11-9-25
From the desk of Rich Stephens
News for the week ending 5-23-25
Below find the expanded text from tonight’s broadcast. For corrections or additions, contact Rich directly.
Three Killed in Shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego
On Monday, May 18, three people were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont.
San Diego Police say calls of shots fired came in at about 11:42 a.m. The first officers arrived four minutes later and entered the Islamic Center and adjacent school to look for the shooters.
The victims were 51-year-old Amin Abdullah, also known as Brian Climax; 78-year-old Mansour Kaziha, also known as AbulEzz; and 57-year-old Nadir Awad.
Abdullah was a security guard at the Islamic Center. Kaziha was a caretaker and founding member. Awad lived across the street and was the husband of a teacher at the Islamic Center.
SDPD says the suspects parked in the Islamic Center lot, ran past Abdullah, and exchanged gunfire with him. Abdullah used his radio to start lockdown protocols before he was killed. Police say his actions delayed and deterred the suspects from reaching larger areas of the facility.
The suspects then entered the building, moved through empty areas, and went back outside. There, police say they encountered Kaziha and Awad and killed them.
No children from the school and no officers were injured.
San Diego identified the suspects as 18-year-old Caleb Liam Vazquez and 17-year-old Cain Lee Clark. Both were later found dead in Clark’s vehicle.
According to SDPD’s preliminary timeline, Clark’s mother first called police at 9:42 a.m. to report her son missing. At 10:41 a.m., she called again and reported that additional weapons were missing, that she believed her son had taken them, and that she had found a possible suicide note and threatening, hate-filled writings on his computer.
At 10:50 a.m., the call was upgraded because of the potential for violence. Police shared information with dispatch centers countywide, notified San Diego Unified School District Police, and used license plate reader technology to search for Clark’s vehicle.
The FBI says the suspects appear to have been radicalized online. Investigators executed three search warrants at residences associated with them and seized more than 30 guns and a crossbow, along with ammunition, tactical gear, and electronics.
The FBI says writings recovered in the investigation described religious and racial beliefs about the world the suspects envisioned. SDPD says writings found in the vehicle described hatred toward various religions and races.
The guns used in the shooting were not registered to the suspects. SDPD says how they obtained them remains under investigation.
The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
The FBI and SDPD said they will not release photos of the suspects. FBI San Diego also said one photo circulating online and identifying Vazquez was incorrect.
Mayor Todd Gloria called the shooting “a violent act of hate” and said no one in San Diego should have to fear for safety in a house of faith or place of learning.
Community leaders described Abdullah, Kaziha, and Awad as heroes who saved lives inside the Islamic Center.
City of San Diego active shooter updates
SDPD preliminary timeline
FBI San Diego remarks on Islamic Center shooting investigation
FBI San Diego statement on suspect photos
Mayor Todd Gloria statement
Long Island Rail Road Strike Ends After Three-Day Shutdown
The Long Island Rail Road strike began just after midnight on Saturday, May 16, after a coalition of five unions and the LIRR failed to reach a new contract agreement.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said the coalition represented about 3,500 workers, including 500 BLET locomotive engineers. The coalition included BLET, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the Transportation Communications Union.
The fight was mainly over wages. The unions said LIRR workers had gone more than three years without raises. The MTA said the union demands would hit riders and taxpayers and could force fare hikes or higher taxes.
Before the strike, Governor Kathy Hochul said the LIRR carries nearly 300,000 riders every day and called it “the lifeblood” of Long Island. She said nobody wins in a strike because riders are hurt and workers lose wages.
Hochul said she had directed the MTA to bargain, but would not ask Long Islanders to pay unnecessary fare hikes or higher taxes. She said the MTA had put different proposals on the table and that the unions needed to work toward a compromise.
Once the strike began, New York moved to a backup plan. Hochul said MTA shuttle buses would carry essential workers from Long Island to subway stations in Queens, with return buses at the end of the day. Nassau County riders who could not work from home were told to use NICE bus connections to Queens subway stations. Citi Field parking was made available for access to the 7 train, and the MTA said extra subway trains were on standby.
Hochul also asked commuters who could work from home to do so and said affected state agencies had been directed to implement telecommuting plans while maintaining essential services. She said the buses could not replace full LIRR service.
The strike ended Monday, May 18, after the unions and MTA reached a tentative agreement.
After the deal, Hochul said the agreement protected affordability for Long Islanders while giving fair wages to LIRR employees. She said the contract would not require additional fare increases or tax increases.
MTA said LIRR service resumed at noon on Tuesday, May 19, in time for the evening rush. On May 20, the MTA Board approved refunds for May monthly ticket holders covering the suspended service.
Governor Hochul briefing before the LIRR strike
Governor Hochul briefing during the LIRR strike
Governor Hochul briefing after the LIRR strike ended
BLET statement announcing LIRR strike
BLET statement announcing tentative agreement
MTA LIRR strike information and refund update
Two Navy EA-18G Growlers Collide During Idaho Air Show; Four Aircrew Eject Safely
On Sunday, May 17, two U.S. Navy EA-18G aircraft collided during their performance at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
The 366th Fighter Wing said the aircraft crashed on Grand View Highway after the mid-air collision. All four aircrew successfully ejected.
Emergency responders from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Elmore County, and the city of Mountain Home secured the scene. The wing said Highway 167 would be closed from the Simco Road and Highway 167 junction to the Airbase Road and Highway 167 junction during the investigation phase.
“First and foremost, we are incredibly thankful that everyone involved in today’s incident is safe,” said Col. David Gunter, commander of the 366th Fighter Wing.
The EA-18G Growler is the Navy’s electronic warfare aircraft. According to the Navy, VAQ-129, the “Vikings,” is the Fleet Replacement Squadron for the EA-18G Growler and is based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington. The Navy says the EA-18G is derived from the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet airframe and the EA-6B ICAP III electronic warfare suite.
The official release did not identify the aircrew or state a cause. It also did not formally say the aircraft were destroyed, only that they crashed after the collision.
Press Release
EA-18 Details
History of the Squadron
Judge Allows Gun and Notebook in Luigi Mangione Case
Luigi Mangione was back in court Monday, May 18, as a New York judge ruled what evidence prosecutors can use in the state murder case involving the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione is charged after Thompson was shot and killed outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the indictment later that month, charging Mangione with murder, weapons charges, and criminal possession of a forged instrument.
Mangione was arrested on December 9, 2024, at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after employees recognized him from images connected to the Thompson killing.
The new ruling focused on what police could and could not use from Mangione’s backpack.
Justice Gregory Carro ruled that items found during the initial McDonald’s search must be suppressed. The court said the backpack had already been moved away from Mangione, he was surrounded by officers, and he was handcuffed. The court said the backpack was under police control and was not within Mangione’s reach.
The court also rejected the prosecution’s argument that officers were conducting a valid safety search for explosives or a gun. Justice Carro said the officers’ actions were inconsistent with a bomb search, including searching in an area open to customers and employees, stopping after finding a loaded magazine, and examining small items like a wallet and cardboard sleeve.
Because of that, the court suppressed the evidence found during the McDonald’s backpack search, including the loaded magazine, cellphone, passport, wallet, and computer chip.
But the ruling did not suppress the gun or the red notebook.
The court said the red notebook was not opened or searched at the McDonald’s. The gun was found later at the police station, during what the court ruled was a valid inventory search under Altoona Police Department procedures.
Justice Carro said the stationhouse search followed an established inventory process. After the gun was found, officers moved the backpack away from the detainee’s presence, separated personal items from evidence or contraband, documented the items, labeled envelopes, kept written lists, and photographed the contents, including the notebook.
The court ruled that the stationhouse inventory search was valid, and that photographing and cataloguing the notebook was part of the inventory process, not an unlawful investigative search.
The court also rejected the prosecution’s argument that a Pennsylvania search warrant later obtained for the backpack independently cured the problem. Justice Carro said the warrant relied partly on evidence already recovered from the backpack and information received after the searches had occurred.
The state terrorism counts against Mangione were already dismissed in September 2025. The court ruled then that prosecutors had not shown the killing met New York’s terrorism statute. But the remaining counts, including intentional second-degree murder, remain legally sufficient.
Mangione also faces federal charges. DOJ says the federal case includes charges for using a firearm to commit murder, interstate stalking resulting in death, stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death, and discharging a firearm equipped with a silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence.
New York Supreme Court suppression ruling in People v. Luigi Mangione
Manhattan DA indictment announcement
New York Supreme Court decision dismissing terrorism counts
DOJ federal charges announcement
Election Error in Maryland, Voter Registration Fraud Case in California
Two election-related stories surfaced this week: one involving a Maryland mail-in ballot error and the other a federal voter-registration fraud case in California.
In Maryland, the State Board of Elections says a printing-process error caused some voters to receive the incorrect party ballot for the 2026 gubernatorial primary.
The error affects voters who were mailed a ballot before May 14. SBE says all affected voters will receive a replacement ballot.
The replacement ballots were scheduled to be mailed starting the week of May 18, with mailing completed by May 29. The replacement ballot envelopes are marked “REPLACEMENT BALLOT,” and voters are being told to destroy the first ballot packet.
SBE says ballots from the first mailing have been voided in the voter registration system. If a voter already returned the first ballot, the local election office can identify and secure it.
SBE also says there is no risk of duplicate voting from the error. According to the board, every return envelope has a unique identifier, and safeguards are in place so only one ballot can be accepted per voter.
The Maryland case is officially described as an election error. The state has not described it as fraud, and no criminal charge was found tied to the ballot mistake.
The California case is different.
On Monday, May 18, the Justice Department announced that Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, of Marina del Rey, was charged with one felony count of paying another person to register to vote.
DOJ says Armstrong, also known as “Anika,” worked for about 20 years as a petition circulator. In that role, she was paid by coordinators to collect signatures from registered voters on petitions to qualify initiatives, referendums, and recalls for California state ballots.
Because coordinators paid for signatures tied to registered voters, DOJ says Armstrong tried to make sure the people signing her petitions were registered to vote.
Prosecutors say Armstrong solicited signatures in Skid Row because of the high concentration of people in a small area who were willing to sign petitions for payment. DOJ says she regularly paid people $2 to $3 to sign petitions.
Starting no later than 2025, prosecutors say Armstrong began offering payment not only for petition signatures, but also for people to complete voter registration forms.
DOJ says that before going to Skid Row, Armstrong gathered voter registration forms from the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters. Prosecutors say some homeless people did not have an address to list, so Armstrong gave some of them her own former Los Angeles address.
DOJ says the forms registered individuals to vote in both California and federal elections. Because California automatically sends a vote-by-mail ballot to every registered voter, DOJ says ballots in some homeless individuals’ names could potentially have been sent to Armstrong’s former address, where those individuals did not live or collect mail.
DOJ says that on January 30, Armstrong knowingly and willfully paid another person to register to vote for the purpose of causing that person to register in federal elections.
Armstrong has agreed to plead guilty. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Maryland State Board of Elections replacement mail-in ballot notice
DOJ announcement charging Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong
Tyler Robinson Hearing Focuses on Prosecutor Statements and Public Access
Tyler Robinson was back in court Tuesday, May 19, in Utah in the Charlie Kirk murder case.
Robinson’s defense argued prosecutors violated the court’s media rules by discussing an ATF firearms report outside court. The defense said prosecutors should have corrected any dispute over that report in court filings, not through media emails or television interviews.
The dispute centers on the bullet recovered at autopsy and the rifle tied to Robinson. The defense says ATF could not identify the bullet as coming from that rifle.
Prosecutors argued they were responding to misleading coverage after the defense filing was reported as meaning the bullet did not match the gun. The State says the ATF report was inconclusive, meaning ATF could not identify the rifle, but also could not exclude it.
The defense also asked to close parts of the upcoming preliminary hearing if the State presents evidence that may not be admissible at trial.
The State and media organizations objected, saying preliminary hearings are generally public. Prosecutors said the public and media should not be allowed to physically inspect or copy trial exhibits, but argued that does not mean the hearing itself should be closed.
The judge did not rule from the bench. He set a WebEx ruling hearing for June 1 at 10 a.m.
A separate in-person hearing on Utah’s reliable-hearsay rule is set for June 12.
May 19 Tyler Robinson court hearing
Criminal Case Against Ebony Parker Dismissed
On Thursday, May 21, a Newport News judge dismissed the criminal case against former Richneck Elementary assistant principal Ebony Parker.
Parker had been charged with eight felony counts after a 6-year-old student shot teacher Abby Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School on January 6, 2023.
We previously reported that Zwerner was awarded $10 million in her civil lawsuit against the Newport News School Board. Students had warned staff that the boy had a gun in his backpack, and the school failed to search the boy or his backpack.
The student obtained the 9mm firearm from his mother, who possessed it illegally and did not store it securely. She later pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm.
Parker’s criminal charges were separate from Zwerner’s civil case. The charges were not based on Zwerner as the victim. Prosecutors charged Parker with felony child neglect tied to the students in Zwerner’s classroom, one count for each bullet in the gun.
The indictments alleged Parker committed a willful act or omission in the care of those students in a manner so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show reckless disregard for human life.
Prosecutors argued Parker failed to act after repeated warnings that the child may have had a gun at school. The case followed a special grand jury report that examined security and administrative failures before the shooting.
After the prosecution rested, Parker’s defense moved to strike the charges. Her attorney argued the evidence did not prove a criminal offense under Virginia law.
Judge Rebecca Robinson agreed and dismissed the case before it went to the jury.
The court said the prosecution had presented legal theories, but not a crime under current law. The judge said if this conduct is going to be criminal, the General Assembly has to write that into the statute.
That ends the criminal case against Parker.
Zwerner’s civil case remains separate. The $10 million verdict against Parker was not erased by the dismissal of the criminal charges.
Ebony Parker criminal trial and dismissal
Previous Cold Take report on Abby Zwerner civil verdict
Richneck Elementary special grand jury report
Federal guilty plea by mother of 6-year-old who shot Abby Zwerner
Ebony Parker felony indictments
DOJ Charges 15 Defendants in Minnesota Fraud Takedown
The Justice Department announced Thursday that 15 defendants have been charged in a Minnesota Medicaid and benefits fraud takedown involving more than $90 million in alleged intended loss.
DOJ says the cases include the two largest Medicaid fraud cases ever charged in Minnesota, along with first-of-their-kind charges involving several state Medicaid programs. The defendants include owners of child care centers and Medicaid providers.
The largest new case involves Minnesota’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention program, which covers medically necessary autism services for people under 21. Shamso Ahmed Hassan and Hanaan Mursal Yusuf were charged in an alleged $46.6 million scheme. DOJ says about $21.2 million was paid. Prosecutors allege Hassan and Yusuf paid kickbacks to families to send children to Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center, then billed Medicaid for services that were not provided or not reimbursable.
DOJ says EIDBI claims in Minnesota grew from more than $600,000 in 2018 to more than $400 million by 2025.
Charles Healey and Katherin Larsen-Guthmiller were charged in a separate alleged Medicaid scheme involving Individualized Home Supports. DOJ says they operated Healey Homes and received $22.7 million in Medicaid reimbursements. Prosecutors allege they owned and controlled the homes where the services were supposedly provided, even though Medicaid rules prohibit providers from having a direct or indirect financial interest in the recipients’ housing.
Ahmed Othman Kadar was charged in the first criminal case involving Minnesota’s Integrated Community Supports program. DOJ says Kadar operated Ultimate Home Health LLC and submitted about $1.4 million in claims for services that were not provided or were inflated. Prosecutors allege Kadar failed to respond to complaints from Medicaid recipients who were living without heat after power was shut off. DOJ also says Kadar billed for services supposedly provided to a recipient who required 24-hour care the day before that recipient was found deceased.
Several cases involve Housing Stabilization Services. Deborah Hodges was charged in an alleged $5.3 million scheme. Sharmaine Meadows was charged in a case involving more than $4.3 million in alleged fraudulent claims. Muhammad Omar and Ibrahim Abdi were charged in an alleged $3.3 million scheme. Cynthia Allen and Candice Langley, both from Philadelphia, were charged in separate informations involving companies that together billed about $3.5 million. Abdulbasit Ibrahim and Mustafa Dayib were charged in an alleged HSS scheme that paid about $975,000.
DOJ says Minnesota became the first state to offer Medicaid coverage for Housing Stabilization Services in July 2020. The state expected the program to cost about $2.6 million annually. DOJ says the program paid more than $26 million in 2021, more than $104 million in 2024, and was shut down by Minnesota on October 31, 2025, because of fraud.
The takedown also included child care and food program cases. Jillaine Ann Mertens was charged by information with wire fraud involving about $425,000 from the Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program. Fahima Mahamud was charged by information in two alleged schemes totaling about $5.48 million. DOJ says Mahamud submitted inflated Feeding Our Future meal claims and separately received Child Care Assistance Program money by falsely certifying that required co-payments were being collected.
The same week, DOJ announced that Aimee Bock, founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, was sentenced to 500 months in prison for her role in a $250 million fraud scheme involving the Federal Child Nutrition Program. DOJ says Feeding Our Future opened more than 250 sites across Minnesota and went from receiving and disbursing about $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021.
DOJ says it is adding 15 new prosecutors to target Medicaid fraud nationwide and expanding the Midwest Strike Force to include Minnesota.
The charges are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
DOJ announcement of Minnesota health care fraud takedown
DOJ Minnesota health care fraud case summaries
DOJ Minnesota health care fraud court documents
DOJ announcement of Feeding Our Future ringleader sentencing
Feeding Our Future Founder Sentenced to 500 Months
Aimee Bock, the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, was sentenced Friday to 500 months in federal prison for her role in the $250 million child nutrition fraud scheme.
DOJ says Bock exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program during COVID, when federal money was supposed to feed children. Bock and Salim Said were convicted by a federal jury in March 2025. DOJ says they falsely claimed to have served 91 million meals and fraudulently received nearly $250 million in federal funds.
Federal prosecutors described Bock as the central figure in the scheme. In the government’s sentencing filing, prosecutors said Bock used Feeding Our Future to enrich herself, the nonprofit, its employees, and co-conspirators. Prosecutors said the organization’s board existed “in name only,” and that Feeding Our Future was a façade used to carry out fraud.
The government said Bock kept the money flowing even after the Minnesota Department of Education raised concerns. Prosecutors said she pushed for restaurants to participate in the program, threatened and sued MDE when it refused to approve new sites, and worked around state efforts to tighten program rules.
The Minnesota Legislative Auditor’s 2024 review also found state oversight failures. The review said MDE found Feeding Our Future seriously deficient twice but deferred those findings. It said MDE should have pursued termination months earlier and failed to investigate indicators of the alleged fraud that were evident in documentation it already had.
The auditor’s timeline says the FBI notified MDE in February 2021 of allegations involving Feeding Our Future. Those allegations included kickbacks, reimbursement claims without proper paperwork, and claims for meals that were not provided. MDE terminated Feeding Our Future on January 20, 2022, the same day federal authorities executed search warrants.
Bock also tried to shift blame to state officials. In the government’s sentencing filing, prosecutors said Bock directed one of her sons to send anonymous emails to Minnesota legislators and media outlets claiming “Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, and the Minnesota Department of Education intentionally set Feeding Our Future and Aimee Bock up as a scapegoat.”
Prosecutors presented that as part of Bock’s post-conviction conduct and lack of remorse, not as proof that Walz or Ellison committed wrongdoing.
Rep. Ilhan Omar has also faced questions connected to the case. The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention Committee attempted to subpoena Omar for documents related to Feeding Our Future, but the motion failed. Committee Chair Kristin Robbins said Omar’s MEALS Act took guardrails off the federal school nutrition program and created the conditions for Feeding Our Future.
The sentencing record is clear on Bock: she was convicted, and she is going to federal prison for 500 months. Oversight failures and political accusations are documented, but no primary-source finding was found that Walz, Ellison, or Omar knowingly participated in the fraud.
DOJ announcement of Aimee Bock sentencing
DOJ announcement of Bock and Said convictions
Federal prosecutors’ sentencing position for Aimee Bock
Minnesota Legislative Auditor special review of Feeding Our Future oversight
Minnesota House Fraud Prevention Committee discussion of Omar subpoena motion
Two Attorneys Shot Outside Wake County Courthouse
On Friday, May 22, two attorneys were shot outside the Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh.
Police identified the suspect as 57-year-old Gwendolyn White, who is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
The victims were Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley, attorneys with Fox Rothschild. The Town of Rolesville said Harris and Whitley were representing the town in a civil matter. Rolesville said Fox Rothschild has represented the town for decades, but the attorneys are not town employees.
Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said White and the two attorneys had been in the same courtroom earlier that morning. Boyce said White became belligerent in court, left the courthouse, returned to her car, got a handgun, and shot Harris and Whitley as they exited the building.
White was taken into custody at the scene.
Fox Rothschild Firmwide Managing Partner Todd A. Rodriguez said the firm’s thoughts are with Harris, Whitley, and their loved ones, and said the firm is supporting them and their families.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said the charges are the beginning of the judicial process and that her office is working to seek justice.
Police have not released an official motive.
Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce update on courthouse shooting
WRAL report with statements from Town of Rolesville, Fox Rothschild, and Wake County District Attorney
Politics
Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as Director of National Intelligence
Tulsi Gabbard announced Friday that she is resigning as Director of National Intelligence, effective June 30.
In a post on X, Gabbard said she was “deeply grateful for the trust President Trump placed in me” and for the opportunity to lead ODNI for the last year and a half. Her post says her husband, Abraham, was recently diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.
President Trump said Gabbard would leave the administration on June 30 and that “Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her.” Trump said Aaron Lukas, Gabbard’s Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, will serve as Acting Director.
ODNI currently lists Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence and Lukas as Principal Deputy Director. In July 2025, ODNI said Lukas was confirmed by the Senate as Principal Deputy DNI. Gabbard said then that Lukas had more than 20 years in the Intelligence Community, including work as a CIA analyst, covert operations officer, ODNI chief of staff, and National Security Council official.
ODNI’s current biography describes Lukas as a former CIA Chief of Station with more than two decades of intelligence experience.
Tulsi Gabbard statement on resigning as Director of National Intelligence
President Trump Truth Social account
ODNI leadership page
ODNI biography of Principal Deputy DNI Aaron Lukas
ODNI announcement of Aaron Lukas confirmation as Principal Deputy DNI
Massie Loses Kentucky Primary; Barr Wins Race to Replace McConnell
On Tuesday, May 19, Republican primary voters in Kentucky rejected incumbent Congressman Thomas Massie.
Unofficial results show Ed Gallrein defeated Massie in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District Republican primary. Gallrein received 57,822 votes, or 55%, while Massie received 47,539 votes, or 45%.
Kentucky Republicans also voted in the race to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell. McConnell was not voted out. He is retiring, and the primary was for his open Senate seat.
Unofficial results show Rep. Andy Barr won the Republican Senate primary with 258,839 votes. Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron finished second with 128,246 votes.
In Alabama, Sen. Tommy Tuberville won the Republican primary for governor. Unofficial results show Tuberville received more than 421,000 votes, or about 85%.
The Republican primary for Tuberville’s open Senate seat did not produce an outright winner. Rep. Barry Moore led the field with just over 39%, followed by Jared Hudson and Steve Marshall.
In Georgia, the Republican Senate primary also appeared headed to a runoff. The state’s official election results page showed Rep. Mike Collins leading, with Rep. Buddy Carter and Derek Dooley behind him.
The clearest incumbent loss came in Kentucky, where Massie lost his House primary. Carter also lost ground in Georgia while trying to move from the House to the Senate. McConnell did not lose; Republicans were voting on the race to replace him.
Kentucky Secretary of State live election results
Alabama Votes election results
Georgia Secretary of State
Markets
The Dow Jones closed at a record high of 50,579. This eclipsed the February 6 close by more than 400 points and comes after a 1053 point gain in the index this week. That’s 2.13% and significantly stronger than the other indexes this week.
Nasdaq gained 118 points, less than have a percent up, and closed at 26,343.
The S&P 500 picked up 65 points, a .88% gain, closing at 7,473.
Gold finished the week at $4,523, a $38 loss on the week.
Sports
Kyle Bush Dead at 41
On Thursday, May 21, NASCAR announced that Kyle Busch died after being hospitalized with a severe illness earlier in the week. Busch was one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history. He won two Cup Series championships, in 2015 and 2019, and finished his career with 63 Cup Series wins. But Busch was not just a Cup driver. Across NASCAR’s three national series, he won 234 races: 63 in Cup, 102 in what is now the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and 69 in the Craftsman Truck Series, making him the winningest active driver in the sport when he died. He drove for Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Richard Childress Racing. He was known as “Rowdy,” and he earned it. He was aggressive, emotional, polarizing, and almost always fast. Busch is also the first active NASCAR Cup Series driver to die since Dale Earnhardt in 2001. He and Dale Earnhardt Jr. once had a strained relationship. Earnhardt Jr. said they had a challenging existence for many years, but eventually took the time to work through it. By the end, he said Busch had become a friend. NASCAR called him a future Hall of Famer and a rare talent who comes along once in a generation. Kyle Bush was 41 years old.
Nürburgring
Elsewhere in Racing, On Sunday, May 17, Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and Maxime Martin won the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring in the #80 RAVENOL Mercedes-AMG GT3. Mercedes-AMG said it was the brand’s first overall Nürburgring 24 win in ten years. Max Verstappen looked set to win his first 24h Nürburgring start in the sister #3 Verstappen Mercedes-AMG, shared with Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella. The car had led the race and was still in front with just under three and a half hours left when a driveshaft failure ended its run for the win. The #80 Mercedes inherited control and finished the job.
F1
The 2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix is this weekend. The race itself will be underway when this video goes live, but it’s a sprint weekend so there’s plenty to talk about. George Russel qualified on pole for the sprint race with his teammate Antonelli beside him on the front row. The Mclarens locked out the second row followed by the Ferraris and then the Red Bulls. Russel ran Antonelli off the road…twice. But he wasn’t penalized because the FIA is doing all it can to completely ruin the sport. He went on to finish in first, ahead of Lando Norris and then Antonelli. Qualifying for the main race was nearly identical except Charles Leclerc wound up behind the red bull cars.
Stanley Cup Playoffs
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Vegas Golden Knights lead the Colorado Avalanche 2 game to none in the western conference finals. In the east, the Hurricanes and Canadiens are tied 1-1.
NBA Playoffs
In the NBA Playoffs, OKC has a 2 games to 1 lead over the Spurs in the west while the Nicks are up 3 to nothing on the Cavs.
MLB
The Yankees have slipped 5.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East. They’ve lost 10 of their last 14 including series losses to the Orioles and Mets and split a 4 game set against the Bluejays. Atlanta controls the NL East with a 9.5 game lead over the Phillies. And the Dodgers hold a half game lead in the NL West over the Padres.
Rich Stephens
The Cold Take