U.S. acting envoy to Ukraine to depart after weeks

May 4, 2026

Summary

Julie Davis is expected to leave her post in Kyiv, putting the U.S. on track to seek its third Ukraine envoy in about a year.

Why this matters

The change adds turnover at a key U.S. diplomatic post as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. It also comes amid debate over the Trump administration’s approach to Ukraine and broader regional priorities.

The United States will soon begin searching for its third ambassador to Ukraine in about a year.

Julie Davis, who has served as acting ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv since May 5, 2025, is expected to leave the post in coming weeks and has notified the State Department, according to the Financial Times. Davis, who is also the U.S. ambassador to Cyprus, took over after Bridget Brink resigned about a year ago after three years in the role.

Before becoming ambassador to Cyprus, Davis served as special envoy for Belarus based in Vilnius, Lithuania. She has spent 30 years at the State Department, including multiple assignments in Eastern Europe.

Brink is now running for a U.S. House seat in Michigan as a Democrat. She has criticized the Trump administration over what she described as corruption and deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Middle East

UAE ends air restrictions imposed during Iran war

More than 11,000 flights in and out of the region were canceled in the opening days of the conflict.

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The United Arab Emirates lifted all flight restrictions imposed since the start of the U.S., Israel war on Iran, the country’s civil aviation authority said Saturday.

All air operations returned to “normal status” in UAE airspace, the General Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.

“Our decision came following a comprehensive assessment of operational and security conditions, in coordination with the relevant authorities,” the authority said in a post on X, adding that it would continue monitoring the situation.

The move affects the UAE’s aviation hubs in Dubai, home to the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, and Abu Dhabi, which had operated under restrictions since late February.

The conflict disrupted aviation across the Middle East, with retaliatory strikes from Tehran leading to airspace closures in parts of the Gulf and reducing route options for airlines flying long-haul services between Europe and Asia.

At least eight states announced full or partial airspace closures, including the UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

UAE carriers Emirates and flydubai temporarily halted operations, while Etihad suspended departures from Abu Dhabi.
World

Suspected hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship kills 3

The ship’s owner said the two sick people still on board were crew members and needed urgent medical care. No one has been allowed to disembark.

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A suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean killed three people, including an elderly married couple, and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organization and South Africa’s Department of Health said Sunday.

The World Health Organization said at least one case had been confirmed and an investigation was ongoing. One patient was in intensive care at a hospital in Johannesburg, and the agency said it was working with authorities to evacuate two others with symptoms from the ship.

Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company operating the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, said the ship was off Cape Verde and local authorities had not allowed anyone to disembark.

Hantaviruses are mainly spread through contact with the urine or feces of infected rodents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The viruses can cause severe lung or kidney disease. The WHO said person-to-person spread can occur in rare cases and that there is no specific treatment, though early medical care can improve the chance of survival.

South Africa’s health department said the ship left Argentina about three weeks ago on a cruise that included Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and other stops. It was due to head to Spain’s Canary Islands.

The department said the first victim, a 70-year-old man, died on the ship and his body was removed in the British territory of St. Helena. His wife later collapsed at an airport in South Africa while trying to take a flight to the Netherlands and died at a nearby hospital.

The patient in intensive care was a British national who became ill near Ascension Island after the ship left St. Helena and was transferred to South Africa, the department said.

Around 150 tourists were onboard at the time of the outbreak, according to South Africa’s health department.
World

OPEC+ nations to raise oil output amid supply strains

The national average price for a gallon of gas was $4.45 as of Sunday, according to AAA. That was up from $2.98 just before the war in Iran began. A few days earlier, gas prices had risen by nearly 30 cents over the previous week.

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Seven OPEC+ countries, including Russia and Saudi Arabia, said Sunday they would increase oil production by 188,000 barrels per day, citing “market stability.”

Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman made the decision during a virtual meeting. OPEC+ countries said the increase would begin in June, with most of the additional output coming from Saudi Arabia and Russia.

The announcement came as global oil supplies faced disruptions tied to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to facilities from the war in Iran.
World

Iran seeks war end in 30 days, Trump voices doubt

Trump rejected an earlier Iranian proposal this week, but talks have continued, and a three-week ceasefire appeared to be holding.

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Iran’s latest proposal to the United States called for resolving disputes within 30 days and ending the war rather than extending a ceasefire, according to Iranian state-linked media.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he was reviewing the proposal, but he doubted it would produce a deal.

Iran’s 14-point proposal, described by the semiofficial Nour News agency as a response to a U.S. nine-point plan, called for the United States to lift sanctions on Iran, end its naval blockade, withdraw forces from the region, and stop hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon.

Also Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, who had overseen earlier rounds of U.S.-Iran talks before the latest fighting.

Trump also proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz, where about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas trade typically passes.

Iran’s deputy parliament speaker, Ali Nikzad, said Sunday that Iran “will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions” and that ships not linked to the U.S. or Israel could pass after paying a toll. The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran, including in digital assets.

Iran’s currency weakened further Sunday, with the dollar trading at 1,840,000 rials in Tehran’s Ferdowsi Street exchange market, compared with 1.3 million in December. Iranian media also reported job losses after the new year holidays.
World

Trump says U.S. will aid ships in Strait of Hormuz

Trump gave few details about the plan. He said it would help ships and crews that had been “locked up” in the strait and were running low on food and other supplies as Iran blocked access through the waterway.

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President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States would begin an effort Monday morning to help free ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a “humanitarian gesture” to assist neutral countries during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

“We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Iran has blocked nearly all shipping from the Gulf, apart from its own, for more than two months. Last month, the United States imposed its own blockade on ships from Iranian ports.

It was not immediately clear which countries the U.S. operation would aid or how it would work. The Pentagon declined to comment.

Trump said any interference with the U.S. operation “would have to be dealt with forcefully.”

Iran said Sunday that it had received a U.S. response to its latest offer for peace talks, a day after Trump said he would probably reject the Iranian proposal because “they have not paid a big enough price.”
Europe

Austria arrests suspect in baby food poison case

The suspect was being questioned, police said. The Burgenland public prosecutor’s office said it was investigating suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.”

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Police in eastern Austria said a 39-year-old suspect was arrested after rat poison was found in some HiPP baby food jars on supermarket shelves in central Europe.

The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, acting under prosecutors’ direction, said the investigation began after poison was found in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in Eisenstadt on April 18.

The Austrian Press Agency reported that an expert report on the poison’s toxicity was pending. It said five tampered baby food jars were seized before they could be consumed.

Authorities previously said they believed the tampering involved 190-gram (6.7-ounce) jars of carrot-and-potato baby food for 5-month-olds sold at SPAR supermarkets in Austria.

HiPP recalled some of its baby food jars in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic after the case emerged last month. The company said Saturday it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest and would provide further updates as verified details became available.

As a precaution, HiPP recalled all of its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets in Austria, including SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR, and Maximarkt stores. Retailers in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all HiPP baby jars from sale.

The company said the recall was not due to any product or quality defect on its part and that the jars left its facility in “perfect condition.”

Police said a customer reported at the time of the discovery that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, but no one consumed the baby food.

HiPP, based in Pfaffenhofen, Germany, said it had been a “victim of extortion,” adding that an unspecified “blackmailer” sent a message to a shared mailbox in the case, prompting the company to inform police.
North Carolina

N.C. lifts burn ban in 81 counties, 20 still under it

The statewide ban had been in effect since March 28.

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After more than a month of restrictions tied to hazardous wildfire conditions, the North Carolina Forest Service lifted its statewide ban on open burning in 81 counties at 8 a.m. Sunday, May 3.

The ban remained in effect until further notice in Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Stokes, and Union counties.

State officials said lifting the ban in 81 counties did not apply to fires started within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling. Local fire marshals have authority to issue or lift burn bans within that 100-foot area.

As of 8 a.m. Sunday, May 3, burn permits were available in counties no longer under the state ban. Residents in those counties could get a permit from an authorized permitting agent or online at https://apps.ncagr.gov/burnpermits/.

All burn permits issued before the statewide ban were canceled when the ban took effect. Residents in counties no longer under the state ban must obtain a valid permit to burn legally.
Hawaii

Honolulu estimates storm damage at more than $100M

Honolulu planned to seek FEMA reimbursement. On April 7, Trump authorized Hawaii to recover at least 75% of eligible costs which exceeded $1 billion.

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Honolulu officials said early estimates of damage from two March Kona-low storms exceeded $100 million, though the final cost could change as assessments continue and agencies seek federal reimbursement.

At a City Council Executive Management Committee meeting Wednesday, Chair Tommy Waters said 95,954 customers lost power during the first storm and 115,300 during the second. He said 236 people were rescued from floodwaters, 10 were hospitalized, and 72 people and two dogs were airlifted. Evacuation orders affected 5,500 residents in Waialua and Haleiwa, and 4,000 to 5,000 people faced possible risk from a dam failure, according to Waters.

Council members also questioned the city’s decision to place 2,700 tons of mixed waste at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park in Waipio after the March 23 storm. The city said 288 truckloads were taken to the temporary debris storage and reduction site.

Department of Environmental Services Director Roger Babcock said the site was opened the same day. “By 2 p.m., we had that site open,” Babcock told the Council. “We were working with the Department of Parks and Recreation to make that site possible.”

Babcock said contractors DRC Emergency Services LLC and Tetra Tech Inc. were activated to help, with Tetra Tech assigned to test for soil contamination. He said crews dug 3 to 5 inches at the site and removed about 1,000 cubic yards of material for federally required testing before disposal at Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill. If contamination is found, he said, excavation will continue in 3- to 6-inch increments until clean soil is reached.

Babcock said 50 post-closure soil samples had not yet been taken and that each testing round takes a little more than two weeks because samples are sent to the mainland. He estimated the contracted work will cost $4.5 million.

Asked why debris was not sent directly to the landfill, Babcock said the city did not know how much material it would receive and wanted a central site to sort recyclable items. “We don’t want to bury that if we don’t have to,” he said.

Budget Director Andy Kawano said the city’s latest estimate was $100.4 million, excluding a separate Board of Water Supply request. About $70 million involved capital projects and about $30 million affected the general fund, including emergency work. Overtime costs reached $2.5 million.
US Politics

House passes farm bill, keeps SNAP cuts in place

Most Democrats voted no, though 14 supported the measure. Three Republicans voted against it, and six members abstained.

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The U.S. House passed a five-year farm bill, 224-200, on Thursday as Congress again worked to update agriculture and nutrition policy after three years of extensions.

The bill would authorize subsidy and nutrition assistance programs through fiscal 2031. The Congressional Budget Office estimated an earlier version would have little effect on discretionary spending over 11 years and add $162 million in mandatory spending over six years.

The bill largely reflected changes Congress made last year to U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helped about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries in 2024. The Senate has not yet released its version.

The bill included several new provisions. It would authorize $200 million for a local food procurement program, largely for food banks, transfer authority for foreign food assistance programs under USDA from the former U.S. Agency for International Development, raise borrowing limits for individual farmers, and expand rural development programs supporting substance abuse and mental health services.

Before final passage, members adopted an amendment removing a provision that would have limited pesticide makers’ legal liability over cancer warnings. The issue was tied to a U.S. Supreme Court case argued this week involving a Missouri jury award to a Monsanto Roundup user who developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hawaii

Hawaii DUI BAC reduction bills stalled for sixth year

Hawaii lawmakers again declined to advance bills lowering the DUI BAC limit from 0.08% to 0.05%.

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For the sixth straight year, proposals to lower Hawaii’s legal blood-alcohol content limit for drunken driving from 0.08% to 0.05% failed in the Legislature.

The last of four surviving measures, an amended version of Senate Bill 2463, passed two House floor votes after crossing over from the Senate, but it did not receive a hearing in the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. David Tarnas, a Kohala Democrat.

Hawaii remains one of 49 states with a 0.08% legal intoxication standard. Utah lowered its limit to 0.05% in 2018.

Of 34 written testimonies submitted on Senate Bill 2463 to the Senate Transportation Committee, 25 supported the change and nine opposed it. Supporters included the state Departments of Transportation and Health, county prosecutors, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and public health and substance abuse groups.

The Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition cited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data showing that 42% of Hawaii traffic fatalities in 2023 involved an alcohol-impaired driver, compared with a 30% national average. The group said statewide traffic deaths rose from 93 in 2023 to 102 in 2024 and 129 in 2025.

Opponents included the Office of the Public Defender, the Hawaii Restaurant Association, and several breweries and business groups. In testimony, Big Island Brewhaus President Thomas Kerns said 0.08% is “somewhat of a national standard” and wrote that drivers with a BAC between 0.05 and 0.08 accounted for 2.6% of fatal crashes nationwide.