What Queen Elizabeth II said when a clueless American hiker asked if she had ‘met the Queen’

Associated Press
Town preps possible 'last stand' as wildfires rage across Western Canada
An intense wildfire could hit a town in western Canada on Monday, based on forecasts of strong winds that have been fueling the out-of-control blaze which has already forced the evacuation of thousands, fire experts and officials warned. The British Columbia Wildfire Service said the blaze is currently burning just 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of Fort Nelson, which has already seen about 3,500 people evacuated from there after an order to leave was issued on Friday. In a video posted on social media late Sunday, fire behavior specialist Ben Boghean with the the British Columbia Wildfire Service said the extreme fire behavior — made worse by years of drought and a below-normal snowpack this past winter — could end up threatening the crews that have been fighting the nearby Parker Lake wildfire.
Associated Press
Amazon's self-driving robotaxi unit Zoox under investigation by US after 2 rear-end crashes
Amazon’s self-driving robotaxi unit is being investigated by the U.S. government's highway safety agency after two of its vehicles braked suddenly and were rear-ended by motorcyclists. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents posted on its website Monday it will evaluate the automated driving system developed by Zoox. Both crashes happened during the daytime hours, and the motorcyclists suffered minor injuries.
Associated Press
Vatican Museums staff challenge the pope with a legal bid for better terms and treatment
Forty-nine employees of the Vatican Museums have filed a class-action complaint with the Vatican administration demanding better seniority, leave and overtime benefits in an unusual, public challenge to Pope Francis’ governance. The complaint, dated April 23 and made public this weekend in Italian newspapers, also alleged that staff faced health and security risks due to cost-saving and apparent profit-generating initiatives at the museum, including overcrowding and reduced security guards to keep tourists at bay. Neither the Vatican spokesman nor Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, the president of the Vatican City State administration which controls the museums, responded to an email seeking comment.
Associated Press
The Latest | Cohen expected to take the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The fourth week of witness testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial could be a doozy: Michael Cohen is expected to finally take the stand on Monday. Trump is accused of falsifying internal business records to cover up hush money payments that Cohen made as part of efforts to buy and bury stories that might hurt the former president's 2016 campaign.
Reuters
Ireland mulling cuts in supports for asylum seekers, Ukrainian refugees
Ireland will this week consider making cuts to state support for asylum seekers and refugees, including those who arrived from Ukraine, in a bid to bring the system more in line with other European countries, Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Monday. Just over 100,000 Ukrainians have fled to Ireland since Russia's invasion in February 2022, while the number of asylum seekers from the rest of the world almost trebled from pre-pandemic levels to more than 13,000 in 2022 and 2023. "It certainly is my intention that we will see changes in a number of areas that do inject what I think Irish people believe has been lacking, which is that common sense approach," Harris told Newstalk radio ahead of Tuesday's cabinet meeting.
Associated Press
Democratic ad campaign tries to chip away at Trump support among rural swing voters in 3 key states
A Democratic group is rolling out a new $140 million ad campaign that aims to chip away at Donald Trump's support among one of his most loyal voting blocs: rural voters. The ads, from American Bridge 21st Century, will begin airing Monday in the northern battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. “We should compete everywhere," said America Bridge co-founder Bradley Beychok, who said Democrats have too often shied away from rural counties as they have focused on turning out base voters in more urban and suburban areas.
Reuters
Bill Hwang trial over $36 billion Archegos collapse begins with opening statements
The case has been closely watched as a test of prosecutors' ambitious market manipulation theory, and because it is expected to shed light on the inner workings of Wall Street's dealings with profitable but risky clients. Testimony in the trial, which could last up to eight weeks, will center on the implosion of Hwang's lightly regulated family investment office Archegos, which prosecutors allege caused more than $100 billion in shareholder losses at companies in its portfolio. Prosecutors accuse Hwang of using financial contracts known as total return swaps to secretly amass outsize stakes in multiple companies without actually holding their stock.
Yahoo Finance
Inflation and consumer spending updates ahead: What to know this week
A crucial reading of inflation faces investors in the week ahead after a string of disappointing reports to start the year dampened investors' interest rate cut hopes.
Reuters
US auto workers union seeks tough victory at Mercedes plant in Alabama
Workers at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama began voting Monday on whether to join the United Auto Workers union, a significant test of whether the labor group can maintain momentum in the historically anti-union American South. A union victory at the plant, weeks after a resounding win at a Volkswagen factory in Tennessee, would be a watershed moment for the UAW as it seeks to organize more than a dozen automakers across the nation and add to its dwindling ranks. The campaign at Mercedes has been much more contentious.
Reuters
Analysis-Renewable diesel glut hits US refiner profits, threatens nascent industry
A rush by U.S. fuel makers to recalibrate their plants to produce renewable diesel has created a supply glut for low-emissions biofuels, hammering profit margins for refiners and threatening to impede a young industry. Turmoil in the biomass-based diesel sector, an umbrella term for renewable diesel and biodiesel, could become a roadblock to future investments in biofuels, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said this year. Some producers of these biofuels have already shuttered plants this year, and industry participants say more are set to go out of business before the year's end.
Reuters
Futures edge higher at start of data-heavy week
On Friday, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite registered their third week of gains in a row for the first time since January, while the Dow posted its biggest weekly gain since mid-December. The indexes were also trading near their peaks, boosted by stronger-than-expected earnings reports and signs of a cooling U.S. labor market that fueled bets of one or two rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve this year. The keenly awaited inflation data on Wednesday is expected to show that core consumer prices rose 0.3% on a month-over-month basis in April, for an annual rise of 3.6%, according to economists forecasts in a Reuters poll.
Reuters
Argentina ramps up pressure on Venezuela over opposition embassy refugees
Argentina's government is set to ramp up pressure on Venezuela to grant safe passage to six opposition aides who had sought refuge in its embassy in Caracas, official sources said, adding they were at physical risk if they didn't leave the country. Two senior Argentine officials told Reuters last week that the administration of President Nicolas Maduro, who has looked to head off political rivals ahead of July presidential elections, had reneged on promises to allow the six to safely leave the country. In March, aides to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado requested asylum at the Argentine embassy in Caracas, after a local prosecutor issued arrest warrants against them for conspiracy.
Reuters
Strong Walmart earnings may already be priced in with shares near record
Walmart's earnings amid signs of weaker discretionary spending could add fuel to a rally that has propelled its shares to record highs, or potentially spook investors looking to justify the heavyweight retailer's pricey valuation. As Walmart gears up to report its first-quarter earnings on Thursday, Americans continue to spend heavily online, driven by demand for cheaper products. Known for its bargain-priced merchandise, Walmart is facing especially stiff price competition online from Amazon and newcomers like PDD Group's Temu in key categories such as personal care products, clothing and electronics.
Reuters
US Senator Robert Menendez's corruption trial to get underway
Jury selection is expected to begin on Monday in the corruption trial of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, a case that could affect the Democrat's reelection prospects and help determine which party controls the Senate next year. The senator's wife, Nadine Menendez, has also been charged but will be tried separately. Menendez, New Jersey's senior senator, is up for re-election in November and if exonerated hopes to run for a fourth full term as an independent.
Associated Press
The Latest | Israel marks memorial day, as hundreds of thousands flee Rafah assault
Israel’s leaders commemorated Memorial Day on Monday, a usually somber holiday that this year was almost entirely absorbed by the ongoing war in Gaza. At 11:00 A.M., sirens announced two minutes of silence, and a formation of four fighter planes then flew over Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. At a ceremony, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed once again to defeat Hamas, a promise he has made repeatedly during Israel’s brutal seven month war with the militant group.
Yahoo Finance
Big Tech sees neurotechnology as its next AI frontier
As Big Tech races to build off of neurotech advancements in the medical world, experts have cautioned that it could put our most valuable data — the privacy of our thoughts — at risk.
CNN
Democratic group launches $25 million ad blitz targeting Trump on abortion
A Democratic super PAC is launching a $25 million advertising blitz in three swing states, featuring voter testimonials about former President Donald Trump’s role in curbing abortion access.
AFP
Booking.com to face tough new EU tech rules
The European Union on Monday added Dutch online travel giant Booking.com to its list of digital companies that are big enough to fall under tougher competition rules.In the same statement on Monday, the commission also said it opted not to include advertising services provided by X and TikTok on its list. raz/ec/lth
CNN
Thousands of Canadians have been forced to evacuate from raging wildfires. Now harmful smoke is blowing into the US
Thousands across Canada were urged to evacuate from blazing wildfires on Saturday, and the smoke emanating from them could be another danger lasting for the next two days — resulting in poor air quality and reduced visibility as it begins to waft into the US.
Associated Press
Rescue effort for dozens missing in South Africa building collapse are boosted by 1 more survivor
Rescue teams in South Africa forged ahead Monday with efforts to find any survivors still trapped under rubble a week after an apartment building that was under construction collapsed. Authorities said 24 construction workers who were on the site when the unfinished five-story building came down have been confirmed dead, while another 28 are missing, raising the possibility that the death toll could ultimately be above 50. More than 600 emergency services and other personnel have been involved in the search for survivors in the wreckage of the building in the city of George on South Africa's south coast, which collapsed last Monday.

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