“The administration of United States President Donald Trump has hosted a nine-hour prayer event on the National Mall in Washington, DC, as part of its efforts to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary. Sunday’s event was called ‘Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving,’ and it took place from 9am to 6pm Eastern US time (13:00 to 22:00 GMT). On the jubilee’s website, organisers explained that their aim was to mark ‘rededication of our country as One Nation to God.’ … Members of the Trump administration, including the president himself, also recorded video messages that were broadcast from the stage. Trump’s video showed him seated behind the Resolute Desk in the White House, reciting a speech from the Book of Chronicles that God gave to King Solomon, promising protection to his followers and destruction to those who forsake him.” (05/17/26)
“A pregnant woman shockingly delivered a baby boy in the middle of a packed Brooklyn courtroom while waiting to be arraigned on a drug possession charge. Samantha Randazzo, 33, went into labor surrounded by police officers, prosecutors and court personnel during her arraignment in Brooklyn criminal court on Friday night, according to a joint statement from the Legal Aid Society and several other public defender organizations. … The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services — which each had attorneys in the courtroom for other arraignments — claimed Randazzo was shackled and handcuffed during the delivery without ‘adequate medical care, privacy, or dignity.'” (05/17/26)
“The conservative People’s Party won an election in Spain’s Andalusia region but looks to have lost its majority in the local parliament, in a setback for the party’s moderates as they prepare for next year’s general election. The underwhelming result — which saw the People’s Party lose seats to its left and to its right — means it will now almost certainly need the backing of the far-right Vox party in order to form a new government.” (05/17/26)
“The cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has docked at the Dutch port of Rotterdam for disinfection, wrapping up a troubled journey that put international health authorities on alert. The MV Hondius was carrying 25 crew members and two medical personnel as it reached Rotterdam on Monday morning, after all the passengers disembarked elsewhere. An Associated Press journalist saw people board the boat via pier wearing white hazardous materials suits. A short distance from where the ship docked, authorities had set up 25 white containers along the water in between a line of windmills. The crew will enter immediate quarantine, with those who cannot be repatriated spending their time in quarantine in these containers with satellite internet and catering, said the port’s harbor master, René de Vries.” (05/18/26)
“Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s office announced the resignation of former city administrator Jestin Johnson after finding ‘degrading and unprofessional communications’ involving Johnson. ‘We promptly conducted our own investigation and verified these communications, which are wholly incompatible with the values of this administration and those of the people of Oakland,’ Lee said in a statement. ‘Under my watch, I will not tolerate transgressions of this nature.’ It was unclear what exactly was in the messages.” (05/17/26)
“Russia has attacked a Chinese-owned cargo ship that was headed for a Ukrainian port, according to Reuters, a move which could anger one of Moscow’s most important allies in Beijing. The Russian drone struck the KSL DEYANG vessel flying under Marshall Islands flag off the coast of Ukraine early on Monday, a source told the news agency. The vessel was did not contain cargo and was bound for Ukraine’s Pivdennyi port in the Odesa region where it was to load iron ore concentrate. The vessel did not sustain significant damage, there were no casualties and the fire caused by the strike was extinguished by the crew, the source added.” (05/18/26)
“Bitcoin fell below $77,000 on Monday, extending weekend losses as surging global bond yields and rising oil prices linked to escalating Iran tensions weakened appetite for riskier assets. The world’s largest cryptocurrency last traded 1.5% lower at $76,946.6 by 00:54 ET (04:54 GMT), its lowest level since May 1. Bitcoin briefly climbed above $80,000 last week but failed to sustain momentum.” (05/18/26)
“Oil prices extended gains on Monday, driven by increasingly bleak prospects for peace in the Middle East after an attack on a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. … Drone attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia and the rhetoric from the United States and Iran raised concerns of an escalation in the conflict. Saudi Arabia, which intercepted three drones that entered from Iraqi airspace, warned it would take the necessary operational measures to respond to any attempt to violate its sovereignty and security. Emirati officials, meanwhile, said they were investigating the source of the strike on the Barakah nuclear power plant, adding that the UAE had the right to respond to what it said were ‘terrorist attacks.'” (05/17/26)
“U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow advanced to a runoff in Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary Saturday, capitalizing on the power of President Donald Trump’s endorsement in another attempt to purge his party of people he views as disloyal. State Treasurer John Fleming came in second to join her in the next round of voting. Trump supported Letlow over incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of the few Republican senators who voted to convict him during his second impeachment trial over the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Cassidy, a doctor, has also clashed with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policy, though he provided crucial support to help Kennedy get confirmed.” (05/16/26)
“The International Criminal Court (ICC) has denied that it had issued new arrest warrants for Israeli political and military officials, following a Haaretz report published on Sunday claiming the Hague has quietly sought arrest warrants against several Israeli officials. According to the Haaretz report, citing a diplomatic source, the warrants target three Israeli politicians and two IDF officials. ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet said in a note to journalists that the report, in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, was not accurate, and the court ‘denies the issuance of new arrest warrants in the situation in the state of Palestine.'” (05/17/26)
