Good morning! The weekend edition is 715 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Job’s report

• Seed sharing in Kenya

• Most trustworthy grocery chain

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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

Pentagon Releases First UFO Files

• The Pentagon released its first batch of UFO files on Friday. The release has 162 documents, including FBI interviews, State Department cables, NASA photographs, and videos. The Trump administration said past administrations sought to "discredit or dissuade" the public on unidentified anomalous phenomena and promised additional releases on a rolling basis.

• Among the documents is an FBI interview with a drone pilot who reported seeing a bright, linear object in September 2023 that "vanished" after 5 to 10 seconds. The release also includes older cases still under review, including a NASA photograph from the 1972 Apollo 17 Moon Landing mission showing three dots in a triangular formation. The Pentagon says there is "no consensus" on what they are, though a new preliminary analysis suggests one could be a "physical object."

• Experts caution that UAP videos are often misinterpreted by those unfamiliar with advanced military technology. The Pentagon's own 2024 report found no evidence of confirmed alien technology. Additional releases will include 46 UAP videos identified by whistleblowers. Browse the UFO files here.

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• The US and Iran exchanged fire near the Strait of Hormuz, further straining a fragile ceasefire and threatening global oil shipments. President Donald Trump said the conflict is not over despite US military gains, while negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program continue. The fighting halted all ship traffic through the strait for a second straight day. (More)

• Virginia's Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved redistricting map that would have given Democrats a boost heading into November's midterms. The 4-3 ruling found lawmakers had illegally rushed the constitutional amendment process. Democrats had counted on gaining four House seats from the map as part of a broader effort to counter Republican redistricting in Tennessee and Texas. The ruling casts doubt on their hopes of flipping the House. (More)

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected calls to resign after Labour suffered major local election losses, while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK made major gains on anti-immigration messaging. The results exposed growing frustration over the economy, rising support for smaller parties, and deepening political fragmentation across the UK. (More)

• The US added 115,000 jobs in April, more than double the 55,000 economists expected, as the labor market held despite rising oil prices from the US-Iran war. Unemployment stayed at 4.3%. Healthcare led gains with 37,000 new roles, followed by transportation and warehousing at 30,000 and retail at 22,000. On the downside, 445,000 more people shifted to part-time work, and IT shed 13,000 jobs. (More)

• Canvas, a popular education platform used by schools and universities nationwide, briefly went offline Thursday after a cyberattack. The developer, Instructure, said hackers exploited a vulnerability in its free teacher accounts, first gaining access on April 29 and returning May 7 to alter pages seen by students and teachers. Names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and internal messages were stolen. Passwords and financial data were not compromised. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• Kenya's high court struck down a law that effectively banned seed sharing among small farmers, ruling it violated indigenous cultural rights and had handed control of the country's seed supply to international corporations. (More)

• Australians are leaving private land to conservation in their wills at record rates, helping the country amass 24 million acres of privately protected land, one of the largest totals in the world. (More)

• Canadian Krista Richard has spent 14 years collecting and repairing donated bikes, giving away thousands to families who can't afford them. (More)

• The share of Americans who drink alcohol hit a record low of 54% in 2025, Gallup found, with women and young adults leading the decline as more people believe even moderate drinking is harmful. (More)

Extra Credit

Miners find the second-largest ruby ever in Myanmar.

Which grocery store chain is considered most trustworthy?

Where wages go farthest around the world.

NASA releases 12K photos from the Artemis II mission.