Israel’s military says it's seized control of a strategic corridor that runs along the length of Gaza’s border with Egypt. The capture on Wednesday gives Israel control over a strip of land that it says is awash in smuggling tunnels that have bolstered the militant Hamas group. But it could complicate relations with Egypt, which has warned against an increase of Israeli troops in the area. The move comes as Israel has deepened its incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah. A top Israeli official meanwhile warned that the war could stretch through the end of the year.

A string of security, logistical and weather problems has battered the plan to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza through a U.S. military-built pier. Broken apart by strong winds and heavy seas just over a week after it became operational, the project faces criticism it hasn’t lived up to its initial billing or its $320 million price tag. U.S. officials say, however, that the pier is being repaired, then will be reinstalled and working again soon. Aid groups have mixed reactions, welcoming the aid yet calling the pier a distraction that takes pressure off Israel to open more land routes. The Biden administration has said from the start that the pier wasn’t meant to be a total solution.

McDonald’s is fighting back against media reports it says have exaggerated its price increases. In a post on the company’s website Wednesday, McDonald’s U.S. president said reports suggesting the price of the average Big Mac has doubled since 2019 were false. McDonald’s says the average Big Mac costs $5.29, or 20.5% more than it did five years ago. Still, the company said prices for some items, like fries, have jumped higher to account for higher costs of labor, paper and food. McDonald's saw a slowdown in traffic early this year as inflation-weary consumers dined out less. It's planning to focus more on deals this summer.

Residents across Texas are recovering again from storms that ripped off roofs in Dallas and flooded roads in Houston. Up to 1 million homes and businesses were without power during the severe weather Tuesday. One electric utility said Wednesday that some outages could linger into the weekend. A 16-year-old construction worker was killed when a house being built near Houston collapsed. A 6-year-old boy and two adults were critically hurt at a campground after they were shocked by a downed power line. The National Weather Service says the active weather pattern will continue in the central U.S.

Despite a long string of recalls that began more than two decades ago, about 6.2 million vehicles with potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators remain on U.S. roads today. On Wednesday, Nissan warned drivers of about 84,000 older Nissan and Infiniti vehicles not to drive them because the front passenger inflators can explode with too much force in a crash, spewing metal fragments that could kill or injure people. In all, 67 million front driver and passenger inflators were included in what turned out to be the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. About 100 million inflators were recalled worldwide. But despite years of publicity, recall letters and phone calls from automakers, about 9% of the recalled vehicles remain on the road without repairs.

The Federal Reserve’s decision Wednesday to keep its benchmark rate at a two-decade high should have ripple effects across the economy. Mortgage rates, credit card rates, and auto loan rates will all likely maintain their highs, with consequences for consumer spending. The Fed has indicated it doesn’t plan to cut interest rates until it has “greater confidence” that price increases are slowing to its 2% target. The central bank kept its key rate at roughly 5.3%, where it has been since last August. While inflation has cooled from a peak of 7.1% to 2.7%, average prices remain well above pre-pandemic levels.

Six planets will line up in the early morning sky on June 3, but most won't be visible to the naked eye. A planetary parade happens relatively often when several planets align on the right side of the sun, making them visible across a narrow band of our sky. During the latest parade, astronomers say only Mars and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye. The other planets can only be spotted with a telescope or will be blocked out below the horizon. You can still catch a glimpse of Mars and Saturn through the end of summer.