Leonne's Daily Post
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Wednesday, May 20
Heads, Trump Wins

The Justice Department announced plans to settle Trump's lawsuit against the IRS for $1.8 billion while also blocking future tax audits, handing him a substantial personal victory.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
Trump exerts iron grip on Republican Party with Massie defeated

Trump's victory over Kentucky Republican Massie demonstrates unprecedented control over the GOP, though his dominance carries risks for the party in the November midterms.

Continue reading at BBC News
How Tuesday's primary elections played out in 6 states

Primary elections in six states Tuesday revealed shifting dynamics within both parties, with Republican races particularly focused on Trump's influence over the party's future direction.

Continue reading at NPR Politics
Trump-backed challenger defeats Republican rebel Massie in primary

A Trump-backed challenger defeated Republican congressman Thomas Massie in Kentucky, marking a decisive test of the former president's control over party nominations.

Continue reading at BBC U.S.
'Ebola has tortured us': Fear grips eastern DR Congo as deadly virus spreads

Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is struggling with a spreading Ebola outbreak as health officials race to catch up with virus detection and response efforts.

Continue reading at BBC News
'They feel panicked' - Community reacts to San Diego mosque shooting

The San Diego mosque shooting that killed three men has left the Muslim community grappling with fear and vulnerability, with two teenage shooters taking their own lives at the scene.

Continue reading at BBC U.S.
In stunning display of stupid, secret CISA credentials found in public GitHub repo

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agency embarrassingly left a public GitHub repository containing plaintext passwords, SSH keys, and sensitive credentials exposed since at least November.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
FBI seeks US-wide access to license plate cameras, wants "data in near real time"

The FBI is seeking nationwide access to a network of license plate readers with 'near real time' data capability, raising privacy concerns about surveillance infrastructure.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
UK should set maximum working temperature rules, advisers say

UK climate advisers argue the government should establish maximum working temperature rules, citing decades of inadequate preparation for extreme heat events.

Continue reading at BBC Science
Prescribed Burns and Forest Thinning Averted Millions of Tons of Emissions and Billions in Damages

Forest fuel reduction treatments in the Western U.S. prevented 2.7 million tons of carbon emissions, nearly 60 premature deaths, and $2.8 billion in damages from wildfires.

Continue reading at Inside Climate News
Wildfire Crews Race to Keep Fierce California Blaze From Former Nuclear Reactor Site

Firefighters battled the growing Sandy Fire to prevent it from reaching a former nuclear reactor and rocket testing site amid shifting winds and growing community concern.

Continue reading at Inside Climate News
Fire in the ‘Galapagos of North America’ Risks Species Found Nowhere Else

An unchecked wildfire is consuming nearly a third of Santa Rosa Island, one of California's most ecologically pristine areas home to hundreds of unique species found nowhere else.

Continue reading at Inside Climate News
Once a climate leader, Canada is now doubling down on oil

Canada, once a climate leader, is now pursuing oil expansion under new Prime Minister Mark Carney, contradicting his previous work as a clean energy advocate.

Continue reading at Grist
Trump’s EPA vows to fight ‘forever chemicals’ by loosening regulations

The Trump administration is promoting a loosening of regulations on 'forever chemicals' as a major step forward, a claim critics dispute given the established health risks of PFAS exposure.

Continue reading at Grist
Estonia says Nato jet shot down drone over its territory

Estonia reports that a NATO fighter jet shot down a drone over its airspace, which the country suspects was a Ukrainian projectile thrown off course by Russian jamming.

Continue reading at BBC News
Trump's Greenland envoy faces uphill battle on mission to make 'friends'

Trump's newly appointed Greenland envoy faces skepticism and resistance from some Greenlanders during his mission to build relationships and assess the territory's strategic value.

Continue reading at BBC News
The Iran war is destroying oil demand. Could it also spark a shift to clean energy?

Soaring gas prices from the Iran war have prompted Americans to drive less and use public transit more, potentially accelerating a shift toward cleaner transportation.

Continue reading at Grist
"I'll buy 10 of those"—NASA science chief yearns for mass-produced satellites

NASA's science chief laments that despite cheaper access to space through commercial rockets, the agency is launching fewer scientific missions than it did 25 years ago due to rising costs.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
Google's SynthID AI watermarking tech is being adopted by OpenAI, Nvidia, and more

Google's SynthID watermarking technology for AI content is expanding beyond Google to OpenAI, Nvidia, and others as a tool for identifying synthetic media.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
Two AI-based science assistants succeed with drug-retargeting tasks

Two new AI systems—Google's Co-Scientist and FutureHouse's system—show promise in helping researchers develop and test scientific hypotheses more efficiently.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
EBSCO Information Services and Perplexity partner to ground AI Answers in peer-reviewed research

EBSCO and Perplexity partnered to integrate peer-reviewed research databases into Perplexity's AI-powered answer engine, giving users authoritative sourcing within an AI interface.

Continue reading at Library Technology Guides
Clarivate selected By Czech National Library of Technology to develop unified national library platform

The Czech National Library of Technology selected Clarivate to build a unified cloud-based library services platform, marking a significant modernization effort for the region.

Continue reading at Library Technology Guides
It’s Maddeningly Difficult to Ban Smoking

Despite centuries of anti-tobacco efforts—from King James I's 4,000% tariff to modern campaigns—societies continue struggling to eliminate smoking through regulation alone.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
Lake study shows ways to 'cancel' climate impact

Research on England's Lake Windermere reveals strategies for mitigating climate change impacts on freshwater ecosystems.

Continue reading at BBC Science
Residents find chemicals 43k times water standard

Residents near a former RAF base have discovered disturbing levels of 'forever chemicals' through independent testing, far exceeding safe water standards.

Continue reading at BBC Science
Indiana man regains movement with groundbreaking spinal therapy in Omaha

An Indiana man is regaining movement and independence through groundbreaking spinal therapy available in Omaha after a paralyzing fall.

Continue reading at KETV Omaha
Proposal aims to revive firefighters' 'Fill the Boot' fundraiser for muscular dystrophy research

Omaha's city council is considering an ordinance that would allow city employees to fundraise for nonprofits during work hours, potentially reviving firefighters' popular 'Fill the Boot' campaign for muscular dystrophy research.

Continue reading at KETV Omaha
National Weather Service confirms tornadoes touched down in Nebraska during Sunday's storms

The National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes touched down in Nebraska during Sunday's storms, including in Ashland and Plattsmouth.

Continue reading at KETV Omaha
RFK Jr. forced to withdraw charter that opened CDC panel to anti-vaccine quacks

Health Secretary RFK Jr. was forced to withdraw a revised CDC vaccine advisory committee charter that would have stacked the panel with anti-vaccine figures.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
Gemini 3.5 Flash might be fast enough for gen AI to make sense

Google's new Gemini 3.5 Flash model promises faster performance while maintaining quality improvements over previous versions, potentially making AI applications more practical.

Continue reading at Ars Technica
After Two Decades, E360’s Founder and Editor Is Moving On

Yale E360's founding editor reflects on 18 years pioneering online environmental journalism and the debt owed to the writers who shaped the publication.

Continue reading at Yale E360
Fayetteville State University and Taylor & Francis extend research impact through open access publishing

Fayetteville State University secured a three-year open access partnership with Taylor & Francis, removing publishing charges for its researchers across 2,500+ journals.

Continue reading at Library Technology Guides
Grove for Libraries announces the successful transition of Wasatch County Library to Grove-hosted and supported Aspen Discovery and Koha

Wasatch County Library successfully transitioned to Grove-hosted Aspen Discovery and Koha, prioritizing flexibility and improved patron experience through open-source solutions.

Continue reading at Library Technology Guides
City of Moreton Bay Libraries joins growing Clarivate momentum in Australia with Polaris and Vega LX

City of Moreton Bay Libraries selected Polaris ILS and Vega LX to modernize operations for one of Australia's largest and fastest-growing public library systems.

Continue reading at Library Technology Guides
Tuesday, May 19
Trump’s $1.8 Billion Slush Fund Is Worse Than Stealing

Trump's $1.8 billion settlement with the IRS, combined with blocking future audits, represents a troubling weaponization of government for personal financial gain.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
Why Does Donald Trump Refuse to Defend America?

Trump's relationships with global dictators and autocrats reveal a troubling pattern of admiration for authoritarian leaders and indifference to democratic principles abroad.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
Democracy Is a Racial Entitlement Now

The Supreme Court's dismantling of the Voting Rights Act has unleashed southern Republicans to aggressively eliminate Black-majority districts and consolidate white political power.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
This Ebola Outbreak Will Be Hard to Contain

The Ebola outbreak spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo presents extraordinary containment challenges, with over 500 suspected cases and 130+ deaths already reported.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
San Diego’s Tragic Lesson About Terrorism

The San Diego mosque shooting exemplifies how real-world violence emerges when online grievance and extremist ideology intersect with access to weapons.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
What we know about how the U.S. government uses spyware (and what we don't)

Concerns grow that the Trump administration is eroding policies that once stigmatized commercial spyware, potentially expanding the government's surveillance capabilities.

Continue reading at NPR Technology
Trump gutted USAID. Hunger and violence followed.

The Trump administration's gutting of USAID has left millions vulnerable to hunger, violence, and disaster, as decades of humanitarian programs have been suspended or dissolved.

Continue reading at Grist
New Zealand Moves to Ban Tort Liability for Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Damage

New Zealand's government plans to amend its climate law to prohibit liability for climate change damages, a move critics say shields polluters and undermines accountability.

Continue reading at Inside Climate News
Key people smuggler arrested after BBC uncovered identity

British authorities arrested a key people smuggler after the BBC identified him, revealing a network suspected of transporting thousands of illegal migrants into the UK.

Continue reading at BBC News
A Cheap Fix for Urban Crime

New York's investment in crime-prevention programs like community centers proved more effective and cheaper than aggressive stop-and-frisk policing, challenging conventional wisdom.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
How Cuban History Broke a Family

Historian Ada Ferrer reflects on how her family's lived experience of Cuban history diverged sharply from the historical record she studied, revealing the gaps between public and personal memory.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
Everlane, Shein, and the Limits of the Ethical Consumer

The rise and fall of Everlane's 'ethical fashion' promise illustrates the limits of individual consumer choices in a system designed to prioritize profit over accountability.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
To revive an extinct bird, you first need an artificial egg

A Texas biotech company working to revive extinct species has developed artificial eggs as a critical step toward potentially bringing back birds like the dodo.

Continue reading at NPR Science
Photos: Cuba Runs out of Fuel

Cuba's complete depletion of diesel and fuel oil reserves has triggered widespread power outages and desperation, captured in haunting photographs of residents adapting to the crisis.

Continue reading at The Atlantic
The era of 1,000 Hz gaming monitors has arrived, but why?

Gaming monitors with 1,000 Hz refresh rates are finally moving from prototype to retail, though questions remain about whether consumers actually need displays updating every millisecond.

Continue reading at Ars Technica