Trump shelved ‘Project Freedom’ after Saudis refused use of bases and airspace

Riyadh told White House it would deny access for operation to provide tankers military escort through strait of Hormuz

Middle East crisis – live updates

Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor

Thu 7 May 2026 

A refusal by Saudi Arabia to allow the US to use its bases and airspace to provide a military escort for oil tankers passing through the strait of Hormuz lay behind Donald Trump’s decision to shelve the plan days after it had been launched.

Strange Rumblings in Aztlan

Hunter S. Thompson 

Issue #81 April 29, 1971

"Morning comes hard to the Hotel Ashmun; this is not a place where the guests spring eagerly out of bed to greet the fresh new day. But on this particular morning, everybody in the place is awake at the crack of dawn: There is a terrible pounding and shrieking in the hallway, near room No. 267. Some junkie has ripped the doorknob off the communal bathroom, and now the others can’t get in—so they are trying to kick the door down. The voice of the manager wavers hysterically above the din: “Come on now, fellas—do I have to call the sheriff?” The reply comes hard and fast: “You filthy gabacho pig! You call the fuckin sheriff, and I’ll cut your fuckin throat.” And now the sound of wood cracking, more screaming, the sound of running feet outside my door, No. 267.

Can We All Take a Minute to Acknowledge What Absolute Babies These Billionaires Are?

Fresh Hell 

Christopher Robbins

May 06, 2026
Pop quiz: Should the phrase "tax the rich" be considered "just as hateful as some disgusting racial slurs"?

If you answered, "No, of course not, I'm not an oblivious buffoon who would conflate racism with a pithy slogan for economic justice," congratulations: You have a scintilla of self-awareness and, perhaps, a soul.

How Trump’s ‘one page memo’ could take us back to square one in Iran - after thousands of lives lost and economic ruin

The US has reportedly drafted a 14-point memo to end the war and kickstart negotiations towards a nuclear deal but several issues remain unresolved

James C. Reynolds

Thursday 07 May 2026 15:01 BST

Donald Trump once more believes he is closing in on a deal to end the two-month conflict with Iran, despite both sides appearing unwilling to budge on key issues.

Iran expected to respond Thursday to US proposal for ending war, source says

Trump said the US had “very good talks” with Iran, but also issued a new threat.
Updated 2:12 AM EDT, Thu May 7, 2026

Here's the latest

• Diplomacy push: Iran is expected to respond today to the US proposal to end the war, moving closer to an agreement on a short memorandum, sources told CNN. Yesterday, President Donald Trump said the US had “very good talks” with Iran over the previous 24 hours.

• Naval standoff: Tensions at sea remain high. Yesterday, the US military fired on an Iranian-flagged tanker heading to an Iranian port, enforcing its blockade. The action came hours after Iran launched a body it said will govern traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, its latest effort to formalize control over the trade chokepoint in defiance of US warnings.

• Lebanon truce takes strain: Israel targeted a top Hezbollah commander in the first strike in Beirut since the ceasefire in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, underscoring the fragility of the truce.

Judge releases note that cellmate says he found after Jeffrey Epstein’s suspected suicide try

Published: May. 06, 2026, 4:53 p.m.

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A note Jeffrey Epstein’s former cellmate claimed he found after the financier’s first suspected jail suicide attempt was made public Wednesday after it had been sealed and locked in a courthouse vault for nearly five years as part of an unrelated legal dispute.

Democrats Achieve Significant Wins in U.S. Special Elections, While Trump Maintains Grip on GOP

The Greek Courier
Source: Associated Press
Date: May 5, 2026, 10:55 AM

Recent special elections in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan reflect growing momentum for Democrats as they gear up for the midterm elections. However, these contests also reveal that President Donald Trump continues to exert significant influence over the Republican Party.

In Indiana, Trump faced a critical test of his power when he supported primary challenges against seven Republican state senators who opposed his redistricting proposal last December. Ultimately, five of Trump's candidates emerged victorious, bolstered by substantial financial backing, including over $8.3 million invested in advertising by groups aligned with the president.

Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth

by Duaa Eldeib

May 6, 2026, 6:00 am

Illustration: Matt Rota for ProPublica

Reporting Highlights

• An Essential Shot: Vitamin K shots, which help the blood to clot, are one of three key interventions for newborns, along with an antibiotic eye ointment and the hepatitis B vaccine.
• Increasing Rejections: The government doesn’t track vitamin K rejections, but hospitals have seen a rise in parents opting out of the shots for their newborns, often driven by unfounded fears.
• Troubling Data: Hundreds of children die each year from spontaneous bleeding in the brain, a common result of vitamin K deficiency, suggesting that many related deaths go unreported.

Could Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapper be dead?

Brian Entin, Tatiana Carter

Updated: May 5, 2026 / 11:14 PM CDT

(NewsNation) — One factor investigators may be considering in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie may be that her kidnapper, caught on footage from a doorbell camera, may not still be alive, according to a roundtable of law enforcement experts.

Trump says US to pause operation to guide vessels through Strait of Hormuz

Summary

• President Donald Trump says the US is pausing its operation to guide stranded vessels through the Strait of Hormuz
• Trump says the pause to "Project Freedom", which began on Monday, came because of "Great Progress" toward a deal with Iran
• Under "Project Freedom", the US said it would guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz and help restore the flow of oil from the region
• Iranian state media says Trump has "retreated" after "continued failures" to reopen the vital waterway for global shipping
• Iran will very likely characterise the pause of "Project Freedom" as a victory, our White House correspondent writes
• Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the offensive stage of the war with Iran is "over" as the objectives of Operation Epic Fury have been achieved

Germany news: Leipzig ramming suspect ordered to psych ward

 DEUTSCHE WELLE 

Zac Crellin | Richard Connor with AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters, KNA, epd, SID

Published 10 hours ago, updated 8 minutes ago

A German man faced court on Tuesday after he was accused of a deadly car ramming in Leipzig. Prosecutors said they do not believe the suspect had a religious or political motive.

We’re about to find out whether Trump is kingmaker or lame duck

So far, his chosen candidates in several May primaries are struggling to dominate their fields.

By Liz Crampton, Lisa Kashinsky and Alec Hernandez

05/05/2026 

President Donald Trump’s power as the GOP’s kingmaker faces a major test with this month’s primaries. So far, he’s on rocky footing.

2 U.S. Navy destroyers transit Strait of Hormuz after dodging Iranian onslaught

By James LaPorta

May 4, 2026 / 8:43 PM EDT / CBS News /

Washington — Two U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf after navigating an Iranian barrage, according to defense officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters.

No, Russia is not on the verge of a coup

Mark Galeotti

Monday, May 4, 2026

However much Western leaders inveigh against Russian disinformation (which, yes, is a real issue), we should never pretend this is not a two-way street. The sudden spate of news stories reporting that a conveniently anonymous “European intelligence agency” claims that the Kremlin fears a coup looks suspiciously more like a psy-op meant to generate paranoia in the Russian elite than a serious assessment.

Jerome Powell Just Threw President Donald Trump Under the Bus One Last Time Before His Term as Fed Chair Ends

Sean Williams, The Motley Fool
Mon, May 4, 2026
4 min read

It's nearly the end of an era at the nation's central bank. In just 11 days, on May 15, Jerome Powell's second term as Fed chair will come to an end and, presumably, President Donald Trump's nominee to succeed him, Kevin Warsh, will begin his tenure. 

In Canada, Alberta's 'Maple MAGA' dream of independence

REPORTERS © FRANCE 24
Issued on: 01/05/2026

In Canada's oil heartland of Alberta, separatism is no longer just a slogan. An unprecedented movement of independence supporters, aided by a reform from the western province's conservative government, has just cleared the way for a referendum to be held on October 19. This is a first in Canada since Quebec's failed independence referendum in 1995.

Trump Is Pulling Troops From Germany. The Missiles Are a Bigger Problem

The United States is pulling troops from Germany, but the troop numbers aren’t the story. Canceled missile deployments and dwindling weapons stockpiles are quietly eroding the foundations of NATO deterrence.

Published May 4, 2026
Liana Fix, CFR Expert, Senior Fellow for Europe

Liana Fix is a senior fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is the author of the forthcoming book Germany Rearmed: The Return of War and the End of Illusions.

Cruise ship waiting for help after 3 people died in a suspected hantavirus outbreak

May 5, 2026

By The Associated Press
The MV Hondius cruise ship is anchored at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, on Monday, May 4, 2026. Arilson Almeida/AP

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A cruise ship with nearly 150 people aboard was waiting for help off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after three passengers died and at least three other people were left seriously ill in a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus, according to the World Health Organization and the ship's operator.