DULLES, Va. – The Secretary of Homeland Security is ordering all U.S.-bound flights carrying travelers who were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past 21 days to land only at Washington–Dulles International Airport following the discovery of a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak.

The rule applies to flights departing after 11:59 p.m. on May 20, 2026, and remains in effect until canceled.

American doctor tests positive in Ebola outbreak that spurred global health emergency

Measures include screening, temperature checks, and contact tracing if needed.

DHS directs flights from Ebola affected countries to Dulles

The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus was confirmed in northeastern DRC on May 15.

According to an Associated Press report on Thursday, 51 cases have been confirmed in Congo’s northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, and two cases in Uganda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. There are 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases.

• ASU is on a nine-game winning streak, including a Big 12 tournament championship.
• Coach Megan Bartlett believes the team is playing with incredible momentum and confidence.

Momentum is not tangible. It is not something that can be picked up and felt. It cannot literally be seen, but while hard to grasp and seize, momentum is certainly building in Tempe.

No. 19 Arizona State softball (44-16) is preparing to head to the Austin Super Regional in the 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament to take on No. 3 Texas (42-10), with a spot in the Women’s College World Series on the line. It’s a homecoming for coach Megan Bartlett, who coached at Texas before moving to ASU.

Ahead of last week’s Bryan-College Station Regional, after shocking everybody by winning the Big 12 tournament, Bartlett said to The Arizona Republic, “When you have momentum at your back in the postseason, you become real dangerous, real quick.”

Those words proved to be prescient. 

ASU opened up the Bryan-College Station Regional with a run-rule win over McNeese. In the next game, ASU beat No. 15 Texas A&M, coached by former ASU coach Trisha Ford, 4-3, setting up a potentially decisive game in a rematch.

ASU softball shocked the field and won the Big 12 tournament

After an 11-13 regular season, Arizona State softball shocked the field and won the Big 12 tournament. Next up is the Bryan-College Station Regional.

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Then came redshirt senior Brooklyn Ulrich. 

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Ulrich uncorked a titanic grand slam – ending the game right there, 9-1, and sending ASU to the next round.

Just like that, the Sun Devils have become real dangerous, real quick.

Sun Devils underdogs again — and that’s OK

“They just keep doing their thing,” Bartlett said May 20. “People keep asking, ‘What’d you do with these kids?’

“Nothing. It was the same message over and over again. We got healthy, they put the pieces together. At that point, it’s been a lot of confidence and belief. They’re certainly playing with some incredible momentum at their back right now.”

Since losing three straight to Texas Tech in the second-to-last series of the regular season late last month, ASU has won nine games in a row, including the takedown of Texas Tech to win the Big 12 tournament.

The temperature is quickly rising in Arizona, with the end of spring and the start of summer looming. But that’s not the only thing getting hot.

Arizona State softball thrives with Red Mountain alum Brooklyn Ulrich

Arizona native Brooklyn Ulrich talks about her time growing up at Red Mountain and her journey to playing at Arizona State.

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“We feel really confident going into the weekend,” said junior infielder Katie Chester, who hit a two-run home run in the first game against Texas A&M. “We’ve been saying, ‘The Devils are getting hot.’ And we got hot at the right time in the season.”

Despite the confidence built over the past few weeks, ASU is still an underdog. Texas is the defending NCAA champion, coming off ending Oklahoma’s dynastic run of four consecutive NCAA titles.

ASU is trying to use the outsider tag to its advantage.

Brooklyn Ulrich exemplifies ASU’s personality

“We know we’re the underdog going in,” Chester said. “We have nothing to lose. We just go in and play how we play. That’s why we’ve been winning all the games we have.”

For Ulrich, a Mesa native who attended Mesa Westwood and then Red Mountain, this is a moment that she was told wasn’t possible. 

As a kid, she hoped to attend ASU. There’s even a photo of a young Ulrich, sporting a Mesa Mountain View shirt, along the fence at an ASU game. But Ulrich was told by Ford’s Sun Devils coaching staff at the time that she wasn’t good enough to play at ASU.

Ulrich shifted her plans and decided to attend Marshall, where she played for the next four years. When she went into the transfer portal for her final season of eligibility, she was the first player Bartlett targeted. 

A homegrown talent shining for the hometown team could have a far-reaching impact for Bartlett to retain in-state athletes.

“We would love all those Brooklyns to just stay home from the get-go,” Bartlett said. “BK is such a proud Sun Devil. This was the dream from when she was little. We were so thrilled to get her. She’s a super resilient kid. She’s been a tremendous asset. We want those superstar, Arizonian kids to stay home. Be the next BK.”

In Alabama, some of the best history lessons come with a side of ribs.

Across the state, family-owned barbecue restaurants have served as gathering places and landmarks for generations, surviving wars, recessions and major cultural shifts by sticking to what they know: slow-cooked food and the communities that grew up around it.

At Bob Sykes Barbecue in Bessemer, the pit has been going since 1957, and owner Van Sykes says the magic isn’t about chasing the latest flavor trend. “The art of barbecue is not in a rub it’s in patience and time,” Sykes said.

Sykes grew up in the restaurant, taking orders as a child at his parents’ drive-in. Many of the familiar touches are still there, including old signs, original recipes and even the pit. “Whatever the world does, we just get up and do what we do every day and that fire has been burning since 1957,” he said.

The restaurant has weathered economic downturns, wars and COVID, and like many family businesses, it has evolved while keeping its roots intact. Sykes said customers often return to the meals they remember from growing up. “They always come back to the food they grew up on I hadn’t even been home yet, I came by here first,” he said.

In Northport, Archibald’s Bar-B-Q has also drawn generations of customers, even with a small building and a simple menu. Locals and visitors still line up for hickory-smoked ribs that have made the restaurant a staple for more than 70 years.

Owner Woodrow Washington III said keeping the business in the family has been central to its longevity. “Grandmother said keep everybody together and keep it in the family so that’s what we’ve done,” Washington said. “This is Archibald senior— started in 1962 myself and my brother we’re the 2nd and 3rd generation.”

In Tuscaloosa, Dreamland Bar-B-Que has become part of Alabama culture, with walls filled with memories tied to football legends, coaches and families who have been coming for decades.

Longtime customer Hugh Heller said the place still tops every barbecue stop he’s tried across the country. “I’ve lived all over the united states this is still my favorite barbecue of all places I’ve ever eaten,” Heller said.

For Heller, it’s also a familiar landmark that’s easy to return to. “I’ve been coming here for years it’s not hard for me to find this spot not this place,” he said.

Through every generation, these barbecue joints have kept the same rhythm: showing up early, tending the fire and serving the communities around them. In a state known for football, music and history, some of Alabama’s most lasting stories are still being told right around the dinner table.