Good morning! Today’s edition is 692 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Raúl Castro indictment

• Aaron Rodgers is hanging it up next year

• Gas price hack

First-time reader? Sign up here!

*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

US Charges Raúl Castro With Murder

• The Justice Department charged former Cuban President Raúl Castro with murder on Wednesday over his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based group that conducted humanitarian flights searching for Cuban migrants in distress. Four Americans died — Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.

• The indictment, returned by a grand jury in April and unsealed Wednesday, charges Castro with seven counts, including conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of aircraft, and murder. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called it the first time in nearly 70 years that senior Cuban leadership had been charged in the US for violence resulting in American deaths.

• US officials allege Cuban intelligence agents infiltrated Brothers to the Rescue in the early 1990s and fed flight details to Cuban military leadership, who used the information to plan the attack.

• Castro, now 94, is unlikely to face a US courtroom. Cuba called the indictment a "political maneuver devoid of any legal foundation" and said the shootdown was in "legitimate defense."

Today’s Quick Hits

• Elon Musk announced plans on Wednesday to take SpaceX public in what could be the largest stock offering in history, with reports putting the target at around $75 billion, surpassing Saudi Aramco's record $26 billion IPO. SpaceX lost $2.6 billion from operations last year on $18.7 billion in revenue. The offering could make Musk, whose net worth currently stands at $839 billion, the world's first trillionaire. (More)

• Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a retired police officer who spent 37 days in jail after posting Facebook memes mocking the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Larry Bushart, 61, was arrested in September on a felony charge that was later dropped. During his time in jail, he lost his job and missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter. (More)

• Aaron Rodgers announced Wednesday that the 2026 season will be his last, signing a one-year deal worth up to $25 million with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 42-year-old four-time MVP said the hiring of Mike McCarthy, his coach for 13 seasons in Green Bay, convinced him to return for a 22nd NFL season. (More)

• A large-scale review of 2,622 autism studies found that social differences in autistic people emerge early in childhood and develop in a predictable sequence, starting with basic social motivation and building toward more complex social skills. Researchers also found that culture plays a role. People in countries with stronger social support networks showed smaller differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals. (More)

• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed a memo Tuesday declaring the IRS "forever barred" from auditing President Trump, his family, or his businesses, a supplement to the settlement of Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the agency. The memo covers past tax issues as well as pending audits. Democratic senators called it an abuse of power, while Republican leader John Thune said he was "not a big fan" of the broader settlement fund. (More)

• Spanish police arrested Jonathan Andic, 45, on Tuesday for allegedly playing a role in the death of his father, Isak Andic, founder of Mango, one of Spain's biggest fashion retailers. The elder Andic, 71, died in December 2024 after falling 500 feet down a cliff while hiking near Barcelona with his son, the only witness. Investigators initially ruled the death an accident before reopening the case as a possible homicide in March 2025. (More)

Extra Credit

Live frog found in a bag of lettuce.

Where does your state rank on income inequality?

Man drives Barbie toy car around to avoid high gas prices.

Japan is debuting the world’s first Pokémon-themed airport.