Trump closes out Middle East tour in Abu Dhabi: Unbiased Updates, May 16, 2025
President Donald Trump rounds out his trip to the Middle East, addressing whether he will accept the jet from Qatar as the new Air Force One. Also, the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service investigate James Comey, a former Trump ally who has since become a critic, due to a social media post that some interpret as a call for the president’s assassination. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, May 16, 2025.
Trump closes out Middle East tour in Abu Dhabi
The president arrived in Abu Dhabi on the final leg of his Middle East tour Friday, May 16. President Donald Trump participated in a breakfast roundtable with American and United Arab Emirates business leaders, alongside the president of the UAE. He afterward visited an interfaith center, called the Abraham House, which includes a mosque, a synagogue and a church.
Trump’s Middle East visit has generated considerable media buzz, featuring agreements with Saudi Arabia that cover military cooperation, customs authorities and medical research. Additionally, Trump finalized a $600 billion deal with Saudi Arabia aimed at investing in the U.S., as reported by the White House.
The American president also finalized a deal with the UAE valued at approximately $1.5 billion for new weapons. This agreement also includes a partnership to construct a vast data center in Abu Dhabi aimed at enhancing artificial intelligence capabilities, reportedly generating enough energy to power a major city.
This week, Trump declared that he would lift sanctions on Syria during a meeting with the new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. The U.S. seeks to “normalize” relations with Syria.
The trip also sparked some controversy when Trump defended his acceptance of a plane from the Qatari royal family, which he plans to use as Air Force One. He mentioned that the current plane is 42 years old, but new ones are on the way.
Former FBI director James Comey under investigation for Instagram post
The Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service have launched an investigation into a social media post from former FBI director James Comey. The probe comes after several U.S. officials interpreted his now-deleted Instagram post as calling for Trump’s assassination.
Comey shared a picture of what he said was a “shell formation” on a beach. The shells formed the numbers “8647.” Republicans and Trump allies quickly condemned the post as targeting the 47th president.
According to a dictionary definition, “86” can mean “get rid of it.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem responded to the post on X, “Disgraced former FBI director James Comey just called for the assassination of President Trump. DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”
Comey denied that the post was meant as a threat, ultimately deleting the image. He stated he was not aware that people associated the numbers he shared with promoting violence. He also said he opposes “violence in all circumstances.”
US Army confirms military parade planned on Trump’s birthday could cost $45M
The U.S. Army has confirmed that a military parade planned for next month in Washington, D.C., could cost up to $45 million. This parade will celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary, which coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday.
Set for June 14, the parade will feature more than 6,000 soldiers and 50 military aircraft, as well as 150 military vehicles.
The army announced that thousands of parade visitors will stay in vacant government buildings and sleep on cots, receiving three daily meals and a stipend.
The celebration will also include a day-long festival showcasing musical acts and military equipment exhibits.
New Jersey transit workers go on strike, impacting commute for thousands
Transit workers across New Jersey went on strike Friday morning, May 16. All of the state’s commuter rail engineers walked off the job after marathon contract talks stalled. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) union previously set a midnight deadline for meeting wage demands.
While a deal was close, NJ Transit officials and the union did not agree on a new contract, according to ABC News.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Transit Chief Executive Officer Kris Kolluri held a press conference to address the strike. Murphy said he wasn’t shocked by the strike.
“We were hoping for the best,” Murphy said. “We’re prepared for the worst.”
The strike will affect service for hundreds of thousands of daily commuters in New Jersey and New York. This marks the first strike in over 40 years for the nation’s third-largest transit system.
Smokey Robinson under criminal investigation over sexual assault allegations
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has opened a criminal investigation into music legend Smokey Robinson, who is in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, following allegations against him.
Four former housekeepers alleged that Robinson, 85, sexually assaulted them for years while they worked for him. They’ve already filed a civil suit, seeking $50 million in damages.
The women claimed the sexual attacks took place over a 17-year period from 2007 to 2014. They alleged that Robinson would wait until he was alone in his house with them, then sexually assault and rape them.
One woman reported it occurred at least 20 times, whereas another stated she was victimized roughly two dozen times between 2014 and 2020. All the women said they eventually quit because of the sexual assaults and were afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation and public shame. Their lawyer called Smokey Robinson a “sick and serial rapist.”
Robinson’s attorney claimed that the entertainer acted appropriately and that this is a desperate effort to influence public perception and transform the situation into a media spectacle.
The civil suit also accuses the music legend’s wife of 23 years of having full knowledge of the sexual misconduct and failing to take appropriate action.
Baby with rare disease receives lifesaving gene editing treatment
After receiving an experimental gene editing treatment designed just for him, a baby born with a rare and deadly genetic disease is thriving and alive.
Researchers reported that KJ Muldoon was one of the first patients successfully treated with a custom therapy that corrects tiny errors in his genetic code, which affects half of the infants impacted. Doctors remain hopeful that this technology will eventually help millions.
“We’re happy to share that he’s had three doses of the therapy without any complications and he’s showing some early signs of benefit,” Dr. Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas said. Ahrens-Nicklas is the director of the Gene Therapy for Inherited Metabolic Disorders Frontier Program (GTIMD) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Muldoon, from Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, is among the 350 million individuals worldwide affected by rare diseases, primarily of genetic origin. Shortly after birth, he received a diagnosis of severe Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I (CPS1) deficiency. Infants with this condition are deficient in a vital enzyme that aids in removing ammonia from the bloodstream, which can accumulate and become harmful. Some of these young patients may need a liver transplant.
Muldoon’s parents feared they could lose him.
“The prognosis for him was very different before we started talking about gene editing and the infusions,” Muldoon’s mother said.
Within six months, the team at the children’s hospital in Philadelphia and Penn Medicine developed a therapy designed to fix Muldoon’s enzyme. The technology they used is known as “base editing.”
The inventors actually won a Nobel Prize in 2020. This technology chemically changes one DNA “letter” into another, rather than cutting the DNA strand like other methods. This technique reduces the risk of possible adverse genetic changes.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
