May 15, 2026 - Russia Strikes Ukraine Relentlessly

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert signs off on Thursday, to be replaced by two shows, Comics Unleashed and Funny You Should Ask. The media mogul buying the time to air those two comedy programs is Byron Allen, with whom I had a long conversation yesterday. Rare that an interview leaves me so inspired. (I'll air a portion of it on CNN Saturday and then in full next week on SiriusXM radio and YouTube.)

Allen is perhaps best known as the owner of The Weather Channel. Now that might sound like an odd play, maybe even a vanity project. But not if you know Allen's story. He was born in Detroit to a 17-year-old mother who chose to flee the civil unrest in that city and head to LA with 7-year-old Byron. Mom studied film at UCLA and cajoled NBC to create an internship for her. That led to permanent employment giving studio tours and work as a publicist, and meant that her son's playground became the NBC lot. Teenage Byron took to comedy and started to write jokes and do standup. When he was 18, just shy of high school graduation, he became the youngest comedian to perform on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. That appearance would help launch a remarkable career of television production and TV station ownership. And guess what - his mom remains the executive producer of all of his shows.

He sees comedy as a unifying opportunity. He believes in the social value of comedy.

"I want us to all meet one another, laugh together and come together," he told me. "No politics....just be funny, don't offend."

One more thing. Byron Allen was given the option by CBS of starting his post-Late Show era in the fall. But he insisted on starting the night after Colbert's exit. Why? Because next Friday is May 22, the anniversary of Johnny Carson's final night on the Tonight Show in 1992. Thirty-four years later it's his turn to make history.

I told Byron Allen that he needs to write a memoir - for himself, for his family, and for the rest of us. He replied that his story isn't over. A new chapter begins for him, and us, on Friday. I'm going to stay up late. 

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Ukraine said Russia launched more than 1,500 drones and 50 missiles in a nearly 48-hour barrage on Kyiv and other cities, killing at least 12 people and destroying residential buildings in one of the war’s largest recent attacks.

CBS News

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping opened their Beijing summit with public displays of cooperation, but sharp tensions over Taiwan, Iran and global influence underscored the fragile state of U.S.-China relations.

ABC News

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NBC News

CNN reports that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was formally advised by the Justice Department’s top ethics lawyer last year to recuse himself from matters involving Donald Trump due to conflicts stemming from his prior role as Trump’s defense attorney, raising new scrutiny over his oversight of politically sensitive investigations.

CNN

The BBC caught scam call center workers on hidden cameras as they laughed at the people they were tricking. One worker bragged about making $250k from victims. The disturbing truth? Scammers don’t pick phone numbers at random. They buy your data from brokers. Once your data is out there, it’s not just calls. It’s phishing, impersonation, and identity theft.

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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says investigators quickly suspected foul play in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, after officers reported that the scene “doesn’t look right,” as authorities continue pursuing DNA evidence and leads more than 100 days into the case.

People

Sir Paul McCartney says he now refuses fan photos because posing makes him feel “like a performing monkey,” joining celebrities including Justin Bieber and Emma Watson in pushing back against constant camera culture and the loss of personal privacy.

The Telegraph

A Chicago jury ordered Boeing to pay $49.5 million to the family of 24-year-old Samya Stumo, one of 157 people killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash, whose protests helped to ground the Boeing 737 MAX worldwide.

NPR

Country singer Eric Church delivered a widely praised UNC commencement speech using the six strings of a guitar to symbolize key pillars of life — including faith, family, marriage, ambition, community and self — before closing with an original song, aptly named "Carolina."

FOX News

Trump allies are planning a massive July 4 fireworks display in Washington, D.C., aiming to break the Guinness World Record with more than 810,000 fireworks as federal officials ramp up security for the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

Axios

A revealing look at Jack Schlossberg’s turbulent congressional campaign portrays a charismatic Kennedy heir struggling with erratic behavior, high staff turnover and questions about whether his celebrity and political pedigree can translate into effective leadership.

The New York Times