Today's Headlines: War and Energy Shortages Boost China’s Influence in Asia
5 Takeaways From the Last Televised California Governor Debate
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines
May 7, 2026, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

War and Energy Shortages Boost China’s Influence in Asia

The war in Iran has left China’s neighbors appealing for help, handing Beijing the kind of sway it has long sought.

5 Takeaways From the Last Televised California Governor Debate

Candidates debated housing and insurance policy in the first half, then furiously attacked one another at the end.

Purported Epstein Suicide Note Is Released

A federal judge released the note, which Jeffrey Epstein’s former cellmate said he found in a graphic novel. The New York Times has not authenticated that Mr. Epstein wrote it.

World

Hantavirus Patients Land in Amsterdam With More Cruise Ship Evacuations Planned

Three people with possible symptoms of the disease were evacuated on Wednesday morning from the MV Hondius before it headed to the Canary Islands.

‘A Total Collapse’: Elections May Expose Britain’s Fraying Political System

Polls predict historic losses for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party on Thursday as anti-immigrant Reform U.K. makes gains, and a new era of multiparty politics takes shape.

The Ultimate ‘It’ Spot in Caracas? A Marriott That’s Seen Better Days.

The J.W. Marriott in Venezuela’s capital is suddenly awash in U.S. diplomats, spies and fortune seekers, showcasing changes in the country.

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U.S.

Justice Dept. Accuses U.C.L.A. Medical School of Bias Against White and Asian Applicants

The finding stems from a 2023 Supreme Court decision that overturned race-conscious admissions. U.C.L.A. officials said the school accepts students on merit.

Federal Agents and Los Angeles Police Arrest 18 in Drug Raid

Federal and local officers raided businesses on Wednesday. Last summer, immigration tensions flared between federal and local officials at the same park.

5 Notable Moments From Obama’s Interview With Colbert

The former president was critical of President Trump, without ever naming him. Mr. Obama also urged Democrats to be plain-spoken, and talked about aliens.

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Politics

Judge Says F.B.I. Can Keep 2020 Election Records Seized From Georgia

The ruling is the latest in a saga driven by President Trump’s desire for redemption in the state, which he lost in 2020. The county is likely to appeal.

Susan Collins Says She Has Long Had a Benign Tremor

The Republican senator from Maine, running for re-election at age 73 in one of this year’s top Senate races, made the disclosure after mounting online scrutiny on the left.

Republicans Unveil Map Carving Up Tennessee’s Majority-Black House District

The General Assembly is expected to quickly approve the map, which slices up Memphis, a majority-Black city that makes up most of the state’s lone Democratic district.

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Business

Higher Gas Prices Are Hitting Lower-Income Americans the Hardest

People with lower incomes are driving less and devoting more of their budgets to transport as gas prices soar.

With eBay Bid, GameStop C.E.O. Baffles His Fans and Wall Street

Investors questioned Ryan Cohen’s latest gambit after he gave an evasive CNBC interview and a once-loyal supporter sold his GameStop shares.

JPMorgan Tried to Settle Harassment Accusations Against Executive

The bank offered $1 million before a former employee filed a lawsuit against a woman who was an executive director on his team, two people briefed on the matter said.

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Technology

Anthropic’s C.E.O. Says It Could Grow by 80 Times This Year

The chief executive, Dario Amodei, said the rapid growth had exponentially increased the start-up’s need for more computing power.

Elon Musk’s Confidante Is Cast as His Inside Source at OpenAI

Shivon Zilis worked closely with Elon Musk while she was on OpenAI’s board. Her ties to the world’s richest man were detailed in a landmark trial on Wednesday.

Meditating or Rebooting? A Robot Buddhist Monk Comes to Korea.

Gabi, the newest monk at a temple in Seoul, vowed to not overcharge as it seeks enlightenment.

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New York

Giuliani Seeks to Have Health Care Covered by 9/11 Program

The former New York City mayor, who is improving after a serious case of pneumonia, suffers from a respiratory condition linked to his exposure to toxins at ground zero, his spokesman says.

U.S. Prosecutors Pull Out of Event in Sign of Rift With Legal Critics

Top federal prosecutors in New York withdrew from an annual event hosted by the City Bar Association, which has been critical of President Trump’s policies.

Crossing Guard Is Fatally Hit by Car in New Jersey While Escorting Children

Jean Schultz, 80, had been a crossing guard in Woodland Park since 2022. She died after she was struck by a vehicle on Monday, the authorities said.

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Arts

‘The Book of Mormon’ Will Close for 2 Weeks After Fire

The long-running musical, one of Broadway’s biggest hits, will be closed through at least May 17 after an electrical fire in its lighting booth.

Celebrating Jane Au