Tulsi Gabbard resigned as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence on Friday, citing her husband’s health. She is the fourth Cabinet official to depart during Trump’s second term.
Gabbard had served as the eighth director of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence since 2025, and was in the role for a total of 15 months.
Gabbard informed Trump in her resignation letter that she intends to step down on June 30. She said her husband had recently been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.”
—Spectrum News staff and The Associated Press
President Donald Trump speaks before Kevin Warsh, left, is sworn in as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, in the East Room of the White House, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Kevin Warsh sworn in as Federal Reserve chair, replacing Jerome Powell
In a White House ceremony Friday, Kevin Warsh was sworn in as the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
President Donald Trump had nominated Warsh, a former Fed governor, financier and attorney, to succeed former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in January.
During Friday’s event, the president told the crowd that he wanted Warsh to be “totally independent,” and later added, “Unlike some of his predecessors, Kevin understands that when the economy is booming … that’s a good thing. We don’t have to go crazy, just let it boom. We want it to boom.”
—Spectrum News’ Christina Santucci
Consumer sentiment falls to new record low in May, survey says
Consumer sentiment fell for a third straight month to a record low in May, as Americans continue to struggle with increasing gas prices and affordability issues three months into the Iran war. Sentiment among independent and Republican voters reached its lowest level of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers, while Democratic views were little changed.
More than half of surveyed consumers (57%) mentioned that high prices were eroding their personal finances — up from 50% in April. Individuals’ feelings about their personal finances fell 13% in May, driven by high prices, according to the new survey. Lower-income consumers and people without college degrees showed the biggest declines in sentiment.
Inflation increased to an annual rate of 3.8% in April as the Iran war led to higher prices on fuel and food. The national average for a gallon of gasoline was $4.55 on Friday, according to AAA — 53 cents more than a month ago and about 50% more than before the Iran war began.
—Spectrum News’ Susan Carpenter
Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his wife, center, hold hands as people rally in support of him at a news conference outside federal court after a hearing in his case on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Greenbelt, Md. (AP Photo/Michael Kunzelman)
Judge dismisses human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia
A federal judge on Friday dismissed a human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, finding that the Justice Department’s pursuit of criminal charges was designed to punish him for challenging his mistaken deportation to El Salvador last year.
The ruling amounted to an extraordinary rebuke of a Justice Department that under President Donald Trump has repeatedly been accused of targeting defendants for political purposes. The Trump administration touted the charges against Abrego Garcia last year at a press conference in which then-Attorney General Pam Bondi declared, “This is what American justice looks like.”
The Justice Department vowed to appeal, calling the judge’s order “wrong and dangerous.”
—The Associated Press
This image released by CBS shows host Stephen Colbert, right, with guests, from left, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in New York on May 11, 2026. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via AP)
Paul McCartney helps Stephen Colbert say goodbye to ‘The Late Show’
Stephen Colbert chatted with Paul McCartney and joined him on stage for a raucous performance of “Hello, Goodbye” on the final broadcast of CBS’ “The Late Show” on Thursday night, a bittersweet farewell for a canceled show that still had a few barbs left for the network that ended its 33-year run.
CBS announced last summer that Colbert’s show would end, citing economic reasons after 11 seasons. But Colbert was the ratings leader in late-night TV. Many — including Colbert — expressed skepticism that President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the show wasn’t a factor. Trump’s name on Thursday never came up.
The decision to shutter the show came after parent company Paramount’s $16 million settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview as Paramount awaited his administration’s approval of a pending sale to Skydance Media. Colbert had called it a “big fat bribe.” On Thursday, he showed a clip of a sympathetic dolphin clicking with the subtitle: “It was a financial decision.”
—The Associated Press
More Friday reads
• Rubio reports ‘slight progress’ in Iran talks as Pakistan army chief renews mediation efforts
• Gas prices expected to remain steady over Memorial Day, but could spike over the summer
• Advocacy group sues Trump administration over access to abortion for veterans
• Taiwan’s government says U.S. hasn’t notified it of any pause in planned $14 billion arms sale
