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Dow crosses 50,000 as investors eye Trump-Xi summit

(NEW YORK) -- The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Thursday closed above 50,000, shrugging off a renewed bout of inflation and an apparent impasse in negotiations over the Iran war.

The rise in shares came as President Donald Trump visited Chinese President Xi Jinping in a high-stakes summit between the leaders of the world's two largest economies.

The Dow closed up 370 points, or 0.7%, registering at 50,063.46. The Dow first topped 50,000 in February. It stands about 55 points shy of an all-time record close.

The S&P 500 jumped 0.7%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq increased 0.8%.

A group of corporate executives joined Trump on the trip, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

After a dramatic welcoming ceremony, Trump sat down with Xi on the first day of a multi-day summit, during which Trump said he'd seek to deepen diplomatic and economic ties.

The trip came at a crucial time for Trump as the war with Iran drove up prices for Americans at home due in large part due to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. China is Iran's principal oil consumer.

Inflation rose for a second consecutive month as the war continued to send gasoline prices surging in April, government data this week showed.

Annual inflation jumped to its highest level in three years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sunny investor attitudes stem from robust corporate earnings, as well as milder economic fallout from the war than some forecasters feared, some analysts previously told ABC News.

Trump, they added, has displayed a willingness to back off of actions if they threaten a severe market reaction, reassuring investors wary of a prolonged conflict.

Despite the disruption, some measures of economic health have proven resilient.

Hiring slowed in April but remained solid, exceeding economists’ expectations, government data last week showed. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3% in April, a low level by historic standards.

Additionally, the economy grew at an annualized rate of 2% in the first quarter of 2026, marking an acceleration from 0.5% growth recorded in the previous quarter.

ABC News' Kevin Shalvey and Jon Haworth contributed to this report.

Cynicism of the highest order.

FILE – Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

On January 20, 2025 – just hours before President Joe Biden was to leave office – it was announced that he had issued a pre-emptive pardon to Dr. Anthony Fauci.

You remember Lord Fauci. He was the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I am the science,” he once said to an interviewer. In his role as head of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, he drove an entire nation into what amounted to house arrest.

To “stop the spread,” schools and churches were closed, the elderly died alone in nursing homes, uncomforted by family, small businesses were forced to close, and tens of millions of nominally free American citizens had to give up their livelihoods.

“Two weeks to flatten the curve” turned into two years of economic and social devastation. Small independent retailers and mom & pop restaurants were forced to shut down. They went out of business. But Target and Wal-Mart got to stay open. Their stock prices soared. Many of the former owners of the small businesses that were shut down now face their retirement years with little to get them by.

Young children who were kept from going to kindergarten and early elementary school are now teenagers and a huge percentage of them are behind academically and will likely never catch up.

Fauci had us maintaining six feet of social distancing while walking around with dirty masks on our faces in an affront to epidemiological science.

And it was his Lordship Anthony Fauci who convinced President Trump to fast track the development of mRNA vaccines in an effort that got dubbed “Operation Warp Speed.”

“Fine,” we all said.

But here’s what’s now coming to light that’s not fine.

For the drug makers to develop The Jab they demanded protection from product liability. Under the rules, to get that protection, the drugs would have to be deployed under an Emergency Use Authorization – EUA – from the Food & Drug Administration. But to get an EUA, there could be no other “approved, adequate and available” therapies.

The problem was that there was plenty of evidence that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin – two readily available and inexpensive drugs with long use histories – were quite effective at treating COVID when administered early in the course of the disease.

The government spent more than $30 billion on The Jab. Drug makers Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, in turn, paid hundreds of millions in royalties to Fauci’s agency to license government-owned technology in their development. There are persistent but admittedly unproven rumors that Fauci profited personally from some of those payments. We’ll never know.

What we do know is that Fauci aggressively and often ruthlessly set out to crush any use of HCQ and ivermectin, their low risk and demonstrated effectiveness be damned.

What we’ll also never know is how many people died needlessly because Fauci quashed an inexpensive and low risk therapy in an apparent attempt to further his empire.

But what we always will know is that the Biden administration thought that he needed a pardon.

Indictment of former Texas Lottery director dismissed by Travis County District Attorney days later

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Gary Grief, the former executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission who was accused of conspiring to defraud Texas lottery players, was indicted by a grand jury in Travis County last month on a felony charge for abuse of official capacity related to an April 2023 lottery win. But the Travis County district attorney’s office dismissed the case for “prosecutorial discretion.”

Assistant District Attorney Rob Drummond signed the motion to dismiss the case just three days after the grand jury indictment. Nexstar reached out to the Travis County DA’s office for an explanation for the dismissal and are waiting to hear back.

Nexstar also asked the office if District Attorney José Garza had any say about the motion to dismiss or if ADA Drummond acted on his own.

Grief retired in 2024 just before a Houston Chronicle investigation revealed a group of investors were able to purchase nearly every single number combination to almost guarantee a $95 million jackpot in an April 2023 Lotto Texas drawing. Lotto Texas is a draw game where players select six numbers between 1 and 54.

The indictment accuses Grief of “intentionally and knowingly misuse government property, services, personnel, or a thing of value belonging to the government” in the April 22, 2023 Lotto Texas drawing.

Jodie Comer to star in Damon Lindeloff’s new HBO series, ‘The Chain’

Jodie Comer attends The 2025 Fashion Awards presented by Pandora at the Royal Albert Hall on Dec. 1, 2025, in London, England. (Lia Toby/Getty Images)

Jodie Comer is the first link in The Chain.

The actress is set to star in the upcoming HBO series The Chain from creator Damon Lindelof. Comer will play Rachel in the limited series, which is based on the bestselling book by Adrian McKinty.

Comer's casting was announced in an Instagram post on Thursday.

"Meet Rachel," the caption reads. "Jodie Comer stars in #TheChain, the new Damon Lindelof limited series based off the book by Adrian McKinty."

McKinty's 2019 book follows a suburban mom, named Rachel, who has to consider the unthinkable when her daughter is kidnapped. While details on the show are being kept under wraps, a press release from HBO says Lindelof is "expanding the mythology of McKinty’s award-winning thriller."

HBO ordered The Chain back in January. At the time it was announced, Lindelof said, “From the moment I heard the wild and original premise of Adrian’s book, I was shocked, surprised and angry I hadn’t thought of it myself."

He continued, "I’ve always wanted to try to adapt a great thriller and this one has all the dark, weird, exhilarating touches that fire up my imagination."

Actor Johnny Flynn cast to play Paul Simon in new film ‘The Road Home’

Paul Simon circa 1986 (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns)/Johnny Flynn attends party for "The Motive And The Cue" December 18, 2023. (Photo by Matt Keeble/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Ripley star Johnny Flynn has been cast to play Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Paul Simon in the new movie The Road Home, according to Deadline.

The film, directed by Bill Condon, is centered around trumpeter Hugh Masekela, played by South African actor Thabo Rametsi, who toured with Simon in support of his 1986 Grammy Award-winning album, Graceland.

The film will also star Cynthia Erivo as vocalist Miriam "Mama Africa" Makeba, who was married to Masekela in the '60s and also toured with Simon, and Guy Pearce, who plays anti-apartheid advocate Archbishop Trevor Huddleston. Huddleston called for a boycott of Simon, claiming he violated the United Nations cultural boycott of the country by partially recording the album in Johannesburg.

“For me, there are very few stories that could come closer to home than this. I was born in Johannesburg and moved to London in 1985 – just before the album Graceland was released,” says Flynn, also known for his work in Emma and Lovesick. “The music of South Africa – and especially that of Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba IS the sound of my childhood. And Graceland was the most played cassette in our car growing up.”

He adds, “It’s such an honour to be invited to tell this story with artists that I admire so much. It’s the story of hope and the power of music.”

Dylan Sprouse, Barbara Palvin expecting first child together

Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse are seen at the Hotel Martinez during the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2026, in Cannes, France. (Arnold Jerocki/GC Images via Getty Images)

Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse are expecting their first child together.

The model and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody star announced that Palvin is pregnant with their first child in an Instagram post on Thursday.

In the post, which Palvin created and collaborated on with Sprouse, the happy couple pose for the camera while they both hold Palvin's baby bump. They are dressed up to attend the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. Palvin wears a light blue gown while Sprouse is suited in a tuxedo.

The carousel continues with an ultrasound photo of their baby, whose hands look to be raised in the rock music hand gesture, colloquially known as heavy metal horns.

In the post's final photo, both Palvin and Sprouse copy the same hand gesture. The post is captioned with three heavy metal horns emojis.

ABC News has reached out to Sprouse's rep for comment.

Sprouse and Palvin were married on July 15, 2023, in Palvin's home country of Hungary.

In August 2025, Palvin shared that she'd had surgery for endometriosis in an Instagram post.

"For some years now I’ve been dealing with the difficulties that can come with my periods. Fatigue, severe pain, heavy and irregular flow, sleepless nights on the bathroom floor. I thought this was just how it works for me,” Palvin wrote. “[The surgery] helped me a lot, and I’m grateful I did it. Early diagnosis and treatment are very important to prevent long-term complications, and now I’m more mindful about my body to act fast if needed.”

Palvin ended her post by saying she is "excited about this new chapter of my life and now ready to get back to work."

Lake Tyler Memorial Day ceremony

Tyler — The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and its Veterans Committee invite you to a Memorial Day Ceremony on Saturday, May 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at The Boulders at Lake Tyler, on McElroy Road.

As we mark 250 Years of Freedom, we remember that liberty comes at a cost. This year’s theme, 250 Years of Freedom, 250 Years of Sacrifice, honors the 1.4 million Service Members who died defending our nation, as well as the families and loved ones they left behind. Continue reading Lake Tyler Memorial Day ceremony

CHRISTUS Health has a medical first

TYLER – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital continues to lead the way in advancing patient care through innovation, becoming the first hospital in the nation to employ the new V2 Swoop Portable MRI, utilizing the newest FDA cleared software inside an operating room during a pituitary tumor resection.

The groundbreaking procedure was performed by Dr. Todd Patrick, chief of neurosurgery, marking a significant milestone in surgical precision and patient-centered care.

By bringing advanced imaging directly into the operating room, the Swoop system allows surgeons to capture real-time images during procedures, improving decision-making, reducing the need for repeat imaging and enhancing overall surgical outcomes. Continue reading CHRISTUS Health has a medical first

Lufkin Animal Services receives grant to provide low-cost sterilization services

ANGELINA COUNTY (KETK) — The City of Lufkin Animal Services was recently awarded a $150,000 grant to expand its spay-and-neuter services across Angelina County.

According to the City of Lufkin, the grant was provided by the Texas Health and Human Services’ Public Health Region and will allow the shelter to provide low-cost sterilization services. The service will help reduce overpopulation and decrease shelter intake.

Through the grant, residents will only pay $25 to have their pets spayed or neutered, with the remainder of the treatment covered by the shelter, the city said. Along with making sterilization services more affordable for pet owners, the grant will also help in reducing the stray and unwanted animal population in Angelina County.

“This funding is a tremendous opportunity to make a lasting impact on animal welfare in our community and across the region,” Lufkin Animal Services Manager Morgan Williams said. “By increasing access to spay and neuter services, we are taking proactive steps to reduce homelessness among pets, improve public safety, and support healthier communities.”

Residents can schedule the first round of sterilization services by contacting the Lufkin Animal Shelter at 936-633-0218. A $25 deposit fee will be required for each appointment.

School bus hits pole in Livingston; 3 taken to hospital

LIVINGSTON (KETK) — Two students and a school bus driver were taken to the hospital after a Thursday morning crash in Livingston involving a school bus and a pole.

According to the Livingston Independent School District, the crash happened early Thursday on Highway 59 in front of the hospital when one of their buses struck a road post. EMS evaluated all students at the scene, and parents were notified.

Two students and the driver were transported to the hospital for further evaluation. The remaining students were taken to their campus on another bus.

“We appreciate the quick response of emergency personnel and school staff in ensuring the safety and care of our students,” the school district said.

Will Smith to star in ‘Supermax’ for Amazon MGM Studios

Will Smith attends the 'Emancipation' Los Angeles premiere at Regency Village Theatre on Nov. 30, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Will Smith has found his next role.

The actor is set to star in the upcoming action-thriller film Supermax for Amazon MGM Studios, ABC Audio has confirmed.

Pineapple Express and Halloween director David Gordon Green will helm the film, which is set to stream worldwide on Prime Video. Amazon MGM Studios acquired the rights to the movie from Miramax.

Smith will star as Rex in the film, which is described to be "a propulsive and twist-laden action thriller." It follows two FBI agents who investigate a murder that has taken place inside the world's most secure prison.

Casting on the movie is currently ongoing and production is set to start in mid-August.

David Weil and David J. Rosen, who are known for their work on the TV shows Hunters and Invasion, wrote the film. Smith will produce the movie for his company Westbrook.

Supermax will mark Smith's first onscreen appearance since the 2024 film Bad Boys: Ride or Die. That movie was his first major film part after the 2022 incident in which he slapped presenter Chris Rock onstage at the 94th Academy Awards. It was the same night he won his best actor Oscar for portraying Richard Williams in the biopic King Richard.

David Rancken’s App of the Day 05/14/26 – Clario!

Are you looking for an all-over smartphone protector? Get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Clario. You can find Clario in the Apple Store and Google Play below.

2 arrested in Polk County after firearms, narcotics found inside home

POLK COUNTY (KETK)— Two people were arrested in Polk County on Tuesday after over 15 pounds of marijuana and over 100 THC vape pens were found inside their home, along with several firearms.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies conducted an investigation at the home of Mohammad Shoaib and Komal Jiwani in Onalaska on Tuesday after obtaining a probable cause warrant.

During the search, officials allegedly discovered 16 pounds of marijuana, 115 THC vape pens, and several multiple marijuana edible products, which were packaged to resemble candy and snack items that would appeal to children. Several firearms were also found inside the home, according to officials.

The sheriff’s office alleged that the edible products were located throughout the home and were easily accessible to young children living there.

Shoaib and Jiwani were arrested following the search of their home and charged with the following offenses:

*Possession of marijuana
*Manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance
*Three counts of child endangerment

“The Polk County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to aggressively targeting the illegal distribution of narcotics within our communities,” Sheriff Byron Lyons stated. “Investigations involving narcotics that are accessible to children are especially concerning and will continue to be a top enforcement priority.”

Russia kills several in Kyiv attack as Zelenskyy urges global response to ‘terror’

(LONDON) -- Russian drone and missiles strikes killed at least eight people and left around 20 people missing, possibly trapped under rubble, amid 24 hours of intense attacks on the Ukrainian capital and other areas around the country, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine's air force said in a post to Telegram on Thursday that Russia launched 675 drones and 56 missiles into the country overnight, of which 652 drones and 41 missiles were intercepted or suppressed.

Fifteen missiles and 23 drones impacted across 24 locations, the air force said, while falling debris was reported in 18 locations. The Russian attack was still ongoing as of Thursday morning, the air force warned.

The overnight barrage followed an intense day of strikes on Wednesday, during which time the air force reported 892 Russian drones launched into the country, of which 821 failed to reach their targets.

In total, Ukraine's air force reported at least 1,623 Russian munitions launched into the country through Wednesday and Thursday, in what appears to be the largest sustained aerial attack of the war to date.

Ukrainian officials said that at least 16 people had been killed and more than 100 injured across two days of Russian attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in post to X on Thursday that Russia had been firing "virtually nonstop" for nearly 48 hours.

"This is a deliberate terrorist tactic by the Russians, who amassed drones and missiles over a period of time and intentionally calculated the strike so that its scale would be significant, creating the greatest possible difficulties for our air defense," Zelenskyy said in the post.

Ukraine's State Emergency Service said on Thursday that responders were digging through the rubble of a partially-collapsed nine-story apartment building in Kyiv's southeastern Darnytsia district, searching for missing people.

Zelenskyy said in a post to social media that at least 20 buildings were damaged in Kyiv, including a school. "There will be a just response to all these attacks. And we need to put pressure on Moscow so that they feel the consequences of their terror there," he wrote.

"It's important that there be worldwide sanctions against Russia. Russia's responsibility for the war and our sanctions pressure should work at full capacity. And it's also very important that the world not remain silent about this terror and stand with Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged foreign leaders -- including President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping -- to condemn the latest strikes.

"This barbaric attack during such an important summit shows that the Russian regime poses a global threat to international security. Instead of peace and development, Moscow pursues aggression and terror," he wrote in a post to X, referring to Trump's ongoing visit to Beijing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sybiha wrote, "wants this war to continue in order to prolong his control and rule over Russia. There should be no illusions or wishful thinking: only pressure on Moscow can force him to stop."

Russia's Defense Ministry reported the interception of 36 Ukrainian drones overnight into Thursday. The ministry claimed to have downed 431 Ukrainian drones during the course of Wednesday.

Both Russia and Ukraine have expanded their long-range attacks exponentially over the past year, with the ongoing frontline combat grinding into a near-stalemate with little apparent hope for either side to achieve significant breakthroughs.

April saw Russia launch the most attacks of any month of the war to date, according to Ukrainian air force data. Kyiv reported facing 6,663 Russian drones and 141 missiles during the course of the month.

Ukraine's long-range drone attacks reached a high point in March, according to data published by the Russian Defense Ministry. In that month, Moscow said its forces downed at least 7,347 Ukrainian drones.

ABC News cannot independently verify the data released by either Russia or Ukraine. It is possible that both sides may seek to exaggerate the effectiveness of their air defenses, or to amplify the attacks against them as proof that their enemies are not interested in pursuing a peace deal, experts have suggested.

Neither side provides detailed data on the scale of their own attacks or their targets, though often release statements describing the targets as military, energy or industrial sites. Both sides accuse the other of intentionally attacking civilian targets.

Ukraine's air force publishes what it says is a daily tally of Russian drone and missile strikes, including information as to how many munitions were intercepted and how many penetrated air defenses.

Moscow, meanwhile, publishes only the number of Ukrainian drones and other projectiles it claims to have intercepted.

ABC News' Patrick Reevell, Natalia Popova and Othon Leyva contributed to this report.

In brief: Noah Wyle reveals ‘The Pitt’ season 3 timeline and more

Noah Wyle is letting fans know what they can expect in season 3 of The Pitt. Deadline reports that Wyle took to the stage at the Warner Bros. Upfront on Wednesday and revealed the time period when season 3 will take place. “It’s set in early November, just before the holidays, ushering in a whole new set of emergencies and confrontations and complications,” the outlet reports Wyle said. It seems there's no place like the hospital for the holidays, according to Wyle, who also said the third season is about to start production ...

The teaser trailer for The Hawk has arrived. Netflix has released the official teaser for its upcoming comedy series starring Will Ferrell as golfer Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins. Also starring in the show are Molly Shannon, Jimmy Tatro, Fortune Feimster and Luke Wilson. It follows 2004's #1 golfer as he attempts to make the greatest comeback in the history of the sport ...

In other Netflix news, the streaming service has renewed its shows Big Mistakes, My Life with the Walter Boys, Quarterback and Running Point for new seasons. It also announced that season 11 of Love is Blind will take place in Boston ...

Bonrad is so back. We have our first official look at Christopher Briney and Lola Tung in character as Conrad and Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty film. Prime Video released the photo as a way to mark cameras rolling on the upcoming movie, which will officially conclude the story that was told in the three-season romance series. "Did you miss them? The Summer I Turned Pretty movie is now in production," the post's caption reads ...