First Thing: Senate investigates Trump’s reported ‘deal’ with oil companies

Two Senate committee chairs sent letters to eight oil companies after Trump reportedly requested $1bn in contributions to his campaign. Plus, ICJ set to rule on Israel’s Gaza offensive

Good morning,

Senate Democrats have launched an investigation into an alleged quid pro quo offer from Donald Trump to fossil fuel executives. At a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago home and club last month, the former president reportedly told oil bosses he would immediately roll back dozens of environmental regulations if elected, and requested $1bn in contributions to his campaign. It would be a “deal” for the executives because of the costs they would avoid under him, he reportedly said.

On Thursday two Senate committee chairs – the budget committee chair, Sheldon Whitehouse, and the finance committee chair, Ron Wyden – sent letters to eight oil companies and the American Petroleum Institute.

What did the senators say? “As Mr Trump funnels campaign money into his businesses and uses it as a slush fund to pay his legal fees, big oil has been lobbying aggressively to protect and expand its profits at the expense of the American taxpayer,” they wrote.

Meanwhile, what’s Trump doing? He’s continued to ask fossil fuel companies for campaign funding amid scrutiny of his relationship with the industry. On Wednesday he joined a fundraiser hosted by three oil bosses at a five-star hotel in Houston, including two from companies reportedly involved in the Mar-a-Lago meeting.

ICJ judges to rule on Israel’s offensive amid fears for Rafah

The international court of justice is expected to issue a new ruling on Israel’s conduct of its war in Gaza today at 9am EST.

Last week South Africa asked the ICJ, sometimes known as the world court, to order a halt to Israel’s offensive in Gaza, and in Rafah in particular, saying this was necessary to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people.

It comes after another global court, the international criminal court, on Monday identified the three judges who would hear a request for arrest warrants against Hamas leaders, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and its defence minister, Yoav Gallant. On Wednesday Spain, Norway and Ireland announced they would recognize Palestinian statehood.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces killed at least 60 Palestinians in aerial and ground bombardments across Gaza on Thursday and battled in close combat with Hamas-led militants in areas of the southern city of Rafah.

What could be the ICJ ruling’s impact? ICJ decisions have in the past been ignored, as the top UN legal body has no way to enforce its decisions, but they carry international weight. A ruling against Israel could add to its political isolation after a series of setbacks this week. Israel says it would defy any order to stop fighting.

Is this different from the ICC arrest warrants case? Yes. The ICJ and ICC, although both located in The Hague, are different bodies. The US is not a signatory to the ICC but does recognize the ICJ, which is part of the UN.

What is the humanitarian toll of the war? After Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostage on 7 October, Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed 36,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – and decimated the strip’s infrastructure, displacing about 80% of the population.

Gavin Newsom signs bill to help people in Arizona get abortions in California

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has signed a bill that aims to make it easier for people seeking abortions in Arizona to get care in the Golden state in response to restrictions imposed on the procedure in the south-western state.

Under the new law, doctors licensed to perform abortions in Arizona could provide abortion care for their patients in California. The legislation offers medical providers an expedited path to getting their credentials in California.

The California Legislative Women’s caucus said the bill “offers a lifeline to Arizona doctors to provide the healthcare their patients need without fear of a prison sentence.”

What are the details of the bill? The new law in California allows Arizona doctors to treat their patients in the state through 30 November.

What was the impetus for it? It came in response to the Arizona supreme court’s decision to allow an 1864 law banning nearly all abortions to go into effect, sparking widespread outrage. The 1864 law was ultimately repealed on 2 May.

In other news …

Astronomers found dozens of rogue planets floating free from their stars by using the Euclid space telescope to explore a distant region of the Milky Way.

Children and elderly people deemed enemies of Syria’s regime were tortured in military prison, a Paris court heard at the trial of three officers close to President Bashar al-Assad.

People onboard the Singapore Airlines flight that hit extreme turbulence received skull, brain and spinal injuries. Twenty people remain in intensive care.

The far-right German party AfD has been expelled from its pan-European parliamentary group after a string of controversies over its policies and some leaders’ conduct.

At least four people were killed and 16 injured after a building collapsed in Mallorca, Spain, emergency services said.

Stat of the day: 68% concerned political violence could follow election results

A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 3,934 Americans found 68% of them – 83% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans – said they were concerned extremists would resort to violence if they are unhappy with November’s election outcome. Overall, 15% of respondents disagreed and 16% were unsure. In recent interviews Donald Trump has refused to commit to accepting election results and tried to paint Democrats as cheats.

Don’t miss this: A real estate mogul bought her way into the New York mayor’s inner circle – then the favors started

Weihong Hu, an ambitious hotel developer, held multiple, previously unreported fundraisers with Eric Adams, New York City’s mayor, and provided benefits to several of the mayor’s longtime associates. She then scored behind-the-scenes favors and millions more in city contract dollars from his administration, according to an investigation by the Guardian, the City and Documented.

Climate check: ‘Above normal’ hurricane season could bring summer of natural disasters, NOAA says

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season – 1 June to 30 November – will likely be an “above-normal season” amid very warm ocean temperatures, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts. The news prompted some scientists to warn of a summer of natural disasters caused by the powerful storms, turning summer into “a time of dread”.

Last Thing: ‘I woke up with a Welsh accent’

“One day in June 2023, I woke up and my voice sounded different,” Zoe Connor tells Heather Main. “I assumed it would pass, but two days later I still sounded strange. My neighbour said to me: ‘You sound just like my aunt. She’s from south Wales.’ After two weeks, I went to the doctor, but it took months before I was finally diagnosed with foreign accent syndrome … My own family didn’t recognise me when I phoned.”

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