“President Trump has dismissed his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for an apology and the establishment of a $1,776,000,000 billion [sic] fund to compensate victims of federal government weaponization. Anyone who believes they have been unfairly targeted by any administration could apply for compensation from the the Justice Department’s new Anti-Weaponization Fund — including those charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and even disgraced former first son Hunter Biden, a senior administration official told The Post. … President Trump, his sons Don Jr. and Eric and the Trump Organization — all of whom were plaintiffs in the IRS suit — are not entitled to any compensation from the fund, but will receive a formal apology.” (05/18/26)
“Pope Leo XIV and the co-founder of artificial intelligence company Anthropic will launch the pontiff’s first encyclical on May 25, a document on the care of human dignity in the era of AI, the Vatican said Monday. Anthropic has billed itself as the AI company that puts safety and risk-mitigation at the forefront of its research. As a result, the presence of Anthropic’s Christopher Olah at the Vatican is significant, and suggests that the U.S. pope’s position on AI will become a new flashpoint with the Trump administration. … The pope’s presence at the launch of the document, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity) is also significant, since such presentations are usually conducted in the Vatican press room with a few selected officials and invited guests who answer reporters questions about the document.” (05/18/26)
“President Trump said Monday that he’d planned to strike Iran ‘tomorrow’ but was holding off to give negotiations another chance. He claimed he made the decision at the request of several Arab leaders. The White House saw an updated peace proposal Iran sent Sunday as insufficient, leading to a growing expectation — including inside the White House — that Trump was about to strike.” (05/18/26)
“A California federal jury unanimously rejected Elon Musk’s claims against OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman, ending the latest chapter in a nearly decade-long feud between the two technology moguls over the artificial intelligence firm’s non-profit structure. … The nine-person jury told the court Musk took too long to file the lawsuit, missing the deadline for the statute of limitations. … Musk and Altman founded OpenAI as a nonprofit in 2015 …. Musk invested about $38 million in OpenAI from late 2015 through May 2017. He [noticed] he was misled by the company when they decided to create a for-profit entity to get more capital for AI development. … Musk sought nearly $130 billion in damages that he said would be given back to OpenAI’s nonprofit. He also asked for the removal of Altman and Brockman from their roles and the unwinding of the firm’s for-profit conversion.” (05/18/26)
“The judge overseeing the state murder trial of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, ruled Monday that prosecutors can use a gun and a notebook as evidence. Judge Gregory Carro’s ruling effectively rejected Mangione’s lawyers’ argument that those items were seized illegally, delivering a partial victory to prosecutors. However, Carro said prosecutors cannot admit items found in Mangione’s backpack when he was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania two years ago, including a loaded magazine, a passport and a wallet. Authorities have previously described the red notebook found in his bag as a ‘manifesto.’ Mangione’s arrest came five days after Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was shot dead outside a Manhattan hotel as he walked to an investors’ conference.” (05/18/26)
“Australia ordered the shareholders linked to China to sell their stakes in Northern Minerals, a company that is developing a rare earth mine. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he had issued orders on Monday following concerns that Chinese investors had tried to take control of Northern Minerals. The Australia-based mining company is developing its Browns Range project in the far north of the state of Western Australia to mine significant reserves of dysprosium and terbium. The six companies are to sell their stake within two weeks. Chalmer’s decision aims to protect the country’s national interest and to ensure compliance with its foreign investment framework, he said in a statement.” (05/18/26)
“A wave of strikes starting on Tuesday by London Underground drivers has been suspended by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT). Drivers were due to walk out at 12:00 BST on Tuesday and resume on Thursday in a dispute over the voluntary introduction of a four-day week with condensed hours. On Monday, the RMT said ‘at the 11th hour the employer has shifted its position allowing us to further explore our members concerns around the imposition of new rosters, fatigue and safety issues.’ Transport for London (TfL) described the suspension as ‘good news for London.’ Industrial action planned for 16 and 18 June has been suspended but fresh strikes have been called for 2 and 4 June.” (05/18/26)
“Greek officials have unveiled the interior of a massive ancient tomb possibly linked to Alexander the Great as archaeologists continue excavation and restoration work. Greece’s Ministry of Culture announced the news in a statement on May 11. The excavation centers around the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis, the ruins of an ancient Macedonian city in northern Greece, about 60 miles northeast of Thessaloniki. … Researchers believed Kasta Tomb was ‘built for someone very close to Alexander the Great,’ such as his mother, one of his wives or one of his friends, National Geographic reported in 2014.” (05/18/26)
“A Spanish court acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case, ordering the government to return more than 55 million euros ($64 million) in wrongly imposed fines, a court document seen Monday by The Associated Press said. The decision follows years of tax troubles in Spain for the Colombian superstar. The ruling relates to a dispute over the 2011 tax year in which Spanish tax authorities did not prove that the singer was a resident of Spain, the Madrid-based court said in its decision.” (05/18/26)
“Italy’s Foreign Ministry said Monday rescuers have located the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave in a Maldive atoll. The searches had resumed on Monday after being suspended following the death of a local military diver during a perilous mission to try to reach them. … The body of one Italian — a diving instructor — was found earlier outside the cave.” (05/18/26)
