Vape Rules, Enhanced Games, & Paraglider Collision

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Adam Rogers
May 27, 2026

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Iran accused the US of breaching its ceasefire after American forces launched what they described as “self-defense strikes” near the Strait of Hormuz, targeting missile sites and Iranian boats allegedly laying mines.
The strikes came as negotiations appeared close to a breakthrough. Secretary of State Rubio said the sides were down to disagreements over "a word, a sentence," while Iran's top negotiators traveled to Qatar, where mediators pushed a framework that could reopen Hormuz and end the war. Iran warned the attacks showed US "bad faith" and vowed any aggression would be answered.
The proposed deal would begin with a temporary agreement and a 60-day window to finalize a broader peace accord. Major sticking points remain, including Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and Trump’s push to tie the negotiations to wider normalization efforts between Israel and Arab states.

The FDA will allow hundreds of unauthorized vaping products onto the market without pre-marketing authorization, bypassing the months of public comment normally required for such sweeping regulatory changes. Between 100 and 200 products could immediately benefit from the change.
Tobacco executives met with President Trump earlier this month and argued that existing FDA policy had allowed a vast illegal market of mostly Chinese vapes. Reynolds American, a unit of British American Tobacco, donated $5 million to Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc in the days surrounding the meeting. Trump subsequently called Health Secretary RFK Jr., who directed FDA staff to make the change.
Public health advocates warn that the change puts children at risk by expanding access to flavored vapes. About 1.4 million US teens reported vaping last year. The White House said vapes are "beneficial for Americans trying to quit smoking" and that the policy targets illegal Chinese vapes dominating the market.

The inaugural Enhanced Games debuted in Las Vegas, openly allowing athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision.
Organizers framed the event as a safer, transparent alternative to the hidden doping they argue already exists in elite sports. Most of the 42 athletes used combinations of testosterone, human growth hormone, stimulants, or other drugs. One swimmer gained so much muscle he couldn't find a suit that fit. Another said organizers offered to cover egg-freezing costs before she agreed to take the drugs.
For many athletes, the biggest draw was financial. Some competitors said they made more in a single night than across entire careers. A sprinter called her $125,000 payday "bigger than any contract I ever got my entire pro career, in one meet, in 10 seconds."
Organizers plan to turn the competition into a business selling consumer versions of the hormones, peptides, and supplements used by athletes.

Trump-backed Ken Paxton defeated longtime Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary Tuesday, continuing Trump's streak of ousting Republicans he deemed insufficiently loyal. (More)

The Supreme Court rejected Florida's lawsuit against California and Washington over a deadly crash caused by an undocumented truck driver, closing off a legal path that could have let states sue each other over licensing and policy disputes. (More)

Four states passed laws this year making it a crime to disrupt worship services, inspired by a protest inside a Minnesota church. (More)

A Cuban opposition group launched a campaign to strip the Communist Party's constitutional monopoly on power, using a legal mechanism that requires 50,000 voter signatures to force a reform vote. (More)

Iran partially restored internet access after 88 days of near-total blackout, the longest nationwide shutdown in modern history. (More)

An Israeli airstrike killed 12 people in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley as Israel escalated attacks on Hezbollah, three days before both sides are set to meet in Washington for ceasefire talks. (More)

US stock markets closed mixed on Tuesday (S&P +0.61%, Nasdaq +1.19%, Dow -0.23%) as the S&P and Nasdaq notched record high closes. (More)

Consumer confidence slipped in May as high gas prices and inflation squeezed Americans' purchasing power, even as stocks hover near record highs. (More)

BP fired chairman Albert Manifold after just seven months over unspecified governance and conduct concerns, sending shares down 6%. (More)

Boston's Joe Mazzulla won NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Celtics to a 56-26 record despite losing Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles after just 16 games. (More)

The Knicks swept Cleveland 4-0, winning Game 4 by 130-93, and head to their first NBA Finals since 1999. Jalen Brunson won unanimous Eastern Conference MVP. (More)

Coach Pochettino named the US men's World Cup roster, keeping 13 veterans from 2022. He received early criticisms for leaving the squad thin in midfield. (More)

Scientists found that in 2010, part of Earth's molten outer core beneath the Pacific suddenly reversed direction, suggesting the planet's interior is far more dynamic than previously thought. (More)

Spain confirmed a new hantavirus case linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius outbreak that has killed three people, though officials say the risk to the public hasn't changed. (More)

When queen wasps die, and colonies erupt in power struggles, a group of "compensator" wasps skip the fighting and work harder to keep the colony fed and stable. (More)

Watch: Paraglider survives collision with plane in the Austrian Alps.

Meet Splash, America’s first search-and-recovery otter.

…and see newly discovered golf ball-sized octopus.

Sixteen maps from the 1960s declassified by the CIA.

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