Top 5 US news stories
May 20 2026
Midterms 2026: Trump-Backed Challenger Ousts Massie in Kentucky Primary
Midterms 2026: Trump Endorses Paxton Over Cornyn in Texas Senate Runoff
Midterms 2026: Senate Advances Iran War Powers Measure as Cassidy Switches Sides
Regulators Probe $800 Million in Suspicious Oil Trades Before Trump Iran Pivot
U.S. and Israel Eyed Ahmadinejad for Iran Regime Change, Plan Quickly Failed
Midterms 2026: Trump-Backed Challenger Ousts Massie in Kentucky Primary
Representative Thomas Massie, President Trump's most prominent Republican antagonist in Congress, lost his Kentucky primary on Tuesday to Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein. Gallrein, a dairy farmer and retired Navy SEAL who had previously waged only one unsuccessful political campaign, defeated the seven-term incumbent 55 percent to 45 percent. The victory makes Gallrein the overwhelming favorite in November, as the gerrymandered Fourth Congressional District stretches from the Louisville suburbs to counties along the Ohio River and near the West Virginia border, and gave Trump nearly two-thirds of its vote in 2024. Trump targeted Massie following the congressman's repeated defections from the administration's agenda. The race became one of the most expensive and closely watched primary contests of the 2026 midterm cycle.
NYT
Midterms 2026: Trump Endorses Paxton Over Cornyn in Texas Senate Runoff
President Trump on Tuesday endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn, intervening in a contentious Republican primary runoff one day after early voting began. Cornyn, who has held the seat since 2002, faces Paxton in the May 26 runoff after the two advanced from a three-way March primary. Paxton has built support among far-right base voters by accusing Cornyn of insufficient loyalty to Trump, while Cornyn has held a significant fundraising advantage backed by traditional Republican stalwarts. National GOP groups have expressed concern that nominating Paxton, who has faced multiple scandals, could hand the seat to Democratic nominee James Talarico in November. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority and are counting on Texas to maintain control. The endorsement follows Trump's successful effort over the weekend to end the re-election bid of Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
WSJ
Midterms 2026: Senate Advances Iran War Powers Measure as Cassidy Switches Sides
The Senate on Tuesday voted 50-47 to advance a resolution that would limit President Trump's ability to wage war against Iran without congressional approval, with newly defeated Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana providing decisive support. Cassidy had voted against seven similar measures earlier in his re-election campaign but switched his position days after losing his Republican primary on Saturday. He joined GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky in backing the resolution. All Democrats supported the measure except Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Three Republican absences also enabled the resolution to clear the procedural threshold. Senate Republicans had blocked every previous war powers measure since Trump launched the conflict with Iran in February.
WSJ
Regulators Probe $800 Million in Suspicious Oil Trades Before Trump Iran Pivot
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating a surge of trading activity that occurred moments before President Trump announced on March 23 that he would postpone strikes on Tehran's energy infrastructure. More than $800 million in U.S. and international oil futures changed hands within minutes during off-hours, just before the social media post that sent U.S. oil prices down as much as 13 percent. At least five firms posted gains of $5 million or more on the trades, according to records reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Regulators are examining whether someone with advance knowledge of the announcement traded on that information or passed it to others. The inquiry has focused on at least three firms, including London-based Qube Research & Technologies, which earned roughly $5 million in adjusted gains, and Forza Fund Ltd., which netted about $10 million. Totsa, the trading arm of French oil company TotalEnergies, posted a profit of about $200,000.
WSJ
U.S. and Israel Eyed Ahmadinejad for Iran Regime Change, Plan Quickly Failed
The United States and Israel entered the recent war against Iran with a plan to install former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the country's new leader, according to U.S. officials briefed on the operation. Ahmadinejad, known for his hard-line anti-Israel and anti-American views during his time in office, had been consulted about the regime change scheme before the war began. The plan went awry on the conflict's first day when an Israeli strike on his Tehran home, intended to free him from house arrest, instead injured him. He survived but became disillusioned with the regime change effort after the near miss, according to U.S. officials and an associate. Days into the war, Trump publicly mused that it would be best if someone from within Iran took over the country. Ahmadinejad has not been seen publicly since the strike, and his current whereabouts and condition remain unknown.
NYT
MAY 20, 1862: PRESIDENT LINCOLN SIGNS HOMESTEAD ACT OPENING THE GREAT PLAINS TO SETTLERS
The Homestead Act granted 160 acres of federal land to eligible settlers who agreed to live on and improve the property, accelerating migration into the Great Plains. In what is now Kansas, it spurred a wave of small farms and townsites, reshaping the state’s economy, politics and landscape. By 1900, homesteaders and speculators together had claimed tens of millions of acres, anchoring Kansas’s long-term identity as an agricultural state.
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