In a significant blow to the Republican establishment in Louisiana, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy was knocked out of the GOP Senate primary Saturday, paving the way for a runoff between U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming. Both Letlow and Fleming received backing from President Donald Trump, who has sought to sideline lawmakers he sees as insufficiently loyal. Letlow, capitalizing on that endorsement, advanced to the next round of voting in the contest to replace Cassidy.
Trump had publicly criticized Cassidy, one of the few Republican senators who voted to convict him during his second impeachment trial following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The president also highlighted clashes between Cassidy, a physician, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policy. “I want to say thank you to a very special man who you all know, the best president this country has ever had, President Donald Trump,” Letlow told supporters Saturday evening, standing with her two young children.
Letlow described Cassidy’s impeachment vote as “a sign that he had turned his back on the Louisiana voters.” Trump reinforced the message on social media the morning of the election, labeling Cassidy “a disloyal disaster” and “a terrible guy.” Cassidy, speaking to his own supporters later that night, offered a thinly veiled response referencing the president.
Elsewhere, President Trump announced that U.S. and Nigerian forces had killed Abu Bakr al-Mainuki, described as the second-in-command of the Islamic State group globally, during a joint operation Friday in Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the strike, noting that al-Mainuki was killed alongside several lieutenants. An official familiar with the matter said al-Mainuki had been plotting attacks against the United States and its interests.
Trump’s return from a state visit to China coincided with fresh economic pressures at home. Consumer inflation rose to 3.8 percent annually in April, outpacing wage gains and driven in part by tariffs and fallout from the Iran war. The Cleveland Federal Reserve projects inflation could climb to 4.2 percent in May. “He’s returning to a dumpster fire,” said Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative. “The president will not have the faith and confidence of the American people.”
Comments made by Trump in a Fox News interview after the Beijing trip added to tensions over Taiwan. The president called arms sales to the island “a very good negotiating chip” in dealings with China, which claims Taiwan as its own. The United States does not formally recognize Taiwan as a country but remains its primary arms supplier, and the remarks have raised anxieties in Taipei.
Back in the United States, North America’s largest commuter rail system, the Long Island Rail Road, shut down Saturday after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off the job for the first time in three decades. Negotiations over salaries and healthcare premiums have stalled, and the unions were legally permitted to strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. “We’re far apart at this point,” said Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “We are truly sorry that we are in this situation.”
In a separate development, Venezuela deported Alex Saab, a close ally of former President Nicolás Maduro, to face criminal proceedings in the United States. Saab, who had been pardoned by President Joe Biden in a 2023 prisoner swap, was once viewed by U.S. officials as Maduro’s “bag man.” The move comes after Saab fell out of favor with the new leadership under acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Friday killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of Hamas’ military wing and one of the last surviving planners of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel. Hamas confirmed the death. The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has seen repeated violations, with more than 850 people killed in Gaza since October, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
In Italy, a driver plowed into pedestrians in the northern city of Modena on Saturday, injuring eight people, four critically. Authorities identified the driver as 31-year-old Salim El Koudri, who has a history of mental health issues and was known to local services for schizoid disorders. No evidence of drugs or alcohol was found, and investigators found no links to extremist groups.
On the racetrack, Napoleon Solo held off Iron Honor by 1¼ lengths to win the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park in Maryland. Trainer Chad Summers said the victory positions the colt for a potential matchup with Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo. “We wish he was here in the Preakness,” Summers said. “Hopefully we can see him down the road somewhere.”
Bulgaria celebrated its first Eurovision Song Contest victory when singer Dara won with the upbeat anthem “Bangaranga” in Vienna. Israeli competitor Noam Bettan finished second amid protests over Israel’s participation. “This is unbelievable,” Dara said at a post-show news conference. “I don’t even know what’s going on.”