2026-05-20
Senate votes to limit Trump's Iran war powers. Putin and Xi align. Georgia GOP ejects Trump foes.
Good morning. A primary day masquerading as a quiet one. Senate Republicans split on Iran. Two Republican incumbents lost their seats to Trump-backed challengers.
Morning Reality Check
Four Republican senators, led by Louisiana's Bill Cassidy, backed the measure. Symbolic, unlikely to pass Trump veto, but the vote itself signals cracks. Republican war fatigue is real.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio marked Cuban Independence Day with a Spanish-language video blaming the island's hardships on communist leadership. First Rubio has addressed Cuba at this level since taking office.
Nigerian Army praised joint strikes in the northeast as part of ongoing hunt for terrorists. Kill count: 175.
China and Russia reaffirmed ties. Xi pushed Mideast ceasefire—three days after hosting Trump in Beijing. The dance: both sides pretend alignment while maneuvering for advantage.
A 56-year-old fell into an open maintenance hole near Fifth Avenue after exiting her SUV. Authorities investigating how the cover went missing and why.
Opinion piece argues that three major tax packages over a decade have ditched fiscal discipline for election-cycle focus. The fiscal cliff waits anyway.
Ed Gallrein led 54.4% to Thomas Massie's 45.6% with 72% counted. Massie, who'd defied Trump, got Trump-backed opponent instead. Second Trump foe down today.
Sana Yousaf's killer received death sentence. Her murder is one of many in a pattern of violence against women in Pakistan, activists say.
- Georgia GOP Senate race goes to runoff
- Jones, Jackson move to Republican primary run-off in Georgia governor race
- Raffensperger finishes last in Georgia governor race
- Beach Energy CEO eyes Australia's outlook
- Tankmaker Rheinmetall Preps First Public Bond Deal Since 2010
- ECB likely to hike in June if Iran war drags on
- Samsung workers strike Thursday
- OpenAI commits $234M to Singapore AI lab
- Meta cuts 8,000 jobs in AI efficiency push
- Seven bizarre insomnia cures from history
"Standard noise. Calibrate accordingly."
"Worth paying attention to. Don't doomscroll."
Senate fractures on war. Georgia GOP purges Trump critics. Markets absorb it.
Back at 12:00 PM ET with the lunch reset brief.