Aggregator

Nika King, who plays Zendaya's mom on "Euphoria," returned to Season 3 for the first time, but the show cut her out aside from 1 line.

Nika King, who plays Zendaya's mom on "Euphoria," returned to Season 3 for the first time, but the show cut her out aside from 1 line.

You could say it's a flippin’ good deal.

Iran Counter-Blockade Bites As No Tankers Load At Kharg For 10th Day

Earlier today, in response to news that the number of tankers anchored at Iran's Kharg Island oil terminal had hit a post-blockade peak, we wondered if this means that Iran is running out of tankers to store oil, i.e., Trump' blockade of the blockade is working. In any case, it certainly means that Iran is no longer able to sell any of the oil, depriving it of much needed oil export revenues which it has found itself forced to shut in as there is no open downstream path for the product.

Tanker Tally at Iran’s Kharg Island Hits Post-Blockade Peak: BBG

Running out of tankers to store oil.

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 18, 2026

A few hours later, Bloomberg echoed question, writing that Iran’s main oil export facility in the Persian Gulf stayed devoid of tankers for at least a 10th day, underscoring the growing strain on Tehran from a US naval blockade.

Using Sentinel satellite data of Kharg Islan, Bloomberg found that since May 8, no loadings of large ocean-going tankers are visible at the facility’s crude-export berths. 

Oil tankers anchored near Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal on May 16, 2026. Red circles are very large crude carriers

The counter blockade is depriving Tehran of critical petroleum revenue and the market of millions of barrels of supply. Prior to the US blockade, Iran was by far the largest - if not only - country exporting its crude because the Islamic Republic had blocked other countries’ ships from using the strait.

With no loaded tankers departing Kharg even as oil keeps arriving at the country's largest oil terminal, it remains unclear how much of a factor lack of spare capacity has become as Trump hopes to cripple Iran's oil production with lenghty shut-ins. Bloomberg' Julian Lee writes that it’s hard to say the speed at which Kharg' remaining capacity might fill given that Iran has curbed its output in response to the American blockade.

One possibility is that it’s cheaper for Tehran to use on-land facilities rather than filling ships, something that might help to explain the absence of loadings and a simultaneous buildup of tankers in nearby anchorage areas.

Here, Bloomberg's other energy analyst Javier Blas chimes in, and notes that Iran is still loading crude into tankers (although not in Kharg Island). Instead, it's loading a tanker at Jask, an alternative terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz. But since it is inside the US Navy blockade line, those tankers are likely only being used for storage purposes. 

An image on Monday from the European Union’s Sentinel 1 satellite, examined by Bloomberg, shows a ship moored at Jask’s loading buoy. A separate image from the Sentinel 2 orbiter from Sunday shows an Aframax-sized vessel heading toward the mooring.

Iran is still loading crude into tankers -- although (not right now) in Kharg Island. Instead, it's loading a tanker at Jask, an alternative terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz (but inside the US Navy blockade line).

Left May 17 🛰️Sentinel-2; right, May 18 🛰️Sentinel-1 pic.twitter.com/iU2o6YXAmD

— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) May 18, 2026

Vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg identify the tanker as the Vernon, a ship that has been sanctioned by the US for its involvement in Iran’s oil trade. It remains to be seen if the ship will attempt to get through the American cordon.

There were no telephone or email contact details for the Panama-based company listed as the ship’s beneficial owner and manager on the Equasis maritime database, while emails to the ISM manager, based in Hong Kong, were returned as undeliverable

While Tehran appears to have shifted its primary loading terminal from Kharg to Jask, loading at Jask remains uncommon. The port has seen only nine carriers filled since the terminal was officially opened in 2021. Of those, five have taken place since the war began at the end of February.

Up to Friday, the US Navy had redirected 75 Iran-linked commercial vessels and disabled a further four since it imposed its blockade on April 13, US Central Command said in posts on X last week.

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/18/2026 - 12:20

It's luxury for less.

He heads to New Orleans after spending the past five seasons with Orlando.

Pour one out for all the designer shades lost at sea.

Russian Drone Hits Chinese Ship In Black Sea, Less Than 24-Hours Before Xi-Putin Summit

Just 24 hours before Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are set to meet for their planned summit in Beijing, soon on the heels of Trump's visit, and a geopolitical wrench may have just been thrown into the works.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian forces have attacked a Chinese ship heading toward a Ukrainian port - a provocative move that threatens to seriously anger Beijing at the worst possible diplomatic moment.

via Ukraine Navy

Early Monday morning, a Russian drone reportedly struck the KSL Deyang, a vessel flying under the Marshall Islands flag, just off the coast of Ukraine, Reuters also confirms.

The ship was reportedly empty at the time while en route to Ukraine's Pivdennyi port in the Odesa region to load up on iron ore concentrate.

A fire was observed on board, but it was quickly brought under control and extinguished, with the vessel escaping severe damage. 

The Ukrainian government is alleging this wasn't some kind of accidental fog-of-war blunder, with President Zelensky immediately calling out Moscow:

“Drones struck Odesa ... and one of the UAVs hit a vessel owned by China. The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea,” Zelensky said.

A Ukrainian navy spokesman told AFP that none of the crew members, all Chinese nationals, were injured. He added that the vessel continued on its journey.

“The ship was entering for loading. After it was hit at night by a Shahed, the crew coped with the consequences on their own. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the vessel continued on its way to its port of destination,” navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said.

The incident went down just after on Sunday Xi and Putin had just exchanged "congratulatory letters" to set the stage for Putin's upcoming arrival in Beijing. 

The China-owned vessel wasn't the only ship attacked within that span of time. According to The Independent:

Russia attacked a Panama-flagged civilian vessel heading to Ukraine's Chornomorsk port in the southern Odesa region on the Black Sea early on Monday, the regional governor said.

It is one of several ships destined for Ukrainian ports that have been struck by Russian forces in the past day.

The vessel was damaged in the attack, which caused a fire, Governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that no one had been injured in the incident and that the crew had extinguished the fire. The vessel has continued on its way, the governor added.

TradeWinds is also suggesting a third ship was struck, but few details have been given. Black Sea transit continues to be a dangerous prospect, also with naval mines long being a feature of the 4+ year long war.

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/18/2026 - 12:00

Bet $10, get $200 in bonus bets win or lose for Yankees vs. Blue Jays with the bet365 sportsbook promo code.

Dutton Ranch plays by its own rules.

The woman admitted to paying homeless people with cash and cigarettes to register to vote.

Sunny Hostin also spoke out against the Republican party, calling it the "Trump-lican party."

Will Ferrell and Paul McCartney brought the star power to the “Saturday Night Live” finale. Season 51 was a politically charged one, and the May 16 episode was no different. Ferrell, a six-time “SNL” host and seven-season veteran of the NBC sketch show, played Jeffrey Epstein back from the dead to haunt President Trump. Ferrell...

Will Ferrell and Paul McCartney brought the star power to the “Saturday Night Live” finale. Season 51 was a politically charged one, and the May 16 episode was no different. Ferrell, a six-time “SNL” host and seven-season veteran of the NBC sketch show, played Jeffrey Epstein back from the dead to haunt President Trump. Ferrell...

It’s a fairytale life with “No Prince Charming required."

"Let Russ cook" is quickly turning into "Let Russ ride into retirement."

Revenge is a dish best served hot.

DoJ Establishes "Anti-Weaponization" Fund After Trump Drops $10 Billion Lawsuit Against IRS

Update (1130ET): The DOJ announces that as a part of the settlement agreement in President Donald Trump v. the IRS, the Attorney General established “The Anti-Weaponization Fund” to provide a systematic process to hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare.

“The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.”

“The use of government power to target individuals or entities for improper and unlawful political, personal, or ideological reasons should not be tolerated by any Administration,” said Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter. 

Bloomberg reports that the fund will receive $1.776 billion and will come from the judgment fund, which is a perpetual appropriation allowing DOJ to settle and pay cases.

The fund will have the power to issue formal apologies and monetary relief owed to claimants.

The Fund will consist of a Commission of five members appointed by the Attorney General. One Member will be chosen in consultation with congressional leadership. The President can remove any member, but a replacement must be chosen the same way as the replaced member was selected.

*  *  *

As Tom Ozimek detailed earlier via The Epoch Times, President Trump’s attorneys on Monday filed a court notice voluntarily dismissing his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department, in a case that accused the agencies of failing to prevent a former contractor from leaking Trump’s tax returns to the media.

No reason was stated in the May 18 motion, which asks the court to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning Trump and the other plaintiffs cannot bring the same claims again in the future. A court filing in April indicated that talks were underway to settle the case, with the parties stating at the time that discussions were taking place “productively to avoid protracted ligitation.”

Monday’s filing said the IRS and Treasury Department had neither filed an answer nor moved for summary judgment, allowing the plaintiffs to dismiss the action unilaterally without requiring court approval or government consent.

Trump, along with two ​of his sons and the Trump ⁠family business, sued the IRS ​and the Treasury Department in January, accusing both agencies of failing to take mandatory precautions to prevent former IRS contractor Charles “Chaz” Littlejohn from illegally obtaining access to their tax records and disclosing that information to The New York Times and ProPublica.

The lawsuit alleged that Littlejohn had “staff-like access” to confidential tax return information and exploited weaknesses in IRS safeguards to obtain and leak the records between 2019 and 2020.

Lawsuit Details

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, sought at least $10 billion in damages and accused the IRS and THE Treasury of violating federal privacy laws governing taxpayer information.

Trump brought the suit in his personal capacity, while Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization were also named as plaintiffs.

Littlejohn, who at the time was employed by defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, was accused of having improperly accessed and disclosed tax information related to Trump and affiliated entities, including business holdings.

The plaintiffs claimed Littlejohn’s actions caused “reputational and financial harm, public embarrassment, unfairly tarnished their business reputations, portrayed them in a false light, and negatively affected President Trump, and the other plaintiffs’ public standing.”

The lawsuit argued that IRS and Treasury safeguards were so inadequate that the agency took roughly 3 years to detect the breach.

“Defendants had a duty to safeguard and protect Plaintiffs’ confidential tax returns and related tax return information from such unauthorized inspection and public disclosure,” the complaint alleged, pointing to the need for the agencies to have in place appropriate technical, employee screening, and monitoring systems to prevent Littlejohn’s actions.

“Defendants failed to take such mandatory precautions.”

Littlejohn pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax return information.

Prosecutors said he used broad search parameters to conceal his activities, uploaded stolen data to a private website to avoid IRS monitoring systems, and stored records on personal devices before providing them to media outlets.

In January 2024, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes sentenced Littlejohn to five years in prison, the maximum sentence permitted under the statute. Reyes described the breach as the “biggest heist” in IRS history.

“It cannot be open season on our elected officials,” Reyes said, noting that Littlejohn purposefully sought his job at least in part to obtain and leak tax information.

Before Monday’s voluntary dismissal, the case had appeared to be moving toward a possible resolution in recent weeks.

In an April 17 filing, attorneys for Trump and the Justice Department jointly requested a 90-day pause in proceedings to allow settlement negotiations to continue.

The IRS and THE Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the dismissal filing.

Tyler Durden Mon, 05/18/2026 - 11:40

What better way to celebrate America's upcoming birthday?

How did a little girl end up in a 3,000-year-old sarcophagus?