The deal that President Donald Trump reached with his own administration to set-up an “anti-weaponization fund” for his allies is the latest example of how his second stint in the White House has focused on undermining checks on presidential power and insulating himself from future investigations. The agreement highlights the new hurdles Trump is erecting that that could stymie probes by congressional Democrats, successor administrations and even authorities outside the federal government. On several fronts, Trump is dismantling post-Watergate transparency mandates, attacking Congress’ power of the purse, rewarding loyalists accused of committing crimes that support his causes, and assaulting independent agencies and executive branch watchdogs.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/27/politics/donald-trump-insulating-himself-future-investigations
For years, the federal government has been working on turning old, unexploded warheads left over from the Cold War into a fuel for next-generation nuclear power plants. Now, a significant new deal in the works could allow five private companies to access weapons-grade plutonium for the first time — and convert it into electricity. The Energy Department announced Tuesday it had selected advanced nuclear company Oklo Inc, as well as four other companies, to begin “advanced negotiations” over whether the companies could access its Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program, according to a spokesperson for the department’s office of Nuclear Energy. The negotiations aren’t yet finalized. DOE’s program could “help companies unlock the next level of private funding to broaden domestic nuclear fuel supplies, spur innovation on American recycling technologies, and unlock private sector funding to fuel the nation’s nuclear renaissance,” principal deputy assistant secretary of nuclear energy Mike Goff said in a statement.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/26/climate/trump-administration-plutonium-deal-energy-companies
The FIFA World Cup is now just a few weeks away, but Dr. Rebecca Katz has been worrying about the public health threats it poses for years. “With any mass gathering event, there are certain disease conditions that people worry about,” said Katz, who leads Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security. “There’s always something happening.” There’s a well-established playbook for planning how to protect the public’s health during mass gatherings like the World Cup, experts say. But broader circumstances surrounding this year’s tournament, which is expected to bring millions of visitors to North America, are poised to test that playbook.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/27/health/world-cup-public-health
Five of the seven villagers trapped for a week in a flooded cave in Laos have been found alive, rescuers said on Wednesday. They were located by specialist cave divers and for now remain stuck in an underground cavern in the central Laotian province of Xaisomboun, as rescuers continue to search for the two remaining people. “5 people have been found safe. The search continues for the remaining 2,” Thai rescue diver Kengkad Bongkawong wrote on Facebook at 4.30 p.m. local time.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/27/asia/laos-flooded-cave-rescue-intl