'Don't say we didn't warn you'

Thursday, May 30

In the Peoples Daily, a medium controlled by the Chinese government, editors warned that the export of "rare earth elements" could be interrupted due to the trade war between China and the United States.

R. Kelly sex abuse charges. A phallic image in the sky. Thursday's top news.

It's Thursday, and the only thing ballsier than an Air Force pilot is what one drew in the sky "unintentionally." It's Ashley with my pal Kirk Bado. Let's get to today's top news.

But first, sound it out: Scripps National Spelling Bee finalists aced some super tough words this week. Betcha can't spell these 12 championship-level words.

China is feeling feisty

China's biggest newspaper warned the U.S. Wednesday that it would cut off rare earth minerals in the escalated trade battle. "Don't say we didn't warn you!" the People's Daily said in a commentary titled "United States, don't underestimate China's ability to strike back." The publication is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China. China's threat came after Trump blacklisted Chinese telecom giant Huawei, which led to many chipmakers and internet companies cutting ties with the company. China's rare earth materials are crucial to the production of iPhones, electric vehicles and advanced precision weapons.

McCain's ship got moved. Trump denies he did it.

Is it suddenly shady in here? Because the White House reportedly called for a warship named after the late Sen. John McCain to be moved "out of sight" during his trip to Japan on Memorial Day weekend, no less. Talk about awkward. Trump, who's no stranger to personal attacks against the deceased war hero, denied direct involvement with the order, calling it the work of "well-meaning" aides, but that didn't stop Meghan McCain from slamming Trump as "afraid."

Also: Did Trump just admit Russia helped? Trump acknowledged for the first time that Russia helped him win the 2016 election, then backtracked to say Russia had nothing to do with his win at all.

Real quick

•	No happy ending: Another missing Maui hiker was found dead.
•	Scared of spiders? You may want to avoid wearing their favorite color.
•	"Godzilla" review: Big guy's a beauty, but "King of Monsters" is absurd.
•	Seems chill: Hundreds of meat-eating fish with razor sharp teeth were released in an Arizona lake.
•	Tensions with Iran look similar to the frictions that led America to war with Iraq.
•	A man who set himself on fire outside the White House died.
•	Robert De Niro and more than 1,000 former federal prosecutors argue for indicting Trump.

R. Kelly's 11 new sex abuse charges

Singer R. Kelly was charged with 11 new counts of sex abuse, bringing the total charges against him in Illinois up to 21. Four of the 11 new charges are listed as aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony that could land the R&B artist in prison for six to 30 years should he be convicted of any of them. For about two decades, Kelly, 52, has faced multiple allegations of sexual abuse of women and girls, including sex with underage girls and accusations that he trapped female fans in a "sex cult" that cut them off from their families and subjected them to degrading abuse.

Musician R. Kelly leaves the Daley Center after a hearing in his child support case Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Chicago.

Matt Marton, AP

**We interrupt this newsletter for a very important storm update**

This seems like a no-brainer, but unfortunately, this needs to be said:👏 If 👏 you 👏 hear 👏 tornado 👏 sirens, 👏 seek 👏 shelter 👏.

Not everyone heeds the warnings, becoming complacent as tornado sirens sound across a large section of the USA. Case in point: Ohio residents got upset when "The Bachelorette" was interrupted Monday with storm updates, lashing out at a TV station for cutting off the latest Hannah Brown developments. If you really need your romantic drama fix, check out this storm chaser who popped the question to his partner while a massive tornado barreled right toward them. Bottom line: "The Bachelorette" can wait. Your life can't.

A speeding ball and a 4-year-old

The scene was heartbreaking: A 4-year-old girl was hit in the head by a foul ball Wednesday at an MLB game in Houston. The batter, Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora, a father of two, fell to his knees and wept. Almora's emotional reaction during the game illuminated a debate between the MLB and its players who say fan experience shouldn't jeopardize safety. The Cubs' Kris Bryant says, "Any safety measure we can take to make sure fans are safe, we should do it." USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale says it's time for fans to speak out and tell owners to take action. Fans need to demand that teams add netting, despite the pleasure of an unimpeded view.

Albert Almora of the Chicago Cubs is comforted by Jason Heyward after checking on a young child who was injured by a hard foul ball off his bat.

Getty Images

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this snappy news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for "The Short List" newsletter here.

Start your day with the 5 Things podcast: Five news stories. Less than five minutes. Free to subscribe.