Here are today's featured stories, posted by DU members and curated by the Administrators. More news items can be found in our Latest Breaking News forum, and for all the most up-to-the-minute stories that are being talked about by DU members, visit the Latest Discussions page.
May 20, 2026
Trump Shrugs Off Soaring Gas Prices As 'Peanuts' Amid Iran War
(Huff Post) Donald Trump did little to dissuade people from the idea that he is out of touch with the concerns of everyday Americans during a Tuesday press conference. “I had gas down to $1.85 in Iowa. I was in Iowa, and the stations had it at $1.85. But I was down to, in many cases, less than two dollars a gallon,” Trump said. He eventually acknowledged that gas prices have increased since then, but wasn’t exactly contrite. “You want to see the world exploded? You want to see a problem? And this is peanuts.”
Go to discussionSenate Republicans angry and alarmed over Trump's Paxton endorsement
(Politico) President Donald Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate primary set off panic among Republicans who worry that keeping the seat will now be a more expensive and potentially futile endeavor. By endorsing Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn, Trump rejected the pleas of GOP leaders in Congress who for months had pushed Trump to back a proven winner in the Lone Star State. Now with Trump in his corner, Paxton is well situated to win the primary runoff next week and face Democratic nominee James Talarico in the general election — a matchup Democrats have dreamed of for months.
Go to discussionTrump's Deal With His Administration Also Ends His Tax Audits
(Wall Streeet Journal) President Trump’s extraordinary agreement with the federal government expanded Tuesday to end all pending tax audits of him and his businesses, according to a document posted by the Justice Department. In the document, signed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the government said it would be “FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED” from pursuing certain claims against Trump, his businesses and family members. The agreement specifically blocks the government from taking any action regarding tax returns that already have been filed.
Go to discussion'Point of no return': A research firm says the oil market is headed for a dire turning point
(Business Insider) Market watchers have puzzled over the reasons for oil's resilience in recent weeks, but things could be about to change for the worse, one research firm is warning. HFI Research, an investment research firm with a focus on energy markets, said it sees the oil market hitting a major turning point in the first week of June. If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed through that time, oil markets will likely descend into "real panic," it said, suggesting that nations around the world could start panic-buying and hoarding oil as oil inventories hit rock bottom.
Go to discussion
Iran threatens war 'beyond the region' if US attacks
(Reuters) Iran threatened on Wednesday to spread war beyond the Middle East if the United States attacks again, after President Donald Trump said he had come within an hour of restarting the military campaign. Six weeks since Trump paused Operation Epic Fury for a ceasefire, talks to end the war have largely stalled.
Go to discussionNAACP calls for Black student-athletes to boycott Southern schools amid redistricting backlash
(NBC News) The NAACP launched a campaign Tuesday calling on Black student-athletes to boycott Southern colleges in the wake of a Supreme Court decision last month that weakened the Voting Rights Act, leading to the dismantling of one majority-Black congressional district and a push to scrap others. “The NAACP will not watch the same institutions that depend on Black athletic prowess to fill their stadiums and their bank accounts remain silent while their states strip Black communities of their voice,” NAACP National President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement.
Go to discussionJohn Adams quote projected on DOJ building in protest of $1.8B fund
(NBC News) Opponents of a $1.776 billion taxpayer-backed “anti-weaponization” fund projected a quotation from one of the Founding Fathers onto the Justice Department building in protest. “A government of laws, not of men,” read the quotation from John Adams, the second president. The quotation was shown over one of the large banners of President Donald Trump that were set up in February at the Justice Department headquarters, known as “Main Justice.”
Democrats eye 2027 crackdown on AI in election ads
(Axios) House Democrats plan to push legislation regulating the use of AI in political ads if they retake power next year, Axios has learned. The use of AI in election ads has exploded in the 2026 midterms, with some campaigns using the new technology to push the limits of negative campaigning. Rep. Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, told Axios that regulating the use of AI on the campaign trail will "absolutely" be a priority for him.
Go to discussionAlan Chambers, former Exodus International leader, charged with soliciting minor
(RNS) The former leader of a now-defunct ex-gay ministry was arrested in Florida on Tuesday morning (May 19) in connection with a sheriff’s department sting. In an arrest affidavit, an undercover officer alleged that 54-year-old Alan Chambers, the former president of Exodus International, which disbanded in 2013, exchanged sexual messages for several months with someone he thought was a teenager.
Go to discussion