Latest Episode
May 6 Morning Brief
In the UK
The Canary Islands have refused to let a cruise ship carrying hantavirus dock, after Spain had approved the plan. The islands’ leader said public safety had not been adequately guaranteed, and three passengers, a Briton, a Dutch national and a German, have already been evacuated. The ship’s operator says two infectious disease doctors are on the way. On this one, the port authorities and the ship are still arguing while the virus does the only thing it knows how to do, spread the worry around.
Separately, the UK government is planning new powers to crack down on antisemitic hate crime, including allowing the Home Secretary to designate proxy groups linked to attacks as foreign intelligence services. The proposal would carry penalties of up to 14 years in prison and speed up prosecutions after a series of attacks.
And in business, JD Wetherspoon says it may miss profit forecasts for the third time this year because of rising energy, food, labour and tax costs. Chair Tim Martin says hospitality firms are being squeezed hard across the board, which is not exactly a revelation if you have looked at a pub bill recently.
In U.S. politics
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is set to face questions from the House Oversight Committee over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein. He had agreed to a transcribed interview after Justice Department documents showed he kept corresponding with Epstein after Epstein’s conviction, and he has also acknowledged visiting Epstein’s island with his family in 2012 after earlier saying he had cut ties in 2005.
New polling from NPR, PBS News and Marist shows more than 8 in 10 Americans say higher gas prices are straining household budgets, and a strong majority blames President Trump. The poll also finds Trump at his lowest approval rating yet in his second term, with Democrats leading Republicans by 10 points on the congressional ballot.
And a new look at campaign finance argues that the post-Watergate rules meant to limit big-money influence have been steadily outpaced, with six of the country’s richest billionaires each spending more than $100 million to help elect Trump in 2024. Outside spending by wealthy backers, for the first time, surpassed what the candidates’ own committees spent.
In sports
Leandro Trossard says Arsenal believe they can beat Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, after their 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid. Captain Martin Ødegaard says the result has given the squad “massive confidence,” which is usually helpful before the biggest match of the season.
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