Good Morning!

Good Morning! It's Tuesday, May 13, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at: 

• Trump begins Middle East visit with billionaires. 

• Gen Z dating has a ‘cringe’ issue.

• Do we have fitness all-wrong?

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Trump Begins Middle East Visit

U.S. President Donald Trump kicked off a tour of wealthy Gulf nations on Tuesday with a visit to Saudi Arabia, prioritizing multi-trillion-dollar investment deals over pressing security concerns like the war in Gaza and Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Stepping off Air Force One in Riyadh, Trump greeted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with a triumphant air-punch. 

Joining President Trump and senior Saudi officials for lunch in Riyadh are dozens of top U.S. business leaders, including executives from four of the 10 largest American companies. Among the power players courting Saudi capital: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Alphabet’s Ruth Porat, and Amazon chief Andy Jassy. Elon Musk, also present, is juggling everything from Tesla and SpaceX to his A.I. firm xAI—while advising Trump on downsizing the federal government.

Trump’s four-day Gulf tour may also expand beyond business. He said he’s considering joining potential peace talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul later this week. “I was thinking about actually flying over there,” Trump told reporters Monday. “There’s a possibility of it, I guess,” he added, noting he’d attend “if I thought it would be helpful.”

Qatar’s $400 Million Luxury Jet Gift

President Trump says the U.S. is set to accept a $400 million aircraft from Qatar, claiming the 747 will replace the aging, 40-year-old Air Force One. The move has sparked ethical and national security concerns as it might not be so free.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) on Sunday called for an ethics investigation into the Trump administration’s plan to temporarily use the luxury jet as Air Force One, before transferring it to Trump’s presidential library for personal use. However, the President has said that he will not be using the jet after leaving office. What the gift means — an analysis.

Amid criticism, President Trump defended accepting the jet, dismissing the backlash as misguided. “I could be a stupid person and say, ‘Oh no, we don’t want a free plane.’ It helps us out because … we have 40-year-old aircraft. I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar, I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” Trump said. An explainer on whether Trump can accept the aircraft.

White South African Refugees Arrive in U.S.

A chartered plane carrying a total of 59 of White South Africans arrived at Dulles International Airport on Monday after the Trump administration granted them refugee status, according to a State Department official. 

The group, which includes families with children, was welcomed by U.S. officials including Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Troy Edgar. Landau told reporters the arrivals had faced “egregious discrimination” in South Africa — an allegation the South African government has denied. “These individuals were carefully vetted in South Africa before being cleared to travel,” Landau said. The group departed Johannesburg on Sunday.

Earlier this year, President Trump ordered the government to prioritize resettling South Africans of European descent—particularly Afrikaners, who are largely descended from Dutch settlers — through the U.S. refugee program.

This comes as the Trump administration is ending a program that protected thousands of Afghans from deportation. The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan on July 12. As of last year, more than 8,000 Afghans had been approved for TPS, which was last extended in 2023.

Click-Worthy

🌿FDA swaps chemicals for natural food dyes. 

🤲Your fingers wrinkle the same every time.

🔥Midwest scorches as wildfires rage amid record-breaking heatwave.

❤️Cringe-phobia hits Gen Z dating.

💵 You might need six-figure incomes in major U.S. metros.

⚖️ BMI 50 in children? Clinics sound the alarm.

📱 Did Siri snoop on you? Claim your share of Apple's $95M settlement.

😫 Stress hits women harder — Alzheimer’s risk doubles.

📦 China slams U.S. 'bullying' amid 90-day tariff pause.

🚀 NASA dropped unreal Jupiter aurora pics as scientists discover why Universe exists.

She’s Got Game

🏆 The WNBA's wildest season yet begins — 13 teams, historic rookies, and Indy’s Fever heating up just outside the top three.

⚽ Mariona Caldentey dazzles in debut season, wins WSL Player of the Year — beating stars from Chelsea, City, and more.

The Style Edit

Middle-class wallets tighten, luxury dreams fade — a 2% dip ends a 15-year high-end boom as economic jitters rise .

Gen Z’s new fashion BFF? ChatGPT. From capsule closets to event looks, AI’s now styling outfits and shaking up retail.

The Fame Frame

🌸 Guess what celebs did on Mother’s Day.

🎥 Cannes 2025 bans nudity, big gowns — fashionistas scramble. 

😳 Did Kristen Bell’s kids just call her the B-word?

👯‍♀️ Blake Lively and Taylor Swift’s friendship…on trial too?

💑 Kylie and Timothée Chalamet’s Knicks date had a twist — Kendall Jenner!

Weigh In

“If you don’t fall, how are you going to know what getting up is like?”

— Stephen Curry