San Diego mosque shooting investigated as hate crime; Ebola deaths rise in Africa
A shooting outside a San Diego mosque leaves five people dead, prompting investigators to search for answers. Authorities are now examining whether the attack was motivated by hate.
Plus, President Donald Trump has put planned strikes on Iran on hold as negotiations continue behind the scenes. Who he says urged him to give diplomacy more time.
And the Ebola outbreak continues to spread in Central Africa as an American doctor tests positive after treating patients in Congo.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Police probe mosque attack motive after three killed
Authorities have launched an investigation into why two teenagers opened fire at a California mosque, killing three people before taking their own lives. Police said they’ll execute search warrants Tuesday as investigators work to piece together what happened.
Authorities responded to reports of an active shooter at the Islamic Center of San Diego just before noon Monday. Three adult men were killed, including a security guard whom police say played a “pivotal role” in keeping the attack from “being much worse.”
A short time later, police received reports of gunfire a few blocks away after suspects had shot at a landscaper.
Then moments later, another call led officers to a nearby street where they found a car stopped in the road with the two suspects, a 17- and 18-year-old, dead inside from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Investigators said police were already looking for one of the suspects before the shooting started. His mother had called the police, saying her son was suicidal, had run away, taken her car and left with multiple weapons.
“She also said that she was — her son was with a companion,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. “And that they were dressed in camo, and that is not consistent with what we would typically see from somebody who is suicidal. That began to trigger a larger threat assessment picture.”
Police said they’re still working to determine a motive, but right now they are treating the case as a hate crime. Investigators said they also found evidence that the suspects engaged in what they described as “generalized hate rhetoric.”
Trump delays new Iran strikes in latest diplomatic push
The fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire remains in place after Trump said he had put planned military strikes on hold for now.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said U.S. allies in the Middle East asked him to hold off on new attacks while diplomatic efforts continue, hoping a broader agreement can be reached in the days ahead.
Trump made it clear that any agreement must require Iran to fully give up its nuclear capabilities. He also said he has instructed the Pentagon to be “prepared to go forward with a full, large-scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice” if an acceptable deal is not reached.
Iran has responded to Washington’s latest proposal to end the war.
During a Monday news conference, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson offered few signs of flexibility, saying, “Rights are not something we are to negotiate or compromise over” and arguing that Iran already has the right to enrich uranium under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Iran’s president also posted that “dialogue does not mean surrender” and said Iran would give up its legal rights under “no circumstances.”
American doctor tests positive for Ebola while treating patients in Congo
An American doctor working in Congo has tested positive for Ebola as health officials race to get ahead of an outbreak that has already crossed borders in central Africa.
Peter Stafford, a medical missionary who has been working in eastern Congo since 2023, was treating patients at a hospital near Bunia when he was exposed to the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. He is now being transported to Germany for treatment.
His wife, who is also a physician, and another doctor who were exposed remain symptom-free and in quarantine.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency over the weekend.
Health officials said suspected cases have now climbed past 500, with more than 100 suspected deaths reported in the Congo alone. Doctors are also trying to make up for lost ground after early testing identified a different Ebola strain and missed the current one. Officials said the virus may have circulated for weeks before they confirmed what they were dealing with.
Trump was asked Monday whether he’s concerned about Ebola coming into the United States.
“I’m concerned about everything,” Trump said. “But certainly am. I think that right now it’s been confined to Africa, but it’s something that’s had a breakout.”
The CDC said the immediate risk to the American public remains low, but seven Americans connected to the outbreak are expected to be moved out of the region for monitoring and care.
Sen. Thom Tillis won’t back budget bill in current form, stalling ballroom funding
A Senate Republican fight has complicated plans to advance a major border and immigration funding package this week. Trump’s proposed White House ballroom is part of the dispute.
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis told colleagues he would not support the $72 billion reconciliation package if it reaches the Senate floor this week in its current form.
According to Axios, Tillis raised concerns about both the timeline and the funding for Trump’s proposed East Wing ballroom project. He also expressed anger over his colleague’s recent election loss.
“Tillis is fuming over the ouster of incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana’s GOP primary,” Axios reported.
The report said Tillis believes that forcing votes this week could hurt Sen. John Cornyn ahead of his Texas runoff.
And he’s also not alone.
Republicans, including Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul, have also raised concerns about the funding.
The package originally included $1 billion for Secret Service upgrades tied to the White House expansion project. However, Senate rules already required changes. The Senate parliamentarian ruled that the ballroom funding could not remain in the bill as written.
Republican leaders still want a vote this week, but with a narrow majority, they have little room to lose support.
TrumpRx expands prescription options, adds more than 600 generic drugs to site
The White House has expanded its online prescription tool, TrumpRx, adding more than 600 generic medications.
TrumpRx launched in February with a smaller list of brand-name drugs, including some popular weight-loss treatments. Now the site is adding more common drugs, including antibiotics, blood pressure meds and other everyday prescriptions.
The website is designed to help people who pay cash for their medications find lower prices without going through insurance. To do that, the administration is partnering with companies including GoodRx, Amazon Pharmacy and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company.
“We now pay the lowest price paid for anybody in any country. We went from the highest to the lowest. And I think outside of maybe a cure itself, it’s the biggest thing to happen to health care,” Trump said.
The expanded site also adds a new feature that allows users to compare prices at different pharmacies in their area.
The White House said TrumpRx has received more than 10 million visits so far and claims the site has helped users save more than $400 million.
Tennis icon Billie Jean King, 82, earns degree
She’s a tennis icon, an equality activist and the woman who beat Bobby Riggs in the famous Battle of the Sexes match in 1973. And now, at 82, Billie Jean King can add something else to the list: college graduate.
King received her bachelor’s degree in art history from Cal State Los Angeles on Monday, walking the stage with about 6,000 members of the class of 2026.
She put on the cap and gown and reached a goal that actually started more than six decades ago. King is also the first person in her immediate family to graduate from college.
Two years ago, she decided to finish what she started after a legendary tennis career, years as a commentator, and decades of advocacy work.
Here was her message to fellow graduates — many of them about 60 years younger.
“Keep learning and keep learning how to learn. Keep learning and learning how to learn. Be a problem solver and an innovator. A problem solver and an innovator. Our decisions, our actions, and our voices will shape what comes next. Have fun, be fearless, and make history.”
Billie Jean King
In 1961, the year King first enrolled at Cal State LA, she also claimed her first Wimbledon title. She ultimately won 20 titles at the tournament.
King has said that finishing her degree has stayed with her over the years and that it has always bothered her that she never crossed the finish line.
Now she has.
More from Straight Arrow:
What’s behind the vanishing safety net for families with disabled children
Tara Miller and her husband spent the first four years of their daughter Ariana’s life sleep-deprived. Severely. Born in 2019 with Apert Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes premature fusing of the skull bones in utero, Ariana came home from the hospital with a tracheostomy (trach), feeding tube and pulse oximeter.
At night, the pulse oximeter sounded roughly every 15 to 20 minutes.
“When you’re dead asleep, and an alarm goes off, your body goes into a state of emergency, whether it really is an emergency or not,” Miller told Straight Arrow.
Because of Ariana’s medical needs, the family qualified for 20 to 30 hours of weekly “respite care” — short-term support for caregivers — through Arizona’s long-term care program.
The hours were meant to allow Ariana’s primary caretakers to rest, work or manage daily life. But like many families, the Millers found the support difficult to access.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
