Good morning. It's Tuesday, May 17, and we're covering a slate of primary elections, a long-awaited hearing on UFOs, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected]. |
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The busiest day so far in the midterm election cycle kicks off this morning, with primary voters in Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, and Pennsylvania all casting ballots.
Pennsylvania hosts one of the most competitive races, where celebrity physician Dr. Mehmet Oz, hedge fund manager David McCormick, and conservative commentator Kathy Barnette are locked in a three-way battle for the GOP Senate nomination. Oz, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, enters the day with a four-point lead in the polls. The winner will likely face John Fetterman, who has a wide lead in the Democratic primary—though news that he suffered a stroke over the weekend adds some uncertainty to the outcome.
In North Carolina, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R) faces seven challengers, while Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) faces off against his deputy, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin (R).
See a breakdown of the races here. |
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Congressional lawmakers are holding a public hearing on UFOs today for the first time in more than 50 years. Members of a House subcommittee will hear testimony from defense officials on reports of unidentified aerial phenomena and their potential risks to national security. The hearing (9 am ET, watch here) comes about a year after the release of a preliminary report on 144 incidents of mysterious flying objects seen between 2004 and 2021. Read the report here.
In early 2021, the Pentagon declassified a swath of UFO-related files (see here), including a previously released video of US Navy fighters encountering a flying object in 2015 (see video). In December, an amendment was added to the annual National Defense Authorization Act, requiring the military to establish a UFO research office and conduct investigations on such sightings.
Congress hasn't held a public hearing on UFOs since the US Air Force closed a public investigation called Project Blue Book (see 101) in 1969. |
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President Joe Biden confirmed yesterday the US will redeploy hundreds of troops to Somalia, reversing former President Donald Trump’s decision to pull troops from the country in January 2021. The effort is meant to counter al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked Islamist militant group responsible for the 2020 fatal attack on a US base in Kenya.
The two nations have had a complex relationship in recent decades as Somalia struggled to recover from a civil war (see history). US and UN humanitarian efforts to stabilize the country ended after 19 troops were killed in a notorious failed 1993 operation, which inspired the novel and film “Black Hawk Down.” However, the US returned to Somalia in the early 2000s to fight al-Qaida cells, including al-Shabab. The US had about 700 troops in the country before they were relocated in 2021.
The news comes as Somalia’s parliament elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as president Sunday. He previously served as the country’s president from 2012 to 2017. |
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In partnership with Policygenius
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BRING DOWN THE HOUSE (INSURANCE BILL)
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Check out Policygenius today to receive your free home insurance quotes and see how much you could save. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
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> The 75th Cannes Film Festival (May 17-28) kicks off today from France (More) | See the festival's most anticipated films (More)
> NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs second round begins tonight; defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning face off against top-seed Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues take on Colorado Avalanche (More)
> Blackpool player Jake Daniels becomes the UK's first active openly gay male professional soccer player since 1990 (More) |
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> Twitter says internal estimates reaffirm spam and bot accounts make up less than 5% of active users; potential buyer Elon Musk said his bid is paused until the figure is confirmed (More)
> Uber Eats to begin pilot program using autonomous food delivery in the Los Angeles area (More)
> CRISPR gene editing technique demonstrated in cockroaches; new approach is expected to accelerate genomic research in insects (More) |
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> US stock markets mixed (S&P 500 -0.4%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq -1.2%) ahead of today’s monthly retail sales release (More)
> McDonald’s to sell Russian assets to local buyer; 847 restaurants would not be allowed to use name, brand, and menu (More) | JetBlue to launch hostile takeover attempt to acquire Spirit Airlines following Spirit’s rejection of its $3.6B offer in favor of $2.9B merger with Frontier Airlines; Spirit board accepted Frontier deal due to lower regulatory approval risk (More)
> Abbott reaches agreement with FDA to reopen plant that produces baby formula amid shortage (More) | State judge rules proposed California law requiring companies to add female directors to their corporate boards is unconstitutional (More) |
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> Officials say gunman who carried out mass shooting Saturday at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store planned to target a second store (More) | What we know about the victims (More) | Suspect in separate shooting at a California church charged (More)
> Sweden formally announces intent to join NATO, its biggest shift against a two-century-old policy of neutrality (More) | Turkey says it may veto application (More) | See updates on the Russian war in Ukraine (More)
> Michael Sussmann trial begins; Sussman was charged with lying to the FBI by special counsel John Durham as part of a probe into the origins of Russian election interference claims (More) |
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The Legend of Boots O'Neal
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Texas Monthly | Christian Wallace. The bronc-busting and death-defying tales of legendary cowboy Boots O'Neal, who at nearly 90 years old still saddles up every morning at the Four Sixes Ranch. (Read) |
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The Walrus | Carmine Starnino. Robots are writing poetry, and many people can't tell the difference. What does that mean for the future of the art? (Read) |
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THE LOW-DOWN ON LOW RATES
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In partnership with Policygenius
With inflation making our wallets hurt, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re getting the lowest possible rates on your home and auto insurance. Policygenius is your solution. Their licensed agents can help you find the right home insurance policy at your lowest rate when you reshop. And you can trust their advice—they work for you, not the insurers, so they won’t advocate for any one insurer or policy over the other unless it benefits you.
But don’t just take our word for it—head to Policygenius to get free home insurance quotes and start saving today. |
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