Latest Headlines for Friday, May 15th.

These are the top headlines for May 15th.

President Trump left China after two days of talks with Xi Jinping that saw both sides trade praise and tout progress in stabilizing what they agreed is the world’s most important relationship, though no major agreements or breakthroughs were announced before he departed Beijing. The leaders covered a range of issues from Iran and Taiwan to trade, with Xi warning Trump on Day 1 that mishandling China’s claims on Taiwan could cause “clashes and even conflicts.” Read More

The Virginia Supreme Court struck down a Democrat-backed congressional redistricting map on Friday, while GOP governors in Alabama and Tennessee called their legislatures into special session to redraw maps following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on the Voting Rights Act last week. Republicans have scored redistricting wins that could theoretically net them as many as 13 seats, though Democrats remain favored to win back the House in November. Read More

House Republicans have an extra pep in their step after securing what they describe as “seismic” court wins in redistricting battles in recent weeks, turning cautious optimism into genuine confidence about keeping control of the House in November’s midterms. But analysts warn that Trump’s lagging approval ratings and the national mood still threaten the GOP majority. Source

The Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that blocked access to mail-order abortion pills. The case continues to make its way through the legal system. Read More

In a 212-12 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives blocked a war powers resolution that would have reigned in President Trump’s war with Iran. See Details

The Massachusetts Port Authority announced it will celebrate the FIFA World Cup by constructing the world’s largest soccer ball, as the region prepares for a massive influx of visitors ahead of games scheduled at venues in the Boston area this summer. Read More

Eileen Wang stepped down from her role as mayor of Arcadia hours after the Department of Justice unsealed a plea agreement in which the 58-year-old said she was guilty of acting as an illegal foreign agent on behalf of China’s authoritarian government. Source

U.S. stock futures fell early Friday after a strong Thursday session in which the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed at record highs; Dow futures fell by 132 points (0.7%), S&P 500 futures dipped 1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures slid 1.4%. The pullback follows Wall Street’s rally driven by strong Cisco earnings and AI optimism. Source

U.S. consumers spent $757.1 billion on retail and food services in April, a 0.5% increase over March, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday, signaling continued consumer resilience even as war-fueled energy costs keep inflation elevated. Source

	Symbol	Last Close	% Change
Dow Jones Industrial Average	DJIA	$50,000.00	0.74%
S&P 500	SPX	$7,445.60	-0.74%
Nasdaq Composite	IXIC	$26,635.22	0.88%
Alphabet Inc.	GOOG	$397.17	-0.47%
Tesla, Inc.	TSLA	$443.30	-0.44%
Apple Inc.	AAPL	$298.21	-0.22%
Microsoft Corp.	MSFT	$409.43	1.04%

The White House readout from the Trump-Xi summit said the two sides agreed that Iran should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, while also reaching an agreement that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to ensure global energy flows. Xi also expressed interest in buying more U.S. oil as part of discussions on reducing trade frictions. Source

A ship anchored off the east coast of the UAE was seized and headed toward Iranian waters, the British military said Thursday, with the UK Maritime Trade Operations center reporting unauthorized personnel had taken control of the vessel 38 nautical miles northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah, near the Strait of Hormuz. The seizure came as Trump was meeting with Xi in Beijing. Source

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, his office said Wednesday, though the UAE later denied any secret visit had occurred. The reported trip underscored the ongoing diplomatic complexity surrounding the Iran conflict. Source

A massive Russian drone and missile bombardment demolished an apartment block in Kyiv, with ballistic and cruise missiles among the weapons used in the attack; it was the third straight day Russia hammered Ukraine with large-scale aerial attacks following a May 9-11 ceasefire that quickly collapsed. Read More

Lainey Wilson married former NFL quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges on May 10 in Tennessee at Ruskin Cave in Dickson, Tennessee, a venue the couple reportedly stumbled upon while driving backroads together. Wilson wore an Oscar de la Renta gown while a 12-piece Rebirth jazz band performed at the Cajun-inspired reception. Source

‘American Pie’ star Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen have separated after 18 years of marriage; a rep confirmed the split Thursday, noting the pair remain on “great terms” and are focused on co-parenting their two sons. No divorce filings have been made. Find out More

Spencer Pratt has signed a contract with the Los Angeles production company Boardwalk Pictures to film his mayoral campaign, with the deal specifically providing that the show would go on if he were to win the election and be sworn into office. Source

A Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks kicks off the 2026 NFL season. The league made public its entire slate of games. Read More

The NBA said Thursday that officials were correct not to call a foul on Jarrett Allen in the closing seconds of regulation in Game 5 between the Cavaliers and Pistons on Wednesday night, a non-call that generated significant controversy and fueled debate heading into Game 6. Source

The top-seeded Pistons are down 3-2 to the Cavaliers heading into Game 6 in Cleveland, while the Spurs hold a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 in Minnesota, putting Anthony Edwards and the Wolves on the brink of elimination. Both games tip off tonight on Prime Video. Sorce

British academics confirmed Thursday that a badly faded document sitting in Harvard Law School’s archives — purchased for less than $28 in 1946 — is in fact one of the world’s most valuable documents: an authentic original Magna Carta from 1300. A scholar said it took him “all of 30 milliseconds” to recognize its authenticity when he spotted it online. Source