A man dressed as the emperor visits a convenience along the popular Wangfujing shopping street in Beijing, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Nation

new york

Oil prices sink, stocks leap

NEW YORK — Oil prices sank, and stock markets rallied worldwide with hopes that a deal is nearing to allow tankers to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf again.

The price for a barrel of Brent fell toward $101 Wednesday. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 climbed 1.5% for its best day in nearly a month and set another record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 2%.

CALIFORNIA

18 accused of selling drugs

LOS ANGELES — Federal authorities say they’ve arrested 18 people on charges related to selling illicit drugs around a Los Angeles Park.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrests Wednesday at MacArthur Park. He says two of the people arrested are considered to be the main source of fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution in the park.

virginia

Senator wants legalized marijuana

PORTSMOUTH — Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas has carved out a reputation as a fierce and outspoken advocate during her political career, including on the issue of marijuana legalization. Lucas felt so strongly about the issue, she sponsored a legalization bill in Virginia and opened her own cannabis shop.

Now, she’s under the microscope as federal law enforcement appears to have raided that business. It wasn’t immediately clear what they were looking for.

World

ARGENTINA

Hantavirus on the rise

BUENOS AIRES — Officials and experts in Argentina are scrambling to figure out if their country is the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has gripped an Atlantic cruise.

Argentina is consistently ranked by the World Health Organization as having the highest incidence of the rare, rat-borne disease in Latin America. And it’s seeing a surge of hantavirus cases that many local public health researchers attribute to the accelerating effects of climate change.

brazil

Lula to discuss fighting organized crime

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva plans to discuss organized crime and tariffs with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Brazil’s finance minister.

The meeting, scheduled for today at the White House, follows tensions after the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods. Lula defended Brazil’s sovereignty, leading to a loosening of tariffs.

morocco

Search for US soldiers continues

CASABLANCA — Over 600 military personnel from multiple countries are searching for two U.S. soldiers who went missing in Morocco during U.S.-African military exercises.

The search is now in its fifth day and focuses on underwater caves and the Atlantic coast near the training area. The soldiers are believed to have been on a recreational hike and may have fallen into the ocean.