Week in 5: May 25-31, 2025
Russia escalates war, Trump ends CHNV parole, praises Musk's gov exit, Gaza aid chaos turns deadly, RFK Jr. defies CDC with vaccine rollback, Open AI expands, and new Harry Potter cast identified.
📰 Top 5
The week’s biggest headlines.
Russia launched its largest drone attack yet on Ukraine, unleashing 355 drones in a single night as part of a rapidly escalating air campaign that’s derailing peace talks and prompting new threats of sanctions from Western leaders. Despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire offer in March, Moscow continues pushing offensives and rejecting negotiations, drawing sharp rebukes from Trump, Macron, and Zelenskyy while prompting European allies to loosen restrictions on Ukraine’s ability to strike targets inside Russia. AP
The Supreme Court is letting the Trump administration shut down a program that let over 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela live and work in the U.S. temporarily. The program, created under Biden, was meant to reduce illegal border crossings, but Trump ended it earlier this year. Critics say the move will cause serious harm to families now at risk of deportation. CBS News
President Trump praised Elon Musk during a farewell news conference as Musk stepped down from his government role, vowing their relationship would continue. Trump called Musk a friend and commended his work leading the Department of Government Efficiency, saying he brought major change to Washington. Musk confirmed he’ll remain an informal adviser to the president. WSJ
Four Palestinians were killed after a desperate crowd stormed a U.N. food warehouse in Gaza, just one day after gunfire erupted at a separate aid site backed by Israel and the U.S. The chaos highlights growing hunger and frustration as limited humanitarian access, rejected by the U.N., fuels deadly scrambles for food amid Israel’s continued military campaign. AP
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dropped the CDC's recommendation for COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women, sparking backlash from public health experts and a rare public contradiction from the CDC itself. Kennedy cited a lack of clinical data and echoed critics who say most countries have already stopped recommending shots for these groups, but experts warn the move may limit access, increase risks for vulnerable populations, and bypass standard scientific review processes. Axios
🚀 Next 5
The latest in science and tech.
Meta is partnering with defense tech firm Anduril to develop AI-powered augmented reality tools for the U.S. military, including a high-tech helmet called EagleEye designed to enhance soldiers' vision, communication, and battlefield awareness. The move marks Meta’s deeper shift into military work under Trump’s second term and reunites Mark Zuckerberg with Palmer Luckey, the ousted Oculus founder now leading Anduril. Washington Post
MIT researchers have developed a new sodium-air fuel cell that stores over three times more energy per pound than lithium-ion batteries, potentially enabling electric aviation and reducing carbon emissions. The lightweight, refillable system uses liquid sodium and air to generate electricity, and its byproducts may even help capture CO₂ and reduce ocean acidification. Link
North Korean hackers ran a secret “laptop farm” operation, using fake identities and remote access to land U.S. tech jobs, steal $17.1 million in salaries, and quietly harvest sensitive company data. Dozens of Americans unknowingly helped by setting up job accounts and handling work-issued laptops, which were then controlled from abroad. Once hired, these impostors used custom-built tools to spy on Zoom calls, download files, and funnel money back to North Korea—exposing companies to both cyber theft and espionage in a scam investigators say was unlike anything they’d ever seen. Link
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for the ninth time, but the test ended in failure as the spacecraft spun out of control and broke apart before reaching its goals. The 403-foot rocket, intended for future moon and Mars missions, lost control due to fuel leaks and failed to deploy test satellites when a hatch stuck shut. Despite the setback, Elon Musk called it an improvement over past explosive flights and pledged more frequent launches in the coming months. AP
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees the company is acquiring former Apple designer Jony Ive’s startup, io, to build 100 million AI “companions”—physical devices envisioned as deeply integrated daily assistants—with the potential to add $1 trillion in value to OpenAI. Altman called the initiative “the biggest thing we’ve ever done,” positioning it as a transformational step beyond software like ChatGPT. WSJ
⚡️Fast 5
Quick hits from sports, culture, and beyond.
Billy Joel, 76, was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus—a brain condition affecting balance, vision, and hearing—leading to concert cancellations through July 2026. His wife thanked fans for their support, saying he’s undergoing therapy and remains hopeful for recovery. CBS News
Taylor Swift has regained ownership of the master recordings for her first six albums, though she still plans to release re-recorded versions of *Reputation* and her debut. NPR
Faizan Zaki, 13, won the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee with “éclaircissement,” meaning a clarification or clearing up of something obscure, a year after finishing second. NBC News
HBO has cast newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout as Harry, Hermione, and Ron in its upcoming *Harry Potter* TV series, chosen from over 30,000 auditioning actors. Filming begins this summer, with the reboot aiming to introduce a new generation to J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world, alongside a star-studded adult cast including John Lithgow and Janet McTeer. Variety
A minor car accident between 97-year-old Jim and Destiny Smith sparked an unexpected friendship that changed both their lives. After the fender bender, Smith found out Jim lived alone with no nearby family or help. She stepped in, arranged in-home care, began visiting often, and quickly became a trusted friend, earning widespread praise online. Link