By Emma Tucker
Moments before President Trump postponed strikes on Tehran's energy infrastructure on March 23, a spasm of trades hit the market during off-hours. More than $800 million worth of U.S. and international oil futures changed hands in a matter of minutes. Officials are now trying to gauge whether an insider traded on that information or leaked it to someone who could. The firms being looked at haven't been accused of wrongdoing and it couldn't be determined why officials are interested in them. Investigators are wading into an arcane, secretive corner of markets where the line between luck and skill can be thin.
Today's Headlines
Primaries: Trump's handpicked House candidate for Kentucky, Ed Gallrein, defeated longtime GOP antagonist Rep. Thomas Massie. In Georgia, the GOP Senate primary went to a runoff in a fight to unseat Democrat Jon Ossoff.
Trump's extraordinary agreement with the federal government expanded to end all pending tax audits of him and his businesses, building on a deal that establishes a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund.
A New York City manhole cover was likely dislodged by a passing truck minutes before a woman stepped into the exposed shaft and fell to her death.
Trump is confronting a challenge with Iran's nuclear program that is partly of his own making.
President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, looking for support for his country's economy and to show his close ties with Russia's most important strategic partner.
The Iran conflict has hurt countries up and down the Gulf -- but few as much as Kuwait.
Live From The Markets
The FDA is still in turmoil, but Wall Street no longer cares, writes David Wainer.
Read It Here First
America's toxic divide reaches the jury room.
Dissension in jury rooms is as old as the U.S. jury system. Trial lawyers and consultants who size up potential jurors, though, say that pitched battles between jurors are becoming more common. They blame a postpandemic erosion of trust in the justice system, more rigid viewpoints and starker political divides, which they say have made it harder for 12 strangers to even get along, much less agree on whether to send someone to prison or order companies to pay millions of dollars in damages, reports Corinne Ramey.
These parents are buying homes for their kids -- with strings attached.
For some young Americans caught in the least affordable housing market in decades, house buying has become a family affair -- strings attached, reports Rachel Wolfe. At wealth-management firm AlTi Global, co-head of U.S. wealth planning Brittany Cook says her clients are more apt to ask about buying -- and then go ahead and purchase -- homes for their kids than they were in the past. Many are giving cash or short-term loans up front so their children can make their offers more competitive. Cook attributes the shift to increased housing-market competition -- "but also because wealth has grown, and people want their kids to enjoy it before their death."
Expert Take
Q: Do new all-inclusive deals from casino giants bring value back to Las Vegas?
Stung by a decline in visitors, Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts and Resorts World are offering all-inclusive packages on the Strip this summer. Our travel columnist Dawn Gilbertson checked some out:
A: I spent four nights on the Las Vegas Strip to size up the new summer vacation packages. I checked into Flamingo Las Vegas, Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World and the Excalibur. I tried all the options including a roller-coaster ride, seeing the Strip and the Sphere from the High Roller observation wheel, and two buffets.
My takeaway: You have to do some math and read what's included to make sure it's the right vacation fit for you.
There is definitely value there if you use all the perks, especially in this summer of higher gas and airline-ticket prices. There's also something satisfying about not having to pull out your credit card at every turn or charge so many extras to your room.
For example: The $550 all-inclusive package I tried at the Conrad Las Vegas included breakfast and happy hour, three restaurants available for lunch and dinner and early entry at the pool, among other perks.
Just don't expect to find the offers at every hotel on the Strip. They are only available at a handful of major casino hotels, and just one is a luxury hotel.
See The Story
Does Florida have an affordability problem? We asked Sen. Rick Scott.
Rising costs are spelling trouble for Florida, where people in their prime working years are moving to other states while new arrivals are shrinking. The Journal sat down with Florida Sen. Rick Scott to ask him about our readers' concerns.
Happening Today
Minutes to the Federal Reserve April meeting are due and could give clues on the outlook for interest rates.
Earnings: Nvidia, Target
Number Of The Day:
>$100,000
New York City's unionized workers are getting big raises. Hotel housekeepers won a contract that will have them earning six figures in coming years. Striking commuter train workers, who already earned over $135,000 on average, won pay increases too. The city's doormen and nurses notched similar gains earlier this year.
And Finally...
There's an ice-cold civil war brewing between Diet Coke and Coke Zero drinkers.
The U.S. was once a nation of Coke vs. Pepsi. Now the real debate is: Diet Coke or Coke Zero? As Coke Zero gets bigger -- and threatens to dethrone "DC" as the most important diet-soda property in the Coca-Cola extended universe -- the feud between Diet Coke fans and Coke Zero drinkers is getting pretty fizzy.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 20, 2026 06:20 ET (10:20 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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