May 21, 2026
War Powers Vote, Gerrymander, and the Middle East
Good morning, everyone!
Today, we will look at U.S. politics, the situation in the Middle East, and other news spanning the globe.
Let’s get to it.
United States
-The average U.S. gas price stood at $4.55 yesterday amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to AAA.
-The Senate advanced a war powers resolution that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to authorize further strikes against Iran after Senator Bill Cassidy, who was shutout of the Louisiana Republican primary on Saturday, flipped his vote to join Democrats.
The measure advanced with four Republicans supporting it and all Democrats except for Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.
-Lawmakers in South Carolina have advanced a congressional map that would eliminate longtime Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn’s district.
-A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to comply with the Presidential Records Act yesterday.
-James Murdoch, the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, is buying New York magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
-OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is preparing to go public in the coming weeks.
-Meta has begun laying off thousands of employees as part of a restructuring effort centered on AI.
Meanwhile, Intuit is planning to lay off over 3,000 employees, with the company’s chief executive saying the move has “nothing to do with AI.”
-Jeff Bezos said in an interview yesterday that the bottom half of income earners in America should pay no federal income tax.
-In a bid to rein in “grade inflation,” Harvard University voted to limit the number of A’s awarded to undergraduate students.
-The series finale of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air tonight.
-Former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank died yesterday at the age of 86.
Frank, born in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1940, served 16 terms in Congress and rose to be the influential chair of the Financial Services Committee, where he ushered in major financial reforms following the 2008 Great Recession.
In 1987, Frank became the first member of Congress to come out as gay voluntarily.
Yesterday, 60 Minutes republished an interview with Frank from late 2008.
View it here:
-On this day in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to pilot an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean.
Other Links:
Jan. 6 Police Officers Sue to Block Trump’s Payout Fund - The New York Times
Dems slam Maureen Galindo’s comments as antisemitic in TX-35 runoff - The Texas Tribune
Progressive firebrand Chris Rabb wins Democratic primary for the nation’s bluest House seat - Politico
Alabama’s US Senate race heads to runoff as House primaries are in limbo over redistricting fight - AP
Lay’s and Doritos maker to raise prices on small bags of chips - NBC
Africa
-Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia, announced this week that it would open an embassy in Jerusalem, after Israel became the first country to recognize the territory last year.
The territory declared independence in 1991 following a five-year civil war.
-Nigeria’s central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady yesterday amid rising inflation.
-Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, could see its energy throttled due to unpaid debts.
-On this day in 2025, President Trump hosted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, where Trump accused Ramaphosa’s government of allowing a genocide against Afrikaner farmers.
View the contentious meeting here:
Other Links:
Ebola fears surge on the ground in Congo over rapid spread of a rare type - AP
Sierra Leone becomes latest African country to receive deportees from US - BBC
Commander who was filmed killing civilians in Sudan is back in combat - Reuters
Togo opens borders to African travelers visa-free - Africa News
Nigeria’s president uses young technocrats to control economy - Semafor
Americas and the Caribbean
-The United States unveiled criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro yesterday, as Washington continues to step up its pressure campaign on the island nation.
At a press conference in Miami, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the charges were related to Castro’s alleged ordering down of civilian planes operated by Miami-based exiles in 1996.
View the press conference here:
In a post on his social media, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called the indictment part of a “fabricated dossier they use to justify the folly of a military aggression,” referencing the Trump administration.
The 94-year-old former leader ruled the country following the retirement of his older brother, Fidel Castro, in 2008. In 2018, Raúl Castro stepped down, but has maintained overarching authority over the government in Havana.
Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a Spanish-language message to the Cuban people on the anniversary of the island nation’s independence.
In his remarks, Rubio said the Communist-run government was to blame for the island’s persistent electric grid failures and not a months-long near-total U.S. oil blockade.
View it here:
In response, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez called Rubio the “mouthpiece of corrupt and vengeful interests.”
-On this day in 1960, Chile was struck by the largest earthquake recorded in the 20th century, with the temblor causing the deaths of 5,000 people and leaving another 2 million homeless.
Other Links:
Brazilian President Moves to Tighten Rules on Big Tech, Social Media Content - Bloomberg
Milei attacks press, defends Espert after Machado plea deal - Buenos Aires Times
Mexico City airport races to finish $500M renovation as the 2026 World Cup nears - AP
Child among at least 10 people shot dead by gunmen in central Mexico - CBS
Mexico rejects Royal Caribbean’s ‘Perfect Day’ water park on Caribbean coast - Reuters
Asia/Indo-Pacific
-Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin warned of a global “law of the jungle” during talks in Beijing, a lightly veiled reference to the United States under President Trump.
At the same time, the two leaders condemned “treacherous military strikes against other countries,” in another loosely veiled reference to the U.S. military campaign against Iran.
Read the full statement here.
-Taiwanese President William Lai’s approval rating stands at 56.4%, according to a new poll.
The data comes two years into his term and as the self-governing island faces heightened tensions with China.
-On this day in 1991, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed in a suicide bombing.
Other Links:
Taiwan’s Lai says he’d tell Trump he hopes to continue arms purchases from US, if given a chance - aP
China Confirms It Will Buy 200 Boeing Planes - The New York Times
U.S. probing whether Chinese companies cut production of shipping containers before COVID pandemic - CBS
US test fires mobile rocket system near Mount Fuji in rapid ‘shoot and scoot’ drill - ABC
Samsung’s union puts off strike after reaching last-minute wage deal with management - AP
Europe
-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday that he had spoken to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer by phone, adding that he is “grateful for all the support the United Kingdom provides to Ukraine” to aid in its war against Russia.
The call came after London delayed scheduled sanctions on Russian oil amid skyrocketing oil prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Starmer said yesterday that his government’s support for Kyiv remains ironclad despite the move.
The developments also come as Starmer continues to be beset by a leadership crisis in his ruling Labour Party, as a growing number of his party members call for him to step down after a poor showing in municipal elections earlier this month.
-The European Union moved to finalize a trade deal with the United States yesterday.
-Lawmakers in Lithuania sheltered in place yesterday after a drone violated the Baltic nation’s airspace, the latest in a slew of security incidents.
-Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said yesterday that his country had elevated ties with Italy to a “Special Strategic Partnership” following talks with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, in Rome.
-Germany’s far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has made strides in local elections across the country, while the party polls ahead of the ruling Christian Democratic Union nationally.
-On this day in 1981, President Ronald Reagan hosted West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt in the Oval Office for private talks.
Other Links:
Ukraine to beef up northern defences over Russian offensive plans - Reuters
Kyiv holds a funeral for 2 young sisters killed by a Russian missile strike - AP
Meloni blasts far-right Netanyahu ally for taunting Italian activists - Politico
Czech FM vows to stand with Israel against EU sanctions - The Jerusalem Post
Hungary's PM says he may meet Zelenskiy in June if minority rights talks successful - Reuters
Middle East
-Iran warned yesterday that war would spread “beyond the region” if President Trump continued strikes against Tehran.
The threat came after Trump said he was an hour away from continuing the U.S. military campaign against Iran earlier this week but halted the plans due to calls from Washington’s Gulf allies to continue peace negotiations.
-Iran is reportedly consolidating its grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
-The United States and Israel sought to install former hardline Iranian President Ahmadinejad as leader during the initial days of the war in the region, according to The New York Times.
-Lawmakers in Israel advanced a measure to dissolve parliament and set a snap election. The legislators will now have to agree on an election date.
The move comes as public opinion polls show that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud is set to lose.
-Trump joked yesterday that he was so popular in Israel that he could run for prime minister there after leaving office.
-On this day in 2021, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect after 11 days of fighting in the Gaza Strip, with both sides claiming victory.
Other Links:
Israel Minister Taunts Pro-Palestinian Flotilla Activists in Video - The New York Times
Gazans barred from Hajj, animal sacrifice as major Muslim festival nears - Reuters
U.S. crude oil falls below $100 per barrel after Trump says Iran talks in final stages - CNBC
New UAE oil pipeline bypassing Hormuz 50% complete ahead of 2027 start - Reuters
That’s all for today. See you tomorrow to close out the week.