Thursday, May 28, 2026

Eye on the midterms

Plus: What does 'wildlflowering' mean for daters and how survivors cope after losing a loved one who was a hoarder. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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The Short List

Thu May 28 2026

 

Phaedra Trethan National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hello! You're almost through the work week. I'm Phaedra Trethan, checking out images the Hubble telescope captured on my birthday. (You can, too!) 🌠

In Thursday's news:

A judge allowed President Donald Trump's executive order on mail-in balloting to stand as the midterm elections approach. 📬
As the weather warms, invasive species are on the rise from California to Florida, threatening delicate ecosystems. 🐍
Some older Americans suffer from hoarding disorder. When they die, their survivors struggle with grief and shame.

But first: It's graduation season! And these grads each get an A+ for creative cap decoration. 🎓

Eye on the midterms 👀

Trump's executive order that tightened rules on mail-in voting is valid, a federal judge said, and the ruling could have implications for November's midterm elections and, Democrats say, whether millions of voters will be able to cast ballots. The March 31 order, in line with Trump's repeated false claims the 2020 election was stolen, directed the administration to compile a list of eligible voters in each state to compare with federal data.

The Supreme Court is weighing cases where the outcome may also have an impact in November. ⚖️
James Talarico, the Democrat who'll face AG Ken Paxton to represent Texas in the Senate, raised $3 million in a day after the GOP primary earlier this week. 💰
Thinking about 2028 yet? Pollsters are, and here's what they found among Republican voters. 🔮
John Cornyn won't be in the Senate much longer. Trump, who endorsed his opponent, may come to regret that.

Syndication Fsunews

Leon County Supervisor of Elections tables at Florida State University's Strozier Library to register voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections

Adalyn Pickett/ FSView & Florida Flambeau

Invasion! 🐍

Invasive species can wreak havoc with ecosystems, but the rapid spread of destructive golden mussels in California has brought a new sense of urgency to the battle − one that officials there are asking people to help them fight.

Exotic species can appear in shipping containers, ballast water in ships, the wildlife trade, imported plants and even tropical cyclones. Nearly 15,000 records of non-native, reproducing species have been filed with the U.S. Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. The consequences can be costly not only for governments, farmers, businesses and consumers, but also for at-risk native plant and animal species and protected ecosystems.

Syndication Phoenix

Signs like this at an Arizona reservoir are meant to urge boat owners to slow the spread of the invasive quagga mussels.

Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Real quick

The death toll is expected to rise after a chemical tank rupture at a plant in Washington.
An ex-CIA agent is accused of stealing $40 million in gold bars.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. What to know.
Police in Hawaii are searching for a man they believe may be connected to three separate deaths.

Heartbreak, loss, hoarding

Madison Lovelle, 40, opened the doors and windows to her late father's Oklahoma condo and got to work. She wore gloves and a hazmat suit to clean out the bedroom where her father hoarded all manner of things: envelopes, plastic bags, papers, hangers, "piles on top of piles" of stuff, she said.

As she did so, she grappled with the loss of her father, and with his hoarding behavior and the impact it had on his life − and on hers. "Cleaning out a hoarded room is basically like making 10,000 tiny decisions, while also processing grief," she said. And she's not alone.

madison and dad.jpeg

Madison Lovelle, 40, and her dad. He died in 2024 and she has been cleaning out his hoarded home since.

Provided/Madison Lovelle

Wildflower... dating? 💐

There are myriad ways to define a relationship, but one word has the opposite purpose: "Wildflowering" means to let a relationship unfold completely organically − no timelines, labels, definitions or expectations. In other words, you let the connection bloom like a wildflower. Free, untamed and beautiful. Right? Well, not necessarily.

A break from the news

Sober. Morning. Rave? Meet the New Yorkers who are redefining the party scene. 🪩
Universal is opening a park just for little kids, and it's going to have Minions, SpongeBob and more. When and where it's opening. 🎡
Who's the greatest track and field athlete of all time? (South Jersey's Carl Lewis gets my vote, because South Jersey!) 🏃🏻‍♂️

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and who you think is the greatest track and field athlete ever. Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.

President Donald Trump speaks next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 27, 2026.

Trump has yet to approve the deal. Iran's leadership also hasn't signed off yet.

Claude Lemieux with Colorado Avalanche in 1997.
 

Four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude Lemieux dies at 60

Claude Lemieux, who was playoff MVP in 1995 and was involved in a controversial hit in 1996, has died at age 60.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 27, 2026.
 

$250 bill mock-ups feature Trump's portrait. But there's a catch.

Treasury has prepared mock-ups for a new $250 bill featuring President Trump's portrait, but it would need congressional action to be released.

Brian Hooker's boat, the Soulmate, which was seized by the U.S. Coast Guard, is pictured on May 11, 2026 at a Coast Guard station in Fort Pierce, Florida.
 

Husband's phone data under scrutiny in search for woman missing at sea

Officials are using GPS data to aid in the search for Lynette Hooker, who went missing in the Bahamas in April, according to multiple reports.

Pointer to the Pacific Crest Trail.
 

Dozens of hikers fall ill along Pacific Crest Trail in California

There have been dozens of reports of Pacific Crest Trail hikers in Southern California falling ill to a highly contagious stomach flu.

Anna Kepner
 

Anna Kepner's stepbrother remains free ahead of murder trial

The 16-year-old boy has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and sexual abuse of his stepsister, Anna Kepner, during a family cruise.

MLB's last lockout took place in the 2021-22 offseason.
 

MLB owners want a hard salary cap in baseball

MLB's opening proposal in the labor battle includes an ask that will be a hard no.

Morris Day, from left, Young MC and Freedom Williams, who were slated to perform at President Donald Trump's upcoming Great American State Fair, have reportedly pulled out of the event.
 

Stars pull out of Trump's Freedom 250 concert

Several artists slated to perform at the Great American State Fair organized by President Trump's nonprofit Freedom 250 have pulled out of the event.

Brothers and professional football players Jason and Travis Kelce are adding "authors" to their resume.
 

Jason and Travis Kelce are publishing a book. Read an excerpt here.

Which books would the Kelce brothers bring to a deserted island? Read their answer in an exclusive excerpt from their new book "No Dumb Questions."

Tennis superstar Serena Williams appeared as a dancer during the 2025 Super Bowl LIX halftime show, joining Kendrick Lamar onstage and energizing the performance with her surprise cameo.
 

Serena Williams returning to tennis? New report hints at possibility

Serena Williams hasn't played competitively since 2022, but she is eligible for wild-card entry after re-entering drug-testing pool.

Play Your Way to a Relaxing Break

Unwind with crosswords and challenges that recharge you. 

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