Good morning! Today’s edition is 700 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Trump calls off planned strike

• California wildfire

• Snuffleupagus fish

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*Editor’s note: I’ll have limited internet access until May 26, so The Neutral will shift to a shortened 5-day format, with weekday editions resembling Saturday’s edition. Regular 6-day publishing will resume when I’m back. — Adam

Today’s Big Story

San Diego Mosque Attack

• Two teenage gunmen killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday before taking their own lives, authorities said. Police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime after anti-Islamic writings were found in the suspects' car.

• The victims were found dead in front of the mosque, the largest in San Diego County. One was a security guard the police chief called "heroic," saying his actions "undoubtedly saved lives."

• The suspects were identified as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18. That morning, Clark's mother had called the police to report her son missing along with her firearms and car, describing him as suicidal. Officers were speaking with her when they learned of the shooting at the mosque.

• The attack occurred on the first day of Dhul Hijjah, one of Islam's most sacred months. The mosque had never previously experienced a violent attack and will remain closed until further notice.

Today’s Quick Hits

• President Trump said Monday he called off a planned military strike on Iran set for Tuesday after the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE urged him to allow negotiations to continue. Trump said he has ordered the military to remain ready to launch "a full, large-scale assault" if talks fail. Iran said it had responded to a new US proposal but would not compromise on its right to nuclear enrichment. (More)

• The brain's language network is anchored in the left hemisphere from at least age 4, far earlier than some scientists expected, according to a new MIT study of hundreds of children. Researchers found the network continues maturing until around age 16, becoming better integrated and more responsive over time, but its left-side localization appears fixed from early childhood. The finding challenges theories about why people with autism or dyslexia process language differently than others. (More)

• Victor Wembanyama scored 41 points and grabbed 24 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in double overtime Monday, giving San Antonio a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. The performance came hours after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his second MVP award over Wembanyama. Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history to record 40 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game. (More)

• President Trump settled his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS on Monday, with the Justice Department creating a $1.776 billion fund to compensate what it called "victims of lawfare and weaponization." Trump dropped related claims over the Russia investigation and the Mar-a-Lago raid in exchange for a formal apology but no personal payment. Democrats called the fund a slush fund that could benefit Jan. 6 defendants. (More)

• The Supreme Court sent two Voting Rights Act cases back to lower courts Monday, asking them to reconsider whether private individuals and groups can sue to enforce the law's ban on discriminatory voting practices. The move follows the court's ruling last month weakening Section 2 of the act. The cases involve legislative maps in Mississippi and North Dakota challenged by the NAACP, Native American tribes, and individual voters. (More)

• A wildfire broke out Monday in hills above Simi Valley, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, burning more than 500 acres and prompting evacuation orders for several neighborhoods in the city of 125,000. The Sandy Fire damaged at least one home and forced the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to close. Separately, a 15-square-mile blaze on Santa Rosa Island off the Southern California coast destroyed a cabin and forced 11 National Park Service employees to evacuate. (More)

Extra Credit

Winner of charity auction pays $9M for dinner with Stephen Curry and Warren Buffett.

The 4% rule for retirement is now 4.7%.

The best and worst cities to be an introvert in 2026.

New fish species resembles Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street.