Story cards stay below the sticky dock while audio, chapters, date, and brief navigation remain accessible.
President Trump has directed the Justice Department to investigate oil companies for price gouging, arguing that pump prices haven't fallen as fast as the crude they're buying. With the national average down to about $3.97 a gallon after a 56-cent monthly drop, Trump insists gas should be closer to $2.25 if not for the conglomerates. He's framing it as a consumer-protection fight even as critics call it political pressure.
Louisiana's GOP Senate runoff pits Rep. Julia Letlow against state Treasurer John Fleming, and it's become a fresh test of Trump's clout in 2026. Letlow, whom Trump backed even before she entered the race, took 45% in the primary. A win would reinforce the president's grip on the party heading into the midterms.
In a notable break with fellow Democrats, Hillary Clinton offered praise for Trump's Gaza peace plan. The rare cross-aisle nod drew analysis from figures including former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It comes as the administration touts diplomatic wins across a turbulent Middle East.
Sales of new single-family homes fell 7.3% in May to an annual rate of 580,000, the lowest since the start of the year and well below the 640,000 economists expected. The 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 6.53% by month's end, the highest since August 2025, while the median price ticked up to $424,900. High prices and rising rates are keeping buyers on the sidelines.
Iran launched drone strikes against Gulf neighbors Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday, with Bahrain calling it a "flagrant threat" and a violation of the ceasefire. US Central Command carried out a second wave of retaliatory strikes over the weekend, and Trump warned the US may "militarily complete the job" if Tehran keeps provoking. Vice President JD Vance bluntly warned that "violence will be met with violence."
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to the framework of a deal that would see Israeli forces withdraw from Southern Lebanon. Israeli officials say they'll only pull back if the Lebanese army deploys against Hezbollah. The arrangement is a fragile but real step amid the wider regional turmoil.
Ukraine has been hammering Russian energy infrastructure with drone strikes, but analysts say the campaign hasn't delivered a decisive blow. Zelenskyy tied Iran's role into the war, noting Tehran supplied Putin with more than 57,000 Shahed-type attack drones. He praised Washington for "acting decisively" in the region.
SpaceX is designing an eight-mile pipeline, dubbed the "Starpipe," to replace fuel-truck deliveries at its launch sites. The system could begin transporting propellant as soon as January 2027 to support rapid Starship flights. Musk argues that once Starship is launching hourly, SpaceX's mass to orbit would dwarf everyone else's combined.
NASA's Moon Base initiative aims to plant humanity's first outpost in deep space, roughly 238,855 miles from Earth, as a hub for research and technology. An initial all-robot crew could launch as soon as fall 2026. It sets the stage for the 2027 Artemis III mission, the last flight before crews head to the lunar South Pole in 2028.
A small Sunward Aurora aircraft crashed into the 108-story CITIC Tower in Beijing on Friday, punching a gaping hole near the top of the roughly 1,700-foot building. The pilot, the only person aboard, was killed and 13 others were injured. Chinese censors quickly scrubbed footage from the country's internet, leaving the cause shrouded in an information blackout.
