Latest Episode
May 18 2000 UTC Brief
In U.S. news
A new analysis says more than 100,000 children were separated from their parents during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, and roughly three-quarters of them are likely U.S. citizens. That is a staggering number, and a reminder that bureaucratic cruelty has a way of becoming family history.
Trump is also moving to set up a $1.7 billion taxpayer-funded compensation fund for political allies and people charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack. Separately, he is considering adding a helipad to the White House South Lawn so Marine One no longer tears up the grass, which seems to be where the presidency now meets lawn care.
And in another move drawing fire, the Trump administration has cleared the way for lethal cyanide wildlife devices to return to huge stretches of public land, despite a record of killing endangered animals, family pets, and nearly a child.
In the Middle East
Trump says he called off a planned strike on Iran after requests from Gulf states, and that serious negotiations with Tehran are underway. At the same time, Iran’s parliament is drafting legislation to fund a reward for anyone who assassinates him, a threat that marks a dangerous escalation. Reports also say there was a drone strike fire near a nuclear plant, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz remains at odds with Trump over the crisis.
In California
Police in San Diego responded to a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, with officials saying people were believed to have been shot and urging the public to avoid the area. In a separate report, authorities said at least one person was killed in what was described as an active shooter incident at the same mosque.
In the U.K.
Metropolitan Police are treating an assault on a Jewish man in Golders Green as an antisemitic hate crime.
In tech and entertainment
A federal jury in Oakland found Sam Altman, OpenAI, and OpenAI president Greg Brockman not liable in Elon Musk’s lawsuit, which alleged they broke a founding contract and unjustly enriched themselves when they launched the startup. Meanwhile, Marvel Comics is reshuffling leadership, with Brad Winderbaum taking on publishing duties, veteran executive Dan Buckley leaving, and David Abdo moving over from Disney’s music group to become general manager for comics and franchise.
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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