May 26, 2026

Texas Runoff Election, Tensions in the Middle East, and History

Good morning, everyone!

Ahead of today’s briefing, I wanted to reshare a graph I stumbled upon a few months ago that shows that a majority of articles are now generated by artificial intelligence.

This data may in fact be an outlier, but it’s clearly part of a larger trend.

As I have said before, I do this work on my own. My words are not written by artificial intelligence tools.

I read the news and subsequently write each publication on my own terms, using my own judgment, and that will always be the case. As the reader, I know you expect me to use my judgment in assessing and curating the information that I publish. I take this responsibility very seriously and I cherish your trust in me.

History is human-made, and therefore, I believe it should be written by humans.

If you value this work and want to continue supporting it, be sure to upgrade your subscription:

Today, we will look at U.S. politics, the situation in the Middle East, and a series of historical snapshots.

Let’s get to it.

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United States

-Texas will hold several high-profile runoff elections today.

Most notably, Senator John Cornyn is facing off against state Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary. Paxton’s candidacy was buoyed last week after President Donald Trump endorsed his candidacy, causing backlash from Senate Republicans.

-Trump called Republican critics of his administration’s proposed deal with Iran to end the months-long war “losers” in a post to his social media.

The average U.S. gas price stood at $4.50 yesterday amid the ongoing conflict, according to AAA.

-The South Carolina Senate advanced a new congressional map that would eliminate the state’s lone Democratic seat, currently held by Congressman Jim Clyburn.

-Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, announced on Friday that she would step down at the end of the month, citing her husband’s health.

However, a Reuters report indicated that she was forced to resign.

-Kevin Warsh was sworn in as the new chairman of the Federal Reserve on Friday.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administered the oath.

View it here:

-Consumer confidence hit a new record low last week.

-Doug McCain, the oldest son of the late John McCain, died Wednesday at the age of 66.

-On this day in 1868, President Andrew Johnson was acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial.

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Immigration Act of 1924, severely limiting migration to the United States.

In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court to succeed Justice David Souter.

Other Links:

Trump honors ‘those who fell so that our republic might stand’ on Memorial Day - NBC

House and Senate Republicans are at odds over Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund - The Hill

AOC takes more steps toward 2028 run for president - Axios

Massie files to run in 2028 after losing House primary - Politico

Colorado Democratic Party censures Gov. Jared Polis after he commutes Tina Peters’ sentence - CBS

Wasserman Schultz running in redrawn Florida district - The Hill

Judge drops criminal case against Kilmar Abrego García, deeming it vindictive - The Washington Post

‘Mastermind’ of $250M Minnesota theft scheme gets 500-month prison sentence as feds charge more people with fraud - CNN

Suspect killed after firing shots near White House security checkpoint, Secret Service says - PBS

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Africa

-World Health Organization chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said yesterday that the pace of the spread of the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is outstripping the health response efforts, adding that the number of suspected deaths from the disease has risen to 220.

Attacks on hospitals in the Congo have hampered the country’s containment efforts.

-Romuald Wadagni was inaugurated as president of Benin on Sunday, succeeding his mentor and former boss Patrice Talon.

-Nigerian President Bola Tinubu will stand for a second and final term in next year’s presidential election after overwhelmingly receiving the ruling All Progressives Congress party nomination following primary elections.

-On this day in 1948, the Afrikaner-dominated National Party narrowly won South Africa’s general election, ushering in nearly five decades of apartheid.

Other Links:

Logistical issues delay evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa - Africa News

S.Africa Government Holds Urgent Talks Over Anti-migrant Tensions - Barron’s

South Africa seeks 15-year AGOA extension - Semafor

Kenya police shake up president’s protection team after security breach - BBC

Senegalese president names a new prime minister after sacking his predecessor - AP

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Americas and the Caribbean

-Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began treatment for an early-stage skin cancer after being diagnosed earlier this month.

The treatment comes as Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term amid public concerns over his age.

However, Lula has taken a lead in the presidential race over his scandal-plagued right-wing opponent, Flavio Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year prison term for his effort to remain in office following his 2022 election defeat to Lula.

-Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said a planned referendum vote in Alberta on potentially breaking with the country could be “a dangerous bluff.”

The vote, which will be held in October, will be non-binding.

-Mexico’s economy contracted in the first quarter of the year.

-On this day in 2018, President Trump met with Joshua Holt in the Oval Office.

Holt, an American diplomat, had been imprisoned in Venezuela, along with his wife Thamara Caleno, for nearly two years.

Other Links:

Cuba thanks China for rice shipment amid worsening humanitarian conditions - Al Jazeera

Mexico to host Iran’s World Cup team after U.S. refusal, president says - NBC

Mexico and US hotels sound alarm over weak World Cup bookings - Mexico News Daily

Brazilian government commits $617.5M to Amazon ecological investment - ABC

Archbishop warns Argentina faces ‘social breakdown’ - Buenos Aires Times

At least 24 killed in two separate attacks in Honduras - BBC

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Asia/Indo-Pacific

-U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a four-day visit to India, where he said relations between Washington and New Delhi were strong despite recent bilateral tensions.

-Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair a high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council today in New York.

China currently serves as the body’s presidency, which rotates in alphabetical order each month.

-On this day in 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met along their countries’ shared border for a second meeting, signaling a major thaw in bilateral relations.

Other Links:

China controls a metal that’s key for the Iran war, sending the U.S. on a global hunt for more - NBC

China launches Shenzhou 23 spacecraft with 1 of 3 astronauts set for yearlong stay - AP

Three dead and 17 missing after flooding in China’s Chongqing - Reuters

Japan slips to third-largest creditor behind China despite record net external assets - Reuters

Australian spy boss says he shifted resources from counterterrorism before Hanukkah attack - AP

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Europe

-Russia bombarded Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, over the weekend with one of the largest drone and missile attacks since the beginning of the war in 2022, killing at least two people and injuring nearly 100 others.

Yesterday, Moscow urged foreign nationals to leave the city as it continued its “consistent and systemic strikes at enterprises of the Ukrainian defence industry.”

As part of the campaign, Russia fired an Oreshnik hypersonic missile capable of carrying a nuclear bomb, drawing condemnation from European leaders.

-On this day in 1972, President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I), marking the first time the superpowers agreed to limit their vast nuclear arsenals.

The signing came as part of Nixon’s trip to Moscow, which marked the first visit by an American president to the Soviet Union.

Other Links:

Russia’s Putin provides debt relief to new Ukraine war recruits and their families - Reuters

Belarus opposition leader visits Ukraine as Kyiv warns of escalation - Reuters

Major EU countries push for tougher China policy ahead of Brussels debate - South China Morning Post

UK officials suggested single market for goods with Europe - BBC

Cypriot social media star Fidias will keep his European Parliament job after winning Cyprus seat - AP

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Middle East

-President Trump announced on Friday that a deal between the United States and Iran had been “largely negotiated” after saying he had spoken to Gulf Arab leaders by phone.

Since then, Trump has downplayed the prospects for a deal being signed soon.

Yesterday, the U.S. military said it carried out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.

A Pentagon spokesman said the strikes were in self-defense.

On the same day, Trump said that any agreement to end the war should include a requirement for several Arab nations to join the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered agreements meant to normalize relations with Israel.

-On this day in 2014, Pope Francis prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City.

Other Links:

Oil Futures Mixed as Traders Assess Middle East Developments - The Wall Street Journal

New Iran peace proposal triggers tense Trump-Netanyahu call - Axios

Netanyahu admits difficulty influencing Trump decisions on Iran, sources say - Reuters

Rubio Rebukes Hezbollah Chief Over Call for Lebanese to ‘Take to the Streets’ - The New York Times

Iran’s president orders reopening of international internet access - Reuters

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That’s all for today. See you tomorrow.