The House Budget Committee on Sunday approved a motion to advance the bill to enact many of President Donald Trump’s key agenda items. 
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| “The oldest, shortest words—‘yes’ and ‘no’—are those which require the most thought.” |
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Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of cancer.
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The House Budget Committee on Sunday approved a motion to advance the bill to enact many of President Donald Trump’s key agenda items, marking one more step toward final passage of the mammoth bill.
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Critical equipment failures at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey have caused air traffic controllers to lose contact with planes in three separate incidents over the past several weeks, causing hundreds of flight delays and cancellations and leaving passengers on edge. Here’s everything you need to know about the problems in Newark’s airspace.
- On the first day of his reign as pontiff Pope Leo XIV appealed to conservatives who felt disillusioned by his predecessor and vowed to unify the church while preserving its history.
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🍵Health: Emerging data shows that living with humility greatly benefits both oneself and others, and even leads to exceptional success.
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☀️ Good morning! It’s Monday. Thank you for reading the Morning Brief, an exclusive newsletter for Epoch Times subscribers. |
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| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
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Former President Joe Biden speaks at a conference hosted by the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) in Chicago on April 15, 2025. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) |
Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer, his office said in a statement on Sunday. “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” his office stated. “On [May 16], he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.” The former president’s family is “reviewing treatment options,” Biden’s office said.
The statement did not provide further details on Biden’s prognosis, although metastasis often occurs in late-stage cancers and can be particularly dangerous in the elderly. At 82 years old, Biden is the oldest person to have occupied the Oval Office.
On May 13, a spokesperson announced that a “small nodule” had been found on Biden’s prostate that necessitated further evaluation. The diagnosis was made less than four months after Biden left office, on the heels of an election rife with concerns among voters about his age and ability to serve another four years. Former Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement on social media platform X: “Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis. We are keeping him, [former First Lady] Dr. [Jill] Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. (More) More Politics: |
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Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday he is ruling out another presidential run after an unsuccessful bid during the 2024 contest.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that he is not worried about Moody’s recent downgrade of the United States’ credit rating, and defended President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his sweeping tax cut bill.
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Federal officials confirmed on May 18 that they are sending a team to investigate the deadly Mexican Navy tall ship crash at the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night.
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that the Cuauhtémoc tall ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge on the East River.
The Cuauhtémoc was visiting New York City on a global goodwill tour when the accident occurred. Video footage of the incident shows that the ship was moving steadily toward the bridge before all three of its masts hit it and snapped as the vessel continued to move forward with no signs of slowing.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on May 17 that the 140-year-old bridge and national landmark “sustained no damage” during the incident “and is now open to the public.”
In a later update, Adams wrote that the Cuauhtémoc had “lost power” before the crash and that 19 were injured, including two who are in critical condition. Two people died from their injuries, he said. It’s not clear why the ship lost power. Decorative lights on the ship were still on at the time of the crash.
Video footage shows significant traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge at the time of the 8:20 p.m. EDT collision. No one on the bridge was hurt, according to officials. (More) More U.S. News |
- Three days after the start of a strike by New Jersey transit employees, an agreement has been reached under which the unionized employees will return to work. Service resumes on Tuesday.
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The FBI believes that it has identified the suspect involved in a bombing near a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, a day earlier.
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Most people are inseparable from their laptops and smartphones. With that familiarity has come a wariness of the dangers of clicking on unsolicited emails, SMS, or WhatsApp messages. But there is a new and growing menace called zero-click attacks, which have previously targeted only VIPs or the very wealthy because of their cost and sophistication.
- Novavax’s new COVID-19 vaccine received long-awaited approval from the Food and Drug Administration on May 16, but with specific restrictions.
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Foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries soared to an all-time high in March as demand for U.S. government debt continues to climb since President Donald Trump took office.
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On the first day of his reign as pontiff Pope Leo XIV appealed to conservatives who felt disillusioned by his predecessor and vowed to unify the church while preserving its history.
During an outdoor mass on Sunday, and following his first ride in the popemobile as tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Roman Catholic Church formally installed him as the 267th pontiff and sovereign monarch of Vatican City.
“Brothers and sisters, I would like that our first great desire be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world,” Leo said.
Leo, 68, was born in Chicago and spent several years working as a missionary in Peru, where he gained citizenship. Many in the crowd on May 18 waved U.S. and Peruvian flags, with the well-wishers from both nations claiming him as the first pontiff from their homelands.
Chants of “Viva il Papa,” which means “long live the Pope,” and “Papa Leone,” his Italian name, could be heard from the crowd as the popemobile cut through St. Peter’s Square. Born Robert Prevost, the pope was relatively unknown before he was elected on May 8 following a conclave that was over within 24 hours. He had become a cardinal only two years prior. His predecessor, Francis, was from Argentina and died on April 21, following 12 years of leading the Catholic Church. During his reign, Francis advocated for the poor and marginalized and often faced criticism from traditionalists and conservatives. (More) More World News: |
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In a closely contested Polish presidential election on May 18, Rafal Trzaskowski of the ruling Civic Coalition (KO) narrowly led the first round, according to an Ipsos exit poll.
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Nicusor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest, Romania, won Romania’s presidential election on May 18.
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Ukrainian officials say that Russia on Sunday launched its most significant and widespread drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, leveling homes and leaving at least one woman dead.
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China imposed anti-dumping duties on a type of engineering plastic, known as POM copolymer, from the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan.
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📷 Photo of the Day: A seagull flies above a statue in St. Peter’s square with the moon in the background in St. Peter’s square in The Vatican on May 18, 2025. Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images |
🎤 Interview: Kirk Cameron takes on the ‘mental junk food’ of kids entertainment. (Watch)
✍️ Opinion: Washington Should Take Efficiency Seriously by Nancy Brinker
🎙️ Podcast: California has thousands of empty rooms right now. Can the homeless use them? Hotel GM Claudio Bono shares a practical approach that could offer temporary shelter and a path back into society. (Listen)
🎵 Music: Händel - Water Music (Listen)
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Witthaya Prasongsin/GettyImages |
“I got tattooed during a time in my life when I wasn’t fully informed about what was going into my body or what I was allowing onto my skin. Back then, it was about art, self-expression, and creative identity.” “Today, I see it differently. Tattoos are not harmless,” author Ellie Grey wrote on Facebook.
Like Grey, many people choose to get tattoos as self-expression, acts of remembrance, or transformation. But even when the meaning runs deep, tattoos can have consequences—some only now coming to light.
Many tattoo inks contain chemicals that have been classified as carcinogenic—or cancer-causing—by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
A 2024 study by Swedish researchers found that 21 percent of participants with malignant lymphoma had tattoos compared with 17 percent of controls. The risk was highest—an 81 percent increase—among those who got their first tattoo within two years of diagnosis.
“We know that tattoo ink often contains toxic chemicals and that a significant portion of the injected ink is transported away from the skin by the immune system, which perceives it as a foreign substance,” Christel Nielsen, associate professor and lead author of the study, told The Epoch Times.
Once ink enters the dermis, the layer of skin beneath the outer layer, the immune system attempts to clear it, sending pigment particles to nearby lymph nodes and, potentially, other organs. This may disrupt immune function and trigger systemic inflammation.
Over time, the persistent presence of ink in lymphatic tissue could contribute to abnormal immune activity and increase the risk of cancers such as lymphoma and skin cancer. (More) |
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