Today's Headlines: Cassidy Loses His Primary in Louisiana, as Trump Vanquishes Another G.O.P. Foe

May 17, 2026, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Cassidy Loses His Primary in Louisiana, as Trump Vanquishes Another G.O.P. Foe

Senator Bill Cassidy, a two-term Republican who voted to convict President Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, could not muster enough votes to continue to a runoff next month.

Trump Calls Xi a ‘Friend.’ But He Left China Without Any Breakthroughs.

The lack of concrete agreements with Beijing shows the risks of President Trump’s personality-driven foreign policy, which rests on the belief that he can defend U.S. interests through charm and force of will.

My Family’s American Secret

One fateful decision 100 years ago created parallel lives. How does a family broken by the bizarre rules of racism heal itself after three generations apart?

World

W.H.O. Declares Ebola Outbreak a Global Health Emergency

Just a day after the outbreak was announced, cases were confirmed in the capitals of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is no approved vaccine for the strain.

The Secretive Conglomerate That Controls Cuba’s Economy

A shadowy state enterprise run by the military is a focal point of Washington's pressure campaign against Cuba.

How a Nature Cruise Turned Into a Nightmare

The hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius set off alarms for a world still traumatized by Covid. For those on board, the danger was much closer.

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U.S.

9 Million Acres, One Bitter Race Over Land in New Mexico

A Republican candidate for the state land commissioner post has Democrats worried that protected state and federal land could be opened to industry.

The Fight for Voting Rights Returns to Selma

A crowd gathered at a pivotal site of defiance in the civil rights movement, this time in opposition to efforts by Republicans to eliminate majority-Black districts.

At Supreme Court, Virginia Democrats Pressed Legal Theory Embraced by Trump

A long-shot emergency request to restore a voting map was the latest salvo in an all-out legal war over control of the House.

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Politics

Senate Ruling Threatens Ballroom Funding in G.O.P. Budget Bill

Democrats announced Saturday night that the Senate’s top parliamentary referee had determined that the $1 billion provision did not comply with budget rules.

7 Republicans Voted to Convict Trump. Most Are No Longer in Office.

Senator Bill Cassidy’s defeat means no more than two of them will be left in Congress next year.

ActBlue C.E.O. Agrees to Testify Before Congress About Foreign Donor Vetting

The Democratic fund-raising group, which backs candidates up and down the ballot, has been the subject of scrutiny by Republicans.

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Business

China Indicates Tariffs Were Discussed at Trump Summit

China’s Ministry of Commerce said Saturday that the countries had struck a preliminary agreement to reduce some tariffs, seemingly contradicting statements by President Trump

Thousands of FiveThirtyEight Articles Seemingly Vanish From the Internet

The influential polling analysis site was shut down last year, but an earlier archived version, fivethirtyeight.com, had lived on. Now the site is redirecting users to ABC News.

U.S. Debt Is Now Bigger Than the Economy. That’s Not the Real Problem.

Washington quickly brushed off a startling milestone in a mounting problem.

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New York

Latest Weinstein Trial May Have Been ‘Best Shot,’ Former Prosecutors Say

The Manhattan district attorney said he was considering whether he would ask a jury to consider a rape charge against Harvey Weinstein for a fourth time after a mistrial on Friday.

Long Island Rail Road Strike Shuts Down Busiest U.S. Passenger Rail Service

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.

Woman Gives Birth in Brooklyn Courtroom

A woman who was nine months pregnant was in court on low-level charges, raising questions about why she was discharged from a hospital before the hearing.

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