The briefing for Monday, May 18.

The Trump administration has processed at least 67 million voter registrations through a Department of Homeland Security verification program, with tens of thousands flagged as potential noncitizens or deceased individuals. The expanded use of the SAVE system, primarily by Republican-controlled states, has sparked legal challenges from Democratic officials and civil rights groups who say the database is error-prone and could wrongfully purge eligible voters before November's midterm elections.

The DHS system identified approximately 24,000 potential noncitizens among 60 million registrations checked in one year, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. However, cases like Anthony Nel's illustrate the system's flaws—the South African-born U.S. citizen was temporarily flagged as a noncitizen and had his Texas registration canceled while waiting for a passport renewal. The ACLU of Ohio is challenging a state law requiring monthly SAVE checks, arguing that wrongly removed voters may miss their opportunity to vote before they can correct the error.

The verification effort is part of the Trump administration's broader push to federalize election functions and address claims of noncitizen voting, despite such instances being rare. The Department of Justice has sued states that refuse to hand over unredacted voter information, saying it's ensuring compliance with federal law. States already take numerous steps to maintain accurate voter rolls, and critics warn the aggressive timeline—with some states allowing only a month for voters to prove eligibility—could disenfranchise legitimate voters in a pivotal election year.

A drone strike sparked a fire on the perimeter of the United Arab Emirates' Barakah nuclear power plant on Sunday, prompting what authorities called an investigation into an 'unprovoked terrorist attack.' While there were no injuries or radiological release, the attack highlighted the fragile state of the Iran ceasefire as President Trump warned Tehran that 'the Clock is Ticking' following a call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The UAE Defense Ministry said three drones crossed its western border with Saudi Arabia, with two intercepted and one striking an electrical generator outside the plant's inner perimeter. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed one reactor was being powered by emergency diesel generators and expressed 'grave concern,' calling military activity threatening nuclear safety unacceptable. No one immediately claimed responsibility, though the UAE has previously accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks on its infrastructure since the February war began.

The $20 billion Barakah plant, built with South Korean assistance, is the Arab world's only nuclear power plant and provides a quarter of the UAE's energy needs. The strike comes as diplomatic efforts for a more durable peace have stalled, with Iranian state television showing news anchors holding rifles to prepare the public for potential renewed conflict. Meanwhile, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has intensified despite a nominal ceasefire there, and the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed under U.S. naval blockade, disrupting global energy supplies.

South Carolina's House will hold its first full debate Monday on reshaping congressional districts in a move that could eliminate the state's only Democratic House seat, currently held by Rep. Jim Clyburn. The effort is part of a nationwide Republican redistricting push following a Supreme Court ruling that weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minority districts, with similar debates already playing out in Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana.

Republican Governor Henry McMaster called the special session on redistricting, arguing it's important for South Carolina to send as many Republicans to Washington as possible to prevent Democrats from taking control of the House. However, some Republicans have expressed concern that attempting to draw a 7-0 GOP map could spread Republican voters too thin, potentially making existing Republican-held districts vulnerable to Democratic wins. The pending legislation would also move U.S. House primaries from June to August, just as early voting is scheduled to begin May 26 for the current primary cycle.

Clyburn, who has served in Congress for decades, says he has no intention of retiring and told reporters he has addresses in three districts: 'I'll decide which one to run in.' He characterized the redistricting effort as 'turning the clock back to Jim Crow 2.0.' Nationally, Republicans believe they could gain as many as 15 House seats from new maps across multiple states since Trump urged Texas Republicans to redistrict last year, while Democrats think they could gain six seats from new maps in California and Utah.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te pushed back Sunday against President Trump's characterization of arms sales as a 'bargaining chip' with China, stressing that U.S. weapons purchases are 'the most important deterrent' to regional conflict. Trump told Fox News after his China visit that he has yet to approve a pending $14 billion arms package to Taiwan and that it 'depends on China,' raising concerns on the island about Washington's security commitments.

The statement came days after Trump's high-stakes Beijing summit with President Xi Jinping, during which Xi warned of 'clashes and even conflicts' if Taiwan is not handled properly. Trump already approved a record-breaking $11 billion arms package to Taiwan in December, but his latest comments suggest future sales may be contingent on broader negotiations with Beijing. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Trump is 'considering how to move forward' on the arms sales, noting the president must weigh many factors including American security needs.

Lai emphasized that Taiwan 'will not provoke or escalate conflict, but it will also not relinquish its national sovereignty and dignity, or its democratic and free way of life, under pressure.' He called China 'the root cause of undermining regional peace and stability.' The U.S. is bound by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and sees threats to the island as matters of grave concern, though Washington, like all countries with formal ties to China, doesn't recognize Taiwan as an independent country.

The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, after more than 350 suspected cases and 91 deaths. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics, making it the third time this variant has been detected since its discovery in 2007.

The emergency declaration came as Congo's rebel-controlled government in Goma confirmed the city's first case—a person who traveled from the outbreak's epicenter in Ituri province. At least six Americans have been exposed to the virus during the outbreak, with one reportedly symptomatic, according to sources speaking to CBS News. The CDC said it was supporting the 'safe withdrawal of a small number of Americans who are directly affected' and issued a Level 4 travel advisory warning against travel to the country.

A WHO team of 35 experts arrived in Bunia, Ituri's capital, with 7 tons of emergency medical supplies as Congo's health minister announced three treatment centers would open in the region. The outbreak is complicated by violent conflict with militants, constant population movement due to mining activities, and weak health infrastructure in the remote eastern region. Rwanda closed its land border with Congo as a precautionary measure, while the WHO warned the outbreak could be 'much larger' than currently detected.

Marathon negotiations that stretched into early Monday morning failed to end a strike that has shut down the Long Island Rail Road for a third day, ensuring a disrupted commute for about 250,000 riders. Unions representing rail workers and the Metropolitan Transportation Agency negotiated through much of Sunday and early Monday after intervention from the National Mediation Board and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, but came up short despite talks lasting until nearly 1:30 a.m.

The railroad, North America's largest commuter rail system, closed down at 12:01 a.m. Saturday after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off the job for the first time in three decades. Unions and the MTA have been negotiating a new contract since 2023, with talks stalled over workers' salaries and healthcare premiums. The unions said in a statement that workers 'are not asking for special treatment—they are simply fighting to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of living in the New York region after years without a raise.'

Governor Hochul said workers would lose every dollar they would gain with a new contract by remaining on strike for three days, while MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the unions' proposals would 'blow up the MTA's budget.' The LIRR serves hundreds of thousands of commuters along a 118-mile land mass that includes Brooklyn, Queens, and the Hamptons. Even a deal reached Monday morning could not save the morning commute due to the time needed to get crews and trains in place, though negotiators agreed to return to talks at 7:30 a.m.