.
“While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so,” Trump wrote in his social media announcement.
“I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time,” the post continued.
According to CNN reports from Thursday, the ceremony is scheduled to occur this weekend on a small island in the Bahamas, with sources familiar with the arrangements providing the details. A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
During remarks to reporters Thursday, Trump indicated that his son wanted him present for the celebration, describing it as a “small private affair.”
Trump mentioned Thursday that he would attempt to attend the wedding but acknowledged the difficult timing.
“I have a thing called Iran and other things,” Trump said on Thursday.
The administration is currently participating in Pakistan-mediated diplomatic discussions aimed at reaching an agreement to conclude the conflict with Iran that the U.S. and Israel initiated on February 28, which has disrupted the worldwide economy.
This marks Donald Trump Jr.’s third engagement. His previous marriage to Vanessa, a former model and actress, lasted 12 years and produced five children before she initiated divorce proceedings in 2018. He subsequently became engaged to Kimberly Guilfoyle, a television personality, until their separation in 2024.
A massive $40 billion beauty industry merger crumbled Thursday evening when negotiations between American cosmetics giant Estée Lauder and Spanish fragrance company Puig suddenly collapsed after months of detailed planning.
The combination would have united major beauty brands including Tom Ford, Clinique and MAC with Carolina Herrera and Charlotte Tilbury, creating a luxury beauty powerhouse appealing to social media influencers and wealthy younger consumers.
However, information leaks, disputes between the influential founding families, and specific requirements from beauty entrepreneur Charlotte Tilbury caused the discussions to break down, according to five individuals with direct involvement in the negotiations who spoke to Reuters.
During Thursday evening Barcelona time and morning hours in New York, Puig executive Marc Puig contacted Estée Lauder chairman William Lauder by telephone to evaluate the worsening circumstances, one source revealed.
Following that conversation, representatives from both companies began sending messages back and forth, a second knowledgeable source reported. Among those communications was a skull emoji indicating the merger was finished.
Representatives from both Puig and Estée Lauder refused to provide statements.
The final obstacle involved requirements connected to Charlotte Tilbury, who established the beauty company bearing her name that Puig controls through majority ownership, concerning her minority ownership terms, all five sources confirmed.
Charlotte Tilbury’s company also declined to comment.
The five sources, who had access to both negotiating parties, requested anonymity due to the private nature of the discussions.
Three individuals said both organizations had repeatedly approached the point of announcing their combination.
Estée Lauder had organized an advisory team that spent the previous weekend working on Puig’s valuation, which Spain’s securities regulator required for the planned deal, one source stated.
Conversations between the companies started in late 2023, according to one source.
After becoming publicly known in March, investors considered the potential agreement more beneficial for Puig than Estée Lauder. Puig’s stock price jumped while the American company’s shares declined.
The opposite occurred when negotiations failed, with Estée Lauder climbing approximately 10% Friday while Puig dropped 13%.
Estée Lauder shareholders’ opposition to the merger presented another challenge during talks, three sources indicated.
The company’s return to improved earnings performance in its latest quarterly report boosted its determination to stay independent, the same three sources noted.
The extended negotiations featured sessions in Paris, New York and Barcelona, reaching apparent preliminary agreements on matters including the new organization’s leadership structure.
Additional topics covered a potential stock exchange listing in both New York and Madrid, maintaining Barcelona as headquarters for the unified fragrance operations, and specifics for achieving the combined company’s cost savings, two people explained.
Both founding families, the Lauders and Puigs, sought to maintain influence in the merged organization, two knowledgeable sources said.
The companies also faced difficulties determining how to handle assets like Charlotte Tilbury and sun care brand Isdin – two of Puig’s primary revenue sources where the group lacks complete ownership, two sources revealed.
The Colorado Avalanche will be without their standout defenseman Cale Makar for Friday’s Game 2 showdown against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals.
Makar, dealing with an upper-body injury, was also sidelined during Colorado’s 4-2 defeat in the series opener on Wednesday. Despite participating in Friday morning’s optional practice session and working with the top power-play group, he remains unavailable for game action.
In the first game, Jack Ahcan saw 7 minutes and 34 seconds of action, finishing with a minus-1 rating. Defenseman Nick Blankenberg was held out as a healthy scratch, though coach Jared Bednar hasn’t revealed which defender will take the ice Friday night.
The Avalanche, who claimed the Presidents’ Trophy during the regular season, eliminated the Los Angeles Kings with a four-game sweep before defeating the Minnesota Wild in five contests. Throughout those nine playoff games, Makar contributed four goals and one assist while logging nearly 25 minutes per game.
During the Minnesota series, Makar left both the first and fifth games after taking heavy hits, though he managed to return in both instances.
The 27-year-old defender claimed the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in both 2021-22 and 2024-25, and remains a candidate for this year’s award.
Four years ago, Makar earned the Conn Smythe Trophy when Colorado claimed the Stanley Cup championship.
Throughout his seven-year career with the Avalanche, Makar has accumulated 507 points on 136 goals and 371 assists across 470 games. This past regular season, he recorded 20 goals and 59 assists in 75 appearances during the 2025-26 campaign.
Delaware has enacted new legislation that will allow terminally ill patients to access medical marijuana while receiving care at healthcare facilities throughout the state.
The newly passed measure requires healthcare facilities to permit patients with terminal illnesses who hold valid medical marijuana registry cards to consume cannabis on facility grounds. The law establishes specific guidelines and limitations for this access.
Healthcare facilities retain the authority to restrict or halt medical marijuana use in certain situations. These include instances where medical professionals determine that cannabis consumption could negatively affect patient care or treatment, or when such use is medically inadvisable.
The legislation also includes provisions related to federal oversight. Facilities may prohibit medical marijuana use if federal agencies such as the United States Department of Justice or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services take enforcement action against the facility due to cannabis use on premises, or if these agencies issue rules or guidance banning marijuana use at healthcare locations.
The new law provides legal protections for individuals who follow its requirements, shielding them from civil or criminal penalties and professional sanctions. These protections do not apply in cases involving gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct.
Delaware’s legislation draws inspiration from a 2021 California statute referred to as “Ryan’s Law.”
Delaware lawmakers are considering legislation that would force electric utilities to modernize their procedures for connecting solar panels and other renewable energy systems to the power grid.
The proposed bill would mandate that electric companies update their connection standards to match the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Model Interconnection Procedures for net-metering customers. Under the legislation, utilities would have 12 months from when the national guidelines are published to bring their rules into compliance.
The measure specifically targets net-metering, a system that allows property owners with solar panels to sell excess electricity back to the grid. Currently, electric suppliers maintain their own interconnection requirements, which can vary between companies.
If passed, the legislation would standardize how renewable energy systems connect to Delaware’s electrical grid by requiring all utilities to follow the same nationally-recognized procedures.
Delaware lawmakers have enacted sweeping revisions to the municipal charter governing the Village of Arden, implementing changes that expand the community’s boundaries and update its administrative processes.
The legislation, which serves as a replacement for Senate Bill No. 220, incorporates two new areas into the village limits: the Sherwood Forest Addition and the Mill Race Addition. The measure also reinforces the state legislature’s authority to establish municipal boundaries.
Several governance modifications are included in the updated charter. Town Assembly regular meetings will now take place at the Gild Hall or another appropriate public location, whether in-person or virtual within the village. The legislation also streamlines procedures for calling special meetings and establishes new protocols for creating, modifying, and eliminating local ordinances.
Under the revised charter, referendums can be initiated through a majority decision at Town Assembly gatherings. The Board of Assessors will gain a non-voting alternate position, while election procedures for this board will be moved to ordinance rather than charter level. Additionally, the board must now evaluate community living standards alongside the traditional assessment of rental values for leased properties.
Budget-related changes transfer election procedures for the Budget Committee to ordinance status and establish a contingency plan: if voters reject a proposed budget, the previous year’s budget remains in effect until a replacement receives approval.
The updated charter modifies penalty structures and appeal processes for Charter and ordinance violations handled by Justices of the Peace. It also streamlines law enforcement provisions and requires a second village official to witness all municipal contracts alongside the Town Assembly Chair’s signature.
The legislation eliminates charter sections addressing fire safety, zoning, and housing regulations, as New Castle County already manages these areas. Throughout the document, gender-specific terminology has been replaced with gender-neutral language, and various minor linguistic updates have been incorporated.
Delaware lawmakers are updating the name of a key legislative committee to better match what it actually does day-to-day.
House Bill 287 would rename the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee to simply the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee, dropping the word “sunset” from its title.
The committee’s naming history shows how its role has evolved over more than four decades. Originally established in 1980 as the Joint Sunset Committee, lawmakers added “Legislative Oversight” to the name in 2016 because the “sunsetting” function was creating public confusion about the committee’s broader responsibilities.
The numbers tell the story of why the name change makes sense. During the past seven years, the committee has examined 40 different government entities but chose to eliminate only six of them. Before 2016, the committee had reviewed numerous organizations but “sunsetted” just two.
In January 2026, committee members voted to modify their name once again to more accurately represent their primary work. Delaware’s approach now mirrors that of similar oversight committees in other states, which have moved away from emphasizing the “sunsetting” process in favor of conducting performance reviews and general oversight.
The legislation makes clear that the committee retains full power to eliminate government entities when reviews show that step would serve the public interest best. The name change does not reduce the committee’s authority or alter its fundamental mission.
The bill also includes a minor technical fix to a chapter title in Delaware’s legal code.
Summer recreation gets a boost at Killens Pond Waterpark where DNREC has unveiled an expanded swimming pool complete with fresh aquatic features.
The upgraded facility now boasts a significantly larger pool area equipped with new spray attractions and floating lily pad elements for swimmers to enjoy. Additionally, thrill-seekers can experience the excitement of four towering water slides, each measuring 54 feet in length.
The enhanced waterpark amenities provide families and visitors with expanded options for beating the summer heat and enjoying outdoor water recreation.
Delaware lawmakers have enacted new legislation that will require the state’s developmental disability services division to produce yearly transparency reports about their programs and services.
The measure, known as HB 288, emerged from a comprehensive examination by the Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee of adult day programs and employment services offered through the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services.
Under the new requirements, the division must compile annual documentation of their services to enhance public transparency and identify areas where service delivery falls short of community needs.
The legislation mandates that the division include specific data points in their yearly reports. They must provide information about the number of people served, incoming applications, demographic breakdowns of client populations, and details about the size and variety of service providers in the system.
The law also gives the division authority to show how their programs and access methods evolve over time. Additionally, officials will have the flexibility to report on service requests they cannot fulfill, explain the reasons behind service gaps, and identify other challenges within the service delivery system.
Beyond the reporting requirements, the legislation includes technical modifications to bring existing statutes in line with current Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual standards.
Delaware is overhauling its alcohol regulations through legislation that modernizes provisions dating back to the 1930s and introduces new licensing opportunities for businesses and events.
The comprehensive bill updates the state’s Liquor Control Act with technical corrections and creates two new permit categories: special event licenses for festivals and outdoor gatherings, and bottle club licenses for creative arts businesses such as painting studios, pottery workshops, and candle-making establishments.
Under the new special event licensing system, the Delaware Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner can approve permits for festivals, arts and crafts fairs, and similar outdoor events. Property owners or tenants can obtain these licenses to serve and sell alcoholic beverages on their premises during approved events. Each applicant is limited to one special event license, and venues must have controlled entry and exit points plus adequate food service whenever alcohol is available.
Event organizers must submit applications at least 30 days before their planned gathering, and local government approval is required. Violations can result in license suspension, denial of future permits, or fines up to $10,000.
The bottle club license addresses creative arts businesses where customers already bring their own wine or other alcoholic beverages. This new permit formally allows patrons to bring alcohol onto business premises for personal consumption during activities like painting classes or pottery workshops, provided food is available.
The legislation makes numerous administrative updates, including changing terminology from “retailer” to “package store” throughout the code and modernizing reporting requirements. The state alcohol office will now post licensing information on its website rather than submitting annual reports to state officials.
Other changes streamline the hearing process for license applications. The office will only be required to hold public hearings when at least five people who filed protests pre-register to testify. This change aims to reduce costs and delays when protesters don’t follow through with testimony.
The bill removes production caps for distilleries and updates notification procedures, allowing protests to be filed by email. It also eliminates an outdated provision that allowed family members to request prohibition of alcohol sales to specific individuals.
New requirements mandate proper labeling of batched cocktails and infused beverages so customers understand ingredients. The legislation also adds beer garden license holders to the list of businesses paying fees for the state’s responsible alcohol server training program.
Implementation of the special event and bottle club licenses will be delayed up to six months to allow the alcohol control office time to develop regulations. The bill requires a three-fifths majority vote in both legislative chambers due to its creation of new license fees.
Delaware has updated its driver education certification requirements to accommodate changes in how high schools structure their academic schedules.
The new legislation addresses challenges created as many schools have transitioned away from the traditional seven-period school day to implement various block scheduling formats. Under the updated law, the Department of Education will be required to develop regulations that establish how equivalent credit gets calculated for classes taught using block scheduling or when courses run for less than a full academic year.
The legislation also expands the range of academic courses students can use to meet credit requirements by including world language classes among the approved options.
Additionally, the new law includes technical updates to bring existing statutes in line with current standards outlined in the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.
NORFOLK, Va. — Delaware State University’s men’s track and field squad concluded their performance at the MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships by capturing five conference titles along with numerous top-three finishes and establishing new marks in the program’s record books.
The Hornets competed in the three-day championship event that took place from May 14-16, showcasing their athletic prowess across multiple events during the outdoor season finale.
The strong showing at the conference championships highlighted the team’s preparation and competitive spirit as they faced off against other MEAC institutions in Norfolk, Virginia.
Economic pressures and rising prices dominated headlines this past week, affecting American families from shopping trips to major financial decisions. The combination of economic uncertainty and inflation continues to shape choices for both consumers and businesses nationwide.
Here’s what key economic developments from the week could mean for your finances.
Home loan rates jumped significantly this week, reaching their peak in almost nine months and making it more expensive for potential buyers during the spring housing season’s most active period.
According to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac’s Thursday report, the standard 30-year fixed rate mortgage increased to 6.51% from the previous week’s 6.36%. While this represents a notable jump, current rates still sit below the 6.86% level recorded one year ago.
Mortgage costs have generally moved upward since conflict with Iran started. Energy markets have been disrupted by the Strait of Hormuz closure, pushing crude oil prices significantly higher and fueling inflation concerns.
Rising oil price projections and concerns about expanding government debt levels have driven long-term bond yields upward, pushing mortgage rates in the same direction.
Retail companies across the nation have been managing challenging economic conditions for months, dealing with President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and the effects of rising fuel costs from the Iran conflict. AAA reported that regular gasoline averaged approximately $4.55 per gallon by Friday, marking another weekly increase. Current gas prices stand roughly 45% higher than the same period last year.
Financial earnings reports from major retailers including Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s and TJX show consumers remain careful but continue purchasing, supported by larger tax refund amounts. However, many economists predict spending will decline once these refunds are exhausted. Since consumer purchases drive the majority of U.S. economic activity, any pullback would create widespread effects.
On Thursday, Walmart released current quarter projections that fell short of Wall Street predictions. Target increased its yearly revenue projections Wednesday, indicating expected continued momentum through year-end. However, even these improved sales forecasts remained below first quarter performance levels.
Unemployment benefit applications decreased last week as job cuts stay minimal despite ongoing economic uncertainties.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that U.S. unemployment benefit applications for the week ending May 16 dropped by 3,000 to 209,000. This figure came in below the 213,000 new claims that FactSet-surveyed analysts had predicted.
These weekly unemployment filings serve as an indicator for U.S. job losses and provide near real-time insight into employment market conditions.
While job losses remain historically minimal, economists describe the current labor market as being in a “low-hire, low-fire” phase. This situation maintains the unemployment rate at a low 4.3%, but creates difficulties for job seekers trying to find new positions.
The gap between Wall Street performance and typical American household experiences widened Friday, as U.S. stock markets climbed toward completing their eighth consecutive winning week, the longest such run since 2023. This occurred despite survey results showing declining consumer confidence about economic conditions.
Stock prices for Workday and Zoom Communications increased after both companies reported quarterly profits exceeding analyst predictions.
These companies join growing numbers that have surpassed profit expectations for early 2026. This series of positive earnings reports has helped maintain U.S. stock values near record levels. Over time, stock market performance typically aligns with corporate profit trends.
NORFOLK, Va. — Delaware State University’s women’s track and field squad delivered an outstanding performance at the MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, capturing two conference championships while establishing new program records.
The Hornets wrapped up their competition at the three-day meet, which took place from May 14-16, with numerous athletes earning spots on the podium and adding their names to the university’s record books.
The strong showing included multiple top finishes across various events, showcasing the depth and talent of the Delaware State program during the championship competition held in Norfolk, Virginia.
Authorities are working to solve a deadly shooting that claimed the life of a teenager in Seaford Thursday evening.
Delaware State Police say they received a call about a vehicle crash in the 24000 block of German Road around 8:45 p.m. on May 21, 2026. Upon arrival, officers discovered the car’s driver – a 17-year-old male from Laurel, Delaware – suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound. Emergency responders immediately began life-saving measures and transported the teen to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. Authorities are withholding the victim’s name pending family notification.
Given the circumstances surrounding the incident, Delaware State Police’s Homicide Unit has taken over the case. Initial findings suggest the teenager was shot by an unidentified gunman near the Concord Pond boat ramp area on German Road.
Investigators with the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit are continuing their work on this case. Officials are urging anyone who may have information to reach out to Detective B. McDerby at (302) 741-2821. Tips can also be submitted through private messages to the Delaware State Police Facebook page or by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Those affected by crime or sudden loss can access support through the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and Delaware Victim Center, which provides around-the-clock assistance via their hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). The Victim Services Unit can also be reached by email at [email protected].
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Slovenia’s legislative body voted Friday to install right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the nation’s new prime minister, marking a political transition for the small European Union member previously led by a liberal administration.
Parliamentary members supported Jansa by a margin of 51-36 in the 90-seat legislature. The newly appointed prime minister must return to Parliament in the coming 15 days for an additional vote to approve his proposed Cabinet.
Jansa’s selection ends a political deadlock in Slovenia following parliamentary elections two months prior that resulted in virtually even results. Previous liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob’s Freedom Movement secured victory by a narrow margin, but he could not secure enough parliamentary support to govern.
Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party finalized a coalition deal this week with multiple right-wing organizations. The incoming administration also receives support from a nonestablishment Truth party that originated as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This upcoming term marks the fourth time in office for the experienced Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and maintained close ties with former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who suffered a decisive electoral defeat last month.
During his address, Jansa outlined the economy, anti-corruption efforts, reducing bureaucracy, and decentralization as primary objectives for his upcoming administration. He has pledged to reduce tax burdens for wealthy citizens and boost private education and healthcare sectors.
Criticizing what he called the outgoing government’s “inefficiency,” Jansa stated his new administration would transform Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted.”
Similar to Orban, Jansa maintained strong anti-immigration positions during Europe’s major migration crisis in 2015. Also resembling Orban, Jansa has encountered criticism for allegedly restricting democratic institutions and media freedoms during his previous 2020-2022 tenure. These actions sparked public demonstrations and drew European Union oversight.
In his remarks, Golob characterized Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy.”
Claiming that Jansa had made threats of arrest against him, Golob stated that Jansa’s “idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”
Jansa, who supports Israel, has also been a vocal opponent of the Golob government’s 2024 decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
The March 22 election faced claims of foreign interference and corruption. The approximately 2 million residents of the Alpine country remain sharply split between liberal and conservative viewpoints.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for renewed diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict with Russia during his Friday evening video address, stating he anticipates American suggestions for new negotiation formats.
During his nightly remarks following a virtual conference with leaders from Britain, France and Germany, Zelenskiy emphasized that current battlefield conditions favor Ukraine.
“Right now everything must be done to intensify diplomacy,” Zelenskiy said. “I am also expecting a response from the American side regarding possible formats and the schedule of meetings.”
The Ukrainian leader described the military situation as unfavorable for Russian forces, stating the battlefield trend was “not in the interests of the occupier. We continue to increase the rate at which we are destroying Russian personnel. This, together with sanctions of all forms, is forcing Russia towards choosing diplomacy.”
Zelenskiy reported that he briefed French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on current military developments along the front lines.
According to the Ukrainian president, his country has regained control of 590 square kilometers (228 square miles) of previously occupied land since January began.
A statement from Britain indicated that Zelenskiy updated the three leaders about “the progress made by Ukraine’s military in recent weeks, as it continues to ramp up its defence in the face of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s continued attacks.”
The British statement noted that all three leaders “confirmed they would double down on their support in the coming months” and reached consensus that “standing up to Russian aggression remains vital for European and global security.”
Officials in Taiwan stated Friday they have received no notification regarding potential delays in American weapons sales, following comments from a high-ranking U.S. official who indicated such sales were temporarily halted.
The island nation, which Beijing considers part of its territory, has been anticipating approval of a new weapons package from Washington that could reach $14 billion in value, according to previous reports.
President Donald Trump indicated uncertainty about approving the package after meeting with China’s Xi Jinping in Beijing the previous week.
During a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing Thursday, U.S. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao addressed questions about future weapons sales to Taiwan.
“We have done some foreign military sales to them. It’s just right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury – which we have plenty,” he stated, referencing American operations against Iran.
“But we’re just making sure we have everything, but then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary,” he added, noting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would determine approval of Taiwan sales.
Taiwan Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo addressed reporters in Taipei, acknowledging the official’s comments.
“However, at present we have not received any relevant information about the U.S. adjusting these military sales,” she stated.
Taiwan’s defense ministry also confirmed no notification of weapons sale delays had been received.
The ministry continues to “monitor U.S. security cooperation policy” and maintain close coordination and communication with the U.S. to ensure that arms sales proceed according to plan, according to their statement.
American law requires the U.S. to provide Taiwan with defensive capabilities. Beijing has consistently demanded Washington cease weapons sales.
Taiwan’s leadership disputes China’s territorial claims, maintaining that only Taiwan’s citizens can determine the island’s future.
NEW YORK — On a New York Knicks squad that has maintained a serious approach throughout the NBA playoffs, Josh Hart serves as the team’s primary source of humor.
However, there was little to find amusing early in Thursday’s Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, as Hart failed to connect on three consecutive three-point attempts, extending his playoff shooting struggles. His anger was visible as he repeatedly slammed the basketball down, questioning why his practice performance wasn’t carrying over to game situations.
“I’m just like, bro, it’s not translating right now,” Hart commented while eating a slice from the pizza box he brought to his postgame press conference.
His fellow players — especially those who also played alongside him at Villanova — remained confident that his hard work would eventually show results.
“I know we joke around a lot about his practice habits, but he does work hard,” Jalen Brunson commented.
Hart’s breakthrough came with five successful three-pointers and a playoff personal-best 26 points, helping the Knicks secure a decisive 109-93 win over Cleveland that puts them just two victories away from reaching their first NBA Finals since 1999. He left the court to enthusiastic applause from fans, a stark contrast to two nights earlier when he spent most of New York’s fourth-quarter rally from a 22-point deficit on the sideline.
Despite all his contributions to the Knicks, keeping Hart in the lineup during that previous game proved challenging. The Cavaliers, similar to several NBA franchises, consider the forward’s perimeter shooting among the vulnerabilities in an otherwise strong starting five featuring All-Stars Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, often assigning their center to defend him. He understands he’ll get open looks from distance because opposing teams prefer that option.
Understanding this dynamic, Hart dedicated extra effort to perfecting his shooting mechanics before Game 2.
“When you have guys that are gamers, they do stuff that people don’t think that they can do at any time,” Knicks coach Mike Brown explained. “And he knows the work that he puts in, we know the work that he puts in, and his confidence is not going to waver. He’s going to put pressure on himself to take that next one and make that next one.”
Hart entered the contest converting only 26.7% of his three-point attempts during the playoffs, making the defensive strategy of giving him space statistically logical — though Hart shouldn’t be evaluated based purely on statistics.
“I’m never a huge analytics guy,” Hart stated. “At a certain point they’re a lamppost to a drunk person. You can lean on them, but it won’t get you home.”
While Towns, sitting beside him at the press table, took off his sunglasses to look at Hart with confusion, Hart clarified that the saying came from Jay Wright, his former coach at Villanova.
Hart, who was slightly older than Brunson and Mikal Bridges, became the primary offensive weapon during his final years with the Wildcats. Following their 2016 NCAA championship victory, he posted a career-best 18.7 points per game while shooting 40.4% from three-point range and earning Big East player of the year honors as a senior.
While Brunson now handles the primary scoring responsibilities, Hart’s importance to the Knicks stems from his numerous other contributions. He’s played a significant role in defending Cavs All-Star Donovan Mitchell, and his defensive rebounding ability, despite standing just 6-foot-4, enables the Knicks to quickly transition up court.
“He’s the perfect example for any basketball player who wants to learn how to truly impact the winning of a team and he does that at the highest level,” Towns observed. “What he does not only talentwise but mentally for our team, when he goes out there, he’s hustling, he’s playing that hard, you feel like you’ve got to match his intensity.”
On evenings like Thursday, Hart can make opposing teams pay for challenging him to shoot. Similar to his performance two years ago in the opening round, when he knocked down the series-deciding three-pointer against Philadelphia in Game 6.
Therefore, Brunson, who recorded a playoff career-high 14 assists in Game 2, will continue seeking him out.
“I mean, I’m really not trying to look for him. He just happens to be open, so I give him the ball,” Brunson said with a grin reminiscent of his teammate. “I have the utmost confidence in him, watching the things he does and after practice with his routine and everything. He works hard.”
Slovenia’s legislative body confirmed Janez Jansa as the country’s prime minister-designate on Friday, breaking a political stalemate that has persisted since March elections failed to produce a clear majority winner.
The right-leaning politician, who is pursuing his fourth term in office, obtained 51 votes from the 90-member parliament on May 22, clearing the path for establishing a new administration committed to business-friendly policies and tax reductions.
The coalition supporting Jansa consists of five center-right political parties that have outlined key objectives including financial relief for companies and families, assistance for emerging businesses and rapidly expanding enterprises, plus establishing a special fund to support the nation’s retirement system. The alliance has also promised to reduce bureaucratic obstacles, address government corruption, and transfer greater authority to municipal governments.
“Our goal is Slovenia as a highly developed, competitive, and socially cohesive state based on knowledge, innovation, fairness, and quality of life,” Jansa told lawmakers.
During the March 22 parliamentary contest, Jansa’s Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) finished in second place with 28 seats, trailing the liberal Freedom Movement (GS) led by former prime minister Robert Golob, which captured 29 seats. Golob’s political organization moved into opposition status last month following unsuccessful attempts to build a governing majority.
On Thursday, the SDS joined with four other center-right organizations – New Slovenia, Democrats, Slovenian Peoples Party and Focus – to finalize their governing partnership agreement.
This five-party alliance holds 43 parliamentary seats and gained extra support from the right-wing Resnica party, though that group will remain outside the formal government structure. Representatives of national minority groups also endorsed Jansa’s selection as prime minister-designate.
Ten people died Friday in Israeli military strikes targeting southern Lebanon, with six paramedics and a Syrian child among the casualties, Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported. The deadly attacks represent the most recent violence in ongoing cross-border hostilities that persist despite a fragile, U.S.-negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The ministry detailed that the initial strike targeted Hanouiyeh village, resulting in four deaths among paramedics employed by Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Association. Two additional paramedics sustained injuries in that attack.
A second Friday morning strike hit Deir Qanoun al Nahr village in the coastal Tyre province, claiming six lives including a Syrian child and two paramedics from the Al-Rissala Scouts Association, a medical group connected to Amal movement, which allies with Hezbollah. Six others suffered injuries, among them three paramedics and a Syrian woman.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry characterized both strikes as violations of international law.
The U.N. World Health Organization reported Thursday that 169 documented attacks against healthcare personnel and medical facilities have occurred in Lebanon since the current Israel-Hezbollah conflict started, causing 116 fatalities.
Israeli military officials did not provide responses to requests for comment. The military has previously claimed that the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant organization uses ambulances to conceal military operations, though no supporting evidence has been presented.
Cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah continues despite the U.S.-negotiated ceasefire agreement.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry announced earlier this week that casualties from the most recent round of Israel-Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon have exceeded 3,000 deaths.
The current Israel-Hezbollah conflict commenced on March 2, following Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on northern Israel two days after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, a primary supporter of the Lebanese militant organization.
Friday also saw statements from Lebanon’s army and General Security Directorate emphasizing their officers’ discipline, professionalism and exclusive loyalty to their institutions and country.
These declarations followed Thursday’s announcement by the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposing sanctions on multiple Hezbollah-connected legislators, state security personnel and militant group allies for allegedly working to maintain the Iran-supported organization’s control over Lebanese government institutions while hindering disarmament initiatives.
Washington sanctioned sitting Lebanese state security officials for the first time, targeting one official from the General Security Directorate and another from military intelligence. Both face accusations of supplying Hezbollah with unauthorized support and intelligence throughout the current conflict.
Officials in Rehoboth Beach are looking for residents to apply for an open position on the city’s Planning Commission. The available seat comes with a term that runs through September 18, 2026. Whoever gets selected will have the opportunity to be considered for reappointment to a full three-year term in mid-September.
The Planning Commission consists of nine members who are chosen by the Mayor & Commissioners, with each serving three-year terms. This commission handles requests for land subdivision, offers recommendations to city leadership on zoning and rezoning matters, reviews land use issues referred by the Mayor and Commissioners, and works on developing and updating the city’s Comprehensive Development Plan. The commission operates under Delaware Code, Chapter 7, Title 22, and focuses on ensuring compliance with City Code Chapter 236 dealing with land subdivision and Chapter 270 covering zoning regulations.
Commission meetings take place on the fourth Friday of every month at 1:30pm in City Hall, though meeting times may vary as needed.
To be eligible for appointment, applicants must meet one of these criteria: be a Rehoboth Beach resident, own property in the city, be registered to vote in Rehoboth Beach, or be eligible to register as a voter within city limits.
Those interested can submit applications through the city’s website at https://cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingTypeList.aspx. Anyone with questions can reach out to City Secretary Ann Womack by email at [email protected] or by calling (302) 227-6181.
Drivers on DE Route 24 westbound are facing significant delays this morning due to heavy traffic congestion.
The backup is occurring between Robinsonville Road and Indian Mission Road, with motorists experiencing delays of 10 to 15 minutes as they travel through the affected area.
The Delaware Department of Transportation is monitoring the situation and advises drivers to plan extra time for their commute or consider alternate routes if possible.
Chase Harvell pulled into Airport High School’s parking lot Friday morning in southeastern Michigan for his final time before graduation next week.
While Harvell was operating a family vehicle like he had many times previously, this particular ride had a maximum speed of about 25 mph.
Harvell joined dozens of other graduating students who ditched their regular cars and trucks, instead showing up in farm equipment, all-terrain vehicles, golf carts and other unconventional transportation.
The festivities were part of Tractor Day, an annual tradition at the Carleton, Michigan school that began in the 1980s. The school sits approximately 35 miles south of Detroit. While most students made it to campus by 7:30 a.m., the celebration continued all day with games, music and catered food from a nearby restaurant.
This yearly gathering serves both as an enjoyable farewell event for graduating students and a way to pay tribute to the region’s farming roots.
“We’re just a farm school,” Harvell said. “It’s a tradition. Everyone’s done it before us. We just carry it on.”
The fourth-generation farmer operated a Case 305 Magnum on Friday, the identical piece of equipment his family uses to work the fields where they cultivate soybeans and corn. His older brother had driven the same tractor to the celebration three years earlier.
Myah Hoppert showed up early in a John Deere 8300 that was so familiar with the route it could nearly navigate to school independently. The same machine had transported Hoppert’s two sisters and eight cousins to Airport High during previous Tractor Day events.
“Last day with all my friends,” said Hoppert, who intends to pursue nursing studies at Monroe County Community College in the coming year.
Friday represented “one final hurrah,” according to Austin Neddo, who potentially had the oldest vehicle of the day. He drove a refurbished 1940 Farmall A, equipment that previously belonged to Neddo’s great-great-grandfather.
Jocelyn Kleman, serving as class treasurer, helped coordinate Friday’s activities, which she called “our last recess.” She anticipated that 150 of approximately 180 seniors would participate in Tractor Day.
Kleman and two classmates arrived in an off-road vehicle called a “side-by-side.” She had eagerly awaited this day for four years, having previously only watched the annual celebration from classroom windows like other underclassmen.
“You could just see how much fun the seniors are having,” said Kleman, who plans to attend Michigan State University in the fall. “What a nostalgic event this really is.
“And how much the seniors look forward to it each year.”
WASHINGTON — Key staff members at the Food and Drug Administration’s tobacco division were caught off guard by new policy changes that could allow additional unauthorized vaping products and nicotine pouches into the American marketplace, according to information obtained by The Associated Press.
The new rules, published online this month prior to former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s departure, permit companies to introduce specific nicotine products before receiving complete regulatory approval.
Several FDA employees responsible for vaping oversight weren’t included in discussions about these modifications and discovered them only the evening before publication, two agency workers told the AP while requesting anonymity to discuss internal matters. The unexpected release created internal questions about the policy’s development and approval process, these sources indicated.
Agency leadership has recently held extensive meetings to determine how to execute the six-page directive, which departs from established FDA requirements mandating scientific proof of health advantages for smokers before introducing new products.
Creating new policies without input from implementation staff represents an uncommon practice for the FDA.
“It begs the question of whether the true subject matter experts may have actually opposed this policy and were ordered to do it anyway,” said Mitch Zeller, who retired as FDA’s tobacco director in 2022. “And that goes to the ability of the public to have trust and faith in institutions like FDA.”
The vaping policy avoided the federally mandated public comment period for revisions. The FDA instead released the completed policy following months of industry lobbyist criticism regarding Makary from groups with White House connections. He stepped down last week.
A Health and Human Services representative didn’t discuss the guidance’s development in their written response.
“This approach strengthens protections against youth nicotine addiction while supporting evidence-based alternatives for adult smokers seeking to move away from combustible tobacco products,” Andrew Nixon said in a statement.
Attempts to reach Makary for comment weren’t successful Friday.
Health experts generally acknowledge that electronic cigarettes pose significantly fewer risks than conventional cigarettes, with these products being endorsed in the United Kingdom and other European nations as smoking alternatives.
The FDA has faced challenges regulating this market for more than ten years. Five companies have received agency approval for vaping products while millions of other requests were denied, primarily because of fruit, candy and sweet flavoring considered attractive to minors. Despite this, unapproved vapes remain widely accessible.
Recent developments in Washington and nationwide indicate changing circumstances.
Teen vaping rates have dropped to their lowest point in over a decade, following pandemic disruptions and new regulatory measures at state and federal levels.
President Donald Trump assumed office last year after promising to “save” the vaping sector. Large tobacco corporations including Reynolds American and Altria have donated millions to political action committees backing Trump and administration initiatives, including Trump’s inauguration and his proposed White House ballroom.
Despite lobbying efforts, vaping matters received limited attention at FDA during Makary’s tenure. When Makary occasionally discussed e-cigarettes, he questioned data indicating reduced underage usage.
While FDA staff prepared to modify flavor policies, Makary and agency leadership stepped in.
In February, one of Makary’s deputies prevented an FDA authorization for the first fruit-flavored vapes, internal documents later revealed. FDA evaluators had concluded the products were unlikely to attract children when paired with digital age-verification systems.
The mango and blueberry-flavored items received approval during Makary’s final full week leading the FDA, just before the agency released new guidelines permitting unauthorized nicotine products.
The guidance requires FDA to create a list of e-cigarettes and pouches awaiting authorization but subject to “enforcement discretion,” allowing sales without regulatory removal efforts. Though no public product list exists, the policy is anticipated to permit new flavors previously rejected by regulators.
“What we’re seeing is a broader opening up and responsiveness to flavored products by the agency both in terms of a stronger appetite for authorization but also less appetite to take enforcement action against flavored products,” said Brian King, former FDA tobacco director now with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
While FDA’s new strategy represents a policy shift, it may minimally affect flavors currently sold at gas stations, vape retailers and convenience stores.
Unauthorized vapes containing mango, gummy bear, strawberry and numerous other flavors have saturated the American market for years.
These disposable devices replaced Juul products after the company removed its high-nicotine flavored items following their widespread presence in American schools starting around 2017. The company currently sells only FDA-approved tobacco and menthol flavored e-cigarettes.
Juul and similar companies now have opportunities to compete directly with disposable Chinese vapes, which some estimates suggest represent 80% of American sales.
“The choice we face is not whether flavored vaping products should be sold in the U.S. They already are,” said Robyn Gougelet, a Juul vice president. “The choice is whether those products should be regulated and responsibly marketed — or illegal, untested, and smuggled into the country.”
Instead of focusing on flavors, the FDA indicated its new enforcement strategy will target vapes with youth-appealing characteristics, including designs resembling children’s toys.
“The reality is they’re just deluged by illegal products coming across the border,” said Jonathan Foulds, a tobacco-addiction specialist at Penn State University. “So they’re making it clear what should be common sense: ‘We’re going to focus on the worst actors.’”
Whether the vaping industry will broadly accept FDA’s new approach remains uncertain, given the sector includes multinational tobacco companies and hundreds of smaller businesses selling imported Chinese devices.
The guidance indicates only e-cigarettes under “scientific review” will qualify for launch without FDA authorization. Few applications typically reach this stage, requiring comprehensive health data on smokers switching to new products, King observed.
“This is certainly going to benefit the larger tobacco companies, which have the resources to get far enough into the application review process and thus won’t be prioritized for enforcement,” King said.
Representatives for smaller companies say it’s premature to determine whether the policy will help or hurt their clients, though they worry about being excluded.
“The big companies would love nothing more than to see their largest swath of competitors out of the marketplace,” said Tony Abboud of the Vapor Technology Association.
A delegation of eight female senators from both political parties is embarking on a diplomatic journey to Arctic territories to strengthen relationships with American allies in the strategically crucial northern region.
The entire delegation, including senators, staff members, and military liaison personnel, consists exclusively of women who will conduct official visits with government leaders across four Arctic territories, observe military operational challenges in extreme conditions, and travel to a Norwegian island chain so isolated that polar bear protection escorts will be required.
“I want them to experience, first of all, the awesomeness of the Arctic,” said Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who is leading the trip alongside Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
This diplomatic mission emerged from both senators’ efforts to strengthen ties with American partners in North America and northern Europe during a period when President Donald Trump has adopted an aggressive, unilateral approach in the area. This week alone, the Pentagon announced a suspension of U.S. involvement in a joint continental defense board with Canada that has operated since World War II.
Both Murkowski and Shaheen believe this represents a misguided strategy for an Arctic region gaining increasing strategic importance and facing distinctive challenges.
“We will reassure our allies that we recognize and appreciate the importance of our allies and partners in the Arctic as in so many other areas,” Shaheen told The Associated Press, adding that she expected the group to discuss “what more we can do as members of Congress to support those relationships.”
The delegation maintains equal representation from both parties, with Republican Sens. Cindy Hyde Smith, Katie Britt and Cynthia Lummis joining Democratic Sens. Maggie Hassan, Kirsten Gillibrand and Catherine Cortez Masto. Beginning Friday, they will travel to Arctic or sub-Arctic areas in Canada, Greenland (an autonomous Danish territory), Svalbard (a Norwegian archipelago among Earth’s northernmost inhabited locations), and Iceland.
Both Murkowski and Shaheen hope the delegation gains enhanced understanding and appreciation for Arctic communities experiencing climate change effects, along with the distinctive obstacles of military operations in these conditions.
“It’s to understand what it means to go into a remote, isolated community that has no access by road,” Murkowski said, adding that the group would see how military sites need airplane hangars because aircraft cannot be kept outside overnight in the Arctic cold.
NATO has recently worked to encourage High North cooperation through multiple joint military training exercises, particularly as nations including China and Russia expand their presence in the region.
As climate change reduces Arctic ice thickness, it may potentially open a northwest trade passage while rekindling competition with Russia, China and other nations for access to regional mineral deposits. The area also houses numerous undersea cable installations with strategic significance.
The delegation will also meet with Indigenous populations who have inhabited the region for centuries and possess deep environmental knowledge. Murkowski expressed hope that the senators return from the journey “excited and intrigued and hopefully inspired.”
Following Trump’s earlier threats regarding Greenland acquisition, Shaheen and Murkowski collaborated on legislation preventing U.S. attacks against NATO member nations. They are among legislators working to incorporate language in this year’s defense bill that would block the Trump administration from abandoning military commitments to NATO partners.
“I also want to know if there are policy directives that we should be thinking about. And it will be great to have a strong bipartisan group there to discuss what we might want to do when we get back,” Shaheen said.
For several destinations on their itinerary, substantial female representation represents standard practice. Iceland’s parliament consists of approximately 46% women, ranking among the world’s leading countries for female political participation.
Shaheen noted that research indicates “when women are the negotiating table, that agreements that are made have a much better chance of lasting for a longer period of time.”
She emphasized that data demonstrates female government representation creates more stable societies and increases community investment.
“There are very real reasons why we need to make sure that women are at the table,” she added.
The autonomous vehicle company Waymo has temporarily shut down its self-driving car operations in Atlanta and Texas following severe weather that left one of its vehicles trapped in floodwater, raising concerns about more dangerous storms expected during the holiday weekend.
The National Weather Service has forecast severe thunderstorms with large hail and strong winds for Friday across Texas and other areas of the Southern and Central Plains.
Weather experts are warning about potential flash flooding along the Gulf Coast areas of Texas and Louisiana on Saturday, with rain and thunderstorms anticipated throughout much of the central and eastern United States.
One of the company’s autonomous vehicles became trapped during heavy rainfall in Atlanta on Wednesday that caused street flooding and inundated part of a downtown highway. The vehicle had no passengers inside and was successfully retrieved afterward, according to a company statement. At least one additional vehicle from the fleet was also affected by the storm.
The company’s operations are limited to Atlanta city limits in Georgia, while it provides services across multiple Texas cities.
Operations in Texas were suspended “out of an abundance of caution for the forecasted severe weather,” according to the company’s statement.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s approval of a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund for President Donald Trump’s supporters who claim they faced political persecution may have satisfied his boss, but it has sparked fierce opposition from Republican legislators whose support he needs for permanent confirmation.
While Blanche denies he’s campaigning for the attorney general position, a series of high-profile actions the Justice Department has implemented during his temporary leadership since last month, including bringing charges against former FBI Director James Comey, clearly demonstrate his effort to impress the president who selected him.
The compensation fund has positioned Blanche in the middle of intense Republican criticism just as he works to demonstrate he’s the ideal candidate for the role during Trump’s remaining term. The situation has intensified worries from Democrats and other critics that he hasn’t abandoned his role as the president’s private lawyer.
“So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong — Take your pick,” Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the former majority leader, said in a statement.
Previously a federal prosecutor in New York, Blanche gained national attention through his leading position on Trump’s legal defense team, including representing the Republican during his hush money trial in New York. This experience gave him what he describes as direct insight into what he claims was the weaponization of the criminal justice system targeting Trump.
He joined the Justice Department as deputy attorney general, the second-highest position, before being promoted last month following Trump’s dismissal of Pam Bondi.
He now faces the familiar challenge confronting Trump-appointed attorneys general: balancing expectations from staff to maintain institutional standards while meeting the president’s demands for personal loyalty.
Trump’s initial attorney general, Jeff Sessions, was pushed out following the 2018 midterms after angering the president by recusing himself from an investigation examining connections between Russia and the 2016 presidential campaign. William Barr, another attorney general, stepped down after their relationship deteriorated when Barr declined to support Trump’s unfounded allegations of widespread election fraud. Bondi was dismissed after failing to successfully prosecute Trump’s political adversaries.
Two weeks into his role as acting attorney general, Blanche named Joseph diGenova, an 81-year-old former Justice Department prosecutor from the Reagan era, to a special role within the department. DiGenova will supervise a Florida-based probe examining whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired during the past decade to undermine Trump.
“At some point, at the right time, that will be made public and the American people will see exactly what happened to this administration and President Trump over the past decade,” Blanche told Fox News.
Previous government examinations of the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation, which forms the core of the current conspiracy probe, have not resulted in criminal charges against senior officials or uncovered evidence of criminal behavior by them. Whether the ongoing investigation has uncovered any new information remains unclear.
The Justice Department also secured an indictment last month against Comey, a Trump critic whose prosecution the president has long demanded, charging him with threatening Trump through a social media image of seashells arranged in the pattern “86 47” — a case legal experts believe will present significant challenges for prosecutors. Comey has indicated he expects the Justice Department may pursue additional charges.
In additional actions, Blanche announced charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit that has drawn conservative criticism, alleging it misled donors about its operations, and has publicly supported a Justice Department campaign against media leaks, including issuing subpoenas to journalists.
Perhaps the most bold display of allegiance to Trump occurred this week when the Justice Department revealed the establishment of a $1.776 billion fund to compensate individuals who believe they’ve faced unjust investigation and prosecution, along with guaranteeing immunity from tax audits for Trump and his oldest sons.
Following mounting Republican opposition, Blanche conducted a heated meeting with GOP legislators Thursday. Soon after, Senate Republicans suddenly departed Washington without voting on approximately $70 billion legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies.
Blanche, who supported the fund during a congressional hearing this week, has stated that anyone believing they’ve faced persecution can seek compensation regardless of political party. However, the fund is widely viewed as benefiting Trump associates who were investigated during the Biden presidency.
“It’s pretty clear that he’s not the attorney general for the United States as much as he’s the attorney general for President Trump,” said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor and senior Justice Department official in the 1980s. He said Blanche would get an A+ if report cards were issued for fealty to Trump.
David Laufman a former chief of staff to the deputy attorney general in President George W. Bush’s administration, said that rather than protecting the Justice Department’s independence, Blanche has been a “willing and ardent accomplice for carrying out any partisan or corrupt scheme the White House may devise.”
Blanche’s allies reject claims he’s attempting to gain Trump’s favor to obtain the permanent position.
“What he is doing is he is seeking justice based on facts and the law,” said Jay Town, who served as a U.S. attorney in Alabama during the first Trump administration. “And I don’t think that will ever change about him, whether he is the attorney general going forward or doesn’t spend another day in the administration. He is an honorable man and anybody that knows him knows that to be true.”
Blanche also denies he’s maneuvering to retain his position or experiencing pressure to appease Trump.
He has informed reporters he would be honored to receive a nomination but, “if he chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I will say, ‘Thank you very much. I love you, sir.’ I don’t have any goals or aspirations beyond that.”
Recently, he’s served as the fund’s primary spokesperson and most prominent advocate, a position that matches his ease with public attention. He frequently conducts multiple press conferences weekly and provides interviews to various news organizations, contrasting with Bondi, who primarily appeared on Fox News.
His supporters argue his background as a federal prosecutor has made him a more skilled department communicator than Bondi, though his public statements have sometimes generated controversy, including his refusal to exclude the possibility that violent Jan. 6 participants could receive compensation.
While Blanche will select the five commissioners responsible for processing applications, his exact involvement in the fund’s operation remains uncertain. He informed CNN the fund was created through discussions with Trump’s private attorneys, not through him.
For some Democrats, that distinction holds little meaning.
“Mr. Attorney General, you are acting today like the president’s personal attorney,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, told Blanche during a confrontational exchange in a Senate hearing, “and that’s the whole problem.”
Three major international shipping companies have urged European Union finance ministers to adopt a gradual implementation strategy for upcoming customs duty regulations affecting small-value shipments.
DHL, FedEx and UPS submitted their request on Friday, advocating for a stepped approach to the new rules rather than implementing all provisions simultaneously.
According to a correspondence reviewed by Reuters, the shipping giants stated: “We therefore call on Ministers to endorse a phased approach: proceed with the EUR 3 flat-rate duty per item from 1 July 2026, while deferring the more complex and unresolved elements until they are legally certain and operationally viable.”
The companies are seeking to have the straightforward flat-rate fee of 3 euros per package take effect as scheduled in July 2026, while pushing back more complicated aspects of the regulation until operational concerns can be addressed.
The private space exploration company is preparing an innovative stock release strategy that would break from traditional market practices when it eventually goes public, according to recent regulatory documents.
Rather than following the standard 180-day waiting period that prevents early investors from selling shares after an initial public offering, the rocket manufacturer wants to implement a gradual release system tied to company performance metrics.
This departure from conventional practice is designed to prevent a massive dump of shares flooding the market simultaneously, which typically occurs when the standard restriction period expires for most newly public companies.
The space company is wagering on its own success to justify this accelerated timeline. Given the firm’s goal of reaching a $1.75 trillion market value, even modest share sales could generate tens of billions in transactions.
“It is probably better for the market that there will not be one big lock-up cliff,” explained Mayer Brown attorney Ali Perry, who focuses on public market debuts.
This uncommon but not unheard-of framework would permit select stockholders to begin selling as soon as the first quarterly financial report following the public debut, assuming strong company results.
Should the business and its stock price exceed expectations, the majority of restricted holdings could become available for sale over subsequent months, with any leftover shares freed up after the standard six-month window.
These limitations typically affect current stakeholders, staff members, major institutional backers, and individuals with access to confidential company information.
According to the filing, Musk controls 85.1% of voting authority and 12.3% of economic stake in Class A shares, and has committed to a 366-day sales restriction.
AI processor company Cerebras, worth over $100 billion, has similarly embraced a phased selling approach, which became more popular during the 2020-2021 IPO surge when businesses had greater negotiating power.
The gradual rollout distributes potential sales across time and promotes more stable post-IPO trading, though it may create extended volatility throughout the six-month timeframe instead of concentrated on one date, legal experts note.
“The staggered approach smoothes out the initial impact, but doesn’t eliminate the impact, just redistributes it,” Perry noted.
The proposal allows up to 20% of restricted holdings to be sold soon after second-quarter earnings are announced. Another 10% depends on the stock price climbing at least 30% beyond its initial offering value.
Additional 7% portions would become available at five intervals between 70 and 135 days post-listing, followed by another 28% after a subsequent earnings announcement.
Any remaining shares would become sellable at the 180-day milestone.
The space company has not yet revealed the total share count subject to the staged restrictions or the precise percentage of outstanding stock eligible for early release, with crucial numbers currently blacked out.
Beyond stock stabilization, companies often use staggered restriction periods to create different liquidity options for various shareholder categories, including workers and early backers, or to maintain tighter sales controls on senior leadership.
The rocket manufacturer has also not disclosed which holders make up the early-eligible group — such as those with privileged access versus institutional investors — and how achievable the performance-linked stock price targets will prove.
Beyond Musk, other major investors have similarly agreed to 366-day sales restrictions, though the filing doesn’t specify what portion of total holdings they represent.
Phased releases echo the previous major IPO wave of 2020 and 2021, when investment capital was plentiful and market appetite was strong. Some of that period’s largest public debuts — including Airbnb, DoorDash and Snowflake — implemented staged frameworks allowing certain shareholders to sell portions earlier while keeping directors and executives restricted for extended periods.
Recently, though, the market has mostly returned to straightforward structures. When variations do emerge, they tend to be focused rather than comprehensive.
Cerebras has also employed a phased insider release framework in its recent public listing, while Rubrik introduced performance-driven triggers connected to stock price benchmarks and earnings schedules.
Reddit and Ibotta have similarly used combined mechanisms linking share releases to earnings periods and trading blackout windows.
President Donald Trump declared Friday that additional late-night television hosts will lose their positions following his celebration of CBS ending Stephen Colbert’s program.
The president has consistently pushed the Federal Communications Commission to revoke broadcasting licenses from networks, demanded Walt Disney terminate ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, and called for Comcast’s NBC to dismiss Seth Meyers.
“Stephen Colbert’s firing from CBS was the ‘Beginning of the End’ for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Others, of even less talent, to soon follow. May they all Rest in Peace!”
Colbert led the highest-rated Late Show for 11 seasons before CBS announced its cancellation last year, attributing the decision to financial considerations. Late-night programming, a staple of American television since the 1950s, has experienced declining audiences and advertising revenue for several years.
NBC, CBS and ABC remained silent on the matter Friday.
CBS revealed in July it would terminate Colbert’s program shortly after the network’s parent company settled Trump’s $16 million lawsuit regarding edited footage from a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Following that settlement, the FCC greenlit Paramount’s $8 billion acquisition by Skydance.
The cancellation of the leading late-night program generated significant backlash from Democrats and critics who observed that Paramount was pursuing merger approval during the show’s termination. Multiple critics argued the decision aimed to appease the administration and represented an attempt to suppress political comedy in defiance of First Amendment speech protections.
Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez stated Wednesday that Trump has openly attempted to remove programming he opposes from television.
“This administration cannot tolerate any critics, whether it’s late-night comedies, whether it’s ‘The View’,” Gomez remarked. “They are using every regulatory lever in their arsenal to go after content.”
The FCC is examining whether ABC’s “The View” breached equal time regulations during an interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico of Texas. CBS prevented Colbert from broadcasting a Talarico interview in February, referencing an FCC directive from January.
“Donald Trump’s administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV, because all Trump does is watch TV,” Colbert commented at that time.
Trump referenced a Kimmel joke last month as justification for the host’s termination, which Disney refused. The following day, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr initiated an uncommon early license examination of Disney’s eight ABC television stations. Disney faces a May 28 deadline for license renewal submissions.
In September 2025, Carr pushed broadcasters to remove Kimmel from programming. ABC temporarily halted Kimmel’s show following his remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Carr’s actions received widespread condemnation from various political perspectives.
Carr rejected claims that government pressure forced Colbert’s departure. “He’s just not as popular or as funny as he once was, if he ever was,” Carr informed Reuters in March.
After Trump demanded NBC fire Meyers in November, Carr shared the statement on X.
Lebanon’s health ministry announced Friday that six emergency medical workers lost their lives in two separate Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon over a 24-hour period, denouncing the strikes as breaches of international law.
The ministry reported that four paramedics with the Islamic Health Association died in an Israeli attack that occurred overnight from Thursday into Friday in Hanaway, a town in southern Lebanon. A second strike Friday morning claimed the lives of two emergency workers from the Al-Rissala Scouts Association in Deir Qanoun En-Nahr, according to ministry officials.
Israeli military officials did not immediately respond to Reuters’ inquiries about the attacks.
The ministry released video footage purportedly from Deir Qanoun En-Nahr showing two individuals wearing yellow vests assisting someone along a roadside. As an ambulance draws near the pair, a bright flash appears followed by a loud explosion. The same two men are subsequently visible lying on the ground.
Reuters verified the video’s location as the western perimeter of Deir Qanoun En-Nahr by comparing buildings, vegetation and street patterns with archived satellite images of the region.
Ministry officials stated that six people total perished in Deir Qanoun En-Nahr, including the two medical workers and a Syrian child. The community had already suffered an earlier airstrike this week that claimed 14 lives, marking the most deadly single attack since a fragile ceasefire was declared last month.
Since March 2, when the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel in the initial phase of renewed conflict, more than 3,100 people have died in Lebanon.
The casualties include 123 medical personnel, along with over 210 children and nearly 300 women, based on data released by the health ministry Friday.
International humanitarian law provides special protections for emergency responders, medical staff and civilian infrastructure, particularly healthcare facilities.
The World Health Organization reports that multiple hospitals in southern Lebanon have sustained damage or been completely disabled by Israeli strikes.
Thursday saw an Israeli attack near Tebnine Hospital in southern Lebanon that caused damage across all three levels of the facility, affecting the emergency department, intensive care unit, surgical wing and ambulances stationed outside, the health ministry reported.
Drivers will encounter lane restrictions on Collins Road this Wednesday, May 27th, according to a traffic advisory issued Friday.
The partial roadway closure will affect traffic flow in the area. Motorists are advised to plan alternate routes or allow extra travel time when commuting through the affected section.
The advisory was posted Friday afternoon to give drivers advance notice of the upcoming traffic disruption.
Maryland property owners will soon have better access to funding for natural shoreline protection projects under new legislation signed into law.
The governor signed the Supporting Inclusive Community Adaptation Act on April 14, which updates the state’s approach to helping residents build living shorelines. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources backed the legislation, which eliminates upfront financial barriers and creates opportunities for partial loan forgiveness.
“Living shorelines are critical protections for Maryland’s coastal areas, and this new law will help ensure that resilient, nature-based solutions remain accessible to all,” said Dr. Natalie Snider, DNR’s Watershed and Climate Services Director.
The legislation also makes DNR’s Resilience Through Restoration a permanent program and allows the state to better support community involvement in climate adaptation planning. Additionally, it enables the use of public lands to demonstrate nature-based climate resilience solutions.
Maryland’s Shoreline Challenge
With over 7,000 miles of tidal shoreline, Maryland faces significant vulnerability to coastal flooding and rising sea levels. The Shore Erosion Task Force Final Report indicates that nearly 4,600 miles of the state’s shoreline are experiencing active erosion, leading to approximately 260 acres of land loss each year. Since roughly 90% of these tidal shorelines belong to private owners, the state’s coastal resilience relies heavily on individual landowners, communities, and nonprofit organizations taking action.
DNR’s Shoreline Conservation Service has been helping protect Maryland’s coastlines for more than six decades. The program has offered both technical knowledge and financial assistance since 1964 to help navigate complex shoreline management challenges.
Following the passage of the Living Shoreline Protection Act in 2008, the Shoreline Conservation Service shifted to focus exclusively on nature-based solutions instead of traditional infrastructure like bulkheads and revetments. Living shorelines incorporate native vegetation, sand, and carefully positioned stone structures to stabilize coastal areas.
Traditional bulkheads can speed up erosion on adjacent properties and eventually require replacement, while living shorelines absorb wave impact, create important wildlife habitat, and become more effective as native plants establish themselves. Research has shown that living shorelines demonstrate greater resilience than bulkheads and need less ongoing maintenance.
Since September 2022, the Shoreline Conservation Service has handled more than 1,800 individual requests, showing strong statewide demand for shoreline erosion expertise. The program currently oversees 50 active loan repayments, bringing in $559,903 in FY26 revenue, with five additional loans worth $334,554 in future payments. Total active loan balances now surpass $4 million.
Despite the program’s success, costs have presented major obstacles for many Maryland residents. Living shoreline projects can cost anywhere from $300 to more than $1,500 per linear foot, depending on wave conditions and construction methods. Previously, the program required property owners to pay 50-80% of costs upfront—a prohibitive expense for many. Faced with these financial demands, some owners chose cheaper but less durable traditional infrastructure, missing opportunities to install longer-lasting natural shorelines that benefit both local ecosystems and coastal communities.
The new legislation officially eliminates the substantial upfront cash requirement for private property owners in the Shore Erosion Loan Program. The law’s partial loan forgiveness framework will follow ecological, performance-based, and equity standards, with implementation planned for spring 2027.
Property owners along shorelines can submit technical assistance requests to the Shoreline Conservation Service. This specialized financing option provides zero-interest, long-term funding (5-20 years) for living shoreline installation.
Project Examples
Anne Arundel County, West River – Private Property Living Shoreline (2023)
Loan Award: $73,500 (64% of total cost) Owner Cash Match: $20,500 (36%) Total Project Cost: $94,000 Status: Constructed 2023
This project used six sand-containment groins, sand fill, and native marsh grass plantings to protect a 19th-century historical structure on a Maryland Historical Trust easement along the West River. The living shoreline stabilizes the property and improves wetland habitat next to this historically important site.
“When we first noticed signs of erosion on our farm, we wanted to act quickly while still preserving the natural character of the shoreline. A living shoreline was the clear choice. The DNR’s Shoreline Conservation Officers were instrumental in making the project possible helping us define the scope….While the project was a significant investment, the shoreline improvement loan allowed us to move forward promptly….It was a major undertaking that we could not have accomplished without the help of the Maryland DNR, and we are extremely pleased with the results,” said a private property owner on the West River in Anne Arundel County.
Talbot County, Pickering Creek Audubon Center Shoreline Resiliency Project (2024)
Positioned in front of the Chesapeake Audubon Society’s main campus office and program meeting space, this 600-linear-foot living shoreline project protects an essential educational facility. DNR technical staff helped the organization navigate the complex permitting process and worked directly with contractors to ensure proper project execution.
“For us, the loan made the impossible possible. The available funding and structure of the loan was beneficial to our financial needs, but most importantly, the technical assistance provided important guidance that led our project to a successful outcome….DNR was especially helpful in liaising with contractors and helping to translate our needs into reality with a superb on-the-ground project,” said Mark Scallion, Director of Pickering Creek Audubon Center.
The sustainable clothing retailer that challenged fast-fashion practices by offering ethically-made affordable apparel is now owned by China’s leading fast-fashion company, Shein.
The Associated Press obtained a communication to Everlane staff from CEO Alfred Chang on Friday that confirmed the acquisition.
Financial terms of the transaction were not revealed by Everlane. Shein did not provide a statement when contacted.
Michael Preysman and Jesse Farmer established Everlane in 2011 with goals of creating environmentally responsible and reasonably priced garments. The brand promoted transparency through regular reviews of worker compensation, workplace conditions, and environmental effects. The digital-first company launched its initial brick-and-mortar location in 2017.
However, recent years brought scrutiny over the company’s employee relations practices, based on published reports.
Investment firm L Catterton purchased controlling interest in Everlane starting in September 2020. The private equity company also holds major positions in Boll & Branch, Etro and Birkenstock.
Preysman departed his leadership role in 2022.
“Like many brands, we’ve faced increasing pressure in a rapidly changing retail landscape,” Chang wrote in the letter. “This partnership allows us to remain independent, and gives us the stability and resources to make a larger impact, without compromising on the quality and standards that make Everlane, Everlane.”
Chang, who assumed the CEO position in 2024, stated the agreement would allow increased investment in products, innovation and personnel. He stressed that Everlane would maintain its independence while honoring its “sustainability” principles.
Chang confirmed he would stay as CEO with existing management remaining intact.
The acquisition comes as Everlane faces challenges. Revenue has declined while debt has increased, according to Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. The retailer requires new ownership for survival and Shein offers that financial support, he explained.
Through Everlane, Shein can expand beyond fast fashion, Saunders noted, as expansion within that sector becomes more challenging. Trade barriers and restrictions under the Trump administration have disrupted imports of low-cost garments that fuel fast fashion.
However, Everlane and Shein make an unusual pairing, Saunders observed.
While Shein probably won’t completely restructure Everlane’s supply chain, Saunders said, simply being connected to the Shein organization could be “somewhat jarring for core Everlane customers.”
“Ultimately, the deal likely saves Everlane,” he said. “But that salvation comes at a price.”
Motorists traveling on E Chestnut Hill Rd (Route 4) should expect delays due to ongoing construction work affecting traffic flow in the area.
The right shoulder is currently blocked between Salem Church Rd and Augusta Dr while crews complete road work. The closure is scheduled to remain in place until 3 PM today.
Drivers are advised to use caution when traveling through the construction zone and allow extra time for their commute.
Dover Police have published updated sex offender community notifications as required under Megan’s Law for residents within the city limits. The notifications include multiple offender profiles that are now available for public viewing.
Residents who have questions or concerns about these notifications are encouraged to reach out to the Dover Police Sex Offender Enforcement Unit for additional information or assistance.
These community notifications are part of ongoing public safety efforts to keep Dover residents informed about registered sex offenders in their area as mandated by Megan’s Law requirements.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal agriculture authorities announced this week that China has removed bird flu-related export bans on poultry products from 17 American states, with the changes scheduled to begin May 15, 2026.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) revised its China export restrictions webpage to show the policy update. The affected states include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
The restrictions had been put in place due to highly pathogenic avian influenza concerns affecting poultry operations across these states.
Thousands of seafarers continue to endure harsh conditions aboard vessels trapped in the Gulf as Iran strengthens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global oil shipping route.
Approximately 20,000 maritime workers remain stranded on roughly 2,000 ships in the Gulf, with many unable to disembark and facing shortages of food and fresh water while living in fear of potential attacks in what has become a war zone.
Recent interviews conducted by Reuters with affected sailors have revealed the severe hardships and anxiety they face daily, with a maritime workers’ federation warning of desperate circumstances.
“The only thing we do here is plan how to spend the night and pray to God that we do not get hit during an attack,” said Indian sailor Salman Siddiqui during a phone call from his trapped vessel last month.
For almost three months, these maritime workers have lived in isolation with small groups of crewmates, confined to cramped living spaces, shared dining rooms, and blistering hot decks under the scorching sun.
The waterway was shut down by Tehran after U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran commenced on February 28. With thousands of ships now trapped and peace talks at a standstill, Iran continues to strengthen what amounts to an effective maritime blockade.
On Wednesday, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, an organization established by Iran to handle transit requests, released a map reinforcing Tehran’s territorial claims over extensive waters surrounding the strategic chokepoint.
Vessel operators attempting to free their ships and valuable cargo must work through a complex web of fees and approvals established by Iran, according to a Reuters investigation.
“Seafarers’ vulnerability and exposure is more, let’s say, extreme because of the war,” explained Mohamed Arrachedi, network coordinator for the Arab World and Iran at the International Transport Workers’ Federation.
Arrachedi outlined numerous problems including delayed wages, refusal to assist with sailor repatriation, insufficient supplies, and constant fear of missile and drone attacks. He noted that some seafarers have contacted him while crying.
Since the conflict began, the ITF has received contact from over 2,000 Gulf sailors requesting assistance or guidance with various issues including abandonment, wage delays, and supply shortages, according to Arrachedi.
From the Saudi port of Dammam, approximately seven large vessels could be seen anchored offshore – an unusually high number under normal circumstances. As a supply boat approached a tanker amid strong winds, crew members shouted across the water while loading large bags of medical supplies.
Mohit Kohli, captain of a large freight ship caught in the Gulf when hostilities erupted after departing Singapore, said when he initially learned the Strait might close he “could not even fathom that this was remotely possible.”
While his German-owned vessel secured safe anchorage near Dammam, just over a week into the conflict, the crew began witnessing and hearing missiles and drones that Iran was launching at Gulf nations.
“The crew who was usually loud and happy were now silent. Meals got shorter. Conversations were more guarded,” he explained, describing the ship’s atmosphere during a Reuters interview this month following his return to India.
Kohli and his fellow crew members were fortunate to be on a vessel whose operators arranged for replacement crew, he noted.
Many sailors endure far worse conditions, Arrachedi explained. In cases he’s handling, some sailors haven’t received their modest salaries of $100 to $200 monthly since last year, and ship operators refuse repatriation assistance or only provide it if workers surrender back wages.
Some mariners report surviving on just one daily meal of rice or lentils and having only brief internet access to reach family members or request outside assistance, Arrachedi added.
“They need a collective intervention because they are key for our economies, for the supply chains, but also because they are active seafarers and they are civilians,” he stated.
Gulf nations are making efforts to support sailors by enabling supply deliveries and crew transfers.
“Seafarers stuck on a vessel in uncertain waters, the most important thing in the world is knowing that there is a shore open to reach,” said Suliman Almazroua, president of the Saudi Ports Authority.
The authority has assisted hundreds of vessels with resupplying food, fresh water, fuel, and medical supplies, while helping more than 500 sailors transfer from their ships, Almazroua said, describing thank-you messages from sailors he’s helped evacuate as the most fulfilling aspect of his work.
INDIANAPOLIS — Racing officials announced Friday that NTT will continue serving as the title sponsor for the IndyCar series through a newly signed multiyear contract extension.
The deal was revealed on Friday ahead of the final practice session before Sunday’s sold-out Indianapolis 500 race. Officials did not release financial terms of the agreement. The Japanese telecommunications firm has held the title sponsorship position since 2019.
Under the expanded partnership, NTT and NTT Data Group will also provide artificial intelligence and data services to both IndyCar and its parent organization, Penske Entertainment.
“Leading into another iconic edition of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ we are thrilled to continue our world-class partnership with NTT,” said Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Entertainment. “Their significant expertise as a global leader in AI, digital business and technology services is integral to how we build engagement across IndyCar’s fanbase and provide a top-notch customer experience at the Racing Capital of the World.”
The telecommunications company has broadened its involvement beyond traditional race data analysis and fan interaction to deliver sophisticated artificial intelligence and data solutions for Penske’s organization, the racing series, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Family members of a detained Belarusian journalist are sounding the alarm about his deteriorating health condition, demanding his immediate release from prison to prevent his death.
Kiryl Pazniak, age 49, has been held in custody since authorities arrested him in September on extremism-related charges, which critics say are commonly used to silence opposition voices. The former YouTube show host could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty.
His 20-year-old daughter has also been detained on similar extremism charges. Human rights defenders have classified both as political prisoners.
According to his former wife Elena, Pazniak is battling pneumonia and COVID-19, and was transferred to a prison medical facility this month in critical condition. She contends that authorities have failed to provide him with appropriate medical treatment, putting his life at serious risk.
Government officials in Belarus have not yet responded to reports about Pazniak’s medical status or allegations of inadequate healthcare.
“Freedom of speech in Belarus has a specific price, and today 21 journalists behind bars, including Pazniak, are paying for it with their health and ruined lives,” said Andrei Bastunets, head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists. “Belarus has already become a black hole of Europe and leads the continent in the number of arrested journalists.”
The nation’s authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has maintained strict control over the country of 9.5 million people for over thirty years. Western countries have imposed multiple sanctions on Belarus for its human rights violations and for permitting Moscow to launch attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory starting February 24, 2022.
Mass demonstrations erupted following the 2020 presidential election, with hundreds of thousands of citizens protesting what they believed was a fraudulent vote. The government responded with widespread arrests, detaining tens of thousands of people and subjecting many to police violence. Key opposition leaders either fled abroad or were jailed.
After U.S. President Donald Trump resumed office in January 2025, Lukashenko freed hundreds of political detainees through agreements negotiated by American officials, which resulted in the removal of certain U.S. sanctions as the isolated leader seeks better relations with Western nations.
Despite these releases, human rights organizations report that Belarusian officials continue suppressing opposition activities. The Viasna human rights center reports that 841 political prisoners remain in custody throughout Belarus.
Crowds of demonstrators in Ireland are demanding accountability following the death of a Congolese man who became unresponsive after being held down by security personnel outside a major Dublin retail establishment.
Community advocates say troubling footage showing Yves Sakila in obvious distress while being pinned down on the pavement brings back memories of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020.
The 35-year-old Sakila was pursued and apprehended on May 15 by multiple security officers who believed he had stolen merchandise from Arnotts, Ireland’s oldest and largest department store, located in central Dublin. When police officers arrived at the scene, he was already unresponsive and was subsequently declared dead at a medical facility.
“Yves Sakila was a man who did not deserve to die,” Suzie Tansia, of the Congolese Community Ireland, said at a demonstration Thursday. “He was a human being, like you and I. He was somebody’s son, and that could have been any one of us.”
According to attorney John Gerard Cullen, who is representing Sakila’s relatives, the man had allegedly taken a bottle of perfume from the establishment.
Security personnel chased Sakila as he attempted to escape, during which he collided with an elderly man in his 80s who required hospital treatment for his injuries, according to law enforcement.
Footage from the confrontation, which the Irish Network Against Racism characterized as “very disturbing,” depicts a man identified as Sakila fighting and screaming in distress while being restrained by multiple individuals for approximately five minutes.
During the restraint, another individual wearing a gray suit can be seen placing his knee on Sakila’s neck, according to the organization. The video concludes with him lying still.
“We are very concerned that this case appears to have the hallmarks of a case of excessive use of force,” said Shane O’Curry, director of the network. “The death of a Black man in such circumstances is extremely worrying, and we urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate all of the circumstances leading to this man’s death, in order to ensure minority ethnic community confidence in the criminal justice system.”
The retail establishment expressed being “deeply saddened” by Sakila’s death and announced it was reviewing its private security contractor arrangements. The store confirmed it was assisting with the police inquiry.
Prime Minister Micheál Martin has requested a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
“My deepest sympathies go out to his family, and to the wider Congolese community,” Martin said. “I don’t want to prejudice the outcome of that investigation but I think a lot of people are clearly very concerned about what has transpired here.”
Law enforcement officials are examining the death while simultaneously facing their own internal review by the ombudsman regarding their handling of the situation.
Media outlets reported that the initial responding officers placed handcuffs on Sakila before discovering he was unresponsive and beginning CPR.
While a post-mortem examination has been conducted, authorities have not disclosed the cause of death, citing operational considerations.
Cullen stated that Sakila’s relatives are disappointed with the limited information they have received.
Authorities are requesting witnesses to step forward with information.
Sakila had relocated from Congo to Galway during his teenage years and had resided in Ireland for over two decades. He had been employed in the technology sector but had been without housing in recent times. Cullen noted that Sakila battled substance addiction.
Walter Kabangu, the director of the Congolese Chamber of Commerce in Ireland who attended school with Sakila, characterized him as a “very down-to-earth young man.”
A memorial gathering took place Tuesday in front of Arnotts, and hundreds of demonstrators assembled peacefully Thursday outside Parliament.
Participants carried signs reading “Black lives matter here too,” and chanted, “Justice for Yves, dignity for all,” and “No justice, no peace.”
Prior to the demonstration, the Black Coalition Ireland conducted a press briefing and presented five requirements: a transparent examination of the death; racial sensitivity training for law enforcement; legislation against excessive force in civilian arrests; cessation of “demonizing rhetoric” toward ethnic communities; and equal treatment for all in reality — not merely in policy.
“We are demanding this because our lives matter,” said Yemi Adenuga, a Meath County councilor who is a spokeswoman for the coalition. “It would be sad to see this happen again on the streets of Dublin.”
TORONTO (AP) — Following Alberta’s announcement of a planned independence vote, Prime Minister Mark Carney declared Friday his commitment to strengthening Canada for all provinces.
The leader of Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith, revealed Thursday that citizens will vote October 19th on whether the province should remain part of Canada or pursue constitutional measures leading to a binding separation referendum. This approach disappointed independence advocates who had demanded an immediate referendum on leaving Canada entirely.
Speaking for the first time since Smith’s declaration, Carney acknowledged Alberta’s significant contributions to the nation.
“Canada is the greatest country in the world, but it can be better and we are working on making it better. We’re working with Alberta on making it better,” Carney stated during a tour of Parliament buildings currently undergoing renovations.
The Prime Minister highlighted his administration’s efforts to construct a new oil pipeline connecting Alberta to Canada’s Pacific coastline. Albertans have historically criticized Ottawa for insufficient action in bringing the province’s extensive oil resources to global markets.
Smith emphasized Thursday her preference for Alberta to stay within Canada. Political observers have drawn parallels between her position and former British Prime Minister David Cameron’s approach before the Brexit vote, where he supported the referendum to manage party factions while opposing actual departure from the European Union.
Even if voters approve a referendum, independence would not automatically follow. Federal government negotiations would be required.
Ian Brodie, who previously served as chief of staff to former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and currently teaches political science at the University of Calgary, believes Smith is taking a cautious approach.
“A vote to see if people even want a vote. It’s a good way to let the swing voters swing against separation,” Brodie explained.
Jeff Rath, representing Stay Free Alberta, the organization that gathered petition signatures demanding a separation referendum, condemned the decision as disrespectful to independence supporters. Cam Davies, who leads the pro-independence Republican Party of Alberta, shared this criticism and labeled Smith’s referendum proposal “spineless.”
Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, suggested Smith aims to satisfy pro-referendum members within her party. Béland predicted a future referendum would likely fail since separation support remains below 30%, though he acknowledged campaigns can influence outcomes.
Candace Laing, who serves as president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, condemned Smith’s choice, emphasizing that businesses throughout Canada, including Alberta, require stability for investment, job creation, talent recruitment, and major project development.
“Prolonged uncertainty around constitutional or political separation brings real risks for investor confidence, economic growth, and Canada’s global competitiveness at exactly the wrong time,” Laing stated.
James Moore, a former federal Conservative Cabinet minister, also expressed opposition.
“A referendum that will divide your party and make the province look unstable for investment, all to ultimately affirm the constitutional status quo, is an odd choice,” Moore wrote on social media.
Former President Donald Trump is making a campaign stop Friday in New York’s Hudson Valley region, appearing alongside Representative Mike Lawler, one of the most at-risk House Republicans heading into November’s elections. The visit represents an unusual opportunity to gauge Trump’s influence with suburban voters who are increasingly worried about economic pressures.
The joint appearance by Trump and Representative Mike Lawler occurs as political analysts focus attention on suburban congressional seats, areas anticipated to see fierce competition between the two major parties in the upcoming elections.
Trump’s job approval ratings have declined following the start of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran that began in February. Increasing fuel costs and wider concerns about inflation are raising the political pressure in the House of Representatives, where Republicans maintain a slim majority.
Trump is also encountering unexpected resistance from within his own party regarding his efforts to fund a White House ballroom project and a separate initiative to create a political compensation fund connected to a legal settlement with the IRS concerning the disclosure of his tax documents.
The former president is set to address attendees at Rockland Community College during an event focusing on economic matters and tax policy, specifically highlighting last year’s expansion of a federal deduction for state and local taxes, commonly called SALT, which resonates strongly with suburban New York voters. The state levies relatively high income taxes on its residents.
Trump will “highlight his strong record of making life more affordable for working families,” said White House spokesperson Liz Huston. She noted that Trump intends to contrast his approach with Congressional Democrats, who opposed the tax legislation that provided tax relief on tips and Social Security.
Riya Vashi, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, criticized the scheduled appearance, calling it a poor decision by Lawler.
“Nothing says ‘I don’t care about my district’ quite like Mike Lawler bringing Donald Trump to NY-17 to tout a disastrous economy that’s crushing working families,” Vashi said.
Lawler, among the few Republicans representing a district that Democrat Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 presidential race, has shown more open support for Trump compared to other Republicans in competitive districts.
New York’s 17th Congressional District, spanning portions of the lower Hudson Valley, is anticipated to rank among the country’s most hotly contested House battles and may prove crucial in determining which party controls Congress.
Trump has shown his ongoing political influence within the Republican Party in recent weeks, as multiple candidates he supported have successfully defeated sitting lawmakers who had lost his backing, demonstrating his continued sway over primary elections and party unity as the 2026 election cycle approaches.
French officials announced Friday they have prepared an alternative UN Security Council resolution aimed at establishing an international mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while a competing US-Bahrain proposal faces significant opposition that could prevent it from coming to a vote.
The strategic waterway’s effective blockade has become a central issue in the ongoing three-month conflict between the United States and Iran, with the closure causing oil prices to skyrocket as the narrow passage serves as a crucial route for global energy shipments.
The American-Bahraini proposal has been under consideration for over two weeks, but voting has been repeatedly postponed due to signals from China and Russia that they may block the measure.
The US-Bahrain draft calls for Iran to stop attacks and mining operations in the waterway. Both China and Russia previously blocked a similar American-supported measure in April, claiming it unfairly targeted Tehran.
According to two European diplomats, Washington has gained support from nearly 140 nations to co-sponsor their proposal in an attempt to prevent a veto.
France, which also holds veto power, has declined to support the American proposal.
“There is a draft resolution between the U.S. and Bahrain currently under discussion. This forms the basis of the current discussions. The date for the vote has not yet been announced,” stated France’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux.
French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated Paris plans to advance its own UN initiative, building on Franco-British cooperation to establish an international mission for restoring navigation freedom in the strait when circumstances allow and following discussions with both Washington and Tehran.
“We are working on an international mission to restore freedom of navigation. We have also prepared, as a permanent member, a draft resolution that could be discussed if the conditions are right,” Confavreux explained.
The American diplomatic effort at the United Nations marks a notable shift from recent months, during which Washington primarily operated outside UN structures, conducting military operations against Iran without council approval and encouraging allies to participate in informal naval patrols to maintain navigation rights.
Officials announced Friday that the Royal International Air Tattoo, recognized as among the globe’s premier defense exhibitions, will not proceed as planned due to military activities related to the Iran conflict.
The event had been set for July 17-19 at RAF Fairford, an operational Royal Air Force installation located in England’s southwest region.
“This has not been an easy decision. It follows extensive discussions with the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force regarding uncertainty over access to RAF Fairford, given the ongoing situation in the Middle East,” RIAT said on its website.
Event organizers indicated they plan to resume the exhibition in 2027.
A federal appeals court has restored most of a massive judgment against Ford Motor Company in a software licensing dispute, bringing back $82.2 million of an original $104.6 million award won by Versata Software.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Friday reinstated damages that a Detroit jury had granted to Versata in 2022 for Ford’s contract violations, while ordering a new trial to establish appropriate compensation for the theft of trade secrets.
The original jury verdict had been thrown out in 2023 by U.S. District Judge Matthew Leitman.
Neither Ford nor Versata representatives immediately provided statements when contacted for comment.
According to court documents, Austin, Texas-based Versata provided automotive software licensing to Ford between 1998 and 2015, enabling the company’s engineers and marketing teams to work together on vehicle design with “seamless real time updates” across the globe. Versata alleged that Ford, headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, started duplicating its software technology to avoid paying millions in yearly licensing costs.
The original jury had granted Versata $82.2 million for the contract breach and an additional $22.4 million for trade secret misappropriation. Judge Leitman had reversed the decision, ruling that Versata failed to provide sufficient evidence for jurors to properly determine damages.
However, the Federal Circuit determined Friday that the jury had established the contract breach damages with “reasonable certainty.”
The University of Delaware women’s basketball team has secured a new addition to their roster with the recruitment of London Caldwell, as revealed by head coach Sarah Jenkins on Friday.
The announcement came from Newark, where the Blue Hens basketball program continues to build their team for upcoming seasons.
Drivers traveling through the Newark area should prepare for significant traffic disruptions this week as construction work impacts the I-95 and Route 896 interchange.
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has issued an advisory warning motorists about multiple lane restrictions scheduled from Tuesday through Thursday. During daytime hours Tuesday through Thursday, northbound I-95 will experience lane closures to accommodate truck access for the project.
Overnight operations on Tuesday and Wednesday will bring more extensive disruptions, with multiple northbound I-95 lanes closing along with the northbound EZPass Lane as crews implement a traffic switch.
Additionally, drivers heading southbound will face continuous restrictions from Wednesday through Thursday as the off-ramp from southbound I-95 to southbound Route 896 will be completely closed around the clock for paving operations.
Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes or allow extra travel time when navigating through this heavily traveled corridor during the construction period.
Americans are confronting significant fuel expenses as the Memorial Day weekend approaches, with gasoline costs reaching $4.55 per gallon across the nation during what’s expected to be one of the year’s most congested travel periods.
The elevated prices are creating financial pressure for families planning holiday trips, as fuel costs have climbed to levels not seen in recent years. The timing coincides with traditional Memorial Day travel patterns when millions of Americans typically hit the road for vacations and family visits.
The current pricing represents a substantial increase that drivers will need to factor into their holiday travel budgets as they prepare for the long weekend ahead.
The Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in a precarious position following their second consecutive loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals Thursday evening. With the best-of-seven series now at 2-0 in favor of New York, concerns continue to mount regarding star player Donovan Mitchell’s physical condition.
When pressed about his health status, Mitchell remained emphatic in his response.
“I’m great,” he said. “Great. Great.”
This marks the second time this week the team’s top scorer has faced inquiries about potential injuries. His struggles were particularly evident in the series opener, where Cleveland squandered a commanding 22-point advantage in a devastating defeat.
Thursday’s contest showed some improvement from Mitchell, who managed to rebound from a sluggish seven-point first half to add 19 points after the break, totaling 26 for the game.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson observed that his star player appeared to lack his typical explosiveness during the first two quarters.
“After halftime, I thought he was moving well,” Atkinson said. “Donovan, he’s not complaining about it to me. I did see him trying to work through it — probably some stiffness. But I asked him if he wanted to come out in the fourth quarter and he’s like, ‘I’m fine,’ so I think he’s fine.”
While the current deficit presents a significant challenge, Cleveland has experience mounting comebacks from similar situations. The Cavaliers overcame an identical 2-0 hole against Detroit in the previous round, ultimately capturing that series in seven games.
“This isn’t our first time at it,” Mitchell said. “This isn’t our first time facing adversity. We’ve been through two Game 7s, so being down 2-0 is not the biggest challenge.”
The Eastern Conference finals present numerous obstacles beyond Mitchell’s condition, including containing New York’s dynamic duo of Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Cleveland also hurt themselves with poor execution, converting only 22 of 32 free-throw attempts in a contest that remained competitive despite the final 109-93 margin.
The team’s overall shooting struggled significantly, connecting on just 37% of field goal attempts and managing only 9 of 35 three-point shots.
“It wasn’t a great shooting night,” Atkinson said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to put the ball in the hole. Tonight, we didn’t.”
Saturday night’s Game 3 will mark Cleveland’s seventh contest in a 13-day stretch, while facing a New York team that swept through their previous series. Atkinson acknowledged the Knicks possess a “massive rest advantage.” Center Jarrett Allen admitted fatigue might be a factor but refused to use it as justification for their series deficit.
Mitchell completely rejected any discussion of exhaustion affecting his team’s performance.
“We’re not tired,” Mitchell said. “We’re not tired. We’re ready to go for Game 3.”
Beauty industry giant Estee Lauder has called off acquisition discussions with Spanish fragrance company Puig, ending negotiations that could have brought together major cosmetic brands including MAC, Clinique, Charlotte Tilbury and Jean Paul Gaultier.
The New York-based cosmetics company had acknowledged the discussions in March, though officials stated at that point no deal had been finalized with the Spanish firm that has operated for over a century.
“We are grateful for the conversations we have had with Puig,” Estee Lauder CEO Stéphane de La Faverie said in a prepared statement late Thursday. “Today, we are reiterating our confidence in the power of our incredible brands, our talented teams, and our strength as a standalone company.”
In February 2025, the cosmetics company announced potential workforce reductions affecting up to 7,000 positions through fiscal 2026, representing more than 11% of its total employees. De La Faverie had described the changes as part of efforts to make Estee Lauder “leaner, faster, and more agile” in its operations.
The Spanish company Puig manages various makeup, skincare and fragrance labels including Nina Ricci, Jean Paul Gaultier and Dr. Barbara Sturm. Puig became a publicly traded company on Madrid’s stock exchange in early 2024.
Following news of the terminated merger talks, Estee Lauder’s stock price surged more than 12% during Friday morning trading.
A heartbroken father mourned as he carried his deceased 6-year-old son Amir, covered in a yellow and brown blanket, through northwest Syria.
Idris al-Ridah broke down and fell to the earth as he buried his child, placing the small body in a grave alongside two other young victims who were brother and sister, Aya al-Fankih, 4, and Rayan al-Fankih, 6.
All three youngsters died Thursday in Abu Habbah village, located in the rural areas of northwestern Idlib province, after an abandoned landmine from Syria’s ongoing conflict detonated as they played close to a water well.
These fatalities serve as another tragic example of the ongoing threat from unexploded military devices spread throughout the nation years following the start of the war.
Explosive devices and hidden traps have caused death and serious injuries to hundreds of Syrian citizens since the nation’s civil war started in March 2011, resulting in approximately half a million total deaths.
According to the Syrian Civil Defense, four additional children who were in the vicinity of the well sustained injuries from the explosion.
“We heard a very loud explosion next to our house,” said one resident, Mahmoud al-Aleiwi. He added that “when we got to the location there were a number of children’s bodies thrown around the well.”
He reported that the blast hurled one child 300 meters (984 feet) from the site, and the victim was discovered on a house rooftop.
At a local medical facility, injured children wailed while relatives cared for them. One youngster suffered shrapnel injuries covering his face and torso, with his legs bound in medical wrapping. Another patient remained bedridden with blood seeping through head bandages.
Ten-year-old Ibrahim al-Suwadi suffered injuries in a different incident last month when unexploded military ordnance detonated inside a damaged school building in al-Habit town, located in southern Idlib countryside.
Speaking from his family’s residence while his father sat nearby, al-Suwadi recounted how he and friends were playing at the school when they entered a room and discovered the explosive device.
“Two brothers picked it up and took it to the bathroom,” the boy said. “We thought it was an exploded mine so we started throwing rocks at it. All of a sudden, an older boy grabbed my hand and we ran, the mine exploded and I lost consciousness then I don’t remember anything.”
The boy’s father explained that their family escaped their home village in 2013 during combat operations and lived for years in refugee camps before returning following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s administration in December 2024.
Relief organizations identify unexploded military ordnance as among the most dangerous remnants of Syria’s armed conflict.
“Syria has ranked among the top contaminated countries around the world over the past years,” said Jakub Valenta, head of humanitarian disarmament and peace building for the Danish Refugee Council in Syria. He added that according to the data from the United Nations, around 14.3 million people are in danger of explosive ordnance in the country.
Valenta explained that the explosive threats include anti-personnel mines, anti-tank mines and other unexploded devices left behind in residential and agricultural areas.
“We’re estimating that around 1,200 people and probably more have been affected by explosive ordnance accidents directly,” he said. “Out of those 1,200 people there were around 740 fatal casualties. The vast majority of these people are men and children.”
The Danish Refugee Council reports that approximately 60% of contaminated zones in Syria consist of farming land, creating additional challenges for displaced families attempting to return home and restart their lives.
In the Damascus southern suburb of Kisweh this month, Syrian trainees collaborated with Danish Refugee Council teams to carefully locate and eliminate unexploded ordnance during practice sessions designed to expand local bomb disposal capabilities.
The organization reports it has hired and prepared new Syrian explosive ordnance disposal teams to assist in clearing dangerous areas and teaching communities about the hazards.
“The number of the casualties is among the highest worldwide in terms of explosive accidents and victims,” Valenta said.
“These people suffer lifelong injuries, physical like losing a limb or their vision and suffer mental health problems,” he said. “These people also lose their jobs and livelihoods.”
KYIV, Ukraine — Hundreds of Ukrainian families took to the streets of the capital Friday, calling on government leaders to reject proposed legislation they worry could result in missing military personnel being prematurely declared legally deceased.
The demonstration focused on opposing Bill No. 13646, legislation that deals with the legal status of people who have gone missing. Those who participated in the march expressed concern that specific parts of the proposed law might enable courts to legally declare missing Ukrainian service members dead without confirmation of what actually happened to them.
“Today all the families came out so that the missing are not equated with the dead,” said Mariana Yatselenko, 27, who took part in the Kyiv march.
According to the country’s commissioner for missing persons, Artur Dobrosierdov, more than 90,000 individuals are currently listed as missing in Ukraine’s unified registry of persons who disappeared under special circumstances.
Both Russia and Ukraine refrain from releasing regular casualty figures from the ongoing conflict, though military analysts believe hundreds of thousands have been killed or wounded in the fighting.
Ukraine’s missing persons registry includes individuals who vanished during military operations, due to armed aggression, or in territories under occupation, with most cases occurring after Russia’s full-scale invasion started on Feb. 24, 2022. However, some entries go back to 2014, when Russian forces invaded the Crimean Peninsula and pro-Russia groups began fighting in eastern Ukraine.
The registry started functioning in May 2023, at which time data about both military personnel and civilians from earlier years was added to the system.
Previous protests have taken place regarding this legislation, showing increasing pressure from family members of missing soldiers.
Ukrainian drones hit a college dormitory building in Starobilsk, a city in Ukraine’s Russia-occupied Luhansk region, killing four people and wounding 39 others, Russian authorities said. Up to 18 people could be buried under the rubble, officials said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced the strike as a “heinous crime.” Ukrainian officials made no immediate comment.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday said that it intercepted 217 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions, including the Moscow region and St. Petersburg, the country’s second-largest city.
For the fourth time this month Ukraine struck Russia’s Yaroslavl oil refinery, around 700 kilometers (440 miles) from the border, in an overnight operation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday.
Ukraine has been pounding Russian oil facilities in an effort to deny Moscow funding for its invasion.
U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting have brought no significant results and recently appeared to peter out.
“They were not fruitful, unfortunately,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said of negotiations over the past year with Russia and Ukraine.
No talks are happening now, he said during a trip to Sweden, although they could resume if Washington sees an opportunity for progress.
Ukraine’s air force said that it shot down or jammed 115 of 124 Russian drones that were launched overnight, in regular bombardments of civilian areas that in recent months have escalated.
Eleven people, including a child, were wounded in Russian attacks across the northern Sumy region, the National Police said. Also, a man was killed by a Russian drone in the city of Kherson, in southern Ukraine, according to the region’s military administration chief.
The number of Ukrainian civilian casualties verified by the United Nations increased by 21% in the first four months of this year, compared with the same period last year, with 815 civilians killed and 4,174 wounded.
In Washington, the Trump administration approved a modest $108 million arms sale to Ukraine that will help the country sustain its midrange air defense missile system.
The U.S. State Department announced the sale of ground-to-air Hawk missile components, spare parts and logistic support late Thursday. Under U.S. President Donald Trump, Washington has slashed military support for Ukraine.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian counterattacks have driven the Russian army out of more than 400 square kilometers (150 square miles) of southern Ukraine since the end of last year, Western analysts say.
Those successes are attributed to Ukraine’s increasingly homegrown drone and missile technology, as well as Russian forces being denied access to Starlink satellite services used to steer drones toward targets.
Zelenskyy said that Russia could be planning new attacks on northern Ukraine, launched from Belarus.
Moscow “is eager to draw (Belarus) deeper into this war,” Zelenskyy said on social media, warning that “there will be consequences” for the Belarusian government, if it provides a platform for strikes on Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha alerted allies at a NATO meeting in Sweden about what Ukrainian intelligence services say are growing threats from Belarus. Sybiha urged partners to take unspecified deterrence measures against Minsk.
Russia and Belarus held joint nuclear exercises earlier this week.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, underscored “Russia’s ability to leverage Belarus for future Russian military operations and Russia’s deepening de facto control over Belarus.”
Diplomatic representatives from Qatar traveled to Iran’s capital on Friday as part of a coordinated effort with Washington to facilitate negotiations aimed at ending the current conflict and addressing unresolved disputes, according to a knowledgeable source who spoke with Reuters.
The Gulf nation, which has previously served as an intermediary in the Gaza conflict and other international disputes, had initially kept its distance from mediating in the Iran situation after suffering attacks from Iranian missiles and drones during recent hostilities.
“A Qatari negotiation team is in Tehran on Friday,” the source confirmed, explaining that the delegation had coordinated their visit with Washington and aimed to help “reach a final deal that would end the war and address outstanding issues with Iran.”
Officials at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not yet provided a response to requests for comment.
Although Pakistan has been serving as the primary mediator since hostilities commenced, Qatar’s renewed involvement highlights its established position as a Washington ally in the region and its history as a reliable communication channel between the U.S. and Tehran.
A fragile truce currently exists in the conflict that started with joint U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran on February 28, though significant progress has been limited due to America’s naval blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran’s effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz creating complications for talks.
A high-ranking Iranian source informed Reuters on Thursday that while no agreement has been finalized, differences have been reduced, with Iran’s uranium enrichment activities and its control over the waterway remaining as key obstacles.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged some advancement on Thursday, stating: “There’s some good signs. I don’t want to be overly optimistic … So, let’s see what happens over the next few days.”
When questioned Friday regarding Qatar’s diplomatic team in Iran, Rubio addressed reporters during a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden, emphasizing that Pakistan remained the main negotiating partner in the Iran discussions and had performed an “admirable job.”
He continued: “Obviously other countries have interests, because especially Gulf countries that are, you know, in the middle of all this — they have their own situation going. And we talk to all of them. I would just say that the primary country we’ve been working with on all of this, is Pakistan, and that remains the case.”
Qatar’s return to diplomatic involvement occurs despite Iran having launched hundreds of missiles and drones against the nation, striking civilian infrastructure and its crucial liquefied natural gas production facility at Ras Laffan. Those attacks eliminated approximately 17 percent of Qatar’s LNG export capabilities. The country had previously suspended LNG operations on March 2 after Iranian strikes.
Prior to the conflict, roughly 20% of worldwide LNG commerce passed through the Strait of Hormuz, mainly from Qatar — Iran’s effective blockade of the waterway has eliminated nearly all of its LNG export capabilities.
Qatar holds the status of a designated major non-NATO ally of the United States and is home to Al Udeid Air Base, America’s largest military facility in the Middle East.
OTTAWA, May 22 (Reuters) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized the significance of Alberta to the nation on Friday, one day following the petroleum-rich province’s declaration of a non-binding vote on whether citizens wish to stay part of Canada.
This mostly ceremonial action could present a significant obstacle for Carney, who is promoting national cohesion while facing U.S. trade penalties and President Donald Trump’s annexation rhetoric.
“Canada is the greatest country in the world, but it can be better …we’re working with Alberta on making it better,” Carney told reporters.
“We’re renovating the country as we go. And Alberta being at the center of that is essential,” said Carney, who did not specifically mention the referendum announcement.
Separation advocates express dissatisfaction with the environmental policies of Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau, claiming these measures damaged the province’s petroleum and natural gas sector.
Carney assumed leadership in March 2025 and later reversed multiple environmental initiatives implemented by Trudeau.
A major Swiss commodity trading firm is reportedly preparing to remove substantial quantities of copper from warehouses in New Orleans, according to two industry insiders who cite an upcoming U.S. tariff determination as the likely motivation.
The Switzerland-based company declined to provide comment on the matter.
Market participants have already relocated significant copper volumes to American facilities in preparation for potential import duties that could increase transportation expenses. This possibility has boosted the worth of current inventory since keeping copper within U.S. borders enables purchasers to secure supplies at rates established before any tariffs take effect.
Federal officials are anticipated to announce by the end of June whether import duties will be placed on copper metal following an ongoing assessment.
The previous year saw the implementation of a 50% duty on copper tubing and wire products, which was part of broader levies affecting semi-processed copper goods after a similar evaluation.
Copper stored in exchange-approved U.S. facilities typically remains in designated trade zones or bonded areas, meaning it hasn’t officially entered American commerce and remains exempt from import duties until moved into the domestic marketplace.
Exchange records revealed that more than 30,000 metric tons of copper were marked for withdrawal in New Orleans on Thursday, bringing the total amount designated for removal in that American city to 45,675 tons.
While exchange information doesn’t reveal which firms are behind inventory transfers, the two anonymous sources identified the company as the Swiss trader.
Thursday’s total withdrawals exceeded 50,000 tons. Most of the additional 22,000 tons were located in exchange warehouses in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Overall copper stocks marked for withdrawal represent almost 30% of the total inventory at 391,900 tons.
American commodity exchange warehouses currently hold 574,864 metric tons of copper, representing an increase of more than 550% since a national security investigation was ordered in February of last year to assess whether the product is entering the country in volumes that could threaten security interests.
Since that February directive, traders have been removing copper from London and Shanghai exchange facilities to ship to the United States, according to industry contacts.
A North Carolina-based financial institution has submitted documents to become publicly traded, announcing stronger earnings as banks across the nation continue returning to public markets in 2026.
First Carolina Financial Services, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, revealed earnings of $5.9 million on interest income totaling $25.5 million during the first three months of this year. These figures represent an increase from the same period last year, when the institution earned $4.7 million on interest income of $23.8 million.
The banking sector’s return to public offerings marks a significant shift after activity slowed following the regional banking troubles of 2023. Investors have shown renewed confidence in financial institutions, moving past previous concerns.
Several banks successfully entered public trading last year, including Northpointe Bancshares, Avidbank, Commercial Bancgroup and Central Bancompany.
Another institution, Forbright, established by former U.S. Representative John Delaney, submitted its public offering documents last week as it moves toward market debut.
First Carolina intends to offer new stock shares to investors. The institution operates commercial banking, payment processing, consumer banking and wealth management divisions.
With $3.4 billion in total assets as of March 31, the bank serves customers across North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and South Carolina.
A group of investors from Rocky Mount and other North Carolina locations purchased First Carolina in 2012, according to company information. Since then, the institution has secured approximately $313.9 million through private investment rounds.
The bank expanded its digital capabilities by purchasing banking technology company BM Technologies in 2025, targeting growth in college financial services.
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods will serve as the primary underwriter for the stock offering, while Raymond James and Hovde Group will assist as co-managers.
The institution plans to trade on the New York Stock Exchange using the ticker symbol “FCBM”.
New Castle County police officers made arrests on rape charges during routine overnight surveillance at a Wilmington area park early Wednesday morning.
According to authorities, officers were performing preventive patrols at Banning Park on Middleboro Road around 2:19 a.m. on May 20, 2026. During their sweep of the recreational area, law enforcement spotted a Honda Ridgeline with two occupants parked close to the dog exercise area.
The park is situated at 102 Middleboro Road in Wilmington, Delaware. Officers with the New Castle County Division of Police were conducting the proactive security checks when they made the discovery that led to the charges.
Former U.S. Olympic hockey standout Meghan Duggan has stepped away from her role in player development with the NHL New Jersey Devils to take the helm as general manager of the PWHL’s newest franchise in Hamilton, Ontario.
The appointment, revealed Friday, completes three of four general manager positions for the league’s expansion teams. The PWHL was expected to finish its hiring by naming the San Jose, California team’s general manager later the same day.
At 38 years old, Duggan delivers both star power and professional expertise to the PWHL’s fifth team based in Canada. She had been serving the league in a consulting capacity within hockey operations before this promotion.
Her tenure with the Devils spanned five years, with the most recent four as director of player development.
These four additional franchises will expand the PWHL to 12 teams for the upcoming season, effectively doubling the league’s roster since its 2024 debut. Detroit and Las Vegas also received new teams in this expansion.
Duggan faces urgent tasks including assembling a coaching staff and preparing to build Hamilton’s player roster through an expansion signing period starting in two weeks. The PWHL draft follows on June 17.
The Danvers, Massachusetts native earned Olympic silver in 2010 and 2014 before capturing gold as team captain at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Her international resume includes seven gold medals and one silver across eight world championship tournaments.
Though American-born, Duggan maintains strong Canadian ties through her marriage to former Team Canada competitor Gillian Apps, who hails from the Toronto region, roughly an hour east of Hamilton.
During her college career at Wisconsin, Duggan claimed the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recognizing women’s college hockey’s most valuable player in her final season with the Badgers.
Motorists traveling on Old Baltimore Pike northbound will encounter construction-related lane restrictions today.
The right shoulder is currently closed between Woodshade Drive and Trefoil Drive due to ongoing construction activities. The closure is scheduled to remain in effect until 5 p.m. today.
Drivers are advised to use caution when traveling through the work zone and allow extra time for their commute.
Authorities have released the name of the motorcyclist who lost his life in a deadly accident in Selbyville earlier this week. The Delaware State Police identified the victim as Robert Riden, age 56, from Frankford, Delaware. The fatal collision occurred on Lighthouse Road on Wednesday.
Investigators with the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit continue examining the circumstances surrounding the deadly accident. Officials are requesting assistance from the public and urge anyone who saw the crash or has relevant details to reach out to Master Corporal R. Albert at (302) 703-3266. Tips can also be submitted through a private message to the Delaware State Police Facebook page or by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Those affected by crime, traumatic incidents, or sudden loss can access support through the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit and the Delaware Victim Center. The service provides assistance around the clock via their toll-free number at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). Support can also be requested by emailing [email protected].
SALISBURY, Md. – Three standout members of the Salisbury University women’s golf team earned prestigious recognition from the Colonial Women’s Golf Conference (CWGC) when postseason awards were announced Friday morning by league officials.
Emma Wivell claimed the conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, highlighting her excellence both on the course and in the classroom. Her teammates also received significant honors, with Krista Brosius earning a spot on the All-CWGC Second Team and Sydney Lynott receiving Honorable Mention recognition.
The awards represent the first-ever postseason honors distributed by the newly formed Colonial Women’s Golf Conference, making these Sea Gulls players part of the league’s inaugural class of award recipients.
GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization’s top official announced Friday that Congo’s Ebola outbreak is accelerating at an alarming pace and has elevated the threat level to “very high” on a national scale.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed that the U.N. health agency has increased its risk evaluation to “very high” for Congo, upgrading from the previous “high” designation. He informed reporters that regional spread risk stays at high levels while global risk remains low.
The WHO chief reported that 82 cases have been verified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, along with seven confirmed fatalities, “but we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger.”
He disclosed that nearly 750 cases are under investigation with 177 suspected fatalities. The circumstances in adjacent Uganda remain “stable” with two verified cases in individuals who had journeyed from Congo, resulting in one death.
Earlier Friday, the United Nations announced it had allocated $60 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to enhance response efforts in Congo and surrounding areas. The U.S. has committed $23 million in financial support to strengthen response activities in Congo and Uganda, and indicated it would finance the creation of up to 50 Ebola treatment facilities in the impacted areas of both countries.
Ugandan officials stated they had no knowledge of any treatment facilities being established by the U.S.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — European Union leaders announced Friday that citizens across Europe should prepare for energy costs to stay well above pre-Iran war levels through at least the end of 2027, with additional goods expected to see price increases as well.
According to EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, elevated energy costs are the main driver behind inflation projections of 3.1% for this year and 2.4% for 2027. These figures represent a substantial increase from the previous 1.9% projection for this year.
“We expect that this energy inflation will gradually also trickle down to different sectors of the economy,” Dombrovskis said after a meeting of the 21-member eurozone’s finance ministers, who make up the Eurogroup.
Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, warned that even if Middle Eastern conflicts were to cease immediately, “lagging effects” would continue to drive up commodity prices.
“And it’s probably a fact that price levels will be higher at the end of this crisis, when we see the end of the crisis,” Lagarde said.
Lagarde indicated the ECB would implement “all the necessary measures” to maintain price stability at 2% by closely monitoring the ongoing economic impacts from the energy price surge. She also referenced the EU’s oil reserves as a factor in meeting potential demand.
Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis explained that crisis resolution for the EU would require restored free passage without tolls through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that handles approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments.
Pierrakakis confirmed that eurozone economic expansion would hit 0.9% this year and 1.2% in 2027, representing a downward revision from earlier projections, “but clearly far from a recession scenario.”
While increased inflation forecasts have sparked speculation about potential ECB interest rate increases to counter rising prices, Lagarde provided no specific guidance on future bank actions.
“We will continue to follow a data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting approach in order to determine the most appropriate monetary policy stance in order to deliver on our 2% medium-term target,” Lagarde said.
When officials at the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission headquarters in Virginia faced a deteriorating asphalt parking area needing repairs, they decided against simply installing more traditional dark pavement.
Their replacement lot, finished last year, features porous concrete sections and zones with native vegetation and recycled components designed to reduce temperatures and flooding risks.
With these new sections, “the rain infiltrates faster than it can puddle and stop on the surface,” explained Jill Sunderland, the commission’s senior water resources planner.
“You notice too, that it’s cooler,” Sunderland continued. “You really can tell a difference out there … not to mention it’s just more inviting.”
This initiative represents one of many examples where communities and organizations nationwide are implementing alternatives to conventional asphalt surfaces to combat excessive heat and manage water drainage — particularly as climate impacts intensify.
New Orleans has mandated its Department of Public Works utilize permeable surfacing in appropriate lots and spaces. In Indianapolis, the Newfields art museum redesigned one parking area to incorporate bioretention rain gardens and converted another using a permeable grid system rather than standard blacktop. Denver’s dePaving a Greener Denver program aims to reduce the city’s coverage of parking areas and other impervious surfaces.
Communities are also reducing pavement by eliminating regulations requiring minimum parking space quotas for new residential or commercial construction. Buffalo, New York; Austin, Texas; and Minneapolis have modified these requirements recently.
Representatives from the asphalt industry highlight improvements in their materials while advising parking lot operators to carefully evaluate the longevity of non-asphalt options.
Here’s an examination of various alternatives to conventional lots.
In certain downtown areas, parking occupies 25% or more of available land, with research indicating over one-third of parking spots remain unused at any moment, according to Adam Millard-Ball, a professor of urban planning at UCLA. Many areas see limited usage at sports venues, shopping centers, or office buildings. Various organizations provide funding for municipalities and businesses to replace or modify these hardscape parking zones traditionally constructed with asphalt.
Reflective surface treatments or coatings, implemented in Los Angeles’ Pacoima neighborhood, work similarly to paint to prevent surfaces from absorbing excessive heat.
Adding plant life also helps control temperatures by absorbing energy and releasing moisture.
Sacramento, California, mandates parking lot developers plant sufficient trees to shade 50% of the area within 15 years of construction. Washington, D.C., and Seattle maintain green space requirements for landscaping, especially for new developments. Some municipalities utilize solar panel installations as shading structures.
Without these solutions, dark paved areas can capture heat and increase temperatures by up to 20 degrees. This heat generally accumulates throughout daytime hours.
The warmth spreads, contributing to the urban heat island effect, explained Vincent Cotrone, extension educator of urban forestry at Pennsylvania State University. Hotter neighborhoods often result in increased energy consumption as residents depend more heavily on air conditioning for comfort. These cooling units discharge hot air back outdoors.
Other alternatives target issues arising when impervious pavement blocks rainwater from penetrating soil. When water flows off paved areas, it can transport pollutants including oil and heavy metals into neighboring waterways, Cotrone noted.
More sophisticated than gravel, lattice pavers permit grass growth. These, along with interlocking pavers creating gaps between individual pieces, enable rainwater filtration. Additional permeable materials for runoff management include stone beds, brick pavers, or honeycomb-style frameworks.
The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission employs stamped, grooved concrete edging so when stormwater flows from regular concrete to porous concrete, sediment becomes trapped rather than creating clogs requiring maintenance.
Extended plant channels called bioswales and sunken areas known as rain gardens both utilize sand, soil, and vegetation to filter contaminants before stormwater reaches streams or sewage systems.
At Indianapolis’ Newfields museum, one parking area includes rain gardens while the overflow lot consists of recycled plastic grid pavers.
“It has worked really well for us because we don’t park on that lot every single day,” stated Jonathan Wright, director of the garden. “Why should it be asphalt and not breathing and not permeable when you only need to use it 10% of the time?”
Alternative materials may require higher initial investments, so experts recommend owners conduct cost analyses considering additional benefits throughout a parking lot’s lifespan.
“If we were going to just repave it with asphalt, we could have done it significantly cheaper,” noted Sunderland regarding the Virginia project. “It’s more expensive initially, but you get so much more life out of it.”
Buzz Powell, technical director at the Asphalt Pavement Alliance, a coalition of national industry groups, stated asphalt offers greater versatility and handles heavy traffic better than some newer alternatives, noting any new pavement may eventually require repairs.
“I just think we need to be really, really careful when we put alternative systems in to make sure that we have a good understanding of what the life cycle impact is gonna be,” Powell commented. “Some things can be really sexy on the front end and look good on paper, but then when you run a trash truck over it, it can’t handle the stresses and strains.”
Asphalt can be applied at varying thicknesses for different requirements, and porous asphalt is gaining popularity. He indicated it may repair more easily — and all choices involve tradeoffs regarding environmental impact, durability, and maintenance based on usage.
“My focus is 100% to make asphalt better,” he added. “If we do better asphalt, that means better mixing materials, better structural pavement design, and better pavement preservation.”
Some experts supporting alternatives also express concern that budget-limited cities interested in renovating parking lots may struggle to secure necessary funding.
“We are headed in the right direction, but at the same time, we’ve got acres and acres of nothing but blacktop parking lots that sit there and age and again, heat up,” said Cotrone. “And we just don’t have the dollars to go retrofit those.”
However, enhancing parking lot construction methods or reducing their overall footprint can simultaneously address multiple challenges, from heat to water quality to related inequality concerns.
“The reality is, one city changing their surfaces is just not by itself not going to have a big impact,” explained Greg Kats, founder of the Smart Surfaces Coalition. “But once cities are able to understand in a rigorous way the scale of the benefits… it’s kind of intuitive.”
President Donald Trump is bringing his campaign messaging about economic policy to a closely contested congressional district in New York, despite widespread voter disapproval of his economic leadership. The scheduled appearance will highlight the tax legislation Trump enacted last year, which increased the federal deduction for state and local taxes by four times – a significant benefit for high-tax states such as New York.
At the same time, European officials are expressing bewilderment over Trump’s Thursday announcement to deploy an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, coming after weeks of contradictory statements from Trump and his administration about decreasing rather than expanding the American military presence. Additionally, Republicans are finding it difficult to secure sufficient votes to continue backing Trump’s military conflict with Iran.
The Trump administration has given approval for a limited $108 million weapons sale to Ukraine designed to help the nation maintain and support its medium-range air defense missile capabilities.
The State Department revealed the sale of ground-to-air Hawk missile parts, replacement components and logistical assistance late Thursday. The administration has significantly decreased military aid to Ukraine during the past 18 months while attempting to broker an agreement with Russia to conclude the conflict.
According to the department’s statement, the sale “will improve Ukraine’s capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions with a more robust integrated air defense capability.”
Republicans faced difficulties Thursday in securing enough votes to reject legislation that would force President Donald Trump to end the war with Iran, pushing back scheduled votes on the issue until June.
The House had planned to vote on a war powers measure introduced by Democrats that would limit Trump’s military operations. However, when it became apparent that Republicans lacked sufficient support to block the legislation, GOP leadership chose not to proceed with the vote. This represents another indication of declining congressional support for a war that Trump initiated over two months ago without legislative authorization.
Senate Republicans are also working to guarantee they possess the necessary votes to reject a separate war powers measure that moved to a final vote earlier this week, when four Republican senators backed the resolution and three others were not present for the vote.
The moves by congressional leadership demonstrated that Republicans are having trouble maintaining political support for Trump’s management of the war.
NATO partners and defense officials showed confusion regarding Trump’s choice to deploy 5,000 U.S. military personnel to Poland.
“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard stated to reporters during a meeting she was hosting with her NATO colleagues, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
American defense officials were equally puzzled. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” commented one of two officials who requested anonymity to discuss classified military issues.
NATO partners have been caught off guard, despite American promises to coordinate troop movements. “We’re going to stay well-synchronized with our allies moving forward,” NATO’s senior military officer, U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, stated on Wednesday.
Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. would deploy an additional 5,000 military personnel to Poland, creating confusion after weeks of inconsistent statements from Trump and his administration regarding decreasing rather than expanding the American military presence in Europe.
The Trump administration had indicated it was reducing European troop levels by approximately 5,000 personnel, and U.S. officials verified that about 4,000 service members would no longer be sent to Poland. Trump’s social media declaration creates additional uncertainty for European partners who have been surprised by the modifications, as the administration has criticized NATO members for not taking on adequate responsibility for their own defense and not providing enough support for the Iran war.
Trump and the Pentagon have stated in recent weeks that they were withdrawing at least 5,000 troops from Germany after Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iranian leadership and criticized what he described as insufficient strategy in the war.
Trump is traveling to a competitive congressional district in New York on Friday to promote his campaign messaging about the economy, despite widespread voter disapproval of his economic management.
Trump will visit the Hudson Valley region to campaign alongside Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who faces reelection in what will be among the most closely monitored House contests this November. The event will emphasize the tax legislation Trump enacted last year, specifically the four-fold increase in the deduction for state and local taxes, which holds particular importance in a high-tax state like New York.
The White House has been seeking additional opportunities to showcase Trump’s economic achievements as his approval ratings on economic issues have declined. Approximately one-third of American adults support Trump’s handling of the economy, according to a recent AP-NORC poll, representing a decrease from 40% at the beginning of Trump’s second term.
ATHENS, Greece — An 82-year-old man who headed a Greek extremist organization responsible for 23 deaths has walked free from a maximum-security facility, according to officials who announced the development Friday. The release is now under review by a high-ranking prosecutor.
Alexandros Giotopoulos, who led the militant organization November 17, left an Athens detention facility on Thursday.
A court panel granted his conditional freedom based on his elderly status, declining health, and positive conduct while imprisoned.
However, the ruling has sparked fresh examination. A prosecutor with Greece’s highest court is studying the decision and may attempt to overturn it.
The November 17 organization stayed hidden from law enforcement for over 25 years while conducting bombings, killings, and financial institution robberies. Their initial documented strike occurred in 1975 with the deadly shooting of Richard Welch, who served as the CIA station chief in Greece, in Athens.
The group’s careful concealment fell apart following a failed 2002 bombing that severely wounded a member, allowing investigators to discover the organization’s activities and participants.
Giotopoulos, born in Paris and who spent years living with a false identity, had been serving 17 life terms plus 25 years. His 2003 conviction was confirmed during a 2007 appeal for directing numerous killings, bombings, and thefts, along with criminal organization membership.
He has rejected all accusations, claiming that fellow defendants were coerced by officials into making untrue statements against him in return for lighter punishments.
Officials weighing his freedom observed that Giotopoulos finished university correspondence education during imprisonment and followed the conditions of temporary releases given to him recently.
The November 17 name comes from the 1973 date when student protesters opposing Greece’s military government were violently suppressed by police and military forces, resulting in multiple fatalities.
The organization took credit for strikes against business leaders, diplomatic personnel, and high-ranking judges, including the deaths of two Turkish Embassy workers and Stephen Saunders, Britain’s defense attache in Athens, in 2000.
Of the 15 original November 17 members found guilty in the case, three remain imprisoned.
Humanitarian volunteers who were recently released from Israeli detention have made serious allegations of mistreatment while in custody, according to organizers who spoke out on Friday. The activists were among 430 individuals arrested on Tuesday when Israeli forces intercepted 50 vessels attempting to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza in international waters.
Reuters has not been able to independently confirm these allegations at this time.
Israeli prison officials have not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding these accusations on Friday, which is a holiday in Israel. When contacted, the Israeli military directed inquiries to the Foreign Ministry, which then referred questions back to the prison service.
On Thursday, the prison service had stated: “All prisoners and detainees are held in accordance with the law, with full regard for their basic rights and under the supervision of professional and trained prison staff.”
“Medical care is provided according to professional medical judgment and in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines,” the statement continued.
These new allegations are expected to intensify scrutiny of Israeli authorities regarding how the detainees were treated, particularly following international condemnation of a video showing an Israeli cabinet minister mocking some of the activists in prison. Italy has indicated that European Union members are considering sanctions against the minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir.
“At least 15 cases of sexual assaults, including rape. Shot with rubber bullets at close range. Tens of people’s bones broken,” organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla wrote on the Telegram messaging platform.
“While the world’s eye is trained on the suffering of our participants, we cannot emphasize enough that this is a mere glimpse of the brutality Israel imposes daily on Palestinian hostages.”
Luca Poggi, an Italian economist who was among those detained on the flotilla, described his experience upon arriving in Rome: “We were stripped, thrown to the ground, kicked. Many of us were tasered, some were sexually assaulted, and some were denied access to a lawyer.”
Sabrina Charik, who coordinated the return of 37 French citizens from the flotilla, reported that five French participants required hospitalization in Turkey, with some suffering broken ribs or fractured vertebrae. She noted that some individuals have provided detailed accounts of sexual violence, including rape.
In a social media post verified by Reuters, French national Adrien Jouen displayed bruises covering his back and forearms.
According to activists, some of the alleged mistreatment occurred at sea following their interception by Israeli naval forces, while other incidents reportedly happened after their arrest and imprisonment in Israel.
Volunteers from multiple European nations were scheduled to return home on flights from Turkey after being deported from Israel on Thursday.
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares informed reporters that 44 Spanish flotilla participants were expected to arrive on Friday via flights from Istanbul to Madrid and Barcelona. He noted that four of them had received medical treatment for injuries.
Western governments expressed outrage on Thursday after Ben-Gvir shared a video of himself taunting activists who were restrained on the ground in a prison facility.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said during the NATO meeting in Sweden that he was coordinating with all his EU colleagues “so that there may be a quick decision to impose sanctions” on Ben-Gvir.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had proposed sanctions against Ben-Gvir and another Israeli minister last year, but the proposal failed to receive the required unanimous support from all 27 EU member countries.
“EU sanctions are discussed and adopted by the 27 EU Member States and this is in unanimity,” EU foreign policy spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said during the European Commission’s daily press briefing on Friday, noting that he could not discuss confidential sanctions deliberations.
The Pentagon made public a second collection of previously secret documents on Friday detailing reported encounters with unidentified flying objects, featuring witness accounts of mysterious green orbs, disc-shaped craft, and unexplained fireballs.
Following President Donald Trump’s directive, this latest disclosure comes two weeks after the initial release on May 8. This continues a tradition of presidential transparency regarding government UFO records that started in the late 1970s.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted that these materials – comprising documents, photographs, and video footage of what officials term “unidentified anomalous phenomena” – have sparked public curiosity for decades.
“It’s time the American people see it for themselves,” he said in a statement.
Among the 222 newly released files, one particularly detailed document spans 116 pages and chronicles a sequence of reported encounters and official investigations at a classified military installation in Sandia, New Mexico, spanning from 1948 to 1950.
“This file contains 209 sightings of ‘green orbs’, ‘discs’, and ‘fireballs’ reported near the military base,” the Defense Department said.
Analysts reviewing the initial document release found fresh footage of previously documented incidents but noted the materials provided no definitive proof of alien technology or visitors from other worlds.
Gabriel Attal, who previously served as France’s prime minister, officially announced his presidential campaign on Friday, adding his name to an already packed list of moderate candidates competing in next year’s election.
The contest to replace President Emmanuel Macron — who is constitutionally barred from seeking another term — appears increasingly divided, with polling data showing the far-right National Rally (RN) holding a commanding position while numerous candidates create the possibility of a final round dominated by political extremes.
At 37 years old, Attal became a household name during Macron’s presidency, though some observers suggest his close association with the unpopular incumbent could hurt his chances. He must also persuade fellow moderate candidates that he represents their strongest option against extremist opponents from both sides of the political spectrum.
During remarks delivered in the town square of Mur-de-Barrez, a small community in central France, following conversations with residents, Attal expressed an upbeat vision for the country’s future, vowing to transform France into “the leading European power.”
“I’ve had enough of French politics being about 50 shades of managing decline,” he declared to journalists. “So because I love France with a passion and love the French passionately, I’m a candidate for the presidency.”
Attal’s political ascent was swift, earning widespread recognition as the government’s spokesperson throughout the COVID-19 crisis before being appointed as the nation’s youngest-ever prime minister.
His time in the top government role lasted only seven months, ending suddenly when Macron decided to call an unexpected parliamentary election — a move Attal had advised against — creating tension between the two leaders.
Following his departure from the prime minister’s office, Attal assumed control of Macron’s Renaissance party, positioning himself to leverage the organization’s substantial financial resources and established infrastructure for a nationwide presidential campaign.
His primary challenge within the moderate coalition comes from Edouard Philippe, another former prime minister who has spent months establishing himself as the centrist movement’s leading figure.
Recent polling indicates Attal could capture up to 14% of first-round votes, while Philippe appears capable of securing as much as 25%. Current survey data suggests Philippe, who serves as mayor of Le Havre, holds the strongest position among moderate candidates to challenge the RN.
The central concern for moderate politicians is the risk of vote splitting. A fractured center could create opportunities for far-right and far-left candidates to advance to the decisive second round of next year’s presidential election.
Numerous figures within France’s political establishment worry about a final round featuring far-right leaders Jordan Bardella or Marine Le Pen facing off against hard-left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Earlier this month, Attal revealed he had discussed this potential scenario with Philippe, and both men have established a process to determine by early 2027 which candidate is better positioned to unify centrist supporters, with the possibility that one might withdraw from the race.
The two candidates present markedly different approaches to campaigning.
Philippe has maintained a reserved, almost severe public presence since announcing his candidacy, keeping his private life away from media attention. Attal has chosen the opposite strategy, embracing a more intimate and highly visible campaign style.
He has traveled extensively throughout France while promoting his autobiography, which explores his childhood experiences, his father’s death, being targeted for bullying due to his sexual orientation, and his romantic relationship with European Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné, his partner.
Although Attal began his political career within the Socialist party, he has developed his public image by supporting stricter approaches to criminal justice and immigration policy.
While serving as education minister, he gained national recognition by prohibiting abayas — loose-fitting, full-length robes worn by some Muslim women — in schools, citing France’s commitment to secularism.
A biotechnology company specializing in bringing back vanished species has achieved a major breakthrough by successfully hatching more than two dozen healthy baby chickens using an innovative artificial egg system.
Colossal Biosciences, which focuses on “de-extinction” projects aimed at resurrecting lost species, announced this week that their artificial egg platform has proven successful. The achievement marks a crucial advancement in their efforts to revive the South Island Giant Moa, a massive flightless bird from New Zealand that disappeared hundreds of years ago.
The moa represents one of two bird species in the company’s revival portfolio, alongside the dodo. Overall, the firm is working to bring back six different extinct species using ancient DNA as their guide. Last year, the company reported they had genetically engineered the dire wolf, an Ice Age predator that vanished long ago.
“Using our system we have hatched 26 chicks and we are now actively monitoring these birds as they grow up,” Colossal CEO and co-founder Ben Lamm told Reuters.
According to Lamm, the chicks emerged at the company’s Dallas headquarters.
The innovative artificial egg system features a specially engineered silicone-based membrane housed within a sturdy external framework. Scientists designed the membrane to replicate how natural eggshells facilitate gas exchange, allowing developing bird embryos to obtain oxygen through controlled movement of gases and moisture.
“The technology is designed to closely replicate the conditions of a natural egg to produce healthy animals with normal development, fertility and longevity. This is especially important for species like the moa, whose eggs were far larger than those of any living bird, making traditional surrogate approaches impractical,” Lamm explained.
The company’s dire wolf project involved creating embryos through cloning from modified gray wolf cells, which were then placed in surrogate domestic dog mothers. However, no existing bird species is large enough to produce an egg comparable to the South Island Giant Moa’s, which measures approximately the size of a soccer ball.
The extinct moa reached heights of roughly 12 feet and vanished about 500 years ago, primarily due to human hunting. Today’s closest living relative is the emu, a large flightless Australian bird that grows to about six feet tall.
“In order to hatch a South Island Giant Moa, Colossal needs a way to gestate the embryo. There is no living surrogate large enough to lay a South Island Moa egg, as they are around eight times larger than an emu egg,” Lamm noted.
Lamm outlined the artificial egg procedure in detail.
“The process begins with a fertilized avian embryo, similar to the earliest stages of development inside a natural egg. The embryo and yolk are then transferred into Colossal’s artificial egg platform, which is designed to replicate the key functions of a natural eggshell and incubation environment, including gas exchange, moisture regulation, temperature stability and developmental support,” he said.
“As the embryo develops, the system provides continuous environmental control and supplementation where needed – for example, calcium support during skeletal growth, which would normally come from the natural shell. Because the embryo develops visibly on top of the yolk, researchers can monitor development in real time throughout embryogenesis,” Lamm added, referring to the process where fertilized eggs transform into embryos.
The 26 successful chicks required roughly 21 days from embryo transfer to hatching, which aligns with typical development timelines for their species, Lamm reported.
Beyond its application for extinct species revival, Lamm believes this artificial egg technology could prove valuable for protecting endangered bird species currently at risk.
While significant, this breakthrough represents just one step toward the ultimate goal of restoring the moa population.
“Other hurdles include the need to reconstruct an accurate moa genome from ancient DNA, identify the genetic basis of key moa traits and engineer those traits into a closely related living species such as the emu,” Lamm acknowledged.
“At Colossal, the project is currently in the genome-sequencing phase,” Lamm said, with teams working to construct comprehensive genomes for this species and eight other extinct moa varieties. “So far, the team has identified multiple strong ancient DNA sources, including samples from the South Island Giant Moa.”
Relief workers are conducting house-to-house campaigns to fight false information about Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a deadly outbreak continues to spread, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The organization announced Friday that the current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccine or treatment available. The World Health Organization classified this outbreak as an emergency of international concern on Sunday.
Relief efforts are concentrated in Mongbwalu, the epicenter of the outbreak, where the IFRC is collaborating with local residents to educate them about prevention methods and appropriate medical care.
Gabriela Arenas, the Regional Operations Coordinator for the IFRC Africa Region, spoke to reporters from Nairobi via video link about the varying community responses.
“Community reactions remain mixed, for some people the outbreak is very real and they are taking information on how to protect themselves,” Arenas explained. “For others, there’s still suspicion and misinformation claiming that Ebola is fabricated.”
Local conflicts have emerged over outbreak response measures. Community members burned down patient treatment tents after Congolese officials denied their request to receive the remains of a popular local footballer who allegedly died from the disease. The deceased’s family challenged the Ebola diagnosis and wanted to conduct their own burial ceremony.
Arenas noted that this incident highlights the critical importance of establishing community trust during outbreak response efforts.
The remains of Ebola patients pose extreme infection risks after death, and improper burial practices where relatives handle bodies without adequate protection equipment represent a major source of disease spread.
“Ebola outbreaks start and end between communities, and this is why the local engagement remains so central to the response,” Arenas stated, explaining that false information develops from community fears and insufficient access to reliable sources.
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is alerting drivers about upcoming major traffic changes for the Four Bridges Project scheduled from Thursday evening, May 28th, through Sunday morning, May 31st.
On Thursday night from 7 PM to 5 AM on May 28th, drivers will encounter occasional single lane closures on northbound I-95 between Route 141 and the northbound I-495 split.
Friday night, May 29th, from 7 PM to 8 AM will bring a right lane closure on the same stretch of northbound I-95.
The most significant disruptions will occur Saturday night, May 30th, continuing into Sunday morning, May 31st. Beginning at 7:00 PM, both the northbound and southbound Route 141 on-ramps to northbound I-95 will be closed with detour signs posted. At the same time, a double lane closure will affect northbound I-95 from Route 141 to the northbound I-495 split, leaving three through lanes available.
At 9:00 PM Saturday, traffic restrictions will intensify with lane reductions leaving only one through lane open on northbound I-95. All lanes and ramps are scheduled to reopen by 8:00 AM Sunday morning.
DelDOT advises drivers to exercise caution and anticipate delays in the construction zone. Additional details are available on the DelDOT website at www.deldot.gov or through the DelDOT mobile app.
A veterans advocacy organization has taken legal action against the Trump administration’s decision to roll back abortion access for veterans and their families who receive healthcare through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The federal court case, submitted Thursday, challenges the regulation that took effect on Dec. 31, arguing it eliminates limited reproductive healthcare access that was “crucial for the health, autonomy, and equality of veterans and their family members.”
Legal representatives for Minority Veterans of America are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to overturn the regulation. The attorneys argue the VA implemented the policy change without providing medical evidence or proper justification, which they claim violates the Administrative Procedures Act governing federal regulations.
The VA had not included abortion services in its healthcare coverage until 2022. The Biden administration implemented the coverage several months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and various state abortion restrictions went into effect.
The reproductive healthcare access offered by the VA under the Biden administration had narrow parameters, covering only situations where a pregnant woman’s life or health faced danger, or in instances involving rape or incest.
The policy under Biden enabled the VA to offer abortion services even in states with abortion prohibitions. It also aligned the VA’s healthcare coverage with other federal medical programs — such as Medicaid and TriCare for active service members and their families — which provided restricted abortion access.
The VA revealed its plan to reverse these policies last August, several months following President Donald Trump’s return to office.
The VA stated it would continue offering abortions when a pregnant woman’s life faces immediate danger. Such exceptions remain permissible under state laws, even in areas with abortion bans.
Nevertheless, the VA has eliminated exceptions for abortions in rape and incest cases or to safeguard a pregnant woman’s health. Abortion counseling services have also been discontinued.
A VA representative refused to provide comment, explaining the agency generally avoids discussing ongoing legal matters.
Minority Veterans of America reports representing over 3,600 members nationwide.
“Our community includes veterans with complex medical histories, those who have experienced pregnancy complications, and survivors of sexual violence and trauma, all of whom need access to abortion care and counseling to protect their health,” Lindsay Church, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.
When releasing its final regulation in December, the VA explained it was returning to the agency’s historical stance that abortions were not “needed” under federal law and that “this determination did not prohibit providing life-saving care to pregnant veterans.”
The court filing mentions one of Minority Veteran of America’s members is a military veteran who recently discovered her pregnancy in early May. She experiences chronic pain that has worsened due to the pregnancy, putting her health “at substantial risk,” according to the lawsuit, which protected the woman’s identity for privacy reasons.
The legal document states the VA will not permit the unnamed veteran to obtain an abortion “even if her health is at risk, unless a provider determines an abortion is necessary to save her life.”
WASHINGTON — A historic moment of defiance unfolded in the Senate this week as Republican lawmakers reached their breaking point with President Donald Trump’s escalating demands.
Frustrated GOP senators took an unprecedented step when faced with Trump’s latest request — a $1.776 billion compensation fund for January 6 rioters and others he considers wrongfully prosecuted. Rather than comply, they shut down proceedings and departed the Capitol.
This unusual display of resistance from Congress represents a significant shift for the Republican majority, which has typically chosen accommodation over confrontation when dealing with their party’s president.
The standoff derailed the GOP’s primary legislative goal: approving approximately $70 billion in funding for Trump’s immigration enforcement and deportation initiatives through 2029. Voting has been delayed until Congress reconvenes next month, missing Trump’s June 1 target date.
When questioned at an Oval Office event about whether he was losing Senate control, Trump responded with uncertainty.
“I really don’t know,” the president said.
The confrontation follows a challenging week where Trump’s endorsed candidates swept midterm primaries, defeating Republican incumbents including Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana and Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky. He also backed a challenger against Sen. John Cornyn in Texas, wielding his Make America Great Again movement against lawmakers who maintain independent positions.
House Republicans also showed signs of rebellion. For the first time this year, enough GOP members indicated support for a Democratic war powers resolution aimed at stopping Trump’s military actions in Iran. House Speaker Mike Johnson delayed the vote to avoid a direct challenge to the president.
These developments expose new vulnerabilities for Trump and the Republican Party. While his chosen candidates are winning primaries, many lack experience for general elections this fall. Trump’s approval ratings have declined, and he’s using political influence in ways that could alienate potential supporters and complicate GOP electoral prospects.
Trump’s surprise announcement of the nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund caught senators off guard, particularly those already frustrated by his request for $1 billion to secure a new White House ballroom.
The proposal’s structure — Trump negotiating a settlement in his own lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service to create the compensation fund — proved too controversial for Senate approval.
“Under what circumstances would it ever makes sense to provide restitution for people who were either pled guilty or were found guilty in a court of law?” questioned Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
Tillis criticized the White House proposal as “stupid on stilts” and a “payout for punks.”
Former majority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who typically keeps his opinions private, issued a public statement following the events.
“So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong — Take your pick,” McConnell said.
Political dynamics are shifting as Trump’s pressure tactics lead lawmakers to question the benefits of appeasing him, especially those planning to leave office.
“I think it’s hard to divorce anything that happens here from what’s happening in the political atmosphere around us,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spent hours in private meetings with senators discussing the compensation fund but failed to reach an agreement.
Following those discussions, Thune suggested the administration’s team gained “an appreciation for the depth of feeling on the issue.”
While Trump-endorsed candidates defeated Republican incumbents this week, demonstrating his influence over party voters, some Congress members interpreted these losses differently.
“You don’t want to have a totally loyal party that’s in the minority. And that’s maybe where we’re headed,” said Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who is retiring at his term’s end.
The tensions began Saturday when Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump during his post-January 6 impeachment trial, lost his Louisiana primary to a Trump-backed opponent. Upon returning to Washington, Cassidy became more vocal in his Trump criticism and opposition.
“Congress should hold the executive branch accountable,” Cassidy stated Monday. The following day, he joined Democrats in voting to limit the Iran conflict.
Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton over Cornyn in Texas struck many Republicans as both personal and politically dangerous. Trump explained that Cornyn “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
“There’s a lot of folks in our conference that are disappointed because we appreciate working with John Cornyn,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
Other senators worried the divisive Texas primary could endanger a seat Republicans must retain.
“He made the wrong pick,” Tillis said. “It’s going to be a lot more expensive to hold that seat.”
House Republicans also demonstrated growing dissatisfaction.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., partnered with Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi to introduce legislation preventing taxpayer funding for Trump’s proposed “anti-weaponization” compensation program.
Fitzpatrick drew Trump’s criticism after the president publicly complained that the congressman “likes voting against Trump” and warned, “You know what happens with that?”
However, Fitzpatrick maintained that internal party opposition stems from policy disagreements rather than political concerns.
“People have the right to free speech in this country,” Fitzpatrick said. “But what we do here is all about policy.”
Fitzpatrick and Republican Michigan Rep. Tom Barrett were anticipated to support Democrats on the war powers resolution targeting Trump’s Iran military campaign.
GOP leadership withdrew the measure when it became apparent Republicans lacked sufficient votes for defeat.
Bacon, who served 30 years of active Air Force duty, believes much Republican resistance to the war could be addressed through improved congressional consultation.
“You sit down with somebody, and work with them instead of threatening, bully and yelling,” said Bacon. “It don’t work.”
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (AP) — With Donald Trump’s endorsement now in hand, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is expressing confidence as his Republican primary runoff against Sen. John Cornyn approaches its final stretch.
“I don’t know if y’all noticed this, but Donald Trump endorsed me,” Paxton declared to an enthusiastic crowd at a small gathering in a community near Austin, drawing cheers and applause from supporters.
The Tuesday contest has captured nationwide interest and attracted substantial financial investment. The race represents another opportunity for Trump to push out an incumbent politician who has frustrated him — Cornyn in this instance — while promoting a candidate who better reflects the president’s priorities. This strategy has proven effective for Trump in recent cycles. Just this week, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie was defeated in his Kentucky primary by Ed Gallrein, Trump’s chosen candidate. Similar victories have occurred in Louisiana and Indiana.
Demonstrating his optimism about Tuesday’s outcome, Paxton has begun targeting the Democratic candidate, state Rep. James Talarico. His Thursday event opened with criticism of Talarico, signaling confidence in advancing to the general election.
During his remarks, Paxton outlined his political background and emphasized his central campaign message: his extensive record of filing lawsuits in defense of conservative principles throughout his tenure. This track record resonates strongly with supporters of the Make America Great Again movement, according to those in attendance.
“He’s a fighter, he’s a person of action, he’s proven that as attorney general,” said Jeffrey Sonnier, 72, who attended the rally and reflected sentiments expressed by many supporters present.
Regarding Cornyn, Sonnier observed, “he’s inactive for five years and digs out to become a supposed active Republican MAGA person every six years.”
Following Trump’s Tuesday endorsement, Paxton’s campaign announced it would cease running attack advertisements against Cornyn. Instead, both his campaign and a supporting super PAC have launched new commercials highlighting Trump’s support.
Meanwhile, Cornyn’s campaign and allied groups maintain a three-to-one spending advantage over pro-Paxton organizations. They have resumed broadcasting an advertisement from last year that emphasizes Cornyn’s alignment with Trump’s agenda and includes footage of Trump speaking favorably about Cornyn.
“He’s called me a friend, and that’s no surprise because I’ve supported him and his policies, you may have seen a commercial or two to that effect, 99.3% of the time,” said Cornyn in a video posted to X from a recent event.
Cornyn has consistently attempted to redirect the campaign conversation away from presidential loyalty toward questions of personal integrity.
His campaign has emphasized messaging about Paxton’s controversial history, including allegations of an extramarital affair and impeachment proceedings for corruption, though Paxton was ultimately cleared of those charges.
Should Paxton secure the nomination, these issues will become central in a general election matchup against Talarico, where voters will be less “willing to overlook all the corruption, the self-dealing and the scandals,” Cornyn contended at a recent campaign stop. “Ken Paxton would hand it to (Democrats) on a silver platter.”
Attendees at Paxton’s Thursday rally dismissed these concerns.
“He’s had his flaws, but so have we; we all make mistakes,” said Daniel Vega, 18, adding, “He’s repented, let’s move on.”
According to advertising tracking firm AdImpact, Cornyn’s campaign and supporting groups will have invested approximately $90 million in advertisements through this week, including over $20 million since the March 3 primary election.
In comparison, Paxton’s campaign and its single super PAC have spent roughly $10.5 million on advertising, with about $6.1 million invested since the March 3 primary.
The advertising blitz has saturated the airwaves for voters.
“The commercials are leading me against Paxton, that he might be a little crooked,” said Gail Licea, 74, a retired registered nurse, who attended a Cornyn event before Trump’s endorsement. However, she added, “I’ve been led to believe that sometimes John Cornyn doesn’t back President Donald Trump, and that concerns me.”
Given the intensity of the advertising campaign, the impact of the recent strategic shift by various groups on Tuesday’s results remains uncertain, according to Wayne Hamilton, former executive director of the Texas Republican Party.
“There is so much noise out there right now,” said Hamilton, who advises Gov. Greg Abbott and has no affiliation with either Senate candidate. “I don’t know how any one message is going to break through.”
Mexico and the European Union will finalize a comprehensive trade agreement Friday as both regions work to reduce their economic dependence on the United States and shield themselves from tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
The agreement builds upon a 2000 trade deal between Mexico and the EU that only covered industrial products. This expanded version includes services, government procurement, digital commerce, investment opportunities and agricultural goods.
The signing ceremony in Mexico City will bring together Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa for their first summit in more than ten years.
“This summit means more than trade; it’s a geopolitical statement,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, on Thursday in Mexico City before the signing ceremony.
Both regions are working to expand their export markets beyond the United States.
The European Union faced extensive new tariffs through Trump’s “Liberation Day” duties in April 2025 and developed retaliatory measures, though these were suspended while both sides pursued negotiations. Despite a tariff ceasefire and July agreement that reduced some tensions, U.S. duties on EU products remain higher than previous levels.
Mexico has similarly faced significant U.S. tariffs on car manufacturing, steel and aluminum shipments, with trade relationships between the nations remaining unstable during Trump’s second presidency.
Officials from Mexico’s economy ministry project the agreement could boost Mexican shipments to the EU from approximately $24 billion annually to $36 billion by 2030. The EU currently sends roughly $65 billion worth of products to Mexico each year.
Commerce between Mexico and the EU has grown 75% over the past decade, primarily consisting of transportation equipment, machinery, chemicals, energy products and mining materials.
The updated agreement eliminates tariffs on nearly all products, including agricultural items like Mexican poultry and asparagus alongside European dairy powder, cheese and pork, though some quantity restrictions will apply.
Despite being completed, the enhanced trade agreement has taken more than a year to reach the signing stage. The EU focused on completing a trade deal with the Mercosur South American alliance and finished trade negotiations with Indonesia, India and Australia over the past eight months.
Mexico has been careful about actions that might provoke the Trump administration during delicate discussions to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. More than 80% of Mexico’s current exports are shipped to the United States.
The European Parliament will vote on the trade agreement and is expected to approve it within several months.
Kevin Warsh has spent the past 15 years as a vocal critic of Federal Reserve policies after departing his position as a Fed governor in 2011. Now, his own statements provide insight into what Americans can expect as he takes over leadership of the nation’s central bank.
VIEWING INFLATION AS A POLICY DECISION
During his confirmation hearing testimony last month, Warsh emphasized the Fed’s responsibility for price stability. “Congress tasked the Fed with the mission to ensure price stability, without excuse or equivocation, argument or anguish,” he stated in written remarks. “Inflation is a choice, and the Fed must take responsibility for it.”
When speaking directly to legislators, he was even more blunt about the central bank’s accountability: “Inflation is the Fed’s choice.”
These statements echo economist Milton Friedman’s well-known position that “inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon” and reflect Warsh’s belief that the inflation spike following the pandemic resulted from Federal Reserve mistakes that could have been prevented.
As inflation climbs again due to rising oil costs and ongoing tariff-related price increases, this philosophy may face real-world testing. If Warsh raises interest rates to combat inflation, it could create tension with President Donald Trump, who selected Warsh expecting him to lower rates.
CENTRAL BANK BALANCE SHEET AND FISCAL POLICY
While numerous economists attribute post-pandemic inflation to disrupted supply chains meeting surging consumer demand, Warsh rejects this explanation.
“I think inflation comes about when the government prints too much – by which I mean the central bank and broadly speaking the government spends too much,” he explained to lawmakers last month.
Warsh contends the Fed has facilitated excessive government spending by growing its balance sheet during financial crises and maintaining that expansion long afterward. This reasoning drives his desire to reduce the Fed’s approximately $7 trillion balance sheet, which is currently set for gradual growth, as part of his “regime-change” objectives for the institution.
Whether he will also advocate for reduced federal spending remains unclear. Fed chairs traditionally avoid specific fiscal policy recommendations, though they routinely express concerns about unsustainable government debt levels.
POLICY COMMUNICATION APPROACH
Warsh strongly opposes the central bank’s strategy of signaling future policy moves to financial markets as a tool for amplifying policy effectiveness. “Unlike many of my colleagues past and present I don’t believe in forward guidance,” he told legislators last month. “I don’t believe that I should be previewing for you what a future decision might be.”
Most central bankers characterize forward guidance not as “previewing” decisions but as outlining likely responses to specific economic scenarios.
Warsh takes over during disagreement about current forward guidance language in Fed statements suggesting the next policy move will likely be a rate cut. Many policymakers wanted April’s statement revised to indicate equal likelihood of rate increases or decreases.
He may also eliminate other Fed communication tools, including quarterly economic projections that contain policymaker forecasts and preferred policy directions.
ECONOMIC DATA INTERPRETATION
Warsh believes the Fed focuses too heavily on detailed economic data that often arrives late and with false precision.
“In economics what we need to do is focus to the left of the decimal point, not to the right of the decimal point,” he told lawmakers last month. Applied literally, this approach could mean treating April’s 3.8% consumer inflation rate as equivalent to March’s 3.3% reading, or considering 2.9% inflation as satisfactory as reaching the Fed’s 2% target.
INDEPENDENCE AND QUICK CORRECTIONS
Warsh told legislators last month that he made no commitments to Trump regarding interest rates. “The president never asked me to predetermine, commit, fix, decide on any interest-rate decision in any of our discussions, nor would I ever agree to do so.” However, he added, “if mistakes are made, central bankers – economic policy makers – need to correct them fast.”
These statements will face scrutiny as the Fed considers both forward guidance changes and interest rate adjustments.
NOTABLE OMISSIONS
Warsh’s silence on several key topics raises significant questions.
He never indicated whether current Fed policy rates are appropriate or need adjustment, nor was he directly questioned on this point.
He avoided reaffirming the Fed’s 2% inflation target, leaving unclear whether he prefers a different goal or no specific numerical target. He also didn’t emphasize inflation expectations as a driver of actual inflation – a cornerstone of modern central banking that his predecessor frequently discussed.
Regarding the Fed’s employment mandate, he offered virtually no perspective.
He also declined to comment on Trump’s effort to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook, a case now before the Supreme Court that his predecessor called the most significant legal challenge in Fed history.
