Primaries to Test Whether GOP Has Room for Politicians Who Cross Trump

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

This message is brought to you by Nuveen. How would you invest if you knew the future was watching? At Nuveen, this isn't a theoretical question. It's a perspective that comes from navigating 125 years of market cycles, using foresight to innovate and adapt to the changing needs of investors, and remaining steadfast in the pursuit of lasting performance.

Nuveen. Invest like the future is watching. Visit nuveen.com/future to learn more.

Investing involves risk. Principle loss is possible.

Daniel Bach (0:33)

Oil prices are slipping as President Trump says serious peace talks to end the war with Iran are taking place. Plus, the public rebellion against AI gathers steam, and it's Massie versus Trump in Kentucky, amidst a host of primaries across the country today.

Damian Paletta (0:49)

This is the showdown. This is very personal for President Trump. He really dislikes Thomas Massie. This is a district in the corner of Kentucky that doesn't get a lot of attention. If not, for a really loud contrarian congressman. And so we're going to know a lot more about both President Trump's power and the Republican Party where it stands after results come in.

Daniel Bach (1:06)

It's Tuesday, May 19th. I'm Daniel Bach for The Wall Street Journal, filling in for Luke Vargas. And here is the AM Edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.

Oil prices are sliding today on the prospect of a potential peace deal between Iran and the US. That's after President Trump said he would hold off on a planned US attack on Iran at the request of Gulf leaders, with serious talks with Tehran to end the war now taking place. In a social media post, Trump added that he asked military officials to stop strikes that were set for today. But he said a full-scale attack could go ahead on a moment's notice if an acceptable deal isn't reached. Police in San Diego say they are investigating the murders of three men at a mosque yesterday as a hate crime. The 17- and 18-year-old suspects were found in a vehicle after killing themselves a few blocks from the site of the shootings. San Diego police say they had been rushing to find the two teenagers in the hours before the attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, after the mother of one of the suspects told police she believed her son was suicidal and that was missing, along with her vehicle and several of her weapons.

In New York, unions representing Long Island railroad workers have reached a deal with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, ending the three-day strike that brought the country's busiest commuter railroad to a halt. Kevin Sexton is a spokesman for a coalition representing the unions.

SPEAKER_4 (2:31)

We're pleased to announce that the parties have reached an agreement.

Due to the nature of the negotiations, we cannot discuss the specifics. What I can say is we are looking forward to our members getting back to work and doing what they do best, which is surveying the region.

Daniel Bach (2:48)

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said phased train service will resume today at noon, calling the agreement between the MTA and five unions a fair deal. Neither side announced details, but Hochul says the deals include raises for workers while protecting riders and taxpayers. The MTA is advising people to work from home again today if possible while train service is being fully restored.

We're exclusively reporting that Google and investment firm Blackstone are planning to launch an AI cloud company using Google specialized chips. Blackstone will be the majority owner of the unnamed company and is providing $5 billion in equity capital. The company will mark Google's biggest attempt yet to take on rival NVIDIA by selling its own chips. Google and Blackstone said the aim is to bring 500 megawatts of capacity online next year, roughly the same amount of electricity needed to power a mid-sized city. Meanwhile, public anxiety over artificial intelligence is growing at an unprecedented speed, as former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt learned at the University of Arizona, where he was met by a chorus of boos while giving a commencement address. There is a fear in your generation that the future has already been written, that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating, that the climate is breaking, that politics is fractured, and that you are inheriting a mess that you did not create.

While industry executives claim the technology will improve lives, recent polling shows that consumers are increasingly pushing back over rising energy prices, job fears, and risks to children. Opposition to new data centers has also exploded onto ballots across the country. Case in point for voters in Festus, Missouri, who recently ousted four city council members over an approved $6 billion project. A handful of big box retailer earnings this week will be an important gauge into consumer spending and the K-shaped economy. Speaking to WSJ's Take on the Week podcast, Adam Josephson from consumer insights firm, Sikonet Research, said there is a massive disconnect between Main Street and Wall Street, as recent rallies in the stock market mask a deeper consumer weakness.