News Briefs

Baltimore prepares to move disabled cargo ship. Workers in Baltimore were preparing to clear a crashed cargo ship nearly as long as the Eiffel Tower from the channel it is blocking, officials said on May 19, almost two months after the vessel downed the Francis Scott Key bridge, paralyzing a major eastern U.S. port. The unified command organizations overseeing the response said work would begin early on May 20 to move the cargo ship Dali to a local marine terminal. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said workers were on track to clear the channel this month and restore full access to the port.

Sparrows Point was a company town that lost its iconic company but persevered. Now, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge has left residents feeling cut off on the north side of the harbor, wondering what the future may hold for their home.

Israel seeks to block establishment of Palestinian state. On May 20, Israel called for the United States to help stop the establishment of a Palestinian state, which it said would be a reward for Hamas and its backer Iran. European Union members including Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and Malta have said they could recognize a Palestinian state this month, seeing a two-state solution as essential for lasting peace. Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz said if a Palestinian state was established, Iran would use it as a base to “work towards the destruction of Israel.”

Taiwan swears in a new president. In his inauguration speech, President Lai Ching-te said that he seeks peace with China and urged it to stop its military threats against the self-governed island that Beijing claims as its territory. Mr. Lai pledged on May 20 to “neither yield nor provoke” Beijing. But he emphasized that the island democracy is determined to defend itself. Mr. Lai’s party, the Democratic Progressive Party, doesn’t seek independence from China but maintains that Taiwan is already a sovereign nation. Mr. Lai takes over from Tsai Ing-wen, who led Taiwan through eight years of economic and social development.

When Taiwan’s voters picked Lai Ching-te for president they gave his pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive Party an unprecedented win. But the DPP’s loss of parliament may curb any bold moves – and provide some comfort to Beijing.

International court issues warrants against Israel, Hamas leaders. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Karim Khan said on May 20 that he believes Mr. Netanyahu, his defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel. The prosecutor must request the warrants from a pre-trial panel of three judges, who take on average two months to consider the evidence and determine if the proceedings can move forward.

War can create uncomfortable common ground between opponents. In Gaza, political interests of the leaders of Israel and Hamas may be helping to extend the conflict despite negotiators’ urgent efforts.

Paul Pelosi attacker sentenced to 30 years. The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. A federal judge handed down the sentence for David DePape on May 17. Jurors found Mr. DePape guilty last November of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. Mr. DePape admitted during trial testimony that he broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco home on Oct. 28, 2022, intending to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage. He also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer.

Bodies of Israeli hostages found. The Israeli military says its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three Israeli hostages killed by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack, including German-Israeli Shani Louk. A photo of Ms. Louk in the back of a pickup truck ricocheted around the world, bringing to light the scale of the attack. The military on May 17 identified the other two bodies as 28-year-old Amit Buskila and 56-year-old Itzhak Gelerenter. A military spokesman said all three were killed by Hamas while fleeing the Nova music festival near the Gaza border. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza.

Israeli hostages’ families and Palestinians in Gaza are on opposite sides of the war yet on the same taxing emotional roller coaster. So how to maintain hope? As one interviewee put it, “We are all human beings at the end of the day.”

Dow tops 40,000. The Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 40,000 on May 16, an all-time high. The state of the U.S. economy looms as one of the larger factors weighing on the U.S. presidential election but the Dow represents only a narrow slice of the economy. Investors’ 401(k) accounts are much more likely to include an S&P 500 index fund than anything tied to the Dow. The S&P 500 crossed above its milestone on May 15, topping 5,300 points for the first time. 

Severe storms hit Texas and Louisiana. Intense storms hit southeastern Texas on May 16 for the second time this month, and Houston’s mayor reported at least four people died. Windows were blown out of high-rise buildings, trees were downed, and more than 900,000 customers in the Houston area lost power at the height of the storms. The fast-moving storm also hit neighboring Louisiana and left more than 215,000 customers there without power. Flood watches and warnings remained in effect on May 17. Heavy storms slammed the region during the first week of May, leading to numerous high-water rescues.

North Korea test-fires missiles. Suspected short-range ballistic missiles were fired off its east coast on May 17, a day after South Korea and the United States flew fighter jets in a drill that the North views as a major security threat. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says the launches were made from the North’s east coast and called them “a clear provocation” that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea in recent months has extended its weapons testing as part of its efforts to enlarge and modernize its military capabilities. Diplomacy with the U.S. and South Korea remains stalled.

Texas pardons man convicted of murder. Texas Governor Greg Abbott granted a full pardon May 16 to a former U.S. Army sergeant and Uber driver who was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting a Black Lives Matter protester. Mr. Abbott, a Republican, in his pardon proclamation cited the state’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law. Daniel Perry was found guilty in April 2023 of murdering Garrett Foster, an armed U.S. Air Force veteran who was legally carrying a gun at a Black Lives Matter rally in Austin in July 2020. Mr. Perry is white, as was Mr. Foster.

Supreme Court sides with consumer protections. The Supreme Court on May 16 rejected a conservative-led attack that could have undermined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The justices ruled 7-2 that the way the CFPB is funded does not violate the Constitution, reversing a lower court decision. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion. Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented. The CFPB was created after the 2008 financial crisis to regulate mortgages, car loans, and other consumer finance. The case was brought by payday lenders who object to a bureau rule that limits their ability to withdraw funds directly from borrowers’ bank accounts. 

Putin and Xi reaffirm ties at Beijing summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed their “no-limits” partnership as both countries face rising tensions with the West, and criticized U.S. military alliances in Asia and the Pacific region. At their summit on May 16, Mr. Putin thanked China’s proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, which have been rejected by Ukraine and its Western supporters as following the Kremlin’s line. Mr. Putin’s two-day visit comes as Russian forces are pressing an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began.

As Russia’s war with Ukraine drags on, a growing number of European leaders have concluded that the days of the “peace dividend” are over, and that Europe needs to spend more – much more – on its defense.

South Africa asks World Court to halt IDF. South Africa asked the top U.N. court on May 16 to order a halt to Israel’s Rafah offensive as part of its case in The Hague accusing Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip. The hearings at the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, come after South Africa last week asked for additional emergency measures to protect Rafah, a southern Gaza city sheltering Palestinians. It also asked the court to allow unimpeded access to Gaza for U.N. officials, organizations providing humanitarian aid, and journalists and investigators. 

The West Bank has not been untouched by war in Gaza, which has catalyzed settler attacks and military raids. With jobs in Israel lost and public sector wages unpaid, the cumulative weight of the war is dragging down the economy, too.

Civil unrest in New Caledonia. Violence is raging across New Caledonia for the third consecutive day and France has imposed a state of emergency in the French Pacific territory. Authorities boosted security forces’ powers to quell deadly unrest in the archipelago, where some residents have long sought independence from France. Five people, including two police officers, have been killed in the violence. The unrest came after protests earlier this week over voting reforms pushed by President Emmanuel Macron’s government turned deadly. At least 214 people have been arrested.

Supreme Court backs Black majority Louisiana district. The Supreme Court ordered Louisiana to hold congressional elections using a House map with a second mostly Black district, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander. The order allows the use of a map that has majority Black populations in two of the state’s six congressional districts, potentially boosting Democrats’ chances of gaining control of the closely divided House of Representatives in the 2024 elections. The justices acted May 15 on emergency appeals filed by the state’s top Republican elected officials and Black voters seeking to avoid voter confusion. 

How does gerrymandering change U.S. politics? Look at this district.

Biden and Trump to debate. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to hold two campaign debates. The first will be on June 27 hosted by CNN, and the second on Sept. 10 hosted by ABC. CNN says its debate will be held in its Atlanta studios and “no audience will be present.” Mr. Biden announced on May 15 he won’t participate in fall presidential debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission that’s organized them for more than three decades, and proposed two debates with the Republican ex-president, excluding third-party candidates. CNN will allow third-party candidates who meet polling and ballot access requirements.

Slovakian prime minister shot. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is fighting for his life after he was shot by an assailant following a political event on May 15. The shooting sent shockwaves across Europe a few weeks before EU parliament elections. Leaders from across the political divide are denouncing the apparent assassination attempt against the populist, pro-Russian leader, calling it an attack on democracy. Mr. Fico returned to power in Slovakia last year. Having previously served twice as prime minister, from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2012 to 2018, the 59-year-old’s third term made him the longest-serving head of government in Slovakia. 

Secretary Blinken is in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from some parts of the country’s northeast and were battling Russian troops in other areas. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has postponed all his upcoming foreign trips, underscoring the seriousness of the threat his soldiers are facing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to reassure the ally of continuing American support. He announced a $2 billion arms deal on May 15. Most of the money comes from a package approved last month. The top diplomat is in Ukraine as Russian troops press a new offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

Before U.S. aid was approved, Ukraine scrambled to bolster its defenses with a new, tougher conscription law. But some war veterans warn that more troops only offer so much help.