Palm Springs Bombing and Trump’s Global Diplomacy – 5/17/2025

A car bomb explosion at a Palm Springs fertility clinic killed one person, prompting an FBI investigation amid heightened tensions. President Trump plans to engage in high-stakes talks with Putin, Zelenskyy, and NATO allies to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war and discuss trade agreements.

United States

  • Border Czar Tom Homan reports the Trump administration has located thousands of missing migrant children.
  • Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi claims Democrats remain trustworthy despite concerns over Biden’s mental state.
  • Former CIA Director John Brennan says James Comey was unaware of the meaning of “86,” per John Brennan.
  • Immigrant children’s welfare agency shifts to deportation enforcement, current and former staff reveal, per ProPublica.
  • Justice Department delays Boeing plea deal decision, consulting crash victims’ families, per Bloomberg News.
  • Capital One settles for $425M over claims it hid higher-yield savings accounts, per The New York Times.
  • ICE’s rapid immigrant crackdown contracts face revocations, some linked to Trump allies, per NBC News.
  • GAO rejects Elon Musk’s group request to oversee budget agency, citing Congressional exemption, per NY Times, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Knicks crush Celtics 119-81 in Game 6, advancing to face Indiana in Eastern Conference finals, per AP News, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • A J.L. Partners poll shows President Trump holds a 94% approval rating among Republicans, per J.L. Partners.
  • Biden’s failure to enforce the 2020 Phase One China trade deal cost the U.S. $2 trillion in GDP, per U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
  • Trump’s focus on eliminating “racial handouts” drives efforts to cut government spending, potentially harming millions of his supporters, per fastcompany, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Trump’s rhetoric repels some international students, while others adopt his negotiating tactics, highlighting a cultural divide, per fastcompany, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Fortnite adds a foul-mouthed AI Darth Vader, pushing boundaries with expletive-laden character interactions, per cnet, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Epic Games urges a judge to compel Apple to reinstate Fortnite on the US App Store, escalating their legal battle, per verge, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Epic Games seeks court order to force Apple to allow Fortnite back on the US App Store, per techcrunch, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • A hacker tried to sell a Steam library data leak for $5,000 on the dark web, underscoring the need for user vigilance, per pcmag, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Tesla’s camera-only autonomous driving approach faces scrutiny from experts pushing for multi-sensor systems, sparking debate over safety and efficacy, per theinformation, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • ServiceNow introduces an AI consulting service to address customer skepticism and showcase AI’s practical benefits, per theinformation, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Y Combinator’s Firecrawl plans to pay $1M to hire three AI agents as employees, redefining workforce roles, per techcrunch, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Major VC firms shift to private equity and public stocks, prompting some partners to pursue specialized independent investing, per theinformation, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Qualcomm and MediaTek unveil new chipsets to power midrange and high-end Android phones launching later this year, per pcmag, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Airbnb’s Brian Chesky invests millions to transform the platform into an all-in-one app, including services and identity verification, per wired, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Google’s “always-on” coding agent nears release, while OpenAI’s A-SWE lags in testing, raising questions about its progress, per theinformation, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • OpenAI and Anthropic report robust revenue growth, while Cohere’s progress lags despite reportedly doubling monthly earnings, per theinformation, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • An AI app uses nail selfies to detect blood conditions affecting billions, offering a novel health diagnostic tool, per digitaltrends, TheNextGenBusiness.

Western States

  • A bomb reportedly detonated at a Palm Springs fertility clinic, causing a massive explosion.
  • Bomb blast near Palm Springs reproductive health facility kills one, per Reuters.
  • A car explosion outside a Palm Springs reproductive health facility killed one person Saturday morning, per KTLA 5, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom is allegedly eyeing a 2028 presidential bid, per AP.
  • A woman is wanted for allegedly shooting a man in his vehicle near Corvallis, Oregon, early Saturday, per KOIN 6 News, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • A San Francisco police officer, just two days post-academy, was arrested for alleged drunken driving after causing a crash, per San Francisco Chronicle, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Oregon’s bottle bill faces changes, with proposed time limits on redemption sites amid drug and homelessness concerns, per KOIN 6 News, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • A man was arrested in Castaic for smashing windows at a hookah lounge Saturday, per KTLA 5, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass launches “Shine L.A.” to beautify the city monthly, per KTLA 5, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Los Angeles General Medical Center seeks help identifying a 63-year-old male patient hospitalized for nearly two weeks, per KTLA 5, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Two boys, 12 and 13, arrested for a series of Long Beach burglaries, vandalisms, and car thefts, per KTLA 5, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Jacqueline Ma pleaded guilty to lewd acts on a child and possessing child s*xual abuse material, per FOX5 Las Vegas, TheNextGenBusiness.

Southwest States

  • Prosecutors seek the death penalty for Sencere Hayes, accused of kidnapping and killing Mercedes Vega in 2023, per FOX 10 Phoenix, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Former officer Brian Sutton faces manslaughter charges for killing unarmed Daniel Leslie in 2024, per FOX 10 Phoenix, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Isaac School District in Phoenix details its $28 million financial crisis in a new report, per FOX 10 Phoenix, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • A new law requires p*rn sites to verify users are 18+, possibly via driver’s license, per Phoenix New Times, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Vietnam veteran Wayne Johnson, 77, to earn his Master’s degree from Arizona State, per FOX 10 Phoenix, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • A Mesa boy’s dream came true as he was signed as an official Arizona Diamondback, per Arizona’s Family 3TV & CBS 5, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Evacuations ordered in Greer and South Fork, Arizona, as the Greer Fire threatens homes, per ABC15 Arizona, TheNextGenBusiness.

Midwest and South

  • Looters are reportedly ransacking St. Louis in the wake of a devastating tornado.
  • Over 20 dead as tornadoes and storms devastate Kentucky and Missouri, per NPR.
  • Storms and a possible tornado left at least 21 dead across the Midwest and South, with heavy damage in Kentucky, per KUTV2News, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • An 11-year-old St. Louis boy accidentally killed himself with an unsecured gun at home, per FOX5 Las Vegas, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Antonio Brown detained after gunshots fired outside Miami celebrity boxing event, per CNN.
  • Jacksonville Airport shuts down after vehicle fire in parking garage damages dozens of cars, per CGTN, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Florida’s Jacksonville Airport closes after parking garage vehicle fire, per CGTN, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Ten men escaped a New Orleans jail overnight through a hole behind a toilet, per KOIN 6 News, TheNextGenBusiness.

International

  • JD Vance and Usha Vance arrive in Rome to attend Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass on Sunday.
  • President Trump will reportedly speak to Putin Monday to negotiate an end to the war and a new trade agreement.
  • Trump plans Monday calls with Putin, Zelenskyy, and NATO allies to discuss Ukraine war end, per PBS News.
  • Trump to discuss Ukraine ceasefire and trade with Putin Monday, calling war a “bloodbath,” per The Guardian.
  • UK’s Starmer to finalize EU trade deal next week, strengthening post-Brexit ties, per Reuters.
  • Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti clash publicly over reviving the Tulbul Navigation project after the Indus Waters Treaty suspension, per NDTV, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Russian drone strike in Ukraine kills 9 hours after failed peace talks, per AP News, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • xAI blames rogue employee for Grok’s misleading posts on “white genocide” in South Africa, per NDTV, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Shashi Tharoor “honoured” to lead India’s all-party delegation against terrorism globally, per NDTV, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Brian Kennedy shares, “I remember what it’s like to be taken out of my bed during the night,” on Israel’s Eurovision debate, per Virgin Media News Ireland, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Unique election looms as voter discontent and controversy shape the race, per Euronews, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Travelers reportedly visit destinations to scout relocation spots, per Euronews, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • EPA reorganizations threaten its core toxic chemical research program, with critics warning, “the polluters won,” per wired, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Brazil’s Tropical Forests Forever Facility aims to fund forest preservation through investments, seeking to succeed where carbon markets failed, per newscientist, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Rising seas erode coastlines, spilling toxic waste from old landfills onto beaches, posing environmental risks, per newscientist, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Tech professionals embrace extreme physical challenges, from ultramarathons to sub-1:15 Hyrox races, pushing human limits, per theinformation, TheNextGenBusiness.

Asia

  • Xizang’s transport boom sees 401.93 billion yuan invested in highways and railway length doubled since 2012, per CGTN, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Singapore ranks 3rd happiest city for 2025, with Seoul and Taipei also in top 10, per Channel News Asia, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Carlo Ancelotti’s move to coach Brazil sparks debate on club coaches thriving internationally, per CGTN, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Emei Sect, beyond Jin Yong’s novels, traces origins to Grandmaster Situ Xuankong, per CGTN, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • NDTV’s CTRL + ALT + Defence podcast debuts, exploring Operation Sindoor’s attack and defense weaponry, per NDTV, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • 4th China-CEEC Expo in Ningbo to boost innovation and cooperation, per CGTN, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • China-CEEC ties grow stronger with Ningbo’s 4th Expo fostering collaboration, per CGTN, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Can Ancelotti’s club success lead Brazil to World Cup glory? Challenges await, per CGTN, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • Emei Sect’s true history, rooted in Grandmaster Situ Xuankong, transcends Jin Yong’s fiction, per CGTN, TheNextGenBusiness.
  • China’s updated regulations aim to maximize data center use as local AI firms race to match US competitors, per theinformation, TheNextGenBusiness.