President Trump signed an executive order Saturday directing the FDA to expedite its review of psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs, specifically targeting treatments for veterans with PTSD, depression, and traumatic brain injuries. Joe Rogan joined Trump in the Oval Office to spotlight veterans' mental health. The VA is currently running 11 clinical trials with some 800 veterans expected to participate.
The Atlantic published a piece citing over two dozen unnamed sources alleging FBI Director Kash Patel engaged in "excessive drinking," "erratic behavior," and "unexplained absences." Patel fired back: "Print it, all false, I'll see you in court — bring your checkbook." His attorney called the claims "categorically false," noting the magazine gave less than two hours to respond and that other outlets had chased the same rumors but couldn't verify them.
Voters head to the polls Monday on a Democrat-backed referendum that would hand redistricting power to the legislature, potentially redrawing Virginia's congressional map from a 6-5 Democratic advantage to a staggering 10-1 split. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin has called the move "illegal and unconstitutional." Republicans warn this could effectively destroy their chances of holding the House majority through the midterms.
Despite a US-backed ceasefire deal, Iran has reversed course and shut down oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 3,200 vessels — including 800 tankers — are idling, and nearly 20,000 mariners are stranded in the Persian Gulf. Iran is now demanding a toll of one dollar per barrel of oil, payable in cryptocurrency, before allowing passage. The US naval blockade of Iranian ports continues with over 10,000 personnel and a dozen warships enforcing it.
Russia launched its biggest aerial barrage in weeks — nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles — targeting civilian areas across Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia. At least 16 were killed, including a 12-year-old in Kyiv, and over 80 wounded. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 667 of 703 incoming targets. President Zelenskyy demanded more air defense systems, saying Russia "does not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions."
President Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, calling it a "historic day" and urging Hezbollah to "act nicely." However, the Lebanese army reported intermittent shelling after the ceasefire began, and rockets were fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel. The IDF had struck more than 380 Hezbollah targets in the 24 hours before the deal took effect, and the situation remains fragile.
The FDA has granted Paradromics approval to begin the first human trial of a fully implantable brain-computer interface designed to restore speech in paralyzed patients. The Connexus BCI uses hundreds of tiny electrodes to capture neural firing patterns that control the lips, tongue, and larynx, converting brain signals into text or synthesized voice. It is the first approved study to explore speech restoration with a fully implantable system.
Three Californians have been sentenced for felony insurance fraud after staging damage to luxury cars using a person dressed in a bear costume. Surveillance footage captured the "bear" breaking into and clawing at high-end vehicles to make the damage look like a wild animal attack. The scheme, dubbed Operation Bear Claw by investigators, unraveled when insurers noticed the suspicious pattern and alerted authorities.
