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America’s busiest passenger rail service shut down on Saturday after unions and transit officials failed to agree on a new contract.

This is the first strike on the service in more than 30 years. It comes after three years of failed contract negotiations, two federal interventions and a volley of last-minute bargaining.

Nobody has yet challenged Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership, but his leading rival, Andy Burnham, finally has a route to Downing Street.

Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch spoke after prosecutors said they had arrested a man planning to attack a Manhattan synagogue.

Some of America’s most powerful C.E.O.s accompanied President Trump to Beijing during his summit with President Xi Jinping of China. Our reporter Ana Swanson explains what they were hoping to gain from the trip.

State officials had asked the justices to step in to allow the state to use a congressional map in the midterms that was drawn by Democrats and recently approved by voters.

The acquisition, Weights.gg, was a sort of social network for creating and sharing artificial intelligence algorithms.

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi is accused of leading attacks in Europe and being part of a retaliation campaign by Iran. Prosecutors say he is a leader of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia with ties to Iran.

CDC tightens home monitoring guidance for high-risk hantavirus contacts  The Washington PostHantavirus countdown: U.S. cruise passengers settle in for 42 days of waiting  NPRAmerican doctor who initially tested positive says further testing shows 'no evidence that I've had hantavirus'  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and VideosHantavirus Outbreak 2026  Johns Hopkins MedicineAmerican passenger from hantavirus-hit cruise ship speaks about life in quarantine  CBS News

Spurs close out Timberwolves behind Stephon Castle's 32 points in Game 6, will face Thunder in Western Conference finals  Yahoo SportsSpurs oust Wolves in Game 6 blowout, get OKC in conference finals  ESPNLive from Game 6: Spurs, smelling blood, take 13-point lead at halftime on Timberwolves in elimination game  Star TribuneGame 6 Preview: Timberwolves vs. Spurs  Canis HoopusWhere to watch Detroit Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers Playoffs: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 15  USA Today

Colorado governor commutes Trump ally Tina Peters' prison sentence for voting machine tampering  CBS NewsColorado governor grants election denier Tina Peters clemency, reduces sentence  Democracy DocketColorado governor commutes Tina Peters' sentence as Trump posts ‘FREE TINA!’  Fox NewsWho is Tina Peters, the Colorado clerk whose sentence for election crimes was commuted?  The GuardianColorado governor says he will grant clemency to Trump-aligned election conspiracy theorist  Politico

Republicans revise ballroom security funding after parliamentarian meeting  PoliticoFact-check: Are Republicans seeking $1B in taxpayer funds for Trump's White House ballroom?  WRALWhat's in the billion-dollar paragraph behind the White House ballroom debate  PBSSenate Republicans move ahead with $1B for Trump's ballroom security as Democrats pledge to fight  AP NewsWho’s Paying for the White House Ballroom?  FactCheck.org

Supreme Court rejects Virginia’s bid to restore congressional map favoring Democrats  AP NewsSupreme Court Rejects Virginia Democrats’ Effort to Reinstate New Voting Map  The New York TimesUS Supreme Court tosses longshot appeal from Virginians to use new congressional map that would benefit Democrats  CNNSupreme Court deals blow to Virginia Democrats in fight over state court ruling  Fox NewsSupreme Court rejects Virginia’s gerrymandering appeal after state court loss  MS NOW

Texas Children’s will create ‘detransition clinic’ to settle DOJ and state investigation  NBC NewsTexas Children’s Hospital to develop ‘detransition clinic,’ fire physicians as part of settlement, AG says  Houston Public MediaHospital Will Open First ‘Detransition’ Clinic in Legal Settlement With Texas  The New York TimesTexas Children's must open country's first "detransition clinic"  AxiosTexas children’s hospital to create first detransition clinic in win for Trump  The Guardian

Top Drug Regulator Is Fired From the F.D.A.  The New York TimesFDA official who scrutinized COVID shots and antidepressants is out in latest shake-up  KXAN AustinFDA shuffles top drug, biologics leaders in latest shakeup  CNBCFDA Revamp Begins With the Departure of a Marty Makary Ally  Bloomberg.comFDA leadership shake-up continues with departure of top drug regulator  NBC News

Fourth King County resident linked to cruise ship hantavirus outbreak  The Seattle Times16 More People in the U.S. Are Being Monitored for Hantavirus, C.D.C. Says  The New York TimesHealth officials track fourth King County resident tied to MV Hondius Andes hantavirus  KOMONevada health officials monitoring possible hantavirus cases  KOLO | 8 News NowNo known cases of hantavirus in U.S. as officials monitor 41 with possible exposure  NBC News

Drake Sets 2026 Spotify Record for Most-Streamed Artist, Album & Song in a Single Day  Billboard300 people, 75 projectors, 1 night: Inside Drake's audacious CN Tower light show  CBCColumn | Who asked for this much Drake?  The Washington Post5 Takeaways From Drake’s Iceman Habibti , and Maid of Honour  PitchforkDid Drake drop 3 albums to get out of his UMG deal? Toronto music experts think so  NOW Toronto

US PGA Championship 2026: McIlroy and Scheffler in contention as McNealy and Smalley lead  BBCSmalley, McNealy tied atop PGA Championship as several stars lurk  ESPNGotterup posts lowest score and Scheffler survives rough start in wind-swept PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club  6abc PhiladelphiaScottie Scheffler calls PGA Championship pin locations 'hardest' he’s faced  PGA TourPGA Championship leaderboard, Round 2 updates: Maverick McNealy, Alex Smalley pull ahead as Scottie Scheffler hangs on  Yahoo Sports

Voters in northern Brisbane electorate go to polls after sudden death of former independent MP Jimmy SullivanGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA byelection in the Brisbane seat of Stafford is expected to swing towards the sitting LNP Queensland government in a result experts say would likely be fatal to former premier Steven Miles’ leadership of the Labor party.Voters in the northern Brisbane electorate of Stafford have gone to the polls after the sudden death of former independent MP Jimmy Sullivan in April. Continue reading...

The US supreme court dealt a devastating blow to the 1965 Voting Rights Act when it ruled in Louisiana v Callais in April that states cannot consider race in redistricting. Southern states from Tennessee to Alabama have rushed to erase majority-Black districts, sparking chaos for the midterm elections. Kai Wright talks to Stacey Abrams, a voting rights activist and former Georgia house minority leader, about the fallout from the decision, and why, despite it all, she still believes the way forward lies in engaging more voters to participate in democracy. ‘They have fractured communities and said we’re going to scatter these seeds. Our job is to grow,’ she saysSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Dr Tracy Beth Høeg, the Food and Drug Administration’s top drug regulator, says she was fired from agency after declining to resignIn a major shake-up at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), top regulators left on Friday – including Tracy Beth Høeg, the acting drug chief, who says she was fired, and Katherine Szarama, the acting vaccines chief who has only been in the position for days. Jim Traficant, the chief of staff, has also been ousted.The FDA now has no permanent commissioner or deputy commissioner and no permanent leaders of two major centers, after the resignation of Marty Makary on Tuesday and other high-profile departures. Continue reading...

Family and supporters had hoped the US president could help free the 78-year-old British citizen during summit talks in BeijingDonald Trump raised the case of jailed Hong Kong democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai in talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping but was told it “is a tough one”.Family and supporters of the 78-year-old British citizen had hoped the US president could help secure his release. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed.Colorado governor commutes sentence of election denier Tina PetersSign up for the Breaking News US emailJamieson Greer also said US export controls on semiconductor chips were not a major topic of discussions with Chinese officials in Beijing.The US trade representative’s comments to Bloomberg on Friday suggest a breakthrough on selling Nvidia’s advanced H200 chips to China remains far away, Reuters is reporting, despite Nvidia chief Jensen Huang’s last-minute invitation to Donald Trump’s Beijing trip this week.This was not a major topic of discussion at the bilateral meeting. We did not talk about chip export controls at the meeting.”First of all, it’s really important for China to have the strait of Hormuz open – no tolling, no military control. That was clear from the meeting, so we welcome that.With respect to Chinese involvement with Iran, our view is the Chinese are being very pragmatic – they don’t want to be on the wrong side of this. They want to see peace in that area, President Trump wants to see peace in that area, so we have a lot of confidence that they will do what they can to limit any kind of material support for Iran.” Continue reading...

Proposal comes after seven states drawing water from drought-stricken river failed to come to an agreementThe US government has proposed a plan for the drought stricken Colorado River that could cut up to 40% of current supplies to Arizona, California and Nevada, as the waterway’s reservoirs continue to plunge to critically low levels.A top Arizona water official shared details of the Trump administration’s plan at a state meeting on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi appeared in US federal court to face six terrorism-related chargesThe US justice department has arrested and charged an Iraqi national accused of involvement in nearly 20 alleged terror attacks and attempted attacks across the US and Europe.The wave of violence attributed to Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi has caused huge concern in many European countries but especially the UK, where Jewish community centres, charities, synagogues and other sites have been targeted in recent weeks. Continue reading...

Criticism of budget funding comes amid warnings the Australian National Audit Office will struggle to meet its targets for independent reviewsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor has been accused inadequately funding one of the central institutions safeguarding public administration, with transparency advocates and independent David Pocock criticising commitments for the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in this week’s budget.Parliament’s Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit has previously warned the Albanese government that the auditor general’s financial position is unsustainable and of “serious concern” – even as the number of government agencies and functions subject to oversight expands significantly. Continue reading...

Politicians still care about traditional media, but winning over people spending more of their lives online is the challenge for modern MPsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHe’s up before sunrise, pounding the pavement in a cap and running shorts. He’s still up late into the night, having slipped into a comfortable sweater while he checks figures in a darkened office by lamplight, fuelled by sugar-free Red Bull.It’s “decision week”, Jim Chalmers declares of the annual federal budget in a video that pinged around political group chats this week. The treasurer was keen to take people behind the scenes on social media. Continue reading...

Mitchell Gaff, 68, was apprehended after three undercover investigators posed as gum salespeople and entered his home to take DNA, according to court documents obtained by CNN

Eric Trump’s motives for joining his father on a trip to China this week have been under scrutiny due to his reported ties to a potential Chinese business venture

US president suggests he didn’t read the rest of Tehran’s response after reading the word ‘nuclear’

Santos Guerrero pleaded guilty to shooting and causing the death of the bird – a protected species and a global symbol of America

Kyiv enters day of mourning for victims killed as Russian attacks batter the country’s capital

The social media post follows Kennedy’s bizarre video workout with Kid Rock earlier this year

Trump’s comment was made as he spoke to Fox News’ Bret Baier about the U.S. Space Force’s ability to surveil Iranian nuclear sites

In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier that aired Friday, the president said that both China and Taiwan should ‘cool it’

‘I’d make it again,’ the president replied, when asked about the comments by Fox News’ Bret Baier

Maurice Williams, 59, won the top prize for the $5,000,000 LUXE scratch-off game

Nobody has yet challenged Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership, but his leading rival, Andy Burnham, finally has a route to Downing Street.

A commander of one of the most-hard line and powerful Iranian proxies in Iraq has been charged with plotting to attack Jewish sites in the United States.

He calmly presided over the historic 1987 trial in which a French court, for the first time, convicted a Nazi official of crimes against humanity.

At least seven Palestinians were killed when Israeli air strikes hit a residential building and a vehicle in Gaza City.

UK artist Matthew Collings says his exhibition “Drawings Against Genocide” has been falsely depicted as anti-Semitic.

The "Soumoud 2" land convoy is preparing to leave Libya to bring aid to Gaza.

Lebanon's Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks have killed 2,951 people since March 2, with at least 8,988 wounded.

The US president says he wants Beijing and Taipei to "cool down" tensions over the self-governing island.

Charges could come as soon as next week in a case reportedly focused on Cuba's downing of two planes in 1996.

It marks the third time a New York jury has considered the case against the 74-year-old disgraced film mogul.

After feeling pretty cold with heavy showers and hail, the weather is picking up with a return to some spring warmth next week, as Simon King explains

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy drags himself back into contention as Aronimink continues to punish the world's best golfers at the US PGA Championship.

President Trump announced the truce last month, but Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire since then.