National

Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, has curated "American Aspirations," an exhibition marking the nation's 250th anniversary. The display, featuring objects from across the Smithsonian's collections, explores the ideals, ambitions, and inherent contradictions that have shaped the United States, presenting the nation as a continuous work in progress.

Federal prosecutors have charged Google software engineer Michele Spagnuolo with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. He is accused of using confidential insider information about Google's most searched people of 2025 to generate over $1.2 million in profits from bets on the prediction market platform Polymarket.

The White House is preparing a government-wide nondisclosure agreement aimed at curtailing federal workers’ sharing of “confidential government information” and stopping internal leaks to media organizations. This initiative, posted by the Office of Personnel Management, has drawn sharp criticism from federal employee unions, who contend it is an attempt to silence dissent, restrict First Amendment rights, and purge nonpartisan career employees.

The United States Supreme Court's oral arguments have come under scrutiny for their increasing length, prompting Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito to advocate for shorter sessions. While some jurists express concerns over the extended duration, others, including Justice Clarence Thomas, contend that the additional time enhances transparency and allows for a more thorough examination of legal arguments.

Two teenagers, Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, carried out a fatal shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, resulting in three deaths. The incident followed Clark's disappearance from his home with his mother's weapons and car, after leaving a potential suicide note. Vazquez, one of the assailants, had recently been released from a mental health program.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has temporarily halted the public release of nearly all investigative data, a decision driven by new technological advancements enabling the extraction of cockpit voice recorder audio from still images. This development has prompted significant privacy concerns regarding sensitive crash information.

A recent development in California's chemical tank incident has seen a crack in the structure reduce internal pressure, effectively eliminating the risk of a catastrophic boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE). Despite this critical mitigation, officials continue to advise 16,000 residents closest to the Orange County site against returning home, as efforts persist to further cool the tank's internal temperature and address remaining public safety threats.

A chaotic scene unfolded outside the Delaney Hall federal immigration detention center in New Jersey, where protesters engaged with federal agents amidst an ongoing hunger and labor strike by detainees protesting alleged inhumane conditions, including spoiled food and inadequate medical care, claims which the Department of Homeland Security has denied as 'political stunts'.

Nasire Best, 21, was fatally shot by Secret Service agents outside the White House after he opened fire on officers, an exchange that also injured a bystander. Best had a documented history of encounters with the Secret Service, including involuntary psychiatric commitment and arrests where he claimed to be "Jesus Christ." President Trump, who was in the White House at the time, remained unharmed.

Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., cousin of Emmett Till, and Charles Sims, great-great-great-grandson of Jim Crow laws architect James Z. George, recently united during Memorial Day weekend, offering a powerful message of reconciliation and hope across historical racial divides.