IPS Points of Interest 5/13/25

Slow News Day Thus Far

• The first official Loch Ness Monster sighting of 2025 is reported by tourists in Scotland, reigniting global cryptid fever6.

• New video surfaces of a possible Bigfoot climbing a tree in California, sparking debate among enthusiasts and skeptics6.

• An astrologer in Myanmar is arrested for causing public panic after falsely predicting a massive earthquake6.

• A man is wrongly arrested twice due to a misspelling of his name, highlighting bizarre bureaucratic errors9.

• Red-eyed, sex-crazed cicadas emerge after 17 years underground, set to swarm several U.S. states9.

Top 5 Political Stories

• President Trump embarks on a high-stakes Middle East tour, meeting leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.

• The U.S. and China agree to temporarily roll back tariffs, signaling a potential thaw in trade tensions.

• The Trump administration grants refugee status to 59 white South Africans, citing discrimination concerns.

• The United Nations aviation agency officially finds Russia responsible for the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine9.

• The Menendez brothers’ resentencing hearing draws national attention, with legal and political implications.

Science Spotlight

Sex-crazed cicadas (Brood XIV) are emerging in record numbers after a 17-year slumber, providing a rare opportunity for scientists to study mass insect emergences, their ecological impacts, and the spread of a zombie-like fungus that affects their behavior9.