Inflation hits a three-year high
Annual inflation rose to a three-year-high of 4.2% in May, underscoring how elevated energy prices are rippling through the U.S. economy, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices rose 0.5% on a monthly basis, driven higher by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, the latest Consumer Price Index shows. The higher cost of energy accounted for 60% of the monthly increase. The numbers for May form the first inflation report since Donald Trump’s choice to head the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, was sworn in succeeding Jerome Powell. With inflation moving in the wrong direction and the Fed under Powell targeting a 2% inflation rate some economists expect the Fed will keep interest rates unchanged or even consider raising them, despite Trump demanding that the Fed cut interest rates.
Post Office moving ahead with limits on delivering ballots
The U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead to implement Donald Trump’s plan that would allow the government to decide who can receive ballots to vote by mail. Under the plan, the federal government would decide the people to which the Post Office should deliver a mail-in ballot and which ballots the Post Office should not deliver. The Trump administration wants to force states to give it voter registration lists as required by an Executive Order he signed in March. It then would decide who on the voter registration lists will not be allowed to vote. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has declined to block Trump’s executive order, allowing the Postal Service to begin implementing it. Until Trump’s Executive Order the Post Office had been required to deliver all mail having the correct postage.
Hunger surges in wake of Iran war
Effects from the war Donald Trump started with Iran are threatening millions of the most vulnerable people with crisis levels of hunger or worse, World Food Programme (WFP) acting Executive Director Carl Skau has told CNN. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up the cost of fuel exponentially, and escalating fuel costs have driven up the price of food around the world. Critically needed supplies of fertilizer to be used in raising crops in places like Sudan have been interrupted by closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The WFP relies on donations from governments and has seen an immense drop in funding across the board, including from its top donor, the United States. As of Monday, the U.S. contribution under the Trump administration had been cut by more than $3 billion from where it was in 2024. In March, the WFP had warned that 45 million more people will face acute hunger by July if the price of oil remains above $100 a barrel.
Platner to face Collins for Senate
Graham Platner won Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday and is set to face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins in November. Platner had about three-fourths of the primary voters’ support. Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the primary, although her name remained on the ballot. In his victory speech, Platner said, “It is my job to earn your trust, your faith, and your support.” He said that his critics “don’t know Maine.” Collins, who is age 73, is seeking a sixth term in the Senate.
Hilton to face Becerra for CA governor
Republican Steve Hilton will advance to the November election in California’s gubernatorial race. Hilton, a former Fox News host who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, will face former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat. Billionaire Democratic candidate Tom Steyer, who spent more than $200 million on his gubernatorial primary campaign, will finish in third place, and he conceded in a statement after the race was projected. Hilton focused his campaign on affordability issues, blaming Democratic leadership in California for high costs and vowing to reduce bureaucracy in the state. There are roughly 4.6 million more registered Democrats than there are Republicans in California, according to the state’s most recent voter registration statistics.
Pope and Bad Bunny meet
Pope Leo XIV and rapper Bad Bunny have met in Spain. They have been the two big crowd pullers in Spain in recent days. The pontiff has been packing stadiums and plazas for prayer vigils and Masses, while the Puerto Rican rapper has been holding his mega-concerts in front of tens of thousands. The Vatican has confirmed the pair met briefly on Monday in Madrid,. A spokesman for the Vatican said Leo XIV met the music artist along “with his family and other people.” Leo XIV and Bad Bunny have both expressed concern about the immigration crackdown in the United States, and both have faced criticism from President Donald Trump. The rapper was slammed by Trump for his halftime performance at the Super Bowl in February, while the pope has sparked the ire of the president for his opposition to the war in Iran.
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