Day in Photos: Military Drills, 2026 Met Gala, and Meat Industry Investigation

U.S. troops sit atop a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during a counter-landing live fire exercise as part of the annual Balikatan joint military drills in Laoag, Philippines, on May 4, 2026. The expanded exercises, now involving more than 17,000 troops from multiple allied nations, come amid rising tensions in the South China Sea and as Washington faces overlapping security demands due to the ongoing war with Iran. This year marks the first time Japanese Self-Defense Forces have taken part in combat drills on Philippine soil, signaling a significant shift in Japan’s post-war defense posture and deepening regional security ties. Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins (2nd L), Director of Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro (L), and members of the beef industry, hold a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on May 4, 2026. Justice Department and Agriculture officials announced the opening of an antitrust investigation into the meat packing industry, including the four major U.S. beef meatpackers, JBS, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and National Beef, over allegations of price-fixing and collusion. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

People ride in a boat cruising at sunset along the Tigris river in central Baghdad, Iraq, on May 4, 2026. The Tigris’s water levels have risen due to the rains and floods that have swept across Iraq this winter after years of drought caused by low rainfall. Iraq’s water ministry said the reservoirs along the river are almost full, adding that it expects water levels in the Euphrates to rise in the coming days if Syria releases water from its dams. Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images