Latest Episode
May 27 1200 UTC Brief
In U.S. politics
Donald Trump is still steering Republican politics in Texas, even after helping push longtime Senator John Cornyn out of the race. Senate Republicans are rallying behind Ken Paxton for the general election, despite plenty of unease in Washington about his baggage. The party says keeping the seat matters more than reliving the primary. A familiar standard, which is to say the math is doing the talking.
In business and tech
Berkshire Hathaway sold 16 stocks in the first quarter and fully exited 12 of them as Greg Abel took over as CEO, a sign the company’s investing style may be shifting with the succession. Elsewhere, Groupon said it will cut up to 400 jobs, about a quarter of its workforce, as it leans harder into AI and automation. The company expects AI voice agents to take over sales calls, which is efficient if slightly hostile to the idea of having a job.
In world news
Scotland’s devolved parliament has voted to demand the power to hold another independence referendum, with First Minister John Swinney trying to use political turbulence in London to press the case. In Brussels, EU lawmakers are accusing the European Commission of copying Microsoft-style lobbying arguments in rules on data centre transparency. And in a more urgent update, five people have been rescued alive after a week trapped in a flooded cave in Laos, while the search continues for two others.
Ghana has also begun repatriating its citizens as xenophobic tensions rise in South Africa.
In public safety and health
A doctor who died while treating Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been buried. Separately, a new study says nearly a third of Europe’s health and social care workers are exposed to cancer-causing risks on the job, including in X-ray rooms and anatomy laboratories. And in London, about 100 firefighters responded to a supermarket blaze in Golders Green, with officials saying it is not believed to be suspicious.
On the courts and the culture docket
Matthew Perry’s sisters gave emotional victim impact statements ahead of sentencing for his former assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, accusing him of repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine on the day he died in October 2023. Cardi B has also filed a new lawsuit accusing blogger Tasha K’s husband of helping shield money from a court judgment, extending a legal fight that has clearly decided it is not finished with either side.
On the court and the floor
Oklahoma City took a 3-2 lead over San Antonio in the Western Conference finals, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 32 points in a 127-114 win. The Thunder are now one victory away from the NBA Finals.
About
This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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