As of Sunday, the Democratic Republic of Congo reported over 900 suspected Ebola cases in its eastern region, a surge attributed to a complex mix of factors including ongoing violence from rebel groups, mass displacement, and weakened local governance. International aid cuts have further exacerbated the situation, stripping essential resources from already vulnerable communities and hindering the capacity to detect and respond to the outbreak. The burning of health centers in affected towns highlights deep-seated anger and mistrust, complicating containment efforts for a virus with no approved vaccine or treatment.
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Rep. Thomas Massie stated that the Republican Party will be “very vulnerable” in the upcoming midterm elections due to a growing segment of the right experiencing “Trump Disappointment Syndrome.” He argued that the party has disenfranchised a significant portion of the constituency Trump assembled. Massie also criticized the focus on a costly White House ballroom renovation as a “slap in the face of Americans” amidst economic hardship and wasteful spending. Regarding his own political future, Massie did not rule out a presidential run in 2028 but indicated he would take time to decide his next steps after a period of decompression.
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A crucial donation of 15,000 tonnes of rice, the first installment of a 60,000-tonne pledge from China, has arrived in Havana. This significant gesture of solidarity aims to alleviate Cuba’s severe shortages, particularly impacting millions of consumers and essential institutions. The arrival comes as the island nation continues to face economic challenges exacerbated by a long-standing US trade embargo and recent disruptions in oil supplies from Venezuela.
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A tragic incident has once again brought the dangerous practice of “subway surfing” to the forefront in New York City, leaving one teenager dead and an 18-year-old in critical condition. This harrowing event, as reported by the police, underscores a disturbingly persistent phenomenon that seems to resurface with alarming regularity, often claiming young lives.
The very act of subway surfing, where individuals ride on the exterior of moving subway cars, is something that predates the widespread influence of social media. While it’s difficult to pinpoint precise historical statistics, anecdotal evidence and past reports suggest that the problem of people engaging in risky behaviors with subways, including riding on top of them, has been a concern for decades, with some suggesting the death toll was perhaps even higher in previous eras.… Continue reading
Russian forces launched an extensive missile and drone assault on May 24, primarily targeting Kyiv and its environs, resulting in casualties and widespread damage across the capital. This multi-hour attack, described as one of the largest in the past year, involved hundreds of missiles and drones and impacted every district of Kyiv, including central areas. Numerous civilian homes, infrastructure, and cultural institutions, such as the National Art Museum and the Chornobyl Museum, sustained damage, with the latter reporting irretrievable losses to its collection. The attack also saw the use of Russia’s Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile, marking its third deployment against Ukraine, and prompted Poland to scramble fighter jets to protect its airspace.
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Surging gas prices disproportionately impact lower-income households. For those in the bottom quarter of income distribution, earning approximately $40,000 or less annually, commuting fuel costs now represent an average of about 4 percent of their income. This analysis highlights the significant financial strain rising gas prices place on vulnerable populations.
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The recent potential sale of Vox Media highlighted the concerning trend of right-wing billionaires acquiring media outlets, raising fears of further consolidation of news into partisan hands. While the specific purchase by James Murdoch averted this immediate threat, it underscored the broader issue: the unchecked influence of wealthy individuals on public discourse. Rather than focusing on the unattainable reversal of Citizens United, a more practical solution lies in bolstering public financing for elections and exploring journalism vouchers to empower diverse news sources and counter the dominance of billionaire-backed media. This approach offers a viable path to preserve democratic access to information and counter the spread of partisan narratives.
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On May 21, 2026, The Bulwark hosted a live event in Los Angeles featuring Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, Sam Stein, Van Lathan, Brian Tyler Cohen, Jon Favreau, Jane Coaston, and Erin Gloria Ryan. The program included a quiz on obscure political history, commentary on the DNC autopsy and California’s political landscape, and a critical assessment of JD Vance. Exclusively for Bulwark+ members, this event’s highlights are available on the Bulwark+ Takes platform.
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The UK government has released new guidance outlining when transgender individuals can be excluded from single-sex spaces, a move that has sparked significant debate and concern. This guidance follows a court ruling that has, in essence, given businesses and institutions more latitude to restrict access based on biological sex rather than gender identity. The immediate reaction from organizations representing transgender people has been overwhelmingly negative, with one group describing it as a “bathroom ban” and a “huge rollback for human rights in the UK.”
Concerns have been voiced that this guidance represents a regressive step, with one commentator comparing it to Section 28, a historically controversial piece of legislation that restricted the discussion of LGBTQ+ issues.… Continue reading
China’s evolving high-tech policing system, as revealed by a cybersecurity expert, creates “holistic profiles” by fusing data from various sources like facial recognition at ski resorts and train seat assignments to track individuals. This sophisticated surveillance machine, demonstrated by an unsecured police web dashboard, compiles extensive personal details, including travel patterns and social connections, into a comprehensive and predictive social control network. The system disproportionately focuses on foreign nationals, particularly from “Five Eyes” countries, marking them for real-time tracking and preemptive action, posing an existential threat to independent journalism by eliminating the possibility of under-the-radar investigations.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood