May 25, 2026 (San Diego) – Top stories reporting in other media in the US include rising inflation, weakening of the Voting Rights Act, a fund that could reimburse Jan. 6 rioters, court rulings on tariffs and humanities grants, ICE funding of police, and insider trading allegations. Global headlines include the U.S. indicting Cuba’s former ruler, plans stalled to reopen Strait of Hormuz, a South American oil spill, and Russia threatening new strikes in Ukraine.
U.S.
- Trump returns to the U.S. from China with pressure over rising inflation (AP via PBS)
- Supreme Court ruling weakens a key tool of the Voting Rights Act (AP)
- 6 rioters, election deniers reach for a piece of Trump’s ‘weaponization fund’ (CNN)
- ICE is giving local police big money to help with immigration enforcement (NPR)
- Trade court rules Trump’s replacement tariffs illegal (Politico)
- Judge rules Trump administration’s cancellation of humanities grants was unconstitutional (AP)
- Trump Bought Corporations’ Stock as His Administration Boosted Their Business (NOTUS)
.WORLD
- S. moving to indict Cuba’s Raúl Castro(CBS)
- Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies (NBC)
- Venezuela warns of ‘serious’ environmental impact from alleged oil spill in Trinidad and Tobago (AP)
- Russia threatens more Kyiv strikes and tells foreign nationals to leave (BBC)
For excerpts and links to full stories, scroll down.
U.S.
Trump returns to the U.S. from China with pressure over rising inflation (AP via PBS)
President Donald Trump returned from the spectacle of a Chinese state visit to a less than welcoming U.S. economy — with the military band and garden tour in Beijing giving way to pressure over how to fix America’s escalating inflation rate. Consumer inflation in the United States increased to 3.8% annually in April, higher than what he inherited as the Iran war and the Republican president’s own tariffs have pushed up prices. Inflation is now outpacing wage gains and effectively making workers poorer. The Cleveland Federal Reserve estimates that annual inflation could reach 4.2% in May as the war has kept oil and gasoline prices high.
Supreme Court ruling weakens a key tool of the Voting Rights Act (AP)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down Louisiana’s second majority Black congressional district in a decision that could open the door for Republican-led states to eliminate Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats and affect the balance of power in Congress.
Jan. 6 rioters, election deniers reach for a piece of Trump’s ‘weaponization fund’ (CNN)
Supporters of President Donald Trump who tried to overturn the 2020 election are among those eager to potentially cash in from the $1.8 billion compensation fund for people the Trump administration believes were victims of government “weaponization and lawfare.” In interviews with CNN, convicted US Capitol rioters from January 6, 2021, fake electors and prominent election deniers said they’re hoping to tap the massive fund, which they think is long overdue.
ICE is giving local police big money to help with immigration enforcement (NPR)
Nationwide, the Department of Homeland Security is promising $100,000 for new vehicles and potentially tens of thousands more in equipment to law enforcement agencies who sign on. It also says it will reimburse the salaries and benefits of officers in the program – and touts the potential for bonuses based on an officer’s success in finding undocumented people, similar to a bounty hunter system. A recent report…estimated that if every police agency receives what DHS promised, the total could amount to as much as $2 billion in 2026 alone.
Trade court rules Trump’s replacement tariffs illegal (Politico)
A federal court on Thursday ruled that President Donald Trump unlawfully used Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a 10 percent global tariff — a backup plan the president implemented after the Supreme Court struck down his more sweeping worldwide tariffs earlier this year.
Judge rules Trump administration’s cancellation of humanities grants was unconstitutional (AP)
The Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $100 million in humanities grants to scholars, writers, research groups and other organizations was unconstitutional, and the Department of Government Efficiency had no authority to end the funding, a federal judge in New York ruled on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in Manhattan sided with The Authors Guild, several other groups and several people who had their grants canceled and sued DOGE and the National Endowment for the Humanities. McMahon permanently barred the administration from terminating the grants and criticized DOGE’s use of artificial intelligence in nixing the funding.
Trump Bought Corporations’ Stock as His Administration Boosted Their Business (NOTUS)
President Donald Trump personally bought and sold millions of dollars worth of stock in technology companies and government contractors early this year, according to new government records. The Trump administration directly regulates some of these companies and many of these trades coincided with favorable regulatory decisions.
WORLD
U.S. moving to indict Cuba’s Raúl Castro (CBS)
The U.S. is taking steps to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba and brother of Fidel, in connection with the downing of planes 30 years ago, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The potential indictment — which would need to be approved by a grand jury — is expected to focus on Cuba’s deadly 1996 shootdown of planes operated by humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies (NBC)
Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing “Project Freedom” on social media Sunday afternoon, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia. In response, the Kingdom informed the U.S. it would not allow the U.S. military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort, the officials said.
Venezuela warns of ‘serious’ environmental impact from alleged oil spill in Trinidad and Tobago (AP)
Venezuela says an oil spill that originated in Trinidad and Tobago, two islands just off its coast, had caused serious environmental damage along the coastlines of at least two of its states and in a gulf area near the Caribbean nation.
Russia threatens more Kyiv strikes and tells foreign nationals to leave (BBC)
Russia has threatened to launch a fresh wave of “systematic strikes” against Kyiv, days after carrying out one of its largest attacks on the Ukrainian capital since the start of the war. The new strikes will target “decision-making centres and command posts”, alongside drone manufacturing facilities in the city, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.