May 27, 2026

Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate primary runoff on May 26, 2026, securing the GOP nomination with roughly 63 percent of the vote to Cornyn's 37 percent across approximately 1.38 million ballots cast. The Associated Press called the race about an hour after most Texas polls closed.

Paxton's wide margin was driven substantially by a Trump endorsement issued seven days before the runoff, which came while early voting was already underway. Pro-Cornyn forces outspent the Paxton side more than four to one on advertising, but the financial advantage could not offset the Trump endorsement and the ideological lean of the low-turnout runoff electorate. Cornyn had led in early polling, but a University of Houston survey published in May showed the race shifting sharply toward Paxton. Cornyn's loss was the first renomination defeat for a Texas Republican senator in more than five decades.

Paxton, the former Texas attorney general who survived a 2023 Texas House impeachment and subsequent Senate acquittal, advances to the November general election against Democratic nominee James Talarico, an Austin-area state representative. Democrats viewed Paxton's legal baggage as a potential opening in what has been safely Republican territory.

The Predict Six community put the probability of a Paxton win at 60 percent, correctly anticipating the outcome.

The United States military conducted fresh strikes against Iranian missile launch sites and naval vessels near the Strait of Hormuz on May 25, 2026, resuming active military operations against Iran amid a nominal ceasefire that had been in place since early April. U.S. Central Command described the action as "self-defense strikes," saying targeted Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats and missile positions posed a direct threat in the Hormuz region.

The immediate trigger was what two U.S. officials described as roughly 24 hours of IRGC missile, drone, and small-boat launches near the strait. Iran's Foreign Ministry accused the United States of violating the ceasefire and warned it would "leave no act of aggression unanswered"; the IRGC said it considered its right to retaliate "legitimate and certain."

The renewed strikes came shortly after a diplomatic pause: on May 19, Trump had announced he postponed a planned military action following appeals from Gulf states including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Ongoing negotiations to formalize the ceasefire had stalled over disputes about Iran's nuclear program and sanction terms, with both sides signaling they were close to a settlement even as the shooting resumed.

Only 31 percent of the Predict Six community predicted the bombing would resume — a notable miss.

Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate primary runoff on May 26, 2026, winning roughly 63 percent of the vote to Cornyn's 37 percent across approximately 1.38 million ballots cast. The Associated Press called the race shortly after 8 p.m. CT, about an hour after most Texas polls closed — making Cornyn the first Texas Republican senator to lose renomination in more than five decades.

Paxton's decisive margin traced in large part to a Trump endorsement delivered just seven days before the runoff, issued while early voting was already underway. Pro-Cornyn forces had outspent the Paxton side by more than four to one on advertising, but the financial advantage could not overcome the Trump endorsement and the ideological composition of a low-turnout runoff electorate. Cornyn had led in early surveys, but a University of Houston poll released in early May showed the race tightening sharply.

Paxton, the former Texas attorney general who was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 and later acquitted by the Texas Senate, will face Democratic nominee James Talarico, an Austin-area state representative, in the November general election.

A majority of the Predict Six community — 64 percent — projected a Cornyn victory, which did not match the outcome.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Western Conference Finals on May 27, 2026, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, taking a 3-2 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 32 points and nine assists — his highest-scoring performance of the series — while Alex Caruso added 22 points off the bench and Isaiah Hartenstein pulled down 15 rebounds.

Oklahoma City's depth proved the difference: the Thunder bench outscored San Antonio's reserves 40-33, and the team held Victor Wembanyama to 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting, including 0-for-5 from three-point range. Stephon Castle paced the Spurs with 24 points on efficient shooting, and Julian Champagnie set a career playoff high with 22, but San Antonio could not neutralize OKC across the full rotation.

The Thunder had lost Game 4 in San Antonio to allow the Spurs to even the series, but responded decisively at home. OKC now stands one win away from reaching the NBA Finals; teams that win a series-tying Game 5 historically advance roughly 82 percent of the time. Game 6 is scheduled to return to San Antonio.

The Predict Six community called a Thunder victory at 69 percent, matching the outcome.