Trump’s FDA Advances and India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate – 5/9/2025

President Trump’s FDA has made significant moves, including approving natural food colorings and using AI for rapid scientific reviews, while facing pressure to release Epstein files. Internationally, India-Pakistan tensions have intensified with drone attacks and halted cricket leagues, alongside Pope Leo XIV’s historic first Mass as the first American pontiff.

United States

  • A voter confronted NY AG Letitia James, demanding an apology for allegedly wasting millions on a “witch trial” against Trump, but she refused to respond.
  • Trump’s FDA, with RFK Jr., approved natural food colorings like Galdieria extract blue, phasing out artificial dyes to “protect families and support healthier choices.”
  • 73% of Gen Z and 70% of millennials want to switch jobs, compared to 51% of Gen X and 33% of baby boomers, per NYP.
  • Lego’s $366M investment in a 2M sq ft Virginia warehouse will boost U.S. toy production, per Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
  • Trump revives the National Space Council to advance space ambitions, including a “Golden Dome” missile shield, per POLITICO.
  • Trump’s FDA used AI to complete a scientific product review in “six minutes,” aiming for agency-wide use by July 1, per Commissioner Makary.
  • Gen Z grads expect $100,000 salaries but earn closer to $68,000 annually, per ZipRecruiter and FORTUNE.
  • Scott Jennings warns Biden’s recent appearances and an upcoming book by Tapper and Thompson could devastate Democrats, per Jennings.
  • Federal court rules Alabama cannot use unconstitutional congressional map, securing a second Black member of Congress in voting rights case, per NPR.
  • Google to pay $50 million to settle lawsuit alleging systemic racial bias against Black employees, per Reuters.
  • Human rights groups file emergency petition against Trump’s expulsions to Salvadoran mega-prison, appealing for families to Inter-American Commission, per HuffPost.
  • President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in ongoing purge of perceived opponents, per PBS News.
  • First group of white Afrikaans South Africans, granted refugee status by Trump’s executive order, to arrive in U.S. Monday, per NPR.

Southern States

  • Atmospheric river forming in Gulf of America to hit Florida, Southeast, and southern Appalachia with severe thunderstorms and over half-foot of rain, per The Washington Post.
  • AG Pam Bondi allegedly admitted to “many videos” involving Epstein and children in a secret recording by James O’Keefe’s group, prompting its release to her office.
  • Rep. Anna Paulina Luna demands AG Pam Bondi release the Epstein files immediately, escalating calls for transparency.
  • Federal court rules Alabama cannot use unconstitutional congressional map, securing a second Black member of Congress in voting rights case, per NPR.

International

  • U.S. and China launch high-level trade talks in Switzerland, the first since President Trump’s return to office, per NPR.
  • Prosecutors say two men celebrated outrage after felling 200-year-old tree in northern England, per NPR.
  • French pro-Palestinian group challenges government shutdown, alleging political motives and “false” claims in broader crackdown, per Reuters.
  • Galway guide Damian O’Malley led tourists to save a beached whale calf, using his boat to free it after pouring seawater, per rtenews.
  • Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker vows strict migration policies, saying “the goal must be 100%,” per euronews.
  • Silverfin pentathlon to feature 30 clubs as the academy celebrates its 10th anniversary, per ntvuganda.
  • Kenya’s Karan Patel leads qualifiers for the Pearl of Africa Rally starting in Mbarara, per ntvuganda.
  • Pope Leo XIV’s brother predicts he’ll emulate Pope Francis, prioritizing the poor, as the first American pope, per virginmedianewsireland.
  • Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, leads his inaugural Mass in the Sistine Chapel with cardinals, per ntvuganda.

South Asia

  • India accuses Pakistan of attacking with 400 drones targeting cities, military bases, and worship sites, as Pakistan vows “not de-escalate,” per The Guardian.
  • Heavy artillery and gunfire exchanges flare along the Line of Control after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 tourists, per euronews.
  • The Indian Premier League halts matches amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions, per skynews.
  • India’s top cricket league pauses for a week due to heightened military standoff with Pakistan, per apnews.
  • Punjab plans to install anti-drone tech to curb drug smuggling as India-Pakistan tensions rise, per ndtv.