“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)
“A federal judge has temporarily blocked United States sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a United Nations expert on the occupied Palestinian territory. UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese was sanctioned in July 2025 after she publicly criticised Washington’s policy on Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. Albanese’s husband and daughter filed a lawsuit in February against the Trump administration over the sanctions. It argued that the sanctions were an effort to punish Albanese for bringing attention to Israel’s rights abuses against Palestinians. In his court order on Wednesday, US District Judge Richard Leon granted a preliminary injunction against the sanctions. He found that the Trump administration sought to regulate her speech because of the ‘idea or message expressed.'” (05/14/26)
“Vice President JD Vance is slated to make an appearance in Maine on Thursday to highlight the Trump administration’s efforts to combat fraud ahead of the state’s primary elections for several high-profile races. Vance, who chairs the administration’s anti-fraud task force, is scheduled to deliver remarks at Bangor International Airport, the White House and the Maine Republican Party announced. The vice president, who is seen as a potential GOP candidate for president in 2028, has been promoting the work of the task force as he has campaigned for Republican candidates in recent months. But Thursday’s visit is the first that has been expressly billed as a stop to talk about the fraud-fighting efforts rather than the economic-focused message he’s delivered in other visits.” (05/14/26)
“Honda racked up a 423.9 billion yen ($2.7 billion) loss Thursday, the first-ever full year loss for the Japanese automaker, acknowledging heavy costs for its electric-vehicle plans, stemming from President Donald Trump’s pro-U.S. [sic] policies. The Japanese automaker said losses related to its EV operations are estimated to total 2.5 trillion yen ($16 billion), incurred mostly in the fiscal year just ended and the current fiscal year. Analysts say Honda Motor Co. might have been too ambitious too fast, when many markets weren’t ready. As a result, Honda abandoned many of its plans for EV models, including those in the works in a joint venture with Sony Corp.” (05/14/26)
“The House voted for a third time against acting as a check on President Trump’s military powers in Iran, even as a growing number of Republicans express concern about the prolonged conflict. Thursday’s vote on a Democratic resolution to rein in Mr. Trump’s authority was 212-212, falling just short of a majority. Originally introduced on March 4, the measure as written would have directed the president to remove U.S. forces from hostilities within 30 days of the start of the war, which began on Feb. 28. … The war passed a critical deadline on May 1 under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which says the president must remove armed forces from hostilities after 60 days if Congress has not authorized the war. The 60-day clock started once the president sent formal notification to Congress of the hostilities on March 2.” [editor’s note: the 0-day clock started the instant he started a war without the required congressional declaration – TLK] (05/14/26)
“Senators unanimously approved a resolution Thursday to withhold their pay during government shutdowns, an attempt to make federal closures financially painful for lawmakers after a string of record-breaking impasses in the past year. The bipartisan support for the measure comes at a time when federal closures have become longer and more frequent, frustrating lawmakers who say there should be punishment when Congress fails at its most basic legislative duty. Under the resolution, senators’ pay would be withheld by the secretary of the Senate whenever a government shutdown affects one or more agencies, then released once funding is restored. It will take effect the day after the Nov. 3 general election. ‘Shutting down government should not be our default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences,’ said Sen. John Kennedy [R-LA], the bill’s sponsor, in a floor speech Wednesday.” (05/14/26)
