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Pope decries rise of AI-directed warfare, saying it leads to a spiral of annihilation

Pope Leo XIV, accompanied by, from left, Prefect of the Pontifical Household Archbishop Petar Rajič, Dean Antonella Polimeni, and his vicar for the city of Rome Cardinal Baldo Reina, visits the Città Universitaria (University City) at Sapienza University of Rome to meet with faculty and students at the institution

Pope Leo XIV denounced how investments in artificial intelligence and high-tech weaponry were leading the world into a "spiral of annihilation," as he called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine.

(Image credit: Gregorio Borgia)

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Tensions flare near Strait of Hormuz as a ship is seized and another is sunk

Map showing where a vessel was seized off the UAE coast.

Tensions are escalating again near the Strait of Hormuz after a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and taken toward Iran and another was attacked and sank near the coast of Oman.

(Image credit: Digital Embed)

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The 10 best songs competing at (a very contentious) Eurovision

Croatian singers of band Lelek perform "Andromeda"  during the first semifinal of Eurovision in Vienna, Austria on May 12.

Glitter, vocal gymnastics, on-stage flames — the show goes on on the Eurovision stage in Vienna, even though five countries are boycotting this year's contest due to Israel's participation.

(Image credit: Tobias Schwarz)

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Native kids with disabilities were held in wooden boxes. Sweeping reforms are coming

Officials in the Salmon River Central School District in Fort Covington, New York, have acknowledged that wooden boxes were constructed and used to confine elementary school children, including Native children, with disabilities.  The practice was ended in December 2025 after these images, confirmed as authentic by school officials, circulated on social media. In a new report, New York

State officials in New York say the Salmon River district's special education program confined young children with disabilities in wooden boxes. Parents weren't notified.

(Image credit: Used with permision)

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Some plants have unusual genetics, which can help them weather cataclysmic events

Unlike humans, many plants have more than two sets of chromosomes. This trait may help them adapt to environmental upheaval, such as climate change.

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How AI is speeding new business creation, especially among Gen Z entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are turning to AI to speed the creation of new businesses, with Gen Z leading the way. That's according to a new report from the payroll software firm Gusto.

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The Supreme Court keeps abortion pill mifepristone available by telehealth

Abortion-rights activists protested outside of the Supreme Court in March 2024, when the overall FDA authorization of the abortion pill mifepristone was challenged. It remained available after that case.

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the abortion pill mifepristone can continue to be prescribed online or over the phone and sent through the mail.

(Image credit: Jose Luis Magana)

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The Supreme Court keeps abortion pill mifepristone available by telehealth

Abortion-rights activists protested outside of the Supreme Court in March 2024, when the overall FDA authorization of the abortion pill mifepristone. It remained available after that case.

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the abortion pill mifepristone can continue to be prescribed online or over the phone and sent through the mail.

(Image credit: Jose Luis Magana)

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Linda McMahon defends dismantling the Education Department, shifting its work

Education Secretary Linda McMahon fields questions Thursday from members of Congress about the dismantling of her agency, student loans and other issues.

The education secretary faced questions about the shrinking of her agency, limits on federal student loan borrowing and oversight of the education of students with disabilities.

(Image credit: Eric Lee)

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Cuba's power grid collapses and plunges eastern provinces into a major blackout

People look at a barricade set up by residents protesting against prolonged power outages in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday.

Cuba's aging power grid has eroded in recent years as it faces a prolonged economic crisis, made worse by a U.S. energy blockade of the island.

(Image credit: Ramon Espinosa)

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Jury orders Boeing to pay $49.5 million to family of 737 MAX crash victim

Samya Stumo in an undated handout photo provided by the Stumo family. Stumo was killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019.

A federal jury in Chicago awarded $49.5 million to the family of Samya Stumo, a young woman who was killed in the second of two Boeing 737 MAX crashes within months of each other in 2018 and 2019.

(Image credit: Stumo Family)

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As Trump meets with Xi, security expert says China now faces the U.S. as a peer

Former national security official Rush Doshi says President Trump's sky-high tariffs on Chinese goods sparked a clash in which China prevailed. We look at the current state of U.S.-China relations.

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Researchers unearth Southeast Asia's largest dinosaur

An artistic illustration of the <!-- raw HTML omitted -->Nagatitan<!-- raw HTML omitted -->, the largest dinosaur discovered in Southeast Asia.

They're calling it the "last titan" of Thailand. The sauropod — an herbivore with a long neck and tail — comes from the late Early Cretaceous period, some 100 to 120 million years ago.

(Image credit: Patchanop Boonsai)

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A Philippine senator wanted by the International Criminal Court flees from Senate

Senate security run after gunfire was heard along a hallway at the Philippine Senate in Pasay, Philippines, Wednesday.

A police investigation is underway in the Philippines, with suspicions that the incident was staged to help Sen. Ronald dela Rosa escape.

(Image credit: Aaron Favila)

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As Trump visits Beijing, an LA-area mayor admits to acting as an agent for China

Eileen Wang, now the former mayor of the City of Arcadia, agreed to plead guilty to one felony charge that she acted as an illegal foreign agent of China.

Eileen Wang, now the former mayor of the City of Arcadia, agreed to plead guilty to one felony charge that she acted as an illegal foreign agent of China.

(Image credit: Frazer Harrison)

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Trump tries to make deals in China. And, Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as Fed leader

President Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026, in Beijing, China.

President Trump is vying to make deals with China during his visit with President Xi Jinping. And, the Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as the next leader of the Federal Reserve.

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

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Cordial Trump-Xi meeting is a 'good sign,' says longtime U.S. diplomat

U.S. President Donald Trump reviews an honor guard with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026 in Beijing, China.

Longtime U.S. diplomat Richard Haass interprets President Trump's meeting with China leader, Xi Jinping. He said though the two have different priorities the cordial summit could be a 'good sign.'

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

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Xi warns Trump over Taiwan, says differences could lead to clash

China

At the summit, the Chinese leader placed Taiwan, a key point of friction between the U.S. and China, at the center, calling it "the most important issue" between the two countries.

(Image credit: China Pool)

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A brain-controlled system may help listeners with hearing loss cut through the noise

Scientists say they

A hearing system that monitors brain waves could help people with hearing loss communicate in noisy environments.

(Image credit: Matteo Farinella)

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The MAHA movement is coming to school cafeterias. Here's what that means for kids

Great Valley School District culinary coordinator Jenifer Halin cleans up the salad bar in the cafeteria at Great Valley High School in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

U.S. school districts worry it could get even more expensive to prepare a meal under new federal dietary guidelines, as they also contend with cuts to programs that helped them buy local food.

(Image credit: Rachel Wisniewski for NPR)

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Ex-DOJ official goes public with blistering criticism of his former bosses

Jonathan Gross left the Department of Justice earlier this year and has become an outspoken critic of the department

Until recently, Jonathan Gross was a Trump political appointee at the Department of Justice and worked on its "Weaponization Working Group." He has now become a vocal critic of the department.

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Voters are caught in the middle as the redistricting battle intensifies

Voters cast their ballots on April 21 in Arlington, Va. The Virginia Supreme Court has nullified the April referendum on redistricting.

Much of the focus of the ongoing redistricting war has been on which political party will come out on top. But it's voters who will pay a cost, say voting experts and voting rights advocates.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

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Morning news brief

President Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jingping for summit during first day in the country, what Asia thinks of Trump's visit, appeals court hears arguments from law firms targeted by Trump.

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How Asia is reacting to Trump's summit in China

President Trump is in Beijing for his big summit with Chinese leaders. How Asia is reacting to the summit.

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UAE denies Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the Iran war

Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, his office said Wednesday. The UAE later denied any secret visit had occurred.

(Image credit: Ilia Yefimovich/AP)

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Russia hits Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles, killing 1 and injuring 31

Rescue workers clear the rubble of a house heavily damaged after a Russian strike on a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

Russia has launched a mass drone and missile attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, killing one person and injuring at least 31. Local authorities report damage across six districts.

(Image credit: Evgeniy Maloletka)

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Denise Powell wins Democratic primary for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district

Denise Powell, candidate for the Democratic nomination to the House of Representatives in Nebraska

Political organizer Denise Powell has defeated State Sen. John Cavanaugh to win the Democratic primary in the closely watched race for Nebraska's second congressional district.

(Image credit: Rebecca S. Gratz)

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Remains of 2nd U.S. soldier who went missing in Morocco have been recovered

U.S. and Moroccan military forces take part in the 20th edition of the African Lion military exercise, in Tantan, south of Agadir, Morocco, on May 31, 2024.

Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Taveres, Florida, is the second U.S. soldier who fell off a cliff during a recreational hike in Morocco. The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. were recovered last week.

(Image credit: Mosa'ab Elshamy)

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Foreign ticket holders from World Cup teams' countries won't have to pay bonds to enter U.S.

President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino talk during a FIFA task force meeting in the East Room of the White House, May 6, 2025, in Washington.

The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that visitors from countries that have qualified for the World Cup and bought tickets for the tournament pay as much as $15,000 in bonds to enter the U.S.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

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Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as next chair of the Federal Reserve

Kevin Warsh won Senate approval to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. He takes over at a time when soaring gasoline prices have put upward pressure on inflation.

Warsh has argued there's room for the central bank to lower interest rates, but that could be challenging at a time of rising inflation.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

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