HARD NUMBERS: Spain clamps down on Airbnb, Cat busted smuggling drugs in Costa Rica, and More

May 20, 2025

Tourists in the center of Madrid, Spain, on May 19, 2025.

Tourists in the center of Madrid, Spain, after the announcement of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to block almost 66,000 illegal ads, on May 19, 2025.

Jesús Hellín / Europa Press

66,000: Amid growing concerns from residents, the Spanish government is calling for the removal of 66,000 Airbnb listings for violating tourist accommodation regulations. Protests have been erupting across the country – the second most popular tourist destination in the world, behind France – as frustration mounts over over-tourism and a housing crisis.

50: Of the 240 Venezuelans deported from the United States to El Salvador, at least 50 entered the United States legally and violated no immigration laws, according to an analysis from the center-right CATO Institute. This study follows an earlier report that 75% of the 240 men had no criminal record.

100: Israel allowed the United Nations to bring 100 aid trucks into Gaza on Tuesday, caving to mounting international pressure to provide relief for residents affected by an eleven-week blockade. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called for more aid, estimating that 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in the next 48 hours without immediate access to more aid.

$5 million: The Trump administration is discussing whether to offer $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran who was killed as she stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as part of a settlement over a wrongful-death lawsuit. President Donald Trump granted clemency to all those involved in the Jan. 6 riot, but this move would go a step further.

235.65: Officers at Pococi Penitentiary in Costa Rica apprehended a paws-itively furry culprit caught up in a prison drug-smuggling scheme: a cat carrying 235.65 grams of marijuana and 67.76g of heroin. The drugs have since been confiscated, and the animal was put into the care of the National Animal Health Service.

We read the “Big, Beautiful, Bill” so you don’t have to

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), on the day of a closed House Republican Conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2025.

REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

Republicans have a math problem—and it’s turning into a political one. As the party in full control of government moves to advance its sweeping policy agenda, internal divisions are surfacing over what to prioritize: tax cuts or budget cuts.

What We’re Watching: Pressure on Israel, Jitters in Bolivia, Podcasts for Democrats

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini brief the media at the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, on December 11, 2017.

REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

The UK and EU threatened Tuesday to revise trade ties with Israel unless PM Benjamin Netanyahu stops the new offensive in the Gaza Strip and allows sufficient humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

Walmart is supporting America’s small businesses through 2025 Open Call

Walmart

Open Call is the heart of Walmart’s $350 billion commitment to US manufacturing, supporting products made, grown or assembled in America. The pitch event represents a unique opportunity for selected entrepreneurs to meet face-to-face with Walmart merchants and earn a chance to get their products on store shelves nationwide. Last year, finalists from across the country represented 48 states, with entrepreneurs from over half these states receiving deals. It’s all a part of Walmart’s investment in American jobs and communities. Learn more about Walmart’s annual Open Call.

Tools and Weapons – In Conversation with Satya Nadella

Microsoft

In this new episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Satya Nadella — Microsoft’s third CEO — to talk about his journey from his early days playing cricket to leading Microsoft, the link between poetry and programming, and how the company is leading the next wave of technological transformation, redefining how we build and interact with technology. Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.

The real reason South Africa’s president is coming to Washington

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa gestures during the opening of the U.S.-sub-Saharan Africa trade forum to discuss the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), at the NASREC conference center in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 3, 2023.

REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

If recent headlines are anything to go by, you’d think that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington, D.C. this week is an effort to rebut US President Donald Trump’s belief that white South Africans are suffering a genocide. In reality, it’s all about trade.

HARD NUMBERS: Spain clamps down on Airbnb, Cat busted smuggling drugs in Costa Rica, and More

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If recent headlines are anything to go by, you’d think that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington, D.C. this week is an effort to rebut US President Donald Trump’s belief that white South Africans are suffering a genocide. In reality, it’s all about trade.

Milei aims to bring $271 billion in hidden cash back into Argentina’s economy

Argentina’s President Javier Milei is preparing to loosen the country’s complex tax evasion restrictions in an effort to draw billions of undeclared dollars back into the formal economy.

HARD NUMBERS: Spain clamps down on Airbnb, Cat busted smuggling drugs in Costa Rica, and More

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Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

Republicans have a math problem—and it’s turning into a political one. As the party in full control of government moves to advance its sweeping policy agenda, internal divisions are surfacing over what to prioritize: tax cuts or budget cuts.

The UK and EU threatened Tuesday to revise trade ties with Israel unless PM Benjamin Netanyahu stops the new offensive in the Gaza Strip and allows sufficient humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

The House Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful Bill” includes a clause that increases the child tax credit by $500. Supporters of the credit said its 2021 expansion helped slash child poverty rates that year, but some worry that the increase isn’t sufficient.

On Ian Bremmer’s World in 60 Seconds: Ian unpacks Trump’s stalled diplomacy with Putin, Israel’s Gaza backlash, and the growing power of tech CEOs.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Former OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajlo warns that tech companies are racing toward superintelligent AI while ignoring safety issues or democratic oversight — putting humanity at serious risk.

If recent headlines are anything to go by, you’d think that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington, D.C. this week is an effort to rebut US President Donald Trump’s belief that white South Africans are suffering a genocide. In reality, it’s all about trade.

Argentina’s President Javier Milei is preparing to loosen the country’s complex tax evasion restrictions in an effort to draw billions of undeclared dollars back into the formal economy.