United States to host World Cup halftime spectacular

 

United States – FIFA has announced that the 2026 World Cup final, to be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will feature a Super Bowl-style halftime show headlined by Madonna, Shakira, and South Korean group BTS. The new format will debut during the championship match of the...

Multiple U.S. towns report overnight structure fires, investigations

 

Selma, N.C. — Multiple fire departments responded Thursday night to a fire at the Atkinson Milling Company off NC 42 East after crews were dispatched around 8:30 p.m. when a blaze was reported inside the business. Units from the Antioch, Northside, Corinth Holders, Selma and Middlesex Fire Departments arrived to...

United States tech firms flag Anthropic supply-chain risk

 

United States – U.S. technology companies are increasingly designating Anthropic as a supply chain risk amid the AI firm’s escalating legal dispute with the U.S. government. Firms such as Figma have disclosed in regulatory and customer communications that this classification could jeopardize their ability to sell or maintain AI-powered tools...

Trump-backed challenge threatens Sen. Cassidy in Louisiana primary

 

WASHINGTON - Louisiana voters will take part Saturday in a streamlined state primary to determine whether Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy secures a third term or is unseated by challengers including state Treasurer John Fleming and U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, who received a public endorsement from former President Donald Trump in...

Iran: Cargo ship sunk, second vessel seized

 

Maritime tensions in the Strait of Hormuz intensified on Friday as one cargo vessel was sunk and a second ship was seized near the strategic waterway by Iranian forces, according to maritime security agencies and the Associated Press. A merchant ship anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates...

Midwest braces for thunderstorms and humidity this weekend

 

Indianapolis — Local meteorologists and broadcasters forecast warmer, more humid conditions with scattered showers and thunderstorms across Central Indiana and neighboring Midwestern states this weekend, beginning Friday and continuing into Sunday. Forecasters cited a shift of high pressure eastward and incoming Gulf moisture that will fuel showers and isolated storms...

Memphis Split Across New Tennessee Congressional Maps

 

Memphis, Tenn. Tennessee Republicans last week pushed through new congressional maps that split the majority-Black city along Poplar Avenue into three districts likely to elect Republicans, reshaping representation ahead of upcoming primaries and an August election cycle. The redrawn boundaries extend from Memphis into Nashville suburbs after a Supreme Court...

Powell exits Fed after turbulent inflation and politics

 

WASHINGTON. Jerome Powell is stepping down as chair of the Federal Reserve this week after eight years leading the central bank, during which post-pandemic inflation rose well above the Fed’s 2% target and policymakers lifted the key short-term rate to a two-decade high in 2023. Economists also note unemployment reached...

Small Plane Crashes Into Akron Home, Killing Two

 

Akron, Ohio. A Piper PA-28 crashed into a residence near the Akron Fulton Airport at about 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, striking the home and sparking a significant fire that sent heavy black smoke over the neighborhood; two people aboard the aircraft were found dead at the scene. Local fire...

U.S. DOJ Reported to Seek Indictment of Raúl Castro

 

Washington. The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly planning to seek an indictment of former Cuban president Raúl Castro, 94, according to Reuters, CBS and other outlets this week; reporting dated May 14–15, 2026 links the potential charges to the February 24, 1996 downing of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft...