“There is ‘no sign’ of a larger hantavirus outbreak after the evacuation of the last passengers from a disease-stricken cruise ship, the head of the UN health agency has said. But the World Health Organization’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned ‘the situation could change’ and there could still be more confirmed virus cases. The MV Hondius left Spain’s Tenerife island on Monday and is sailing to the Dutch port of Rotterdam. Two flights with the final group of 28 passengers landed in nearby Eindhoven on Tuesday. Three people have died after travelling on the ship. An American and a French national who previously returned home have tested positive. Overall, seven cases have been confirmed.” (05/12/26)
“Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary is stepping down after a turbulent 13-month term marked by organizational upheaval, controversies over drug approvals and tensions with the White House. Kyle Diamantas, the agency’s deputy commissioner for food, will serve as acting commissioner, according to sources familiar. … Makary, a Johns Hopkins physician and researcher, faced a series of controversies over abortion pills, flavored vapes, vaccines and rare disease drugs as the agency he oversaw underwent substantial turnover. He faced internal criticism for not accommodating some of President Trump’s priorities, along with complaints from health care investors about unpredictable regulatory decisions that rejected some promising drugs.” (05/11/26)
“Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, Calif., has agreed to plead guilty to a charge of acting as an illegal agent for China, federal prosecutors announced Monday, the same day she resigned from office. The 58-year-old is expected to formally plead guilty in the coming weeks to the charge of acting in the United States as an illegal agent, which is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. The Justice Department said in a release that Wang admits in her plea agreement to working with Yaoning ‘Mike’ Sun, 65, to operate U.S. News Center, which purported to be a news source for the Chinese-American community, but was used to spread pro-People’s Republic of China content.” (05/11/26)
“The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group called on the government Tuesday to withdraw from direct talks with Israel, calling them a concession and urging ‘indirect negotiation.’ Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold two days of talks in Washington starting Thursday in an attempt to end the latest fighting that broke out two months ago, following the Iran war, and discuss the future of relations between the two sides that have been at war since Israel was created in 1948. Naim Kassem said in a letter directed to the group’s officials that direct negotiations benefit Israel and that they are ‘concessions by Lebanese authorities.’ He said Lebanon’s government should instead resort to indirect negotiations with Israel, as in previous years, such as when a ceasefire was reached in November 2024.” (05/12/26)
“Israel’s military has killed six people in an air raid on a house in southern Lebanon, the latest violation of a United States-brokered truce that has only ever existed on paper. The Israeli attack on Monday night targeted a house in the Kfar Dounin municipality, some 100km (60 miles) south of Beirut, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said. … The air raid is the latest in a near-daily series of Israeli attacks despite an April 16 ceasefire, during which Hezbollah has also exchanged fire. Israel’s air force says it has targeted more than 1,100 sites in Lebanon since the so-called truce began.” (05/11/26)
“The United Arab Emirates carried out military strikes on Iran, making it the only other country to join the United States and Israel in their war against the Islamic Republic, according to a Monday report. The strikes, which the UAE has not publicly acknowledged, included an attack on a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The attack took place in early April, according to the report, which said it was around the time US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, but did not specify if it was before or after the declaration. Iran acknowledged at the time that the site had been attacked by an unspecified enemy, then responded by firing missiles and drones at the UAE and Kuwait, the Journal noted.” (05/12/26)
“President Trump said in a phone interview with CBS News Monday morning that he aims to suspend the federal gas tax ‘for a period of time.’ … Gas prices have soared over 50% since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, hitting a high of over $4.52 on Sunday, according to AAA. … suspending the excise taxes — 18.4 cents per gallon on gas and 24.4 cents a gallon on diesel — requires an act of Congress, and pausing it would cost [sic] the federal government about a half billion dollars a week. Following the president’s comments, Reublican Sen. Josh Hawley said Monday that he would introduce legislation to suspend the federal gas tax. And GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida also said she plans to introduce a bill in the House …” [editor’s note: Not stealing that money doesn’t “cost” the goverment anything, any more than not mugging someone “costs” the mugger the contents of the prospective victim’s wallet – TLK] (05/11/26)
“Two national agencies fighting corruption in Ukraine have named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff as an official suspect in a major graft investigation. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced late Monday that Andriy Yermak is suspected in an alleged 460-million-hryvnia ($10.5 million) money-laundering scheme. Investigators said in an announcement on the Telegram messaging app that the investigation is ongoing. The move is a step short of formally charging Yermak, who resigned in November.” (05/12/26)
“The Supreme Court on Monday maintained full access to the abortion pill mifepristone while it continues to mull how to rule in a case that could limit availability of the drug. The court on May 4, via an order issued by Justice Samuel Alito, had provisionally blocked a lower court decision that would have prevented the pill from being administered by mail. Alito on Monday extended the pause until 5 p.m. on Thursday, giving the court another three days to consider its next steps.” (05/11/26)
“The EU has dismissed Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that the Kremlin-friendly former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could serve as a European mediator in peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Over the weekend, the Russian leader put forward Schröder – a longtime ally – as a possible figure to help restart talks with Europe, saying he would ‘personally’ favour the former German leader for the role. Schröder, 82, previously held senior positions in Russian energy projects, including work on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and a seat on the board of Russian oil company Rosneft. … There is little prospect of Schröder emerging as Europe’s representative with the Kremlin. His record of defending Moscow has repeatedly put him at odds with mainstream European opinion.” (05/11/26)
