Newsletter May 18, 2022

3 things you must know

Key primaries test Trump's clout with Republican voters
Voters in Pennsylvania and North Carolina went to the polls Tuesday to pick nominees in critical Senate and gubernatorial contests that provide a test of former President Donald Trump's sway with Republican voters ahead of November's midterm elections. Democrats in Pennsylvania and North Carolina were trying to win Senate seats currently held by Republicans, and several other states held races to set the stage for the midterms.
CHECK OUT TUESDAY'S PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS

Gas prices hit milestone; over $4 per gallon in every state
Gas prices hit another record on Tuesday, marking the first time in U.S. history that the price in every state is at least $4 per gallon. The national average price per gallon of gas reached $4.523 on Tuesday, a new high for the country, according to AAA. Rising gas costs aren't likely to fall anytime soon as crude oil prices hover around $110 per barrel at the start of the summer travel rush.
FIND OUT WHY $5 PER GALLON AVERAGE IS A POSSIBILITY

Retail spending grows in April amid record-high inflation
U.S. shoppers continued to spend more in April, marking the fourth consecutive month of growing retail spending across the economy. The jump in retail spending is happening against the backdrop of record inflation. Retail spending grew at about 0.9% in April. The positive spending data comes despite rising inflation and an increasingly tightening stance from the Federal Reserve.
FIND OUT HOW SEGMENTS OF THE ECONOMY ARE FARING

Markets

DJIA	32,654.59	1.34%
S&P 500	4,088.85	2.02%
Nasdaq Composite	11,984.52	2.76%
Japan: Nikkei 225	26,820.56	0.60%
UK: FTSE 100	7,518.35	0.72%
Crude Oil Futures	113.15	0.67%
Gold Futures	1,811.20	-0.42%
Yen	129.22	-0.11%
Euro	1.05	-0.12%
* As of market close

Historic UFO hearing raises more questions

An increasing number of unidentified flying objects have been reported in the sky over the past 20 years, according to Tuesday's first public hearing on UFOs in half a century. Scott Bray, deputy director of Naval intelligence, told a House security panel the Pentagon had detected nothing "that would suggest it's anything non-terrestrial in origin" behind the phenomena, but he did not rule out the possibility as lawmakers reviewed evidence from over 400 documented sightings.

FIND OUT WHAT THE PENTAGON REPORT SAID ABOUT UFOS

Musk trolls Twitter, rips Biden, makes bank

Tuesday was another day, another busy one for billionaire Elon Musk. After using a poop emoji to respond to Twitter's position on bots, he turned his attention to bigger targets -- including President Joe Biden. Tesla announced it was no longer taking orders on its new Cybertruck in Europe and Asia, and an SEC filing showed Musk's step-by-step bid to purchase Twitter. Oh yeah, and his SpaceX outfit is poised to become the most valuable startup in U.S. history. Not a bad day's work.

SEE HOW MUSK MANEUVERED HIS TAKEOVER OF TWITTER

Most livable city rankings full of surprises

Huntsville, Ala., was named the best place to live in America by U.S. News and World Report, which released its annual rankings Tuesday The cityâ€™s affordable housing and quality of life landed it the top spot for 2022, followed by 2021 winner Colorado Springs, Colo., and third-place Green Bay, Wisc. The publication based its rankings on housing affordability, the job market, net migration, desirability and quality of life.

FIND OUT WHICH CITIES MADE THE LIST AND ONES FELL OFF

Rocket role

How did Huntsville, Alabama earn the nickname "The Rocket City"?

Tuesday's answer: Shigetaka Kurita created the first emoji in 1999

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