Trump News for Monday, May 18, 2026

US suspends joint defence effort with Canada dating back to World War II

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The Trump administration has frequently accused US allies of failing to live up to mutual defence obligations.

A packed race for governor: What to know about Oregon’s primary elections

Chloe Li, Al Jazeera English

The primaries should winnow down the nearly two dozen candidates seeking to challenge incumbent Governor Tina Kotek.

What Thomas Massie’s Race Says About Trump’s Influence

Jon Allsop, The New Yorker

Jon Allsop on why a Republican congressional race in Kentucky has become the most expensive House primary of all time.

Trump told Taiwan not to 'go independent' - but does it want to?

BBC News

Taiwan independence is the reddest of red lines for China, which claims the island as its own.

A redistricting re-do? What to know about Alabama’s primary elections

Catherine Nouhan, Al Jazeera English

Voters may have to return to the polls in August as state seeks to implement a previously blocked redistricting push.

Trump gets his slush fund

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: Last week, we wrote about President Donald Trump’s pla…

Granting Tina Peters Clemency Is a Big Mistake

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

The release of the local election official convicted of seven crimes is likely to encourage attacks on election integrity.

MAGA's Mace wants to make power bills great again, calls for datacenter moratorium

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

Even self-described ‘Trump in high heels’ candidate warns bit barns could send power bills soaring

Massive Crypto ATM Company Bitcoin Depot Is Shutting Down as the Whole Industry Collapses

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

The company has filed for bankruptcy amid legal scrutiny over allegations its ATMs were used to facilitate fraud.

Clashes as Morales-allied protesters march on Bolivian capital

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

South American country suffers huge protests as economic crisis fuels unrest against President Paz's government.

Trump pauses possible Iran strike after Gulf intervention

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump has announced that he is delaying a planned attack on Iran.

‘Not for sale’: Greenland premier tells US envoy

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen says while the meeting was "constructive" nothing "had changed" on the US position

In unprecedented move, Secretary Hegseth hits campaign trail amid Iran war

Emily Chang, Abcnews.com

The Pentagon said "no taxpayer dollars" were used for the visit.

US drops fraud charges after billionaire Adani pledges $10bn investment

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Adani was accused of bribing Indian officials and misleading US investors to secure a solar power plant project in India.

Will Cuba be forced to accept the US president’s demands?

Inside Story, Al Jazeera English

Cuba struggles to keep the lights on, as Washington ramps up economic pressure and military threats.

Volvo teases a new affordable EV to replace discontinued EX30

Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge

Volvo's compact, quirky EX30 had a lot of problems when it was first released. Tariffs essentially erased its affordability, making it more expensive to own, and a battery recall made it dangerous to park indoors. But its discontinuation didn't spell the end …

At least 4 Virginia Dem House candidates drop out after courts throw out new map

Oren Oppenheim, Abcnews.com

Overturning a new congressional map in Virginia that would have favored Democrats has had an outsized impact on the state’s U.S. House primaries.

Massie race breaks spending record as pro-Israel groups target Trump critic

Ali Harb, Al Jazeera English

Pro-Israel groups and donors spend heavily in Kentucky's Republican primary to defeat US Congressman Thomas Massie.

Trump delays ‘scheduled attack’ on Iran, crediting ‘serious negotiations’

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Gulf states push Donald Trump to avoid any escalation in the US-Israel war on Iran, which prompted regional attacks.

A race on the right: What to know about Idaho’s 2026 primary elections

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Hardline challengers hope to unseat incumbent frontrunners in Idaho's primary races for governor and US Congress.

Trump Just Created An Unconstitutional $1.776 Billion Loyalty Rewards Program For MAGA

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

We discussed the rumor of this on Friday, but it’s now real: Donald Trump has handed himself a $1.776 billion fund of taxpayer money — unappropriated by Congress — to dole out to friends in the MAGA movement who claim they were mistreated by the Biden adminis…

Donald Trump’s Nixon Moment That Wasn’t

Thomas Wright, The Atlantic

In Beijing, the president scrapped hardheaded diplomacy in favor of an imagined personal bond.

The Most Interesting Part of Trump’s Prayer Rally

Stephanie McCrummen, The Atlantic

It wasn’t the speakers onstage.

WHO declares global health emergency over Congo Ebola outbreak

Séamus Bellamy, Boing Boing

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been hit by an outbreak of Ebola. According to the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak was discovered in the northeast of the African nation. It's not the first time that the country's citizens…

Cuba is bracing for a U.S. invasion

Séamus Bellamy, Boing Boing

With everything going on in Iran, the dangerous anti-terrorism laws being set in motion here at home, and the lunacy surrounding a ballroom that taxpayers are definitely paying for, it's hard to keep track of all the humanitarian calamities the Trump administ…

Trump says he's called off Iran strike planned for Tuesday at request of Gulf allies

Yahoo Entertainment

Cuba says it has ‘legitimate’ right to defend itself amid US threats

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel says country is not a threat, but will defend itself from aggression if necessary.

Americanswers... on 5 Live! Has Zohran Mamdani achieved a miracle in New York?

BBC News

The new mayor says he’s rescued NYC from its budget crisis

What to know about the primary elections in the US state of Pennsylvania

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Eastern state could play a key role in deciding the balance of power in the US Congress in November midterm elections.

Steve Bannon Petitions Trump to Review New AI Models Before Their Release

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

Over 60 Trump allies signed a letter to the president calling for more oversight over AI.

WHO chief ties funding cuts to Ebola, hantavirus outbreaks

Al Jazeera English

Recent outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola are tied to funding cuts to the WHO, the WHO chief and other UN leaders said.

US health department withdraws vaccine advisory panel charter

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

May 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. health department has withdrawn an April charter renewal for a key vaccine advisory panel that laid out new membership rules and ...

Trump drops IRS lawsuit, sets up $1.7bn US anti-weaponisation fund

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The new fund has led to widespread pushback from Democrats and government watchdog groups.

James Comey responds to indictment, Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund for allies

Alexandra Hutzler, Abcnews.com

Former FBI Director James Comey, in an appearance on "Good Morning America," maintained his innocence after being indicted by the Trump DOJ for a second time.

Ukraine's attack on Moscow is another sign the war is not so distant anymore for Russians

The Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

It’s getting harder for officials in the Kremlin to cast the war in Ukraine — now in its fifth year — as something so distant that it doesn’t affect the...

US Citizens In ICE Detention Centers Is The New Normal In Trump’s America

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Behold this utter bullshit, uttered by the Trump administration’s “border czar” Tom Homan: White House border czar Tom Homan said Thursday he’s “sure” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have detained U.S. citizens, “but we don’t deport them.” …

Justice Department sets up 'anti-weaponization fund' after Trump drops IRS lawsuit

NBC, Yahoo Entertainment

The Justice Department announced that President Trump would be dropping his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in "exchange" for the creation of an...

Kentucky primaries 2026: Poll times, key races and what to watch

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

Two Kentucky Republican races are drawing national attention: the Senate primary and the 4th District contest,

Pakistan’s mediation faces limits as Iran-US tensions deepen

Abid Hussain, Al Jazeera English

Tehran and Washington exchange proposals via Pakistan as military escalation increasingly shadows diplomatic efforts.

The world is less prepared for a pandemic than before COVID. Here’s why

Claire Cameron, Scientific American

As world health leaders face deadly outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola, a major pandemic preparedness report finds we are less safe from viral outbreaks than before COVID

WATCH: James Comey talks new book 'Red Verdict'

ABC News, Abcnews.com

The former FBI director discusses his new legal thriller following a prosecutor investigating a poisoning tied to a high-stakes espionage conspiracy.

Sony Is Being Sued For Allegedly Retaining ‘Substantial Windfall’ Generated By ‘Illegal’ Tariffs

Lewis Parker, Kotaku

The class action lawsuit argues that Sony will obtain "a double recovery windfall" following the Trump administration’s IEEPA tariff refunds, which it argues should be passed on to consumers

Former US negotiator with Iran: Trump falling into Vietnam trap

Al Jazeera English

Rob Malley argues that current talks have ‘very small chance of success’.

California Governor Talks About Best Buy Like It’s 2004: ‘I’m Paying Sales Tax On A Lot Of This Prewritten Software’

Ethan Gach, Kotaku

Gavin Newsom, what are you talking about?

Tata-ASML deal: How significant is it for India’s semiconductor push?

Usaid Siddiqui, Al Jazeera English

The agreement reflects India’s ambition to enter a sector dominated by a handful of global powers.

Trump and RFK Jr. Boosted This Unproven Autism Drug. Some Parents Listened

Ed Cara, Gizmodo.com

The FDA recently declined to endorse leucovorin for autism, citing a lack of strong evidence for it.

The Supreme Court avoids taking up a fight over Voting Rights Act enforcement for now

Hansi Lo Wang, NPR

After recently weakening the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court avoided for now taking up a legal question that may severely limit enforcement of the law's remaining protections for minority voters.

Greenland's prime minister tells Trump's envoy self-determination cannot be negotiated

Associated Press, Yahoo Entertainment

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Monday that he had a respectful and positive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump ’s special envoy ...

Supreme Court rejects appeals from drugmakers over Medicare price negotiations

MARK SHERMAN Associated Press, ALI SWENSON Associated Press, Abcnews.com

The Supreme Court has rejected appeals from pharmaceutical companies that object to negotiating Medicare drug prices with the federal government

'Big AI' is subverting regulations just like tobacco and oil firms

Dan Robinson, Theregister.com

Researchers warn that regulatory capture means industry concerns trump those of citizens

Trump posts AI-generated image of himself beside a shackled alien

Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, USA Today

The posts come a week after the Pentagon released what it described as "never-before-seen" documents on unidentified flying objects.

Opinion - Marco Rubio’s next shapeshift could betray MAGA or his own rhetoric

Svante Myrick, opinion contributor, The Hill

Rubio has been an active participant in Trump’s relentless campaign to prevent the U.S. from being the country he described.

What is the UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant, nearly hit by a drone?

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

The nuclear facility in Abu Dhabi has the capacity to meet one-quarter of the UAE's electricity needs.

Clyburn says GOP redistricting push part of larger Black disenfranchisement effort

Jeff Ballou, Oren Oppenheim, Abcnews.com

Some experts have told ABC News that redistricting in the South could wipe out up to a third of seats in Congress held by African American legislators.

Exclusive: Jonah Peretti explains why he sold BuzzFeed

Nilay Patel, The Verge

Today, I’m talking with Jonah Peretti, who is, technically, the CEO of BuzzFeed — although that will be coming to an end very soon. Just days before we spoke, Jonah agreed to sell 52 percent of BuzzFeed for a total of $120 million to Byron Allen, who owns The…

Trump, in court filing, says he plans to drop his $10B lawsuit against IRS

Katherine Faulders, Peter Charalambous, Alexander Mallin, Abcnews.com

Lawyers for Donald Trump have informed a judge that he plans to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.

Justice Department announces a $1.7B fund to compensate Trump allies in a deal to drop IRS suit

FATIMA HUSSEIN, ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, Yahoo Entertainment

The Trump administration on Monday announced the creation a $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies of the Republican president who believe they were...

Ebola, hantavirus: Is the world prepared for the next pandemic?

Priyanka Shankar, Al Jazeera English

Funding cuts in health research, and the antivaccine movement make it challenging to respond to viruses.

Graham on Trump’s affordability remarks: ‘That’s his Churchill moment’

Ashleigh Fields, The Hill

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday defended President Trump’s controversial affordability remarks, describing his stance on the Iran war as his...

Transcript: Shelia Bair, former FDIC Chair

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

The transcript from this week’s, MiB: Shelia Bair, former FDIC Chair, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube (video), YouTube (audio), and Bloomberg. All of our earlier po…

Opinion - Class warfare is smoldering in America — and it’s about to catch fire

Austin Sarat, opinion contributor, The Hill

Last Month's Los Angeles arsonry offers clearest expression of America’s class resentment since Luigi Mangione.

Iran sends response to US proposal to end war via mediator Pakistan

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Iran demands the release of assets frozen abroad, the lifting of sanctions, and maintaining control of Strait of Hormuz.

Rupert Murdoch Convinced Trump To Launch Dubious Antitrust Inquiry Into NFL

Karl Bode, Techdirt

One recurring theme during the Trump era is that because he fundamentally doesn’t know how anything actually works, his beliefs and policies are broadly shaped by whatever terrible rich person was in his ear last. Even when it comes to stuff like streaming vi…

Of Course Trump Skipped MAGA’s Christian Fest on the National Mall to Golf Instead

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Since 2007, Jezebel has been the Internet's most treasured source for everything celebrities, sex, and politics...with teeth.

You Can’t Escape AI Anymore

Matteo Wong, The Atlantic

Once-speculative concerns about the technology have now become pressing matters.

WATCH: 2 fighter jets collide midair at Idaho Air Force base air show

ABC News, Abcnews.com

A spokesperson for the Navy said all four air crew had successfully ejected and that the incident is under investigation.

High-Stakes Primary Elections Test Trump’s Influence of GOP

NBC, Yahoo Entertainment

It is a high stakes political week for President Donald Trump with primary elections that could indicate the future of the Republican party. A key test for T...

How marijuana rewires the teenage brain

Sara Novak, Scientific American

A growing body of research suggests cannabis poses risks to the developing brain

WATCH: Female welder makes history amid push toward trades

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Mikala Sposito will soon become the first woman to represent the United States in a global welding competition.

US military carries out more strikes against ISIL fighters in Nigeria

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Attacks conducted days after US and Nigeria say they killed deputy ISIL leader.

OpenAI is hiring workers to reduce 'friction' in communities where it's building data centers

Lauren Edmonds, Business Insider

OpenAI says it will pay someone up to $236,000 plus equity to help reduce tensions in communities where they are developing Stargate data centers.

GOP’s Attempt to Fund Trump’s Dumb Ballroom With Taxpayer Money Gets Smote

Danielle Han, Jezebel

A Senate Parliamentarian has shot down GOP Senators’ attempt to sneak an extra $1 billion towards the ballroom via a spending bill for immigration enforcement.

OpenAI and Anthropic are kicking off a mad cybersecurity dash

Stephen Council, Business Insider

Mythos and GPT-5.5 add to cybersecurity worries that OpenAI and Anthropic had already sparked with AI coding's popularity.

A Danish Couple’s Maverick African Research Finds Its Moment in RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Policy

Arthur Allen, KFF Health News, Wired

The work of Peter Aaby and Christine Stabell Benn has long been controversial. Until Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became US health policy chief, most vaccine scientists tended to ignore it. Now they can’t.

In Georgia primary, Republicans dominate spending and Democrats drive record turnout

Stephen Fowler, NPR

Tuesday's primary in Georgia features contentious Republican contests for governor and U.S. Senate while Democrats hope an enthusiasm advantage is enough to flip two state supreme court seats.

Montana tribes combine traditional knowledge and Western science in climate plan

Ellis Juhlin, NPR

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are moving forward with their climate plan despite the loss of state support and federal funding.

They've got fiber. They're cheap. They're … cool? Behind the 'renaissance' of beans

Joe Hernandez, NPR

The fiber craze is pushing more people into the broad world of beans, as the U.S. bean industry looks to double American consumption of pulses by 2030.

The Newest Oldest President

Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic

Donald Trump is turning 80. But will he face the scrutiny that Joe Biden did?

Election season is almost here. Congress is rushing to legislate first.

Kelsey Brugger, Politico

Lawmakers say they’re ready to put partisan bickering aside and move some bipartisan bills before midterm campaigning gets into full swing.

Guns on the television and in Iran’s streets as Trump renews war threats

Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, Matthew Chance, CNN

As night falls over Iran’s sprawling capital, and the snowy peaks of the Alborz mountains fade into the darkness, thousands of Iranians have been routinely...

Iran live updates: Saudi Arabia, UAE condemn fresh drone attacks

David Brennan, Abcnews.com

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Iran war day 80: Trump issues warning; Tehran ready to confront aggression

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The fear of renewed US strikes in Iran looms while Israeli attacks continue in Lebanon despite extended 'ceasefire'.

WATCH: Pepper spray deployed during watch release events

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Police were called to break up fights between shoppers outside limited-edition watch collaboration events between Swatch and Audemars Piguet in Milan and New York City.

Anderson Cooper Celebrates ‘Independence’ of ’60 Minutes’ as He Bids CBS Show Farewell

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

Anderson Cooper celebrated the independence of '60 Minutes' during his final appearance on the CBS news show.

Samsung’s weather app sparks storm of controversy by handing territory to North Korea

Simon Sharwood, Theregister.com

PLUS: China-linked cyber-attack on central Asian oil sector; Bottom falls out of Indian smartphone sales; And more!

US says China to buy billions in agricultural goods after Trump-Xi talks

John Power, Al Jazeera English

China will buy 'at least' $17bn worth of US agricultural goods annually, the White House says.

Iran war live: Trump threatens Tehran; Saudi, UAE report drone attacks

Daniel Khalili-Tari, Faisal Ali, Al Jazeera English

Peace talks remain deadlocked as drones target sites in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.