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🌍 Current Events Afternoon Briefing — Monday, May 18, 2026 at 3:15 PM

🌐 Current Events PM5/18/2026🕐 3:15 PMWorld briefAfternoon

Top stories, ranked by relevance.

Story cards stay below the sticky dock while audio, chapters, date, and brief navigation remain accessible.

#1Trump Approval Sinks Below 40% as Iran War Drags and Gas Tops $4.50

President Trump's job approval has dropped to 39.9% in the RealClearPolitics average, its lowest point of his second term, with economic approval at just 36.7% and inflation approval at a dismal 29.6%. The national average gas price now sits at $4.51 a gallon — the highest in four years — driven by the ongoing Iran conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump is expected to convene a Situation Room meeting Tuesday to review military options as the IRGC threatens to "deactivate" US bases in the Persian Gulf.

🔗 Washington Examiner

#2Six States Head to Polls Tomorrow in Biggest Primary Test of Trump's Endorsement Power

Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania hold primaries on May 19, three days after Louisiana's stunner that knocked incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy out of a runoff. All eyes are on Georgia, where Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones faces mega-donor Rick Jackson for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, and Kentucky, where Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein is trying to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie.

🔗 Fox News
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#3Jury Rules Against Elon Musk in OpenAI Lawsuit

A federal jury in Oakland sided unanimously with OpenAI and Sam Altman, finding that Musk's claims were barred by the statute of limitations and that Altman could not be held liable for pivoting OpenAI from nonprofit to for-profit. Musk had sought hundreds of billions in damages, alleging Altman betrayed their shared mission of developing AI for humanity's benefit. The verdict is a major blow to Musk's legal campaign against his former co-founder.

🔗 Newsmax
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#4Feds Nab Iran-Backed Terror Commander in Plot Targeting US Jewish Sites

Federal authorities arrested Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a senior commander in Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah, for orchestrating a global retaliation campaign targeting Americans and Jews. Prosecutors allege he coordinated at least 18 attacks across Europe and two in Canada, and was plotting to expand onto US soil — sharing maps of a Manhattan synagogue and Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale with what he believed was a cartel operative but was actually an undercover agent. He allegedly transferred $3,000 in crypto as a down payment.

🔗 Breitbart
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#5Cuba Acquires 300+ Iranian Attack Drones, Threatens "Bloodbath" if US Strikes

US intelligence reports indicate Cuba has amassed over 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and discussed using them to attack Guantanamo Bay, American ships, and possibly Key West. Cuban President Díaz-Canel warned of a "bloodbath of incalculable consequences" if the US attacks, while Foreign Minister Rodríguez accused Washington of building a "fraudulent case" for military intervention. CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently traveled to Havana to deliver warnings directly.

🔗 Daily Wire
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#6WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak in Congo and Uganda a Global Health Emergency

The World Health Organization declared a "public health emergency of international concern" on May 17 after an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain killed at least 80 people across multiple health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cases have now been confirmed in the major city of Goma and the capital Kinshasa, and at least one case has spread to neighboring Uganda. The US State Department raised its DRC travel advisory to Level 4, and the CDC is coordinating the withdrawal of exposed Americans.

🔗 Fox News
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#7UK Labour in Turmoil as Streeting Resigns, Backs Challenger to Starmer

UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmer's cabinet and called for a "broad" field of candidates to challenge Starmer's leadership, ultimately endorsing Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Streeting called Brexit a "catastrophic mistake" and said Britain's future lies "back in the European Union." The Labour Party is reeling from disastrous local election results, and triggering a leadership contest requires 81 of Labour's 403 MPs.

🔗 Breitbart
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#8SpaceX Preps Record-Breaking Starship Launch from Texas

SpaceX is preparing to launch an upgraded Starship from its Boca Chica, Texas facility in a high-stakes test that could become the tallest and most powerful rocket flight in history. The launch plays a key role in NASA's Artemis moon program, building on April's historic Artemis II mission that sent astronauts around the moon for the first time in over 50 years. SpaceX also has its sights on Mars by end of 2026, with plans to send its Optimus humanoid robot aboard.

🔗 Newsmax
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#9Trump Fires All 24 Members of National Science Board

The Trump administration terminated all 24 members of the National Science Board, the independent body that has guided the National Science Foundation since 1950. The White House cited executive orders demanding "gold standard science" and the removal of discriminatory programs, while critics of the board noted roughly half its members were university administrators and bureaucrats rather than practicing scientists. The move drew strong pushback from the scientific community, though supporters called it overdue reform.

🔗 National Review
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#10Hantavirus Cruise Outbreak Kills 3, Raises Questions About Human-to-Human Spread

An outbreak of Andean hantavirus aboard the Dutch expedition vessel MV Hondius has killed three passengers and infected at least 11 people across multiple countries, raising urgent questions about possible human-to-human transmission of the rodent-borne virus. The ship, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, docked in Tenerife on May 10 to repatriate passengers. US health officials are monitoring returning American passengers, and the CDC is investigating what would be an unusual transmission pattern for hantavirus.

🔗 Fox News
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Kilroy’s Daily Briefings · 5/18/2026