Trump’s Fund Shows Blanche Choosing Loyalty Over Pushing Back
5/21/2026 12:39 PM Open Story
Once seen by some as the most conventional of President Trump’s political appointees, Todd Blanche has taken off the gloves in his new role as acting attorney general.
Trump’s $1.8 Billion Fund in the Cross Hairs
5/21/2026 9:01 AM Open Story
Critics say the deal creates a “slush fund,” a term with a colorful maritime history.
5 Takeaways From the Democrats’ Autopsy of Kamala Harris’s 2024 Loss
5/21/2026 11:39 AM Open Story
A draft report released by the Democratic National Committee argued that Ms. Harris did not sufficiently separate herself from President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Democrats’ Midterm Strength Masks Fierce Divides and Frustration, Poll Shows
5/21/2026 2:00 AM Open Story
Democratic voters are in a combative, anti-establishment mood, unhappy with their party and disagreeing about its best path forward, a New York Times/Siena poll found.
Experimental Drug Yields Dramatic Weight Loss
5/21/2026 3:45 AM Open Story
People who got the injection, retatrutide, lost 28 percent of their body weight on average after 80 weeks, Eli Lilly said.
Stephen Colbert’s Final ‘Late Show’ Marks the End of an Era
5/21/2026 4:07 AM Open Story
Stephen Colbert’s “Colbert Report” satirized politics. Then his “Late Show” confronted a moment when politics became self-satirizing.
Supreme Court Permits Lawsuit Over U.S. Assets Seized by Cuba in 1960
5/21/2026 11:55 AM Open Story
The Trump administration backed a lawsuit brought by the Havana Docks Corporation that would allow the U.S.-owned entity to get compensation for property confiscated by Fidel Castro’s regime.
In Blackout-Hit Cuba, Word of U.S. Castro Indictment Spreads Slowly
5/21/2026 7:09 AM Open Story
While many Cubans were divided over the legitimacy of the U.S. charging Raúl Castro with murder, the hope for developments that might ease their suffering is widespread.
He Sued the N.Y.P.D. He Advised ‘Homeland.’ Now He’s Mamdani’s Lawyer.
5/21/2026 12:00 AM Open Story
Ramzi Kassem is accustomed to challenging authority. As the chief counsel to Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City, he finds himself on the other side.
A Powerful El Niño Is Forming. If History Is a Guide, It Could Hit Hard.
5/21/2026 10:36 AM Open Story
The biggest episodes of the past have altered the course of human events, according to researchers. An emerging one is drawing historic comparisons.
NOAA’s 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Forecast Sees Fewer Storms, but There’s a Catch
5/21/2026 10:54 AM Open Story
El Niño may keep the Atlantic quieter, but it could bring more storms to the Pacific.
Fan A.I. Videos Help Spencer Pratt Break Through in L.A. Mayor’s Race
5/21/2026 9:29 AM Open Story
Supporters have created A.I. videos to boost the mayoral campaign of Spencer Pratt, the former MTV star. Some videos have gone viral, but it’s not clear whether they will yield votes.
Gov. Gavin Newsom to Sign Executive Order Aimed at A.I. Job Loss
5/21/2026 8:26 AM Open Story
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to explore an overhaul of labor policies to deal with potential mass job displacement from artificial intelligence.
Trump Cancels Signing of Executive Order Granting Oversight of A.I. Models
5/21/2026 10:47 AM Open Story
The president said he postponed the executive order, which would give the government power to evaluate A.I. models before their release, over concerns about “aspects of it.”
What Graduation Speakers Are Telling the Class of 2026
5/21/2026 2:00 AM Open Story
Will A.I. replace them? Graduation speakers addressed student uncertainty about the future with jokes and words of wisdom.
Elon Musk and Other CEOs on Trump’s Trip to China Sought Relief
5/21/2026 10:52 AM Open Story
Elon Musk and other powerful executives who accompanied President Trump to China are hoping to clear roadblocks put up by Beijing.
Exxon Is Nearing a Deal to Pump Oil in Venezuela, Marking a Victory for Trump
5/21/2026 12:58 PM Open Story
The U.S. oil giant is negotiating a deal to pump oil in Venezuela, ending a standoff with its socialist rulers and marking a victory for President Trump.
The Hard-Line Military Fraternity Running Iran
5/21/2026 7:08 AM Open Story
Decision making in the country is guided by a small group of men associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Germany Indicts Two Men for Plotting to Kill Jewish Leaders on Iran’s Behalf
5/21/2026 10:19 AM Open Story
European authorities have grown concerned about a rise in Iranian intelligence activity in Europe in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
Elim Chan Becomes First Female Music Director of San Francisco Symphony
5/21/2026 9:48 AM Open Story
Elim Chan has been named the symphony’s next music director. She joins a small field of female conductors at American orchestras, as San Francisco rebuilds after Esa-Pekka Salonen.
U.S. Imposes Entry Restrictions for Some Citizens Amid Ebola Outbreak
5/21/2026 11:52 AM Open Story
The Department of Homeland Security directed all flights carrying certain travelers to arrive at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
Uganda Restricts Travel with Congo Over Ebola Outbreak
5/21/2026 9:37 AM Open Story
Uganda said that flights to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo would be temporarily suspended, as the outbreak appeared to spread to a rebel-controlled province in Congo.
Air France Flight to U.S. Is Diverted to Montreal Over Congolese Passenger Amid Ebola Fears
5/21/2026 7:22 AM Open Story
An Air France plane was sent to Montreal because a passenger from the Democratic Republic of Congo was on board. The U.S. has closed its borders to recent visitors to the African country.
Tennessee Calls Off Execution After Staff Can’t Find Prisoner’s Vein
5/21/2026 1:25 PM Open Story
Tony Carruthers, convicted in connection with three 1994 murders, was scheduled to be executed Thursday morning.
Justices Decline to Rule in Death Penalty Case Over Intellectual Disabilities
5/21/2026 9:23 AM Open Story
An Alabama man challenged his death sentence after a murder conviction because of his varying results in a series of I.Q. tests.
Publishing’s Latest Piracy Problem: Audiobooks on YouTube
5/21/2026 2:00 AM Open Story
Illegal, synthetically narrated copies of “The Hunger Games,” hit self-help books and everything in between are increasingly common on the platform.
Audible Opens a Bookless Bookstore
5/20/2026 12:05 PM Open Story
Booksellers are trying to figure out how to market audiobooks in person. At a new pop-up, the Amazon-owned company is betting on listening rooms, branded merch and “story tenders.”
World Cup Fever Brings More Soccer Pitches to N.Y.C.
5/19/2026 7:46 AM Open Story
Companies, government organizations, nonprofits and schools work to make pitches available to play.
New Jersey Says Yes to Airbnbs During the World Cup
5/21/2026 2:02 AM Open Story
As New York City tamps down on short-term rentals, some New Jersey municipalities are encouraging residents to take advantage of the windfall World Cup travelers could bring.
This Is How a Party Ends Up Looking Like a Clown Car
5/21/2026 4:58 AM Open Story
We need leaders who tell us hard truths while insisting that the present state of our politics is not permanent.
A Defense of a Liberal Arts Education in the Age of A.I.
5/21/2026 11:39 AM Open Story
Making the case for a “useless” education.
‘Peanuts’ Music Owner Sues Interior Department and 3 Companies for Copyright Infringement
5/21/2026 1:22 PM Open Story
The owner of the “Peanuts” catalog would really like it if companies and the U.S. government stopped using its music without permission.
A Very Lonely Caterpillar, Possibly the Last of Its Kind, Has Died
5/21/2026 11:37 AM Open Story
The Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly hasn’t been seen in the wild since 2022. The caterpillar was the last individual in human care.
Is Museum Wall Text the Next Political Battleground?
5/21/2026 2:00 AM Open Story
The Smithsonian has changed or eliminated some interpretive language that typically accompanies exhibited artworks. Critics call this self-censorship.
In Berlin, Cars Are a Culture War Flashpoint
5/21/2026 2:22 AM Open Story
With municipal elections approaching, conservatives and progressives are sparring over congestion in the city center and how to fix it.