5 Big News Stories Overnight - Thursday, May 14, 2026

U.S.: Suicide Is a Top 10 Cause of Death

Pew reports:

Marking a grim milestone this Mental Health Awareness Month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported earlier this year that suicide has replaced COVID-19 as America's 10th leading cause of death.

In 2024 alone:

Some 49,000 Americans died by suicide.

14.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide.

2.8 million adolescents thought seriously of suicide, made suicide plans, or attempted suicide.

What's behind the surge? For one thing, the number of U.S. adults reporting mental health conditions—which can fuel suicidal thoughts and actions—rose from 58.7 million to 61.5 million between 2023 and 2024. 

What can be done? Almost half of all Americans who die by suicide visit a healthcare provider in the month before their death. Requiring that those visits include suicide risk screening would be a step toward saving lives.

Italy: Ciao Caterina! Princess charms children by speaking Italian

The Telegraph reports:

The Princess of Wales introduced herself to Italian schoolchildren as “Caterina” as she tried out her language skills on her first trip overseas since her cancer diagnosis.

The Princess, who stepped out of her car to screams, whoops and shouts of “bellissima” and “Kate!”, launched into a walkabout, where people had been waiting up to five hours to see her.

Her two-day trip to the northern city of Reggio Emilia is part of her “global mission” to help the next generation of children.

She was heard telling the mayor of Reggio Emilia that the warm welcome had left her “emotional seeing everyone”.
PHOTO: Windsor Diamond Jubilee CC:2.0

Washington: Warsh Wins Senate Confirmation

CNBC reports:

Kevin Warsh was confirmed on Wednesday as the next Federal Reserve chair, taking over the central bank at a time when President Donald Trump is pushing for lower interest rates even as fresh inflation data complicates the case for cuts.

In the most divisive vote ever for a Fed chair, Warsh, 56, won confirmation to take over for Jerome Powell, who has served in the top leadership position since 2018 and whose term will expire Friday.

The Senate voted 54-45 to confirm Warsh, ending a monthslong saga that began in the summer of 2025 and included an extensive search for Powell’s successor. The vote was almost completely along party lines, with only Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman crossing over to vote for Warsh, who becomes the 11th Fed chair of the modern banking era.

China: Why Xi Doesn’t Need a Deal With Trump

The New York Times reports:

When Xi Jinping met President Trump last year, the Chinese leader wielded his country’s control over critical minerals, a strong posture that helped nudge Mr. Trump to agree to a yearlong trade truce. This week, when Mr. Xi hosts the American president in Beijing, he will have another powerful card to play: the war in Iran.

While the United States has been at war, Mr. Xi has been calling for peace and receiving foreign dignitaries from the Gulf and Europe seeking his help to end the crisis. Just before the U.S. president’s visit, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, traveled to Beijing in a not-so-subtle reminder of China’s sway over its partner in the Middle East.

“The Iran issue actually helps China,” said Li Daokui, a prominent economist at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Russia: US Congress may consider bill on $1.3 billion in military aid to Kiev

Tass, Russian News Agency reports:

The US House of Representatives may consider a Democratic-backed bill in June that would allocate $1.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine, Politico reported, citing sources.

According to the publication, the bill was introduced more than a year ago by Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It secured 218 votes in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, allowing Democrats, who are currently in the opposition in Congress, to bring the measure to a vote as early as June. Politico noted that the bill provides for $1.3 billion in aid to Ukraine, along with new sanctions against Russia.

Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress. Axios reported that even if the bill passes the House of Representatives, it is unlikely to win support in the Senate or from the White House.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, over the scale of US assistance to Ukraine under his administration. Trump said Washington had provided Kiev with $350 billion in aid, calling the policy madness and arguing that continued US support for Kiev is one of the reasons the conflict in Ukraine persists.

PHOTO: Flickr: Manhhai, CC: 2.0