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President Donald Trump crushed Republican dissent in primary elections around the nation. That's why we're starting the seven. From the Washington Post, I'm Izin Akabawu in for Hannah jewel. It's Wednesday, May 20th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. Number one, President Donald Trump and his allies flexed their power yesterday in in primaries across several states. Trump's biggest win unfolded in Kentucky, where Representative Thomas Massie was defeated after repeatedly clashing with the president over US Involvement in Iran, Israel and over the release of the Epstein files. Ed Gowrain, a farmer and former Navy SEAL recruited by Trump, beat Massie in the most expensive U.S. house primary on record. The race drew more than $32 million in ad spending. Despite his loss, Masi was defiant in a speech to supporters.
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For 14 years, those SOBs in Washington tried to buy my vote. They couldn't buy it. Why did the race get so expensive? Because they decided to buy the seat and it got real expensive for them.
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The president's influence was evident across several key contests. His favorites also advanced in competitive races in Georgia and Alabama. Together. The victories for Trump sent another warning to Republicans who were already wary of publicly challenging the President. The Justice Department said the IRS is forever barred from pursuing past tax claims against Trump. That's number two. Yesterday I told you about a highly unusual agreement made by the President to drop his family's lawsuit against the IRS. It included a $1.8 billion legal fund that could help Trump allies who claim they have been targeted by the justice system. Democrats have expressed outrage over the taxpayer backed fund, with some accusing the president of self dealing. Now a one page addendum to the deal posted yesterday to the Justice Department's website is drawing further scrutin. It said the IRS would be forever barred and precluded from pursuing unpaid tax claims against Trump members of his family or his businesses that arose before the settlement was reached. That provision could carry significant financial benefits to the President and his family. Number three, the Senate advanced a resolution aimed at blocking Trump from ordering further strikes on on Iran. Yesterday, four Republican senators joined almost all Democrats in voting to discharge a War Powers Resolution. It was the first step toward forcing Trump to end a war that Congress never authorized. The 5047 procedural vote was a breakthrough for Democrats. Here's Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey talking about the Democratic victory. He mentions Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
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We won the vote today on the War Powers Resolution to pull it out of committee and that's a big break because we've got now four Republicans to join us, Cassidy being the most recent one who has finally said enough is enough. War powers don't belong to the president, they belong to Congress. As the Constitution clearly states, the measure
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still faces considerable hurdles before it could force an end to the war. The Senate still needs to take at least two more votes to pass the resolution, which may be more difficult if every senator is voting. The measure would also need to pass in the House, which last week narrowly rejected a similar resolution, and Trump would almost certainly veto it, forcing the Senate and the House to override his veto before it could take effect. No war powers resolution has ever overcome a presidential veto. Investigators found writings by the attackers in the San Diego mosque shooting. That's number four. On Monday morning, two teenagers opened fire at the Islamic center of San Diego, killing three people. In a news conference yesterday, authorities said that investigators had found writings in the vehicle that the gunman used. They said that the writings outlined a broad hatred against a wide aspect of races and religions. Officials did not name the shooters, who were found dead in their vehicle with apparent self inflicted gunshot wounds after the attack. But they said the teenagers were delayed and distracted by a security guard who engaged them in gunfire outside the mosque and radioed those inside the building to enter a lockdown. He bought time for around 140 children in the school at the mosque to hide before he was killed in the exchange number five. A 9,000 mile freight train of warm water may fuel a Super El Nino Hundreds of feet down in the Pacific Ocean, record warm water could contribute to one of the strongest El Nino events on record. The ocean waters, which are 7.5 degrees above average in parts, are called a Kelvin wave. And later this year, that undersea wave of warmth could contribute to one of the strongest El Nino events on record. If that happens, the impacts will be wide ranging. Global climate patterns will be affected well into 2027, and there could be risks of drought and flooding, rain as well as record heat and humidity. To give you some context, the super el Nino from 1997 to 1998 caused global losses of up to $96 billion. But the oceans are now much warmer than they used to be. So a Super El Nino this year could be even more devastating. New college grads are launching into the AI job apocalypse. That's number six. For the first time in decades, new and recent graduates with at least a bachelor's degree have consistently higher unemployment rates than the American workforce overall. That's according to data on 22 to 27 year olds compiled by the Federal Reserve bank of New York. The shift is even affecting those who study the types of degrees that once led to lucrative careers in the tech industry such as computer science. It's predicted that young software coders will be replaced by AI. However, AI is not the only thing making life difficult for young graduates. The US is pumping out grads, but most jobs being created right now just don't require a college degree. These are opportunities in healthcare and warehousing, for example. So if you know a young graduate who is looking for a job, don't be too tough on them. And if you are a young graduate, best of luck. Number 730 second bursts of exercise May Help Reduce Panic Attacks There are all sorts of tools to manage panic attacks. Some people use breathing exercises and other people prefer to take medication. However, a new study suggests that exercise, specifically sprinting, could help. Researchers separated 72 people with a panic disorder into two groups. For 12 weeks, 37 followed an exercise program while 35 did relaxation therapy. Both groups saw improvements. However, people who did 30 second sprints interspersed with walking had fewer and less severe panic attacks. They also had fewer symptoms of depression. If you'd like to use exercise to manage your mental health, it's a good idea to choose an activity you can look forward to. You can find more tips on getting started in today's newsletter. As always, you can find that in our Show Notes. All right, you're all caught up. Before you go, a reminder that if you're a subscriber to the Washington Post, you can get access to our shows ad free in Apple Podcasts. All you have to do is find the Washington Post channel in Apple Podcasts and connect your post subscription. If you're not a subscriber, this is a great time to start. You can sign up at our channel in Apple Podcasts or through the link in our Show Notes. I'm Izin Akabowul. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
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