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Tulsi Gabbard resigned as Director of National Intelligence just as Iran negotiations entered a critical phase, while Russia threatened retaliation after a deadly strike on a student dormitory in occupied territory. Washington also left major immigration and war-power fights unresolved before recess as Wall Street rallied on hopes of a Gulf breakthrough.

Elsewhere, AI produced a historic mathematical breakthrough, a controversial sports competition embraced performance-enhancing drugs, and Stephen Colbert closed the curtain on one of late-night television’s defining eras.

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Tulsi Gabbard resigned as Director of National Intelligence Friday, telling Trump her husband Abraham Williams' bone cancer diagnosis made the role untenable for their family. Aaron Lukas, the principal deputy director, will serve as acting DNI until a permanent replacement is confirmed.

Gabbard becomes the fourth Cabinet-level departure of Trump's second term, following the exits of Noem, Bondi, and Chavez-DeRemer. Her resignation, effective June 30, leaves the intelligence community without a permanent leader as US-Iran negotiations enter their most consequential weeks.

Secretary of State Rubio said Friday that peace with Iran is within reach, but warned Tehran's Hormuz toll regime could doom the deal. Tehran's new Gulf Strait Authority has been charging vessels for passage — fees Rubio called "unfeasible" in any final agreement — while framing the charges as legitimate service costs on one of the world's critical energy lanes.

A ceasefire has held since April 8, but a permanent deal has eluded negotiators for nearly seven weeks. Brent crude settled at $103.54 Friday — down from this week's highs — as markets priced in the early possibility of restored Gulf flows.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed retaliation after accusing Ukraine of striking a student dormitory in occupied territory during an overnight attack. Moscow claimed the strike killed civilians, injured students staying inside the building and caused heavy damage across nearby residential blocks and public infrastructure.

Long-range attacks have intensified in recent months as both Russia and Ukraine expand operations far beyond active front lines using drones and missile systems. Rising strikes on civilian-linked locations are increasing fears of broader escalation while diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions remain largely stalled.

Andy Burnham launched his campaign for a parliamentary seat while calling for Labour to rethink parts of its national strategy. His return to Westminster politics could reshape debate around Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership heading into the next election cycle.

The European Union broadened its Iran sanctions framework Friday to cover anyone impeding freedom of navigation in the Middle East, enabling travel bans and asset freezes. No names were listed yet, but EU diplomats flagged names coming within weeks as Iran's toll regime on Hormuz persists.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told a Senate hearing Friday that a $14 billion Taiwan weapons package approved by Congress in January is paused to preserve munitions for ongoing Iran operations. Taiwan's government said it received no formal notification, adding fresh uncertainty to an already strained relationship with Washington.

Senate Republicans left Washington for Memorial Day recess without voting on Trump's immigration funding package, missing his June 1 deadline after a mutiny over a hidden $1.8 billion provision. Senators said they were blindsided by an "Anti-Weaponization Fund" — proceeds from Trump's IRS lawsuit settlement — inserted into the bill without advance notice.

President Trump suggested Friday he may become the first US president to order military action against Cuba, citing Havana's ties to Russia and China. Federal prosecutors separately indicted former Cuban leader Raúl Castro for ordering the 1996 shootdown of a civilian aircraft flown by Miami exiles.

The DNC released a 200-page election postmortem Friday, blaming the Biden White House for failing to build Harris's public profile during her four years as vice president. Critics noted the report barely addresses economic concerns — the issue voters cited most — and flags that much of its own data is unverified.

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Kevin Warsh was sworn in as chair of the Federal Reserve in a White House ceremony Friday — the first Fed swearing-in held there since Alan Greenspan in 1987. Warsh pledged to lead a "reform-oriented" central bank; Trump said publicly he expects Warsh to operate as "totally independent."

Wall Street posted its eighth straight weekly gain Friday, with the Dow closing at a fresh all-time high as investors priced in progress on an Iran peace deal. Brent crude held above $103 a barrel, but markets treated the stability as a sign the worst of the oil shock may be behind them.

The SEC postponed a decision on a proposal that would allow blockchain-based versions of U.S. stocks to trade through crypto infrastructure. The delay reflects ongoing regulatory caution as financial firms and crypto companies push to expand tokenized trading products.

An OpenAI reasoning model disproved an Erdős conjecture that had stumped mathematicians for 80 years — the first AI-produced original mathematical result independently verified by outside researchers. OpenAI has not named the model and has not released the 125-page reasoning document it generated.

A study published in Science Advances Friday found that acute stress disrupts the hippocampus's ability to connect memories across different experiences — the neural mechanism underlying human insight and inference. Researchers at the University of Hamburg tested 121 participants and found stressed subjects failed significantly more often at memory-integration tasks than unstressed controls.

A new study found that lean beef consumption did not worsen blood sugar levels or increase diabetes risk in healthy adults. Researchers say the findings could reshape long-running dietary debates around red meat, nutrition guidelines and metabolic health recommendations.

Paris secured hosting rights for the Esports World Cup after organizers moved the event from Saudi Arabia amid regional security concerns. The relocation highlights how geopolitical instability is increasingly affecting global sports and entertainment schedules.

The Enhanced Games moved closer to launch in Las Vegas with athletes openly competing under medically supervised performance-enhancing drug use. Sports officials and anti-doping groups warn the controversial event could reshape debates around fairness, athlete safety and the future of elite competition.

Matthew Stafford and the Rams agreed to a $55M extension Friday, keeping the reigning NFL MVP in Los Angeles through the 2027 season. Stafford becomes the first player in NFL history to surpass $500 million in career earnings; the deal can rise to $60 million with incentives.

Stephen Colbert closed the Late Show Thursday night with a surprise Paul McCartney performance of "Hello Goodbye" at the Ed Sullivan Theater — where the Beatles first appeared on American television in 1964. McCartney turned off the theater lights to close the broadcast; cameos from Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, and four other late-night hosts stretched the finale past midnight.

Tom Hardy is out of Mobland Season 3 following reported onset clashes with executive producer Jez Butterworth, even as the Paramount+ crime drama has become the platform's second-most-watched series. Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren remain attached for any continuation; Season 2 wrapped filming in March.

Stephen Colbert’s departure underscored how comedians and audiences are increasingly moving toward podcasts and digital formats rather than traditional late-night television. Media companies now face mounting pressure to adapt as younger viewers consume entertainment on-demand instead of through scheduled broadcasts.

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What it is: On May 17, the WHO declared the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak spanning the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern — one of only eight PHEICs ever issued. By May 19, 543 suspected cases and 131 deaths had been confirmed in DRC's Ituri Province; two confirmed cases, one fatal, have since emerged in Kampala.

The detail: Bundibugyo is among the deadliest of six Ebola species, with past outbreaks recording case fatality rates between 30 and 50 percent. No licensed vaccine or specific antiviral targets Bundibugyo — unlike the Zaire strain covered by Ervebo — and researchers are racing to trial candidate drugs under emergency evaluation protocols, with several compounds entering formal testing this week.

Why it matters: Two confirmed Kampala cases place Ebola inside a city of 4 million people with direct air links to hubs across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe — raising fears of international spread not seen since the 2014 West Africa epidemic. Several neighboring countries activated emergency border health protocols; the CDC imposed enhanced travel screening for arrivals from both affected countries.

What to watch: Researcher James Baguma is leading origin investigations into bat-human spillover dynamics in Ituri Province, working to identify and close the transmission gateway before it widens further. Experts say the next two to three weeks will decide the outcome — break urban transmission chains now and containment holds; seed one more major city and it very likely does not.

- An alligator snapping turtle surprised wildlife officials after turning up in a Massachusetts pond far outside its normal habitat range, with authorities suspecting the massive reptile had been illegally kept as a pet before being released.

- A pony in England was safely rescued after becoming stuck inside a large tractor tire, with animal rescuers and firefighters working together to free the animal without injuries.

- A man from set a Guinness World Record after putting on 32 T-shirts in one minute, adding another unusual achievement to his long-running collection of record-breaking stunts.

That’s your Five Minute Daily briefing. Share it with someone who wants the world in five minutes.

—The Five Minute Daily Team