May 26, 2026

U.S., ISRAEL, IRAN WAR | Day 88.

• Following a weekend during which U.S. officials said negotiations with Iran to end the Middle East war were progressing, U.S. forces carried out "defensive strikes" on southern Iran early today. The U.S. military's Central Command said missile launch sites and boats placing mines were struck to "protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces." Iranian officials called the U.S. strikes a "gross violation" of the conflict's nearly seven-week cease-fire and warned of potential retaliatory attacks. [more]
• Reports say the peace deal currently being negotiated with Iran proposes the removal of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium and the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and shipping and the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Iran. Additional issues would be addressed during a 60-day follow-up period. [more]
• In the aftermath of what he said was an escalation in Hezbollah drone strikes on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel in recent weeks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that his country will intensify attacks on the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,550 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Russia carried out its largest combined air attacks of the war against Ukraine over the weekend, saying its escalation was in response to a Ukrainian drone strike on Friday that struck what Moscow said was a college dormitory in Ukraine’s Russia-occupied Luhansk region. [more]
• Russia's Foreign Ministry urged foreign citizens and diplomatic staff yesterday to leave the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in anticipation of increased "systemic strikes" on the city. [more]

U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY | Tulsi Gabbard announced her pending resignation as President Donald Trump's director of national intelligence Friday, citing the need to spend time with her family as her husband battles cancer. Reports note that Gabbard, who is the fourth Cabinet official to depart during Trump's second term, was rumored to have clashed with the president over the decision to begin the war with Iran earlier this year. [more]

CALIFORNIA | About 16,000 residents of Garden Grove, California, remain under evacuation orders today as officials say the risk of a major explosion from a faulty chemical tank in the area has subsided. More than 50,000 residents were ordered to evacuate the area over the weekend. [more]

WASHINGTON, DC | Reports have identified the suspect in a Saturday shooting near the White House as 21-year-old Nasire Best. The Secret Service says Best, who public records have linked to previous security incidents near the White House, opened fire on officers early Saturday evening and was killed when agents returned fire. [more]

U.S. IMMIGRATION | In a new rule announced Friday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency said green card applicants for permanent U.S. residency will need to return to their home countries during the application process – a move reports cite immigration rights advocates as saying could separate families, force people to leave their jobs, and make the application process more difficult. [more]

INDO-PACIFIC SECURITY | Following weekend talks in New Delhi, foreign ministers of the Quad group of nations – Australia, India, Japan, and the United States – announced new initiatives today to increase Indo-Pacific security cooperation on maritime surveillance, real-time information sharing, port infrastructure, and regional fuel and energy supply chains. [more]

EBOLA | Regional health officials and international aid groups say at least 119 people are believed to have died, and 904 suspected cases have been reported, in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo and neighboring Uganda. [more]

EUROPEAN ECONOMY | European Union Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis predicted Friday that the E.U. will face an inflation rate of 3.1% this year, driven largely by higher energy prices. Dombrovskis also suggested that oil and gas prices in Europe will remain above what they were before the Iran war until at least the end of 2027. [more]

CANADA | Prime Minister Mark Carney warned yesterday that an upcoming Alberta vote on whether to pursue independence was a potential "dangerous bluff," comparing the province's October referendum to Britain's 2016 vote to leave the European Union. [more]

SUDAN AND UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | In a new report, international rights group Human Rights Watch alleges that the United Arab Emirates has trained Colombian mercenaries before sending them to fight in Sudan's civil war alongside the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. UAE officials have denied the allegations. [full HRW report] [more]

CAMBODIA | A new conscription law prompted by the country's recent border fighting with Thailand went into effect in Cambodia yesterday. The law requires Cambodian men aged 18 to 25 to serve two years in the military and establishes penalties of up to five years in prison for those who evade military service. [more]

U.K. | Amidst a record-setting heatwave, the U.K. Health Security Agency issued its first amber health alert of the year yesterday. Reports note that the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in May in the U.K. was set yesterday, with Kew Gardens in southwest London experiencing temperatures of 34.8 C (94.6 F). [more]

JAPAN | Emergency responders say more than 20 people were sickened yesterday when someone sprayed an unknown substance into the air in Tokyo's upscale Ginza shopping district. Local media reports that police have detected traces of pepper spray on walls in the area and that the investigation into the incident is ongoing. [more]

VATICAN, AI, AND SLAVERY | In an encyclical entitled "Magnifica Humanitas” (or Magnificent Humanity) released yesterday, Pope Leo XIV called for the robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit. Leo also issued, as part of the manifesto, the Vatican's first-ever explicit acknowledgement and apology for the Catholic Church's role in historical slavery and the slave trade through giving European sovereigns explicit authority to subjugate and enslave "infidels." [full text of Magnifica Humanitas] [more]

BASKETBALL | With a 130-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers last night, the New York Knicks completed a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. [more]

BASEBALL | In a 9-0 win over the Texas Rangers yesterday, the Houston Astros' Tatsuya Imai and two relievers combined to pitch Major League Baseball's first no-hitter since September 2024. [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | Among the winners announced at last night's 52nd Annual American Music Awards were: Korean boy band BTS for artist of the year, Shakira's "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour" for tour of the year, Justin Bieber for best male pop artist, and Sabrina Carpenter for best female pop artist. [full list of winners] [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $82 million in receipts, followed by "Obsession" and "Michael." [more]

R.I.P. | Jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, best known for his improvisational skills and musical experimentation, died yesterday at the age of 95. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1938, the House Un-American Activities Committee, later the House Committee on Internal Security, was established by the U.S. Congress to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities on the part of private citizens, public employees, and organizations suspected of having communist ties. The committee was abolished in 1975 when its functions were transferred to the House Judiciary Committee. [more history]