2026-05-22
Trump deploys 5,000 to Poland. Slow Food founder dies. Markets bet Fed won't cut.
Good afternoon. A day of repositioning: Trump moves troops, Kevin Warsh takes the Fed chair, and markets are already sizing him up. The question isn't whether anything happened. It's whether anyone changed their mind.
Lunch Brief
After an earlier deployment was scrapped under pressure to let Europe defend itself, Trump reversed course Thursday. The shift, he said, reflected his relationship with Poland's president Karol Nawro. Consistency: optional.
Kevin Warsh takes the chair as Trump demands rate cuts. Markets are already pricing in no movement through most of 2026. The incoming chair's job: disappoint his boss or disappoint bond traders. He can't do both.
Carlo Petrini built a global movement rejecting fast food in favor of sustainable, traditional cooking. He spent fifty years arguing the obvious: meals matter more than speed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Cuba a national security threat Thursday. The statement contained no new facts, no new incidents, and no timeline.
Iran proposed a tolling system for the Strait of Hormuz. The Secretary of State called it unacceptable and tempered expectations for a deal to end the Iran war. Both sides remain committed to maximizing friction.
British police appealed for witnesses Friday in a widening investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by the former prince. The case has already cost him his military titles and public duties.
At least five climbers have died this season. A U.S. and Czech climber died on Makalu earlier this month. A record-holder warned that the mountain is now too crowded for its own good.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said Thursday that weapons deliveries to Taiwan are on hold to preserve US munitions stocks for Iran operations. Trump recently cast doubt on US support for the island anyway.
- GOP kills budget bill over 'weaponization' fund
- Opinion: When political party is prioritized over country, everyone loses
- The Hunt to Uncover a Global Art Trafficking Network
- Warsh faces mounting rate rise bets as he takes charge of Fed
- Estee Lauder, IMAX rise; Ross lifts outlook
- Alberta plans vote on whether to vote on leaving
- StanChart CEO apologizes for 'lower-value human' remark
- Sustainable brand Everlane sells to fast-fashion Shein
- Norway's $2.3T fund objects to Elkann at Meta
- Belugas pass self-recognition test
"Standard noise. Calibrate accordingly."
"The wire took a breath. Don't get used to it."
Trump repositions troops while markets bet the Fed chair will cut rates he doesn't control yet.
Back at 6:00 PM ET with the night owl brief.