“Abortion pills can remain available through the mail for the immediate future after the Supreme Court on Thursday paused a lower court ruling that would have blocked access while a lawsuit proceeds. The justices halted a May 1 order from the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that reinstated a requirement that women must visit a health care provider in-person to obtain mifepristone. If it had taken effect, the order would have severely curtailed abortion access across the country. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented separately. ‘The Court’s unreasoned order granting stays in this case is remarkable. What is at stake is the perpetration of a scheme to undermine our decision’ overturning constitutional [sic] abortion rights, Alito wrote.” (05/14/26)
“Israeli authorities will take The New York Times to court over a piece it published denouncing alleged widespread sexual abuse against Palestinian detainees, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday, May 15. Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar have ordered the ‘initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times,’ according to a joint statement issued by their offices. … The investigation, which was published on Monday as an opinion piece by Kristof, a columnist, is based on testimonies gathered in the Israeli-occupied West Bank from 14 men and women who said that they had been sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers or members of the security forces. … The New York Times responded that any legal claim over the ‘deeply reported opinion column’ lacked merit.” (05/14/26)
“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards-linked media are pushing for Tehran to impose charges on the submarine fibre-optic cables running through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that the waterway’s role in global digital infrastructure could generate billions of dollars and give Iran a new pressure point against the West. Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, proposed that Iran charge transit fees to the international consortia that own and operate the cables, offer maintenance services, and require companies — including Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon — to operate under Iranian regulations.” (05/15/26)
“Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks has resigned, according to a report from Fox News. Banks, who took on the role at the start of President Trump’s second term, steps down amid serious allegations. Reports from the Washington Examiner claim that Banks engaged in sex tourism, visiting countries like Colombia and Thailand to pay for sex with prostitutes. These activities reportedly occurred over a decade and were known among colleagues. The allegations have sparked controversy, especially given the Border Patrol’s mission to combat human trafficking. Banks'[s] behavior was reportedly investigated twice by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) but was closed without action.” (05/14/26)
“The Justice Department on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the District of Columbia Bar over its efforts to discipline Trump administration lawyers, escalating the department’s feud with legal ethics authorities. The lawsuit defends Jeffrey Clark, a government lawyer in the first Trump administration who sought to undo the results of the 2020 presidential race, and Ed Martin, a current senior Justice Department official. The suit was filed by Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, and Stanley E. Woodward Jr., the No. 3 official at the Justice Department…. The lawsuit centers on the long-running battle over the D.C. Bar’s effort to disbar Clark, an environmental lawyer who had no formal role in investigating elections, over his push to promote Trump’s baseless assertions of fraud in Joe Biden’s electoral victory in 2020.” (05/14/26)
“President Donald Trump exceeded his authority when he issued an executive order to restrict voters’ ability to cast ballots by mail, attorneys for Democrats and civil rights groups told a federal judge on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols didn’t rule from the bench on the plaintiffs’ request for an order blocking officials from implementing Trump’s March 31 order, his second related to elections since winning his second term in the White House. The case is one of multiple lawsuits filed to block the order on the grounds that only states and Congress, and not the president, are given power under the Constitution to decide how elections are run.” (05/14/26)
“Large crowds of ultranationalist Jews gathered Thursday at the foot of Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate, chanting racist slogans like ‘Death to Arabs’ and ‘May your villages burn’ as they began an annual parade through the Palestinian areas of the Old City, a procession often characterized by violence. The young, mostly-male group did their chanting under the eye of Israeli police, who had barred off parts of the plaza for journalists to cover the event. Normally a bustling marketplace for Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem, the plaza was devoid of Palestinians as the march began. The march commemorates what Israel calls Jerusalem Day, which marks Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war.” (05/14/26)
“Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna claimed the CIA raided the office of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, seizing various files related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy and Project MKUltra. A spokesperson for the Director of National Intelligence disputed the report that the CIA raided the office of the director of national intelligence. Olivia Coleman, press secretary for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, responded to a now-deleted post, saying, ‘This is false – the CIA did not raid the DNI’s office.'” (05/14/26)
“Efforts to unseat British Prime Minister Keir Starmer broke out into open rebellion Thursday, with one potential rival resigning from the Cabinet and another clearing the way for her to enter any future leadership contest. Health Secretary Wes Streeting became the first senior minister to quit Starmer’s Cabinet in what is expected to be a precursor to challenging his leadership. … Streeting, whose political ambitions have long been known, is considered one of a handful of people who could try to unseat Starmer. … Another likely challenger, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, said Thursday that she had reached an agreement with tax authorities to clear up questions about her taxes that forced her to leave the Cabinet last September.” (05/14/26)
“The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits increased moderately last week, pointing to a stable labor market even as rising energy prices from the war with Iran drive up inflation. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 211,000 for the week ended May 9, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 205,000 claims for the latest week. … The government reported on Wednesday that producer prices recorded their biggest increase in four years in April. There are concerns that shortages and rising inflation could cause layoffs in some industries.” (05/13/26)
