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Top Picks For Members: May

May was a month of institutions under pressure—and of people trying to decide what still deserves their faith.
A fast-food icon fought to prove it still has a future. Women who exposed China’s repression found themselves targeted with a new and deeply personal form of digital abuse. Adults who chose not to have children looked back from midlife with a message for those who assume regret is inevitable. Britain’s pageantry masked a country wrestling with decline. Ukraine found signs of momentum against Russia. And in Cuba, young people looked toward the Stars and Stripes in ways that reveal a profound generational break.
Here are six of my favorite articles from the month that made sense of it all for Newsweek members.
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Wendy’s: The Burger Chain That Dared To Be Different Fights for Survival
Once one of America’s most distinctive burger chains, Wendy’s now finds itself in a fight for relevance. This story looks at a brand caught between worlds: not as dominant or affordable as McDonald’s, not as premium or culturally fresh as Shake Shack or Five Guys, and no longer riding the edge that once made it stand out. With Nelson Peltz weighing another take-private push, declining domestic sales and a depressed share price have turned a familiar fast-food name into a case study in how quickly cultural momentum can fade. The question running through the piece is not just whether Wendy’s can survive, but whether it can remember what made it different in the first place.
Read the story >
For Exposing China’s Repression, Women Are Targeted With Deepfake AI Porn
For women who challenge Beijing, intimidation no longer stops at surveillance, censorship or harassment. This story explores how female activists who expose China’s repression are being targeted with deepfake AI pornogrhy—an attempt to humiliate them, silence them and make political dissent feel personally unbearable. But the article also shows how some women are pushing back by refusing to hide what has been done to them. By publicizing the abuse, they are trying to take away its power. It is a chilling look at how authoritarian pressure can merge with misogyny and emerging technology—and how courage can mean confronting not only the state, but the shame others try to impose.
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They Chose Not To Have Children—Now in 50s They Have a Message
For years, people who chose not to have children were told that time would change their minds. This piece revisits that assumption through adults now in their 50s who made the decision deliberately and are living with its consequences—not as a cautionary tale, but as a more complicated portrait of fulfillment, freedom, partnership and self-knowledge. The story does not flatten child-free life into slogan or lifestyle branding. Instead, it asks what hpens when people reach the stage of life when regret is supposed to arrive and find something else there instead. Their message is a reminder that adulthood has more than one script, and that a meaningful life does not have to look the same for everyone.
Read the story >
Fool Britannia: Behind the Crown, the UK Is a Country Struggling To Keep Up
Britain still knows how to stage the symbols of power: the crown, the ceremony, the history, the global brand. But behind the pageantry, this cover story examines a country increasingly defined by low growth, creaking infrastructure and shrinking influence. It ctures a national mood that now cuts across party lines, with leaders on the left, right and populist right all finding political use in the language of decline. The piece is not a simple obituary for Britain, which remains a wealthy and influential country. But it does ask why so many people who live there feel that things no longer work as they should—and whether the old machinery of British confidence can still keep up with the present.
Read the story >
Ukraine Has Gained the Upper Hand Over Russia
This analysis looks at a striking shift in the war: Ukraine, battered but not broken, showing signs of renewed momentum against Russia. Its forces have stepped up operations along the front while expanding deep- and mid-range strikes designed to pressure Russia’s economy and disrupt logistics behind the lines. The article does not mistake momentum for victory. Instead, it focuses on why the next several months could prove critical, as Ukraine tries to turn tactical successes into strategic leverage and Moscow faces questions about exhaustion, manpower and the limits of its offensive cacity. In a war often described through stalemate and attrition, this piece asks whether the balance is beginning to move.
Read the story >
In Cuba, Young People Are Wearing the Stars and Stripes
In Cuba, the American flag carries a history too heavy to be merely decorative. Yet this reporting from the island finds young Cubans wearing the Stars and Stripes at a moment of deep crisis, disillusionment and generational change. For some, the symbol reflects frustration with a system that has failed to provide basics such as reliable power, working infrastructure and economic opportunity. For others, it sits uneasily alongside the long shadow of the U.S. embargo and Washington’s pressure campaign. The story’s power lies in that tension. It shows a country squeezed by outside force and internal failure, and a younger generation increasingly unwilling to inherit the old certainties.

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Factbox-What issues do the US and Iran need to resolve for any peace deal?

LONDON, June 5 () – Here are the main issues between the United States and Iran as they seek a deal to end their war, which is now in its fourth month:
HORMUZ AND GULF BLOCKADE
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, normally the conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, has caused an unprecedented oil supply shock, driving up fuel, food and fertiliser prices.
Reopening the strait is Washington’s top priority and Tehran’s main point of leverage, but it could take time.
Many vessels are stuck in the Gulf and Iran says it has laid some sea mines that could be difficult to locate.
The U.S. blockade on Iranian ports is hitting Iran’s own exports and state revenue. Lifting this is one of Tehran’s main goals.
NUCLEAR
The U.S. says it believes Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb. Iran has always denied this, saying its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes only. The focus is on its enrichment of uranium, which generates fuel for nuclear power but can also make material for a warhead.
The nuclear question is extremely complicated. Iran has enriched some uranium to 60% purity – far beyond the 5% level used in most reactors for electricity – with other stocks enriched to 20%, 5% and 2%. It might eventually agree to dilute part of its highly enriched uranium in a friendly country into uranium enriched to 5% purity and then have it returned, Iranian sources said. But many other issues would still need to be addressed: how long the nuclear programme would be halted, whether nuclear sites would be dismantled, what hpens to uranium it has enriched below the highest levels of purity, the future of Iran’s advanced centrifuges and the rules governing an inspections regime, among others.
BALLISTIC MISSILES
A prominent U.S. demand before the war was that Iran limit the range of its ballistic missiles so that they could not reach Israel. Iran has always said its right to conventional weons is non-negotiable and that it still has a large arsenal.
SANCTIONS AND FROZEN ASSETS
Iran’s economy has been hurt by sanctions for years, contributing to nationwide unrest in January. Tehran badly needs them to be lifted and for tens of billions of dollars of Iranian oil revenues frozen in foreign banks to be released. It also wants reparations for war damage.
The United States has resisted this, with Trump having lambasted former U.S. President Barack Obama for having returned some frozen assets to Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal. Some media have reported that the latest draft agreement would include an investment programme for Iran.
LEBANON
Iran has repeatedly said that Israel’s war against its main ally Hezbollah in Lebanon must be included in any deal.
Israel and Lebanon agreed a ceasefire last month but both Israel and Hezbollah accuse each other of repeated violations and Israel’s military isramping up its campaignin southern Lebanon.
Israel would oppose any U.S.-Iran agreement that limits its ability to act in Lebanon.
(By Angus McDowall and Michael GeorgyEditing by Gareth Jones)

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Tennessee basketball, Rick Barnes vs FSU, Marcis Ponder in ACC-SEC Challenge

Tennessee basketball will host Florida State in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Dec. 1 at Food City Center.
Florida State was 18-15 last season under coach Luke Loucks. The Seminoles have added Marcis Ponder, a 7-foot center weighing around 300 pounds who spent his senior year of high school at Gillion Basketball Academy in Virginia. Ponder broke a rim on his first workout with the Seminoles.
We’ve gotta chisel him up a little bit, but this kid is an animal, the way he works and his competitive nature, I think from Day One, he’s gonna be able to step in with a huge impact,” Loucks told the Pardon My Take podcast.
FSU has the nation’s eighth-ranked recruiting class, led by Ponder.
Tennessee is 5-4 all-time against the Seminoles. The last meeting was Nov. 29, 2019 when the Vols lost 60-57 at the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida. UT is 4-1 at home against Florida State, winning the last matchup on Dec. 19, 1987.
It’s the fourth year of the ACC-SEC Challenge. UT lost at North Carolina in 2023, defeated Syracuse at home in 2024 and lost at Syracuse last season.
Tennessee’s schedule continues to unfold for the 2026-27 season. The Vols’ revealed nonconference opponents include a home game against Michigan State, at Purdue on Dec. 11, a neutral site game against NC State at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Dec. 6, and at least three games for the Players Era opener in Las Vegas including the opener against Maryland on Nov. 24.
Phil Klan is USA TODAY South Region sports director.

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Pinnacle Food Group replaces CFO, shares up

Pinnacle Food Group (PFAI) said on Friday it had dismissed CFO Wencai Pan and pointed Yunhao Chen as finance chief, effective June 1.
Chen previously served as CFO of Massimo Group (MAMO) and Dogness International (DOGZ).
Chen has been an independent director at Pinnacle since ril 2025 and will step down from the board following her pointment as CFO.
Stock up +5% in early trading.
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9 local favorites to try

There’s no denying that great meals are enjoyed at traditional, full-service restaurants.
You know, the kind where a server ensures your water glass is never empty, and where the ambience and service are just as meaningful as the food on your plate.
But have you ever had a taco crafted with handmade tortillas and filled with ingredients grown from the garden of the same chef driving the taco truck it’s served out of? Or what about a slice of pizza, baked in 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven set at 900 degrees out of a family-owned truck? That’s all to say: Some of the best, most memorable dishes are delivered out of the window of food trucks run by metro Detroit’s most innovative chefs.
Southeast Michigan embraces these culinarians, with pockets of the region designated to food truck operators. Head to Downtown Street Eats in Cadillac Square for a daily food truck rally where more than 80 vehicles serve a range of cuisines during lunch from ril to October. On Saturdays in Eastern Market, you can stop for bites of beignets or sandwiches piled high with layers of meat, West African stles or acai bowls while shopping for farm-fresh produce. And a handful of food trucks are often stationed at Belle Isle.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the most beloved food trucks our region has to offer. Catch them while you can!
Antojitos
It’s been five years since Antojitos parked its truck on an empty lot at the corner of Bagley and Wabash in Southwest Detroit. The family-run truck became one of the earliest establishments to offer a dish that has become a stle at American taquerias — quesabirria, a tortilla dipped in consommé, stuffed with tender simmered beef and cheese and fried until the cheese is melty and tortilla crisp. At Antojitos, the quesabirria is served alongside a cup of consommé for dipping, with a heavy handful of diced fresh onion, chopped parsley and lime wedges for dressing the taco. The truck is only open on weekends, so — Taco Sunday, anyone?
2100 Bagley St., Detroit. 1313-854-5239
The Canteen at Midtown
There’s no shortage of food options at The Canteen at Midtown, near Hubbard and Evergreen in Dearborn. Inside, various vendors line the food hall. Try those viral sushi pops from Nami Sushi, or grab a Yemeni coffee from the organic café Qahwah House. Outside, a fleet of food trucks are parked in a spacious lot. At Parma, try pastas submerged in housemade pesto or marinara sauces, crispy fried chicken and waffles at The Chicken Coupe or Lebanese street food at Amo Sami’s Shawarma.
Detroit 75 Kitchen
Arguably the mother of all Detroit food trucks, Detroit 75 has occupied the mobile food space for more than a decade. In 2014, brothers Mike and Ahmad Nassar began serving sandwiches and sides at their family’s truck stop in Southwest Detroit near I-75. The eatery has since become known for its punchy hand-cut cilantro fries, coated in garlic and cilantro, Detroit-style cheesesteaks and fish Fridays — try crispy catfish or haddock sandwiches, or fried perch and chips. In February, the duo expanded to open the first Detroit 75 brick-and-mortar location in Madison Heights, but never abandoned their wheels.
El Borinquen
Many food trucks roll into town to provide a cuisine that is underrepresented. El Borinquen does just that, serving Puerto Rican cuisine in Southwest Detroit, where just one Puerto Rican brick-and-mortar has been known to lead the charge among the neighborhood’s many Mexican restaurants for years. The truck is permanently parked on a paved lot, serving crispy alcurrias — earthy mashed plantains stuffed with salty ground beef and fried until dark brown just as they’re served on the island. There’s flavorful arroz con gandules or yellow rice with pigeon peas and steak sandwiches using fried plantains in place of bread slices. Enjoy your meal at one of the picnic tables anchored on the patio, where Puerto Rican flags fly high.
Nu Deli
Detroit is known for serving up great sandwiches. Most famous: The Reuben. Thick slices of beautifully marbled corned beef, funky Swiss cheese, umami sauerkraut and a sweet Russian or Thousand Island dressing sandwiched between slices of toasted rye. Nu Deli is known for great sandwiches with an Indian twist. Take the Nu Reuben, for example. The Nu proach elevates the main components of a traditional Reuben, substituting a pungent, mustard-based Indian cabbage slaw in place of sauerkraut, and chili mayonnaise as the dressing. The sandwich is then kissed on a tandoor grill. Each sandwich at Nu Deli takes this proach, for a fusion of Indian flavors and American favorites.
Rollin Stone
Rollin Stone has a permanent restaurant in Brighton, but co-owners Jim and Dawn Combs started the business slinging pizzas out of their home kitchen nearly 20 years ago. They got their first wood-fired pizza truck on the road in 2012, and added a second five years later. Today, expect handmade, thin crust round pies topped with tomato rounds and basil, pepperoni, or chicken over a garlic cream sauce. Catch the truck anywhere between Brighton and Detroit.
Tacos Hernandez
In an area where Mexican cuisine leans toward the influence of Jalisco, Mexico, Tacos Hernandez works to introduce diners to true Tex-Mex. Owner Diana Gomez, an El Paso, Texas native with familial roots in Chihuahua, Mexico, prepares dishes inspired by her hometown, where Mexican food draws its flavors from Northern Mexico — also known as Norteño cuisine. Unlike the yellow corn-based tortillas in Jalisciense cooking, Tacos Hernandez delivers tacos and burritos wrped in hand-pressed white corn or flour tortillas. On Fridays, Gomez parks the truck on Detroit’s east side at East Warren Community Kitchen, where she slings breakfast burritos and coffee from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The rest of the week, you’ll have to try to keep up, as she zips across metro Detroit delivering tacos filled with smoky brisket to guests at bookstores, breweries and block parties from Detroit to Bloomfield Hills.
Follow @tacoshernandezfoodtruck on Instagram for locations.
Un Deux Trois
There are countless coffee shops caffeinating working folk in downtown Detroit. But have you seen any handing over frothy lattes, iced teas or pastries from the window of a food truck? There’s only one that we can think of, and it’s parked just steps away from the doors of Hudson’s Detroit. From the team behind the moody Café Sous Terre in Midtown, Un Deux Trois builds upon the French café theme. Here, there are cpuccinos and flat whites that you can sweeten with French oaked vanilla syrup or seasonal flavors like fig bergamot or blackberry elderflower. There’s also Parisian hot chocolate and a grassy matcha. The truck is stationary, and open seven days a week.
Waka
As Detroiters await the opening of Waka, a second restaurant from the team behind Baobab Fare coming to Eastern Market, there’s a convenient, brightly colored food truck traversing the city to offer a taste of the dishes to come. Serving East African street food inspired by husband-and-wife owners Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere’s native Burundi, Waka delivers African flavors in small bites. Try chatis, or flatbreads filled with beef, chicken or eggplant and stewed beans or peas. Nosh on lamb skewers or savor bites of sweet plantains. This should hold you over until that brick and mortar opens its doors.
Follow @wakabybaobabfare on Instagram for locations.

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The Inquirer Food Fest is back with a new format

Grab your friends and get hungry: The Inquirer Food Fest is back.
Now in its second year, Inquirer Food Fest will take over The Fillmore in Fishtown on Saturday, Nov. 15 with a revamped format that means fewer lines — and even more food from some of Philly’s most dynamic chefs and bakers.
Already on this year’s lineup: Michelin-starred restaurants, James Beard Award-winning chefs, pop-up bakeries, and hands-on classes that get you in the kitchen.
Here’s a full guide.
Voted one of the top five food festivals in the United States by USA Today, Inquirer Food Fest is a daylong event that showcases all that’s exciting about Philadelphia’s culinary scene in one place. It brings together nearly 50 of the city’s most dynamic chefs for never-been-done-before collaborations, a bake off, live demonstrations, and exclusive bites.
All food is included in the price of your ticket, which will also include free parking and drink tickets, plus a copy of the newest edition of The Inquirer’s The 76 — our list of the Philly region’s most essential restaurants — among other to-be-announced goodies.
Last year’s Inquirer Food Fest had Jordan Mailata judging a pastry competition, limited-edition cheesesteak drops, and a class with Party Girl Bake Club that had attendees leaving with their own miniature cake.
This year, we’re streamlining our format to ensure all guests have the best chance possible of tasting the food they’re most excited about.
What does that mean?
The Inquirer Food Fest will be split into two three-hour-long tastings: one from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and another from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Both will bring together a distinct lineup of 20+ chefs and bakers, along with access to live demonstrations and entertainment. You can see will be part of each tasting here.
Can’t decide? Daylong tickets are also available, which grant access to both tastings, plus a private cocktail reception to enjoy in between.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (no reentry)
Location: The Fillmore, 29 E. Allen St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19123
Exclusive bite are up for grabs from twenty Philadelphia chefs at the first tasting. Some highlights:
The second tasting brings together 19 of Philly’s most exciting restaurants, bakeries, and pop-ups. A preview:

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