Here are today’s top stories.
Headlines
NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch Passes Away at Age 41
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has died at age 41 after being hospitalized with a severe illness, his family confirmed Thursday. Busch is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers of his generation. See Details
Stephen Colbert’s final farewell to "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" was memorable mostly for its star power, as Colbert trotted out Paul McCartney, Bryan Cranston, Ryan Reynolds, Paul Rudd, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Andy Cohen, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Elvis Costello to help him say goodbye after over 10 years and 1,800 episodes. Source
Republicans struggled Thursday to find the votes to dismiss legislation that would compel President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, delaying planned votes on the matter until June. As it became clear that Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, GOP leaders declined to hold a vote. The White House argued the War Powers Resolution no longer applies because of the ceasefire, even as Trump said he was "an hour away" from ordering new strikes earlier this week. See Details
Politics
The 192-page report criticized Harris’ outreach to key segments of America while including derisive references to "identity politics," and pointed to successful Democratic statewide candidates in Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina who showed that "economic messaging, and addressing cost-of-living concerns resonate more than identity politics." Source
Republican senators openly pressed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the DOJ’s new $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund in a heated closed-door meeting, with multiple members raising legal and ethical concerns. A House bill has also been introduced to ban federal funding for the program. Read More
The Justice Department filed charges against a prosecutor accused of attempting to steal the report on Trump’s classified documents case, a stunning development inside the department. Source
U.S. News
Despite a slight retreat from last week’s high of $4.52 per gallon, the national average gas price of $4.49 heading into Memorial Day weekend remains well above year-ago levels, with AAA warning that the holiday travel surge could push prices even higher if Hormuz tensions escalate again. Find out More
Florida carried out its seventh execution of 2026 on Thursday, putting to death a man convicted of the fatal stabbings of a woman and her young daughter. The state executed a record 19 people in 2025. See Details
A sinkhole opened beside a runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York, forcing a runway closure and triggering widespread flight disruptions across the Northeast. The cause is under investigation. Read More
Business
Intuit announced a 17% workforce cut and missed analyst revenue expectations in the third fiscal quarter, with shares tumbling 10.3% Thursday. The tax software giant has been rapidly deploying AI tools across its TurboTax and QuickBooks platforms. See Details
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to a record close Thursday, gaining 276.31 points or 0.55% to finish at 50,285.66, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.17% and the Nasdaq ticked up 0.09%; oil prices dropped almost 2% with West Texas Intermediate closing at $96.35 per barrel as traders remained cautiously hopeful about Middle East negotiations. See Details
Market Report
| Symbol | Last Close | % Change | |
| Dow Jones | DJIA | $50,285.66 | 0.55% |
| S&P 500 | SPX | $7,445.72 | 0.17% |
| Nasdaq Composite | IXIC | $26,293.10 | 0.09% |
| Alphabet Inc. | GOOG | $383.47 | -0.37% |
| Tesla, Inc. | TSLA | $417.85 | 0.14% |
| Apple Inc. | AAPL | $304.99 | 0.91% |
| Microsoft Corp. | MSFT | $419.09 | -0.47% |
World News
Canada confirmed a second Ebola case linked to travel from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday, prompting the Public Health Agency of Canada to contact trace dozens of passengers who were on the same flights as the infected individual. Find out More
President Trump announced he is deploying 5,000 additional U.S. troops to Poland, a reversal from plans to draw down forces in Germany that had alarmed NATO partners. Alliance officials say they are "bewildered" by the rapid shift in U.S. troop posture. Read More
Russia launched large-scale exercises involving its nuclear forces this week amid ongoing tensions with NATO and the West over the war in Ukraine — one of the most significant such drills in recent years. Source
Entertainment
The newly released dashcam video shows Spears inviting police officers to her home after being pulled over, saying, "I’ll make you food, a lasagna, whatever you want. I have a pool," before then failing a field sobriety test and being handcuffed; she had previously pleaded guilty on May 4 to reckless driving and was sentenced to probation and a DUI education program. Source
The 52nd Annual American Music Awards will be held Sunday, May 25, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, broadcast on CBS and Paramount+; Queen Latifah is hosting, and Taylor Swift leads all nominees with eight nods. Source
The new Star Wars film ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ opened to mediocre reviews in the latest blow to the troubled franchise. Read More
Sports
Josh Hart responded after a quiet Game 1 with a playoff career-high 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting, plus seven assists and aggressive defense; Jalen Brunson added 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists as an 18-0 third-quarter run put the Cavaliers away — the Cavs mustered just 44 points in the second half. The series shifts to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4. Find out More
Alex Palou, the defending Indy 500 winner and four-time IndyCar champion, captured the pole at 232.348 mph for Sunday’s 110th running; Katherine Legge has also qualified and announced she intends to attempt the "double" on Sunday — running both the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, which would make her the first woman to do so. Read More
The Oklahoma City Thunder host the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals tonight at 8:30 PM ET on NBC and Peacock, with the series tied. It’s the first time the Spurs have reached the conference finals since their dynasty era. Source
Off the Wall
A Maryland man decided to buy a lottery scratch-off ticket while waiting in a frustratingly long line — and walked away with a $50,000 prize. Patience, it turns out, is very much a virtue. Source
