Local election administration reports prompt scrutiny and investigations

 

Reading, Pennsylvania — At a Thursday board of elections meeting, Berks County Commissioner Michael Rivera reported that 51,612 ballots were cast in the May 19 primary, producing a 23.22% turnout; Democrats cast 25,937 ballots and Republicans cast 25,675. Rivera also presented absentee and provisional ballot counts, and the board voted...

United States expands Ebola screenings at major airports

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, working with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection, has launched expanded mandatory public health entry screenings at three major international airports in response to a rapidly growing Ebola outbreak in East and Central Africa. Effective immediately, all passengers who...

DOJ Sues Four States Over Confidential License Plates

 

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday sued Maine, Washington, Oregon and Massachusetts, alleging each state enacted policies that unlawfully deny confidential license plates to federal law enforcement. The suits follow DOJ letters requesting rescission of the policies; Maine paused new plate issuance in January amid enforcement-operation...

Whitmer Rules Out 2028 Presidential Run, Cites Break

 

Mackinac Island, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a two-term governor from a key battleground state, said Thursday at the Mackinac Policy Conference that she will not run for president in 2028, speaking on the front porch of the Grand Hotel during an on-the-record interview with Detroit's WJBK-TV. Her comments on...

SC Allows Vinesh Phogat To Contest Asian Games Trials

 

New Delhi. The Supreme Court on Friday declined to stay a Delhi High Court order permitting Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in the Asian Games 2026 selection trials scheduled for May 30 and 31 in Delhi; the bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe directed that she be...

Florida To Pay Assistants $11.2 Million In 2026

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida will pay its football assistants a combined $11.2 million in 2026, the school disclosed this week after releasing contract details; offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner is set to earn $2.1 million in 2026 under a three-year, $6.6 million deal, and defensive coordinator Brad White...

Longview, Washington mill disaster contaminates Columbia River

 

Authorities in Longview, Washington, have shifted from rescue to recovery operations after a 900,000-gallon chemical tank ruptured Tuesday at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging pulp and paper mill. Officials confirmed two deaths and said nine additional workers remain missing and are feared dead. The tank contained white liquor, a caustic mixture...

United States: Musk weighs potential SpaceX-Tesla merger

 

In the United States, Elon Musk has recently held internal discussions about potentially merging SpaceX and Tesla into a single corporate entity, according to multiple people cited by CNBC. The talks come just weeks before SpaceX is scheduled to list on Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX, following its May 20,...

Peabody Prices $225M Convertible Notes, Settles June 2

 

ST. LOUIS — Peabody announced on May 28 that it priced $225 million of convertible senior notes due 2031 in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers, with an initial 0.50% interest rate and an option for initial purchasers to buy up to an additional $25 million; settlement is scheduled...

WASHINGTON FAA grounds SpaceX Starship after mishap

 

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has grounded SpaceX’s Starship launch vehicle program following an inflight anomaly involving its Super Heavy first-stage booster during Flight 12. In a statement released after the May 22, 2026 test from Boca Chica, Texas, the FAA classified the booster’s landing failure as a flight mishap,...