Quote:FBI special agents on Sunday arrested dual U.S.-German citizen Joseph Neumayer at JFK International Airport in New York in connection with an attempt to destroy the Branch Office of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a Sunday press release.
Why It Matters
Tensions remain high following the deaths of two Israeli embassy staff members who were shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last week.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the suspect "a vile antisemitic murderer," and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called him "depraved" for his act.
This occurs as Israel has launched a new campaign in Gaza targeting the Palestinian militant group Hamas, reigniting tensions across the Middle East. Israel's campaign in Gaza since Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the Associated Press reported, citing local health authorities. In Hamas' attack on Israel, 1,200 people were killed and some 250 were taken hostage.
What To Know
According to a complaint unsealed in the Eastern District of New York, Neumayer is alleged to have left a dark-colored backpack next to the embassy building on May 19, having arrived in Israel in April. He was initially arrested in Israel and transferred to U.S. custody on Sunday.
"This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump's life," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. "The Department will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law."
Neumeyer is alleged to have spit on a security guard as he walked past, left a backpack, and fled as the security guard failed to detain him. Inside the backpack, authorities discovered three Molotov cocktails, which contained flammable fluid.
Authorities tracked Neumeyer to his hotel where he was arrested.
Neumeyer's social media revealed that earlier on May 19, he posted, "join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans, and f--k the west."
Other social media posts from an account believed to be used by Neumeyer revealed his threats to assassinate President Donald Trump, the DOJ wrote in its press release.
If convicted, Neumeyer faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine in the amount of $250,000.
Quote:Amid its ongoing restructuring efforts, CVS plans on closing hundreds more stores in 2025, which the company says will streamline operations and help it adapt to shifting consumer needs.
Why Is CVS Closing Locations?
In its recent annual report, filed in February, CVS announced that it would be closing 271 retail stores in 2025 as part of its "enterprise-wide restructuring plan intended to streamline and simplify the organization."
This follows the closure of around 900 locations between 2022 and 2024. A spokesperson for CVS told Newsweek that these closures will enable the company to optimize its "existing stores and pharmacies."
The spokesperson said that the closures were based on several factors, including "population shifts, consumer buying patterns, store and pharmacy density, pharmacy care access, and community health needs." This will enable the company to better meet customers' needs and was not a response to industry pressures.
Where Are CVS Closing Locations?
CVS has not released a list of locations that will be closed amid this strategic realignment, and declined to provide any details of which states or cities may be affected.
However, according to consumer-focused website The Krazy Coupon Lady, citing local news sources, 34 CVS locations have either already closed or announced scheduled closures in 2025:
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Quote:Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a new plan on Wednesday to "aggressively revoke" student visas issued to international students from China.
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The Trump administration has cracked down on Ivy League institutions and sought to revoke the student visas of several international students since Trump took office.
Among other things, President Donald Trump and other officials have accused Harvard University and Columbia University of not doing enough to combat antisemitism on campus grounds amid student demonstrations protesting Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Trump's administration also tried to pull approval for Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which allows the university to enroll international students. A judge later halted the administration's efforts.
The administration has also temporarily paused all new student and exchange visitor visa interviews at U.S. consulates and embassies. Amid the pause, the White House is considering implementing a new policy that would require foreign student visa applicants to go through a social media vetting.
Quote:Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday that gun violence in the state has reached its lowest level since 2006, when the state began tracking this data.
In communities participating in the state's Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative, the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) reported a 15 percent decline in shooting victims and a 9 percent decline in shootings resulting in injury from January 1 to April 30 compared to the same period last year, the governor's office said in a press release.
Why It Matters
The data comes from 28 police departments outside of New York City participating in the GIVE initiative. These police departments report around 90 percent of violent crimes involving firearms outside New York City.
The initiative aims at reducing shootings and other firearm-related crimes by providing state funding to local law enforcement agencies for equipment, overtime and personnel. It also provides training and technical assistance to those agencies.
What To Know
The police departments involved in the GIVE initiative include Albany Police Department, Binghamton Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Jamestown Police Department, Elmira Police Department, Poughkeepsie Police Department, Amherst Police Department and Buffalo Police Department.
Cheektowaga Police Department, Lackawanna Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Greece Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Hempstead Police Department, Nassau County Police Department and Niagara Falls Police Department also participate in the GIVE initiative.
Other law enforcement agencies following the GIVE initiative are Utica Police Department, Syracuse Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Newburgh Police Department, Troy Police Department, Spring Valley Police Department, Schenectady Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Ithaca Police Department, Kingston Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department and Yonkers Police Department.
Quote:Massive hailstones, described as "DVD-sized" and edging close to "gargantuan" in magnitude, battered parts of Texas as severe thunderstorms ripped through the region over Memorial Day weekend.
Reports confirmed hail reaching nearly 6 inches in diameter in locations including Afton and Menard, Texas, putting the area at the center of a rare and dangerous weather event.
Why It Matters
This outbreak of exceptionally large hail posed significant risks to residents, property, and infrastructure across Texas, a state already accustomed to severe weather.
The event coincided with the busy Memorial Day weekend, disrupting holiday plans and triggering warnings across the Plains and South.
What To Know
On Monday, MyRadarWX senior meteorologist Matthew Cappucci posted some of the hailstone measurements on X, formerly Twitter.
"When it comes to GIANT hail, there's no place like Texas! Texas got MELON-SIZED hail both yesterday AND today!" Cappucci posted. "Anything over 4.72 inches is considered 'DVD-sized.' Anything over 6 inches is a rare category called 'gargantuan.' Yes, that's the real term!"
Researchers with the In-situ Collaborative Experiment for the Collection of Hail In the Plains (ICECHIP) project, funded by the National Science Foundation and led by Northern Illinois University, traveled alongside storm chasers to document and measure hail.
Quote:Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is among the top fundraisers in New York City's mayoral race despite the loss of some matching funds, according to the latest campaign finance data.
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New York's mayoral primary will be held in June, and whoever wins the Democratic nomination will be heavily favored ahead of the November general election, as the city is reliably Democratic. Still, some of the city's Hispanic and Asian communities drifted toward Republicans in last year's presidential race. This year's city elections will test whether Democrats are able to win back those voters, or if Republicans can build off of President Donald Trump's gains.
Fundraising can be a major indicator of how viable a campaign is—as running a citywide campaign in New York isn't cheap. Candidates are hoping to leverage their fundraising to topple Cuomo's polling lead with less than four weeks until the primary.
What to Know
Cuomo has so far received the most money in terms of private donations but has not received as much in public matching funds as some of the other candidates in the race.
He has received about $3.9 million in private donations and $1.5 million in public funds, according to the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
State Representative Zohran Mamdani, who has emerged as a favorite among the city's most progressive voters, has the highest total fundraising with $1.7 million in private funds but $6.7 million in public matching funds. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has raised $1.7 million in private funds and received nearly $4.6 million in public funds.
Quote:The White House slammed "unelected judges" after a federal court on Wednesday unanimously ruled that President Donald Trump does not have "unbounded authority" to levy sweeping global tariffs under an emergency-powers law.
The Context
Wednesday's ruling from the U.S. Court of International Trade came in response to two groups of plaintiffs who sued the Trump administration over the tariffs, saying he violated the Constitution by sidestepping Congress to impose the duties.
The federal court's three-judge panel said in its summary judgment: "The question in the two cases before the court is whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 ('IEEPA') delegates these powers to the President in the form of authority to impose unlimited tariffs on goods from nearly every country in the world."
"The court does not read IEEPA to confer such unbounded authority and sets aside the challenged tariffs imposed thereunder," the panel said.
One of the judges on the panel is a Trump appointee. The other two were appointed by President Ronald Reagan and President Barack Obama.
What To Know
A White House spokesperson reiterated Trump's criticisms of other countries' "nonreciprocal treatment" of the U.S. in a statement responding to Wednesday's ruling.
"These deficits have created a national emergency that has decimated American communities, left our workers behind, and weakened our defense industrial base – facts that the court did not dispute," the spokesperson told Newsweek.
Quote:San Francisco's public high schools will implement a sweeping change to their grading system this fall, replacing traditional methods with a policy that allows students to pass with scores as low as 41 percent.
The initiative, part of a broader "Grading for Equity" push, is stirring concern among educators, students and parents over academic standards and college readiness.
The Context
Similar policies across other Bay Area districts—such as Dublin, Oakland and Pleasanton—have seen mixed results and strong community reactions. Dublin Unified attempted a pilot of equity grading in 2023, which included removing zeros for missed assignments and awarding a minimum of 50 percent for any "reasonably attempted" work.
That pilot, however, was met with outrage and resistance. Parents created petitions, formed WhatsApp groups and filled school board meetings to protest what they saw as a lowering of standards for their children. The Dublin school board eventually suspended the initiative, though individual teachers were still allowed to use the methods at their discretion.
The experiment in San Francisco comes amid — or despite — a broader rethinking of DEI initiatives after the election of Donald Trump, who ran on a platform of excising what he and many others said were "unfair" equity practices in the government and private sectors.
What To Know
Superintendent Maria Su's plan in San Francisco was not subject to a public vote by the Board of Education, drawing criticism for lack of transparency. The new policy, set to affect more than 10,000 students across 14 high schools, significantly changes how academic performance is measured.
Homework and classroom participation will no longer influence a student's final grade. Students will be assessed primarily on a final exam, which they can retake multiple times. Attendance and punctuality will not affect academic standing.
The plan was first revealed in the fine print of a 25-page agenda and reported by The Voice of San Francisco, a local nonprofit. The outlet reported that the district is hiring Joe Feldman, an educational consultant known for his book Grading for Equity, to train teachers this summer.
"If our grading practices don't change, the achievement and opportunity gaps will remain for our most vulnerable students. If we are truly dedicated to equity, we have to stop avoiding the sensitive issue of grading and embrace it," Feldman said in a 2019 blog post for the School Superintendents Association (AASA).
Feldman's book outlines how traditional grading can reinforce socioeconomic disparities and proposes alternative strategies for more equitable assessment. According to The Voice of San Francisco, the new system will be modeled in part on the San Leandro Unified School District, where students can earn an A with a score as low as 80 percent and pass with a D at just 21 percent. Under the forthcoming San Francisco policy, a score of 41 percent will qualify as a C.
Quote:Vladimir Putin's helicopter was targeted by Ukrainian drones as he visited the Kursk region in a surprise visit last week, a Russian military official has claimed.
The alleged attack took place as the Russian president visited the border region for the first time since Moscow claimed it had repelled Ukrainian forces from the area last month.
Putin's helicopter was "at the epicenter" of a "large-scale" Ukrainian drone attack on May 20, Yury Dashkin, commander of a Russian air defense division, said, according to Kremlin newswire Tass.
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This is the first known instance in which the Russian president is reported to have flown through an active drone attack.
What To Know
Russia's defense ministry was forced to shoot down dozens of drones during the incident, according to Dashkin, who said in an interview aired by the state-run Rossiya-24 TV channel that the intensity of the assault escalated significantly as the presidential aircraft flew over Kursk.
He said Russian air defense systems engaged the drones to ensure the safety of the presidential helicopter.
Quote:The "threat is real" to NATO, the chief of the British Army has said, warning of "serious challenges" to the alliance as worries swirl that Russia could launch an attack on NATO in the next few years.
"We really have got some serious challenges to deal with collectively," General Sir Roly Walker, the head of the British Army, said during an address at the U.K.-based think tank, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on Wednesday.
"The biggest challenge we face, of many, is simply a lack of time," Walker said, adding a "sense of urgency" is needed to "respond to the threats we face."
NATO officials have been increasingly ringing alarm bells over how much of a threat Russia will pose to the alliance in the next few years, particularly after inking a possible ceasefire deal in Ukraine that would free up hundreds of thousands of soldiers bogged down along the frontlines.
Assessments vary, but one judgment from Denmark's Defense Intelligence Service, published in February, said it believed Russia would be able to wage a "large-scale war" against NATO in the next five years if the U.S. declines to be involved.
Oleh Ivashchenko, the head of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service, said earlier this week Russia would be able to mount some form of attack on Europe two to four years after the end of the Ukraine war—but could be ready to do so much quicker if sanctions are lifted.
The more than three years of full-scale war in Ukraine has wreaked havoc on Moscow's land forces, but other swathes of its military, like its air force and much of the navy stationed away from Ukraine, have been largely unscathed.
Quote:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 50,000 Russian troops were massing at the border near the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine and Moscow may be preparing for a large-scale summer offensive.
Kyiv's forces have been battling in Russia's Kursk region since a cross-border offensive last summer, but they have been forced back by Moscow's recent advances. Russia has hailed the recapture from Ukrainian forces of a number of Russian towns and villages.
"Their largest, strongest forces are currently on the Kursk front to push our troops out of the Kursk region and to prepare offensive actions against the Sumy region," Zelensky said on Tuesday ahead of his visit to Germany, Sky News reported.
Trump 'Not Happy' With Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed increasing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him "CRAZY!" on Sunday after deadly missile strikes hit Ukrainian cities. President Trump also expressed annoyance with Zelensky's rhetoric.
Trump is attempting to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, but progress is slow, and he has said he would walk away if he saw that no deal could be made.
"I'm not happy with what Putin is doing," the president said on Sunday.
"He's killing a lot of people, and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. I've known him a long time. Always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it at all.
"We're in the middle of talking, and he's shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities. I don't like it at all."
Further direct talks between Russia and Ukraine are due after their first set of negotiations in more than three years on May 16 produced only a mass prisoner swap and vague statements from the Russian delegation about working towards a ceasefire.
Russia has said it will only agree to a peace deal that addresses what it calls the "root causes" of the conflict, namely Ukrainian ambitions to join the U.S.-led NATO defensive alliance and policies that restrict the expression of Russian culture inside Ukraine.
But Ukraine accuses Russia of seeking to seize control of the country and remove its sovereignty in an imperial war of aggression.
Quote:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed a trilateral meeting between himself, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin to break the deadlock on ending Moscow's invasion.
Fighting continues between Russia and Ukraine, and Trump has expressed increasing frustration with the lack of progress towards peace, threatening to walk away from brokering the process entirely if he does not see a deal ahead.
"We are ready to meet at the level of leaders. Both the American side knows this, and the Russian side knows this," Zelensky said on Tuesday, ahead of his visit to Germany on Wednesday.
Zelensky said he is open to any configuration of talks. "If Putin is not comfortable with a bilateral meeting, or if everyone wants it to be a trilateral meeting, I don't mind. I am ready for any format," he said.
Trump Blasts Putin Over Strikes
Direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to continue soon after their first set of negotiations in more than three years took place in Istanbul on May 16, resulting in a mass prisoner swap.
The low-level delegation sent to meet Ukraine's group of high-ranking officials in Turkey had cooled hopes of a major breakthrough on a ceasefire. Zelensky was also in Turkey, offering to meet Putin personally, but the Russian president declined the invitation.
Quote:A Russian military officer once key to Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine who had not been seen in public in an official capacity for nearly two years, has been spotted in Algeria, according to U.K. intelligence officials.
In a post on social media, U.K. intelligence reported Sergei Surovikin attended a military parade in the North African country.
Surovikin, whose reputation for acting brutally earned him the nickname of "General Armageddon" had largely disappeared from public view following a failed June 2023 mutiny and march on Moscow by Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, with whom he was closely associated.
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Reports of Surovikin's arrest following the failed mutiny were never confirmed by Russian authorities but his appearance in Algeria raises questions about his current role in the military and Moscow's footprint in Africa.
What To Know
In its update on Tuesday, the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence said that a "notably thinner" Surovikin appeared in Russian embassy photographs at a Victory Day event in Algeria on May 9.
This was probably his first public appearance in an official role since 2023 and he is likely in the North African country as head of military specialists at the Russian embassy there, U.K. defense officials said.
Surovikin is a former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine and served as commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces. He had been linked to Prigozhin, who had been a vehement critic of Moscow's conduct in the war in Ukraine.
Prigozhin led his Wagner group of mercenaries in a mutiny which saw them stop short of Moscow in a move denounced as "treason" by Putin. U.K. intelligence said Tuesday Russian authorities were probably suspicious of Surovikin's association with Wagner dating back to Moscow's intervention in the Syrian civil war in 2017.
Quote:A Russian school textbook on how to operate drones has been published and will be studied by teenagers as part of the country's educational curriculum.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: 8th and 9th Grades will be taught in technology classes in schools in Russia which has made great leaps in its production of the devices used in Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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As part of Russia's war effort in Ukraine, Moscow has used drones supplied by Iran to target civilian infrastructure. At the same time, Russia has significantly developed its domestic production of drones, as has Ukraine.
The course is a sign of the growing militarization of Russian society and is the latest attempt by the Kremlin to expose children to government messaging.
What To Know
Russia's education ministry approved on April 30 the textbook produced by drone maker Geoscan, which is under U.S. sanctions, in partnership with Prosveshcheniye, Russia's largest schoolbook publisher.
A foundation for intellectual development headed by Putin's youngest daughter, Katerina Tikhonova, acquired a 10 percent stake in Geoscan, Russian outlet Verstka reported in November 2023.
The textbook is part of a national plan to train 1 million drone operators at more than 500 schools and 30 universities by the end of the decade, Moscow Times reported.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:One person is dead and 11 others injured following a mass shooting early Sunday morning in the Mountain View community of southwest Catawba County, North Carolina.
According to the Catawba County Sheriff's Office, deputies and Hickory Police officers responded around 12:45 a.m. to reports of multiple people shot at a residence.
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In total, 12 victims have been reported. One person was pronounced dead, another is in critical condition, and several others remain hospitalized, officials said. Local and state-level investigators are currently working at the scene to identify the suspect or suspects involved and determine a motive.
What To Know
Catawba County lies in the western region of the state, approximately an hour north of Charlotte. The shooting took place at a home on a section of Walnut Acres Drive, according to officials statements and images of the residence.
Witnesses report that there was a large party at the residence before the shooting, with around 100 attendees. During the gathering, several individuals began discharging firearms, leading to chaos and panic among the crowd.
Drone footage taken by the North Carolina station WBTV shows the house cordoned with tape, with several law enforcement vehicles parked outside and investigators collecting evidence.
Quote:Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, a Democrat, has drawn criticism from right-wing commentators and social media after making a gesture that bears similarity to the controversial one previously made by Elon Musk and Steve Bannon, for which they faced heavy backlash.
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Musk during President Donald Trump's second inauguration in January made a gesture that many claimed was a Nazi salute, while the tech mogul and his allies defended it as a harmless and well-intentioned gesture meaning "my heart goes out to you." Musk made the gesture twice.
Musk responded at the time to the criticism with a message on X, saying: "Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired."
Bannon, host of the influential War Room podcast and former White House strategist, then made a similar gesture during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February and saying, "fight, fight, fight."
Supporters of Musk and Bannon have also claimed that the pair have made a "Roman salute," which was depicted in 18th and 19th-century art, but there is no historical evidence from ancient Rome that it was a common practice.
What To Know
Booker spoke at a Democratic convention in California on Saturday, ending his speech with a gesture where he put his hand over his heart, then extended his hand out to the crowd – much in the way Musk and Bannon did, though not as forcefully as Musk did it.
The video was first posted by Richie Greenberg, a San Francisco-based political commentator and former GOP mayoral candidate for the city, and quickly spread among MAGA-social media.
Quote:Anew analysis of U.S. Census Bureau figures by real estate company Redfin has found that 49 percent of newly built apartments completed in the last quarter of 2024 hadn't been rented out within three months, the fifth quarter in a row this figure was below 50 percent.
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A near record number of new apartments were completed in the fourth quarter of 2024, which coincided with a year-on-year rent fall of 1 percent in April 2025, according to Redfin.
This suggests a surge in building has provided some relief to renters, but the latest figures could concern developers looking to sell properties.
What To Know
Redfin's analysis of Census Bureau data found 49 percent of newly built apartments that were completed between October and December 2024 hadn't been rented out three months later, a slight rise on the 47 percent recorded for the third quarter of 2024.
Notably, this was the fifth consecutive quarter that the rental adoption rate for newly built apartments was below 49 percent with Redfin saying the market is continuing to "lag behind pre-pandemic norms."
For one- and two-bedroom apartments, 44 percent of the newbuilds had been rented out within three months, compared to larger three-bedroom-plus apartments where the figure was 53 percent.
The analysis also concluded that the vacancy rate for buildings up for rent with five or more units was 8.2 percent in the first quarter of 2025, which tied with the fourth quarter of 2024 as the highest figure since 2021.
Quote:The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has elevated the risk level of a recent cookie recall to Class I—the highest and most serious category—amid concerns over undeclared allergens.
New Grains Gluten Free Bakery announced a product recall that was publicized by the FDA earlier in May. The company found that some of its baked goods, including four types of cookie, may contain eggs, soy, or milk, despite consumers not being advised of this.
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According to the FDA, millions of people in the U.S. have food allergies or food sensitivities. Food sensitivities can range from mild reactions to potentially life-threatening symptoms. The FDA recognizes nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, sesame, fish, tree nuts, crustacean shellfish, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
The inclusion of these ingredients in a product without proper disclosure poses a serious risk of allergic reactions, which can range from mild discomfort to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
What To Know
The affected products, which include gluten-free varieties of Chocolate Chip, Frosted Sugar, Coconut Macaroon, and Brownie Chocolate Chip cookies, were found to contain undeclared allergens such as egg, milk, and soy.
These allergens were not properly identified on the packaging due to print quality issues that rendered ingredient lists and allergen warnings either unreadable or missing.
Compounding the problem, the lot codes and date codes printed on the cookie packaging were also unreadable or absent, making it difficult for consumers and retailers to identify and isolate affected batches.
Quote:The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) initiated a recall of about 24,000 kitchen faucets made by BASDEHEN and sold on Amazon.com, after tests showed these products could leach dangerous amounts of lead into drinking water.
Why It Matters
Lead is a potent neurotoxin that can cause irreversible health effects, particularly in young children, including cognitive impairment, behavioral issues, and lower IQ. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that no safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Early action against dangerous consumer products, such as contaminated faucets, is critical to preventing lasting harm and public health crises across American homes.
The recall highlights growing concerns over imported plumbing products and their role in contaminating U.S. drinking water, raising new questions about product oversight, e-commerce platforms, and consumer protections.
What To Know
The CPSC advised consumers to immediately stop using and properly dispose of the affected faucets, which pose a particular risk to infants, young children, and pregnant women, according to a CPSC recall notice. Testing found excessive lead levels in the faucets, with the CPSC urging Americans to check their kitchen and bathroom fixtures for the recalled model.
About 24,000 units are impacted by the recall and were sold on Amazon from May 2024 through May 2025 for about $30.
When reached for comment, the CPSC directed Newsweek to a press release published by the commission on May 15 that warns consumers of nine Chinese-made faucets that pose dangerous lead exposure risks to those who use them.
"These warnings follow a CPSC enforcement sweep targeting dangerous faucets manufactured in China. None of the Chinese firms has agreed to conduct an acceptable recall," the press release said. "Earlier this week, CPSC issued a public health and safety finding to expedite public warnings about these faucets because individuals may be in danger from these product hazards."
Quote:Three different companies' products have been pulled from shelves in the past four days due to concerns about salmonella contamination.
Why It Matters
Salmonella causes symptoms from diarrhea and fever to severe, sometimes life-threatening infections in vulnerable groups. U.S. consumers are being urged to thoroughly inspect their deli, salad, and produce purchases, as healthy individuals are at risk.
The widespread nature of both the distribution and consumption of these products underscores the importance of rapid response and cross-state coordination to contain foodborne outbreaks and protect public health.
What To Know
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced voluntary recalls this week on products made and distributed by Supreme Service Solutions, The Coastal Companies, and Isabelle's Kitchen Inc.
Products withdrawn include fresh cucumbers, salads, salsas, and vegetable trays that were sold to supermarket chains, food service distributors, and local grocers, with official notices warning consumers not to eat, sell, or serve any affected items.
Quote:Millions of residents in Texas, Minnesota, and Michigan are under air quality alerts this weekend as authorities warn of unhealthy levels of ozone and fine particle pollution.
Why It Matters
The alerts come as wildfires are burning across Canada, creating harmful conditions and affecting air quality.
Smoke and airborne pollutants can be especially hazardous for individuals with respiratory conditions.
So far this year, wildfires have scorched over 1.58 million acres in Canada—roughly 40 percent above the 10-year average for this time of year, CNN reported.
What To Know
The air quality issues affecting these three states stem from a combination of factors. In Texas, high temperatures and stagnant atmospheric conditions have created an environment conducive to ozone buildup. In Minnesota and Michigan, strong northerly winds are carrying smoke from the Canadian wildfires, impacting air quality across the Midwest and Great Lakes regions.
Residents in affected areas are advised to check air quality forecasts, limit outdoor activities, avoid exercising outside during peak pollution hours, and use air conditioning systems to keep indoor air clean. Health officials warn that these alerts may extend into the following week if weather conditions persist.
Minnesota
In Minnesota, the entire state is under an Air Quality Alert issued by the state's Pollution Control Agency. It remains in effect until 6 p.m. on Monday, June 2.
Smoke from massive wildfires burning in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada, has been pushed south by northerly winds, blanketing Minnesota in a dense haze.
Quote:President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is doubling the tariff on steel to 50 percent, a sharp escalation that could drive up costs for housing, automobiles, and other steel-based goods as he announced what he called "a blockbuster agreement" to let U.S. Steel merge with Japan's Nippon Steel.
Why It Matters
Trump in March announced that the U.S. would apply a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, followed shortly by the announcement that he would seek to make a deal with Japanese steel manufacturing firms to acquire Nippon Steel, creating one of the biggest steel manufacture companies in the world.
Some praised the measure as vital to helping breathe fresh life into America's domestic production, while others worried that the increased costs would hurt sectors reliant on steel and aluminum, impacting access to overseas markets in the face of retaliatory measures.
What To Know
Speaking at U.S. Steel's Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, Trump highlighted Japan's Nippon Steel while defending his administration's trade policies. Since he took office, the price of steel products has risen by approximately 16 percent, according to the government's producer price index.
Trump told workers, "It's headquartered in the great city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it belongs."
The president announced Nippon Steel's "record-setting" $14 billion commitment to future of the company.
Quote:Egypt, traditionally a U.S. ally, could be seeking to acquire Chinese J-35 fighter jets, according to aviation and defense outlets.
Newsweek has contacted the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and China's State Council Information Office (SCIO) for comment.
Why It Matters
The J-35 fighter jet, modeled after the American F-35, is gaining more appeal as China, competing with the U.S., seeks to expand its influence in South Asia, the Middle East and the broader Arab region.
What To Know
Egyptian Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Abdel Gawad has reportedly shown interest in China's J-35 stealth fighter, according to the Belgian-based Army Recognition Group, which specializes in military analysis.
Reports have not been confirmed by the Egyptian or Chinese authorities.
Retired Egyptian Army Major General Sayed Ghoneim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi-based Institute for Global Security and Defense Affairs (IGSDA), pointed out to the display of a model of a J-35 during an Egyptian event earlier this month marking 45 years of military ties with China, as an indicator of interest in buying the jets.
According to Ghoneim, Egypt may be pushing against the United States, which has hindered the upgrade and upkeep of Egypt's fighter jet fleet.
Quote:Chinese scientists have developed a new material that could lead to stealthier missiles and combat aircraft.
The technology could potentially compromise the effectiveness of U.S. missile defense systems, including President Donald Trump's much-hyped "Golden Dome."
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The United States is concerned about the growing intercontinental missile (ICBM) stockpiles of nuclear-armed China and Russia, including faster-than-sound hypersonic missiles. These arsenals are expected to become even more capable in the coming years.
Trump has ordered work to begin on the "Golden Dome," a satellite-based missile shield. Beijing has said it's "gravely concerned" about the project, which draws inspiration from the Strategic Defense Initiative, or "Star Wars," proposed by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s during the Cold War.
What To Know
Aircraft and missiles emit strong thermal radiation, created by superheated components such as exhaust nozzles, which raises the risk of detection. These temperatures can also degrade and even destroy the structure of standard materials.
A Chinese research team led by Professor Li Qiang of Zhejiang University detailed a possible solution to this problem in a study published in March.
Their new material is designed to evade both microwave and infrared detection technologies widely used in modern military surveillance, even when exposed to extremely high temperatures, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
To test its stealth potential, the team compared the material to a standard blackbody, or a surface that absorbs various types of radiation.
Even when heated to 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 degrees Fahrenheit), the material emitted a far lower radiation temperature—422 degrees Celsius—than the blackbody's 690 degrees.
Quote:China continues to challenge the United States' maritime containment strategy in the Pacific Ocean by sending an aircraft carrier to contested waters near Japan, a key Washington ally.
Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference on Wednesday that China's naval activities "are entirely in accordance with international law and international practice" and also urged Japan to view the matter "objectively and rationally."
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Under the U.S.'s island chain strategy, three defensive lines are established by leveraging U.S.-aligned territories to restrict China's access to the Pacific Ocean. The closest one to the East Asian power is the first island chain, consisting of Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.
China has the world's largest navy by hull count, according to a Pentagon report, with more than 370 ships and submarines, including two aircraft carriers in active service. This naval fleet enables China to expand its military presence and reach within and beyond the island chains.
The recent deployment of the Chinese aircraft carrier comes as the U.S. Navy has sent a pair of aircraft carriers to different waters in the western Pacific Ocean this week: the USS Nimitz, operating in the South China Sea, and the USS George Washington, operating near Japan.
What To Know
The Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning, previously spotted in the East China Sea north of Japan's southwestern Senkaku Islands, passed through the Miyako Strait southeast toward the Philippine Sea on Tuesday, the Joint Staff of the Japanese Defense Ministry announced.
Quote:The United Kingdom is hoping to purchase American-made fighter jets, capable of both carrying and deploying nuclear weapons, according to a report in The Sunday Times.
The British newspaper cited anonymous senior officials familiar with the matter, who said the U.K. intends buying Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning stealth fighter aircraft, but that other options are also being evaluated.
The Sunday Times reported that the potential deal was part of the country's broader strategy to address threats posed by Russia, and that the "highly sensitive" talks between the Pentagon and the Ministry of Defence have been led by Admiral Sir Antony David Radakin, head of the UK's armed forces, and Secretary of State for Defence John Healey.
When contacted for comment, the Ministry of Defence directed Newsweek to an interview given by Healey on Sunday morning, in which he said that such discussions "are not conducted in public," but refused to rule out whether the purchase was an option.
Why It Matters
Combined with other actions taken and statements made by the U.K. government in recent days, including tomorrow's release of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, the purchase would signal a significant escalation in Britain's assessment of the threats posed by Russia and the urgency of countering these.
Additionally, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has recently set out plans to increase the country's defense budget to 2.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027, up from the current 2.3 percent. This follows calls from NATO officials for member states to devote a greater portion of their budget to counter Russian threats, and similar requests from President Donald Trump
What To Know
According to the U.S. Air Force, the F-35A Lightning possesses a range of more than 1,350 miles and is capable of carrying payloads of up to 18,000 pounds. Variants of the F-35 have already been certified to carry B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs, a type of low-yield nuclear munitions.
Having decommissioned its stockpile of tactical, air-delivered nuclear weapons following the end of the Cold War, the U.K. has relied on its "Trident" system as a nuclear deterrent. The arsenal is exclusively capable of being deployed by four Royal Navy Vanguard-class submarines.
Quote:Major Zaur Gurtsiyev, who commanded Russian air operations during the brutal siege of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has been killed in an explosion in Russia's Stavropol.
Russia's Investigative Committee named Gurtsiyev, 34, as one of the two male victims in the blast on Wednesday night, which they believe was caused by an improvised explosive device.
"Investigators are considering all possible versions of the crime, including a terrorist act," the committee said in a post on Telegram.
...
Why It Matters
Gurtsiyev played a key role in one of the most devastating chapters of Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing war in Ukraine. The Russian military assault on Mariupol in March 2022 killed thousands of civilians. Hundreds of thousands of others were trapped for weeks in Russia's siege of the Ukrainian port city, which is located on the Sea of Azov.
Gurtsiyev had also served as deputy mayor of Stavropol.
What To Know
The explosion took place near a residential apartment building. Surveillance footage of the incident circulated by Telegram channels linked to Russian law enforcement agencies purportedly showed the moment Gurtsiyev was caught up in the blast. The video shows one man approaching another near a parking lot.
Quote:Atop Russian official praised North Korean troops for assisting President Vladimir Putin's military in the Ukraine war.
Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said the troops deployed by Pyongyang to Russia had fought "valiantly" in the Kursk region, Kremlin newswire Tass reported on Thursday.
Why It Matters
Just months ago, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov dismissed claims by Ukraine and South Korea, denying reports that North Korean troops were involved in the conflict. However, Moscow and Pyongyang issued statements confirming the deployment in April. The praise from Shoigu highlights the growing ties between the two nations amid the ongoing war.
What To Know
Kyiv and Seoul said in December that Pyongyang had deployed an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 servicemen to Russia to fight Ukrainian forces.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Shoigu said the troops deployed to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un fought as if they were defending their own country.
"They fought for the liberation of our land, as for the liberation of their own land," the former defense minister said, adding that he thanked North Korean officials for their assistance in the border region of Kursk, where Ukraine had launched a cross-border incursion last year.
In April, Moscow said it had repelled Ukrainian forces from the area.
Andriy Kovalenko, an official on Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said in March that North Korean troops were storming the front lines in Kursk in "columns."
Quote:Ukraine will send a delegation to Istanbul for a new round of direct peace talks with Russia on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Sunday, as the conflict rages on with deadly missile strikes and the largest drone assault of the three-year war.
Ukrainian negotiators plan to present a roadmap for a long-term peace settlement during the upcoming talks in Istanbul, according to a document reviewed by Reuters.
The proposal outlines an initial 30-day ceasefire as a first step, followed by the mutual return of prisoners and the repatriation of Ukrainian children taken to Russian-controlled territory.
A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin would follow.
...
Why It Matters
The talks come amid mounting tensions after a Ukrainian drone operation reportedly destroyed more than 40 military aircraft's from Putin's war machine deep inside Russian territory. A Ukrainian security official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the drone strike targeted airfields including the Belaya air base in Irkutsk, located over 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Ukraine. It marks the first confirmed Ukrainian drone activity in the region.
What To Know
The official stated the long-range operation was planned over a period of 18 months and was personally overseen by President Zelensky. The drones, hidden in containers and transported by truck, reached their targets without being detected, according to Ukrainian sources.
Quote:A surprise Ukrainian drone attack is being described as "Russia's Pearl Harbor" by some commentators online after 41 military aircraft were hit on Sunday.
...
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and mediated by the United States, have remained in a delicate position for months as both sides continue to attack each other despite engaging in discussions to agree a peace deal.
President Donald Trump has regularly voiced his frustration with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, particularly with what Trump has perceived as a potential lack of interest in actually attaining a peace deal.
Zelensky during an explosive argument with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office in February said that Russia had already blown up previous deals made with Ukraine, and Trump has questioned whether Putin is just "tapping him along" and drawing out negotiations while seeking to prolong the conflict that started in February 2022.
What To Know
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said on Sunday that "enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia," saying that Ukraine is conducting "a large scale special operation aimed at destroying enemy bomber aircraft," Euro News reported.
The Ukrainian attack follows ground advances by Moscow troops in recent days in Ukraine's Sumy border region.
Trump administration sources told CBS News on Sunday that the White House was not aware that an attack was coming.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
A federal appeals court put the brakes Thursday on a lower court order that overturned most of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
A full 11-judge panel on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit stayed the order by the Manhattan-based Court of International Trade while a White House appeal is heard.
The Court of International Trade had ruled that Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by imposing a 10% flat duty rate on dozens of countries around the world — as well as 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and 20% tariffs on China in response to illegal fentanyl trafficking.
The tariffs had been challenged by a dozen states and five small businesses — which the appeals panel gave until June 5 to respond to Thursday’s stay.
Wall Street shrugged off the about-face, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing up 117 points, the Nasdaq rising almost 75 points, and the S&P 500 gaining more than 23 points.
Trump slammed the trade court’s ruling as “horrific” and a threat to “presidential power,” in a Truth Social post Thursday night, marking his first public comments on the matter.
“Where do these initial three Judges come from? How is it possible for them to have potentially done such damage to the United States of America?” the president seethed in the 510-word-long post.
“Under this decision, Trillions of Dollars would be lost by our Country,” Trump argued, further describing the ruling “Country threatening” and “so wrong, and so political.”
He expressed hope that the Supreme Court “QUICKLY and DECISIVELY” takes up the case and rules in his favor.
“The pause will not affect the negotiations in any way if people out there in the world simply look at the court decision,” White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told reporters following the order.
“The court was clear, as I said, that [the] President has broad authority to impose tariffs,” he added, in a nod to a passage from the lower court ruling that noted the president has other avenues apart from emergency powers to impose duties on imports.
“This morning, we were getting plenty of phone calls from countries saying, ‘We saw the rule,’ and so what we’re going to continue to [do is] negotiate in good faith,” Navarro continued.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) filed a resolution on Wednesday to expel Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) from the House of Representatives after a federal assault charge was brought against the Democrat earlier this week in connection with her confrontation with law enforcement outside a Newark immigration detention center.
“On May 9th, McIver didn’t just break the law, she attacked the very people who defend it,” Mace said in a statement. “Attacking Homeland Security and ICE agents isn’t just disgraceful, it’s assault.”
“If any other American did what she did, they’d be in handcuffs,” the South Carolina Republican continued. “McIver thinks being a Member of Congress puts her above the law. It doesn’t.”
“She should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Acting New Jersey US Attorney Alina Habba slapped McIver with two felony counts on Monday, accusing the congresswoman of using force to interfere with federal agents during a chaotic protest earlier this month at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark.
McIver faces up to eight years in prison if convicted of the charges.
Video footage of the scrum released by the Department of Homeland Security shows McIver throwing elbows at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and striking a Homeland Security Investigations officer in the arm outside the detention center.
McIver, who has represented the Garden State’s 10th Congressional District since September 2024, has denied the allegations, slamming the charges on Monday as “purely political” and blaming federal agents for the confrontation at the ICE-run detention facility.
Longtime Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler slammed President Trump for “sowing chaos” nationwide after federal agents handcuffed one of his aides inside his lower Manhattan office.
The lawmaker’s verbal tirade came after Department of Homeland Security officers entered the Big Apple office Wednesday and accused his staff of “harboring rioters” in a dramatic confrontation caught on video.
“President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security are sowing chaos in our communities, using intimidating tactics against both citizens and non-citizens in a reckless and dangerous manner,” he said in a statement to Politico.
“If this can happen in a Member of Congress’s office, it can happen to anyone — and it is happening.”
The video, obtained by Gothamist, showed one agent aggressively restraining a teary-eyed female staffer, while another employee asked for a warrant and blocked a second officer from entering a private section of the congressional office, located in the same Varick Street building as federal immigration court.
“I’m a federal officer, we’re here checking on something,” the male agent said to the employee standing in his way, the footage showed.
“We have the right to check. You are harboring rioters in the office,” he argued in the heated back-and-forth that ended with the staffer granting him access to the back office.
Nadler said that the “deeply troubling” incident showed a clear violation of legal protocols.
Federal Protective Service officers went to the congressman’s office to conduct a security check after receiving reports that protesters were hiding inside, DHS told The Post in a statement.
. . .
Federal Protective Service officers went to the congressman’s office to conduct a security check after receiving reports that protesters were hiding inside, DHS told The Post in a statement.
So Federal Officers with probable cause after receiving reports of rioters in the building, and Nadler wishes to condemn the officers... and not his staff for harboring them?
President Trump on Friday claimed China “totally violated” a temporary truce with the US to lower tariff rates and trade restrictions for critical minerals as the world’s two largest economies negotiate.
“China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He did not specify how China violated the trade agreement, which the two nations reached earlier this month.
. . .
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said trade talks with China have “stalled.”
Both China and the US had slashed their tariff rates on the other by more than 100 percentage points, bringing China’s duty on the US down to 10% from 125% and Trump’s levy on China down to 30% from 145%.
. . .
The US Court of International Trade mentioned in this article had their ruling that hamptered Trump's power overturned by the US Court of Appeals (above).
President Donald Trump made it clear he is losing patience with Vladimir Putin, leveling some of his sharpest criticism at the Russian leader as Moscow pounded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles for a third straight night.
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump wrote in a social media post on Sunday night.
Trump said Putin is “needlessly killing a lot of people,” pointing out that “missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.”
The attack was the largest aerial assault since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, according to Ukrainian officials. At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured.
The U.S. president warned that if Putin wants to conquer all of Ukraine, it will “lead to the downfall of Russia!” But Trump expressed frustration with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well, saying that he is “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does.”
“Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop,” Trump wrote on social media.
The president has increasingly voiced irritation at Putin and the inability to resolve the now three-year-old war, which Trump promised he would promptly end as he campaigned to return to the White House.
He had long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin and repeatedly stressed that Russia is more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal.
But last month, Trump urged Putin to “STOP!” assaulting Ukraine after Russia launched another deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, and he has repeatedly expressed his frustration that the war in Ukraine is continuing.
. . .
Up is down, left is right and sideways is straight ahead. - Cord "Circle of Iron", 1978 (written by Bruce Lee and James Coburn... really...)
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