Latest Episode
May 20 0800 UTC Brief
In business and geopolitics
Oil prices eased after the latest White House comments, as Chinese supertankers moved out of the Strait of Hormuz and Donald Trump and J.D. Vance kept talking up a possible Iran deal. Analysts still expect prices to stay elevated if anything is agreed, which is a nice reminder that markets do not run on optimism and slogans alone.
Tehran, meanwhile, is warning that any further escalation could open "new fronts" after Trump gave it just two to three days to strike a deal. The stand-off is still moving fast, and not in a reassuring direction.
In Britain
Trade minister Chris Bryant says talks with the EU over a possible carve-out for UK steel before new tariffs take effect in July have been "very productive." The Labour government wants the deal done as part of its wider economic reset, while also managing the small matter of domestic political turbulence.
Britain's deputy ambassador in Washington, James Roscoe, has left his post abruptly, with no explanation given. The move comes as officials investigate a leak from a National Security Council meeting, which is exactly the sort of calm, orderly backdrop people imagine when they hear "interim ambassador."
Campaigners are also urging Keir Starmer to block under-16s from social media apps that do not meet strict safety standards, rather than imposing a blanket ban. They want sharper restrictions on features like infinite scrolling, disappearing messages and push notifications, which may be the most honest description yet of how these platforms keep their hooks in.
In the United States
A 56-year-old grandmother died in Midtown Manhattan after stepping into an uncovered manhole late Monday night. The case has renewed questions about street safety, utility response times and basic infrastructure oversight in New York City.
The Justice Department has quietly expanded Donald Trump's IRS settlement with a one-page addendum that permanently blocks the tax agency from examining his past returns, his family's filings, and the books of his businesses. The deal also creates a $1.8 billion fund.
Health and security
The CDC says an American missionary physician working in the Democratic Republic of Congo has contracted Ebola and is being transferred to Germany for treatment. Officials have not given further details, and the focus now is on care, tracing exposure and containing any spread.
Crime and investigations
Police have arrested Jonathan Andic, heir to Mango, over the death of his billionaire father after a fall in the Montserrat mountains in 2024. What was first ruled an accident is now being investigated as a possible homicide, with authorities citing inconsistencies and an apparent family dispute.
Influencer Gabbie Gonzalez has been taken into custody in California over an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting singer Jack Avery. Federal and local authorities say the case emerged during an ongoing legal dispute.
Royal finances
Prince William is planning a major overhaul of the Duchy of Cornwall, with proposals to sell about 20 percent of the royal estate over the next decade. The money would go toward housing and environmental projects across Britain, which is one way to make feudal property look like public policy.
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