In Case You Missed It … This Week in News

A lot happened in the world this week – Make sure you didn’t miss it with Liberty Nation GenZ’s weekly news roundup!

Sunday, May 17, 2026

China Confirms Boeing Order

China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed on May 16 that it will purchase Boeing aircraft, jet engines, and components. President Trump told Fox News before his return to the United States that China agreed to buy 200 jets from the aerospace manufacturer. As part of efforts to bolster relations between the world’s two largest economies, Beijing has said it will move ahead with the purchase.

Trump Returns Fire on Kathy Hochul Over Railroad Strike

President Trump clapped back against New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D). About 3,500 Long Island Rail Road workers went on strike for the first time in more than 30 years on May 16 after negotiations over a new wage deal failed. While Hochul called the union’s demand for a 5% wage hike “reckless,” she lambasted the administration for what happened. “The disruption that Long Islanders face starting tonight is the direct result of reckless actions by the Trump Administration to cut mediation short and push these negotiations toward a strike,” the governor said.

Maduro Ally Deported to the United States: Venezuelan Government

Alex Saab, a former Venezuelan minister and ally of former President Nicolás Maduro, has been deported to the United States, the government said on May 16. He has been detained since February, when the United States and Venezuela conducted a joint operation. The Colombian-born businessman is expected to provide Washington with more information to bolster its criminal case against Maduro.

WHO Confirms Ebola Outbreak in Congo, Uganda

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a “public health emergency of international concern” on May 16 following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The global health agency said there have been 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, and 246 suspected cases in the Congo. Two laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, were reported within 24 hours of each other in Uganda.

Monday, May 18, 2026

Ex-Defense Secretary Gates: Uprising Unlikely in Iran

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he doesn’t believe an uprising to overthrow Iran’s mullah regime is possible given the state of the Middle East nation today. “You haven’t seen any demonstrations, or very few demonstrations, in the street. People are cowed, they’re afraid, and right now they’re concerned with how they can eat and live under the current circumstances,” Gates told CBS News in an interview that aired Sunday. “What you generally see in regimes like this is not so much a change of regime from the streets, but that the regime itself begins to fracture, and that you have people within the regime who want to take a different tack, and so you have an internal fight for control,” Gates, who served as Defense secretary under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, asserted.

White House: China to Buy At Least $17B in US Ag Annually

The White House on Sunday released a Fact Sheet outlining details of commitments made by China to the US during President Donald Trump’s visit to the Asian communist superpower last week. Among the main beneficiaries will be American farm producers.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

DOJ Sets Up $1.8B ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund as Trump Drops Suit

The Justice Department on Monday announced it was creating a $1.77 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to “hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare” after President Donald Trump moved to dismiss his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns.

Trump Calls Off Attack on Iran Amid ‘Serious’ Peace Talks

President Donald Trump on Monday announced he was calling off what he said was a planned attack on Iran scheduled for today as peace negotiations between the US and the Middle East nation heat up.

Five Dead, Including Two Teen Suspects, in SD Mosque Shooting

A “frantic search for a runaway 17-year-old boy, who had disappeared with his mother’s guns and car, ended in tragedy a few hours later Monday as police say he and a companion shot and killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego, then turned the guns on themselves in a car less than a mile away,” The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Top Iran Official: ‘We Either Triumph or Become Martyrs’

Iran Deputy Foreign Minister Kazen Gharibabadi on Tuesday assumed a belligerent stance in the wake of President Donald Trump’s remarks one day earlier that he had called off a planned attack on the Middle East nation because peace talks had advanced.

Sources: US Prosecutors Open New Maduro Criminal Probe

Federal prosecutors in Miami have been “ordered to open a new criminal investigation targeting detained former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro amid some concerns that the pending prosecution against him is weak, multiple sources familiar with the matter told” CBS News.

Russia Conducts Large-Scale Nuclear War Games With Belarus

Russia “embarked on two days of large-scale air, sea, and terrestrial military exercises with Belarus on Tuesday to practice preparing to deploy nuclear forces in the event of an ‘aggression threat,’ Moscow said,” UPI reports.

Thursday, May 21, 2026

US Indicts Raúl Castro for Murder Over 1996 Downing of Planes

Federal prosecutors in Florida on Wednesday “unsealed an indictment charging former Cuban leader Raúl Castro and five others in connection with the Cuban military’s fatal downing of two planes 30 years ago,” CBS News reports. “Castro was indicted in Miami on April 23 on one count of conspiracy to kill US nationals, four counts of murder and two counts of destruction of aircraft.”

Trump: Willing to Wait on Iran in Talks, But Not for Much Longer

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he is willing to remain patient with Iran in hopes a negotiated peace can be reached to end the war between the US and the Middle East nation, but his forbearance has its limits.

Meta Lays Off 8,000 in AI Employee Bloodbath

Meta, parent company of Facebook, on Wednesday announced it was laying off some 8,000 employees – 10% of its workforce – as AI continues to affect Big Tech and social media goliaths.