TRANSCRIPT 🔗
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I'm Jesse Spano and I'm so excited to bring you the stripped out news brief for today's top stories.
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No sides, all facts.
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Let's dive in, shall we?
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Welcome to the Stripped Out News Daily Podcast.
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This pipeline ain't cheap.
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Friday, May 29, 2026.
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From Iran tensions rising, a deadly mill collapse, Wilson's shock retirement, and gas prices dropping.
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Let's go.
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Starting in Ukraine, a Russian drone targeting Ukraine crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania on May 28, injuring two people.
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Romania, a NATO member, confirmed the drone entered its airspace and struck the building, causing an explosion and fire.
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The incident occurred during an overnight Russian attack on Ukraine, which included multiple drones and missiles.
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NATO condemned the crash, calling it a reckless act by Russia that escalates tensions in the region.
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This is the first infirmed instance of a Russian military strike directly affecting NATO territory since the Ukraine conflict began.
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Romanian authorities are investigating the incident and coordinating with NATO to assess the security implications.
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President Trump and Vice President Vance have been briefed on the situation, with the White House stating it is monitoring developments closely.
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The crash has raised concerns about further escalation between Russia and NATO, particularly in Eastern Europe.
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Romanian officials have called for increased vigilance along their border with Ukraine.
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As of now, tensions remain high, but no further incidents have been reported.
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The United States government has officially designated Brazil's two primary organized crime groups as terrorist organizations.
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This significant action was taken by the administration of President Trump.
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The designation specifically targets Brazil's two largest drug gangs, reclassifying them under a new framework for U.S.
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policy.
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This decision follows a period of advocacy from the Bolsonaro family, who had previously urged the U.S.
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government to make such a classification.
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The move
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may lead to renewed tensions between President Trump and Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.
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Relations between the two leaders have experienced periods of strain in the past, and this designation introduces a new point of potential diplomatic friction.
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This reclassification could also impact future international cooperation efforts between the U.S.
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and Brazil regarding crime and security.
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On May 29, 2026, Israel launched military strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon, escalating the ongoing conflict in the region.
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Simultaneously, the Israeli government issued evacuation orders for all areas south of the Zaharani River, affecting about 14% of Lebanon's population.
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This includes Tyre, one of Lebanon's largest cities, and raises the stakes in an already volatile situation, prompting a massive displacement of civilians.
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These strikes come amid stalled peace talks between the U.S.
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and Iran, which had previously sought to broker a ceasefire.
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Despite the U.S.
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brokered ceasefire on April 16, 2026, violence has resumed, with nearly 1,000 people killed in Lebanon since that date.
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Ramsi Kais, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, pointed out that Israel has repeatedly violated the laws of war and continues to escalate military actions.
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Kaiss emphasized that the Israeli government has declared its intention to commit further military operations, raising concerns about additional civilian casualties.
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The Israeli government has not publicly commented on the specific reasons for the expanded strikes or the evacuation orders.
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The situation remains fluid, with no immediate resolution in sight.
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The international community is closely watching as the conflict threatens to destabilize the broader Middle East region.
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Humanitarian organizations are warning of a growing crisis, with the displacement of civilians and destruction of infrastructure in southern Lebanon expected to have long-term consequences for the region's stability and recovery efforts.
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Representative Frederica Wilson, a Democrat from Florida, announced her retirement from Congress on May 29, 2026.
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Wilson, who's 83, has served in the House since 2010, representing Florida's 24th Congressional District, which includes parts of Miami.
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Her decision comes after weeks of absence from Capitol Hill due to recovery from major eye surgery.
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Initially, Wilson denied retirement rumors on May 27, calling them a crazy rumor and insisting she planned to run again.
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But just a day later, she reversed course, telling elected officials in her district that she would retire, saying, I think it's time.
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She acknowledged that her decision was made earlier, but was kept private for strategic reasons amid Florida's redistricting process.
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Wilson's retirement follows pressure from allies, urging her not to seek re-election due to her extended absence from House votes.
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Her departure marks the end of a 16-year career in Congress, where she became known for her advocacy on education and social justice issues.
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Her retirement will likely trigger a competitive race for her Miami-based seat, with potential candidates expected to emerge soon.
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In New York, lawmakers recently incorporated two new gun control measures into the state's fiscal year 2027 budget.
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These legislative actions occurred on Wednesday, May 28, 2026, as part of the broader budget approval process.
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One of the measures reportedly includes a prohibition on the Glock family of pistols.
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The inclusion of these laws within the budget bill meant they were enacted without direct voter approval.
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This method of passing legislation has drawn attention due to its procedural nature.
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The new regulations are set to affect gun ownership within New York State.
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The specific details of the second gun control measure have not been widely reported.
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These actions reflect ongoing legislative efforts regarding firearm regulations in the state.
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On May 26, six Chinese nationals were apprehended in Maverick County, Texas.
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These individuals were discovered by authorities on private ranches in the area.
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They were found among a larger group, totaling approximately two dozen undocumented immigrants.
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Reports from the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed the details of the apprehension.
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A notable detail from the incident is that the six Chinese nationals were reportedly wearing camouflage at the time they were taken into custody.
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Maverick County, situated in the southwestern part of Texas, has been an area experiencing heightened border enforcement activity.
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The individuals were processed by authorities following their apprehension, which occurred as part of ongoing border operations in the region.
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This event highlights continued efforts by Texas authorities to manage border crossings.
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The
White House recently launched a new website called Aliens.gov.
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This platform, which debuted on Thursday, May 29, 2026, is primarily focused on providing data related to migrant arrests.
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The site's content is centered on immigration enforcement statistics, offering figures and information concerning individuals apprehended in connection with migration.
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This initiative follows the Trump administration's earlier release of government files pertaining to unidentified flying objects, which had previously garnered public attention.
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Interestingly, the launch of aliens.gov was accompanied by various messages, including the phrase, they walk among us.
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These communications have been noted for their cryptic nature, appearing around the time of the website's public availability.
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Despite the intriguing name and accompanying messages, the website's core function is to disseminate factual data on migrant arrests, highlighting a specific aspect of the administration's policy focus.
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Recovery efforts are continuing in Longview, Washington, following a chemical tank rupture at a paper mill.
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The incident has resulted in a reported total of 11 fatalities.
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As of today, eight deaths have been officially confirmed.
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Emergency crews are actively working to locate and recover additional individuals, with firefighters believing three more bodies are yet to be reached within the facility.
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Out of nine workers initially reported missing after the rupture, the remains of six have been successfully recovered by search teams.
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This event is being characterized as one of the deadliest U.S.
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workplace accidents in recent decades.
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It is also described as the most significant industrial disaster in Washington state's modern history.
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Local officials and emergency services are coordinating the complex recovery process, which involves navigating hazardous conditions within the damaged mill.
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Investigations into the cause of the chemical tank rupture are expected to commence once the recovery phase concludes and the site is secured.
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Dell Technologies recently announced a significant increase in demand for its artificial intelligence servers.
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This surge in orders has prompted the company to raise its financial forecasts for the current period.
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Following these reports, Dell's shares saw a substantial rise, with an increase of 33% noted in market activity.
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The heightened demand is primarily linked to the
ongoing expansion of AI data centers, which require specialized server infrastructure.
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This build out has directly translated into more orders for Dell's AI optimized hardware.
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Additionally, the company's financial performance was supported by strategic price adjustments.
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These combined factors have influenced Dell's revenue and profit projections.
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The updated financial outlook indicates an expectation of continued robust performance, driven by the sustained global need for advanced computing infrastructure to support AI development and deployment.
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Gas prices in the U.S.
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have dropped to$4.39 per gallon as of May 29, 2026, marking a 16 cent decrease over the past week.
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This follows a peak for the year on May 21, when prices hit$4.564 per gallon.
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Despite the decline, gas remains significantly more expensive than the roughly$3 per gallon average before the Iran War began.
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The drop coincides with ongoing negotiations between the U.S.
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and Iran to extend a ceasefire.
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Patrick Dehan, head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy, noted this week's decline as the largest weekly drop in gas prices this year.
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Retail gas prices are tied to global oral markets, even though the U.S.
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is the world's largest oil producer.
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Gasoline prices have fallen as oil prices, though volatile, have shown recent declines.
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While the drop offers some relief to consumers, the future trajectory of gas prices remains uncertain due to ongoing geopolitical and economic factors.
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A federal probe has identified that federal prison officials released inmates prematurely during the Biden administration.
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This occurred under a criminal reform program where enforcement was reportedly faulty.
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The issues with the program's implementation led to inmates being released earlier than intended.
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It is alleged that these actions by federal prison officials resulted in millions of dollars in costs to taxpayers.
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The probe specifically found that the faulty enforcement was a key factor in both the early releases and the associated financial expenditures.
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These findings highlight concerns regarding the administration and oversight of federal criminal reform initiatives.
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The investigation detailed specific instances where program guidelines were reportedly not followed correctly.
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The scope of the early releases and the financial implications for public funds were outlined in the probe's conclusions.
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On May 29, 2026, a Blue Origin New Blenn rocket exploded during an engine firing test at LC-36 in Florida.
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The explosion happened during a static fire test, which is a standard procedure to check the rocket's engines before launch.
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Blue Origin confirmed that no one was injured and called the incident an anomaly.
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The rocket was being prepped for its fourth launch, which was supposed to deploy satellites for Amazon's LEO satellite network, a competitor to SpaceX's Starlink.
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An Amazon spokesperson said, no satellites were on board at the time of the explosion.
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Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has been trying to compete with SpaceX in the commercial space industry.
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This explosion is a big setback for the company, especially as it's working on contracts for NASA's lunar exploration programs.
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The incident also raises questions about how it might affect NASA's plans to return humans to the moon, which rely on partnerships with private companies like Blue Origin.
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The company hasn't yet explained what caused the explosion, but says it will provide updates as it learns more.
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For now, Blue Origin is assessing the damage and investigating the cause of the anomaly.
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This explosion highlights the challenges and risks involved in developing advanced rocket technology and space exploration.
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A significant development recently occurred in West Virginia's high school sports.
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Becky Pepper Jackson, a 15-year-old sophomore from Bridgeport High School, secured a victory at the Girls State Track Championship.
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The athlete also achieved high placements in two separate events during the competition.
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This athlete is notably involved in a Supreme Court case that challenges a West Virginia state law.
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This law specifically bars transgender individuals assigned male at birth from competing in girls' sports.
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Following the championship, the West Virginia Attorney General released a statement concerning Pepper Jackson's performance.
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The Attorney General's office has been a key party in the legal proceedings related to the state's sports participation regulations.
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Pepper Jackson is recognized as the only openly transgender sports competitor in West Virginia.
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The Supreme Court's decision on the legality of the state's athletic participation law is still awaited.
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This situation highlights ongoing national conversations about transgender athletes in sports.
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I hear the horns, so it's time to bug out.
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I'm Jesse.
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I've been great, and those have been today's top stories.
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Brought to you by Stripped Out News.
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Dive deeper on these and more at stripptoutnews.com.
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