Iran deal awaits Trump’s signature; Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket explodes on pad
Iran may be ready to reopen one of the world’s most important shipping lanes under a proposed new deal. It could ease pressure on global oil markets, but only if both sides stick to a fragile truce.
Plus, Blue Origin is cleaning up after a launch pad explosion, putting another key mission in doubt.
And Treasury officials are already preparing for the possibility of a $250 bill featuring Trump’s face, even though current law says it can’t happen.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, May 29, 2026.
US, Iran reach tentative deal; Trump needs to approve to extend ceasefire
The U.S. and Iran have moved closer to a longer-term deal, but President Donald Trump has not yet signed off on it.
A tentative memorandum of understanding would extend the current ceasefire for 60 days and open a new round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program, a U.S. official familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
Vice President JD Vance confirmed Thursday that the two sides have reached a preliminary agreement, but he said major questions still need to be resolved before any final deal can be reached.
“There are certain details that are going to have to be figured out, that are gonna take a little bit of time to figure out, I mean, just take, for example, even if you come to an agreement on, let’s say, destroying the enriched stockpile, how do you do it? When do you do it? How do you actually get access to it?”
“I think we’re making progress. We’re getting to a point where we could potentially sit down and settle these issues, but that requires us to make a little bit more progress. I can’t guarantee that we’re going to get there, but right now I feel pretty good about it.”
Vice President JD Vance
Even as talks continue, the U.S. has maintained pressure on Tehran. The Treasury and State Departments announced new sanctions Thursday targeting Hong Kong-based companies the U.S. says help move and finance Iranian oil.
The state department said the sanctions target what it called the financial lifelines of Iran’s military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
New Glenn rocket explodes during test ahead of planned launch
Blue Origin faces a major setback after its New Glenn rocket exploded during a test on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral on Thursday. The fiery blast happened during an engine-firing test as the company prepared for a satellite mission scheduled for next week.
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos called it a “very rough day,” but said no one was hurt and teams are already working to determine what caused the failure.
The loss is another blow to the New Glenn program. Just last month, the rocket was grounded after an engine problem left a satellite in an incorrect orbit.
Blue Origin plans to use New Glenn for future NASA missions, including delivering lunar landers to the moon as part of the Artemis program.
The company had been targeting a fall launch of a prototype lunar lander.
It’s too early to know whether this explosion will force that timeline to slip.
Trump $250 bill push continues, Treasury confirms planning underway
A proposal to put Trump on a new $250 bill has moved from political messaging to actual Treasury planning.
The Trump administration is preparing for the possibility of a commemorative note tied to America’s 250th anniversary celebration, even though current federal law bars living people from appearing on U.S. currency.
The Treasury Department said it has started planning work connected to legislation introduced last year by South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson.
Wilson’s bill would require the government to print a commemorative $250 note featuring Trump’s portrait. The congressman introduced the bill in February 2025, but it’s been sitting in committee ever since.
The Washington Post first reported that Treasury officials pushed The Bureau of Engraving and Printing to prepare prototypes and mockups of the bill.
One version shows Trump’s portrait centered on the note.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faced questions about the plan during Thursday’s White House briefing.
“It’s all in the hands of the — it’s all up on Capitol Hill,” Bessent said. “So at Treasury, we prepare things in advance. So we have prepared in advance that if the legislation is passed, but we will stick to the law.”
Current law only allows deceased individuals to appear on U.S. currency, so Congress would have to change federal law before any bill could move forward.
The administration is also working on other “America 250” commemorative items tied to Trump, including a proposed $1 coin.
When a reporter asked Bessent whether it’s a good idea to print a bill with Trump’s face “when people are struggling to afford gas and groceries,” Bessent didn’t answer but instead questioned the Washington Post article.
“You know, I don’t really understand this Washington Post article,” Bessent said. “Who here is from the Post? Yep. Terribly written, terribly edited, because basically what it says is that the Treasury is following the law, and that we’ve created the bill, and that it’s up to Congress, but that we follow the bill. And it’s up to — I didn’t really understand what the story was.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted the proposal on X, posting, “Hard no on a Trump $250 bill. Get over yourself.”
No vote has been scheduled on the legislation.
Judge allows Trump’s order to limit mail voting
A federal judge has allowed Trump’s push to limit mail-in voting to move forward for now.
A Trump-appointed judge in Washington rejected an effort by Democrats and civil rights groups to temporarily block the president’s executive order overhauling parts of the election system.
The order calls for a federal list of eligible voters and would direct the United States Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled it’s too early to step in because the order hasn’t actually been implemented yet. But he left the door open for future legal challenges if the administration moves forward with specific changes.
Trump signed the order in March 2026 after a Republican-backed election bill stalled in Congress.
He’s long attacked mail-in voting, claiming it’s riddled with fraud, even though multiple audits and investigations, including some run by Republicans, found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
Election officials and postal workers have warned the plan could create confusion and disrupt how mail-in ballots are handled before the midterms.
A separate challenge to the executive order is still playing out in federal court in Boston.
Artists drop Freedom 250 show, saying politics were not disclosed
A growing number of musicians have backed out of a major concert series planned for the National Mall this summer. The event is part of the “Great American State Fair,” a two-week celebration marking America’s 250th birthday.
Several artists said they were unaware of the event’s ties to Trump-aligned organizers when they agreed to participate. Martina McBride, Morris Day & The Time, The Commodores, Bret Michaels and Young MC have all pulled out.
Young MC said on social media that artists were “never told about any political involvement” before signing on.
Others are sticking with the show. Vanilla Ice remains on the schedule, and Flo Rida is still expected to perform.
Organizers with Freedom 250 reject the criticism, saying the event is nonpartisan and designed to bring people together through music, culture and a celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary.
Rare baby otter pups begin swim lessons at Chester Zoo
For most kids, swimming lessons are a summer rite of passage. As it turns out, the same goes for baby otters.
Three rare giant otter pups have just emerged from their den at Chester Zoo in England, and at 15 weeks old, their parents — Bonita and Manu — are wasting no time introducing them to the water.
Keepers said the lessons started the way many do: a little encouragement, a little nervousness and eventually a big splash.
The two males and one female are learning how to dive, paddle and navigate the pool on their own. And so far, they seem to be taking to it just fine.
Giant otters are the largest otter species in the world and are considered endangered in the wild.
Conservationists estimate only a few thousand remain across South America, mostly in the Amazon River basin.
More from Straight Arrow:
What happens when an entire town has no daycare?
As an infant, Lisette Oakley spent much of her time strapped to her mother as her parents worked in the family’s Oklahoma vegetable fields. It wasn’t until Lisette was 8 or 9 years old that her parents were able to find consistent childcare during their busy summer months.
“We were able to get a friend to help us during our super busy days,” Lisette’s father, Mike Appel, told Straight Arrow. “But she would have to come from a half hour away.”
Also a half an hour away: The nearest full-sized grocery store and doctor’s office.
Appel’s patchwork plan for childcare is not a relic of a bygone era. For rural farmers in communities across the nation, finding childcare is a persistent problem.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
