Editor's Choice: Scroll below for our monthly blend of mainstream and alternative May 2026 news and views. See our News Reports section for coverage of earlier months and years during this unusually heavy news period.

Note: Excerpts are from the authors' words except for subheads and occasional "Editor's notes" such as this. Nearly all excerpts are drawn from news sources for which the Justice Integrity Project pays a subscription. Readers here are encouraged also to subscribe to these outlets also to receive their full coverage and to support their work. 

May 18

Trump DOJ Creates $1.8b Taypayer Paid Slush Fund To Reward Cop-Bashing, Pro-Trump Insurrectionists

Trump plans special $5 tax on every American via Justice Department "settlement" for special narly $1.8 billion slush fund to reward his Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists (some shown above).

• New York Times, By ending his I.R.S. lawsuit, Trump could avoid judicial review of a billion-dollar settlement, Alan Feur and Andrew Duehren, May 18, 2026. President Trump withdrew his lawsuit demanding at least $10 billion against the Internal Revenue Service in an effort to skirt oversight by the judge in the case as he moves toward arranging a fund to funnel taxpayer money to his allies and supporters. 
• Meidas Touch Network, Monday Afternoon News Updates: Trump's Robbery in Plain Sight, Ben Meiselas, right, May 18, 2026. While American families struggle with surging inflation, Trump's DOJ is handing $1.776 billion in taxpayer money to January 6th criminals and MAGA loyalists. 

More Trump Scandals, War-Mongering, Vengeance

President Trump, amid threats May 17 to renew all-out U.S. war against Iran, broadcast on his Truth Social network an image portraying him as about to press what could be a nuclear war button inside a high-tech bunker

• New York Times, Trump threatens Iran as tensions surge again in the Middle East, Aaron Boxerman, May 18, 2026. President Trump threatened renewed war with Iran on Sunday night in his latest ultimatum to the country, which has so far resisted U.S. demands to largely shut down its nuclear program.
• Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: The smoking guns in Trump’s new financial disclosure, Judd Legum, right, May 18, 2026. Trump publicly praised companies the same day he bought their stock.
• The Contrarian, Trump’s Illegal $1.7 Billion Cash Grab, Norman Eisen, right, and Gabriel Lezra, May 18, 2026. And other corruption scandals: A Contrarian Top 10 list. “Follow the money.”
• New York Times, Hegseth will campaign for a House candidate, an extraordinary breach of decorum, Eric Schmitt, May 18, 2026. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a highly unusual move, is scheduled to campaign in Kentucky on Monday alongside Ed Gallrein, a former member of the Navy SEALs who is challenging Representative Thomas Massie in Tuesday’s Republican primary.
• Emptywheel, Analysis: Todd Blanche Attempts to Absolve Himself of Complicity in Bribes to Child Sex Abuse Victims, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), May 18, 2026. As ABC first warned, Donald Trump has attempted to dismiss his lawsuit against himself the IRS and instead invented a slush fund to reward terrorists, cop assailants, and child sex predators.
• PoliticusUSA, Opinion: Questions About Trump's Health Are Getting Louder And Democrats Need To Speak Out, Jason Easley, right, May 18, 2026. The questions about Trump's health are growing so large that even the corporate media is beginning to discuss them. Top Democrats need to break their silence and lead the conversation.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: It’s Trump’s Party and He’ll Crash If He Wants To, Bill Kristol, Andrew Egger and Jim Swift, May 18, 2026. The GOP has never been more Trump’s party. Midterm voters will surely notice.
• Heather Delaney Reese, Opinion: The rapidly declining mental state of the most powerful man on Earth, Heather Delaney Reese, May 18, 2026. Trump is unraveling in real time.

More Top Headlines

A 22-foot effigy of Donald Trump, wrapped in gold leaf, now stands at his Doral golf course in Miami. The president boasted about it on Truth Social with the all-caps line: “The Real Deal — GOLD,” even as he picks fights with other world leaders, such as Pope Leo XIV.

• New York Times, Trump’s Approval Sinks Amid Unpopular War, Darkening G.O.P. Prospects, Lisa Lerer, Ruth Igielnik and Camille Baker, May 18, 2026. With the midterms nearing, President Trump’s approval rating has hit a second-term low as voters question his handling of the economy, according to the latest New York Times/Siena poll.

U.S. Law, Immigration, Crime, Rights, Race, Justice

• The Contrarian, Opinion: The MAGA Supreme Court is Incompatible with Democracy, Jennifer Rubin, right, May 18, 2026. Congress must act.
• New York Times, Over 100,000 Family Separations in Deportation Push, Report Estimates, Miriam Jordan and Jeff Adelson, May 18, 2026. The Brookings Institution suggests that federal statistics are an undercount because immigrant parents are not being asked about or not disclosing their American children.
• New York Times, Live Updates: Jury Rejects Musk’s Claim Against OpenAI, Cade Metz and Mike Isaac, May 18, 2026. Elon Musk accused OpenAI of putting commercial gain over the public good. Jurors decided his claims were barred by the statute of limitations.
• New York Times, Abortion Pill Lawsuit Leaves Trump Silent, and in a Political Bind, Pam Belluck and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, May 18, 2026. Louisiana wants the Food and Drug Administration to curtail access to the medication. Doing so could cost Republicans at the polls.

News Roundups 

Late night on May 17 to 18, President Trump posts on his Truth Social network included portrayals of him pushing a button apparently to launch a nuclear war (above left) and capturing a chained Extra-Terrestial  (ET) alien from outer space located in desert location seemed like Area 51 in New Mexico, an iconic locale for those who believe ET's have long visited Earth and assimilated in various guises into the planet's workaday world almost unnoticed aside from the most discerning leaders and researchers. Trump has sought to reassure those believers that he is the savior who will protect Planet Earth from the ETs.

• The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: "As Bad as it Gets”—Americans Rebuke Trump White House, Trump Posts Content of Him Launching Nuke, Ebola Outbreak Grows, Aaron Parnas, right, May 18, 2026. “It’s as bad as it gets.” That is the warning emerging this morning as Americans increasingly turn against the Trump White House over Iran, the rising cost of living, political chaos, and growing fears about instability at home and abroad.
• Meidas Touch Network, Sunday Afternoon News Updates: Two Nuclear Sites on Fire, Trump Targets Epstein Allies, and the Cuba War Pretex, Ben Meiselas, right, May 17, 2026. The Trump regime is running the same tired Ponzi scheme playbook and hoping you don't notice.
• Hopium Chronicles, Pro-Democracy Advocacy: NYT Has Generic Ballot +11 D, Ukraine's Big Battlefield Win, Mortgage Rates And Brent Crude Rising - Trump's Failures Just Keep Mounting, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 18, 2026. If you choose to look the evidence of Trump’s mounting failures are all around us……

More Global News

• New York Times, In Closed-Door Talks, U.S. Demands a Major Role in Greenland, Jeffrey Gettleman, Maya Tekeli, Anton Troianovski and Eric Schmitt, May 18, 2026. Greenlandic officials worry about the direction of the negotiations aimed at defusing President Trump’s threats to seize their island. But they have little leverage.
• New York Times, Eager for Arms Deal, Taiwan Stresses Need for U.S. Support, Minho Kim, May 18, 2026 (print ed.). After President Trump hinted that weapons sales to Taiwan could figure in negotiations with China, officials emphasized their island’s strategic importance.

More On Iran War

• New York Times, Trump Threatens Iran as Tensions Surge Again in Middle East, Aaron Boxerman, May 18, 2026. The president has sought to force Iran to accept his terms on its nuclear program or else face renewed war. An emboldened Iran has rebuffed Trump’s demands.

More On U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

• The Tilt via New York Times, A Crack in the Polling Floor Puts Trump in New Territory, Nate Cohn, May 18, 2026. A 37 percent approval rating in a new Times/Siena poll suggests the G.O.P. is facing a big midterm problem despite recent redistricting gains.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Live by Trump, Die by Trump, William Kristol, right, May 18, 2026. “This is the party of Donald Trump.” So Sen. Lindsey Graham proclaimed on Meet the Press yesterday, in the wake of Sen. Bill Cassidy’s defeat in the Louisiana Republican primary.
• New York Times, South Carolina Republicans to Debate New House Maps Despite Qualms, Eduardo Medina, May 18, 2026. Under pressure from President Trump, the legislature will consider new House districts this week. Some in the G.O.P. worry changes would be too costly and could backfire.
• Paul Krugman via Substack, Political-Economy Commentary: A Tale of Thucydides, Paul Krugman, right, May 18, 2026. China shouldn’t worry — Trump is too weak and unfocused to be a threat.
• WLWT News 5 (Cincinnati, OH), Final polls published before Kentucky's primary election show deadlocked race between Massie, Gallrein, Kurt Knue, May 18, 2026. After several months of campaigning, the most watched Republican House primary race in the country is now drawing to a close.
• Courthouse News Service, NY Rep. Mike Lawler recounts antisemitic insults from Rand Paul’s son at DC bar, Benjamin S. Weiss, May 13, 2026. The Republican congressman said he was out at a local Washington bar with a reporter and a friend when a man identifying himself as William Paul went on a “ten-minute diatribe” in which he said he hated Jewish and LGBTQ people.

U.S. Religion, Media, Culture, Education

• Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 17, 2026 [Taxpayers Pay For Evangelical Rally At National Mall], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 18, 2026. Thousands of people gathered today on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to engage in an eight-hour taxpayer-funded evangelical worship event to “rededicate” the nation to Christianity. 
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Christian Nationalists Hit the Mall, Andrew Egger, right,   May 18, 2026. Yesterday, a consortium of right-wing Christians gathered on the National Mall for “Rededicate 250,” an event billed as “a National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving.” I would have liked to attend the event, to deliver you a firsthand report on the vibes, but I was prevented: I spent my Sunday at church.
• New York Times, Live Updates: Suspect’s Mother Warned Police of Missing Guns Before Mosque Attack, Tim Arango, Neil Vigdor and Pooja Salhotra, May 18, 2026. Three people were killed in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and two suspects later killed themselves.

Trump DOJ Creates $1.8b Taypayer Paid Slush Fund To Reward Cop-Bashing, Pro-Trump Insurrectionists 

Trump plans special $5 tax on every American via Justice Department "settlement" for special narly $1.8 billion slush fund to reward his Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists (some shown above).

New York Times, By ending his I.R.S. lawsuit, Trump could avoid judicial review of a billion-dollar settlement, Alan Feur and Andrew Duehren, May 18, 2026. President Trump withdrew his lawsuit demanding at least $10 billion against the Internal Revenue Service in an effort to skirt oversight by the judge in the case as he moves toward arranging a fund to funnel taxpayer money to his allies and supporters. 

Under the terms of the agreement released by the Justice Department, a group of five people selected by the Attorney General [Todd Blanche, right, Trump's personal lawyer defending him from criminal and civil fraud charges] will oversee the $1.776 billion compensation fund. The department said that it plans to tap an account used for settling lawsuits to seed the fund.The dismissal is the latest legal turn in an extraordinary attempt by Mr. Trump to win billions of dollars in damages from a government agency he controls.

Administration officials have in recent days considered creating a roughly $1.7 billion fund to compensate political allies, but not Mr. Trump directly, who say they were wronged by the Biden administration. That fund appears to be part of private deal, reached outside the purview of the court, to resolve both Mr. Trump’s I.R.S. lawsuit and his separate administrative claims against the Justice Department, according to people familiar with it who described it to The New York Times last week.

The move by Mr. Trump was a remarkable end-run around the legal system, effectively stripping Judge Kathleen M. Williams, who has been overseeing the case in the Southern District of Florida, of her normal role in approving a formal settlement agreement. By dismissing the case in its entirety, Mr. Trump essentially freed his hand to reach a deal with administration officials without any judicial oversight.

Judge Williams had been considered dismissing Mr. Trump’s suit on her own because he effectively controls both his personal lawyers bringing the complaint and the government lawyers who are supposed to respond to it.

She had ordered the Justice Department, which has yet to make an appearance or filing in the case, and Mr. Trump’s lawyers to brief her by Wednesday to explain whether they were actually in opposition — or were colluding to achieve a mutually agreeable outcome.

In their filing on Monday, Mr. Trump’s lawyers said their dismissal meant that “no judicial analysis is appropriate” for the suit.

The substance of Mr. Trump’s suit stems from the leak of his tax returns to The New York Times in 2019. Mr. Trump, two of his sons and his family business argue that the I.R.S. should have done more to prevent a former contractor from leaking tax information to The Times and ProPublica.

While federal law allows for people to sue the I.R.S. when their tax information is leaked, legal experts saw clear flaws in Mr. Trump’s suit and said that the Justice Department had defended other, similar cases brought by plaintiffs who were not the president. 

Meidas Touch Network, Monday Afternoon News Updates: Trump's Robbery in Plain Sight, Ben Meiselas, right, May 18, 2026. While American families struggle with surging inflation, Trump's DOJ is handing $1.776 billion in taxpayer money to January 6th criminals and MAGA loyalists. 

We need to start today with what may be one of the most brazen acts of corruption this administration — or any administration, quite frankly — has ever committed.

Top stories we’re tracking today:

• The DOJ creates a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” a taxpayer-funded slush fund for January 6th insurrectionists and MAGA loyalists
• Putin arrives in Beijing tonight to sign ~40 agreements with China, including a declaration on a multipolar world
• Iran launches the Persian Gulf Strait Authority along with a corresponding social media account, formalizing official control over the Strait of Hormuz
• Trump posts delusional social media fantasy about Iranian surrender while real negotiations collapse
• CPI inflation on track to hit 5% this year
• Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, the governor of Louisiana, makes a surprise appearance in the country
• Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, is out on the campaign trail in Kentucky today, in clear violation of the Hatch Act
• Democrats hit their highest generic ballot lead ever — plus 11 — as Trump’s approval hits a historic low

Let’s get into it.The $1.776 billion slush fund that is possibly the biggest presidential scandal of all time

This is one of the most corrupt things this administration has done — and the bar is extraordinarily high at this point. Let me actually broaden that. This is one of the most brazen acts of corruption this administration administration has ever committed in history.

The Justice Department announced today the creation of something called the “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” Here is what it actually is: Trump filed a personal lawsuit against the IRS. A federal judge was about to investigate whether the case was collusive — essentially, whether Trump was suing his own government to force taxpayers to pay him. So before that investigation could proceed, the Trump regime dismissed the case and simultaneously used the settlement as justification to create a $1.776 billion fund controlled by the Attorney General, with commission members appointed by and removable by the President himself.

That money, your tax dollars, will now be distributed to January 6th insurrectionists and anyone else the Trump regime decides was a “victim of weaponization.” Todd Blanche, below right, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, is now the one running this fund. The recipients will not be made public (unless they brag about it on social media, I guess)

They’re comparing this to the Keepseagle settlement, which provided relief to Native American farmers who suffered decades of documented, systemic discrimination by the federal government. That comparison is obscene. Keepseagle was a genuine civil rights remedy. This is a president using the Justice Department to reward the people who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol, beat police officers, and tried to overturn an election and making every American taxpayer foot the bill. Republicans in Congress will say nothing. Not a word.

They are robbing the American people in plain sight. This should be one of the biggest scandals in American history, and we are going to keep covering it until the people responsible are held accountable.Putin and Xi are signing ~40 deals. Trump got zero.

Now to the humiliation unfolding in real time on the world stage.

Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing tonight, where he and Xi Jinping are expected to sign approximately 40 written agreements. Forty. They are adopting a joint declaration on the formation of a multipolar world and a new type of international relations. They’re discussing the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline. Trade between the two countries hit nearly $240 billion last year and has been almost entirely shifted to rubles and yuan, structurally protected, they say, from U.S. influence. Oil exports from Russia to China jumped 35% in just the first quarter of this year.

Think about what that means. Trump flew to the Middle East, made grand proclamations, and Xi Jinping gave him nothing. No real deals, no strategic wins. Xi looked Trump in the face and essentially said: the United States is a nation in decline. And Trump nodded along. Now Xi and Putin are formalizing a new world order together, one explicitly designed to diminish American global influence, and they’re signing the paperwork to prove it.

The declaration itself, “on the formation of a multipolar world,” is a direct message to Washington. It’s not subtle. Russia and China are telling the world that the era of American dominance is over. Heck, Xi said it to Trump’s face when he was in Beijing. And Trump is over here posting deranged surrender fantasies on Truth Social.Iran formalizes its control over the Strait

While Trump posts memes, Iran continues to make moves in reality.

Iran has officially launched the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a new governmental body asserting full legal control over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. They’ve created a corresponding social media account, declared that passage through the strait now requires coordination with Iranian authorities, and made clear that ships transiting without permission will be considered in violation of Iranian law.

They’ve also launched something called “Hormuz Safe,” a Bitcoin-backed insurance service for shipping companies that want to transit the strait. They’re projecting $10 billion in revenue from it.

This is the country Trump claimed to have defeated. The country whose navy he said is “resting at the bottom of the sea.” The Islamic Republic is not only still standing. It is now the gatekeeper of one of the most critical shipping lanes on the planet, and it is charging for the privilege of passage.Trump’s social media fantasies vs. reality

Here’s what Trump actually posted this morning: a lengthy fantasy about Iran’s military walking out of Tehran with their hands up, shouting “I surrender,” waving white flags, signing “documents of surrender.” It reads like something a 12-year-old would write after losing a video game.

Meanwhile, the real-world situation is this: Iran rejected the latest U.S. framework, which demanded they hand over 400 kilograms of enriched uranium, limit themselves to one nuclear facility, and accept a 25% withholding of their frozen assets, all before the U.S. would even discuss ending the war. Iran’s position is equally firm: full return of frozen funds, U.S. war compensation, and an end to hostilities before nuclear talks begin. Neither side is moving.

A senior U.S. official told Axios that if Iran doesn’t engage meaningfully on the nuclear program, the next conversation will happen “through bombs.” The New York Times is reporting that U.S. and Israeli officials are making their most intensive military preparations since the ceasefire.

Let’s be honest about what happened here. Trump declared a ceasefire unilaterally after threatening to bomb Iran into oblivion. He reposted Iran’s own framework from their foreign minister. He briefly accepted their terms to halt the fighting. Then he pretended he never agreed to anything. Now he’s demanding total surrender from a country that still controls its nuclear program, its ballistic missiles, its Shaheed drones, and the Strait of Hormuz — and acting confused when they won’t comply.

You either escalate this into a full-scale war with catastrophic consequences for the global economy, or you make concessions. There is no third option where Iran capitulates because of a Truth Social post. The entire world sees this. Iran sees it. Their foreign ministry literally posted an AI-generated mockery of Trump as a circus ringleader surrounded by his own unhinged meme posts. China sees it. Russia sees it. Our allies see it. Bullying allies while enemies sign deals

When Trump comes home feeling like the weakling he is, his go-to move is to bully allies.

Elbridge Colby, the Under Secretary at the Department of Defense, announced this morning that the U.S. is “pausing” the Permanent Joint Board on Defense with Canada. His message was Canada hasn’t been spending enough on defense, so we’re downgrading the relationship. The same Canada that Trump has spent months trying to humiliate, calling the 51st state, attacking economically, alienating culturally. You abuse a neighbor for a year and then act shocked when they start looking toward Europe instead of Washington.

Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy to Greenland, the Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, has arrived on the island to pressure its government into accepting a deal that would give the U.S. permanent military basing rights, veto power over major foreign investments, and control over the territory’s vast natural resources. Greenlandic officials are reportedly terrified these demands would limit their sovereignty for generations. Secret talks are now underway because Trump manufactured a crisis by threatening to seize a sovereign territory belonging to an ally.

China gets a new world order declaration. Russia gets 40 trade deals. Canada gets humiliated. Greenland gets the governor of Louisiana showing up to threaten them. This is Trump’s foreign policy.Inflation keeps getting hotter

We told you this was coming, and people called us hyperbolic. CPI inflation is now on track to hit 5% this year, possibly as high as 5.2% by the November midterms. That would be more than double the February 2026 reading. Monthly inflation has been running hot, and the trend lines are not improving. PPI wholesale prices are already running at 6%.

People cannot afford groceries. They cannot afford gas. Credit card delinquencies are rising. Student loan delinquencies are rising. The economic pain is real and it is accelerating. Trump’s big priority today, by the way, is reportedly adding a helipad to the White House South Lawn because the new Marine One helicopters might damage the grass.The American people are paying attention

Here’s where we leave things today. The latest Siena poll has Democrats up 11 points on the generic ballot, 50% to 39%. That is the highest lead Democrats have ever recorded in that poll. It matches similar numbers in a recent AtlasIntel poll. Trump’s approval rating has hit its lowest point ever, sitting at minus 22.

The American people are watching. They see the corruption. They see the inflation. They see the foreign policy disasters. They see a man who lost a war, lost the respect of the world, and is now using taxpayer money to reward his criminal allies while families struggle to pay their bills.

More Trump Scandals, War-Mongering, Vengeance

President Trump, amid threats May 17 to renew all-out U.S. war against Iran, broadcast on his Truth Social network an image portraying him as about to press what could be a nuclear war button inside a high-tech bunker

New York Times, Trump threatens Iran as tensions surge again in the Middle East, Aaron Boxerman, May 18, 2026. President Trump threatened renewed war with Iran on Sunday night in his latest ultimatum to the country, which has so far resisted U.S. demands to largely shut down its nuclear program.

Mr. Trump said in a social media post that Iran had to move fast “or there won’t be anything left,” adding “the Clock is Ticking.” He did not set a deadline and over the past two months, Mr. Trump has made similar threats to Iran without following through.

Negotiations between the United States and Iran have been stalled for weeks. Mr. Trump has repeatedly warned that he could soon order a renewed assault on Iran unless its leaders made concessions in the talks.

Iran has repeatedly rebuffed U.S. terms for a deal to curb uranium enrichment and end attempts to blockaded the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for shipping oil and gas. The turmoil over the strait has roiled markets and sent the price of oil soaring.

On Monday, Iran said it had handed yet another counterproposal to the United States in the negotiations. The Iranian foreign ministry said that the talks were still continuing through Pakistan, which has been mediating between the two sides.

Asked about Mr. Trump’s threats, Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman told reporters: “Don’t worry, we know very well how to respond.” He did not elaborate further, although Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened fierce retaliation if attacked again by the United States and Israel.

The Pentagon is planning for the possibility that Operation Epic Fury — which was paused when the president declared a cease-fire last month — will pick up again in the coming days.

Two Middle East officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, said that the United States and Israel are engaged in intense preparations — the largest since the cease-fire took effect — for the possible resumption of attacks against Iran as early as this week.

The war began in late February with a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran that drew much of the Middle East into the conflict.

But analysts say the United States has faced a tough dilemma since a cease-fire was declared last month. U.S. and Israeli war planes could again start attacking Iran from the air, but many military analysts say bombing alone is unlikely to force Iran to agree to American demands. 

Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: The smoking guns in Trump’s new financial disclosure, Judd Legum, right, May 18, 2026. Trump publicly praised companies the same day he bought their stock.

On March 11, President Trump took a tour of a manufacturing facility in Reading, Ohio, owned by Thermo Fisher Scientific, a medical supply company. During the tour, Trump lavished praise on Thermo Fisher which uses the facility to manufacture prescription drugs on a contract basis. “It’s a great honor being here. It’s a great company,” Trump said, appearing alongside CEO Marc Casper. “You have done a fantastic job and I’d like to congratulate you.”

Later, Trump asked another Thermo Fisher executive to share “some great information about this incredible company.” The executive talked about how Thermo Fisher is producing drugs for Merck and others at the facility. Trump then explicitly encouraged other pharmaceutical companies to contract with Thermo Fisher to “on-shore” more jobs. He claimed that some pharmaceutical companies were building their own U.S. manufacturing facilities but said “they can get here a lot faster by using this great company.”

Trump did not mention that, the same day of the tour, March 11, he purchased between $15,000 and $50,000 of Thermo Fisher stock. (Federal disclosure rules only require filers to list their transactions in broad ranges.) Trump did not publicly disclose the purchase until May 14. It was listed on page 38 of a 113-page document cataloging Trump’s stock purchases in 2026.

Trump also purchased between $51,000 and $115,000 worth of Thermo Fisher stock about one month before his visit on February 12. He made another purchase of Thermo Fisher valued between $15,000 and $50,000 on March 2. So at the time of Trump’s effusive remarks about Thermo Fisher, he had purchased as much as $215,000 worth of the company’s stock over the previous month.

The fact that Trump visited a Thermo Fisher facility on the same day he purchased the company’s stock — and bought Thermo Fisher stock repeatedly in the weeks before his visit — has not previously been reported.

The disclosures reveal that Trump has been a highly active trader in 2026, executing thousands of transactions — many in individual stocks impacted by his administration’s policies. In response to criticism, a spokesperson for the Trump Organization claimed that the trades were completely separate from Trump’s official duties and managed by an independent outside financial advisor. “President Trump’s investment holdings are maintained exclusively through fully discretionary accounts independently managed by third-party financial institutions with sole and exclusive authority over all investment decisions,” the spokesperson said. “Trades are executed and portfolios are balanced through automated investment processes and systems administered by those institutions.”

The fact that Trump purchased stock in Thermo Fisher the same day that he toured its facility undercuts this claim. Further, the March 11 purchase of Thermo Fisher stock was marked “UNSOLICITED” in the document. An “unsolicited” trade is one that is not recommended by a broker, but initiated by the customer.

If Trump wanted to legally remove himself from investment decisions he could do so by creating a qualified blind trust. Instead, before returning to the White House, Trump transferred his assets in a trust that is managed by his son, Donald Trump Jr. There are no legal or practical barriers preventing Trump from being involved in the management of his assets.

Upgrade to a paid subscription to support independent accountability journalism.Subscribed“I say it kiddingly, but I’m actually not kidding.”

Thermo Fisher was not the only company featured in Trump’s official remarks and his investment portfolio that day.

After touring the Thermo Fisher facility in Ohio, Trump traveled to Kentucky and delivered a speech that afternoon. During his remarks, Trump singled out Apple and CEO Tim Cook for praise. “Apple, a great company, $2.5 billion to manufacture 100 percent of the glass for iPhones and Apple Watches right here in Kentucky factories,” Trump declared. “Apple [is] spending $650 billion on new plants all over the United States. Think of that. Who the hell else could have done this, nobody else. Nobody else. I say it kiddingly, but I’m actually not kidding. Nobody else could… he’s done a good job, Tim Cook.”

The same day, March 11, Trump purchased between $250,000 and $500,000 of Apple stock. The entry on the disclosure form is also marked “UNSOLICITED.”

Trump had purchased between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000 of Apple stock in an “UNSOLICITED” purchase on March 2. In total, Trump purchased between $2 million and $7.2 million in Apple stock during the month of March 2026, including five unsolicited purchases. (He sold smaller amounts of Apple stock on March 6 and March 27.)

During the speech, Trump also worked in another plug for Thermo Fisher. “I just came from Thermo Fisher Scientific in Reading, Ohio, right across the way, the great American company that’s investing $2 billion in domestic manufacturing,” Trump told the crowd.“One of the hottest companies”

On March 25, Trump purchased between $50,000 and $100,000 in Micron stock. The transaction was marked “UNSOLICITED.”

The next day, Trump called in to Fox News’ popular talk show, The Five. In the interview, he said he had recently met with Micron’s top executive and talked up the company’s prospects. “I just left the head of Micron. It’s one of the hottest companies,” Trump said.

Overall, Trump purchased between $217,000 and $530,000 in Micron between March 2 and March 25, including four unsolicited transactions. The fact that Trump touted Micron after building up a large position in its stock has not been previously reported.“Go out and buy a Dell Computer”

There was also overlap between Trump’s public remarks and his investment in Dell Technologies. On February 10, Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million worth of Dell Technologies stock.

During an economic speech in Georgia nine days later, Trump told the audience to “go out and buy a Dell computer,” saying the company made “phenomenal products.” Trump praised Dell CEO Michael Dell, and his wife, for financially supporting “Trump Accounts” for newborns. The proximity of Trump’s February 19 speech to his purchase of at least $1 million in Dell stock has not been previously reported.

Trump also purchased between $15,000 and $50,000 of Dell stock on March 2 and again on March 11. Both of those transactions were marked “UNSOLICITED.” He made a final purchase of Dell stock, valued between $1,000 and $15,000 on March 23.

Trump also continued to encourage people to buy Dell computers. He pitched Dell products on February 27, March 9, April 16, and May 8. The May 8 remarks, delivered at a Mother’s Day event, helped propel Dell’s stock to an all-time high.

Other Trump stock purchases appear well timed to take advantage of Trump administration policies. For example, NOTUS reported that Trump “purchased $500,000 to $1 million worth of Nvidia stock on January 6, a week before the Commerce Department officially approved the sale of some Nvidia chips to China.” Similarly, NOTUS found that Trump, on January 6, purchased between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of stock in AMD, another chip-maker that was approved to do business with China on January 13.

By law, Trump was required to report all of these trades within 45 days. He missed that deadline for many of his trades. As a result, Trump was fined $200.

I’ve been doing campaign finance research since 1997. The bad news is that the influence of big money on our political system has not waned. The good news is that, with the right training, it is easier than ever to access public information about who is trying to buy influence.

With the midterm elections approaching, I’m pulling back the curtain on the research methods I’ve developed over nearly 30 years. I am hosting a webinar that will cover:

• Exactly how money will flow into the 2026 midterm elections.
• How to efficiently and accurately identify what corporations and individuals are donating to any candidate or cause.
• When and where new information will become available as election day approaches.
• The tactics that powerful people and corporations use to try to hide their spending.
• In the second half of the webinar, I’ll answer questions directly from the audience. The webinar will take place Friday, June 5 at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Emptywheel, Analysis: Todd Blanche Attempts to Absolve Himself of Complicity in Bribes to Child Sex Abuse Victims, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), May 18, 2026. As ABC first warned, Donald Trump has attempted to dismiss his lawsuit against himself the IRS and instead invented a slush fund to reward terrorists, cop assailants, and child sex predators.

Plaintiffs President Donald J. Trump, Donald J. Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and The Trump Organization, LLC (collectively, “Plaintiffs”), by and through undersigned counsel, hereby give notice of the voluntary dismissal of this action with prejudice pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A)(i).1

1 Although Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i) filings are sometimes colloquially styled as “motions,” the Eleventh Circuit has made clear that a Rule 41(a)(1)(A) dismissal is self-executing, terminates the action upon filing, and divests the district court of jurisdiction. See Est. of W. v. Smith, 9 F.4th 1361, 1367–68 (11th Cir. 2021); Anago Franchising, Inc. v. Shaz, LLC, 677 F.3d 1272, 1277–78 (11th Cir. 2012). Plaintiffs accordingly file this document as a Notice rather than a motion, as the notice does not require judicial action. Est. of W., 9 F.4th at 1368.

Some likely recipients are already celebrating.

And while Todd Blanche claims the slush fund he’s setting up must avoid fraud…

At the Attorney General’s direction, the Fund can be audited. The Fund must take steps to protect private information and avoid fraud. The Fund shall cease processing claims no later than December 15, 2028.

The fine print absolves DOJ of any fraud committed with the fund.

Once the funds are deposited into the Designated Account, the United States has no liability whatsoever for the protection or safeguarding of those funds, regardless of bank failure, fraudulent transfers, or any other fraud or misuse of funds.

As I noted, Andrew Paul Johnson attempted to silence the young boy he sexually molested by promising him a share of payout he expected from being a Jan6ers.

Andrew also told [redacted] that since he was pardoned for storming the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, and he was being awarded $10,000,000 as a result of being a “jan 6’er”. Andrew did tell [redacted] that he would be putting him in his “will” to take any money he had left over. This tactic was believed to be used to keep [redacted] from exposing what Andrew had done to him.

There will be Jan6ers everywhere planning new crimes with money they win, at the same time as Blanche is moving to kill the convictions of the Oath Keeprs and Proud Boys, including those who were adjudged to be terrorists.

And Blanche is attempting to absolve everything that happens after the slush fund gets created.

Update: I forgot a key detail. Blanche is announcing this criminal slush fund the day before he testifies before the House Appropriations Committee. The Subcommittee is stacked with Republicans who represent far right districts (including Andrew Clyde, who said Jan6 was just tourism), so Blanche may be hoping to get the appearance of Congressional buy-in.

The Contrarian, Trump’s Illegal $1.7 Billion Cash Grab, Norman Eisen, right, and Gabriel Lezra, May 18, 2026. And other corruption scandals: A Contrarian Top 10 list.

“Follow the money.”

That advice from All the President’s Men has never been more apt than in this second Trump administration. That’s why my Contrarian colleagues and I published our original and then our updated top 10 list of Donald Trump and his cronies’ worst corruption scandals. (White House photo)

Since then, every entry has either metastasized or made room for something worse — which is why we have put together this third edition of the list. It features a new king of the (dung) hill. Trump’s own Justice Department is reportedly negotiating to hand him a $1.7 billion fund dressed up as the “settlement” of a lawsuit in which he sits as both plaintiff and defendant — which we are fighting back on in court, thanks as always to your paid subscriptions.Subscribed

And there is so much more, as you will see below, from putrescent pardons to family funny business and from gold cards to gold phones.

1. Pickpocketing the Public

Trump sued his own IRS for $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns, as detailed in my weekly column and our Contrarian Q&A. It’s a preposterous case he brought because he knew no one in his administration would stand up to him — and he was right. His own Justice Department is now poised to settle the case by creating a $1.7 billion fund at his behest for supposed “weaponzation” victims of the prior administration. This is a smash-and-grab job, pure and simple: Trump wants to raid the American treasury to line his allies’ pockets, even potentially funneling money into his own related entities.

Now Trump is trying to escape court supervision by dismissing his complaint. Well, we won’t let him. At Democracy Defenders Action, we are proud to represent over 90 members of Congress together with Platkin LLP. We have just filed a legal brief in the case explaining that the court has the power to put a stop to these shenanigans and should do so.

2. Putrid Pardon Ploys

The second spot on our list is occupied by Trump’s worst pardons, serving the same transactional logic: reward loyalty, pay back donors, neutralize perceived enemies. And if his clemency for nearly 1,600 Jan. 6 cop assaulters and other insurrectionists were not bad enough, Trump is now considering another wholesale abuse of this constitutional authority. He wants to grant 250 pardons for our 250th anniversary, turning the pardon power into a promotional ploy.

Sometimes Trump skips the pardon entirely and gets straight to the corruption. The DOJ is reportedly preparing to drop its bribery case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, right, who was indicted in 2024 for an alleged $265 million scheme to bribe officials and defraud American investors, after Adani hired one of Trump’s personal lawyers, Robert J. Giuffra Jr. Giuffra reportedly walked DOJ officials through 100 slides at an April meeting and offered a “sweetener”: drop the charges, and Adani invests $10 billion in the U.S. economy and creates 15,000 jobs. At that same meeting, Giuffra reportedly worked to kill the Securities and Exchange Commission’s parallel civil case (the SEC announced its Adani settlement last week) and a Treasury Department investigation (Treasury will reportedly announce its own deal within days). That’s Trump’s Justice Department, folks.

3. Trump’s Terrible Trades

Ethics and stock market experts alike were stunned by a May 14 Trump ethics filing revealing that he or his investment advisers made more than 3,700 stock trades in the first quarter, “a flurry totaling tens of millions of dollars and involving major companies that have dealings with his administration,” according to Bloomberg.

Trump has not moved his assets into a blind trust or put them into diversified mutual funds — both structures would mean his net worth would be insulated from his official decisions. Instead, we got the news of trades involving companies in which Trump has had heavy decision-making authority, including Intel and Nvidia. He also appears to have invested on every side of the odious Paramount-Warner merger, which is under review by his administration. “A spokesperson for the Trump Organization earlier said that the president’s holdings are independently managed by third-party financial institutions,” the Tribune News Service reported. “Trump, his family members and his company play no role in making transactions … receive no advance notice of trading activity and provide no input.” But “this is an insane amount of trades,” said one Wall Streeter. Ya think?

4. Eric Trump’s Conflict-of-Interest Roadshow

Trump’s son Eric, above right, is not-so-quietly doing his level best to become a big boy corporate executive — but his ventures often seem to need something from his dad’s government. For example, he tagged along on the president’s diplomatic trip to Beijing, supposedly in his “personal capacity.” But two companies that have been linked to him are entangled with Chinese firms. Eric was, until recently, a board “observer” at ALT5 Sigma, a crypto company that recently signed an MOU with Chinese company Nano. And he also has a significant ownership stake in American Bitcoin Corp, which has reportedly received preferential treatment from Chinese company Bitmain. Separately, Republicans in Congress have said both those Chinese firms pose national security risks.

Meanwhile Eric’s “let’s create a Terminator” startup just landed a $24 million contract to build battlefield humanoid robots for the Pentagon; and he and Don Jr. have an interest in a drone company that’s trying to sell its tech to Gulf states that are caught in the Iran war crossfire — which, of course, their father started. Being a Trump is the grift that keeps on giving.

5. More Trump Crypto, Fewer Problems

The Trump family crypto vehicle keeps spawning new schemes. The latest, WorldClaw, is an AI-services platform that takes payment in Trump-affiliated WLFI stablecoin, requiring members to invest in these functionally worthless assets to pay for its services. But that’s not even the worst part: the company is conducting a raffle for dinner with Donald Trump Jr. at his father’s Florida home — but is explicitly excluding U.S. residents from entering. Meanwhile, there’s a pending Commerce Department inspector general investigation we demanded with Platkin LLP into whether the administration’s reversal on AI chip exports to a United Arab Emirates-backed company was quid pro quo for a $500 million WLFI investment. Despite all of this — and all the additional crypto corruption we’ve meticulously detailed — Congress just advanced landmark crypto market structure legislation out of the Senate Banking Committee, but it refused to include a single ethics provision that we called for to address any of Trump’s massive conflicts.

6. The Meme Coin Grift

Trump held another exclusive dinner for top buyers of his meme coin in April. The coin has been carnage: The Trump coin has dropped roughly 97% in value since its peak around the inauguration, and the Melania coin is down about 99%. Retail investors have lost an estimated $4.3 billion while a handful of Trump-linked insiders walked away with hundreds of millions through early-deployment wallets. Running a pump-and-dump scheme to fleece normal people into buying a worthless piece of internet code branded with Trump’s likeness — that’s almost too on the nose (or the face).

7. The Epstein Files Cover-Up

Democracy Defenders Fund has built a case that the DOJ is openly defying the Epstein Files Transparency Act — and on April 23, the OIG officially launched an audit in direct response to our three complaints. We are also litigating in court to force the release of key files, and our running review keeps cataloguing the missing 3 million pages and the DOJ-buried records NPR exposed. The cover up directly implicates Trump’s Cabinet. We also demanded Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick resign after the released files contradicted his sworn statements about Epstein. We’ve documented how banks were repeatedly forced to confront dozens of pages of horrific allegations as they did business with Epstein and how Epstein kept Steve Bannon in the loop as he advised on how a Russian oligarch could avoid U.S. sanctions. This scandal is not going anywhere — and neither are we.

8. Fool’s Gold from Phones to Cards

The Trump Gold Card has gone from corrupt to corrupt and pathetic. According to The Hill, the year-old program, which Lutnick claimed would raise $100 billion and attract 80,000 buyers, has seen exactly one applicant approved — at $1 million, down from Trump’s original $5 million pitch. But don’t worry: We are still in court to stop the scheme from displacing the scientists, researchers, and physicians the EB-1 and EB-2 categories were designed to prioritize.

Then there is the golden Trump phone. After buyers put down a $100 deposit, delivery was repeatedly delayed for a year and the terms of service were changed, making many angry. The phone is finally said to be coming, but we’ll believe it when we see it.

9. Trump’s Foreign Real Estate Boom

The Trump Organization just unveiled plans for Trump Tower Tbilisi — a 70-story skyscraper that would become Georgia’s tallest building and the centerpiece of a $2 billion development. The Tbilisi deal lands amid an exploding string of foreign licensing arrangements signed since Trump’s re-election, with the family’s foreign licensing income surging by 650% in 2024 (and continuing to climb). This part of Trump’s racket is not getting as much attention as some of the flashier schemes — but it’s no less corrupt.

10. Trump’s D.C. Renovation Racket

Trump’s vanity project pipeline keeps growing: first, he demolished the East Wing to create the ballroom he continues to obsess over. We sued over his illegal dumping in a public golf course and park of the debris from the demolition containing toxic substances. Next, he tried to rename the Kennedy Center and close it for renovation — moves we are also fighting in court.

Now we can add the latest fiasco, his deranged decision to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “American flag blue“ — a project that will apparently cost a whopping $13.1 million. There was, of course, no bidding process for that project, which went to a company that had never previously held a federal contract. At first, Trump bragged about funneling this money to people who “worked for me in the past, doing swimming pools.” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum admitted under questioning that he wasn’t “familiar” with the firm. Trump’s claim was such a corruption self-own that he felt it necessary to backtrack, later saying “I didn’t give out the contract, ‘Interior’ did, to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before.” Sure, man.

Honorable Mention: Trump’s Qatari Boeing

The Qatari plane situation has only grown more brazen. The Air Force is now apparently targeting July 4, the country’s 250th anniversary, to deploy the $400 million flying emoluments clause violation. And remember — it’s not just that $400 million: You, the taxpayer, paid nearly $1 billion to retrofit the plane, money we pulled from a nuclear weapons program. This gaudy new plane is so clearly a gift that officials are reportedly even trying to move up delivery to align with Trump’s June 14 birthday.

Gabriel Lezra is senior policy strategist at Democracy Defenders Action and Democracy Defenders Fund. Norm Eisen is the publisher of the Contrarian. 

Heather Delaney Reese, Opinion: The rapidly declining mental state of the most powerful man on Earth, Heather Delaney Reese, May 18, 2026. Trump is unraveling in real time.

On a Sunday afternoon, in between rounds of golf and relaxing inside the White House, the President of the United States spent hours posting content on social media that would have triggered immediate intervention under any other presidency. He shared a fake image of himself in a spaceship, his finger on a glowing red button, a mushroom cloud rising from the surface of the Earth below him with the words “TARGET DESTROYED” on screen. He posted himself walking on a military tarmac beside a shackled alien. He shared an image of the entire Middle East draped in the American flag, with arrows converging on Iran from every direction, an annexation fantasy of an entire region. He posted a fake image of former President Biden, who has been diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, depicted as a corpse floating in sewage. And he shared videos of himself launching missiles from battleships with the words “fire, bomb” stamped across the footage.

Every president since 1945 has understood that the visual of nuclear annihilation is sacred ground. You do not joke about it. You do not fantasize about it. You do not post it on social media. The mushroom cloud is the line every American leader has known not to cross, because the moment a sitting president treats nuclear war as a personal flex, the credibility of every deterrent we have begins to erode. He crossed that line because there is no one left to stop him. The filters are gone. The staff who used to intervene are gone. The advisors who used to take the phone away are gone. What we saw is not a series of separate incidents. It is one window into a single day in the life of the most powerful man on the planet.

But even as he unravels in public, the structures beneath him are still holding where they can. This weekend, the Senate parliamentarian blocked the billion-dollar ballroom funding the administration tried to slip into the GOP budget bill, ruling it needed sixty votes to move forward, votes Republicans almost certainly do not have. A Senate official read the rules and refused to bend. That is what the resistance looks like when it works. People are still following the rules. Legally resisting. Every voice that keeps going makes it harder for them to finish what they started. And the man at the top is coming apart in front of the whole world. November is coming.

We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.

President Trump, a close friend and collaborator of the late financier, child rapist and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, has launched all-out efforts against those Republicans like Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie who pushed the Trump Justice Department to disclose devastating documents about Epstein, his fellow rapist Ghislaine Maxwell and their associates, including Trump -- with the latter mentioned in the disclosures an estimated one million times before Trump's Justice Department blocked any further disclosures.

New York Times, Hegseth will campaign for a House candidate, an extraordinary breach of decorum, Eric Schmitt, May 18, 2026. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, shown above in a White House file photo, in a highly unusual move, is scheduled to campaign in Kentucky on Monday alongside Ed Gallrein, a former member of the Navy SEALs who is challenging Representative Thomas Massie in Tuesday’s Republican primary.

Even for Mr. Hegseth, who has stretched the boundaries of partisan politics in his job leading the Pentagon, it would be an extraordinary breach of decorum for a serving defense secretary to campaign for a political candidate. Pentagon officials typically stay far away from such activities to maintain the military’s apolitical image.

Mr. Hegseth’s top aides, who noted that the secretary will also travel to Fort Campbell, Ky., on Monday to award Purple Heart medals to soldiers, pushed back on any notion of impropriety about the campaign stop.

“Secretary Hegseth is attending this event in his personal capacity,” Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. “No taxpayer dollars will be used to facilitate his visit. His participation has been thoroughly vetted and cleared by lawyers, including the Department of War Office of General Counsel, and does not violate the Hatch Act or any other applicable federal statute.”

Mr. Massie, right, has voted repeatedly against President Trump’s policies, including the war in Iran and his tax legislation, and the president has promised to replace him. Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. Gallrein in October. 

More Top Stories

A 22-foot effigy of Donald Trump, wrapped in gold leaf, now stands at his Doral golf course in Miami. The president boasted about it on Truth Social with the all-caps line: “The Real Deal — GOLD,” even as he picks fights with other world leaders, such as Pope Leo XIV.

New York Times, Trump’s Approval Sinks Amid Unpopular War, Darkening G.O.P. Prospects, Lisa Lerer, Ruth Igielnik and Camille Baker, May 18, 2026. With the midterms nearing, President Trump’s approval rating has hit a second-term low as voters question his handling of the economy, according to the latest New York Times/Siena poll.

Most voters think President Trump made the wrong decision to go to war with Iran, a New York Times/Siena poll found, leaving the Republican Party on rocky political footing heading into the midterm elections as his approval rating sinks and economic concerns rise.

Majorities of voters said that the war was not worth the costs and held deeply pessimistic views about the economy.

Mr. Trump’s approval rating — a key historical predictor of how a president’s party will fare in an election — has sunk to a second-term low in Times/Siena polls of 37 percent amid the deeply unpopular Middle East conflict.

Nearly two-thirds of voters said that going to war had been the wrong decision, including almost three-quarters of politically crucial independents. Less than a quarter of all voters thought the conflict had been worth the costs. 

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: It’s Trump’s Party and He’ll Crash If He Wants To, Bill Kristol, Andrew Egger and Jim Swift, May 18, 2026. The GOP has never been more Trump’s party. Midterm voters will surely notice.

A month and a half ago, Donald Trump reached into his bag of negotiatin’ tricks and pulled out a few threats of genocide: If the “crazy bastards” of Iran wouldn’t “Open the Fuckin’ Strait,” the president warned, a “whole civilization” would die. Didn’t work then, but maybe second time’s the charm: “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking,” Trump posted on Truth Social yesterday, “and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.” Happy Monday.

U.S. Law, Immigration, Crime, Rights, Race, Justice

The Contrarian, Opinion: The MAGA Supreme Court is Incompatible with Democracy, Jennifer Rubin, right, May 18, 2026. Congress must act.

 The MAGA Supreme Court majority put a stake through the Voting Rights Act, at least for now, and unleashed a frenzy of chaotic redistricting in the South designed to erase 60 years of voting rights progress. The MAGA justices aggrandized power specifically delegated to Congress in the 14th Amendment (“The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article”) and the 15th Amendment (“The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation”) to themselves, dismissing Congress’s clear intent to prohibit redistricting that has the effect of diluting minority voting power.

Carolyn Shapiro exposed the power grab:

Congress’ clear command in the 1982 VRA amendments that it was protecting minority voters from redistricting that had the effect of reducing their voting power relative to other voters should mean that a state’s desire to advantage one party over another is irrelevant to Section 2 liability. … [I]it essentially incorporates the law of unconstitutional intentional discrimination into Section 2 – precisely what Congress was trying to avoid. But Callais also all but holds that Congress’ power under the 15th Amendment is limited to restricting discriminatory intent, not discriminatory effects.

The Voting Rights Act antagonists did not have the nerve to strike down the Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional. The VRA therefore remains nominally on the books but of virtually no value. (We will see how seriously the MAGA majority takes Callais’s assurance that intentional discrimination can still be prohibited; after all, that is precisely what the three-judge panel found in striking down Alabama’s map.) In sidelining Congress and claiming authority to dictate remedies needed to fulfill the promise of the 14th and 15th Amendments, the Callais majority sparked a massive movement in defense of voting rights, which was kicked off at Saturday’s All Roads Lead to the South protest. The Rev. Bernice A. King speaks at Saturday’s All Roads Lead to the South rally in Alabama. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Bender)

The MAGA justices’ reactionary judicial activism is rooted in an insidious sleight of hand. Callais is just their latest willful misreading of the post-Civil War amendments, which never sought to outlaw the race-conscious remedies needed to guarantee the ex-enslaved full citizenship. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson documented in her pristine originalist interpretation, the canard of a “colorblind society” does not derive from the intent, legislative history, or text; it is an invention that comes from deliberately rewriting the 14th and 15th Amendments and the VRA in service of white Republican power.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. takes umbrage at the notion the court has become “political.” Gosh, where would people get that idea? Steve Vladeck explained:

[T]he Court inserted itself into the midterm cycle—and set off this race to the bottom—knowingly (if not deliberately), both in what it ruled in Callais and in its willingness to issue the judgment immediately. That latter development was an unmissable signal that it was not averse to having this exact kind of chaos unfold on the ground—a point Justice Jackson made explicitly in her dissent from last Monday’s order. In her words, “as always, the Court has a choice.” …

This, to me, is the key point: whatever one thinks of the ruling in Callais, the Court chose this chaos.. .. Worse than that, all of these developments rather fatally undermine what I’d always understood to be the animating purpose of the so-called “Purcell principle”—which makes sense only as a strong norm against federal judicial intervention in the middle of election cycles. The Court’s own interventions are now wreaking havoc—and a majority of the justices either don’t think it’s their fault, or don’t care that it is.

Having discarded any pretense of political neutrality or consistency, MAGA justices should prepare to reap the whirlwind. They should anticipate that a backlash against Jim Crow will seek to end judicial intrusion into partisan politics and policy matters (e.g., commandeering voting rights remedies, superseding administrative rules with nebulous doctrines such as the Major Questions doctrine) and to re-assert the authority of the elected branches of government.

Democrats should be candid and uncompromising about their plans. An unhinged court, beginning with Shelby County, has exceeded the Plessy court in cementing white supremacy. Proposals to expand seats on the court are not simply designed to match the number of federal circuits; imposing term limits is not merely intended to prevent infirmed justices from lingering on the court. Democrats are prepared to do these things and potentially curtail the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction because the court has become a rogue threat to democracy. That message was on display in a demonstration of grassroots political power on Saturday: Democracy belongs to the people, not to right-wing justices putting their thumbs on the scale for Republicans.

Dramatic reform measures would not be necessary if the MAGA justices had not willfully misinterpreted post-Civil War amendments or played fast and loose with the Purcell doctrine. Had MAGA justices not trashed stare decisis to achieve partisan aims, manipulated the shadow docket to disguise executive power grabs, and brazenly dispensed with any pretense of partisan neutrality, serious judicial reform would not be essential.

Saturday’s Day of Action gave us a preview of the fierce political backlash against Jim Crow that can check judicial tyranny. Democracy defenders must turn out in overwhelming numbers but also apply a litmus test for every candidate for federal office: Will you rein in partisan judicial hacks who made hash of separation of powers and endangered multi-racial democracy?

Democrats will not have the opportunity to control Congress and the presidency until 2029. Nevertheless, they must start now to focus voters’ attention, as they did on Saturday, on MAGA justices’ quest to displace the voters’ elected representatives (i.e., overriding the VRA’s intent) in service of Jim Crow. MAGA justices delegitimized the Supreme Court; it’s up to the voters, through the elected branches, to end their foray into judicial imperialism that threatens multi-racial democracy.

Arrogant judicial partisans steeped in myths about the 14th and 15th Amendments have revealed their hostility to pluralistic democracy. If voters want their democracy back, they will have to elect a Congress and president willing to reassert popular sovereignty essential to our constitutional order. Judging from the democratic fervor on Saturday, voters appear up to the task.

New York Times, Over 100,000 Family Separations in Deportation Push, Report Estimates, Miriam Jordan and Jeff Adelson, May 18, 2026. The Brookings Institution suggests that federal statistics are an undercount because immigrant parents are not being asked about or not disclosing their American children.

Ledy Ordonez was on the job at a San Antonio seafood wholesaler last July when immigration agents entered the facility, taking her and about a dozen others into custody. The single mother remains in detention, separated from her only child, Alonzo, a U.S.-born 2-year-old now in the care of a friend.

“He can walk and talk now,” Ms. Ordonez said from a detention center in Texas. “I’ve missed so much.”

A new analysis suggests that more than 100,000 children have been separated from their parents during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. And roughly three-quarters of those children, like Alonzo, are likely U.S. citizens, according to estimates from the Brookings Institution that were shared with The New York Times.

The Brookings estimate of the number of children who are U.S. citizens is more than double the amount that would be expected over the same time period based on official Department of Homeland Security data. The researchers, whose report is based on a statistical analysis of the detainee population, argue the official statistics are an undercount because of how the government collects that information.

The findings point to a scale of family separations that far eclipses that of the first Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy in 2018, when about 5,500 children were removed from their parents immediately after crossing the southern border.

D.H.S. did not directly respond to questions about the number of parents who had been detained or the analysis suggesting that the official statistics did not reflect the full number of U.S.-born children whose parents had been arrested.

D.H.S. said in a statement that parents are given a choice of being removed with their children or placing their U.S.-born children with a designee. 

New York Times, Live Updates: Jury Rejects Musk’s Claim Against OpenAI, Cade Metz and Mike Isaac, May 18, 2026. Elon Musk, above, accused OpenAI of putting commercial gain over the public good. Jurors decided his claims were barred by the statute of limitations.

A jury on Monday rejected Elon Musk’s lawsuit claiming that OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company he co-founded, had violated its original mission by putting commercial interests over the good of humanity.

The closely watched case, which unfolded over the course of more than three weeks, had the potential of upending the fast-growing A.I. landscape. Mr. Musk accused OpenAI and its leaders, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, of “stealing a charity” by attaching a commercial company to the start-up’s original nonprofit and taking billions of dollars in investments from Microsoft. He also accused the executives of unjustly enriching themselves through the nonprofit.

But the nine-person jury in Oakland, Calif., didn’t rule on the merits of the argument. Instead, it found that Mr. Musk did not bring his lawsuit until after the three-year statute of limitations expired, nullifying his claim. Mr. Musk filed his suit against the $730 billion artificial intelligence start-up in the summer of 2024, but the jury found that he was aware of the behavior discussed in his complaint against OpenAI as far back as 2021.

That means that the jury found that OpenAI; Mr. Altman, its chief executive; and Greg Brockman, its president, were not liable for the claims Mr. Musk brought against the company.

Mr. Altman is now free to solidify his control of OpenAI, which appears headed toward one of the largest initial public offerings in history. The company also will be free to pursue a data center expansion plan that could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

Mr. Musk had asked for $150 billion in damages and wanted Mr. Altman to be kicked off OpenAI’s board of directors. He also wanted to unwind a move that OpenAI made to become a for-profit company ahead of an initial public offering as early as this year.

Though Mr. Altman, Mr. Brockman and Mr. Musk all attended portions of the proceedings, they were not in the courtroom for the verdict.

(The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to A.I. systems. The two companies have denied the suit’s claims.)

OpenAI reaction: In the hallway outside the courtroom, lawyers for OpenAI hugged and congratulated one another with big slaps on the back. William Savitt, OpenAI’s lead counsel, said outside the courthouse that he was “delighted” by the verdict. “I can’t say whether Mr. Musk will appeal, but we are very, very confident in our case,” he said.

Musk response: Marc Toberoff, one of Mr. Musk’s lawyers, gave a one-word comment on the decision: “Appeal.” Mr. Musk’s lead counsel, Steven Molo, told Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers that Mr. Musk intended to appeal.

Microsoft not liable: The jury’s decision means that Microsoft, OpenAI’s chief partner and another defendant in the case, is also not liable for Mr. Musk’s claims. His suit accused Microsoft of aiding and abetting OpenAI in breaching its founding agreement. In a statement, Microsoft said, “The facts and the timeline in this case have long been clear and we welcome the jury’s decision to dismiss these claims as untimely.”

Remaining claims: Some of the claims made in Mr. Musk’s suit still remain. The suit also made antitrust claims against Microsoft and OpenAI, and these were slated for a potential second stage of the trial. Judge Gonzalez Rogers has previously said that the second stage of the trial based on antitrust claims was unlikely to happen, because there is plenty of competition in the A.I. market.

Major stakes: The trial’s outcome had the potential to disrupt the A.I. race. A win for Mr. Musk, who has his own for-profit lab, xAI, would have been a win for OpenAI’s competitors, including industry giants like Google and young companies like Anthropic, as well as international competitors such as China’s DeepSeek.

New York Times, Abortion Pill Lawsuit Leaves Trump Silent, and in a Political Bind, Pam Belluck and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, May 18, 2026. Louisiana wants the Food and Drug Administration to curtail access to the medication. Doing so could cost Republicans at the polls.

With the midterm elections less than six months away, Republicans are facing challenging political headwinds, including an unpopular war, escalating inflation and President Trump’s sinking approval ratings. Now another issue is putting the administration in a political bind.

Four years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which established a national right to abortion in 1973, it remains widely available, and the number of abortions per year has actually increased slightly. Much of that is due to the availability of abortion pills. The Food and Drug Administration has so far not walked away from a decision made during the Biden administration to allow access to the abortion pill mifepristone through the mail.

But a lawsuit against the F.D.A. now threatens that access, and the Trump administration has remained strikingly silent about it, even as the case reached the Supreme Court this month.

The suit, brought by the state of Louisiana, led a federal appeals court to temporarily bar a policy allowing abortion providers to prescribe mifepristone through telemedicine and send it by mail. Responding to emergency appeals from two mifepristone manufacturers, the Supreme Court twice paused that ruling and then, last week, restored telemedicine and mail access indefinitely while litigation continues in the lower courts.

Through all the back-and-forth, President Trump, who calls himself “the most pro-life president in history” stayed mum. His Justice Department, whose job it is to defend the F.D.A. in the case, declined to submit a brief to the Supreme Court, a highly unusual decision.

“That they’re the folks who are most directly affected by the litigation and they’re not filing anything — that is shocking,” said Samuel Bagenstos, who was the general counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the F.D.A., during the Biden administration. “I think it reflects this very difficult political position that the Trump administration is in.”ImageA person holds a box of mifepristone pills above a large cardboard box.Mifepristone is the first pill taken in a two-drug medication abortion regimen that has become the method used in nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States. Credit...Hannah Yoon for The New York Times

Strategists for both parties say the president is navigating a tricky political calculus. A majority of the public favors widespread access to abortion pills. Mr. Trump can stay quiet about the case and incur the wrath of anti-abortion leaders who view his silence as a betrayal and might stay home from the polls in November. Or he can voice his support for restricting access, which would inevitably fire up Democrats and independents to vote in greater numbers. For the moment, at least, he has chosen to remain quiet.

But the case is still energizing both sides.

“They don’t want this going into the midterm election? Well, unfortunately, they just got it,” said Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, a conservative group that opposes abortion and has been increasingly frustrated by the president’s inaction on the issue in his second term. He added: “It’s only going to stay in the news. It’s only going to become more of the narrative going into the midterms.”

Mini Timmaraju, the president and chief executive of Reproductive Freedom for All, said in a statement that the case underscores the importance of voting this fall.

“Mifepristone is safe, effective and backed by decades of evidence, but anti-abortion extremists dragged this baseless case through the courts as part of their efforts to ban abortion nationwide,” she said, adding: “This is exactly why the midterm elections are critical. We need leaders at every level of government to stop these attacks.”

More than 100 studies and years of F.D.A. reviews have consistently found that mifepristone is safe and that serious complications from taking it are rare. It is the first pill taken in a two-drug medication abortion regimen that has become the method used in nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States. Pills are now mailed to about 100,000 patients per year in states that have banned or severely restricted abortion.

The F.D.A. eased restrictions on the strictly regulated drug in 2021, dropping a requirement that patients get mifepristone in person and allowing doctors to prescribe it via telemedicine and send it through the mail. 

News Roundups 

Late night on May 17 to 18, President Trump posts on his Truth Social network included portrayals of him pushing a button apparently to launch a nuclear war (above left) and capturing a chained Extra-Terrestial  (ET) alien from outer space located in desert location seemed like Area 51 in New Mexico, an iconic locale for those who believe ET's have long visited Earth and assimilated in various guises into the planet's workaday world almost unnoticed aside from the most discerning leaders and researchers. Trump has sought to reassure those believers that he is the savior who will protect Planet Earth from the ETs.

The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: "As Bad as it Gets”—Americans Rebuke Trump White House, Trump Posts Content of Him Launching Nuke, Ebola Outbreak Grows, Aaron Parnas, right, May 18, 2026. “It’s as bad as it gets.” That is the warning emerging this morning as Americans increasingly turn against the Trump White House over Iran, the rising cost of living, political chaos, and growing fears about instability at home and abroad.

At the same time, U.S. and Israeli officials are reportedly preparing for the possible restart of the war with Iran, questions about Trump’s fitness and judgment are intensifying after another night of bizarre social media posts involving aliens and nuclear attacks, and global concern is mounting as the Ebola outbreak continues to spread.

Here’s the news:

Donald Trump’s age and behavior are drawing increasing concern as he approaches 80, though the scrutiny remains far less intense than what Joe Biden faced during his presidency. Recent incidents including erratic late-night social media posts, apparent fatigue at public events, rambling speeches, angry outbursts, and increasingly impulsive rhetoric have raised questions about Trump’s judgment, stability, and mental sharpness. For example, overnight yesterday Trump went on a Truth Social posting spree depicting himself with an alien and launching a nuclear strike:

Unlike Biden, whose quieter demeanor and visible frailty made concerns about aging more obvious, Trump’s loud personality and nonstop media presence have helped mask signs of decline in the eyes of many supporters and political allies. The situation also reflects a broader political pattern in which both parties have often defended or minimized concerns about the fitness of their own leaders while attacking the opposing side over similar issues.

A new New York Times/Siena poll shows President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a second-term low of 37%, driven largely by widespread opposition to the war with Iran and growing economic anxiety. Nearly two-thirds of voters said going to war with Iran was the wrong decision, including a strong majority of independents, while most respondents also disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy and cost of living. Although Republicans largely continue to support Trump and the war effort, Democrats currently hold a significant advantage in hypothetical 2026 midterm voting, reflecting rising dissatisfaction among independent voters. The poll also found increasing concern over inflation, gas prices, and financial hardship as the conflict with Iran continues and energy costs rise.

The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths were reported. Health officials say a small number of Americans working in the outbreak region may have been exposed, and plans are being discussed to medically evacuate at least one symptomatic individual for quarantine and treatment. Experts warn the outbreak could be especially difficult to contain because it involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment, and is spreading in a highly mobile region with fragile healthcare infrastructure. While officials stress the risk to Americans remains low because Ebola spreads through bodily fluids rather than the air, public health agencies are rapidly mobilizing staff and resources to prevent wider transmission.

Last year, the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ordered a major federal research facility studying Ebola and other dangerous infectious diseases to halt all experimental work indefinitely. The Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick in Maryland was instructed to stop research on diseases including Ebola, Lassa fever, SARS-CoV-2, and Eastern equine encephalitis after officials cited concerns about problems involving contract staff and the lab’s “safety culture.” The shutdown affects one of the few high-security biosafety level-4 laboratories in the world capable of studying the deadliest pathogens and performing advanced imaging on infected animals. Public health experts warned the pause could seriously disrupt infectious disease research, delay preparedness efforts, and increase costs to restart critical scientific work in the future.

Several graduates from George Washington University put up their middle fingers toward Donald Trump’s motorcade as he traveled from the White House to his golf club in Virginia.

Donald Trump has moved to voluntarily dismiss his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, according to a new court filing, though the filing reportedly does not mention the widely discussed proposal for a $1.776 billion compensation fund tied to Trump allies and January 6 defendants.

The House Oversight Committee is set to interview former prison guard Tova Noel, above, who was on duty the night Jeffrey Epstein died in federal custody in 2019. Noel is believed to have been one of the last people to see Epstein alive and was previously accused, along with another guard, of falsifying prison records by failing to conduct required inmate checks while allegedly browsing the internet instead. Although Epstein’s death was officially ruled a suicide, long-running conspiracy theories and renewed attention from recently released Justice Department files have led lawmakers to revisit questions surrounding the circumstances of his death.

Investigators previously examined Noel’s finances and internet activity and found no evidence she was bribed or directly involved in wrongdoing, though lawmakers say they still want answers about security failures and inconsistencies in testimony and surveillance evidence.

Donald Trump faced criticism after a White House-backed religious event on the National Mall reportedly drew sparse attendance, with photos and video showing large sections of empty seats during his prerecorded video address. The event, called “Rededicate 250,” was promoted as a day of prayer, worship, and patriotic celebration tied to upcoming American anniversary commemorations and featured appearances from religious leaders and Trump administration figures.

Trump did not attend in person and instead delivered a recycled video message while reportedly spending the day golfing, which critics mocked online. Organizers framed the event as part of a broader campaign to promote faith and national unity, though the low turnout became the dominant focus of media coverage and social media reaction. Here is the recycled message:

Donald Trump’s special envoy to Greenland has arrived in Greenland today:

South Carolina Republicans are preparing to debate new congressional maps aimed at helping the GOP win all seven of the state’s U.S. House seats by targeting the district held by longtime Democratic Representative James E. Clyburn. While Trump has pushed hard for redistricting after a recent Supreme Court ruling weakened the Voting Rights Act, some Republican lawmakers worry the move could backfire politically, increase Democratic turnout, and create costly election delays. Critics inside and outside the party argue the effort amounts to partisan gerrymandering, while supporters claim South Carolina’s increasingly conservative electorate justifies the changes. The debate reflects broader national tensions over redistricting and the growing pressure Republican officials face from Trump and his allies ahead of the midterm elections.

According to a report from The New York Times, the United States and Israel are conducting what officials described as their most intensive military preparations since the April ceasefire with Iran. The report says renewed strikes on Iran could resume as early as this week if negotiations fail to produce a breakthrough. The reported planning reportedly includes options for expanded bombing campaigns and possible operations targeting Iranian nuclear material and military infrastructure. The heightened preparations come amid stalled diplomacy, disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz, and ongoing regional tensions involving U.S., Israeli, and Iranian forces.

Reports from Tasnim News Agency claim that the United States has agreed, or is considering agreeing, to lift sanctions related to Iranian oil sales as part of ongoing negotiations over a broader ceasefire and nuclear framework. However, there has been no official confirmation from the U.S. government, White House, or Treasury Department that such an agreement has been finalized.

According to NBC News, an undocumented family deported to Mexico after seeking medical care for their U.S.-citizen daughter, who is recovering from a rare brain tumor, has been denied humanitarian parole to return to the United States for her treatment. Since losing access to her specialized doctors and therapy team in the U.S., the 12-year-old’s condition has worsened significantly, including seizures, paralysis-related pain, cognitive regression, and recurring neurological symptoms. Her mother says medical providers in their part of Mexico are unable or unwilling to manage the girl’s highly unusual condition, while the family’s legal advocates continue seeking congressional support and possible future parole applications.

Donald Trump is reportedly considering adding a permanent helipad to the White House South Lawn to accommodate newer presidential helicopters whose powerful engines can damage the grass during landings. According to the report, the proposal follows several other controversial White House renovations under Trump, including paving over much of the historic Rose Garden, installing large flagpoles, redesigning parts of the Oval Office with gold decor, and beginning construction on a massive new ballroom. Officials and aviation sources say the newer VH-92A Patriot helicopters generate enough heat and force to scorch the lawn, creating logistical problems for Marine One operations. Critics, including former military personnel, argue that a permanent helipad would further alter the historic appearance of the White House grounds and damage an iconic public space.

Experts warn that the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and proposed IRS data-sharing with immigration authorities could lead to as much as $479 billion in lost federal tax revenue over the next decade. Fear of deportation and the loss of tax benefits, including the child tax credit for undocumented parents of U.S.-citizen children, have reportedly discouraged many undocumented immigrants from filing taxes this year. Tax professionals serving immigrant communities say they have seen dramatic drops in clients, with some losing up to 75% of their usual business. Analysts say the decline in tax compliance could hurt both government revenue and millions of children who may lose access to financial support programs designed to reduce poverty.

Rep. Jamie Raskin sharply criticized a proposed settlement between Donald Trump and the IRS that could create a $1.776 billion compensation fund for people who claim they were unfairly targeted by the Biden administration. Raskin called the proposal an illegal and unconstitutional “political slush fund,” arguing that only Congress has the authority to appropriate federal spending. According to reports, the fund could potentially compensate Trump allies, including some individuals charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack, through a commission with broad authority to settle claims. Raskin said Democrats are prepared to challenge the proposal both politically and legally, arguing that using federal funds to compensate participants in an insurrection could violate the Fourteenth Amendment. 

The Kremlin said peace talks with Ukraine could resume despite President Donald Trump’s concerns that recent Russian strikes on Kyiv may hinder negotiations. Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow and surrounding regions, killing several people and damaging infrastructure, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as justified retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. Analysts say the strikes demonstrate Ukraine’s growing ability to reach deep into Russian territory, increasing pressure and anxiety within Russia but are unlikely to force immediate concessions from the Kremlin. The attacks also targeted Russian oil facilities, aiming to weaken a major source of funding for Russia’s war effort.

Xi Jinping is preparing to host Vladimir Putin in Beijing just days after meeting with Donald Trump, highlighting China’s growing role at the center of global diplomacy. The visit underscores the increasingly close relationship between China and Russia since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, with China providing major economic support through expanded trade and large purchases of Russian energy exports. Analysts say energy security and Taiwan are likely key topics, especially as China seeks to strengthen oil and gas supplies amid instability in the Middle East and tensions over Taiwan. The meetings also reflect ongoing Western concerns that China’s partnership with Russia is helping sustain the war in Ukraine while reshaping global geopolitical alliances.

According to Politico, China has agreed to purchase at least $17 billion in additional U.S. agricultural products annually through 2028 following talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing. The agreement includes expanded access for U.S. beef and poultry exports, continued large-scale soybean purchases, and an initial Chinese order for 200 Boeing aircraft. The two countries also agreed to create new trade and investment coordination boards and discussed cooperation on issues including Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz shipping route. While the White House presented the deals as major outcomes from the summit, some details, including tariff reductions and trade terms, have not yet been fully confirmed by the Chinese government.

An asteroid named 2026JH2, estimated to be about the size of one to two school buses, is expected to make a very close but completely safe flyby of Earth on Monday. The asteroid will pass within about 91,600 kilometers of Earth, roughly one quarter of the distance between Earth and the moon, making it one of the closer known asteroid approaches in recent years. Scientists say there is no risk of impact, noting that objects of this size pass near Earth fairly regularly, though improved detection systems now allow astronomers to spot more of them in advance. Researchers also say the event highlights both advances and limitations in planetary defense, especially after the collapse of the Arecibo telescope and ongoing repairs to other radar systems used to track potentially hazardous asteroids.

Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jets collided and crashed during an air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, but all four crew members safely ejected and survived. The aircraft, assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 based in Washington state, were performing an aerial demonstration when they appeared to make contact midair before crashing near the base in a fireball. Officials said no spectators or personnel on the ground were injured, and the incident is now under investigation. The crash occurred during the return of the “Gunfighter Skies” air show, which featured military demonstrations including performances by the United States Air Force Thunderbirds.

Narges Mohammadi, the Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, was released from a Tehran hospital after more than two weeks of treatment following a medical emergency that began when she collapsed in prison. Her supporters said she still requires ongoing care and physiotherapy at home. Mohammadi, who won the Nobel Prize in 2023 while imprisoned, has faced repeated arrests in Iran due to her activism and was most recently detained in December in Mashhad. Her family says her health has worsened because of harsh prison conditions, including alleged beatings during her arrest, and she continues to suffer from serious heart and lung conditions.

Hopium Chronicles, Pro-Democracy Advocacy: NYT Has Generic Ballot +11 D, Ukraine's Big Battlefield Win, Mortgage Rates And Brent Crude Rising - Trump's Failures Just Keep Mounting, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 18, 2026. If you choose to look the evidence of Trump’s mounting failures are all around us……

As Putin heads to China for meetings with Xi we are getting more information about the extraordinary success Ukraine had in breaching the air defense systems protecting Moscow this weekend, in what is now clearly one of Ukraine’s most significant achievements of the war. From Politico:

KYIV — Ukraine hit Russia with more than 1,300 drones over the weekend, penetrating Moscow’s heavy air defenses and successfully hitting targets in and around the capital.

While Ukrainian drones have penetrated Moscow’s air defenses before, this time they hit a wide range of targets, including industrial plants and an oil refinery. Three people were killed and 12 wounded, Russian authorities said.

“This is significant also because the Moscow region is the most heavily saturated with Russian air defense systems,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Sunday afternoon.

Brent crude starts the day at almost $110 a barrel, one of its highest levels of Trump’s failed war:

Trump’s failed war is causing mortgage rates to surge in the US and Europe. Here’s the homepage of the FT right now:

Mortgage costs across Europe and North America have risen sharply as the economic impact of the Middle East war spills into housing markets, piling pressure on borrowers wanting to buy a new home or refinance.

The jump has come even though central banks have refrained from raising interest rates. Mortgage lenders are responding to increases in governments’ borrowing costs and betting that official rates will eventually need to rise to contain the threat of inflation.

In the US, the conflict has driven the 30-year mortgage rate to 6.36 per cent, above levels seen in September 2025, before the Federal Reserve began a cycle of three quarter-point rate cuts.

In the yes the main stream media is now regularly acknowledging what a complete f-ck up Trump is news category here's The Guardian’s home page right now. It’s something that immigration advocates have been warning about for years: undocumented immigrants pay an enormous amount of taxes, draw little in social services, and have helped significantly lower our ballooning annual budget deficit. That dynamic is now being reversed, and it’s more evidence of how damaging mass deportation is and will be to the American economy:

The NYT dropped a bit of a polling bomb on Trump and the Rs this morning clocking in with a new poll showing significant erosion for Trump and Dems jumping 6 points in the generic ballot to +11:

The Real Clear Politics generic ballot average - will you be voting Dem or R in the Congressional elections this fall? - just crossed D+7 for the first time this cycle. It was +4 before the war began, and note that we have now seen five polls in recent weeks with the generic ballot +10 Dem or more. Commentator Bill Scher reminded us this morning that this average was +7.3 Dem right before the midterm Dem blowout election of 2018.

Last week’s revelation that Trump made already made 3,700 stock market trades while in office almost ensures that his unprecedented, vainglorious corruption — ballrooms, golf courses, arches, self-enrichment, direct theft from tax payers, shakedowns of corporations, selling of pardons — becomes a top tier issue in the election this year. Judd Legum has a new deep dive into Trump’s new financial disclosure report (the one that documented the 3,700 stock trades) that has some jawdropping new reporting:

The fact that Trump visited a Thermo Fisher facility on the same day he purchased the company’s stock — and bought Thermo Fisher stock repeatedly in the weeks before his visit — has not previously been reported.

The disclosures reveal that Trump has been a highly active trader in 2026, executing thousands of transactions — many in individual stocks impacted by his administration’s policies. In response to criticism, a spokesperson for the Trump Organization claimed that the trades were completely separate from Trump’s official duties and managed by an independent outside financial advisor. “President Trump’s investment holdings are maintained exclusively through fully discretionary accounts independently managed by third-party financial institutions with sole and exclusive authority over all investment decisions,” the spokesperson said. “Trades are executed and portfolios are balanced through automated investment processes and systems administered by those institutions.”

The fact that Trump purchased stock in Thermo Fisher the same day that he toured its facility undercuts this claim. Further, the March 11 purchase of Thermo Fisher stock was marked “UNSOLICITED” in the document. An “unsolicited” trade is one that is not recommended by a broker, but initiated by the customer.

If Trump wanted to legally remove himself from investment decisions he could do so by creating a qualified blind trust. Instead, before returning to the White House, Trump transferred his assets in a trust that is managed by his son, Donald Trump Jr. There are no legal or practical barriers preventing Trump from being involved in the management of his assets.

Here’s an excerpt from that Bloomberg article (sorry, paywall):

The disclosure reignites conflict-of-interest concerns that have shadowed Trump’s terms in the White House. Critics have regularly accused him of mixing his official duties with his business interests. Unlike his predecessors, Trump didn’t divest or move his assets into a blind trust with an independent overseer. His sprawling business empire is managed by two of his sons and operates in several areas that intersect with presidential policy.

At the same time, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner helps manage billions in investments for Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates while simultaneously serving as a “volunteer” envoy for the president on issues affecting the war in Iran and the Middle East in general.

The White House dismissed questions about potential conflicts, with spokesman David Ingle saying that Trump “only acts in the best interests of the American public.” He added: “There are no conflicts of interest.”

Yes, the failures are mounting and so is willingness of the main stream discourse to acknowledge what a complete f-ck up Trump is and just go there….

and that my friends is why it is time now…..To Get To Work People!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meidas Touch Network, Sunday Afternoon News Updates: Two Nuclear Sites on Fire, Trump Targets Epstein Allies, and the Cuba War Pretex, Ben Meiselas, right, May 17, 2026. The Trump regime is running the same tired Ponzi scheme playbook and hoping you don't notice.

A massive explosion was reported near Sdot Micha Air Base in Beit Shemesh, Israel, a site widely believed to house missile and nuclear assets. Israeli outlet Kan News said the blast was a “controlled explosion” at a nearby civilian factory.

Hi all, Ben here. It’s Sunday, and as usual, there is a lot happening and so much that is slipping under the radar when it comes to the corporate media. Let me walk you through what we’re tracking this afternoon.

Top stories:

• A drone struck a nuclear power plant in the UAE, and a mysterious explosion rocked a suspected Israeli nuclear and missile storage site
• The Trump regime is laying the groundwork for a Cuba invasion using Axios as its propaganda vehicle
• Eleven U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft are departing the Middle East, the same pattern we saw right before the Iran strikes
• Trump is retaliating against Thomas Massie and other Republicans who pushed for the release of the Epstein files
• Ukraine launched one of its largest-ever drone strikes on Russia, reaching the Moscow region
• Todd Blanche confirms the DOJ is laser-focused on “proving” the 2020 election was stolen
• Mike Johnson tells Americans to wait on kitchen table issues until the Strait of Hormuz is open — the same Strait of Hormuz that was open before Trump’s war

Let’s get into it.Two nuclear sites hit in 24 hours… Where’s the coverage?

Let’s start with what should be the biggest story of the weekend. In the past 24 hours, two nuclear sites in the Middle East have been struck, and the silence from corporate media is blowing my mind, though it’s not exactly surprising at this point.

In Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation confirmed that a drone hit an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. UAE defense officials say they intercepted two of the three drones targeting the facility but were unable to stop the third. Authorities report no injuries and say radiological safety levels were not affected, but the facility was on fire, fire and rescue teams were responding, and this happened at a nuclear power plant.

Then there’s Israel. A massive explosion near the Sdot Micha Air Base in Beit Shemesh, widely understood to be where Israel stores its nuclear weapons and missiles, sent up what looked like a mushroom cloud. Israel is calling it a “controlled explosion” at a civilian factory nearby. But here’s the thing: if you’re conducting a planned detonation near a nuclear weapons facility that’s going to produce a visible mushroom cloud, you tell the local population first. There was no such notice. Experts are raising serious doubts about the official explanation, and they have every reason to.

Two nuclear sites in under twenty-four hours. Is it just me or should this be a much bigger story?The Cuba playbook: Same Ponzi scheme, different country

Right on cue, while the Middle East is literally on fire, what does the Trump regime do? It pivots as it always does. When one catastrophe becomes too much to manage, the machine generates a new threat, a new enemy, a new pretext. This time: Cuba.

Axios published an “exclusive” Sunday morning claiming Cuba has acquired over 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and has reportedly discussed using them to attack the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, U.S. naval vessels, and possibly Key West. CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Havana just this past Thursday, ostensibly to warn Cuba against any aggression.

Within hours, MAGA Republican congressmembers from Florida — Díaz-Balart, Gimenez, and Salazar — were pounding the table about the existential Cuban threat, 90 miles from Florida’s shores.

But let’s slow down for a second, because there are a few things worth noting here.

First, as former U.S. diplomat and intelligence officer Ned Price pointed out, the framing of this story is doing a lot of work. The headline screams “offensive threat” from Havana. The actual substance, buried deep in the article, is that U.S. officials are reportedly worried Cuba might respond with drones if attacked. That is a fundamentally different situation. That’s called deterrence. It is not a pretext for invasion — unless you need one.

Second, where did Cuba get these drones? From Russia and Iran, according to the report. And who is Donald Trump? The man who removed thousands of U.S. troops from Poland, who attacked NATO, who lifted sanctions on Russia, and who stood aside while Russian ships sailed through what was supposed to be a blockade of Cuba. What did anyone think was on those ships? If you allow Russia to resupply Cuba and then act shocked that Cuba has Russian military hardware, you are either incompetent or you planned it this way.

This is the Venezuela playbook. This is the Iran playbook. Generate a threat, get your media partners to amplify it, activate your congressional allies to demand action, and move the country toward another war before anyone can stop to ask what the plan actually is. The MAGA Florida contingent is already getting in position, probably calculating this will help close the gap with Latino voters who have been drifting away from Trump. It is cynical, it is transparent, and they genuinely think you’re too distracted to notice. This sort of “wag the dog” posturing may have worked in the past. I hope Americans see through it in 2026.In plane sight

Here’s something else that should be getting more attention. Eleven U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft are departing the Middle East, heading toward Europe. This exact mass-departure pattern occurred a few hours before the strikes on Iran began on February 28th. It happened again last week before Trump reportedly called off strikes at the last minute.

Operation Epic Fury has been declared “concluded.” But concluded doesn’t mean over. It means the next phase hasn’t been officially named yet. We’ll be watching this closely.Trump’s Epstein revenge tour

Let’s talk about Rep. Thomas Massie, right. Trump posted a full-throated attack on the Kentucky congressman Sunday, calling him the worst Republican in history and urging Kentucky voters to throw him out in Tuesday’s primary. The stated reason is that Massie voted against tax cuts and border wall funding. But we all know the real reason.

Massie, along with Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Nancy Mace, pushed hard for the release of the Epstein files. They wanted transparency on the child sex trafficking network those files could expose. Trump privately told allies those were “my friends.” And then, systematically, Trump and the MAGA apparatus turned on every single one of them.

Think about what has been unleashed against Massie simply because he dared push for that release. Tens of millions of dollars in outside spending. Coordinated smear campaigns. Attacks from some of the most powerful figures in government and media. Members of his own party mobilizing to destroy him. And this is happening to a sitting member of Congress who is, in many ways, even more conservative than Donald Trump himself. Whether you agree with Massie on anything else is beside the point entirely.

Because if this is what happens to a powerful elected official with a national platform and millions of supporters when he challenges entrenched interests, imagine what Epstein survivors face when they consider coming forward. The money. The political power. The government connections. The defense and media apparatus. The coordinated intimidation. If anything makes clear why so many survivors remain silent for years, or never speak at all, it’s watching what’s being done to Massie right now. That right there tells you everything about who this regime is protecting and why.The DOJ is still focused on…the 2020 election

Todd Blanche appeared on Fox Sunday morning to tell Maria Bartiromo that the Department of Justice is “very focused” on determining whether the “right people” voted in the 2020 election. When pushed on whether there will ever be a definitive answer on whether the election was stolen, Blanche said he couldn’t promise that.

Of course he can’t promise it. Because it wasn’t stolen. Sixty-plus courts said so — Trump-appointed judges, Bush-appointed judges, Reagan-appointed judges — all of them looked at the evidence and found nothing. But the DOJ isn’t looking for truth. It’s looking for a story. The “right people” language is not subtle. In MAGA world, the right people are the people who voted for Trump. That’s what your Justice Department is working on while Americans are worried about healthcare costs and grocery prices. While actual criminals roam the streets. While Epstein’s associates remain free.

And meanwhile, Mike Johnson went on Fox to explain that kitchen table issues will have to wait until the Strait of Hormuz is open. The same Strait of Hormuz that was open before this administration started bombing Iran. You created the problem, you’re now telling us to be patient while you solve it, and you want credit for the solution. This is the participation trophy approach to geopolitics.The Senate Parliamentarian kicks Trump in the ballroom

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that the Republican bill’s provision to spend $1 billion on Trump’s ballroom does not comply with the Byrd Rule, meaning it would require 60 votes to pass, not a simple majority. Senate Budget Committee Democrats confirmed the ruling Sunday, and Senator Merkley made clear that Democrats are prepared to challenge any changes Republicans make to try to get it through anyway.

A billion dollars for a ballroom that was supposed to be free. In the middle of a reconciliation bill that’s supposed to be about fiscal policy. The parliamentarian at least had the decency to call it what it is. Whether Republicans try to jam it through another way remains to be seen, but Democrats have put them on notice.Ukraine brings the war home to Moscow

Finally, Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks of the entire war overnight, sending more than 1,000 drones deep into Russia. At least four people were killed in the Moscow region, debris fell on Sheremetyevo, Russia’s largest airport, and Ukrainian drones flew over 500 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, penetrating the densest concentration of Russian air defenses in the world.

President Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes and called them entirely justified, direct retaliation for Russia’s repeated ballistic missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Ukrainian civilians. Experts say the scale of the strike makes clear Ukraine has the capacity to reach Russia’s capital at significant scale, bringing the reality of this war home to ordinary Russians in a way the Kremlin cannot ignore.

Russia had launched 287 drones at Ukraine overnight, wounding eight people and damaging residential buildings across multiple regions.

There is no peace process. There is no ceasefire. There is a war, despite Trump’s claims he would end it within 24 hours, and Ukraine is prosecuting it.

That’s the update for Sunday afternoon. Let me know what you think in the comments. Ron Filipkowski will be back later with his full weekend bulletin, so stay tuned. Thanks for being here. 

More Global News

New York Times, In Closed-Door Talks, U.S. Demands a Major Role in Greenland, Jeffrey Gettleman, Maya Tekeli, Anton Troianovski and Eric Schmitt, May 18, 2026. Greenlandic officials worry about the direction of the negotiations aimed at defusing President Trump’s threats to seize their island. But they have little leverage.

With the conflict in Iran still smoldering, President Trump’s obsession with Greenland seems like a forgotten sideshow.

But for the past four months, negotiators from the United States, Greenland and Denmark, which controls Greenland’s foreign affairs, have been holding confidential talks in Washington about Greenland’s future.

The talks were meant to give Mr. Trump an offramp to his threats of a military takeover of Greenland and to scale back a crisis that risked breaking apart the NATO alliance. But Greenlandic leaders are worried about what is being proposed, which is a much larger U.S. role on the Arctic island. And they fear that if the conflict with Iran winds down, the president will swing his aggression back on them.

Some Greenlandic politicians say they have even circled a date on their calendars to be wary: June 14, Mr. Trump’s birthday.

An investigation by The New York Times, based on interviews with officials in Washington, Copenhagen and Greenland, has discovered:

The United States is trying to modify a longstanding military arrangement to ensure American troops can stay in Greenland indefinitely, even if Greenland becomes independent. The notion is basically a forever clause, and Greenlanders do not like it.

The United States has pushed the talks beyond military matters and wants effective veto power over any major investment deals in Greenland to box out competitors like Russia and China. Greenlanders and Danes strongly object to this.

The United States is discussing cooperation with Greenland on natural resources. The island is loaded with oil, uranium, rare earths and other critical minerals, though much of it is buried deep beneath Greenland’s ice.

The Pentagon is rapidly moving ahead on plans for a military expansion and recently sent a Marine Corps officer to Narsarsuaq, a town in southern Greenland, to inspect the World War II-era airport, the harbor and places where American troops could be housed.

The American demands are so steep, Greenlandic officials fear, that they amount to a major imposition on their sovereignty. Despite all of the talk from Danish and American officials that Greenland’s future is up to the island’s 57,000 people, Greenlandic officials said the American demands would tie their hands for generations.

If the Americans get everything they want, said Justus Hansen, a member of Greenland’s Parliament, there will never be any “real independence.”

“We might as well raise our own flag halfway,” he said.

New York Times, Eager for Arms Deal, Taiwan Stresses Need for U.S. Support, Minho Kim, May 18, 2026 (print ed.). After President Trump hinted that weapons sales to Taiwan could figure in negotiations with China, officials emphasized their island’s strategic importance.

President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan said on Sunday that weapons sales from the United States remained a crucial element for maintaining peace and stability in the region, comments made after President Trump suggested a multibillion dollar weapons deal with the island could be used as a “negotiating chip” with China.

Mr. Lai made a point to thank Mr. Trump for his support since his first term as president, including “a sustained increased in the scale and value of arms sales to Taiwan, assisting us in strengthening our self-defense capabilities.” Continued U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, he said, “remain indispensable and are a vital element for preserving regional peace and stability.”

He also said that “the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait will not be sacrificed or bargained away.”

The Taiwanese president’s social media post came days after Mr. Trump’s remarks appeared to raise new doubts about the reliability of U.S. support for Taiwan. The island has been waiting for Mr. Trump to sign off on a $14 billion package of missiles, anti-drone equipment and air defense systems intended to fortify the island against military threats from China, which claims the island democracy as its territory.

Ever since 1979, the year Washington broke off diplomatic ties with Taiwan and shifted recognition to Beijing, Taiwan’s status in U.S. policy has rested on nuanced formulae and carefully chosen words. In 1982, the Reagan administration made a series of commitments to Taiwan, including one about not consulting with China on arms sales to Taiwan, and for decades it has been understood that Washington would not negotiate the subject with Beijing.

Mr. Trump appeared to minimize that commitment in remarks to reporters on his way home Friday from a summit with China’s leader, Xi Jinping.

Mr. Trump told reporters that he and Mr. Xi had talked about the arms sale issue “in great detail” after Mr. Xi brought it up.

“So what am I going to do?” he said. “Say ‘I don’t want to talk to you about it’? Because I have an agreement that was signed in 1982? No, we discussed arms sales.”

Asked about Mr. Trump’s comments, Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, said on Sunday that past administrations had also paused arms sales to Taiwan, adding on ABC’s “This Week” that the president was considering how to approach the issue of weapons exports.Editors’ PicksThe Pleasure of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Is in the ComparisonsThese Women Want to Dress Your BedCook Recipes From Restaurants on Our List of 100 Best in NYC

Mr. Greer, appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” also said that there was “no change” in U.S. policy toward Taiwan, seemingly contradicting Mr. Trump’s earlier statements.

Alexander Yui, Taiwan’s representative to the United States, said on Sunday that Mr. Trump needed to hear Taiwan’s side after his discussion with the Chinese leader, emphasizing that Taiwan was on the defensive and not an aggressor.

More On Iran War

New York Times, Trump Threatens Iran as Tensions Surge Again in Middle East, Aaron Boxerman, May 18, 2026. The president has sought to force Iran to accept his terms on its nuclear program or else face renewed war. An emboldened Iran has rebuffed Trump’s demands.

President Trump threatened renewed war with Iran on Sunday night in his latest ultimatum to the country, which has so far resisted U.S. demands to largely shut down its nuclear program.

Mr. Trump said in a social media post that Iran had to move fast “or there won’t be anything left,” adding “the Clock is Ticking.” He did not set a deadline and over the past two months, Mr. Trump has made similar threats to Iran without following through.

Negotiations between the United States and Iran have been stalled for weeks. Mr. Trump has repeatedly warned that he could soon order a renewed assault on Iran unless its leaders made concessions in the talks.

Iran has repeatedly rebuffed U.S. terms for a deal to curb uranium enrichment and end attempts to blockaded the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for shipping oil and gas. The turmoil over the strait has roiled markets and sent the price of oil soaring.

On Monday, Iran said it had handed yet another counterproposal to the United States in the negotiations. The Iranian foreign ministry said that the talks were still continuing through Pakistan, which has been mediating between the two sides. h

Asked about Mr. Trump’s threats, Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman told reporters: “Don’t worry, we know very well how to respond.” He did not elaborate further, although Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened fierce retaliation if attacked again by the United States and Israel.

The Pentagon is planning for the possibility that Operation Epic Fury — which was paused when the president declared a cease-fire last month — will pick up again in the coming days.

Two Middle East officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, said that the United States and Israel are engaged in intense preparations — the largest since the cease-fire took effect — for the possible resumption of attacks against Iran as early as this week.

The war began in late February with a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran that drew much of the Middle East into the conflict.Editors’ PicksThe Pleasure of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Is in the ComparisonsThese Women Want to Dress Your BedCook Recipes From Restaurants on Our List of 100 Best in NYC

But analysts say the United States has faced a tough dilemma since a cease-fire was declared last month. U.S. and Israeli war planes could again start attacking Iran from the air, but many military analysts say bombing alone is unlikely to force Iran to agree to American demands.

The two countries could launch a special forces operation to try to seize Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which the U.S. and Israel fear could be used to build a nuclear weapon. But such a raid could risk the lives of American soldiers, further straining domestic U.S. support for an unpopular war.

For the past month, Mr. Trump has instead opted for a pressure campaign — so far unsuccessful — to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States briefly launched what Mr. Trump called “Project Freedom” to help escort ships trapped in the waterway to safety. Just a day later, the initiative was suspended to allow for further negotiations with Iran.

More On U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

The Tilt via New York Times, A Crack in the Polling Floor Puts Trump in New Territory, Nate Cohn, May 18, 2026. A 37 percent approval rating in a new Times/Siena poll suggests the G.O.P. is facing a big midterm problem despite recent redistricting gains.

Over the last decade, it’s often been said that President Trump’s support has a low ceiling but a high floor.

In this morning’s latest New York Times/Siena poll, whether Mr. Trump really has a high floor is starting to be put to the test.

Just 37 percent of Americans approve of his performance as president, a drop of four percentage points from the last Times/Siena poll in January and his lowest approval rating in any Times/Siena survey in either term.

A four-point decline isn’t necessarily huge, but it puts Mr. Trump’s ratings in new political territory. While recent presidencies have often been unpopular and polarizing, no president’s approval rating has been under 38 percent for more than a few days in the last 17 years, according to our average. If there has been a floor during this partisan era of politics, Mr. Trump’s ratings today have fallen to it.

While it’s too soon to say whether the war in Iran and high gas prices will ultimately break the floor in Mr. Trump’s support, the poll leaves no doubt that these issues could pull his approval ratings down even lower. Just 28 percent of voters approve of his handling of the cost of living, and only 31 percent approve of his handling of the war. Just 30 percent say he made the “right decision” in choosing to attack Iran.

The most immediate political consequence is that Democrats appear increasingly well positioned for the midterm elections in November. The poll shows Democrats have a double-digit lead, 50 percent to 39 percent, when registered voters are asked which party’s candidate they’ll support for Congress. That’s a notable shift from Times/Siena polls earlier this cycle — which showed Democrats up two to five points.

Anything like it would easily overcome the Republicans’ redistricting advantage in the House and suggest that Democrats could be highly competitive in the Senate. And although there’s still a long time until the election, Democrats held an even larger 14-point lead among those who said they were “almost certain” or “very likely” to vote.

As in other recent Times/Siena polls, the survey found that young and nonwhite voters have snapped back toward the left. Democrats have regained their usual, pre-Biden advantage among both groups in the race for control of Congress as well as in party identification. Mr. Trump’s approval rating among both groups is abysmal: Among voters 18 to 29 years old, only 19 percent approve of his performance; just 20 percent of Hispanic voters say the same.

The possibility that Mr. Trump’s floor is cracking raises the prospect of even more significant, longer-term political consequences. If the war and high prices persist, Mr. Trump’s troubles could start to look less like other recent polarizing presidencies and more like those of George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Lyndon Johnson or Harry Truman, in which quagmire abroad and economic challenges at home did significant political damage to their parties.Of course, Iran is not doomed to be another Iraq, Vietnam or Korea. For now, there’s a cease-fire; there could be a diplomatic solution at any time. If prior wars are any indication, Mr. Trump has time to resolve these challenges before his approval ratings fall into the lower 30s or beyond.

The case of George W. Bush is instructive. At almost the exact same stage of Mr. Bush’s second term, the combination of the war in Iraq and high gas prices dragged his approval rating to about where Mr. Trump’s ratings are today. His ratings ultimately fell into the 20s, but it didn’t happen overnight. On average, Mr. Bush’s approval rating fell by less than one point per month for the rest of his term — which so happens to be the rate that Mr. Trump has been losing support over the last few months. For his approval rating to keep falling, Mr. Bush had to lose the support of longtime fans and Republicans. It can take a while.

If the conflict lasts long enough for Mr. Trump to keep bleeding support, Republicans might face something a lot worse than a bad midterm. A midterm defeat was likely even before the war began — it’s the usual fate of parties in power, after all — but the president’s party usually rebounds relative to that for the next presidential election. If Mr. Trump’s approval rating stays in the 30s, it won’t be so easy to assume Republicans will rebound. In the polling era, there are no examples of the president’s party retaining the White House when the president’s approval rating is under 40 percent. More often, the election is a rout. 

President Trump, who celebrates his 80th birthday at a martial arts tournament scheduled next month at the White House, fell asleep multiiple times at a White House women's health event on May 11, 2026.  

PoliticusUSA, Opinion: Questions About Trump's Health Are Getting Louder And Democrats Need To Speak Out, Jason Easley, right, May 18, 2026. The questions about Trump's health are growing so large that even the corporate media is beginning to discuss them. Top Democrats need to break their silence and lead the conversation.

Trump has been to the dentist three times in the last year. The White House has offered no explanation. Trump had an MRI on a body part, but no information was made public.

Both of Trump’s hands are now swollen and covered in makeup. The White House claims it is from shaking hands, but it is BOTH HANDS. The White House either offers flimsy excuses or says nothing.

Trump’s trip to China was a complete flop. The president could barely walk down the steps to depart the plane. The Chinese claimed that Trump was unenergetic and quiet. They thought that Trump wasn’t engaged and prepared. The media acts like this is business as usual. The White House says nothing, and everyone moves on.

We document Donald Trump’s decline in this space because it is being willfully ignored by the powerful in both politics and the media.

Among the powerful are Democrats who see that Trump is declining, yet most of the people at the top of the party choose to say little or nothing at all.

Every person, if they are lucky, will get older, so when evaluating Trump’s decline, the basis should not solely be his biological age.

This person is the President Of The United States, so questions need to be asked. The changes in Trump have been obvious, and they are impacting the country, as we will discuss below.

The question that should be asked isn’t, " Can Donald Trump do the job?” Trump already has the job. That question should have been asked in 2024. The appropriate current question should be, is Donald Trump doing the job? A secondary question: What does Trump think the job is?

What is obvious is that Trump is aging rapidly in his second administration.

Jonathan Lemire wrote about some of these changes in The Atlantic:

But as Trump turns 80 next month, his recent behavior should prompt even more questions than usual about his stability, judgment, and mental sharpness.

Among the points of concern: a late-night social-media storm a few days ago featuring more than 50 messages, many strewn with dangerous or nonsensical misinformation, which followed a similar Truth Social broadside weeks earlier; an apocalyptic threat to wipe out a civilization; more and more insults (“nasty,” “stupid,” “ugly,” “treasonous”) hurled at reporters; appearing to fall asleep in public, sometimes twice in one week; deep bruises on his hands, which are covered in makeup and accompanied by confusing explanations; and long, odd tangents in speeches that seem longer and odder than his usual tangents.

Never known for his ability to self-censor, Trump seems to have completely abandoned any sort of filter, tossing out messages from one extreme (He’s glad that Robert Mueller is dead!) to the other (actually, Trump is Jesus and shall heal the sick).

Most of Trump’s events now take place with him seated behind a desk. Trump doesn’t hold the sort of structured press conferences that the media criticized Biden for not holding. Instead, Trump will sit in the Oval Office and take questions in a controlled environment with hand-picked reporters after staged events. Other times, Trump will engage with reporters for a few minutes before he leaves the White House.

These events are designed to promote the myth that Trump is the same without putting the president in an environment that is not tightly controlled.

Trump is clearly not well. At best, he is aging. At worst, he is dealing with illness.

Democrats aren’t doing anyone any favors by sticking to general comments about Trump, like calling the president unhinged.

It is time for Democrats to step up at the highest levels and tell the country the truth about the declining president.

If Democrats want power back and want to be trusted, they need to be the opposite of Trump’s gaslighting party and confirm what most Americans already see.

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Live by Trump, Die by Trump, William Kristol, right, May 18, 2026. “This is the party of Donald Trump.” So Sen. Lindsey Graham proclaimed on Meet the Press yesterday, in the wake of Sen. Bill Cassidy’s defeat in the Louisiana Republican primary.

Graham is right. The Republican party is unquestionably and unambiguously Trump’s party. And the GOP will be dragged down by him, burdened by his dead weight, as it sinks this fall beneath the political waves.

As Graham was confirming that the GOP is Trump’s party yesterday, CBS News released its latest survey, conducted by YouGov, of more than 2,000 adults last week.

The first question asked was, as usual, “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?” Here are the answers from this poll so far this year:

January 2026: Approve 41 percent, disapprove 59 percent.February 2026: Approve 40 percent, disapprove 60 percent.March 2026: Approve 39 percent, disapprove 61 percent.April 2026: Approve 38 percent, disapprove 62 percent.May 2026: Approve 37 percent, disapprove 63 percent.

Yes, the movement of American public opinion away from Trump has been frustratingly slow. But unlike in the last half of 2025, when Trump’s numbers were basically stable at around 41 percent to 59 percent, the movement this year has been real. The decline to 37 percent approval (and the climb to 63 percent disapproval) has been slow but steady, gradual but inexorable. One percentage point a month adds up. (And this morning, a new New York Times/Siena poll has very similar numbers, with Trump at 37 percent approval, 59 percent disapproval.)

When you dig into the CBS poll, it gets worse for Trump. Separating those who approve or disapprove of Trump strongly from those who do so only tepidly, here’s what you get:

• Strongly approve: 20 percent.Somewhat approve: 17 percent.Somewhat disapprove: 11 percent.Strongly disapprove: 52 percent.
• Sitting at 20 percent vs. 52 percent among the voters with the strongest opinions is not a strong position.
• And when asked, “How much do you think Donald Trump cares about the needs and problems of people like you?” Americans responded:
• A lot: 18 percent.Some: 17 percent.Not much: 14 percent.Not at all: 51 percent.
• These are very bad numbers for Donald Trump. And these are very bad numbers for the Republican party.

As Ron Brownstein points out, “Trump is consistently in a much deeper hole now than other recent presidents who had bad mid-terms.” A party’s performance in a midterm, especially when that party has controlled both the presidency and Congress for the preceding two years, tends to correlate pretty reliably with the president’s approval rating. This makes sense. After all, in November, voters have to decide whether they want the next Congress to continue to go along with that president or to check him.

And that correlation will presumably hold all the more tightly when the congressional party is visibly tied at the hip to their president. Which, as Lindsey Graham said yesterday, today’s Republican party is.

So for all the complexities of the tasks we face confronting the ongoing disaster of Trump and Trumpism, the short-term political task today is pretty simple. The pro-democracy movement has to try to continue to drive down Trump’s approval, to the degree possible. At the very least, it has to get out of the way as Trump’s own actions lead to public disapproval.

And the short-term task of the Democratic party is also pretty simple: Tie Republican incumbents and candidates as tightly as possible to their president. This means among other things making them vote over and over for Trump’s unpopular policies and for his unpopular vanity projects. The best way to make sure Trump’s enablers pay a price is to make them continue, visibly and embarrassingly, enabling their leader. (And if some of them grow sick of doing so, or decide it’s in their political interest to allow a little space between themselves and the president, all the better. Some coverage of “Republicans in disarray” would be fine too.)

The closest parallel to this year could well be 2006. Republicans went into those midterms with control of both houses. Most polls had President George W. Bush around 37 percent approval on election day. Democrats took control of both houses, gaining thirty-one seats in the House and six in the Senate. They won the national popular vote in the House by eight points.

Trump and his party will be able to do a lot of damage over the next six months. They’ll be able to do a lot of damage for the subsequent two years even if Democrats do win Congress. But perhaps the tide has turned.

I haven’t gone all Victorian poetry for a while, so if you’ll permit the indulgence, I’ll close with some lines from Arthur Hugh Clough’s “Say not the struggle nought availeth”:

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking,Seem here no painful inch to gain,Far back through creeks and inlets making,Comes silent, flooding in, the main,

And not by eastern windows only,When daylight comes, comes in the light,In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly,But westward, look, the land is bright.

You could scroll towards pending doom / Alone and lonely in your room / The apps will serve you shock and schlock / At every hour of the clock. / OR: You could join in Bulwark+ / Our glad community based in trust / Come hang with us, your news to chew / And help defeat this MAGA crew.

New York Times, South Carolina Republicans to Debate New House Maps Despite Qualms, Eduardo Medina, May 18, 2026. Under pressure from President Trump, the legislature will consider new House districts this week. Some in the G.O.P. worry changes would be too costly and could backfire.

This week, South Carolina’s legislature will begin debating whether to redraw congressional districts to help Republicans win all seven of the state’s House seats and displace its only Democratic House member.

For Republican lawmakers, the answer isn’t an easy yes.

Although President Trump has been lobbying hard for the Republican-dominated legislature to tilt the playing field after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act last month, the special session is expected to be contentious.

Some South Carolina Republicans have been reluctant to charge into the national redistricting wars for reasons both practical and philosophical.

Representative James E. Clyburn, a powerful Black Democrat who has funneled vast resources into the state over the years, is tremendously popular. Republicans worry that he would win even in a district redrawn to exclude some of his supporters. Those supporters, currently packed together into Mr. Clyburn’s district, could vote for other Democrats once they are spread out, increasing the risk that Republicans would lose a seat.

Some Republican state senators say the effort is a bad idea for other reasons: Early voting starts on May 26, so there is not enough time to sufficiently consider new districts. Overseas ballots have already been cast. It would cost millions of dollars to push congressional primaries to August. And the redistricting fight might boost Democratic turnout and hurt down-ballot Republican candidates.

Five Republicans in the State Senate, most notably Shane Massey, the leader of the chamber, voted with Democrats last week to block a resolution that would have brought lawmakers back to the capital, Columbia, to consider redistricting. They argued that their congressional map was already constitutional.

But on Friday, Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, ordered lawmakers back for a special legislative session to address redistricting and the state budget. Mr. McMaster was the first statewide elected official to endorse Mr. Trump in 2016, during his first presidential bid, but he has faced pressure from the Republican base to do more about redistricting.

If Republican lawmakers want to pass a map, they essentially have to do it this week.

Looming large in the background is Mr. Trump. It did not go unnoticed in Columbia that many of the Republican state senators in Indiana who voted down Mr. Trump’s plan on redistricting lost their primaries this month to challengers he had endorsed.Editors’ PicksThe Pleasure of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Is in the ComparisonsThese Women Want to Dress Your BedCook Recipes From Restaurants on Our List of 100 Best in NYC

Among the most vocal about partisan gerrymandering in South Carolina are the leading Republican candidates for governor, all of whom are eager for the president’s endorsement.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who is Mr. McMaster’s preferred candidate, said in an interview that if Democrats really believed the new districts would gain them a seat, they would vote for it. Republicans, she added, needed to move to redistrict at full speed.

Paul Krugman via Substack, Political-Economy Commentary: A Tale of Thucydides, Paul Krugman, right, May 18, 2026. China shouldn’t worry — Trump is too weak and unfocused to be a threat. 

When the leaders of the world’s two most powerful nations met in Beijing, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping spoke about the lessons of history:

Can China and the United States transcend the so-called ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations?”

Donald Trump, on the other hand, spoke about fast food:

Just as many Chinese now love basketball and blue jeans, Chinese restaurants in America today outnumber the five largest fast food chains in the United States, all combined. That’s a pretty big statement.

I’m old enough to remember when we were a serious country.

Anyway, should China in fact worry about the Thucydides trap? Not while someone as pathetic as Trump is in charge.

The Thucydides trap refers to the theory, originally propounded by the Greek historian for the war between Athens and Sparta, that conflicts erupt when a declining power is confronted by a rising rival. So Xi was implicitly insulting the United States, portraying it as a nation in decline. Someone presumably explained this to Trump, who went on Truth Social to declare that Xi was talking about U.S. decline under “Sleepy Joe Biden,” not now that he has made us “the hottest Nation anywhere in the world.”

In reality, the widespread Chinese view that America is in decline has only grown stronger under Trump II. According to the New York Times,

In January, a nationalistic Beijing think tank affiliated with Renmin University published a triumphant report about Mr. Trump’s first year back in office. The report argued that his tariffs, attacks on allies, anti-immigration policies and assaults on the American political establishment had inadvertently strengthened China while weakening the United States. Its title: “Thank Trump.”

And that was before the debacle in Iran.

So, as in the Thucydides trap, will a declining America lash out at a rising China? Not under current management, or at least not in any effective way.

Trump and his officials constantly denigrate his predecessor. Denouncing Joe Biden has become their all-purpose response to questions about Trump’s policy failures and cratering polling. But the Biden administration was, in fact, serious about responding to China’s technological and industrial challenge. Notably, the CHIPS and Science Act was explicitly intended in large part as a way to respond to China’s inroads in information technology by boosting the U.S. technology sector, while the Inflation Reduction Act’s promotion of industries associated with renewable energy was an attempt to blunt the impact of growing Chinese dominance in electrotech.

Trump, however, has moved rapidly to cancel Biden’s industrial policy, a turnaround that has, among other things, led to a marked slump in manufacturing construction:

Having abandoned industrial policy, Trump has turned to trade deals. The fact sheet released by the White House after his trip to Beijing proclaimed that

President Trump negotiated a sweeping package of commitments that will drive high-paying American jobs and open new markets for U.S. goods.

The main component of this package was a Chinese commitment to buy $17 billion a year of U.S. agricultural products, on top of an earlier commitment to buy more soybeans. Actually, I should put “commitment” in scare quotes: China made similar promises during Trump I, and completely failed to deliver. But suppose that the Chinese actually come through this time. How big is this “sweeping package”? Adding the extra $17 billion to a best guess at the value of the promised soybean purchases, and comparing it with existing U.S. exports, it looks like this:

So by abandoning Biden’s efforts and pursuing what he considers the art of the deal, Trump has in effect traded a serious effort to keep America competitive in advanced technology game for a hill of soybeans — and a small hill at that.

I could go on, but you get the point. The global scene right now isn’t dominated by a conflict between a rising and a declining superpower, because the declining power is led by a man who has no idea what makes great powers great, is easily distracted by trivia, is focused on self-enrichment and self-aggrandizement, and fantasizes about himself as Jesus. If you want classical analogies, think of America right now as the Roman Empire under Caligula, although Caligula didn’t do anything like as much damage …

WLWT News 5 (Cincinnati, OH), Final polls published before Kentucky's primary election show deadlocked race between Massie, Gallrein, Kurt Knue, May 18, 2026. After several months of campaigning, the most watched Republican House primary race in the country is now drawing to a close.

On Tuesday, the voters of Kentucky's 4th Congressional District will decide if they want to give Rep. Thomas Massie an eighth chance on the ballot as the district's Republican nominee.

Massie has represented the district, which encompasses a stretch of northern Kentucky from Appalachia to Louisville's northeastern suburbs, since 2012. Throughout that time, the district has been an overwhelmingly safe Republican seat, allowing the representative to avoid having to compete in any significantly competitive races, both in the primary and general elections.

However, that has now changed this year as President Trump has fixated his full political attention squarely on unseating Massie from the GOP's ranks. Businessman and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein is challenging Massie for the seat with Trump's backing, with the representative now squarely at the center of national Republican primary politics for the first time in his career.

Just a month ago, polls conducted throughout early April showed Massie with a notable lead in the race. A poll from Quantus Insights that was conducted during the first week of April showed Massie leading by nine percentage points. Similarly, a poll from the Public Polling Project conducted during the same time frame showed Massie with a five-point lead.

However, both polling organizations now paint a significantly different picture in the race as it wanes into its final days. The second poll that was published by Quantus Insights earlier this week showed Gallrein with a comfortable eight-point lead. Meanwhile, the Public Polling Project's second poll that was published showed Massie with just a one-point lead in the race.

Further highlighting how much Massie's lead appears to have eroded, a third poll that was published this week by the Neighborhood Research Corporation showed the race to be evenly deadlocked with Election Day just days away.

Massie's rise and and fall in popularity among top GOP brass in Washington marks a wider story of intraparty ideological movements within the party that have come and gone with time. At the time that the congressman was sworn in to his first term in office, Massie's ascension came amid the backdrop of the rapidly growing political force of the Tea Party, a movement that hawkishly championed strict reductions in federal spending. In the early 2010's, the movement managed to successfully challenge and replace Republican incumbents throughout the country, including — most notably — former sitting GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

As he was running to replace then-outgoing Rep. Geoff Davis in 2012, the Tea Party enthusiastically threw their support behind Massie in the race, with the Lewis County native seen as a like-minded individual in the movement as it sought to increase its represen

GIVE THE TIMESLiveUpdated May 18, 2026, 2:47 p.m. ET3 minutes ago

Courthouse News Service, NY Rep. Mike Lawler recounts antisemitic insults from Rand Paul’s son at DC bar, Benjamin S. Weiss, May 13, 2026. The Republican congressman said he was out at a local Washington bar with a reporter and a friend when a man identifying himself as William Paul went on a “ten-minute diatribe” in which he said he hated Jewish and LGBTQ people.

New York Representative Mike Lawler on Wednesday shared his side of a “reprehensible” interaction with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s son at a D.C. bar this week, during which he hurled antisemitic and homophobic insults at the congressman.

Lawler’s take on the incident comes hours after media reports that a drunken William Paul accosted him and a journalist at the Tune Inn bar in Washington and blamed Jewish people for Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie’s difficult primary fight, among other things.

Speaking to reporters on the Capitol steps Wednesday afternoon, Lawler said he’d gone to get something to eat at the popular Hill spot with a friend and a journalist when he was approached by Paul, who identified himself as the Kentucky senator’s son. He said Paul interjected into his conversation that if Massie lost his reelection campaign “it’s because of my people.”

“I asked him, who is my people?” said Lawler. “And he yelled out, ‘Jews.’”

The congressman, who is of Irish-Italian descent, told Paul he is not Jewish, and said the senator’s son then apologized. “He goes, ‘oh, I’m sorry to accuse you of that,’ which is just a remarkable statement in and of itself,” Lawler added.

Paul proceeded to go on a “10-minute diatribe,” the New York Republican said, about Israel and Jews which he said played into “typical antisemitic tropes that so many people rely on.”

“At one point, [he] said that he hates Jews and hates gays and doesn’t care if they die,” Lawler said. “And I think that’s fucking disgusting.”

NOTUS first broke the news of Paul’s tirade against the congressman — one of their reporters was present with Lawler at the Tune Inn when he was accosted. But the Empire State Republican said he had not spoken yet with Paul’s father.

A spokesperson for Paul’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Lawler, meanwhile, said his interaction with the senator’s son ended quickly, after which the younger Paul gave him the middle finger “and then tripped on his way out the door.”

“I think it speaks to a larger issue in society and what we’re seeing among young people and online,” Lawler said. “This is the level of hatred and vitriol that some of my Jewish colleagues experience, but also that many of my constituents experience.”

Lawler has been a leading voice in Congress for countering what he’s said is a trend of rising antisemitism in the U.S. — and like many lawmakers has tied hatred of the Jewish people to criticism of Israel and its war in Gaza. Last month he penned a resolution with New Jersey Representative Josh Gottheimer condemning what they called “antisemitic hate-filled rhetoric” from online personalities Hasan Piker and Candace Owens.

The lawmakers accused Piker, a massively popular Twitch streamer; and Owens, a former Daily Wire contributor who has since gone independent, of disseminating antisemitic “disinformation, commentary and political viewpoints to their millions of viewers."

U.S. Religion, Media, Culture, Education

Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 17, 2026 [Taxpayers Pay For Evangelical Rally At National Mall], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 18, 2026. Thousands of people gathered today on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to engage in an eight-hour taxpayer-funded evangelical worship event to “rededicate” the nation to Christianity.

The “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving” event is part of the Trump administration’s attempt to use the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to rewrite America’s history, turning it from one that champions the Enlightenment values of natural rights, equality, and self-government to one that requires Americans to accept that some people are better than others and to defer to their leaders.

This was not Congress’s intent when it established a bipartisan America250 commission in 2016 “to plan and orchestrate the 250th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.” But shortly after he took office for the second time in January 2025, Trump and his loyalists began to take over the planning for the nation’s birthday celebration.

As Dan Friedman and Amanda Moore of Mother Jones explained, right-wing operatives, including the company that staged the January 6, 2021, rally near the White House before the attack on the U.S. Capitol, jumped into the management of America250. But Trump chafed under the idea of congressional oversight and a pretense of bipartisanship, so in December 2025 he created his own new organization, Freedom 250.

Congress appropriated $150 million for the Department of the Interior to distribute to organizations for celebrations of the 250th. Of that money, America250 has been allocated $50 million and Freedom 250 has been allocated $100 million, although as of February, America250 had received only $25 million. Freedom 250 has also solicited donations in exchange for access to Trump. According to Karissa Waddick of USA Today, sponsors include ExxonMobil, Mastercard, Deloitte, Palantir, and IndyCar. Donors can also request anonymity.

As Kenneth P. Vogel, Lisa Friedman, and David A. Fahrenthold of the New York Times explained in February, Freedom 250 has planned events that showcase Trump rather than important events and themes in the nation’s history. Those include an IndyCar race around the National Mall, the construction of a triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial, an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House lawn on Trump’s 80th birthday in June, and today’s “Rededicate 250” event.

President Trump was golfing today, but he, along with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, spoke on video to the crowd, assuring them that the United States of America was founded as a Christian nation. House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) spoke in person. All but one of the nineteen clergy and faith leaders who spoke were Christian, and most were right-wing evangelical Protestants.

The video of Trump the organizers played was the same one he recorded three weeks ago for “America Reads the Bible.” The passage was 2 Chronicles 7:11–22, one Christian nationalists believe marks the U.S. as a Christian nation, when the Lord says to Solomon: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

But the United States of America was not founded as a Christian nation. The Founders were quite clear about that. In the 1796 Treaty of Tripoli, ratified unanimously by the Senate just a decade after the Constitution went into effect, U.S. leaders said “the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion” and has “no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of” Muslims. They went on to say that “no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between” the U.S. and Tripoli.

Thomas Jefferson, the key author of the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison of Virginia, the key thinker behind the Constitution, both wrote explicitly about the importance of keeping the government separate from religion. Jefferson wrote that “religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship.” “[T]he legitimate powers of government reach actions only,” he wrote, “[and] not [religious] opinions.”

In 1785, Madison explained that what was at stake in keeping the state and religion separate was not just religion, but also representative government itself. The establishment of one religion over others attacked a fundamental human right—an unalienable right—of conscience. If lawmakers could destroy the right of freedom of conscience, they could destroy all other unalienable rights, including those enumerated in the Declaration of Independence and codified in the Constitution.

Those in charge of government could throw representative government out the window and make themselves tyrants.

Rather than basing the United States on religion, the nation’s founders and framers, as well as Americans of later generations, sought to instill in Americans reverence for the nation’s core political values, especially the right of self-government and the checks and balances that made that self-government possible. In speeches and memorials, novels and poems, they emphasized the sacrifices Americans had made to protect the values embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

That civic religion unified the nation, but it did more than that. It also instructed Americans on the rights and duties of citizens who live in a nation that rests on “We the People.” They must think for themselves, question elected officials, and take an active role in their government.

Replacing Americans’ civic identity with Christian nationalism destroys that vitally important understanding of the role of citizens in a democracy. Instead, it demands that Americans do as they are told, turning them into subjects.

The theme of obeying the leader runs deep in Trump’s politics, and in MAGA more generally. The Bible passage Trump read on video today emphasizes obedience, warning the chosen people that if they “forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you,” then they will be destroyed. Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin read the same passage at the January 6, 2021, insurrection, suggesting that overturning democracy for Trump was obeying the Lord. Laura Jedeed of Firewalled Media reported that vendors at today’s event handed out buttons that said: “WIVES SUBMIT, HUSBANDS LOVE, CHILDREN OBEY.”

But blindly obeying authority has never been the story of America.

From its origins in resistance to the British government, the story of America has been the opposite of obeying. It has been about questioning, debating, criticizing leaders, and working to build “a more perfect Union,” as the Framers charged us to do. The story of America is how those who believed in the principles of democracy, those ideals articulated by the Founders however imperfectly they lived them, have struggled to make the belief that we are all created equal and have a right to have a say in our government, come true. 

New York Times, Live Updates: Suspect’s Mother Warned Police of Missing Guns Before Mosque Attack, Tim Arango, Neil Vigdor and Pooja Salhotra, May 18, 2026. Three people were killed in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and two suspects later killed themselves.

A mother warned the San Diego police that her teenage son and a companion had taken several guns from her home on Monday, two hours before a deadly shooting rampage at a nearby mosque.

Three men were killed in the attack, including a security guard who officials credited with preventing a more deadly massacre at the mosque, the Islamic Center of San Diego. Two suspected shooters — including the woman’s son — were found dead in a car nearby, the police said.

The suspects appeared to have died from self-inflicted gunshots, the San Diego police chief, Scott Wahl, said in a news conference. The chief said one suspect was 17 and the other 18, correcting himself after earlier saying they were 17 and 19.

Investigators recovered anti-Islamic writing in the car, according to two law enforcement officials briefed on the matter who were not authorized to share details publicly. The words “hate speech” were written on one of the firearms used in the attack, the two officials said, and one of the suspects had left a suicide note.

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Christian Nationalists Hit the Mall, Andrew Egger, right, May 18, 2026. Yesterday, a consortium of right-wing Christians gathered on the National Mall for “Rededicate 250,” an event billed as “a National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving.” I would have liked to attend the event, to deliver you a firsthand report on the vibes, but I was prevented: I spent my Sunday at church.

Online later, however, I got the gist. “Rededicate 250” was what you’d have expected from this crew: a full-throated embrace of the MAGA iteration of the faith by the Trump administration, an uneasy amalgam of rudimentary Christian doctrines summoned up to bless smashmouth Trumpian politics. A host of administration officials and allies spoke via recorded video or from the stage: Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, House Speaker Mike Johnson. Even Trump was beamed in on video to read some Scripture—a recycled video from a few weeks ago, it turns out, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind.

Over and over, the speakers hammered the inseparable connection between the defense of the faith and the aims of the modern Republican party. They, the onstage speakers, were on the side of the angels—and no one had any doubt who was on the opposing team.

“We’ve witnessed attacks on our history, on our heroes, and the cherished moral and spiritual identity of this great nation,” Johnson said. (Ostensibly, he was praying.) “These voices insist to the young and impressionable that our story, the American story, is one of oppression and hypocrisy and failure, and that this story can only be understood through the lens of our sins. Father, we reject that.”

MAGA Christianity: Now featuring 100 percent less repentance of sins!

Others were even less subtle. Author and radio host Eric Metaxas—long one of the most insufferable voices on the Christian right—exulted that “it’s hard to believe it took two centuries for the Lord to raise up a great man to bring that ballroom finally to stand where it needs to stand.” (He later claimed that this, as opposed to his usual Trump-worshiping shtick, had been a joke.)

I have to give the organizers credit for one thing: They were smart to pick the date they did. Two hundred fifty years ago yesterday, as the American colonies barreled toward war with Britain, the Continental Congress proclaimed a national “Day of Fasting, Prayer, and Humiliation,” declaring it the “indispensable duty of these hitherto free and happy colonies, with true penitence of heart, and the most reverent devotion, publicly to acknowledge the over ruling providence of God; to confess and deplore our offenses against him; and to supplicate his interposition for averting the threatened danger, and prospering our strenuous efforts in the cause of freedom, virtue, and posterity.”

Christianity and America have always stood both in harmony and in tension: The faith is in the country’s bones, yet the country has chosen from the beginning to hold faith and politics forcibly apart. In another universe, this event could have been a very different affair, along the lines of the longstanding National Prayer Breakfast—a bipartisan rededication to the importance of humbling ourselves and seeking the wisdom, blessing, and grace of God.¹ But that approach has been dying a dual death: increasingly pushed aside for MAGA Christianity boosterism on the right, increasingly abandoned to die a death of neglect on the left.

It constantly dismays me to see my faith so deployed in modern right-wing politics—stripped bare, deracinated, cheapened into a bauble of cultural-political identification. We love our Christians, don’t we folks? I also worry that we are seeing a vicious cycle. In the minds of many irreligious types on the left, these sorts of charlatans are increasingly the only “Christians” they see. The more tightly the religious right tries to tie Christianity to the doomed and dying MAGA project, the less they can be surprised if whatever movement vanquishes MAGA turns out to be hostile not only to MAGA, but to Christianity itself.

This, of course, would suit the charlatans just fine: Their pitch to believers relies on them being, to a significant extent, the only game in town. But for those believers who made their peace with Trump for years on the spurious argument that he was the only thing standing between them and a political movement hostile to their faith, I worry that they may meet their destiny on the road they took to avoid it.

AROUND THE BULWARK

• How Corrupt Is Trump? Here Are the Numbers… He’s the swampiest swamp creature ever, writes MONA CHAREN.
• The Hard Right Hates Neil Gorsuch… It’s all about the constitutionalists vs. the nativists, explains Daniel Ruggles.
• Ending the War Will Require Force… On Shield of the Republic, ERIC EDELMAN and ELIOT COHEN survey a wide range of jackassery, from Trump’s attack on longtime Mitch McConnell aide Robert Karem and his mismanagement of the Defense Department to the Iran intelligence leak, the Trump–Xi summit, Trump’s designs on Cuba, and the implications of Turkey’s newly unveiled ICBM.
• What Can ‘A Man for All Seasons’ Tell Us About Today? SONNY BUNCH joins MONA CHAREN to talk about the 1960s classic that was a conservative touchstone.
• From Bunker Hill to Normandy, JD Vance Is Wrong About America… On How to Fix It, REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS joins JOHN AVLON to lay out a new “patriotic center” for Democrats—from taxing social media companies to fund education, to rebuilding America, fixing housing, confronting China, regulating AI deepfakes, and reclaiming patriotism from Trumpism.

Quick Hits

DOWN GOES CASSIDY: Donald Trump may have shed basically every non-Republican voter from his coalition by now, but that’s cold comfort for the Republican elected officials he’s decided to punish. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) limped to a distant third-place finish in Louisiana’s GOP primary Saturday, capturing only 25 percent of the vote—a stunningly poor showing for a Senate incumbent. Two MAGA challengers, Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming, will advance to a runoff without him.

Cassidy, a doctor and two-term senator, now approaches the end of his political career as a cautionary tale in the impossibility of living with one foot in the MAGA camp. He earned Trump’s undying enmity in 2021, when he was one of seven GOP senators to vote to convict the president in his impeachment trial after January 6th. But he also made periodic, wan attempts to shake Trump off his vengeance tour—most notably, by convincing himself last year to set aside his misgivings and vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health and human services. It didn’t work: Kennedy quickly and remorselessly broke the vaccine-policy promises he made Cassidy in exchange for his vote, and Trump made sure to crush Cassidy in his primary anyway.

The question now is how Cassidy will choose to spend the eight months before his term ends. At this point, he truly has no reason left to make nice with the president, who issued a gloating Truth Social post after his defeat: “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected,” Trump wrote, “is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!”²

“Our country is not about one individual. It is about the welfare of all Americans and it is about our Constitution,” Cassidy said in his concession speech. “And if someone doesn’t understand that and attempts to control others through using the levers of power . . . that person is not qualified to be a leader.”

THE PARLIAMENTARIAN VS. THE BALLROOM: Senate Republicans’ plan to earmark a cool billion for Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project has run into a familiar and formidable foe: the Senate parliamentarian, the once-obscure functionary who is tasked with ruling what can and can’t be passed under simple-majority budget-reconciliation votes—and therefore along party lines. NBC News reports:

“A project as complex and large in scale as Trump’s proposed ballroom necessarily involves the coordination of many government agencies which span the jurisdiction of many Senate committees,” Senate Democrats said after their meeting with the parliamentarian. “As drafted, the provision inappropriately funds activities outside the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee.” . . .

It’s not clear if Republicans can rewrite the provision in a way that would fully resolve the parliamentarian’s issues. The budget resolution detailing what can be included in the bill only allows language to originate from the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

If Senate officials again find the ballroom project falls under the jurisdiction of a committee other than those two, Republicans may be forced to leave that funding out of the bill, as they likely won’t find the 60 votes needed to overrule the parliamentarian.

Read the whole thing.

ENERGY SHOCKS WORSENING: It’s been clear for a while, and it’s getting clearer: The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is a bonanza for American energy producers and a catastrophe for American energy consumers. As energy shocks pile up around the world, more and more international buyers are clamoring for American oil and gas—and with producers unable to just snap their fingers and pull enough out of the ground for everybody, an international bidding war is now underway for every single barrel. The Wall Street Journal has more:

For now, the U.S. has been able to meet needs at home and replace some of the missing Gulf barrels. No nation in the world’s history has ever exported as much energy: It shipped 14.2 million barrels of crude and products a day late last month—the rough equivalent of one out of seven barrels consumed globally in ordinary times.

But trouble is brewing. U.S. oil producers are barely stepping up their output, refineries are running at full-throttle, and domestic stocks are getting depleted fast. The upshot: American consumers are set to keep paying more for fuel to stay inside the U.S.’s borders.

“This is all just going to end so badly,” said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at commodities- and shipping-data provider Kpler. “We have to essentially get squeezed to the point where prices move higher to stop the barrels leaving.”

May 17

Top Headlines

President Trump met with President Xi Jinping of China on Thursday, May 14, 2026, after a flurry of actions.

• New York Times, News Analysis: Trump Makes a High Risk Move to Win Over Xi, Chris Buckley, May 17, 2026 (print ed.). The president said a potential arms deal for Taiwan was a “very good negotiating chip” in talks with Beijing. His words raise questions about the reliability of U.S. support.
• Hopium Chronicles, Pro-Democracy Advocacy: Trump Is A Fool, A Coward, And A Traitor, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 16-17, 2026. Trump continues to bow to and appease global strongmen, doing enormous harm to America and freedom and democracy everywhere.
• New York Times, To Critics, Trump Remarks Reveal a Billionaire Out of Touch, Erica L. Green, May 17, 2026. The president has never pretended to be an ordinary American, but a recent “truth bomb” has opened him to criticism that he doesn’t grasp the economic strain of his war with Iran.
• The Pugilist with Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, Investigative Commentary: Jeffrey Epstein Donated Money 8 to 1 to Democrats versus Republicans, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, right, May 17, 2026. That Doesn't Mean What You Think.

U.S. Crime, Courts, Insurrection, Law, Rights

Trump plans special $5 tax on every American via Justice Department "settlement" for special narly $1.8 billion slush fund to reward his Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists (some shown above).

• Emptywheel, Analysis: Trump’s Idea of Charity: Terrorists, Cop Assailants, and Child Sex Predators, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 15, 2026. Remember back in February, when Trump claimed he was going to donate to “very good charities” any money he got by settling his own lawsuit against the IRS because a contractor stole his tax records from the IRS during his own first term?
• The Parnas Perspective, Sunday Evening News and Comment: MAGA Infighting Erupts, Trump's Stock Trading Exposed, Large Protests Against SCOTUS Across the South, Aaron Parnas, right, May 17, 2026. Donald Trump is now escalating his attacks on Lauren Boebert as internal MAGA infighting intensifies. Marjorie Taylor Greene appears increasingly isolated, and Boebert may be next. At the same time, massive marches swept through Alabama today in protest of recent Supreme Court decisions affecting voting rights.

U.S. Scandals, Probes, Coverups

An undated photograph released by the Justice Department showing Kathryn Ruemmler with Jeffrey Epstein. Ms. Ruemmler’s name appeared in over 10,000 documents released in January by the Justice Department pertaining to Mr. Epstein (Photo via  U.S. Department of Justice).

• New York Times, Investigation: How a Secretive Firm Tried (and Failed) to Fix an Epstein Friend’s Tattered Image, Robert Draper, May 17, 2026. Terakeet, a reputation management firm, used online tricks to downplay the friendship of the Goldman Sachs general counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler, with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It wasn’t enough.
• Everyone Is Entitled To My Own Opinion, Kash Patel holds a _____-up Pearl Harbor snorkel party, Jeff Tiedrich, right, May 17, 2026. Here’s another heartwarming tale of what government looks like when everyone in it is a s________ believes they have the right to do whatever they want.
• Eyes On ICE, ICE Kills With Indifference Commentary:: Agency Fails to Protect a Vulnerable 2-Year-Old, Then Blames the Detained Mother, Staff Report, May 17, 2026. Orlin Hernandez Reyes should be alive.
• Last Page First, Investigation: The New Mexico Governor on Epstein's List Was on Hunter Biden's Board When Russian Money Arrived, Jana, May 17, 2026 (Part Seven of the Zorro Ranch Road Series). Nearly 600 Epstein files on a Pentagon biodefense CEO. A governor on the board when Russian money arrived. The laptop connected it. Nobody assembled the full chain until now.A Note On Names, And What The Outlets Missed.

News Roundups

• Meidas Touch Network, Sunday Afternoon News Updates: Two Nuclear Sites on Fire, Trump Targets Epstein Allies, and the Cuba War Pretex, Ben Meiselas, right, May 17, 2026. The Trump regime is running the same tired Ponzi scheme playbook and hoping you don't notice.
• Hopium Chronicles, Advocacy and Opinion: Trump Gets A Brutal New CBS Poll, WHO Declares Global Health Emergency, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 17, 2026. New Interviews with PA Gov. Josh Shapiro and Ohio's Amy Acton; and Two big things to work on this week. 

More On U.S. Elections, Politics, Race, Rights, Governance

• New York Times, Trump Flexes Hold on G.O.P., Even as It Braces for Midterm Backlash, Tim Balk, May 17, 2026. The defeat of Senator Bill Cassidy showed the president’s dominance in his party at a moment when a broader range of views about Mr. Trump could be a major liability for November.
• New York Times, Lamar Alexander Wants Republicans to Stand Up to Trump, Carl Hulse, May 17, 2026. In a new memoir, the former senator, governor and cabinet member says President Trump committed an impeachable offense on Jan. 6 and calls on Congress to assert its power.
• Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 16, 2026 [U..S. Race Politics Ramps Up], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 17, 2026. Seventy-two years ago tomorrow, on May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously decided Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. That landmark decision declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional because segregated schools denied Black children “the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.”
• New York Times, For Trump, Soaring Prices Test Voters’ Finances and Patience, Tony Romm and Ben Casselman, May 17, 2026. Just months before another election that may hinge on the economy, the war in Iran has sent gas and other goods soaring. 
• PoliticusUSA, News and Commentary: Pete Buttigieg Totally Wrecks Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy,.Jason Easley, May 17, 2026. Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spends most of his time blaming Pete Buttigieg for his failures. On Sunday, Buttigieg wrecked the unqualified Duffy.
• Meidas Touch Network, Trump has 1130 PM PSYCHO MELTDOWN and QUICKLY CAVES!!! Ben Meiselas, May 17, 2026. 

More On Iran War

• New York Times, The Iran War Is Crippling One of the World’s Wealthiest Nations, River Akira Davis, May 17, 2026. Iranian attacks and the stoppage of seaborne transit have paralyzed Qatar’s vital gas exports, stalling the economic pivots intended to anchor the country’s growth.

U.S. Sports, Music, Race, Culture

• MS NOW, Opinion: Caitlin Clark is too experienced to make this rookie mistake, Keith O'Brien, May 11, 2026 (featured May 17). There are many reasons Caitlin Clark should have thought twice before making an appearance with country music star Morgan Wallen.
• New York Times, Clavicular Strikes Plea Deal With Prosecutors After Alligator Shooting, Pooja Salhotra, May 15, 2026. The social media personality pleaded no contest and was sentenced to six months of probation. The deal allows him to avoid jail time.

Top Stories

President Trump met with President Xi Jinping of China on Thursday, May 14, 2026, after a flurry of actions fro

New York Times, News Analysis: Trump Makes a High Risk Move to Win Over Xi, Chris Buckley, May 17, 2026 (print ed.). The president said a potential arms deal for Taiwan was a “very good negotiating chip” in talks with Beijing. His words raise questions about the reliability of U.S. support.

President Trump has described a potential multibillion-dollar weapons sale to Taiwan as a “negotiating chip” with China, raising new doubts about the pace and scale of American military support for the island democracy.

Taiwan’s government has been waiting for months for Mr. Trump to sign off on a $14 billion package of missiles, anti-drone equipment and air-defense systems intended to fortify the island against Beijing’s military threats.

Mr. Trump himself had pressured Taiwan to spend more on its own defense. Now he is using the very arms his administration had pushed the island to buy as leverage with China, the United States’ main adversary.

Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One after leaving China on Friday that he had discussed the weapons package with China’s president, Xi Jinping, during their summit this past week in Beijing. He was asked in an interview with Fox News whether he would approve the Taiwan deal.

“No, I’m holding that in abeyance and it depends on China,” he said in the interview, which was recorded in Beijing but aired after he left. “It depends.”

“It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly,” he said. “It’s a lot of weapons.”

He did not go into details about what he wanted in return, but Mr. Trump has pushed China to make major purchases of American airplanes, ethanol, soybeans, beef and sorghum.

Hopium Chronicles, Pro-Democracy Advocacy: Trump Is A Fool, A Coward, And A Traitor, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 16-17, 2026. Trump continues to bow to and appease global strongmen, doing enormous harm to America and freedom and democracy everywhere.

I try to keep it light on the weekends but we are getting a clearer picture now of what happened in China, and where our addled, weakened, desperate leader is headed. In an interview with Fox’s Bret Baier yesterday Trump threw Taiwan under the bus, and gave it the “stop being so uppity” Ukraine treatment:

Whether through compromise, or a deep desire to be like them, Trump has a history of yielding to and appeasing strongmen. He has done it for years with Putin, giving him so much and getting nothing in return for the US. He did with Bibi in February, yielding to his ill-thought through total war with Iran.

He’s now doing that with Xi on Taiwan, again, yielding so much and getting nothing in return for the United States. He just gets played like a fool again and again, and accelerates our global geopolitical and economic decline. He gets admission to this club of autocrats, and as he walks in the door they pick his pockets, give him the table without a view of the stage, and howl with laughter for at their ridiculous good fortune.

In that interview when asked about the pain the war is bringing to our economy he repeated his magical thinking, [like] “COVID is just going to go away one day” line about short term pain, long term gain. We are way, way passed that now Mr. Trump:

• Brent crude starts the day at one its highest points of the war:
• Gas prices remain high across the US:
• Inflation has exploded in the US, and interest rates are now at a 20 year high:
• Farmers in the US are getting crushed:

From the article {in Axios]:

Farmers across the Midwest are entering planting season under mounting financial pressure, as the Iran conflict drives up diesel and fertilizer prices — deepening an agricultural downturn that some say is the worst since the crisis of the 1980s.

Why it matters: Rising fuel and fertilizer costs threaten to push more family farms out of business, drive up food prices and further strain rural economies already battered by trade disruptions, inflation and extreme weather.

The big picture: Mark Mueller — a northeast Iowa farmer and president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association — tells Axios that the current landscape is more challenging than at any time since the 1980s farm crisis, when interest rates soared and exports plunged, triggering agricultural bank failures.

The stresses are showing, with rising bankruptcies and lenders becoming more reluctant to provide farmers with operational loans.

“There’s going to be fewer farmers next year than there is this year,” Mueller says.

Zoom in: Farmers are grappling with a confluence of forces, including:

• Skyrocketing energy prices triggered by President Trump’s Iran war, which led to the shuttering of Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for fossil fuels.
• Spiking fertilizer prices and shortages after the Iranians blocked shipments through the strait.
• Disrupted export markets tied to Trump’s tariffs and Chinese import restrictions.
• Global drought and other weather pressures, including climate change.

What they’re saying: “What makes this moment particularly hard is that farmers can’t pivot quickly,” says Cornell University agricultural economist Wendong Zhang.

“Farmers have some tools, but none are quick fixes.”

This morning Iran announced the creation of a permanent toll system in the Strait of Hormuz, something that will strengthen Iran-China-Russia, and weaken the US, our European and Asian allies, and Trump’s Gulf Arab business partners:

We have to be clear eyed about what Trump is doing and who he is. He imagines himself to be like MBS, Bibi, Putin, and Xi. He envisions a world run by a handful of strongmen, with the US taking the Americas and leaving the rest to Putin, Xi, Bibi, and others.

As we discussed yesterday he is trying to help Putin win in Ukraine, and Xi now take Taiwan. He has floated the idea this week of taking full possession of Venezuela and making it the 51st state. He will soon seize Cuba, as he did Venezuela.

He is working furiously, with the help of the corrupt Roberts Court, Chief Justice John Roberts is shown at right, to install minority rule here in the US for the Republican Party. He is literally working to bring an end to the 2nd Reconstruction/VRA era, the 80 year era of Pax America and the Four Freedoms (and American dominance), and the end of American democracy itself.

He is the least American leader we have ever had, operating from a radical and ridiculous vision, one that is leaving America less prosperous, less safe, and less free; all while he builds his ballrooms, golf courses and golden statues, enriches himself, dances with dictators and let’s the rest of be grateful for the pain he has inflicted on us and for his surrendering the great idea of America itself, of freedom and democracy, to oligarchs, criminals, charlatans, and autocrats.

Despite his fantasies Trump is no strongman. He is a fool, a coward, and a traitor. The strongmen of the world laugh at him, and now at this once great country too.

And I am really fucking angry about it all this morning…….

It’s why…..It’s Time To Get To Work Everyone……

. New York Times, To Critics, Trump Remarks Reveal a Billionaire Out of Touch, Erica L. Green, May 17, 2026. The president has never pretended to be an ordinary American, but a recent “truth bomb” has opened him to criticism that he doesn’t grasp the economic strain of his war with Iran.

With his generational wealth, his 20-acre Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., and his lucrative family businesses around the world, President Trump has never purported to be an ordinary American.

Instead, he has argued that he could use his business savvy to help lift up the country’s forgotten men and women.

But in recent weeks, as Americans feel deep economic strain from the war he launched in Iran, Mr. Trump’s actions and words have opened him up to accusations that he is either out of touch with — or indifferent to — the lives of everyday Americans.

The costs are ballooning from his renovation, re-decoration and building spree in Washington, D.C., and at the White House. He goes on social media posting frenzies that often focus on his pet projects, gripes and personal triumphs, including a 22-year-old newspaper review of his television show, “The Apprentice.” But perhaps the most striking example came on Tuesday, when Mr. Trump was asked whether the economic hardship Americans are feeling would motivate him to make a deal to end the war.

“Not even a little bit,” he said.

“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,” Mr. Trump continued, a stunningly frank admission that came after weeks spent either downplaying the conflict’s economic toll or simply asking Americans to be patient. His only consideration, Mr. Trump said, was preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon: “That’s all.”

That same day, the Labor Department reported that last month, inflation in the United States accelerated at its fastest rate in three years, and gas reached more than $4.50 a gallon.

Democrats immediately seized on the remark, which will undoubtedly be used in attack ads during the midterm campaigns, and said it was a sign of the disconnect between the priorities of the president and those of the electorate.

“Donald Trump just said the quiet part out loud: he doesn’t care about Americans who are struggling to make ends meet in his economy,” Rosemary Boeglin, the communications director of the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement.

Even Mr. Trump’s allies struggled to defend the statement. Vice President JD Vance, asked this week whether he agreed with the president, said: “Well, I don’t think the president said that, I think that’s a misrepresentation of what the president said.”Editors’ PicksRailway, Meet Milky Way: 5 Great Stargazing TrainsHayden Panettiere Can’t Escape the DramaThe Villains Who Shaped ‘Survivor’

But in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Mr. Trump doubled down.

“That’s a perfect statement,” he said. “I’d make it again.”

He acknowledged that there is a “short-term pain,” associated with the war, but said, “the pain is much less than people thought.”

The White House said that Mr. Trump was focused on defending the United States’ longstanding security.

 Donald Trump with Prince Andrew. Money would not have worked very well to control either of them. So Epstein used something else entirely.

The Pugilist with Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, Investigative Commentary: Jeffrey Epstein Donated Money 8 to 1 to Democrats versus Republicans, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, May 17, 2026. That Doesn't Mean What You Think.

Every major media outlet that has covered Jeffrey Epstein’s political giving has told you the same thing: he donated overwhelmingly to Democrats. Federal Election Commission records confirm it. From 1989 through the early 2000s, Epstein directed roughly $147,000 to Democratic candidates and committees — eight dollars for every one dollar that went to Republicans. The Washington Times called it his “overwhelming investment in the Democratic machine.” Fox News has returned to the figure repeatedly, using it as a cudgel against Democrats who have pressed for full release of the Epstein files.

• The coverage is factually accurate.
• But the interpretation is precisely wrong.
• What the donation record actually shows is not who Epstein owned.
• It shows who he needed to pay to control, and who required other means of coercion.Two Currencies of Compromise

Epstein did not operate a single system of influence. He operated two, running simultaneously, targeting different kinds of people in different ways.

The first system was financial. Campaign contributions, fundraiser access, research and institutional giving, the implicit promise of continued generosity and the implicit threat of its withdrawal. This system left records — FEC filings, donor lists, fundraising invitations. It was, by design, a system for managing people who could be managed with money, perhaps because they needed money more, or perhaps because money was the only way to influence them. In the 1990s, that meant the Democratic Party infrastructure: the Senate committees, the Justice Department under Clinton, the oversight mechanisms that Epstein needed to keep at bay as federal investigators in Florida began to close in.

Epstein wrote checks to Chuck Schumer, John Kerry, Chris Dodd, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign. He gave $32,000 to the DNC. He gave $29,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. These were not expressions of ideological solidarity. Jeffrey Epstein had no ideology. He was a psychopath. The payments were, rather, control tactics dressed in the language of civic participation.

The second system Epstein used to control people left no FEC records.

It left something else entirely: Cameras. Photos, videos. Recordings of terrible men doing terrible things. And while men of all political stripes were indebted to Epstein in this way, there’s sociological evidence to support the idea that conservative men, already very wealthy men, and men with more to lose if the world discovered their double lives, are both more vulnerable to this type of blackmail, and also more likely to be republicans.The Science of the Gap

To understand why the camera worked better than the check on the Republican men in Epstein’s orbit, you need to understand something that sociologists and historians of sexuality have documented across decades of research: the more rigidly a man’s public identity is built around sexual propriety, the more devastating — and therefore the more valuable to a blackmailer — the evidence of his private behavior becomes.

University of Oklahoma sociologist Samuel L. Perry, in his 2019 Oxford University Press book Addicted to Lust: Pornography in the Lives of Conservative Protestants, documents what he and his collaborators call “moral incongruence” — the experience of behaving in ways that contradict one’s stated moral values. Perry and psychologist Joshua Grubbs, in their landmark 2019 review published in The Journal of Sex Research, find that moral incongruence is not merely a personal struggle but a measurable, predictable phenomenon: religious and politically conservative men are significantly more likely to experience it, more likely to suffer shame and psychological distress as a result, and more likely to do anything to conceal it. A 2020 peer-reviewed study in Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, on which Perry is a co-author, found that the highest levels of pornography consumption among American men occur among evangelical Protestants living in politically conservative states — precisely the overlap of personal religious identity and political community that characterizes the Republican donor and officeholder world Epstein navigated.

This is the structural logic of Jeffrey Epstein’s kompromat target versus his financial bribery targets.

British historian Angus McLaren, in his Harvard University Press book Sexual Blackmail: A Modern History, traces sexual blackmail from its emergence in the late eighteenth century through the Victorian era and into the twentieth century, documenting a consistent pattern: the higher the social premium placed on sexual respectability, the more powerful the leverage created by its violation. The men most vulnerable to sexual blackmail across history have not been the most transgressive — they have been the most publicly respectable. The gap between the public self and the private one is the instrument of control. Epstein did not invent this. He industrialized it.

The Russian intelligence tradition named and theorized what Epstein practiced. Alena V. Ledeneva, a political scientist at University College London whose How Russia Really Works (Cornell University Press) remains the definitive academic study of kompromat, defines the practice as operating through precisely this gap: it works not because it reveals criminality but because it reveals incongruence — the distance between who a man presents himself to be and what he actually does in private. The KGB understood this in the 1930s. The FSB has practiced it ever since. Ledeneva notes that kompromat is most effective not when released, but when held — the threat of release produces compliance indefinitely, while release itself ends the leverage. A man who knows he’s been compromised by a camera is more useful to an intelligence operation that uses kompromat than is a man destroyed by one.

This is why the Republican men who passed through Epstein’s properties received no campaign checks. The check is a one-time transaction that the world can see. The “IOU” appeals to a person’s sense of reciprocity and honor and guilt.

But the camera? The camera is a permanent relationship with the threat of one’s own unbearable, intolerable hypocrisy.The Infrastructure of Silence

Investigators who searched Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion documented surveillance equipment, cameras, and recording devices positioned throughout the property. His Manhattan townhouse — the largest private residence in New York City — contained a vast and sophisticated surveillance infrastructure whose full contents have never been made public. Zorro Ranch, same.

Epstein understood, with operational precision, that video evidence of powerful, hypocritical people in compromising situations is worth more than any campaign check — and cannot be returned, donated to charity, or publicly renounced. Men like Donald Trump didn’t get campaign donations from Epstein, likely because the photo and video Epstein collected of him was far more valuable in the case of a rich man with secrets that could destroy him with his base. Same for Prince Andrew. He received no Epstein donations. He didn’t need them. But he did have a giant gulf between the man he actually was, and the man he needed to be seen as.

Epstein’s goal was always to control people, whether they were the child victims of his rapes or the powerful people he backed into corners they did not see until it was already too late to run.The Redaction That Speaks

When the DOJ released the final tranche of Epstein files in early 2026, its stated policy was clear: redact women to protect victims. The faces of men would not be redacted unless it was technically impossible to redact the woman without obscuring the man beside her.

One exception was made. In a text message exchange between Steve Bannon and Epstein, a news photograph of Donald Trump had his face covered with a black box. There was no woman in the image requiring protection. There was no stated justification. There was only the black box, applied by a Justice Department that reports to Donald Trump.

While this doesn’t prove there is much more damning photo and perhaps video evidence of Trump in the files — and perhaps elsewhere, in the hands of whomever Epstein worked for, or whomever took over for that entity — the order to redact Trump could only really come out of either a mistaken belief he was a child sex trafficking victim, or a mandate to protect him at all costs.

The Correct Question

The press has spent years asking which politicians took Epstein’s money. The eight-to-one Democratic ratio has been weaponized, analyzed, and returned to so many times that it has calcified into conventional wisdom: Epstein was a Democratic operator, his money followed Democratic power, and therefore Democratic politicians bear primary accountability for his protection and his longevity.

This framing serves a partisan, overly simplistic purpose. It is not an accident that it has dominated coverage.

But the correct question is not who got the check. The correct question is who got controlled, by any means. Not just financial. Epstein knew there were many ways to control a person.

And he used them all. 

U.S. Crime, Courts, Insurrection, Law, Rights

Trump plans special $5 tax on every American via Justice Department "settlement" for special $1.6 billion slush fund to reward his Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists (some shown above).

Emptywheel, Analysis: Trump’s Idea of Charity: Terrorists, Cop Assailants, and Child Sex Predators, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 15, 2026. Remember back in February, when Trump claimed he was going to donate to “very good charities” any money he got by settling his own lawsuit against the IRS because a contractor stole his tax records from the IRS during his own first term?

Speaking with reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One, Trump said he is considering settling the case and giving the proceeds to “established and respected charities.”

“We’re thinking about doing something for charity where I’ll give money to charity,” he said. “We can make it a substantial amount. Nobody would care because it’s going to go to numerous very good charities.”

Trump added, “If I pay myself, that somehow will never look good.”

“A lot of outside people said, ‘What a great idea,’ because nobody cares how much if it goes to a good charity,” Trump said. “So you settle by giving charities a lot of money and I think we’re going to do something like that. We’re looking to do something like that.”

Yesterday, ABC reported that the settlement now envisions rewarding Trump $1.7 billion to award to Jan6ers (some shown above).

President Donald Trump is expected to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The commission overseeing the compensation fund would have the total authority to hand out approximately $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to settle claims brought by anyone who alleges they were harmed by the Biden administration’s “weaponization” of the legal system, including the nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as well as potentially entities associated with President Trump himself.

If the $1.7 billion were split evenly among the 1,600 criminals and those charged, it would work out to be over a million dollars a person. And that’s on top of the restitution payments for the damage the mob did to the Capitol, of which many convicted criminals were excused with Trump’s pardon. Taxpayers have been stuck cleaning up after Trump’s criminals.

And consider the kind of people who would benefit from this corrupt payoff.

Some number — around a dozen? — are seditionists and adjudged terrorists from the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers whom juries found to be attacking the country. Todd Blanche is already working to make their convictions go away, which will allow them to rearm Now, Trump wants to pay those guys a million dollars for their criminal ways.

Then there are the cop assailants. During police week, Trump is floating the idea of paying people who beat cops and in a few cases, nearly killed them — people like Danny Rodriguez who went to January 6 expecting there might be casualties and then responded directly to Rudy Giuliani’s call for trial by combat by making throat slicing gestures. Rodriguez went on to tase Michael Fanone, causing a heart attack.

That’s what Trump wants to reward with a million dollar payoff.

Several of these people have seriously threatened top government officials, too. Taylor Taranto (using an address that Trump made public on Truth Social) drove his armed van to Kalorama and started stalking Barack Obama. “Gotta get the shot, stop at nothing to get the shot. This is where other people come to get the shot,” the mentally ill Navy veteran was chanting. And Chris Moynihan sent text messages threatening to kill Hakeem Jeffries: “I cannot allow this terrorist to live … I will kill him for the future,” (which crime Trump’s DOJ chose to ignore, meaning Moynihan got off with just a misdemeanor offense).

Finally, there are the child sex predators. Andrew Paul Johnson, for example, started molesting two children, including a boy of the age of 11, after January 6.

Both of Johnson’s young victims — a young boy and a young girl — testified at his trial, where they described how Johnson used his role as a trusted “father figure” to subject them to physical sexual abuse and explicit messages.

Johnson first came into the picture in 2023, after the boy’s mother met Johnson at a political rally. The mother, who was raising two boys alone, let Johnson stay on the couch in her home.

She testified that she believed Johnson, who worked as a handyman, could help fix things around the house.

By that point, Johnson had already been charged for his role in the Capitol attack, but his case was still working its way through the courts. On the political right, riot defendants like Johnson were widely portrayed as victims, “hostages” and “political prisoners.”

One night, the boy was watching “a scary movie” with Johnson, when he fell asleep.

“I woke up in the morning and he was touching me — I felt him touching me in my private area,” the boy testified. He was 11 years old at the time.

“Did you say anything to him?” Assistant State Attorney Kasey Whitson asked.

“No ma’am,” the boy replied. “I was too nervous, like, I was scared.”

Later that year, the boy again woke up to Johnson touching him. This time, Johnson swore him to silence.

“He said not to tell anybody,” the boy said. His mother remained unaware of the abuse.

When the boy told him that fondling his genitalia was wrong, Johnson used his expectation of a payoff to try to silence the child.

Andrew also told [redacted] that since he was pardoned for storming the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, and he was being awarded $10,000,000 as a result of being a “jan 6’er”. Andrew did tell [redacted] that he would be putting him in his “will” to take any money he had left over. This tactic was believed to be used to keep [redacted] from exposing what Andrew had done to him.

It’s not just that these monsters are recidivist criminals. It’s that Trump’s coddling of them has led them to believe they have impunity for other crimes.

And Trump wants to steal $1.7 billion from taxpayers — basically a $5 tax on every American — and give it to these criminals.

That’s his idea of charity. plenty of reason to be worried about their financial well-being, said David Tinsley, an economist at the Bank of America Institute.

U.S. Scandals, Probes, Coverups

An undated photograph released by the Justice Department showing Kathryn Ruemmler with Jeffrey Epstein. Ms. Ruemmler’s name appeared in over 10,000 documents released in January by the Justice Department pertaining to Mr. Epstein (Photo via  U.S. Department of Justice).

New York Times, Investigation: How a Secretive Firm Tried (and Failed) to Fix an Epstein Friend’s Tattered Image, Robert Draper, May 17, 2026. Terakeet, a reputation management firm, used online tricks to downplay the friendship of the Goldman Sachs general counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler, with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It wasn’t enough.

Senior members of Terakeet, a reputation management firm, huddled in April 2024 to discuss what they could do for their new and potentially biggest client, Goldman Sachs, and its general counsel. She was suddenly the subject of unwanted publicity for her association with the sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Terakeet’s chief executive and co-founder, Mac Cummings, described the counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler, to the others at the meeting as a “friend of mine” and the “executive sponsor” of the Goldman Sachs account, according to an audio recording of the meeting obtained by The New York Times.

Mr. Cummings added with some hyperbole that Ms. Ruemmler, a former White House counsel in the Obama administration, was “the most accomplished, brilliant lawyer in the United States, possibly the world,” and that she “probably will be at some point a Supreme Court justice of the United States — she is cool, she is fun, she’s interesting.”

There was just one problem, Mr. Cummings said. After leaving the White House, Ms. Ruemmler had entered private practice and met with Mr. Epstein.

“She’s done nothing wrong,” Mr. Cummings told his subordinates. “But like the other thousands of people that met him over the course of the last 20 years, her name is on something, her name is in a news article, which isn’t really helpful when you’re trying to be in the C-suite of Goldman Sachs. So that’s probably an area that we’re going to zone in on.”ImageMs. Ruemmler, right, in the Roosevelt Room with members of the Obama administration in 2014.Credit...Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Zone in on Ms. Ruemmler’s troubles they did. Over the next 20 months, according to internal documents and interviews with individuals involved in the work, Terakeet’s team went to remarkable lengths to address what one memo characterized as her “association risk problem.”

Specifically, Terakeet created and posted positive online content about Ms. Ruemmler that was aimed at appearing above the mostly negative content about her association with Mr. Epstein. The goal was that at least 80 percent of the first 30 Google search results would be favorable.

To pull this off, the firm, based in Syracuse, N.Y., resorted to the furtive, algorithm-placating digital tradecraft that has made it one of the most exclusive and expensive players in the booming world of reputation management firms that combine public relations and technical skills to maintain a preferred narrative online. (Mr. Epstein himself tried to do the same sanitizing of his digital presence, although not with Terakeet, with seemingly similar, unsuccessful results.)

Ms. Reummler declined to comment for this article, and Mr. Cummings declined to be interviewed on the record. He did, however, issue a statement describing his firm’s work. “Terakeet’s technology is built on a simple mandate: organizations must tell their own story,” the statement said. “If they do not, third-party bias combined with generative AI will shape it for them.”ImageMac Cummings, chief executive and co-founder of Terakeet, in 2012.

Over the years, his company’s client roster has included MetLife, JP Morgan Chase, Oracle, Target, Walmart, Disney and Bain Capital.

Many of these were primarily “growth” clients who used Terakeet’s optimization expertise to fortify their brand. Others were dogged by controversy and fell into the “reputation” client category. Most wished to build and protect their brands at the same time. One prospective client, The New York Times, entered into discussions with Terakeet last year about how the firm could help combat online attacks aimed at Times employees. The Times ultimately decided not to enlist its services.

Terakeet occasionally works free of charge for causes such as the American LGBTQ+ Museum in New York, but on average most clients can expect to be billed in the range of $5 to $10 million annually, according to people familiar with the company. The fees are considerably more than what other reputation management firms charge.

“We charge high fees, but nothing like that,” said Sam Michelson, the chief executive of Five Blocks, a New York firm that has competed with Terakeet for clients in the past.

In its early years, Terakeet focused on providing search engine optimization services to drive online traffic to a client’s website, including in 2007, when it assisted in digital fund-raising for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. The firm did similar work for the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns of Barack Obama. In 2016, according to federal disclosures, Mrs. Clinton’s second presidential campaign paid the firm $10,000 to perform technology services in battleground states.

Terakeet also maintained a small list of clients contending with minor blemishes on an otherwise positive public image, such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which had been embarrassed by a ProPublica story in 2021 detailing how the nonprofit accumulated billions of dollars in a reserve fund while the families of patients faced financial hardship.

Ms. Ruemmler presented a far different challenge for Terakeet. The story of how the firm tried and ultimately failed to diminish Mr. Epstein from her public profile represented an all-out effort to mute the immutable. In the end, all Terakeet could do was prove the adage coined by the billionaire Warren Buffett: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”

This account is based on internal Terakeet documents, audio recordings of company meetings and interviews with 20 current and former employees. Since those who work at Terakeet are required to sign nondisclosure agreements, they described their confidential work on the condition of anonymity.

Terakeet’s grip on Ms. Ruemmler’s reputation began to slip last November, when the House Oversight Committee made public several thousand documents it had obtained from the estate of Mr. Epstein. The tranche included emails from Ms. Ruemmler referring to the convicted sex offender as “sweetie” and “Uncle Jeffrey.”

“We are not defending Jeffrey Epstein, full stop,” Mr. Cummings told the Terakeet team a few days after the documents were disclosed, according to a person who was present at the meeting. Though Goldman Sachs continued to stand by its general counsel, members of the team assigned to the account at Terakeet said they began to wonder if more trouble was coming.

They did not have to wait long. On the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 30, the Justice Department released 3.5 million pages pertaining to Mr. Epstein. Ms. Ruemmler’s name appeared in over 10,000 of them. In some of the exchanges, she discussed traveling to France with Mr. Epstein, expressed appreciation for the lavish gifts he had bought her and offered him legal advice.

FBI Director Kash Patel, above, has been exposed as orchestrating a snorkling party last summer amidst the wreckage of one of the most revered locales in U.S. Navel history, the Pearl Harbor underwater graveyard of more than 900 U.S.S. Arizona personnel killed during the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941 that prompted U.S. entry into World War II. The battleship U.S.S. Arizona is shown below following its 1931 modernization.

Everyone Is Entitled To My Own Opinion, Kash Patel holds a _____-up Pearl Harbor snorkel party, Jeff Tiedrich, right,May 17, 2026. Here’s another heartwarming tale of what government looks like when everyone in it is a s________ who believes they have the right to do whatever they want.

It seems that last summer, our bourbon-brained FBI director had a hankering to splash about in the water.

So, go find the nearest swimming pool and jump in, right? Problem solved!

Sorry, no. that plebeian s____ might satisfy you or me — or the occasional gorilla — but that’s not how a prime übermensch like Kash Patel rolls.

What Kash did was to round up a bunch of his buds, commandeer two Navy SEAL boats and sail all the way out to Pearl Harbor for a f____-up snorkel party, right next to the sunken remains of the U.S.S. Arizona: 

Last summer, the F.B.I. director, Kash Patel, capped a whirlwind South Pacific trip with a snorkel trip in Hawaii.

There, Navy SEALs used two boats to transport and escort Mr. Patel and nine other people on what a Defense Department email called a “V.I.P. Snorkel” next to one of the military’s most sacred sites, the underwater tomb of the U.S.S. Arizona that holds the remains of more than 900 Navy sailors and Marines who died at Pearl Harbor.

That’s right — while the average American struggles to pay for basic goods and services, there’s Three Sheets to the Wind Kash, wasting god-knows-how-many taxpayer dollars to have a fun afternoon desecrating the site of an underwater tomb.

It cannot be overstated just how f____-up this stunt was. There are rules and regulations that forbid exactly this.

Out of respect for the dead entombed in the wreck of the Arizona, rules bar visitors even from wearing swimwear at the memorial. With some exceptions over the years for dignitaries, the only people allowed in the water around the tomb are military and National Park Service divers interring the remains of the last Arizona survivors in the wreck, or conducting annual maintenance surveys, according to a former Navy officer and a former National Park Service official familiar with restrictions at the site.

The memorial is such a hallowed place that you can’t even walk around in a bathing suit. They will throw your disrespectful a__ right out of there. Yet here’s Three Sheets Kash and nine of his pals, splish-splashing about. with snorkels, for f___ sake. How gross is that?

And it’s not like Old Bug Eyes didn’t know where he was. The wreck of the Arizona — along with the remains of some nine hundred sailors and marines — is a well-marked historical monument. The ship itself just below the surface of the water. you can plainly see its outline.

The Pacific Ocean covers 63.8 million square miles. Drunkie McSnorkelcould have literally picked any other spot at random and had equally as good a time. so why would he deliberately choose to dishonor the watery tomb of heroes who gave their lives defending their country?

It’s because Kash Patel is a self-entitled ____ who believes he has the right to do whatever the hell he wants, whenever he wants.

Trump FBI Director Kash Patel, shown carousing on a U.S. taxpayer-funded trip to Italy in February where he joined the lockerroom celebrations of the victorious U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team.

Did it ever occur to Kash that what he was doing might have been wrong? Oh, you sweet, innocent babe in the woods. why would you even ask that? that’s not how self-entitled _____works.

So, just how f____-up was Kash’s snorkelpallooza? Let’s ask William M. McBride, a Navy veteran and professor emeritus of history at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

“This is a war grave with the same legal status as Arlington National Cemetery,” Mr. McBride said in an interview. “Snorkeling around Arizona is as disrespectful as playing kickball on top of the graves at Arlington.”

Funny that McBride would mention Arlington, because remember this?

Preznit F____wit is way too decrepit to be playing kickball, but he had no problem trampling all over the graves of fallen heroes when he wanted to hold a photo-op at Arlington National Cemetery during the presidential 2024 campaign. when an Arlington staffer — a US Army sergeant — tried to stop this abomination from taking place, Donny’s thugs roughly shoved her out of the way.....

Just as with the site of the sunken USS Arizona, Arlington has explicit rules: 

Partisan activities are inappropriate in Arlington National Cemetery, due to its role as a shrine to all the honored dead of the Armed Forces of the United States and out of respect for the men and women buried there and for their families. Services or any activities inside the Cemetery connected therewith shall not be partisan in nature.

Donny had no business trampling all over hallowed graves. And our Self-Entitled ___Chief has surrounded himself with kindred spirits. The piss-drunk warmonger with the fifty-thousand-dollar makeup studio. The dead-bear-cub-kidnapping maniac. The soulless Nazi vampire who literally hates everyone.

The haughty, out-of-touch plutocrat who pretends he’s just some struggling soybean farmer. The reality show never-was who just took a seven-month taxpayer-funded vacation. And the bourbon-chugging FBI director who thinks nothing of frolicking atop a war memorial. Every single one of them believes they have the right to do whatever they want, whenever they want.

‘Oh, it’s a dead whale. Let me chainsaw its head off and tie it to the top of my car.’

Who even thinks of doing such a thing? 

Donny has coarsened our everyday life. He’s created a permission structure where any and all abhorrent behavior is allowed — nay, encouraged. It starts at the top, with Donny his merry band of sewer clowns, and trickles all the way down to the dumbest MAGA ____ at the bottom of the totem pole.

Eyes On ICE, ICE Kills With Indifference Commentary:: Agency Fails to Protect a Vulnerable 2-Year-Old, Then Blames the Detained Mother, Staff Report, May 17, 2026. Orlin Hernandez Reyes should be alive.

The detention apparatus of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates on a grim transactional calculus. Human beings are reduced to inventory. The bureaucratic machine prioritizes quotas over rights.

The preventable murder of two year old Orlin Hernandez Reyes exposes this system. It is the lethal byproduct of an agency that kills with indifference. A direct extension of the border regime that treats migrant families as disposable labor inventory and children as collateral in the enforcement of lines designed to fracture worker solidarity.

• Go Fund Me started to transport his broken body body to mother in Honduras:
• Deep dive: A look at the 287(g) program and its implications for local NC law enforcement | WHQR
• The Abduction and the Duty of Care

When ICE detained Wendy Hernandez Reyes under the 287(g) program they assumed absolute duty of care for her son Orlin. By separating mother from child the government took legal and moral responsibility.

At just two years old Orlin was defenseless. ICE treated him as a logistical liability to be offloaded quickly.The Fatal Hand Off

ICE placed Orlin with his uncle Samuel Maldonado Erazo. This transfer showed catastrophic negligence. Fundamental vetting was abandoned. The agency delivered the toddler directly to his abuser. ICE blames mother for 'abandoning' 2-year-old who was allegedly murdered months after deporting her - AOL

ICE blames mother for ‘abandoning’ 2-year-old who was allegedly murdered months after deporting her - AOL

A Mother’s PleaBroken beyond repair hear her words and please don’t look away. Her son should be alive In this video she exposes ICE refusal to reunite her with her son:Orlin Should Be Alive

The evidentiary record shows severe sustained trauma including sexual assault and multiple broken bones. Defensive wounds on a two-year-old tell their own horror story.

Video Evidence: Full Report on the Abuse and Deportation ChainUnivision coverage detailing the timeline of horrors:

Short Video: Child Dies from Abuse While Mother Detained by ICEThe Bureaucratic Indifference

ICE’s own press release attempts to shift blame onto the detained mother. They claim she abandoned her son. This is grotesque. They detained her. They stripped her of power to protect him. They ignored her explicit warnings.State-Sanctioned Homicide

By severing the bond between mother and child under the guise of "enforcement," ICE knowingly placed a highly vulnerable toddler into a dangerous environment. They manufactured a crisis, ignored the glaring red flags, and washed their hands of the aftermath. Now, rather than taking accountability for their undeniable role in a thoroughly preventable death, they are using their public relations machine to victim-blame a grieving, powerless mother. This goes far beyond bureaucratic indifference—it is structural violence resulting in the death of a child.

News Roundups

Meidas Touch Network, Sunday Afternoon News Updates: Two Nuclear Sites on Fire, Trump Targets Epstein Allies, and the Cuba War Pretex, Ben Meiselas, right, May 17, 2026. The Trump regime is running the same tired Ponzi scheme playbook and hoping you don't notice.

A massive explosion was reported near Sdot Micha Air Base in Beit Shemesh, Israel, a site widely believed to house missile and nuclear assets. Israeli outlet Kan News said the blast was a “controlled explosion” at a nearby civilian factory.

Hi all, Ben here. It’s Sunday, and as usual, there is a lot happening and so much that is slipping under the radar when it comes to the corporate media. Let me walk you through what we’re tracking this afternoon.

Top stories:

• A drone struck a nuclear power plant in the UAE, and a mysterious explosion rocked a suspected Israeli nuclear and missile storage site
• The Trump regime is laying the groundwork for a Cuba invasion using Axios as its propaganda vehicle
• Eleven U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft are departing the Middle East, the same pattern we saw right before the Iran strikes
• Trump is retaliating against Thomas Massie and other Republicans who pushed for the release of the Epstein files
• Ukraine launched one of its largest-ever drone strikes on Russia, reaching the Moscow region
• Todd Blanche confirms the DOJ is laser-focused on “proving” the 2020 election was stolen
• Mike Johnson tells Americans to wait on kitchen table issues until the Strait of Hormuz is open — the same Strait of Hormuz that was open before Trump’s war

Let’s get into it.Two nuclear sites hit in 24 hours… Where’s the coverage?

Let’s start with what should be the biggest story of the weekend. In the past 24 hours, two nuclear sites in the Middle East have been struck, and the silence from corporate media is blowing my mind, though it’s not exactly surprising at this point.

In Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation confirmed that a drone hit an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. UAE defense officials say they intercepted two of the three drones targeting the facility but were unable to stop the third. Authorities report no injuries and say radiological safety levels were not affected, but the facility was on fire, fire and rescue teams were responding, and this happened at a nuclear power plant.

Then there’s Israel. A massive explosion near the Sdot Micha Air Base in Beit Shemesh, widely understood to be where Israel stores its nuclear weapons and missiles, sent up what looked like a mushroom cloud. Israel is calling it a “controlled explosion” at a civilian factory nearby. But here’s the thing: if you’re conducting a planned detonation near a nuclear weapons facility that’s going to produce a visible mushroom cloud, you tell the local population first. There was no such notice. Experts are raising serious doubts about the official explanation, and they have every reason to.

Two nuclear sites in under twenty-four hours. Is it just me or should this be a much bigger story?The Cuba playbook: Same Ponzi scheme, different country

Right on cue, while the Middle East is literally on fire, what does the Trump regime do? It pivots as it always does. When one catastrophe becomes too much to manage, the machine generates a new threat, a new enemy, a new pretext. This time: Cuba.

Axios published an “exclusive” Sunday morning claiming Cuba has acquired over 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and has reportedly discussed using them to attack the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, U.S. naval vessels, and possibly Key West. CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Havana just this past Thursday, ostensibly to warn Cuba against any aggression.

Within hours, MAGA Republican congressmembers from Florida — Díaz-Balart, Gimenez, and Salazar — were pounding the table about the existential Cuban threat, 90 miles from Florida’s shores.

But let’s slow down for a second, because there are a few things worth noting here.

First, as former U.S. diplomat and intelligence officer Ned Price pointed out, the framing of this story is doing a lot of work. The headline screams “offensive threat” from Havana. The actual substance, buried deep in the article, is that U.S. officials are reportedly worried Cuba might respond with drones if attacked. That is a fundamentally different situation. That’s called deterrence. It is not a pretext for invasion — unless you need one.

Second, where did Cuba get these drones? From Russia and Iran, according to the report. And who is Donald Trump? The man who removed thousands of U.S. troops from Poland, who attacked NATO, who lifted sanctions on Russia, and who stood aside while Russian ships sailed through what was supposed to be a blockade of Cuba. What did anyone think was on those ships? If you allow Russia to resupply Cuba and then act shocked that Cuba has Russian military hardware, you are either incompetent or you planned it this way.

This is the Venezuela playbook. This is the Iran playbook. Generate a threat, get your media partners to amplify it, activate your congressional allies to demand action, and move the country toward another war before anyone can stop to ask what the plan actually is. The MAGA Florida contingent is already getting in position, probably calculating this will help close the gap with Latino voters who have been drifting away from Trump. It is cynical, it is transparent, and they genuinely think you’re too distracted to notice. This sort of “wag the dog” posturing may have worked in the past. I hope Americans see through it in 2026.In plane sight

Here’s something else that should be getting more attention. Eleven U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft are departing the Middle East, heading toward Europe. This exact mass-departure pattern occurred a few hours before the strikes on Iran began on February 28th. It happened again last week before Trump reportedly called off strikes at the last minute.

Operation Epic Fury has been declared “concluded.” But concluded doesn’t mean over. It means the next phase hasn’t been officially named yet. We’ll be watching this closely.Trump’s Epstein revenge tour

Let’s talk about Rep. Thomas Massie, right. Trump posted a full-throated attack on the Kentucky congressman Sunday, calling him the worst Republican in history and urging Kentucky voters to throw him out in Tuesday’s primary. The stated reason is that Massie voted against tax cuts and border wall funding. But we all know the real reason.

Massie, along with Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Nancy Mace, pushed hard for the release of the Epstein files. They wanted transparency on the child sex trafficking network those files could expose. Trump privately told allies those were “my friends.” And then, systematically, Trump and the MAGA apparatus turned on every single one of them.

Think about what has been unleashed against Massie simply because he dared push for that release. Tens of millions of dollars in outside spending. Coordinated smear campaigns. Attacks from some of the most powerful figures in government and media. Members of his own party mobilizing to destroy him. And this is happening to a sitting member of Congress who is, in many ways, even more conservative than Donald Trump himself. Whether you agree with Massie on anything else is beside the point entirely.

Because if this is what happens to a powerful elected official with a national platform and millions of supporters when he challenges entrenched interests, imagine what Epstein survivors face when they consider coming forward. The money. The political power. The government connections. The defense and media apparatus. The coordinated intimidation. If anything makes clear why so many survivors remain silent for years, or never speak at all, it’s watching what’s being done to Massie right now. That right there tells you everything about who this regime is protecting and why.The DOJ is still focused on…the 2020 election

Todd Blanche appeared on Fox Sunday morning to tell Maria Bartiromo that the Department of Justice is “very focused” on determining whether the “right people” voted in the 2020 election. When pushed on whether there will ever be a definitive answer on whether the election was stolen, Blanche said he couldn’t promise that.

Of course he can’t promise it. Because it wasn’t stolen. Sixty-plus courts said so — Trump-appointed judges, Bush-appointed judges, Reagan-appointed judges — all of them looked at the evidence and found nothing. But the DOJ isn’t looking for truth. It’s looking for a story. The “right people” language is not subtle. In MAGA world, the right people are the people who voted for Trump. That’s what your Justice Department is working on while Americans are worried about healthcare costs and grocery prices. While actual criminals roam the streets. While Epstein’s associates remain free.

And meanwhile, Mike Johnson went on Fox to explain that kitchen table issues will have to wait until the Strait of Hormuz is open. The same Strait of Hormuz that was open before this administration started bombing Iran. You created the problem, you’re now telling us to be patient while you solve it, and you want credit for the solution. This is the participation trophy approach to geopolitics.The Senate Parliamentarian kicks Trump in the ballroom

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that the Republican bill’s provision to spend $1 billion on Trump’s ballroom does not comply with the Byrd Rule, meaning it would require 60 votes to pass, not a simple majority. Senate Budget Committee Democrats confirmed the ruling Sunday, and Senator Merkley made clear that Democrats are prepared to challenge any changes Republicans make to try to get it through anyway.

A billion dollars for a ballroom that was supposed to be free. In the middle of a reconciliation bill that’s supposed to be about fiscal policy. The parliamentarian at least had the decency to call it what it is. Whether Republicans try to jam it through another way remains to be seen, but Democrats have put them on notice.Ukraine brings the war home to Moscow

Finally, Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks of the entire war overnight, sending more than 1,000 drones deep into Russia. At least four people were killed in the Moscow region, debris fell on Sheremetyevo, Russia’s largest airport, and Ukrainian drones flew over 500 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, penetrating the densest concentration of Russian air defenses in the world.

President Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes and called them entirely justified, direct retaliation for Russia’s repeated ballistic missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Ukrainian civilians. Experts say the scale of the strike makes clear Ukraine has the capacity to reach Russia’s capital at significant scale, bringing the reality of this war home to ordinary Russians in a way the Kremlin cannot ignore.

Russia had launched 287 drones at Ukraine overnight, wounding eight people and damaging residential buildings across multiple regions.

There is no peace process. There is no ceasefire. There is a war, despite Trump’s claims he would end it within 24 hours, and Ukraine is prosecuting it.

That’s the update for Sunday afternoon. Let me know what you think in the comments. Ron Filipkowski will be back later with his full weekend bulletin, so stay tuned. Thanks for being here. 

The Parnas Perspective, Sunday Evening News and Comment: MAGA Infighting Erupts, Trump's Stock Trading Exposed, Large Protests Against SCOTUS Across the South, Aaron Parnas, right, May 17, 2026. Donald Trump is now escalating his attacks on Lauren Boebert as internal MAGA infighting intensifies. Marjorie Taylor Greene appears increasingly isolated, and Boebert may be next. At the same time, massive marches swept through Alabama today in protest of recent Supreme Court decisions affecting voting rights.

We also learned that Trump made more than 3,700 stock trades during the first quarter of 2026 alone, raising major new ethics questions about conflicts of interest and presidential financial activity.

Meanwhile, there still is not nearly enough coverage of the proposed $1.7 billion compensation fund tied to Trump’s lawsuit against the federal government, money critics say could ultimately benefit his political allies, including January 6 defendants.

Legal experts and watchdogs are warning that the implications are enormous because it could normalize the idea of a president using the machinery of government and the courts to financially reward allies and supporters. This is not a minor story. It cuts directly to questions about presidential power, accountability, and the future boundaries of executive authority.

But like so many stories in today’s nonstop news cycle, it is already beginning to fade from public attention. That is exactly why independent media matters right now more than ever. Independent outlets are often the only ones willing to stay focused on stories long after the headlines move on.

Hopium Chronicles, Advocacy and Opinion: Trump Gets A Brutal New CBS Poll, WHO Declares Global Health Emergency, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 17, 2026. New Interviews with PA Gov. Josh Shapiro and Ohio's Amy Acton; and Two big things to work on this week.

We got fresh confirmation of Trump’s extraordinary political decline this morning from a MAGA friendly source, CBS News:

This data from the CBS poll should worry every Republican candidate running this November: 

Within hours of Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy finishing third in his primary re-election last night the WHO declared a global health emergency over an outbreak of an un-treatable Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda:

The World Health Organization declared late Saturday that the spread of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda was a global health emergency, a day after Africa’s leading public health authority first announced an outbreak in a province in northeastern Congo linked to dozens of suspected deaths.

By Saturday, cases had also been confirmed in Kinshasa, Congo, and in Kampala, Uganda, the capital cities of each country, the W.H.O. said. In Congo’s Ituri Province, where the outbreak was first identified, 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths attributed to the virus had been reported, although only eight cases had been definitively linked to the virus through laboratory testing.

The scale of the outbreak could be far larger than currently detected and reported, the W.H.O. said in declaring a “public health emergency of international concern.” Eight of 13 samples collected in various areas tested positive, the agency said.

……..

The risk of the outbreak spreading was being exacerbated by a humanitarian crisis, high population mobility and a large network of informal health care facilities in the area of the outbreak, the agency said. There is no approved vaccine or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola behind the outbreak, according to the W.H.O.

As a way of endearing himself to Trump, angry over Cassidy’s vote to Impeach him in 2021, Senator Cassidy, a doctor and Chair of the Senate committee that oversees our health care system, shepherded Bobby Jr and his band of anti-science, anti-vaxx grifters into power at HHS/CDC/NIH. Cassidy’s rancid betrayal of our public health was rewarded with him losing his primary last night against two other Republicans and the emergence of two separate outbreaks of deadly viruses that are exposing the extraordinary recklessness of what the soon to be former Senator enabled.

Here’s The NYT:

Some global health experts said they were alarmed that the first reports of the outbreak emerged so late in its development.

“It’s pretty stunning to have first notice of an outbreak in D.R.C., which is very experienced, and have it be so large,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health.

Outbreaks are typically picked up much earlier by the World Health Organization, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or by news reports, she said.

……..

American officials have said that aid cuts by the Trump administration hampered the ability of the authorities in Uganda to curtail an Ebola outbreak in that country early last year.

“It’s possible that we’re starting to see the consequences of severe and sudden cuts to global health programs that have eroded surveillance and allowed deadly viruses to spread undetected,” Dr. Nuzzo said.

In the coming days we will need to use these deadly outbreaks to force a debate about the reckless intentional dismantling of our global and domestic public health care systems. Here’s The Guardian’s home page right now:

Perhaps a newly liberated Senator Cassidy will lead the charge.

Over the last two days we’ve focused (here, here) on another Trumpian disaster - his ridiculous performance at the China Summit. Look at this headline from the Washington Post this morning. No hiding what a disastrous stretch this has been for Trump, and for America:

We have two ways to fight Trump in the coming days. The first is to flip those two Supreme Court seats in Georgia on Tuesday. The early vote has been very encouraging. We’ve hit our $50,000 fundraising target - thank you all. But we need to keep pushing for defeating two Federalist Society judges will be a powerful symbolic response to the GOP’s evisceration of the Voting Rights Act and its ongoing attempt to rig the midterms. You can get links to our recent conversations with our two intrepid candidates, Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin, and info on how to donate/help below.

The second thing we can do this week is to build support for HR 2913, The Ukraine Support Act. In Friday’s post we detailed what’s in this bill and why it is so important we pass it when it comes up for a vote in early June. I am asking every member of this community to call their House Rep every day until it passes, and your Senators too, asking them to work to pass something similar in the Upper Chamber.

On a related note in the last twenty-four hours Ukraine has struck deep into the heavily fortified Moscow region, as Zelenskyy works to keep taking the war to Putin:

Meidas Touch Network, Trump has 1130 PM PSYCHO MELTDOWN and QUICKLY CAVES!!! Ben Meiselas, May 17, 2026.  

Bill Richardson, the late New Mexico governor, U.S. Secretary of Energy, investor and globe-trotting special envoy, is referenced above in a graphic created for the Last Page First site that has been investigating ties of the late financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein that relate to Epstein's Zorro Ranch in New Mexico and suspicious activities occurring there and with powerful figures with global ties.

Last Page First, Investigation: The New Mexico Governor on Epstein's List Was on Hunter Biden's Board When Russian Money Arrived, Jana, May 17, 2026 (Part Seven of the Zorro Ranch Road Series). Nearly 600 Epstein files on a Pentagon biodefense CEO. A governor on the board when Russian money arrived. The laptop connected it. Nobody assembled the full chain until now.A Note On Names, And What The Outlets Missed.

There are two men named Wolfe in this piece. Michael Wolff — two f’s — is the journalist who lunched with Richardson at Epstein’s house in March 2013. Nathan Wolfe — one f — is the virologist who founded Global Viral and Metabiota. They are not connected in any document. What connects them is that the same archive placing Richardson, shown at right as U.S. Energy Secretary, at Epstein’s house contains nearly 600 files on the founder of a company that was simultaneously briefing Hunter Biden’s fund on Pentagon biodefense operations in Ukraine.

In March 2022, some outlets reported that Nathan Wolfe had thanked Jeffrey Epstein in the acknowledgments of his 2012 book. That was their source. One page of one book. Gateway Pundit, NaturalNews, and The Exposé ran it. They were dismissed as conspiracy blogs and the story died.

Nearly 600 references to Nathan Wolfe appear in the DOJ Epstein archive.

Dated emails, study proposals, scheduling chains, an offer of an apartment and a car, appearances in the same day’s schedule as Ehud Barak, Peter Mandelson, and the CEO of Barclays. Those outlets had a book page. This piece has the archive.

Two threads. One archive. None of it put together until now.

What the Hunter Biden laptop and the Epstein archive contain together is the full assembly.

Already reported:

• Wolfe thanked Epstein in The Viral Storm (2012). First noted by The Exposé, March 2022.

• Hunter Biden’s RSTP invested in Metabiota. NY Post, Gateway Pundit, NaturalNews, and The Exposé, March 2022.

• In-Q-Tel invested in Metabiota. The Exposé, NaturalNews, 2022.

• Neil Callahan on Metabiota’s board of advisors. The Exposé, 2022.

• Rosemont Realty took $40M from Yelena Baturina via Inteco Management AG, 2012. Daily Mail, October 2022.

• Richardson met Epstein nine times 2010-2018, including the March 2013 Wolff lunch. Santa Fe New Mexican, February 2026.

• Guttieri Ukraine Science memo (partial fragments, no full email chain or headers). Gateway Pundit, NaturalNews, and The Exposé, 2022.

Never assembled until now — all connections first made by Last Page First:

• Richardson appointed Burrell to the NM Mortgage Finance Authority in 2010. Nine months later Burrell confirmed Richardson accepted the Rosemont board position.

• Richardson was on Rosemont Realty’s board when Baturina’s $40 million arrived in 2012. The governor was a board member of the company that took Russian money.

• In April 2011 — the same month Burrell was deploying Richardson to Asia for Rosemont — Epstein described Richardson to a foreign contact as a “close friend” who “is willing to help.” Two networks using the same man simultaneously.

• Richardson deployed to Asia to close Chinese institutional investment deals for Rosemont — confirmed in laptop emails. Hunter personally invited Chinese state-owned financial executives to visit Santa Fe.

• Garrett Thornburg — Richardson’s “good friend” by Richardson’s own words, a Bear Stearns alumnus who built a major investment operation out of Santa Fe — was appointed by Richardson to the Commission to Save the College of Santa Fe. Richardson’s own Director of Cabinet Affairs and Deputy Communications Director, Allan Oliver, went directly to the Thornburg Foundation when he left government. The pattern of state appointments and staff movement toward financial figures in Richardson’s Santa Fe network has never been documented.

• Nearly 600 EFTA documents on Nathan Wolfe — actual emails, study proposals, scheduling chains, the apartment and car offer. Those outlets had a book acknowledgment. This is the archive.

• Full Guttieri Ukraine memo with complete email chain and headers. Gateway Pundit, NaturalNews, and The Exposé had fragments in 2022. This piece has the full documented sequence including Pozharskyi’s follow-up questions and Archer’s “discrete nature of your Board role” response.

• Full DeLoche In-Q-Tel chain — Hoyem, O’Toole (just left DHS S&T), Gillman Louie, Callahan’s “guys in VA at the shop.”

• Wolfe walked into the RSP office on October 2, 2014 — confirmed in Katie Dodge’s calendar — while Hunter’s fund was brokering his CIA introduction.

• Burrell arrested September 2024 — $1.5M bad check to a casino, ankle shackles on Nantucket, multiple foreclosures. Richardson appointed him to a state financial authority.I. The Appointment

The story of how Bill Richardson ended up at Jeffrey Epstein’s lunch table starts not with Epstein but with a Kerry campaign staffer named Dan Burrell.

Burrell spent the 2004 presidential campaign traveling the Southwest with John Kerry as a senior staffer. That’s where he met Richardson — then governor of New Mexico — along with Diane Denish and Javier Gonzales. After the campaign, Burrell went to Yale Law School, spent time in California commercial real estate, and came back to the Southwest. In 2008, he and private equity partners purchased a Santa Fe company called BGK Properties and renamed it Rosemont Realty. The office was at 330 Garfield Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501.

In 2010, Governor Bill Richardson appointed Dan Burrell to serve on the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. Documented in the Santa Fe New Mexican and the Taos News in reporting on Burrell’s September 2024 arrest. 

Dan Burrell, left, CEO of Rosemont Realty, arrested on Nantucket, September 20, 2024 (Photo: Jason Graziadei / Nantucket Current). More background below:

Richardson gave Burrell a state appointment in 2010. Nine months later, Burrell put Richardson on the board of his company — where Hunter Biden sat on the advisory board from 2010 to 2014. The sequence is documented across two independent sources: the Santa Fe New Mexican's 2024 arrest coverage of Burrell and the Hunter Biden laptop archive.

Three months after the board confirmation, Burrell went to Taiwan and China to pitch institutional investors — Fubon, China Development Financial Holding Corporation, China Investment Corporation. On April 27, 2011, he sent a follow-up to Hunter Biden, Devon Archer, Thornton AI contacts, and the Chinese financial contacts:

“I met with Governor Richardson yesterday and have confirmed his willingness to make a trip to Taiwan and China in September. He is very well known in the region because of his work in Korea and Japan, so I think this could help us considerably in moving investment forward. Bringing him to Asia, however, comes with an opportunity cost as we have limited time allocation for these types of trips from the Governor. This will make it very important that we have re-qualified our contact list from the last trip and bring him in basically for close meetings.”

In 2012, Rosemont Realty completed a $69.7 million commercial real estate investment plan across seven US cities. The largest single investor was Yelena Baturina — billionaire widow of the former mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, charged by a senior US diplomat with presiding over a network of corruption. Baturina invested $40 million through her Swiss company, Inteco Management AG. The Daily Mail reported this in October 2022 from emails uncovered by the Kazakhstani Initiative on Asset Recovery. What the Daily Mail did not report was that Bill Richardson was on Rosemont Realty’s board when that money arrived. The governor Richardson had appointed to run a state financial authority was simultaneously a board member of the company that took $40 million from the wife of Moscow’s corrupt former mayor.

Richardson was not the only Santa Fe financial figure connected to his state appointment power. Garrett Thornburg founded Thornburg Investment Management in Santa Fe in 1982 after leaving Bear Stearns, where he was a limited partner and founding member of the public finance department. Jeffrey Epstein also came from Bear Stearns. Both men left and built major financial operations in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Richardson called Thornburg “a good friend” on the record, in a meeting documented by the Santa Fe Reporter in 2007. Richardson appointed Thornburg to the Commission to Save the College of Santa Fe. Richardson’s own Director of Cabinet Affairs and Deputy Communications Director, Allan Oliver, went directly to the Thornburg Foundation when he left government.

In August 2012, the Zorro Ranch schedule listed Richardson in Santa Fe on August 6 and 7, with his assistant Caitlin Wakefield coordinating his availability for a ranch visit. Wakefield's phone number appears in the DOJ Epstein files, the Hunter Biden laptop, and a third intelligence archive — explained in Caitlin Part 1. That's three separate archives containing the same assistant's contact information.

[Snip]

Zorro Ranch, above, renamed Rancho de San Rafael, is a large private property located near Stanley, New Mexico, United States, about 30 mi (48 km) south of Santa Fe. According to a description on Wikipedia: It was owned by the financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 1993 until his death in 2019. In 1999, Epstein built a mansion on the property. The sprawling compound eventually included a private airstrip, a helicopter pad, and an airplane hangar. The estate of Jeffrey Epstein sold off the property in 2023 to Dallas real estate magnate and former state senator Don Huffines. External videosJeffrey Epstein purchased Zorro Ranch in 1993, reportedly for around $12 million, from the former New Mexico Governor Bruce King. Epstein built a huge mansion at the ranch, with a living room the size of an average American home. He stated in a 2019 interview conducted by Steve Bannon[that he became interested in New Mexico as an investor after 1990, when he learned that many scientists who had previously worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory were working at private spin-off firms doing pure and applied research, such as the Santa Fe Institute.The 10,000 acres included 1,200 acres leased from the state (Land Commission of New Mexico). The ranch was allegedly used as a location for sexual abuse and sex trafficking of minors. Annie Farmer, the sister of Marie Farmer, alleged that in 1996 that she had been sexually abused by Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell at the ranch, [16] In the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, a judge ruled that Annie's allegations about Epstein and Maxwell did not constitute "illegal sexual activity".

Epstein bought Zorro Ranch from the family of former Governor Bruce King in 1993 — roughly 8,000 acres outside Stanley, sixty miles south of Santa Fe. Richardson became governor a decade later, governing from 2003 to 2011.

The ranch had a main house, a private airstrip, and guest accommodations. Federal documents referenced a research facility on the property during the 2019 arrest proceedings. No document in the public EFTA release confirms its full scope. Federal agents searched the ranch in March 2026. No public findings have yet been released.

Rosemont Realty operated at 330 Garfield Street, Santa Fe. Burrell’s office. Richardson’s board position. Hunter’s advisory role. The company that took $40 million from Moscow’s oligarch widow. Hunter flew into Albuquerque on September 26, 2010, and stayed at Burrell’s house at 23 Calle Ventoso West. His assistant passed the address to his Secret Service detail. Santa Fe was not where some of this happened. It was where all of it was coordinated from.

Thornburg Investment Management operated around the corner, out of the same small financial district that Garrett Thornburg built after leaving Bear Stearns in 1982 — the same bank Epstein came from. Richardson called Thornburg a good friend. He appointed Thornburg to a state commission. His own cabinet communications director went to the Thornburg Foundation. The geography is tight. The relationships are documented. The overlap has never been mapped.

[Snip]

On September 20, 2024, Dan Burrell was arrested on Nantucket on a warrant out of Las Vegas. He was accused of writing a bad check to a casino for $1.5 million. The arrest came one day after his island mansion sold at foreclosure auction for $12.5 million.

He appeared in Nantucket District Court in handcuffs and ankle shackles. He asked if he could post his $10,000 bail by check since the banks were closed. The court said they would hold him until the check was verified.

He had warrants in Colorado and Nevada. He had defaulted on more than $75 million in loans — used to pay off divorce payments, buy a yacht, purchase luxury properties. His Taos Valley Ranch, acquired in 2019 and promised to become a therapy retreat for screen-addicted teenagers, was seized by Century Bank after an $18 million foreclosure auction. His Aspen mansion had already been sold.

What the documents show is that a governor on Epstein’s access list sat on the board of a Santa Fe real estate company backed by Hunter Biden’s fund. The governor’s own appointee arranged it. That same company took $40 million from the wife of Moscow’s corrupt former mayor while the governor sat on its board. The governor was deployed to close deals with Chinese state-owned financial institutions and described by Epstein to a foreign contact as a close friend willing to help. His assistant’s phone number appears in the Epstein archive, the Biden laptop, and a third intelligence archive.

The founder of a Pentagon biodefense subcontractor met with Epstein and proposed a hypersexuality study while his vice president briefed Hunter Biden’s fund on Pentagon biodefense infrastructure in Ukraine. The same fund brokered his CIA introduction. The same fund’s co-founder sat on the company’s board and called CIA headquarters “the shop.”

The Zorro Ranch search in March 2026 has produced no public findings. Burrell’s financial collapse is still in courts across multiple states. The Thornburg thread has not been pulled to its end.

Richardson is gone. The documents are not.

U.S. Elections, Politics, Race, Rights, Governance

New York Times, Trump Flexes Hold on G.O.P., Even as It Braces for Midterm Backlash, Tim Balk, May 17, 2026. The defeat of Senator Bill Cassidy showed the president’s dominance in his party at a moment when a broader range of views about Mr. Trump could be a major liability for November.

President Trump’s push to oust Republican lawmakers who have crossed him claimed its most prominent name yet in Louisiana this weekend, reinforcing Mr. Trump’s dominance in the party, even as the G.O.P. braces for a potential backlash to his presidency in the midterm elections.

For the second time this month, Republican primary voters sent a message about the price of defying the president, this time by retiring Senator Bill Cassidy, right, who voted to convict Mr. Trump in his impeachment trial after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The outcome in Louisiana on Saturday followed losses by a group of Indiana state lawmakers whom the president targeted for political payback. And it arrived just ahead of another big test on Mr. Trump’s retribution tour: a House primary in Kentucky on Tuesday.

In each case, Mr. Trump trained his ire at Republicans for different reasons. He endorsed against the Indiana lawmakers after they opposed a redistricting plan, turned on Mr. Cassidy over the 2020 election and subsequent impeachment vote, and is now trying to take down Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican who has criticized him over the Epstein files and the war with Iran.

But the moves combine to form a picture of a second-term president who brooks little dissent in his party — and whose sagging standing with the general public is doing little to deter him from asserting his influence on a party in his thrall.

“You get on the wrong side of Donald Trump in one of these primaries, and it’s highly likely to be a bad day for you,” said Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist and CNN analyst. “Donald Trump’s word and judgment in a Republican primary is the thing that matters the most. In many cases, it is the alpha and the omega.”

As voters cast their ballots in Louisiana on Saturday, Mr. Trump signaled interest in a new potential target, assailing Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado over her support for Mr. Massie.

“Even though I long ago endorsed Boebert, if the right person came along, it would be my Honor to withdraw that Endorsement, and endorse a good and proper alternative,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media. (In response, Ms. Boebert posted that she was still “MAGA” and was simply standing with a friend in Mr. Massie.)

It is a risky approach for Mr. Trump, whose party is hurtling into midterm headwinds posed by high consumer prices, the unpopular war with Iran and a concern among some swing voters that the president is distracted from pocketbook issues, consumed by overseas conflicts and various feuds. Polls show that Mr. Trump’s approval rating is well underwater, an indicator of danger for the G.O.P. this fall.Now, vulnerable Republicans may feel that they have even less space to dissent from the administration. Even as some prominent voices in Mr. Trump’s MAGA movement have rebelled since the war broke out, the president’s hold on the party’s base has appeared durable.

“It’s an important reminder that while overall his popularity’s pretty low, he still remains extremely popular amongst his Republican base,” Jon Fleischman, a Republican strategist in California, said of the result in Louisiana.

The next test of Mr. Trump’s influence will come this week when Mr. Massie, a longtime Trump critic from a deep-red state, faces Ed Gallrein, a farmer and former Navy SEAL. Mr. Massie led the charge among congressional Republicans to release files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, taking on Mr. Trump over his initial resistance. More recently, Mr. Massie has accused Mr. Trump of violating campaign promises by starting the war with Iran.

Mr. Trump, in turn, has endorsed Mr. Gallrein, campaigned with him in Kentucky and showered Mr. Massie with insults, calling him a “RINO,” short for Republican in name only.

In some ways, Mr. Massie is a challenging target for Mr. Trump: The seventh-term congressman has a unique pull on an independent-minded section of rural Kentucky, local Republicans say, and he has fended off challenges before.

New York Times, Lamar Alexander Wants Republicans to Stand Up to Trump, Carl Hulse, May 17, 2026. In a new memoir, the former senator, governor and cabinet member says President Trump committed an impeachable offense on Jan. 6 and calls on Congress to assert its power.

Lamar Alexander, left,  played a crucial role in short-circuiting the first impeachment trial of President Trump when, as an influential Republican senator from Tennessee, he opposed calling witnesses and said the president’s attempts to pressure Ukraine didn’t meet the test for removal from office.

His role in the second impeachment might have been quite different had he remained in office just a few more weeks.

In his new memoir, “The Education of a Senator,” Mr. Alexander, 85, who is also a former governor, cabinet secretary and presidential candidate, writes with disgust about how the president exhorted the crowd that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and penetrated the Senate chamber in an effort to block certification of the election.

He asserts that the president undermined the Constitution and assaulted the hallowed concept of the peaceful transfer of power.

“If those actions do not constitute a ‘high crime or misdemeanor,’ I do not know what does,” Mr. Alexander wrote in the book, which is subtitled “From J.F.K. to Trump.”ImageSenator Lamar Alexander smiles while giving a sideways glance from a booth.Mr. Alexander at the Capitol on the day of the first impeachment trial of President Trump in February 2020. Credit...Al Drago for The New York Times

But Mr. Alexander had just left office and did not have the chance to weigh in against Mr. Trump, with whom he had an off-again, on-again relationship.

Ever the careful statesman, the ex-senator said in an interview that it would be “self-righteous and disingenuous” for him to declare how he would have voted on the second impeachment when he was not on the jury.

But he does render a verdict on the conduct of his former colleagues as Mr. Trump has steamrolled over a compliant Senate in his second term. He finds them guilty of failing to assert themselves as the Constitution intended.

“To me, the most disappointing difference between the first and second Trump terms was not what Trump did, but what the Senate majority did not do,” Mr. Alexander wrote. “Republican senators rarely checked abuse of presidential authority.”

From Mr. Alexander, those amount to fighting words from an understated, die-hard institutionalist and loyal Republican who spent years running key committees and experienced Washington from both the legislative and executive branch perspectives.

The former senator thinks the current occupants of the Senate could do with a constitutional refresh, and says he knows how he would approach it.

“I think I’d organize a bipartisan breakfast meeting every week of senators, and we would read Article One to each other,” Mr. Alexander said. “Article One says Congress shall be in charge of spending, in charge of taxes, in charge of tariffs, in charge of declaration of war. The least a Senate can do is preserve its constitutional prerogatives.”

Mr. Alexander arrived in the Senate in 2003 with an extraordinary amount of political experience for a freshman. Beginning his Washington career in 1967, he served on the staff of Senator Howard Baker, a revered leader both on Capitol Hill and in Tennessee, and then as an aide in the White House.

Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 16, 2026 [U..S. Race Politics Ramps Up], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 17, 2026. Seventy-two years ago tomorrow, on May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously decided Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. That landmark decision declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional because segregated schools denied Black children “the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Three years after the Brown v. Board decision, in the face of massive resistance to desegregation in the South, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 to protect the right of Black Americans to vote, using the federal government to overrule the state laws that limited voter registration and kept Black voters from the polls. To prevent the passage of the first federal civil rights legislation since 1875, South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond launched the longest filibuster in U.S. history, speaking for 24 hours and 18 minutes.

(Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) broke Thurmond’s record on March 31 through April 1, 2025, speaking for 25 hours, 5 minutes, and 59 seconds, but his speech was not a filibuster.)

Southern Democrats known as “Dixiecrats” managed to weaken the measure, but Senate majority leader Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX) managed to wrestle the Civil Rights Act of 1957 through Congress, and Black Americans and their white allies began trying to register Black Americans to vote.

But the law proved too weak to force white registrars to allow Black voters onto the rolls, and by 1961, activists with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, pronounced “snick”) were at work in Mississippi to promote voter registration. In 1964 they launched the “Freedom Summer,” bringing college students from northern schools to work together with Black people from Mississippi to educate and register Black voters.

Just as the project was getting underway, three organizers—James Chaney, from Mississippi, and Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner from New York—disappeared outside Philadelphia, Mississippi. Lyndon Johnson, president by then, used the popular rage over the three missing voting rights workers to pressure Congress into passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, designed to try to hold back the white supremacists and to make it possible for Black Americans to register to vote. The measure passed, and on July 2, Johnson signed it into law.

On August 4, investigators found the bodies of the three missing men. Ku Klux Klan members working with local law enforcement officers had murdered them and then buried the bodies in an earthen dam that was under construction.

And still, white officials refused to accept the idea of Black voting. In Selma, Alabama, where the city’s voting rolls were 99% white even though Black Americans outnumbered white Americans among the 29,500 people who lived there, local Black organizers had launched a voter registration drive in 1963, but a judge stopped voter registration meetings by prohibiting public gatherings of more than two people.

Selma voting rights activist Amelia Boynton invited the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the city to draw national attention to its struggle, and he and other prominent Black leaders arrived in January 1965. For seven weeks, Black residents made a new push to register to vote. County sheriff James Clark arrested almost 2,000 of them on a variety of charges, including contempt of court and parading without a permit. A federal court ordered Clark not to interfere with orderly registration, so he forced Black applicants to stand in line for hours before taking a “literacy” test. Not a single person passed.

Then, on February 18, white police officers, including local police, sheriff’s deputies, and Alabama state troopers, beat and shot an unarmed man, 26-year-old Jimmie Lee Jackson, who was marching for voting rights at a demonstration in his hometown of Marion, Alabama, about 25 miles northwest of Selma. Jackson died eight days later, on February 26. Black leaders in Selma decided to defuse the community’s anger by planning a long march—54 miles—from Selma to the state capitol at Montgomery to draw attention to the murder and voter suppression.

On March 7, 1965, the marchers set out. As they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, state troopers and other law enforcement officers met the unarmed marchers with billy clubs, bullwhips, and tear gas. They fractured the skull of young activist John Lewis and beat Amelia Boynton unconscious. A newspaper photograph of the 54-year-old Boynton, seemingly dead in the arms of another marcher, illustrated the depravity of those determined to stop Black voting.

On March 15, President Johnson addressed a nationally televised joint session of Congress to ask for the passage of a national voting rights act. “Their cause must be our cause too,” he said. “[A]ll of us…must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome.” Two days later, he submitted to Congress proposed voting rights legislation.

Under the protection of federal troops, the Selma marchers completed their trip to Montgomery on March 25. Their ranks had grown as they walked until they numbered about 25,000 people. That night, Viola Liuzzo, a 39-year-old mother of five who had arrived from Michigan to help after Bloody Sunday, was murdered by four Ku Klux Klan members who tailed her as she ferried demonstrators out of the city.

A bipartisan majority of Congress passed the Voting Rights Act by a vote of 77–19 in the Senate and 333–85 in the House. Dr. King and Mrs. Boynton were guests of honor as President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on August 6. Recalling “the outrage of Selma,” Johnson said: “This right to vote is the basic right without which all others are meaningless. It gives people, people as individuals, control over their own destinies.”

And yet, on April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court gutted the protections for the Black-majority districts Congress provided for in the Voting Rights Act after years of weakening the law in other ways. In its wake, Republican-dominated southern state legislatures are rushing to redraw their district lines to dilute the votes of Black Democrats.

Today, thousands of Americans, including eighteen members of Congress, traveled to Selma and Mongomery to call Americans to action to protect voting rights. Pastor Kenneth Sharpton Glasgow told Joseph D. Bryant of Alabama news site AL, “This moment is bigger than Democrats or Republicans. This is about democracy itself. This is about whether Black communities, poor communities, rural communities, formerly incarcerated people, and marginalized voices will continue to have representation and political power in America.”

Speakers united around the theme that those trying to gerrymander their way into control of Congress in defiance of voters had reawakened a movement. “They think they can draw us out of power,” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) told an audience in Montgomery.

“They do not know the sleeping giant that they just awakened. Because it is not a coincidence, and our whole country must understand, that it was not until voting rights were ratified in this country that we got the Great Society. Because when Black Americans have the right to vote and that vote is protected, our schools get funded. When voted rights are protected, healthcare gets expanded. When voted rights are protected, our country moves forward. And Montgomery, that’s what they’re actually afraid of. They’re afraid of us coming together. They’re afraid of us protecting one another.” 

New York Times, For Trump, Soaring Prices Test Voters’ Finances and Patience, Tony Romm and Ben Casselman, May 17, 2026. Just months before another election that may hinge on the economy, the war in Iran has sent gas and other goods soaring. 

Swept into power by voters who were frustrated with the nation’s economic trajectory, President Trump promised at his inauguration to “bring prices down.”

But that was January 2025, more than a year before the White House would forge ahead with an agenda that has sent inflation roaring back, testing the patience — and the finances — of a cost-wary American electorate once again.

For Mr. Trump, the nation’s political and economic strains are laid bare in a series of dour reports released over the past two weeks. Consumer prices last month rose at their fastest clip in about three years, outpacing workers’ wages, while businesses saw their costs increase at a rate not seen since 2022.

Americans are racking up more debt. Families are saving less. And a key measure of consumer confidence dipped to an all-time low this month. The anxiety has bled into recent political polls, which have registered broad public disapproval of Mr. Trump’s handling of the economy.

At the heart of matter is the war with Iran, which sent the average gallon of gasoline to about $4.52 nationally, according to AAA. That is a more than 40 percent jump from a year ago, an uptick that has cut across the global economy, affecting everything from the cost of workers’ daily commutes to the prices of goods at grocery stores.

Yet the president has largely dismissed those recent signals, telling reporters at one point last week: “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.”

Mr. Trump had been asked about the extent to which the economy factored into his plans to end the war, and responded that disarmament was his sole concern. Otherwise, the president has maintained that the U.S. economy is strong and will rebound quickly once the war concludes, precipitating a rapid fall in gas prices in the United States.

Stephen Moore, a conservative economist who has advised Mr. Trump, said the recent turbulence was not a “surprise.” But he acknowledged that voters might not be forgiving come November’s midterm election, given that the president promised he would bring down the cost of living.

“Republicans could face a tsunami election in November if inflation continues to stay high,” said Mr. Moore, who described gas prices as “the chief gauge people use to determine how the economy is doing.”

The jump in fuel costs is only the latest blow for American families, who have suffered through years of rising prices, high interest rates and a softening labor market — as well as much longer-running concerns about the affordability of housing, child care and other essentials. 

PoliticusUSA, News and Commentary: Pete Buttigieg Totally Wrecks Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy,.Jason Easley, May 17, 2026. Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spends most of his time blaming Pete Buttigieg for his failures. On Sunday, Buttigieg wrecked the unqualified Duffy.

Pete Buttigieg was well-regarded as the Secretary of Transportation during the Biden administration. Buttigieg showed both seriousness and knowledge for the position. Importantly, Buttigieg took transportation issues and the nation’s declining infrastructure seriously.

As is the case with almost all people whom Trump selected for his administration, the current president chose appointees and cabinet officials based on loyalty to him instead of qualifications and competency for the job.

Trump chose reality TV star and Fox News backbencher Sean Duffy to be the Secretary of Transportation. Duffy is a Trump loyalist and former House Republican who was most known for complaining that he was underpaid.

Duffy didn’t have any legislative or oversight history in transportation as a member of Congress.

By any measure, Duffy’s tenure as Secretary of Transportation has been rough. From deadly mid-air collisions to lengthy TSA lines to skyrocketing costs in jet fuel, which have led to increased airfares, trucking issues caused by tariffs/high fuel prices, and now the closure of Spirit Airlines, Duffy has not been a good Transportation Secretary.

Duffy’s has responded to all of these challenges by blaming Pete Buttigieg, and on CNN’s State Of The Union, Buttigieg responded.

CNN’s Dana Bash asked, “ Now Secretary Duffy is criticizing you on social media. He's making videos about you. He said that the, quote, "radical miserable left" hates his road trip because they don't want people to celebrate America. Your response?”

Buttigieg delivered a classic response.

Buttigieg answered Bash:

 I love road trips. I love America. I actually took a taxpayer-funded road trip lasting about seven months. It was in Afghanistan. This is something very different. This is not about patriotism, and it is an embarrassment to have him going around saying that a road trip, quote, "fits any budget" at a time when more and more Americans cannot afford a road trip because of the explosion in diesel prices and gas prices caused directly by the Iran war and by the Trump administration.

To make road trips unaffordable and then go around celebrating your own road trip is exactly what people are so frustrated about. And part of why the Duffy road trip scandal has been such an embarrassment to the Trump administration is that it's happening at the same moment that Trump is alienating voters by making it clear that he doesn't care. He even specifically said, right, when he was asked recently, that Americans' financial situation is not something he's focused on, not something that's on his mind. And this administration never misses a chance to show it. Then, of course, you have the issue of the corruption involved.

I mean, the fact that you have a transportation industry lobbyist running an effort to funnel money from corporate sponsors regulated by the Department of Transportation to pay for this project is just nakedly unfair, wrong, and part of what people are so frustrated about in Donald Trump's pay-to-play Washington.

And I think the third thing that, that is really on people's minds is what's going on over there? If they're doing stuff like this and posting memes all day, are they attending to the actual issues that Americans are most concerned about in transportation?

You know, we just saw, quietly, a Friday news dump out of the Department of Transportation at the end of last week saying that they were going to cut the target for air traffic control hiring, slash the air traffic control targets by about 2,000. I'm very puzzled by this. I don't know why you would be cutting down targets for air traffic control when pretty... The one thing I think most of us agree on is that there's a shortage around air traffic control. Maybe it's because they've been struggling to hire.

I noticed that under my successor, the pace of hiring air traffic controllers slowed down dramatically to less than a dozen net new certified professional controllers compared to what we were doing on my watch. Maybe it's got something to do with that. I don't know. But clearly, the priorities are out of whack, and the priority should be making sure that Americans have safe and affordable transportation.

Buttigieg is far from alone as a former public official who is constantly being blamed by the current administration for its failures.

Just last week, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) got fed up with Trump’s HUD Secretary during a hearing because he insisted on blaming Biden like a verbal tic instead of explaining what his policies were and if they are working.

It seems like Donald Trump can’t go a day without blaming Joe Biden for the dumpster fire of a Trump presidency.

Buttigieg brought up a really important point. These Trump officials are blaming the previous administration, while not doing their jobs.

Democrats need to be aggressive in shooting down this nonsense because voters aren’t buying the Trump blame game, and the best way to stop it is to fight

More On Iran War

New York Times, The Iran War Is Crippling One of the World’s Wealthiest Nations, River Akira Davis, May 17, 2026. Iranian attacks and the stoppage of seaborne transit have paralyzed Qatar’s vital gas exports, stalling the economic pivots intended to anchor the country’s growth.

In Qatar, a desert peninsula protruding into the Persian Gulf, natural gas turned the country from a pearl-diving backwater into one of the world’s wealthiest nations.

Qatar spent three decades building supply lines, shipping tens of billions of dollars of liquefied natural gas each year through the Strait of Hormuz to ports across Asia and Europe.

The state, which derives more than 60 percent of its revenue from gas and gas-related exports, used that money to transform the peninsula into a gleaming metropolis. Unpaved desert roads were replaced by monolithic corporate skyscrapers, at the base of which irrigation systems water perennial blankets of grass and fuchsia flowers.

Gas wealth funded a metro system linking the capital, Doha, to Lusail, a northern city that is home to a Parisian-style mall and a theme park with artificial snow. The riches were also funneled into the world’s most expensive World Cup, and a $600 billion sovereign wealth fund with stakes in everything from Heathrow Airport in London to the Empire State Building in New York.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz means virtually no gas has left Qatar’s shore for more than two months. The nation is also cut off from the sea routes through which it imports everything from vehicles to produce. Fears of regional instability have hurt tourism and eroded business sentiment.

Ras Laffan, Qatar’s industrial center for gas production, is shuttered, and roads are blocked. In this vast port north of Doha, loading cranes stand paralyzed. Throughout the capital, hotels and boutiques sit in noticeable silence. Qatar’s growth forecasts have been slashed amid the cessation of L.N.G. trade.

For Qatar, gas shipments “are nothing short of foundational,” Ahmed Helal, a managing director at the Asia Group, a strategic advisory firm, said in an interview in Doha recently. “Nothing you see here would have been possible without the wealth of energy,” he added. “That is why Qatar is quickly falling into a very challenging fiscal situation.”

Qatar’s economic transformation started in the 1990s. It made a large bet on supercooling gas from the North Field — the world’s largest natural gas reservoir, in Qatar’s northeast — to minus 162 degrees Celsius. This turned the fuel into a liquid, allowing Qatar to bypass regional pipelines and ship gas to every corner of the globe.Editors’ Picks‘He Didn’t Sound Like Someone to Be Messed With’Quiz: Wait, Is That Poison Ivy?Las Vegas Arts District: An Antidote to the Glitz

It was the birth of an energy superpower. Kicked off by its first shipment of 60,000 tons to Japan in 1996, Qatar’s production capacity had jumped to 77 million tons by 2010. For most of the next decade, Qatar was the wealthiest country in the world per capita.Image

U.S. Sports, Music, Race, Culture

MS NOW, Opinion: Caitlin Clark is too experienced to make this rookie mistake, Keith O'Brien, May 11, 2026 (featured May 17). There are many reasons Caitlin Clark should have thought twice before making an appearance with country music star Morgan Wallen.

The internet unleashed its fury on Indiana Fever shooting guard Caitlin Clark over the weekend after she walked on stage Saturday night with country music star Morgan Wallen as he greeted a packed arena in Clark’s backyard: Indiana.

At issue for Clark are Wallen’s personal history and his choices. In 2020, Wallen ran afoul of Covid lockdown restrictions. The same year, he got kicked out of Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse in Nashville and was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. In 2024, he was arrested again — this time for throwing a chair off the balcony of another Nashville honky-tonk, a six-story bar. The piece of furniture crashed to the street below, narrowly missing two police officers. He entered a “conditional plea” and was sentenced to seven days at a DUI education center.

The biggest reason why Clark should have stayed home Saturday night is a 2021 video in which Wallen can be heard shouting the N-word.

This behavior alone probably should have been enough to make Clark — the WNBA’s most marketable star — think twice about appearing with Wallen. But the biggest reason Clark should have stayed home Saturday night is a 2021 video posted by TMZ in which Wallen can be heard shouting the N-word and other obscenities. As journalist Sarah Spain wrote on social media over the weekend about Clark, “If Morgan Wallen using the N word wasn’t enough for you to stop supporting him — (forget all the other terrible s*** he’s done!) — I don’t know what to tell ya.”

A week after TMZ published its video, and after his record label suspended him indefinitely, Wallen called his use of that racial epithet “unacceptable and inappropriate.” He blamed it on his drinking — “a bender” — and promised to do better.

Since the weekend, Clark’s fans have pointed out that other celebrities and prominent athletes —including Drake, Peyton Manning, Myles Garrett, Patrick Mahomes and Taylor Swift’s fiance Travis Kelce — have walked on stage with Wallen in recent months without controversy. If Hall of Famer Manning can stand next to Wallen in his throwback University of Tennessee football uniform, and NFL champions Mahomes and Kelce can bro it out with Wallen and be cheered, then why can’t Clark do the same? Isn’t that a double standard?

Absolutely, it is. But Clark’s fans are missing an important point here: None of the above stars has been dubbed a great white hope, a mantle that Clark has been shouldering since 2024. That’s the year she became the all-time leading scorer in women’s college basketball, the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 draft pick, the face of the WNBA, the player most fans wanted to see and Time magazine’s athlete of the year, spawning what one WNBA official called the “Caitlin Clark Effect.”

That level of fame, complicated by racial politics, comes at a cost. It means that everything Clark does gets scrutinized to determine what it might say about her, about us and about race in America. Clark should know that most of all. She’s been living in the unforgiving glare of the spotlight since before she played a minute in the WNBA. Even the NCAA tournament runs during her last two college seasons were seen by some as racial dramas, as she and her mostly white Iowa Hawkeyes teammates tipped off against mostly Black teams including South Carolina and LSU.

Clark shouldn’t have been anywhere near that stage.

Personally, I’m OK with hard feelings in a multibillion-dollar business. By 2024, Clark had become bigger than the game. People who didn’t care about sports cared about her. The numbers proved it, and criticism or not, she was absolutely worthy of being on the cover of Time. But if you’re grateful for the opportunity of being a transcendent star in the polarized 2020s — as Clark says she is — then you need to make smarter choices.

New York Times, Clavicular Strikes Plea Deal With Prosecutors After Alligator Shooting, Pooja Salhotra, May 15, 2026.The social media personality pleaded no contest and was sentenced to six months of probation. The deal allows him to avoid jail time.

Clavicular, the online star of a looks-obsessed male subculture, was sentenced on Friday to six months of probation in a case involving the apparent shooting of a dead alligator in the Florida Everglades near Miami.

The social media personality, whose real name is Braden Peters, pleaded no contest to the charge of unlawfully discharging a firearm in public, a misdemeanor. As part of a plea agreement, he avoided jail time but must complete 20 hours of community service and take a firearms safety course. If Mr. Peters successfully adheres to the terms of the deal, the charge will be removed from his record.

Mr. Peters, 20, is known for livestreaming in public, but the community service must not be streamed, the court records state.

Jeffrey Neiman, a lawyer for Mr. Peters, said in a statement that his client had “accepted responsibility for his conduct and reached a resolution that appropriately reflects the circumstances of this incident.” He added, “No individual was injured, and the alligator involved was already deceased prior to the events at issue.”

Mr. Peters rose to internet stardom as the leader of the “looksmaxxing” subculture, an online community of young men seeking to optimize their physical appearance, sometimes through extreme and dangerous lengths like surgery and unproven supplements. Thousands of people regularly watch Mr. Peters’s livestreams.

In March, the same platform that gave him fame got him into trouble after a video circulated online showing Mr. Peters and a group of other young men in an airboat in the Florida Everglades, firing gunshots at an alligator that appeared to be dead.

May 16

Top Headlines

President Trump met with President Xi Jinping of China on Thursday, May 14, 2026, after a flurry of actions.

• New York Times, News Analysis: Trump Makes a High Risk Move to Win Over Xi, Chris Buckley, May 16, 2026. The president said a potential arms deal for Taiwan was a “very good negotiating chip” in talks with Beijing. His words raise questions about the reliability of U.S. support.
• Hopium Chronicles, Pro-Democracy Advocacy: Trump Is A Fool, A Coward, And A Traitor, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 16 2026. Trump continues to bow to and appease global strongmen, doing enormous harm to America and freedom and democracy everywhere

U.S. Crime, Courts, Insurrection, Law, Rights

Trump plans special $5 tax on every American via Justice Department "settlement" for special $1.6 billion slush fund to reward his Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists (some shown above).

• Emptywheel, Analysis: Trump’s Idea of Charity: Terrorists, Cop Assailants, and Child Sex Predators, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 15, 2026. Remember back in February, when Trump claimed he was going to donate to “very good charities” any money he got by settling his own lawsuit against the IRS because a contractor stole his tax records from the IRS during his own first term?
• The Contrarian, Opinion:Trump to Redistricting Robbers: Hold My Beer, Norman Eisen, right, May 16, 2026. The corruption scandals widen: Publisher's Roundup. 
• Talking Points Memo, Opinion: Yet More Thoughts (and a bit of love) for the Fancy Lawyers, Josh Marshall, May 16, 2026. A couple days ago I found myself in a brief online (social media) argument with a Court-reformer member of the legal academy insisting that, contrary to my claims, it’s totally false that there are no reformers in the academy.

More Major Power Global News

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend ameeting on the sidelines of their visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China, May 15, 2026. (Pool photo by Evan Vucci of Reuters).

• Meidas Touch Network, Saturday Afternoon News Updates: How Trump Surrendered in China, Ben Meiselas, May 16, 2026. Trump returned from Beijing humiliated, while Americans inch closer to $7-a-pound ground beef and can't afford to fill their tanks.Here are the top stories:
• New York Times, Rubio, Once a China Hawk, Strikes Softer Tone to Align With Trump, Edward Wong and Michael Crowley, May 16, 2026. As a senator, Marco Rubio even hinted at the need for regime change in China. Now he talks about cooperation. Before he shook hands with President Xi Jinping of China in Beijing this past week, Marco Rubio was an official enemy of the Chinese state.
• New York Times, News analysis: Trump Calls Xi a ‘Friend.’ But He Left China Without Any Breakthroughs, Anton Troianovski, May 16, 2026. The lack of concrete agreements with Beijing shows the risks of President Trump’s personality-driven foreign policy, which rests on the belief that he can defend U.S. interests through charm and force of will.
• New York Times, China Will Host Putin, Days After Trump’s Visit, Ivan Nechepurenko, May 16, 2026. The Russian leader will go to Beijing on Tuesday for talks with President Xi Jinping. The Kremlin said he had watched President Trump’s visit closely.

News Roundups

• The Parnas Perspective, Saturday Evening News and Commentary: MAGA Infighting Erupts, Trump's Stock Trading Exposed, Large Protests Against SCOTUS Across the South, Aaron Parnas, right, May 16, 2026. Donald Trump is now escalating his attacks on Lauren Boebert as internal MAGA infighting intensifies.

More On Iran War

• New York Times, Fears Grow That Iran May Be Using Proxy Groups Beyond Mideast, Aaron Boxerman, Neil MacFarquhar and Falih Hassan, May 16, 2026. The charges against Mohammad al-Saadi in the United States have raised concerns that Iran could be working with its proxies to stage attacks outside the region.

More Global News

Cruise ship MV Hondius docks off Cape Verde port, as passengers were not allowed off the ship, while health authorities investigated suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, May 4, 2026. Hondius anchored off Tristan da Cunha from April 13 to 15, 2026.

• New York Times, How a Nature Cruise Turned Into a Nightmare, Jason Horowitz, Claire Moses and Amelia Nierenberg, Graphics by Samuel Granados, May 16, 2026. The hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius set off alarms for a world still traumatized by Covid. For those on board, the danger was much closer.
• New York Times, The Secretive Conglomerate That Controls Cuba’s Economy, Maria Abi-Habib and Lazaro Gamio, May 16, 2026. The most powerful entity in Cuba is not the Communist Party. It is a secretive military-run conglomerate known as GAESA, estimated to control between 40 percent and 70 percent of the Cuban economy.A diagram showing the Cuban military overseeing operations of the Cuban conglomerate GAESA.
• New York Times, Venezuela Extradites Billionaire Tycoon to the U.S., Simon Romero, May 16, 2026. The extradition of Alex Saab, who is tied to a huge graft scheme, is part of a purge of powerful figures who helped the deposed president, Nicolás Maduro, stay in power.
• New York Times, Hamas’s Top Leader in Gaza Is Killed in Israeli Strike, Alan Yuhas, Jonathan Rosen and Iyad Abuheweila, Updated May 16, 2026. Izz al-Din al-Haddad took over the group’s military wing in Gaza last year. Hamas officials confirmed Mr. al-Haddad’s death in an Israeli attack.

More News Roundups

• The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump to Control 'Truth' Commission to Pay Billions to Allies, Thousands March in Alabama, GOP Upset Over China Summit, Aaron Parnas, right,May 16, 2026. It has been a relatively slow start to the day, but things are expected to pick up quickly as a major mass mobilization unfolds in Alabama to protest the Supreme Court’s weakening of the Voting Rights Act.
• Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 15, 2026 [Chinese Trump Trap?], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 16, 2026. President Donald J. Trump arrived back in the United States of America today after a three-day state visit to China.

 U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

• New York Times, On Capitol Hill, a Sexual Harassment ‘Minefield’ Persists, Annie Karni, Michael Gold and Jill Cowan, Annie Karni and Michael Gold, May 16, 2026. Nearly 10 years after Congress instituted measures to make it easier for women to lodge harassment complaints, lawmakers and aides say the behavior is still rampant.
• New York Times, Cassidy Loses His Primary in Louisiana, as Trump Vanquishes Another G.O.P. Foe, Michael Gold, May 16, 2026. Senator Bill Cassidy, a two-term Republican who voted to convict President Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, could not muster enough votes to continue to a runoff next month.
• New York Times, Voters in Louisiana Head to the Polls, Uncertain but Determined, Emily Cochrane, May 16, 2026. Votes cast for the House candidates on Saturday’s primary ballot won’t count after state officials moved the election to November to provide time to redraw congressional maps.
• New York Times, Navy Aircraft Carrier Completes Longest Deployment Since Vietnam, John Ismay, Updated May 16, 2026. After being diverted for combat with Venezuela and Iran, the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford returned to Norfolk, Va., on Saturday after nearly a year at sea. 
• Meidas Touch Network, Commentary: Trump’s HEALTH CRASHES as HIS LAWYER BLOWS WHISTLE!!! Ben Meiselas, right, May 16, 2026. MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Donald Trump’s health crashing in China as his former lawyer and current lawyer address his health with his former lawyer stating Trump is unfit and his current DOJ lawyer is informing a federal judge that a secret hospital is being developed underneath the White House.
• Public Notice, Commentary: Josh Marshall on how US democracy can be saved, Aaron Rupar and Thor Benson, May 16, 2026. "You simply can’t do it with the filibuster and this Supreme Court in place."
• Lance's Substack, Opinion: Madness Is Not An Option, Lance F Rosen, May 16, 2026. A first assessment of what the Trump-Xi debacle of a summit means.
• The Hartmann Report, The Best of the Rest of the News and Opinion: As Hantavirus Threat Grows, Trump Turns to a Penile Implant Expert to Reassure America, Thom Hartmann, right, May 16, 2026. Surprised?

U.S. Media, Education

Presidential aide Natalie Harp, center, is shown in the White House helping President Trump draft a message for his Truth Social platform as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, far left, looks on along with others.

• White House Chronicle, Commentary: The Woman Behind Trump’s Overnight Truth Social Raging, Llewellyn King, May 16, 2026. President Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, likes to say that his administration is the most transparent in history. Possibly, she is right.

Stephen Colbert on the set of “The Late Show,” on May 5, 2026 (CBS Photo by Scott Kowalchyk).

• New York Times, Guest Essay: CBS Cancels Itself, Not Just Colbert, Bill Carter ( the author of “The Late Shift” and “The War for Late Night” andeditor at large for LateNighter.com), May 16, 2026. From the start of his career as a late-night television star on CBS, Stephen Colbert shattered the long-established broadcast network mold for who and what makes a late-night host.
• Status, Commentary: What Really Killed Colbert; Brian Lowry, May 15, 2026. As “The Late Show’s” finale nears, questions still linger about how the move came down, becoming a kind of murder mystery about the role politics played in CBS’ “financial decision.”
• Status, Opinion: Subsidizing MAGA Mouthpieces, Jon Passantino, May 16, 2026. Billionaire media owners are pouring money into little-watched MAGA-friendly podcasts and video ventures in hopes of currying favor with the administration.
• New York Times, Thousands of FiveThirtyEight Articles Seemingly Vanish From the Internet, John S.W. MacDonald, May 16, 2026. The influential polling analysis site was shut down last year, but an earlier archived version, fivethirtyeight.com, had lived on. Now the site is redirecting users to ABC News.

Top Stories

President Trump met with President Xi Jinping of China on Thursday, May 14, 2026, after a flurry of actions fro

New York Times, News Analysis: Trump Makes a High Risk Move to Win Over Xi, Chris Buckley, May 16, 2026. The president said a potential arms deal for Taiwan was a “very good negotiating chip” in talks with Beijing. His words raise questions about the reliability of U.S. support.

President Trump has described a potential multibillion-dollar weapons sale to Taiwan as a “negotiating chip” with China, raising new doubts about the pace and scale of American military support for the island democracy.

Taiwan’s government has been waiting for months for Mr. Trump to sign off on a $14 billion package of missiles, anti-drone equipment and air-defense systems intended to fortify the island against Beijing’s military threats.

Mr. Trump himself had pressured Taiwan to spend more on its own defense. Now he is using the very arms his administration had pushed the island to buy as leverage with China, the United States’ main adversary.

Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One after leaving China on Friday that he had discussed the weapons package with China’s president, Xi Jinping, during their summit this past week in Beijing. He was asked in an interview with Fox News whether he would approve the Taiwan deal.

“No, I’m holding that in abeyance and it depends on China,” he said in the interview, which was recorded in Beijing but aired after he left. “It depends.”

“It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly,” he said. “It’s a lot of weapons.”

He did not go into details about what he wanted in return, but Mr. Trump has pushed China to make major purchases of American airplanes, ethanol, soybeans, beef and sorghum.

Hopium Chronicles, Pro-Democracy Advocacy: Trump Is A Fool, A Coward, And A Traitor, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 16 2026. Trump continues to bow to and appease global strongmen, doing enormous harm to America and freedom and democracy everywhere.

I try to keep it light on the weekends but we are getting a clearer picture now of what happened in China, and where our addled, weakened, desperate leader is headed. In an interview with Fox’s Bret Baier yesterday Trump threw Taiwan under the bus, and gave it the “stop being so uppity” Ukraine treatment:

Whether through compromise, or a deep desire to be like them, Trump has a history of yielding to and appeasing strongmen. He has done it for years with Putin, giving him so much and getting nothing in return for the US. He did with Bibi in February, yielding to his ill-thought through total war with Iran.

He’s now doing that with Xi on Taiwan, again, yielding so much and getting nothing in return for the United States. He just gets played like a fool again and again, and accelerates our global geopolitical and economic decline. He gets admission to this club of autocrats, and as he walks in the door they pick his pockets, give him the table without a view of the stage, and howl with laughter for at their ridiculous good fortune.

In that interview when asked about the pain the war is bringing to our economy he repeated his magical thinking, [like] “COVID is just going to go away one day” line about short term pain, long term gain. We are way, way passed that now Mr. Trump:

• Brent crude starts the day at one its highest points of the war:
• Gas prices remain high across the US:
• Inflation has exploded in the US, and interest rates are now at a 20 year high:
• Farmers in the US are getting crushed:

From the article {in Axios]:

Farmers across the Midwest are entering planting season under mounting financial pressure, as the Iran conflict drives up diesel and fertilizer prices — deepening an agricultural downturn that some say is the worst since the crisis of the 1980s.

Why it matters: Rising fuel and fertilizer costs threaten to push more family farms out of business, drive up food prices and further strain rural economies already battered by trade disruptions, inflation and extreme weather.

The big picture: Mark Mueller — a northeast Iowa farmer and president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association — tells Axios that the current landscape is more challenging than at any time since the 1980s farm crisis, when interest rates soared and exports plunged, triggering agricultural bank failures.

The stresses are showing, with rising bankruptcies and lenders becoming more reluctant to provide farmers with operational loans.

“There’s going to be fewer farmers next year than there is this year,” Mueller says.

Zoom in: Farmers are grappling with a confluence of forces, including:

• Skyrocketing energy prices triggered by President Trump’s Iran war, which led to the shuttering of Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for fossil fuels.
• Spiking fertilizer prices and shortages after the Iranians blocked shipments through the strait.
• Disrupted export markets tied to Trump’s tariffs and Chinese import restrictions.
• Global drought and other weather pressures, including climate change.

What they’re saying: “What makes this moment particularly hard is that farmers can’t pivot quickly,” says Cornell University agricultural economist Wendong Zhang.

“Farmers have some tools, but none are quick fixes.”

This morning Iran announced the creation of a permanent toll system in the Strait of Hormuz, something that will strengthen Iran-China-Russia, and weaken the US, our European and Asian allies, and Trump’s Gulf Arab business partners:

We have to be clear eyed about what Trump is doing and who he is. He imagines himself to be like MBS, Bibi, Putin, and Xi. He envisions a world run by a handful of strongmen, with the US taking the Americas and leaving the rest to Putin, Xi, Bibi, and others.

As we discussed yesterday he is trying to help Putin win in Ukraine, and Xi now take Taiwan. He has floated the idea this week of taking full possession of Venezuela and making it the 51st state. He will soon seize Cuba, as he did Venezuela.

He is working furiously, with the help of the corrupt Roberts Court, Chief Justice John Roberts is shown at right, to install minority rule here in the US for the Republican Party. He is literally working to bring an end to the 2nd Reconstruction/VRA era, the 80 year era of Pax America and the Four Freedoms (and American dominance), and the end of American democracy itself.

He is the least American leader we have ever had, operating from a radical and ridiculous vision, one that is leaving America less prosperous, less safe, and less free; all while he builds his ballrooms, golf courses and golden statues, enriches himself, dances with dictators and let’s the rest of be grateful for the pain he has inflicted on us and for his surrendering the great idea of America itself, of freedom and democracy, to oligarchs, criminals, charlatans, and autocrats.

Despite his fantasies Trump is no strongman. He is a fool, a coward, and a traitor. The strongmen of the world laugh at him, and now at this once great country too.

And I am really fucking angry about it all this morning…….

It’s why…..It’s Time To Get To Work Everyone…….

U.S. Crime, Courts, Insurrection, Law, Rights

Trump plans special $5 tax on every American via Justice Department "settlement" for special $1.6 billion slush fund to reward his Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists (some shown above).

Emptywheel, Analysis: Trump’s Idea of Charity: Terrorists, Cop Assailants, and Child Sex Predators, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 15, 2026. Remember back in February, when Trump claimed he was going to donate to “very good charities” any money he got by settling his own lawsuit against the IRS because a contractor stole his tax records from the IRS during his own first term?

Speaking with reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One, Trump said he is considering settling the case and giving the proceeds to “established and respected charities.”

“We’re thinking about doing something for charity where I’ll give money to charity,” he said. “We can make it a substantial amount. Nobody would care because it’s going to go to numerous very good charities.”

Trump added, “If I pay myself, that somehow will never look good.”

“A lot of outside people said, ‘What a great idea,’ because nobody cares how much if it goes to a good charity,” Trump said. “So you settle by giving charities a lot of money and I think we’re going to do something like that. We’re looking to do something like that.”

Yesterday, ABC reported that the settlement now envisions rewarding Trump $1.7 billion to award to Jan6ers (some shown above).

President Donald Trump is expected to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The commission overseeing the compensation fund would have the total authority to hand out approximately $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds to settle claims brought by anyone who alleges they were harmed by the Biden administration’s “weaponization” of the legal system, including the nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as well as potentially entities associated with President Trump himself.

If the $1.7 billion were split evenly among the 1,600 criminals and those charged, it would work out to be over a million dollars a person. And that’s on top of the restitution payments for the damage the mob did to the Capitol, of which many convicted criminals were excused with Trump’s pardon. Taxpayers have been stuck cleaning up after Trump’s criminals.

And consider the kind of people who would benefit from this corrupt payoff.

Some number — around a dozen? — are seditionists and adjudged terrorists from the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers whom juries found to be attacking the country. Todd Blanche is already working to make their convictions go away, which will allow them to rearm Now, Trump wants to pay those guys a million dollars for their criminal ways.

Then there are the cop assailants. During police week, Trump is floating the idea of paying people who beat cops and in a few cases, nearly killed them — people like Danny Rodriguez who went to January 6 expecting there might be casualties and then responded directly to Rudy Giuliani’s call for trial by combat by making throat slicing gestures. Rodriguez went on to tase Michael Fanone, causing a heart attack.

That’s what Trump wants to reward with a million dollar payoff.

Several of these people have seriously threatened top government officials, too. Taylor Taranto (using an address that Trump made public on Truth Social) drove his armed van to Kalorama and started stalking Barack Obama. “Gotta get the shot, stop at nothing to get the shot. This is where other people come to get the shot,” the mentally ill Navy veteran was chanting. And Chris Moynihan sent text messages threatening to kill Hakeem Jeffries: “I cannot allow this terrorist to live … I will kill him for the future,” (which crime Trump’s DOJ chose to ignore, meaning Moynihan got off with just a misdemeanor offense).

Finally, there are the child sex predators. Andrew Paul Johnson, for example, started molesting two children, including a boy of the age of 11, after January 6.

Both of Johnson’s young victims — a young boy and a young girl — testified at his trial, where they described how Johnson used his role as a trusted “father figure” to subject them to physical sexual abuse and explicit messages.

Johnson first came into the picture in 2023, after the boy’s mother met Johnson at a political rally. The mother, who was raising two boys alone, let Johnson stay on the couch in her home.

She testified that she believed Johnson, who worked as a handyman, could help fix things around the house.

By that point, Johnson had already been charged for his role in the Capitol attack, but his case was still working its way through the courts. On the political right, riot defendants like Johnson were widely portrayed as victims, “hostages” and “political prisoners.”

One night, the boy was watching “a scary movie” with Johnson, when he fell asleep.

“I woke up in the morning and he was touching me — I felt him touching me in my private area,” the boy testified. He was 11 years old at the time.

“Did you say anything to him?” Assistant State Attorney Kasey Whitson asked.

“No ma’am,” the boy replied. “I was too nervous, like, I was scared.”

Later that year, the boy again woke up to Johnson touching him. This time, Johnson swore him to silence.

“He said not to tell anybody,” the boy said. His mother remained unaware of the abuse.

When the boy told him that fondling his genitalia was wrong, Johnson used his expectation of a payoff to try to silence the child.

Andrew also told [redacted] that since he was pardoned for storming the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, and he was being awarded $10,000,000 as a result of being a “jan 6’er”. Andrew did tell [redacted] that he would be putting him in his “will” to take any money he had left over. This tactic was believed to be used to keep [redacted] from exposing what Andrew had done to him.

It’s not just that these monsters are recidivist criminals. It’s that Trump’s coddling of them has led them to believe they have impunity for other crimes.

And Trump wants to steal $1.7 billion from taxpayers — basically a $5 tax on every American — and give it to these criminals.

That’s his idea of charity.

The Contrarian, Opinion:Trump to Redistricting Robbers: Hold My Beer, Norman Eisen, right, May 16, 2026. The corruption scandals widen. 

Never in American history have we seen corruption remotely like what is going on with Donald Trump and his cronies in and outside of government. We have exposed that daily here at the Contrarian including in Top 10 lists as part of this column. On Sunday we will reveal our newest edition of the Top 10 list, and it is a doozy.

Leading off the list will be Trump’s personal lawsuit to brazenly pick $10 billion out of Americans’ pockets. It is a new low. And his machinations in recent days when it looked like a federal judge might stop him only highlight how depraved this whole scheme is. For this week’s publishers note we thought we would offer a deep dive on our new top scandal—with the full list to follow tomorrow.

This sordid story begins in January, when Trump, with his sons and the Trump Organization, sued the IRS and the Treasury Department. The plaintiffs argued that the agencies failed to take appropriate measures to protect Trump’s tax information, which leaked.

The lawsuit is riddled with flaws. For starters, it targets the wrong entity. No one in the IRS leaked his taxes; an outside contractor from Booz Allen Hamilton disclosed the information. For that and many other reasons, the lawsuit is entirely defensible by DOJ – indeed, a comparable one was settled for no payment at all.

Most outrageous of all is the amount originally sought: $10 billion. That is more than the entire annual appropriation for the IRS, an agency of 75,000 employees. (White House photo)

And it is an agency Trump ultimately oversees, as is the other defendant, the Treasury Department. Although Trump claims to be acting in his personal capacity as the plaintiff in this lawsuit, he is the chief executive of the federal government. He is in effect both the plaintiff and the defendant in this case! It is like a bank robbery committed by the CEO and board of directors of the bank.

In the annals of American law, it is hard to find an example of a president effectively suing himself. It’s not just wrong; it also raises profound constitutional issues. The President is prohibited by the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the Constitution from receiving any “profit, gain, or advantage“ from the United States other than his salary. This frivolous cash grab—whether paid to Trump directly or diverted at his direction to a fund that benefits his loyalists—is the exact type of corrupt self-dealing that the founders and framers were concerned with when they signed the Constitution.

And then there is Article III’s Case or Controversy requirement for a federal lawsuit. It provides that a legal action is only valid if the parties are actually adverse to one another. A case that is in effect Donald Trump v. Donald Trump hardly seems to fit.

Judge Kathleen Williams of the Southern District of Florida was rightly skeptical. She asked Trump’s personal lawyers and the government attorneys to submit briefs by May 20 explaining how the parties are genuinely adverse. She also asked six well-regarded lawyers to serve as amici, friends of the court, providing their view of the legitimacy of this lawsuit.

Needless to say, Trump is not keen on this kind of scrutiny and potential rejection of his legal complaint. Giving additional fuel to fears of collusion, on Tuesday, reports emerged that Justice is in settlement negotiations regarding this $10 billion lawsuit. Typically, when a plaintiff settles a case out of court, he is free to drop the case, and that is the end of the matter. If that kind of side deal were allowed to happen here, the settlement would escape judicial scrutiny.

Those concerns about a plot to dodge the court were only heightened by subsequent reports that emerged throughout the week. They suggest that Trump may now drop this and other lawsuits, including one seeking damages from DOJ relating to the seizure of classified documents he wrongly retained at his Florida home. In exchange, DOJ is said to be establishing a $1.7 billion fund to compensate those whom Trump claims were unfairly targeted by the Biden administration’s “weaponization” of the DOJ, including those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Jan. 6 insurrectionists who assaulted police officers should not be able to seek a financial reward for their actions. Nor should the rest of the rogues gallery of wrongdoers and Trump allies who are included in his bogus “weaponization” claims. Though Trump is said not to be able to directly apply for payment, it appears that people or entities linked to him will not be precluded.

Judge Williams should not fall for it. She has the power to investigate all this, and she should do so. This is a historically unprecedented effort to undermine her jurisdiction and purloin vast sums through self-dealing.Subscribed

The whole affair is even more sordid because Trump’s former defense lawyers are running the show at DOJ. That starts with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, whose bumbling performance when Trump was convicted of 34 felonies in connection with 2016 campaign wrongdoing did not seem to harm the lawyer’s career prospects. How can a DOJ headed by the likes of Blanche be expected to fairly resolve the president’s claims? It cannot, of course.

If you are thinking this whole depraved situation could not possibly get any worse, think again. Thursday brought revelations that former DOJ ethics counsel Joseph Tirrell counseled Blanche that under the ethics laws he should not be involved in anything involving the personal issues of his former client. As a former White House ethics czar, I certainly agree. Though the American people are not privy to who is doing the negotiations over this latest Trump settlement, Blanche should immediately disclose whether he has had any involvement in anything personally relating to Trump.

As you Contrarians are well-aware, corruption has been a hallmark of Trump’s second term, but this cascade of scandal after scandal is in a category of its own. It all amounts to the most extreme example of self-dealing we’ve seen yet. As Trump makes the lives of everyday Americans more expensive by continuing the war in Iran and with higher tariffs, he is trying to shake down the American taxpayer for vast sums. No wonder consumer sentiment is hitting an all-time low.

Talking Points Memo, Opinion: Yet More Thoughts (and a bit of love) for the Fancy Lawyers, Josh Marshall, May 16, 2026. A couple days ago I found myself in a brief online (social media) argument with a Court-reformer member of the legal academy insisting that, contrary to my claims, it’s totally false that there are no reformers in the academy.

Of course I never said there were no reformers in the academy. What I said, what I think is undeniable, is that the legal academy as a group or a community, and especially its most powerful voices, have been deep in the SCOTUS-reverencing camp. And for more clarity here, we’re talking really about the liberal+mainstream academic legal community. It goes without saying that this applies, on a contingent basis certainly, to the conservative legal movement which not only participates in the corruption of the Roberts Court, but is in effect its deep root structure, from which the Roberts Court is simply the degenerate, swaggering oak dominating the canopy and blocking out the sun which civic democracy needs to flourish.

In any case, I’ve been getting a lot of your emails from the legal academy, and please keep them coming. This isn’t surprising. Historically, our biggest TPM Reader community professions are higher education and lawyers. (We don’t have to break every stereotype.) So the legal academy is sort of an obvious ground zero for TPM Readership, and I guess makes my campaign of denigration somewhat paradoxical. In any case, as I noted a few days ago, every profession has pretensions beyond its area of true expertise. The late 19th-century professionalization movement very much affected the history profession. Indeed, it’s the only reason it’s even considered a profession. But historians can’t take away your right to an abortion or mutilate your constitutional order into an autocracy. At worst, they can rob the past of its mystery and fascination, and reduce it to a few stale or precious debates occluded with obscure and ornate jargon. So it’s really no comparison.

More seriously, I’m very interested in hearing from you because I’m very interested in what is happening right now within the legal academy. For all my potshots, the legal academy has a key role in all this. High profile legal academics, especially those in theYet More Thoughts (and a bit of love) for the Fancy Lawyersby Josh Marshall05.16.26 | 9:58 am Share

A couple days ago I found myself in a brief online (social media) argument with a Court-reformer member of the legal academy insisting that, contrary to my claims, it’s totally false that there are no reformers in the academy. Of course I never said there were no reformers in the academy. What I said, what I think is undeniable, is that the legal academy as a group or a community, and especially its most powerful voices, have been deep in the SCOTUS-reverencing camp. And for more clarity here we’re talking really about the liberal+mainstream academic legal community. It goes without saying that this applies, on a contingent basis certainly, to the conservative legal movement which not only participates in the corruption of the Roberts Court but is in effect its deep root structure, from which the Roberts Court is simply the degenerate, swaggering oak dominating the canopy and blocking out the sun which civic democracy needs to flourish.

In any case, I’ve been getting a lot of your emails from the legal academy and please keep them coming. This isn’t surprising. Historically, our biggest TPM Reader community professions are higher education and lawyers. (We don’t have to break every stereotype.) So the legal academy is sort of an obvious ground zero for TPM Readership and I guess makes my campaign of denigration somewhat paradoxical. In any case, as I noted a few days ago, every profession has pretensions beyond its area of true expertise. The late 19th professionalization movement very much affected the history profession. Indeed, it’s the only reason it’s even considered a profession. But historians can’t take away your right to an abortion or mutilate your constitutional order into an autocracy. At worst they can rob the past of its mystery and fascination and reduce it to a few stale or precious debates occluded with obscure and ornate jargon. So it’s really no comparison.

More seriously, I’m very interested in hearing from you because I’m very interested in what is happening right now within the legal academy. For all my potshots the legal academy has a key role in all this. High-profile legal academics, especially those in the towering heights of the profession and the clerkship networks, embracing the reform mantle would and will be huge. My sense from a distance is that we’re in the midst of or at the beginnings of a sea change on this front, for the simple reason that 2025 and the beginnings of 2026 have simply left no available space for a defense of the legitimacy of this Court. In a way, it is the mildest of silver linings of having the Biden presidency sandwiched between two Trump presidencies. It made it simple to deny that the Court’s corrupt majority is anything but a group of Republican functionaries attempting to rule through country and buttress Republican rule in the guise of constitutional interpretation – the case analogs are too tight, the time separating those analogs are too short.

In any case, ye righteous among the legal academics, lemme know what’s happening.

 More Major Power Global News

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend ameeting on the sidelines of their visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China, May 15, 2026. (Pool photo by Evan Vucci of Reuters).

Meidas Touch Network, Saturday Afternoon News Updates: How Trump Surrendered in China, Ben Meiselas, May 16, 2026. Trump returned from Beijing humiliated, while Americans inch closer to $7-a-pound ground beef and can't afford to fill their tanks.Here are the top stories:

• Trump’s China trip is being widely panned as a strategic humiliation — Xi played him like a fiddle
• Taiwan pushes back hard after Trump essentially threw them under the bus in Beijing
• Iran doubles down on Strait of Hormuz control right after the summit
• Ground beef closing in on $7 a pound as the White House scrambles on a beef tariff executive order
• AutoZone memo warns of a 40% drop in lubricating fluid supply
• Trump back on Truth Social this morning, posting unhinged rants and conspiracy theories again
• The DOJ’s $1.776 billion “Truth and Justice Commission” slush fund story isn’t going away

The more we learn about Trump’s China trip, the worse it gets

The reviews are in, and they are brutal — not just from Democrats, not just from the media, but from former ambassadors, foreign policy scholars, and even people inside China who watched this unfold in real time.

One Chinese citizen summed it up in a video that’s now going viral. She said Trump acts less like a world leader and more like an internet influencer. That he’s too focused on himself, doesn’t consider what others think, and gives off a desperate, attention-seeking energy.

And honestly, what she said tracks with everything we saw. Xi Jinping had Trump sit in a shorter chair so that Xi would appear taller when they were photographed side by side. And the handshake… Trump tried his usual weird dominance-grip thing, and Xi just stood there, expressionless, while Trump didn’t know what to do and ended up patting Xi’s hand like he was greeting a puppy. It was painful to watch.

Even Fox felt the need to do damage control on it in a segment on Laura Ingraham’s show my brother Brett called “possibly the most embarrassing segment ever to air on tv.”

Fox contributor Raymond Arroyo told Ingraham: “People were saying XI dominated Trump because of the handshake but look at what Trump does. He gives XI’s hand a little swat to diminish whatever that dominant move was at the top.”

Nicholas Burns, who served as U.S. Ambassador to China under Biden, noted that Trump did not get reciprocal praise from Xi. Not even close. Xi stuck to his agenda and his talking points, while Trump heaped on the compliments. Burns said it made America look weak.

Geopolitical analyst Ian Bremmer noted that Trump’s approach to Taiwan now mirrors exactly how he handled Ukraine. He finds the weaker party in a conflict and pressures them to capitulate, rather than standing with U.S. allies. And Philip O’Brien made the point that the press has been far too gentle in describing what actually happened in Beijing. The U.S. got nothing on Iran. It got scolded on Taiwan. It got a smaller-than-expected Boeing deal that China hasn’t even confirmed. Trump gave ground on Chinese students, microchips, and Chinese ownership of American farmland. And then Xi, to Trump’s face, said America is a nation in decline. And Trump agreed with him.

Josh Simpson, citing author Peter Frankopan, wrote that Trump “acted like the humble number two” throughout the visit, exactly the image Xi wanted to project to the world. Poor preparation, no real expertise, and the belief that everything reduces to a business deal, that’s what Frankopan said, and that’s what we all watched play out.Taiwan pushes back

Before this trip, the U.S. maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity on Taiwan. It was deliberately vague, and that vagueness actually served a purpose. It kept China guessing. Within 24 hours of Trump meeting with Xi, that ambiguity evaporated.

Trump went on Fox News and argued that Taiwan is a small island 9,500 miles away, China is big and powerful, and we’re not going to war over that. He said he wasn’t looking for Taiwan to go independent. He raised the possibility of halting arms sales to the island. Phil Gordon, a former senior NSC official, noted that Trump’s language implied the 1982 assurances have expired, and that his willingness to openly discuss Taiwan’s arms situation with Beijing, in great detail, represents a significant shift regardless of what Secretary Rubio insists publicly about policy being “unchanged.”

Taiwan’s foreign ministry responded on Saturday with a direct statement: Taiwan is a sovereign and independent democratic nation, and it is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China. They also reaffirmed that U.S. arms sales remain a core part of Washington’s security commitment to the island.

Good for them for saying it. But this situation is genuinely alarming. Trump just came back from Beijing and handed Xi exactly the rhetorical wins he wanted on Taiwan, without getting anything of substance in return.Iran is exploiting Trump’s weakness

Right on the heels of the Beijing summit, Iran came out with additional statements asserting full control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian political figure Ebrahim Azizi announced that Iran is preparing a formal mechanism to manage all traffic through the strait — only vessels cooperating with Iran will be allowed through, fees will be collected, and anyone affiliated with what he called the “freedom project” will be blocked entirely.

This is not the behavior of a country that feels any pressure from Trump’s diplomacy. If anything, Iran appears emboldened. And from what we’ve been hearing, Xi’s government has effectively recognized this new security architecture. Chinese ships move through the strait, and no one else really can. Trump came home from China without a single concrete concession from Beijing on Iran, and now Iran is announcing new toll mechanisms on the world’s most critical oil shipping lane.Skyrocketing ground beef prices and a White House in a bind

Meanwhile, back home, the American people are getting crushed.

Ground beef is approaching $7 a pound, up about 12 percent from last summer and up 24 percent since Trump took office. The White House was apparently ready to sign an executive order earlier this week to temporarily ease tariffs on imported beef, which might have brought some price relief to consumers. Then the ranching lobby pushed back hard, Republican senators from farm states made clear they would not be happy, and the order got shelved.

So now the White House is stuck. They’re trying to water down the executive order, but even a watered-down version is drawing fire from ranchers who say imported beef will undercut domestic producers already struggling with drought, the parasitic New World screwworm, and spiking diesel costs tied to the Iran conflict. One beef industry lobbyist called the plan “half-baked” and said it wouldn’t address the root causes of high prices anyway.

A person close to the White House told Politico they worry that even if Trump eventually acts, relief won’t reach voters before the midterms. “You worry that people aren’t feeling it by the time election day rolls around,” this person said.

On top of that, we got a leaked internal memo from AutoZone, shared by a CEO in the lubricant industry, warning that the country is facing the largest supply shortage of lubricating fluids in modern American history, with estimates of available supply dropping 40 percent.

Even radio host Charlamagne tha God said what a lot of people are feeling right now: Trump ran on fixing the economy on day one, promised to lower grocery prices, and literally said this week that he doesn’t care about the financial situation of the American peopleTrump’s latest Truth Social tantrums

And through all of this, the humiliation in China, Iran asserting control of the strait, beef prices at record highs, Trump has been posting on Truth Social. Constantly.

He’s reposting accounts calling former CIA director John Brennan a traitor and demanding he be arrested for sedition. He’s posting random videos of people pretending to be blind in some social experiment. He’s sharing AI-generated images of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. He’s calling Senator Bill Cassidy a “sleazebag” and urging Louisiana voters to defeat him. He’s attacking New York Governor Kathy Hochul over the Long Island Rail Road strike, a strike he admits he knew nothing about until this morning, and calling her a “Dumacrat.” He’s pushing the conspiracy theory that Biden’s FBI secretly set him up to be arrested after his term ends.Don’t let the $1.776 billion slush fund story go away

Before I wrap up, I want to make sure we don’t let the “Truth and Justice Commission” story drop off the radar, because it deserves continued attention.

The DOJ is finalizing a deal to create a $1,776,000,000 compensation fund — yes, the number is intentional, to pay out claims from people who say they were victims of government “weaponization.” This arose from Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, and sources told ABC News that DOJ lawyers internally argued they could simply ignore the conflict of interest involved, reasoning that Trump has the right to sue as a private citizen while simultaneously running the executive branch. Trump wants to take your money and give it to the people who tried to overthrow our democracy on January 6th. This is one of the single biggest scandals in American history. Yet, too many in the media just treat this as “Trump being Trump.”

Our own DC bureau chief Scott MacFarlane has been all over this story and got reactions from multiple members of Congress at the Capitol. Democrats are calling it exactly what it looks like: a slush fund for Trump’s political allies. Legal hurdles ahead or not, the fact that this is being seriously discussed inside the DOJ tells you everything you need to know about where things stand.

More Major Power Global News

New York Times, Rubio, Once a China Hawk, Strikes Softer Tone to Align With Trump, Edward Wong and Michael Crowley, May 16, 2026. As a senator, Marco Rubio even hinted at the need for regime change in China. Now he talks about cooperation. Before he shook hands with President Xi Jinping of China in Beijing this past week, Marco Rubio was an official enemy of the Chinese state.

As a senator representing Florida, Mr. Rubio, right, was among Mr. Xi’s harshest critics in Washington. He accused the Chinese leader of “crimes against humanity” and of plotting to weaken the United States. Fed up, Mr. Xi’s government placed sanctions on Mr. Rubio in 2020 and banned him from entering the country.

So Mr. Rubio, now President Trump’s secretary of state and national security adviser, posed a sticky problem ahead of Mr. Trump’s first visit to China in his second term. But China creatively fudged the issue, allowing Mr. Rubio to accompany his boss and even meet the Chinese leader.

As Mr. Xi worked his way down a line of U.S. officials outside the Great Hall of the People, Mr. Rubio greeted him cordially without a smile. But Mr. Rubio later appeared delighted by the grandeur of a government he denounced less than 18 months ago as “the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted.”

Inside the hall, as he stood with fellow U.S. officials at a long wooden table awaiting the start of their meeting with Chinese counterparts, Mr. Rubio seemed to marvel at the grand building, smiling as he repeatedly gestured toward its high ceiling.

Mr. Rubio, who entered the Trump administration with a reputation as a leading China hawk, has become more accommodating toward Beijing. He has talked about looking for areas of cooperation, in contrast to his years of emphasizing the party’s human rights abuses.

The difference, he told NBC News, is that he has a different job. “I’m the chief diplomat of the country, and I execute on the president’s foreign policy,” he said.

And the American president, an admirer of Mr. Xi, has said the two nations must build strong relations.

Mr. Trump’s effusiveness over China was evident throughout his two-day trip. On Friday, at tea with Mr. Xi, he raved: “This has been an incredible visit.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and China's leader Xi Jinping on Sept. 15, 2022.

New York Times, China Will Host Putin, Days After Trump’s Visit, Ivan Nechepurenko, May 16, 2026. The Russian leader will go to Beijing on Tuesday for talks with President Xi Jinping. The Kremlin said he had watched President Trump’s visit closely.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will go to China next week for talks with its leader, Xi Jinping, just days after President Trump’s visit to Beijing, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

Mr. Putin watched Mr. Trump’s visit closely and is looking forward to discussing major issues with Mr. Xi during a two-day visit, which will begin on Tuesday, the Kremlin said. Russian officials had said for days that Mr. Putin would visit China, but the dates were not announced until Saturday. China confirmed that the trip would take place.

Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, told reporters on Friday that the trip would give Moscow “a good opportunity to share opinions on the contacts that the Chinese had with the Americans.”

The Kremlin said on Saturday that the two leaders would discuss bilateral issues, share thoughts on “the main international and regional problems” and sign several bilateral documents.

Russia has a lopsided economic relationship with China. China supplies more than a third of its imports and buys more than a quarter of its exports, but Russia accounts for only about 4 percent of China’s international trade — a smaller share than Vietnam’s.

But with Moscow engaged in a high-stakes conflict with the West in Ukraine, Beijing has been trying to preserve at least a semblance of equality. And Russia’s value to China as a reliable source of energy has increased since war in Iran put global supplies of oil and natural gas under strain.

For years, Russia has been pushing China to agree to build a gas pipeline that would link its Siberian extraction sites with China’s interior through Mongolia. But Beijing has been hesitant, fearing that the pipeline, which would complement one that already carries Russian gas and another that is nearing completion, would make it too dependent on one supplier.

Speaking after Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9, Mr. Putin said that Russia and China were “very close to agreement on taking a highly significant step forward in oil and gas cooperation.”

“If we are able to finalize them during the visit, I would be very pleased,” he said.

News Roundups

The Parnas Perspective, Saturday Evening News and Commentary: MAGA Infighting Erupts, Trump's Stock Trading Exposed, Large Protests Against SCOTUS Across the South, Aaron Parnas, right, May 16, 2026. Donald Trump is now escalating his attacks on Lauren Boebert as internal MAGA infighting intensifies.

Marjorie Taylor Greene appears increasingly isolated, and Boebert may be next. At the same time, massive marches swept through Alabama today in protest of recent Supreme Court decisions affecting voting rights. We also learned that Trump made more than 3,700 stock trades during the first quarter of 2026 alone, raising major new ethics questions about conflicts of interest and presidential financial activity.

Meanwhile, there still is not nearly enough coverage of the proposed $1.7 billion compensation fund tied to Trump’s lawsuit against the federal government, money critics say could ultimately benefit his political allies, including January 6 defendants. Legal experts and watchdogs are warning that the implications are enormous because it could normalize the idea of a president using the machinery of government and the courts to financially reward allies and supporters. This is not a minor story. It cuts directly to questions about presidential power, accountability, and the future boundaries of executive authority.

But like so many stories in today’s nonstop news cycle, it is already beginning to fade from public attention. That is exactly why independent media matters right now more than ever. Independent outlets are often the only ones willing to stay focused on stories long after the headlines move on.

If you are able to subscribe, I’m asking you to do so today. This is no longer just about content or commentary. It is part of a much larger fight over truth, accountability, and whether factual reporting can still break through. Help me do it.Subscribed

Here’s the news:

Donald Trump attacked Lauren Boebert in his latest attack on a MAGA politician who once supported him:

According to the Washington Post, a Honduran mother deported by ICE says she repeatedly asked to be reunited with her two-year-old son before being sent back to Honduras, but months later the child was allegedly murdered while in the care of a relative in Florida. Authorities say the boy suffered severe abuse, including broken bones, burns, and possible sexual assault, and his uncle has been charged with murder. ICE later accused the mother of “abandoning” her son, a claim she strongly denies, arguing she had no choice after being detained and deported. The case has drawn renewed scrutiny to U.S. immigration enforcement policies and the impact of deportations on families and children.

Many across the political and foreign policy spectrum described Donald Trump’s Beijing visit as a diplomatic embarrassment that strengthened Xi Jinping’s image on the world stage. A Chinese citizen in a viral video said Trump acted “less like a world leader and more like an internet influencer,” describing him as overly self-focused and giving off “an attention-seeking energy.”

Former diplomats and analysts argued that Trump appeared overly eager to praise Xi while receiving little in return on key issues such as Taiwan, trade, and Iran. Observers also pointed to awkward public moments, including the leaders’ handshake and staged photo opportunities, as symbolic of the imbalance between the two sides. Several analysts warned that the summit reinforced perceptions that China is gaining geopolitical influence while American leadership is weakening.

Critics further argued that Donald Trump undermined decades of U.S. “strategic ambiguity” toward Taiwan after suggesting the United States would not go to war with China over the island and raising the possibility of reducing arms sales to Taipei. Former national security officials warned that Trump’s comments signaled a major shift in American policy and handed Xi Jinping a significant rhetorical victory without securing meaningful concessions in return. Taiwan’s foreign ministry responded by reaffirming that Taiwan is a sovereign democratic nation and emphasizing that U.S. arms sales remain central to its security relationship with Washington.

At the same time, analysts said Iran appeared emboldened after the Beijing summit, announcing new plans to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and impose restrictions and fees on vessels passing through the critical oil route. Observers warned that both China and Iran seemed to emerge from the summit in stronger strategic positions while the United States appeared weakened diplomatically.

A New York Times investigation details growing scrutiny around FBI Director Kash Patel, left, over his use of government resources for leisure travel and personal accommodations involving his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins. The investigation highlights a controversial Navy SEAL–escorted snorkeling excursion near the sunken USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor, which many service members described as disrespectful to the war grave.

It also describes Patel’s use of FBI jets for personal outings, including attending a high-end concert suite in Philadelphia and providing Wilkins with an extensive FBI security detail reportedly costing around $1 million annually. Current and former FBI officials cited concerns about ethics, morale, and the blending of official duties with personal privileges, while Patel and the FBI defended the arrangements as necessary and within policy. The report further notes internal tensions at the FBI, including staff departures, investigations into leaks, and criticism of Patel’s leadership style and public image management.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth under fire at a House hearing on Iran on April 29, 2026.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis, right, sharply criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over reports that the Pentagon plans to downgrade the military command overseeing Europe and Africa from a four-star to a three-star position. Tillis called the move “amateur hour at best and deadly at worst,” accusing Hegseth and his aides of sidelining experienced military leaders and weakening relationships with key allies concerned about Russia. The criticism follows additional controversy over plans to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from Germany, a decision some Republicans fear could embolden Vladimir Putin. Tillis argued that the administration’s recent military decisions appear impulsive and poorly judged, marking a rare public rebuke from a Republican senator against Trump administration defense policy.

Thousands of activists, clergy members, and political leaders gathered in Selma and Montgomery for a major voting rights protest opposing redistricting efforts they say would weaken Black political representation. Speakers including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rev. Jamal Bryant, and Rev. Bernice King framed the demonstrations as a continuation of the Civil Rights Movement and called for renewed organizing, voting, and activism. Protesters marched across the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge, linking today’s battles over voting maps to the legacy of Bloody Sunday and the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Alabama Republicans defended the redistricting changes as lawful partisan efforts rather than racial discrimination, highlighting the deep national divide over voting rights and representation.

An internal memo from AutoZone warned of what it called the “largest supply shortage of lubricating fluids in the modern history of America,” projecting that available supplies could decline by roughly 40%. The statement reflects concerns about severe disruptions in the supply chain for motor oils and related lubricants, products essential for vehicle maintenance and industrial operations. Such shortages could lead to higher prices, limited inventory at retailers and repair shops, and delays for consumers and businesses dependent on automotive and machinery upkeep.

Canadian health officials announced that a passenger aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius tested positive for Andes hantavirus, a rare but potentially severe virus linked to rodent exposure. The infected passenger and their spouse, who is also experiencing mild symptoms, were hospitalized and placed in isolation while additional testing is conducted by Canada’s national laboratory. Authorities said they are monitoring dozens of contacts connected to the cruise and emphasized that the overall public risk remains low, though precautions are being taken because of the virus’s seriousness. As of the report, no known cases had been identified in the United States.

Trump claims he is aging in reverse.

Officials in Democratic Republic of the Congo, shown above, reported that deaths from a new Ebola outbreak in the eastern Ituri province have risen to at least 80, with hundreds of suspected cases under investigation. Health authorities confirmed the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, and officials are intensifying screening, testing, and contact tracing efforts to contain the spread. The outbreak has already crossed into neighboring Uganda, where an imported case was confirmed after a patient died in Kampala. Residents described constant burials and growing fear, while officials warned that regional conflict, weak infrastructure, and difficult logistics could complicate the response.

New financial disclosures show that Donald Trump or his investment advisers carried out more than 3,700 trades in the first quarter alone, involving tens of millions of dollars and shares in major companies tied to industries affected by his administration. The sheer pace of the activity astonished many Wall Street insiders, who said it is highly unusual for a sitting president’s portfolio to generate more than 40 trades per day. Bloomberg reported that the filings submitted to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics span more than 100 pages and include purchases and sales across a wide range of companies, though exact values are difficult to determine because the disclosures use broad dollar ranges.

According to Politico, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s sponsored “Great American Road Trip” series is facing growing ethics scrutiny after reports that companies including Toyota and Boeing helped fund the production, while at least one potential sponsor reportedly declined because it appeared to offer corporate access to a cabinet official. Democratic lawmakers and watchdog groups questioned whether industry-funded travel, lodging, and promotional partnerships created conflicts of interest for the transportation secretary, though the Department of Transportation says ethics attorneys approved the arrangement and no taxpayer money funded the production.

Reports from the Daily Mail claim that Keir Starmer, left, has privately told allies he plans to step down as prime minister and organize an orderly transition from leadership. The report suggests discussions are happening behind the scenes about the timing and structure of a potential departure, though no official public announcement has been made. If true, the move would mark a major shift in British politics and could trigger a leadership contest within the Labour Party. As of now, the claims remain based on anonymous sourcing and have not been formally confirmed by Starmer’s office.

The White House is accelerating construction of Donald Trump’s proposed $400 million ballroom project by reframing it as a national security and medical facility. According to court filings from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, left, the complex would reportedly include underground bunkers, military installations, bomb shelters, and a “state-of-the-art hospital” designed to protect the 79-year-old president and future administrations. The project has become the subject of a legal battle after preservation groups sued over demolition work tied to the White House East Wing, while critics question both the scale of the construction and growing requests for federal funding. Supporters of the project argue the added security measures are necessary following recent threats and attacks involving the president.

A Texas mother, Marlene Vidal, was charged with capital murder after her two young children, ages 5 and 7, were found dead inside a burning vehicle in a San Antonio warehouse parking lot. Police said a passerby discovered the fire and that surveillance footage and Vidal’s statements indicate she was responsible for the children’s deaths. Authorities are still investigating whether the children died before or after the vehicle was set on fire, and no motive has been confirmed. Officials noted there are indications that mental health issues may have played a role in the tragedy.

Straus Family Creamery has voluntarily recalled several organic ice cream products sold in 17 states after concerns that some containers may contain metal fragments. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the affected products include specific pint and quart flavors such as Vanilla Bean, Strawberry, Cookie Dough, Dutch Chocolate, and Mint Chip, all identified by particular “best by” dates in December 2026. The recalled ice cream was distributed beginning May 4 across states including California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Washington, though no injuries have been reported so far.

More On Iran War

New York Times, Fears Grow That Iran May Be Using Proxy Groups Beyond Mideast, Aaron Boxerman, Neil MacFarquhar and Falih Hassan, May 16, 2026. The charges against Mohammad al-Saadi in the United States have raised concerns that Iran could be working with its proxies to stage attacks outside the region.

A criminal complaint against an Iraqi man that was unsealed in a U.S. court on Friday, accusing him of plotting attacks in the United States, has raised fears that Iran is increasingly wielding its proxy forces to target Western interests far beyond the Middle East.

Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps have tried to kill their opponents on American soil even before the war with the United States, according to U.S. officials. Their targets have ranged from President Trump to Masih Alinejad, an Iranian critic of the regime living in exile in New York.

The accusations against the Iraqi man, Mohammad al-Saadi, describe him as a high-ranking figure in Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia backed by Iran. The complaint has led to a heightened level of concern following a series of attacks in Europe that prosecutors said Mr. al-Saadi was involved in.

“They’ve expanded their scope into actual Western countries now beyond just the war zone,” said Aaron Y. Zelin, an expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, referring to Kataib Hezbollah.

“It is significant because it would suggest that more vectors of Iran’s broader ‘Axis of Resistance’ are involved in attacking in the West,” he added.

According to the complaint, Mr. al-Saadi was involved in planning at least 20 attacks in Europe and Canada since the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran began in late February, and was plotting attacks on U.S. soil, including against Jewish institutions.

Mr. al-Saadi was detained in Turkey recently and handed over to U.S. authorities, Mr. al-Saadi’s lawyer said in federal court in Manhattan on Friday. Mr. al-Saadi appeared in court on Friday, but did not enter a plea.

Sabereen News, an Iraqi outlet affiliated with Iranian-backed militias, said in a post on social media that Mr. al-Saadi had been traveling through Turkey to Moscow when he was detained by Turkish security forces. The outlet shared what it said was a video of Mr. al-Saadi reassuring his family after his detention.

Much remains unclear about the case, which has yet to make its way through the courts. Kataib Hezbollah has not commented publicly on Mr. al-Saadi’s arrest or the allegations that the group had supported attacks in Western countries.

Mr. al-Saadi has not commented publicly on his alleged involvement with Kataib Hezbollah, although his lawyer said in court on Friday that “he is a political prisoner and prisoner of war.”

Three people in Iraq who said they knew Mr. al-Saadi, including a senior Iraqi official, said that while he had ties to Iraqi militias and Iranian officials, they were not aware of his alleged membership in Kataib Hezbollah. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

More Global News

Chart showing the route of the cruise ship MV Hondius transporting tourists in the South Atlantic Ocean afflicated with a deadly hantavirus strain (New York Times chart).

Cruise ship MV Hondius docks off Cape Verde port, as passengers were not allowed off the ship, while health authorities investigated suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, May 4, 2026. Hondius anchored off Tristan da Cunha from April 13 to 15, 2026.

New York Times, How a Nature Cruise Turned Into a Nightmare, Jason Horowitz, Claire Moses and Amelia Nierenberg, Graphics by Samuel Granados, May 16, 2026. The hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius set off alarms for a world still traumatized by Covid. For those on board, the danger was much closer.

The grim-faced captain had bad news for the people gathered in the lounge of the MV Hondius. One of their fellow passengers had died.

“Tragic as it is, it was due to natural causes, we believe,” the captain, Jan Dobrogowski, told them on April 12. He added that the ship’s doctor had said the man was “not infectious, so the ship is safe.”

Less than two weeks earlier, the captain had convened the same group for a celebratory toast, as the Hondius left Argentina to sail the south Atlantic for bird watching and wildlife spotting on some of the world’s most remote islands.

Now, passengers consoled the dead man’s widow, Mirjam Schilperoord‑Huisman, 69, of the Netherlands. She and her husband, Leo Schilperoord, also 69, had crossed South America in pursuit of rare birds. Some asked if she would prefer that the trip be cut short.

“Everyone is here for a purpose,” she responded, according to ​​Ruhi Cenet, a Turkish documentary filmmaker who was on the ship. She urged her fellow bird watchers to push on because her husband “would have wanted me to do the same.”

Within weeks, two more passengers, including Ms. Schilperoord‑Huisman, would be dead. The cause, health officials say, was almost certainly the Andes species of the hantavirus, a family of viruses carried by rodents that can spread between humans.

Over the following weeks, a world still traumatized by the coronavirus pandemic watched anxiously as the passengers and crew of the Hondius, hailing from at least 23 countries, lived the nautical nightmare of a potential outbreak in close quarters, far out at sea. 

New York Times, News analysis: Trump Calls Xi a ‘Friend.’ But He Left China Without Any Breakthroughs, Anton Troianovski, May 16, 2026. The lack of concrete agreements with Beijing shows the risks of President Trump’s personality-driven foreign policy, which rests on the belief that he can defend U.S. interests through charm and force of will.

There was a vague agreement that China would purchase Boeing jets and more American soybeans. There was discussion about Iran and opening the Strait of Hormuz, and a nod to other issues, like cracking down on chemicals used to make fentanyl.

But President Trump departed Beijing on Friday with almost nothing concrete to show for his two-day summit with President Xi Jinping of China. After months of buildup and a delay necessitated by Mr. Trump’s difficulty in extricating the United States from the war with Iran, the summit ended with no major public progress on the Middle East, trade, Taiwan, nuclear proliferation, artificial intelligence or any of the other myriad issues that are sources of friction between the world’s two superpowers.

Instead, Mr. Trump seemed intent on a different kind of diplomacy, forging a personal bond with a Chinese leader who appeared far more focused on advancing his own nation’s strategic agenda.

Mr. Trump toasted Mr. Xi as “my friend” at their banquet in Beijing on Thursday and said he had “become really a friend” when they sat down before the cameras on Friday.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, asked at a briefing during the summit whether Mr. Xi considered Mr. Trump a friend, responded with boilerplate: “the two sides exchanged views on major issues.”

Mr. Trump has hailed the summit in Beijing as a major success, highlighting the personal bond he says he has built with China’s longtime leader. But the feeling is not necessarily mutual, as evidenced by Mr. Xi’s more measured tone and the lack of clarity about any major agreements.

Orville Schell, vice president of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society in New York, called the summit “quite insubstantial and aspirational.”

“We have Trump dreaming out loud,” he said.

The mismatch shows the risks in Mr. Trump’s personality-driven foreign policy, his bet that he can solve the world’s problems and defend American interests by his charm and force of will. In Mr. Xi, the U.S. president faced a counterpart this week well versed in Mr. Trump’s desire for praise and pomp, and with an apparent strategy for how to exploit it.

The result, analysts said, was a summit that illustrated the growing confidence of China on the world stage alongside a strategically muddled U.S. foreign policy under Mr. Trump.

New York Times, The Secretive Conglomerate That Controls Cuba’s Economy, Maria Abi-Habib and Lazaro Gamio, May 16, 2026. The most powerful entity in Cuba is not the Communist Party. It is a secretive military-run conglomerate known as GAESA, estimated to control between 40 percent and 70 percent of the Cuban economy.A diagram showing the Cuban military overseeing operations of the Cuban conglomerate GAESA.

Originally established by Raúl Castro to bolster Cuba’s defense sector, GAESA has evolved into a commercial empire and become a focal point of Washington’s pressure campaign against Cuba.A diagram showing Raúl Castro as the force behind the founding of GAESA, while he was also the defense minister of the Cuban armed forces. GAESA initially controlled defense-related industries and other businesses.

It spans from the island’s nicest hotels and high-end boutiques to recreational diving centers.A diagram showing GAESA’s control over various segments of Cuba’s tourism industry.

It controls hundreds of gas stations, money transfer businesses, the island's only internet operator, currency exchanges and supermarkets — all through a sprawling enterprise called CIMEX.A diagram showing GAESA’s control over CIMEX, another conglomerate, through which it controls various segments of Cuba’s economy.

GAESA also controls one of the country’s biggest commercial banks, Banco Financiero Internacional, likely giving the conglomerate a dominant grip on Cuba’s foreign currency reserves.A diagram showing GAESA’s control over Banco Financiero International through CIMEX, possibly giving it control over the country’s foreign currency reserves.

GAESA functions as a state within a state. It does not allow the Cuban government to audit its accounts. Any profits made, GAESA keeps, hoarding money away from Cuba's central bank and funneling it back to the military ruling class.

John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, visited Cuba on Thursday to demand major economic and security changes from its government. His visit came just as the Cuban government admitted that its oil reserves have run dry and coincides with efforts by federal prosecutors to secure an indictment against Raúl Castro for drug trafficking and the 1996 downing of humanitarian planes.

Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order to expand Cuban sanctions to target GAESA. The order says the conglomerate’s revenues “are likely more than three times the state’s budget.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio ratcheted up the pressure, calling GAESA a tool of Cuba’s political elite to repress the population while enriching themselves.

GAESA “is this private company that has more money than the government does,” said Mr. Rubio during a trip to the Vatican last week. “None of this money goes to build a single road, a single bridge, provide a single grain of rice to a single Cuban other than the people that are part of GAESA.”

“It’s a sanction against this company that is stealing from the Cuban people to the benefit of a few,” he said, before adding “we’re going to be doing more.”

President Miguel Díaz-Canel of Cuba decried the executive order as “coercive.”

GAESA was born out of desperation following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, but its roots trace back to the 1980s. Raúl Castro, then the defense minister, convinced his older brother, President Fidel Castro, to allow him to make changes to the military’s business interests, according to Frank Mora, who served as a deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Obama administration.

When the U.S.S.R. fell, Cuba lost its largest trade partner and financial patron. The military was in shambles and struggled to pay its troops. Fidel allowed the military to take over state-run sectors of the economy, like tourism, in a bid to save the country.

At first, the experiment worked, analysts say, and the military proved to be a more efficient business manager than other arms of the state. The economy recovered by the late 1990s, with the military reinvesting its profits into the country to support hospitals, education and government food rations.Some of what GAESA controls in Cuba

GAESA’s control grew more dominant when Raúl took over the presidency from his brother Fidel in 2008. It now oversees many parts of the economy, big and small. GAESA also has companies in Angola, pulling in hundreds of millions of dollars in annual profits from education, health care, construction and more.

New York Times, Venezuela Extradites Billionaire Tycoon to the U.S., Simon Romero, May 16, 2026. The extradition of Alex Saab, who is tied to a huge graft scheme, is part of a purge of powerful figures who helped the deposed president, Nicolás Maduro, stay in power.

A scandal-plagued billionaire tycoon close to Venezuela’s deposed president, Nicolás Maduro, was extradited to the United States on Saturday, Venezuela’s government said.

The extradition of Alex Saab, a Colombian-born businessman whom U.S. prosecutors have accused of enriching himself through lucrative government contracts, marks an escalation of a purge by Venezuela’s new acting president, Delcy Rodríguez. She is targeting figures who helped keep Mr. Maduro in power for more than a decade.

Ms. Rodríguez, who was Mr. Maduro’s vice president and rose to power with the Trump administration’s blessing after U.S. forces captured Mr. Maduro in January, fired Mr. Saab from his post as industry minister shortly after Mr. Maduro was seized and taken to the United States.

Her government detained Mr. Saab in early February at the Trump administration’s request, underscoring Washington’s new sway over Venezuela.

U.S. prosecutors have claimed that Mr. Saab controls some of Mr. Maduro’s funds, raising speculation that they could use his extradition to strengthen their case against Mr. Maduro. The deposed leader is currently being held in New York, where he has been charged with conspiracies to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, along with other counts.

Lawyers representing Mr. Saab in Venezuela could not be reached immediately for comment.

This is the second time that Mr. Saab, 54, has landed in a U.S. prison. At the request of the Biden administration, he was detained in 2021 in the West African nation of Cape Verde while traveling on business to Iran, a close ally of Mr. Maduro’s government.

Mr. Saab was then extradited to the United States and spent nearly two years in prison on money-laundering charges. In 2023, Mr. Biden pardoned Mr. Saab, who received a hero’s welcome from Mr. Maduro on his return to Venezuela in a prisoner swap that included 10 Americans.

U.S. prosecutors have accused Mr. Saab of being involved in a scheme in which he and others used shell companies and no-bid contracts to siphon off government money intended to ease a starvation crisis, when the economy crashed a decade ago during Mr. Maduro’s rule.

Mr. Saab, born in Colombia, moved to Venezuela and became a citizen of both countries. That was thought to have complicated his extradition, since Venezuela’s constitution prohibits the extradition of citizens.

New York Times, Hamas’s Top Leader in Gaza Is Killed in Israeli Strike, Alan Yuhas, Jonathan Rosen and Iyad Abuheweila, Updated May 16, 2026. Izz al-Din al-Haddad took over the group’s military wing in Gaza last year. Hamas officials confirmed Mr. al-Haddad’s death in an Israeli attack.

An Israeli airstrike killed the leader of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza, the Israeli military said on Saturday. He was the most senior Hamas official to be killed by Israel since a cease-fire began last fall.

The Hamas commander, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, took over the group’s military wing in Gaza last year, after Israeli forces killed Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of Yahya Sinwar, an architect of Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Salama Maaroof, the director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office, confirmed Mr. al-Haddad’s death in a post on social media. Hamas’s official broadcaster, Al-Aqsa TV, said hundreds of Gazans had borne Mr. al-Haddad’s body in a funeral procession in Gaza City on Saturday.

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, said in a statement on Saturday that the killing of Mr. al-Haddad was “a significant operational achievement.”ImageA large crowd holding a portrait of a bearded man in military fatigues.Hundreds of Palestinians at a funeral procession in Gaza City on Saturday for Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza.Credit...Saher Alghorra for The New York Times

Israel’s prime minister and defense minister announced the strike against Mr. al-Haddad in a joint statement on Friday, describing him as another architect of the October 2023 attack. They said that he had “refused to implement the agreement” brokered by President Trump “to disarm Hamas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.”Want to stay updated on what’s happening in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza Strip? Sign up for Your Places: Global Update, and we’ll send our latest coverage to your inbox.

The airstrike hit a building in Gaza, and the Israeli Air Force also struck around the structure in order to prevent an escape, according to two Israeli defense officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss operations in Gaza.

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense, an emergency service under the Hamas-run interior ministry, said on Saturday that at least six people had been killed in the attacks, without specifying whether Mr. al-Haddad was among them.

Experts, as well as a senior official of Mr. Trump’s Board of Peace, say that Israel has repeatedly violated the October 2025 cease-fire with almost daily airstrikes in Gaza. Experts also say Israel has violated the agreement by taking control of territory beyond the truce lines and by hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid and rubble removal equipment.

More News Roundups 

The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump to Control 'Truth' Commission to Pay Billions to Allies, Thousands March in Alabama, GOP Upset Over China Summit, Aaron Parnas, right, May 16, 2026. It has been a relatively slow start to the day, but things are expected to pick up quickly as a major mass mobilization unfolds in Alabama to protest the Supreme Court’s weakening of the Voting Rights Act.

I wish I could be there covering it live, but my newborn currently refuses to let me put her down for more than a few minutes at a time. I’ll still be following developments closely and bringing coverage throughout the day. We’re also tracking reports that Trump is creating a so-called “Truth and Justice Commission” to distribute more than $1.7 billion to allies, including January 6 participants, several of whom have since faced new criminal charges. Meanwhile, a historic Black cemetery in Florida has been vandalized with pro-Trump graffiti, raising outrage and concern in the community.

I’m also excited to share that I’m partnering with the Knight Center at the University of Texas to teach a class next Wednesday about using Substack to advance journalism. It’s genuinely encouraging to see institutions recognizing the work independent media creators are building. You can learn more here.

We’re also learning more today about major shakeups at CBS, including reports that Bari Weiss allowed Benjamin Netanyahu to help select his own interviewer at 60 Minutes. I’m deeply disturbed by the direction parts of the mainstream media are heading. Let’s build something better together.\

Here’s the news:

Civil rights groups and voting rights activists are gathering in Alabama this weekend for the “All Roads Lead to the South” march, a major mobilization aimed at protesting recent redistricting decisions and what organizers describe as growing attacks on Black political power. The demonstrations in Selma and Montgomery come after a Supreme Court ruling weakened parts of the Voting Rights Act and amid concerns over GOP-led redistricting efforts in several southern states. Organizers including Black Voters Matter Fund and leaders such as Bernice King say the movement is intended to pressure lawmakers, increase voter participation, and revive the spirit of the civil rights marches of the 1960s. Thousands of protesters from across the South are expected to participate.

Donald Trump claimed that during his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Xi told him “America is a nation in decline,” prompting Trump to respond, “You’re right.”

Trump wrapped up his Beijing summit with Xi Jinping after two days filled with elaborate pageantry, warm public praise between the two leaders, and vague promises of future cooperation. Despite the spectacle, there were few concrete outcomes on major issues like Taiwan, Iran, AI competition, trade, or nuclear arms control. Critics argued the trip produced more symbolism than substance, while Trump touted potential trade and aircraft deals that Chinese officials did not fully confirm. The visit also highlighted Trump’s unusually deferential tone toward Xi and his preference for leader-to-leader diplomacy and political theatrics.

According to reporting from Katherine Faulders, Donald Trump is expected to withdraw his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS as part of a deal to establish a $1.7 billion compensation fund. The fund would reportedly provide payouts to Trump allies who say they were unfairly targeted by the Biden administration. Additional reporting claims the initiative may be named “The President Donald J. Trump Truth and Justice Commission” and could ultimately control about $1.776 billion. The proposal has not been officially announced, and details about the commission and eligibility for payouts remain unclear.

Meanwhile, at least five people pardoned by Donald Trump for their roles in the January 6 Capitol attack have since been accused of new crimes, according to a new report. All of them would be eligible for funds from the Commission. The latest is Ryan Nichols, who was arrested in Texas after allegedly brandishing a handgun during a confrontation in a church parking lot. Nichols had previously served time for assaulting police during the Capitol riot before receiving a sweeping pardon from Trump in early 2025. Other pardoned January 6 participants have also faced charges ranging from threats against lawmakers to burglary convictions.

Authorities in Florida are investigating vandalism at a historic predominantly Black cemetery after several headstones were overturned and defaced with red spray paint. The graffiti included the names of Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis written across tombs. Officials are treating the incident seriously because of the cemetery’s historical and cultural significance. No suspects or motives have yet been publicly identified.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is set to appear before senators Tuesday for questioning by a Senate subcommittee primarily focused on the Justice Department’s budget. However, lawmakers are also expected to press him about the controversy surrounding the handling and release of documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein. Senator Chris Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the panel, is expected to play a leading role in the questioning. The hearing comes amid growing scrutiny over how federal officials managed and disclosed Epstein-related records.

Grocery prices in the U.S. surged in April at their fastest pace in nearly four years, with especially sharp increases for produce, seafood, dairy, coffee, and beef. Economists say the spike is being driven partly by soaring diesel costs tied to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted global oil supplies and raised transportation costs across the food supply chain. Tariffs and weather-related crop shortages have also contributed, particularly for products like tomatoes imported from Mexico. Analysts warn that while overall grocery inflation remains below pandemic-era highs, consumers are still facing steep price increases on many everyday staples.

A new report accuses Kash Patel of repeatedly using FBI resources for lavish personal outings involving his girlfriend, including flying on a government jet to a country music concert and watching the show from a luxury suite reportedly worth up to $50,000. The report also alleges Patel arranged extensive taxpayer-funded security protection for his girlfriend, including SWAT agents and SUVs assigned to her personal travel in Nashville. Critics say the spending and use of federal resources resemble the kind of conduct Patel himself previously condemned when criticizing former FBI officials for using government aircraft for personal convenience. The allegations are adding to mounting scrutiny over Patel’s management of the bureau and possible abuse of public resources for private benefit.

New financial disclosures show Donald Trump personally traded millions of dollars in stocks tied to companies directly benefiting from decisions made by his own administration, raising major conflict-of-interest concerns. The records show Trump buying shares in firms like Nvidia, Palantir, and Axon shortly before or alongside favorable government actions involving AI exports, immigration enforcement contracts, and federal spending. Critics argue the trades create the appearance that a sitting president may have financially benefited from policy decisions and regulatory moves carried out under his administration. The White House and Trump Organization insist the investments are managed independently through outside trusts and deny any wrongdoing, but the scale and timing of the trades are already fueling accusations of extreme corruption and self-dealing.

A Russian cargo ship reportedly carrying two nuclear reactors sank off the coast of Spain while allegedly en route to North Korea, according to a report from CNN. The cause of the sinking remains unclear, but the incident has raised fears about possible radioactive contamination and renewed concerns over nuclear proliferation involving North Korea. Authorities are reportedly investigating the environmental risks and geopolitical implications surrounding the shipment. The report also notes the potential for market volatility in defense and nuclear energy stocks as the situation develops.

Sen. Bill Cassidy did not vote to impeach Donald Trump because impeachment is carried out by the House, not the Senate. Cassidy instead voted to convict Trump during his second Senate impeachment trial after the House charged Trump with inciting the January 6 Capitol attack. A conviction would also have opened the door to barring Trump from holding federal office again.

New York’s Long Island Rail Road shut down Saturday after five unions representing about half the system’s workforce went on strike following months of failed contract negotiations. The walkout, the first LIRR strike since 1994, threatens major commuting disruptions for roughly 250,000 daily riders and could worsen already severe traffic across the region. The dispute centers on wages and healthcare costs, with unions arguing workers need raises to keep pace with inflation while the MTA warns higher labor costs could lead to fare hikes. Gov. Kathy Hochul urged residents to work from home if possible as transit officials scrambled to provide limited alternative transportation.

At least 80 deaths have now been reported in a new Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo as health officials race to contain the spread through screening and contact tracing efforts. Authorities say the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola and has already spread across multiple health zones in Ituri province, with a related case also confirmed in neighboring Uganda. Local residents described constant burials and growing fear as officials warned the region’s instability and limited infrastructure could complicate containment efforts. The World Health Organization and regional health agencies are assisting Congo as concerns grow about wider cross-border transmission.

According to the New York Times, the Department of Homeland Security has reportedly created a new “removal apparatus” dedicated to re-screening green card holders and seeking deportations of lawful permanent residents, marking a major expansion of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. According to internal data obtained by The New York Times, thousands of green card holders have already been reviewed and at least 50 are being targeted for deportation, even though most cases reportedly resulted in “no further action.” Critics, including former homeland security officials, say the effort is unusually aggressive, resource-intensive, and reflects a broader push to challenge the legal status of immigrants who were previously considered secure. The new initiative is part of a wider DHS strategy that also includes denaturalization and refugee “revetting” programs.

CBS News insiders reportedly fear major upheaval at 60 Minutes as Bari Weiss prepares to oversee the show’s first full season under new ownership. Staffers expect layoffs and editorial changes amid growing concerns about corporate interference, especially after Weiss reportedly shelved a segment critical of the Trump administration and correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi publicly accused network leadership of fostering “editorial fear.” Several high-profile departures and possible firings have fueled anxiety that the iconic program’s independence and editorial culture are under threat. Despite the turmoil, insiders say the show’s journalism has so far remained strong, though many fear that could soon change.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene after Virginia Democrats asked the justices to overturn a state Supreme Court ruling that invalidated a voter-approved redistricting measure. The Virginia Supreme Court had ruled that Democrats failed to follow proper constitutional procedures while placing the measure on the ballot ahead of the midterm elections. Legal experts had viewed the appeal as a long shot because the dispute centered on state constitutional law rather than a clear federal issue. The ruling preserves a major setback for Democrats, who had hoped new congressional maps could help them flip several House seats.

Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 15, 2026 [Chinese Trump Trap?], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 16, 2026. President Donald J. Trump arrived back in the United States of America today after a three-day state visit to China.

Isaac Arnsdorf, Michael Birnbaum, and Michelle Ye Hee Lee of the Washington Post note that the summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping yielded “exactly what Xi aimed to achieve with the visit.” Its pageantry and Trump’s gestures of friendship and admiration showed the U.S. and China as peers, something previous U.S. leaders have rejected.

In an interview with Fox News Channel personality Sean Hannity that aired today, Trump said: “It’s the two great countries. I call it the G-2. This is the G-2. I think it’ll go down as a very important moment in history.”

Former China director on the National Security Council Julian Gewirtz, who served under President Joe Biden, told the Washington Post reporters: “Xi has done something Chinese leaders have been working toward for decades—bringing an American president to Beijing as an undisputed peer. Xi used the opulent optics of the visit to make clear to the world that China and the United States are the two dominant, equally matched superpowers. There is no going back.”

Xi has said before he thinks “the East is rising and the West declining.” Referring to that idea Thursday, before the two leaders met in Beijing, Xi made it clear he sees the U.S. as a declining power and pondered, “Can China and the United States overcome the ‘Thucydides Trap’ and create a new paradigm of major country relations?”

The Thucydides Trap is a theory, put forward by Harvard political scientist Graham Allison, that when a rising power threatens to replace an existing power, the conflict between the two tends to spark a war.

As if to illustrate that the U.S. is a declining power, the Chinese media downplayed the importance of a visit from a U.S. president. As James Palmer of Foreign Policy noted, on the day Trump arrived, the main story on the front page of the state-run English-language newspaper China Daily was the visit of the president of Tajikistan the day before. The Chinese Communist Party newspaper featured Trump’s visit on page 3.

Trump seemed to miss the larger context of the honors he so clearly enjoyed, telling the Fox News Channel’s Brett Baier that the summit was a success and that the most significant win for the United States was “relationship. It’s all about relationship. I have a very good relationship with President Xi and with China. And it sounds like something that doesn’t mean anything, but it’s everything in dealmaking and problems we’ve solved. The two of us have solved a lot of problems between— that somebody else would have maybe done very badly with. We’ve solved a lot of problems over the years.”

Tamara Keith and Jennifer Pak of NPR noted that Xi did not return Trump’s personal praise, speaking instead about relations between the U.S. and China.

Keith and Pak also reported that Trump boasted the visit had produced “some fantastic trade deals, good for both countries” and told Sean Hannity of the Fox News Channel that China had agreed to buy soybeans and Boeing aircraft, before adding: “I sort of, I think it was a commitment. I mean, you know, it was sort of like a statement, but I think it was a commitment. It’s a great thing. It’s a lot of jobs.”

China has not commented on any promised purchases. It did warn that if the U.S. mishandles the question of Taiwan, a self-governing island Beijing claims, it could put the “entire relationship” between the U.S. and China in jeopardy, and that “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” is Taiwan. The U.S. did not mention Taiwan in its own readout of the meeting.

Trump had stayed quiet on social media while in China, but once he left the country he had things to say. Somebody must have explained the meaning of Xi’s Thucydides Trap comment, but rather than taking offense, Trump on May 14 said Xi “was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct. Our Country suffered immeasurably with open borders, high taxes, transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, DEI, horrible trade deals, rampant crime, and so much more!

“President Xi was not referring to the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration, which includes all-time high stock markets and 401K’s, military victory and thriving relationship in Venezuela, the military decimation of Iran (to be continued!)—Strongest military on earth by far, economic powerhouse again, with a record 18 trillion dollars being invested into the United States by others, best U.S. job market in history, with more people working in the United States right now than ever before, ending country destroying DEI, and so many other things that it would be impossible to readily list. In fact, President Xi congratulated me on so many tremendous successes in such a short period of time.

“Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline. On that, I fully agree with President Xi! But now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before!”

At 4:52 this morning, Trump turned back to his plans for remodeling Washington, D.C. He announced that he intends to put his “NATIONAL GARDEN OF AMERICAN HEROES” in West Potomac Park, then after claiming that the people playing golf at his Doral club “are absolutely in love with” the 22-foot gold statue of him recently installed there, posted above a picture of himself walking with Xi:

“China has a Ballroom, and so should the U.S.A.! It’s under construction, ahead of schedule, and will be the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the U.S.A. Thank you for all the support I have been given in getting this project going. Scheduled opening will be around September of 2028. The man I am walking with is President Xi, of China, one of the World’s Great Leaders! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

Trump appears desperate to be included as an equal in the world of strongmen, apparently not understanding that America’s strength was always about its alliances.

Yesterday, members of Congress and Pentagon officials both were blindsided by the sudden decision by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to cancel the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland after the troops were already on their way and much of the necessary equipment was already in Poland. Poland is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally. The U.S. troops were going there as part of a nine-month rotation in which they would have trained with NATO allies.

Congress has tried to beef up the U.S. presence in Europe, warning that reductions would invite Russian aggression. Last year it passed a law limiting the number of troops Trump could withdraw from Europe and the circumstances under which he could do so.

Former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe Lieutenant General Ben Hodges told Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch of Politico that the Army’s role in Europe “is all about deterring the Russians, protecting America’s strategic interests and assuring allies. And now a very important asset that was coming to be part of that deterrence is gone.”

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) posted: “Once again the President and Pete Hegseth show that they are not committed to security in Europe. Actions like this make us less safe and embolden [Russia’s president] Vladimir Putin. At every turn the two of them cower to Russia.”

European allies have worried for years now about Russian aggression. A signal that the U.S. is losing interest in NATO allies heightens that concern, especially coming, as it does, less than two weeks after Hegseth announced the U.S. will withdraw 5,000 troops from military bases in Germany following German chancellor Frederich Merz’s criticism of Trump’s handling of his war on Iran.

Today Connor O’Brien of Politico reported that the Republican chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services committees were surprised and angry at the news that Hegseth was recalling the troops from their deployment in Poland. At a hearing with Army officials—who said they had only been informed of the decision days ago—House Armed Services chair Mike Rogers (R-AL) said: “We don’t know what’s going on here, but I can just tell you we’re not happy with what’s being talked about, particularly since there’s been no statutory consultation with us.”

Committee member Don Bacon (R-NE) said the canceled deployment “is a slap in the face to Poland; it’s a slap in the face to our Baltic friends. It’s a slap to the face of this committee.”

But Trump seems more interested in acting like an autocrat than in consulting Congress, a body that his ally Steve Bannon has compared to the Duma, the Russian assembly that does what Putin tells it to. In addition to the extraordinary corruption already public, Bill Allison and Jess Menton of Bloomberg reported yesterday that a new financial filing shows that in the first quarter of 2026, Trump or his investment advisors made more than 3,700 trades—over 40 a day—“totaling tens of millions of dollars and involving major companies that have dealings with his administration.”

Allison and Menton note that Trump did not move his assets into a blind trust with an independent manager, as his predecessors did if they traded in stocks at all (former presidents Biden and Barack Obama did not). Instead, his sons Don Jr. and Eric manage the business as it operates in areas that are directly related to government policies decided by Trump himself. Trump invested in major companies with business affected by what he decided to do, including Nvidia, Intel Corp, Netflix, Paramount Skydance, Warner Bros Discovery, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon.

Wall Street executives told the journalists they were “baffled” by the high volume of trades and concerned about the appearance of conflicts of interest. “All of this raises questions that you’d rather not raise as a president,” wealth manager Matthew Tuttle told the reporters. “So now people are asking why is he buying Nvidia and other companies now? When you’re the president you know everything, so any stock you buy, there’s a huge question mark.”

White House spokesperson David Ingle told the reporters that Trump “only acts in the best interests of the American public” and that “[t]here are no conflicts of interest.”

U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

New York Times, On Capitol Hill, a Sexual Harassment ‘Minefield’ Persists, Annie Karni, Michael Gold and Jill Cowan, Annie Karni and Michael Gold, May 16, 2026. Nearly 10 years after Congress instituted measures to make it easier for women to lodge harassment complaints, lawmakers and aides say the behavior is still rampant.

Jillian McLaughlin felt trapped.

“I feel like there’s no way out,” she wrote in her journal in 2024, after a year of working for former Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, as his driver and assistant.

Ms. McLaughlin, who was in her early 30s at the time, had landed in Mr. Swalwell’s orbit about a year earlier when she had been hired for a weekend to drive him to the Super Bowl. That led to a full-time job in Washington, where she became a fixture by the side of the powerful and charismatic congressman, in charge of getting him to votes on time and helping to keep his schedule running.

There were other aspects of the job that made her uncomfortable. Mr. Swalwell invited her to spend a weekend with him in Miami (she did not go). He would ask her to join in when he was out drinking with colleagues (she sometimes did, limiting herself to one drink). Late at night, the congressman would text her his feelings about his day.

Ms. McLaughlin never had a physical relationship with Mr. Swalwell, who resigned last month facing multiple accusations of sexual assault and harassment, charges he denies. But the experience soured her on Washington, prompting her to leave for good and to conclude that Capitol Hill was a toxic work environment for a young woman.

“These people are, in their personal and professional time, taking advantage of people,” she said of members of Congress. “There was no system, and no one cared.”

Mr. Swalwell may have been on the extreme end of boundary-blurring behavior fueled by alcohol, proximity to power and tribal loyalty, all of which are common on Capitol Hill. But what Ms. McLaughlin went through was not unusual.ImageRepresentative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, during a hearing in 2024. He resigned last month, facing accusations of sexual assault and harassment.Credit...Michael McCoy for The New York Times

Nearly 10 years after Congress instituted measures to crack down on sexual harassment by lawmakers and make it easier for women to lodge complaints about it, lawmakers and aides say the behavior is still rampant among Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill and often goes unaddressed.

In more than a dozen interviews over the past month, current and former lawmakers and congressional staff members — many of them women who discussed sensitive workplace conditions on the condition of anonymity — said the power structure on Capitol Hill created a culture where questionable behavior by lawmakers was common, and reporting harassment was difficult.

There is no public data available about the number of sexual harassment complaints in Congress, but confidential settlements and two recent resignations speak to what female staff members say is a broad issue with behavior ranging from lawmakers making suggestive or inappropriate comments to clear instances of misconduct.Have You Experienced Sexual Harassment on Capitol Hill? Share Your Story.May 16, 2026

They pointed to several factors that enable such behavior: a small workplace with a lopsided power dynamic in which the principals are highly influential and subordinates fear limiting their employment options; leaders who have political incentives to distance themselves from scandal; and a broken complaints process.

And they noted that the very nature of Congress — a place dominated by supremely confident men who are away from their families for weeks on end — lends itself to bad behavior.

“Let’s be really honest,” said Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former Republican representative from Georgia. “What happens in Congress is not at all anything like what regular Americans have to go through in their places of employment. The same standards just don’t apply.” 

New York Times, Cassidy Loses His Primary in Louisiana, as Trump Vanquishes Another G.O.P. Foe, Michael Gold, May 16, 2026. Senator Bill Cassidy, a two-term Republican who voted to convict President Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, could not muster enough votes to continue to a runoff next month.

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana on Saturday lost his Republican primary and the chance to seek a third term, after President Trump targeted him for defeat in retaliation for voting to convict him in his impeachment trial five years ago.

In a result that underscored the durability of Mr. Trump’s grip on his party, Representative Julia Letlow, the president’s chosen candidate, finished well ahead, drawing more than 44 percent of the vote. John Fleming, the state treasurer and a former Trump administration official, edged out Mr. Cassidy to finish second, with about 28 percent of the vote.

Both Ms. Letlow and Mr. Fleming will advance to a runoff on June 27, according to The Associated Press.

Neither secured a majority of votes. But Mr. Cassidy, who voted to remove Mr. Trump in 2021 for inciting insurrection and has clashed with the Make America Healthy Again movement over vaccines, could not even secure enough support in his state to stay in the race, finishing with around 25 percent of the vote.

Even as a two-term incumbent with a powerful committee chairmanship and millions of dollars in his campaign war chest, Mr. Cassidy was not able to overcome what many in his party viewed as his disloyalty to Mr. Trump.

His impeachment vote opened what turned out to be an irreparable rupture between the president and Mr. Cassidy, which extended to many of his constituents back home. The state Republican Party censured him, and Mr. Trump has spent the years since blasting Mr. Cassidy and vowing to oust him.

Mr. Cassidy took steps to try and repair his relationship with the president, and his voting record during Mr. Trump’s second term has hewed largely to Mr. Trump’s priorities.

In a notable attempt at rapprochement, Mr. Cassidy, a gastroenterologist and strong proponent of vaccines who leads the Senate health committee, reluctantly backed Mr. Trump’s choice for health secretary, the vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

But the move failed to quell Mr. Trump’s anger, and the uneasy embrace did not create a lasting alliance between Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Kennedy, who enjoys backing from a powerful movement that has become a potent piece of Mr. Trump’s coalition and invested heavily in beating Mr. Cassidy.Even as voters headed to the polls on Saturday morning, Mr. Trump called Mr. Cassidy a “disloyal disaster” and a “sleazebag” as he urged Louisianans to back Ms. Letlow.

Mr. Cassidy’s decision on Mr. Kennedy also may have cost him crucial support with independent voters and centrists who might otherwise have crossed party lines to vote for him. Louisiana had also changed its election law to hold closed primaries, diminishing Mr. Cassidy’s potential base of support outside of solidly Republican voters.

The change was championed by Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican who endorsed Ms. Letlow. Mr. Cassidy’s campaign accused him of engineering it to benefit her.

New York Times, Voters in Louisiana Head to the Polls, Uncertain but Determined, Emily Cochrane, May 16, 2026. Votes cast for the House candidates on Saturday’s primary ballot won’t count after state officials moved the election to November to provide time to redraw congressional maps.

Jacob Russell, a chemistry student at Louisiana State University, arrived at his Baton Rouge polling place on Saturday and cast his votes as planned: picking candidates in the Senate and House primary elections and weighing in on a series of constitutional amendments.

But his choice of House candidate will not count. Instead, Mr. Russell and voters throughout Louisiana will have to return to the polls in November to cast their ballots again.

“Principle,” Mr. Russell, 20, said when asked why he still voted for his choice of House candidate. “It was there. They’re going somewhere, even if it’s not counted.”

The confusing ballot in Saturday’s election came after the Supreme Court rejected the state’s current map as an illegal racial gerrymander. Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, then delayed House elections so lawmakers could draw new district lines. But ballots were printed before the court’s decision, and voters could still make their choice for the House known, even though it wouldn’t count.

In the muddled aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling — which weakened the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and created a swell of partisan moves across the South — some voters said they were demonstrating how much they value their vote.

Louisiana, with its map thrown out by the court, has been at the center of that partisan scramble to redraw districts. Mr. Landry was the first to delay House primaries for a new map; at least one other state has followed suit.

In Republican-led Southern states, where significant constituencies of Black voters had elected Democrats under the current maps, the moves to carve up those districts have led to confusion and frustration in a year where control of Congress hinges on just a few seats.

Voters in Louisiana were the first to confront the ruling’s fallout, since early voting in Louisiana began just days after the Supreme Court decision. Signs at polling locations were displayed explaining Mr. Landry’s move to delay the House primaries, while officials pushed for voters to still turn out. 

Meidas Touch Network, Commentary: Trump’s HEALTH CRASHES as HIS LAWYER BLOWS WHISTLE!!! Ben Meiselas, right, May 16, 2026. MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Donald Trump’s health crashing in China as his former lawyer and current lawyer address his health with his former lawyer stating Trump is unfit and his current DOJ lawyer is informing a federal judge that a secret hospital is being developed underneath the White House.

Public Notice, Commentary: Josh Marshall on how US democracy can be saved, Aaron Rupar, right, and Thor Benson, May 16, 2026. "You simply can’t do it with the filibuster and this Supreme Court in place."

Josh Marshall, founder of Talking Points Memo and a longtime friend of this newsletter, has recently made the need for fundamental reform of the Senate and Supreme Court a focus of his writing.

We connected with Marshall to discuss why abolishing the filibuster and breaking the power of the Court’s right-wing majority is absolutely essential if democracy is to survive in the United States.

“The reforms I’m describing do not come naturally to me. It’s something I resisted for a long time,” Marshall told us. “I get the impulses of people who find this to be a step too far, but I do think if you look at what is necessary to reinforce democratic self-government in the United States, you simply can’t do that with the filibuster and this Supreme Court in place.”

White House Chronicle, Commentary: The Woman Behind Trump’s Overnight Truth Social Raging, Llewellyn King, May 16, 2026. President Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, likes to say that his administration is the most transparent in history. Possibly, she is right.

That is, if you think letting it all hang out is the kind of transparency Leavitt has in mind.

Certainly, it all hangs out in a way we have never seen in Washington. Trump has turned the Oval Office into a kind of television studio where he insults the press, talks to foreign leaders and, on occasion, berates them (Ukraine, South Africa and Canada) in front of the press.

Then there is the president’s late-night posting on Truth Social, when a meteor shower of invective, scorn, misinformation, disinformation, self-adulation, and allegations, interspersed with policy declarations, reveals him unedited. In those posts, he has urged colonizing Greenland, taking over Canada and, recently, adding Venezuela as the 51st state.

All of it set about with capital letters, exclamation points and AI-generated pictures — some of the most offensive ones have included Trump as Jesus, the Obamas as apes and, more recently, Illinois Gov. JD Pritzker gorging on an enormous hamburger.

The insults keep coming, accusing enemies and even his predecessors of being weak, having low IQs and, of course, being “losers.” In this scathing and self-aggrandizing stream, some are even traitors, including former President Barack Obama. Arrest him!

It is a bravura performance without equal. It is also hugely popular with diehard devotees of the president. His account on Truth Social has 12.5 million subscribers. One night recently, there were 55 posts — some clearly composed and some forwarded from right-wing sources, alleging conspiracies, malfeasance or trumpeting Trump.

Journalists assigned to read them have called them variously rampages, rants, wild sprees and storms. But read them, they must.

This is Trump in a stream of consciousness, unvarnished, and an essential source of news because what the president of the United States says is news.

Traces of varnishing have been appearing: The number of spelling mistakes, bizarre word formations and grammatical errors has gone down, even as the volume has accelerated.

The Wall Street Journal has revealed the unseen hand on the keyboard. It is the hand of Natalie Harp, the president’s personal assistant, an influential but unsung force in the White House.

Harp, according to the Journal, scours fringe news and social media for repostable comments and produces AI-generated illustrations. She then hands them to Trump. He selects and adds them to his own comments, and a post is born.

Sometimes the posting is feverish. The night the Iran War began, there were more than 90 posts.

Harp, 34, is the epitome of a Christian conservative, coming from a religious family in California and attending two Christian-right universities, Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. She came to Trump’s attention when she was reporting and hosting for the ultra-conservative television network One America News. He asked her to join his presidential campaign.

Don’t think that Trump and Harp’s overnight spewing is wasted. He has all those followers on Truth Social, but his real strength is that the mainstream media is obliged to quote some of his comments daily.

What Trump says on Truth Social is also heard around the world. It isn’t just journalists who follow it; nations have to pay attention. In capitals from Tehran to Moscow, London to Beijing, Trump-raging is essential reading.

The Trump Show, for that is what it is, is a radical departure from how presidents have traditionally communicated with the public. Trump posts directly, sometimes without regard for how his words will be received.

It used to be that speeches were the window through which the world could see how an American president was thinking. They were crafted, agonized over, passed around, redrafted and sometimes delivered with last-minute handwritten additions or subtractions by the president.

They were policy documents for the present and the future. With Trump, it is the improvisations that inform or confuse.

Presidential speeches through the years have given us history’s milestones, whether it was Washington’s Farewell Address, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address or FDR’s First Inaugural Address.

Who can forget the speeches of JFK in Berlin, Reagan at the Berlin Wall or Obama in Cairo?

With Trump, it is the firehose delivery that is remembered, especially in overnight posts. Transparent?

Traces of varnishing have been appearing: The number of spelling mistakes, bizarre word formations and grammatical errors has gone down, even as the volume has accelerated.

The Wall Street Journal has revealed the unseen hand on the keyboard. It is the hand of Natalie Harp, the president’s personal assistant, an influential but unsung force in the White House.

Harp, according to the Journal, scours fringe news and social media for repostable comments and produces AI-generated illustrations. She then hands them to Trump. He selects and adds them to his own comments, and a post is born.

Sometimes the posting is feverish. The night the Iran War began, there were more than 90 posts.

Harp, 34, is the epitome of a Christian conservative, coming from a religious family in California and attending two Christian-right universities, Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. She came to Trump’s attention when she was reporting and hosting for the ultra-conservative television network One America News. He asked her to join his presidential campaign.

Don’t think that Trump and Harp’s overnight spewing is wasted. He has all those followers on Truth Social, but his real strength is that the mainstream media is obliged to quote some of his comments daily.

What Trump says on Truth Social is also heard around the world. It isn’t just journalists who follow it; nations have to pay attention. In capitals from Tehran to Moscow, London to Beijing, Trump-raging is essential reading.

The Trump Show, for that is what it is, is a radical departure from how presidents have traditionally communicated with the public. Trump posts directly, sometimes without regard for how his words will be received.

It used to be that speeches were the window through which the world could see how an American president was thinking. They were crafted, agonized over, passed around, redrafted and sometimes delivered with last-minute handwritten additions or subtractions by the president.

They were policy documents for the present and the future. With Trump, it is the improvisations that inform or confuse.

Lance's Substack, Opinion: Madness Is Not An Option, Lance F Rosen, right, May 16, 2026. A first assessment of what the Trump-Xi debacle of a summit means.

You’ve heard of “shuttle diplomacy?” This was “Shut The F__ Up” diplomacy.

He is completely disassociated and a physical wreck. The Chinese leadership already knew this when the summit was being organized, because their intelligence agencies have been watching him deteriorate. They knew he would be out of it, even more so after the grueling travel, and planned their public events accordingly.

Xi was strategic in his remarks, knowing that he was talking to the US political/military/financial establishment, as opposed to Trump, fully aware of his disordered mental state.

I’ll have more to say about it, but I think it is worthwhile for us to gain some perspective by considering the following strategic and historical realities.

China has emerged as the ascendent center of gravity for the world economy, likely for the next 100 years, given that the overwhelming majority of the world’s population is Asian and exists within their geopolitical sphere of influence.

Even more important for Americans to remember is that China is a 4000 year old plus culture, albeit multi-ethnic, experiencing cycles of evolution and regression, and which has endured continuously across dynastic changes, all of its various political incarnations notwithstanding. There is a “China culture,” one which was divided between the “Confucianists and the legalists” over the centurues. No serious analyst would ignore those factors of historical continuity, or their current state of relative national unity. The United States is 250 years old, and whether we even have a culture is debatable. The truth is that the two great powers are moving in opposite directions.

Trump and the people around him believe they can compete with China economically through projecting military power and extorting other nations to hand over their raw material wealth and food. (The likely thinking behind why Trump was coached to “come in hot” on the issue of Taiwan) This, while the Trump regime is simultaneously destroying the US physical economy and living standards.

Meanwhile China’s economic growth is beyond dynamic, driven by the development of their internal market through big infrastructure projects, education, and science, and it is directed primarily at raising China’s standard of living, not enriching a class of oligarchs. We know what their problems are, but they know what they are doing. They do not suffer a state supported national gambling addiction as do Americans, and take stringent regulatory actions to limit their involvement in speculative markets. They have a plan for their future, while the Trump regime is out to loot, steal, and grift the planet in order to make a quick buck.

I wouldn’t lump Xi in with the world's other dictators, though he maintains alliances with them and is certainly a strongman type. China’s leaders are not thugs, they are sophisticated in a way the others aren’t. Also China is not prone to want to “land grab.” The don’t have the impulse to want a world empire, their mindset has been one of a “Middle Kingdom.” They have done a good deal of predatory lending to various countries to get preferential deals on raw materials and other commodities, and they are on a global buying spree investmentwise to increase their equity ownership, but they are not conquerors. They have been invaded, surrounded many times in their history, and because of their culture they just absorbed them into their own.

There has been a lot of China bashing in the US media over the years, and Americans are so racist and uninformed they’ll swallow anything. Not just the MAGAts either. So I always try to give a balanced perspective, knowing what I know about the kind of system they have with it’s authoritarian elements. They have a huge techno-surveillance system in which everyone is tracked through their phones. It is our future under Palantir if we don’t beat them.

This is the actual context for Xi raising the subjects of America’s “decline” and “The Thucydides Trap” at the public dinner. Of course Xi is aware of Trump’s historical illiteracy. As far as Trump knows, Thucydides was some Greek guy who invented Feta cheese. That interchange alone should more or less confirm in our minds that the Chinese leadership directed their intervention toward the US establishment.

China’s relations to the West are still to this day informed by their experience with the racist British Empire, which imposed the opium trade on them, looted, exploited, and brutalized them, in an attempt to colonize them. China fought two 19th century wars against the British East India Company to expel them and their drug cartel. The Brits occupied Hong Kong in order to set it up as the commercial banking center of the opium traders, the reason the handover in ‘97 was such a big deal for the Chinese.

The billionaire’s group which accompanied him is also aware of Trump’s mental and physical condition. It is almost certain that their agenda was to come out of the meetings with deals where they would be big “winners,” with something to show for it.

It looks like they got bupkiss. Musk might have a little boost to expand his fiddle-faddle operations in an attempt to exploit Chinese labor, likewise some of the others may get some table scraps. Nevertheless the whole summit is a strategic humiliation for the United States, and not just because the Mental Patient-in-Chief couldn’t stay awake and looked like total crap.

If I were making a prediction, which I generally don’t, I would expect the machinery for removing Trump from office to be moving into a new and more urgent phase.

Trump’s handlers are having greater trouble by the day in maintaining the charade that he is mentally competent and physically able to function.

One indication that it might be happening, ie; that Vance is being prepped, is a cabinet shakeup, for example Patel, RFK, and Gabbard could all be sent packing any day. I would also look for Natalie Harp and Laura Loomer to be cut off of access to Trump because they are both consciously playing upon his paranoia and disorientation in truly Shakespearian fashion, which makes the Vance faction very nervous, since they see them both as being highly dangerous and unpredictable. This, for example, would be another sign that the removal process is speeding up.

The Hartmann Report, The Best of the Rest of the News and Opinion: As Hantavirus Threat Grows, Trump Turns to a Penile Implant Expert to Reassure America, Thom Hartmann, right, May 16, 2026. Surprised?

— So the bombs, the dead Iranians, the smashed cities, and the trillions in regional chaos were all just a PR campaign? Like something to redirect our attention? That’s essentially what Trump told Sean Hannity on Fox “News” Thursday night when he bragged in a senior moment that the entire push to seize Iran’s enriched uranium — the ostensible casus belli for the deadly bombing campaign that’s killed so many children and 15 Americans — is, in his own words, “more for public relations than it is for anything else.” Bloomberg captured the moment while Trump was conveniently in Beijing, far from any uncomfortable reporters who might ask why he started a war over nuclear material he now says he doesn’t really need. The estimated 400 kilograms of 60%-enriched uranium are buried under the rubble of the sites he bombed, and the U.S. has nine satellite cameras watching the rubble around the clock. So why did Americans bleed and pay for this war? Two unflattering possibilities: this is the Trump “get out of the Epstein jail free” card — wave a shiny mushroom cloud and pray the country forgets the stories from then-13-year-old girls accusing him of rape — or it’s Trump’s quiet capitulation that he never understood what Bibi Netanyahu and Marco Rubio talked him into. Most likely, of course, it’s both. Either way, somewhere Bibi is smiling and Vladimir Putin — Trump’s mentor in the art of bombing first and lying later — is taking notes for the next time he wants his orange toady to do something stupid.

— Pete Hegseth, the cable-news weekend host with drinking and infidelity problems and a Signal habit, has now blindsided his own Pentagon by canceling the deployment of 4,000 American troops to Poland, the country Trump himself just called a “model ally.” No notice to NATO, no notice to Congress, no notice apparently even to the building Hegseth supposedly runs but is now apparently being directed by Russia. As Politico reported, one stunned defense official said flatly, “We had no idea this was coming,” while Pentagon staff spent the next 24 hours frantically working phones across Europe trying to figure out which ally gets stabbed in the back next. This follows Hegseth yanking 5,000 troops out of Germany earlier this month after Chancellor Friedrich Merz had the temerity to suggest Trump’s ridiculous Iran adventure was making the United States look, well, ridiculous. The Poland-destined troops were already arriving — equipment unloaded, deployment underway — when the order to halt came down. So why is the United States humiliating one of its most loyal allies, at the exact moment Russia is rebuilding its army on Poland’s eastern border? Easy: Putin has wanted American troops out of Eastern Europe for 25 years, and his terrified lickspittle in the Oval Office is delivering. Coincidentally, this is exactly the kind of strategic gift that would appear on Putin’s birthday list, right between “destabilize NATO” and “humiliate Warsaw.” Hmmm, why indeed?

— The Trump administration is now openly preparing to indict 94-year-old Raul Castro, and if you’ve been watching the Putin Doctrine playbook, you already know how this movie ends, too. Reuters broke the news Thursday that Trump’s corrupt DOJ is preparing charges against Fidel’s brother over Cuba’s 1996 shootdown of the “Brothers to the Rescue” planes, with one official describing the indictment as “imminent.” The script should look familiar: in January, Trump indicted Maduro, then bombed Caracas, then kidnapped him, then handed Venezuela’s oil to American donors. Now the same playbook is apparently being dusted off for Havana. Trump warned back in March that Cuba “is next” after Venezuela, and Marco Rubio — whose parents left Cuba two full years before Castro came to power, but has nonetheless spent his entire career pretending to be a Cuban refugee child — appears to be driving the bus. CIA Director John Ratcliffe even slipped into Havana Thursday to deliver the diplomatic equivalent of a ransom note: engage on “economic security” by letting wealthy American businessmen to take over Cuban companies and resorts or get the Maduro treatment. So is Cuba about to become America’s newest Trump colony? Or, given that Trump keeps musing about Canada as the 51st state, Greenland as a U.S. possession, and Panama as our birthright, does Havana get the consolation prize of becoming the 52nd? Either way, the Castro family must be having the same conversation Maduro had right before the special forces showed up at the Miraflores Palace. Watch the Florida Straits.

— In what may be the most spectacular self-own of the week, Trump told Sean Hannity that America needs 500,000 Chinese student visas and that the Chinese Communist Party should be allowed to buy American farmland. This from the man whose entire 2024 campaign was built on the premise that China is eating our lunch, stealing our jobs, and grooming our children through TikTok because the Democrats are “weak.” As Mediaite documented, Hannity actually tried to throw him a lifeline, noting that Beijing would never let Americans buy land near a Chinese military installation. Trump shrugged it off and defended the farmland sales anyway, because the GOP donors who own massive factory farms matter more than the American people. The MAGA Twittersphere immediately had a collective aneurysm: influencer Mike Cernovich howled, “Has China defeated our country?” while Idaho state Rep. Heather Scott vowed her state’s laws would block any such purchases. These are, as one of his own ghostwriters whined, “95-5 issues” inside MAGA world. The most charitable interpretation: Trump, freshly humiliated and out-negotiated by Xi Jinping at this week’s Beijing summit, came home parroting his host’s talking points. The less charitable interpretation: 45 years of Reaganomics have produced a Republican Party so utterly captured by agribusiness, fossil fuel, and big banks that even the supposedly America-first president now reads from Wall Street’s China-friendly script. Either way, the body double theory is starting to look less crazy.

— JD Vance — Yale Law graduate, venture capitalist, couch-lover, and current Vice President of the United States — has officially rolled out the GOP’s 2026 update of Ronald Reagan’s Black “welfare queen”: she now drives a Lamborghini. Speaking to a MAGA crowd in Bangor, Maine — chosen because Gov. Janet Mills dared to stand up to Trump — Vance asked the audience, as Daily Kos recounted, why “people driving Lamborghinis” are pulling down low-income housing assistance and food stamps. He had no example. None. Not one Linda Taylor who, as Josh Levin demonstrated in his 2019 book The Queen, was the one-off serial fraudster Reagan turned into a national caricature to slander every Black welfare recipient in America. Vance also told the same audience that dead people are voting for Democrats and getting food stamps, a remark that drew laughter, though it shouldn’t have, because the federal SNAP eligibility rules cap household assets at $2,750. If you own a $250,000 Italian sports car, you do not, in fact, qualify for food stamps. But Vance isn’t trying to win an argument; he’s manufacturing resentment and hate so Trump’s billionaire Cabinet can finish gutting SNAP, Medicaid, and federal housing assistance to pay for the next round of tax cuts for people who actually do own Lamborghinis. The welfare queen rides again, this time inside JD Vance’s fevered Hillbilly Elegy imagination.

— Speaking of billionaires hunting the social safety net, they just notched their biggest scalp yet. On May 11, former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin — a Yale-educated corporate lawyer backed by Wall Street — won the Connecticut Democratic Party’s endorsement against 14-term Rep. John Larson, the ranking Democrat on the House Social Security Subcommittee and author of the Social Security 2100 Act. That bill — co-sponsored by nearly 90% of House Democrats — would expand benefits for the first time in over 50 years by lifting the FICA cap on income above $400,000, so that Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Ellison would finally pay into Social Security like the rest of us instead of finishing their annual contributions by 12:15 a.m. on January 1st. Naturally, billionaires loathe the bill, and they’ve poured shadowy outside money into Bronin’s challenge, as Social Security Works’ Alex Lawson detailed in Common Dreams. Larson, who grew up in the Mayberry Village housing project in East Hartford, called the August 11 primary “Mayberry against Greenwich,” the perfect frame for what is in fact a referendum on whether ordinary Americans get to keep the one program that lifts 22 million people out of poverty, or whether Wall Street finally cracks Social Security’s $2.7 trillion trust fund open and starts feeding it to BlackRock and Citadel. Pay attention to Connecticut’s First District this summer because if the billionaires can pick off Larson, they can pick off any Democrat standing between Goldman Sachs and your retirement check.

— You Just Can’t Make This Up Alert: As Hantavirus Threat Grows, Trump Turns to a Penile Implant Expert to Reassure America. The Trump official Bob Kennedy trotted out this week to calm Americans fears about the growing hantavirus scare is a urologist whose medical specialty is penile implants and who hosted a YouTube show called Erection Connection. That is not a typo. CNN’s KFile revealed Friday that Admiral Brian Christine, MD, the Assistant Secretary for Health and now the public face of America’s infectious disease response, came directly from a private penis-assistance practice in Alabama with no public health background, but plenty of COVID vaccine skepticism, plenty of election-denial commentary, and plenty of conspiracy theories tying George Soros and the World Economic Forum to the pandemic lockdowns. He stood at a podium in Omaha this week and promised a response “grounded in science.” From the man whose previous claim to fame was a media brand built on erectile dysfunction. So when your loved ones ask why the country is staring down its third major infectious-disease scare in a decade with a phallic-surgery enthusiast at the helm of HHS’ pandemic response, just tell them what Kennedy’s boss tells his cabinet officers when reality intrudes: “It’s going to be better than you could ever believe.” Or, as my late mother might have said: G-d help us.

U.S. Media, Education

Stephen Colbert on the set of “The Late Show,” on May 5, 2026 (CBS Photo by Scott Kowalchyk).

New York Times, Guest Essay: CBS Cancels Itself, Not Just Colbert, Bill Carter (author of “The Late Shift” and “The War for Late Night” and editor at large for LateNighter.com), May 16, 2026. From the start of his career as a late-night television star on CBS, Stephen Colbert shattered the long-established broadcast network mold for who and what makes a late-night host.

His previous experience, “The Colbert Report” (pronounced as though on TV Français) on Comedy Central was a never-ending sketch, which had Mr. Colbert playing a caricature of a self-obsessed, blowhard conservative commentator.

He even conducted interviews on the show as the character, compelling him to tell his guests to be prepared for “a jerk.”

Before CBS, Mr. Colbert had almost never appeared as himself on television, nor most anywhere else. For years he gave interviews about the show completely in character, a guy who could not have been more opposite to the real Mr. Colbert in personality or political views.

Everyone had to be in on the fake news joke. It was a masterful, one-of-a-kind performance, one of the sharpest, most astute political satires ever produced for a mainstream audience — and a hit. It lasted for nine years. His recruitment by CBS to succeed the legendary David Letterman as host of “The Late Show” in 2014 made complete sense to me; he was a major comic star and he wanted the job. At the time, I was convinced it was a perfect match, and one sure to be easier than what Mr. Colbert had just pulled off. All he had to do this time was be the real Stephen Colbert.

What I didn’t anticipate was that the foundation of Mr. Colbert’s success was something new to late night: hard-core, point-of-view political comedy. He had developed it while contributing to “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. A broadcast network, steeped in the traditional “both sides” style of Johnny Carson, was going to expect him to drop that as well as the character.Sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the world every weekday morning. Get it sent to your inbox.

CBS did; Mr. Colbert tried. It didn’t work.

His outspoken, pointedly satirical voice was muted in his early “Late Show” performances. He looked a bit lost, as though in trying to be the real Stephen Colbert whom CBS anticipated, he was actually becoming another character — and not a terribly funny one.

At risk of losing the gig, Mr. Colbert agreed to CBS’s push for a new executive producer, Chris Licht, with only TV news credits: “Morning Joe” and “CBS This Morning.”

Mr. Colbert later praised Mr. Licht and conceded he had been crucial in transforming the show into “what we really want to do,” which was build the comedy around the news of the day (even if Mr. Colbert had given up pretending to be a fake news anchor.)Editors’ PicksIn Italy, Princess Catherine Puts Her Wardrobe to WorkMatt Haig on ‘The Midnight Library,’ Mental Illness and Winnie-the-PoohTired of Hacked Passwords? Help Is on the Way.

Mr. Licht’s arrival in 2016 coincided with the political rise of Donald Trump — and a grudge match made in media heaven was born.

Mr. Colbert started finishing first in late-night about a year later and stayed in the position for most of the time since.

Mr. Colbert is leaving the Ed Sullivan Theater this Thursday, after around 1,800 shows. CBS has said, definitely and defensively, that this is purely a business decision. Nobody really believes that, but even the No. 1 late-night show is not the moneymaker it once was. It’s expensive to produce. The broadcast ratings are not what they used to be. Those viewers who are left are disproportionately older, and of less interest to advertisers.

The network says it decided to end “The Late Show” because it was losing at least $40 million a year. Sounds credible, doesn’t it? Maybe not. Many insiders — including Mr. Colbert’s friend and direct competitor, Jimmy Kimmel — have noted that CBS’s calculation left out some key factors. It did not include the effect of Mr. Colbert’s star presence on the fees CBS is able to command from local affiliate stations. It shrugged off the value the network has gained from sending stars of its series onto the show for promotion. It ignored Mr. Colbert’s role in bringing viewers to those affiliates’ 11 p.m. news shows, in anticipation of the new “Late Show” episode that would air right after.

Mr. Colbert says the network never raised its financial concerns, and did not push for any of the ways such a show could cut costs. (When NBC saw declining revenues from its own late-night offerings, it eliminated the band on Seth Meyers’s show and cut Jimmy Fallon’s back to four days a week.) In fact, Mr. Colbert said CBS was “feverish” to lock him into a new contract only three years ago.

Stephen Colbert on the set of “The Late Show,” on May 5.Credit...Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

Mr. Colbert, as gentlemanly a star as there is on television, has thrown no on-air tantrums. He’s mostly left the open disparagement of the bosses to his predecessor, David Letterman.

But it’s no secret what transpired in between that eager pitch to extend his run and that sudden closing notice: CBS’s parent company, Paramount, was on the verge of a merger. President Trump, who had been wounded by Mr. Colbert’s political satire, and who on many occasions had publicly called for him to be canceled (or “put to sleep” in one memorable social media message), had returned to office and in a position to interfere with any deal.

Paramount had already taken steps widely seen as currying favor with the administration, most notably when it signed off on a $16 million payment to settle a lawsuit Mr. Trump brought against CBS News’s “60 Minutes,” even though legal experts said Mr. Trump had very little chance of prevailing in court.

In a monologue, Mr. Colbert called the settlement a “big fat bribe.” He got word he’d been canceled just days later. A week or so after that, the deal was approved.

However CBS attempts to characterize the Colbert decision from now on, that’s what people will remember.

Having a late-night star on the air most weeknights has been a powerful statement, affirming that the broadcasters were still in the game, still offering original programming taped before a live audience that viewers showed up for, year round. Successful hosts became their networks’ signature stars.

In forcing Mr. Colbert out and shutting down a 33-year late-night franchise — while selling that post-local-news hour of airtime to a syndicated show instead of replacing him with an original program of its own creation — CBS is assenting to its own diminishment. 

Status, Opinion: Subsidizing MAGA Mouthpieces, Jon Passantino, May 16, 2026. Billionaire media owners are pouring money into little-watched MAGA-friendly podcasts and video ventures in hopes of currying favor with the administration.

Last month, Katie Miller, the wife of Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, sat down with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, for a friendly chat on her podcast. Sitting inside the federal agency between a pair of flags and a Trump meme mug, Miller offered Carr a warm platform to assail the “woke” media, threaten Disney’s broadcast licenses, and play a game of would-you-rather.

“Would you rather explain net neutrality to fifth graders, or have fifth graders teach you a viral TikTok dance?” she asked Carr, who responded with a chuckle and a “6-7” juggle with his hands, playing along with the supportive atmosphere.

The episode—which has drawn fewer than 5,000 views on YouTube—was emblematic of how Miller has used her platform to offer cozy, consequence-free safe spaces for Trump administration officials and some of MAGA’s biggest stars, including J.D. Vance, her former boss Elon Musk, Pete Hegseth, and a rotating cast of Trump loyalists.Upgrade to Premium

Yet, despite Miller’s extraordinary access to the people now steering the federal government, her show has attracted fewer than 60,000 subscribers, a striking sign of how little organic interest there is in these carefully stage-managed sit-downs designed to launder the image of officials carrying out Trump’s deeply unpopular agenda.

But Miller’s program has apparently become popular with one person, David Ellison, the billionaire Oracle scion who has used his father’s fortune to take control of Paramount and is now attempting to add Warner Bros. Discovery—and CNN—to his moguldom. On Thursday, Axios reported, in a piece so sanitized of context it initially failed to mention Katie Miller is married to one of Trump’s most influential lieutenants, that Ellison’s Paramount was in talks to distribute her podcast. The Atlantic later revealed that Miller has been in talks with Paramount brass for months to sell her show, even courting administration officials for Ellison’s dinner last month “honoring the Trump White House.”

A Paramount spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment when I reached out Friday. A Miller spokesperson declined to comment.Upgrade to Premium

Across the media landscape, billionaire owners are plowing cash into low-wattage right-wing media personalities that often attract tiny audiences but serve a much more valuable purpose: flattering Trump by platforming his allies, and signaling loyalty to an administration that has made clear it rewards friendly coverage and punishes dissent.

As Status reported earlier this week, Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos has been investing heavily in a new video-focused opinion operation at The Washington Post under editor Adam O’Neal, an effort designed to transform the paper’s opinion section into a more personality-driven digital media machine. But despite posting dozens of videos to YouTube, the flagship “Make It Make Sense” series has amassed fewer than 600 subscribers, with episodes routinely struggling to pull in even a few hundred views. Under ordinary business logic, those numbers would trigger alarm. Instead, Bezos appears to be fine continuing to bankroll the project.Upgrade to Premium

But with Bezos eager to accelerate his space ambitions in the second Trump-era, audience size increasingly appears to be beside the point. Ellison understands this especially well. In addition to eyeing Miller’s podcast, he spent some $150 million to acquire Bari Weiss’ Free Press and elevate her into a position of extraordinary influence over CBS News despite her lack of television management experience. The result has been nothing short of disastrous, with plunging ratings, logistical embarrassments, and an increasingly overt effort to reposition the network toward Trump-friendly coverage.

Of course, for billionaires with enormous business before the federal government, the dozens of viewers of The Post’s new opinion videos or the 4,600 others who tuned into Miller’s chummy chat with Carr are almost beside the point. The audience that matters is the one person whose goodwill Ellison and Bezos need to approve their deals. Under the current administration, that’s the only metric that seems to count.

New York Times, Navy Aircraft Carrier Completes Longest Deployment Since Vietnam, John Ismay, Updated May 16, 2026. After being diverted for combat with Venezuela and Iran, the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford returned to Norfolk, Va., on Saturday after nearly a year at sea.

The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford returned home to Norfolk, Va., on Saturday, completing the longest deployment by a U.S. warship since the Vietnam War.

What began on June 24 as a peacetime cruise with scheduled port calls in the Mediterranean and the North Sea changed drastically in October when the ship was in Split, Croatia.

While the Ford was in port, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered it to the Caribbean in the run-up to the U.S. commando raid in January that seized President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela. Then, Mr. Hegseth sent the ship to the Middle East in preparation for the war against Iran.

Along the way, the crew endured a major fire that destroyed the sleeping area for hundreds of sailors, complaints about food shortages, delays in receiving mail and mechanical problems with the gear that launches and recovers warplanes on the ship’s flight deck.

About 4,500 sailors serve on carriers like the Ford when all of the aircraft and aviators are aboard.

Warship deployments are typically scheduled to last six months, but those for aircraft carriers can sometimes stretch into eight months. Pushing beyond that, as the Navy has done with the Ford, can strain both the crew as well as the mechanical well-being of the ship itself.

May 15

Editor's Note: Today's daily news update was delayed because Justice Integrity Project Editor Andrew Kreig is among the speakers on the topic of human rights, justice and the news media at a conference held in the U.S. Senate's Kennedy Caucus Room organized by members of the Ethiopian-American diaspora in Washington, DC. The keynote speaker was Dr. Gregory Stanton, the founding president of Genocide Watch, and a former State department official who has lived and worked in Ethiopia among a number of other nations. He described why Ethiopia urgently needs a new constitution to replace one devised by a Marxist-Leninist government in 1995 the provides too much power to warring ethnic-dominated locales to the detriment of the central government. 

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• The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Commentary: Important Friday Night News Update! Aaron Parnas, right, May 15, 2026. I look forward to the day I no longer have to report on the Trump administration. I mean that sincerely. Not because of politics, but because of the constant flood of chaos, the exhaustion, and the relentless speed of the news cycle. But until things change, I am not stopping. Not now. Not ever.

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The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Commentary: Important Friday Night News Update! Aaron Parnas, right, May 15, 2026. I look forward to the day I no longer have to report on the Trump administration. I mean that sincerely. Not because of politics, but because of the constant flood of chaos, the exhaustion, and the relentless speed of the news cycle. But until things change, I am not stopping. Not now. Not ever.

Before I get into tonight’s news, I want to talk honestly about where this platform is headed and address something many of you have shared with me. This week alone, more than a dozen people unsubscribed because they said they felt overwhelmed. I understand that feeling completely. I feel it too.

So let me say this clearly: it is okay if you cannot read every email. It is okay if you cannot open every report. But please do not disconnect entirely. Because exhaustion and apathy are not accidental. They are how people stop paying attention. They are how truth gets buried.

That is why I built this platform the way I did. The stories I post are real. They are not manipulated for outrage or clicks. They are not designed to entertain you into submission. They are simply the news, presented as honestly and directly as I can give it. In today’s media environment, that alone is becoming rare.

And we have major things ahead. Early next week, I’ll announce a major new initiative in the fight against AI-driven misinformation. The following week, we launch our exclusive show with Jessica Tarlov. And next Thursday, another Paid Subscriber Q&A goes live. This platform is growing fast, and we are only getting started.

Here’s the news:

Donald Trump described his summit with Xi Jinping as a success, emphasizing their personal relationship as the meeting’s biggest achievement rather than pointing to a concrete policy or economic outcome. When asked by Fox News host Bret Baier for the summit’s most significant win for the U.S., Trump replied that “the most important thing is relationship” and said he has “a very good relationship” with Xi. Critics interpreted the exchange as evidence that the summit produced few tangible results despite extensive diplomatic attention.

Republicans are reportedly “furious” after Donald Trump defended his earlier comment about not thinking about Americans’ financial struggles, telling reporters: “It’s a perfect statement. I’ll make it again. Everybody agrees.”

Governor Jared Polis will grant clemency to former Colorado election clerk Tina Peters, cutting her prison sentence in half after she admitted she “made a mistake” and misled election officials. Peters was convicted for helping election deniers access Mesa County voting systems in an effort to support false claims about the 2020 election. Polis said the decision was influenced by concerns about free speech and a recent appeals court ruling that found parts of Peters’ sentencing improperly considered her political speech. The move is seen as a political victory for Donald Trump and election denial activists, though Polis emphasized the clemency is not a pardon and that Peters’ felony conviction will remain.

CNN reports that U.S. officials suspect Iranian hackers breached fuel tank monitoring systems at gas stations across multiple states by exploiting unprotected automatic tank gauge systems connected to the internet. While the attacks did not alter actual fuel supplies or cause physical damage, officials warned the intrusions could create serious safety risks if hackers manipulated systems to hide leaks or malfunctions. Investigators say the activity fits a broader pattern of increasingly aggressive Iranian cyber operations targeting U.S. critical infrastructure during the ongoing Iran conflict. Cybersecurity experts also warned that Iran’s recent tactics show faster, more adaptable operations, including disinformation campaigns and attacks aimed at influencing future U.S. elections.

Admiral Brian Christine, a urologist known for specializing in penile implants, is leading the federal response to the ongoing hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. The article highlights Christine’s background in men’s sexual health, including hosting a YouTube show called “Erection Connection,” and notes past comments in which he promoted COVID-era conspiracy theories and rejected claims of systemic racism in healthcare. Critics have questioned his qualifications and public health views given his prominent role in managing an infectious disease outbreak. Despite the controversy, Christine has described the government’s hantavirus response as “grounded in science.”

A large bee swarm hit the White House today:

Republican lawmakers sharply criticized the Pentagon after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled a planned deployment of 4,000 U.S. troops to Poland, calling the move a “slap in the face” to both NATO allies and Congress. Members of the House Armed Services Committee said they were not consulted and expressed frustration that Army leaders appeared to have little explanation for the abrupt reversal. Army officials testified that the decision was made only recently and acknowledged some troops and equipment were already en route to Europe when the deployment was halted. The controversy adds to growing tensions between the Trump administration and defense-focused Republicans over reductions in the U.S. military presence across Europe.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green signed a new law aimed at limiting corporate and “dark money” influence in elections by redefining corporations in a way that bars them from spending on political campaigns. The law directly challenges the impact of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling, which allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts independently in elections. Supporters say the measure is a bold attempt to reduce corporate influence in politics, while critics, including Hawaii’s attorney general office, argue it will likely face costly legal battles and constitutional challenges. A similar effort is underway in Montana, where activists are trying to place a related proposal before voters later this year.

Critics are questioning the design and marketing of the Trump Mobile “T1 Phone” after promotional materials appeared to show incorrect versions of the American flag on the device. Some images and videos display only 11 or even 9 stripes instead of the correct 13, raising speculation that generative AI may have been used to create parts of the marketing campaign. There are also inconsistencies in the phone’s appearance across promotional videos, including changing textures, packaging, and boot screens, fueling doubts about whether the product is actually ready to ship. Despite company claims that the phones are shipping, there is still little public evidence that customers have received devices or shipping confirmations.

A still from The Verge’s video interview with Trump Mobile staff showing the T1 Phone with 13 stripes on the US flag logo.

The Guardian reports that a Pentagon inspector general review found the U.S. military has effectively dismantled key civilian harm prevention programs that were legally required to reduce and track civilian deaths during military operations. The report says staffing, oversight meetings, funding, and operational infrastructure tied to the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence sharply declined under the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Critics argue the cuts weakened safeguards meant to limit civilian casualties, especially as U.S. strikes in Iran have caused significant civilian deaths, including children. The Pentagon has not officially ended the program, but watchdog findings suggest it may no longer comply with federal law requiring civilian casualty mitigation policies.

From Iran’s Foreign Minister today:

Leon Botstein’s 51-year tenure at Bard College was effectively ended after the school’s board reviewed his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. An independent investigation found Botstein was not fully transparent about his relationship with Epstein and failed to recognize reputational risks tied to accepting donations and consulting payments connected to him. Internal emails obtained by the Guardian suggest the board voted against renewing Botstein’s contract shortly before he publicly announced his retirement, creating divisions among trustees and prompting several resignations. The controversy has also led to calls for a New York state investigation into whether Bard’s board failed in its fiduciary responsibilities to the college community.

Federal authorities have requested an additional 1,500 National Guard troops for a “summer surge” deployment in Washington, D.C. ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. If approved, the move would raise the total Guard presence in the capital to 5,000 troops as part of the Trump administration’s expanded crackdown on crime, drug trafficking, illegal firearms, and large youth gatherings known as “teen takeovers.” Officials say the effort has already contributed to declines in robberies, carjackings, and violent crime, though critics note crime rates had already been falling before the troop deployments began. The operation follows President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to temporarily federalize D.C. law enforcement under a public safety emergency declaration.

Tensions between the U.S. and Cuba are escalating amid reports that former Cuban leader Raúl Castro could face a U.S. indictment tied to the 1996 shooting down of planes operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue. The move would increase pressure on Cuba’s leadership as the island struggles with severe fuel shortages, rolling blackouts, and economic collapse worsened by U.S. sanctions and an oil blockade. The report also describes recent high-level talks between CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Cuban officials, alongside growing speculation that the Trump administration is seeking major political or economic changes in Cuba. Meanwhile, ordinary Cubans continue to face worsening living conditions, with widespread power outages and shortages fueling public frustration and protests.

NBC News reports that authorities charged alleged terrorist commander Mohammad Al-Saadi with plotting attacks on Jewish and civilian targets in New York City, Los Angeles, and Scottsdale. Prosecutors say Al-Saadi, described as a commander in the Iran-linked militant group Kata’ib Hizballah, attempted to hire an undercover law enforcement officer to carry out arson and bombing attacks against synagogues and Jewish centers. Authorities allege he also encouraged violence against Americans and Israelis online and was connected to numerous attacks in Europe since the start of the Iran war earlier this year. Federal prosecutors charged him with multiple terrorism-related offenses, while law enforcement officials said the alleged New York synagogue attack was successfully disrupted before it could be carried out.

The town of Social Circle is suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over plans to convert a warehouse into a massive immigration detention center capable of holding 10,000 people. Local officials argue the facility would overwhelm the town’s infrastructure, potentially causing water shortages and sewage problems, and allege ICE violated state and federal laws during the project. The proposed detention center is part of a broader nationwide expansion of immigration detention facilities under the Trump administration, estimated to cost $38.3 billion. The plan has sparked opposition in several communities, while DHS says it aims to work with local leaders and ensure humane detention conditions.

A judge declared a mistrial in Harvey Weinstein’s third Manhattan sex crimes trial after jurors deadlocked over a rape charge involving former aspiring actor Jessica Mann. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict after about nine hours of deliberation, marking the second time a panel failed to decide on this specific allegation. Prosecutors said they are considering whether to retry the case, while Weinstein’s defense argued the split favored acquittal and urged authorities not to pursue another trial. Weinstein remains incarcerated due to other sex crime convictions in New York and California, despite some earlier convictions being overturned on appeal.

Mike Johnson, right, responded cautiously to domestic abuse allegations against Ohio Republican Congressman Max Miller, saying Miller “has got to work that out.”

Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno, has accused him of abuse during an ongoing and contentious divorce and custody dispute, allegations Miller strongly denies. Miller has filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife and her attorney, claiming they spread false accusations to damage his reputation and political career. Despite the controversy, Donald Trump recently endorsed Miller for re-election, while related child welfare investigations remain ongoing.

OpenAI has announced plans to integrate ChatGPT with users’ bank accounts through Plaid, a financial data network that securely connects apps to banking information. The goal is to allow ChatGPT to analyze users’ financial data and deliver more personalized, curated financial advice. By accessing transaction history, balances, and spending patterns, the assistant could potentially help with budgeting, savings strategies, and broader financial planning. OpenAI says the connection would be secure, though the announcement raises ongoing questions about privacy, data protection, and how sensitive financial information would be handled.

Health officials confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far. Neighboring Uganda also confirmed an imported Ebola-related death involving a Congolese patient who died in Kampala after traveling from Congo. Health authorities are still determining the exact virus strain behind the outbreak, while concerns are growing about cross-border spread due to population movement and weak infrastructure in affected areas. International health agencies, including the World Health Organization, are deploying support teams and emergency funding as Congo confronts its 17th Ebola outbreak since 1976.

California is experiencing the largest recorded mushroom poisoning outbreak in U.S. history, with 47 known cases, four deaths, and four liver transplants linked mainly to invasive death cap mushrooms. Health officials are puzzled because new poisonings are continuing well beyond the mushrooms’ normal growing season, with recent cases reported in Napa County. Experts believe some victims may have mistaken toxic mushrooms for edible varieties familiar from their home countries, prompting multilingual public health warnings across the state. Researchers say the outbreak also highlights gaps in public health reporting and a broader lack of scientific understanding and funding related to toxic mushrooms.

May 14

Top Headlines

President Trump met with President Xi Jinping of China on Thursday, May 14, 2026, after a flurry of actions from his administration in recent weeks against China ( New York Times photo by Kenny Holston).

• New York Times, Live Updates: Xi Warns Trump on Taiwan at Beijing Summit, David E. Sanger, Ana Swanson and Luke Broadwater, May 14, 2026. Here’s the latest. Xi Jinping, China’s leader, told President Trump that if the Taiwan issue were handled poorly, it could lead to a clash with the United States. It was a reminder of longstanding tensions on a day laden with pageantry.
• New York Times, Why Xi Doesn’t Need a Deal With Trump, Lily Kuo, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). President Xi Jinping of China is buying time for Beijing and may see an opening with a U.S. president weakened by the war in Iran.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Donad Trump ❤️ Xi Jinping, Bill Kristol, Andrew Egger and Jim Swift, May 14, 2026. Donald Trump’s abrupt drawdown of troops in Europe—the result of his irritation at European countries declining to throw themselves enthusiastically into his war with Iran—continues: Happy Thursday.

News Roundups

U.S. President Donald Trump reaches to shake hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14, 2026 (Reuters photo by Evan Vucci)

• Meidas Touch Network, Thursday Afternoon News Update: Trump Gushes Over Xi and Folds on Everything, Ben Meiselas, May 14, 2026. Here’s everything you need to know today.
• The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump "Rattled" and "Shaken" as Xi Jinping Issues Stark Warning to United States and GOP Fractures Over Iran Emerge, Aaron Parnas, right, May 14, 2026. There is a huge amount to cover today after Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping in China, where Trump appeared visibly rattled and politically outmatched following a tense two-hour meeting that ended with China issuing a direct warning to the United States over Taiwan.

U.S. Law, Rights, Crime, Justice

• New York Times, Supreme Court Allows Abortion Pill Access by Mail to Continue, Ann E. Marimow, May 14, 2026. A federal appeals court ruling against the Food and Drug Administration would have restricted access by mail to mifepristone.
• New York Times, U.S. Set to Drop Charges Against Indian Billionaire Accused of Fraud, Nicole Hong, Ben Protess, William K. Rashbaum and Devlin Barrett, May 14, 2026. The decision came after a meeting in which a lawyer for the billionaire, Gautam Adani, made an unusual offer, according to people familiar with the matter.
• Emptywheel, Analysis and Opinion: Gatekeeper to Narcissistic Meltdown, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 14, 2026. MS-NOW did back-to-back interviews with John Brennan and Jim Comey the other day. Overnight that night (and so probably at least partly in response to seeing Brennan and Comey, on TV, unbowed), Trump had a meltdown so severe that it elicited a number of analyses of his Truth Social habit. Among the first was this list of Trump’s tweets from Harry Sisson, who commonly tracks Trump’s meltdowns. 

More On Iran War

• New York Times, Gen. Caine’s Silence on Iran War Leaves Questions About Military Strategy, Greg Jaffe, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). The president’s top military adviser is walking a tightrope as he leads the military through a divisive and unpopular war.
• Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: Media parrots Pentagon’s low-ball cost estimate for Iran War, Judd Legum, right, May 14, 2026. This week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Acting Undersecretary Jules Hurst, the Pentagon’s Chief Financial Officer, answered questions about the cost of the Iran War while testifying before House and Senate Committees.

More On Trump, Trump Administration

• New York Times, Analysis: Is Trump Tuned Out to Americans’ Financial Needs? A Remark Suggests Yes, Katie Glueck, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). Asked if he was motivated by Americans’ financial woes to make a deal to end the war with Iran, President Trump responded, “Not even a little bit.”
• New York Times, Trump Administration Will Withhold $1.3 Billion in Medicaid Payments to California, Sarah Kliff, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). Vice President JD Vance said the state had not done enough to fight fraud in the public health insurance program.
• New York Times, Duffy’s ‘Great American Road Trip’ Prompts Ethical Concerns, Karoun Demirjian, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). A YouTube series starring Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his family is part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, but it doubled as a family excursion for them. Mr. Duffy has insisted that the department’s career ethics and budget officials reviewed and approved his participation in the YouTube series.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Our Kowtower-in-Chief, William Kristol, right, May 14, 2026. In 1859, President James Buchanan sent an ambassador, John Ward, to the court of the Emperor of China. No American ambassador had ever met with a Chinese Emperor, and Ward was invited to do so.

More On U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

• New York Times, South Carolina Governor Plans Special Session to Redraw House Maps, Eduardo Medina, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, appears prepared to thrust the state into the nation’s redistricting wars.
• Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 13, 2026 [Historic Sabotage Of Black Voting Rights, Civil War Union Victory], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 14, 2026. Two weeks ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Louisiana v. Callais, gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act provided that no state or local government could impose any conditions or procedures on voting that would result “in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”
• The Contrarian, Opinion: Republicans Cannot Gerrymander Senate Races, Jennifer Rubin, right, May 14, 2026. Democrats’ prospects are actually improving with time. Not even Donald Trump, his MAGA toadies on the Supreme Court, or White supremacist state legislators can figure out how to gerrymander states.
• Emptywheel, Analysis and Opinion: Gatekeeper to Narcissistic Meltdown, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 14, 2026. MS-NOW did back-to-back interviews with John Brennan and Jim Comey the other day.
• Emptywheel, Analysis and Opinion: The Complicity of Trump Conspiracy-Washer Michael Scherer, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), May 6, 2026. Michael Scherer [of The Atlantic] has joined a long list of pundits tut-tutting those who harbor conspiracy theories about Cole Allen’s alleged attempt to kill Trump and others at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

More Global News

• New York Times, News Analysis: Trump Was Flattering, Xi Was Resolute. The Difference Spoke Volumes, David E. Sanger, May 14, 2026. In contrast to his rhetoric about China at home, President Trump spoke in conciliatory terms with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader.
• New York Times, What to Know About Wes Streeting, Who Called for a Contest to Replace Starmer, Ephrat Livni and Stephen Castle, May 14, 2026. Mr. Streeting has an unusual background for a British government minister. His grandfather went to prison for armed robbery, and he was the first in his family to graduate from college.

U.S. Inflation, Federal Reserve Bank, Economy, Jobs

• Receipts with Catherine Rampell via The Bulwark, U.S. Economic Policy Opinion: Congrats on the Gig, Kevin Warsh. You’re Cooked, Catherine Rampell, May 14, 2026.  Kevin Warsh finally got his dream job, having been confirmed to the Fed chairmanship this week. He’s been positioning himself to get the gig for the past decade, after having been passed over during Trump’s first term because (in Warsh’s own words) “I did not put my ambitions ahead of my principles.”
• Paul Krugman on Substack, What’s good for Elon Musk is not necessarily good for America. In fact, it may go the other way around, Paul Krugman, May 14, 2026. So why did Donald Trump take Musk and a bunch of other top executives to China with him?

Top Stories

President Trump met with President Xi Jinping of China on Thursday, May 14, 2026, after a flurry of actions from his administration in recent weeks against China ( New York Times photo by Kenny Holston).

New York Times, Live Updates: Xi Warns Trump on Taiwan at Beijing Summit, David E. Sanger, Ana Swanson and Luke Broadwater, May 14, 2026. Here’s the latest. Xi Jinping, China’s leader, told President Trump that if the Taiwan issue were handled poorly, it could lead to a clash with the United States. It was a reminder of longstanding tensions on a day laden with pageantry.

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, delivered a warning on Taiwan to President Trump as they met for a summit in Beijing on Thursday, saying that the issue, if handled poorly, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous situation.”

The summit, the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly a decade, could determine whether a détente between the two countries will continue — and what concessions, if any, either side is willing to make.

The leaders met in the Chinese capital in a ceremony laden with pageantry and pleasantries. Mr. Xi greeted Mr. Trump outside the Great Hall of the People, before the two men walked together past an honor guard and rows of cheering children. As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, a 21-gun salute echoed across Tiananmen Square.

The talks that followed lasted more than two hours. Mr. Xi called for the two countries to “be partners, not adversaries.” Mr. Trump said that he and Mr. Xi spoke on the phone to work out problems and called him “a great leader.”

Later, at an ornate state banquet in the Great Hall, Mr. Xi said in a toast: “The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand.” Mr. Trump thanked Mr. Xi for a “magnificent welcome like none other,” and formally invited Mr. Xi to visit the White House on Sept. 24.

Beneath the warm words, Mr. Xi’s warning on Taiwan was a stark reminder of longstanding tensions. “If handled poorly, the two countries will collide or even clash, putting the entire U.S.-China relationship in an extremely dangerous situation,” Mr. Xi said while referring to Taiwan, according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s official news agency.

Aside from Taiwan, Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump discussed trade, the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, Xinhua said, without providing details.

The White House said that both sides agreed in the talks on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open. The waterway, crucial for global energy supplies, has been effectively blocked since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in late February. “Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” according to the U.S. readout of the meeting.

The Chinese state media summary of the meeting did not mention Iran’s nuclear program or the Strait of Hormuz, saying only that the Middle East was discussed.

The talks also covered fentanyl, securing market access for American companies in China, and increasing Chinese investments in American industries and purchases of U.S. agricultural products, according to the White House.

The two men last met in October in South Korea, where they agreed to pause a trade war in which Beijing had threatened sweeping new export restrictions on rare earths in response to heavy U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. Mr. Xi decided at the time to postpone those measures for a year. A question looming over the summit is whether China will agree to an extension.

Here’s what else we’re covering:

• Ancient Landmarks: Mr. Trump’s stops include some of China’s most politically and historically significant places, including the Temple of Heaven and the Great Hall of the People. Read more ›
• Beef: China granted permission on Thursday for hundreds of American slaughterhouses to resume beef shipments to China. The approval came before the start of the Trump-Xi talks. Read more ›
• Human Rights: Mr. Trump has said he will raise the case of Jimmy Lai, an imprisoned pro-democracy media mogul. Other human rights issues, including the repression of the Uyghurs, are unlikely to make the agenda. Read more ›

New York Times, Why Xi Doesn’t Need a Deal With Trump, Lily Kuo, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). President Xi Jinping of China is buying time for Beijing and may see an opening with a U.S. president weakened by the war in Iran.

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Donad Trump ❤️ Xi Jinping, Bill Kristol, Andrew Egger and Jim Swift, May 14, 2026. Donald Trump’s abrupt drawdown of troops in Europe—the result of his irritation at European countries declining to throw themselves enthusiastically into his war with Iran—continues:

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Pentagon this week abruptly canceled the deployment of an armored brigade to Poland. Some of the brigade’s equipment and troops, the Journal reported, were already en route when the cancellation order came through.

Happy Thursday.

News Roundups

U.S. President Donald Trump reaches to shake hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, May 14, 2026 (Reuters photo by Evan Vucci).

Meidas Touch Network, Thursday Afternoon News Update: Trump Gushes Over Xi and Folds on Everything, Ben Meiselas, right, May 14, 2026. Here’s everything you need to know today.

• Trump visits Xi Jinping in Beijing, brings the family, sells out Taiwan, and touts American Chinese restaurants
• Iran begins letting Chinese ships through the Strait of Hormuz while slamming the U.S. at BRICS
• Russia launches one of its largest missile attacks on Ukraine in four years
• Senate and House hearings expose Trump officials dodging accountability
• JD Vance lectures Maine about fraud while Trump’s record tells a very different story

Now let’s dive in: Trump’s Humiliation Tour in China

Let’s start in Beijing, where Donald Trump is currently wrapping up a state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The whole thing has been about as cringe-inducing as you’d expect.

Trump brought his family. Eric Trump and Lara Trump, Eric’s wife and Fox host, joined for a photo op with Xi. Nothing says serious geopolitics like treating a summit with the world’s second most powerful authoritarian like a family vacation. He also brought along a bunch of American CEOs. No China experts, though. We reported on this in greater detail yesterday.

When reporters tried to get something substantive out of Trump after his meetings, here’s what they got: “Great. Great place. Incredible.” When pressed specifically on whether he and Xi discussed Taiwan, Trump responded, “China is beautiful.” Often it’s what Trump doesn’t say that is the most revealing.

Let me be direct: Trump completely sold out Taiwan. He won’t say it in those words, of course. He never does. But when you dodge every question about the island democracy that China has explicitly threatened, when your Treasury Secretary Bessent goes on CNBC and gives non-answers about whether Trump will make concessions to Xi on arms sales, when Marco Rubio floats the idea of a “referendum” in Taiwan as though that would be freely conducted under Chinese pressure, the message is clear. Under Trump, America is no longer a reliable ally to anyone who actually needs one.

The contrast between Trump and Xi at this summit was genuinely embarrassing. Xi spoke about global turbulence, the Thucydides Trap, the future of humanity, and the structural questions that define the international order. He framed China as a stabilizing power and posed the question of whether the U.S. and China could rise to meet global challenges together. By invoking the Thucydides Trap — the structural tension that emerges when a rising power (in his analogy, China) threatens to displace a declining one (in his analogy, the U.S.) — Xi was essentially announcing to the world that China sees itself as the ascendant power. What’s remarkable is that China has pursued that status without dropping bombs on sovereign nations, spending a trillion dollars a year on its military, or starting endless wars. Essentially, China’s strategy has been: “Never interrupt your opponent while he is in the middle of making a mistake.”

Meanwhile, Trump told Xi he was a “great leader.” He said he always tells the truth. He talked about how many Chinese restaurants there are in America. I’m not making that up. He actually told Xi: “Chinese restaurants in America today outnumber the five largest fast food chains in the United States all combined. That’s a pretty big statement.”

Do you feel the same secondhand embarrassment that I feel?

It was the inverse of those cabinet meetings where all of Trump’s underlings gather around a table to tell him how great he is. This time, Trump was the one sitting across from the powerful man he admires, Xi, volunteering compliments nobody asked for. Sean Hannity had to try to get something useful out of Trump by asking whether he discussed China’s support for Iran with Xi. Trump said Xi claimed he wasn’t going to give military equipment to Iran — “that’s a big statement,” Trump said — but acknowledged that China buys a lot of Iranian oil and wants to keep doing it. So Xi essentially told Trump: we won’t arm them, but we’ll keep funding them. And Trump nodded along.

And on the subject of Jimmy Lai — the Hong Kong democracy activist Trump promised during the 2024 campaign would be “easy” to get released because of his “great relationship” with Xi — our editor Ron Filipkowski asks the obvious question (below): Any updates? Because nobody in the Trump administration seems to be asking.

Meanwhile, reporting from Reuters indicates the U.S. is clearing H200 chip sales to ten Chinese firms, with Nvidia’s CEO present on this trip. Analysts say this move would triple the amount of AI computing power China adds next year, before accounting for illegal smuggling, and would divert critical AI resources away from American firms. Even Senator Rick Scott called it out directly, noting that China has never honored a contract it signed, and Senator Lindsey Graham made clear that China is currently propping up both the Iranian and Russian war machines by buying their oil cheap. Graham’s point was that if China stopped buying that oil, those wars could end. Trump’s response was to say Xi would “like to see a deal.”Iran opens the Strait…for China

Speaking of Iran: while Trump was in Beijing sweet-talking Xi, Iran announced it was allowing Chinese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, citing their “deep relations” and “strategic partnership” with Beijing. About 30 ships have already transited since Wednesday evening. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking at a BRICS meeting in Delhi, delivered a blistering speech calling out what he described as U.S. “bullying” and calling on BRICS member states to condemn American and Israeli violations of international law. He declared that “empires in decline will stop at nothing to arrest their inevitable fates,” and called for a united front against what he characterized as impunity in the international order.

Make of that framing what you will (and I will note here that it echoes Xi’s analogy I reported on earlier), but the practical reality is this: Iran is now selectively opening a globally critical waterway based on bilateral relationships, and the United States — which just bombed Iran two months ago — is boxed out.

Russia’s attacks on Ukraine

Overnight, Russia launched one of its largest combined missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in four years. Kyiv was hit hard. President Zelenskyy reported five people killed in Kyiv, around 40 injured in the capital, 28 more injured in Kharkiv, and over 180 damaged sites across the country including more than 50 residential buildings. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing. Russia also attacked a UN humanitarian mission vehicle in Kherson — twice, with FPV drones — while eight UN staff members were inside. They knew exactly what they were targeting.

French President Macron condemned the attack immediately, calling it proof of Russian hypocrisy after the fragile truce of recent days. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a strong statement of solidarity and condemnation. I have not seen a statement from the United States.

Read that again. Russia launches its largest assault in four years against a civilian population, attacks a UN humanitarian convoy, kills five people in Kyiv — and the United States has nothing to say. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a policy.

Hearings on Capitol Hill

Congress held hearings today with Trump administration officials. In typical fashion, the Trump officials spent the time constantly evading questions. HUD Secretary Scott Turner, asked about his record by Senator Gillibrand, responded by talking about the Biden administration over and over again. Gillibrand called him out and told him to state his record. Enough about Biden. Turner whined about Biden some more.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon, confronted about a rule that worsens the nursing shortage, only said nurses are “an incredibly respected profession.” When asked by Rep. Casar whether a billion dollars should go toward Trump’s ballroom or 217 million school lunches and 15,000 teachers, McMahon called the comparison “incredibly weird.”

The most disturbing (and revealing) moment came in the Senate hearing with Admiral Cooper, Commander of U.S. Central Command, who was asked about 22 schools and multiple hospitals that publicly available data suggests were struck in Iran. He said there was no way to corroborate those claims. When Senator Gillibrand asked if those claims had even been investigated, Cooper said they had not. That’s a stunning admission. We bombed a country, and the commanding general hasn’t investigated whether we hit 22 schools. Senator Tim Kaine also noted that the administration is blocking members of the Armed Services Committee from seeing the legal opinion justifying the war (the OLC opinion). They’re being asked to fund a $1.5 trillion (!!) budget while being denied the legal rationale for the military action that budget funds.JD Vance in Maine

Finally, JD Vance was in Maine today in front of a tiny crowd, giving a speech about fraud in the federal government. This from the administration that has pardoned and commuted sentences for convicted fraudsters, screwing over their victims who can no longer collect restitution. This from the party whose voters watched their guy run a fake charity, a fake university, and fake election claims. Donald Trump was found liable for financial fraud in a court of law. JD Vance’s speech about fraud is projection dressed up as populism.

Vance also commented about Senator Susan Collins, saying he sometimes wishes she were “more partisan.” The truth is, in every vote where it actually mattered — where Collins’ vote would have changed an outcome — she voted with Trump. The few dissenting votes she casts come when the math already ensures Trump wins anyway. It’s theater designed to give her the appearance of independence. Don’t be fooled, Maine.

The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump "Rattled" and "Shaken" as Xi Jinping Issues Stark Warning to United States and GOP Fractures Over Iran Emerge, Aaron Parnas, right, May 14, 2026. There is a huge amount to cover today after Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping in China, where Trump appeared visibly rattled and politically outmatched following a tense two-hour meeting that ended with China issuing a direct warning to the United States over Taiwan.

The contrast between the two leaders was striking. Xi looked disciplined and firmly in control while Trump appeared restrained, reactive, and increasingly isolated on the world stage. At the same time, Republican fractures over Iran are growing rapidly on Capitol Hill as new cracks emerge inside Trump’s coalition.

To everyone who joined our first paid subscriber live last night, thank you so much. It was an incredible conversation and we’re already excited for the next one on Thursday, May 21st at 6:45 PM EST. If you have any issues accessing it, just email me directly.

Tomorrow I’ll be publishing a major investigative deep dive into a critical story that is escalating quickly, and I’ll be working nonstop to keep you updated. After yesterday’s reporting about Trump’s apparent “payback squad” inside the FBI, many of you asked whether I’m taking precautions. I am. Threats and intimidation will not stop this work. If you want to support independent investigative journalism and help us keep fighting back, subscribe today or gift a subscription.Subscribed

Here’s the news:

Trump is overmatched in China: Xi Jinping entered the summit with a clear strategic agenda focused on Taiwan, trade, AI coordination, and long term regional stability, while Trump emphasized personal rapport, business deals, and ceremonial diplomacy. Chinese officials repeatedly framed Taiwan as the central issue in the relationship and warned that mishandling it could lead to conflict. The White House readout notably avoided mentioning Taiwan at all, highlighting instead trade and Middle East issues.

Xi projected confidence and consistency throughout the summit, repeatedly describing China and the United States as partners that should avoid rivalry and conflict. Trump responded with praise for Xi and optimistic language about business opportunities, but offered few concrete strategic positions publicly. China used the summit to reinforce its message that it sees itself as a coequal global power shaping the future international order. The contrast made Xi appear more disciplined and strategically focused. Reporters noted that Trump was visibly rattled at a point, refusing to answer questions thrown at him by American journalists:

Taiwan emerged as the sharpest divide between the two governments and underscored the imbalance in leverage during the talks. Xi explicitly warned that Taiwan tensions could place the entire relationship in “great jeopardy,” while Trump declined to answer reporters when asked whether Taiwan had been discussed. Taiwan’s government responded by calling China the main source of instability in the region and said it was preparing for possible surprises from the summit. The episode highlighted how Beijing drove the agenda on the most sensitive geopolitical issue. Image

Even Trump’s rhetoric reflected a tendency to exaggerate China’s cultural and economic influence without grounding it in fact. He claimed that Chinese restaurants in America outnumber the five largest U.S. fast food chains combined, using the remark to emphasize China’s reach and presence in American life.

Trump arrived with a large delegation of American CEOs including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Jensen Huang, signaling that economic access and corporate relationships were central to the visit. Chinese officials welcomed the executives and floated expanded cooperation, investment mechanisms, and possible Boeing purchases. At the same time, Beijing positioned itself as calm and pragmatic while Washington appeared focused on transactional outcomes and optics.

Trump lavished personal praise on Xi Jinping during the summit, calling him “a great leader” and insisting “I always say the truth” even when critics object to the compliment. The remark reinforced Trump’s long-running tendency to frame major geopolitical relationships through personal admiration and flattery rather than ideological or strategic competition.

The Trump administration effectively acknowledged China’s growing influence over the Strait of Hormuz crisis, with Marco Rubio emphasizing that both Washington and Beijing agreed the waterway should not be “militarized” or turned into a toll route. Even while insisting the U.S. did not need China’s help, administration officials conceded that disruptions in the strait were already driving up global energy costs and putting economic pressure on the United States. The episode highlighted how dependent global markets remain on stability in Hormuz and how much leverage regional powers and China now hold over a conflict the Trump administration appeared unable to fully control.

CNN’s observation that Trump became “uncharacteristically restrained” when asked about Taiwan highlighted the unusual dynamic of the summit and the sensitivity of the issue for Beijing. Trump, who typically improvises freely and dominates press exchanges, declined to engage publicly on Taiwan while standing alongside Xi Jinping, suggesting an awareness that he was operating on Xi’s turf and under China’s diplomatic terms. The moment reinforced perceptions that Beijing controlled the tone and boundaries of the summit, especially on the issue China considers its most important red line.

Trump capped the Beijing summit by inviting Xi Jinping to the White House in September, underscoring how central the personal relationship between the two leaders has become to U.S.-China diplomacy. Publicly, both leaders exchanged praise and described the talks as “historic” and productive, but the contrast between the two governments’ official readouts revealed underlying tension, especially over Taiwan. Chinese officials emphasized that Taiwan was the “most important issue” in the relationship, while the White House notably avoided mentioning it, reinforcing the impression that Beijing succeeded in setting the summit’s strategic terms.

According to MS Now, FBI insiders are accusing Director Kash Patel of manipulating arrest statistics and the bureau’s “Ten Most Wanted” program to create the appearance of dramatic law enforcement success under his leadership. Current and former officials say the FBI began counting arrests made primarily by immigration agents or local police whenever FBI personnel were merely present, while also adding fugitives to the Most Wanted list shortly before planned captures to inflate Patel’s record. The allegations come amid growing internal turmoil at the bureau, including mass agent departures, complaints about politicized leadership, and Senate scrutiny over Patel’s conduct and management style.

Congresswoman Ansari argued that Trump’s late-night posting habits and fixation on AI-generated social media content are fueling broader concerns about his fitness for office, including renewed discussion of the 25th Amendment. Ansari portrayed Trump’s behavior as increasingly erratic and disconnected from the responsibilities of the presidency, reflecting a growing willingness among critics to frame his online conduct not just as political spectacle but as evidence of instability.

Republicans are beginning to fracture over Trump’s Iran war as economic pressure, intelligence leaks, and public skepticism intensify. Several GOP senators sided with Democrats to try to curb the war under the War Powers Act, while administration officials reportedly leaked damaging assessments showing Iran retains most of its missile capabilities and still controls the strategic balance in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump responded by attacking the media as “traitors” and insisting criticism of the war was unpatriotic, reinforcing the impression that he is more focused on managing political optics than confronting the strategic failures of the conflict.

Democrats are abandoning years of institutional restraint on redistricting as they confront a wave of Republican-backed court rulings and map changes that threaten to lock in GOP House advantages for the next decade. Hakeem Jeffries vowed Democrats would “crush” Republican efforts politically, while party leaders openly discussed aggressive redraws in Democratic-controlled states and even potential structural changes to the Supreme Court after decisions weakening the Voting Rights Act. The shift marks a major strategic and rhetorical transformation for a party that previously emphasized independent commissions and anti-gerrymandering reforms, reflecting growing belief among Democrats that unilateral disarmament on election rules is no longer sustainable.

Cuba says it has effectively run out of oil and diesel after intensified U.S. sanctions and blocked fuel shipments triggered a severe energy crisis marked by massive blackouts and street protests in Havana. Cuban officials described the national grid as being in a “critical state,” while the Trump administration simultaneously offered humanitarian aid tied to demands for political reform, underscoring the administration’s strategy of using economic pressure to force concessions from adversarial governments. The crisis also reflects how broader regional instability, including U.S. action against Venezuela and conflict-driven disruptions in global energy markets, is reverberating across Latin America.

Ukraine appears to have halted Russia’s battlefield momentum for the first time in years, with Ukrainian forces recently reclaiming more territory than Russia captured and increasingly disrupting Russian logistics through expanded drone warfare. Analysts and Ukrainian commanders say Russia’s grinding offensive strategy is faltering under exhaustion, mounting casualties, and constant mid-range drone strikes that make troop movement and supply coordination far more difficult. While Russia still controls roughly 20% of Ukraine and continues devastating missile attacks on civilians, the recent shift has weakened Vladimir Putin’s narrative that Russian victory is inevitable and complicated efforts to pressure Ukraine into territorial concessions.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a potential internal revolt after Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from the government and openly questioned Starmer’s leadership. Streeting’s departure could trigger a Labour Party leadership contest if he secures enough support from fellow lawmakers, reflecting deep frustration inside the party after months of political scandals, economic stagnation, and electoral setbacks. The resignation dramatically escalates tensions within Labour and raises the possibility that Starmer’s premiership could unravel less than two years after taking office.

Brazil’s Atlantic forest recorded its lowest level of deforestation in four decades, a milestone environmental groups say shows that aggressive enforcement and conservation policies can reverse ecological destruction. But activists warned the gains could quickly unravel because Congress weakened environmental protections and far-right politicians aligned with Jair Bolsonaro are positioned for a potential political comeback. The debate has become a broader referendum on whether Brazil will continue trying to lead globally on climate and conservation or return to the anti-environment policies that accelerated deforestation during Bolsonaro’s presidency.

Rand Paul’s son William Paul apologized after allegedly delivering a drunken antisemitic and anti-gay tirade to Republican Congressman Mike Lawler at a Washington bar, exposing another ugly strain of extremism circulating around parts of the MAGA coalition. The incident reportedly included attacks on Jews, gay people, Israel, and billionaire GOP donor Paul Singer, while also invoking Tucker Carlson-style rhetoric and conspiratorial language about U.S. foreign policy.

A federal judge struck down Trump administration sanctions against U.N. official Francesca Albanese, ruling that punishing her for advocating war crimes investigations into Israel’s actions in Gaza likely violated the First Amendment. Judge Richard Leon said Albanese had done “nothing more than speak,” rejecting the administration’s argument that her calls for ICC prosecutions justified sanctions and criticizing the government’s attempts to restrict her family’s financial and travel access. The ruling represents a significant legal setback for the administration’s effort to target international critics of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and raises broader constitutional questions about using sanctions to suppress political speech.

A ship near the Strait of Hormuz was seized by unauthorized personnel and another Indian-flagged cargo ship was attacked and sunk near Oman, escalating tensions in a vital global oil transit route. The incidents come amid the ongoing Iran conflict, rising fuel prices, and President Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing, where discussions were expected to include the crisis. Iranian media reported that Chinese vessels were allowed safe passage through Hormuz under new agreements with Tehran, highlighting China’s growing influence in the region. Meanwhile, Iran defended its right to seize ships linked to the U.S., further increasing fears of instability in global energy markets.

The United Nations is pressuring Equatorial Guinea to stop deporting migrants sent there by the Trump administration back to countries where they could face torture, imprisonment, or death, highlighting mounting international alarm over the administration’s expanding deportation strategy. Human rights groups described detainees being held in “prison-like” hotel confinement after the U.S. paid Equatorial Guinea millions to accept third-country deportees, including asylum seekers who had already won legal protections in American immigration courts. Critics say the policy reflects a broader effort to outsource migration enforcement to authoritarian governments with weak human rights safeguards, while eroding longstanding international protections against forced return to persecution.

FIFA announced that Shakira, Madonna, and BTS will headline the first-ever World Cup final halftime show in 2026, turning the tournament’s championship match into an entertainment spectacle modeled after the Super Bowl. The performance, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin at MetLife Stadium, reflects FIFA’s broader push to transform the expanded 48-team World Cup into a global cultural mega-event that extends beyond soccer itself. The move has already sparked questions about commercialization and whether an extended halftime production could disrupt the rhythm and traditions of the sport’s biggest match.

U.S. Law, Rights, Crime, Justice

New York Times, Supreme Court Allows Abortion Pill Access by Mail to Continue, Ann E. Marimow, May 14, 2026. A federal appeals court ruling against the Food and Drug Administration would have restricted access by mail to mifepristone.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a widely used abortion medication could continue to be prescribed by telehealth and sent to patients by mail.

Two manufacturers of mifepristone had asked the Supreme Court to intervene after the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit restricted access to the medication.

The Supreme Court’s brief order means that the Fifth Circuit’s decision will remain blocked, perhaps for months, while litigation continues in the lower courts. The issue could eventually return to the high court.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr., the two most conservative justices, dissented.

The Fifth Circuit ruled on May 1, in response to a lawsuit filed by the State of Louisiana seeking to reimpose a requirement that patients obtain the medication only after seeing a provider in person. The F.D.A. first lifted that regulation in 2021, making it possible for people in Louisiana and other states with strict abortion bans to receive the pills through the mail.

Nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States are now carried out with abortion pills, and about one-quarter involve telehealth, a virtual visit with a health care provider.

The Supreme Court eliminated the nationwide right to abortion in 2022, but legal battles over the issue have continued. In its lawsuit, Louisiana has asserted that the F.D.A.’s decision to remove the in-person dispensing requirement was based on inadequate or flawed data — a claim medical organizations dispute, citing more than 100 studies that have found that mifepristone is safe, and that serious complications from taking it are rare.

Liz Murrill, the state’s attorney general, said the regulations had resulted in about 1,000 illegal abortions in the state each month, and thousands of dollars in Medicaid costs to treat women harmed by mifepristone.

The manufacturers, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, told the justices that a ruling in Louisiana’s favor could cause broad disruptions to the pharmaceutical industry and lead to state-by-state second-guessing of all sorts of drug regulations. The companies pointed to the Supreme Court’s decision two years ago rejecting a similar challenge from anti-abortion doctors. In that case, the court unanimously held that the F.D.A.’s loosening of regulations had not caused the type of direct harm to the doctors that would give them standing to sue.

The clash over access to mifepristone has put the Trump administration in a difficult political position ahead of the midterm elections. Many of the president’s supporters oppose abortion, but restricting access is not considered a broadly winning position in many critical contests.Editors’ PicksDid the Pope Really Wear Nikes?At Netflix Is a Joke, the Attention Economy Rules the Festival17 Food Items You Should Buy When They’re on Sale

While Justice Department lawyers defended the F.D.A. in the lower courts, they have not said whether the administration ultimately supports allowing the pills to be mailed. Rather, administration lawyers have said that the F.D.A. is conducting a review of mifepristone’s safety and have asked the lower courts to delay Louisiana’s lawsuit until that review is complete.

But after losing in the appeals court, the administration made the unusual decision to forgo any filing at the Supreme Court, taking no position on how the justices should rule.

Medication abortion usually involves a two-drug regimen. Mifepristone blocks a hormone necessary for pregnancy to continue, followed 24 to 48 hours later by a second medication, misoprostol, which causes contractions similar to a miscarriage. The Louisiana case targets mifepristone, which the F.D.A. approved for abortion in 2000. Misoprostol, which is also used for other medical conditions, is not affected by the Fifth Circuit ruling.

In April, a district court judge in Louisiana said the state was likely to win its challenge to the regulation, but declined to pause the availability of pills by mail while the lawsuit proceeded. Instead, the judge gave the F.D.A. time to complete the safety review of mifepristone.

In its ruling earlier this month, the Fifth Circuit sided with Louisiana, echoing the state’s arguments that the F.D.A.’s regulations were “undermining its laws protecting unborn human life” and also “causing it to spend Medicaid funds on emergency care for women harmed by mifepristone,” according to the order written by Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan, a Trump appointee. He was joined by Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt, another Trump appointee, and Judge Leslie Southwick, who was appointed by President George W. Bush. 

New York Times, U.S. Set to Drop Charges Against Indian Billionaire Accused of Fraud, Nicole Hong, Ben Protess, William K. Rashbaum and Devlin Barrett, May 14, 2026. The decision came after a meeting in which a lawyer for the billionaire, Gautam Adani, made an unusual offer, according to people familiar with the matter.

When the Justice Department indicted India’s richest man in the final weeks of the Biden administration, prosecutors described an “elaborate” bribery scheme involving “corruption and fraud at the expense of U.S. investors.”

Now, according to several people with knowledge of the case, the Justice Department is planning to drop the charges altogether.

The reversal came after the Indian billionaire, Gautam Adani, hired a new legal team led by Robert J. Giuffra Jr., one of President Trump’s personal lawyers and the co-chairman of the prominent firm Sullivan & Cromwell.

Mr. Giuffra’s efforts on Mr. Adani’s behalf culminated in a previously unreported meeting last month at the Justice Department’s headquarters in Washington, according to people familiar with the meeting. Mr. Giuffra ticked through about 100 slides outlining why prosecutors lacked basic evidence, as well as the jurisdiction even to bring the case, one of the people said.

Another slide also made an unusual offer: If prosecutors dropped the charges, Mr. Adani would be willing to invest $10 billion in the American economy and create 15,000 jobs, echoing a pledge he had made in the wake of Mr. Trump’s election.

As part of the same meeting, Mr. Giuffra sought to resolve a parallel civil case against Mr. Adani brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as a separate investigation by the Treasury Department. Both of those agencies are now preparing to strike settlements with Mr. Adani and impose financial penalties, according to people familiar with the deals.

Although prosecutors later told Mr. Giuffra that the $10 billion investment would play no role in the resolution of the criminal case, his offer received a favorable response from at least one senior Justice Department official at the meeting, according to the people familiar with the meeting.

The proposal — which Mr. Trump could have touted as a political and economic win — underscores the highly transactional approach to justice in Mr. Trump’s second term.

Over the past year, he has awarded pardons to his donors and even a business partner, while prosecutors in his Justice Department have dropped charges and investigations against other political allies. Those results, a striking break from prosecutorial norms, have fueled the perception that freedom is up for sale in Mr. Trump’s Washington, emboldening defendants to offer economic settlement terms that were once unthinkable.

The people with knowledge of Mr. Adani’s case said that prosecutors were not pulling back as a political favor to Mr. Adani, who has a close relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. Instead, one of them said, a dismissal would reflect the Trump administration’s broader retreat from foreign bribery cases and its reluctance to act as a global corporate police force.

Emptywheel, Analysis and Opinion: Gatekeeper to Narcissistic Meltdown, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 14, 2026. MS-NOW did back-to-back interviews with John Brennan and Jim Comey the other day. 

Overnight that night (and so probably at least partly in response to seeing Brennan and Comey, on TV, unbowed), Trump had a meltdown so severe that it elicited a number of analyses of his Truth Social habit. Among the first was this list of Trump’s tweets from Harry Sisson, who commonly tracks Trump’s meltdowns. More details below.

More On Iran War

New York Times, Gen. Caine’s Silence on Iran War Leaves Questions About Military Strategy, Greg Jaffe, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). The president’s top military adviser is walking a tightrope as he leads the military through a divisive and unpopular war.

In nearly 14 hours of congressional testimony in recent weeks, Gen. Dan Caine, left, was repeatedly asked versions of the same two questions: How had the world’s most powerful military allowed the Iranians to cut off the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, and what could it do to get ships moving again?

The answers General Caine delivered highlighted the tightrope he walks. As the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he is obliged to stay out of the political fray inflamed by the war in Iran. But he works for a president who demands absolute loyalty.

In public, General Caine has defined the military’s mission in narrow terms, an approach he took on Tuesday as frustrated Democratic and Republican lawmakers pressed him and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain their plans to open the strait and end the war.

“Our military objectives have been clear the whole time,” General Caine said. He talked about “targeting Iran’s ballistic missile systems,” destroying its Navy and defense industrial base and stopping Iranian forces from threatening the U.S. military and allies in the region. He repeatedly praised the dedication of U.S. troops over the course of the war.

But he avoided any discussions of the broader U.S. military strategy.

“Did you anticipate the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting impact on oil supplies for many countries, including here in the United States?” asked Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine.

“We have an incredible staff over at the Pentagon,” he said, “and we always look at the range of military branches and sequels. I won’t comment on any particular one because that gets to whatever advice I may or may not have given to the president.”

Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island, tried again a few minutes later. “Have you been surprised by the resistance of the Iranians?” he asked. 

Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: Media parrots Pentagon’s low-ball cost estimate for Iran War, Judd Legum, right, May 14, 2026. This week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Acting Undersecretary Jules Hurst, the Pentagon’s Chief Financial Officer, answered questions about the cost of the Iran War while testifying before House and Senate Committees.

“Now we think it’s closer to 29 [billion],” Hurst said. “That’s because of updated repair and replacement of equipment costs and also just general operational costs.” There was no explanation of how this figure was calculated or documentation of any kind. The only thing Hurst provided was his brief verbal statement.

Two weeks ago, CBS News reported that the Pentagon’s internal estimate was “closer to $50 billion.” Writing for Popular Information, analyst Stephen Semler estimated the Iran War cost $72 billion in the first 60 days. Semler provided a detailed methodology of his calculations. Other independent estimates are even higher.

Congressman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) asked Hegseth when a “formal accounting on the cost” would be available. Hegseth was non-committal, saying only he would share more information “when it’s relevant and required.”

It was an odd thing for Hegseth to say, since it is explicitly Congress’ job to approve and oversee federal spending. All departments are required to share information about how they spend allocated funds with Congress.

According to a report in the Washington Post, “Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites across the Middle East since the war began, hitting hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft and key radar, communications and air defense equipment.” Under questioning from Congressman Ed Case (D-HI), Hurst acknowledged that none of the damage to military sites was included in his estimate.

“We have a lot of unknowns there,” Hurst said. “We don’t know what our future posture is going to be. We don’t know how to construct those bases.” Semler estimates the cost of military assets damaged or destroyed during the Iran War to be at least $11.9 billion. Hurst also said he would need to “double check” if arms transfers to other countries were included in his cost estimate. According to Semler, arms transfers to Israel, which is waging the war in concert with the U.S., cost about $2.9 billion in the first 60 days.

The biggest flaw with the Pentagon’s estimate is the way it calculates spending for munitions. (Hurst testified that spending on munitions accounted for $24 billion of its $29 billion estimate.) Semler explains:

The cost to fire one SM-2 interceptor is approximately $1.2 million. If 50 are withdrawn from the stockpile and fired, the Pentagon’s ledger would show $60 million in expenses from consuming those munitions… The Pentagon no longer buys SM-2s; the interceptor is being replaced by the more advanced and expensive SM-6. So each time an SM-2 is fired in the ongoing war, the Pentagon’s accounting system registers a cost closer to the SM-2’s $1.2 million unit cost from 2010 than the $6.3 million unit cost budgeted in 2027 for the SM-6 that will replace it. For US taxpayers, the cost of firing 50 SM-2s isn’t $60 million; it’s $315 million.

There are many more examples of expended munitions (or destroyed equipment) that are budgeted to be replaced by much more expensive variants.

Nevertheless, most major media outlets simply repeated the $29 billion estimate as if it was credible. Popular Information reviewed articles or updates about the new estimate in the New York Times, USA Today, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, NOTUS, Stars and Stripes, New York Post, CNN, Politico, and Reuters. All of these publications put the $29 billion estimate in the headline.

The CNN article notes that a “source previously told CNN that a more accurate estimate is closer to $40-50 billion.” The Politico piece said the $29 billion estimate is “still significantly lower than outside projections.” None of the other publications mentioned that other estimates put the cost of the war much higher than $29 billion. Four of the articles did not even mention that the estimate excluded damage at U.S. bases.

I’ve been doing campaign finance research since 1997. The bad news is that the influence of big money on our political system has not waned. The good news is that, with the right training, it is easier than ever to access public information about who is trying to buy influence.

With the midterm elections approaching, I’m pulling back the curtain on the research methods I’ve developed over nearly 30 years. I am hosting a webinar that will cover:

Exactly how money will flow into the 2026 midterm elections.

How to efficiently and accurately identify what corporations and individuals are donating to any candidate or cause.

When and where new information will become available as election day approaches.

The tactics that powerful people and corporations use to try to hide their spending.

More On Trump, Trump Administration

New York Times, Analysis: Is Trump Tuned Out to Americans’ Financial Needs? A Remark Suggests Yes, Katie Glueck, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). Asked if he was motivated by Americans’ financial woes to make a deal to end the war with Iran, President Trump responded, “Not even a little bit.”

President Trump has never been a fuzzy, feel-your-pain kind of politician.

That came through in an especially striking way yesterday, when he answered a question about whether he was motivated by the financial situation of Americans to make a deal to end the war with Iran.

“Not even a little bit,” he replied, as my colleague Erica Green reported. (You can watch the video here.)

“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,” Trump added. “I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.”

It was a response that flouted fundamental rules of American politics — that voters are motivated above all by economic concerns, that they want to support politicians who “care about people like me” — and it was a risky one, given Trump’s dire political standing:

His disapproval rating is consistently hovering around 60 percent or worse

A new CNN poll found that 77 percent of Americans — including a majority of Republicans — thought his policies had increased the cost of living in their own community

Inflation rose a startling 3.8 percent in April, the fastest rate since May 2023, sending a flashing warning about how the war in the Middle East is raising prices for Americans

Republican pushback to the conflict is growing in Congress

And Trump has not exactly given the impression that he is single-mindedly focused on bringing down the cost of living. He spent one recent night unleashing a barrage of Truth Social posts about various grievances and topics, including conspiracy theories about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

“President Trump was re-elected for four reasons,” Whit Ayres, a veteran Republican pollster, told me. “To improve the economy, to bring down inflation, to control illegal immigration and to get away from woke culture. Anything that works against any of those four goals is not helpful.”

Republicans have had some good news, however, on the redistricting front. Two favorable court rulings for them have spurred a rapid escalation of Republican-led redrawing of maps across the South.

New York Times, Trump Administration Will Withhold $1.3 Billion in Medicaid Payments to California, Sarah Kliff, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). Vice President JD Vance said the state had not done enough to fight fraud in the public health insurance program.

The Trump administration will withhold $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid payments from California, Vice President JD Vance announced on Wednesday, saying the state had failed to combat fraud in the public health insurance program.

“The state of California has not taken fraud very seriously,” Mr. Vance said at a White House news conference.

The vice president also announced an audit of state-level watchdog agencies called Medicaid fraud control units, which are meant to ferret out inappropriate spending. The administration sent letters to the offices on Wednesday, asking them to prove that they were “effectively and aggressively” combating Medicaid fraud, Mr. Vance said. He added that they could also lose funds.

The announcements were part of the administration’s growing focus on fraud in public health insurance programs. In March, President Trump established a task force to crack down on the misuse of public funds in federal programs, appointing Mr. Vance as the leader of the group.

So far, the actions have focused on Democratic states. In February, the administration halted $259 million in payments to Minnesota, after a major welfare scandal. Minnesota has challenged that decision in court.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and another task force member, has frequently pointed to California’s hospice industry as a prime example of fraud, noting that a third of all hospice providers were in one city: Los Angeles.

“There is something clearly wrong,” Dr. Oz said at a recent event hosted by the Paragon Institute, a conservative health policy think tank.

On Wednesday, Medicare announced it was enacting a six-month moratorium on approving new hospice providers, as the agency aims to investigate and identify possible cases of fraud.

New York Times, Duffy’s ‘Great American Road Trip’ Prompts Ethical Concerns, Karoun Demirjian, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). A YouTube series starring Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his family is part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, but it doubled as a family excursion for them. Mr. Duffy has insisted that the department’s career ethics and budget officials reviewed and approved his participation in the YouTube series.

On May 1, Sean P. Duffy was in New Orleans, touring its container terminals in his official capacity as the secretary of transportation.

Then, he climbed behind the wheel of a car with his family on the final, all-expenses paid stop for “The Great American Road Trip,” a slickly produced YouTube series that has raised questions about self-promotion and gifts his family may have accepted as he conducted official business as a prominent member of the Trump administration.

The series, filmed across 10 states and Washington, D.C., over the course of seven months, is part of the department’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States this year. But it doubled as a set of family excursions for Mr. Duffy, his wife and his children, who traveled to national parks and major landmarks paid for by Great American Road Trip Inc., a nonprofit that names among its sponsors Toyota, United Airlines and Boeing.

Mr. Duffy has said that ethics and budget officials in the department cleared the project. But the corporate ties — and the show’s timing, with gas prices rising — drew immediate blowback on social media when the trailer was released, announcing that it will air beginning in June. The average price of gas has gone up more than 40 percent since the war with Iran started in February.

“Accepting travel from companies with business before D.O.T. potentially implicates even more significant corruption and misconduct concerns,” Donald K. Sherman, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a left-leaning government watchdog group, wrote in a letter this week to Mitch Behm, the acting inspector general for the Transportation Department. In it, Mr. Sherman asked Mr. Behm to investigate “whether the secretary violated the standards of ethical conduct or other federal ethics laws by his participation in the privately sponsored promotional road trip with his family.”

The concept of a great American road trip is a throwback to the U.S. bicentennial, when families were encouraged to pack up their cars and tour the country.

Mr. Duffy and his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a Fox News anchor, are no strangers to the format of a filmed road trip, having met as cast members of the reality television show “Road Rules: All Stars.” But despite the branding, the Duffys’ “Great American Road Trip” isn’t a classic cross-country journey.

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Our Kowtower-in-Chief, William Kristol, right, May 14, 2026. In 1859, President James Buchanan sent an ambassador, John Ward, to the court of the Emperor of China. No American ambassador had ever met with a Chinese Emperor, and Ward was invited to do so.

A foreign representative meeting the emperor was expected to “kowtow” to him (“kou” = to knock, “tou” = head), to bow and touch his head on the floor. Ward refused, writing that “I will not kneel or knock my head on the ground before him.” The Emperor in turn refused to see him. The meeting was never held.

China no longer has an emperor—at least, it doesn’t use the title. Its president, Xi Jinping, does not require guests to kneel and touch their heads on the floor. And so President Trump was welcomed today outside the Great Hall of the People with an honor guard and rows of cheering children and a twenty-one-gun salute.

Still, the spirit of the kowtow was alive and well. In the Great Hall, Xi greeted the American president politely but professionally, calling on the United States and China to be “partners, not adversaries.”

Trump responded much more personally. “I have such respect for China, the job you’ve done. You’re a great leader. I say it to everybody, you’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway because it’s true.” Trump also liked the ranks of Chinese children the state assembled to greet him with forced enthusiasm, telling Xi: “I was particularly impressed by those children. They were happy, they were beautiful. Those children were amazing.”

It’s a kowtow, twenty-first century style.

The fawning was, in a Trumpian manner, combined with grandiosity. “There are those that say this is maybe the biggest summit ever. They can never remember anything like it. I can say in the United States people aren’t talking about anything else.”

Well, I’ve been out and about a bit in the last couple of days. I can report that people in the United States are talking about everything else but this summit. And I know of no foreign policy analyst who expects this to be “the biggest summit ever.”

Quite the contrary. As Politico put it, the Trump–Xi meeting has become “the shrinking summit”: “President Donald Trump’s ambitions for his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping have shrunk from ‘grand bargain’ to a plea for help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a push for small trade deals.”

I’ll probably have more to say about Trump’s pilgrimage to China tomorrow, after the summit ends and we can begin to judge its practical results, if any. But the sad truth already is this: With Trump backing down last fall after starting a trade war with China, and with our ongoing humiliation in the Gulf, if this summit is remembered at all, it’s likely to be recalled as a signpost in American decline. Trump did not quarrel in public, nor, so far as we know in private, with Xi’s claim to equal global status (“partners”) with the United States. How could he? Given Trump’s success in reducing the standing of the United States in the world, he had no grounds to do so.

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Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that a confidential U.S. government intelligence analysis produced this week for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff “details how China is exploiting the war in Iran to maximize its advantage over the United States across military, economic, diplomatic and other fields.”

The report points out that during the Iran war, “China has sold weapons to Persian Gulf allies of the U.S. as they struggled to defend their military bases and oil infrastructure from Iranian missile and drone attacks.” China “has also assisted countries around the world struggling to meet their energy needs after the U.S.-Israeli attacks prompted Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.”

And the analysis notes that the war has drained the U.S. military of stocks of weapons that would be critical in the defense of Taiwan against China. In fact the Chinese news agency Xinhua reports that in their private meeting, Xi warned Trump about the possibility of conflict over U.S. support for Taiwan. Trump had already raised doubts about U.S. backing for Taiwan before leaving for the summit. We have no reports of Trump pushing back in the meeting.

But not to worry. The Trump administration assures us that all is well. When asked about the intelligence report, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, said that “Assertions claiming the global balance of power have shifted towards any nation other than the United States of America are fundamentally false.” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales claimed that the United States joining Iran in blockading the strait was “one of the most successful naval blockades in history.” And in Beijing, Elon Musk, one of Trump’s fellow supplicants at the summit, shouted “Wonderful!” to reporters as he left the Great Hall.

All’s well, according to the Trumpists, as the American democracy declines and the Chinese dictatorship rises.

But I suppose we should be grateful that the president of the United States didn’t kneel down and tap his head on the ground. At least not in public.

AROUND THE BULWARK

• Here’s What I Told the DNC Autopsy… The report may never see the light of day—so ROB FLAHERTY, the Harris campaign’s head of digital, offers his candid breakdown of what worked, what failed, and what Democrats have yet to learn.
• There’s Something Wrong with the President… TOM NICHOLS joins TIM MILLER for a special live pod to break down the bad Orange President’s insomnia-induced, Obama-obsessed posting spree, one that should raise real concern about his mental health.
• Rand Paul’s Son Berates GOP Congressman… In a drunken antisemitic outburst, as explained by WILL SOMMER and SAM STEIN on Bulwark+ Takes.
• San Diego here we come! We’re thrilled to announce our lineup for Bulwark Live featuring special guest San Diego Mayor TODD GLORIA. Plus our very own MAGA culture expert WILL SOMMER.Join Sam, Tim and Sarah for this one-night live show at the Balboa Theatre on May 20. Grab your seats today.

Quick Hits

ABUNDANCE AROUND THE CORNER: It was surprising back in March when the Senate got its act together enough to pass a good bill to address America’s housing crunch. It was perhaps even more surprising last night when House lawmakers announced they’d reached a bipartisan deal on their own, even better version of the bill.

As we wrote at the time, the Senate’s ROAD to Housing Act had one big flaw: a ban on large companies (defined as any company that manages more than 350 housing units) from building new single-family homes to rent out. Housing advocates had warned that this provision cut against the rest of the bill by choking off one pathway to new housing development. Now, per Politico, House negotiators have agreed to strip that provision from the bill—and to nibble at the corners of the bill’s other controls on institutional investment in single-family homes as well by narrowing its definition of a “single-family home.”

The House’s improvements have complicated the bill’s road to passage: The White House and the Senate had both hoped the House would swallow its objections, pass the Senate bill, and get it straight to the president’s desk.

GERRYMANDERING AWAY: Will South Carolina redistrict? After the Supreme Court gutted the remaining sections of the Voting Rights Act last month, Donald Trump has been demanding that Southern red states rush to eliminate their last blue-stronghold majority-minority districts ahead of November’s midterms.

At first, South Carolina’s Gov. Henry McMaster promised to leave the question of whether his GOP-controlled legislature would reconvene to consider redistricting up to the legislature itself. But after the state Senate unexpectedly shot down the idea Tuesday, McMaster changed his mind: Lawmakers announced last night that McMaster now intends to call a special session after all. Should they succeed, the likely effect would be to eliminate the district of Rep. James Clyburn, who has served in Congress since 1993.

ARGH DE TRIOMPHE: The White House ballroom may be unpopular, but Trump is still surging ahead both with it and with another of his eyesore vanity projects: his proposed jumbo-sized triumphal arch across the river at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. Today, the Washington Post reports that the administration has been trying to hustle its arch construction along “by piggybacking on an existing, unrelated contract for engineering services at the White House grounds more than a mile away”:

The move would allow the administration to bypass a potentially lengthy public bidding process, and experts said it was unusual because the arch site is on National Park Service land across the Potomac River and is not part of the White House complex.

Park Service acting director Jessica Bowron wrote to White House officials last month asking whether the agency could extend a contract between the White House and engineering firm AECOM Services for an environmental assessment for the proposed 250-foot arch. . . .

An hour later, the White House gave NPS a green light. “Yes of course,” wrote Heather Martin, an official in the Executive Office of the President.

It’s not clear from the emails whether the Park Service ultimately followed through with the plan to use the White House contract. But site testing was to begin this week, according to a timeline laid out by the Trump administration in federal court last week. Heavy machinery was at the site Monday.

More On U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

New York Times, South Carolina Governor Plans Special Session to Redraw House Maps, Eduardo Medina, May 14, 2026 (print ed.). Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, appears prepared to thrust the state into the nation’s redistricting wars.

Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina, a Republican, plans to call the state legislature back for a special session that will be focused on redrawing the state’s congressional maps, lawmakers said on Wednesday evening. The effort could eliminate the state’s sole Democratic district, held by Representative James E. Clyburn.

Mr. McMaster’s decision came one day after five Republican state senators voted with Democrats to block a resolution that would have brought the legislature back to the State Capitol to consider redistricting.

That vote had seemed to close the door on the matter. Republican lawmakers had considered an agreement to extend their session only when it became clear that Mr. McMaster would not immediately call a special session himself.

But Mr. McMaster, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits, now appears willing to thrust South Carolina into the redistricting battles that have reached fever intensity, particularly in the South, ever since the Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Voting Rights Act last month.

President Trump has been clear about his wish for a G.O.P. sweep of all seven of South Carolina’s congressional districts, pressing Republican officials to draw new district maps before the midterm elections.

Mr. McMaster’s office declined to comment on Wednesday. Recently, he had said that he would let the Republican-controlled General Assembly decide the matter.

If Mr. McMaster calls the special session, lawmakers would face a time crunch. South Carolina’s primaries are on June 9, but early voting begins in two weeks, so Republicans would have to pass new maps before May 26.

The South Carolina House has proposed moving the congressional primaries to August to accommodate new maps.

There are also legal hurdles to consider. Hundreds of overseas voters have already cast ballots, which could prompt lawsuits if their votes are discarded to account for a change of date in congressional elections.

It is still unclear if new maps would pass in a special session, although Republicans control the legislature and would need only a simple majority to approve them.

Davey Hiott, the Republican leader of the South Carolina House, told reporters that his chamber was ready to get things rolling on Friday morning and vote on a map as quickly as possible, ideally next week.

Shane Massey, the Republican leader of the State Senate, who drew national attention for his impassioned speech against redistricting, was much more apprehensive about moving fast. He said public input was important and continued to voice opposition to the redistricting effort.

“I haven’t heard anything that alleviates the concerns, not just for me but for other people that I’ve been talking to,” Mr. Massey said. “The concerns are there. If anything, they’re only heightened."

He also noted that there were other pressing matters for the legislature to consider in the special session, such as finishing the budget.

Unlike their counterparts in states like Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana, some South Carolina Republicans have been much more lukewarm about the idea of mid-decade redistricting, mostly because they are skeptical that a new map would guarantee one more Republican-leaning congressional district. Instead, they fear that Democrats could be competitive in the newly created districts as Republican strength in some current districts is diluted.

Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 13, 2026 [Historic Sabotage Of Black Voting Rights, Civil War Union Victory], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 14, 2026. Two weeks ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Louisiana v. Callais, gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act provided that no state or local government could impose any conditions or procedures on voting that would result “in a denial or abridgement of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”

In the past, the Supreme Court has recognized that the right to vote alone does not necessarily fulfill the aims of the law. It’s possible—even easy—to dilute the votes of Black Americans to make it impossible for them to elect a candidate they support. Sometimes, then, in order to guarantee Black representation in government, states have had to create districts that are made up primarily of Black Americans. The court has condoned this practice, upholding the idea that in such a case, the state has a compelling reason to draw districts according to race. In the past, the court saw the creation of majority-minority districts as a way to comply with the Voting Rights Act, guaranteeing that Black voters can elect the lawmakers they prefer.

But in 2024, a “non-Black” voter in Louisiana challenged a new majority-minority district drawn so that the state’s congressional delegation might include two Black legislators out of the six allocated to the state. Those districts were designed to remedy the fact that although one third of the people who live in Louisiana are Black, the state has never had a Black senator, and no congressional district other than the majority-Black district has elected a Black representative. The state hasn’t had a Black governor since Reconstruction.

On April 29, by a vote of 6–3, with the right-wing justices in the majority, the Supreme Court declared Louisiana’s construction of a majority-minority district unconstitutional under the Fifteenth Amendment. It was, they said, an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. And, as the court ruled in Rucho v. Common Cause in 2019, the federal courts have no business addressing partisan gerrymandering.

Immediately, Louisiana governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency to stop the state’s congressional primary election, which was already underway. His declaration has thrown the election into chaos as 45,000 ballots already cast won’t be counted, and the ballots already sent out will still include the race that Landry has now postponed.

Since then, other Republican-dominated states have rushed to pass mid-decade gerrymanders that will shut Democrats out of power.

Tennessee governor Bill Lee, a Republican, immediately called the Tennessee legislature into emergency special session to get rid of the state’s only Democratic member of Congress, the one representing Memphis. Sixty percent of the people who live in Memphis are Black. Once back in session, the Tennessee lawmakers repealed their own law that prohibited mid-decade redistricting. Then, on May 7, they cracked Memphis into three districts, diluting Black votes by swamping them with voters in white suburbs. The state had similarly cracked Nashville in 2022, flipping that seat, as well, from Democratic to Republican.

“Tennessee is a conservative state, and this map ensures that our congressional delegation reflects that,” Republican state senator John Stevens said. “This is about allowing Tennessee to maximize its partisan advantage.”

On May 8 the Virginia state supreme court voted along partisan lines to strike down a plan Virginia voters had approved to redraw the state’s congressional districts temporarily to favor Democrats as a way to counteract the Republicans’ partisan gerrymanders in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and other states.

The court majority argued that the redistricting measure was invalid because, as Amna Nawaz and Ali Schmitz of PBS explained, the Virginia constitution requires the General Assembly to pass a constitutional amendment twice: once before a legislative election and once after. This should guarantee two different sets of eyes on any such amendment by letting the people elect new lawmakers between the votes. But when the General Assembly passed the measure the first time, early voting was already underway. Thus, the court said, it was not “before” a scheduled election.

On May 11, a week before elections are due to start there, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to use a 2023 district map that lower courts ruled unconstitutional because it diluted Black voting by spreading Black voters across three districts, thus violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In an unsigned one-paragraph order, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower courts to reevaluate in light of the Callais decision.

On May 12, Tennessee House speaker Cameron Sexton removed all the House Democrats from standing committees, saying they had behaved in a way “aimed at disrupting the democratic and legislative processes” as they protested the mid-decade redistricting that broke up Tennessee’s only majority-Black, Democratic district. As Tennessee state representative Justin J. Pearson notes, this decree removed “every Black elected official in the state legislature from any committee we served on” and stripped “nearly 2 million Tennesseans from the representation they deserve” in the Tennessee state legislature.

On May 13—today—Georgia governor Brian Kemp called a special session of the Georgia General Assembly for June 17 to redraw Georgia’s congressional maps before the 2028 election. He said it was too late to change Georgia’s maps for 2026, but that the Callais decision requires Georgia to change its electoral maps.

Also today, Louisiana legislators advanced a congressional map eliminating one of the state’s two Black-majority districts. South Carolina governor Henry McMaster is expected to call for a special session to eliminate the state’s only Black-majority district and only Democratic seat, and Mississippi governor Tate Reeves said Mississippi lawmakers would eliminate the state’s only majority-Black district before 2028.

Jim Saksa of Democracy Docket assesses that redistricting could net Republicans between 16 and 18 seats in Congress in 2026, while the Democrats will likely pick up six, at least so far: five in California and one in Utah where a court demanded a redrawing of districts. Many of these redistricting plans are being challenged in the courts, and it remains possible that not all of them will flip, but G. Elliott Morris of Strength in Numbers assesses that the Democrats will have to win congressional elections by 3–4 points in order to win a majority.

We are watching, in real time, the creation of a one-party state in the American South.

We have been here before.

The actual name of what we know as the Voting Rights Act is “AN ACT To enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.”

In the wake of the Civil War, Americans tried to create a new nation in which the law treated Black men and white men as equals. In 1865 they ratified the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, outlawing enslavement except as punishment for crimes. In 1868 they adjusted the Constitution again, guaranteeing that anyone born or naturalized in the United States—except certain Indigenous Americans—was a citizen, opening up suffrage to Black men. In 1870, after Georgia legislators expelled their newly seated Black colleagues, Americans defended the right of Black men to vote by recognizing that right in the Constitution.

All three of those amendments—the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth—gave Congress the power to enforce them. In 1870, Congress established the Department of Justice to do just that. Reactionary white southerners had been using state laws, and the unwillingness of state judges and juries to protect Black Americans from white gangs and unscrupulous employers, to keep Black people subservient. White men organized as the Ku Klux Klan to terrorize Black men and to keep them and their white allies from voting to change that system. In 1870 the federal government stepped in to protect Black rights and prosecute members of the Ku Klux Klan.

With federal power now behind the Constitutional protection of equality, threatening jail for those who violated the law, white opponents of Black voting changed their argument against it.

In 1871 they began to say that they had no problem with Black men voting on racial grounds; their objection to Black voting was that Black men, just out of enslavement, were poor and uneducated. They were voting for lawmakers who promised them public services, like roads and schools, that could only be paid for with tax levies. Black voters, they said, were ushering in socialism.

Former Confederates declared it their duty to “redeem” the South from “Black rule,” by which they meant the Republicans and third parties in which white men and Black men worked together for policies that benefited workingmen, policies like education and workers’ protections. White Democrats argued that because such parties, even if overwhelmingly white, could win only with Black votes, they represented “Black rule.”

By 1880 the South was solidly Democratic, and it would remain so until the mid-1960s as white southern Democrats worked to silence the voices of Black Americans in the South to cement their own control over the region. In 1890, fourteen southern congressmen wrote a book to explain to their northern colleagues why Democrats had to control the South. Why the Solid South? or Reconstruction and Its Results insisted that Black voters who had supported the Republicans after the Civil War had perverted the government by using it to give themselves services paid for with white tax dollars.

Later that year, a new constitution in Mississippi started the process of making sure Black people could not vote by requiring educational tests, poll taxes, or a grandfather who had voted.

Eight years later, there was still enough Black voting in North Carolina and enough class solidarity with poor whites that voters in Wilmington elected a coalition government of Black Republicans and white Populists. White Democrats agreed that the coalition had won fairly, but about 2,000 of them nonetheless armed themselves to “reform” the city government. They issued a “White Declaration of Independence” and said they would “never again be ruled, by men of African origin.” It was time, they said, “for the intelligent citizens of this community owning 95% of the property and paying taxes in proportion, to end the rule by” Black men.

As they forced the elected officials out of office and took their places, the new Democratic mayor claimed “there was no intimidation used,” but as many as 300 African Americans died in the Wilmington coup. In the years to come, white Americans would continue to maintain control of politics through violence. They considered it a public duty to purge society of Black Americans, taking photographs of themselves at lynchings.

The region white Democrats ruled at the beginning of the twentieth century enforced white supremacy with extralegal violence. That racial domination helped white Americans swallow the South’s dramatic inequality. A few wealthy men dominated the region, while most people were poor: southerners had about half the average per capita income of the rest of the nation.

It was this world Congress addressed when, after more than 80 years in which state legislatures refused to acknowledge the Fifteenth Amendment, it passed the 1965 Voting Rights Act, finally taking seriously the amendment’s charge to “enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

In their 2018 book How Democracies Die, political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt noted that democracies depend on members of each party recognizing the legitimacy of their partisan rivals. Even if they disagree with each other, each recognizes the others’ members as loyal to the nation and accepts their legitimacy as lawmakers if voters elect them. Democracy also depends on parties refusing to use the tools of government to destroy the ability of their partisan opponents to win elections.

A day after a Pennsylvania man was arrested for making a “hit list” of twenty Democratic legislators he called “communist infiltrators” and threatened to shoot, as President Trump calls Democrats “traitors” and as southern states destroy the ability of Black Democrats to elect representatives, the echoes of the past are deafening.

Although the parties have switched sides, the story is the same. Now, as then, a minority is disfranchising voters because it knows its ideas are unpopular and it cannot win on the merits of its policies. What it can do, though, is to deliver white supremacy to its followers in hopes that it will be enough to make them ignore the economic system that is leading them to ruin.

As Joyce White Vance noted tonight in Civil Discourse, Georgia Senate minority leader Harold Jones II reacted to the news of Georgia’s special session for redistricting by saying: “If Republicans ever used their power to help Georgians, they wouldn’t have to waste time and money redrawing the maps every few years to keep their majorities.

“June will be our third redistricting since 2021. Republicans need to undo their last gerrymander because it wasn’t good enough to keep their waffling political party in power. Most parties would try out some new ideas. Republicans choose to strip political power from Black people and undo the progress the South made in the last 60 years.

“Let’s sum it up for everybody. The biggest bloc of middle and working class voters are Black people. When Republicans strip Black people’s political power away, it doesn’t just strip one community of power. It strips political power from every single middle and working class person and hands it over to billionaires and big corporations. That’s what redistricting means for you.”You’re currently a paid subscriber to Letters from an American. If you need help receiving Letters, changing your email address, or unsubscribing, please visit our Support FAQ. You can also submit a help request directly.

The Contrarian, Opinion: Republicans Cannot Gerrymander Senate Races, Jennifer Rubin, right, May 14, 2026. Democrats’ prospects are actually improving with time. Not even Donald Trump, his MAGA toadies on the Supreme Court, or White supremacist state legislators can figure out how to gerrymander states.

Lacking the favored Jim Crow mechanism (e.g., radical redistricting) to rig the election, Republicans’ Senate prospects are looking worse by the week. United States Senate chamber.

Months ago, we suggested that Democrats had a good shot at winning the Senate majority thanks to Trump’s horrific polling numbers, widespread economic angst, and Republican incumbents’ inability to deliver anything but tax cuts for the rich, paid for by draconian cuts to healthcare and food assistance. Since then, we have learned that one in five people have lost coverage under the Affordable Health Care Act, scores of rural hospitals are being forced to close, and 3.5 million have lost SNAP benefits, raising the ranks of hungry children, seniors, and families.

So it’s no surprise that, as USA Today recently reported, Democrats’ chances of winning the majority are looking even brighter. With “strong candidate recruitment effort, coupled with significant fundraising and Trump’s declining popularity and his base’s infighting,” Republicans face a strong choice of losing majorities in both houses. Put differently, Trump’s sinking poll numbers and failed agenda are dragging Senate Republicans under.

Rather than trying to appeal to ordinary voters, Republicans have doubled down on Trump idolatry. To make matters worse for themselves, Republicans are banking on unappealing candidates — MAGA extremists, Trump’s rubber stamps, and do-nothing phony moderates. Meanwhile, Democrats have found star candidates well-suited to their states (e.g., Roy Cooper in North Carolina, Mary Peltola in Alaska, James Tallarico in Texas). As a result, recent polling shows Democratic candidates statistically tied or ahead in a batch of GOP-held states (Alaska, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas). States like Iowa, ordinarily not remotely competitive, are clearly in play.

Meanwhile, the Democratic-held Senate seats that were considered most vulnerable now look a whole lot more secure (e.g., New Hampshire, Georgia). Even Michigan, which Republicans identified as their most likely pick-up, sent a signal in the recent special elections that Republicans are in trouble. “Surging gas prices, an unpopular war in Iran, and tariffs that have hit the state’s auto industry hard have all contributed to concerns about a worsening political environment for Michigan Republicans,” the Associated Press reported. “[A] Democrat won a special election by almost 20 points in a state Senate district that Kamala Harris won by less than 1 point in 2024.”Subscribed

Looking at the Senate map, a single Democratic Senate seat, Michigan, is rated a toss-up by analysts such as Charlie Cook. Democrats have no seats leaning or likely to go Republican. By contrast, Republicans have 3 seats in immediate peril, toss-up, or leaning Democratic (Ohio, Maine, North Carolina), plus a historically safe seat that merely leans Republican (Alaska). That still leaves Democrats with pick-up opportunities in Iowa, Texas, and even Nebraska (where the official Democratic candidate will drop out, aiding independent Dan Osborn, who would caucus with Democrats and is a viable candidate against incumbent Republican Senator Pete Ricketts).

Which party would you favor — the one with at most one truly vulnerable seat and scads of pickup opportunities, or the one with three candidates already in trouble and more at risk?

Nearly 5 months until Election Day is a lifetime in politics, but matters may get worse for Republicans for several reasons. For starters, contrary to Trump’s lies, inflation and gas prices in particular are soaring. The public rightfully blames Trump and his Republican doormats. In April, inflation soared to 3.8 percent, the highest in three years. There is no guarantee — and no indication — that it won’t go even higher before election day.

Second, a revived civil rights movement with massive organizing in response to Callais can certainly lift Black and Hispanic turnout not only in the South but throughout the country. We already saw a massive Hispanic turnout in Texas’s Democratic primary. If Black and Hispanic voters, many of whom have not consistently turned out in midterms, flock to the polls in November, they can boost Democrats in critical states (e.g., Michigan, Florida, Texas). The Callais backlash could well hand control of the Senate to Democrats.

Third, Senate Republicans refuse to change tactics, separate themselves from Trump (even on dreadful votes such as the $1B ballroom), or present an agenda that might appeal to working and middle-class voters. Democrats are chomping at the bit to hit incumbents like Dan Sullivan and Susan Collins, who like to pose as moderates, for passively allowing grotesque corruption and doing nothing to halt a radical, hugely unpopular agenda that ignores the key issue most important to voters: affordability.

Finally, Republicans’ negative attacks this cycle are particularly ineffective and downright moldy. They seem to assume the electorate cares about things Republicans have brushed aside, such as old social media posts. (Maine’s Graham Platner’s posts, written in the throes of his PTSD struggles, don’t hold a candle to Trump and other MAGA figures’ daily insane rantings). Republicans’ grab-bag of absurd smears fail to pass the straight-face test (e.g., painting Presbyterian seminarian Talarico as an anti-Christian lefty).

This is not to say that Democrats will have clear sailing. Republicans’ unceasing efforts to disrupt elections (e.g., purging voting rolls, requiring ballots to be returned and not just mailed on election day, redistricting in the midst of primary voting, or moving polling places with scant notification) will require Democrats to conduct massive voter education and deploy an aggressive litigation strategy. In addition, Democrats likely won’t be able to match Republicans’ massive haul of dark money (although all you need is enough money to wage effective races). The risk of either overconfidence or loss of interest is always a concern.

However, on balance, Senate Democrats will enjoy an ideal political environment (perhaps the best since 2006, when they picked up 6 seats) and the best recruits in years. They’re organizing, engaging, motivating, and turning out voters — reminding them that if they allow Trump and his MAGA white nationalists two more years of free rein, the country will be unrecognizable and perhaps unsalvageable.

And if voters needed any more motivation, they should remember that a Democratic Senate majority would bring (in addition to investigative and budget powers) an end to confirmation of atrocious judicial and executive nominees and give them the power to conduct effective, eye-opening impeachment trials (for either Trump or his cronies). That should be worth every dollar spent and hour devoted to ending Senate Republicans’ majority.

U.S. Law, Rights, Crime, Justice

Emptywheel, Analysis and Opinion: Gatekeeper to Narcissistic Meltdown, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 14, 2026. MS-NOW did back-to-back interviews with John Brennan and Jim Comey the other day.

Overnight that night (and so probably at least partly in response to seeing Brennan and Comey, on TV, unbowed), Trump had a meltdown so severe that it elicited a number of analyses of his Truth Social habit.

Among the first was this list of Trump’s tweets from Harry Sisson, who commonly tracks Trump’s meltdowns.

The pink and green rectangles are mine.

I chose to mark the things that most directly fed Trump’s grand conspiracy theory, and so likely were a response to those interviews. I did that, in part, to highlight these two tweets, in which the President of the United States RTed others calling out Todd Blanche for not charging the grand conspiracy yet. (The timestamp on these is Irish time, but the RTed timestamp is the time of the post, with the YouWish account located in Central Time Zone.)

Both these were responses to this low-virality tweet from a fake news website that has Telegram and Rumble feeds, bearing a name mirroring US News’ home company and located in Romania. (MeidasTouch also examined this Romanian post.)

“Trump” had RTed that tweet just a minute earlier.

The original tweet got seven QTs (all by marginal accounts), 431 RTs, and 612 likes — by Xitter standards, a nothingburner. On the President’s own failing social media platform, however, it got over 3,000 RTs and 8,000 likes.

Truth Social is failing, I guess I should say, from a financial perspective, not from an influence one.

So in the middle of a longer rant about his unbowed enemies, “Trump” RTed the Romanian propaganda, then two responses from low-follower accounts (3,511 and 1,538 followers, respectively), which were comments about DOJ’s failure to charge a grand conspiracy. In response to one, the most powerful man in the world whimpered, “They are working hard!”

This was a moment not dissimilar from the one where Trump accidentally publicly posted a Truth Social DM meant for Pam Bondi, which he started by complaining, “I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, “same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done.” Like that attempted DM, Trump made it clear he tracked these unbelievably obscure MAGAts wailing about “justice,” but this one built off tiny Xitter accounts responding to foreign propaganda.

For all we know there were Truth Social DMs to Todd Blanche, successfully sent privately, accompanying the public screed. In Nicole Wallace’s follow-up incorporating Trump’s rant, she noted that Trump publicly called out Blanche the other day as the Acting AG, not the permanent one.

Whether or not Trump was sending a message to Blanche directly at the time, his rant transported a foreign propaganda conspiracy theory and two incredibly obscure responses to it from Xitter over to Truth Social in a way that called out Todd Blanche for failing to charge treason, yet, and did so within a half hour of the obscure responses being posted.

At the end of the day after this rant, WSJ did its own analysis of that rant and all the other rants Trump’s account engages in late night hours concluding, “the president uses the social-media platform to spread conspiracy theories and attack his adversaries.”

Ya think? It all seems so obvious but then you have people like Michael Scherer who treat this as a both-sides problem.

In reality, WSJ pulls its punches on some matters. Even as it documents that,

Roughly 1 in 10 of the account’s text-based posts call a person or group a name, such as “crooked,” “sleazebag,” “loser” or “low IQ.” The phrase “Fake News” appears nearly 140 times.

It calls the systematic, gutter racist dehumanization of his adversaries merely portraying them as “cartoonish.” It characterizes posts like this (this is the post I’ve edited for accuracy, but WSJ posted the unedited post he reposted overnight during his rant) as “Foreign-policy announcements,” rather than propaganda.

And even while noting the manic nature of all this, it treats these manic episodes as merely, “amplif[ying] his frustrations about immigration, crime, culture and the 2020 election,” as if there’s a rational thought process somewhere.

Compare that treatment to Daniel Dale’s treatment of it, which foregrounded the conspiracy theories (I’ve bolded Dale’s treatment of the Romanian post).

False conspiracy theories about Obama have long been a staple of Trump’s reposts on social media. This posting spree featured a bunch more.

Trump shared a post – from an account using the name and image of the late John F. Kennedy Jr. – that said, “Barack Hussein Obama wiretapping Trump Tower during the 2016 election was a million times worse than anything Nixon did during Watergate. It is time to arrest the Renegade.” (“Renegade” is Obama’s Secret Service codename.)

But there is no evidence anybody wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 election, let alone that Obama himself did so. In 2017, during the first Trump presidency, the Justice Department said in a court filing that it had no records to support Trump’s claim earlier that year of Trump Tower having been wiretapped in 2016.

During this posting spree, Trump also shared another false conspiracy post that included a link to a web page filled with lies about the Obama administration. These included false claims that former secretary of state Hillary Clinton had used her private email server to sell top-secret information to foreign entities, that Obama had ordered a coverup, and that nine of 13 New York police officers trying to expose the truth “committed suicide or died in suspicious circumstances.” For good measure, the page added a lie that Obama had a “Birth Certificate Scandal” proving he was never eligible to be president.

In addition, Trump shared a video in which Tulsi Gabbard, now his director of national intelligence, baselessly claimed in 2024 that Obama and Clinton, among others, made decisions for former President Joe Biden’s administration. Trump shared another post that baselessly alleged Obama had “commissioned the Intelligence Community to falsify intelligence” and baselessly suggested he is guilty of treason. And Trump shared a video in which a conservative commentator baselessly claimed Obama was a “Trojan horse for the Marxists” and has made a deliberate attempt “to destroy America from within.”

Extensive lying about the 2020 election

No Trump conspiracy blitz would be complete without copious lying about the 2020 presidential election that he lost.

Among other falsehood-filled posts this time, Trump shared one from his former national security adviser Michael Flynn in which Flynn falsely claimed “The 2020 Election was Stolen.” (Trump lost fair and square to Biden.) Trump shared a post that – citing a shoddy news report from right-wing network One America News – falsely claimed Dominion voting technology had “DELETED 2.7 MILLION TRUMP VOTES NATIONWIDE. INCLUDING OVER 1 MILLION PENNSYLVANIA VOTES SWITCHED FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP TO BIDEN.” (None of this happened.) And he shared a post that based its false claim of a “stolen 2020 election” on pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell’s false claims about Dominion and other entities.

And while it wasn’t a response to this latest batshittery from Trump — it preceded it by a few days — NPR put Trump’s routine repetition of his conspiracy theories about 2020 in context in a piece (with a really neat graphic) showing what Trump has ranted about when this year.

[snip]

To the degree that his posts measure what he’s thinking about, the president’s social media feed suggests he is as preoccupied – or even more so – with his personal projects and vendettas than he is with pressing policy matters.

President Trump posted about the 2020 election 71 times in the first four months of 2026, more than he posted even about tariffs (57 times – all of which we coded as a subset of posts about the economy). Those 2020 election posts all promoted the lie that via massive voter fraud or other malfeasance, Joe Biden stole that election.

Trump posted 68 times about his various Washington, D.C., building projects, including his White House ballroom and a proposed massive arch across the Potomac near Arlington National Cemetery. That’s slightly more than he posted about Venezuela, more than he posted about the SAVE Act he’s promoting, and more than he posted about protesters and federal agents in Minneapolis, including federal agents killing two U.S. citizens.

He posted more than six times as often (105) about his various legal grievances than he did about healthcare policy (17).

Viewed via NPR’s nifty graphic, a larger pattern emerges. Aside from SCOTUS’ election interference, the single thing that has gone “right” for Trump this year (if you consider coopting the corrupt leader of a kleptocratic petrostate a success, as Trump does) is his snatching of Nicolás Maduro.

In periods where things were going wrong, he copes in familiar ways: treating himself as a god, dreaming about tacky gold monuments, dehumanizing others and promising vengeance, relitigating his attempt to steal the 2020 election.

It’s a familiar expression of malignant narcissism, responding to injuries by lashing out violently.

In its retrospective analysis, NPR noted how many of Trump’s posts are — like the Romanian one and two responses — transported over from other social media sites.

As for the top types of posts, the largest category – at just under one-quarter of his posts – are social media reshares. These take several formats – some are screenshots of posts from X, and others are videos reposted from other social media sites, such as TikTok.

This emphasizes the technological differences between now and Trump’s first term.

Near the end of his first term, the videos Trump posted were largely from Fox News or other right-leaning news outlets, or they were videos produced by the White House.

Now, there’s an endless array of TikTok and Instagram videos and memes the president can repost, many of them from amateurs or generated by AI. Some have been outright offensive, as when he posted a racist video that depicted former President Obama and Michelle Obama as apes. The White House initially defended the video, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters, “Please stop the fake outrage.” Trump later said he hadn’t seen the full video, telling reporters, “I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine.” He did not apologize, and the post was later deleted.

[snip]

This posting-then-reposting pattern is one of the more notable oddities of the president’s Truth Social posts. It appears to be a makeshift way of reposting things from X. The president regularly grabs, for example, a video someone else has posted on X, posts it without attribution on Truth Social, then immediately quote-posts his own post along with a screenshot of the original X post.

But NPR doesn’t get too deep into how this happens; it simply notes Karoline Leavitt attributing some posts, including the most inflammatory, to unnamed staffers.

One restriction has kept Trump from simply posting on X when he wants a bigger audience – according to details about a licensing agreement in a 2023 SEC filing, he is “generally obligated to make any social media post on TruthSocial and may not make the same post on another social media site for 6 hours.” This gives the site “limited time to benefit from” his postings.

NPR emailed Truth Social’s press team to check if this agreement is still in effect, but the email bounced back.

It’s not entirely clear how many of the posts on the president’s Truth Social account come directly from him. Leavitt also told NPR that some posts are made by staffers.

That’s something WSJ did pay close attention to.

The staffer in question is the woman they call the Human Printer, Natalie Harp. She’s the one who posted both the Obamas-as-ape meme and the Trump-as-Christ one, posts that really did elicit backlash.

Natalie Harp, Trump’s executive assistant, plays an integral role in Trump’s Truth Social activity. She brings the president stacks of printed-out draft social-media posts for his approval. The proposed posts often recycle content from other accounts that Harp or advisers think would appeal to Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.

Harp then logs onto the president’s account—at times outside of normal work hours—and posts batches of Trump-approved messages, the people said. Trump personally signs off on all of the content posted to his account. While Harp often posts content on Trump’s behalf, the president posts some messages himself, White House officials said.

Earlier this year, at Trump’s direction, Harp posted a video that included racist imagery depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, and an AI-generated image of Trump as a Christ-like figure, people familiar with the matter said.

WSJ notes that Harp has no gatekeeper. It’s just her — claiming that Trump saved her from dying from cancer — and Trump, acting out his narcissistic rage together, late at night.

Harp has frustrated some White House officials because she typically doesn’t share draft posts with the chief of staff’s office, communications aides or national-security officials. Harp has told others she works for Trump and only listens to him.

“Truth Social has never been hotter, and it’s because President Trump offers his unfiltered and direct thoughts to the American people, without the biased media taking him out of context,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement. “We don’t discuss internal deliberations of how the process works, but no other social-media tool has been more effective than Truth.”

The claim that Trump really approves all this, including posts RTed within half an hour of random Xitter replies, raises more questions about his late night interactions with her.

And the concern about her lack of gatekeeper date to the first stories that described her role, at a time when she attended Trump’s trial every day, printing out posts to make him feel better. It was the entire premise of the Marc Caputo story that attributed a “Unified Reich” post to her, like the Obama-Ape and Trump-Jesus posts, one that got deleted.

As I noted in response to Caputo’s piece:

Around about paragraph 21, Caputo describes that Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita “don’t directly oversee Harp and … essentially leave her alone.”

“No one spends as much time on this campaign around him as Natalie,” said one insider. “If people think she’s an airhead because of her looks, they don’t understand how smart she is and how much the president relies on her.”

The campaign’s co-managers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, don’t directly oversee Harp and, the source said, and essentially leave her alone.

“Natalie fills a role and Chris and Susie know that’s what he wants,” the source said, “so they focus on other things.”

Again, if true (it appears to be single sourced), it is a really important insight: Trump’s digital gatekeeper doesn’t work for the ostensible campaign managers. The campaign — which serially offers statements in response to reporting on Project 2025 claiming that unless something comes from the campaign then it is not official policy — does not control Harp.

Caputo’s source claims that the campaign doesn’t control what comes in and out of Trump’s digital persona. Harp does.

And people amenable to fascism know that, and know how to exploit it.

Natalie Harp has no gate-keeper, even in spite of three posts that have alarmed even Trump’s most rabid fans. And one of the things she does late at night when the President is having narcissist meltdowns is mainstream foreign conspiracy theories that lead him to directly pressure those who mete out “justice” in the US.

It’s a remarkably effective way of feeding Russian conspiracy theories. It’s a remarkably effective way of stoking distrust of rule of law.

And it may well serve as a presidential nudge to the guy auditioning to be AG, to hasten more indictments for those who refuse to bow down before Trump.

More Global News

New York Times, News Analysis: Trump Was Flattering, Xi Was Resolute. The Difference Spoke Volumes, David E. Sanger, May 14, 2026. In contrast to his rhetoric about China at home, President Trump spoke in conciliatory terms with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader.

For President Trump, the first day of his visit to Beijing was all about the personal relationship between him and Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader.

“You’re a great leader,” he told his host, whom he has often said he admires for his “powerful” control over a nation of 1.4 billion people. “I say it to everybody.”

Mr. Xi, unsurprisingly, spent little time on flattery. Once the 21-gun salute and precision-marching by units of the People’s Liberation Army were finished, the disciplined Chinese leader plunged right away into setting boundaries for the two country’s relations. The red line was Taiwan, he said, making it abundantly clear that Mr. Trump’s effort at rapprochement could crash on takeoff if he interferes with China’s long-term effort to take control of the self-governing island.

“The U.S. must handle the Taiwan issue with utmost caution,” he said according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s official news agency. The warning came just minutes into his public remarks in the Great Hall of the People, the center of power for the People’s Republic starting just a decade into Mao’s revolution. For Mr. Xi, it was all about setting boundaries, from the start.

New York Times, What to Know About Wes Streeting, Who Called for a Contest to Replace Starmer, Ephrat Livni and Stephen Castle, May 14, 2026. Mr. Streeting has an unusual background for a British government minister. His grandfather went to prison for armed robbery, and he was the first in his family to graduate from college.

Wes Streeting, Britain’s health secretary, has been waiting in the wings for months to potentially challenge Keir Starmer for leadership of the governing Labour Party, making little secret of his ambition to one day become prime minister.

On Thursday, Mr. Streeting resigned his post, but he did not announce an immediate leadership challenge. Instead, he used his resignation letter to excoriate Mr. Starmer over the direction of the government, saying, “Where we need vision, we have a vacuum.”

Mr. Streeting, arguably the best communicator in Mr. Starmer’s cabinet, would need the support of 81 Labour members of Parliament to try to oust Mr. Starmer.

It is not yet clear if he has that number of backers, or whether his resignation from the cabinet would spark an immediate attempt at a leadership challenge.

The prime minister is under pressure after Labour suffered severe losses in local elections last week, but he has refused to step down.

In Mr. Streeting’s resignation letter, he said it was clear that Mr. Starmer would not lead Labour into the next general election and called for a “broad” battle of ideas to precede that change. “It needs the best possible field of candidates,” he wrote.

If, as seems likely, a contest happens sometime in the coming weeks or months, Mr. Streeting would likely be seen as the leading and most promising candidate from the right of the Labour Party. However, that faction is not currently popular with most of the party membership.

U.S. Inflation, Federal Reserve Bank, Economy, Jobs

Receipts with Catherine Rampell via The Bulwark, U.S. Economic Policy Opinion: Congrats on the Gig, Kevin Warsh. You’re Cooked, Catherine Rampell, May 14, 2026.  Kevin Warsh finally got his dream job, having been confirmed to the Fed chairmanship this week. He’s been positioning himself to get the gig for the past decade, after having been passed over during Trump’s first term because (in Warsh’s own words) “I did not put my ambitions ahead of my principles.”

Warsh just squeaked through this time after a long-running, reality-TV-style Trump selection process, which was followed by the narrowest confirmation-vote margin since the requirement for Senate approval for the role was established in 1977.

There’s a real wish-upon-a-monkey-paw vibe to Warsh’s story, though. Sure, he won his prize—but it’s far more treacherous than he may have initially calculated. Although presumably Jay Powell could have warned him.

The outlook for Warsh, an inflation hawk who nonetheless promised to cut interest rates, is the subject of today’s newsletter. 

IN ECONOMICS, THERE’S A CONCEPT called the “winner’s curse.” It means that the person who ends up winning an auction has often overpaid for the prize. It’s a good way of characterizing the fate of the newly confirmed Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh.

Warsh has been auditioning to lead the Fed for over a decade now, muscling out competitors and massaging his public image. The main way Warsh finally got the gig was by pledging to cut interest rates, which was Donald Trump’s litmus test. Unfortunately for Warsh, he will not be able to deliver on that promise for reasons that are clear to everyone except, perhaps, Trump. This means that Warsh is hurtling toward a reckoning with his benefactor.

Yesterday, for the first time since 2007, rates on new 30-year Treasury bonds surpassed 5 percent. And look, I realize that was possibly the most boring sentence you will read today.¹ So let me explain what it means, why it matters to the economy, and why it suggests Warsh is very, very cooked.

IT STARTS WITH TRUMP’S economic policy agenda.

Inflation had been drifting downward in recent years, at least roughly until “Liberation Day” in April 2025 when Trump announced global tariffs. The rate of price growth soon started ticking back upward.

Then the Iran war happened. And, as was evident in new reports this week on consumer and producer prices, inflation has been supercharged. With consumer prices reaching 3.8 percent growth in April from a year earlier, we’re likely seeing only the earliest glimmers of the war’s effects on prices for energy, food, manufactured goods, and so forth.

Even worse, this one-two punch of tariffs and war threatens to reset expectations for how bad inflation will get. What this means is that instead of these shocks being temporary (dare I say “transitory”), we could be at the start of a vicious cycle in which companies that are fearful of getting surprised by higher prices in the future raise their own prices preemptively today. If everybody does this at once, you get more inflation. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Companies and consumers aren’t the only ones who worry about inflation. Anyone who lends to the government worries about it, too: They don’t want the interest they receive on those loans to get eaten up by inflation. They want to make money!

THIS BRINGS US to Warsh’s quandary. Warsh has said he intended to cut interest rates (specifically, the short-term rates that the Fed has the most control over). But with inflation rising, that objective is increasingly undesirable, or impossible—or both.

Markets have already communicated this: They don’t currently expect any additional cuts through at least the end of 2027. If anything, rate hikes are more likely, particularly next year.

And regardless of what markets are communicating, Warsh himself is primed to believe we need higher rates, too. He is widely known as an inflation hawk²—someone whose concerns about inflation push them to err more on the side of higher interest rates than making risky cuts.

But let’s assume he nonetheless still wants to deliver the rate cuts Trump expects. Guess what? He can’t.

For starters, Warsh will be only one of twelve votes on the Fed committee that sets interest rates, and the rest of the committee is making it clear they’re not interested in more cuts. So Warsh has no good options here.

Paul Krugman on Substack, What’s good for Elon Musk is not necessarily good for America. In fact, it may go the other way around, Paul Krugman, May 14, 2026. So why did Donald Trump take Musk and a bunch of other top executives to China with him?

What’s good for Elon Musk is not necessarily good for America. In fact, it may go the other way around. So why did Donald Trump take Musk and a bunch of other top executives to China with him?

America’s corporations are not America. They really have very distinctive differences in interest from those of the general public. You may have heard the old line that what’s good for General Motors is good for America. That’s not exactly what the CEO of General Motors said. What he said is that what’s good for America is good for General Motors and vice versa.

But in any case he said that a very very long time ago, when corporations’ role in American life was not what it is now. General Motors at the time was a “stakeholder” corporation. That is, it did not see itself as solely serving the interests of stockholders. It viewed itself as having multiple groups that had a stake in the company.

There was the workers who were represented by a powerful union. There were customers who were considered to be part of the story. They played a role in the wider community.

Today corporations ruthlessly maximize value for stockholders, unless they do it for the founder who is considered to be the owner. (It’s not entirely clear that Tesla is run in the interest of Tesla stockholders. To a large extent, it’s run just in Elon Musk’s interest, but it’s certainly not run in the interest of U.S. workers or U.S. national security or anything like that.)

Why then should we care? It’s probably worth knowing that to the extent that corporations are run in the interest of their stockholders, the stockholders of an “American” corporation are by no means necessarily American. We think that something like 40% of US equities are owned by foreigners. So anything that enhances the profits of corporations, you should think of 40 cents on the dollar of that gain actually going to other countries.

And among Americans, stock ownership in the United States is extremely concentrated in the hands of the top 10% of the population, a large fraction just in the hands of the 1% or less. and most Americans have very little stake in stock prices. They may have some stake in the success of business in the United States, but that doesn’t have to be what we consider American corporations.

It’s not really right to think of Tesla or NVIDIA, whose Jensen Huang also went to China, as being somehow America going to China. These are corporations that serve stockholders around the world, serve some tech bros who have a special control over them. What they want is profits . What they want is access to the Chinese market, including being able to sell China stuff that from the US national point of view maybe we shouldn’t be allowing them to sell — you know, highly sophisticated equipment that on national security grounds we should actually try to restrict the access of fundamentally unfriendly powers.

May 13

Top Headlines

• New York Times, Investigation: U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities, Adam Entous, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, May 13, 2026 (print ed.). Secret new assessments say Iran has operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that its military remains far stronger than President Trump has asserted.
• New York Times, Editorial: The Iran War Worsens America’sDemocratic Erosion, Editorial Board, May 13, 2026 (print ed.). President Trump’s war with Iran is the most significant military action in American history that a president has undertaken without any form of congressional authorization.
• New York Times, French Hantavirus Patient Is Critically Ill as Outbreak Reaches 11 Cases, Leo Sands, May 13, 2026. The woman, who was a passenger on the MV Hondius, was breathing with the help of an artificial lung, officials in Paris said.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Trump Admits He Wrecked the Economy, Will Saletan, Andrew Egger and Jim Swift, May 13, 2026. It’s a bold strategy. Let’s see if it works out for him.

News Roundups

• The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump and Family Face Multiple Crises as China Trip Risks Derailment, Trump Tower Cancelled, Reflecting Pool a Mess, and More, Aaron Parnas, right, May 13, 2026. Trump and his family are facing crises on multiple fronts. As Trump lands in China for a high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping, the trip is already being overshadowed by his stunning remarks that he does not think about Americans’ financial situations.
• The Parnas Perspective, Afternoon News and Commentary: Trump Shrugs Off Americans’ Financial Pain, Epstein Survivors Deliver Heartbreaking Testimony, Patel Lashes Out, Aaron Parnas, May 12, 2026. Trump said the quiet part out loud when he admitted he does not think about Americans’ financial situation during Iran war negotiations, sparking growing concern among swing state Republicans about the political fallout.

U.S. Law, Courts, Crime, Rights

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, left, a Democrat from Maryland, accused FBI Kash Patel of repeatedly lying about vital matters during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on May 12, 2026 (Screenshot via C-SPAN).

• Emptywheel, Analysis and Opinion: The FBI Director Proved He Will Lie about Criminal Defendants, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 13, 2026. The coverage of yesterday’s spat between Chris Van Hollen and Kash Patel has missed one of the most important parts of the exchange. 
• New York Times, Justice Dept. Officials Consider Settling Trump Suit Against I.R.S., Andrew Duehren and Alan Feuer, May 13, 2026 (print ed.). 2026. One of the settlement terms under review is for the I.R.S. to drop any audits of the president, his family members and businesses.
• Wayne Madsen Report, Kash Patel: Indian intelligence asset? Wayne Madsen, May 12-13, 2026. Patel has a troubling relationship with India's right-wing Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi.
• New York Times, Murdaugh Murder Convictions Overturned by South Carolina’s Top Court, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, May 13, 2026. The decision, in which judges cited jury interference by a court clerk, upends one of America’s highest-profile homicide cases.

More On Trump Administration

President Trump used the image above on May 3 to boast via his Truth Social network that he "holds all the cards" compared to Iran, apparently not realizing that in the game of Uno displayed in the image the one holding the most cards is losing.

• The Contrarian, Opinion: Humiliation Will Only Embolden China, Jennifer Rubin, right, May 13, 2026. Trump goes to Beijing weaker than ever.
• PoliticusUSA, News and Commentary: Trump Can Barely Walk As He Arrives In China With A Lumbering Thud, Jason Easley, right, May 13, 2026. Donald Trump clutched to the railing as he weaved down the steps after Air Force One landed in China which was a perfect visual summary of his wobbly and failing presidency.
• New York Times, Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Defense Plan Could Cost $1.2 Trillion, John Ismay, May 13, 2026 (print ed.). A report from the Congressional Budget Office said that space-based interceptors, which do not currently exist, would probably consume 60 percent of the total cost.
• Lincoln Square Media, Opinion: Hantavirus Is a Wakeup Call. Will Trump Hear It? Frank Figliuzzi, right, May 13, 2026. Deep cuts and an anti-science ideology are leaving us vulnerable to the next big pandemic or biological threat.
• New York Times, French Hantavirus Patient Is Critically Ill as Outbreak Reaches 11 Cases, Leo Sands, May 13, 2026. The woman, who was a passenger on the MV Hondius, was breathing with the help of an artificial lung, officials in Paris said.
• The Daily with Sarah Jones, Commentary: Black Journalists Association Calls Trump Unhinged After His Racist Attack On Reporter, Sarah Jones, right, and Jason Easley, May 12, 2026. Trump attacked a black MS NOW White House reporter and drew some blunt truth from the Washington Black Journalists Association.
• New York Times, Trump Administration Live Updates: A Third Republican Breaks With G.O.P. in Latest War Powers Vote, Megan Mineiro, May 13, 2026. Middle East: Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked the latest resolution to end the war with Iran, but a third G.O.P. senator joined Democrats in the effort to curb President Trump’s ability to unilaterally wage war.
• New York Times, Top Kennedy spokesman resigns in protest over new vaping policy, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, May 13, 2026. The chief spokesman for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. resigned on Wednesday in protest over the administration’s push to allow major tobacco companies to begin selling flavored vapes that appeal to children. His departure came one day after the head of the Food and Drug Administration quit for the same reason.
• New York Times, With a Friend in Trump, the Tobacco Industry Secures a Lucrative Win, Christina Jewett and Kenneth P. Vogel, May 13, 2026. In a dispute over vapes, the president sided with tobacco companies that filled his groups’ coffers over his own F.D.A. commissioner, who resigned in protest.
• New York Times, Andreessen Horowitz Is Spending on Politics Like No Other, Theodore Schleifer, May 13, 2026. The biggest donor in the midterm elections is not Elon Musk, or George Soros, or any of the other billionaires who are often thought to wield the fattest wallets in politics.

U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Take It From Him, Will Saletan, May 13, 2026. Donald Trump always finds a scapegoat. When the economy does well under other presidents, he takes the credit. And when the economy suffers under him, he finds someone else to blame. In his first term, it was the “China virus.” In his second term, it’s the Fed.
• PoliticusUSA, Kash Patel Gets Humiliated Over His Alleged Drinking At Senate Hearing, Jason Easley, right,  May 13, 2026. Kash Patel tried to get into a heated exchange with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) over drinking and it did not end well for the FBI Director.
• New York Times, 4 Takeaways From Tuesday’s Primaries in Nebraska and West Virginia, Kellen Browning, Updated May 13, 2026. Democrats in Nebraska appear headed toward the Senate matchup they want, while their primary for a key House district was too close to call.
• New York Times, What You Need to Know About the Federal Gas Tax, Emmett Lindner, May 13, 2026. President Trump said he would like to suspend the 18.4-cent-a-gallon tax, but it’s a move that may save drivers only a few dollars a month.

More On U.S. Foreign Policy

• New York Times, Trump’s Shrinking Ambitions on China, Ana Swanson, May 13, 2026. The president came into office planning harsher trade moves on China than on the rest of the world. Here’s why he’s had to scale them back.
• New York Times, How China Could Wield Its Control of Rare Earths Against Trump, Keith Bradsher, May 13, 2026. A central question hanging over the summit this week is whether China will agree to extend a temporary postponement of even tougher rare-earth export controls.
• The Steady State, Opinion: America’s perpetual wars are not signs of strength, but symptoms of a republic drifting away from constitutional restraint, accountability, and moral clarity, Robert Bruce Adolph (military strategist and retired senior US Army Special Forces soldier), May 13, 2026. In the beginning: I was once a young, idealistic American soldier.

More Global News

• Drop Site News, Trump arrives in Beijing flanked by tech CEOs; South Carolina blocks redistricting push; Nigerian strike kills 100 in local market, Staff and wire reports, May 13, 2026. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a two-day summit with Chinese president Xi Jinping. It marks the first visit to China by a U.S. president since Trump visited in 2017.
• New York Times, Gulf Countries Arrest Shiite ‘Traitors’ Amid War With Iran, Vivian Nereim, May 13, 2026. Dozens of Gulf citizens have been accused of belonging to Iran-linked terrorism cells as the war accelerates a shift toward deeper authoritarianism in the region.

Top Stories

New York Times, Investigation: U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities, Adam Entous, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, May 13, 2026 (print ed.). Secret new assessments say Iran has operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that its military remains far stronger than President Trump has asserted.

The Trump administration’s public portrayal of a shattered Iranian military is sharply at odds with what U.S. intelligence agencies are telling policymakers behind closed doors, according to classified assessments from early this month that show Iran has regained access to most of its missile sites, launchers and underground facilities.

Most alarming to some senior officials is evidence that Iran has restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains along the Strait of Hormuz, which could threaten American warships and oil tankers transiting the narrow waterway.

People with knowledge of the assessments said they show — to varying degrees, depending on the level of damage incurred at the different sites — that the Iranians can use mobile launchers that are inside the sites to move missiles to other locations. In some cases they can launch missiles directly from launchpads that are part of the facilities. Only three of the missile sites along the strait remain totally inaccessible, according to the assessments.

Iran still fields about 70 percent of its mobile launchers across the country and has retained roughly 70 percent of its prewar missile stockpile, according to the assessments. That stockpile encompasses both ballistic missiles, which can target other nations in the region, and a smaller supply of cruise missiles, which can be used against shorter-range targets on land or at sea.

Military intelligence agencies have also reported, based on information from multiple collection streams including satellite imagery and other surveillance technologies, that Iran has regained access to roughly 90 percent of its underground missile storage and launch facilities nationwide, which are now assessed to be “partially or fully operational,” the people with knowledge of the assessments said.

The findings undercut months of public assurances from President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who have told Americans that the Iranian military was “decimated” and “no longer” a threat.

New York Times, Editorial: The Iran War Worsens America’sDemocratic Erosion, Editorial Board, May 13, 2026 (print ed.). President Trump’s war with Iran is the most significant military action in American history that a president has undertaken without any form of congressional authorization.

Yes, past presidents have often pushed the bounds of their constitutional authority in using the military. Nonetheless, they have typically involved Congress for anything more than a brief attack. Sometimes, Congress passed a bill formally approving action, as was the case in Iraq in both 2002 and 1991, Afghanistan in 2001 and Vietnam in 1964. In other instances, such as Korea in the 1950s, Congress offered de facto approval by passing bills that provided additional resources for the military action. Mr. Trump has received no approval whatsoever from Congress, the only branch of government with the constitutional authority to declare war.

The New York Times editorial board is tracking 12 categories of democratic erosion in the United States, based on historical patterns and interviews with experts. Our index places the United States on a scale of 0 to 10 for each category. Zero represents the United States before Mr. Trump began his second term — not perfect, surely, but one of the world’s healthiest democracies. Ten represents the condition in a true autocracy, such as China, Iran and Russia. Based on the war with Iran, we are moving our assessment of one of the categories — bypassing the legislature — up one notch, to Level 5.

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Trump Admits He Wrecked the Economy, Will Saletan, Andrew Egger and Jim Swift, May 13, 2026. It’s a bold strategy. Let’s see if it works out for him.

Donald Trump’s quest to get a bunch of taxpayer money for his White House ballroom project isn’t going great, with plenty of Republicans in both the House and the Senate still sounding highly skeptical. “It was one thing when private dollars were doing it,” Sen. John Curtis of Utah told Politico yesterday. “If you’re asking me for a billion dollars, I have some really hard questions.” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) was even more unequivocal: “Not happening here,” he said yesterday.

Happy Wednesday.

News Roundups

The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump and Family Face Multiple Crises as China Trip Risks Derailment, Trump Tower Cancelled, Reflecting Pool a Mess, and More, Aaron Parnas, right, May 13, 2026. Trump and his family are facing crises on multiple fronts. As Trump lands in China for a high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping, the trip is already being overshadowed by his stunning remarks that he does not think about Americans’ financial situations.

Republicans on Capitol Hill are scrambling to distance themselves from the comments, with several refusing to defend them publicly. Meanwhile, the Trump family was forced to halt plans for a marquee Trump Tower project in Australia after developers reportedly concluded the Trump brand had become too “toxic” to move forward.

Back in Washington, Trump’s rushed overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is reportedly already plagued by construction failures, including bubbling paint and flaws in the waterproof coating. After personally pushing the project and awarding a no-bid contract, Trump now claims he does not even know the contractor involved. At the same time, FBI Director Kash Patel is under renewed scrutiny as old comments about drinking resurface amid questions surrounding his conduct and leadership.

Suffice it to say, it has already been a busy morning. I’ll be covering the high-stakes China summit for you throughout the week. Last night, we published an exclusive investigative report into the effort to build an “Amazon for Guns,” and we have another major deep dive coming later this week. Tonight at 6:50 PM EST, we’ll also host our first live event exclusively for paid subscribers.

We are growing rapidly and reaching millions of people, but I can only continue this work with your support. If you believe in fearless, independent journalism that tells the truth without corporate pressure or political intimidation, please subscribe, upgrade your subscription, or gift one to someone else. Together, we are building the Parnas Perspective into something bigger, stronger, and more impactful than ever before.

Here’s the news:

As Trump lands in China for a high-stakes summit, Republican lawmakers are struggling to respond after Trump said he does not think about Americans’ financial situations while negotiating with Iran. Several GOP senators either dismissed, avoided, or claimed ignorance of Trump’s remarks, despite him repeating the comments publicly.

Trump insisted that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon mattered more than the economic pain Americans are facing from inflation and rising oil prices. The remarks sparked backlash because they appeared indifferent to voters’ financial struggles amid the ongoing Iran conflict.

Cynthia Lummis: “Did he say that? I don’t have a comment about that, mostly because I think he actually does care,” she said, laughing and suggesting Trump did not mean what he said.

Roger Marshall: Refused to comment, saying he did not know the “context” of Trump’s remarks.

Susan Collins: Said she had not seen Trump’s comments at all.

Plans for Australia’s first Trump Tower on Queensland’s Gold Coast have been cancelled just three months after being announced. The developer, Altus Property Group, said the Trump brand had become “toxic” in Australia, partly due to global political tensions, while the Trump Organization claimed the developer failed to meet financial obligations. The proposed A$1.5 billion luxury skyscraper was expected to become Australia’s tallest building and include a hotel, apartments, restaurants, and a beach club. The project had already sparked local controversy, with large petitions both supporting and opposing the development. Eric Trump previously championed the project:

President Trump’s fast-tracked renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is reportedly facing construction setbacks and quality issues, according to internal Interior Department documents obtained by The New York Times. Workers have allegedly found bubbles, holes, and uneven sections in the waterproof coating, as well as inconsistent application of the bright “American flag blue” paint personally chosen by Trump. The problems are raising concerns about whether the rushed overhaul will require costly repairs or additional delays, and has led to Trump now claiming that he no longer knows who the contractor that is responsible for the project is:

President Trump arrived in Beijing for a high-stakes two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping focused on trade, technology, Taiwan, and the ongoing Iran war. The visit, originally planned for March but delayed because of the Iran conflict, comes as China seeks to present itself as a stronger and more stable global power. Trump traveled alongside major U.S. business leaders including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Jensen Huang, saying he would ask Xi to “open up” China further to American companies.

Much of the summit is expected to center on Iran, as the U.S. pressures China to use its economic influence over Tehran to help de-escalate the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts say Beijing wants stability because rising oil prices are hurting China’s economy, but Xi is likely to demand concessions from Washington in return for cooperation. The meeting also highlights the increasingly competitive relationship between the two powers, with disputes over tariffs, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and Taiwan expected to dominate negotiations.

Kash Patel, left, is facing renewed scrutiny over past comments about drinking after reports questioned his behavior and reliability while leading the FBI. Critics have resurfaced remarks Patel previously made such as “We were slamming Negronis,” “Everybody should get a beer. Or three,” and “They’re going to call me an alcoholic,” arguing the comments take on new significance amid allegations about alcohol use on the job. Patel has denied the accusations and dismissed reports about his conduct as false and politically motivated.

New classified U.S. intelligence assessments reportedly show that Iran retains much of its missile infrastructure and military capability despite months of U.S. and Israeli strikes. According to the assessments, Iran still has access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, retains about 70% of its missile stockpile and mobile launchers, and has restored access to roughly 90% of its underground missile facilities. The findings contradict repeated public claims by President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s military had been “decimated,” while also raising concerns about U.S. weapons stockpiles after the war consumed large numbers of missiles and interceptors.

Trump has escalated his attacks on Capitol Hill by publicly targeting congressional staffers, posting their photos online and calling for them to be fired.

Cindy Burbank defeated anti-abortion pastor Bill Forbes in Nebraska’s Senate Democratic primary (shown above in file photos with President Trump at right), a result expected to clear the way for independent candidate Dan Osborn to challenge Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts in November. Nebraska Democrats had backed Osborn instead of running their own Senate candidate, and Burbank is expected to withdraw from the race despite winning the primary. The contest became contentious after Osborn allies accused Forbes of trying to stay on the ballot to split anti-Republican votes, while Burbank previously had to sue to regain ballot access after being removed by the Republican secretary of state.

More on the hantavirus:

South Carolina Republicans blocked an effort to fast-track congressional redistricting, making it harder for President Trump and national Republicans to eliminate the state’s only Democratic congressional district before the 2026 midterms. Five Republican state senators joined Democrats in voting against a procedural measure that would have allowed lawmakers to revisit redistricting after the legislative session ends, despite pressure from Trump and GOP leaders. State Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey opposed the push, arguing Republicans risk losing long-term influence if they completely remove Democratic representation from the state’s congressional delegation. Here is what Mike Johnson had to say concerning the Supreme Court decision that has led to this gerrymandering race:

A POLITICO analysis found that federal judges have ruled against the Trump administration’s ICE detention policies in roughly 90% of cases, with more than 10,000 court losses tied to mass detentions carried out under a 2025 policy expanding mandatory detention for immigrants facing deportation. Judges across the country, including many Trump appointees, criticized ICE for violating due process, separating families, detaining lawful residents, and in some cases ignoring court orders. The administration argues the policy is necessary to end “catch-and-release” immigration practices and says it expects the Supreme Court to ultimately uphold the detentions, though appellate courts are currently divided on the issue.

Brad Raffensperger, below, who is running for governor of Georgia, was targeted by a credible written threat that included a manifesto with his photo and the word “boom” written across his face. Authorities are also investigating a suspicious object found at one of his campaign stops in Macon, though no hazardous devices were ultimately discovered and no arrests have been made. Raffensperger, who became a national figure after resisting President Trump’s efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, said he would continue campaigning despite the threats, while law enforcement agencies including the FBI and Georgia State Patrol increased security around him.

An NBC News investigation reports that despite a Trump-declared ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli forces have continued widespread destruction across southern Lebanese towns, especially in areas near the border. Satellite imagery, videos, and local officials describe systematic demolitions of homes, schools, mosques, and infrastructure that Israel says are linked to Hezbollah military activity. Lebanese officials and analysts argue the ceasefire exists “only in name,” while Hezbollah has threatened retaliation over ongoing Israeli operations and civilian deaths. The fighting has displaced over a million people in Lebanon, killed thousands since March, and intensified tensions ahead of new U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon.

Spain said it would not allow the United States to use Spanish air bases for the Iran war, with Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares arguing that the conflict violates international law and was launched without consulting NATO allies. The dispute has heightened tensions between Madrid and Washington, with the Trump administration threatening trade penalties, troop withdrawals, and possible NATO consequences after Spain blocked access to bases at Morón and Rota. Albares defended Spain’s position as consistent with European values and called for greater EU military independence, including the creation of a stronger common European defense capability.

The Parnas Perspective, Afternoon News and Commentary: Trump Shrugs Off Americans’ Financial Pain, Epstein Survivors Deliver Heartbreaking Testimony, Patel Lashes Out, Aaron Parnas, right, May 12, 2026. Trump said the quiet part out loud when he admitted he does not think about Americans’ financial situation during Iran war negotiations, sparking growing concern among swing state Republicans about the political fallout. 

U.S. Law, Courts, Crime, Rights

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, left, a Democrat from Maryland, accused FBI Kash Patel of repeatedly lying about vital matters during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on May 12, 2026 (Screenshot via C-SPAN).

Emptywheel, Analysis and Opinion: The FBI Director Proved He Will Lie about Criminal Defendants, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 13, 2026. The coverage of yesterday’s spat between Chris Van Hollen and Kash Patel has missed one of the most important parts of the exchange.

For example, the AP reported the spat, “FBI Director Kash Patel denies drinking allegations in heated Senate exchange,” without noting that Kash’s claim that he was in Italy on business (which AP notes) is tantamount to a confession that he was drinking on the job.

And while NBC pointed out problems with one of Kash’s two scripted counterattacks — Kilmar Abrego, shown at left with his wife, is not a convicted rapist or even charged as a “gangbanger,” and Van Hollen claimed in real time that El Salvador’s dictator Nayib Bukele staged his meeting with Abrego to falsely make it look like he was drinking — it doesn’t consider the import of that.

“Unlike your baseless reports, the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you,” he yelled, apparently referring to Van Hollen’s April 2025 trip to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom the administration said it had mistakenly deported to El Salvador.

Abrego was not charged with or convicted of being a gang member or rape, but administration officials have accused him of being a member of the violent MS-13 gang, an allegation he has denied. Abrego is awaiting trial on human trafficking charges.

Salvadoran officials served Van Hollen and Abrego drinks that looked like margaritas. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele then shared pictures of the meeting, saying they showed Abrego “sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” Van Hollen said at the time that he never touched the drink.

To be fair, Van Hollen didn’t raise this point when he did corner Kash with being unwilling to answer whether lying to Congress is a crime.

Van Hollen: In your response to me earlier, where you had a little bit of a blow-up, you made a couple provably false statements.

[snip]

You made these provably false statements that I know are sort of like urban legend in right wing media about margaritas in El Salvador, which is provably false, and so coming from the mouth of an FBI Director, to make provably false statements, in a hearing like this is extremely troubling. And it leads me to ask whether or not the other things you’ve been saying are false statements. And so my, because that’s a provably false statement; you made a couple of others that are provably false. This is from the mouth of the FBI Director.

Kash: The only one who made false statements is you.

Van Hollen: My final question to you Mr. Director is do you know that it is a crime to lie to Congress? Do you know that. That’s my last question.

Kash: I have not lied to Congress. The only one who lied to Congress is you.

Van Hollen: I didn’t ask you that. I’m not testifying here, sir, and I don’t lie.

Kash: Maybe the next time you run up a $7,000 bar tab we can talk about it.

Van Hollen: Well see there go, lying again.

Kash: The FEC report–I’ll post it, right now.

Van Hollen: It wasn’t public money, as you know. That was for a 50-member staff party.

Kash: Oh! So it was a $7,000 bar tab?

Van Hollen: I’m glad — let me just say in closing, Mr. Chairman, two things. I’m glad that you have agreed to take the test regarding whether you have alcohol problems. I’m glad you agreed with me to do that.

You still haven’t answered my final question. Do you know, Mr. Director, that it is a crime to lie to Congress? Do you know that?

Kash: I do not lie to Congress. And you’re insinuating that I have.

Van Hollen: I didn’t ask you that.

[snip]

The Director of the FBI does not want to answer the question of whether it is a crime to lie to Congress and I find that extremely troubling.

In reality, Kash has lied to Congress repeatedly.

He lied to Congress, in order to get confirmed, when he told Mazie Hirono he would not go backwards to investigate Jim Comey.

Senator Hirono (02:18:49):

Do you plan to investigate James Comey, who’s on your list?

Kash Patel (02:18:54):

I have no intentions of going backwards-

Kash lied to Congress last year when he said DOJ was in the process of releasing his grand jury transcript. In reality, he only released his first grand jury appearance, where he invoked the Fifth, and that was in almost entirely redacted form.

He didn’t even pretend to release the second grand jury appearance, where he gave immunized testimony.

Kash lied to Eric Swalwell, right, last year when he claimed that Trump’s name appeared fewer than 100 times.

ERIC SWALWELL: You said you don’t know the number of times Trump’s name appears in the files, so it could at least be 1,000 times, is that right?

KASH PATEL: The number is a total misleading factor.

SWALWELL: But the number would at least be a thousand times.

PATEL: We have not released anyone’s…

SWALWELL: But it would at least be a thousand times.

PATEL: …File that has not been credible. And we have…

SWALWELL: Director, could it at least be a thousand times?

PATEL: …Released every piece of legally permissible information.

SWALWELL: OK, so…

PATEL: You can characterize the numbers however you want it.

SWALWELL: Reclaiming my time, Director. It sounds like if you don’t know the number, it could at least be a thousand times, which leads me…

PATEL: It’s not. It’s not.

SWALWELL: Is it at least 500 times?

PATEL: No.

SWALWELL: Is it at least a hundred times?

PATEL: No.

SWALWELL: Then what’s the number?

PATEL: I don’t know the number, but it’s not that.

Kash Patel lies to Congress all the time.

Yesterday was different, though. Not only did he lie, demonstrably, about Van Hollen, implying a reception tab paid for by his campaign was instead a personal bar tab paid by taxpayers, claiming that Van Hollen had margaritas at that meeting with Kilmar Abrego.

But he lied about Abrego, calling him a “convicted gang-banging rapist.”

While I don’t think Kash was under oath yesterday, he was lying in an official capacity, and lying about someone who remains a defendant, charged with neither being a gang member nor a rapist (Abrego’s vindictive prosecution claim is fully briefed and awaiting Judge Waverly Crenshaw’s ruling). He sure as hell has not been convicted.

Kash was lying about someone that Judge Crenshaw has ordered every employee of DOJ (and DHS) to adhere to local rules prohibiting prejudicial comments:

Employees of DOJ and DHS are hereby on notice that they are prohibited from making any “extrajudicial statement (other than a quotation from or reference to public records) that the [individual] knows or reasonably should know will be disseminated by public communication that will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter, including especially that will interfere with a fair trial.” L. Crim. R. 2.01(a)(1).

Kash lied about Abrego Garcia and then dug in, repeatedly denying he had lied.

There’s a thing about FBI personnel: Every single Agent guards his or her reputation for candor carefully, because if they lose that, they can no longer submit affidavits or testify without jeopardizing entire cases. Getting caught in a lie effectively makes FBI Agents useless for large parts of their job.

Kash, too, has to sign certifications, including yearly certifications and individual warrants before the FISA Court. He just opened himself up to be deemed useless for key parts of his job. He just put at risk any case in which he has a role, including those targeting Trump’s enemies.

Kash Patel yesterday proved he is willing to lie, in his official capacity, about criminal defendants.

And that puts everything he touches at risk.

New York Times, Justice Dept. Officials Consider Settling Trump Suit Against I.R.S., Andrew Duehren and Alan Feuer, May 13, 2026 (print ed.). 2026. One of the settlement terms under review is for the I.R.S. to drop any audits of the president, his family members and businesses.

The Justice Department is holding internal discussions about settling President Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in the coming days, according to three people familiar with the deliberations, a move that could involve the government directly providing taxpayer funds or another public benefit to the president.

Whether to settle the suit and on what terms remains up in the air. One of the settlement options the Justice Department and White House officials are reviewing is the possibility of the I.R.S. dropping any audits of Mr. Trump, his family members or businesses, according to two of the people.

In January, Mr. Trump, along with two of his sons and the Trump family business, sued the Internal Revenue Service for at least $10 billion over the leak of their tax returns during the president’s first term. The Trumps argued that the I.R.S. should have done more to prevent a former contractor from disclosing tax information to The New York Times and ProPublica.

Given that Mr. Trump oversees the I.R.S., the agency that he is suing, the judge in the case has taken a series of novel legal steps to probe whether there is a genuine controversy between the Justice Department and Mr. Trump. For a lawsuit to be valid, the two parties must actually be on opposite sides, otherwise the judge can throw out the case. The judge has ordered Mr. Trump’s personal lawyers — along with the Justice Department, which represents the I.R.S. in federal court — to submit briefs by May 20 explaining whether they are in conflict with one another.

White House and Justice Department officials have in recent days been exploring ways to potentially settle the suit before that deadline, according to the people.

Mr. Trump has long maintained that the federal government was weaponized against him by political opponents, and he has spent much of his second term seeking retribution against, and sometimes compensation from, those he holds responsible. But depending on its terms, a settlement with the I.R.S. could be among Mr. Trump’s most brazen efforts to bend the government to his personal will — an agenda often carried out through the Justice Department.

Mr. Trump and his family have repeatedly disregarded Washington’s ethical guardrails aimed at preventing government officials from profiting from public office, including by pushing for more than $200 million in a separate administrative case with the Justice Department. But a settlement payment even a fraction of the size of Mr. Trump’s requested $10 billion could be much larger than his other attempts at private gain, potentially doubling his net worth.

The Justice Department declined to comment. The White House referred questions to Mr. Trump’s lawyers in the case, a spokesman for whom said, “President Trump continues to hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable.”

In a previous filing in the case, Mr. Trump’s lawyers said they were in discussions with unidentified Justice Department attorneys “designed to resolve this matter and to avoid protracted litigation.” A government attorney has yet to make an appearance in the case.

A settlement in the coming days would fly in the face of efforts by the federal judge overseeing the case, Kathleen Williams, an appointee of President Barack Obama in the Southern District of Florida, to try and manage the conflict of interest in the case. Not only has she requested briefings from Mr. Trump’s lawyers and the government by next week, she has appointed a group of six well-respected lawyers not otherwise involved in the case to provide her with their views on whether Mr. Trump’s lawsuit is legitimate.

If a settlement is reached before Judge Williams has a chance to make a decision about whether the underlying lawsuit is valid, it could frustrate her, though legal experts say that her authority beyond that would be limited.

Wayne Madsen Report, Kash Patel: Indian intelligence asset? Wayne Madsen, left, author, commentator and former U.S. Navy intelligence officer whose assignments included helping investigate the Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, May 12-13, 2026. Patel has a troubling relationship with India's right-wing Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi.

One area that has alarmed career FBI and Department of Justice officials is FBI director Kash Patel’s unusually close relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (shown above) and his right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Although Donald Trump introduced Patel to Modi as an “intel guy” during the Trump’s first term in office, there is evidence that Patel had already developed a close relationship with Indian BJP politicians, diplomats, and intelligence agents of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and that Patel was already known to Modi. The RAW is India’s foreign intelligence agency.

When Patel, right, was sworn in as director of the FBI, he took the oath on the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu holy book. Absent was the outrage from the right-wing witnessed when Muslim Americans took their oaths of office on the Quran.

Patel wasted little time in defending the Modi government, something that is not in the portfolio of the FBI director. For example, when Modi built the Hindu Ayodha Ram Temple on the site of the Hindu-demolished Babri Masjid mosque andconsecrated it on Januarey 22, 2024, Patel decided to criticize the Washington media for publishing “disinformation” placed blame on Modi and his government for stirring inter-sectarian strife. In many respects, Patel has acted more as an unregistered foreign agent for the Indian government than an FBI director.

Patel stated, “To bring things really up to date, the opening of Ram’s temple, when PM Modi went there, all Washington newspapers only covered the last 50 years of history. They forgot the 500 preceding years. Whether or not you are Hindu or Muslim, there was a Hindu temple there for one of the quintessential gods in the Hindu pantheon in 1500 that was toppled, and they have been trying to get it back for 500 years.”

Patel’s Gujarati heritage (which he shares with Modi, a former chief minister of Gujarat) and “deep connection with India” would normally be a potential security vulnerability that would be fully vetted by U.S. counter-intelligence personnel. However, these are not normal times. Patel’s close relationship with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is also of immediate concern. Rather than remain neutral in Indian politics, which can be inflamed by the smallest sectarian sloight, Patel has frequently praised Modi’s leadership and views him as a populist disrupter who, like Donald Trump, not only challenges entrenched political establishments. However, Modi and Trump have adopted policies that trample on constitutional governance and favor fascism.

Modi and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Patel congratulated India on its 79th Independence Day, a gesture normally reserved for the Secretary of State and/or the President.

Patel’s obvious bias toward Modi and his BJP opens questions about what highly-classified U.S. intelligence he may be sharing with the Indian government concerning India’s majority Islamic rivals, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Maldives, and Iran; majority Buddhist nations like Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Myanmar; and other regional nations, such as Nepal, China, Mauritius, Madagascar, and Seychelles. U.S. intelligence reports on these nations, as well as Indian opposition parties like Indian National Congress, Communist Party (Marxist), Samajwadi Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and others would be of top interest to the RAW and the BJP. U.S. intelligence systems routinely capture signals intelligence and human intelligence that is not normally available to India, except through intelligence assets like Patel.

Patel’s questionable personal conduct leaves him open for blackmail, a tactic the RAW has been suitably trained in by the Soviet KGB and itsfollow-on, the Russian SVR.

The example of Jonathan Pollard, right, a former U.S. Naval Intelligence analyst who was spying for Israel, should serve as a warning concerning Patel. Pollard did not have anywhere near the intelligence access enjoyed by Patel.

New York Times, Murdaugh Murder Convictions Overturned by South Carolina’s Top Court, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, May 13, 2026. The decision, in which judges cited jury interference by a court clerk, upends one of America’s highest-profile homicide cases.

South Carolina’s top court on Wednesday undid the murder convictions against Alex Murdaugh, the lawyer a jury had found guilty of murdering his wife and one of his sons in a trial that captivated the country.

In a unanimous opinion, the State Supreme Court said that “shocking jury interference” by a court clerk who oversaw jurors during the 2023 trial meant that Mr. Murdaugh’s convictions must be overturned.

Mr. Murdaugh, 57, will remain in prison because he also had pleaded guilty to various charges related to stealing millions of dollars from his law firm and his former clients. While he has admitted to embezzlement, he has long maintained — including during testimony at his trial — that he did not kill his wife, Maggie, 52, and his younger son, Paul, 22.

Alan Wilson, the South Carolina attorney general whose office prosecuted Mr. Murdaugh and who is now running for governor, said in a statement that the state would retry Mr. Murdaugh.

The two victims were found shot to death in June 2021 on the family’s hunting estate, in a rural part of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. The case went unsolved for more than a year before Mr. Murdaugh was arrested.

The case drew enormous attention in part because of the family’s storied history in the region. The Murdaugh family ran a prosecutor’s office and a prominent law firm there for decades, and Paul Murdaugh at the time of his death had been facing charges of drunkenly crashing a boat, killing a teenage passenger.

More On Trump Administration

President Trump used the image above on May 3 to boast via his Truth Social network that he "holds all the cards" compared to Iran, apparently not realizing that in the game of Uno displayed in the image the one holding the most cards is losing.

The Contrarian, Opinion: Humiliation Will Only Embolden China, Jennifer Rubin, right, May 13, 2026. Trump goes to Beijing weaker than ever.

Donald Trump has apparently not figured out that Iran holds all the cards.

Still fixated on the notion that the “winner” of the war is the side that blows up the most stuff, he remains convinced he can dictate terms to Iran. But the Iranians hold the Strait of Hormuz and have remained convinced that Trump has no stomach for more military action. In any event, they are confident they can sustain any further U.S. attacks. Naturally, then, Iran is sticking to demands to keep control of the Strait, obtain sanctions relief, and even extract reparations from the U.S.

Trump insists Iran will “fold,” but there is zero evidence Iran is prepared to do so. It certainly has no incentive to do so as long as Trump, as he did once again on Monday, keeps desperately hyping the prospect of a deal. As he rambled, “You know, the mind changes ... these people, you make a deal, then the next day they send you a document that takes five days to get there, when it should have been there in 20 minutes.” He may be convinced his pronouncements box in Tehran; in reality, they’ve only convinced the Iranians that he is angst-ridden and frantic to make a deal. Trump rails at Iran for refusing to capitulate, bellowing that the ceasefire is on “life support,” but in reality, it is Trump’s pretense of victory that is in critical care.

Iran seems happy to present Trump with a binary choice: Either Trump folds, or he resumes hostilities, which have already proven incapable of dislodging the regime. Anyone who understands Iran’s recent history and its mindset after surviving a war against the U.S. should not be surprised.

As Hagaii Carmon wrote for the Times of Israel: "Regimes often survive conditions that outside analysts confidently describe as impossible. Populations absorb astonishing hardship for cultural, ideological, nationalistic, and survival reasons. Especially in authoritarian systems, economic misery alone does not automatically produce revolution."

While Iran cannot “defeat” the U.S. on the battlefield, it possesses “asymmetric leverage” — or rather, Trump gave Iran asymmetric leverage by starting a war without securing the Strait of Hormuz. “It can prolong instability, raise global energy prices, and create enough uncertainty to pressure Western governments already struggling with inflation and domestic political divisions,” Carmon explained. It “merely needs to convince Washington that full confrontation costs more than compromise.” So far, that strategy is paying off.

Trump’s trip to China may only deepen his predicament. The Independent reports that he arrives without having achieved any of his Iran war objectives, “humiliated by a weaker but dogged regime that survives in Tehran.”

Ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) recently observed: “We’re seeing at home significant gas prices, significant increases in grocery prices and in all sorts of prices for the American home.” He added, “[T]he American people are significantly concerned about this conflict with Iran. So that’s not a strong position to be in when you’re talking to an economic and a geopolitical rival.”

Reed is not the only one cringing at the prospect of the Chinese taking advantage of Trump. U.S. allies are anxious that Trump may get his pocket picked, as the New York Times reports:

In Asia, which has been hit hardest and fastest by oil shortages caused by the war and China’s tight control of oil-product exports, the mood is particularly grim. …

Many believe the summit carries more potential for harm than help. And Mr. Trump’s gut-driven approach to complex issues is the main source of anxiety.

For months, officials in Asia have worried that the president might be too eager to make a deal with Mr. Xi, ending weapons sales to Taiwan or agreeing to softened policy language that could make it easier for China to undermine the democratic island.

Trump’s visit comes after he voluntarily removed American forces from the region, and at a time when China has ramped up its presence around Taiwan and is expected to lean on Trump to curtail arms sales to Taiwan.

As the U.S. repeatedly demonstrates its fecklessness (e.g., failing to defeat Iran, ceding clean energy dominance to Beijing, tangling itself up in a multi-front tariff war struck down in court), China has shown it is prepared to engage badger U.S. companies with intrusive regulations, use its rare minerals as leverage, and even more heavily subsidize its own industries. Now, just like Iran, China feels no compulsion to make concessions to Trump.

One can easily imagine a downward spiral for the U.S. under a president who has frittered away America’s geopolitical advantages and who can be easily swayed by empty compliments and plenty of pomp. His weakness in Iran emboldens China, while China’s potential to dominate the summit will only increase Iran’s resolve.

“The whole world can see that just a few weeks of war with a second-rank power have reduced American weapons stocks to perilously low levels, with no quick remedy in sight,” Robert Kagan observed. “The questions this raises about America’s readiness for another major conflict may or may not prompt Xi Jinping to launch an attack on Taiwan, or Vladimir Putin to step up his aggression against Europe. But at the very least, America’s allies in East Asia and Europe must wonder about American staying power in the event of future conflicts.”

The China summit will offer one indication as to how badly Trump has stumbled, how worried our allies should be, and how far our enemies are willing to press their advantage.

PoliticusUSA, News and Commentary: Trump Can Barely Walk As He Arrives In China With A Lumbering Thud, Jason Easley, right, May 13, 2026. Donald Trump clutched to the railing as he weaved down the steps after Air Force One landed in China which was a perfect visual summary of his wobbly and failing presidency.

With the economy on the verge of a presidential-induced collapse, Donald Trump arrived in China in a weakened position, looking for Chinese investment in the United States that he can sell as a win to his dwindling base of political support.

The problem is that the nearly 80-year-old president could barely make it down the steps of Air Force One.

Video: Look at the disheveled president barely making his way down the steps, as if he has projected all of his personal damage onto the United States and turned the country into a reflection of his declining state.

What does Trump want from this meeting? More money for corporate America, of course.

New York Times, Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Defense Plan Could Cost $1.2 Trillion, John Ismay, May 13, 2026 (print ed.). A report from the Congressional Budget Office said that space-based interceptors, which do not currently exist, would probably consume 60 percent of the total cost.

A national missile defense system like President Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” could cost taxpayers $1.2 trillion over 20 years, according to a government report issued on Tuesday.

To protect the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii would require four separate layers of defensive assets, the analysis said, including several thousand satellites as well as a half-dozen radar and missile sites to engage intercontinental ballistic missiles and 35 new regional sites to defend against hypersonic missiles and cruise missiles.

Even if the system is built, the report concluded, an adversary like Russia or China that has a large arsenal of nuclear weapons could overwhelm it and some missiles would hit their targets.

The estimate was provided by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office using an executive order issued by Mr. Trump in January 2025 as a blueprint.

Mr. Trump has vowed to build a defense system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome, with air defense capabilities that intercept rockets and missiles. He estimated that the project would cost $175 billion.

The budget office report found that the “space-based interceptors” the president envisions — satellites armed with missiles orbiting the planet — would consume about 60 percent of the cost.

The C.B.O. assumed that countering as many as 10 enemy intercontinental ballistic missiles in space simultaneously could require a constellation of roughly 7,800 armed satellites.

To be effective, such space-based interceptors, the C.B.O. said, would need to be placed in low orbit where they would be subject to drag from the planet’s atmosphere — which over a five-year span could cause them to lose enough altitude that they would burn up and need to be replaced.

Tom Karako, a missile defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the C.B.O. report makes several assumptions about the project, including the number and types of space-based interceptors that would be required.

Cruise ship MV Hondius docks off Cape Verde port, as passengers were not allowed off the ship, while health authorities investigated suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, May 4, 2026. Hondius anchored off Tristan da Cunha from April 13 to 15, 2026.

Lincoln Square Media, Opinion: Hantavirus Is a Wakeup Call. Will Trump Hear It? Frank Figliuzzi, right, May 13, 2026. Deep cuts and an anti-science ideology are leaving us vulnerable to the next big pandemic or biological threat.

Medical experts tell us that the risk posed by the current Hantavirus outbreak, responsible for three deaths, is low. The threat posed by the Trump administration’s posture toward public health is another story.

As seventeen American passengers on the ill-fated Hondius cruise ship are monitored at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and other U.S. travelers shelter at home, it’s time to acknowledge a far more deadly risk: deep cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an anti-science ideology leave us vulnerable to the next big pandemic or biological threat.

I was joined at the hip with the CDC’s impressive cadre of epidemiologists when I served as the FBI’s on-scene commander at the site of the nation’s first anthrax murder. Those disease detectives and I led what would become the largest hazardous materials evidence recovery effort in FBI history, at the American Media Incorporated headquarters – a three-story, 66,000 square foot building in Boca Raton, Florida.

The CDC immediately surged significant resources to Palm Beach County to begin the painstaking task of determining how and where microscopic Anthrax spores came into contact with the victim. Around the country at multiple locations where anthrax was turning up, hundreds of interviews were conducted, and thousands of samples were collected and analyzed as the deadly bacteria was traced through the U.S. mail system.

The story of how this effort worked has already been told. The question now is, can the CDC do it again?

Leadership is critical in a crisis, and we should count ourselves lucky that Hantavirus is not a gravely serious threat to the general public – because leadership is lacking in our federal health agencies. Eighty percent of senior roles at the CDC and its related agencies are vacant. The CDC director position is currently filled with an acting director who arrived less than three months ago. The Surgeon General position is vacant, and many deputy director positions through the health agencies are similarly unfilled.

It’s just a matter of time before we’re visited by a deadly viral or bacterial outbreak that is more serious than Hantavirus. Regardless of whether the next one occurs naturally or comes in the form of a deliberate attack, we are left more vulnerable because of Trump’s seemingly indiscriminate budget and personnel slashing at critically vital entities. It took almost one month after the first death in this Hanta outbreak for the CDC to assemble a response team.

Stephanie Psaki, global health security coordinator during President Biden’s tenure, noted: “We should be able to deal collectively with a hantavirus outbreak much more quickly and effectively than this is happening. An outbreak of a known pathogen on a cruise ship is a relatively easy scenario. It can get much harder than this.”

In 2025, Trump budget cuts nixed funding for the team leading a project studying the specific strain of hantavirus that killed the cruise ship patients. To add insult to injury, last year Trump fired every full-time employee on the CDC team responsible for public health on cruise ships.

The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program fell victim to the random cuts enacted by Elon Musk and his dangerously ignorant DOGE flunkeys. The Vessel Sanitation Program doesn’t cost the government a dime because its entire budget flows from fees paid by the cruise ship industry. Yet, the team unexplainably disappeared. According to a statement released by Senator Chuck Shumer (D-N.Y.), “three of the CDC’s 20 Port Health Stations have no staff at all, half have no officer in charge, and the remainder rely on temporary workers.”

It’s also undeniable that there are now considerably fewer experts left to conduct field work, laboratory analysis, and coordination across local, state, and federal health agencies. In 2025, about 70 epidemiologists, like those I worked alongside during the anthrax response, received layoff notices. The entire team responsible for publishing the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the report on newly identified infectious threats, was also let go. That’s the same crew that published a June 1981 report that five formerly healthy gay men had developed an unusual pneumonia. That observation was the initial clue of the coming AIDS epidemic.

Last month, the CDC called timeout on testing for over two dozen infectious diseases like monkey pox and rabies. The agency’s lab test directory revealed 32 test orders were not conducted including “viral, parasitic, and zoonotic pathogens”. In certain instances, doctors were told to redirect their test orders to state or private labs – assuming of course that such resources were even available.

As infectious disease expert Dr. Monica Gandi wrote: “Because CDC laboratories provide specialized and confirmatory testing that is not consistently available elsewhere, reductions in federal capacity may disproportionately affect health systems that rely on public health infrastructure, including county hospitals, rural clinics, and safety-net providers.”

New York Times, French Hantavirus Patient Is Critically Ill as Outbreak Reaches 11 Cases, Leo Sands, May 13, 2026. The woman, who was a passenger on the MV Hondius, was breathing with the help of an artificial lung, officials in Paris said.

A French woman with hantavirus who had traveled on the MV Hondius cruise ship was critically ill on Wednesday, officials said, as the number of identified cases in the outbreak climbed to 11.

Health officials around the world are monitoring disembarked travelers from the ship and any of their close contacts for symptoms of the virus. The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it had identified eleven cases of hantavirus, three in people who had died. It said nine of the cases were confirmed to be hantavirus and that two more were “probable.”

Officials at a briefing on Wednesday in Stockholm by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said that the patient in France was one of three people to be critically ill. Gianfranco Spiteri, an epidemic expert at the agency, said the woman did not have symptoms when she left the ship.

Xavier Lescure, an infectious disease specialist at Bichat Hospital in Paris, where the woman is being treated, had previously said the she had severe symptoms and was breathing with the help of an artificial lung.

Pamela Rendi-Wagner, the agency’s director, noted that the virus had a long incubation period of six weeks. She recommended that the ship’s passengers be held in quarantine for that length of time after disembarking.ImageAn ambulance pictured outside Bichat Hospital in ParisBichat Hospital in Paris on Tuesday. A woman who tested positive for hantavirus was in intensive care there.Credit...Michel Euler/Associated Press

The W.H.O. has said that its officials expect to see more hantavirus cases “given the dynamics of spread on a ship” and the long incubation period, even as the risk of a larger outbreak remains low.

All of the cases identified so far have been among the roughly 150 passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-registered cruise ship that was in the South Atlantic when an outbreak began on board.

Health authorities have been identifying people to have close contact with the passengers and asking them to quarantine too.

On Tuesday, a hospital in the Netherlands said 12 of its employees could have been exposed to the virus while processing blood and urine samples from an infected patient. It said that they would enter preventive quarantine for six weeks as a precaution.

The MV Hondius departed for an Atlantic adventure cruise from Argentina last month. Within days, a 70-year-old Dutch man developed symptoms. He died onboard the ship on April 11 and his 69-year-old wife became ill and died on April 26 in Johannesburg, South Africa, while attempting to fly home to the Netherlands. On May 2, a German woman also died aboard the ship after developing flu-like symptoms. The W.H.O. said her body later tested positive for the virus.

Hantavirus is a rare family of viruses carried by rodents. The outbreak on the ship involved the Andes subtype, the only type known to spread among humans. It affects those who are in prolonged, close contact with someone with the virus. Early symptoms can resemble those of flu, but as the illness progresses it can cause shortness of breath and, in severe instances, lung or heart failure.

The W.H.O. believes that the Dutch couple had been infected with the virus before boarding the ship.

The MV Hondius anchored off Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday and passengers and crew began evacuating to their home countries for quarantine and monitoring. Spanish authorities said 32 crew members will remain on the ship until it docks in the Netherlands. 

New York Times, Andreessen Horowitz Is Spending on Politics Like No Other, Theodore Schleifer, May 13, 2026. The biggest donor in the midterm elections is not Elon Musk, or George Soros, or any of the other billionaires who are often thought to wield the fattest wallets in politics.

It is a venture capital firm: Andreessen Horowitz.A list of the top contributors of this midterm cycle so far. Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, co-founders of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, have donated 115.5 million. George Soros, democratic megadonor, has donated 102.9 million. Elon Musk, C.E.O. of Tesla and SpaceX, has donated 85 million, and Jeff Yass, the Wall Street financier, has donated 81.8 million.

Top contributors of this midterm cycle so far

• Andreessen Horowitz: Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, co-founders of venture capital firm: $115.5 million
• George Soros: Democratic megadonor: $102.9 million
• Elon Musk: C.E.O. of Tesla and SpaceX: $85 million
• Jeff Yass:Wall Street financier: $81.8 million

The Silicon Valley firm, along with its lead partners who have their names on the door, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, have funneled more than $115 million so far in disclosed federal contributions to midterm election efforts, according to a New York Times analysis. That makes it the biggest known spender on this campaign cycle.

Andreessen Horowitz is not new to politics. Its founders are billionaires and experienced donors. But the amount of zeros on its checks has increased beyond even the $63 million or so that it and its eponymous founders spent in the 2024 cycle, as part of an astonishing effort by an investment shop to bend politics to its will.

Its unusual role in this election cycle immediately became clear after the last one. The day after Election Day — with no major elections to be held for another two years — is not typically when eight-figure donations are made. But on Nov. 6, 2024, Andreessen Horowitz officially pumped more than $23 million into the cryptocurrency industry’s main super PACs, underscoring that its political commitment was long term and not a passing interest.

Andreessen Horowitz declined to comment and did not make Mr. Andreessen and Mr. Horowitz available for interviews.

“My conclusion is this has to be a permanent role that we play,” Mr. Andreessen said on an election recap podcast recorded a few days later. “There will be some phases of the moon in which the tides are on our side. And there will be some phases when we really have to fight. But we have to stay involved every step of the way.”

The venture firm’s spending is part of a shift. In this year’s midterms, the biggest donors are no longer individual billionaires but corporations like Andreessen Horowitz, which critics said could overwhelm elections to push a pecuniary interest.

Already Andreessen Horowitz has put $47.5 million into the crypto super PAC network, Fairshake, since Election Day 2024. And the firm’s interests have expanded beyond crypto. It helped found Leading the Future, a super PAC network focused on electing pro-artificial intelligence legislators, which is modeled on Fairshake, and donated $50 million to it. Fairshake and Leading the Future both back Republicans and Democrats.Editors’ PicksThanks to ‘Mormon Wives,’ Dirty Soda Is a National ObsessionOn ‘S.N.L.’, Brett Kavanaugh, Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth Walk Into a BarThe Detectives Are Sheep. (No, That’s Not a Metaphor.)

Andreessen Horowitz and its co-founders have also together donated $12 million to MAGA Inc., President Trump’s super PAC, including $6 million in March. A trust linked to Mr. Andreessen donated nearly $900,000 to the Republican National Committee that same month.

All of this has helped Mr. Andreessen, in particular, cultivate a close relationship with the Trump administration.

Andreessen and Horowitz have sharply increased their public donations this election cycleBar chart showing that Andreessen Horowitz has rapidly scaled up their giving in the last election cycle. They have given much more to A.I., Crypto, and Republican leadership the 2026 midterm cycle. In 2022, they gave only 2 million dollars, in comparison to the 115.5 million in 2026. 

New York Times, Trump Administration Live Updates: A Third Republican Breaks With G.O.P. in Latest War Powers Vote, Megan Mineiro, May 13, 2026. Middle East: Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked the latest resolution to end the war with Iran, but a third G.O.P. senator joined Democrats in the effort to curb President Trump’s ability to unilaterally wage war.

The vote by Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who previously opposed such measures, was the latest sign of Republicans’ frustration with the conflict and the president’s handling of it. The Senate on Wednesday blocked Democrats’ seventh attempt to halt the war in Iran, as Republicans banded together almost unanimously to beat back the first such effort since President Trump blew past a 60-day deadline to seek congressional authorization to continue the fighting. In other news:

• Trump-Xi Summit: Mr. Trump arrived in Beijing for a two-day summit with China’s leader, Xi Jinping. It is the first trip to China by a U.S. president since Mr. Trump visited in 2017. Read more ›
• Tariffs: The federal government has begun refunding some of the roughly $160 billion in Trump administration tariffs that the Supreme Court deemed illegal. Roughly 330,000 importers must be reimbursed for what they paid in taxes, plus interest that is accruing at an estimated rate of about $650 million per month. Read more ›

New York Times, Top Kennedy spokesman resigns in protest over new vaping policy, May 13, 2026. The chief spokesman for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. resigned on Wednesday in protest over the administration’s push to allow major tobacco companies to begin selling flavored vapes that appeal to children. His departure came one day after the head of the Food and Drug Administration quit for the same reason.

In a letter to Mr. Trump, obtained by The New York Times, the spokesman, Rich Danker, did not blame the president, whom he said had “twice restored our prosperity and national security against all odds.” But he warned that authorizing flavored e-cigarettes would draw more children into vaping and increase their risk for a number of health issues, from addiction to cancer.

The letter cited unnamed “senior H.H.S. officials,” other than Mr. Kennedy, who were behind steps including a new policy posted on the F.D.A. website on Friday, in which the agency said it would take steps to remove illicit e-cigarettes from the market and allow sales of those that have already crossed hurdles toward agency approval.

Dr. Marty Makary, the F.D.A. commissioner, who resigned on Tuesday, sought to block the marketing of flavored e-cigarettes, but was overruled. Mr. Trump was personally involved advancing it. In his letter, Mr. Danker did not name Dr. Makary, but he echoed Dr. Makary’s objections.

“Senior H.H.S. officials in the immediate office of the secretary have in recent months sought U.S. Food and Drug Administration marketing approval of e-cigarette flavors that would appeal to children and expose them to nicotine addiction, lung damage and higher risk of cancer,” Mr. Danker wrote.

Mr. Danker added that routine approval of the products would undermine a policy the agency issued in March, “with the support of the White House.”ImageRich Danker, the chief Department of Health and Human Services spokesman, wrote in his resignation letter that the sale of flavored vapes “would appeal to children and expose them to nicotine addiction, lung damage and higher risk of cancer.”

Mr. Danker’s resignation comes at a particularly fraught time for the Department of Health and Human Services. With Dr. Makary’s resignation on Tuesday, the department now has three major vacancies. The positions of surgeon general and director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also unfilled.

As the assistant secretary for public affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Danker was responsible for coordinating the department’s outward communications. He was in Los Angeles on Wednesday, where Mr. Kennedy is speaking at a conference on the possible link between diet and cancer.

He is the second assistant secretary for public affairs to quit. Thomas Corry, Mr. Kennedy’s first top spokesman, resigned after two weeks, partly in protest of the way Mr. Kennedy handled a measles outbreak in Texas.

New York Times, With a Friend in Trump, the Tobacco Industry Secures a Lucrative Win, Christina Jewett and Kenneth P. Vogel, May 13, 2026. In a dispute over vapes, the president sided with tobacco companies that filled his groups’ coffers over his own F.D.A. commissioner, who resigned in protest.

Over lunch at his golf club in Jupiter, Fla., on the first Saturday of May, President Trump got an earful from a group of tobacco executives and lobbyists unhappy with the way the Food and Drug Administration was regulating their industry.

Eventually Mr. Trump had heard enough. He interrupted the conversation to call Dr. Marty Makary, the F.D.A. commissioner.

No answer.

Furious, the president then dialed Dr. Makary’s boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and another top health official, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He complained to them about the F.D.A.’s regulation of e-cigarettes, according to three people briefed on the meeting who were not authorized to discuss it.

The message was received. Less than one week later, the executives got what they wanted.

On Friday, the F.D.A. issued new guidance that could pave the way for major tobacco companies to begin selling flavored vapes and to snare a chunk of the $6 billion e-cigarette market away from illegal Chinese competitors. The new policy bypassed the F.D.A.’s regular rule-making process.

In the intervening week, Dr. Makary continued to argue against approving flavored vapes as support from Mr. Kennedy and others collapsed around him. Health and Human Services Department staff began to draft the new plan, according to two people familiar with the events.

On Tuesday, Dr. Makary resigned, telling associates he could not in good conscience remain the head of an agency that backed such a policy.

Though there is no definitive evidence linking the new guidance to donations or lobbying, the episode represented a clear pivot in the federal government’s longtime approach to the tobacco industry.

Since the 1990s, when states extracted vast payments and other concessions from the major cigarette companies in a nationwide legal settlement, Big Tobacco has been in retreat. Cigarette sales have plummeted, and regulations have mounted as consumers and administrations from both parties embraced public health consensus about the dangers of smoking and nicotine addiction.

Mr. Trump’s first administration initially continued the trend, proposing further restrictions olBut since then, Mr. Trump has enthusiastically welcomed the financial support of the tobacco industry and has courted e-cigarette users as a political constituency.

The new vaping guidance highlights Mr. Trump’s willingness to use his executive authority to prioritize the causes of major corporate donors over public health concerns, taxpayer interests and the judgment of experts, sometimes including those in his own administration.

The president has developed a close relationship with tobacco companies including Altria and Reynolds American, which have donated millions of dollars to his political groups and projects, including his proposed White House ballroom. Their executives attended the lunch at the president’s golf club.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the F.D.A., referred requests for comment to the White House.

Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said in a statement that Mr. Trump has pushed to expand access to vapes to help Americans trying to quit smoking.

“The only guiding factor behind the Trump administration’s health policymaking is gold standard science,” Mr. Desai said.

Reynolds American and Altria did not respond to questions about their lobbying or the conversation at the lunch.

It was attended by Jeff Raborn, a top executive at Reynolds, and Phil Park and Todd Walker of Altria, according to the people familiar with the meeting. Also attending were Brian Ballard and Rich Haselwood, lobbyists for the firm Ballard Partners, which represents Reynolds and helped marshal a sophisticated and expensive influence campaign that culminated in the new vaping guidance. Mr. Ballard is a top fund-raiser for Mr. Trump. Mr. Haselwood had been an in-house lobbyist at Reynolds before joining Ballard Partners this year.

The Daily with Sarah Jones, Commentary: Black Journalists Association Calls Trump Unhinged After His Racist Attack On Reporter, Sarah Jones, right, and Jason Easley, May 12, 2026. Trump attacked a black MS NOW White House reporter and drew some blunt truth from the Washington Black Journalists Association.

The people who are in positions of power in the mainstream media are overwhelmingly white men, which helps explain why the mainstream media has ignored Trump’s habit of attacking black people who question or oppose him.

Trump has a habit of calling black people low IQ.

This is what he said about House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday:

Why would Fox put SCUM like this on, or others, such as Low Rated Bill Maher, who gains “credibility” by constant referral to him as though he were a Liberal source of “Wisdom,” or very Low IQ Hakeem Jeffries, who considers the Supreme Court “illegitimate,” and probably hates our Country.

Trump especially hates being questioned or challenged by black women. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump consistently referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as "low IQ.”

During the 2024 campaign, Trump sat down for an interview with women journalists from the National Association of Black Journalists, and he was a total racist disaster.

This behavior is conveniently overlooked by the mainstream media, but the Washington Association of Black Journalists spoke out after Trump attacked one of their members for asking a question that he didn’t like at the White House.

MS NOW’s Akayla Gardner posted on X that she asked Trump, “I asked POTUS how the rising price of his ballroom (nearly x2 original estimate) and reflecting pool makeover (x7 original estimate) are any different than why he wanted to remove Fed Chair Jerome Powell for 30% cost overruns.”

Trump did not like this question, and he responded with a racist attack on Gardner, “ So what happened is, uh, we have a ballroom that's under budget. It's going up right here. I've doubled the size of it because we obviously need that. And, uh, we're right now on budget, under budget, and ahead of schedule.”

Trump was asked, “Why did you double? Why are you double?”

The president lashed out with his favorite insult to black women, “ You are not a smart person…We doubled the size of the ballroom, so we're gonna have a ballroom that's appropriate for the White House. We doubled the size. Uh, the ballroom now is ahead of schedule, and it's a little bit under budget, depending on the finishes that we use.”

U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Take It From Him, Will Saletan, right, May 13, 2026. Donald Trump always finds a scapegoat. When the economy does well under other presidents, he takes the credit. And when the economy suffers under him, he finds someone else to blame. In his first term, it was the “China virus.” In his second term, it’s the Fed.

But now he’s in a jam. Official numbers released on Tuesday show that energy prices, grocery prices, core inflation, and the Consumer Price Index are all surging, thanks to Trump’s war in Iran. And this time, he can’t escape responsibility.

Why? Because he has repeatedly admitted, on camera, that he foresaw the war’s economic damage and started it anyway.

At least fifteen times in the past five weeks, Trump has recounted the story of how he told his economic team about the war. Here’s one version, delivered in Florida on May 1:

I called in Scott Bessent and all of my people, mostly my financial people. And I said, “Alright, folks, congratulations. We just hit the highest price in the history of the stock market.” . . . Oil prices were very low. They were $60 and $70 [per barrel]. They were buying [gas] for $2 and even less. . . . In Iowa, it was $1.85 a gallon.

I said, “Congratulations. Now I’m going to upset the apple cart for you, because we have to take a little journey down to a beautiful country known as Iran, and we have to make sure that they don’t have a nuclear weapon.” We stopped them with the B-2 bombers. If we didn’t do that, we would’ve had a nuclear weapon.

Every time Trump tells this story, the gist is the same: The war was his decision, and he knew it would upend the economy. Often, he quotes the pre-war price of gas, boasting that in some states it was under $2 per gallon. On average, it’s now about $4.50.

The price of everything is going up—but for a limited time, you can get two weeks of Bulwark+ free! Join our pro-democracy community.Subscribed

The first time Trump told this story, in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on April 12, he said oil and gas might be even more expensive by November. Bartiromo’s eyebrows went up in shock.

Three days later, Trump boasted that oil was only $92 a barrel, up from $65 before the war. “I’m very happy,” he said. On May 6, he bragged that it was only $100.

In February, before the war, the Dow stood above 50,000. In the war’s first month, it fell almost to 45,000. Since then, it has recovered, but not completely. And Trump says he expected much worse. “When I did this, I thought the market would go down 25 percent,” he told reporters on May 5. “I thought that was a great deal if it did. If it went down 25 percent, I was satisfied. . . . I also thought oil would go up to 200, 250, maybe 300.”

For context, the Dow fell slightly less than 25 percent in the first two days of the 1929 market crash. Trump thought an equivalent fall, percentage-wise, would be great.

And what are Americans getting for this?

Sometimes Trump says the cost was worth it to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. But in his next sentence, he often adds—as he did in that May 1 speech—that we wiped out Iran’s nuclear program last year.

“Those beautiful B-2 bombers totally obliterated their three sites,” he gloated on April 12. But four days later, he said of the current war, “We had to take this journey to the Middle East in order to get rid of a nuclear weapon.”

Get rid of a nuclear weapon? Eight months after the B-2 strike? Either Trump can’t remember his own words, or he’s trying to sell you the same war twice.

In fact, he’s trying to sell it to you three times. The first time was last year, when he said the B-2s “obliterated” the nuclear sites. The second was on February 28, when he said we had to go back in to “ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.” On April 15, after six more weeks of bombing, he said we had achieved that objective again. “I could leave tomorrow. They would never be able to have a nuclear weapon,” he told Bartiromo. “For years they wouldn’t, because their country is devastated.”

But Trump didn’t end the war. He moved on to a third phase, wrestling with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. On April 23, a reporter asked him whether “Americans should anticipate spending more on gasoline for the foreseeable future.” Trump said yes, and he insisted the cost was worth it: “You know what they get for that? Iran without a nuclear weapon.”

It never ends. He keeps finding new reasons why you have to shell out for more war, always in the name of preventing a nuclear Iran.

The main reason you’re paying more for gas, groceries, and other necessities lately is that the strait is choked off. But guess who’s choking it? Three weeks ago, Trump declared:

We have it closed. We have total control of the strait. . . . They [Iran] would have opened it up three days ago. They came to us, and they said, “We will agree to open the strait.” And all my people were happy. Everybody was happy except me. I said, “Wait a minute. If we open the strait, that means they’re going to make $500 million a day.” I don’t want them to make $500 million a day until they settle this thing. So I’m the one that kept it closed.

Having jacked up inflation, Trump now lies about it. On April 16, a reporter asked him, “How much longer will Americans continue to see these high gas prices?”

“They’re not very high,” Trump replied. He dismissed recent price hikes as “fake inflation.”

On May 1, he insisted, “Grocery prices are way down.” Later that day, he added, “Outside of the gasoline, prices are way down.”

Lying about people’s everyday expenses, bragging about cutting off the world’s oil supply, admitting he chose to derail the economy—it’s hard to imagine a more self-incriminating performance. But on Tuesday, Trump outdid himself. On the White House lawn, a reporter asked him about Iran: “To what extent are Americans’ financial situations motivating you to make a deal?”

“Not even a little bit,” said Trump. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”

That’s the only video clip Democrats will need this fall.

AROUND THE BULWARK

• We Can’t Trust the DOJ… On the flagship pod, JAMES COMEY joins TIM MILLER to discuss why Donald Trump has so thoroughly hijacked the Department of Justice, the public can no longer be confident that a criminal investigation or indictment is legitimate.
• RFK Jr.’s War on Science Is Really a War on Scientists… In The Breakdown, JONATHAN COHN offers a unified theory that makes sense of MAHA’s contradictions—and Kennedy’s place in the Trump administration.
• We Need An Investigation Into The U.S. Strike on The Iranian Girl’s School… On Bulwark+ Takes, REP. ADAM SMITH joins SAM STEIN to discuss his plans to investigate the strike that killed over 100 people.

CBS management.

PoliticusUSA, Opinion: Kash Patel Gets Humiliated Over His Alleged Drinking At Senate Hearing, Jason Easley, right, May 13, 2026. Kash Patel tried to get into a heated exchange with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) over drinking and it did not end well for the FBI Director.

A reasonable person would expect FBI Director Kash Patel to avoid any and all questions about his reported drinking issues during a Senate hearing, but Patel is fighting to keep his job, so he made the big mistake of engaging with Sen. Chris Van Hollen on the topic of drinking, and it didn’t go great for Patel.

Van Hollen said that Patel had been making false statements during the hearing:

 Let me just say this, Mr. Director. In your response to me earlier, where you had a little bit of a blowup, you made a couple provably false statements... Mr. Director, I was reading about and asking you to respond to allegations that are made. In fact, I was giving you an opportunity to do that, and you took that opportunity. But in the process, you made these provably false statements that I know are like urban legend in right-wing media about margaritas in El Salvador, which is provably false.

And so coming from the mouth of an FBI director to make provably false statements in a hearing like this is extremely troubling, and it leads me to ask whether or not the other things you've been saying are false statements. And so my... because that was, that's a provably false statement. You made a couple others that are provably false, and this is from the mouth of the FBI director.

Things got even more heated.

Van Hollen asked Patel, “ My, my final question to you, Mr. Director, is do you know that it is a crime to lie to Congress? You know that. That's my last question.”

Patel, right, answered, “I have not lied to Congress.”

Sen. Van Hollen said, "I didn't ask you that.”

Patel said, “The person that lied to Congress is you.”

Van Hollen shot back. “I'm not testifying here, sir, and I don't lie.”

Patel tried to claim that Van Hollen was the drinker, “Maybe the next time you run up a $7,000 bar tab, we can talk about it.”

Sen. Van Hollen said Patel was lying again, “See, there you go lying again. You suggested that was- “

Patel said, “It's in the FEC report. I'll post it right now.”

Van Hollen said, “You suggested it was public- Hang on. It wasn't public money. That was for a 50 members- a staff party.”

Sen. Van Hollen later concluded, “Let me just say in closing, Mr. Chairman, two things. I'm glad that you have agreed to take the test regarding whether you have alcohol problems. I'm glad you agreed with me to do that. You still haven't answered my final question. Do you know, Mr. Director, that it is a crime to lie to Congress? Do you know that?”

Director Patel answered, “I do not lie to Congress.”

Van Hollen resumed, “I didn't ask you that…Just let the record show, Mr. Chairman- And I'm not gonna give it to you ... the director of the FBI apparently does not wanna answer the question about whether or not it's a crime to lie to Congress, and I find that extremely troubling. I find it troubling- And it should be trusted- ... that you lie to the American people every day ... with law enforcement. You are a disgrace, Mr. Director. The fact that you can't answer that question that concludes my questioning, Mr. Chairman, but I'm obviously very troubled.”

Van Hollen was setting the stage for Patel to potentially face charges for lying to Congress.

Remember that if Democrats take back the Senate, they can refer Patel for prosecution, and the statute of limitations does not expire when Trump leaves office. A future Democratic run DOJ could decide to prosecute Patel, which is why Patel did not want to admit anything.

The fact that Patel’s alleged drinking was brought up at a Senate hearing is humiliating. The fact that the country has an FBI Director who seems to lie to Congress is deeply disturbing.

New York Times, 4 Takeaways From Tuesday’s Primaries in Nebraska and West Virginia, Kellen Browning, Updated May 13, 2026. Democrats in Nebraska appear headed toward the Senate matchup they want, while their primary for a key House district was too close to call.

Nebraska Democrats on Tuesday night maneuvered toward a favorable matchup in a high-profile Senate race, and were locked in a close primary contest for a battleground House seat that could be important to the party’s hopes of regaining control of Congress this fall.

In West Virginia, meanwhile, Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s effort to mete out Trump-like retribution against political opponents in Republican primary races met some success.

Here are four takeaways from the night.

Democrats can play hardball, too. Democratic voters have been urging the party to pull out all the stops in opposing President Trump and the Republican Party, which has pursued aggressive and unorthodox strategies — like mid-decade redistricting — to hold onto power.

Democrats have responded with their own gerrymanders. And in Nebraska, rather than back a doomed Democratic bid for Senate, party leaders played smart, endorsing Dan Osborn, an independent candidate who stands a better chance of defeating Senator Pete Ricketts, the Republican incumbent, in November. Mr. Osborn also ran for Senate as an independent in 2024, when he put up a competitive showing but fell short.

When William Forbes — a Democrat (shown above at center) accused of being a Republican “plant” who could split the general-election vote and hinder Mr. Osborn — entered the primary, the state Democratic Party quickly threw its support behind an alternative option. It backed Cindy Burbank, above right, who promised to drop out of the general election and consolidate support for Mr. Osborn.

She easily won the primary on Tuesday night. In a text message afterward, she said — perhaps joking, perhaps not — that she hoped Mr. Ricketts would simply drop out that night. “That would be such sweetness,” she wrote.

She said she was also “kinda disappointed,” because the speed of her victory over Mr. Forbes — the race was called six minutes after polls closed — had taken “all the fun out of it.”

But she recommitted to her pledge to exit the race.

“I don’t wanna split the ballot,” Ms. Burbank wrote. “I have no expectations of being able to win in November.”‘Blue dot’ politics may have swayed some voters.

Democrats saw a major opportunity for a House pickup when Representative Don Bacon, a moderate Republican, announced his retirement from Nebraska’s competitive Second Congressional District around Omaha.

But much of the sparring in the Democratic primary focused on the argument that electing one candidate, John Cavanaugh, could make it easier for Republicans to win the presidency in 2028.

The argument stemmed from Nebraska’s unusual allocation of electoral votes in presidential elections, which awards the winner of each of its three congressional districts one electoral vote each. The Omaha-area district has gone to Democrats in recent presidential contests, even as the rest of the state typically went to the Republican presidential candidate.

State Republicans have tried to repeal the so-called blue dot system — named because Omaha is a blue dot in a sea of Republican red — but Democrats in the State Legislature have blocked them. Opponents of Mr. Cavanaugh, a state senator, argued that if he won the House primary and left the State Senate, it would mean one fewer vote to keep the blue dot.

Those arguments may have had some traction. Late Tuesday, Mr. Cavanaugh was narrowly trailing Denise Powell, a political organizer, in a race that was too close to call. The winner will face Brinker Harding, a Republican city councilman.

New York Times, What You Need to Know About the Federal Gas Tax, Emmett Lindner, May 13, 2026. President Trump said he would like to suspend the 18.4-cent-a-gallon tax, but it’s a move that may save drivers only a few dollars a month.

President Trump this week proposed suspending the 18.4-cent-a-gallon federal tax on gasoline in an attempt to bring down pump prices. But that is unlikely to rein in fuel costs by that much, and it’s not even clear that Congress would go for it.

The federal gas tax makes up a small amount of the total price that drivers pay at the pump — around 4 percent right now. The national average for regular gas was $4.50 a gallon on Tuesday, up more than 50 percent since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began.

Here’s what you need to know about Mr. Trump’s proposal.What is the federal gas tax?

The federal fuel tax was meant to be temporary when President Herbert Hoover signed it into law in 1932 to help pay for national defense spending. But persistent budget deficits kept it in place, and the money it raises is used for road maintenance through the Highway Trust Fund.

The tax rate has not changed since 1993. The federal tax rate for diesel is slightly higher, at 24.4 cents a gallon.

Because the tax rates on gas and diesel have not changed for decades, the revenue they raise does not come close to meeting road maintenance needs. As a result, Congress often uses additional funds to pay for the federal government’s share of road maintenance.

“The idea is funding highway maintenance, but it doesn’t quite fund highway maintenance,” said Ted Kury, the director of energy studies at the University of Florida’s public utility research center. “Periodically, you’ll find that the government makes additional contributions.”How much would it save drivers at the pump?

A suspension of the tax would not necessarily mean a gallon would cost 18.4 cents less for drivers.

The fuel is generally taxed at a terminal before it’s distributed to gas stations, which makes it easier for the federal government to collect.

If drivers see any relief, “it’s going to have to be because that producer is then reducing the price that it charges to the gas station,” said Michael Negron, an economics fellow at the Center for American Progress, a research group.

“I would think that there would be some reduction — it’s not clear that it would be in the exact amount” of the suspended tax, said Mr. Negron, who worked on economic policy in the Biden administration.

In March, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, another research group, estimated that suspending the tax would reduce federal revenue by $2.4 billion a month, and save families earning less than $53,000 a year about $5 a month.

Mr. Trump acknowledged on Monday that the drop would be slight. “It’s a small percentage,” he said, “but it’s, you know, it’s still money.”

Suspending the tax could also have other consequences. If the federal government did not replace the forgone fuel tax revenue, there would be less money to repair highways, ultimately causing more wear on cars.

More On U.S. Foreign Policy

New York Times, Trump’s Shrinking Ambitions on China, Ana Swanson, May 13, 2026. The president came into office planning harsher trade moves on China than on the rest of the world. Here’s why he’s had to scale them back.

When President Trump campaigned in 2024, he promised a trade agenda that would hit China harder than any other economic partner, expanding on actions he had taken in his first term.

Mr. Trump talked about imposing a tariff of 60 percent or more on the country, and proposed stripping China of the preferential trade relations given to it when it joined the World Trade Organization. The rest of the world would be subject to tariffs too, but they would be much lower, at 10 or 20 percent.

More than a year into Mr. Trump’s first term, the picture looks dramatically different. Though U.S. tariffs on China are higher overall when the tariffs from Mr. Trump’s first term are added in, other countries have faced punitive levies that were nearly as high, and higher for some products.

The Trump administration has saved its most caustic criticism for allies in Europe and Canada, while approaching China more cautiously. And as Mr. Trump heads to Beijing this week for a summit with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, expectations for its outcomes are limited.

Rather than pushing China for broader structural changes to its economy, as Mr. Trump’s aides did in his first term, the focus now is largely on maintaining stable relations between the countries, while restoring or increasing U.S. sales of products like airplanes, ethanol, soybeans, beef and sorghum.

The remarkable shrinking of Mr. Trump’s Chinese ambitions is the result of the events of the last year, when China responded to Mr. Trump’s tariffs by cutting off the supply of rare earth minerals and magnets needed by American companies making everything from cars and weaponry to power tools.

Facing the prospect of shuttered U.S. factories and widespread economic damage, the Trump administration appears to have given up the idea of a more ambitious deal with China — widely acknowledged as America’s most problematic trading partner — even as it presses less troublesome partners more aggressively than ever before.Want to stay updated on what’s happening in China? Sign up for Your Places: Global Update, and we’ll send our latest coverage to your inbox.

Myron Brilliant, a senior counselor at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group, a consulting firm, said this week’s summit in Beijing would be “high on strategic distrust and high on symbolism but low on ambition.” Last year was a tumultuous period for U.S.-China relations, he said, and both sides “are in risk management now.”

“Each side seeks stability, and deliverables will be largely short-term in nature,” he said. Mr. Brilliant said the outcomes could include agricultural and airplane purchases, and agreements to curb fentanyl exports.U.S. officials have talked about the creation of a new “board of trade” that would oversee the agreed purchases, which could run to tens of billions of dollars. Others have suggested the meeting could result in lower tariffs on more general products, to spur their sales.

While Mr. Trump’s global tariffs have been repeatedly struck down by the courts, the administration is preparing two new trade investigations that are likely to result in more levies on dozens of countries this summer, including China. Chinese officials are expected to press U.S. officials to keep those tariffs low.

Analysts said Chinese officials also appeared likely to push for the relaxation of U.S. technology controls or a change in U.S. posture on Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its own.

New York Times, How China Could Wield Its Control of Rare Earths Against Trump, Keith Bradsher, May 13, 2026. A central question hanging over the summit this week is whether China will agree to extend a temporary postponement of even tougher rare-earth export controls.

As President Trump prepares to meet China’s top leader at a summit in Beijing this week, one of the most pressing issues facing the United States, the European Union and Japan lies in China’s restrictions on exports of rare-earth metals and magnets essential to advanced manufacturing.

Manufacturers of commercial aircraft, electronics, cars, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and military hardware are facing acute shortages of rare earths, many of which are refined almost exclusively in China. Prices for some of these metals have soared as much as a hundredfold since Beijing halted most exports in early April last year.

China announced on Oct. 9 that it planned to impose sweeping new restrictions on exports of rare earths and products containing even trace amounts of Chinese rare earths. Three weeks later, Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, agreed at a meeting with Mr. Trump to postpone those measures for a year, though the restrictions issued in April remained in place.

A senior administration official said Sunday that the United States was in frequent contact with China about rare earths, and that it remained unclear whether this week’s summit would produce an agreement to extend the one-year reprieve. But the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity before the diplomatically sensitive meeting, said he was confident the two sides would reach an extension before the postponement expired.

Beijing has offered few hints about its intentions. Asked about rare earths at a news briefing last month, Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said that “the two sides need to jointly deliver on the important common understandings between the two presidents, and provide greater stability to China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation.”

“If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address 1838

The Steady State, Opinion: America’s perpetual wars are not signs of strength, but symptoms of a republic drifting away from constitutional restraint, accountability, and moral clarity, Robert Bruce Adolph (military strategist and retired senior US Army Special Forces soldier), May 13, 2026. In the beginning: I was once a young, idealistic American soldier.

I blindly believed in American ideals and her democratic leaders. I was certain that our nation’s elected representatives had the best interests of the country at heart. I was convinced that no president or Congress would place America’s sons and daughters in harm’s way without the best of justifications. Such belief is essential to those in uniform, who may die, be physically mauled for life, or psychologically scarred in pursuit of a hopefully just war’s aims. Tragically, my beliefs are now badly battered. Why is the topic of this brief essay.

Poorly selected objectives: President George W. Bush initiated a war in Afghanistan in October of 2001 to remove the Taliban from power, so they could no longer give shelter to al-Qaida, the overlords of the attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon. He later chose to invade Iraq in March of 2003. Nobody seems to understand why. Iraq had nothing whatsoever to do with the tragic events of 9/11. In any case, choosing to fight two long wars simultaneously was always a fool’s errand. The absurd notion that America could bestow sustainable democracy and liberal order on either country is reflective of both arrogance and naivete. History has more than proven this point. The costs in both blood and treasure were extraordinary, for both us and our NATO allies.

Congressional cowardice: Because Congress has continually abrogated its constitutional responsibility to declare war since WWII, successive presidents have made a mess of it, this one included. Ask yourself a question: an entire American generation grew from childhood to adulthood while at war in Afghanistan and Iraq. What did we achieve? Is America safer for those conflicts—part of the never-ending American Global War on Terror? Remember, before that, it was Vietnam. Now, it is an unnecessary conflict of choice with Iran. War is supposed to be the last resort when all other means have been exhausted, and not a go-to solution for misinformed, impatient, or petulant chief executives. There is no doubt that these outcomes are the result of Congressional cowardice.

History’s clear lessons ignored: The expenditure of thousands of Americans’ lives and trillions of U.S. dollars in these previous wars has accomplished little. The clear winner in Vietnam was the North. The clear winner in Afghanistan was the Taliban. The clear winner in Iraq was Iran. Although it may be emotionally satisfying to kill those we designate as terrorists, the many dead have gotten us no closer to either victory or peace. Is it our national strategy to just keep killing? If so, we will be doing so for an exceedingly long time. The Global War on Terror is a conflict that has no exit ramp. There are always potential extremists waiting in the wings of the global theater.

War lacking justification: But what is the problem? We have won all the battles. However, we have lost the wars and seem to be deep into the process of losing this conflict as well. Our sons and daughters have died on foreign battlefields while we were told repeatedly, “They are defending our freedom.” Although that rationale once held water with me, it no longer does so. In the modern era, the Taliban never directly threatened our liberties. The Iraqi version of ISIS morphed back into what it once was: a fanatical religious movement that holds no land mass. And Iran was often satisfied to act through regional proxies so long as the Ayatollahs and militarists remained in control in Tehran.

Another war of choice: In Iran today, Mr. Trump continues to slog on in the vain hope of finding “something” that looks like victory so he can declare himself a winner. This Oval Office desperately needs something for all the sunk costs—a minimum of a billion dollars daily. The mid-term elections could easily be lost by his political party if the conflict continues. If that happens, he knows that his impeachment may follow. So, exactly what is our military fighting for? I don’t know. This administration does not know either. But our soldiers do what they have always done, they perish in faraway lands, not for oil or riches, but because they believe in our nation, what it once stood for, and hopefully will again.

At the end: I was once a young, idealistic American soldier. I am no longer young, and my idealism is in tatters. I want to believe in the common sense of our people; the best intentions of our Congress; and the integrity of our government. However, these wasteful and stupid wars started by repetitive presidents must terminate. Only Congress possesses the legal constitutional authority to declare war. That authority must be reasserted. If not, this is how our soldiers’ loyalty is squandered. This is how our soldiers’ trust is abused. This is how our soldiers’ belief in the nation is trampled. This is how our soldiers’ lives are lost. If I may speak for them, our soldiers have but one request of their elected leadership: “Do not permit our sacrifice to be in vain. If we are to die, it must be in a just cause that is supported by our fellow citizens.” If we do not reclaim our country by remaining true to the law in pursuit of the aspirations laid down in our Constitution, this is how our republic dies.

Robert Bruce Adolph , a qualified Military Strategist,is a retired senior US Army Special Forces soldier. He holds graduate degrees in both National Security Studies & International Affairs and was formally trained as a counterintelligence special agent. Robert also taught university level courses in American Government, US History, and World Politics. Following his retirement from the active military, he joined the UN, subsequently seeing service in Sierra Leone, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Indonesia and more, culminating in the role of Chief of the Middle East and North Africa at UN Headquarters in New York. He is the author of “Surviving the United Nations,” now out in a second edition. He is a member of The Steady State.

Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 400 former senior national security professionals. 

More Global News

Drop Site News, Trump arrives in Beijing flanked by tech CEOs; South Carolina blocks redistricting push; Nigerian strike kills 100 in local market, Staff and wire reports, May 13, 2026. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a two-day summit with Chinese president Xi Jinping. It marks the first visit to China by a U.S. president since Trump visited in 2017.

Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, along with a number of tech executives, including Elon Musk of Tesla, Tim Cook of Apple, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia. The U.S. recently sanctioned several Chinese firms it accused of assisting in Iranian oil shipments and supplying satellite imagery allegedly used in Iranian military operations. China condemned the measures as “illegal unilateral sanctions.” 

In other global news: 

Taiwan asserts independence in advance of U.S.-China conclave: China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said its resolve to oppose Taiwan’s independence was “firm as a rock” and its capability to crush separatism “unbreakable,” as President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for two days of meetings with President Xi Jinping. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, however, called the island a “sovereign, independent nation” that would not bow to pressure. The Trump administration announced an $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan in December, its largest ever.

Nigerian military airstrike kills at least 100 civilians at a market in Zamfara state, Amnesty says: At least 100 civilians—many of them women and girls—were killed when a Nigerian military airstrike struck the crowded Tumfa market in Zurmi district, Zamfara state, on Sunday, Amnesty International reported Tuesday. The attack is the second to kill scores of civilians at a northern Nigerian market in a month, following an April strike on a weekly market in Jilli that killed around 200 people; the military has not commented on Sunday’s attack and has previously denied targeting civilians.Turkey unveils draft law expanding maritime claims in Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean, and Black seas: Turkey unveiled draft legislation Tuesday that would codify its contested maritime boundaries and require foreign authorization for economic, scientific, and environmental activities in waters Ankara considers its own. The draft would expand Turkey’s maritime reach in the Black and Mediterranean Seas to 12 nautical miles from its shore, and would retain its claim to the 6 nautical miles it presently claims in the Aegean, where it has said it would oppose Greek expansion. Turkey has reportedly worried about growing collaboration between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Cuba ends fixed fuel prices as a consequence of U.S. sanctions: Cuba’s Finance and Prices Ministry announced Tuesday that starting May 15, it will liberalize fuel prices, allowing rates at state service stations to fluctuate based on actual import costs—ending a fixed-price regime the government said “cannot be economically sustained under present conditions.” Cuba’s national grid reports that it can meet less than half of its current electricity demand as a result of an escalating sanctions regime on the country.

CIA running secret assassination campaign against cartel members inside Mexico, CNN reports: The CIA has been directly participating in lethal operations against cartel members inside Mexico—including a targeted car bombing that killed an alleged Sinaloa Cartel operative on a busy highway outside Mexico City on March 28—as part of an expanded covert campaign led by the agency’s elite Ground Branch unit, CNN reported Tuesday. Mexican Public Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch rejected the characterization of the operation and a subsequent report from the New York Times claimed the CIA provided intelligence for the operation but was not on the ground.

Reuters separately reported that one of the alleged CIA officers who was killed in a car crash in northern Mexico last month had been seen days earlier carrying a gun in a local security office. U.S. officials are normally not allowed to carry firearms in Mexico.

Ukraine strikes gas facilities 1,500 kilometers inside Russia: Ukrainian drones struck gas facilities in Russia’s Orenburg region Tuesday—more than 1,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border—according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The attacks come hours after Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine that killed six people overnight and effectively ended a three-day ceasefire between the countries.

Also on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had tested a new nuclear-capable intercontinental missile, which he claimed could penetrate “all existing and future” missile defense systems.

RSF drone strikes hit civilian market and water source in Karnoi, North Darfur: Drone strikes attributed to the Rapid Support Forces struck a market in Karnoi, North Darfur, on Tuesday, killing civilians and destroying transport trucks carrying passengers from Tina to Kutum, while a separate strike disabled the “Am Saleh” well—the area’s primary water source—and killed significant numbers of livestock, according to Sudan Tribune. Drones caused more than 80% of civilian deaths in Sudan during the first four months of 2026, killing at least 880 people, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Peru charges leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez with financial crimes: Peru’s public prosecutor’s office accused leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez of filing false financial disclosures with undisclosed campaign contributions between 2018 and 2020, calling for over five years in prison and permanent disqualification from the presidency. The charges were unsealed Tuesday hours after electoral authorities stated that Sanchez was set to advance to a June 7 run-off against conservative Keiko Fujimori.

Honduras arrests former mayor accused of masterminding assassination of environmental leader: Honduran authorities arrested former Tocoa Mayor Adán Fúnez on Tuesday, more than a year after the September 2024 killing of anticorruption and environmental defender Juan López. López was shot seven times days after publicly calling on Fúnez to resign over a corruption scandal tied to an iron oxide mining project Fúnez supported. Fúnez had long been accused by religious and environmental leaders of orchestrating the killing, drawing condemnation from Pope Francis, the United Nations, and the Biden administration.

Libyan authorities free and deport 120 kidnapped migrants: Eastern Libyan security forces freed 120 migrants who had been tortured and held for ransom inside a trafficking compound south of Benghazi, the Government of National Stability’s security directorate said. They said the captives were beaten and filmed to extort money from their families. Three migrants—two Bangladeshis and one Egyptian—were found dead on the Mediterranean shore nearby, and authorities also seized a small boat-building operation used for Mediterranean crossings.

Pakistan denies sheltering Iranian military aircraft as U.S.-Iran ceasefire teeters: Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry rejected as “misleading and sensationalized” a CBS News report that Iran had moved military aircraft, including a reconnaissance plane, to a Pakistani air base to shield them from potential U.S. strikes, saying the aircraft arrived during ceasefire-period diplomatic logistics and that both Iranian and U.S. aircraft used the base. (Sen. Lindsey Graham later questioned War Secretary Pete Hegseth on the report.)

Saudi Arabia bombed Iran in covert “tit-for-tat” strikes in March, Reuters reports: Saudi Arabia’s Air Force carried out multiple covert strikes on Iran in late March—the first known direct Saudi attacks on Iranian territory—in retaliation for Iranian strikes on Saudi targets, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing two Western and two Iranian officials. Saudi Arabia made Iran aware of the strikes, which were followed by intensive diplomacy and Saudi threats of further retaliation, producing an informal bilateral de-escalation agreement that took effect in the week before the broader U.S.-Iran ceasefire on April 7.

WSJ: Mossad chief visited UAE to coordinate war with Iran: The head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, secretly visited the United Arab Emirates on at least two separate occasions in March and April to coordinate the war with Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal. The news follows an earlier report by the Wall Street Journal that the UAE carried out covert military strikes on Iran, including an attack on a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in early April shortly after President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire.

In other U.S news with global impacts:

Federal appeals court temporarily pauses ruling that blocked Trump’s 10% global tariff: A U.S. federal appeals court temporarily reinstated Trump’s 10% global tariff after a Court of International Trade panel ruled 2-1 that Trump had failed to meet the legal criteria for the tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. Trump’s global tariff is set to expire in July unless extended by Congress. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is already processing $35.46 billion in refunds on tariffs previously struck down under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Senate confirms Kevin Warsh to Federal Reserve board: The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors Tuesday in a 51-45 vote, with Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman the sole Democrat voting in favor of his confirmation. Warsh’s confirmation deepens concerns about the central bank’s independence after Trump said in December he would only appoint a chair who agreed with him on interest rates. The Trump administration has also targeted current Chair Jerome Powell through a now-dropped Justice Department investigation, and by attempting to fire Lisa Cook, a case now being reviewed by the Supreme Court. Warsh has promised “regime change,” including closer coordination with the Treasury Department.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigns: Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary resigned Tuesday at the direction of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. On his departure, President Trump said: “Marty’s a terrific guy, but he’s going to go on and he’s going to lead a good life. He was having some difficulty.” Makary’s FDA lost 3,500 workers to DOGE-driven layoffs, saw the departure of high-profile leaders in the agency, and was beset by political difficulties, including demands from anti-abortion Republicans for the agency to restrict the mail-order abortion medication mifepristone. Kyle Diamantas, a former corporate lawyer who led the agency’s food division and lacks a medical degree, will serve as acting commissioner.

Former GEO Group executive appointed acting ICE director: David Venturella, a former employee of the private prison contractor GEO Group, will serve as acting ICE director, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced Tuesday. Venturella, who previously oversaw contracts for immigration detention centers at the Department of Homeland Security, replaces Todd Lyons, who is retiring. Border czar Tom Homan also worked for GEO Group.

FBI running secret “payback squad” targeting Trump political enemies, sources say: The FBI has assembled a team of agents internally called the “payback squad” tasked with pursuing political targets set by the Trump administration, according to a new report from NOTUS. One such target is reportedly former CIA director John Brennan, who is expected to be indicted in the coming weeks; his indictment is part of a larger criminal case being built by the FBI that seeks to charge former top government officials with “grand conspiracy” against the president.

Alaska official steered $80 million in contracts to investor who sponsored his cruise: Documents obtained by The Alaska Current reveal that former Alaska Revenue Commissioner and current Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Crum awarded more than $80 million in state contracts to companies tied to tech and energy investor Peter Corsell after one of Corsell’s companies sponsored a glacier cruise for a Republican state treasurer conference. Crum also reportedly attempted to funnel $225 million from the state’s rainy day fund into private equity deals with firms connected to Corsell and to data center developers. Corsell has also partnered with one of the state’s regional governments to build North Slope Power, a proposed natural gas utility, with no public record of a formal bid process. 

New York Times, Gulf Countries Arrest Shiite ‘Traitors’ Amid War With Iran, Vivian Nereim, May 13, 2026. Dozens of Gulf citizens have been accused of belonging to Iran-linked terrorism cells as the war accelerates a shift toward deeper authoritarianism in the region.

In Kuwait, officials arrested six people who they said were plotting to assassinate the country’s leaders. In the United Arab Emirates, the authorities accused 27 men of belonging to a secretive terrorist organization. And in Bahrain, the government has stripped dozens of their citizenship.

The allegations may be different, and in many cases vague, but all these men have one thing in common: They are Shiites, members of one of two major branches of Islam, according to their governments and human rights activists.

After the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28, Iran retaliated by launching thousands of attacks at Gulf states that host U.S. military bases. Some of those countries have since arrested dozens of Shiite citizens, calling them traitors loyal to Shiite-led Iran.

Scholars and rights activists say there has been a surge in nationalist rhetoric in the region that has echoes of past eras when sectarianism was more widespread. It also underlines the ways that the war has accelerated a shift toward deeper authoritarianism in several of the Gulf monarchies.

“It is understandable that at times of war, nationalism increases, but this is a form of rabid nationalism that is exclusionary and subjugates a significant minority of citizens who have complained for years about discrimination,” said Ala’a Shehabi, a Bahraini academic and pro-democracy activist.

Gulf governments typically reveal little information about cases related to terrorism and national security. Such trials are rarely open to journalists, and counterterrorism laws are broad enough to encompass political dissent. That makes it difficult to determine the details of the accusations levied against the men who were arrested, or the veracity of the charges. 

May 12

President Trump, right and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, left, meet at a G20 dinner in 2018 in Argentina.

Top Headlines

• New York Times, Xi Is Poised to Press Trump on Arms Sales to Taiwan, Chris Buckley, May 12, 2026. Beijing has called Taiwan the “core of China’s core interests.” Xi Jinping is likely to focus on getting President Trump to slow approval of more weapons for the self-governing island.
• New York Times, China Seeks A.I. Independence, Weakening Trump’s Leverage, Meaghan Tobin, May 12, 2026. Before this week’s U.S.-Chinese summit, Beijing reached a milestone in its quest for technological self-sufficiency.

News Roundups

• The Parnas Perspective, Afternoon News and Commentary: Trump Shrugs Off Americans’ Financial Pain, Epstein Survivors Deliver Heartbreaking Testimony, Patel Lashes Out, Aaron Parnas, right, May 12, 2026. Trump said the quiet part out loud when he admitted he does not think about Americans’ financial situation during Iran war negotiations, sparking growing concern among swing state Republicans about the political fallout. Kash Patel lashed out during a tense hearing on Capitol Hill, while Epstein survivors delivered heartbreaking testimony demanding accountability.
• The Parnas Perspective, News and Comment: White House Calls Reporter 'Moron' For Showing Trump Dozing Off, Major Epstein and Iran News, Supreme Court Green Lights Alabama Gerrymander, Aaron Parnas, right, May 11, 2026. There is a massive amount of news to cover today. The White House is now calling reporters “morons” for sharing videos and images of Donald Trump appearing to fall asleep during a maternal health event. Major developments are unfolding overseas as Trump pushes to suspend the federal gas tax, the UAE reportedly carries out secret strikes on Iran, and new reporting alleges Pakistan helped Iran shield military aircraft during the recent crisis.

More Global News 

• New York Times, News Analysis: What Middle Powers Fear About the Trump-Xi Summit, Damien Cave, May 12, 2026 (print ed.). Asian nations worry that the president might trade security commitments for better economic terms with China during his planned meeting with Xi Jinping this week.
• New York Times, Lawmakers Urge Trump to Move Ahead on Delayed Arms Sale to Taiwan, Robert Jimison, May 12, 2026 (print ed.). The Trump administration has held up the sale for months ahead of President Trump’s meeting this week with President Xi Jinping of China.

Top Stories

President Trump, right and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, left, meet at a G20 dinner in 2018 in Argentina.

New York Times, Xi Is Poised to Press Trump on Arms Sales to Taiwan, Chris Buckley, May 12, 2026. Beijing has called Taiwan the “core of China’s core interests.” Xi Jinping is likely to focus on getting President Trump to slow approval of more weapons for the self-governing island.

The United States’ stance on Taiwan has rested for decades on a complex latticework of policies designed to support the island democracy while avoiding treating it officially as an independent country, a step that would enrage Beijing.

Many in Taiwan are holding their breath for what may happen to that delicate structure when President Trump, with his off-the-cuff, transactional ways, meets China’s leader, Xi Jinping, in Beijing for a two-day summit starting Thursday. Mr. Xi appears poised to lecture Mr. Trump on U.S. support for Taiwan, especially weapons sales.

Mr. Trump and his officials have said that his trip to Beijing will be focused on trade and investment. But China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, and other officials have indicated that they also expect the two presidents to discuss Taiwan, the issue that could most likely ignite a war between their countries. China claims Taiwan is its territory, and could use armed force to take it, while the United States says it could intervene to defend Taiwan, a longtime partner.

Beijing’s Expectations

“The Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests,” Lin Jian, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said last week when asked if the issue would be a priority for Mr. Xi at the summit.

Taiwan often comes up in talks between Chinese and U.S. leaders. But the summit’s setting in Beijing will give Mr. Xi more opportunity and time to make his case, said Ryan Hass, a former director for China at the National Security Council.Want to stay updated on what’s happening in China and Taiwan? Sign up for Your Places: Global Update, and we’ll send our latest coverage to your inbox.

Mr. Xi may try to persuade Mr. Trump to say that he opposes Taiwanese independence. That could be a setback for Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, though he has said he has no plans to declare independence. Successive U.S. presidents have said they “do not support” independence for Taiwan. Declaring “opposition” may suggest greater sympathy with Beijing’s view that Mr. Lai’s government is the side stirring up trouble, experts said.

“It could be easily used by China to claim that the U.S. is taking Beijing’s side, and even create new diplomatic pressure on Taiwan,” said Chen Kuan-ting, a lawmaker from Mr. Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party.

New York Times, China Seeks A.I. Independence, Weakening Trump’s Leverage, Meaghan Tobin, May 12, 2026. Before this week’s U.S.-Chinese summit, Beijing reached a milestone in its quest for technological self-sufficiency.

When the Chinese start-up DeepSeek released its latest artificial intelligence model last month, it edged Beijing closer to a future that it has spent years trying to build.

In a small but meaningful break from American technology, DeepSeek said for the first time that its new model had been optimized to run on chips made by the Chinese tech giant Huawei. This was a milestone in China’s long-running effort to develop advanced technologies at home and reduce its reliance on Western innovation.

While most of the world’s leading A.I. systems still rely on semiconductors from the U.S. chip-making giant Nvidia, Chinese A.I. firms are increasingly turning to homegrown alternatives.

The timing of DeepSeek’s announcement — before this week’s scheduled summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping, China’s leader — gives Beijing fresh confidence entering trade talks that U.S. export controls on Nvidia chips have not derailed China’s A.I. development.

Any meaningful shift by China away from American A.I. technology could limit the impact of U.S. export controls and deprive Washington of a critical source of leverage over Beijing. That prospect gained urgency since DeepSeek’s A.I. technology rattled the U.S. tech industry and turned the company into a potent symbol of China’s drive for technological self-sufficiency.

Before last year’s meeting between the two leaders, Mr. Trump said he planned to discuss Nvidia’s most powerful A.I. chips with Mr. Xi, fueling speculation that the United States might ease restrictions on the technology.

But after years of Washington’s preventing Chinese companies from buying certain advanced technology products, firms like DeepSeek and Moonshot AI are starting to design their A.I. systems around the constraints rather than waiting for them to disappear. That includes exploring how their models can run on a broader range of processors beyond Nvidia’s.

“U.S. export controls are not freezing China’s A.I. development,” said Wei Sun, a principal A.I. analyst at Counterpoint Research in Beijing. “They are forcing China to build an alternative stack.”

News Roundups

The Parnas Perspective, Afternoon News and Commentary: Trump Shrugs Off Americans’ Financial Pain, Epstein Survivors Deliver Heartbreaking Testimony, Patel Lashes Out, Aaron Parnas, right, May 12, 2026. Trump said the quiet part out loud when he admitted he does not think about Americans’ financial situation during Iran war negotiations, sparking growing concern among swing state Republicans about the political fallout. Kash Patel lashed out during a tense hearing on Capitol Hill, while Epstein survivors delivered heartbreaking testimony demanding accountability.

Here’s the news:

Republicans on Capitol Hill are growing extremely nervous following new remarks from President Trump today about affordability with many concerned that the remarks will play on repeat in ads this November.

During remarks about the Iran war, Donald Trump dismissed the idea that Americans’ financial struggles were influencing his push for a deal with Iran. Trump said his only concern was preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, even as rising gas prices and inflation tied to the conflict continue to affect U.S. households. His comments quickly drew backlash online amid growing public concern over the economic impact of the war. Reporter: “What extent are Americans’ financial situation motivating you to make a deal?” Trump: “Not even a little bit. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.”

Donald Trump defended the construction of a new White House ballroom by boasting that the project is ahead of schedule and under budget, while angrily responding to criticism about its cost and scale. Trump claimed he personally decided to double the size of the ballroom because of demand for larger state events and gatherings: “We have a ballroom that’s under budget. I’ve doubled the size of it because we obviously need that. And we’re right now on budget, under budget and ahead of schedule. I DOUBLED THE SIZE OF IT YOU DUMB PERSON!”

During an exchange about rising inflation, Donald Trump defended his economic policies and argued that inflation had been low before the outbreak of war with Iran. Trump tied the economic turmoil to national security concerns and lashed out at a reporter questioning whether his policies were failing: Q: “Inflation is now at its highest level in 3 years. Are your policies not working?” TRUMP: “My policies are working incredibly. If you go back to just before the war, inflation was at 1.7%. If you want to let these lunatics have a nuclear weapon, then you’re a stupid person, and you happen to be.”

Oversight Democrats held a shadow hearing in Palm Beach this morning where Epstein survivors shared their stories publicly for the first time ever. You can watch the full hearing here:

Maria Farmer released a video message to Congress alleging that Ghislaine Maxwell has threatened her life and accusing the Trump DOJ of withholding key evidence she provided about Jeffrey Epstein and multiple alleged co-conspirators. Farmer said she turned over extensive information to federal authorities, but claims the public still has not seen the full scope of the evidence. She also warned that survivors continue to face intimidation while powerful figures remain protected.

Sky Roberts became emotional while testifying before Congress on behalf of his late sister, Virginia Giuffre, saying he would speak the words she could no longer say herself. Roberts then read from Giuffre’s 2016 sworn deposition, in which she alleged that Ghislaine Maxwell directed her to have sex with powerful men including Prince Andrew, Glenn Dubin, and Alan Dershowitz. He questioned why, a decade later, none of the men named in the testimony have faced criminal charges and called for Congress and the DOJ to pursue accountability.

“If Virginia were here today, she would say these words herself. Since she cannot, I will say them for her as her little brother.” “This is only a small sample of the thousands of stories that still remain untold. The question today is no longer whether names exist. The question is, what will Congress and the Department of Justice do about it?”

Epstein survivor Dani Hannah Bensky testified that the Trump DOJ exposed her personal information along with the identities of hundreds of other survivors. She said the release endangered victims who had already fought to protect their privacy and safety. The testimony adds to growing criticism over how Epstein-related records were handled and whether survivors were adequately protected by federal authorities.

Epstein survivor Roza eviscerated the Trump Administration for releasing her name publicly more than 500 times: “I kept my identity protected as Jane Doe. I woke up one day with my name mentioned over 500 times, while the rich and powerful remain protected by redactions. My name was exposed to the world. Now reporters from across the globe contact me. I cannot live without looking over my shoulder. I can only imagine the long-term impact this mistake will have on my life.”

House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Democrats have released a new report on May 12 detailing how the sweetheart deal brokered by former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta allegedly helped further enrich Jeffrey Epstein and expand his network of sexual abuse involving adolescent girls. Garcia said the report is based on bank records and financial evidence tied to Epstein’s operations. He also signaled that additional findings and disclosures are expected in the coming months. “This report is just the beginning that we intend to put out over the course of the months ahead.”

During a heated Senate exchange, Kash Patel lashed out at Chris Van Hollen after being questioned about allegations raised in reporting from The Atlantic. Patel responded by accusing Van Hollen of wasting taxpayer money and referenced the senator’s past trip to El Salvador in unusually combative terms. The confrontation quickly drew attention as tensions escalated during the hearing. “The only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador and the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang banging rapist was you.”

In an exclusive photo I received, the National Guard has been spotted playing the arcade games put up on the National Mall by Secret 

According to the Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump reportedly handed his acting attorney general news clippings marked with a sticky note reading “treason” as the administration escalated efforts to investigate media leaks tied to the Iran conflict. The report says Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is considering subpoenas against reporters and media outlets that published national security leaks, prompting criticism from press freedom advocates. Here is what Blanche said in response to the reporting today:

The Trump administration has released its new 2026 counterterrorism strategy, which calls for the “identification and neutralization” of what it describes as “violent secular political groups” with “anti-American, radically pro-transgender, and anarchist” ideologies. The strategy, unveiled by White House counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka, has sparked backlash from civil liberties groups and LGBTQ advocates over its language and scope. Critics argue the document dangerously conflates political activism and transgender rights advocacy with terrorism.

Lindsey Graham said he does not trust Pakistan to serve as a mediator between the United States and Iran amid growing scrutiny over Islamabad’s role in the conflict: “[W]e should be looking maybe for somebody else to mediate. No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere.”

The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh to the Federal Reserve Board in a 51–45 vote, with John Fetterman breaking with most Democrats to support the nomination. Warsh, a former Fed governor and longtime Wall Street figure, is expected to play a major role in shaping monetary policy amid ongoing debates over inflation and interest rates.

According to POLITICO, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary is resigning after 13 months leading the agency amid internal turmoil, mass layoffs, and clashes with lawmakers, drugmakers, and the White House. The report says Kyle Diamantas will serve as acting commissioner following Makary’s departure. POLITICO reports that the decision had been under discussion for months and that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ultimately made the call.

According to POLITICO, residents in Fayetteville, Georgia discovered that a massive data center campus operated by Quality Technology Services used nearly 30 million gallons of water through improperly tracked hookups before the utility noticed the issue. County officials said the company ultimately paid nearly $150,000 in retroactive charges, though no penalties or fines were issued. The controversy has intensified local backlash against large data centers amid drought conditions and growing concerns over water consumption in Georgia communities.

According to NBC News, health officials are monitoring a growing outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, with at least 11 passengers infected and three deaths reported. Experts say the Andes strain is the only known hantavirus capable of spreading person-to-person, though officials stress the overall public risk remains very low. CDC officials believe the close quarters aboard the cruise ship likely contributed to transmission, while researchers continue studying how easily the virus can spread between people. “It’s important to remember that we’re very early in this outbreak,” a CDC official told NBC News. “The risk to the public is very, very low at this time, but that doesn’t mean we’re letting our guard down.”

The Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against the Singapore-based shipping companies linked to the deadly Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Federal prosecutors announced charges against Synergy Marine Private Limited, Synergy Maritime Private Limited, and ship officer Karthik Nair Radhakrishnan over alleged misconduct connected to the disaster that killed six construction workers. The indictment includes conspiracy charges, violations of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, misconduct or neglect of ship officers resulting in death, and obstruction-related offenses.

The Parnas Perspective, News and Comment: White House Calls Reporter 'Moron' For Showing Trump Dozing Off, Major Epstein and Iran News, Supreme Court Green Lights Alabama Gerrymander, Aaron Parnas, right, May 11, 2026. There is a massive amount of news to cover today. The White House is now calling reporters “morons” for sharing videos and images of Donald Trump appearing to fall asleep during a maternal health event.

Major developments are unfolding overseas as Trump pushes to suspend the federal gas tax, the UAE reportedly carries out secret strikes on Iran, and new reporting alleges Pakistan helped Iran shield military aircraft during the recent crisis.

A teenager has died just hours after reuniting with his parents following their detention by ICE. Trump is also now claiming he is seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st state. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court handed Alabama Republicans a major victory in a redistricting case that could eliminate one Black-majority congressional district.

Tomorrow will be a critical day in the Epstein investigation. I covering a major hearing involving Epstein survivors, while also working around the clock behind the scenes to help members of Congress and others prepare for upcoming witness interviews tied to the files.

Our first paid subscriber live event is happening Wednesday evening at 6:45 PM EST. On Friday, I will publish our first major deep dive investigative report focused on either a bombshell gun-related story, data centers, or possibly both. But I cannot keep building this without your support.

Here’s the news:

During a mid-morning public event on maternal health, Donald Trump appeared to fall asleep at his desk, according to observers (including those drawing on the Reuters photo above). Video clips from the event circulated online, with critics pointing to moments where his eyes were closed and his head appeared to droop.

The White House responded by calling a reporter who shared an image of the President’s eyes drooping a “moron.”

As a result, in what appears to be an example of the Streisand Effect, the term “blinking” began to trend worldwide:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he is concerned that teenagers today have lower sperm counts than previous generations. He linked the issue to broader worries about environmental toxins, food additives, and public health trends. Kennedy has frequently raised concerns about declining fertility and its potential long-term effects on population health.

According to CBS News, Pakistan quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to use Pakistani airbases during the recent U.S.-Iran crisis while also acting as a diplomatic intermediary between Washington and Tehran. Iranian aircraft, including a reconnaissance RC-130 plane, were reportedly sent to Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base, though Pakistani officials denied the claims. The report highlights Pakistan’s difficult balancing act between maintaining strategic ties with the United States, Iran, Gulf states, and China amid escalating regional tensions. It also underscores growing concerns over security in the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. and Iranian forces have been operating in close proximity during ongoing instability affecting global oil shipping routes.

Donald Trump suggested suspending the gas tax today:

According to the Wall Street Journal, the United Arab Emirates has allegedly conducted covert military strikes against Iran, including an April attack on an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island. The UAE has shifted from a largely defensive regional posture to a more assertive military role, leveraging its advanced Western-made fighter jets and surveillance systems. The report portrays the UAE as increasingly willing to use force to defend its economic interests and geopolitical influence amid escalating regional tensions. The strikes also suggest that Gulf states are becoming more directly involved in the broader conflict surrounding Iran and concerns over U.S. reluctance to confront Tehran aggressively.

President Trump said in a phone call with Fox News’ John Roberts that he is “seriously considering” making Venezuela the 51st US state. According to reports from Fox News colleagues, Trump pointed to Venezuela’s massive oil reserves and claimed that “Venezuela loves Trump.” The comments quickly sparked backlash and disbelief, with Venezuelan officials rejecting the idea and reaffirming the country’s sovereignty.

Brock Pierce attended the unveiling of a golden Trump statue in Doral, Florida, where he participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Pierce has previously been linked to Jeffrey Epstein, including a 2012 message in which he reportedly told Epstein he had a “great time with the girls.” The resurfacing of their past connection has drawn renewed scrutiny online following Pierce’s appearance at the Trump-themed event. Critics have pointed to the association as part of broader concerns about Epstein’s network and relationships with public figures.

Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is on “life support” after rejecting Iran’s latest peace proposals and signaled he may restart U.S. naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by insisting there would be no further negotiations unless sanctions are lifted, frozen funds are released, and its control over the strait is recognized. The escalating standoff has driven oil prices higher and left thousands of seafarers and hundreds of tankers stranded in the Gulf. The dispute is also creating pressure ahead of Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the U.S. seeks ways to isolate Iran economically and strategically.

An 18-year-old Chicago cancer patient, Kevin Gonzalez, died one day after reuniting in Mexico with his parents, who had been detained by ICE while trying to cross the border to say goodbye. Gonzalez had stage 4 colon cancer and traveled from Chicago to Durango, Mexico, after checking himself out of the hospital in hopes of seeing his parents again. His parents were released from federal custody in Arizona after a judge ordered their release, allowing the family to reunite shortly before his death. The case has drawn national attention and renewed debate over immigration enforcement, humanitarian exceptions, and family separation policies.

Reports from Sky News and Bloomberg say several Cabinet ministers are preparing to urge Keir Starmer to resign. The reported move signals growing internal pressure within the Labour government and could trigger a major political crisis if senior ministers publicly break with Starmer. Neither Downing Street nor the ministers involved had officially confirmed the reports at the time they emerged. The situation remains fluid as attention turns to potential meetings and statements expected tomorrow morning.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that President Trump is “not in a rush” to respond to rising gas prices, suggesting the administration is taking a longer-term approach rather than pursuing immediate action.

President Trump nominated Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano to diplomatic posts, selecting Lake as ambassador to Jamaica and Mastriano as ambassador to Slovakia. Both were prominent Trump allies who lost gubernatorial races in battleground states in 2022 and publicly supported Trump’s claims about election fraud. Lake previously led the U.S. Agency for Global Media, where she oversaw major cuts to Voice of America that later faced legal challenges in court. The nominations now head to the Senate for confirmation and could reshape Republican politics in Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Eighteen Americans returned to the U.S. after being aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship Hondius, with two passengers placed in biocontainment units in Omaha and Atlanta as a precaution. One passenger tested positive for hantavirus and another showed mild symptoms, while health officials emphasized that the risk to the general public remains very low because the virus spreads only through prolonged close contact. The outbreak has resulted in six confirmed cases and three deaths since the ship departed Argentina in April. Health authorities in multiple countries are continuing monitoring, quarantines, and investigations into the source of the outbreak.

Virginia Democratic leaders asked the US Supreme Court to review a recent Virginia Supreme Court ruling that struck down the state’s Democratic-backed redistricting plan. The state court’s decision overturned maps that had previously been approved by voters. Democrats argue the ruling disregarded the will of voters and are seeking federal intervention to restore the plan. The dispute could affect future election boundaries and political representation in Virginia.

The Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to move forward with a new congressional map that would likely favor Republicans and eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black districts. The decision sends the case back to a lower court and follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that weakened key protections in the Voting Rights Act. Liberal justices objected, warning the move could create confusion as elections approach. The dispute is part of a yearslong battle over whether Alabama’s maps fairly represent the state’s Black population.

Rep. Jen Kiggans made racist remarks today saying she agreed that Hakeem Jeffries had “cotton-picking hands,” repeating the phrase, “Get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.”

The Supreme Court extended a temporary order allowing continued access to the abortion pill mifepristone through telehealth and mail delivery while it considers an emergency appeal. The new order, issued Monday, keeps the policy in place until Thursday evening and pauses a lower court ruling that would have required women to obtain the drug through in-person visits. Justice Samuel Alito, who oversees emergency appeals from the 5th Circuit, first issued the temporary stay last week. The case remains under review by the justices and could have major implications for abortion access nationwide.

President Trump nominated Cameron Hamilton to permanently lead Federal Emergency Management Agency, about a year after firing him from the same role. Hamilton was removed in 2025 after telling Congress he did not support eliminating FEMA, despite criticism of the agency from Trump and some allies. His nomination suggests the administration may be stepping back from earlier efforts to dismantle FEMA. If confirmed, Hamilton would take over an agency facing staffing shortages, operational challenges, and pressure to prepare for the upcoming disaster season.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Netflix, accusing the company of collecting user data without consent and designing addictive features that target children and families. The lawsuit claims Netflix built a large-scale behavioral surveillance system that tracks viewing habits, devices, and other personal data while misleading consumers about privacy and child safety. Netflix denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit inaccurate and defending its privacy practices and parental controls. The case adds to growing legal scrutiny of major tech and media platforms over data collection and allegedly addictive design features.

A federal appeals court in Ohio became the third appeals court to reject the Trump administration’s effort to broadly detain immigrants without bond hearings while deportation cases proceed. The 6th Circuit ruled that many immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years or decades must have an opportunity to argue for release, saying indefinite detention without bond could violate due process rights. The decision deepens a growing split among federal appeals courts, increasing the likelihood the issue will reach the Supreme Court. The dispute centers on the administration’s expanded interpretation of immigration law, which classifies nearly all people facing deportation as subject to mandatory detention.

A group of 40 House Democrats raised concerns about the Trump administration’s deportation flight program, accusing ICE of using secretive charter flights that limit public oversight and may violate immigrants’ due process rights. Lawmakers asked the FAA to provide detailed records on ICE air operations and investigate allegations that detainees were transported without notice to families or lawyers. The letter also questioned the use of restraints and the humanitarian conditions aboard deportation flights. The administration has denied wrongdoing, saying its detention and transport practices follow legal and safety standards. 

More Global News 

New York Times, News Analysis: What Middle Powers Fear About the Trump-Xi Summit, Damien Cave, May 12, 2026 (print ed.). Asian nations worry that the president might trade security commitments for better economic terms with China during his planned meeting with Xi Jinping this week.

Poland will soon host production lines for South Korean tanks. Australia is buying warships from Japan. Canada will send uranium to India, while India offers cruise missiles to Vietnam, and Brazil builds military transport planes for the United Arab Emirates.

All of these deals were sealed in the past few weeks. Each one represents an attempt by middle powers to protect themselves as the conflict in Iran throttles global energy supplies, and as a high-stakes summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping of China looms.

Global polls show the world has little trust in the United States and China. Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi have both used their enormous leverage over trade and security to coerce or punish. And in response, smaller nations are behaving as if they are stuck in “Godzilla” or “Dune” — moving quietly in small groups, trying not to provoke the wrath of petulant giants.

“It’s fifty shades of hedging,” said Richard Heydarian, a Filipino political scientist at Oxford University. Or, as Ja Ian Chong, a security analyst in Singapore put it, “No party wants to cross Beijing and now Washington, too.”

For countries watching from afar, dread and hope hover over the Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, which is scheduled for this week. In Asia, which has been hit hardest and fastest by oil shortages caused by the war and China’s tight control of oil-product exports, the mood is particularly grim. Interviews with officials, and statements from leaders traveling the globe to secure trade and defense deals, suggest that most middle powers feel overwhelmed by the deteriorating world order.

Many believe the summit carries more potential for harm than help. And Mr. Trump’s gut-driven approach to complex issues is the main source of anxiety. 

New York Times, Lawmakers Urge Trump to Move Ahead on Delayed Arms Sale to Taiwan, Robert Jimison, May 12, 2026 (print ed.). The Trump administration has held up the sale for months ahead of President Trump’s meeting this week with President Xi Jinping of China.

A bipartisan group of senators is pressing President Trump to move ahead with a long-delayed $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan, a critical test of the administration’s commitment to the island ahead of Mr. Trump’s meeting with President Xi Jinping of China later this week.

In a letter sent on Friday, the lawmakers urged the president to formally notify Congress of the arms package and argued that Taipei’s recent approval of a new military spending plan removed any remaining rationale for delay. Senior lawmakers offered early approval to the package in January, but it has stalled in the State Department for months, raising broader questions about the administration’s approach to Taiwan and its effort to recalibrate relations with Beijing.

Administration officials have told some involved in the approval of the sale that the White House directed the hold to ensure that Mr. Trump had a successful meeting with Mr. Xi.

“Ahead of your summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, we urge you and your team to make clear that America’s support for Taiwan is inviolable,” the senators wrote. They also warned against allowing support for the self-governing island, which Beijing has threatened to take by force, to become a bargaining chip in broader economic or diplomatic talks with China.

Cruise ship MV Hondius docks off Cape Verde port, as passengers were not allowed off the ship, while health authorities investigated suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, May 4, 2026. Hondius anchored off Tristan da Cunha from April 13 to 15, 2026.

New York Times, American Passengers Exposed to Hantavirus Land in U.S., Sonia A. Rao and Jin Yu Young, May 11, 2026. Seventeen Americans from a cruise ship that faced a hantavirus outbreak arrived in Nebraska and will be monitored at a quarantine center. One tested “mildly” positive for the Andes virus, health officials said.

May 11

Top Headlines

President Trump, right and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, left, meet at a G20 dinner in 2018 in Argentina.

• New York Times, As Trump Heads to Beijing, China Is ‘Locked and Loaded’ for a Fight, Alexandra Stevenson and Murphy Zhao, May 11,2026. Beijing is signaling that it is ready for a trade showdown, and it is building up a legal arsenal in preparation.
• New York Times, Iran War Live Updates: Iran War Live Updates: Long-Term Energy Crisis Looms as Trump Says Truce Is on ‘Life Support,’ Aaron Boxerman, May 11, 2026. Tehran said its conditions for a peace deal include U.S. war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and an end to American sanctions, Iranian state media reported.
• New York Times, Investigation: Kennedy Is Driving a Vast Inquiry Into Vaccines, Despite His Public Silence, Christina Jewett and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, May 11, 2026. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has toned down his public criticism of vaccines, under orders from the White House. But inside his department, a sprawling research effort is a top priority.
• The Atlantic, Opinion: Checkmate in Iran, Robert Kagan, May 10, 2026. Washington can’t reverse or control the consequences of losing this war.
• New York Times, Supreme Court Clears Path for Alabama to Use New Voting Map, Abbie VanSickle and Emily Cochrane, May 11, 2026. A majority of the justices sided with Alabama in a move that could speed up efforts to put in place a congressional district map that would eliminate a majority-Black district.
• New York Times, Times investigation: How Israel Turned Eurovision’s Stage Into a Soft Power Tool, Mara Hvistendahl and Alex Marshall, May 11, 2026. Israel’s efforts to influence Eurovision’s vote were broader and started years earlier than previously known.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Trump’s For Himself, Not For You, Bill Kristol, Andrew Egger and Benjamin Parker, May 11, 2026. His narcissism is out of control.

Next Challenge for Democrats...And Every American

Trump dozes off in the Oval Office during an event supposedly about maternal health on May 11, 2026 (Reuters photo).

• Medias Touch Network, Monday Afternoon News Updates: Trump Dozes Off as War Ramps Up, Ben Meiselas and MeidasTouch Network, May 11, 2026. It’s Monday, and the word of the day is catastrophic. The economy? Catastrophic. The Iran situation? Catastrophic. The political outlook for Trump heading into the midterms? Catastrophic. And the response from the White House to all of it? Well, that might be the most catastrophic thing of all. 
• The New Republic, Daily Blast: News and Opinion: Trump Blurts Out Vile Plot to Steal Midterms as Polls Take Brutal Turn, Greg Sargent, May 11, 2026. As Trump reveals new levels of corruption to the GOP scheme to gerrymander the midterms, a writer on voting rights explains why Democrats must develop an aggressive long-term response.
• Public Notice, Opinion: This is a crisis of democracy. What will Dems do about it? Paul Waldman, right, May 11, 2026. They need a bold and radical political reform agenda, or things will only get worse.
• Hopium Chronicles, Pro-Democracy Advocacy, Some Thoughts On What Comes Next, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 11, 2026. It's been a rough few weeks for us, but for Putinism-Trumpism too......

News Roundups

• The Parnas Perspective, News and Comment: White House Calls Reporter 'Moron' For Showing Trump Dozing Off, Major Epstein and Iran News, Supreme Court Green Lights Alabama Gerrymander, Aaron Parnas,May 11, 2026. There is a massive amount of news to cover today. The White House is now calling reporters “morons” for sharing videos and images of Donald Trump appearing to fall asleep during a maternal health event. Major developments are unfolding overseas as Trump pushes to suspend the federal gas tax, the UAE reportedly carries out secret strikes on Iran, and new reporting alleges Pakistan helped Iran shield military aircraft during the recent crisis.
• The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump Builds "Election Integrity Army," MAGA Upset as Trump Phones Never Ship, Iran Talks Stall, GOP Tensions in Congress Rise, Aaron Parnas, right, May 11, 2026. There is a massive amount of news breaking this morning. Trump is now moving forward with plans for an “election integrity army” that would reportedly operate across all 50 states ahead of the midterms. At the same time, MAGA supporters are furious after spending millions on Trump-branded phones that still have not shipped and may never arrive. Overseas, Iran negotiations have effectively stalled, oil prices are rising again, and tensions inside the Republican Party are exploding.
• The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Comment, Sunday News Update and Big Parnas Perspective Announcements, Aaron Parnas, May 10, 2026 There are major stories breaking tonight that you need to catch up on, from Iran to North Korea to the 2026 election battle and much more.

More On Iran War

• New York Times, Iran War Live Updates: Iran War Live Updates: Long-Term Energy Crisis Looms as Trump Says Truce Is on ‘Life Support,’ Aaron Boxerman, May 11, 2026. Tehran said its conditions for a peace deal include U.S. war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and an end to American sanctions, Iranian state media reported.

Trump's America

A 22-foot effigy of Donald Trump, wrapped in gold leaf, now stands at his Doral golf course in Miami. The president boasted about it Thursday morning on Truth Social with the all-caps line: “The Real Deal — GOLD.”

• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: The Golden Donald, William Kristol, right, May 11, 2026. I remember the day I came face to face with the horrifying prospect that Donald Trump could win the presidency.
• MS Now, Trump is busying himself with everything except affordability ahead of the midterms, Zeeshan Aleem, May 11, 2026. President Donald Trump demonstrated a show of electoral force last week that gave off the appearance that he still has the juice.
• New York Times, Chief Executives to Accompany Trump to China, Tyler Pager, May 11, 2026. The delegation includes business leaders across a wide range of industries, including Tim Cook of Apple and Elon Musk of Tesla.
• PoliticusUSA, Trump Falls Asleep Multiple Times During Women's Health Event In Oval Office, Jason Easley, right, May 11, 2026. The White House held a maternal healthcare event in the Oval Office, and Trump cared so much about the lives of the unborn that he fell asleep multiple times.

U.S. Scandals, Schemes, Corruption Allegations

Eric and Donald Trump Jr. pose in a collage that includes also models of the so-called Trump Phone.

• Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: We were promised a gold-plated Trump phone, Judd Legum, right, May 11, 2026. For 11 months, Trump Mobile has been collecting $100 deposits for a Trump phone. No phones have shipped to customers.

U.S. Law, Courts, Rights, Crime, Justice

• The Contrarian, Opinion: Callais is not the last word, Jennifer Rubin, right, May 11, 2026. What democracy defenders must do now and in the long term.
• New York Times, Man Charged With Assassination Attempt at Press Gala Pleads Not Guilty, Zach Montague, May 11, 2026. Cole Tomas Allen faces four counts in what prosecutors say was a plot to kill President Trump and other top officials at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

U.S. Governance, Politics, Elections 

• Paul Krugman via Substack, Political-Economy Commentary: Will our Hyper-Gilded Age Usher in Genuine Populism? Paul Krugman, right, May 11, 2026. The tech bros are worse than the robber barons ever were — and voters are catching on.
• New York Times, G.O.P. Plant? Democratic Ruse? Accusations Fly in Nebraska’s Senate Race, Kellen Browning, May 11, 2026. One Democrat is accused of being a Republican in disguise. Another plans to drop out to boost an independent. It’s primary eve in one of the country’s most unusual midterm contests.
• PoliticusUSA, News and Commentary: Democrats Have A Plan To Restore Obamacare Subsidies Next Year, Jason Easley, right, May 11, 2026. The pain of millions of Americans due to the Republican Obamacare subsidy cuts could end next year if Democrats win back the House as they plan to force an immediate showdown with Trump.
• Axios, GOP's security referendum, Hans Nichols, May 11, 2026. Situational awareness: The Supreme Court has given Alabama permission to redistrict after its ruling on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The state's current House delegation has two Democrats, Reps. Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures.
• The Triad Via The Bulwark, Political Commentary: People Want What They Want, Jonathan V. Last, May 11, 2026. The key to understanding democratic politics.
• Politico, Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice leaves Democratic Party over antisemitism concerns, Aaron Pellis, May 11, 2026. David Wecht is becoming an independent due to "acquiescence to Jew-hatred” from prominent Democrats.
• Politico, White House plans to reduce barriers to beef imports in an effort to lower prices, May 11, 2026. Reducing tariffs on beef imports is likely to infuriate ranchers.President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at an event about maternal healthcare.
• Politico, Trump picks Cameron Hamilton to run FEMA, Thomas Frank, May 11, 2026. The president nominated the man he fired as leader of the nation's disaster agency a year ago.Cameron Hamilton, then-acting administrator of FEMA, testifies on Capitol Hill.
• Politico, House Ethics shares update on Cory Mills investigation, Hailey Fuchs, May 11, 2026. The panel is under pressure to police member misconduct in the wake of bad behavior among lawmakers.
• Politico, Trump nominates Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano to diplomatic posts, Aaron Pellish, May 11, 2026. The two staunch allies ran failed campaigns for governor in battleground states in 2022.Doug Mastriano speaks. 
• PoliticusUSA, Commentary: Trump's Federal Gas Tax Holiday Is A Con, Jason Easley, May 11, 2026. Because the federal gas tax is not collected at the point of purchase, a gas tax holiday may only provide minimal if any cost reduction to consumers.
• Occupy Democrats, "THAT LITTLE RAT BAG!" Staff Report, May 11, 2026. Rod Stewart just gave Trump a royal-grade humiliation in front of King Charles — and guess what his majesty did in response.

More Global News

• New York Times, News Analysis: What Middle Powers Fear About the Trump-Xi Summit, Damien Cave, May 11, 2026. Asian nations worry that the president might trade security commitments for better economic terms with China during his planned meeting with Xi Jinping this week.
• Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 10, 2026 [Russian, Hungarian Celebrations], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 11, 2026. There were two very different celebrations in Russia and in Hungary yesterday.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Is Putin Finally About to Do Something Smart? Benjamin Parker, May 11, 2026. Vladimir Putin is a master manipulator, an effective autocrat, one of history’s most accomplished thieves, and a wily opportunist.
• New York Times, Lawmakers Urge Trump to Move Ahead on Delayed Arms Sale to Taiwan, Robert Jimison, May 11, 2026. The Trump administration has held up the sale for months ahead of President Trump’s meeting this week with President Xi Jinping of China.
• New York Times, American Passengers Exposed to Hantavirus Land in U.S., Sonia A. Rao and Jin Yu Young, May 11, 2026. Seventeen Americans from a cruise ship that faced a hantavirus outbreak arrived in Nebraska and will be monitored at a quarantine center. One tested “mildly” positive for the Andes virus, health officials said.

Top Stories

President Trump, right and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, left, meet at a G20 dinner in 2018 in Argentina.

New York Times, As Trump Heads to Beijing, China Is ‘Locked and Loaded’ for a Fight, Alexandra Stevenson and Murphy Zhao, May 11, 2026. Beijing is signaling that it is ready for a trade showdown, and it is building up a legal arsenal in preparation.

Peace and stability will be the public message when President Trump and China’s leader, Xi Jinping, meet in Beijing this week. But behind the diplomatic platitudes, both governments are quietly preparing for something harsher — a prolonged economic war, mapping vulnerabilities and sharpening tools to inflict pain on the other.

In recent weeks, China has made clear that it no longer fears another escalation. It reached for a new legal mechanism to counter U.S. sanctions. It blocked Meta’s acquisition of a promising A.I. start-up founded in China. And it codified rules aimed at punishing foreign businesses that comply with Western efforts to pull back from China.

The moves are part of Beijing’s broader campaign to push back against what it sees as Washington’s intensifying efforts to constrain its economy and technological rise. Over the past year, the two countries have ratcheted up their economic offensives, whacking each other with steep tariffs, restricting the flow of rare earths and critical technologies and imposing sanctions on major industrial companies.

Whether Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump can agree to place even modest guardrails on their expanding economic weapons will be a critical litmus test of whether their meeting succeeds.

“China is signaling more strongly that they are locked and loaded,” said Andrew Gilholm, a China expert at Control Risks, a consulting firm. “We are on the brink of a much more frequent or widespread use of Chinese countermeasures against U.S. sanctions.”

It is a high-stakes moment a decade in the making. In his first term, Mr. Trump warned that confrontation with China over technology and trade was unavoidable. He placed tariffs on certain Chinese sectors and singled out companies for sanctions. China responded with restrained, largely symbolic countermeasures, as regulators drafted laws mirroring U.S. actions, creating blacklists and export control lists. 

New York Times, Iran War Live Updates: Iran War Live Updates: Long-Term Energy Crisis Looms as Trump Says Truce Is on ‘Life Support,’ Aaron Boxerman, May 11, 2026. Tehran said its conditions for a peace deal include U.S. war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and an end to American sanctions, Iranian state media reported.

Iran defended its demands for a peace deal and President Trump called them “garbage.” Mr. Trump said he wanted to suspend the federal gasoline tax, which would require congressional approval.

s President Trump said on Monday that the cease-fire in Iran was on “life support,” countries around the world were bracing for prolonged economic woes stemming from high energy prices.

The average price of gasoline in the United States has climbed to more than $4.55 per gallon, up more than $1.50 since the war began in late February. India’s prime minister told his citizens on Sunday to conserve fuel, and the status of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical fuel shipping lane, looms over talks between Mr. Trump and China’s president, Xi Jinping, later this week.

Talks between the United States and Iran stumbled again over the weekend. Replying to an American proposal to reopen the strait and negotiate an end to the war, Iran called for U.S. war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and an end to American sanctions, Iran’s state-owned broadcaster reported on Monday.

The Iranian offer is a “piece of garbage,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that Tehran was in the grip of “lunatics.” On Sunday, before any elements of the counterproposal were made public, Mr. Trump dismissed it as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” but did not specify his objections.

New York Times, Investigation: Kennedy Is Driving a Vast Inquiry Into Vaccines, Despite His Public Silence, Christina Jewett and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, May 11, 2026. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has toned down his public criticism of vaccines, under orders from the White House. But inside his department, a sprawling research effort is a top priority.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said little publicly about vaccines in recent months, at the behest of a White House worried that his unpopular stance will hurt Republicans in November’s midterm elections. But he has not abandoned his quest for evidence that they are unsafe.

Working behind the scenes, Mr. Kennedy is spearheading an intense push, across health agencies under his purview, for government scientists and federal data contractors to examine his long-held theory that vaccines are helping to fuel an epidemic of chronic disease, according to multiple people familiar with the effort.

They said the wide-ranging inquiry is a top priority for Mr. Kennedy, who sees vaccines as a “potential culprit” in various neurological and autoimmune disorders, including asthma and allergies. It resurrects research into a number of ideas Mr. Kennedy has espoused, including whether vaccines are linked to autism and whether thimerosal, a preservative that has largely been removed from vaccines in the United States but remains in some flu shots, is dangerous.

The effort is being led by Martin Kulldorff, a biostatistician and vaccine safety expert who rose in prominence during the pandemic as a critic of Covid restrictions and vaccine mandates, and is now the health department’s chief science and data officer.

Career scientists at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are conducting the research alongside contractors who provide statistical expertise and access to millions of patient medical records. The initiative was described to The New York Times by six people who are close to it, all of whom insisted on anonymity because it is not public.

The work is raising alarms among some vaccine scholars and critics of Mr. Kennedy, who have long accused the secretary of cherry-picking data and misinterpreting studies to claim that vaccines are unsafe and to limit their use. They fear Mr. Kennedy will use the findings to further erode confidence in vaccines, which the World Health Organization estimates saved 154 million lives over the past half-century.

Mr. Kennedy, who came into office saying he would do nothing to discourage people from getting vaccinated, has already taken steps to scale back the number of vaccines children receive. Public health experts complain that by spending money on issues that have already been thoroughly studied, he is taking funds away from research that might answer the very questions he is asking, including what causes autism.

“It just demonstrates that no matter what the general tone is about vaccines, whether we talk about them or not, the secretary is going to continue to try and look at the data and analyze it in a way that will help support the conclusions that he’s already made,” said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, who oversaw vaccine safety at the C.D.C. until he resigned in August. “And that, to me, is a real problem.”

Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for Mr. Kennedy, said in a statement that the effort reflected President Trump’s dedication to advancing “gold-standard vaccine research” that will enable policymakers to “better understand vaccine safety and efficacy and to assess how vaccine exposure, timing and patterns affect health across the life span.”Editors’ PicksAre You Frail?Wait, My Lamp Wasn’t Even Italian?What Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Mr. Nixon said the work would “inform vaccine recommendations, address critical gaps identified by scientific and medical organizations, including the Institute of Medicine, and strengthen public trust in public health.”

He said the initiative also involved the National Institutes of Health and universities. It remains unclear what the effort will cost and whether it is supplanting other routine government vaccine surveillance.

A former plaintiff’s lawyer, Mr. Kennedy has long said that he wants to build a body of scientific evidence on the harms of vaccines and environmental exposures, which he believes are behind an epidemic of chronic disease. That evidence, he has said, will lay the groundwork for legal action.  

The Atlantic, Opinion: Checkmate in Iran, Robert Kagan, May 10, 2026. Washington can’t reverse or control the consequences of losing this war.

It’s hard to think of a time when the United States suffered a total defeat in a conflict, a setback so decisive that the strategic loss could be neither repaired nor ignored. The calamitous losses suffered at Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, and throughout the Western Pacific in the first months of World War II were eventually reversed. The defeats in Vietnam and Afghanistan were costly but did not do lasting damage to America’s overall position in the world, because they were far from the main theaters of global competition. The initial failure in Iraq was mitigated by a shift instrategy that ultimately left Iraq relatively stable and unthreatening to its neighbors and kept the United States dominant in the region.

Defeat in the present confrontation with Iran will be of an entirely different character. It can neither be repaired nor ignored. There will be no return to the status quo ante, no ultimate American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done. The Strait of Hormuz will not be “open,” as it once was. With control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the region and one of the key players in the world. The roles of China and Russia, as Iran’s allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished. Far from demonstrating American prowess, as supporters of the war have repeatedly claimed, the conflict has revealed an America that is unreliable and incapable of finishing what it started. That is going to set off a chain reaction around the world as friends and foes adjust to America’s failure.

President Trump likes to talk about who has “the cards,” but whether he has any good ones left to play is not clear. The United States and Israel pounded Iran with devastating effectiveness for 37 days, killing much of the country’s leadership and destroying the bulk of its military, yetcouldn’t collapse the regime or exact even the smallest concession from it. Now the Trump administration hopes that blockading Iran’s ports will accomplish what massive force could not. It’s possible, of course, but a regime that could not be brought to its knees by five weeks of unrelenting military attack is unlikely to buckle in response to economic pressure alone. Nor does it fear the anger of its populace. As the Iran scholar Suzanne Maloney noted recently, “A regime that slaughtered its own citizens to silence protests in January is fully prepared to impose economic hardships on them now.”

Some supporters of the war are therefore calling for the resumption of military strikes, but they cannot explain how another round of bombing will accomplish what 37 days of bombing did not. More military action will inevitably lead Iran to retaliate against neighboring Gulf States; the war’s advocates have no response to that, either. Trump halted attacks on Iran not because he was bored but because Iran was striking the region’s vital oil and gas facilities. The turning point came on March 18, when Israel bombed Iran’s South Pars gas field and Iran retaliated by attacking Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest natural-gas-export plant, causing damage to production capacity that will take years to repair. Trump responded by declaring a moratorium on further strikes against Iran’s energy facilities and then declaring a cease-fire, despite Iran’s not having made a single concession.Recommended Reading

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The risk calculus that forced Trump to back down a month ago still holds. Even if Trump were to carry out his threat to destroy Iran’s “civilization” through more bombing, Iran would still be able to launch many missiles and drones before its regime went down—assuming it did go down. Just a few successful strikes could cripple the region’s oil and gas infrastructure for years if not decades, throwing the world, and the United States, into a prolonged economic crisis. Even if Trump wanted to bomb Iran as part of an exit strategy—looking tough as a way of masking his retreat—he can’t do that without risking this catastrophe.

If this isn’t checkmate, it’s close. In recent days, Trump has reportedly asked the U.S. intelligence community to assess the consequences of simply declaring victory and walking away. You can’t blame him. Hoping for regime collapse is not much of a strategy, especially when the regime has already survived repeated military and economic pummeling. It could fall tomorrow, or six months from now, or not at all. Trump doesn’t have that much time to wait, as oil climbs toward $150 or even $200 a barrel, inflation rises, and global food and other commodity shortages kick in. He needs a faster resolution.

But any resolution other than America’s effective surrender holds enormous risks that Trump has not so far been willing to take. Those who glibly call on Trump to “finish the job” rarely acknowledge the costs. Unless the U.S. is prepared to engage in a full-scale ground and naval war to remove the current Iranian regime, and then to occupy Iran until a new government can take hold; unless it is prepared to risk the loss of warships convoying tankers through a contested strait; unless it is prepared to accept the devastating long-term damage to the region’s productive capacities likely to result from Iranian retaliation—walking away now could seem like the least bad option. As a political matter, Trump may well feel he has a better chance of riding out defeat than of surviving a much larger, longer, and more expensive war that could still end in failure.

Defeat for the United States, therefore, is not only possible but likely. Here is what defeat looks like.

Iran remains in control of the Strait of Hormuz. The common assumption that, one way or another, the strait will reopen when the crisis ends is unfounded. Iran has no interest in returning to the status quo ante. People talk of a split between hard-liners and moderates in Tehran, but even moderates must understand that Iran cannot afford to let the strait go, no matter how good a deal it thought it could get. For one thing, how reliable is any deal with Trump? He all but boasted of replicating the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by approving the killing of Iran’s leadership amid negotiations. The Iranians cannot be sure that Trump won’t decide to attack again within a few months of striking a deal. They also know that the Israelis may attack again, as they never feel constrained from acting when they perceive their interests to be threatened.

And Israel’s interests will be threatened. As many Iran experts have noted, the regime in Tehran currently stands to emerge from the crisis much stronger than it was before the war, having not only retained its potential nuclear capacity but also gained control of an even more effective weapon: the ability to hold the global energy market hostage. When the Iranians talk of “reopening” the strait, they still mean to keep the strait under their control. Iran will be able not only to demand tolls for passage, but to limit transit to those nations with which it has good relations. If a nation behaves in a way that Iran’s rulers don’t like, they will be able to exact punishment merely by slowing, or even threatening to slow, the flow of that nation’s cargo ships in and out of the strait.

The power to close or control the flow of ships through the strait is greater and more immediate than the theoretical power of Iran’s nuclear program. This leverage will allow the leaders in Tehran to force nations to lift sanctions and normalize relations or face penalties. Israel will find itself more isolated than ever, as Iran grows richer, rearms, and preserves its options to go nuclear in the future. It may even find itself unable to go after Iran’s proxies: In a world where Iran wields influence over the energy supply of so many nations, Israel could face enormous international pressure not to provoke Tehran in Lebanon, Gaza, or anywhere else.

The new status quo in the strait will also occasion a substantial shift in relative power and influence both regionally and globally. In the region, the United States will have proved itself a paper tiger, forcing the Gulf and other Arab states to accommodate Iran. As the Iran scholars Reuel Gerecht and Ray Takeyh wrote recently, “The Gulf Arab economies were built under the umbrella of American hegemony. Take that away—and the freedom of navigation that goes with it—and the Gulf states will ineluctably go begging to Tehran.”

They will not be the only ones. All nations that depend on energy from the Gulf will have to work out their own arrangements with Iran. What choice will they have? If the United States with its mighty Navy can’t or won’t open the strait, no coalition of forces with just a fraction of the Americans’ capability will be able to, either. The Anglo-French initiative to police the strait after a cease-fire is a bit of a joke. French President Emmanuel Macron has made it clear that this “coalition” will operate only under peaceful conditions in the strait: It will escort ships, but only if they don’t need an escort. Yet with Iran in control, the strait is not going to be safe again for a long time. China presumably has some influence over Tehran, but even China cannot force open the strait by itself.

One effect of this transformation may be an expanding great-power naval race. In the past, most of the world’s nations, including China, counted on the United States to both prevent and address such emergencies. Now the nations in Europe and Asia that depend on access to the Persian Gulf’s resources are helpless against the loss of energy supplies that are vital to their economic and political stability. How long can they tolerate this before they start building their own fleets, as a means of wielding influence in an every-nation-for-itself world where order and predictability have broken down?

The American defeat in the Gulf will have broader global ramifications as well. The whole world can see that just a few weeks of war with a second-rank power have reduced American weapons stocks to perilously low levels, with no quick remedy in sight. The questions this raises about America’s readiness for another major conflict may or may not prompt Xi Jinping to launch an attack on Taiwan, or Vladimir Putin to step up his aggression against Europe. But at the very least America’s allies in East Asia and Europe must wonder about American staying power in the event of future conflicts.

The global adjustment to a post-American world is accelerating. America’s once-dominant position in the Gulf is just the first of many casualties.Illustration of a gift box with a newspaper collage pattern representing a gifted article

Robert Kagan is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and the author, most recently, of "Rebellion: How." 

New York Times, Supreme Court Clears Path for Alabama to Use New Voting Map, Abbie VanSickle and Emily Cochrane, May 11, 2026. A majority of the justices sided with Alabama in a move that could speed up efforts to put in place a congressional district map that would eliminate a majority-Black district.

The Supreme Court on Monday cleared a path for Alabama to use a new voting map for the midterm elections, a victory for Republicans and another sign of the significance of the court’s recent decision narrowing the Voting Rights Act.

The justices appeared to splinter along ideological lines in the decision, with the court’s three liberals joined in dissent.

The one-paragraph order involved a pending petition before the court by Alabama lawmakers who had challenged the state’s current congressional map, which includes two majority-Black districts that both elected Democrats to Congress in 2024.

The Supreme Court’s decision will send the case back to a lower court judge to reconsider the legality of the Alabama map in light of the court’s recent decision dealing a blow to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark civil rights-era law. It raised the bar for bringing legal challenges to voting maps, like one that previously resulted in the current Alabama map.

Alabama officials are likely to point to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling to ask the lower court judge to allow the state to use a congressional map first approved in 2023, but never used in light of subsequent court rulings. That new map would include only one majority-Black district, instead of the two in the current map.

In a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the court’s majority had “unceremoniously” discarded a lower-court ruling “without any sound basis for doing so and without regard for the confusion that will surely ensue.” She asserted that the lower court was free to decide whether the recent Voting Rights Act decision had “any bearing” on its analysis or “if its prior reasoning is unaffected by that decision.” She was joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

In late April, in a 6-to-3 decision, the justices threw out Louisiana’s current congressional district map, finding that state officials there had improperly used race to draw up a congressional district map that likewise had two majority Black districts.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the state dinner for King Charles and Queen Camilla in the East Room last month. Photo: Craig Hudson / The Washington Post via Getty Images

New York Times, Times investigation: How Israel Turned Eurovision’s Stage Into a Soft Power Tool, Mara Hvistendahl and Alex Marshall, May 11, 2026. Israel’s efforts to influence Eurovision’s vote were broader and started years earlier than previously known.

Last fall and winter, senior Israeli diplomats urgently contacted officials and television broadcasters across Europe to address a delicate, if unexpected topic: the high camp Eurovision Song Contest.

Broadcasters wanted to ban Israel from Eurovision and threatened to boycott the contest over the war in Gaza. Some even accused the Israeli government of unfairly influencing the results through a mass voting campaign.

Israel arguably had bigger diplomatic concerns than a pop music competition, even one that reaches 166 million viewers around the world. A United Nations commission had recently accused Israel of committing genocide, which it vigorously denied. And world leaders were recognizing Palestinian statehood, which it had long opposed.

“I am a little bit surprised why this is a matter that the embassy is looking into,” Stefan Eiriksson, the head of Iceland’s national broadcaster, wrote to an Israeli diplomat who wanted to discuss Eurovision last December.

This previously undisclosed diplomatic push to keep Israel in Eurovision was just one aspect of a drama that unfolded over the past year around the world’s most watched cultural event. To the Israeli government, Eurovision became more than just a celebration of glittery outfits, gay pride and pyrotechnic staging. It became a chance, through strong showings by its singers, to burnish the country’s flagging reputation and rally international support.

This year’s competition starts on Tuesday, following the biggest crisis in Eurovision’s 70-year history. Iceland and four other countries are boycotting to protest Israel’s participation. The nonprofit European Broadcasting Union, which runs the contest, faces financial challenges.

A New York Times investigation found a well-organized campaign by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government that embraced Eurovision as a soft power tool, and a secretive contest organizer that was ill-equipped to respond.

A 22-foot bronze statue of Donald Trump, nicknamed “Don Colossus,” was unveiled on a seven-foot pedestal after being commissioned for $450,000 by cryptocurrency supporters behind the $PATRIOT memecoin. Created by Ohio sculptor Alan Cottrill and coated in gold leaf, the statue was intended to symbolize Trump’s resilience following assassination attempts. Trump joined the event by phone to thank the evangelical leaders praying over the statue. Several Christian leaders and critics condemned the display as idolatry, arguing it blurred the line between political support and religious devotion. 

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Trump’s For Himself, Not For You, Bill Kristol, Andrew Egger and Benjamin Parker, May 11, 2026. His narcissism is out of control.

Fresh off the Supreme Court’s decision in Callais v. Louisiana, Democrats received a second major blow Friday in their attempts to keep pace with Republicans in this year’s Total Gerrymandering War: The Virginia Supreme Court struck down the new congressional map, heavily gerrymandered in Democrats’ favor, that Virginia voters approved in a referendum last month, ruling 4–3 that the legislature had cut procedural corners demanded by the state constitution in putting the measure before voters this year. Instead of the map voters okayed, which likely would have given Democrats a 10–1 advantage, the current 6–5 map—which could plausibly grow to 8–3 in a strong blue year—will remain in place.

The national political environment remains hellish for the GOP, but the outcome of the mid-cycle gerrymanderfest has helped them hedge their bets. However the midterms turn out in November, the House will likely be ten or so seats more Republican when the dust settles than it would have had this fight never begun. Happy Monday.

Next Challenge for Democrats...And Every American 

Trump dozes off in the Oval Office during an event supposedly about maternal health on May 11, 2026 (Reuters photo).

Medias Touch Network, Monday Afternoon News Updates: Trump Dozes Off as War Ramps Up, Ben Meiselas, right, and MeidasTouch Network, May 11, 2026. It’s Monday, and the word of the day is catastrophic. The economy? Catastrophic. The Iran situation? Catastrophic. The political outlook for Trump heading into the midterms? Catastrophic. And the response from the White House to all of it? Well, that might be the most catastrophic thing of all. 

Let me run through what we’re tracking today before I get into the details:

• Trump floats pausing the federal gas tax — a tell that prices are about to get much worse
• Trump shovels more B.S. to Fox, telling the network he’s “seriously considering” making Venezuela the 51st state
• Americans are draining their savings; consumer sentiment hits its lowest point since 1952
• Iran rejects Trump’s demands and issues a blistering public statement
• The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is now the subject of a federal lawsuit
• Hantavirus cruise ship passengers land on U.S. soil; HHS issues a statement hiding key details
• Trump dozes off in the Oval
• The U.S. is now spending more on debt interest than on national defenseLet’s get into it.
• The gas tax gimmick is a very bad sign

Trump called CBS News this morning and told Nancy Cordes that he wants to pause the 18-cent federal gas tax “for a period of time.” He said he thinks it’s a great idea and that once gas prices come down, the tax will just phase back in.

Here’s what that tells you: things are about to get significantly worse. You don’t float a gas tax pause unless you know the trajectory is bad. The national average is already sitting around $4.60 a gallon, and with the Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed after Iran rejected Trump’s demands, it’s heading toward five dollars fast. I am sure many of you are seeing far higher prices where you live. I know I am here in California. The 18-cent pause wouldn’t even make a dent — gas prices have already risen far more than that, and the causes have nothing to do with the federal gas tax. On top of that, economists estimate this move would add roughly $2.5 billion per month to the national debt. The same national debt Trump is already spiking at record speed.

This is a panicked gesture from a man who has no real answers and knows it.Move over, Canada

Apparently not done making calls for the day, Trump then rang up Fox News to tell John Roberts that he’s “seriously considering” making Venezuela the 51st state of the United States, citing $40 trillion in oil reserves sitting there. He also added that Venezuela loves him.

This is the latest Trump hoax. First it was DOGE…remember that? DOGE was going to fix everything. Then it was the gold cards, which were going to bring in $5 trillion. They’ve sold roughly one gold card and processed somewhere around 160 applications out of what was supposed to be a massive program. Then it was tariff revenue from foreign countries, which was going to be somewhere between $18 and $21 trillion depending on which interview you caught. And now it’s Venezuela, which is going to deliver $40 trillion, conveniently matching the rough size of the national debt Trump is busy inflating.

The plan keeps changing. The number always sounds enormous. Nothing ever materializes. Don’t spend that tariff rebate check all at once, folks.Americans are running out of money

While Trump is busy mapping out his annexation of Venezuela, here’s what’s actually happening to real Americans. The personal savings rate dropped to 3.6% in March — the lowest since 2022. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index just hit its lowest reading since they started tracking it in 1952.

The Kraft Heinz CEO warned that people are literally running out of money at the end of the month and dipping into savings. The McDonald’s CEO talked about rising gas prices hitting low-income consumers hardest. The Whirlpool CEO said the appliance industry is experiencing a decline on par with the 2008 financial crisis. The Costco CFO noted that people are trading beef for chicken, and chicken for canned tuna. These are clear recession indicators.

Kevin Hassett, Trump’s economic advisor, was sent out to respond to the record-low consumer sentiment number, and his answer was essentially: people are stressed out because Trump is doing such an incredible job fixing everything that the pace of positive change is overwhelming them. Trump is so good at his job that it’s making people feel terrible. Yeah, ok.Iran continues to outmaneuver Trump

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued a detailed public statement today laying out exactly what Iran is asking for: an end to the blockade, an end to what they describe as maritime piracy, the release of frozen assets, and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. He pointed out that Iran has not launched military operations on U.S. soil thousands of miles away, has not killed hundreds of civilians in a single day, and is not bullying countries throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Trump’s response was to call their proposal “garbage” and say the so called “ceasefire” is now on “life support.” He said he didn’t even finish reading it. He also assured everyone that he has “the best plan ever” for Iran, but could not describe what that plan is, because there is no plan. There is frustration, there are threats, and there are phone calls to television programs. There are weird AI memes posted to his social media accounts. But no plan.

Meanwhile, experts across the political spectrum, including figures not exactly known for being soft on foreign policy, are describing the current situation as Iran having effectively checkmated the United States. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Gas prices keep climbing. And Trump keeps telling Fox News he’s very upset about it.The Kurds, the weapons, and the blame game

Trump also offered a new explanation for why there isn’t a popular uprising inside Iran: the Kurds. He said he sent weapons to be delivered to Kurdish groups to help arm Iranian protesters, but that the Kurds kept the weapons for themselves. “The Kurds take, take, take,” he said.

Kurdish organizations have uniformly denied any of this. Multiple commanders of major Kurdish factions told reporters they received no American weapons and were not part of any such operation. There is no independent confirmation these weapons were ever delivered to anyone. The truth on that is anyone’s guess, to be honest. And this is the same administration that in Trump’s first term abruptly pulled U.S. troops from northern Syria, green-lighting a Turkish invasion of Kurdish-held territory and leaving behind the very fighters who had been America’s primary partners against ISIS — at a cost of more than 11,000 Kurdish lives. The Kurds held signs reading “Trump betrayed us” as U.S. convoys pulled out.

So yes, there are reasons Kurdish groups might be skeptical of American reliability. Trump publicly blaming them now is both revisionist and reckless and it also hands Iran a pretext to retaliate against Kurdish populations.The Reflecting Pool lawsuit

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become the subject of a federal emergency lawsuit after the Trump administration hired his handpicked swimming pool contractor, on a no-bid contract, with a reported 20% profit margin built in, to repaint the pool blue. The cost has already jumped 88% to $13.1 million.

The lawsuit notes that the Reflecting Pool’s dark tile was not decorative but intentional — it was specifically designed to create the illusion of depth and produce a more profound reflection. It’s a character-defining feature of one of the most historically significant sites in the country, the location where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered “I Have a Dream” in 1963. Plaintiffs are arguing the administration skipped mandatory Congressional review procedures before starting the work.

Trump turned one of the most iconic memorials in American history into a tacky swimming pool renovation project and handed it to a buddy on a no-bid contract.Fertility, sperm counts, and zzzs

This afternoon, Trump hosted an Oval Office event theoretically about maternal health. RFK Jr. used the occasion to discuss declining sperm counts in teenage boys, saying it was his task to investigate the issue. Trump was photographed visibly dozing during portions of the event, with his face notably drooping. Side note: I don’t think the Epstein administration should be discussing the sperm counts of teenage boys.

Dr. Oz contributed the observation that one in three Americans are “under-babied.”

Trump announced that his administration is bringing drug prices down by somewhere between 70% and 600%, depending on, as he put it, “the way you want to phrase the question.” He added that he likes the 500% number better. More stupidity.Hantavirus and the deceptive HHS statement

American passengers exposed to the Andes variant of hantavirus on a cruise ship are now back on U.S. soil, headed into a 42-day quarantine in Omaha, Nebraska. At least one American has tested positive. A French passenger repatriated separately tested positive and deteriorated overnight in the hospital.

HHS put out a statement that described one passenger as “mildly PCR positive.” There is no such thing. A PCR test is either positive or negative. This was a transparent attempt to minimize an asymptomatic positive case while burying the news that an American had contracted the virus. They also conspicuously avoided using the word “quarantine” at any point, despite that being precisely what is happening.

James Comer, when asked about this, said he has complete confidence in the Trump administration because of how well they handled COVID. Umm…

To be clear, there are no signs right now that this is going to become anything resembling the COVID pandemic. The Andes variant transmits differently and the situation is being monitored. But the problem, and it is a real problem, is that we have a gutted CDC, a compromised HHS, and an administration that has already demonstrated in the first few minutes of this crisis that their instinct is to minimize, mislead, and obscure. That’s the danger. Not the virus itself right now, but the people who would be responsible for telling us the truth about it. We need to know exactly what the latest developments are and if this becomes something of greater concern.

Meidas Health’s Vin Gupta said on CNBC earlier: “Hantavirus can cause a serious pulmonary syndrome with a high fatality rate. Clearly a scroll of social media shows a mix of us all learning more in real time. Infectious diseases and critical illness are humbling. I’m glad to see a push towards mandatory quarantine.”

The New Republic, Daily Blast: News and Opinion: Trump Blurts Out Vile Plot to Steal Midterms as Polls Take Brutal Turn, Greg Sargent, right, May 11, 2026. As Trump reveals new levels of corruption to the GOP scheme to gerrymander the midterms, a writer on voting rights explains why Democrats must develop an aggressive long-term response.

After the Virginia Supreme Court blocked the Democratic redistricting plan, which would have netted Democrats four more House seats, Donald Trump celebrated. He called the ruling a “huge win” over a “horrible gerrymander.” But Trump himself has ordered many GOP states to gerrymander maximally.

So here Trump openly declared that Republicans reserve the right to rig elections while Democrats do not. His actual position is that Republicans should play by their own corrupt rules, a declaration of intent to functionally steal the midterms.

Not coincidentally, this comes as a new Marist poll shows Democrats leading the generic House matchup by 10 points. Though polling averages have it at five points, Marist is a leading indicator that hints at a blue wave.

We talked to Ari Berman of Mother Jones, the great voting rights reporter. We discuss the Virginia ruling, why democracy can’t function when one party serially cheats, why Democrats must respond, and what their long-term strategy should look like. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is here. 

Public Notice, Opinion: This is a crisis of democracy. What will Dems do about it? Paul Waldman, right, May 11, 2026. They need a bold and radical political reform agenda, or things will only get worse.

For a while there, it appeared the great redistricting war of 2025-2026 would be fought to a draw, or even that Democrats could come out slightly ahead. That is no longer the case, and the way this conflict played out has made something distressingly clear: We are facing nothing less than the collapse of American democracy as we have known it.

This is a crisis, and the only thing that can keep us from spiraling even further downward is if Democrats — not always a group known for their courage and determination — confront it in a way that meets the magnitude of the challenge.

For that to happen, the Democratic Party has to become something it has not been in the past. Its collection of careful legislators and cautious campaigners must be reborn as bold, aggressive, creatively ruthless warriors willing to take steps they never contemplated before.

There are signs they might — the fact that they fought back at all against President Trump’s attempts to rig the midterms shows they have begun to understand what they’re up against. But now they have to go much farther — not just this year, and not just if they take back one or both houses of Congress in November, but toward a radical reform of the political system of the kind we haven’t seen in decades.

The map-drawing frenzy

This started last summer when Donald Trump ordered Republicans, first in Texas and then in other states, to redraw their congressional district maps to deliver more GOP seats.

Most of them complied (Indiana was the exception), and Democrats in California and Virginia responded by putting measures on the ballot to get voters’ permission to do the same. This was a temporary response, they argued: We’ll stop Trump and the GOP from rigging the midterms now, then work toward a national system in which gerrymandering has been banished. The voters in both states agreed.

The Confederacy rises again But Republicans weren’t done. First the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court gutted what remained of the Voting Rights Act, the crown jewel of the civil rights movement’s triumph in defeating Jim Crow. Immediately, multiple southern states moved to wipe away every district represented by a Black member of Congress, to return to the all-white delegations of the past.

Then conservatives on the Virginia Supreme Court nullified that state’s redistricting referendum, despite the fact that multiple times those same judges had rejected challenges to the measure and allowed it to go forward. It was only when the voters made a choice the court’s conservatives didn’t like that they decided they had to step in. What the Virginia ruling does — and does not — mean for 2026

The redrawing isn’t done yet — for instance, Republicans in South Carolina are considering following Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee in hastily redrawing their maps to get rid of the state’s sole Black representative. Even so, it probably won’t be enough to keep Republicans from losing the House in November, given the president’s abysmal approval ratings and the electorate’s usual midterm preference for whichever party is in the opposition.

That makes what has occurred in the last two weeks no less alarming. And it comes against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s lawlessness, corruption, and dismantling of the federal government’s ability to perform even the basic functions of effective governance.

These are not separate problems, and if they are to be solved they must be solved together.

Procedural aggression is required

When considering where Democrats go from here, we must begin with the Supreme Court, because it is the keystone of conservative minority rule in America.

The truth is that for almost its entire history, the court has been a fundamentally reactionary force, defending the wealth of the wealthy and the power of the powerful against claims to justice or equality. But because of a brief liberal period in the court’s jurisprudence running roughly from Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 to Roe v. Wade in 1973, many on the left came to see the court as a natural ally, even as it moved further and further to the right.

What conservatives realized, on the other hand, was that if they could capture the court then nothing would be out of their reach. “Checks and balances” notwithstanding, the judiciary has a unique ability to nullify the work of the other two branches. So moneyed conservative interests set out on an effort stretching over decades to create a court that didn’t just lean right, but was in the firm control of movement-bred conservatives who were committed to advancing their ideological and policy objectives and saw no limits on their ability to do so.

Trump’s Reichstag fire presidency is immolating

The right understood what they could do with a court like that, and now they have it. Principles and precedents have become a joke, while modes of analysis like “originalism” and “textualism” are deployed in radically different ways depending on which party will benefit from the outcome. When a Democrat is president, the court is extraordinarily aggressive in seizing the power to decide policy; when a Republican is president, he can largely do as he likes, even commit all the crimes he wants. They do this while allowing billionaires with interests before the court to shower them with gifts, because in this world, ethics are for suckers.

That’s why Supreme Court reform is the sine qua non of any progressive reform agenda. Without it, nothing else matters, because this court will use its power to strike down anything meaningful Democrats try to do.

There are plenty of Supreme Court reform ideas out there from which to choose. The first is to expand the size of the court, immediately adding new justices to rebalance the body. Keep in mind that the Court’s size has been altered many times over its history, most recently in 2016 when Republicans contracted it by refusing to allow Barack Obama to appoint a member after the death of Antonin Scalia, then expanded it again once Donald Trump took office.

Beyond expanding the court, Congress should enact 18-year term limits, consider stripping the court of jurisdiction over certain kinds of cases, and create strict new ethics standards to prevent the kind of naked corruption we’ve seen in recent years. That is all in Congress’ power to legislate.

Republicans will object vigorously to these reforms, and there’s no guarantee that Democrats would be able to pass them. But they have to try. As long as we live under the tyranny of this court, our democracy will continue to erode.

Beyond the court

Next, Democrats have to commit themselves to a radical program of political and procedural reform to begin the moment they have control of the executive branch and Congress — which could occur as early as January 2029.

It should include the elimination of the Senate filibuster, the circumventing of the Electoral College through the National Popular Vote interstate compact, a national ban on gerrymandering, and the revision of House elections through multimember districts, all guided by the simple principle that every American deserves both genuine representation and, when they are in the majority, to see their preferences at least stand a chance of being turned into policy.

Oh, and if Democrats take the Senate this November? Donald Trump should get no more Supreme Court nominations, not even if eight of the nine justices decide to retire. None.

Finally, the next Democratic administration must undertake a sweeping and aggressive de-Trumpification, in both policy and personnel.

The horrific changes of this administration have to be undone, and those who committed crimes in this president’s service must be prosecuted. Anyone who was tainted by Trumpism should be eliminated; for instance, the next president should immediately fire every last person who joined ICE or Border Patrol after January 20, 2025 — all of them, without exception. Those who believe they are ethical professionals and not violent thugs would be welcome to reapply for their old jobs, and they could be reassessed to see if they deserve the privilege of public service.

Perhaps you’re uncomfortable with one or more of these proposals. That’s fine. At this point, the details are less important than preparing for a new approach to politics, procedures, and governing. Because if Democrats take over in 2029 and try to slowly and carefully improve the federal government’s functioning and pass some progressive legislation, the Supreme Court will cut everything they do to ribbons. Then Republicans will take over again and degrade our democracy even further.

In the meantime, every new crisis has to be confronted with the same aggressiveness Republicans bring to politics and political procedures. For instance, what can Democrats do about what just happened in Virginia? Rather than laying down, they can explore every option open to them, no matter how unusual.

Virginia law allows the legislature to set a mandatory retirement age for justices of the state Supreme Court; since Democrats control the legislature, why not pass a law setting the retirement age a year below that of the youngest justice, to take effect immediately, then appoint a new court that can rehear the redistricting case?

You may say “That would be crazy!” Perhaps. But that’s what people thought about refusing to hear the nomination of a Supreme Court justice, right up until Republicans did it in 2016. That’s what they thought about the kind of mid-decade redistricting Trump ordered. That’s what they thought about the idea of wiping away the Voting Rights Act, but Republicans did that too. The point is that Democrats need to start thinking creatively, and take this cue from Republicans: “That would be very controversial” is not a good enough reason not to take action.

And if that causes a political crisis? Good. We’re already in a political crisis, and we won’t emerge on the other side with something better unless 

Hopium Chronicles, Pro-Democracy Advocacy, Some Thoughts On What Comes Next, Simon Rosenberg, right, May 11, 2026. It's been a rough few weeks for us, but for Putinism-Trumpism too......

Yes, I wake today feeling a bit battered and bloodied, probably like a lot of you. The word I keep coming back to this morning is betrayal. The ferocious betrayal of America, of our democracy, of the American people by Trump, Roberts and their allies just feels overwhelming, shocking, medieval, maniacal, and really not f-cking OK………

Many moments got us to where we are today, where we are experiencing the further descent of the party of Lincoln into this wild orgy of white supremacist illiberalism….Bush v Gore; the outrageous GOP redistricting of 2012; Trump’s collaboration with the Russians in 2016; the attempt to overturn our election in 2021 and Trump’s exoneration by Republicans in the Senate; the corrupt Roberts’ Court ongoing enabling of extremism……

Here is Marc Elias this morning:

Despite notable setbacks, the pro-democracy movement continues to rack up key court wins, and Donald Trump’s poll numbers continue to sink. But we make a mistake in thinking the GOP will be satisfied simply with targeting minorities. They are happy to see democracy burn to the ground. They are in the thrall of a man who wants to be a dictator.

What has me worried — what we all need to focus on — is that something important in our democracy broke last week, and we are only beginning to see the fallout. The winners will be a Republican Party that is hostile to democracy.

And….

The Roberts Court did not invent the GOP’s war on multiracial democracy. But it keeps issuing the permits.

That is the lesson of Plessy. That is the lesson of the immunity decision. And that is the lesson of Callais.

Lawyers and commentators need to recognize that in Court opinions, the dog whistle is too often louder than the fine print. The culture moves before the next set of lawsuits can even be filed.

We are in that critical window right now. Republican legislators are already redrawing maps. In some cases, they’re redrawing maps mid-election. The DOJ has already signaled it will help them. And, most importantly, the media is already starting to use the GOP’s framing.

Stopping this assault on democracy is not primarily a legal task, though the legal fights can matter enormously. It is a cultural one.

The fire is not coming; it’s burning hot, and the GOP is fanning its flames. The question is whether enough of us are willing to stand up for free and fair elections — plainly, loudly and without qualification — before the permission structure of Callais hardens into culture, and the culture decides this is simply how things are.

As we pick ourselves up and get ready for the next phase of our fight for freedom and democracy here and everywhere a few things remain true today……

Trump remains wildly unpopular:

We are still favored to win the House, and have a legit chance of taking the Senate too. Republicans are likely to pick up 6 new seats this year through their post-Callais redistricting meaning we will need to win 9 to take control. If the twelve House candidates we’ve endorsed win this November this House flips - period, over and out. Which is why we need to stay so focused on this group.

News Roundups

The Parnas Perspective, News and Comment: White House Calls Reporter 'Moron' For Showing Trump Dozing Off, Major Epstein and Iran News, Supreme Court Green Lights Alabama Gerrymander, Aaron Parnas, right, May 11, 2026. There is a massive amount of news to cover today. The White House is now calling reporters “morons” for sharing videos and images of Donald Trump appearing to fall asleep during a maternal health event. Major developments are unfolding overseas as Trump pushes to suspend the federal gas tax, the UAE reportedly carries out secret strikes on Iran, and new reporting alleges Pakistan helped Iran shield military aircraft during the recent crisis.

A teenager has died just hours after reuniting with his parents following their detention by ICE. Trump is also now claiming he is seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st state. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court handed Alabama Republicans a major victory in a redistricting case that could eliminate one Black-majority congressional district.

Tomorrow will be a critical day in the Epstein investigation. I covering a major hearing involving Epstein survivors, while also working around the clock behind the scenes to help members of Congress and others prepare for upcoming witness interviews tied to the files.

Our first paid subscriber live event is happening Wednesday evening at 6:45 PM EST. On Friday, I will publish our first major deep dive investigative report focused on either a bombshell gun-related story, data centers, or possibly both. But I cannot keep building this without your support.

If you believe in fearless, independent journalism that tells the truth without corporate pressure or political intimidation, subscribe today, upgrade your subscription, or gift a subscription to someone else. Together, we are building the Parnas Perspective into something bigger, stronger, and more impactful than ever before.

Here’s the news:

During a mid-morning public event on maternal health, Donald Trump appeared to fall asleep at his desk, according to observers. Video clips from the event circulated online, with critics pointing to moments where his eyes were closed and his head appeared to droop.

The White House responded by calling a reporter who shared an image of the President’s eyes drooping a “moron.”

As a result, in what appears to be an example of the Streisand Effect, the term “blinking” began to trend worldwide:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he is concerned that teenagers today have lower sperm counts than previous generations. He linked the issue to broader worries about environmental toxins, food additives, and public health trends. Kennedy has frequently raised concerns about declining fertility and its potential long-term effects on population health.

According to CBS News, Pakistan quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to use Pakistani airbases during the recent U.S.-Iran crisis while also acting as a diplomatic intermediary between Washington and Tehran. Iranian aircraft, including a reconnaissance RC-130 plane, were reportedly sent to Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base, though Pakistani officials denied the claims. The report highlights Pakistan’s difficult balancing act between maintaining strategic ties with the United States, Iran, Gulf states, and China amid escalating regional tensions. It also underscores growing concerns over security in the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. and Iranian forces have been operating in close proximity during ongoing instability affecting global oil shipping routes.

Donald Trump suggested suspending the gas tax today:

According to the Wall Street Journal, the United Arab Emirates has allegedly conducted covert military strikes against Iran, including an April attack on an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island. The UAE has shifted from a largely defensive regional posture to a more assertive military role, leveraging its advanced Western-made fighter jets and surveillance systems. The report portrays the UAE as increasingly willing to use force to defend its economic interests and geopolitical influence amid escalating regional tensions. The strikes also suggest that Gulf states are becoming more directly involved in the broader conflict surrounding Iran and concerns over U.S. reluctance to confront Tehran aggressively.

President Trump said in a phone call with Fox News’ John Roberts that he is “seriously considering” making Venezuela the 51st US state. According to reports from Fox News colleagues, Trump pointed to Venezuela’s massive oil reserves and claimed that “Venezuela loves Trump.” The comments quickly sparked backlash and disbelief, with Venezuelan officials rejecting the idea and reaffirming the country’s sovereignty.

Brock Pierce attended the unveiling of a golden Trump statue in Doral, Florida, where he participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Pierce has previously been linked to Jeffrey Epstein, including a 2012 message in which he reportedly told Epstein he had a “great time with the girls.” The resurfacing of their past connection has drawn renewed scrutiny online following Pierce’s appearance at the Trump-themed event. Critics have pointed to the association as part of broader concerns about Epstein’s network and relationships with public figures.

Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is on “life support” after rejecting Iran’s latest peace proposals and signaled he may restart U.S. naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by insisting there would be no further negotiations unless sanctions are lifted, frozen funds are released, and its control over the strait is recognized. The escalating standoff has driven oil prices higher and left thousands of seafarers and hundreds of tankers stranded in the Gulf. The dispute is also creating pressure ahead of Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the U.S. seeks ways to isolate Iran economically and strategically.

An 18-year-old Chicago cancer patient, Kevin Gonzalez, died one day after reuniting in Mexico with his parents, who had been detained by ICE while trying to cross the border to say goodbye. Gonzalez had stage 4 colon cancer and traveled from Chicago to Durango, Mexico, after checking himself out of the hospital in hopes of seeing his parents again. His parents were released from federal custody in Arizona after a judge ordered their release, allowing the family to reunite shortly before his death. The case has drawn national attention and renewed debate over immigration enforcement, humanitarian exceptions, and family separation policies.

Reports from Sky News and Bloomberg say several Cabinet ministers are preparing to urge Keir Starmer to resign. The reported move signals growing internal pressure within the Labour government and could trigger a major political crisis if senior ministers publicly break with Starmer. Neither Downing Street nor the ministers involved had officially confirmed the reports at the time they emerged. The situation remains fluid as attention turns to potential meetings and statements expected tomorrow morning.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that President Trump is “not in a rush” to respond to rising gas prices, suggesting the administration is taking a longer-term approach rather than pursuing immediate action.

President Trump nominated Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano to diplomatic posts, selecting Lake as ambassador to Jamaica and Mastriano as ambassador to Slovakia. Both were prominent Trump allies who lost gubernatorial races in battleground states in 2022 and publicly supported Trump’s claims about election fraud. Lake previously led the U.S. Agency for Global Media, where she oversaw major cuts to Voice of America that later faced legal challenges in court. The nominations now head to the Senate for confirmation and could reshape Republican politics in Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Eighteen Americans returned to the U.S. after being aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship Hondius, with two passengers placed in biocontainment units in Omaha and Atlanta as a precaution. One passenger tested positive for hantavirus and another showed mild symptoms, while health officials emphasized that the risk to the general public remains very low because the virus spreads only through prolonged close contact. The outbreak has resulted in six confirmed cases and three deaths since the ship departed Argentina in April. Health authorities in multiple countries are continuing monitoring, quarantines, and investigations into the source of the outbreak.

Virginia Democratic leaders asked the US Supreme Court to review a recent Virginia Supreme Court ruling that struck down the state’s Democratic-backed redistricting plan. The state court’s decision overturned maps that had previously been approved by voters. Democrats argue the ruling disregarded the will of voters and are seeking federal intervention to restore the plan. The dispute could affect future election boundaries and political representation in Virginia.

The Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to move forward with a new congressional map that would likely favor Republicans and eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black districts. The decision sends the case back to a lower court and follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that weakened key protections in the Voting Rights Act. Liberal justices objected, warning the move could create confusion as elections approach. The dispute is part of a yearslong battle over whether Alabama’s maps fairly represent the state’s Black population.

Rep. Jen Kiggans made racist remarks today saying she agreed that Hakeem Jeffries had “cotton-picking hands,” repeating the phrase, “Get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.”

The Supreme Court extended a temporary order allowing continued access to the abortion pill mifepristone through telehealth and mail delivery while it considers an emergency appeal. The new order, issued Monday, keeps the policy in place until Thursday evening and pauses a lower court ruling that would have required women to obtain the drug through in-person visits. Justice Samuel Alito, who oversees emergency appeals from the 5th Circuit, first issued the temporary stay last week. The case remains under review by the justices and could have major implications for abortion access nationwide.

President Trump nominated Cameron Hamilton to permanently lead Federal Emergency Management Agency, about a year after firing him from the same role. Hamilton was removed in 2025 after telling Congress he did not support eliminating FEMA, despite criticism of the agency from Trump and some allies. His nomination suggests the administration may be stepping back from earlier efforts to dismantle FEMA. If confirmed, Hamilton would take over an agency facing staffing shortages, operational challenges, and pressure to prepare for the upcoming disaster season.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Netflix, accusing the company of collecting user data without consent and designing addictive features that target children and families. The lawsuit claims Netflix built a large-scale behavioral surveillance system that tracks viewing habits, devices, and other personal data while misleading consumers about privacy and child safety. Netflix denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit inaccurate and defending its privacy practices and parental controls. The case adds to growing legal scrutiny of major tech and media platforms over data collection and allegedly addictive design features.

A federal appeals court in Ohio became the third appeals court to reject the Trump administration’s effort to broadly detain immigrants without bond hearings while deportation cases proceed. The 6th Circuit ruled that many immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years or decades must have an opportunity to argue for release, saying indefinite detention without bond could violate due process rights. The decision deepens a growing split among federal appeals courts, increasing the likelihood the issue will reach the Supreme Court. The dispute centers on the administration’s expanded interpretation of immigration law, which classifies nearly all people facing deportation as subject to mandatory detention.

A group of 40 House Democrats raised concerns about the Trump administration’s deportation flight program, accusing ICE of using secretive charter flights that limit public oversight and may violate immigrants’ due process rights. Lawmakers asked the FAA to provide detailed records on ICE air operations and investigate allegations that detainees were transported without notice to families or lawyers. The letter also questioned the use of restraints and the humanitarian conditions aboard deportation flights. The administration has denied wrongdoing, saying its detention and transport practices follow legal and safety standards.

The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump Builds "Election Integrity Army," MAGA Upset as Trump Phones Never Ship, Iran Talks Stall, GOP Tensions in Congress Rise, Aaron Parnas, right, May 11, 2026. There is a massive amount of news breaking this morning. Trump is now moving forward with plans for an “election integrity army” that would reportedly operate across all 50 states ahead of the midterms. At the same time, MAGA supporters are furious after spending millions on Trump-branded phones that still have not shipped and may never arrive. Overseas, Iran negotiations have effectively stalled, oil prices are rising again, and tensions inside the Republican Party are exploding.

On top of all of that, so many of you reached out overnight about the major updates I am rolling out for this community, and the response honestly blew me away. This is growing faster than we ever expected, and we are building it together in real time. Our first paid subscriber live Q&A will be this Wednesday at 7 PM EST, and I genuinely cannot wait to hang out with all of you. I’ll send out another reminder as we get closer.

This week I’ll also be covering several major developments, including the high-stakes Trump-Xi summit and tomorrow’s major Epstein hearing in Palm Beach featuring survivors and testimony surrounding Leon Black. I’ve spent the weekend working to prep members ahead of the hearing, and we’ll have extensive coverage and analysis as new details emerge.

A lot of people have asked how they can help support and grow this platform even more. The biggest thing you can do is subscribe, gift a subscription to someone else, or upgrade your current subscription today. 

Here’s the news:

Tensions between House and Senate Republicans are creating major challenges for the GOP’s legislative agenda ahead of the midterm elections. Lawmakers in both chambers are blaming each other for delays on key priorities, including housing legislation, surveillance powers, and a major spending package tied to President Trump’s agenda. Although Republicans recently agreed on a budget blueprint and passed a partial Homeland Security funding bill, disagreements over issues like central bank digital currencies and spending proposals continue to divide the party. Senate Republicans are especially frustrated that ongoing disputes could prevent them from passing legislation aimed at addressing voters’ concerns about affordability and the economy.

Republicans’ recent redistricting victory in Virginia could create new complications for Speaker Mike Johnson as he tries to pass key spending legislation before the midterms. The court decision improves Republicans’ chances of holding more House seats, but it may also make vulnerable GOP lawmakers more cautious about supporting controversial spending proposals. One major point of debate is a plan that includes $1 billion for security tied to President Trump’s proposed White House ballroom project, which has faced criticism from voters. Party leaders are now worried that divisions within the GOP could make it harder to meet Trump’s June 1 deadline for passing the legislation.

President Trump issued an executive order that would expand the U.S. Postal Service’s role in mail-in voting by having it help verify voter eligibility and reject ballots from people not on approved voter lists. The proposal has raised concerns among voting-rights groups, election officials, and postal workers, who argue it could politicize the USPS and interfere with states’ constitutional authority over elections. Critics also warn that the financially struggling Postal Service lacks the resources and infrastructure to handle such a major new responsibility. Multiple lawsuits have already been filed challenging the order, with opponents arguing there is no evidence of widespread fraud in mail-in voting. He is also sending an “election integrity army” to all 50 states for the midterm election:

The United States and Iran are at a deadlock after both sides rejected each other’s peace proposals following recent military clashes. President Trump called Iran’s latest offer “totally unacceptable,” while Iranian officials insisted it was fair and reasonable. The growing tensions have raised fears of renewed conflict and instability around the Strait of Hormuz, an important global oil route. As a result, oil prices have risen and concerns about wider economic disruption have increased. Remember, this post was 50 days ago:

Oil prices rose sharply after President Trump rejected Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal, increasing fears that tensions in the Middle East could worsen. Brent crude oil briefly jumped 4% to about $105.50 per barrel before easing slightly later in the day. Investors are worried that continued conflict and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz could threaten global oil supplies and hurt the world economy. The market reaction reflects growing uncertainty about whether peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran will succeed.

Gas prices continue to remain stubbornly high due to the war as well:

A shortage of aluminum cans in India, caused by disruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has made Diet Coke harder to find across the country. The unexpected shortage inspired Ishika Gupta, a marketing consultant in New Delhi, to host a Diet Coke-themed party that quickly became popular with Gen Z attendees. The event featured Coke-inspired drinks, music, and alcohol-free socializing, reflecting a growing interest in healthier lifestyles among young people in India. The story highlights how global political tensions are affecting everyday products and sparking unusual cultural trends.

Nearly 590,000 people reportedly paid deposits for the Trump Mobile T1 smartphone, generating about $59 million in sales, but customers say the phones still have not shipped nearly a year later. The gold-colored phone, promoted by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump as a U.S.-made alternative to Apple and Samsung devices, faced repeated delays with changing release dates and little communication from the company. Journalists who placed deposits reported poor customer service, missing updates, and problems with the ordering process. Concerns are growing among buyers as refunds appear uncertain and no confirmed customer deliveries have been reported.

A French woman and an American passenger evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius tested positive for hantavirus after an outbreak onboard killed three passengers. The French woman is in serious condition in a Paris hospital, while the American passenger in Nebraska is asymptomatic despite testing positive for the Andes strain, which can spread between humans. More than 100 passengers from multiple countries are being evacuated and monitored as health officials work to contain the outbreak. Although officials say the risk to the public is low, countries are tracking passengers and enforcing quarantine measures to prevent further spread.

Key Harvard professors quickly noted that the use of the term “mildly” is irrelevant and akin to a guess at this point:

Donald Trump did not make any Mother’s Day remarks, but he did spend the evening posting love letters about himself:

Trump made controversial remarks about Supreme Court justices, suggesting that it is acceptable for them to remain loyal to the presidents who appointed them. During a lengthy Truth Social post, he said justices “have to do the right thing” but added that loyalty to the person who elevated them to the Supreme Court was understandable. The comments challenge the principle of judicial independence, which is meant to keep the courts separate from political influence. The remarks quickly sparked backlash.

President Trump is expected to travel to Beijing this week for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid rising global tensions. Trump is reportedly seeking China’s help in preventing further conflict with Iran and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to protect global oil supplies and trade. Some analysts believe Xi may use the meeting to push for reduced U.S. support for Taiwan in exchange for cooperation. The summit is being viewed as an important moment for U.S.-China relations and broader international stability.

Many DACA recipients are facing long delays in renewing their status, leaving them unable to work and struggling financially. Recipients say the renewal process had previously been smooth, but recent delays have caused some to lose their legal protections and employment authorization. NBC News highlights the story of Erika, a pregnant intensive care nurse brought to the U.S. from Mexico as a baby, who is now unable to work because her renewal has stalled. The delays have left many immigrants feeling uncertain about their future and worried about supporting themselves and their families.

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon reportedly killed two people and injured five others, according to Lebanon’s state-run news agency. Additional attacks and shelling were reported in several towns across the region, including Yahmar al-Shaqif, Kfar Tebnit, and Nabatieh al-Fawqa. The violence comes despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. Both sides continue to accuse each other of violating the ceasefire, raising concerns about escalating tensions in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the conflict with Iran is not over and argued that Iran’s nuclear materials and military capabilities still need to be dismantled. In a CBS interview, he suggested Israel may continue military operations against Hezbollah even if a ceasefire with Iran is reached, while also claiming that weakening Iran could collapse its network of regional allies like Hezbollah and Hamas. Netanyahu additionally said he wants Israel to gradually end its dependence on U.S. financial military aid over the next decade.

The U.S. Army recovered the remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 27-year-old soldier who went missing during military exercises in Morocco. Key and another soldier disappeared after reportedly falling off a cliff during an off-duty hike near the Cap Draa Training Area. A large multinational search operation involving more than 600 personnel, helicopters, drones, and naval vessels located Key’s body in the Atlantic Ocean, while efforts continue to find the second missing soldier. The soldiers had been participating in African Lion 26, one of the largest U.S.-led military exercises in Africa.

A petition opposing major changes to the U.S. Postal Service has gained nearly 88,000 signatures as USPS faces a worsening financial crisis and a nearly $2 billion quarterly loss. Concerns are growing that without congressional support or major reforms, the agency could struggle to pay employees and vendors by next year. President Trump has supported restructuring the USPS, including bringing it under executive control and potentially privatizing parts of the service, though USPS leadership has resisted those ideas. Supporters of the petition argue that weakening the Postal Service would especially hurt rural communities that rely heavily on affordable mail delivery.

Fire crews in South Florida are battling two major wildfires that broke out over the weekend in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The larger Max Road Fire in western Broward has burned around 5,000 acres and was only 20% contained as of Monday morning, while another blaze near Florida City has burned about 210 acres and is 30% contained. Heavy smoke from the fires has affected air quality and visibility across the region, causing traffic concerns and temporary road closures. Officials have not ordered evacuations yet, but residents are being urged to stay alert and avoid affected areas.

A major voter data breach in Alberta has raised concerns about election security and foreign interference in Canada after a separatist-linked group illegally accessed personal information from nearly 2.9 million voters. Investigators say the database included names, addresses, and contact details, and could reportedly be accessed with little security protection. The breach has intensified fears about how political groups and outside actors could use voter data to influence elections and fuel separatist movements in the province. Canadian officials, privacy regulators, and federal police are now investigating the incident while critics warn it highlights growing threats to democratic systems and data privacy.

The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Comment, Sunday News Update and Big Parnas Perspective Announcements, Aaron Parnas, May 10, 2026 There are major stories breaking tonight that you need to catch up on, from Iran to North Korea to the 2026 election battle and much more.

More On Iran War

New York Times, Iran War Live Updates: Iran Lists Demands That Trump Deemed ‘Unacceptable,’ Aaron Boxerman, May 11, 2026. Tehran said its conditions for a peace deal include U.S. war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and an end to American sanctions, Iranian state media reported.

Iran’s demands for U.S. war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and an end to American sanctions were among the conditions that President Trump has deemed “unacceptable,” Iran’s state-owned broadcaster reported on Monday.

The terms were detailed in a social media post by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting after Mr. Trump on Sunday dismissed an Iranian counterproposal as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.” Mr. Trump did not specify his objections to the deal, which was passed via Pakistani mediators.

The first two conditions would almost certainly be non-starters for the United States, while the third would be possible only if Iran is willing to make major concessions on its nuclear program, which it has shown no sign of being willing to do.

The comments showed how far apart the United States and Iran remained after a week of strikes in the Persian Gulf rattled their month-old cease-fire. The deal was intended to provide an opening to negotiate a more comprehensive peace deal and end Iran’s de facto blockade of the strait, a vital waterway for oil and gas shipments.

Small-scale attacks have continued around the Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates said it had again been attacked by Iranian drones, after several Iranian strikes this past week. Last week, American warships fired on military facilities along Iran’s coast after coming under attack, and struck at two Iranian-flagged oil tankers attempting to enter an Iranian port, the U.S. military said.

Iran’s military warned early Sunday that countries helping to enforce U.S. sanctions against Tehran would face “difficulties” passing through the strait.

Here’s what else we’re covering:

• Oil prices: Oil prices rose and stock futures ticked down on Monday as investors reacted to Mr. Trump’s swift rejection of Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal.
• Enriched uranium: In an interview with the syndicated news show “Full Measure” aired on Sunday, Mr. Trump said that the U.S. was surveilling Iran’s remaining enriched uranium stockpile and would “get that at some point.” The president’s comments on the stockpiles have been inconsistent; last month, he said he didn’t care about the uranium because it was buried “so far underground.”
• Mixed messages: Last week, the White House sought to portray the military campaign against Iran as over. But in the “Full Measure” interview, Mr. Trump said it was inaccurate to say that combat operations were finished, adding that Iran was “defeated, but that doesn’t mean they are done.”

Trump's America

A 22-foot effigy of Donald Trump, wrapped in gold leaf, now stands at his Doral golf course in Miami. The president boasted about it Thursday morning on Truth Social with the all-caps line: “The Real Deal — GOLD.”

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: The Golden Donald, William Kristol, right, May 11, 2026. I remember the day I came face to face with the horrifying prospect that Donald Trump could win the presidency.

It was Wednesday, June 22, 2016. Trump had delivered a run-of-the-mill speech in New York City attacking Hillary Clinton on a host of issues. But then he said, “Her campaign slogan is, ‘I’m with her.’ You know what my response to that is? I’m with you, the American people. She thinks it’s all about her. I know it’s all about you.”

I remember thinking, Yikes. ‘I’m with her’ vs. ‘I’m with you.’ That could work.

A month later, at the Republican convention in Cleveland, Trump returned to his theme: “My opponent asks her supporters to recite a three-word loyalty pledge. It reads: ‘I’m With Her.’ I choose to recite a different pledge. My pledge reads: ‘I’M WITH YOU—THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.’”

Flipping Clinton’s unfortunate campaign slogan against her was effective. She wanted you to stand with her. Trump promised that he would stand with you.

Fast forward eight years. What was generally thought to be Trump’s most effective line against Kamala Harris in the 2024 campaign? “Kamala is for they/them. I am for you.”

One might think it ridiculous for Trump, this selfish and self-centered con man, to present himself as being for you the people. But he pulled it off. His opponents tried to show that Trump’s policies hurt the public, including those he claimed to care about most. But their arguments fell flat in the face of Trump’s demagoguery. The people felt he was with them, that he spoke for them.

Yet a demagogue can lose his touch. Demagogues are vain. An effective demagogue must keep his vanity at least to some degree disguised, to some extent in check.

But the demagogue ages. The fear of death moves closer to the center of his psyche. Merely holding power and commanding public attention is no longer enough. Mere vanity gives way to a needy and almost insatiable narcissism. Mere self-centeredness morphs into self-obsession. The narcissism escapes containment.

Last Wednesday, a twenty-two-foot-tall statue covered with gold leaf was unveiled at Trump’s golf course in Doral, Florida. Much of the commentary has understandably focused on the claim of the pastor, Mark Burns, who presided over the ceremony and explained afterwards, “Let me be clear: This is not a golden calf.”

The pastor surely doth protest too much. But Trump’s words were more striking than the pastor’s. The president celebrated the statue, posting, “The Real Deal - GOLD - At Doral in Miami.”

Pathetic. It’s not any kind of real deal. It’s a cheesy statue covered by gold leaf. But for Trump, it’s important.

And when he called into the unveiling ceremony, he marveled: “Everyone is taking pictures of it. Everybody is—my people tell me that it’s unbelievable. All day long, they’re taking pictures. They stand up next to it, and have their pictures taken.”

He’s president of the United States. He’s arguably the most famous and powerful man in the world. And he can’t help but revel in people taking pictures of his statue.

But at least this vulgar statue is on his golf course. We don’t have to see it. We don’t have to think about it ever again.

That’s not the case with the 250-foot high triumphal arch Trump wants to build here in in Virginia, just across the Potomac River from the National Mall, directly in front of Arlington National Cemetery. He aims to impose his vanity on all of us. The arch would dominate the view of Arlington Cemetery both as you approach it from the District and as you look back toward the Lincoln Memorial from Arlington House at the top of the hill. It’s a grotesque intrusion on one of our most sacred public spaces.

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In a video for the group Home of the Brave,¹ Vietnam veteran Ronn Easton eloquently expressed his disgust:

For me, Arlington is hallowed ground. I’ve been there 10 times. Whenever I visit, I go see the Vietnam Wall first, where the names of more than 58,000 of my fallen brothers in arms are inscribed. Then I head across the river to Arlington to pay my respects. On your way in, you pass through Memorial Circle, which is the very space where Trump wants to put his arch. I can’t think of anything less fitting to welcome Americans to this particular place.

Arlington is a place for solemn, serious reflection, where we memorialize American heroes. The arch is a desecration of that.

Arlington House stands at the top of a hill inside the cemetery, looking out over the Arlington Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln and Washington monuments, and the Capitol dome beyond. When you stand there looking out, it is awe-inspiring. You are overcome by the feeling that you are surrounded by heroes—more than 400,000 of them—people who stood for America, fought for it, and died for it. To have that view disfigured by an archway honoring a president who has spent his life denigrating servicemembers is simply a bridge too far.

The golden statue is on Trump’s private property. There’s nothing to be done about it. A grandiose arch defacing the public approach to Arlington Cemetery in the nation’s capital is another matter. I do think opposition by veterans like Easton can block it.

And I think opposition by citizens can block Trump’s vainglorious ballroom, for which he wants one billion dollars of taxpayer money. There were reports late last week of Republicans on the Hill getting queasy about having to vote for this. But Trump’s not backing away. In a spate of narcissistic Truth Social posts last night, mostly reposting praise of him as the greatest president ever, Trump couldn’t help but include a couple touting his ballroom, “The Magnificent Ballroom, under construction, and ahead of schedule, at the White House!”

Trump’s golden statue. Trump’s triumphal arch. Trump’s “magnificent” ballroom. They’re all about him. His narcissism is out of control. And no Republican has said a word critical of any of his narcissistic projects.

In 2016, Trump defeated Clinton by contrasting her slogan, “I’m with her,” with his claim, “I’m with you.” In 2026, Democrats can return the favor. They just need to explain the self-evident truth, “The Republican party is with him.” And then they simply need to show, “We’re with you.” 

AROUND THE BULWARK

• We Have Six Months to Crush Trump. Here’s the Playbook… On The Bulwark on Sunday, SARAH LONGWELL joins BILL KRISTOL to discuss the Virginia redistricting shock, the fight for the 2026 Senate map, Trump’s falling approval numbers, and why Democrats have a much bigger opening than they realize.
• Putin’s Pathetic Parade… A spectacle of fear and loathing in Moscow, writes CATHY YOUNG.
• Turkey’s New Missile Is a Symbol of Global Chaos… Why does Turkey want an ICBM? There are no good answers, observes ERIC EDELMAN.
• Trump is Destroying Our Diplomatic Corps… On Shield of the Republic, ERIC EDELMAN and ELIOT COHEN lament the firing of 200 Foreign Service officers and the recent large-scale exodus of senior diplomats from public service.
• Trump’s Tariffs Trashed the Economy. Why Won’t We Say That? On The Mona Charen Show, MATT BENNETT joins MONA CHAREN for a diagnosis of where the Democratic party actually stands: a brand stuck at 28 percent approval, an immigration message that still hasn’t landed, the Hasan Piker debate, a Supreme Court that just made gerrymandering easier, and a tariff-driven economic crisis that Democrats inexplicably won’t run on.

Quick Hits

HUSH, LITTLE BABY: Donald Trump has been in his feelings lately, and it hasn’t all been rage and bombast. In a long Truth Social post last night, the president offered a strangely woebegone lament that two of “his” Supreme Court justices—Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett—helped to strike down his “liberation day” tariffs earlier this year, and now seemed poised to rule against him on birthright citizenship as well.

“I’m working so hard to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and then people that I appointed have shown so little respect to our Country, and its people,” Trump wrote plaintively. “It’s really OK for them to be loyal to the person that appointed them to ‘almost’ the highest position in the land, that is, a Justice of the United States Supreme Court.” Trump also suggested his feelings had been hurt by the justices not acknowledging his presence when, in the birthright citizenship case, he became the first president ever to sit in on oral arguments: “which fact was not even recognized or acknowledged, out of respect for the position of President, by the Court—Something which did not go unnoticed by the Fake News Media!”

Fortunately, the president’s handlers know how to get him out of a funk. Someone apparently got some soothing paper to wave in front of his face, because three hours later, Trump posted simply: “Excellent Poll Numbers. Thank you!” He then spent a while scrolling and retweeting his Truth Social replies, including one call to “start arresting poll workers that cheated in elections” and seven posts calling him the greatest president of all time.

DON vs. XI: President Trump heads to China this week to talk trade with Xi Jinping, and the New York Times reports that prospects seem dim for a trade-war deescalation:

In recent weeks, China has made clear that it no longer fears another escalation. It reached for a new legal mechanism to counter U.S. sanctions. It blocked Meta’s acquisition of a promising A.I. start-up founded in China. And it codified rules aimed at punishing foreign businesses that comply with Western efforts to pull back from China.

The moves are part of Beijing’s broader campaign to push back against what it sees as Washington’s intensifying efforts to constrain its economy and technological rise. Over the past year, the two countries have ratcheted up their economic offensives, whacking each other with steep tariffs, restricting the flow of rare earths and critical technologies and imposing sanctions on major industrial companies.

Whether Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump can agree to place even modest guardrails on their expanding economic weapons will be a critical litmus test of whether their meeting succeeds.

One of the unfortunate consequences of Trump’s trade war on the entire world is how much more difficult it has made it for him to put trade pressure specifically on China—both in terms of the pain the U.S. economy can tolerate and in terms of bringing other countries along to pressure China with us. The president will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday.

PYRRHIC VICTORY?: The Supreme Court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act is likely, at least in the short term, to help Republicans capture a swath of districts across the south currently held by black Democrats. But over at Politico, Jonathan Allen makes the case that this could backfire on the GOP—by dealing the killing blow to the multiracial coalition that Trump put together to win in 2024:

Do you think GOP nominees will get 21 percent of Black men, as Trump is estimated to have received in 2024, in future elections when you’re handing Democrats perhaps the easiest racial messaging they’ve had in the post-Civil Rights era? In case you needed a primer, that would be: You can’t trust Republicans, they only want to silence your voice.

Anybody who has ever talked to a Black voter, particularly those under 60, can recall a recurring conversation: ‘I don’t have any particular attachment to the Democrats, they’ll say, but I almost always vote for them because they’re the less racist of the two parties.’

You think that voter will be in play anytime soon when Democrats can point to Republicans as the party that, once Trump demanded it and the courts allowed it, came for elders such as Reps. Emanuel Cleaver II and Jim Clyburn? 

New York Times, Chief Executives to Accompany Trump to China, Tyler Pager, May 11, 2026. The delegation includes business leaders across a wide range of industries, including Tim Cook of Apple and Elon Musk of Tesla.President Trump will be joined in China this week by 16 chief executives, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook.

The White House distributed a list on Monday of business leaders who are scheduled to be in Beijing with the president. Mr. Trump is slated to depart Washington on Tuesday and hold meetings with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, later in the week.

After the White House sent out its list, Cisco said its chief executive, Chuck Robbins, was unable to attend.

The inclusion of Mr. Musk in the delegation is the latest sign that the world’s richest man has restored his relationship with the president. Mr. Musk served as a top adviser to Mr. Trump and oversaw the administration’s effort to overhaul the federal bureaucracy. He departed the administration last May after a falling out with the president, but the two men have rehabilitated their relationship in recent months.

U.S. officials have said Mr. Trump wants to discuss the creation of a board of investment and a board of trade with China, and the delegation includes business leaders across a wide range of industries.

The delegation list:

• Tim Cook of Apple
• Larry Fink of BlackRock
• Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone
• Kelly Ortberg of Boeing
• Brian Sikes of Cargill
• Jane Fraser of Citi
• Jim Anderson of Coherent
• Larry Culp of GE Aerospace
• David Solomon of Goldman Sachs
• Jacob Thaysen of Illumina
• Michael Miebach of Mastercard
• Dina Powell McCormick of Meta
• Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron
• Cristiano Amon of Qualcomm
• Elon Musk of Tesla
• Ryan McInerney of Visa

PoliticusUSA, Trump Falls Asleep Multiple Times During Women's Health Event In Oval Office, Jason Easley, May 11, 2026. The White House held a maternal healthcare event in the Oval Office, and Trump cared so much about the lives of the unborn that he fell asleep multiple times.

Trump was supposed to participate in an Oval Office event on maternal healthcare while also promoting a new HHS website. Trump was there and seated in his chair, but zonked out.

This was Trump’s reaction as the White House touted its new program:

 "We're investing a lot of money training more people to work in rural America, and we're also using telehealth tools, so you have big, uh, sophisticated urban centers adopting smaller facilities, clinics, so they can help moms deliver babies wherever they may live. You don't have to drive across state to get there. Now, as great as this all is, and as fantastic as it has been to have fifty governors, in this case, uh, Mr. President, even the Democratic governors are on board. It's such a good offer. Uh, it's such a beautiful way of keeping your people healthy that everyone's embraced this program."

Trump was snoozing until he was addressed, then he woke up. Trump also managed to fall asleep for a second time and insult the women in attendance when he was awake.

U.S. Law, Courts, Rights, Crime, Justice 

New York Times, Man Charged With Assassination Attempt at Press Gala Pleads Not Guilty, Zach Montague, May 11, 2026. Cole Tomas Allen faces four counts in what prosecutors say was a plot to kill President Trump and other top officials at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Cole Tomas Allen, the man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April, pleaded not guilty to all charges through his lawyers on Monday.

Appearing in Federal District Court in Washington, Mr. Allen was formally arraigned before Judge Trevor N. McFadden, facing four counts that included trying to assassinate the president and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon during the annual gala at the Washington Hilton. Mr. Trump and many of his allies have cited the attack to drum up support for Mr. Trump’s plans to build a ballroom at the White House, which they say would offer a more secure venue for large events.

Prosecutors say that Mr. Allen, 31, had selected the gala as an opportunity to kill a number of top officials in the Trump administration. They say Mr. Allen traveled from California to Washington with a shotgun and pistol, booked a room at the Hilton and tried to storm past security intending to kill multiple top officials all in attendance.

In evidence presented shortly after Mr. Allen’s arrest, prosecutors said he emailed friends and associates a hierarchy of targets, prioritizing Mr. Trump and his inner circle, but also including Secret Service and other law enforcement officers who might try to stop him.

The Justice Department also said Mr. Allen fired his shotgun and hit a Secret Service officer in his ballistic vest, injuring him.

Mr. Allen appeared dazed and fatigued on Monday as he walked into court bound by his hands and ankles and wearing an orange jumpsuit. He quietly listened as Judge McFadden discussed next steps in the case with the lawyers, speaking almost inaudibly when asked direct questions.

After entering the not guilty plea, Eugene Ohm, a federal public defender representing Mr. Allen, asked Judge McFadden that Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, and Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, both recuse themselves from the case. Reiterating a motion filed last week, Mr. Ohm said the two could not play any significant role in overseeing the case, as both attended the dinner and might consider themselves potential victims in the plot they say Mr. Allen had hatched.

Mr. Ohm said it would be “wholly inappropriate” for either to directly prosecute the case, but added that he did not expect the “entire chain of command” at the Justice Department to be disqualified.

Judge McFadden asked Charles Jones, a federal prosecutor, to provide the court with “some definitive view from your boss or your boss’s boss” about whether they considered themselves potential targets.

The Contrarian, Opinion: Callais is not the last word, Jennifer Rubin, right, May 11, 2026. What democracy defenders must do now and in the long term.

n a span of less than two weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court (contravening the text and intent of the post-Civil War amendments and decades of court precedent) and the Virginia State Supreme Court (overturning the will of Virginia voters and inventing a new definition of “election”) have bulldozed through the electoral landscape to slant the 2026 midterm playing field in Republicans’ favor.

In Louisiana v. Callais, the U.S. Supreme Court demolished 60 years of progress in voting rights, robbed Black and Hispanic communities of the power to elect representatives of their own choosing, and aimed to decimate the ranks of non-white U.S. House members, state legislators, and local officials. This is nothing short of an attempt to reimpose white supremacy.

Voting rights legal guru Rick Hasen wrote:

This decision will bleach the halls of Congress, state legislatures, and local bodies like city councils, by ending the protections of Section 2 of the act, which had provided a pathway to assure that voters of color would have some rudimentary fair representation. It’s the culmination of the life’s work of Chief Justice John Roberts and Samuel Alito, who have shown persistent resistance to the idea of the United States as a multiracial democracy, and a brazen willingness to reject Congress’ judgment that fair representation for minority voters sometimes requires race-conscious legislation…. It protects Alito’s core constituency: aggrieved white Republican voters.

As infuriating, partisan, and legally unsound as these rulings are, they are not the final word on either the midterms or the future of our multi-racial democracy.

The Midterms

Even with the loss in Virginia, Democrats’ five-seat pick up in California should more than counteract the original Texas re-redistricting (where two of the five seats Republicans sought to steal may well go to Democrats). And despite the Virginia decision, Democrats may still pick up one to two more seats under Virginia’s old map. The net pickup for Republicans currently is less than ten before Democrats pursue their own redistricting in New York, Illinois, Colorado, and Maryland.

However, even with the advantage of, say, a dozen rigged seats, Republicans are unlikely to keep the House majority. Since 2024, Democrats have swung the electorate substantially in their direction, over-performing in comparison to Kamala Harris in 193 of 226 state legislative races, by 20 points in some cases. On average, Democrats are doing more than 10 points better than they did in 2024. (Brookings’ William A. Galston wrote: “In the six special elections for the House conducted in 2025-2026, the swing toward Democratic candidates averaged about 15 points, while the swing toward Democratic gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia averaged 14 points.”)

More than 20 Republican House seats were won by less than 10 points in 2024; 43 Republicans won by less than 15%. Given the electoral shift, Democrats’ list of targeted seats expands each week.

The New York Times reported that gerrymandering “tells only part of the story” about the midterms. While “Democrats could end up losing at least half a dozen safe seats, and possibly more,” depending on new maps drawn in Southern states, Republicans face gale-force “headwinds” thanks to Donald Trump’s atrocious approval numbers, his reviled Iran war, soaring gas and other consumer prices, snatching away healthcare coverage from millions, disaffection of Hispanic voters, and rampant corruption.

In short, gerrymandering, however outrageous, will not be enough to save Republicans if Democrats generate huge turnout, especially among those voters enraged that they have been stripped of voting power. (As Hungary demonstrated, a determined opposition can overcome a raft of unfair impediments imposed by a corrupt, unpopular regime.)

Democrats, independents, and disaffected Republicans know that the MAGA cult has no message — which is why MAGA lawmakers and courts must rig the election to cement white supremacy. That’s all they’ve got.

Democrats have their targets

The enormity of reversing 60 years of progress on voting rights necessitates a new era of intense organizing and public education — a new civil right movement to counter MAGA’s court-imposed Jim Crow. That effort kicks off with a grassroots National Day of Action on Saturday, May 16, in Alabama. Organizers declared, “The dismantling of the Voting Rights Act is a reminder that we have unfinished business. The fight is ours and we are going to finish it.” Scores of democracy groups, faith-based organizations, and civil rights organizations will rally to oppose Jim Crow redistricting and to support multi-racial democracy.

The goal: Democrats must win, and win big, in 2026 and 2028. Senate seats, governorships, and other statewide offices cannot be gerrymandered. A massive registration and turnout-the-vote operation must expand deep into Republican areas, appealing to disgruntled independents and Republicans while firing up the base. Democrats will need a broad, inclusive electoral coalition to pursue bold reform. As former attorney general Eric Holder likes to say, progressives “need to be comfortable with acquiring power and using power.”

What then? If Democrats come out of the 2028 election with House and Senate majorities, and the presidency, they will have all the motivation and tools required to reverse the slide into Jim Crow, beginning with substantial reform of the discredited Supreme Court. The MAGA justices’ willful misreading of the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution to concoct a “color blind” interpretation of voting rights (coupled with their monstrous expansion of executive power and abuse of the emergency docket) should unify democracy defenders on the urgency of Supreme Court reform through court expansion, term limits, revised appellate jurisdiction, and ethics reform.

Election law guru Rick Hasen argued:

The Supreme Court itself has shown itself to be the enemy of democracy. If and when Democrats retake control of the political branches, it will be incumbent on them not only to write new voting legislation protecting minority voters and all voters in the ability to participate fairly in elections that reflect the will of all the people. They will also have to consider reform of the Supreme Court itself.

With the election of aggressive Senate Democrats running in 2026 and 2028, Democrats should have little trouble carving out a filibuster exception, especially if they win by large margins that affirm voters’ rejection of MAGA assault on pluralistic democracy.

In addition to reforming the MAGA Supreme Court, a myriad of solid proposals for undoing the damage wrought by Callais include: state voting rights’ protections, a federal statute that requires nonpartisan redistricting, proportional representation, and a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote. Democrats should pursue an “all of the above” approach, not merely to regain but to expand diverse voters’ participation and power.

Though the tools to sustain multi-racial democracy may be different from those employed in the 1960s, Madeleine Greenberg of the Campaign Legal Center reminded us: “Every generation has faced attempts to restrict access to the ballot box, and every generation has pushed back.” If Democrats win elections decisively and fully exercise the power they obtain, they can fix what MAGA white supremacists have broken. Only then can we fulfill the promise of pluralistic democracy.

U.S. Governance, Politics, Elections 

Paul Krugman via Substack, Political-Economy Commentary: Will our Hyper-Gilded Age Usher in Genuine Populism? Paul Krugman, right, May 11, 2026. The tech bros are worse than the robber barons ever were — and voters are catching on.

America used to be a middle-class society. But income and wealth disparities began rising rapidly during the Reagan years, and by the late 80s many observers began drawing parallels between the new era of inequality and the Gilded Age.

At this point, however, it’s clear that we are not experiencing a mere replay of the reign of the robber barons. We are living through something much worse. The tech bros make the “malefactors of great wealth” called out by Theodore Roosevelt look benign by comparison.

Some widely used measures of inequality suggest that income disparities, which soared in the 1980s and 1990s, have plateaued since then. But the concentration of wealth at the top is continuing to soar. Today’s oligarchs control a huge share of America’s wealth — much larger than their share even at the end of the 1980s:

The growth in wealth concentration is even more extreme if we look at the very, very top. Gabriel Zucman, one of the world’s leading experts on wealth and income inequality, argues that the concentration of wealth is now much higher than it was at the peak of the Gilded Age:

Tellingly, unlike the robber barons of yore, many modern plutocrats show little sense of gratitude for their good fortune, little inclination to give back to society by devoting a significant part of their wealth to good works. Forbes reports that Elon Musk and Peter Thiel have devoted almost none of their wealth to philanthropy, while Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are only slightly better.

More important than the stinginess of the superrich, however, is the fact that their wealth has brought great political power, arguably more than the robber barons ever possessed — power that they abuse on an epic scale.

Thanks to the Roberts Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” ruling, plutocrats are able to pump vast amounts of money into elections. Here’s a recent headline from the New York Times:

One example of many: Peter Thiel bankrolled J.D. Vance’s Ohio Senate campaign, burying his Democratic populist rival under a flood of PAC money. Without Thiel’s big bucks, J.D. Vance would not now be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

And Elon Musk actually controlled a significant part of U.S. government operations in 2025 — control that he used, among other things, to eviscerate foreign aid. Those aid cuts have already led to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths, mostly children, with millions more deaths likely to come.

The big political question going forward is whether there will be a significant backlash against the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a small number of mean-spirited men.

I believe that there will be such a backlash, indeed that it is already starting, and that there is a political opening for some genuine populism if politicians have the courage to take a stand.

Polling suggests that an overwhelming majority of Americans — roughly speaking, almost everyone except MAGA Republicans — now consider the gap between rich and poor a major problem:

And anger over the Trump administration’s corruption — which isn’t the same as anger over the power of the superrich but overlaps with it — is clearly on the rise, becoming a major issue for the midterms.

What we need to push back against 21st century oligarchy are political figures who won’t let themselves be intimidated by the hysteria the wealthy always exhibit at any hint of an effort to limit their privileges. That hysteria is on full display right now in New York City, where some of the wealthy are crying persecution over a planned tax on expensive pieds-a-terre — apartments owned by nonresidents. It’s even more extreme in California, where a proposal for a one-time wealth tax has led Google’s Sergey Brin to compare the state to Soviet Russia.

What politicians and pundits need to understand is that while the ultrawealthy would like us to believe that concern about their excessive power and privileges is a radical, left-wing, anti-centrist position, it isn’t. It is, in fact, a view shared by a large majority of Americans. And in any case, as G. Elliott Morris has shown, few voters, even those who describe themselves as moderate, really support what pundits call “centrism.”

It’s true that any politician who proposes a pushback against modern American oligarchy will face a tidal wave of lavishly funded venom. But given the realities of who today’s plutocrats are and what they do, there are big opportunities for leaders willing to pull an FDR and declare, “I welcome their hatred.”

New York Times, G.O.P. Plant? Democratic Ruse? Accusations Fly in Nebraska’s Senate Race, Kellen Browning, May 11, 2026. One Democrat is accused of being a Republican in disguise. Another plans to drop out to boost an independent. It’s primary eve in one of the country’s most unusual midterm contests.

Are any of the candidates in Nebraska’s Senate race whom they claim to be?

In one of the most unusual contests in the country, that has become a central question ahead of Tuesday’s primary election. Republicans and Democrats are accusing each other of subterfuge in a race that includes a high-profile independent.

At least one of the two candidates in the Democratic primary has no plans to become a senator. Cindy Burbank, a 62-year-old retired pharmacy technician, says she intends to drop out of the general election if she wins the nomination, to clear a path for Dan Osborn, the independent candidate backed by the state Democratic Party.

The other, William Forbes, a 79-year-old pastor who says he has voted for President Trump, stands accused by Democratic leaders of being a G.O.P. “plant,” running to siphon Democratic votes away from Mr. Osborn in November to help Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican, win re-election.

Republicans, meanwhile, argue that Mr. Osborn, who has received campaign contributions from national Democrats, is a Democrat in all but party affiliation. And they have suggested that a niche third-party candidate running under a marijuana legalization party banner is secretly a Democratic plant designed to eventually consolidate support behind Mr. Osborn. (Both the third-party hopeful and Mr. Forbes have denied being “plants.”)

The complicated dynamics underscore a stark reality of politics in much of the Great Plains: The Democratic brand has become so toxic that independent candidates are often more viable rivals to Republicans.

In Nebraska, which Mr. Trump won by about 20 percentage points in 2024, Democratic leaders saw little chance of winning statewide on their own in the midterms. So they decided to support Mr. Osborn, a former union leader who significantly outran the Democratic presidential ticket as a Senate candidate last cycle.

Democrats “have gotten out of touch with some of the issues that voters in the Midwest care about, because our leaders are more reflective of coastal states,” said Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party. An alliance with independent voters was “the only viable path for us right now for a federal race,” she added.

Mr. Osborn, who lost the Senate race two years ago by about seven percentage points to Nebraska’s other Republican senator, Deb Fischer, has repeatedly pledged not to caucus with either party if elected. (Republicans, though, point to a February town hall where he indicated he might caucus with Democrats if his independent approach fails.)

Other left-leaning independent candidates are running for the Senate in Montana, South Dakota and Idaho. But unlike in Nebraska, the Democrats in those states have not stood aside for them.

A progressive “prairie populism” once proliferated in the Midwest and the Great Plains. Two decades ago, Democrats had a slight edge over Republicans — 19 to 17 — among senators representing the 18 states commonly considered to comprise the region. Today, Democrats are outnumbered 25 to 11.

Axios, GOP's security referendum, Hans Nichols, May 11, 2026. Situational awareness: The Supreme Court has given Alabama permission to redistrict after its ruling on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The state's current House delegation has two Democrats, Reps. Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures.

Senate Republican leaders plan to turn the political fight over the $1 billion request for security upgrades tied to the new White House ballroom into a referendum on President Trump's safety.

Why it matters: Democrats think the $1 billion figure gives them a simple, bumper-sticker attack against Republicans for voters who are concerned about the cost of living.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the funding is intended to secure the new facility and ensure the Secret Service has the resources needed to protect the president. "It's a security-related measure," Thune told reporters today. "You've got a president where there have been three assassination attempts in just the last two years."

Between the lines: House Speaker Mike Johnson will seek to heal growing friction with his Senate counterparts in remarks at tomorrow's Senate GOP lunch, we reported today.

Johnson is expected to stress open lines of communication as Republicans gear up for reconciliation packages 2.0 and 3.0. It will mark Johnson's first appearance at a Senate GOP lunch this year. U.S. Secret Service director Sean Curran will also join the lunch as the Senate considers funding for presidential security and the need for security enhancements in the new ballroom, two sources told us.

Zoom in: Thune's comments seem as directed at GOP holdouts as they are at Democrats.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters: "I'm looking forward to seeing the details this week." Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters: "It was my understanding it was supposed to be paid for by private donations. That's what the president has said." "I have a feeling it may either not be in the bill or it may not pass the Byrd test, but we'll know probably more next week," said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who prefers to use private donations for the ballroom.

The bottom line: "They've become ballroom Republicans," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The Triad Via The Bulwark, Political Commentary: People Want What They Want, Jonathan V. Last, May 11, 2026. The key to understanding democratic politics.

1. The People

Sarah had Tim on The Focus Group this weekend. It was . . . sublime.

The subject was the May 16 Louisiana Senate primary and my best friends listened to Republican voters explain why they are not voting for the incumbent R, Sen. Bill Cassidy—and also give their thoughts on his two rivals, state Treasurer John Fleming and the Trump-endorsed Julia Letlow.

I cannot endorse this episode strongly enough because it demonstrates a valuable lesson about voters in 2026 America.

There is no logic. No consistency. No ideology, even. They are nothing but bundles of impulse and appetite. They want what they want, when they want it. Come and meet The People.

Every single voter in these groups was firmly against Bill Cassidy. The considered opinion of the group was that Cassidy has changed.

How has he changed?

“It’s one face for the media and then it’s another face for the public.”

“If you look at Bill Cassidy 10 years ago, as opposed to today, it’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

“I’ve worked with Cassidy and I was 100 percent behind him for every election for it all. But lately, it started with the impeachment of Trump and a lot of other things where he changes his mind. He’s just changing too much.”

You might think that if Cassidy had been changing politically, Louisiana voters might be able to name some issues on which he’s changed. Democrats, for instance, look at John Fetterman and say, “He’s in favor of Trump’s ballroom; he’s in favor of the Iran war; he jumped to support Markwayne Mullin at DHS—and that’s all in the last 12 weeks.”

But no. The only thing these Republicans could point to about Cassidy was his vote to convict Trump on impeachment after January 6.

Which—sure, fine. But it’s instructive that these voters aren’t capable of saying, Voting to impeach Trump is disqualifying because Trump is right about everything.

Instead, they construct complicated rationales to justify their base desire.

There was actually one voter who was able to name one other thing about Cassidy that she didn’t like:

He just seems to be very full of himself. Like he, you know, he’s an expert. And whether it be [the] political field, [the] medical field, or whatever it may be, [he] always seems like he’s got the facts behind him but rarely does he back himself up.

He was also very vocal during Covid about how you know the importance, like, wanting to mandate the vaccine, the isolation, things like that. So, I mean, I get he has a, you know, a medical background, but um he was just, he kind of followed Fauci’s, you know, “trust the science” mantra.

Leave aside the “doesn’t back himself up” nonsense. This voter was upset that Sen. Cassidy was supportive of Anthony Fauci and the federal government’s handling of Covid.

Who did Anthony Fauci work for? Who was responsible for the federal government’s Covid response? Who was president in 2020?

But of course, none of that matters. People want what they want and then they invent reasons to justify themselves.

They don’t want Bill Cassidy. They do want Trump. So they blame Cassidy for “following” the Trump administration’s Covid policies, while holding Trump blameless for them.

Sarah and Tim went on to listen to these same voters discuss John Fleming and Julia Letlow. It was even more amazing.

One voter explained why she was leaning toward Fleming:

I was at the doctor’s office the other day and there was a group of gentlemen that were sitting in the waiting room and they were talking about Fleming and they had one of them knew him from when he was younger and they were talking about how he’s very steadfast and everything but the fact was that his age was up there and they all concluded that the reason why he was running was that he felt that the state really needed him to at least get through one more term to find younger politicians.

This is literally my best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night.

Another voter did not like Fleming. He explained:

John Fleming the way they say he, he wanted open borders I was against that so I mean you look at these candidates and it’s like they don’t vote for the people once they get in . . . Have they ever enacted a bill? I mean it’s like they got a free lunch that’s all I have to say.

It is unclear who “they” are who say that Fleming wants “open borders,” but on the subject of enacting legislation, Fleming is the treasurer. Not a legislator.

The Republican voters were similarly unhappy with Letlow:

I feel like she’s more left-leaning and she’s somewhat deceitful when she gives her speeches out to the public but behind closed doors I think she votes more liberal more like DEI and other things and [LGBT], whatever, all those kind of issues.

I am not the world’s foremost expert on Julia Letlow’s career, but I am skeptical that she is now, or ever has been, a proponent of “DEI.” But that’s not even the point here: This voter claims that Letlow has been secretly voting her left-wing agenda “behind closed doors.”

That is not how legislative votes work.

But then, as the voter says, she only “feels” that way about Letlow. And that’s all that matters. She wants what she wants and she doesn’t want Julia Letlow.

So she makes things up.

The best part of this week’s Focus Group was when these same voters—who were furious with Bill Cassidy for bucking Trump—began explaining what they really want in a senator:

“I want someone who can be their own person,” said one voter explaining that it would be a negative for a Republican to blindly follow Trump and do whatever Trump wants.

“If he believes in a certain thing and he doesn’t believe exactly what Trump does, then it’s okay,” said another voter.

One of the Trump-loving voters lamented the distinct lack of good character in today’s politicians: “It just seems like they all have some kind of skeleton in their closet. They took money from somebody, inside trading, had affairs, stole money.”

2. What We Do Here

My basic conception for this newsletter is that it is the anti-matter version of The People. I rarely talk about what I want, or what I believe should happen, or what the best thing would be.

I have my own views and preferences and sometimes we discuss them. But on the whole, this newsletter is designed to see around corners.

To talk about what will happen. Irrespective of what I want.

Last week I wrote about the presidential prospects of Graham Platner. Basically everyone hated the piece.

A great many people jumped on me to say some version of:

JVL and The Bulwark have betrayed everything they ever said they believed. Look at them promoting the Oyster Nazi because they love Platner so much.

This is a misreading.

When I suggested a few weeks ago that DJTJ could probably win the Republican nomination if he wants it, it was not because I like Donald Trump Jr. and want him to be the Republican nominee for president.

In the fall of 2020 when I wrote that Trump would likely be the 2024 Republican nominee, it wasn’t because I liked Trump and wanted him to run again.

In early 2024 when I wrote that Ron DeSantis and Nikki Hailey were roadkill, it wasn’t because I wanted them to lose.

In late 2024 when I wrote that Trump had a good chance to win, it wasn’t because I wanted him to win.

As Bruce Banner once ruefully observed, “I don’t every time get what I want.”

I am used to this.

One of the fallacies of political analysis is that people often assume that the things they want, or think are best, will be popular.

You see this all the time in the world of pundits. “Candidate X should do this thing I like, because then he will win the election.”

Or: “Candidate Y lost because she did this thing I do not like.”

My own approach to politics begins from the assumption that the Thing I Like will not be popular. To take just one example: Legalized online gambling—especially sports gambling, but also including prediction markets—is deleterious and that society would be improved if we did away with it.

Good luck trying to propose that as part of a political platform. You might as well call for the mandatory eating of boiled Brussels sprouts.

What we try to do in this space is question received wisdom, follow logic chains, and be utterly clear-eyed about reality.

Sometimes those goals are in tension. For instance: What kind of logic chain can you find with those voters in Louisiana?

But being clear-eyed is always the key. Even when it’s only to understand that people want what they want and that their rationalizations are post-hoc nonsense.

Which is, funnily enough, why I think Platner is selling something powerful. Many Democrats like him and are deeply invested in him. Whether or not you think this is a good thing, it is real.

The other criticism of my Platner piece was that I was being ridiculous, that Platner has no chance to be the Democratic nominee.

I agree that he would have many hurdles, the biggest of which being, as I said in the piece, that you cannot win the Democratic nomination if you’re pulling 10 percent of the black vote and because Maine has 35,000 black voters, we have no idea how Platner would do with black voters at scale.

But consider that:

In 2016, the Democratic nomination was almost won by a senator from a tiny, very white state, who wasn’t even a member of the Democratic party.

In 2020, the mayor of a small Indiana town came within striking distance of being the nominee.

For the last three cycles, Republicans nominated a reality game-show host.

A podcast host is one of the obvious contenders for the 2028 Republican nomination.

Things are shifting in our politics and I anyone who thinks that a Sen. Platner would have zero chance to win the Democratic isn’t seeing the world clearly. What they’re doing is projecting their own desires. They don’t like Platner and what he is selling, so they believe he couldn’t possibly succeed.

I made that mistake in 2016 and I have endeavored not to make it again. If this is the kind of analysis that you find useful, I hope you’ll consider joining us.Subscribed3. Checkmate

This Bob Kagan piece on the consequences of Trump’s Iran failure is outstanding. Do not miss.

Defeat in the present confrontation with Iran will be of an entirely different character. It can neither be repaired nor ignored. There will be no return to the status quo ante, no ultimate American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done. The Strait of Hormuz will not be “open,” as it once was. With control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the region and one of the key players in the world. The roles of China and Russia, as Iran’s allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished. Far from demonstrating American prowess, as supporters of the war have repeatedly claimed, the conflict has revealed an America that is unreliable and incapable of finishing what it started. That is going to set off a chain reaction around the world as friends and foes adjust to America’s failure. . . .

Some supporters of the war are therefore calling for the resumption of military strikes, but they cannot explain how another round of bombing will accomplish what 37 days of bombing did not. More military action will inevitably lead Iran to retaliate against neighboring Gulf States; the war’s advocates have no response to that, either. Trump halted attacks on Iran not because he was bored but because Iran was striking the region’s vital oil and gas facilities. The turning point came on March 18, when Israel bombed Iran’s South Pars gas field and Iran retaliated by attacking Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest natural-gas-export plant, causing damage to production capacity that will take years to repair. Trump responded by declaring a moratorium on further strikes against Iran’s energy facilities and then declaring a cease-fire, despite Iran’s not having made a single concession. . . .

The risk calculus that forced Trump to back down a month ago still holds. Even if Trump were to carry out his threat to destroy Iran’s “civilization” through more bombing, Iran would still be able to launch many missiles and drones before its regime went down—assuming it did go down. Just a few successful strikes could cripple the region’s oil and gas infrastructure for years if not decades, throwing the world, and the United States, into a prolonged economic crisis. Even if Trump wanted to bomb Iran as part of an exit strategy—looking tough as a way of masking his retreat—he can’t do that without risking this catastrophe.

If this isn’t checkmate, it’s close. In recent days, Trump has reportedly asked the U.S. intelligence community to assess the consequences of simply declaring victory and walking away. You can’t blame him. Hoping for regime collapse is not much of a strategy . . .

Politico, Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice leaves Democratic Party over antisemitism concerns, Aaron Pellis, May 11, 2026. David Wecht is becoming an independent due to "acquiescence to Jew-hatred” from prominent Democrats.

A Pennsylvania state Supreme Court justice said Monday he is leaving the Democratic Party over what he sees as a rise in antisemitism from mainstream party figures.

Justice David Wecht, who was elected to the court as a Democrat in 2015, said in a statement he is switching his party affiliation to independent due to an “acquiescence to Jew-hatred” becoming “disturbingly common among activists, leaders and even many elected officials in the Democratic Party.”

“I can no longer abide this. So, I won’t,” Wecht said. “I am no longer registered within any political party.”

In his statement, Wecht said he’s long felt antisemitism was most potent on the fringes of the right — especially after the 2018 shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, where Wecht was married and is a former board member. But he said that since 2018, “that same hatred has grown on the left.”

“Increasingly, it has moved from the fringe to the mainstream. It is the duty of all good people to fight this virus, and to do so before it is too late,” he said.

Wecht made a pointed jab at Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, the favorite to win the party’s primary after former Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race.

In October, Platner revealed he’d gotten a tattoo of a widely recognized Nazi symbol while serving in the U.S. military in Croatia. Platner denied having knowledge of the symbol’s Nazi heritage, and had it covered days after publicly acknowledging the tattoo.

“In the quarter century that has passed since then, the Democratic Party has changed,” Wecht said. “Nazi tattoos, jihadist chants, intimidation and attacks at synagogues, and other hateful anti-Jewish invective and actions are minimized, ignored, and even coddled.”

Wecht’s party change will have minimal impact on the balance of power in the state’s Supreme Court. After losing Wecht, four Democratic justices occupy the seven-seat bench.

Wecht won a 10-year retention election last November.

Politico, White House plans to reduce barriers to beef imports in an effort to lower prices, May 11, 2026. Reducing tariffs on beef imports is likely to infuriate ranchers.President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at an event about maternal healthcare.

President Donald Trump is planning to temporarily reduce tariffs on beef imports in an effort to reduce consumer prices, according to three people with knowledge of the plans.

The president will sign two executive orders Monday afternoon to “address short-term supply issues in the U.S. beef market by expanding imports,” a White House official told POLITICO. The beef tariffs will be suspended for 200 days, according to three other people familiar with the strategy.

The move, which is likely to infuriate key Republican allies in the cattle industry, is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to address affordability concerns ahead of this year’s midterm elections. The Wall Street Journal first reported Trump’s plan.

Trump has been focused on the stubbornly-high cost of beef for months, holding private meetings with Cabinet officials and industry representatives at the White House to find solutions. The average price of a pound of ground beef is $6.70 as of March, up nearly 21 percent since the president took office.

Administration officials are looking to include some deregulatory actions and policy changes to cushion the shock to ranchers who are typically supportive of Trump and have benefited from the higher prices, according to the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the plans that aren’t yet public.

Trump was met with outcry from the cattle industry and on Capitol Hill when he suggested last fall that his administration would increase imports from Argentina. The White House ultimately decided to more than quadruple previous levels of beef imports from the South American country, but included a group of industry-friendly policy moves — including limits on what kind of beef can be imported and an end date on the increased imports — to soften the blow.

Politico, Trump picks Cameron Hamilton to run FEMA, Thomas Frank, May 11, 2026. The president nominated the man he fired as leader of the nation's disaster agency a year ago.Cameron Hamilton, then-acting administrator of FEMA, testifies on Capitol Hill.

Trump picks Cameron Hamilton to run FEMA

The president nominated the man he fired as leader of the nation's disaster agency a year ago.Cameron Hamilton, then-acting administrator of FEMA, testifies on Capitol Hill.

President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Cameron Hamilton to run the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a year after he fired him as acting administrator of the agency.

Hamilton would be the first permanent FEMA administrator in the current Trump administration if he’s confirmed by the Senate.

The former Navy SEAL was fired after he clashed with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who gave him a lie-detector test as she searched for people inside the agency who she believed had spoken with news reporters. The day before his dismissal on May 8, 2025, Hamilton seemed to contradict the president when he told a House subcommittee that FEMA should not be eliminated, as Trump had threatened to do.

Hamilton will face Senate confirmation and potential questions about whether he has sufficient experience in emergency management to meet statutory qualifications. Hamilton worked as a vice president at Longview International Technology Solutions from August to last month, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Politico, House Ethics shares update on Cory Mills investigation, Hailey Fuchs, May 11, 2026. The panel is under pressure to police member misconduct in the wake of bad behavior among lawmakers.

The House Ethics Committee is defending its handling of the ongoing investigation into embattled Rep. Cory Mills, who stands accused of threatening to release a former girlfriend’s nude videos, among other charges.

In a statement Monday, the panel’s bipartisan leadership said that the investigative subcommittee announced in November to oversee the Mills case “has authorized more than 20 subpoenas, collected thousands of documents, and contacted dozens of witnesses.”

“The [subcommittee] expects to receive additional relevant documents and testimony in the coming weeks and will take all necessary steps to conduct a full and thorough investigation,” said chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and ranking member Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) in the statement.

A spokesperson for Mills did not immediately return a request for comment.

The rare public statement from a notoriously secretive committee underscores the extent of the pressure the Ethics panel remains under to aggressively police lawmakers, following a rash of member resignations spurred by allegations of sexual misconduct or other bad behavior.

Guest and DeSaulnier note that the panel’s review of Mills includes looking into a Feb. 2025 incident, during which the Metropolitan Police Department was called to a home in Washington regarding an assault allegedly committed by Mills. Mills has denied wrongdoing in the case, and the woman who was the alleged victim has said no physical altercation took place.

The Ethics investigative subcommittee is also probing a restraining order levied by a Florida judge after a former girlfriend accused Mills of threatening to release her explicit videos. Mills has denied those allegations, too.

“The Committee takes these and the other allegations very seriously and will continue to review them in a manner that ensures due process and prioritizes witness confidentiality and safety,” Guest and DeSaulnier said Monday.

Mills has also been accused of other charges, including stolen valor and involvement in federal contracts while in office. He has said he is cooperating with the Ethics Committee’s probe and has confidence in its ability to adjudicate his case.

Politico, Trump nominates Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano to diplomatic posts, Aaron Pellish, May 11, 2026. The two staunch allies ran failed campaigns for governor in battleground states in 2022.Doug Mastriano speaks.

President Donald Trump has nominated Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano — two allies who waged failed bids for governor in battleground states — to diplomatic posts.

The White House announced Monday that Trump has nominated Lake to be ambassador to Jamaica and Mastriano to be ambassador to Slovakia. Both nominations require Senate confirmation.

Mastriano, who ran for governor of Pennsylvania, and Lake, who lost in Arizona, both embraced the president and his baseless election conspiracies and were rejected by voters in 2022.

“I look forward to representing our nation abroad, strengthening the friendship between our two countries, and advancing the interests of the American people,” Mastriano said in a statement posted online.

Lake, a former local TV personality who dismantled the Voice of America as Trump’s appointed head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, said she was looking forward to her new role in the Caribbean.

“Jamaica is a country I know very well, full of incredible people, and if confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to strengthening the partnership between our nations, advancing America’s interests abroad, and building on the deep friendship shared by the American and Jamaican people,” she said in a social media post.

Mastriano said he will continue serving as a Pennsylvania state senator until his appointment is confirmed by the Senate. Lake’s future status leading the U.S. Agency for Global Media is unclear.

Mastriano’s appointment likely undermines an ascendant write-in campaign for him in Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial primary, the race he won in 2022. The campaign, which Mastriano supported but was not involved with, threatened to pose an obstacle for Republicans’ preferred pick, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, ahead of next Tuesday’s primary.

Lake earned an appointment to USGM last year after losing two statewide races in battleground Arizona. She lost to Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2022, then sought to succeed former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2024, but lost to Ruben Gallego.

Shortly after joining USGM in a non-Senate confirmed role, Lake oversaw the gutting of Voice of America as part of the administration’s remaking of the federal workforce. By the end of the administration’s cuts last year, roughly 85 percent of the agency’s staff had been removed.

But Lake’s work at USGM hasn’t withstood legal scrutiny. A federal judge ruled in March that Lake’s tenure at the head of the agency was improper because she was not confirmed by the Senate. Later in March, the same judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate the staff members who had been placed on leave.Antiliberalism Is Tearing America Apart—Again.

Occupy Democrats, "THAT LITTLE RAT BAG!" May 11, 2026. Rod Stewart just gave Trump a royal-grade humiliation in front of King Charles — and guess what his majesty did in response.

Legendary rock icon Sir Rod Stewart has never been known for his diplomatic restraint. On Monday night at the Royal Albert Hall, in front of King Charles, Queen Camilla, George Clooney, Benedict Cumberbatch, and half of British celebrity royalty, he proved it once again.During the intermission of a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the King's Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust), Stewart sidled up to his majesty and delivered what may be the most delightfully awkward royal compliment in recent memory.

"May I say, well done in the Americas. You were superb, absolutely superb. Put that little rat bag in his place."King Charles, to his credit, laughed. Ronnie Wood grinned. Camilla was told her husband had been "so brave, so proud" in America. Stewart apparently added that his remarks had gone "right over his head" — referring, presumably, to Trump.Royal watchers were swift to clutch their pearls, noting that the sovereign must remain constitutionally neutral and that Charles had worked hard to strengthen UK-US relations during his April state visit.

The trip was widely regarded as a diplomatic triumph — Charles addressed Congress, touched on NATO and Ukraine, cracked a joke about the French, and Trump agreed to lift tariffs on Scottish whisky.All of which is true. But it's also true that a 79-year-old rock legend publicly calling the president of the United States "that little rat bag" to the King of England's face — and getting a laugh in return — is the energy a lot of people on both sides of the Atlantic are feeling right now.The palace maintained its careful neutrality. Rod Stewart maintained his trademark candor. And somewhere in Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump is presumably unaware that he's been called a rat bag by the man who sang "Maggie May" while standing next to the King of England.Meanwhile, Ronnie Wood's grin said everything about how we all feel about Stewart’s cheeky remark.

PoliticusUSA, Commentary: Trump's Federal Gas Tax Holiday Is A Con, Jason Easley, right, May 11, 2026. Because the federal gas tax is not collected at the point of purchase, a gas tax holiday may only provide minimal if any cost reduction to consumers.

The reaction to Trump’s suggested gas tax holiday has been mixed at best. House Republicans say they could have a bill on the floor by next week to suspend the eighteen-cent-per-gallon federal gas tax, but what Trump is supporting isn’t much.

Trump said in a phone interview with CBS News’s Nancy Cordes posted on X:In a phone interview, President Trump told me that he wants to pause the 18 cent federal gas tax “for a period of time.” “I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “Yup, we’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we’ll let it phase back in.”

Some Republicans jumped on the idea because they are sinking in the midterm election and need something to show voters that they are cutting costs.However, suspending the federal gas tax will not really lower costs for consumers and may drive prices even higher.

A Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis of suspending the federal gas tax for 122 days, as Trump proposed, found:Not all of the tax cut would reach consumers. Short-run gasoline demand is relatively inelastic — drivers need fuel regardless of small price changes — which gives suppliers some ability to absorb part of the tax reduction as higher margins rather than passing the full savings through to pump prices.

Based on PWBM’s synthetic control estimates (see methodology in our state gas tax holiday analysis), the expected pass-through rates are 0.72 for gasoline and 0.60 for diesel. Part of the tax cut will go to Big Oil, so what about the rest?

Here is the impact of the federal gas tax suspension on consumers:B• Gasoline prices would fall by about 13.2 cents per gallon (0.72 × 18.4¢), rather than the full 18.4-cent tax.• Diesel prices would fall by about 14.6 cents per gallon (0.60 × 24.4¢), rather than the full 24.4-cent tax.In other words, consumers would see roughly 60 to 72 percent of the tax savings at the pump, with the remainder captured by suppliers. For a household filling a 15-gallon tank once per week over the 122-day period, the gasoline savings would amount to approximately $35.The suspension of the federal gas tax would save the American people $35. That’s not $35 a week, or a month, but $35 for the ENTIRE SUMMER.

The American people would save $9 per month over the summer, which would not be enough to cover the rising cost of groceries. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has proposed suspending gas taxes and imposing a windfall tax on Big Oil instead. Trump and his party have zero interest in that idea. As long as Trump continues to fight a war with Iran and cause a global oil supply problem, gas prices will continue to rise. Remember, the United States has no domestic oil supply of its own. All of the oil drilled in the US belongs to the oil companies and is being sold on the global market, so drill, baby drill isn’t a plan to lower energy prices. It is a scheme to increase Big Oil’s profits.Gas prices could actually go up more than consumers will save from the federal gas tax suspension.A federal gas tax suspension without a windfall tax on Big Oil is a con that only helps the oil companies and does nothing to make America more affordable.What do you think about the federal gas tax holiday? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.  

MS Now, Trump is busying himself with everything except affordability ahead of the midterms, Zeeshan Aleem, May 11, 2026. President Donald Trump demonstrated a show of electoral force last week that gave off the appearance that he still has the juice.

In Indiana’s widely-watched Republican primary on Tuesday, his quest for revenge against seven incumbent state senators who dared resist his edict to gerrymander the state’s electoral maps overwhelmingly succeeded. Some Republican pollsters said Trump’s ability to decisively oust Republicans who cross him indicates that, despite his recent breaks from some MAGA influencers, he still has a lock on his electoral base.

But looking ahead to November’s midterm elections, Trump’s performance in Indiana is hardly reason for Republican optimism. He still holds tremendous influence over his own party, no doubt. But that seems to be his sole focus these days, as he busies himself with positions designed to allay right-wing activists in policy areas, like immigration, and provide red meat for the base in ways that are likely to cost the party soft supporters. Meanwhile, he is perpetually ignoring the one thing that could save the GOP in November. 

PoliticusUSA, News and Commentary: Democrats Have A Plan To Restore Obamacare Subsidies Next Year, Jason Easley, right, May 11, 2026. The pain of millions of Americans due to the Republican Obamacare subsidy cuts could end next year if Democrats win back the House as they plan to force an immediate showdown with Trump.

Amid all of the chaos that Trump has created with his tariffs, Iran war, and declining economy, the topic of Obamacare subsidies has slipped down the conversation list in 2026, but the fight is far from finished, and Democrats have not forgotten about the twenty million Americans who are paying higher premiums or have lost their coverage.

Politico reported:

Democrats are also eager to shift the conversation in Congress back to the question of how much wealthy people pay in taxes, especially in the wake of Republicans’ 2025 tax cuts.

…

Democrats hope to move legislation, too, though it won’t be easy finding agreement with Trump. But lawmakers will probably have to raise the federal debt limit next year, which could give them leverage to press their demands on the administration.

Near the top of their list: extending Obamacare health insurance subsidies, something lawmakers have battled over for months; re-upping wind, solar and other renewable energy tax provisions Republicans targeted last year in their “big, beautiful bill”; and a mishmash of temporary tax provisions that have expired, like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

One of the advantages that Democrats have built in for themselves is that by not agreeing to long-term funding deals, they will have a great deal of leverage over Trump during the final two years of his term if they win back Congress.

Trump is obsessed with his legacy, which is why he keeps trying to remodel the White House, slap his name on everything, and stick a bunch of eyesores in the Capitol. Democrats have the ability to derail all of this and make Trump’s legacy government defaults, shut downs, and even more failures.

It is vital that Democrats follow through on their promises. The reason so many of their supporters are disappointed is that the party has developed a habit of gaining power and then failing to follow through on its promises.

U.S. Scandals, Schemes, Corruption Allegations

Eric and Donald Trump Jr. pose in a collage that includes also models of the so-called Trump Phone.

Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: We were promised a gold-plated Trump phone, Judd Legum, right, May 11, 2026. For 11 months, Trump Mobile has been collecting $100 deposits for a Trump phone. No phones have shipped to customers.

On June 16, 2025, President Trump’s two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, announced the launch of Trump Mobile. The new venture’s flagship product was “a sleek, gold smartphone engineered for performance“ called the T1 Phone. The pair announced Trump Mobile at Trump Tower in New York City on the 10th anniversary of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign announcement.

According to the press release, the T1 phone would be “proudly designed and built in the United States” and available in August 2025 for $499. Trump’s sons promised that the new service will feature a “best in class customer service team, based in the United States” that “will be available 24 hours a day to assist.”

The Trump Mobile website, which launched the same day, encouraged customers to deposit $100 to “pre-order” the “MADE IN THE USA ‘T1 Phone.” According to the website, the T1 would be available in September 2025. A spokesman for Trump Mobile told the Wall Street Journal on launch day that “manufacturing for the new phone will be in Alabama, California and Florida.” Appearing on “The Benny Show,” Trump Jr. said the T1 phone was “American hardware, built in America, without the potential of…[a] backdoor into the hardware that some of our adversaries have installed in there.”

Although Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. announced the phone at Trump Tower and promoted it during media appearances, a disclaimer on the website says that neither the Trump Organization nor any of the Trump family are making or selling the products:

Trump Mobile and all its products and services are not designed, developed, manufactured, distributed, or sold by The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals. T1 Mobile LLC uses the Trump name and trademark pursuant to the terms of a limited license agreement, which may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.

This is a typical arrangement for The Trump Organization, which remains wholly owned by President Trump. (Although, technically, the company currently is held by a revocable trust run by Trump Jr., the trust has no legal significance.) Trump earns millions of dollars annually from similar agreements.

A reporter from 404 Media, Joseph Cox, pre-ordered the phone on launch day and was initially charged $64.70. Cox was told he would receive a notification when the phone had been shipped but he had not provided a shipping address. In July, Trump Mobile placed two additional charges on Cox’s credit card, one for $100 and another for $64.70, without explanation. When Cox called the customer service number, the representative could not assist him. A Reuters reporter who called the line in June 2025 was greeted with, “Omega Auto Care, how can I help you?“

In July 2025, Pat O’Brien, an executive working on the Trump Mobile venture, said that the company had “gotten a lot of pre-orders“ but would not disclose how many.

A $499 “MADE IN THE USA” phone was always a fantasy. There is only one phone that is currently assembled in the United States, the Liberty Phone. It costs $2000 and “has specs that would have been more impressive a decade ago.” It includes parts made in China and other Asian countries. The T1 promised high-end specs including Android 15, a 50 megapixel camera, a 6.8 inch screen, and 12 gigabytes of RAM.

By June 25, 2025, the description of the T1 changed dramatically. The phone was no longer promoted as “MADE IN THE USA.” Instead it was “Proudly American” and “designed with American values in mind” — two phrases that mean little.

In October 2025, a call center operator told NBC News that the T1 phone would be shipped on November 13, 2025. That did not happen. The reporter was then told the phone would be available in early December. On December 31, 2025, a reporter from Fortune was told the T1 would be available in “mid to late January.” The Trump Mobile representative told Fortune that the phone had been delayed “due to the government shutdown.”

In January 2026, a Trump Mobile representative said that the company was “in the final stages of certification and field testing” and would ship “sometime in Q1 2026,” a window which closed on March 31.

Then, on April 6, 2026, Trump Mobile updated its terms. According to the new terms, the $100 deposit was not actually a pre-order but “a conditional opportunity if Trump Mobile later elects, in its sole discretion, to offer the Device for sale.” Further, the deposit “does not lock in pricing, promotions, service plans, taxes, fees, shipping costs, or other commercial terms.” The terms claim that “[e]stimated ship dates, launch timelines, or anticipated production schedule are non-binding estimates only.” The terms do say customers can receive a refund by making a request to customer service which will “take several business days to process.”

Popular Information called Trump Mobile’s 24-hour customer service number to ask for an updated release date and more information about the refund process. The number played a recorded message saying Trump Mobile was closed and to call back Monday through Friday between 8AM and 5PM Central Standard Time.

As of May 2026, no T1 phones have been sent to customers and the Trump Mobile website currently provides no estimate of when the T1 will be available.T-Mobile and conflicts of interest

Despite the lengthy delays and the lack of a current timeline, Trump Mobile is showing some signs of life. A ‘T1’ phone from Smart Gadgets Global, LLC — a company whose CEO, Eric Thomas, is a Trump Mobile executive — received FCC clearance in January. That’s necessary before any new phone can be used by consumers.

In February, two Trump Mobile executives showed a Verge reporter a prototype of the phone over video conference. Notably, the phone will not be “Made In the USA,” which was touted by Trump’s sons as its key distinguishing feature. Instead, it will receive “final assembly” in Miami. The Trump Mobile executives would not disclose where the phone is assembled before that final step.

Beyond manufacturing, a critical step for the release of the phone is to get certification from a company that owns a cellular network. In February, the Trump Mobile executives said they were waiting on approval from T-Mobile. Trump Mobile operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that uses the T-Mobile network. So T-Mobile has to review and approve any new devices that Trump Mobile wants to deploy.

This creates a serious conflict of interest. T-Mobile is regulated by the Trump administration and regularly seeks Trump administration approval for key business activities, including acquisition of additional spectrum. Now, the Trump Organization, which is owned by President Trump, is pitching a phone that depends on T-Mobile’s approval. T-Mobile will feel immense political pressure to clear the device for use on its network.

In July 2025, three Democratic Members of Congress — Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) — sent a letter to T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert highlighting these concerns. The letter states that T-Mobile’s business relationship with Trump Mobile “creates the appearance of significant conflicts of interest between your company and the executive branch, and likely will raise actual conflicts as more details come to light.” The Members of Congress stated that T-Mobile was in a position “to gain favorable regulatory decisions affecting the company—such as spectrum allocations, merger approvals, or enforcement actions—without any regard as to whether those decisions are in the public interest.”

More Global News 

New York Times, News Analysis: What Middle Powers Fear About the Trump-Xi Summit, Damien Cave, May 11, 2026. Asian nations worry that the president might trade security commitments for better economic terms with China during his planned meeting with Xi Jinping this week.

Poland will soon host production lines for South Korean tanks. Australia is buying warships from Japan. Canada will send uranium to India, while India offers cruise missiles to Vietnam, and Brazil builds military transport planes for the United Arab Emirates.

All of these deals were sealed in the past few weeks. Each one represents an attempt by middle powers to protect themselves as the conflict in Iran throttles global energy supplies, and as a high-stakes summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping of China looms.

Global polls show the world has little trust in the United States and China. Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi have both used their enormous leverage over trade and security to coerce or punish. And in response, smaller nations are behaving as if they are stuck in “Godzilla” or “Dune” — moving quietly in small groups, trying not to provoke the wrath of petulant giants.

“It’s fifty shades of hedging,” said Richard Heydarian, a Filipino political scientist at Oxford University. Or, as Ja Ian Chong, a security analyst in Singapore put it, “No party wants to cross Beijing and now Washington, too.”

For countries watching from afar, dread and hope hover over the Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, which is scheduled for this week. In Asia, which has been hit hardest and fastest by oil shortages caused by the war and China’s tight control of oil-product exports, the mood is particularly grim. Interviews with officials, and statements from leaders traveling the globe to secure trade and defense deals, suggest that most middle powers feel overwhelmed by the deteriorating world order.

Many believe the summit carries more potential for harm than help. And Mr. Trump’s gut-driven approach to complex issues is the main source of anxiety. 

Russian Victory Day Parade on May 9, 2026 (Tass photo).

Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 10, 2026 [Russian, Hungarian Celebrations], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 11, 2026. There were two very different celebrations in Russia and in Hungary yesterday.

Russia celebrated Victory Day, the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Most of the Allies honor Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, on May 8, the day in 1945 that jubilant celebrations broke out as news spread of the Nazis’ unconditional surrender in Reims, France, on May 7, 1945. The Russians celebrate victory over the Nazis on May 9, for by the time the Germans surrendered to the Soviets in Berlin, the time difference meant it was already May 9 in Moscow.

May 9 is an important national holiday in Russia, marked with parades and honoring of relatives who fought in the war. In 2005, when Russia was still embracing democratic nations, more than fifty world leaders attended the sixtieth anniversary of Victory Day, including President George W. Bush; the leaders of China, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, and Denmark; the secretary-general of the United Nations; and the president of the European Commission.

But for the past several years, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, above, has used the event to demonstrate the nation’s military strength and to rally supporters behind him and the war in Ukraine. He has showcased troops and military hardware in a grand parade in Moscow’s Red Square.

This year, as Zahra Ullah of CNN reported, Putin followed his usual pattern of equating the troops fighting in Ukraine with those who fought in World War II. As he has often framed the war as a struggle against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he claimed today’s soldiers for Russia are “standing up to an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc.”

But the similarities between past celebrations and yesterday’s ended there. This year, the parade was dramatically scaled back. The parade included four parade units, including some from North Korea, and there was no heavy military hardware. Instead, screens spread across Red Square showed pre-recorded videos of drones, air defense forces, and submarines that state media claimed were from the front lines.

Although foreign leaders have attended the event in the past, this year there were few. As Matthew Luxmoore noted in the Wall Street Journal, Russian allies Venezuela and Hungary have recently lost their pro-Russian leaders, and Russian ally Iran is at war with the U.S. China’s leader Xi Jinping attended last year but did not attend this year. Russian officials allowed few foreign reporters to cover the event and warned people there could be restrictions on texting and the internet “to ensure security during the festive events.”

Putin’s scaled-back celebration reflects fear of Ukrainian drone strikes, which are hitting deep inside Russia. It also reflects growing discontent over the war and its devastation of the economy, and anger at the increasing repression with which Putin is trying to control opposition.

As former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul noted in McFaul’s World, Putin’s war on Ukraine has now lasted longer than the Soviet Union’s war with Nazi Germany and has achieved none of the goals Putin set out for the conflict. He has not subjugated Ukraine and has not succeeded in regime change. He has not “demilitarized” Ukraine; indeed, Ukraine is more militarized than ever before and has become an important player in global weapons systems. And not only has Putin failed to stop NATO from expanding, but in response to his invasion of Ukraine, both Finland and Sweden have joined the defensive alliance.

Instead of achieving Putin’s goals, the war has killed or wounded more than 1.2 million Russian soldiers and eaten up the economy. As criticism of the regime has become more outspoken, the Kremlin has curbed access to the internet, not only exacerbating that criticism but also, as McFaul notes, making it harder for people to use mobile banking, order a taxi, or use other online services. Rumors are circulating that Putin is increasingly concerned for his own safety. Rather than walking to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to lay flowers as usual, yesterday he took an armored bus.

Russia had announced a ceasefire for Friday and Saturday, but when it unraveled, President Donald J. Trump announced that he had persuaded Russia and Ukraine to agree to a three-day ceasefire that would cover the Victory Day celebration and allow an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each country. After the announcement of the ceasefire, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky trolled Putin with a formal presidential decree to “allow” a parade in Moscow. It said: “For the time of the parade…the territorial square of Red Square shall be excluded from the plan of application of Ukrainian weapons.”

By Sunday—after the parade—the ceasefire had already broken down.

Today McFaul noted: “Ukrainian warriors have stopped the invading Russian hordes. Putin is losing his war in Ukraine…. Putin would be wise to cut his losses.”

In Hungary, a different kind of celebration was underway as Péter Magyar, right, took the oath of office as prime minister after winning a landslide victory over Putin ally Viktor Orbán.

In his 16 years of rule, Orbán rejected the liberal democracy his country used to enjoy, saying that its emphasis on multiculturalism weakened the national culture while its insistence on human equality undermined traditional society by recognizing that women and LGBTQ people have the same rights as straight white men. The age of liberal democracy was over, he said, and a new age had begun.

In place of equality, Orbán advocated what he called “illiberal democracy” or “Christian democracy.” “Christian democracy is, by definition, not liberal,” he said in July 2018; “it is, if you like, illiberal. And we can specifically say this in connection with a few important issues—say, three great issues. Liberal democracy is in favor of multiculturalism, while Christian democracy gives priority to Christian culture; this is an illiberal concept. Liberal democracy is pro-immigration, while Christian democracy is anti-immigration; this is again a genuinely illiberal concept. And liberal democracy sides with adaptable family models, while Christian democracy rests on the foundations of the Christian family model; once more, this is an illiberal concept.”

Orbán focused on LBGTQ rights as a danger to “Western civilization.” Arguing the need to protect children, his party has made it impossible for transgender people to change their gender identification on legal documents and made it illegal to share with minors any content that can be interpreted as promoting an LBGTQ lifestyle. After Orbán put allies in charge of Hungarian universities, his government banned public funding for gender studies courses. According to his chief of staff: “The Hungarian government is of the clear view that people are born either men or women.”

The American right wing championed Orbán, left, who called for the establishment of a global right wing to continue to work together to destroy liberal democracy and establish Christian democracy. Before Hungary’s April election, Trump not only repeatedly endorsed Orbán but also promised “to use the full Economic Might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s Economy, as we have done for our Great Allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian people ever need it.” Vice President J.D. Vance actually traveled to Hungary to campaign for Orbán.

But the Hungarian people overwhelmingly rejected Orbán and his party, giving Magyar’s party more than a two-thirds majority in parliament. This will give it the power to overturn not only the laws Orbán and his party passed, but also the changes Orbán made to entrench himself and his party in power permanently. Magyar promised to root out the corruption that has made Orbán and his cronies rich, to restore the rule of law and freedom of speech, and to repair Hungary’s ties with the European Union, which Orbán had frayed almost to the breaking point with his loyalty to Vladimir Putin.

In his inauguration speech, Magyar vowed to “serve my country, not rule over it.” He noted that the corrupt members of the outgoing government “stole from the pockets of Hungarians” and left behind a huge budget deficit and a broken healthcare system. He vowed accountability for those who plundered the country and broke its laws, and promised to rebuild the nation’s shattered checks and balances. He urged Hungarians always to criticize their leaders and hold them accountable.

“We inherited a country where politics deliberately pitted Hungarians against each other,” he said, and he explained how Orbán mobilized supporters with hatred and fear, poisoning “the collective psyche of an entire nation.” “The Hungarian state must never again do this to its own citizens,” he said. He vowed to heal the country: “We will once again learn to think of ourselves as one nation,” he promised.

Then Magyar and members of his party walked out to the crowd outside the parliament on Lajos Kossuth Lajos Square. Magyar urged them to see themselves as one community. He assured them that the story of the day had not been written by politicians in backrooms, but by them. “[I]t was all of you. You wrote it, through your work, your hope, your concern, and your determination. This is now your transition to democracy, this is your homeland, your National Assembly, and we thank you!”

After Magyar spoke, as Roma singer Ibolya Oláh, a lesbian, began performing her anthem “Magyarország,” the crowd crossed the reflecting pool in front of the parliament building to surge forward, taking back their public spaces and their parliament, illustrating their faith in a new era for their country.  

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Is Putin Finally About to Do Something Smart? Benjamin Parker, May 11, 2026. Vladimir Putin is a master manipulator, an effective autocrat, one of history’s most accomplished thieves, and a wily opportunist.

But he is not a very good strategist. If he were a good strategist, he would not have gotten involved in the war in Donbas in 2014; he would not have ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022; he would not have repeatedly doubled down on that war when it wasn’t going well; and he would not have ignored that the price he was paying for his losing war, in addition to hundreds of thousands of dead Russians and severe strain on the Russian economy, was his country’s increasing vassalage to China. In time, perhaps even the seizure of Crimea in 2014 may be viewed as the first step down a path to Russia’s ruin.

But on Saturday, in remarks following Russia’s annual Victory Day parade marking the anniversary of the German surrender in World War II, Putin said something that, if he means it, would be an excellent strategic decision. According to the independent news outlet Meduza, he said,

I think the conflict with Ukraine is coming to an end. Mr. Zelensky is ready to have a personal meeting. Whoever wants to meet, let him come. We can also meet in a third country, but there must be final agreements for this. The peace treaty should be designed for a long historical perspective. This should be the final point. Negotiations are the business of Russia and Ukraine, but we are not against U.S. mediation.²

As always, the first question one needs to ask is why Putin is saying this now. He could be trying to satisfy some faction within Russia that wants to try to strike a deal. He could be trying to give Trump even more (false) evidence that Russia is willing to make “peace.” Whatever the explanation, Putin has still not signaled a willingness to agree to terms that Ukraine would find acceptable, so at least for now, any peace agreement still seems a long way off.

But if Putin were serious about suing for peace, it would be a smart move. A historical analogy is apt:

Just looking at a map, there would be little reason to expect in early 1918 that Germany was going to lose World War I. Its armies still controlled big swaths of its neighbors’ territories, and no enemy soldier had set foot on German soil for the whole duration of the war. The U-boat campaign against allied shipping continued apace. One of the major Allied powers, Russia, had not just collapsed but was preparing, in March of that year, to sign away huge swaths of land and people to Germany in the treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

But Germany’s allies were collapsing. Austria–Hungary was imploding due to the economic stresses of the war, even as nationalist movements were tearing it apart from the inside. The Ottoman Empire, long the “sick man of Europe,” was also collapsing. While Germany could still field large armies, it could hardly feed itself thanks to the Allied blockade. And the United States was just getting around to fielding a massive new army in Europe.

In short, by the fall of 1918, it had become clear to the German high command that things were about to start getting a lot worse.

Russia finds itself in a similar situation now. It still controls roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, and it’s still capable of killing Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. But Ukraine’s latest adaptations—especially its use of unmanned vehicles on the ground, in the air, and on the sea, plus its long-range strike campaign against Russian military and economic targets—are starting to take a real toll. Russia’s massive advantages—manpower, geography, deep reserves of weapons and platforms from the last century—are increasingly irrelevant, if not liabilities. Even its world-beating nuclear arsenal is all but useless thanks to Indian and Chinese warnings against nuclear war. As the military historian Phillips O’Brien said in a recent interview with Bill, the Ukrainians “believe that they now are taking a bit of the initiative in the war and have the ability to hurt Russia very badly, the Russian military and the Russian economy. And so they think Putin’s now being faced, I think, with more dilemmas than they are.”

The Russian economy is working in the short term, but apart from massive government spending on the war machine, the outlook is grim. Demobilization, when and if it happens, will be a major challenge, and long-term growth prospects have already been damaged by redirection of resources to the military; millions of workers dead, injured, or fled from the country; a labor shortage; and negative GDP growth despite massive government spending on the war.

Now is the perfect time to sue for peace. It’s reasonable to predict that from this point on, Russia will have fewer advantages, and its bargaining position will only get worse. War is unpredictable, but it would be a wise and savvy move, from Putin’s perspective, to quit now, while he’s at least nominally ahead.

Then again, that could be why he won’t do it.

New York Times, Lawmakers Urge Trump to Move Ahead on Delayed Arms Sale to Taiwan, Robert Jimison, May 11, 2026. The Trump administration has held up the sale for months ahead of President Trump’s meeting this week with President Xi Jinping of China.

A bipartisan group of senators is pressing President Trump to move ahead with a long-delayed $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan, a critical test of the administration’s commitment to the island ahead of Mr. Trump’s meeting with President Xi Jinping of China later this week.

In a letter sent on Friday, the lawmakers urged the president to formally notify Congress of the arms package and argued that Taipei’s recent approval of a new military spending plan removed any remaining rationale for delay. Senior lawmakers offered early approval to the package in January, but it has stalled in the State Department for months, raising broader questions about the administration’s approach to Taiwan and its effort to recalibrate relations with Beijing.

Administration officials have told some involved in the approval of the sale that the White House directed the hold to ensure that Mr. Trump had a successful meeting with Mr. Xi.

“Ahead of your summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, we urge you and your team to make clear that America’s support for Taiwan is inviolable,” the senators wrote. They also warned against allowing support for the self-governing island, which Beijing has threatened to take by force, to become a bargaining chip in broader economic or diplomatic talks with China.

Cruise ship MV Hondius docks off Cape Verde port, as passengers were not allowed off the ship, while health authorities investigated suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, May 4, 2026. Hondius anchored off Tristan da Cunha from April 13 to 15, 2026.

New York Times, American Passengers Exposed to Hantavirus Land in U.S., Sonia A. Rao and Jin Yu Young, May 11, 2026. Seventeen Americans from a cruise ship that faced a hantavirus outbreak arrived in Nebraska and will be monitored at a quarantine center. One tested “mildly” positive for the Andes virus, health officials said.

May 10

Top Headlines

• Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 9, 2026 [The Vital Difference Between 'Mothers' and Mother's For This Day], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 10, 2026. If you google the history of Mother’s Day, the internet will tell you that Mother’s Day began in 1908 when Anna Jarvis decided to honor her mother. But “Mothers’ Day”—with the apostrophe not in the singular spot, but in the plural—actually started in the 1870s, when the sheer enormity of the death caused by the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War convinced writer and reformer Julia Ward Howe that women must take control of politics from the men who had permitted such carnage. Mothers’ Day was not designed to encourage people to be nice to their mothers. It was part of women’s effort to gain power to change society.
• New York Times, A Private Call Reveals Democrats’ Desperation Over Tossing of Map, Reid J. Epstein, May 10, 2026. A conversation involving House members from Virginia and the top House Democrat reflected the fury and desperation that has gripped the party after Friday’s ruling in the state.

News Roundups

• The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Commentary: Trump Growing Increasingly Isolated Globally, Experts Warn CDC Unprepared for Pandemic, Evangelicals Defend Trump Statue Against “Golden Calf” Backlash, Aaron Parnas, right, May 9, 2026. There is a lot of news to cover this Saturday. Donald Trump is looking increasingly isolated on the world stage, while America’s adversaries appear less and less concerned by his threats.
• The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Comment, Sunday News Update and Big Parnas Perspective Announcements, Aaron Parnas, May 10, 2026 There are major stories breaking tonight that you need to catch up on, from Iran to North Korea to the 2026 election battle and much more.

Investigations and Commentary

 Hantavirus victim and Hondius cruise ship passenger Leo Schilperoord, a Dutch citizen who died during the cruise as did his wife. 

• Wayne Madsen Report, Investigative Commentary:Virus threat assessments in an upside down world, Wayne Madsen, May 10, 2026. Hantavirus and deja vu back to 2020 and COVID-19.
• New York Times: Investigation: He Offered a Lawmaker’s Aide Quick Cash. Was He Spying for China? Dustin Volz, May 10, 2026 (print ed.). A staff member on the House China Committee was promised $10,000 for U.S. policy insights, on issues like Venezuela and rare-earth minerals. The outreach appears to provide a vivid portrait of how Beijing’s spy services seek to gain access to information from within the corridors of power in Washington, DC.

More On Iran War

• New York Times, Strait of Hormuz Remains Effectively Blocked After Naval Skirmishes, Pranav Baskar and Devon Lum, Updated May 10, 2026. The U.S. Navy’s blockade continued to intercept ships trying to leave or enter Iranian ports, while fear of Iranian attacks kept other ships from attempting passage through the narrows.
• New York Times, Mass Layoffs in Iran as Businesses Buckle Under Wartime Pressures, Leily Nikounazar, Photographs by Arash Khamooshi, May 10, 2026. Iran was already struggling economically before 2026 brought widespread instability. A government-imposed internet shutdown has crippled an entire sector.

U.S. Politics, Elections, Governance

U.S. Rep. Tom Massie, a Republican from Kentucky who helped lead the effort in Congress to require the Justice Department to thwart a Trump coverup and release the Epstein files, is shown above left in file photos with Trump, center, and the late Trump friend Jeffrey Epstein, a notorius child rapist, sex trafficker, foreign asset and global financier..

• Occupy Democrats, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie exposes Trump for choking off water to Colorado because he was angry about the Epstein files, Staff Report, May 10, 2026. This is a jaw-dropping revelation...
• New York Times, ‘No Seat for Me’: Virginia Democrats Are Forced to Play Musical Chairs, Reid J. Epstein, May 10, 2026. A court ruling that struck down an election map swiftly ended some Democratic House candidacies and pushed others into much tougher races.
• Occupy Democrats via Facebook, Advocacy and Opinion, Furious Democrats reveal shatter-the-glass emergency plan to get around Virginia's Supreme Court ruling and get our seats back! Staff Report, May 10, 2026. Virginia Democrats are furious and fired up after a partisan Republican-dominated state Supreme Court viciously struck down a voter-approved congressional map that fairly reflected the will of the people and handed MAGA extremists yet another unfair advantage in their desperate scramble to cling to power.
• New York Times, A Private Call Reveals Democrats’ Desperation Over Tossing of Map, Reid J. Epstein, May 10, 2026. A conversation involving House members from Virginia and the top House Democrat reflected the fury and desperation that has gripped the party after Friday’s ruling in the state.
• MS NOW, Opinion: This awkward moment between Pope Leo and Marco Rubio doesn’t speak well of the secretary of state, Anthea Butler, May. 8, 2026. Rubio’s visit came on the heels of derogatory remarks about the pope from Donald Trump, who continues to tell the lie that Leo wants Iran to have nuclear weapons. ‘Just the latest humiliation’: Nicolle reacts to Rubio’s Pope Leo cleanup visit after Trump attacks.
• Meidas Touch Network, Commentary: My Thoughts on AOC's Comments about Marge Greene, Ron Filipkowski, right, May 10, 2026. Should Dems should align with people like Greene on certain issues?
• New York Times, One Big Headache for Politicians These Days: a Messy Digital Footprint, Kellen Browning, Produced by Leo Dominguez, May 10, 2026. As a new generation of chronically online oversharers runs for office, many find themselves tripped up by past statements. Their response? Delete, distance, disavow.

U.S. Courts, Corruption, Law, Crime, Justice, Rights

• Lawfare, Analysis and Comment: The Politically Motivated Indictment of Southern Poverty Law Center, Christopher Hardee, May 8, 2026. The political motivations, allegations, and gaping legal holes in the Justice Department’s cynical indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
• PoliticusUSA, Cory Booker Blasts Corrupt Supreme Court Majority And Demands Reform, Jason Easley, May 10, 2026. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called the Supreme Court majority corrupt and demanded that once Democrats regain power, the court be reformed.

Global News

• New York Times, The World’s 2 Most Powerful Men Are Set to Meet Again. Here’s What to Know, Lily Kuo, May 10, 2026 (print ed.). The war in Iran, trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan are expected to be on the agenda. But expectations are modest.
• New York Times: Investigation: He Offered a Lawmaker’s Aide Quick Cash. Was He Spying for China? Dustin Volz, May 10, 2026 (print ed.). A staff member on the House China Committee was promised $10,000 for U.S. policy insights, on issues like Venezuela and rare-earth minerals. The outreach appears to provide a vivid portrait of how Beijing’s spy services seek to gain access to information from within the corridors of power in Washington, DC.
• The Geo Network, Ukraine Just Hit Putin's CROWN JEWEL... He Can NEVER Replace It, Staff Report, May 9, 2026. In a devastating asymmetric blow to the Kremlin, Ukraine has just shattered the myth of Russia's "untouchable" safe zones.

U.S. Media, Education, Culture

• Lincoln Square Media, Commentary: Pope Leo & Trumpism -- History of the Present, Brian Daitzman and Christopher Hale, May 10, 2026. The publisher of Letters from Leo discusses Pope Leo XIV, Catholic social teaching, Trumpism, mercy, power, and the moral crisis of American politics. Pope Leo XIV is cutting through American politics in a way Trump can’t easily attack: with moral authority, mercy, and a language beyond cruelty.
• New York Times, What to Do About the White House Correspondents Dinner? Elisabeth Bumiller, May 10, 2026. A gunman’s attack at the April dinner has spurred more debate than usual about one of Washington’s most dissected rituals.

Epstein Files, Trump Team Coverup  

• Last Page First, Investigation: The Art of Darkness: Marina Abramović, Epstein, Podesta, and the Elite’s Obsession With Ritual, Jana, left, May 10, 2026. Ritual aesthetics, private gatherings, and the elite networks that kept resurfacing around Jeffrey Epstein. 

Top Headlines

Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 9, 2026 [The Vital Difference Between 'Mothers' and Mother's For This Day], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 10, 2026. If you google the history of Mother’s Day, the internet will tell you that Mother’s Day began in 1908 when Anna Jarvis decided to honor her mother.

But “Mothers’ Day”—with the apostrophe not in the singular spot, but in the plural—actually started in the 1870s, when the sheer enormity of the death caused by the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War convinced writer and reformer Julia Ward Howe that women must take control of politics from the men who had permitted such carnage. Mothers’ Day was not designed to encourage people to be nice to their mothers. It was part of women’s effort to gain power to change society.

The Civil War years taught naïve Americans what mass death meant in the modern era. Soldiers who had marched off to war with fantasies of heroism discovered that newly invented long-range weapons turned death into tortured anonymity. Men were trampled into blood-soaked mud, piled like cordwood in ditches, or withered into emaciated corpses after dysentery drained their lives away.

The women who had watched their hale and healthy men march off to war were haunted by its results. They lost fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers. The men who did come home were scarred in both body and mind.

Modern war, it seemed, was not a game.

But out of the war also came a new sense of empowerment. Women had bought bonds, paid taxes, raised money for the war effort, managed farms, harvested fields, worked in war industries, reared children, and nursed soldiers. When the war ended, they had every expectation that they would continue to be considered valuable participants in national affairs, and had every intention of continuing to take part in them.

But the Fourteenth Amendment, which established that Black men were citizens, did not explicitly include women in that right. Worse, it introduced the word “male” into the Constitution when it warned states against preventing “male inhabitants” from voting. In 1869, the year after the Fourteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution, women organized two organizations—the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association—to promote women’s right to have a say in American government.

From her home in Boston, Julia Ward Howe, right, was a key figure in the American Woman Suffrage Association. She was an enormously talented writer who in the early years of the Civil War had penned “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” a hymn whose lyrics made it a point to note that Christ was “born of woman.”

Howe was drawn to women’s rights because the laws of her time meant that her children belonged to her abusive husband [Samuel Gridley Howe, left, a noted civic reformer in his own sphere]. If she broke free of him, she would lose any right to see her children, a fact he threw at her whenever she threatened to leave him.

She was not at first a radical in the mold of reformer Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who believed that women had a human right to equality with men. Rather, she believed strongly that women, as mothers, had a special role to perform in the world.

For Howe, the Civil War had been traumatic, but that it led to emancipation might justify its terrible bloodshed. The outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 was another story. She remembered:

“I was visited by a sudden feeling of the cruel and unnecessary character of the contest. It seemed to me a return to barbarism, the issue having been one which might easily have been settled without bloodshed. The question forced itself upon me, ‘Why do not the mothers of mankind interfere in these matters, to prevent the waste of that human life of which they alone know and bear the cost?’”

Howe had a new vision, she said, of “the august dignity of motherhood and its terrible responsibilities.” She sat down immediately and wrote an “Appeal to Womanhood Throughout the World.” Men always had and always would decide questions by resorting to “mutual murder,” she wrote, but women did not have to accept “proceedings which fill the globe with grief and horror.” Mothers could command their sons, “who owe their life to her suffering,” to stop the madness.

“Arise, women!” Howe commanded. “Say firmly: ‘We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country, to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.’”

Howe had her document translated into French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Swedish and distributed it as widely as her extensive contacts made possible. She believed that her Women’s Peace Movement would be the next great development in human history, ending war just as the antislavery movement had ended human bondage. She called for a “festival which should be observed as mothers’ day, and which should be devoted to the advocacy of peace doctrines” to be held around the world on June 2 of every year, a date that would permit open-air meetings.

Howe organized international peace conferences, and American states developed their own Mothers’ Day festivals. But Howe quickly realized that there was much to be done before women could come together on a global scale. She turned her attention to women’s clubs “to constitute a working and united womanhood.”

As Howe worked to unite women, she came to realize that a woman did not have to center her life around a man, but rather should be “a free agent, fully sharing with man every human right and every human responsibility.” “This discovery was like the addition of a new continent to the map of the world,” she later recalled, “or of a new testament to the old ordinances.” She threw herself into the struggle for women’s suffrage, understanding that in order to create a more just and peaceful society, women must take up their rightful place as equal participants in American politics.

While we celebrate the modern version of Mother’s Day on May 9, in this momentous year of 2026, it’s worth remembering the original Mothers’ Day and Julia Ward Howe’s conviction that women must have the same rights as men, and that they must make their voices heard.

More Background On Julia Ward Howe, Her "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and Predecessor Civil War Anthem "John Brown's Body" 

The song was popular in the Union during the American Civil War. The song arose out of the folk hymn tradition of the American camp meeting movement of the late 18th and early 19th century. According to an 1889 account, the original John Brown lyrics were a collective effort by a group of Union soldiers who were referring both to the famous John Brown (shown above) and also, humorously, to a Sergeant John Brown of their own battalion. Various other authors have published additional verses or claimed credit for originating the John Brown lyrics and tune.

The "flavor of coarseness, possibly of irreverence"  led many of the era to feel uncomfortable with the earliest "John Brown" lyrics. This in turn led to the creation of many variant versions of the text that aspired to a higher literary quality.

Numerous informal versions and adaptations of the lyrics and music have been created from the mid-1800s to the present, making "John Brown's Body" an example of a living folk music tradition. Shown below is a version of the lyrics for "John Brown's Body," which later became "Battle Hymn of the Republic" first published in The Atlantic, obscuring the author's female name in the style of the era, as shown above (Sources: New England Historical Society and Wikipedia).

Old John Brown’s body lies moldering in the grave,
While weep the sons of bondage whom he ventured all to save;
 But tho he lost his life while struggling for the slave,
 His soul is marching on.

John Brown was a hero, undaunted, true and brave. 
And Kansas knows his valor when he fought her rights to save.  
Now, tho the grass grows green above his grave, 
His soul is marching on.

He captured Harper’s Ferry, with his nineteen men so few.
And frightened "Old Virginny" till she trembled thru and thru.
They hung him for a traitor, themselves the traitor crew. 
But his soul is marching on.

Andersonville Prison as seen by John L. Ransom: John Ransom, a Union prisoner at Andersonville Prison during the Civil War, first published his journal, Andersonville Diary, in 1881. One of the best-known Civil War narratives, the diary includes graphic descriptions of the camp's deplorable conditions.

At Andersonville Prison, which held Union prisoners of war, a visiting Confederate soldier describes it thus:

I declined an invitation not very heartily given, as I thought, to go within the stockade, but climbed up to the sentry-walk and looked over. I cannot tell the horror of that scene. It was almost sundown of a hot autumn day. The wretchedness depicted in the faces of that squalid, unprotected multitude was unspeakable. I could hear the soughing of the winds in the pines beyond, but they had neither breath nor shade. The stench even where I stood was sickening. Because I had been a prisoner myself I no doubt pitied them the more. I guessed what they must endure, though I only dimly imagined the horrors of their fate. As I turned away the notes of song arose from the squalid mass. I paused and listened—listened to the very end of that most remarkable paean of self-sacrifice that ever inspired an army or a people to suffer and achieve for another's sake. When I went away in the gloaming that follows quick upon our sunset, the words went with me, and have never left my memory.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea

With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me

As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.

On May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina, recently freed African-Americans and some white missionaries held a parade of 10,000 people, led by 3,000 Black children singing "John Brown's Body." The march honored 257 dead Union soldiers whose remains the organizers had re-buried from a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. This is considered the first observation of Decoration Day, now known as Memorial Day.

New York Times, A Private Call Reveals Democrats’ Desperation Over Tossing of Map, Reid J. Epstein, May 10, 2026. A conversation involving House members from Virginia and the top House Democrat reflected the fury and desperation that has gripped the party after Friday’s ruling in the state.

Democrats are struggling to respond to a major redistricting setback in Virginia, with some party leaders discussing an audacious and possibly far-fetched idea for trying to restore a congressional map voided by the court but showing little indication they have a clear plan.

During a private discussion on Saturday that included Democratic House members from Virginia and Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader, the lawmakers vented anger at their defeat at the Virginia Supreme Court, spoke about a collective determination to flip two or three Republican-held seats under the existing map and discussed a bank-shot proposal to redraw the congressional lines anyway, according to three people who participated in the call and two others who were briefed on it.

They did not land on a specific course forward, and Mr. Jeffries and the other members of Congress agreed to consult with their lawyers about the most prudent way to proceed, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private talk.

The conversation reflected the desperation and fury that have gripped the party after the state Supreme Court struck down a favorable map that had been ratified by voters. The most dramatic idea they discussed — which would involve an unusual gambit to replace the entire state Supreme Court, with a goal of reinstating their gerrymandered map — drew mixed reactions on the call, said the people, and it was not clear that it would even be viable, or palatable to Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly.ImageAbigail Spanberger speaking into microphones.Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger speaking in Williamsburg, Va., in February.Credit...Pool photo by Steve Helber

After Democrats had fought Republicans to a rough draw last month in a nationwide gerrymandering war, a pair of recent court rulings quickly gave the G.O.P. the clear upper hand in the race to redraw maps ahead of the midterm elections. Facing stiff headwinds, including President Trump’s low approval ratings and high gas prices, Republicans are looking for every advantage they can find to defy the odds and hold on to their narrow majority.

What you should know about anonymous sources. The Times makes a careful decision any time it shields the identity of a source. The information the source supplies must be newsworthy, credible and give readers genuine insight.Learn more about our process.

Any plans to enact a new congressional map for this year’s midterm elections would require action in the next few days. In a court filing last month, Steven Koski, the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections, said any changes to the maps after Tuesday, May 12, “will significantly increase the risk” of his agency being unable to properly prepare for the state’s scheduled Aug. 4 primary election.

One key to the plan would be having Democrats in Richmond lower the mandatory retirement age for state Supreme Court justices, an idea that began circulating among state lawmakers and members of Congress after a column proposing a version of the idea was published on Friday night in The Downballot, a progressive newsletter.

Ms. Spanberger would have to sign off on any legislation that lowered the judicial retirement age. She has not been briefed on the proposal, the people involved in the discussion or briefed on it said. 

The first step in the process, as discussed on the delegation’s call, would be to invoke a January ruling by a circuit court judge in Tazewell County, Va., that said the 2026 constitutional amendment effort to redraw the maps was invalid because county officials did not post notice of it at courthouses and other public locations three months before a general election.

Democrats would aim to use that ruling to seek to invalidate the earlier constitutional amendment that created the state’s independent redistricting commission by arguing that courthouses across the state did not post notice of it at the time. That would give the legislature the authority to enact a map of its choosing.

Ensuring the plan proceeds would involve the General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, lowering the mandatory retirement age for Virginia’s Supreme Court from 75 to 54, the age of the youngest current justice, or less. Virginia judges are appointed by the General Assembly, where Democrats hold majorities in both chambers and could then fill vacancies on the court with sympathetic Democratic lawyers.

Mandatory retirement ages are in place for judges in 32 states and Washington, D.C., according to a 2015 law review article from the Duke University Law School. The article said the most common retirement age set by states is 70. 

In states such as Arizona, Georgia and Utah, Republican lawmakers have expanded state Supreme Courts in order to make them more conservative. But the Virginia proposal, which would get rid of all the sitting judges, would go considerably further.

Former Representative James P. Moran, Democrat of Virginia, said a move to stack the Virginia Supreme Court would be “just a bridge too far” and could backfire on his party.

Representative Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat who represents Loudoun County, Va., said in an interview that he supported doing whatever was necessary to preserve the map voters approved in last month’s referendum — including replacing the state’s Supreme Court justices.

“Everyone has got to have a strong stomach right now; this is a complete disaster waiting to happen if people are timid,” said Mr. Subramanyam, who was on the Saturday call. “We have Republican states ignoring their constitutions and interrupting early voting and ignoring their Supreme Courts all together. We know based on that, Republicans would explore every single option possible to move this forward.”

Mr. Jeffries has maintained throughout the redistricting battles over the last year that he would maintain all options for creating or preserving Democratic House districts and has said repeatedly that Democrats would employ “maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.” 

News Roundups

The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Commentary: Trump Growing Increasingly Isolated Globally, Experts Warn CDC Unprepared for Pandemic, Evangelicals Defend Trump Statue Against “Golden Calf” Backlash, Aaron Parnas, right, May 9, 2026. There is a lot of news to cover this Saturday. Donald Trump is looking increasingly isolated on the world stage, while America’s adversaries appear less and less concerned by his threats.

Public health experts are sounding the alarm over the gutting of the CDC and questioning how prepared the agency would be to handle a future pandemic in light of the hantavirus outbreak. The DOJ is facing internal turmoil following the indictment of James Comey. Evangelical leaders are also pushing back on criticism surrounding Trump’s gold statue, insisting it is not a “golden calf” moment. And there is much more to get into tonight.

A quick programming note: tomorrow morning you will get our usual good news only Sunday update. That may be the only post tomorrow, though, because it is Mother’s Day and I will be spending the day with my wife and daughter celebrating her very first Mother’s Day, which I am incredibly excited about.

Here’s the news:

Donald Trump is feeling increasingly isolated on the world stage, pointing to closer cooperation between Canada and European allies, skepticism from adversaries toward U.S. threats, and growing doubts about Washington’s global leadership under his administration. The feeling right now stems from Europe pursuing a more independent geopolitical strategy while rivals such as Russia, China, and Iran no longer see Trump’s rhetoric as a credible deterrent. Supporters reject that assessment, arguing Trump’s aggressive posture and transactional diplomacy have forced allies and adversaries alike to take U.S. power more seriously. From Mark Carney today:

According to the Washington Post, the Trump administration’s effort to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey has reportedly triggered major turmoil inside the Justice Department, particularly within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. According to the report, multiple prosecutors have been demoted, pushed out, or are considering resigning over concerns about political pressure surrounding the case, leaving one of the country’s most important prosecutorial offices weakened and understaffed. The fallout has also reportedly disrupted at least one major investigation, fueling broader fears about politicization of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump.

A 22-foot gold statue of Donald Trump was unveiled at his Florida golf resort during a ceremony led by Pastor Mark Burns, drawing backlash from critics who compared the display to the biblical “golden calf” idol. Burns directly addressed those attacks during the event, insisting, “Let me be clear: this is not a golden calf,” and describing the statue instead as a symbol of “resilience, freedom, patriotism, strength, and the will power to keep fighting for the future of America.” The pastor said the statue represented God’s protection over Trump following multiple assassination attempts, while Trump himself called into the ceremony to thank Burns and supporters. The statue was reportedly funded by crypto investors promoting a memecoin and created by sculptor Alan Cottrill.

Pastor Robert Jeffress said, “It looks like President Donald Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches than the Pope,” in remarks criticizing the Vatican’s positions and defending Trump’s policies.

Public health experts sharply criticized the CDC [Centers for Disease Control] for its weak and delayed response to the hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius (shown above), arguing the agency has been largely absent during a high-profile international health crisis involving American passengers. While the World Health Organization and foreign governments coordinated evacuations, risk assessments, and public communication, critics said the CDC failed to provide timely guidance, visible leadership, or transparent updates. Experts cited the agency’s diminished role as evidence that years of cuts, political interference, and the Trump administration’s withdrawal from global health partnerships have severely undermined America’s public health capacity. Several former officials and researchers warned that the outbreak exposed a hollowed-out CDC that is no longer capable of leading international disease responses the way it once did during crises like COVID-19.

Passengers aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which experienced a deadly hantavirus outbreak, are expected to disembark in Tenerife, Spain, before being evacuated to their home countries under strict health protocols. Officials said none of the 147 people still onboard are currently symptomatic, and the World Health Organization emphasized that the public health risk remains low. The outbreak has been linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known strain capable of person-to-person transmission, and has already caused three deaths. After passengers are evacuated, the ship will sail to the Netherlands for disinfection, while exposed passengers will continue to be monitored by health authorities in their home countries.

The CDC confirmed Saturday that it will not require mandatory quarantine for the 17 American passengers returning from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius, despite transporting them to a federal quarantine facility in Nebraska. Officials said asymptomatic passengers will instead monitor themselves for symptoms over a 42-day period and may return home while remaining in contact with local health authorities.

Scientists in Utah are warning that the proposed “Stratos Project,” a massive hyperscale data center complex planned near the Great Salt Lake, could create an enormous artificial heat island with devastating environmental consequences. Researchers estimate the project would consume around 9 gigawatts of electricity, more than double Utah’s current statewide usage, while releasing an additional 7 to 8 gigawatts of waste heat into the surrounding desert ecosystem.

Experts fear the heat could dramatically raise local temperatures, accelerate evaporation around the already-collapsing Great Salt Lake, damage wildlife habitats, worsen dust pollution, and potentially transform the area into conditions resembling the Sahara Desert. Critics also argue the project has advanced with little environmental scrutiny despite support from powerful Utah political leaders and businessman Kevin O’Leary, who is backing the development.

Senator Ron Johnson promoted an extraordinary completely false claim that as many as 3.9 million Americans may have died because of Covid-19 vaccines, a figure far beyond anything supported by mainstream medical evidence or public health research.

Meanwhile, this is what President Trump was posting today:

President Donald Trump said he “might” move U.S. troops from Germany to Poland as the Pentagon plans to withdraw around 5,000 American soldiers from Germany over the next year. Polish President Karol Nawrocki welcomed the idea and said Poland is ready to host more U.S. troops, while Prime Minister Donald Tusk cautioned against “poaching” forces from allies. Trump’s comments follow tensions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war, after which Trump threatened even deeper troop cuts in Germany. Poland’s defense leadership framed the potential redeployment as a way to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and European security.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Israel secretly established a military base in Iraq’s western desert ahead of its air campaign against Iran, using it to support special operations, logistics, and rescue missions deep inside Iraqi territory without Baghdad’s knowledge. The report says Iraqi soldiers investigating suspicious helicopter activity near the site in March were struck by Israeli airstrikes, killing one soldier and injuring two others, apparently to keep the operation concealed.

Iraq publicly blamed the U.S. for the strike and filed a complaint with the United Nations, while Washington reportedly chose not to reveal Israel’s role despite knowing about the covert base. The episode has fueled accusations that Israel violated Iraqi sovereignty by operating an unauthorized military installation inside the country and using lethal force against Iraqi troops on Iraqi soil.

Israeli airstrikes killed at least seven people in southern Lebanon on Saturday, including a child, as fighting with Hezbollah intensified despite a U.S.-brokered cease-fire reached last month. The strikes hit multiple locations, including towns and vehicles south of Beirut, while Hezbollah responded with drone and rocket attacks that injured Israeli soldiers. The renewed violence has raised fears that the fragile truce is collapsing into another broader Israel-Hezbollah war, with both sides accusing each other of repeated violations. The escalation comes as U.S.-mediated talks aimed at stabilizing the cease-fire are set to continue in Washington next week.

Hungary’s new Prime Minister Péter Magyar was sworn into office, ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule and signaling a potential reset in relations with the European Union. EU leaders, including European Council President António Costa, welcomed the change and expressed readiness to work with the new government. Magyar’s Tisza party won a commanding parliamentary majority and has pledged reforms aimed at unlocking roughly €10 billion in frozen EU funds tied to rule-of-law concerns. Orbán’s departure could also shift EU dynamics on Russia and Ukraine policy, as he had frequently blocked EU measures supporting Kyiv and sanctioning Moscow.

A person who breached security and ran onto a runway at Denver International Airport was struck and killed Friday night by a departing Frontier Airlines plane bound for Los Angeles. The collision caused an engine fire and forced an emergency evacuation of the aircraft, which was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members. Twelve passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation, and five were taken to hospitals, while investigators from the NTSB and airport authorities began examining how the individual gained runway access. Audio from air traffic control captured the pilot reporting, “We just hit somebody,” before aborting takeoff and evacuating the smoke-filled plane on the runway.

A storm chaser helping search tornado wreckage in Mississippi rescued a tiny kitten trapped inside the remains of a destroyed trailer park wall after severe storms swept through the area. The emotional rescue, captured on video by the Associated Press, quickly drew attention online as a rare uplifting moment amid widespread devastation caused by the tornadoes.

At least 15 people were hospitalized Saturday after a possible boat explosion near the Haulover Sandbar, a popular party boating area near North Miami Beach. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue deployed 25 emergency units, including ocean rescue teams, and upgraded the response to a Level 2 Mass Casualty incident after discovering multiple injured victims at the scene. Authorities have not yet released details about the victims’ conditions or the cause of the explosion, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Comment, Sunday News Update and Big Parnas Perspective Announcements, Aaron Parnas, right, May 10, 2026. There are major stories breaking tonight that you need to catch up on, from Iran to North Korea to the 2026 election battle and much more.

Some major updates about the future of the Parnas Perspective: Starting next week, and every week after that, I will be hosting a Substack-exclusive live show with Jessica Tarlov. The official date and time will be announced soon. In addition, beginning this week, I will host a weekly live chat exclusively for paid subscribers where we can hang out, do Q&As, talk politics, world events, behind-the-scenes reporting, and honestly anything you want. I’ll announce the schedule the morning of each live.

One of the biggest requests I get from all of you is for deeper investigative reporting into stories the mainstream media either ignores or barely scratches the surface on. I agree completely. Because of your support and subscriptions, I’m now able to expand operations and dedicate resources to doing exactly that. Starting this Friday, I will publish one original deep-dive investigative piece every week. If there are stories or topics you want investigated, send them my way.

Here’s the news:

Trump lashed out at Fox News, accusing the network of undermining MAGA and the Republican Party, and claiming that MAGA Republicans “hate Fox.” He blames Fox for making it hard for Republicans to win elections.

Donald Trump lashed out at Iran today claiming that its response to the United States proposal was “unacceptable.”

An Iranian source told Tasnim News Agency that Tehran has no intention of shaping proposals to satisfy President Trump after he reportedly rejected Iran’s latest offer. “No one in Iran drafts plans to please Trump,” the source said, adding that negotiators are focused solely on protecting “the rights of Iran,” and that “naturally, it is better if Trump is dissatisfied with them.” The comments signal growing resistance inside Iran to U.S. pressure as negotiations remain stalled and tensions continue escalating between Washington and Tehran.

Despite a month-long U.S. naval blockade targeting Iran’s oil exports, Iran is expected to withstand the economic pressure for several months without catastrophic damage to its energy sector. Analysts and Western officials say Iran has adapted by reducing oil production, relying on domestic refining, and drawing on stored oil reserves, while its government has experience managing similar sanctions-related disruptions. Although the blockade is expected to worsen inflation, reduce government revenue, and strain the economy over time, experts are uncertain whether the pressure will force major concessions from Tehran. The article also notes that Iran’s hard-line leadership remains politically stable for now, even as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continue to affect global economic and security concerns.

Here was the response from Iran that Trump did not like:

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation appears to be a mess, with the Trump administration issuing a multimillion-dollar no-bid contract through a questionable emergency exemption, skipping normal federal review procedures, and hiring a contractor with no obvious expertise in swimming pools. The project still does not fix the pool’s long-standing filtration and plumbing failures, meaning algae could soon obscure the newly painted blue surface anyway. Experts also warned that Trump’s motorcade may have already damaged the freshly repaired concrete by driving directly across the pool during a press event. Critics (including former Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi, below0 say the rushed overhaul reflects favoritism, poor planning, and an expensive cosmetic project that may quickly deteriorate.

Meanwhile, this is what Trump posted today:

There are growing concerns among local election officials about political interference and threats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Officials from several states described rising misinformation, harassment, and even violence targeting election workers, while also expressing concern that federal agencies like CISA and DHS have reduced support under the Trump administration. ProPublica reporter Jen Fifield explained that many experienced federal election-security officials have left or been removed, weakening safeguards that protected elections after 2020. Today, Donald Trump said he is deploying an "election integrity army" in every state this November.

According to the New York Times, after the Virginia Supreme Court struck down a Democratic-backed congressional map, party leaders reportedly discussed aggressive strategies to restore it before the 2026 midterms. One proposal would lower the mandatory retirement age for Virginia Supreme Court justices, allowing Democrats in the state legislature to replace the current court with new appointees more favorable to reinstating the map. The idea reflects growing frustration among Democrats over recent redistricting losses and fears that Republicans now hold an advantage in the broader national battle over congressional maps. Some Democrats support pursuing every available option, while others warn that reshaping the court could damage the party’s credibility and appear politically extreme.

Trump continued to lash out on Mother’s Day.

Kevin O’Leary is defending the massive “Stratos” AI data center project planned for rural Box Elder County, Utah, amid strong backlash from local residents concerned about environmental impacts and water use. The proposed development would span roughly 40,000 acres and could become one of the largest data center projects in the country, with O’Leary claiming it could create around 10,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs.

Critics of the data center project warn that the massive development could pose serious risks to local wildlife and fragile ecosystems near the Great Salt Lake. The project would cover roughly 40,000 acres in a rural area, raising concerns about habitat disruption, increased industrial activity, and the potential strain on already vulnerable water resources that support migratory birds and other species. Opponents fear that even if water usage is reduced through air-cooling technology, the scale of the development could still accelerate environmental degradation in one of the region’s most sensitive ecological areas.

Trump further claimed that Congressman Ro Khanna should not be allowed on Fox News anymore:

Officials began evacuating and repatriating passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship after a hantavirus outbreak linked to at least eight illnesses and three deaths; passengers are being quarantined and monitored for 42 days as they return to multiple countries, including the U.S.

Health experts and the WHO stressed that the outbreak is not comparable to COVID-19 because hantavirus spreads much less easily between people, with the Andes virus strain only capable of limited transmission through close contact; public health officials say the overall global risk remains low.

Health experts warn that the United States could face delays in receiving critical hantavirus surveillance, contact tracing, and outbreak response information because it is no longer formally participating in the World Health Organization. Officials say reduced coordination with the WHO may limit real-time access to international public health data during the cruise ship-linked hantavirus outbreak, potentially complicating efforts to monitor exposures and contain transmission. The concern has fueled broader criticism that weakening international health cooperation could undermine the U.S. response to emerging infectious disease threats.

Critics condemned President Trump’s remarks about childhood vaccines and autism as dangerous vaccine misinformation, noting that extensive scientific research has found no link between vaccines and autism. In the comments, Trump said, “I look at these beautiful little babies and they get a vat, like a big glass, of stuff pumped into their bodies. I think it’s a very negative thing to do,” and suggested smaller, spaced-out vaccine doses could lead to “a much better result with the autism.” Public health experts have repeatedly warned that rhetoric questioning vaccine safety can undermine trust in immunization programs and contribute to lower vaccination rates, which increase the risk of preventable disease outbreaks.

Security experts are warning that the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States faces elevated terrorism risks, particularly from lone extremists and “soft targets” like hotels, transit hubs, and fan gatherings rather than stadiums themselves. Analysts say tensions tied to the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, combined with cuts and disruptions within federal counterterrorism agencies, may weaken the country’s ability to prevent attacks during the tournament. Experts also raised concerns about poor coordination between agencies, growing drone threats, and the strain of securing 78 matches across 11 U.S. cities over six weeks.

Investigations and Commentary

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with President Trump and Mehmet Oz, the Medicaid and Medicare services administrator, in the White House in September (New York Times photo by Tierney L. Cross)

Wayne Madsen Report, Investigative Commentary: Virus threat assessments in an upside down world, Wayne Madsen, left, May 10, 2026. Hantavirus and deja vu back to 2020 and COVID-19.

While Donald Trump and his heroin- and cocaine-addled Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., shown above in a file photo, brush away the danger of the deadly hantavirus spreading around the world in the same manner as COVID-19, the virus is considered a significant public health concern for several South Atlantic islands due to a fatal outbreak originating from the cruise ship MV Hondius.

A Dutch couple decided it would be cool to photograph birds in a rat-infested garbage dump four miles outside of Ushuaia (shown below), the southernmost Argentine city in Tierra del Fuego. The couple is believed to have contracted hantavirus, a contagious respiratory pathogen, by being in close contact with rats in the dump that carried the virus. After they boarded the cruise ship, they spread the virus to other passengers. The couple later died from the virus.

Uhuaia landfill. The locals know to steer clear of it, but not wealthy eco-tourist who only think about their own quests for bird photos.The world has another type of “bird” for them: The History of the One-Fingered Salute ...'

Argentine officials deny that hantavirus originated in Tierra del Fuego. No one should believe anyArgentine official because Argentina completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 17, 2026. At that point in time, Argentina no longer officially shared healthand disease outbreak data with the organization. A year earlier, Argentina’s lunatic president, the Donald Trump and Israel sycophant, Javier Milei, left, notified WHO that it was tendering its withdrawal from the organization, which would be effective a year later. cruise ship hantavirus outbreak probe ...

 Hantavirus victim and Hondius cruise ship passenger Leo Schilperoord, a Dutch national bird expert who died during the cruise as did his wife.

No thanks to the Argentine government, patient zero was identified as Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord. Someone who should have had even a rudimentary knowledge of the dangers of avian flu threw caution to the wind and walked through the garbage dump to take a photo of therare white-throated caracara, nicknamed Darwin’s caracara after Charles Darwin, who discovered that the weakest in species were “selected out” by evolution.

In a plot that is reminiscent of a Hollywood pandemic film, Schilperoord won the 2026 “Darwin award” for traversing through a landfill that the residents of Ushuaia avoided like the plague, pun very much intended.

Due to Argentina’s government clamming up about the origin of the hantavirus outbreak, the only way international health authorities became aware of Leo and Mirjam Schilperoord being patients zero and one was their obituaries appearing in the monthly magazine published by their home village of Haulerwijk.

Unofficially, some Argentine health professionals did reveal how the Schilperoords contracted hantavirus. It is believed that the couple inhaled particles from the feces of long-tailed pygmy rice rats, which carry the deadly Andes strain of the hantavirus. It is the only type of hantavirus that can be transmitted from human to human. The last known case of Andes hantavirus in Tierra del Fuego was recorded in 1996. leo in a hat and glasses outside Hantavirus patient zero wins the Darwin Award posthumously for placing his quest for Darwin’s caracara above the safety of rest of his fellow cruise ship passengers and several small populations of remote South Atlantic islands.

While the virus is not native to the islands where passengers of the Hondius were permitted to disembark, every stop made by the ship where passenger were permitted to disembark is in existential danger due to their small populations. The body of Leo Schilperoord, who died after the ship set sail from South Georgia, was placed ashore in St. Helena along with his wife. Mirjam Schilperoord boarded an Airlink flight from St. Helena to Johannesburg, where she was to connect to a KLM flight to Amsterdam. The KLM crew determined that she was too sick to fly and she later collapsed inside Johannesburg airport and died the following day. The Airlink flight from St. Helena to Johannesburg also included seven American passengers from the Hondius. Two of the Americans were from New Jersey. A total of seven Americans who were on board the Hondius are isolating at home in five states, which means the efforts to quarantine all the Americans in Omaha are meaningless since the five Americans are on the “honor system,“ which is ridiculous considering the lethality of the virus. Maybe they should ingest Ivermectin or some other bullshit Trump-endorsed remedy.

Other Americans were disembarked with other passengers and crew at Tenerife in the Canary Islands. A team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, an agency that was subjected to mass firings thanks to Trump, Kennedy, and Elon Musk’s DOGE villains, was to meet the American passengers in Tenerife. From there, they were to be repatriated to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus in Omaha. Any of the Americans exhibiting symptoms of the Andes hantavirus would be transferred to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit on the campus.

The WHO has confirmed six cases of the Andes hantavirus with two others assessed as probable. One of the confirmed virus patients was flown to the Netherlands. One of the probable patients with the virus, a German national, has died, making the total death count, including the Schilperoords, standing at three. A Spanish woman who is believed to have contracted the virus from the KLM flight that was briefly boarded in Johannesburg by Mrs. Schiliperoord is confirmed as symptomatic and is in the hospital in Alicante, Spain. The ship’s doctor also tested positive with the virus, along with a Swiss national being treated in Switzerland. A French national with “benign symptoms” was placed in isolation and was undergoing medical tests after being identified as a “contact case” linked to a ship passenger who flew from St. Helena to Johannesburg

Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions claims that none of those remaining on the vessel in Tenerife have either tested positive for the virus or have shown symptoms. That claim is dubious, especially since one of the acts of Kennedy was to scrap the CDC’s entire Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), including its inspectors.

Spanish health authorities are taking no chances. All crew and passengers aboard the Hondius, except for the Americans being flown to Omaha, are to be quarantined at a Madrid military hospital while under constant monitoring. Any testing positive are to be transferred to a High-Level Isolation and Treatment Unit in Spain. The incubation period for the Andes hantavirus can be as long as six weeks. Singaporean health authorities said they were monitoring two men who got off the Hondius at St. Helena, flew to South Africa and then to Singapore. The two men arrived in Singapore at different times and were being isolated and tested for the virus.

Disembarkations of Hondius passengers in Tristan da Cunha, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic that has a population of only some 220, has the British government and the Tristan British administrator on high alert for a potential public health emergency. The island has no airport nor a pier that can handle anything other than a small supply boat that ferries passengers to and from larger vessels anchored further out to sea. While disembarked, the passengers visited a Tristan gift shop and a pub. Four Tristanians booked passage on the Hondius for its voyage to St. Helena. One of those is confirmed to have contracted the hantavirus. The Tristanian spouse of that passenger is being kept in isolation. Two other British nationals on the Hondius have also been diagnosed as positive.

Tristan da Cunha only has a small medical facility and is not able to handle something as life threatening as the Andes hantavirus. A British crew member of the Hondius who disembarked in Tristan da Cunha was reported as a suspected hantavirus case and remained on the island with medical personnel deployed to assist. It can’t be stressed enough that Tristan da Cunha has a decent small hospital but it has limited medical services for dealing with a serious virus like the Andes strain. Tristan da Cunha is usually only accessible by a supply ship from Cape Town, a voyage that typically takes 5 to 7 days depending on weather and sea conditions.

Cruise ship MV Hondius docks off Cape Verde port, as passengers were not allowed off the ship, while health authorities investigated suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, May 4, 2026. Hondius anchored off Tristan da Cunha from April 13 to 15, 2026.

In a worse case scenario, it’s likely that the virus’s full impact on Tristan da Cunha would only be realized when no one answers the phone or responds to email or text messages. That would mean that the entire population of the Tristan capital and only town, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, became too sick or died, an event that could only be contemplated by Stephen King.

The Tristan da Cunha administrator released the following statement about the situation on the island on May 4, as news of the viral outbreak was being reported around the world:

“We understand that the first passenger was taken ill after the ship left South Georgia and unfortunately passed away before arrival at Tristan. Another passenger passed away following evacuation to Johannesburg, South Africa, where the cause of death was identified as a hantavirus. A third passenger passed away on board the ship en route to Cape Verde and a further passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg, while two crew members are also being treated. The ship continued to Cape Verde, where she is currently at anchor . . . We are working closely with the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and other international partners to assess and manage the situation. The islanders who travelled to St Helena on the MV Hondius are being advised by Public Health in St Helena to undertake a period of self-isolation, just as a precaution. We will do the same here where necessary. The Government will provide full support to those who are asked to do so. A full risk-based contact tracing process is underway to identify and notify such persons on St Helena, Ascension and Tristan.”

Another island in danger from the ship of death is Ascension Island, a remote British territory of around 1000 residents that hosts British and American military facilities. The following is a release of the Ascension Island Government: Tristan da Cunha Ibilbidea Edinburgh of ...

“On Monday 27 April 2026, a passenger from the vessel was admitted to Georgetown Hospital. The same individual was then medically evacuated on Wednesday 29 April. It has since been confirmed that the patient was infected with a strain of Hantavirus . . . As a precaution, a small number of hospital staff who were involved in the patient’s care are self-monitoring for symptoms in line with established public health guidance . . . Medical staff will use basic personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves and masks, during patient consultations . . . Face-to-face consultations will be limited where possible. Patients are asked to avoid booking non-urgent appointments for the next two weeks. This will be kept under review . . . An additional medical officer is being recruited to assist with maintaining essential services to our community during this period.” Ascension Island – Runway 13–31 ... Ascension Island

Thirty passengers disembarked from the Hondius on Saint Helena, an island with a population of 4,400, on April 24, along with the body of Leo Schilperooord. The passengers included those from Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United States. The ship was in St. Helena, famous as the place where Napoleon was exiled after his defeat at Waterloo, from April 22 to 24. Unlike Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena has an international airport linked to Johannesburg by a once a week flight.

St. Helena Governor Nigel Phillips said, “We are now responding to a crisis none of us would have wished.” The St. Helena government later stated, “All individuals identified as having had potential contact with passengers from the MV Hondius have been contacted directly by health officials.” The statement added, “the local health authorities are monitoring a small number of people identified as higher-risk contacts -- namely those who had close, prolonged contact with the unwell passengers of the vessel. They have been advised to isolate at home for a period of 45 days from the last known exposure to the virus.” St. Helena Island ... Jamestown, St. Helena

The eco-tourist ship of death also paid a visit to the isolated town of Grytviken in South Georgia, a dependency of the Falkland Islands. Passengers visited the abandoned whaling station, along with the church, cemetery, post office, and South Georgia Museum. There are up to 30 British Antarctic Survey researchers, British administrative personnel, and South Georgia Museum staff resident in South Georgia, most of whom reside at King Edward Point, a half mile away from Grytviken. 

The Hondius did not stop at the Falkland Islands (shown above in orange off the tip of Argentina) after leaving Tierra del Fuego. Nevertheless, the Falklands government had to reassure the population of some 3600 that they were not in imminent danger from the virus. However, the Falklands was involved in the response to the outbreak. The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) in the capital, Stanley, dispatched needed pathology supplies to Ascension Island aboard the Airbridge — the military air link between the United Kingdom and the Falklands —in support of the public health response of the Ascension and Saint Helena administrations. 

The Hondius anchored off Cabo Verde prior to sailing to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Cabo Verdean authorities initially refused to allow passengers to disembark from the vessel. However, there were photos taken of Cape Verdean health authorities loading passengers into ambuslances at the port of Praia, the Cabo Verdean capital. Moroccan authorities refused to allow a Hondius passenger evacuation flight bound for Amsterdam to refuel in Morocco. The plane instead diverted to Gran Canaria. 

The world might treat the Andes hantavirus outbreak more calmly if it weren’t for the fact that the origination vector country, Argentina, quit the WHO following the lead of the irresponsible United States. Buenos Aires has been slow to even send a team to Ushuaia to investigate the point of origin of the Andes hantavirus. Idiocy is a common denominator for right-wing Elon Musk-supported neo-fascist regimes lime those in Washington and Buenos Aires.

After Trump fucked up the U.S. response to Covid, costing the lives of one million American citizens, one can understand the world’s jittery reaction to yet another dangerous pathogenic outbreak. One thing the world does understand is that Donald Trump and his crazy ally in Buenos Aires are only capable of fucking things up on a grand scale when they’re not robbing the taxpayers blind.  

New York Times: Investigation: He Offered a Lawmaker’s Aide Quick Cash. Was He Spying for China? Dustin Volz, May 10, 2026 (print ed.). A staff member on the House China Committee was promised $10,000 for U.S. policy insights, on issues like Venezuela and rare-earth minerals. The outreach appears to provide a vivid portrait of how Beijing’s spy services seek to gain access to information from within the corridors of power in Washington, DC.

When a man identifying himself as Chris Chen reached out this winter to an aide on a House committee focused on threats from China, he came armed with a lucrative offer.

The staff member, Mr. Chen proposed, could earn $10,000 or more by barely lifting a finger. All he would need to do is agree to phone calls every other week to share information about the committee’s work and U.S. foreign policy about China.

Insights into U.S. trade or national-security issues, including the Trump administration’s plans for Venezuela in the aftermath of the January military operation there, would be especially valuable, Mr. Chen said. To sweeten the pot, Mr. Chen repeatedly promised to send the aide $2,000 up front. [More details below.]

More On Iran War

New York Times, Strait of Hormuz Remains Effectively Blocked After Naval Skirmishes, Pranav Baskar and Devon Lum, Updated May 10, 2026. The U.S. Navy’s blockade continued to intercept ships trying to leave or enter Iranian ports, while fear of Iranian attacks kept other ships from attempting passage through the narrows.

Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remained throttled on Saturday, after naval skirmishes between U.S. and Iranian forces in recent days heightened tensions in the vital shipping route.

For weeks, the narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea has been choked by two competing blockades enforced by each side in the conflict. About 1,600 ships are bottled up in the Persian Gulf.

Since April 13, the U.S. Navy has intercepted and turned around 58 commercial ships that were either leaving or trying to enter Iranian ports, and American forces have “disabled” four other ships that did not comply with American orders, Central Command announced on Saturday.

In public statements, the United States and Iran continued to trade threats on Saturday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said that any attack on Iranian vessels would be met with a “heavy assault” on American ships and other U.S. targets in the region. President Trump posted a meme of Iranian warships that had been sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Data from MarineTraffic, a global ship-tracking firm, indicates that at least six cargo ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since Wednesday, but no tankers. Tracking by the London Stock Exchange Group shows that the number of ships passing through the narrows each day has decreased since Monday, from an already-low level.

Those intelligence firms may provide an incomplete picture, however, because vessels sometimes fake or shut off their location signals. Still, the data they have collected generally shows how traffic has plunged in recent days, even relative to some other periods during the cease-fire, which started on April 7.

On Thursday, there was a new round of skirmishes in the strait. The United States said it struck military sites in Iran after Iran attacked three American destroyers. On Friday, the U.S. military said that it had fired on two Iranian-flagged oil tankers, disabling them as they tried to reach an Iranian port.

Iran, for its part, said it had attacked the American warships on Thursday in retaliation for what it described as American cease-fire violations, including strikes on the country’s southern coast. Iranian forces kept up their efforts on Friday, seizing a Chinese-owned oil tanker in the strait.

New York Times, Mass Layoffs in Iran as Businesses Buckle Under Wartime Pressures, Leily Nikounazar, Photographs by Arash Khamooshi, May 10, 2026. Iran was already struggling economically before 2026 brought widespread instability. A government-imposed internet shutdown has crippled an entire sector.

In mid-March, Babak, a 49-year-old Iranian product designer at a tech company in Tehran, was called into his boss’s office and told that his position was being eliminated.

Iran’s government had shut down the internet two weeks earlier, at the outset of U.S.-Israeli war on the country, throwing the country’s tech industry into chaos and making Babak’s job impossible.

“Throughout my career, I have worked hard, continuously learned, and tried to grow,” said Babak, who sent voice messages to The New York Times, and asked to be identified only by his first name to avoid government reprisal. “Yet at this stage of my life, I find myself in an uncertain and ambiguous position,” he said.

Babak’s experience has become increasingly common throughout Iran as companies have instituted round after round of layoffs in recent weeks, according to interviews with businesses and employees and Iranian news reports.

For the Trump administration, Iran’s severe economic struggles are part of a strategy to pressure the country into submission. “I hope it fails,” President Trump told reporters this month, of Iran’s economy. “You know why? Because I want to win.”

Iranian officials insist that pressure will not work and that the country will not surrender.

Many of those companies are buckling under wartime pressures. During the war, the U.S. and Israel hit Iranian industrial sites that produce key raw materials, as well as key infrastructure. And a U.S.-imposed blockade on Iran’s ports, in place since a cease-fire last month, has cut off much of its oil exports and disrupted imports of other goods.

An Iranian government official, Gholamhossein Mohammadi, estimated that the war has caused the loss of one million jobs, “and the direct and indirect unemployment of two million people,” in comments reported by the news outlet Tasnim.

On April 25, an Iranian job search platform reported a record 318,000 resumes submitted in a single day, a figure that was 50 percent higher than the previous record, according to the news site Asr Iran.

U.S. Courts, Corruption, Law, Crime, Justice, Rights

PoliticusUSA, Cory Booker Blasts Corrupt Supreme Court Majority And Demands Reform, Jason Easley, right, May 10, 2026. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called the Supreme Court majority corrupt and demanded that once Democrats regain power, the court be reformed.

The Supreme Court majority’s hypocrisy regarding congressional districts and gerrymandering has not gone unnoticed by elected officials and voters. The same Supreme Court majority had previously ruled that majority-minority districts were constitutional, but later ruled that districts drawn on the basis of race were not constitutional.

PoliticusUSA is unfiltered news and views delivered directly to you. Support our work by becoming a subscriber.Subscribed

The question after the ruling on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is, what is going to be done about it?

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) highlighted the problem on NBC’s Meet The Press:

Well remember, there’s a corrupt shadow hanging over the Supreme Court. Some of these same members that are voting on decisions like this are accepting gifts from billionaires. We have RVs, lavish vacations. It’s a corrupt court. The highest court in the land has the lowest ethics laws. Number two is the Supreme Court, clearly within our power — I lead one of these pieces of legislation with Senator Whitehouse and others — to give term limits to Supreme Court members.

That could go a long way in curing this. The Supreme Court desperately needs reform. It is a corrupt court. And in my opinion, it is a court that needs reform. And I will continue to lead on those things.

Booker also talked about the steps that the country needs to take to be order to reform the court.

Lawfare, Analysis and Comment: The Politically Motivated Indictment of Southern Poverty Law Center, Christopher Hardee, May 8, 2026. The political motivations, allegations, and gaping legal holes in the Justice Department’s cynical indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

On April 21, 2026, the Justice Department announced a wire and bank fraud indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a prominent civil rights organization. In the 1980s, the SPLC helped dismantle the Ku Klux Klan through civil litigation. After that success, the SPLC aggressively tracked the KKK and other violent hate groups, informing the public of how the groups operate and serving as a trusted resource for law enforcement. When the SPLC expanded its public lists of hate groups in the 1990s to include conservative organizations that the SPLC concluded advocate intolerance, even if they do not advocate violence, some conservative groups began to criticize it. The SPLC has also listed a few groups that are not on the right but that the SPLC says advocate hate, such as the New Black Panther Party.

The Justice Department is attacking a leading adversary of violent hate groups by accusing it of secretly supporting the very groups the organization has opposed for decades. Prosecuting a group that the far right opposes by accusing the group of supporting the far right makes this one of the most cynical criminal cases ever brought by the Department of Justice. Whatever one’s view about the SPLC labeling non-violent conservative organizations as hate groups, that is not a crime.

The Justice Department alleges that the SPLC fraudulently misled donors by not disclosing that the organization used donor funds to pay informants within the KKK and neo-Nazi groups. The SPLC, however, had no legal duty to inform donors about these activities, which advanced the organization’s mission, any more than the SPLC needed donor approval to engage in any other initiative to advance its mission. Using informants was consistent with the SPLC’s historic work of disrupting and monitoring the KKK and neo-Nazi groups.

The indictment also alleges that the SPLC opened bank accounts under assumed business names without disclosing the SPLC’s connection. Yet the indictment fails to allege that the SPLC sought to influence bank decisions, an essential element of the bank fraud offense. The SPLC used assumed names to protect its informants, not to influence the banks.

Perhaps sensing the indictment’s weakness, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel inappropriately added dramatic accusations in statements to the press that the indictment fails to support. Blanche said that the SPLC is “manufacturing racism to justify its existence. Using donor money to allegedly profit off Klansmen cannot go unchecked.” Blanche continued, “This Department of Justice will hold the SPLC and every other fraudulent organization operating with the same deceptive playbook accountable. No entity is above the law.” He accused the SPLC of intentionally supporting the hate groups that the organization has confronted for over 40 years. Patel repeated the accusations, including in an appearance on Sean Hannity’s program on Fox News. And White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt called SPLC a “criminal organization.”

U.S. Politics, Elections, Governance

U.S. Rep. Tom Massie, a Republican from Kentucky who helped lead the effort in Congress to require the Justice Department to thwart a Trump coverup and release the Epstein files, is shown above left in file photos with Trump, center, and the late Trump friend Jeffrey Epstein, a notorius child rapist, sex trafficker, foreign asset and global financier..

Occupy Democrats, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie exposes Trump for choking off water to Colorado because he was angry about the Epstein files, Staff Report, May 10, 2026. This is a jaw-dropping revelation. 

"Lauren Boebert, they took her over to the Situation Room, right? Like this is where if they're trying to kill or capture Osama bin Laden, this is where they are at the White House," Massie said during an interview with Tucker Carlson.

"They took her into the Situation Room and tried to whip her into taking her name off of the discharge petition.""Over Epstein?" asked Carlson."Over Epstein. Yep," confirmed Massie. "And then the president vetoed a bill that would have brought water to a large portion of Colorado."

"Over Epstein," Carlson repeated.

"Over Epstein," said Massie. "And this isn't even— At this point, it's not just about Lauren Boebert. Why are people in Colorado deprived of water because their representative wants to expose a sex trafficking ring?"

"I mean, none of this makes any sense at all," said Carlson.

Unfortunately, it makes all too much sense. Trump is a deeply vindictive man. He wouldn't hesitate to punish an entire state if he thought that it would hurt Boebert's political career.

Hell, he wouldn't hesitate to punish the entire country if he thought it would hurt an enemy.As for why he didn't want the Epstein files released, that's even more obvious. His name is all over those documents. We still don't have the full files, but the ones we have seen include allegations that Trump raped and sexually abused minors with his long-time friend Epstein.

The bill that Trump vetoed to punish Boebert was related to a 130-mile pipeline aimed at carrying water from the Pueblo Reservoir to roughly 50,000 rural Coloradans. Currently, those people struggle to obtain adequate water and what water they do have access to is often contaminated with salt, radioactive waste, and toxic chemicals.The bill would have extended repayment periods for local municipalities and it passed unanimously in Congress before Trump vetoed it. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the measure would have added a relatively measly (by federal spending standards) $500,000 to the government's costs for the project. Trump vetoed it anyway. This is the same man who's now seeking $1 billion in taxpayer funds for his ballroom.In other words, Trump chose to make innocent Americans drink harmful water because he was upset that his pedophilia had been exposed.This is an impeachment worthy offense.Please like and share to thank Thomas Massie! See less

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New York Times, ‘No Seat for Me’: Virginia Democrats Are Forced to Play Musical Chairs, Reid J. Epstein, May 10, 2026. A court ruling that struck down an election map swiftly ended some Democratic House candidacies and pushed others into much tougher races.

On Thursday night, Dan Helmer received a shipment of boxes with 1,000 yard signs that read: “Dan Helmer for Congress.”

By late Friday morning, Mr. Helmer no longer had a seat to run for.

The whiplash for the Virginia Democrats running for Congress was swift and intense after the state Supreme Court struck down the new congressional map proposed in February to flip four Republican-held seats.

With the stroke of a pen in Richmond, some campaigns effectively went poof, other candidates suddenly were in far tougher districts and one went from on the verge of dropping out to gearing up for a long-shot battle in a deep-red part of the state.

Rarely have so many fully formed campaigns gone off the rails at once. The court’s shock decision on Friday dashed Democratic hopes of providing some balance to Republican-run states that have been eliminating Democratic seats since Texas kicked off a nationwide fight last year.

Mr. Helmer, a senior member of the House of Delegates, was an architect of Virginia’s redistricting gambit that began in October. His colleagues subsequently split up Northern Virginia and created a new lobster-shaped Democratic seat ideally suited for him. Barring a miracle from the Supreme Court, Mr. Helmer said his congressional campaign is most likely over.

“There’s no seat for me,” he said. His new yard signs “are probably not as useful as they were yesterday.”

Tom Perriello, a former congressman who later served as a diplomat in Africa during Barack Obama’s presidency, began his campaign in December with the expectation that new maps were coming.

He woke up Friday morning in his home near Charlottesville in a district that Vice President Kamala Harris carried by three percentage points in 2024. Once the court ruling came a few hours later, he lived in a district Mr. Trump won by 12 points.

Mr. Perriello said he would now run against Representative John McGuire, a first-term Republican whose district covers conservative Southside Virginia. He had planned to run in a district that stitched together small Democratic-leaning cities and college towns in the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge Mountains.

The situation is even more jarring for some Democratic voters, Mr. Perriello said. ImageTom Perriello standing with his hands in his pockets.Former congressman Tom Perriello. Credit...Eze Amos for The New York Times

“I just walked into a food pantry in the Shenandoah Valley and the African-American woman who runs it broke down in tears and said for the first time in her life she thought she was going to have representation,” Mr. Perriello recalled Friday. “This is what the last two months have been about, about hope for the first time for people.”

Some hope Democrats will gain seats even without the new maps.

Virginia Democrats now hold six of the state’s 11 House districts. President Trump won two of the other five by five points or less, making the Republican incumbents who represent them, Representatives Jen Kiggans and Rob Wittman, endangered given the headwinds the G.O.P. faces. Their Democratic opponents, former Representative Elaine Luria and Shannon Taylor, a local prosecutor, entered the race well before the redistricting push and remain top-tier challengers.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the House minority leader, said in an interview Friday that “we’re going to pick up at least two seats” in Virginia under the existing maps.

Jeff Ryer, the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said he had given the state Supreme Court case a 50-50 chance of succeeding. Democrats, he argued, have been overconfident in the state ever since Abigail Spanberger won last year’s governor’s election by more than 15 points.

Now, instead of a map designed to hand 10 of 11 seats to Democrats, Mr. Ryer said he expected multiple competitive campaigns this year. He allowed that it would not be easy defending the seats Mr. Trump narrowly won.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and U.S. House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, NY, both Democrats (file photos).

Occupy Democrats via Facebook, Advocacy and Opinion, Furious Democrats reveal shatter-the-glass emergency plan to get around Virginia's Supreme Court ruling and get our seats back! Staff Report, May 10, 2026. Virginia Democrats are furious and fired up after a partisan Republican-dominated state Supreme Court viciously struck down a voter-approved congressional map that fairly reflected the will of the people and handed MAGA extremists yet another unfair advantage in their desperate scramble to cling to power.

In a private strategy call Saturday that included House Democratic leaders and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, lawmakers vented their outrage over the court’s outrageous decision and discussed bold ways to push back, including an aggressive plan to replace the entire state Supreme Court itself and restore the map that voters supported.

While no final decisions were made, the conversation underscored the party’s fierce determination to flip seats and stop Republicans from gerrymandering their way to an illegitimate majority.

This comes as Republicans, terrified by President Trump’s tanking approval ratings and the disaster that is his agenda, are celebrating every cheap court victory they can get from bought Trump judges to rig the midterms.

After Democrats fought them to a draw in the nationwide redistricting battles, Republican operatives and their judicial allies are now rushing to lock in advantages before it’s too late.

Any new map would need to move fast. The deadline is looming, with elections officials warning that changes after Tuesday could jeopardize the August primary. But Virginia Democrats aren’t backing down from this blatant power grab.

More than just about lines on a map, this is about whether Republicans get to nullify the voice of the people through activist conservative courts and keep their grip on the House despite being on the wrong side of history and public opinion.

The desperation in the Democratic response shows exactly how high the stakes are, and how far MAGA forces will go to cheat democracy. They are right to explore every option to protect fair representation. When Republicans weaponize the courts to protect their minority rule, fighting back with every available mechanism isn’t “far-fetched” but necessary.

We must demand fair maps and hold these hypocrites accountable in November! 

MS NOW, Opinion: This awkward moment between Pope Leo and Marco Rubio doesn’t speak well of the secretary of state, Anthea Butler, May. 8, 2026. Rubio’s visit came on the heels of derogatory remarks about the pope from Donald Trump, who continues to tell the lie that Leo wants Iran to have nuclear weapons. ‘Just the latest humiliation’: Nicolle reacts to Rubio’s Pope Leo cleanup visit after Trump attacks.

On the eve of his one-year anniversary as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV received U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican. The meeting was not the result of an invitation extended by the pope, but a request made by the United States. In an exchange of gifts after the meeting, Rubio, a Catholic, presented the first American-born pope with a glass football etched with the logo of the secretary of state. Leo reciprocated by giving Rubio a pen of cedarwood, a symbol of peace.

Leo’s response to what amounted to a glass football paperweight from Rubio? “Wow. OK.”

A glass football isn’t the most thoughtful gift for a native Chicagoan who is a fan of baseball’s White Sox.

I’m sure Rubio got the hint. A glass football isn’t the most thoughtful gift for a native Chicagoan who is such a fan of baseball’s White Sox that he even wore the team’s black cap with white lettering at the Vatican. But Rubio’s gift is emblematic of the fragile, fumbling relationship President Donald Trump and his administration have with Leo and the Holy See.

The Vatican put out a brief communique about the meeting, stating that “cordial talks renewed the shared commitment to fostering sound bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America.”

According to Christopher Hale, publisher of the newsletter Letters From Leo, this is the Vatican’s polite way of saying we agree to disagree.

Rubio’s visit came on the heels of derogatory remarks about the pope from Trump, who continues to tell the lie that Leo wants Iran to have nuclear weapons. In an interview with Hugh Hewitt, Trump said Leo is “endangering Catholics and a lot of people.” Trump made that remark after he had already made several wildly inaccurate and defamatory statements about the pope.New poll shows Trump’s grip on religious base slipping as Rubio meets with Pope LeoMay 7, 2026 / 09:19

The president criticizing the pope before the secretary of state met with him illustrates how desperate Trump is to show his shrinking base that he’s still a fighter. He is using Leo as a foil to bolster his specious claim that he started the war in Iran war to keep the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who serves as the Vatican’s secretary of state, said before the meeting between Rubio and the pope that Trump’s decision to repeatedly attack the pontiff “seems a bit strange to me.” READ IN APP

Meidas Touch Network, Commentary: My Thoughts on AOC's Comments about Marge Greene, Ron Filipkowski, right, May 10, 2026. Should Dems should align with people like Greene on certain issues?

AOC launched a heated debate among Democrats with her comments at a forum this week where she specifically referenced former Rep. Marge Greene on the question of whether Democrats should ally or join with right-wingers on individual issues if they agree with them on that point only. This is a subject that comes up often lately as some members of the MAGA movement are criticizing Trump more openly and more often in recent months.

This is what AOC said:

“I personally do not trust somebody like Marjorie Taylor Greene—a proven bigot and antisemite—on the issues of what is good for Gazans and Israelis. I don’t think it benefits our movement to align with white nationalists. I don’t think it serves us.”

Many on the left agreed with AOC, but she also got criticism from some Democrats. Drop Site’s Ryan Grim’s post accurately represented people who disagreed with AOC’s comment:

“MTG sacrificed her political career to stand against genocide, against Trump, against the Epstein Class, and to defend the survivors of Epstein’s trafficking. If that doesn’t earn credibility I don’t know what possibly could.”

Mehdi Hasan posted this reply to Grim’s comments:

“The problem with this argument Ryan is that Liz Cheney also sacrificed her political career to stand up to Trump and took far more shit for it, from both right and left, than MTG. I can’t stand Liz Cheney and I don’t think Harris should have campaigned with her so much but I just wonder why we can’t be consistent on this stuff.”

For me, the key words in AOC’s remarks are “align with” and the key words on Grim’s post are “earn credibility.”

My position, which I have made clear on social media posts, in articles I have written, in articles written about me, and in podcasts over many years is that the single biggest weakness of the MAGA movement is that many of the factions hate each other and are selfish grifters. They also have strong fundamental disagreements with each other on some import issues. But these things were set aside in the past because their central organizing principle is idolatry of a man and mutual hatred of the libs, not a coherent or consistent set of beliefs or ideas.

The way that this movement is ultimately going to come apart is for these divisions to be amplified whenever possible, because they have a tendency to rapidly spiral out of control since the movement is also fueled by deceptive and vicious social media accounts. Trump’s departure from the scene is not necessary for the currently Republican/MAGA coalition to come apart. In fact, you could make the argument his current term has become the catalyst for the unraveling.

My view is that when Greene, Tucker Carlson, Thom Tillis, Thomas Massie, Megyn Kelly, Laura Loomer, Nick Fuentes and others rip each other, attack Trump, or Republican leadership in Congress, that is something which should be amplified. It does not mean we are making them heroes. It does not mean we agree with them about anything else other than the single point they are making. It does not mean we want to join with them. It does not mean we vouch for their character. It means that criticisms from within their own movement do more to divide them than anything any Democrat can say. And that is useful.

I continue to criticize each of these individuals on a regular basis, but I choose not to use the moments when they are ripping Trump or ripping each other as the time to swoop in and criticize them for other things. That is not the time. I prefer to let their attacks on each other stand on their own and marinate. It is not necessary for me to chime in that I don’t agree with Greene on abortion when she’s is ripping Trump on Iran. It is not necessary for me to go after Massie about J6 while he’s attacking Trump on Epstein. I go after them plenty, I just don’t go after them while they are attacking each other because I don’t really want to get in their way when they are doing that.

So, should we not “align with” people like Greene on certain issues because we don’t trust them or don’t agree with them on other issues? I guess it depends what that means. I don’t think we should praise them, share stages with them, invite them on our podcasts, or even amplify their positions on those issues unless they are making a specific criticism of Trump and/or Republican policy or actions. And even then it should be extremely rare. When they try to do it without mentioning Trump, I call them out for being afraid to say his name. When they do it while naming Trump, that is when I amplify it.

Does their criticism “earn credibility” with us as Grim argues? That also depends on what that means. What are their motives? Are they criticizing Israel’s Gaza policy simply because they are antisemitic (which is definitely the motivation for many) or because they genuinely care about the people of Gaza and are disgusted and horrified by Israel’s conduct during the war? AOC is right to be distrustful of their motives.

For me, it’s about compartmentalization. On the extremely rare occasions when a Republican openly criticizes Trump or their leadership on Epstein, Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, military spending, the national debt, J6, the ballroom, gerrymandering, disaster relief, Trump’s pardons or other issues, I will amplify their positions because I believe doing so helps our cause on that particular issue. Does that mean that I “trust” them, admire them, or want to invite them into the tent?

No, it definitely does not.

New York Times, One Big Headache for Politicians These Days: a Messy Digital Footprint, Kellen Browning, Produced by Leo Dominguez, May 10, 2026. As a new generation of chronically online oversharers runs for office, many find themselves tripped up by past statements. Their response? Delete, distance, disavow.

Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Michigan, recently found herself at the center of an increasingly common brouhaha in modern politics: She was forced to answer for a series of unfortunate tweets.

In decade-old deleted posts unearthed by CNN last week, Ms. McMorrow, 39, had expressed liberal views out-of-step with her current moderate image. Perhaps more damaging, she complained about the Midwestern weather shortly after moving from California — “I don’t like you, Michigan” — and said that “cars are dead,” striking a nerve in the heart of the American auto industry.

Ms. McMorrow’s primary opponents were quick to criticize, but she defended herself in a CNN interview, suggesting that her posts were evidence that she was a regular person who had not been carefully cultivating her public image years ago in anticipation of a future political bid.

“I am not somebody who wanted to be in office or wanted to be in Congress when I was in diapers,” she said. “I tweeted normal things, like a normal person.”

Such uproars have become so frequent that the pattern of reaction to them now feels routine.

• First: Long-ago social media posts or video clips by political candidates get exposed online, prompting a backlash from rivals.
• Second: The candidates downplay the comments and distance themselves, often insisting their views have changed.
• Third: In some cases, voters and the news media tire of the topic and move on. Or they don’t.

With a new generation of candidates who were active on X, Reddit and YouTube years before announcing political careers, it’s unsurprising that so many are seeing their past statements come back to haunt them. (It has become so common that Ms. McMorrow is not even the only Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan to deal with such a controversy: Abdul El-Sayed, 41, also faced backlash for deleted posts from 2020, in which he had described the police as “standing armies we deploy against our own people.”)

Opposition researchers have never had more content to draw from. Yet they say that voters also seem more willing than ever to forgive past unsavory viewpoints and social media misdeeds — spurred in part by President Trump, who has proved that voters can overlook outrageous statements.

Global News

New York Times, The World’s 2 Most Powerful Men Are Set to Meet Again. Here’s What to Know, Lily Kuo, May 10, 2026 (print ed.). The war in Iran, trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan are expected to be on the agenda. But expectations are modest.

President Trump and China’s leader, Xi Jinping, are scheduled to meet in Beijing next week for a high-stakes summit that could shape the next stage of rivalry between the world’s two major powers.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi are expected to discuss the war in Iran, trade, Taiwan and other points of contention during a two-day summit beginning on Thursday. Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi last met in October in South Korea, where they agreed to pause a bruising trade war in which the U.S. imposed triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing threatened to throttle the global supply of rare earths.

The visit next week could determine whether an uneasy détente that has emerged since that meeting will hold.

A lot has changed since the two leaders last met. Mr. Trump is now embroiled in a war with Iran, China’s closest partner in the Middle East, that has led to a global energy crisis and diverted U.S. military assets from Asia. The war has also depleted U.S. munitions, raising doubts among some Chinese analysts about the United States’ ability to defend Taiwan, a close partner of Washington.

Mr. Xi faces his own challenges as he grapples with slower economic growth, higher energy prices and the possibility of a global recession that would hurt China’s export-reliant economy.

New York Times: Investigation: He Offered a Lawmaker’s Aide Quick Cash. Was He Spying for China? Dustin Volz, May 10, 2026 (print ed.). A staff member on the House China Committee was promised $10,000 for U.S. policy insights, on issues like Venezuela and rare-earth minerals. The outreach appears to provide a vivid portrait of how Beijing’s spy services seek to gain access to information from within the corridors of power in Washington, DC.

When a man identifying himself as Chris Chen reached out this winter to an aide on a House committee focused on threats from China, he came armed with a lucrative offer.

The staff member, Mr. Chen proposed, could earn $10,000 or more by barely lifting a finger. All he would need to do is agree to phone calls every other week to share information about the committee’s work and U.S. foreign policy about China.

Insights into U.S. trade or national-security issues, including the Trump administration’s plans for Venezuela in the aftermath of the January military operation there, would be especially valuable, Mr. Chen said. To sweeten the pot, Mr. Chen repeatedly promised to send the aide $2,000 up front.

The offer seemed too good to be true. Instead of quietly accepting the deal, the aide, whose identity The New York Times agreed to withhold because he works on sensitive policy issues related to China, reported it to his bosses on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. The panel quickly concluded Mr. Chen was not the Singapore-based business consultant he claimed to be, but instead likely a Chinese intelligence officer or contractor seeking a new recruit.An offer of $10,000 for information

By framing the initial offer as a “trial period,” Mr. Chen dangled the expectation of a longer relationship with more payments to come, a common recruitment hook for spies.

“I would like to propose … three-month trial period lasting until the end of March. … And I will provide a total compensation of $10,000 for the three-month trial period.”

Rather than cut off contact, the committee’s Republican majority staff agreed to keep talking to Mr. Chen. They recorded a series of calls this winter to learn more about Mr. Chen’s tactics and interests.

Transcripts of those calls, which the committee shared with The Times alongside some of the recorded audio, depict a determined, at times impatient, individual eager to earn the trust of his mark and get down to business. Mr. Chen mixes holiday greetings with elaborate questions about manufacturing in Vietnam and Mexico and the future of Venezuela’s oil industry.

Beijing and Washington have been aggressively spying on one another for decades, an inevitable byproduct of the world’s two largest economies competing across the globe. But by their nature, those shadow games rarely surface such a detailed look at how either side plies its trade.

The outreach by Mr. Chen to an aide on the very committee responsible for investigating Chinese national-security threats appears to provide an unusually vivid portrait of how Beijing’s spy services seek to gain access to sensitive information from within the corridors of power in Washington.By some measures, the spying on both sides has intensified in recent months, as the bilateral relationship — which will be tested next week during a summit in Beijing between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping — has grown more strained. 

The Geo Network, Ukraine Just Hit Putin's CROWN JEWEL... He Can NEVER Replace It, Staff Report, May 9, 2026. In a devastating asymmetric blow to the Kremlin, Ukraine has just shattered the myth of Russia's "untouchable" safe zones.

Using highly advanced, long-range AI kamikaze drones, Ukrainian forces bypassed massive electronic warfare layers to strike the Shagol airbase 1,700km deep inside the Ural Mountains.

U.S. Media, Education, Culture

New York Times, What to Do About the White House Correspondents Dinner? Elisabeth Bumiller, May 10, 2026. A gunman’s attack at the April dinner has spurred more debate than usual about one of Washington’s most dissected rituals.

An hour after a gunman rushed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton last month and shut down the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, President Trump declared that it would be rescheduled within 30 days. By his calendar, an event attended by 2,570 people will be held on May 25 at the latest.

Never mind that Mr. Trump is not the host of the event. Very few think the date is realistic, at least for the kind of blowout that the dinner has become.

But as the association’s board tries to figure out the timing and type of a redo, a bigger debate than usual is swirling around one of Washington’s most dissected rituals. Critics have long called the dinner a distasteful, too-cozy fete for reporters and the powerful people they cover. Defenders say it is a celebration of the First Amendment and a fund-raiser for more than $100,000 in college journalism scholarships.

Never has it been what it became on April 25 — the site of what prosecutors say was a presidential assassination attempt and a potential mass casualty event. Current and former participants now question whether the dinner has outlived its rationale, given the heightened security concerns and the fact that on a night meant to honor journalists, Mr. Trump — who is suing multiple news organizations and routinely attacks the press — planned to “really rip” the media, as he put it, in the “most inappropriate speech ever made.’’“I would have stuck a fork in it a long time ago,” said Graydon Carter, the former editor of Vanity Fair who for eight years hosted, with Michael Bloomberg, the most exclusive of the dinner’s after-parties. “Make it smaller. Make it like a proper dinner. Whatever it was, I would go back to that. Because it’s unsustainable.’’

Susan Page, USA Today’s Washington bureau chief and a former president of the correspondents’ association who has attended every dinner since 1980, remains a supporter of the event. Still, she said, “the one thing I think is crucial is that the focus be on journalism, on the role of a free press in a democracy, and on the particular issues that White House correspondents face in covering the president.”

Nicholas Lemann, a former dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and a longtime staff writer at The New Yorker, called the televised dinner “Washington journalism as a Rotary Club meeting,” at odds with the way “we like to present ourselves, as lonely crusaders.”

“We see journalists palling around with public officials, including the competition for who sits at whose table,” he said. “Surely none of this helps reverse journalism’s falling public trust numbers.”

The association’s leadership has said little about its deliberations. The board “is having active conversations about rescheduling the event,” Weijia Jiang of CBS, the group’s president, said in a brief text message. One option favored by numerous White House correspondents is a lunch or more modest dinner, at least this year, to celebrate the award and scholarship winners.

“It’s a very complex decision that involves finances and security and all kinds of other considerations, so we are taking our time to make that decision thoughtfully,” said Trevor Hunnicutt of Reuters, a member of the association’s board.

What is not on the table is having the dinner in Mr. Trump’s planned White House ballroom, although the president has used the attack to make the case for his pet project.

“It’s much more secure — it’s drone-proof, it’s bulletproof glass — we need the ballroom,” he said at a news conference in the hours after the attack. But the ballroom faces legal challenges and will not be ready until the end of Mr. Trump’s term at the earliest. Members of the correspondents’ association would in any case view holding the event at the White House as a capitulation of its independence.

The dinner has had many permutations in its century-plus of history. It began in 1921 as a small, all-male gathering during the Harding administration. Three years later, Calvin Coolidge became the first president to attend. In the 1940s, it transitioned into a bacchanal with entertainers like Bob Hope and Sid Caesar. By the early 1980s, it had settled into more of a professional dinner, but with competition over who could nab the best political guests.

Epstein Files, Trump Team Coverup

Last Page First, Investigation: The Art of Darkness: Marina Abramović, Epstein, Podesta, and the Elite’s Obsession With Ritual, Jana, left, May 10, 2026. Ritual aesthetics, private gatherings, and the elite networks that kept resurfacing around Jeffrey Epstein. 

The photograph spread across social media like wildfire. Lady Gaga stood beside Marina Abramović at the 2013 Watermill Center Summer Benefit in New York while experimental theater director Robert Wilson appeared in the background. Within years, the image would be recaptioned across the internet as evidence of a “dark ritual on Epstein Island.”

That part was false. The photograph was taken at an art event in Water Mill, New York, not on Jeffrey Epstein’s island.

But the speed with which millions believed it could be real says something important about the woman at the center of the image, Marina Abramović.

For decades, Abramović has built a career around ritual imagery, endurance art, blood symbolism, altered states, spirituality, and psychological intensity. To her admirers, she is one of the most important performance artists alive. To her critics, she represents something darker: the aesthetic language of elite power dressed up as avant-garde art.

Then the Epstein files surfaced.

And suddenly, Abramović’s name appeared exactly where many expected it would. Not as a criminal defendant, nor as a co-conspirator, but inside the same social and intellectual circles that repeatedly orbit the Jeffrey Epstein archive.

This is an examination into Marina, of proximity, access, symbolism, and the strange overlap between elite culture and conspiracy mythology.

Who Is Marina Abramović? 

Lady Gaga, Marina Abramović, and theater director Robert Wilson during the 2013 Watermill Center Summer Benefit in Water Mill, New York.

Before the emails, before the conspiracies, and before her name became entangled with the darkest corners of the internet, Marina Abramović was simply the most famous performance artist alive.

Born in Belgrade in 1946, Marina Abramović grew up in a household shaped by contradiction. Her parents were decorated Yugoslav Partisan war heroes who later rose inside the communist government — disciplined, severe, and often emotionally distant. Much of her childhood was instead spent with her grandmother, a deeply religious woman who surrounded her with Orthodox rituals, candles, saints, superstition, and stories about spiritual forces that existed beyond the visible world.

Abramović has described her upbringing as both rigid and isolating. Her mother imposed strict rules and military structure inside the home, while her grandmother exposed her to a world of mysticism, symbolism, dreams, and ritual. Those opposing influences — control and transcendence, discipline and spirituality — would later become inseparable from her art.

Abramović became obsessed with the limits of the human body and mind: pain, endurance, fear, vulnerability, silence, altered consciousness. Emerging from the atmosphere of postwar Yugoslavia, she helped redefine what performance art could be. For more than five decades, she has used her own body as both canvas and subject, pushing herself past exhaustion, discomfort, and social taboo. Her work was never really about objects hanging on gallery walls. It was about presence, ritual, transformation, and the strange psychological space between performer and audience.

Archival photographs from early performances by Marina Abramović in the 1970s — body-centered endurance pieces involving pain, audience participation, and ritual symbolism that first established her reputation inside the avant-garde art world. | art21.org

Marina Abramović during her 1974 performance Rhythm 5, in which she constructed a large flaming star and entered its center as part of an endurance piece exploring ritual, political symbolism, altered states, and physical risk. | art21.org

In the art world, Marina Abramović’s stature is unquestioned. Major retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Guggenheim, and the Serpentine Gallery in London firmly cemented her legacy as one of the most influential performance artists of the modern era.

Her 2010 MoMA performance, The Artist Is Present, became a global phenomenon. For 736 hours, Abramović sat silently across from more than 1,500 strangers, saying nothing while holding eye contact with each person who took the chair opposite her. Many visitors broke down in tears.

One of the most unforgettable moments came when her former artistic and romantic partner, Ulay, unexpectedly appeared across from her after years of separation. The silent reunion instantly became one of the defining images of her career.

Marina Abramović reunites with former collaborator and partner Ulay during The Artist Is Present at the Museum of Modern Art in 2010. | YouTube screen grab

The two had once ended their relationship by walking from opposite sides of the Great Wall of China until they met in the middle, embraced, and said goodbye. At MoMA, Abramović broke her own rule against physical contact and reached across the table to hold his hands as both fought back tears.

1988 walk across the Great Wall of China — meeting in the middle to say goodbye after both their relationship and creative collaboration came to an end | art21.org

It was, by any measure, a feat of emotional and psychological intensity that drew celebrity attendees like James Franco and Björk — and standing ovations from the art world. 

Abramović later published her memoir, Walk Through Walls, and founded the Marina Abramović Institute, a planned “laboratory for immaterial art.” Over the years, she collaborated with figures like Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, and major luxury brands, helping push her aesthetics far beyond the boundaries of the contemporary art world.

To her devotees, Abramović’s work is spiritual, transformative, and deeply human — an attempt to use silence, endurance, pain, ritual, and vulnerability to strip away ego and force genuine connection between performer and audience. To her critics? That is where the story grows darker, and where the art world’s language of “spirituality” begins to echo in very unexpected places.

Lincoln Square Media, Commentary: Pope Leo & Trumpism | History of the Present, Brian Daitzman, above left and Christopher Hale, above right, May 10, 2026. The publisher of Letters from Leo discusses Pope Leo XIV, Catholic social teaching, Trumpism, mercy, power, and the moral crisis of American politics. Pope Leo XIV is cutting through American politics in a way Trump can’t easily attack: with moral authority, mercy, and a language beyond cruelty.

Christopher Hale believes Pope Leo XIV is breaking through in American public life because many Americans — including many who are not Catholic — are searching for a moral language that politics no longer provides.

On History of the Present, Hale, the publisher of Letters from Leo, joined Brian Daitzman, founder of The Intellectualist and host of History of the Present, for a wide-ranging conversation about Catholic social teaching, Trumpism, mercy, wealth, power, the Democratic Party, and the spiritual hunger beneath American politics.

Hale comes to the conversation from an unusual vantage point. He has spent years at the intersection of Catholic life, Democratic politics, public service, and moral argument. He ran as the Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District in 2020, and his work now focuses on the moral and political meaning of the first pope born in the United States.

Letters from Leo, Hale said, was not the product of a careful plan. It grew out of his time in Rome covering the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV for major publications. From there, he noticed something striking: American audiences, including many secular readers, were intensely interested in the new pope.

“I will say that the vast majority of my readers are secular,” Hale said. To him, that says something important about Pope Leo’s public role. His message is not only reaching practicing Catholics. It is reaching Americans looking for a moral vocabulary beyond partisan combat. A guest post byThe IntellectualistThe Intellectualist is a journalistic outlet devoted to truth-driven editorial writing. We strive to clarify complexity, confront distortion, and curate the truth from the noise.Subscribe to The Intellectualist A guest post byChristopher HaleProud Tennessean. ‘20 Democratic Nominee for US Congress. DNC Delegate. Obama-Biden White House & campaign alum. Former nonprofit exec. Pope Leo tweeted about me once.Subscribe to Christopher

Mildred Prevost died in 1990. In October, as Pope Leo XIV, her son told a Vatican synod what she had said in 1972 when he asked if women wanted equality with men, she responded “we’re already better.”

On Sunday, May 11, 2025, an estimated 100,000 pilgrims packed St. Peter’s Square. Pope Leo XIV, three days into his pontificate, stepped onto the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica for his first public Regina Caeli — the Marian prayer Catholics offer in place of the Angelus during the Easter season.

When Pope Leo XIV broke into the Regina Caeli on the loggia last May, what the world heard was an ancient Latin hymn rendered in the unmistakable phrasing of a Catholic boy whose mother took church music seriously. The voice over St. Peter’s Square — the one that drew gasps from a crowd of 100,000 — was hers.

This Mother’s Day, with the country Mildred helped build under sustained assault, the story bears retelling — this time to a much wider audience. This is the American story of a woman from Black Creole Louisiana whose son ascended to the Seat of Peter.

Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV (below left), as a young boy with his mother, Mildred Prevost, and his brothers John and Louis, standing outside Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. Long before he became shepherd to the global Church, young Robert’s journey of faith was nurtured in the heart of Chicago’s Catholic community, surrounded by family and grounded in the simple joys of faith, family, and service. A touching reminder that even the future pope once walked the ordinary paths of childhood.

May 9

Top Headlines

Shown above is Tennessee's new map for its U.S. House of Representatives district that it's Republican-led legislature rapidly enacted this month to create an all-Republican, nine-member House delegation that further gerrymanders the state to ensure that the Democratic stronghold of Memphis is divided into three parts attached to majority-White districts, as Nashville had done previously, to reduce the chance that Democratic or African-American voters would be likely to obtain representataion now that the U.S. Supreme Court voted on 6-3 Republican v. Democratic justices to void almost entirely provisions of the 1965 Civil Rights Act that Congress had renewed.

• New York Times, 10 Days That Shook the House Map and Democratic Confidence, Shane Goldmacher and Tim Balk, May 9, 2026. Republicans are charging ahead in the nation’s redistricting race, and showing new bullishness after months of growing midterm fears.

News Roundup

• The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: MAGA Erupts Over Obama's Visit to Canada, Suggests a "Coup," Evangelical Leaders Ordain Trump Statue, Oil Spill Near Iran, and More, Aaron Parnas, right, May 9, 2026. Catholic and evangelical leaders unveiled and blessed a statue of Donald Trump in South Florida, while critics condemned the imagery as idolatry. Meanwhile, MAGA Republicans are outraged after former President Obama met with Canada’s prime minister, with some online voices bizarrely suggesting it amounts to a “coup.”
• Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 8, 2026 [DC Distractions From Major News], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 9, 2026. In case you’re wondering what kind of a news day it was, President Donald J. Trump announced that the “Department of War” was releasing “Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects.” The president posted: “Have Fun and Enjoy!”

More On Iran War

• New York Times, Analysis: Iranian Propaganda vs. U.S. Talking Points: How We Determined the Real Damage to U.S. Military Bases, Aric Toler, Devon Lum, Christoph Koettl, Natalie Reneau, Aaron Byrd and Zach Caldwell, May 8, 2026 (interactive). Amid the barrage of messages and misinformation swirling online and on Capitol Hill, about what damage U.S. military sites incurred during the conflict with Iran, a Times analysis of satellite imagery shows 18 sites in seven countries were hit.
• ew York Times, Long Overlooked, Caspian Sea Provides Strategic Trade Route for Iran, Nicholas Kulish, Neil MacFarquhar and Julian E. Barnes, May 9, 2026. The landlocked body of water has taken on new significance, with Russia shipping military and commercial goods to bolster Tehran’s ability to withstand the U.S. assault.
• New York Times, Iran War Live Updates: Lasting Truce Is Elusive After Week of Traded Attacks, Staff Reporter, May 9, 2026. The United States and Iran both say that a monthlong cease-fire is holding, despite exchanging fire in recent days, but no breakthrough had been reached in negotiations.

Critiques, Spy Probes Of Trumpism, MAGA idolotry

A 22-foot effigy of Donald Trump, wrapped in gold leaf, now stands at his Doral golf course in Miami. The president boasted about it Thursday morning on Truth Social with the all-caps line: “The Real Deal — GOLD.”

• Letters From Leo, MAGA Religious Leaders Dedicate and Bless 22-Foot Golden Trump Statue at Doral, Christopher Hale (Advocate in support of Pope Leo XIV), May 9, 2026. A 22-foot, gold-leafed Trump effigy at Doral, blessed by Pastor Mark Burns and a circle of evangelical and Jewish clergy. The Catholic Church has a name for what just happened — and a duty to stop it.

Stalin Would Be Proud of Trump: Collage of the Soviet Union's dictator Joseph Stalin and America's Donald Trump (created with Artificial Intelligence by WMR).

• Wayne Madsen Report, Welcome to the new intelligence discipline of Trumpologist, Wayne Madsen, May 8, 2026. The White House is now viewed in the same manner that Cold War intelligence analysts -- "Kremlinologists" -- analyzed the Soviet leadership.
• The Bulwark, Opinion: Little Marco’s Awkward Gift to Pope Leo (w/ Katie McGrady), Jonathan V. Last, May 9, 2026. JVL is joined by SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel host Katie McGrady to break down one of the strangest diplomatic moments of the year: Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and gifting him a crystal football paperweight.

U.S. Courts, Law, Crime, Rights, Terrorism 

• Emptywheel, Analysis and Opinion: The Trump White House released the counterterrorism strategy authored by far right extremist Seb Gorka the other day, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler, right), May 8, 2026. You’ll be unsurprised that Seb, above, refuses to protect America from the far right terrorist threat, instead choosing to focus on the imaginary Antifa threat and to waste CT resources murderboating fisherman labeled as narcoterrorists.
• MS NOW, Trump’s tariffs keep losing battles in court — but he may still win the war, Ray Brescia, May 9, 2026. The U.S. Supreme Court in February struck down the Trump administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs as illegal and unconstitutional.
• The Independent, Jeffrey Epstein’s brother claims released suicide note is a ‘forgery’: report, Josh Marcus, May 8, 2026. A federal court on Wednesday released an alleged suicide note Epstein wrote in prison in 2019 before his death a month later.

More On U.S. Governance, Elections, Politics

• New York Times, How Minority Districts Fueled the G.O.P.’s Southern Ascendancy in Congress, Carl Hulse, May 9, 2026. The “majority-minority” House districts struck down by the Supreme Court last week sent a surge of Black and Hispanic lawmakers to Congress. They also opened opportunities for the G.O.P.
• New York Times, Two Court Decisions Have Unleashed an Era of Perpetual Redistricting, Reid J. Epstein and Nick Corasaniti, May 9, 2026. Four states are considering drawing new maps in the coming weeks. Another dozen or more could join the fray next year.
• Lincoln Square, How Tucker Carlson Becomes President, Rick Wilson, May 9, 2026. The New York Times piece this weekend, the one everyone in your group chat forwarded with “WTF ????”, is being read wrong. People are reacting to the spell-bound Trump stuff, the Antichrist business, the Fuentes regret-that-isn’t. All worth reacting to. 

U.S. Education, Media, Culture, High-Tech

The hosts of ABC’s “The View,” from left, Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Joy Behar, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin (ABC photo by Lou Rocco via Getty Images).

• New York Times, How ‘The View’ Landed at the Center of a Free Speech Battle, John Koblin and Jim Rutenberg, May 9, 2026. The Trump administration’s focus on the show is testament to the enduring influence of an old-fashioned broadcast TV program started 29 years ago.
• Salon, Axios accused of “market manipulation” with Iran reporting, Sophia Tesfaye, May 9, 2026. Journalist Barak Ravid draws range of criticism from Wall Street to Marjorie Taylor Greene. 
• White House Chronicle, In the Turmoil, Challenges for Graduates in the Class of ’26, Llewellyn King, May 9, 2026. Dear Graduates of 2026: There are three big forces looming on the horizon that will shape your world and that you will play a role in shaping. They are technology, specifically AI; politics, the harsher politics of today; and the environment, which is eventually everything.

Global News

Victory Day parade was held on Red Square in Moscow on 9 May and lasted less than an hour. [Victory Day is a Russian holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, celebrated on May 9, 2026.]

• Ukrainska Pravda (Ukraine Truth), Victory Day parade in Moscow passes without attacks, lasting less than an hour, Roman Petrenko, May 9, 2026. Russian leader Vladimir Putin delivered a speech lasting almost nine minutes and announced a minute's silence in memory of those killed in the war.
• Ukrainska Pravda (Ukraine Truth), Russian media count over 350,000 soldiers killed in war in Ukraine, Roman Petrenko, May 9, 2026. Russian media count over 350,000 soldiers killed in war in Ukraine Putin and soldiers. 
• Associated Press via Politico, 4 people convicted of conspiracy in US trial tied to 2021 assassination of Haiti’s president, Staff Report, May 8, 2026. The men had their own leader in mind and had hoped to enrich themselves with a new government, prosecutors argued.
• Wayne Madsen Report, Investigative Commentary:Virus threat assessments in an upside down world, Wayne Madsen, May 10, 2026. Hantavirus and deja vu back to 2020 and COVID-19.

Top Stories

Shown above is Tennessee's new map for its U.S. House of Representatives district that it's Republican-led legislature rapidly enacted this month to create an all-Republican, nine-member House delegation that further gerrymanders the state to ensure that the Democratic stronghold of Memphis is divided into three parts attached to majority-White districts, as Nashville had done previously, to reduce the chance that Democratic or African-American voters would be likely to obtain representataion now that the U.S. Supreme Court voted on 6-3 Republican v. Democratic justices to void almost entirely provisions of the 1965 Civil Rights Act that Congress had renewed.

New York Times, 10 Days That Shook the House Map and Democratic Confidence, Shane Goldmacher and Tim Balk, May 9, 2026. Republicans are charging ahead in the nation’s redistricting race, and showing new bullishness after months of growing midterm fears.

Just two weeks ago, Democrats felt increasingly emboldened about taking control of the House in November after seeming to fight the redistricting wars to a draw.

But two court rulings — one by the Supreme Court and another by Virginia’s top court — and an aggressive new push by red states to carve up congressional maps have delivered the Republican Party its biggest burst of momentum in many months.

Put bluntly, Republicans have roughly 10 more House seats that favor them than they did just 10 days ago, and Democrats are suddenly grappling with a new landscape.

“This is now clearly closer than it was just a week and a half ago,” Representative Brendan Boyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said of his party’s chances to retake the House.

Democrats are still widely seen as favored to win the House this fall. Republicans face a daunting political climate, saddled with President Trump’s sagging approval ratings, high gas prices and an unpopular war with Iran. In special elections and last year’s races for governor, Democratic enthusiasm has swamped Republican turnout.

“I was anticipating about a 15-to-20-seat pickup before the last week and a half,” Mr. Boyle said. “Now I would be anticipating a 10-to-15-seat pickup.”

That would be more than enough to wrest the majority from Republicans, who are clinging to a current edge of 217 to 212 seats. And history is not on Republicans’ side: The party in power almost always loses seats in midterm elections.

But after the latest map changes, winning the House majority will require Democrats to flip more seats in less hospitable territory.

Bullish Republicans feel they are back in the game.

“Lord grant me humility,” James Blair, the Republican strategist who is overseeing Mr. Trump’s political operation in the midterms, wrote on X on Friday after Virginia’s top court struck down a recently enacted map meant to give Democrats four extra House seats.

One of Speaker Mike Johnson’s senior political aides interrupted the middle of a meeting in Texas, where the Republican leader was on a fund-raising swing, to break the news, according to two people with knowledge of the conversation. Mr. Johnson later celebrated on the phone with Glenn Youngkin, the former Republican governor of Virginia, who had opposed the Democratic effort to redraw the state’s lines.

The last 10 days demonstrated the power and speed of the courts to shape the midterms — and the role of judges in the next phase of the redistricting battle. Recent legal actions are underway in Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana and Alabama that could still undo or block some of the potential Republican gains before the fall.

The outcome of the legislative and legal fight, which has unfolded largely beyond the control of American voters, could be highly consequential. No party has made a net gain of more than a dozen House seats in a national election since the wave of 2018.

Representative Yvette D. Clarke of New York, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in an interview that Democrats were engaged in “meetings on meetings on meetings” on Friday to figure out how to respond in Democratic-controlled states. But the party’s next steps were unclear, she said, noting that some potential paths seemed to be closed because of the election calendar.

“It’s not,” Ms. Clarke said, “a good feeling.”

News Roundup

The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: MAGA Erupts Over Obama's Visit to Canada, Suggests a "Coup," Evangelical Leaders Ordain Trump Statue, Oil Spill Near Iran, and More, Aaron Parnas, right, May 9, 2026. Catholic and evangelical leaders unveiled and blessed a statue of Donald Trump in South Florida, while critics condemned the imagery as idolatry. Meanwhile, MAGA Republicans are outraged after former President Obama met with Canada’s prime minister, with some online voices bizarrely suggesting it amounts to a “coup.”

Millions of dollars are now being wagered on prediction markets tied to the hantavirus outbreak as the infected cruise ship prepares to dock in the Canary Islands today. A large oil spill is also developing near Iran, and a Frontier Airlines flight struck a person on the runway during takeoff in Denver.

So yes, it is already an incredibly busy morning. I’m also hoping to share some major updates next week on the AI front that could affect all of us. Many of you have messaged me saying it looks like I may be shadow banned on other platforms. That happens. It is also one of the reasons I am here, because no corporation, political party, or billionaire gets to control what I say.

If you value journalism that is independent and not shaped by corporate interests, political operatives, or wealthy donors, now is the time to subscribe. Your support is what keeps this work alive and allows me to continue covering stories others will not touch.

Here’s the news:

A 22-foot bronze statue of Donald Trump, nicknamed “Don Colossus,” was unveiled on a seven-foot pedestal after being commissioned for $450,000 by cryptocurrency supporters behind the $PATRIOT memecoin. Created by Ohio sculptor Alan Cottrill and coated in gold leaf, the statue was intended to symbolize Trump’s resilience following assassination attempts. Trump joined the event by phone to thank the evangelical leaders praying over the statue. Several Christian leaders and critics condemned the display as idolatry, arguing it blurred the line between political support and religious devotion.

A Politico report says Republican donors are growing increasingly anxious over President Trump’s massive $300 million political war chest and the lack of clarity about how it will be used ahead of the midterms. Some GOP donors fear the White House is underestimating electoral risks tied to the Iran war, inflation, and rising gas prices, while others worry Trump could redirect much of the money toward personal legacy projects or positioning a 2028 successor instead of defending congressional majorities. Trump allies insist spending plans are still being developed and argue Republicans will not face a funding disadvantage. Still, several donors warned that if no clear strategy emerges by summer, panic inside donor circles could intensify.

Former President Obama visited with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Canada ahead of a keynote speech he was scheduled to give:

In response, many influential figures within MAGA called for Obama’s potential arrest and even suggested that he was launching a “coup” for visiting Canada and meeting with the Prime Minister. Mind you, Donald Trump met with world leaders when he was not in office too:

A new wave of speculation on prediction-market platforms like Polymarket has seen users wager nearly $3 million on whether hantavirus could become a pandemic this year, despite the World Health Organization stressing the risk remains low. The betting surge followed a deadly outbreak aboard a cruise ship, but public health officials emphasized the virus spreads very differently from Covid-19 and requires close contact for transmission. Experts quoted in a Mother Jones report warned that gambling on disease outbreaks reflects the growing normalization of speculative betting and may worsen gambling addiction and financial harm. Critics argue prediction markets increasingly turn public health crises into opportunities for profit and sensationalism.

Federal and Florida officials are discussing shutting down the Everglades immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” which was championed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. According to the New York Times, Homeland Security officials have concluded the facility is too expensive and ineffective, with Florida spending more than $1 million per day to operate the remote camp. Critics have long accused the center of unsafe and inhumane conditions, while state officials defended it as a temporary but necessary deterrent against unauthorized immigration. The facility has housed nearly 22,000 detainees since opening, despite ongoing legal challenges and delayed federal reimbursements to Florida.

Spanish authorities are preparing for the arrival of the cruise ship MV Hondius in the Canary Islands after a hantavirus outbreak onboard left at least three people dead and several others infected. Reuters reports that several European countries, including Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands, are sending evacuation planes to Tenerife to retrieve citizens from the cruise ship MV Hondius after a deadly hantavirus outbreak onboard.

The World Health Organization says eight people became ill and three died, prompting a coordinated international response led by Spanish authorities and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Passengers will be evacuated in stages once the ship arrives near Tenerife, while the vessel will later continue to the Netherlands for full disinfection. This is the letter released to the people of Tenerife this morning by the WHO:

The future of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary is reportedly uncertain after a series of controversial decisions under the Trump administration triggered backlash from public health experts, lawmakers, and agency staff. Critics say the FDA has become increasingly politicized, pointing to disputes over vaccines, vaping approvals, drug reviews, and reports that research on Covid and shingles vaccine safety was suppressed. Former officials and researchers warned that rapid leadership turnover, morale problems, and pressure from the White House are undermining public trust in the agency’s scientific independence. Although some conservatives defend Makary as a reformer challenging industry influence, others inside the administration reportedly see him as a political liability.

An NBC News report says Iran appears capable of withstanding the U.S. naval blockade for months, despite early Trump administration claims that Tehran’s oil infrastructure would quickly collapse. Analysts and Western officials told NBC that while the blockade has reduced Iran’s oil exports and forced production cuts, the regime can still refine much of its oil domestically and draw on reserves already stored overseas. Experts said Iran has experience managing sanctions and production slowdowns, making an immediate economic breakdown unlikely. Still, prolonged restrictions could gradually deepen inflation, strain government finances, and increase pressure on Iran’s leadership over time.

Satellite imagery has revealed a suspected massive oil spill near Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export hub, amid escalating tensions in the Gulf. Analysts reviewing the images said the slick appeared consistent with oil contamination and may cover roughly 45 square kilometers, potentially making it one of the largest spills since the start of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran. The cause of the spill remains unclear, though the area has been affected by U.S. naval blockades, military clashes, and disruptions to global oil shipping routes. Kharg Island handles about 90% of Iran’s oil exports, making any damage or environmental incident there especially significant for global energy markets.

According to NBC, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies were alarmed by President Trump’s “Project Freedom” operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, fearing it could provoke Iranian retaliation and escalate the conflict. U.S. officials told NBC that Saudi Arabia temporarily denied U.S. military aircraft access to its airspace and bases in protest, while Kuwait also reportedly restricted support until Trump abruptly paused the operation after 36 hours. Gulf leaders reportedly worried the U.S. would not defend regional infrastructure if Iran retaliated, even as Washington pushed for negotiations with Tehran.

The U.S. and Iran remain far from ending their conflict as clashes continue around the Strait of Hormuz despite a fragile ceasefire. Fighting escalated in recent days with exchanges between Iranian forces and U.S. vessels, attacks on Gulf states including the UAE, and new U.S. strikes on Iran-linked ships. At the same time, intelligence assessments reportedly suggest Iran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months, potentially weakening Washington’s leverage in negotiations.

An FCC proposal approved on April 30 would require phone companies to verify customers’ identities before activating service, including collecting government ID, legal name, address, and existing phone numbers. The agency says the measure is aimed at stopping illegal robocalls and preventing bad actors from exploiting weak telecom oversight. Critics argue the plan would effectively end anonymous or semi-anonymous phone use in the US, raising major privacy concerns for journalists, whistleblowers, activists, and domestic violence survivors who rely on prepaid phones for protection. The proposal could also require carriers to retain customer identity records for years and potentially check users against law-enforcement watchlists.

Russia held its smallest Victory Day parade in years amid fears that Ukraine could target the event with drone or missile strikes. President Donald Trump announced a temporary U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire beginning Friday, giving Russian President Vladimir Putin the opportunity to proceed with the annual military display in Moscow. Despite the ceasefire, the scaled-back ceremony reflected growing security concerns and the continuing strain of the war on Russia’s public events and military posture.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mocked Vladimir Putin by issuing a tongue-in-cheek decree temporarily exempting Moscow’s Red Square from potential Ukrainian strikes during Russia’s May 9 Victory Day parade “for humanitarian purposes.”

A Louisiana pastor, Terry Reed, was convicted of sexually abusing two teenage boys, marking his third conviction involving minors over nearly three decades. Prosecutors said he used religion and scripture to manipulate vulnerable teens who had moved into his home. Reed had previously pleaded guilty to similar offenses in 1997 and 2017 but received probation in those cases. He now faces the possibility of decades in prison after being found guilty on multiple rape and molestation charges.

A Utah judge ruled that cameras will be allowed in court during proceedings against Tyler James Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year. Robinson’s attorneys argued extensive media coverage could prejudice potential jurors and undermine his right to a fair trial, but the judge rejected the request to limit press access. Prosecutors say Robinson fatally shot Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University and later surrendered after a statewide manhunt. Robinson faces aggravated murder charges and could receive the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.

According to The Guardian, the Trump administration is rolling back hunting restrictions across dozens of national parks, refuges, and wilderness areas after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, right, ordered agencies to expand hunting and fishing access on federally managed lands. Changes under consideration or already implemented include allowing hunting dogs, extending hunting seasons, permitting alligator hunting in some protected areas, and easing rules on retrieving and cleaning game. Supporters argue the moves protect outdoor traditions and support conservation funding, while critics warn they could endanger visitors, disrupt wildlife management, and weaken longstanding park protections. Former park officials say the administration is bypassing established scientific and public-review processes in favor of broader deregulation.

Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 8, 2026 [DC Distractions From Major News], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 9, 2026. In case you’re wondering what kind of a news day it was, President Donald J. Trump announced that the “Department of War” was releasing “Government files related to Alien and Extraterrestrial Life, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, and Unidentified Flying Objects.” The president posted: “Have Fun and Enjoy!”

It’s hard to see the release of this information at this moment as anything more than a distraction from the many stories in the news that show the administration in an unflattering light.

The biggest of those stories was not that Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy took his family on a seven-month road trip to film a television series called The Great American Road Trip while he was supposed to be doing his job as secretary of transportation, or that he told Fox & Friends this morning that “it fits any budget to do a road trip” on a day when the national average for a gallon of gas was $4.54.

It was not the story, written by David A. Fahrenthold and Luke Broadwater and published in the New York Times, that Trump gave a no-bid $6.9 million contract to reseal the joints, waterproof, and paint bright blue the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Such contracts are supposed to be reviewed and put out for bids, but Trump ignored the review process and used an exemption designed to prevent “serious injury, financial or other, to the government” to award a no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which has never before won a federal contract but which had worked at one of his golf clubs, because he wanted the work done before the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.

The contract is for more than triple the $1.8 million Trump promised, and officials say the repairs will last for seven to ten years, rather than the 50 years Trump claimed. Even that might be generous: One expert warned that the motorcade the president took onto the pool yesterday to review the project was heavy enough to have sprung the newly-repaired joints between the concrete slabs that make up the pool bed.

It was not the story by economist Justin Wolfers in the New York Times explaining that the Defense Department’s claim that the war on Iran has cost taxpayers $25 billion tallies only the price of the 2,000 spent Tomahawk and Patriot missiles, the airplanes lost, and the other matériel used. It does not measure the lives lost, the disruption in global oil markets, companies shut down (like Spirit Airlines), heightened geopolitical tensions, higher interest rates, lower stock prices, lower economic growth, Iran’s new ability to charge tolls in the Strait of Hormuz to fund its nuclear ambitions, and the new need for countries to increase military spending. Wolfers notes that the Iraq war cost about $3 trillion and estimates the Iran war “will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, and very possibly trillions.”

In any case, Jonathan Lemire of The Atlantic reported today that Trump is “bored” with the war and wants to move on. Five of Trump’s aides and advisors told Lemire that Trump is convinced he can sell any agreement as a win, but so far Iran is unwilling to bail Trump out of the war he started.

It was not the story in the Washington Post by Brianna Sacks and Kevin Crowe reporting that under Trump, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which helps people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, has been denying aid to states that have Democratic-led governments while speeding it to Republican-dominated states.

It was not the story by Mark Olalde of ProPublica reporting that the Trump administration has granted a two-year pause on compliance with the Clean Air Act to more than 180 facilities, like coal power plants and medical sterilizers, that are polluting in 38 states and Puerto Rico. The administration sidelined the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by using a presidential exemption that can be tapped “if the technology to implement the standard is not available and it is in the national security interests of the United States to do so.”

This authority has never been used before, and other utilities say they are using the pollution controls the administration claims don’t exist. Trump has also invoked the national security justification for the pauses, claiming that the U.S. is in a national energy emergency out of concern that emerging industries, like AI and the data centers on which AI relies will not be able to get the huge amounts of energy they need. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Olalde: “The President has provided regulatory relief from certain burdensome Clean Air Act requirements due to national security concerns that critical industries would no longer be able to operate under such stringent standards.”

Democratic senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Adam Schiff of California have introduced a bill requiring the president to get Congress’s approval for such pauses in the future. Whitehouse noted that Trump’s exemptions show a willingness to “abuse every loophole available to pollute for free, damn the health consequences for Americans.”

It was not the story that the Court of International Trade in New York found Trump’s 10% global tariffs, imposed after the Supreme Court declared his “Liberation Day” tariffs of April 2025 unconstitutional, to be illegal. Trump is expected to appeal. Yesterday, he threatened to impose “much higher” tariffs on the European Union if it does not approve a trade agreement with the U.S. by July 4.

The biggest story of the day was not even the dedication of the 22-foot gold statue of Trump installed at his golf course in Miami. Marth McHardy of the Daily Beast reported that a group of crypto investors paid for the $450,000 statue as part of a promotional push for their new memecoin.

No, the biggest story of the day was that after voters in Virginia turned out in record numbers to approve a new temporary congressional district map on April 21 to garner four more seats for Democrats, the Virginia state supreme court struck down the referendum. Virginia voters had agreed to the change in order to counter gerrymandering imposed by Republican legislators in Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, North Carolina, and Florida that is expected to gain them an additional 14 seats across the country. (Following last week’s Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court decision, Republicans are hoping to change the lines in Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina to take four more.) So far, voters in California have agreed to a temporary redistricting of California to pick up four seats there.

The court split on partisan lines, saying the process of passing the referendum violated the state’s constitution. With Trump’s job approval ratings in the low 30s, anger at rising prices, frustration at the war on Iran, dislike of the administration’s attacks on immigrants, and growing outrage at the extraordinary corruption of the administration, Republicans were so worried they would lose control of the House of Representatives in the November midterm elections that they began the gerrymandering wars. Now those wars have turned in their favor.

“Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia,” Trump gloated on social media. “The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

In the end, the UFO files red herring from today’s news dump didn’t appear to work. Former representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) called the UFO files a distraction from the Iran war and said: “Unless they roll out live aliens and test demo UFOs or actually admit what we know this really is then I have way better things to do on this Friday.” The chair of the Michigan Democratic Party also commented: “If any aliens had flown over Epstein Island, you could be damn sure Trump would keep their secret. Whether aliens are out there or not, I’m more concerned about the American people here on Earth struggling to pay for food [and] rent.”

And Democrats certainly didn’t miss the Virginia decision. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top-ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, posted: “Today, in an outrageous outburst of right-wing judicial activism following the Roberts Court’s Callais decision, the Virginia Supreme Court has struck down the will of the voters. But democracy won’t end with right-wingers in black robes. Now is the time to campaign like never before for strong democracy, freedom and progress. The American people will have the final say in November. Organize!”

More On Iran War

New York Times, Analysis: Iranian Propaganda vs. U.S. Talking Points: How We Determined the Real Damage to U.S. Military Bases, Aric Toler, Devon Lum, Christoph Koettl, Natalie Reneau, Aaron Byrd and Zach Caldwell, May 8, 2026 (interactive). Amid the barrage of messages and misinformation swirling online and on Capitol Hill, about what damage U.S. military sites incurred during the conflict with Iran, a Times analysis of satellite imagery shows 18 sites in seven countries were hit.

Introduction: So in the early days of the war between the U.S., Israel and Iran, my colleagues and I started seeing a lot of these videos that were filmed on U.S. military bases and also foreign bases, where the U.S. operates in the Gulf and the Middle East. And they showed a number of Iranian, usually drone strikes, on key infrastructure.

And then not too long after that, we started seeing a stream of Iranian satellite imagery that came out of Iranian state media that were then filtering down through social media. And these images claim to show very massive swaths of destruction at these bases that the U.S. operates out of.

And normally, what we would do is we would hit these up against American satellite imagery. But the U.S. government requested for American satellite companies to restrict the release of this imagery in the Middle East and the Gulf — not even restrict it, but even to retroactively remove images going back to early March.

And also, U.S. officials weren’t talking a whole lot about specific attacks on these U.S. bases. “I mean, the best defense is a good offense.” And when they did speak, they said the air defenses were working as designed. “Our air defenders are operating at the very top of their game. I couldn’t be prouder.”

We wanted to cut through the allegations and the talking points and understand the reality of the damage. And so we couldn’t just take this Iranian satellite imagery on face value. We had to actually verify it, cross-reference it and all that.

So what we did was we collected all these images that the Iranians released. These are dozens and dozens of images from quite a few different countries. And then we looked at European satellite companies, which did not have similar restrictions on the release of imagery. So this, for example, is in Saudi Arabia. This is the Prince Sultan Air Base where the U.S. operates out of. And here’s the Iranian image, right here, where you see there’s 12 buildings right here in the “before.” And then you see about four or five of them have been destroyed in the “after” image. And then we take the exact same location in this imagery from a European provider. And it’s identical, right? I mean, you look at it’s the exact same buildings destroyed, the same pattern, same location.

We did this across the board. We did this with dozens of images. We didn’t find even one of them that was fake. Overall, we found that Iran and Iranian-backed militias had attacked 18 different military sites in seven different countries that the U.S. operates out of.

Other news organizations have reported similar amounts of damage, but we found that in addition to large U.S. bases in the region, even sites where the U.S. had small or temporary presence were struck. U.S. Central Command declined to comment on our findings. This is the widest-ranging attack on U.S. military sites in the region ever. Some of these Iranian strikes killed American service members.

New York Times, Long Overlooked, Caspian Sea Provides Strategic Trade Route for Iran, Nicholas Kulish, Neil MacFarquhar and Julian E. Barnes, May 9, 2026. The landlocked body of water has taken on new significance, with Russia shipping military and commercial goods to bolster Tehran’s ability to withstand the U.S. assault.

Bright orange flashes and a roiling funnel of black smoke filled the air as Israeli fighter jets struck Iran’s naval command center at the port of Bandar Anzali. Israel said it also destroyed several Iranian navy vessels and called the strike “one of the most significant” it had conducted during combat operations against Iran.

Yet the attack in March, captured in footage released by Israel’s military, happened not on the strategically critical Persian Gulf, but on the Caspian Sea, a huge body of water hundreds of miles north. Routinely overlooked, the Caspian has taken on new significance as a trade route linking Russia and Iran.

For two allies that have been embroiled in wars and facing more Western sanctions than any other country, the waterway provides a passageway for both overt and covert trade — shipments that have helped Iran persist as an adversary to the United States despite overwhelming American military superiority.

Russia is shipping drone components to Iran via the Caspian Sea, U.S. officials say, helping Iran rebuild its offensive abilities after losing roughly 60 percent of its drone arsenal during recent fighting. The officials spoke anonymously to divulge private military assessments.

Russia also provides goods that would typically pass through the Strait of Hormuz, now blockaded by the U.S. Navy, as part of global trade.ImageA yellow taxi cab in Tehran passes in front of a billboard showing the Strait of Hormuz passing over President Donald Trump’s mouth.A billboard depicting the closed Strait of Hormuz over President Trump’s mouth in Tehran this month. The strait’s closing has made Iran rely on the Caspian Sea as an alternate trade route.Credit...Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times

Iranian officials have said that efforts to open alternative trade routes are progressing rapidly, with four Iranian ports along the Caspian working around the clock to bring in wheat, corn, animal feed, sunflower oil and other supplies. Mohammad Reza Mortazavi, the head of the Association of Iran’s Food Industries, told the state broadcaster IRIB that Iran is actively rerouting essential food imports through the Caspian.

Russian trade officials and port statistics also indicate a swift increase in Caspian shipping in recent months. Two million tons of Russian wheat that used to be shipped to Iran annually through the Black Sea — now under threat of Ukrainian attacks — is going via the Caspian, said Vitaly Chernov, the head of analytics for the PortNews Media Group, which tracks Russia’s maritime industry. “Against the backdrop of instability in the Middle East, Caspian routes to Iran look much more attractive,” he said.

Alexander Sharov, the head of RusIranExpo, which helps Russian exporters find Iranian buyers, estimated in an interview that cargo tonnage across the Caspian could double this year. Although Western sanctions made some major companies hesitant to ship through the Caspian, the Hormuz crisis might help overcome that, he added.The map locates the Caspian Sea, linking Iran and Russia. It also shows the Russian port city of Olya, and the Iranian city of Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea.

Bigger than Japan, the Caspian is considered the largest lake in the world. Much of the trade passing through it is opaque. It has proved difficult to monitor from afar, not least because ships plying the route between Russian and Iranian ports habitually turn off the transponders that allow for satellite tracking, according to maritime tracking groups. Unlike the Persian Gulf, the United States cannot interdict ships on the Caspian because only the five bordering nations have access.

“If you’re thinking about the ideal place for sanction evasion and military transfers, it’s the Caspian,” said Nicole Grajewski, a professor specializing in Iran and Russia at Sciences Po in Paris.

While both Russia and Iran are public about trade in commodities like wheat, trade in weapons systems is a different issue.

Drone shipments show the close defense partnership between Moscow and Tehran. While it is unlikely the Russian parts play a decisive role in Iran’s war with the United States and Israel, they help bolster Tehran’s drone arsenal. If the shipments continue, they will help Iran to quickly rebuild that arsenal, the U.S. officials said.

The trade flowed in both directions in years past, the officials said, with Iran shipping drones to Russia for use in Ukraine even as Russia sent parts to Iran. The need for supplies from Iran diminished after July 2023 however, when Russia, under license from Iran, began producing its own model of the Shahed drone at a factory in Tatarstan.

New York Times, Iran War Live Updates: Lasting Truce Is Elusive After Week of Traded Attacks, Staff Reporter, May 9, 2026. The United States and Iran both say that a monthlong cease-fire is holding, despite exchanging fire in recent days, but no breakthrough had been reached in negotiations.

Here’s the latest.

The United States and Iran had yet to reach a breakthrough on Saturday in negotiations to end more than two months of war in the Middle East, after a week of violent attacks across the Persian Gulf strained the truce.

Both sides have said that the monthlong cease-fire was holding, despite exchanging fire in recent days. They appeared to be little closer to agreeing to terms for a durable peace, leaving the region in an uneasy limbo.

On Friday, the U.S. military said that it had fired on two Iranian-flagged oil tankers, disabling them as they tried to reach an Iranian port. Hours later, when asked about the status of negotiations, President Trump said he was expecting to hear from the Iranians later that day. As of Saturday morning, it was unclear whether that had happened.

Iranian officials have said that the United States has put forward a proposal to bring an end to the fighting; lift the U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports; and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a transit route for oil and gas in the Persian Gulf. Iran has effectively closed the waterway since the war began, rattling global energy markets.

The U.S. proposal would also guarantee that the cease-fire continued for another 30 days to allow for broader negotiations. The talks to end the war have been fraught, with the United States demanding major restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program that Tehran has been loath to accept.

Earlier this week, the United Arab Emirates said it had faced repeated waves of Iranian rockets and drones, the first such attacks on the country since the truce took effect last month. U.S. officials said American forces had attacked “Iranian military facilities” along the Iranian coast in the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. ships came under fire.

Here’s what else we’re covering:

• Strait of Hormuz: Britain said on Saturday that its Navy was deploying a destroyer ship to the Middle East, in what it described as “pre-positioning” for a future mission to secure the strait. Britain and France have said they were planning a “multinational coalition” to ensure safe passage in the strait once the conflict ends, but there has been little detail of what that would entail.
• Oil Slick: Satellite images show a large oil slick spreading in the Gulf, off Kharg Island, Iran’s primary crude oil export terminal. The exact cause of the spill was unclear. Iranian oil and gas infrastructure has been under strain because of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, imposed in retaliation for Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz. Read more ›
• Lebanon: On Saturday, the Israeli military said it had struck about 85 sites in Lebanon over the past 24 hours aimed at Hezbollah. Israel also killed a senior Hezbollah military commander near Beirut earlier this week — the first strike near the capital since a U.S.-backed truce with Israel went into effect last month.

Critiques, Spy Probes Of Trumpism, MAGA idolotry

A 22-foot effigy of Donald Trump, wrapped in gold leaf, now stands at his Doral golf course in Miami. The president boasted about it Thursday morning on Truth Social with the all-caps line: “The Real Deal — GOLD.”

Letters From Leo, MAGA Religious Leaders Dedicate and Bless 22-Foot Golden Trump Statue at Doral, Christopher Hale (Advocate in support of Pope Leo XIV), May 9, 2026. A 22-foot, gold-leafed Trump effigy at Doral, blessed by Pastor Mark Burns and a circle of evangelical and Jewish clergy. The Catholic Church has a name for what just happened — and a duty to stop it.

Before the unveiling, the figure was blessed.

Pastor Mark Burns — Trump’s longtime spiritual adviser and a candidate for Congress in South Carolina’s 3rd District — assembled a circle of evangelical and Jewish clergy at the foot of the gilded statue and consecrated it.

What happened at Doral is not unusual; in fact, it is ancient — the modern American repetition of the oldest act of unfaithfulness recorded in scripture. The Catholic Church has spent two thousand years explaining exactly why a ceremony like the one Pastor Burns staged is a sin against the living God, and the moral content of the act is older than any of the men who participated in it.In the thirty-second chapter of Exodus, while Moses was on Sinai receiving the law, Aaron took the people’s gold, cast it into the form of a calf, and presented it for worship.

“These are your gods, O Israel,” the people cried, “who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” Moses came down, smashed the tablets, ground the idol to powder, and forced the people to drink it.The first commandment that followed was unambiguous: “You shall not make for yourself an idol.”

Catholic teaching has never softened the prohibition. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2113, says it plainly: “Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God.”

The teaching is not exotic. Catholic schoolchildren can recite the first commandment, and every weekday Mass opens with the recognition of one God. The cult of personality unfolding in American politics — culminating in a 22-foot gilt effigy at a billionaire’s golf resort — is the doctrine of that Mass turned inside out, performed in front of cameras by clergy who should have known better.

What Pastor Burns and the men with him staged is a clinical example of the Catechism’s warning. A creature — a 79-year-old American politician, however powerful — was honored in the place of God.I keep thinking about what Pope Leo XIV said in Cameroon this April. Standing in St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, he warned of “a handful of tyrants” ravaging the world — and delivered a sentence the men at Doral should have read before they raised their hands: “But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”

That is what occurred at Doral. The sacred was dragged into filth. A Christian pastor bent religion into the service of a man who calls his own gilded image “the real deal,” and the clergy who should have refused stood beside him while he did it.There is a word for the act in the Hebrew Bible, and the Catechism describes it in painstaking detail. Pope Leo XIV repeated the warning from Cameroon last month, in case anyone in the American Church had forgotten.This is the moment the Catholic Church in America must decide what it is for.

A faith that cannot say no to a golden calf is not Catholic. The Church that watches a man receive the worship reserved for God — and offers no rebuke — has chosen its side. American Christianity, in the year of our Lord 2026, is being tested in the same way the people of Israel were tested at the foot of Sinai.The American bishops cannot meet this moment without action. Evangelical leaders who have not yet bent the knee owe their congregations more than another sermon about civility. The lay faithful — Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, and people of goodwill — must do what the Church has always done in the presence of an idol: refuse to bow.

That refusal is the only response the Gospel permits. Idols are not toppled by argument. The collapse always begins with the people whose silence had been their foundation choosing, finally, to walk away — and that is the decision now in front of every Christian who watched a pastor lift his hand at Doral.Pope Leo XIV has shown the American Church the path forward — naming the tyrant in Cameroon, warning the world against those who manipulate God’s name, calling the faithful across denominations and continents into a movement of resistance to the worship of power. The hour now belongs to those of us who claim to follow him.

At Letters from Leo, we stand with the Catholics, Jews, Protestants, and people of goodwill who refuse to bow before any gilded man. The first commandment is also the first commitment of this movement — to refuse idols of every kind, especially those wrapped in gold leaf and blessed in the name of God.

The Church does not exist to provide moral cover for politicians. Its purpose is to proclaim the one God, to feed the poor, to welcome the stranger, and to reject every effort to enthrone power in the seat reserved for the Almighty. Letters from Leo exists to defend that mission against a movement, dressed in religious language, that has decided the ancient prohibitions no longer apply to the man it has chosen to worship.

This is the fastest-growing Catholic community in America because readers are hungry for a faith that means something — a Gospel that names the golden calf and refuses to soften the word “idolatry” because the man at the center of it happens to wear a red tie.

What they want from us is courage: clergy and laypeople willing to stand against this godless movement, and a Church confident enough in Christ to refuse to negotiate with it.If you believe this movement matters — Catholics and people of goodwill standing for the living God against the cult of the golden man — I am asking you to join us.

Stalin Would Be Proud of Trump: Collage of the Soviet Union's dictator Joseph Stalin and America's Donald Trump (created with Artificial Intelligence by WMR).

Wayne Madsen Report, Welcome to the new intelligence discipline of Trumpologist, Wayne Madsen, left, May 8, 2026. The White House is now viewed in the same manner that Cold War intelligence analysts -- "Kremlinologists" -- analyzed the Soviet leadership.

Around the world, intelligence personnel for over a hundred nations clock into work every day with the same task. They peruse classified intelligence summaries, deep cover agents’ encrypted email and text messages, intelligence reports from allied intelligence agencies, and news reports for the latest analyses of Donald Trump’s policies, rhetoric, and decision-making processes. These intelligence experts, who have been informally dubbed “Trumpologists,” focus on understanding the U.S. administration’s unpredictable approach to international relations, much as Kremlinologists once parsed Soviet behavior and continue to do so as Vladimir Putin descends into paranoia.

The risks are very much the same. Trump, who has demonstrated his dementia on several occasions, has his finger on the button for 3,700 nuclear warheads. His increasing insanity has every nation in the world on edge. The health of a series of Soviet and Russian leaders – from Joseph Stalin and Nikita Khrushchev through Leonid Brezhnev and his successors to Boris Yeltsin, guaranteed full employment for Kremlinologists. With the exception of Khrushchev and Gorbachev, who were ousted in Kremlin palace coups, the remainder all died in office of natural causes. Similarly, Trumpologists are in high demand by their governments for every detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant, about Trump’s mental and physical health. Trumpologists also focus on those surrounding Trump who are actually calling the shots on U.S. policies and the ebb and flow of their influence over the Oval Office.

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One can imagine that foreign intelligence services, friendly, hostile, and neutral, are tasking their medical intelligence units to try and capture any usable specimens of Trump’s saliva, hair, urine, or feces to determine what actual maladies he is suffering from, drugs being taken, and the chances that any medical condition could, in near term, prove fatal. These specimens are usually collected during international travel or through infiltration of his inner circle. Foreign leaders and celebrities on top ...

Trumpology for the world’s intelligence agencies is more of an art form than an academic discipline and that is what largely separates Trumpology from Kremlinology. Trumpologists, in addition to relying on classified intelligence reports, must rely on behavioral analysts, diplomats who specialize in foreign policy patterns in view of an extremely opaque U.S. State Department, and his interactions with social media and television networks that provide insights into Trump’s personalized, improvisational, and media‑driven decision-making process.

Foreign nations—especially China, Russia, and U.S. allies—face a strategic problem: Trump’s foreign policy style is cult of personality-driven, transactional, and less institutionally predictable than traditional U.S. policy. This forces intelligence personnel from Beijing and Tokyo and Ottawa to Berlin to analyze Trump’s his personal priorities (e.g., loyalty, legal and illegal dealmaking, and public praise), his media consumption patterns, his reactions to flattery (including the bestowing of gifts) or confrontation, his reliance on a small, shifting circle of advisers, and his willingness to break with long‑standing U.S. positions (e.g., NATO, tariffs).

The current inference of White House policy from opaque signals resembles classic Kremlinology but with a significant difference. Kremlinologists carefully examined Politburo seating charts, May Day parade lineups, and obscure newspaper editorials to infer power struggles. The United States is not there, yet. Trump’s fascination for military parades, Oval Office media events, and attempts – many of them successful – to restrict the press places the United States on a path to a Soviet-style dictatorship.

Trump provides intelligence analysts focusing on him and his administration a wealth of indicative clues. These include his unpredictable decision cycles, frequent reversals, policy announcements via social media, personalized diplomacy (e.g., leader‑to‑leader calls, summit theatrics), and weak alignment between Cabinet departments and agencies and presidential impulses. Unlike the closed Soviet hierarchy, Trump provides intelligence agencies with an individual subject to irrational impulses, amnesia, aphasia, and, according to those who have been physically near him, uncontrollable bowel and bladder discharges.

Foreign intelligence agencies have adapted to the Trump phenomenon by creating specialized Trump‑analysis units. These are either formal units that also include psychologists, psychiatrists, neuro-linguistic specialists or ad hoc elements within their “USA” offices or branches.

Intelligence services in Europe, the Americas, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific have developed dedicated teams to track Trump’s statements, advisers, and media influences. These ad hoc teams and dedicated units are navigating their nations through Trump’s revived great‑power rivalry framework and his unpredictable diplomacy

The intelligence services of Russia, China, North Korea, Israel, and the Gulf monarchies have urged their leaders to use personalized charm offensives targeting Trump because they believe he responds strongly to personal rapport. And with that rapport comes Trump’s support for interests that are far from those of the United States.

Foreign intelligence analysts also track which advisers have Trump’s ear at any given moment, because policy can shift dramatically depending on whether the “nationalist,” “transactional,” or “traditional GOP” faction is ascendant. With Trump’s personal imprimatur on the Republican Party, the “traditional GOP” is on the road to political extinction.

Trump’s willingness to threaten NATO withdrawal, invade Greenland and annex Canada, impose tariffs, or reverse long‑standing positions forces foreign governments to model scenario volatility. This even involves NATO/Allied war-gaming in which the U.S. is either neutral or, more unthinkably, hostile.

Former U.S. allies such as Canada, South Korea, Germany, France, Australia, Britain, Spain, and several others are not only recalibrating their defense postures to craft a new version of NATO with strong European Union involvement, but are closely monitoring the Trump administration for any useful intelligence that would prompt the democratic nations of the world to speed up a new mutual defense arrangement based on additional shocks from Trump and his cabal of close associates.

Ironically, it was the CIA that once ran an operation to psychologically analyze unpredictable foreign leaders, including Fidel Castro, Muammar Qaddafi, Sadaam Hussein, and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Foreign intelligence agencies now place Trump in the same category that the CIA used for erratic and even psychotic foreign dictators.

Prior to the creation of the CIA, the most famous psychological profile of a megalomaniac and narcissist was “A Psychological Analysis of Adolph Hitler,” commissioned in 1943 by Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Director William “Wild Bill” Donovan. It was authored by psychoanalyst Walter C. Langer and Harvard psychologist Dr. Henry Murray and diagnosed Hitler with “counteractive narcissism,” noting he was driven by intense feelings of inferiority and a pathological need for revenge. This assessment uncannily matches current psychological profiles of Trump. But that is where the similarities end. The OSS report concluded that based on his inability to accept defeat, Hitler, rather than be captured, would commit suicide. That occurred two years later. Trump’s extreme narcissism, coupled with his King Midas-like desire to accumulate more gold and wealth, is what separates him from Hitler. Opinion | Yes, it's okay to compare ...

OSS and MI-6 profiles of Mussolini were also similar to those compiled on Trump. Wartime psychological profilers viewed Mussolini as a “classic narcissist” whose public bravado masked a desperate need for approval from Hitler. This compares favorably with Trump’s desire for praise from Putin. Allied intelligence largely concluded that Emperor Hirohito was a shy and conflicted man who was often manipulated by his military advisors, including the war criminal Hideki Tojo. This specific profile led to the decision to retain Hirohito as a figurehead after the war to ensure social stability during the American occupation, rather than trying him as a war criminal. Should Trump and his senior officials ever end up in the dock in The Hague, they will not be as lucky. Their psychological profiles are as cruel and venal as the German war criminals tried in Nuremburg.

After the war, the CIA tracked and analyzed mercurial dictators using a multidisciplinary approach called “Leadership Analysis at a Distance.” Established formally in the early 1970s by psychiatrist Dr. Jerrold Post, the Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior was designed to predict the behavior of “irrational” or unpredictable leaders during crises. Those very same CIA tactics are now being employed to monitor Trump by such formerly friendly intelligence services as the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS), UK Secret Intelligence Service (SIS)/MI6, Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Danish Defence Intelligence Service (FE), Netherlands General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN), and others. External Security .

Of course, the intelligence services of Russia, China, Israel, North Korea, Iran, and other longtime hostile services have continued business as usual regarding the United States because the Oval Office has always been in their intelligence target sights. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) operates a Department of Psychology that is heavily involved in “special influence” operations, including those designed to use social media to trigger Trump, officials of his administration, campaign donors like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, and the “MAGA” political base. Chinese psychological profile analysis is more nuanced. The Ministry of State Security (MSS) prioritizes “Cognitive Domain Operations” (CDO)—a high-tech, data-driven effort to predict and influence the behavior of both leaders like Trump and entire societies, i.e., the general U.S. population, likely voters, and Trump’s core base. The massive datasets held by the MSS—often including stolen Personal Identifiable Information (PII)—is used to build granular profiles of foreign officials. This allows Chinese intelligence to identify individual “psychological vulnerabilities” like financial stress, health fears, or family grievances for targeted recruitment or influence. The Trump family and business associates provide the MSS with an extremely rich field for espionage exploitation. Chinese intelligence is also increasingly relying on AI-driven cognitive modeling to simulate adversary decision-making in real-time, aiming to “subdue the enemy without fighting” by manipulating their perception of reality. As the U.S. slips from super-power status, Chinese AI perception reality campaigns are being particularly directed at Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, and the greater Asia-Pacific region.

Formerly friendly foreign services monitoring Trump’s psychological and medical condition include the French DGSE’s specialized psychological division that supports its Action Division and clandestine collectors; the British MI-6’s Directorate of Analysis and Production (DAP), which relies on targeting teams that focus on “Leadership Analysis” to provide the British government with assessments of foreign figures, especially Trump; the German BND employs psychological profiling of foreign leaders like Trump through its Department 3 (Analysis and Interpretation).

In addition, a “special department” within MI6 has historically collaborated with medical specialists to analyze biological samples—such as intercepted urine or excrement—to determine the true physical and mental health of leaders like Nicolae Ceaușescu and Leonid Brezhnev. Those efforts are currently directed at Trump, Putin, Kim Jong Un, Argentina’s Javier Milei (after Trump gave him a green light to assert control over the Falkland Islands), and Binyamin Netanyahu. MI6 spy agency launches dark web portal ...

The United States is a stumbling superpower that is on the road to second power status. Trump’s arsenal of dangerous weapons, including nuclear ICBMS, has the world’s psychological profiling units, working in classified intelligence environments, directing most of their resources at Trump. Global opinion polls show that Trump is currently viewed as the most dangerous and hated person on the planet. With some exceptions, he’s viewed as not being that much different than Hitler or Putin.

The Bulwark, Opinion: Little Marco’s Awkward Gift to Pope Leo (w/ Katie McGrady), Jonathan V. Last, May 9, 2026. JVL is joined by SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel host Katie McGrady to break down one of the strangest diplomatic moments of the year: Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and gifting him a crystal football paperweight.

They unpack the awkward exchange, why the Trump administration seems uneasy with the first American pope, and how previous presidents and diplomats handled papal gifts with a lot more thought.

U.S. Courts, Law, Crime, Rights, Terrorism

Emptywheel, Analysis and Opinion: The Trump White House released the counterterrorism strategy authored by far right extremist Seb Gorka the other day, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler, right), May 8, 2026. You’ll be unsurprised that Seb, above, refuses to protect America from the far right terrorist threat, instead choosing to focus on the imaginary Antifa threat and to waste CT resources murderboating fisherman labeled as narcoterrorists.

Currently we face three major types of terror groups:

Narcoterrorists and Transnational Gangs Legacy Islamist Terrorists Violent Left-Wing Extremists, including Anarchists and Anti-Fascists

Aside from sheer dangerousness, Seb’s exclusion of far right terrorists is especially curious given that DOJ just invoked the CIPA process (reflecting the existence of classified evidence, and by extension a foreign nexus) in the case of white supremacist Payton Gendron who, in 2022, murdered 11 people in Buffalo. (h/t Courtwatch and this post)

Seb won’t protect Americans from terrorists whose ideology he significantly shares.

That illogical stance looks even more insane when you turn to his scolding of Europe.

The nations of Europe remain our preeminent and long-term counterterrorism partners. The world is safer when Europe is strong, but Europe is greatly threatened and is both a terror target and an incubator of terror threats.

Terrorists often seek to attack European nations to undermine their democratic institutions and their ties to the United States. Yet, a conglomerate of nefarious actors – al Qaeda, ISIS, cartels, and state actors – have freely exploited Europe’s weak borders and diminished CT resources to turn Europe into a permissive operating environment for plotting against Europeans and Americans. It is unacceptable that wealthy NATO allies can serve as financial, logistical, and recruitment hubs for terrorists. Europe still has an opportunity to change its individual and collective counterterrorism destiny if it recognizes the actual threat and takes action now.

Unfettered mass migration has been the transmission belt for terrorists. Europe can be strong again if it rediscovers traditional principles of freedom of speech, has honest conversations about Islamism, devotes sufficient resources to mitigate terrorism and cartel threats within its nations, and then actively shares its threat intelligence globally and moves counterterrorism burdenshifting to take greater responsibility for its own security. This includes CT operations in Africa.

Europe must significantly increase its CT efforts immediately. It is clear to all that well-organized hostile groups exploit open borders and related globalist ideals. The more these alien cultures grow, and the longer current European policies persist, the more terrorism is guaranteed. As the birthplace of Western culture and values, Europe must act now and halt its willful decline.

Under President Trump, America has returned to common sense and reality-based counterterrorism. We are working with allies and partners who share our threat assessment of cartels, Jihadists, and violent left-wing extremists. We are coordinating CT operations, sharing actionable intelligence, and providing expertise. We will continue to work with those nations who understand the threat, who take requisite actions themselves, and who are not undermining the principles that define our shared civilization. We will also work closely with our serious CT partners in Europe to jointly counter covert state action that looks like terrorism – to include sabotage and assassination plots – and which they have categorized as “hybrid threats.”

The far right Hungarian-American Seb spews racist rants for four paragraphs, which rant he only interrupts with a claim that Europe has dispensed with “traditional principles of freedom of speech.”

Then he lays out his demands and insinuations. The US has “expertise,” says the guy who claims Antifa is a thing, even a transnational thing. But they’ll only share it (and actionable intelligence, including actionable intelligence about may or may not include Russian, as well as Iranian, sabotage) with those “serious” partners who “understand” that Antifa, but not the far right, is a threat.

But the whole thing collapses on Seb’s scold about what he purports to be “free speech.” I guarantee you he doesn’t complain about Europe’s most restrictive limits on speech, those criticizing Israel or even just supporting Palestine. For Seb, that would be a legitimate stand against Islamic extremism. Worse, the US itself is censoring the speech of European groups like the Global Disinformation Index, HateAid, and Centre for Countering Digital Hate, whose focus includes antisemitism that would fit Seb’s stunted view of Islamic extremism, but whose speech documents a range of other harmful speech. Marco Rubio sanctioned their leaders late last year.

Which is to say, Seb’s complaint about speech, stuck in the middle of language that implicitly threatens Europe of it does not help crack down on those who oppose fascism, is a demand that Europe protect his kind of terrorist.

U.S. Politics, Elections, Governance

New York Times, How Minority Districts Fueled the G.O.P.’s Southern Ascendancy in Congress, Carl Hulse, May 9, 2026. The “majority-minority” House districts struck down by the Supreme Court last week sent a surge of Black and Hispanic lawmakers to Congress. They also opened opportunities for the G.O.P.

Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, formerly the No. 3 Democrat in the House, is certain he would never have been elected to Congress without changes in the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court determined last week amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.

“And about half of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus wouldn’t be there,” said Mr. Clyburn, the first African American sent to Congress from his state since Reconstruction. He was part of the historic 1992 class of Black and Hispanic lawmakers elected after new maps were drawn to comply with 1982 changes meant to strengthen the Voting Rights Act.

The predominantly Democratic minority groups that set to work back then to increase their representation were boosted by some unlikely allies: Republican strategists who saw an opportunity to break the Democratic hold on the South and force an extraordinary realignment.

Now, Republicans see the chance to cement their grip on the region — and to try to maintain their thin House majority — by eliminating the minority districts that initially worked to their advantage and to take those seats for their own.

It is the latest chapter in an ongoing political saga that has had profound implications for the House of Representatives over the past three decades. Redistricting in minority communities could again be a major factor in deciding the November elections as Republicans try to lessen the traditional midterm advantages for the party out of power — the Democrats in this case — in a year when they face particularly strong headwinds.

Having consolidated their power throughout the South, Republicans are now emboldened to try to eliminate the majority-minority districts, believing they can carry them without risking their strength elsewhere as Democratic-leaning minority voters are dispersed into other districts.

New York Times, Two Court Decisions Have Unleashed an Era of Perpetual Redistricting, Reid J. Epstein and Nick Corasaniti, May 9, 2026. Four states are considering drawing new maps in the coming weeks. Another dozen or more could join the fray next year.

A coast-to-coast sprint of partisan one-upmanship in which eight states have redrawn their congressional districts since last summer is likely to escalate next year to at least a dozen more as both parties seek maximum advantage in their battle for control of the House.

Four states are considering drawing new congressional or judicial maps for partisan gain in the coming weeks that could be implemented in time for the fall midterms. But the real flurry could come next year, when at least a dozen more that sat out this year’s redistricting parade could join the fray.

The longstanding tradition of drawing political lines only once a decade, after each census, is giving way to an era of perpetual redistricting where officials seek opportunities for partisan gerrymandering at every chance they can. Both parties have ratcheted up their efforts in recent days, assessing every corner of the electoral map for new openings and redoubling their efforts to win control of state capitols, where the power to draw congressional boundaries often lies.

The States Project, which invests in Democratic legislative races, has targeted six states — Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Washington — where gains in state legislatures would protect or add as many as nine congressional seats for the 2028 cycle, according to a memo the group shared with The New York Times. Democrats are also aiming to put more redistricting referendums on ballots in blue states.

“We were very limited in our ability to respond in this cycle because of constitutional constraints that exist in many Democratic-held states across the country,” Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the House minority leader, said in an interview on Friday. “In the next cycle, we will have several of those constraints removed in ways that will allow us to respond in an even more decisive and forceful fashion in advance of 2028.”

The most recent redistricting flurry began in late April, when the Supreme Court declared Louisiana’s House map an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, prompting that Republican-led state and a few others to explore redistricting efforts that align with President Trump’s vision of an aggressive cartographic push to retain power in the House.

Then, on Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down that state’s Democratic gerrymander, which voters had approved in a referendum on April 21. The ruling sparked a resolve among Democrats to be even more aggressive in planning a raft of future gerrymanders that won’t affect the midterm landscape but could help the party in 2028.

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, Republicans across the South wasted little time trying to eliminate red-state Democratic congressional seats in time for this year’s midterm elections. Tennessee has already passed a new map eliminating the lone Democratic district in the state. Louisiana delayed its primary to pass new maps that would eliminate at least one Democrat-leaning district there. Alabama is also fighting for a different map.

If the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act decision and Mr. Trump’s mid-cycle redistricting campaign allowed Republicans to win the House while badly losing the national vote, it would be yet another blow to the credibility of American institutions during a time of bitter division.

The Independent, Jeffrey Epstein’s brother claims released suicide note is a ‘forgery’: report, Josh Marcus, May 8, 2026. A federal court on Wednesday released an alleged suicide note Epstein wrote in prison in 2019 before his death a month later.

Jeffrey Epstein’s brother believes his brother’s purported suicide note, released this week in court, is fake.

Mark Epstein, speaking with The National Enquirer, called the document a “forgery.”

“I’ve known Jeff all my life. If he was going to kill himself, if he was going to write a suicide note, he would’ve written it ‘to somebody,’ not just a blanket statement saying goodbye,” Epstein said. “I don’t buy that.”

Jeffrey Epstein’s former cellmate claims to have discovered the document in July 2019, after Epstein was found unresponsive but alive in his cell. Epstein died by suicide the following month.

“It’s bulls**t and let me explain why,” Epstein’s brother added in the National Enquirer interview. “In the July incident, Jeffrey’s cellmate attacked him, he reported it as such, he told his lawyer as such, and then he recanted that story saying he couldn’t remember what happened because he was fearful of retaliation.”Jeffrey Epstein’s brother doesn’t believe an alleged suicide note released in court is realJeffrey Epstein’s brother doesn’t believe an alleged suicide note released in court is real (New York State Division of Criminal Justice)

“It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye,” the note, released in federal court on Wednesday, reads. “Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!!”

“NO FUN," the message concludes. “NOT WORTH IT!!”

Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, claims he discovered the message inside a book in July 2019 after the first incident.

Epstein initially claimed that Tartaglione, a former police officer convicted of leading a murder plot, tried to kill him, but the disgraced financier did not subsequently repeat the claim after he was moved to another cell.

The note was initially sealed in court records, but Tartaglione later described it to The New York Times and reporter Jessica Reed Kraus. The paper then petitioned for the document to be released publicly.Epstein’s former cellmate claimed he found the alleged suicide note wedged in a bookEpstein’s former cellmate claimed he found the alleged suicide note wedged in a book (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York)

On Monday, the Justice Department backed the request.

Though officials determined that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide, his brother has long argued that this is incorrect.

Mark Epstein told The National Enquirer that a forthcoming review of his brother’s autopsy would prove the death wasn’t a suicide.

“Anybody who still thinks it’s a suicide after the report comes out; they should be declared brain dead,” he said.

Nearly seven years after Jeffrey Epstein’s death, the scandal around his sex ring continues.

On Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick answered questions about his past ties to Epstein during a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee.

Lincoln Square, How Tucker Carlson Becomes President, Rick Wilson, May 9, 2026. The New York Times piece this weekend, the one everyone in your group chat forwarded with “WTF ????”, is being read wrong. People are reacting to the spell-bound Trump stuff, the Antichrist business, the Fuentes regret-that-isn’t. All worth reacting to.

None of it gets to the underlying why of Tucker Carlson’s very public apostasy.

Tucker Carlson just broke with a God-Emperor of the MAGA party a few weeks ago, all echoed in this piece, loudly defended the vice president as a personal friend, and called the Secretary of State’s people treacherous, all in the pages of the New York Times Magazine, not Breitbart or the Daily Wire.

This isn’t an interview. It’s a soft campaign launch with some explicable stages and milestones, the same kind we’d whiteboard in the first steps of a campaign.

Never miss a show or column from Rick Wilson. Become a Lincoln Loyal subscriber today.SubscribedGet Out from Under Trump’s Shadow

Tucker is doing this in plain sight. The little jabs at the administration, the “I love the President, but …” framing on Iran, on Israel, on tariffs, on the cabinet. The careful distance from Vance. Sorry, the very public friendship with Vance, which everyone is supposed to read as proof he isn’t running. That smells … tactical.

Tucker is smart enough to know two things about Vance: first, Vance will inherit all the negatives of Trump’s term, and also that Vance utterly lacks quicksilver mendacity and brazen skill to rouse the seething hatreds of the MAGA base to his side.

Tucker sees the damage Trump has done to himself, to Vance, and to the MAGA GOP, understands no better than the rest of the prospective field that Trump’s self-destructive tear is a political disaster: he’s just getting out there early, saying it.

Sure, Trump will hold a cultlike faction for a hundred years, but he’s term-limited, eighty, and is polling in the teens. He’ll try to keep his claws in MAGA to sustain the family grift, but with numbers like his, it’s a grim race against time.

The 2028 field will be fifteen or twenty Republicans, all of them auditioning for the same MAGA inheritance. Tucker’s bet, and it’s a smart one, is that being the guy who said the quiet parts loud before it was permission-slipped is worth more than being the next loyal soldier in line or some yokel Congressman Trumpalike clone.

People forget that Tucker is not stupid.

He is not naive. He has lived and breathed media and politics his entire life. His father ran the Voice of America. He has been a magazine writer, a cable host on three networks, a podcast operator, and a wildly successful streaming experiment. He is looking a couple of years ahead, not at today.

He knows the field will fracture, knows Vance will be wounded by association with whatever Trump’s last four years look like, knows Ron DeSantis is a charisma repellent and a spent force, knows Nikki Haley has no constituency, knows Ted Cruz is, well, Ted Cruz. He’s got his eye on Marco, clearly seeing Rubio as his main competition.

He knows one of the Senators who wants to run is deep in the closet (not Lindsey), and another is routinely humiliated by a dominatrix. He laughs off the Governors who will try the “I was chief executive of the state of Blahblah” line, where even their most edge-case policies are in Tucker’s extremist rearview. He knows the Trump spawn are waiting for Donald to Logan Roy one of them into the Designated Heir position.

He knows a couple of Never Trumpers will jump in, pulling a few points off the tiny sane faction that remains in the dying GOP wing of the MAGA GOP. He knows the Silicon Valley crowd will send one of their own into the fray. At least one MAGA influencer will give it a shot.

There’s a very real scenario where over twenty semi-serious people are in the race. In a crowded primary in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, you don’t need forty percent. You need 15% percent and a good narrative of your case.The Media Parallel that Should Scare You

In 2015, every serious person in Washington explained to me that Donald Trump couldn’t win because he wasn’t a politician. Hell, I believed it myself until a terrifying December focus group in Orlando, Florida, where a woman tried to convince the moderator that Trump was the richest man in the world, owned hundreds of buildings in Manhattan, and turned everything he touched into pure gold. That was not a great Christmas.

We all tried these lines to break his momentum: He was a television personality. He didn’t know policy. He didn’t have a ground game. He couldn’t debate. He was a liar, a cheat, a conman, a business failure in everything from steaks to paint-thinner vodka. He was a jackass, a fool, a stooge. He insulted war heroes and the disabled.

MS NOW, Trump’s tariffs keep losing battles in court — but he may still win the war, Ray Brescia, May 9, 2026. The U.S. Supreme Court in February struck down the Trump administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs as illegal and unconstitutional.

Soon thereafter, the administration invoked a different provision of federal law to impose new tariffs. Now, the U.S. Court of International Trade, which has jurisdiction over these issues, has ruled that the administration’s second effort to impose tariffs under this different legal provision is also flawed.

But before American small businesses and consumers can breathe a sigh of relief, the administration is likely to appeal. And instead of using the Supreme Court’s decision as cover for a retreat from tariffs, the administration seems committed to pursuing unpopular policies that are bad for an economy which is also seeing consumer prices spike because of events in the Middle East.

Even if the president’s effort to impose ill-advised tariffs on American businesses and consumers should ultimately fail once again in the courts, the administration is determined to press on. It has commenced steps designed to impose tariffs under more and different provisions of federal law.

And at some point, Trump will likely succeed. 

 U.S. Education, Media, Culture, High-Tech

The hosts of ABC’s “The View,” from left, Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Joy Behar, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin (ABC photo by Lou Rocco via Getty Images). 

New York Times, How ‘The View’ Landed at the Center of a Free Speech Battle, John Koblin and Jim Rutenberg, May 9, 2026. The Trump administration’s focus on the show is testament to the enduring influence of an old-fashioned broadcast TV program started 29 years ago.

President Trump’s wide-ranging campaign to punish his perceived media critics has come for newspapers like The Wall Street Journal, The Des Moines Register and The New York Times; broadcast outlets like the BBC, NBC News and CBS News; and the late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.

But now it is bearing down on a new opponent, one that remains politically potent and has a storied place in Mr. Trump’s oeuvre of media grudge matches — the long-running ABC daytime talk show, “The View.”

The Federal Communications Commission has been quietly investigating the program for months, looking into whether “The View” violated old federal rules requiring equal airtime to rival political candidates. The inquiry could also feed into the agency’s wider review of whether ABC should be allowed to continue to own some of the country’s most important local television stations.

The clash between ABC and the Trump administration could lead to a protracted, high-stakes legal battle over free expression. The network asserts that the F.C.C. action could have “a chilling effect on First Amendment-protected free speech on the eve of the 2026 elections” and affect which political guests — if any — talk shows will book.

The central role of “The View” is testament to the enduring influence of an old-fashioned broadcast television program that the ABC anchor Barbara Walters started 29 years ago, describing it “as a kaffeeklatsch with more caffeine.” People in both parties say the show continues to hold significant political power — even as streaming, podcasts and social media take up more attention.

“The View” draws 2.7 million viewers a day, more or less the audience it has had for a decade, according to Nielsen.

“It would be easy for our side to say, ‘Who watches that junk?’” said Tim Graham, a senior leader of the Media Research Center, a conservative group that has long been critical of the show. “But the answer is: Many people.”

Representatives for “The View” declined to comment, or to set up interviews with the hosts or anyone involved in the production.

Salon, Axios accused of “market manipulation” with Iran reporting, Sophia Tesfaye, May 9, 2026. Journalist Barak Ravid draws range of criticism from Wall Street to Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Over the past several weeks, Axios has repeatedly reported that a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran was either “close,” “imminent” or nearing completion. On Wednesday, a little over an hour before Axios reporter Barak Ravid published a scoop claiming the White House believed it was close to reaching a one-page memorandum of understanding with Iran to end the war, nearly 10,000 crude oil contracts — worth approximately $920 million in notional value — were sold on the futures market by traders betting the price of oil was about to fall. According to data highlighted by trading surveillance accounts like The Kobeissi Letter, whoever placed those bets stood to make an estimated $125 million as oil prices collapsed more than 12%.

Then the reality of the war hit. Iran called the whole thing “the Americans’ wish list,” Donald Trump told the New York Post it was “too soon” to prepare for peace, Israel said it hadn’t even been informed of the proposal and oil bounced back 8% as traders realized the “imminent deal” might not exist at all. Even Fox News host Mark Levin, the war’s biggest media booster, wrote that he had concluded the Axios report was “largely fake.” A senior Iranian parliament member said Axios was being used by the White House for market manipulation.

The money, though, had already changed hands.

RelatedTrump wants to jail reporters over leaks from own administration

This was not the first suspiciously-timed trade surrounding Axios’ reporting on Iran. Analysts tracking commodity activity and prediction markets have identified a series of similar trades surrounding major Iran-related announcements. According to trading data cited by market observers and later referenced by lawmakers demanding investigations, billions of dollars in oil bets appeared on several occasions shortly before sensitive geopolitical developments became public. After Ravid’s April 5 report suggesting progress in negotiations, another massive oil short reportedly appeared shortly before prices fell. Similar activity allegedly preceded subsequent Axios scoops on April 17 and May 1.

Some analysts, including CNBC host Jim Cramer, and social media users suggested Axios’ reporting may have been strategically released ahead of market trading, potentially influencing oil prices and broader financial sentiment.

Former head of global research at JPMorgan, Marko Kolanovic, reacted to oil price moves following Wednesday’s Axios report, saying, “Who knows what happens next in blatantly manipulated markets” and called the outlet’s credibility into question. Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger criticized the surrounding information environment in a tweet deleted after Axios communications director Jake Wilkins replied that the allegations are “obviously not true” and “it’s irresponsible of you to be promoting it.” Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who left Congress after a public split with Trump, asked on X: “When is everyone going to start realizing that the manic on again off again war/peace rhetoric is really just insider trading?”

Want more sharp takes on politics? Sign up for our free newsletter, Standing Room Only, written by Amanda Marcotte, now also a weekly show on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ben Rhodes, who served as former Deputy National Security Adviser to Joe Biden, wrote on X: “No matter how long it takes, it will be essential to someday figure out and hold accountable the people profiting off these constant and absurd leaks of imminent peace often to the same outlet.” Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a University of Tehran professor with long-standing ties to the country’s regime, wrote Wednesday in a post on X: “Axios is a tool for White House market manipulation. The Islamic Republic is fully prepared for a potential major attack before Trump’s trip to China.”

For his part, Ravid has categorically denied any coordination with traders, calling the allegations “complete and utter bulls**t.” A spokesperson for Axios said the outlet strongly supports Ravid, calling him “the best reporter on the world’s biggest story, delivering exclusive after exclusive.”

The 2024 White House Correspondents’ Association winner for overall excellence in White House coverage, Ravid is viewed as one of the premier national security reporters in Washington. When criticism gave way to conspiratorial and ugly attacks this week — unsupported claims that Ravid operates as an active intelligence asset embedded in U.S. journalism — journalists like CNN’s Dana Bash and Jake Tapper quickly came to his defense.

Modern national security journalism increasingly operates as an elite signaling system in which anonymous officials shape narratives through carefully-timed leaks that pressure foreign governments, manipulate public perception — and sometimes even markets.

But dismissing all criticism as fringe paranoia avoids confronting the underlying reality that access journalism creates profound conflicts of interest, whether or not individual reporters act improperly. Modern national security journalism increasingly operates as an elite signaling system in which anonymous officials shape narratives through carefully-timed leaks that pressure foreign governments, manipulate public perception — and sometimes even markets. So Axios has continued functioning precisely as access journalism outlets typically do: publishing what powerful officials tell them in exchange for continued insider access. After all, journalists are not responsible for what insiders do with information after publication.

That dynamic becomes especially dangerous during war.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-NY., has sent multiple letters to regulators demanding investigations into the trading activity surrounding Iran-related announcements. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Sheldon Whitehouse similarly urged the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to investigate what they described as recurring suspicious trades tied to sensitive government information.

Torres captured the broader institutional despair bluntly when he admitted he lacked confidence in regulators but felt there was “no choice but to agitate for accountability.”

White House Chronicle, In the Turmoil, Challenges for Graduates in the Class of ’26, Llewellyn King, May 9, 2026. Dear Graduates of 2026:

Welcome to the world you will be taking jobs in and where you will begin building careers, and at times shaping history.

It isn’t the world of your parents, and it isn’t the world your college has taught you about, because it is changing too fast. It begins anew daily. As Maya Angelou said, “This is a wonderful day. I haven’t seen this one before.”

There are three big forces looming on the horizon that will shape your world and that you will play a role in shaping. They are technology, specifically AI; politics, the harsher politics of today; and the environment, which is eventually everything.

AI will have an effect that defies comprehension — it is so enormous. It is also evolving so fast that it keeps slipping out of your grasp.

“It is exponential, and human thinking is linear.” So said one of the foremost thinkers about AI, Omar Hatamleh, former head of AI at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He has written five books on AI.

All that is absolutely, definitely and incontrovertibly known is that AI will affect everything. It will change how we work, play and learn. It will change how we mate, think and expect.

Graduates, you will come to realize that political action and speech have changed from what they were. Both are out of the guide rails that have served them well over time.

Authoritarianism has taken root in America, and it will be hard to pull out. The bureaucracy has been politicized. There has been an expansion of presidential power over areas constitutionally assigned to Congress, under the watch of an accommodating Supreme Court.

There are troops on American streets, political searches and seizures, arrests and indictments, and deportations without due process. All this was unleashed with the Republicans. When Democrats take power, will they put the evil genie of unconstitutional government back in its bottle?

Domestic politics has also changed our relations to the world — a world where America, Canada and Europe stood together, sharing a common heritage and a common view of law, and savoring a shared peace in Europe until Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and set in motion four years of bloody fighting.

Could we have done more? Yes, more weapons, more money, and less acceptance of Putin. Maybe troops, too.

We didn’t, and that has changed the world. Free countries now know that America won’t axiomatically have their backs. That time is past and will have major geopolitical consequences.

Internationally, the big, open American hand has been closing as it has curtailed or ended participation in international institutions from NATO to the World Health Organization to the Paris climate agreement. The arbitrary closing of USAID was a declaration of withdrawal from the world and from the exercise of soft power as a diplomatic tool.

Another challenge for future Americans as they grow into adulthood: They will live in a more dangerous world with fewer friends. Hubris is an expensive luxury.

They may also not live in a world where the climate is as predictable as it once was. Already aberrant, unpredictable weather is the norm with hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and tinder-dry regions.

Politicians may deny that the climate is changing, but the evidence is there. Sea levels are rising, city streets are flooding, and beachfront homes are being swept away. Hurricanes and tornadoes, part of our usual weather cycle, are getting more severe. Drought and floods, recurring phenomena, are worsening.

Texas and the Southwest, which have long attracted working and retired residents, are facing prolonged droughts and water shortages that will curb future growth.

Dealing with the environment is a challenge that AI may meet quite dramatically. Its ability to predict, organize and find the exit in dense data is without peer.

Graduates, as the generation coming of age in 2026, you shouldn’t fear AI; rather, you should throw yourselves at it and learn what it can do for you. Gradually, it will be understood, regulated and you will come to terms with it as a tool, not an aggressor.

We have left you a messy world, but it was always that way.

Over two and a half centuries, America has absorbed and changed. Along the way — including civil war — it produced a society in which there is still opportunity; there is still freedom, although the door may be closing; and much has been perfected here.

Remember, more people live better in the world today because of America, its ideas, its inventions and its heart. Go forth and be that American. 

Global News

Victory Day parade was held on Red Square in Moscow on 9 May and lasted less than an hour. [Victory Day is a Russian holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, celebrated on May 9, 2026.]

Ukrainska Pravda (Ukraine Truth), Victory Day parade in Moscow passes without attacks, lasting less than an hour, Roman Petrenko, May 9, 2026. Russian leader Vladimir Putin delivered a speech lasting almost nine minutes and announced a minute's silence in memory of those killed in the war.

After Putin's speech, spectators were shown a video lasting almost seven minutes about Russia's latest military equipment, which replaced the usual display of actual military hardware.

The ceremonial march of parade units then began.

For the first time, servicemen from Russia's unmanned systems forces took part in the parade. North Korean military personnel also marched across Red Square.

Media outlets calculated that the 2026 parade featured three times fewer marching units than in 2024, when more than 30 parade formations crossed Red Square.

Background: In his speech during the parade, Putin said Russian forces draw inspiration from Soviet troops of the World War II era.

Ukrainska Pravda (Ukraine Truth), Russian media count over 350,000 soldiers killed in war in Ukraine, Roman Petrenko, May 9, 2026. Russian media count over 350,000 soldiers killed in war in Ukraine Putin and soldiers. 

The total number of Russian military personnel killed from the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine to the end of 2025 stood at 352,000, according to a joint study by two Russian media outlets.

This figure includes not only those officially recognised as killed – 261,000 people – but also those declared missing in action by court rulings, meaning cases where no body was found – around 90,000.

The journalists stressed that they did not include foreign nationals who fought on the side of the Russian Armed Forces.

Background: According to Ukraine's General Staff, Russian losses as of the end of 2025 stood at over 1.2 million killed and wounded.

Associated Press via Politico, 4 people convicted of conspiracy in US trial tied to 2021 assassination of Haiti’s president, Staff Report, May 8, 2026. The men had their own leader in mind and had hoped to enrich themselves with a new government, prosecutors argued.

A Florida jury on Friday convicted four men of conspiracy in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, below left, whose death led to extraordinary turmoil in the Caribbean nation.

South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot to oust Moïse and replace him with someone of the conspirators’ choosing, U.S. prosecutors alleged.

Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages were found guilty of conspiring to kill or kidnap Haiti’s elected leader and providing material support for the plot. They were also convicted of violating the U.S. Neutrality Act and could face possible life sentences.

“These defendants pursued power, influence, and profit through violence,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement. “They supported a conspiracy that crossed borders, destabilized a friendly nation, and ended with the murder of a sitting president. The jury has spoken, and the rule of law has answered.”

Prosecutors argued that the men had their own leader in mind and had hoped to enrich themselves with a new government.

Moïse was killed on July 7, 2021, when about two dozen foreign mercenaries, mostly from Colombia, attacked his home near Port-au-Prince. Moïse’s wife, Martine, was wounded during the attack and flown to the U.S. for treatment. In Haiti, meanwhile, gang leaders have grown increasingly violent and empowered.

Martine Moïse was the first witness at trial, which began in March in Miami’s federal court, describing through a Creole interpreter how she awoke to the sounds of gunfire after midnight. She told jurors that she turned to her husband in bed next to her to ask what was going on.

“Honey, we are dead,” Jovenel Moïse replied, according to his wife’s testimony.

Ortiz and Intriago were principals of Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security, collectively known as CTU, and Veintemilla was a principal of Worldwide Capital Lending Group. Both companies were based in South Florida.
Christian Sanon is a dual Haitian-American citizen whom investigators say was initially favored by the conspirators to replace Moïse. Solages was a CTU representative in Haiti who coordinated with Sanon and others, officials said. Sanon will face trial at a later date.

Defense attorneys argued at trial that the investigation into the assassination was a mess and that the four were manipulated into taking blame for an internal coup. They said the men believed they had a legitimate warrant signed by a Haitian judge and that they were liberating Haiti from Moïse, who had overstayed his term as president.

At least five others have pleaded guilty in the conspiracy and are serving life sentences.

Separately, 20 people, including 17 Colombian soldiers, face charges in Haiti. Gang violence, death threats and a crumbling judicial system have stalled an ongoing investigation.

Wayne Madsen Report, Investigative Commentary:Virus threat assessments in an upside down world, Wayne Madsen, May 10, 2026. Hantavirus and deja vu back to 2020 and COVID-19.

While Donald Trump and his heroin- and cocaine-addled Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. brush away the danger of the deadly hantavirus spreading around the world in the same manner as COVID-19, the virus is considered a significant public health concern for several South Atlantic islands due to a fatal outbreak originating from the cruise ship MV Hondius.

A Dutch couple decided it would be cool to photograph birds in a rat-infested garbage dump four miles outside of Ushuaia, the southernmost Argentine city in Tierra del Fuego. The couple is believed to have contracted hantavirus, a contagious respiratory pathogen, by being in close contact with rats in the dump that carried the virus. After they boarded the cruise ship, they spread the virus to other passengers. The couple later died from the virus.

Argentine officials deny that hantavirus originated in Tierra del Fuego. No one should believe anyArgentine official because Argentina completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 17, 2026. At that point in time, Argentina no longer officially shared health and disease outbreak data with the organization. A year earlier, Argentina’s lunatic president, the Donald Trump and Israel sycophant, Javier Milei, notified WHO that it was tendering its withdrawal from the organization, which would be effective a year later. cruise ship hantavirus outbreak probe ... Uhuaia landfill. The locals know to steer clear of it, but not wealthy eco-tourist assholes who only think about their own quests for bird photos.The world has another type of “bird” for them: The History of the One-Fingered Salute ...

No thanks to the Argentine government, patient zero was identified as Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord. Someone who should have had even a rudimentary knowledge of the dangers of avian flu threw caution to the wind and walked through the garbage dump to take a photo of the rare white-throated caracara, nicknamed Darwin’s caracara after Charles Darwin, who discovered that the weakest in species were “selected out” by evolution. In a plot that is reminiscent of a Hollywood pandemic film, Schilperoord won the 2026 “Darwin award” for traversing through a landfill that the residents of Ushuaia avoided like the plague, pun very much intended.

Due to Argentina’s government clamming up about the origin of the hantavirus outbreak, the only way international health authorities became aware of Leo and Mirjam Schilperoord being patients zero and one was their obituaries appearing in the monthly magazine published by their home village of Haulerwijk.

Unofficially, some Argentine health professionals did reveal how the Schilperoords contracted hantavirus. It is believed that the couple inhaled particles from the feces of long-tailed pygmy rice rats, which carry the deadly Andes strain of the hantavirus. It is the only type of hantavirus that can be transmitted from human to human. The last known case of Andes hantavirus in Tierra del Fuego was recorded in 1996. leo in a hat and glasses outside Hantavirus patient zero wins the Darwin Award posthumously for placing his quest for Darwin’s caracara above the safety of rest of his fellow cruise ship passengers and several small populations of remote South Atlantic islands.

While the virus is not native to the islands where passengers of the Hondius were permitted to disembark, every stop made by the ship where passenger were permitted to disembark is in existential danger due to their small populations. The body of Leo Schilperoord, who died after the ship set sail from South Georgia, was placed ashore in St. Helena along with his wife. Mirjam Schilperoord boarded an Airlink flight from St. Helena to Johannesburg, where she was to connect to a KLM flight to Amsterdam. The KLM crew determined that she was too sick to fly and she later collapsed inside Johannesburg airport and died the following day. The Airlink flight from St. Helena to Johannesburg also included seven American passengers from the Hondius. Two of the Americans were from New Jersey. A total of seven Americans who were on board the Hondius are isolating at home in five states, which means the efforts to quarantine all the Americans in Omaha are meaningless since the five Americans are on the “honor system,“ which is ridiculous considering the lethality of the virus. Maybe they should ingest Ivermectin or some other bullshit Trump-endorsed remedy.

Other Americans were disembarked with other passengers and crew at Tenerife in the Canary Islands. A team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, an agency that was subjected to mass firings thanks to Trump, Kennedy, and Elon Musk’s DOGE villains, was to meet the American passengers in Tenerife. From there, they were to be repatriated to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus in Omaha. Any of the Americans exhibiting symptoms of the Andes hantavirus would be transferred to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit on the campus.

The WHO has confirmed six cases of the Andes hantavirus with two others assessed as probable. One of the confirmed virus patients was flown to the Netherlands. One of the probable patients with the virus, a German national, has died, making the total death count, including the Schilperoords, standing at three. A Spanish woman who is believed to have contracted the virus from the KLM flight that was briefly boarded in Johannesburg by Mrs. Schiliperoord is confirmed as symptomatic and is in the hospital in Alicante, Spain. The ship’s doctor also tested positive with the virus, along with a Swiss national being treated in Switzerland. A French national with “benign symptoms” was placed in isolation and was undergoing medical tests after being identified as a “contact case” linked to a ship passenger who flew from St. Helena to Johannesburg

Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions claims that none of those remaining on the vessel in Tenerife have either tested positive for the virus or have shown symptoms. That claim is dubious, especially since one of the acts of Kennedy was to scrap the CDC’s entire Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), including its inspectors.

Spanish health authorities are taking no chances. All crew and passengers aboard the Hondius, except for the Americans being flown to Omaha, are to be quarantined at a Madrid military hospital while under constant monitoring. Any testing positive are to be transferred to a High-Level Isolation and Treatment Unit in Spain. The incubation period for the Andes hantavirus can be as long as six weeks. Singaporean health authorities said they were monitoring two men who got off the Hondius at St. Helena, flew to South Africa and then to Singapore. The two men arrived in Singapore at different times and were being isolated and tested for the virus.

Disembarkations of Hondius passengers in Tristan da Cunha, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic that has a population of only some 220, has the British government and the Tristan British administrator on high alert for a potential public health emergency. The island has no airport nor a pier that can handle anything other than a small supply boat that ferries passengers to and from larger vessels anchored further out to sea. While disembarked, the passengers visited a Tristan gift shop and a pub. Four Tristanians booked passage on the Hondius for its voyage to St. Helena. One of those is confirmed to have contracted the hantavirus. The Tristanian spouse of that passenger is being kept in isolation. Two other British nationals on the Hondius have also been diagnosed as positive. Tristan da Cunha only has a small medical facility and is not able to handle something as life threatening as the Andes hantavirus. A British crew member of the Hondius who disembarked in Tristan da Cunha was reported as a suspected hantavirus case and remained on the island with medical personnel deployed to assist. It can’t be stressed enough that Tristan da Cunha has a decent small hospital but it has limited medical services for dealing with a serious virus like the Andes strain. Tristan da Cunha is usually only accessible by a supply ship from Cape Town, a voyage that typically takes 5 to 7 days depending on weather and sea conditions. Cruise ship MV Hondius docks off Cape Verde port, as passengers were not allowed off the ship, while health authorities investigated suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, May 4, 2026. Hondius anchored off Tristan da Cunha from April 13 to 15.

In a worse case scenario, it’s likely that the virus’s full impact on Tristan da Cunha would only be realized when no one answers the phone or responds to email or text messages. That would mean that the entire population of the Tristan capital and only town, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, became too sick or died, an event that could only be contemplated by Stephen King.

The Tristan da Cunha administrator released the following statement about the situation on the island on May 4, as news of the viral outbreak was being reported around the world:

“We understand that the first passenger was taken ill after the ship left South Georgia and unfortunately passed away before arrival at Tristan. Another passenger passed away following evacuation to Johannesburg, South Africa, where the cause of death was identified as a hantavirus. A third passenger passed away on board the ship en route to Cape Verde and a further passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg, while two crew members are also being treated. The ship continued to Cape Verde, where she is currently at anchor . . . We are working closely with the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and other international partners to assess and manage the situation. The islanders who travelled to St Helena on the MV Hondius are being advised by Public Health in St Helena to undertake a period of self-isolation, just as a precaution. We will do the same here where necessary. The Government will provide full support to those who are asked to do so. A full risk-based contact tracing process is underway to identify and notify such persons on St Helena, Ascension and Tristan.”

Another island in danger from the ship of death is Ascension Island, a remote British territory of around 1000 residents that hosts British and American military facilities. The following is a release of the Ascension Island Government: Tristan da Cunha Ibilbidea Edinburgh of ...

“On Monday 27 April 2026, a passenger from the vessel was admitted to Georgetown Hospital. The same individual was then medically evacuated on Wednesday 29 April. It has since been confirmed that the patient was infected with a strain of Hantavirus . . . As a precaution, a small number of hospital staff who were involved in the patient’s care are self-monitoring for symptoms in line with established public health guidance . . . Medical staff will use basic personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves and masks, during patient consultations . . . Face-to-face consultations will be limited where possible. Patients are asked to avoid booking non-urgent appointments for the next two weeks. This will be kept under review . . . An additional medical officer is being recruited to assist with maintaining essential services to our community during this period.” Ascension Island – Runway 13–31 ... Ascension Island

Thirty passengers disembarked from the Hondius on Saint Helena, an island with a population of 4,400, on April 24, along with the body of Leo Schilperooord. The passengers included those from Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United States. The ship was in St. Helena, famous as the place where Napoleon was exiled after his defeat at Waterloo, from April 22 to 24. Unlike Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena has an international airport linked to Johannesburg by a once a week flight.

St. Helena Governor Nigel Phillips said, “We are now responding to a crisis none of us would have wished.” The St. Helena government later stated, “All individuals identified as having had potential contact with passengers from the MV Hondius have been contacted directly by health officials.” The statement added, “the local health authorities are monitoring a small number of people identified as higher-risk contacts -- namely those who had close, prolonged contact with the unwell passengers of the vessel. They have been advised to isolate at home for a period of 45 days from the last known exposure to the virus.” St. Helena Island ... Jamestown, St. Helena

The eco-tourist ship of death also paid a visit to the isolated town of Grytviken in South Georgia, a dependency of the Falkland Islands. Passengers visited the abandoned whaling station, along with the church, cemetery, post office, and South Georgia Museum. There are up to 30 British Antarctic Survey researchers, British administrative personnel, and South Georgia Museum staff resident in South Georgia, most of whom reside at King Edward Point, a half mile away from Grytviken. Grytviken and South Georgia wildlife - The Restless Road Grytviken, South Georgia

The Hondius did not stop at the Falkland Islands after leaving Tierra del Fuego. Nevertheless, the Falklands government had to reassure the population of some 3600 that they were not in imminent danger from the virus. However, the Falklands was involved in the response to the outbreak. The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) in the capital, Stanley, dispatched needed pathology supplies to Ascension Island aboard the Airbridge — the military air link between the United Kingdom and the Falklands —in support of the public health response of the Ascension and Saint Helena administrations. King Edward VII Memorial Hospital ... King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Stanley, Falkland Islands

The Hondius anchored off Cabo Verde prior to sailing to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Cabo Verdean authorities initially refused to allow passengers to disembark from the vessel. However, there were photos taken of Cape Verdean health authorities loading passengers into ambuslances at the port of Praia, the Cabo Verdean capital. Moroccan authorities refused to allow a Hondius passenger evacuation flight bound for Amsterdam to refuel in Morocco. The plane instead diverted to Gran Canaria. Health workers in protective gear arrive to evacuate patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu) Cabo Verdean health authorities removing cruise ship passengers.

The world might treat the Andes hantavirus outbreak more calmly if it weren’t for the fact that the origination vector country, Argentina, quit the WHO following the lead of the irresponsible United States. Buenos Aires has been slow to even send a team to Ushuaia to investigate the point of origin of the Andes hantavirus. Idiocy is a common denominator for right-wing Elon Musk-supported neo-fascist regimes lime those in Washington and Buenos Aires. After Trump fucked up the U.S. response to Covid, costing the lives of one million American citizens, one can understand the world’s jittery reaction to yet another dangerous pathogenic outbreak. One thing the world does understand is that Donald Trump and his crazy ally in Buenos Aires are only capable of fucking things up on a grand scale when they’re not robbing the taxpayers blind.

May 8

Top Headlines

• New York Times, In Huge Blow to Democrats, Virginia Court Strikes Down House Map, Campbell Robertson and Nick Corasaniti, May 8, 2026. The decision by the state’s top court is a major victory for Republicans, wiping away a measure approved by voters to allow Democrats to gain as many as four House seats in the midterms.
• Democracy Docket, Analysis: Inside the redistricting apocalypse, Jen Rice, May 8, 2026. It’s been just over a week since the U.S. Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) conservative majority gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in Louisiana v. Callais. Now, we are witnessing exactly what Section 2 of the VRA was intended to protect the nation against: A sweep of brutal GOP gerrymanders being rushed through Southern state legislatures to eliminate minority political representation in the 2026 elections — even in elections that are already underway.
• New York Times, Iran Live: Trump Insists Cease-Fire Holds Despite Exchange of Fire, Staff reports, May 8, 2026. Iran’s foreign minister onFriday accused the United States of “a reckless military adventure” and of undermining diplomatic efforts to end the war, a day after the U.S. military and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
• New York Times, Trade Court Rules Trump’s 10% Global Tariff Is Illegal, Tony Romm and Ana Swanson, May 8, 2026 (print ed.). A panel of federal judges found that President Trump could not legally impose the tariff on most imports.

News Roundups

• The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump Attacks Female Reporter, Prisoners Who Spoke About Maxwell Punished, Ballroom in Trouble, More AI Attacks on Me, Aaron Parnas, right, May 8, 2026. A new investigation reveals that fellow inmates of Ghislaine Maxwell were allegedly punished for speaking out about her preferential treatment in federal prison. 

Investigative Reporting, Scandal Reports

FIFA Peace Prize: What is it and why ... Trump receives FIFA’s first “Peace Prize” from his pal, FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

• Wayne Madsen Report, Investigative Commentary and Opinion: Trump Organization closely linked to criminal operations of FIFA and the International Olympic Committee, Wayne Madsen, May 7-8, 2026. Trump Tower was and continues to be a hotbed for FIFA and IOC money laundering.
• Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: PopInfo Weekly, Judd Legum, right, Rebecca Crosby and Noel Sims, May 8, 2026. Our roundup of the best accountability journalism.

More On Iran War 

• New York Times, Trump Reversed Hormuz Plan After Saudis Denied Airspace Access, Michael Crowley, Eric Schmitt and Vivian Nereim, May 8, 2026 (print ed.). Saudi Arabia’s refusal of support suggests that President Trump’s unpredictable approach to Iran has strained ties with one of his closest allies in the Middle East.

U.S. Government, Politics, Elections

• Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 7, 2026 [Erasing Black-Majority, Democratic House Seats in U.S. South], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 8, 2026. Today Tennessee state representative Justin Jones burned a Confederate battle flag in the rotunda of the Tennessee State Capitol in protest of the legislature’s redrawing of the state’s congressional district maps to erase the majority-Black 9th Congressional District. By cracking the city of Memphis into three pieces and joining them to white suburbs, the legislature turned all the state’s districts into Republican seats.
• Democracy Docket, Analysis: Virginia redistricting election nullified by state supreme court, Matthew Kupfer, May 8, 2026. In a major loss for Democrats, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled the congressional map voters approved last month to counter GOP gerrymanders cannot go into effect. The decision overturns the will of voters for technical reasons and gives Republicans a leg up for the 2026 midterms, marking the end of the road in Virginia Democrats' effort to fight back against Republican gerrymandering nationwide. Today's decision from Virginia's highest court also follows a dangerous pattern of courts or GOP officials nullifying elections after they've been held, or halting them midway.
• New York Times, Opinion: The Kind of Men Who Flummox Trump, David French, right, May 8, 2026. The Iran war has revealed President Trump’s true weakness. There is a kind of person who truly flummoxes Trump, the person he just can’t understand — the true believer.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: One Speed Only, Andrew Egger, right, May 8, 2026. Something weird’s been happening lately. Donald Trump will be doing some unremarkable event surrounded with cheerful citizens, sometimes children. He makes small talk, banters with them, as one does. Only the small talk often turns out to be insane MAGA gobbledygook, like an in-person reenactment of Trump’s latest Truth Social rant.
• MS NOW, Opinion: Gen Z conservatives helped power Trump’s 2024 victory. Now some are wavering, Akayla Gardner, May 8, 2026. Brilyn Hollyhand, a 19-year-old conservative influencer, had just finished fielding questions from a room full of voting-age high school and college students in Ohio when he pulled out his phone to deliver a sharp warning to the Republican Party.
• The Contrarian, Opinion:Our Perilous Succession Process, .Norman Ornstein, right, and Thurgood Marshall, Jr., May 8, 2026. It's well past time to bring our system of government continuity into the 21st Century.

U.S. Education, Culture, Media

• New York Times, U.S. Schools Face a Crisis as the Number of Children Drops, Sarah Mervosh, Francesca Paris and Claire Cain Miller, May 8, 2026. With fewer students, many public school districts are confronting unfilled classrooms, and hard choices about school closures.

Global News

• New York Times, News Analysis: China Sees a ‘Giant With a Limp’ as U.S. Drains Weapons on Iran War, David Pierson and Berry Wang, May 8, 2026. America’s ability to deter China in a war over Taiwan is weakened, Chinese analysts say, giving Beijing leverage in an upcoming summit with President Trump.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Post Imperium Americanum, Joe Perticone,  May 8, 2026. A little more than one year ago, I was walking along the Tiber River in Rome when my phone buzzed with a push alert announcing the death of Pope Francis. A week later, Vatican City swelled with Catholic pilgrims, dignitaries, and tourists for his funeral, which added another layer of logistical stress to my wedding the same day at the nearby Basilica di San Silvestro in Capite.

Top Stories

New York Times, In Huge Blow to Democrats, Virginia Court Strikes Down House Map, Campbell Robertson and Nick Corasaniti, May 8, 2026. The decision by the state’s top court is a major victory for Republicans, wiping away a measure approved by voters to allow Democrats to gain as many as four House seats in the midterms.

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a measure allowing state Democrats to redraw congressional districts, dealing a significant blow to the party’s efforts to keep pace with Republicans in a nationwide redistricting battle.

In late April, Democrats were celebrating the result of a referendum in which voters approved an amendment to the State Constitution, enabling Democratic lawmakers to reshape the map to gain as many as four House seats. But Republicans challenged the legality of the measure in court, securing a victory that helps them build an advantage in what has become a coast-to-coast gerrymandering chess match.

Democrats had fought the G.O.P. to a rough draw after the Virginia referendum, but since then, they have faced setbacks. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act last week set the stage for an improvement in Republicans’ fortunes ahead of the midterms, and the Virginia court decision provided the G.O.P. with more welcome news.

Already, Republicans in Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana have taken steps to draw new maps before the midterms, which would net Republicans a handful of additional safe seats before voters cast a ballot in November. South Carolina and Mississippi are also exploring new maps before November.

Still, Republicans face strong headwinds in their bid to retain control of the House — including President Trump’s unpopular

Democracy Docket, Analysis: Inside the redistricting apocalypse, Jen Rice, May 8, 2026. It’s been just over a week since the U.S. Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) conservative majority gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in Louisiana v. Callais. Now, we are witnessing exactly what Section 2 of the VRA was intended to protect the nation against: A sweep of brutal GOP gerrymanders being rushed through Southern state legislatures to eliminate minority political representation in the 2026 elections — even in elections that are already underway.

The news certainly isn’t good, but Democracy Docket has all hands on deck and we are closely monitoring what’s happening.

President Donald Trump’s redistricting arms race to rig the midterms continues to unfold. Republicans have potentially gained up to 12 seats — five in Texas, one in Missouri, one in North Carolina,four in Florida and one in Tennessee. Democrats have potentially gained up to 10 seats — five in California, four in Virginia and one in Utah. (Litigation is still ongoing in Florida, Virginia and Missouri.)

Since the Callais ruling, three more GOP-controlled states besides Tennessee have entered the fray, resulting in up to five more possible Republican seats — two in Louisiana, two in Alabama and one in South Carolina — all at the expense of Black voters.

Alabama races toward final votes to gerrymander elections already underway

Alabama lawmakers are expected to take final votes Friday on a pair of gerrymandered congressional and state senate maps, sending the bills to the governor’s desk.

There are two big reasons why Alabama should not currently be redrawing its maps in an eleventh-hour special session. First, absentee voting in the May 19 primary election has already begun. Second, the state is currently using court-ordered congressional and state senate remedial maps, implemented because the legislature’s previous maps were found to dilute the voting strength of Black voters in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Now, Alabama is asking the courts to vacate the injunctions on those maps to allow them to be used for the 2026 midterms.

If allowed by federal courts to go into effect, the maps would likely strip Black Alabama voters of political representation.

Supreme Court clears the way for Louisiana gerrymander: In a disturbing and, unfortunately, unsurprising move, SCOTUS rejected a request from pro-voting appellants in the Callais case to recall its expedited order clearing the way for Louisiana to rush through redistricting. In response to last week’s ruling, the state swiftly suspended its primary election to begin redrawing its congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms.

In his order, Justice Samuel Alito claimed the pro-voting appellants hadn’t requested an opportunity to seek a rehearing. But the appellants argued in their filing that the second sentence in their brief had done exactly that — and Alito simply ignored it. And it appears the court ignored them again when rejecting the (second) request to reconsider the case. Now a Louisiana legislative committee will take up redistricting today.

South Carolina Republicans are taking steps to dismantle the state’s only Black-majority district and lone Democratic seat, long represented by Rep. Jim Clyburn, right.

The state House approved an amendment this week allowing them to take up congressional redistricting after Republican lawmakers faced intense pressure from Trump demanding that they redraw the map. The Senate will take up the measure next week.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed Republicans’ aggressive gerrymander into law Thursday, the same day that the GOP-controlled state legislature passed the new map and repealed the state’s ban on mid-decade redistricting. The plan carves up Memphis into three congressional districts, dismantling the state’s only Black-majority district and its one Democratic seat.

Will of the voters: Virginia, Missouri and Florida

In several states, Republicans are explicitly trying to sideline the will of voters on redistricting.

In Florida, multiple lawsuits have been filed challenging the state’s new congressional map, an aggressive partisan gerrymander. Partisan gerrymandering is actually illegal in Florida, but it’s unclear whether the justices on the Florida Supreme Court — most of whom were appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) — will bother to uphold the ban, despite the fact that Floridians voted for it.

Lastly, Missouri’s drawn-out legal battle over redistricting returns to the state Supreme Court on Tuesday. The court will hear three cases related to the GOP gerrymander, including a key challenge arguing that the new gerrymandered map is not in effect because voters submitted enough verified signatures to qualify the measure for a so-called “veto referendum.” 

New York Times, Iran Live: Trump Insists Cease-Fire Holds Despite Exchange of Fire, Staff reports, May 8, 2026. Iran’s foreign minister on Friday accused the United States of “a reckless military adventure” and of undermining diplomatic efforts to end the war, a day after the U.S. military and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump on Thursday insisted that a monthlong cease-fire was holding, even as each side blamed the other for breaking the truce. At the same time, Washington and Tehran were debating a one-page U.S. proposal for the two sides to reopen the strait and cease hostilities for 30 days as they negotiate a comprehensive deal, according to three Iranian officials.

U.S. Central Command said on Thursday that “unprovoked Iranian attacks” on three American destroyers had involved missiles, drones and small boats. In response, the U.S. military said it had “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces,” including missile and drone launch sites.

The Iranian military said the United States had violated the cease-fire a day earlier by firing on an Iranian oil tanker trying to cross an American blockade. It said it had “retaliated by attacking U.S. military vessels.”

Mr. Trump, speaking to reporters in Washington on Thursday evening, dismissed the Iranian attacks as a “trifle” and again warned that Iran “better sign their agreement fast,” an apparent reference to the one-page U.S. proposal. A key hurdle was the U.S. demand for advance commitments on the fate of Iran’s nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, they said.

On Friday, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, questioned in a social media post whether the U.S. strikes were a “crude pressure tactic.” He added: “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.”

Here’s what else we’re covering:

• United Arab Emirates: The U.A.E.’s defense ministry said on Friday that its air defense systems had intercepted missiles and drones from Iran, a day after Iranian officials blamed the Emirates for reported strikes in southern Iran.
• Markets: Oil prices climbed and stocks across Asia fell on Friday after the U.S. said it had attacked Iranian military sites. Read more ›
• Lebanon: Fighting intensified on Friday between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, fraying an already fragile cease-fire between them. Israel carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon, killing at least four, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The Israeli military later said that a handful of rockets had been launched into northern Israel, setting off sirens in several areas, but reported no casualties.

New York Times, Trade Court Rules Trump’s 10% Global Tariff Is Illegal, Tony Romm and Ana Swanson, May 8, 2026 (print ed.). A panel of federal judges found that President Trump could not legally impose the tariff on most imports.

A panel of federal judges on Thursday found President Trump had violated the law when he imposed a 10 percent tariff on most U.S. imports, dealing yet another legal setback to the White House in its efforts to wage a trade war without the express permission of Congress.

In a split ruling, the Court of International Trade found that Mr. Trump had wrongly invoked a decades-old trade law when he applied those duties beginning in February. The president imposed the levies after his previous set of punishing tariffs was struck down by the Supreme Court.

The decision appeared to place, for now, new limits on Mr. Trump’s trade powers, which he has wielded aggressively in hopes of resetting relationships with allies and adversaries, raising new revenue and encouraging more companies to make their products in the United States.

While the court declared Mr. Trump’s tariffs to be illegal, it only explicitly blocked their collection from small businesses and some states that had sued over their legality. It remained unclear how the administration would interpret that order, though it is widely expected to appeal.

The ruling marked a major setback for Mr. Trump as he prepares to travel to China next week to meet Xi Jinping, its leader, about trade. Tariffs are expected to be a major topic on the agenda, and the court decision could undercut the president’s leverage.

The decision also raised the likelihood that Mr. Trump might once again have to pay back money collected from the illegal duties. A refund process is already underway for the roughly $166 billion collected under Mr. Trump’s prior set of sweeping tariffs.

The White House and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Mr. Trump later criticized the judges for their ruling, while signaling that his administration would not relent in its trade ambitions.

“So, we always do it a different way,” the president told reporters. “We get one ruling, and we do it a different way.”

From the beginning, the Trump administration envisioned the across-the-board tariff as a temporary solution, one that would buy time for Mr. Trump to craft a more lasting set of higher rates using other legal authorities. That process is now well underway, and could yield rates akin to those that Mr. Trump announced last year using a decades-old economic emergency law.

After the Supreme Court invalidated those tariffs in February, the White House swiftly moved to revive them, employing a never-before-used provision in the Trade Act of 1974, known as Section 122. The power allows the White House to apply tariffs up to 15 percent for a maximum of 150 days in response to “large and serious United States balance-of-payments deficits” and situations that present “fundamental international payments problems.”

The two intricate concepts reflect lawmakers’ concerns back when the U.S. dollar was pegged to gold, creating economic risks that the president might need to manage using tariffs. But the dollar is no longer pegged to that commodity, prompting a coalition of states and a group of small businesses to sue the Trump administration this spring, arguing that he did not meet the criteria under law to apply his 10 percent tariff.

The two sides clashed at a tense and highly technical three-hour hearing last month, when the judges on the Court of International Trade seemed to struggle at times to interpret lawmakers’ intentions in 1974 — and the extent to which Mr. Trump could wield that power about a half-century later.

In its 53-page ruling, two of the three judges on the trade court ultimately found that the president had failed to meet the threshold established under law to allow the use of Section 122. In doing so, the judges pointed to legislative history, which they said “chronicles a series of efforts to carefully cabin presidential discretion” on trade.

“Section 122 was passed in response to a specific historical crisis that resulted in the United States’ currency and gold reserves being depleted,” said Jeffrey Schwab, the director of litigation at the Liberty Justice Center, a legal group that represented small businesses in the case. “That is not the situation here.”

It marked the second major win for the Liberty Justice Center, which had prevailed against the president in the case that reached the Supreme Court. States joined small businesses in that case as well, but on Friday, the trade court found most did not have standing to challenge Mr. Trump over his use of Section 122.

“So long as President Trump continues to try to illegally tax Oregonians, we’ll continue to go to court to stop him,” Dan Rayfield, the attorney general of Oregon, said in a statement.

The administration is already working on its next plan for tariffs, but those levies can’t be implemented immediately. It has proposed two trade investigations under a legal provision known as Section 301, one related to global laws against trade in goods made with forced labor, and another on other countries’ manufacturing capacity.

Hearings on those measures were held in Washington this and last week. But the administration was counting on the Section 122 tariff to last until July, and those alternate tariffs may not be ready for many weeks.

News Roundups

The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: Trump Attacks Female Reporter, Prisoners Who Spoke About Maxwell Punished, Ballroom in Trouble, More AI Attacks on Me, Aaron Parnas, right, May 8, 2026. A new investigation reveals that fellow inmates of Ghislaine Maxwell were allegedly punished for speaking out about her preferential treatment in federal prison. Meanwhile, funding for Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom project is facing serious resistance from Republicans this morning. Trump also attacked a female journalist again, and not a single one of her colleagues stepped in to defend her.

We are also learning more about how DOGE allegedly used race and other protected characteristics to carry out the largest grant cuts in the history of the National Endowment for the Humanities, along with much more.

A couple of notes on my end. First, I was disgusted watching other journalists stay silent while Trump attacked Rachel Scott. Watch the video for yourself. Journalists should never trade silence for access, but that is exactly what happened.

Second, this afternoon and evening I will be helping prepare members of Congress for upcoming Epstein depositions and interviews, so I may not have a full news update later today, but stay tuned.

Third, while scrolling social media today, I came across yet another dangerous AI-generated video impersonating me and falsely claiming I am a doctor giving medical advice. It’s clearly fake, but several people believed it. Here is the video:

There is a lot happening right now. If you are able, please consider subscribing or gifting a subscription to support my work. 

Here’s the news:

A CNN investigation found that inmates at a federal prison camp in Texas say they were punished after speaking publicly about convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell following her unusual transfer to a minimum-security facility. Several women described being reprimanded, transferred to harsher detention centers, or accused of threatening prison security after making comments to reporters about Maxwell’s presence and the special treatment she allegedly received.

The accounts are particularly troubling because prison consultants and former inmates said Maxwell’s transfer itself was highly atypical for someone convicted of sex trafficking crimes, fueling suspicions of preferential treatment tied to her relationship with deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein and her comments about Donald Trump. Critics say the reported retaliation raises broader concerns about free speech, transparency, and unequal treatment within the federal prison system.

Donald Trump’s ballroom funding is in trouble. Moderate House Republicans are reportedly warning party leadership and the White House that a proposed $1 billion allocation tied to securing Donald Trump’s planned ballroom project is politically toxic and may not have enough support to pass. One Republican lawmaker reportedly said, “A first-year poli sci major would know not to ask members to take this vote,” while another bluntly predicted, “There is no way in hell that this will get 218 votes on the floor.”

High-Tech billionaire and government contractor Elon Musk wields a chainsaw above left as he acts out the ultra-right dream of firing federal workers in the Trump-authorized DOGE program, as Trump-allied Argentine leader Javier Millei cheers on Musk at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

A federal judge ruled Thursday that Elon Musk’s DOGE “blatantly used” race, gender, and other protected characteristics to carry out the largest mass termination of federal grants in the history of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Judge Colleen McMahon found it especially troubling that DOGE staffers reportedly relied on DEI-related keywords and ChatGPT to target projects connected to Black history, Holocaust testimony, Native American experiences, women, and LGBTQ topics. The court said the process was unlawful, discriminatory, and far outside normal grant review procedures, particularly amid rising antisemitism and political attacks on academic and cultural programs. The ruling blocked the Trump administration from moving forward with the cuts and intensified concerns about ideological filtering and AI-driven decision-making in federal governance.

Justin J. Pearson, shown above right, with a fellow Tennessee legislator Justin Jones, delivered an emotional floor speech in the Tennessee State House condemning a new congressional map that will dismantle the state’s only Black-majority district. “Today, you will take the only Black-majority district from us,” Pearson said, before adding, “No matter what you do, no matter how much you try to break us and make us bend and quit — we will still be here.”

The exclusive we broke yesterday was much larger than expected. The cyberhack of Columbia was not just limited to Columbia University. We now know that a massive data breach targeting Instructure, the parent company of the widely used Canvas learning platform, has affected schools and universities nationwide. According to reports, hackers threatened to release stolen data unless institutions contact them before May 12, though highly sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and passwords does not appear to have been compromised. Exposed data may include names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and messages, raising concerns about phishing scams and targeted fraud against students and staff. Cybersecurity experts are urging users to remain cautious of suspicious emails and communications as schools continue assessing the scale of the breach. Our exclusive spread like a wildfire and has millions of views now.

Donald Trump made an unannounced visit last night to inspect renovations to a 2,000-foot reflecting pool project, where crews installed a bright blue liner to fix leaks he had previously described as “filthy.” The renovation reportedly cost about $1.8 million. It is the first time a presidential motorcade drove on the reflecting pool like this:

During an exchange with reporters, Donald Trump dismissed a question about focusing on infrastructure and development projects while gas prices were rising. Calling it “such a stupid question,” Trump responded combatively and added, “You can understand dirt better than I can baby but I don’t allow it,” in another attack on a female journalist.

Later in the exchange, Donald Trump appeared to refer to reporter Rachel Scott, right, as a “bitch,” and not a single one of her colleagues stood up for her.

During the visit, Trump asked random construction workers if Iran should have a nuclear weapon.

When asked about the hantavirus outbreak, Donald Trump said he had been briefed and expressed cautious optimism that the situation was “very much we hope under control.” Asked whether Americans should worry about the virus spreading, Trump responded, “I hope not. We’ll do the best we can.” His comments came as health authorities continue monitoring the outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship and tracking potential contacts worldwide.

According to ABC News, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship as a “level 3” emergency response, which is the agency’s lowest level of emergency activation. The designation indicates the CDC is monitoring and coordinating its response to the outbreak, which has already resulted in multiple deaths and infections among passengers. Health officials continue tracking travelers and contacts across several countries, though experts emphasize that the overall risk of widespread transmission remains low. The outbreak has drawn international attention because the rare hantavirus strain involved may spread person-to-person in uncommon cases.

A flight attendant who had contact with passengers linked to the deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested negative for the virus, easing concerns that the disease may have spread beyond those directly on board. Health officials had been closely monitoring the attendant in the Netherlands after a sick passenger was removed from a flight traveling from South Africa to Amsterdam. Authorities continue tracing passengers worldwide, as the outbreak has already caused three deaths and several confirmed infections connected to the cruise. Experts and the WHO stress that the risk to the broader public remains low because hantavirus rarely spreads person-to-person and generally requires close contact.

A new suspected hantavirus case has been identified in a British national on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, linked to an outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius. So far, three people have died and four others are being treated in hospitals across Europe and South Africa, while health authorities continue tracing passengers and close contacts worldwide. Experts and agencies including the WHO and CDC say the risk of widespread contagion remains low, although the rare strain involved can spread person-to-person in uncommon cases. The cruise ship is expected to dock in Tenerife soon, and asymptomatic passengers are being monitored and advised to isolate after returning home.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted a short time ago, “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.”

X avatar for @araghchi Seyed Abbas Araghchi@araghchiEvery time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure. Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire? Whatever the causes, outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure.Image10:55 AM · May 8, 2026 · 15.8K Views92 Replies · 255 Reposts · 916 Likes

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla warned, in an interview with ABC News, that the United States is on a “dangerous path” that could lead to a “bloodbath in Cuba” after repeated comments from Donald Trump about potentially taking over the country. In an interview with ABC News, Rodríguez said Cuba takes Trump’s military threats “very seriously” and would defend itself “to the very last consequences” if attacked. The remarks followed Trump’s recent statements suggesting Cuba could be “next” after Iran and references to sending the USS Abraham Lincoln near the island as part of a pressure campaign that already includes sanctions and economic restrictions. Rodríguez also said there has been “no progress” in ongoing talks with the United States and rejected any negotiations over Cuba’s political system or internal affairs.

A recent survey found that 11% of American adults say they personally know someone who has been detained or deported due to their immigration status, highlighting how immigration enforcement policies are directly affecting a significant number of people and communities across the United States.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, pledged to continue governing despite heavy losses for the Labour Party in local elections across England, Scotland, and Wales. The results highlighted growing public dissatisfaction with Labour and the weakening of Britain’s traditional two-party system, as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party made major gains, especially in former Labour strongholds. Analysts described the outcome as a historic political shift, with voters increasingly turning to smaller and insurgent parties such as Reform, the Greens, and nationalist movements. While some Labour lawmakers are questioning Starmer’s leadership after policy reversals and declining popularity, allies argue replacing him now would create further instability.

Investigative Reporting, Scandal Reports

FIFA Peace Prize: What is it and why ... Trump receives FIFA’s first “Peace Prize” from his pal, FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Wayne Madsen Report, Investigative Commentary and Opinion: Trump Organization closely linked to criminal operations of FIFA and the International Olympic Committee, Wayne Madsen, left, author of 28 books and former Navy intelligence officer, May 7-8, 2026. Trump Tower was and continues to be a hotbed for FIFA and IOC money laundering.

FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are two of the most influential organizations in global sports.

Over the years, both have faced numerous allegations of criminal activity, including corruption, bribery, money laundering, and other forms of misconduct. Many of these criminal activities centered on Trump Tower in New York, with some personally involving Trump and his Trump Organization officers. Trump Tower was known to the FBI as a center point of criminal operations surrounding sports and the wiretaps later installed on suspects residing there, particularly those involved in the corruption of FIFA and the IOC resulted in Trump’s vendetta against the bureau. That enmity led to Trump appointing an incompetent drunk, Kash Patel, as FBI director, a move that constituted nothing more than revenge by a de facto mob gangster.

FIFA: Allegations and Investigations

FIFA’s “manosphere” climate has always attracted sexual predators and racists like Donald Trump and his neo-fascist ideological predecessor businessman-turned-politician, the late Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The fascist leanings of FIFA first raised their ugly head in 2006 during the FIFA World Cup in Berlin when French team captain Zinedine Zidane, the son of Algerian immigrants, was subjected to a racist taunt by rival Italian player Marco Materazzi.

On the field, Materazzi tweaked Zidane’s nipples while making a reference to homosexuality. That, apparently, was not enough to inflame Zidane. Howeve, when Materazzi made comments about Zidane being the “son of a terrorist whore,” Zidane head butted Zidane in a move that is more commonplace in Trump’s beloved mixed martial arts but a definite foul in soccer. Zidane received a red card and expulsion from the match -- something that very likely led to France’s defeat in overtime penalty kicks.

Materazzi had engaged in the type of racist insults for which Italian football under the de facto tutelage of right-wing and racist former Prime Minister, as well as TV, satellite, newspaper, and magazine media magnate -- and AC Milan football club owner -- Silvio Berlusconi, had become infamous.

Roberto Calderoli, an Italian Senator in the former Berlusconi government, issued his own racist insult against the French soccer team. He said, “a team which fielded Lombards, Campanians, Venetians, and Calabrians won against a team which sacrificed its identity for results by fielding blacks, Muslims, and Communists.”

The 2006 World Cup was a lesson in the nexus between racism and corruption. Materazzi had identified himself with the neo-fascist party that was a member of Berlusconi’s corruption-ridden coalition government. In addition, Materazzi once played for Lazio di Roma, a club which, like his later club, Inter-Milan, was known for racist insults from fans being shouted at black and Arab players. It was FIFA’s corruption and presence of several racist players that attracted the attention of the racist and corrupt Donald Trump. It was also not lost on Trump that the racial incident in Berlin occurred at Berlin’s renovated Olympiastadion, the site of the 1936 Summer Olympics, where racist slurs were hurled at African American runner Jesse Owens by one of Trump’s favorites, Adolf Hitler. 

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) maintained offices on the entire 17th floor of Trump Tower. Its general secretary, a high-flying ne’er-do-well named Chuck Blazer, a ove -- who also served as a FIFA board member -- had lived in an apartment on the 49th floor since 1990. He rented an addition apartment on the 49th floor at $6000 per month for the sole use of his cats. Blazer paid $18,000 per month for his own apartment. The funds came from CONCACAF’s budget. In 2005, Blazer permitted Trump to use his apartment to film an infomercial. For Trump, Blazer was much more than a renter. The organizations he represented, CONCACAF and FIFA, were lucrative cash cows for the cash-starved Trump. IRS still after former U.S. soccer bigwig Chuck Blazer over millions in unpaid taxes – New York Daily News Trump Tower resident Chuck Blazer

In 2013, Blazer pleaded guilty in federal court to ten criminal charges that included racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering, and income tax evasion. Blazer had agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice in a more wide-ranging criminal investigation of international soccer. It appears that Trump’s connections to the underworld of international sports has been largely forgotten, especially after FIFA opened an office in Trump Tower on July 8, 2025. The ceremony, presided over by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Eric Trump and featuring Brazilian football star Ronaldo, marked Trump Tower as the global base for the 2026 World Cup. The move came as the United States, Canada, and Mexico prepared to co-host the 2026 football extravaganza. Infantino has been a long-time Trump sycophant, even awarding the shiny prize-hungry Trump the first-ever “FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World” during the 2026 World Cup draw event in Washington. The trophy became a source of ridicule within FIFA and around the world, especially amid Trump’s military threats against a dozen or so countries and the rounding up of thousands of Hispanics and others by ICE.

FIFA Peace Prize: What is it and why ... Trump receives FIFA’s first “Peace Prize” from his pal Gianni Infantino

It is not an exaggeration to call Trump Tower a virtual den of villains. In addition to criminals associated with FIFA and the IOC, a group of smaller scale organized crime figures used their apartments and offices in Trump Tower for illegal bookie operations, money laundering, bank fraud, smuggling, art theft, and professional boxing racketeering involving the flamboyant Don King. Some residents were linked to the bribing of officials of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Some of the “Dark Tower’s” criminality also involved crime boss John Gotti. Several of the residents of Trump Tower were suspected of being involved in homicides around the world.

FIFA celebrities and leaders, left to right: Didier Deschamps, Alessandro Del Piero, FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani, Roberto Baggio, Ronaldo, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Donald Trump, Marco Materazzi, Iker Casillas, Kaka and Marcel Desailly.

FIFA has been at the center of multiple criminal investigations. In 2015, several top FIFA officials were arrested in Switzerland on charges of racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering. The U.S. DoJ led the investigation, which revealed a widespread network of bribery involving the awarding of World Cup hosting rights and television contracts. The scandal exposed decades of corrupt practices, leading to the resignation of then-president Sepp Blatter and the conviction of several high-ranking executives. Infantino had replaced the ethically-tainted Blatter, who was banned from FIFA activities until 2027 for his involvement in the organization’s pay-for-play schemes. One common denominator linking Blatter and Infantino is Donald Trump. FIFA opens New York office in U.S.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Eric Trump open FIFA headquarters in Trump Tower

One thing that really caused Trump to blow a head gasket was the revelation that before Robert Mueller began investigating Trump and his 2016 campaign’s ties to Russian and “Eurasian” organized crime figures and networks, the FBI had already initiated a covert surveillance operation targeting criminal enterprises, including CONCACAF and FIFA, that called Trump Tower home. The 2016 Trump for President campaign also maintained its headquarters in the building.

What particularly irritated Trump was that the CONCACAF and FIFA investigation was led by Loretta Lynch, right, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and the later Attorney General under Barack Obama. In addition to Blazer, Lynch’s investigation netted other football officials, including Alejandro Burzaco of Argentina; Zorana Danis of Belgium; José Hawilla, José Margulies, and Fabio Tordin of Brazil; Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands; Sergio Jadue of Chile; Luis Bedoya of Colombia; Roger Huguet of Spain; and Daryan Warner and Daryll Warner of Trinidad and Tobago. Other soccer officials indicted included those from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, United Kingdom. and Venezuela. As part of his plea agreement, Blazer fingered other sporting officials, including 2011 FIFA presidential candidate and president of the Asian Football Confederation Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar.

Trump, who had received some of the some $200 million in laundered funds from CONCACAF and FIFA, was steaming mad at Lynch, the DoJ, and the FBI. He would ultimately have his revenge. For Trump, revenge is a dish best served hot or cold.The International Olympic Committee: Allegations and Controversies

The IOC has also been accused of criminal operations, particularly related to the bidding process for hosting the Olympic Games. Investigations have uncovered instances where cities allegedly paid bribes to secure hosting rights. Allegations of bid rigging plagued the IOC presidency of Juan Antonio Samaranch. The Salt Lake City bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics, for example, led to a major scandal involving gifts and payments to IOC members. Make no mistake about it: the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles has been tainted by similar allegations.

Trump signed a law permanently stopping U.S. payments to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Trump, fronting for his friend Vladimir Putin, has been upset at the IOC’s and other international sporting federations’ banning of Russia over repeated and systematic athlete doping. Trump’s connections to the IOC and FIFA corruption scandals coincided with the accusations surrounding IOC President Thomas Bach. He faced intense criticism for his weakness in handling the Russian doping scandal that began with the 2014 Sochi Games. Bach faced criminal investigations by Brazilian and French prosecutors. Bach’s close relations with Putin and China’s Xi Jinping made him a useful and admired friend for Trump.

The IOC was left embarrassed over Trump’s deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) units for security at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. sparked international protests and put the IOC in the position of defending the U.S. administration’s security choices

In 2017, Arthur César de Menezes Soares Filho, a former partner in the Trump Hotel Rio de Janeiro, was charged by Brazilian prosecutors with paying bribes to secure the city’s 2016 Olympic bid.

Furthermore, the IOC has faced allegations of money laundering and improper financial management, as well as criticism for its handling of doping scandals, pedophilia, and its relationship with authoritarian regimes. Casey Wasserman, the chair of the LA28 Olympic organizing committee, has faced intense pressure to resign following the release of court documents linking him to one-time Trump besties Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Despite calls for his resignation from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and other local officials, the LA28 board has decided to retain him. U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order, in Washington 

U.S. Olympics 2026 Chairman Casey Wasserman with President Trump, both of whom were best pals of  sex traffickers, rapists and global financiers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The Wasserman-Epstein scandal was not the first brush that the Olympics experienced with pedophiles. The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC)—an umbrella organization overseeing 47 semi-autonomous sports bodies, was seen as inadequately responding to the crisis ignited by the sexual abuse of underage female gymnasts by USA Gymnastics physician, Dr. Larry Nassar. Serious questions were raised about USOC’s responsibility, as well as the prevailing culture across Olympics sports.

The criminal operations and subsequent investigations of international sports, particularly FIFA and the IOC, but also international professional golf, have closely intersected with the Trump crime syndicate, also known as the Trump Organization. International sporting has served as a convenient vehicle for the criminal activities and personal grifting by Donald Trump and those associated with him. In the New York civil fraud trial, a judge found Trump and his company liable for falsely inflating the value of golf resorts, including properties in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and Westchester, NY.

He was accused of reporting “zero depreciation” on equipment like tractors and lawnmowers to artificially boost property values. Trump’s courses have hosted numerous LIV Golf events. Critics and 9/11 victims’ families have accused the partnership of aiding Saudi Arabian “sportswashing.” In May 2026, Trump called for the PGA Tour to reintegrate LIV players as Saudi funding for the league reportedly began to wind down.

Trump is a mobster who employs gangsters as his hit men and, in a few cases, hit women. As with everything else he has touched, he has turned ostensibly honest endeavors, including the Olympics, World Cup, pro golf, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other sports into a personal criminal enterprise. Trump was considered so toxic that his attempt to purchase the NFL’s Buffalo Bills was voted down by NFL team owners, many of them not examples of mortal turpitude.

Trump’s criminal reign must come to an end, and along with it, the demolition of his current and future criminal dens and symbols — from his White House ballroom and Arlington Cemetery “Arch de Trump” to Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago. These eyesores of corruption and American fascism should be marked by historical plaques to note to future generations how the United States drifted into fascism but overthrew it with revolutionary determination not seen since the War of Independence.

Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: PopInfo Weekly, Judd Legum, right, Rebecca Crosby and Noel Sims, May 8, 2026. Welcome to PopInfo Weekly, our roundup of the best accountability journalism.

• The Trump administration has not paid third-parties for medical care provided to detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for over seven months. This has coincided with a large spike in deaths and medical crises for people in ICE detention centers.
• Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told Congress that the cost of the Iran War through the first 60 days was $25 billion. But a cost estimate conducted by Popular Information found that the U.S. spent an estimated $71.8 billion on the Iran War through the first 60 days, or $1.2 billion per day on average.The real cost of the Iran War: $72 billion for the first 60 days The real cost of the Iran War: $72 billion for the first 60 days
• State Farm markets itself as a reliable company that will always be there for its customers. But the company’s California customers had a different experience during the 2025 wildfires. This week, the California Department of Insurance “announced a major enforcement action against State Farm General Insurance Company after an expedited investigation uncovered significant mishandling of insurance claims filed by survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles
• Satellite images show that Iran has damaged more U.S. military sites than previously reported. A Washington Post analysis of satellite imagery found that airstrikes by Iran have caused more damage than what the government has publicly acknowledged. According to the report, airstrikes have “damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites across the Middle East since the war began.” (Washington Post)
• Soil the Trump administration dumped at golf course tests positive for contaminants. Data released by the National Park Service found that soil at a public golf course in Washington, D.C., “tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals.” The Trump administration used the golf course as a dump site for the debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing. While the level of the contaminants was relatively low, it raises questions about the Trump administration’s decision to bypass environmental laws and dump debris at the golf course. (New York Times)

More On Iran War 

New York Times, Trump Reversed Hormuz Plan After Saudis Denied Airspace Access, Michael Crowley, Eric Schmitt and Vivian Nereim, May 8, 2026 (print ed.). Saudi Arabia’s refusal of support suggests that President Trump’s unpredictable approach to Iran has strained ties with one of his closest allies in the Middle East.

U.S. Government, Politics, Elections

Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 7, 2026 [Erasing Black-Majority, Democratic House Seats in U.S. South], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 8, 2026. Today Tennessee state representative Justin Jones burned a Confederate battle flag in the rotunda of the Tennessee State Capitol in protest of the legislature’s redrawing of the state’s congressional district maps to erase the majority-Black 9th Congressional District. By cracking the city of Memphis into three pieces and joining them to white suburbs, the legislature turned all the state’s districts into Republican seats.

The actions of the Republicans in the Tennessee legislature are a direct response to the Supreme Court’s April 29 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which found that in creating a second congressional district to enable Black voters to elect a representative of their choice, as mandated by the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the Louisiana legislature unconstitutionally took race into account when drawing the district lines. Although the Supreme Court’s clerk normally waits 32 days to finalize an opinion, the Supreme Court made the decision effective immediately to allow Louisiana, where the primary election was already underway, to redraw its maps.

Immediately, Republican-dominated state governments rushed to redistrict their states to eliminate majority-Black districts, thus slashing through Democratic representation in their states. As Khaya Himmelman of Talking Points Memo explained today, Louisiana’s Republican governor, Jeff Landry, immediately suspended a congressional primary election that was already underway in order to give Republican legislators a chance to change the maps to give at least one of the state’s two Democratic seats to Republicans.

Although a federal court injunction forbids Alabama from redrawing its maps before the 2030 census, Republican governor Kay Ivey called for the state to do so, and Republican attorney general Steve Marshall has filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court to let the state revert to a map struck down in 2023 because it was racially gerrymandered.

Trump began this gerrymandering arms race last year, pressuring Republican Texas legislators to redistrict the state to help Republicans win the midterms and protect him from investigations and possible impeachment. As of today, Patrick Marley of the Washington Post noted, Republican-dominated legislatures in Ohio, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, and Florida have redistricted to pick up Republican seats, while Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Alabama are engaged in that process. In retaliation, Democrats have temporarily redistricted the states of California and Virginia.

Tennessee is now expected to send only Republicans to Congress. Just minutes after the Republicans cut Memphis into thirds to get rid of the voices of Black Democrats, Republican state senator Brent Taylor announced he was running for the new seat “to stand with President Trump and cement Tennessee’s conservative legacy for generations to come.”

In Tennessee, Representative Steve Cohen, who currently represents Memphis and who is the only Democrat in the Tennessee congressional delegation, posted: “And just like that, the TN GOP voted to enforce a racial gerrymander of Memphis and strip our city of effective representation for decades. Trump knows he HAS TO rig the game to keep his majority in November. And the TN GOP was willing to go along with it. It’s shameful. Next stop is the courts.”

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has already sued to block the redistricting.

Cohen is right that the Republicans recognize the only way for them to win going forward is to skew the maps so that Democrats can’t win, because right now, at least, the administration is a dumpster fire.

This morning, Warren P. Strobel, John Hudson, and Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post reported that the Central Intelligence Agency delivered a confidential analysis of conditions in Iran that suggests the administration has been badly off the mark in its public statements about the war.

Although Trump insists that the war had been an overwhelming military victory and that Iran is suffering so badly from the U.S. military blockade it will have to cave to U.S. demands quickly, the CIA report assesses that, in fact, Iran can survive for at least three or four more months before having to deal with more severe economic hardship. The report also assesses that Iran still has about 75% of the mobile missile launchers it had before the war and about 70% of its missiles.

Trump has told reporters that Iran’s economy is “crashing” and that Iran was down to 18% or 19% of its former missile stocks.

The content of the analysis is important, and so is the fact that CIA analysts are sharing it with reporters, suggesting they are disturbed by the administration’s current trajectory.

The administration insists the war has “terminated,” meaning that it does not have to honor the 1973 War Powers Act that requires the president to either withdraw troops or get congressional approval for continuing military actions. Today the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran firing on three U.S. destroyers and the U.S. firing on two ships entering the strait.

While the Iranian military called the strikes a violation of the ceasefire, a U.S. official told Barak Ravid and Dave Lawler of Axios that the exchange did not mean the war had resumed. This evening, the president told Rachel Scott of ABC News in a phone call that the ceasefire is still in effect and “the retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets are just a ‘love tap.’”

As the national average for a gallon of gas hit $4.56 today, the British energy giant Shell announced its profits were up 24% in the first three months of 2026. This amounted to almost $7 billion, more than twice what Shell made in the previous quarter.

In the Wall Street Journal, John Keilman reported today that Whirlpool, which makes refrigerators and washing machines, said the Iran war has caused a “recession-level industry decline” and that Americans should expect to pay higher prices for appliances going forward.

While experts say there were about 14 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. in 2025, Trump border advisor Tom Homan told the Fox News Channel today that there are “well over 20 million” undocumented immigrants in the U.S. and “we’re going to do everything we can to arrest as many people as we can.”

But a new Pew poll shows that 52% of Americans already think Trump is cracking down too hard on undocumented immigrants. Politico adds that that number includes about a quarter of the people who voted for him in 2024. It also includes 67% of Latino voters, who had swung toward the Republicans in 2024.

Those poll numbers came before today’s story by Lisa Song, Maya Miller, Melissa Sanchez, and Mariam Elba of ProPublica identifying 79 children injured by tear gas or pepper spray during immigration encounters. While the reporters documented federal agents throwing tear gas and shooting pepper spray into crowds, the Department of Homeland Security said the fault for the children’s injuries lies with “agitators” and parents who put their children in harm’s way. “DHS does NOT target children,” it said.

The journalists assess that their count of 79 injured children is “likely still a vast undercount.”

Americans are paying dearly for the administration’s detention of immigrants. Just today, Patricia Mazzei and Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times reported that the administration of Florida governor Ron DeSantis is talking with the Trump administration about closing the Everglades detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz. The center has been called unsanitary and inhumane since it opened about ten months ago, yet the cost of housing its 1,400 detainees is more than $1 million a day. DeSantis has asked for $608 million to run the camp for a year.

And then there are Trump’s increasingly high profile attacks on the pope. Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the United States, and Trump seems determined to challenge him. The pope has spoken out against inhumane treatment of migrants and has called for peace through diplomacy, an observation Trump has taken as criticism of his war on Iran. Last week, Pope Leo appointed Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala to become the new bishop of West Virginia. Menjivar-Ayala was once an undocumented immigrant himself.

Trump posted last month that Pope Leo was “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” and he has continued his attacks, saying Monday: “The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I don’t think that’s very good. I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics, and a lot of people, but I guess if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

As Sarah Ewall-Wice reported in the Daily Beast, Pope Leo responded indirectly, noting that “[t]he mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace. If anyone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully.” He continued: “The Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, so there is no doubt about that.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was at the Vatican today to ease tensions. The visit did not go particularly well. While Rubio gave Pope Leo a crystal football with the seal of the State Department, Pope Leo gave Rubio a pen made from the symbol of peace: olive wood. The Vatican’s statement did not suggest the men found much common ground, saying the meeting included “an exchange of views regarding the regional and international situation, with particular attention to countries marked by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as to the need to work tirelessly in support of peace.”

And finally, today the president himself is in the news…or, rather, out of it. Trump, both of whose hands have been covered in makeup lately, apparently to hide bruises, was supposed to have a meeting today with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil at 11:15 that was open to the press. The reporters waited three hours, but the event never happened. At 1:22, Trump’s social media account simply posted that “[t]he meeting went very well” and that representatives from the two countries would continue to meet. 

Democracy Docket, Analysis: Virginia redistricting election nullified by state supreme court, Matthew Kupfer, May 8, 2026. In a major loss for Democrats, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled the congressional map voters approved last month to counter GOP gerrymanders cannot go into effect.

The decision overturns the will of voters for technical reasons and gives Republicans a leg up for the 2026 midterms, marking the end of the road in Virginia Democrats' effort to fight back against Republican gerrymandering nationwide. Today's decision from Virginia's highest court also follows a dangerous pattern of courts or GOP officials nullifying elections after they've been held, or halting them midway.

MS NOW, Opinion: Gen Z conservatives helped power Trump’s 2024 victory. Now some are wavering, Akayla Gardner, May 8, 2026. Brilyn Hollyhand, a 19-year-old conservative influencer, had just finished fielding questions from a room full of voting-age high school and college students in Ohio when he pulled out his phone to deliver a sharp warning to the Republican Party.

“If Republicans focus on everything except the economy going into November, we deserve to lose the midterms,” Hollyhand, former co-chair of the RNC’s youth council, said in a video posted to X and Instagram. “Gen Z doesn’t care about cultural-war wins. We don’t care about 20-point policy papers. We want solutions.”

In interviews with MS NOW, young conservative leaders echoed similar concerns about how cost-of-living frustrations — including soaring gas prices, elevated interest rates and an uncertain job market — could affect the voting group. Others are concerned about the U.S. conflict with Iran, which some described as a betrayal of Trump’s campaign vow to pursue “America First” policies.

The warning signs are real.

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Trump’s Lose-Lose Abortion Dilemma, Andrew Egger, May 5, 2026. One of the million strange things about our political moment is how abortion politics has all but dropped out of it.

But abortion politics may be coming back. Red states with active abortion bans have been suing to end the chief federal policy blunting their anti-abortion efforts: a substantial Biden-era expansion of clinics’ ability to mail abortion drugs to patients without a physical visit. This Food and Drug Administration policy has meant that even living in a total-ban state is hardly a barrier to access: Women seeking abortions can simply request drugs from an out-of-state clinic and receive them discreetly by mail.

Last week, a federal court upended that uneasy status quo. In a case brought by the state of Louisiana, a New Orleans-based appeals court ruled unanimously that the FDA’s authorization of the telehealth prescription and nationwide mailing of mifepristone—one of two drugs typically taken in tandem to induce abortion—violated the state’s right to regulate the practice within its borders.

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: One Speed Only, Andrew Egger, May 8, 2026. Something weird’s been happening lately. Donald Trump will be doing some unremarkable event surrounded with cheerful citizens, sometimes children. He makes small talk, banters with them, as one does. Only the small talk often turns out to be insane MAGA gobbledygook, like an in-person reenactment of Trump’s latest Truth Social rant.

Just this week, Trump staged an Oval Office event announcing his revival of the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, the annual grade-school fitness contest. “Barack Hussein Obama—have you heard of him?” the president groused to the kids around him. “The Obama administration phased out this wonderful tradition. Thank you, Barack, very much. Great job.” When one boy told him he was planning to try powerlifting, Trump immediately began yammering about the unfairness of biological males participating in women’s powerlifting—before suggesting he didn’t think this kid (who looked all of 13) would stoop to such tactics: “I don’t think we have to worry about you.”

Or consider last month, when Trump used an even more implausible event—the White House Easter Egg Roll—to share some of his favorite conspiracy theories about Joe Biden. “He was incapable of signing his name, so they’d follow him around with a big machine,” Trump told a table of coloring children. “Do you know what it was called? An autopen. He’d have the autopen sign for him. . . . That’s not too good, right?”

Or how about his tax-week stunt with DoorDash? Trump’s choreographed “delivery” last month of McDonald’s to the White House was supposed to be a straightforward victory lap on his affordability accomplishments for service workers. Instead, Trump peppered “DoorDash Grandma” Sharon Simmons with questions about whether she’d voted for him and whether men should play in women’s sports. “I really don’t have an opinion on that,” Simmons demurred. “I’m here about no tax on tips.”

Now Andrew, you might say, this is not new. And you’d be right, to a point: Trump has a longstanding habit of injecting his particular manias into even the most incongruous proceedings: During last year’s Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning, Trump joked that “some of my more enthusiastic staffers” had been drafting paperwork to ship the turkeys “straight to the terrorist confinement center in El Salvador.” Already during Trump’s first term, it was a running joke that he could never hold himself in the register of respectability for long—and that it was some monumental accomplishment when he could make it the length of a full speech without major incident (“today is the day Trump truly became president”).

We’ve been pointing this out for years. To get the best Trump coverage in the business, become a Bulwark+ member.Subscribed

But what we see now is different. It isn’t just that Trump can’t keep his id under control for long stretches of time. These days, it seems, he can’t sublimate it at all.

We could spend productive hours speculating about why this is—the weakening impulse control of advanced age, the brain-puddinging effect of being surrounded at all times by bowing, scraping yes-men. Or maybe it’s just the same solipsism and monomania Trump’s been carrying around in his skull all along: He is so incapable of imagining the world as others see it that he actually thinks kids want to yuk it up with him about trans sports and autopens.

Whatever the psychological explanation, Trump’s growing inability to turn off The Trump Show™, even in short bursts, couldn’t be coming at a worse time for him politically. As a person, as a leader, as the head of a political project, Trump has rarely been less popular: Nate Silver’s polling aggregator puts him at just 39 percent approving, with 57.6 percent disagreeing.

Presidents are not without tools to try to fight against headwinds like these. That’s the whole point of all these smaller events: To try to show different (less odious?) sides of the president’s personality, or at least to remind voters of specific things they’ve liked that he’s done.

But successfully pulling off a strategy like this would require Trump to exercise a little self-discipline—to recede into the background, to keep a hold on his tongue, to let his strategists take the lead for a change. It would require him to admit to himself that his stream-of-consciousness shtick—his secret sauce, his essential himness that has kept him in the driver’s seat of American politics for a decade—might not be what this moment calls for.

It is, in a word, impossible. Trump always deeply resents being told what he can and can’t say. Even now, even when it is obviously and enormously in his interest to do so, he either can’t or won’t clam up—which, for a man as enslaved by his own vices as Trump is, has always amounted to the same thing.

America, to its increasing distaste, has the sort of president who spends his days nattering insanely to children about the elections that have been stolen from him and the suspiciously ethnic middle names of his predecessors. And the president seems determined not to let them forget it. 

The Contrarian, Opinion:Our Perilous Succession Process, Norman Ornstein, right, and Thurgood Marshall, Jr., May 8, 2026. It's well past time to bring our system of government continuity into the 21st Century.

Less than two weeks ago, the nation could have woken up with ninety-two-year-old President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Charles Grassley of Iowa, as our commander in chief. Lost in the clamor over the tumult at the White House Correspondents Dinner is that nearly everyone in the presidential line of succession was in the Washington Hilton Ballroom — the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the Cabinet. There was no designated survivor, as we have at the State of the Union messages (and which became popularized with the TV series of the same name). The only one in the line not there was Chuck Grassley. If the attack had been more serious — if they all had been wiped out — the nonagenarian would have been acting president for the next 33-plus months. It is past time to change this process and eliminate the possibility, while bringing presidential succession into the 21st Century.

Grassley, when asked, said he would have been up to the job. Anyone watching the Senate would not be so confident. But, capable or not, this possibility would not be in the national interest. The potential raises again the real issue of continuity of government that has been unaddressed for decades, and which cries out for real reform in presidential succession. Following the shooting at the White House Correspondent Dinner, Senator Charles Grassley, age 92, could have become our commander in chief (Credit: Senator Alan Armstrong)

Thurgood Marshall, Jr. dealt with continuity of government issues when he served as Secretary to the Cabinet under President Clinton. Norman Ornstein, in the aftermath of 9/11, helped create a Continuity of Government Commission to deal with the gaps in the Constitution and law involving all three branches, and helped reconstitute the Commission in 2022.

We both know that our current situation is not tenable.

The last reform of presidential succession came in 1947. President Harry Truman had travelled shortly after the war ended to Potsdam, along with his Secretary of State. With no vice president and a still-shaky level of post-war security, Truman felt that reform was needed. In 1886, Congress changed the original line and removed the two congressional leaders, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Speaker of the House. Truman felt that if the need came to trigger succession, it would be better to have elected representatives than unelected Cabinet members; the change he proposed flipped them, putting the speaker right after the VP, followed by the Senate figure, and then the cabinet in order of creation of the office. Truman’s rationale was that the speaker is closer to the people, but it was also the case that he had far more regard for Speaker Sam Rayburn than he did for Senate President Pro Tempore Kenneth McKellar.

After 9/11, it became clear that the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 was obsolete, starting with the fact that everyone in the line resides in Washington; the threat of a mass terrorist attack revealed a vulnerability that needed to be addressed. And at the same time, there were serious questions about whether it is either constitutional or wise to have members of Congress in the line of succession. Members of Congress are legislative actors, not a part of the executive branch, while the Constitution specifies that those in the line should be “Officers,” meaning executive officials; the workaround was to require the Speaker to resign from the House (or the Senate Pro Tem to resign from the Senate) to take the post, even if it were temporary, and to be designated as officers.

There were other problems. Congressional leaders could, of course, be from the opposite party of the president — and if the president and vice president were killed or incapacitated, it would reverse the results of voters. At the same time, there were obvious conflicts of interest involved. To pick the most pungent example, when President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House in 1868, he avoided removal from office by one vote. Among those who voted for removal was Senate President Pro Tempore Benjamin Wade who, because there was no vice president, would have ascended to the presidency if Johnson had been removed.

There was one more glitch. In 1947, there were concerns that Congress might be out of session or the speaker might be far away from Washington, with the need to fill the presidency immediately. To keep the potential of distance from permanently violating the line, the act stated that if a speaker was not available, or declined initially to resign from Congress, that individual at any subsequent point could bump the acting president and assume the office. Of course, that created an immense conflict of interest — a speaker could suggest to the acting president that if he or she did not do what the speaker wanted, the speaker would take the White House job.

The initial Continuity of Government Commission issued a report on presidential succession recommending, among other things, that there be alternatives to the Cabinet outside of Washington, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate as officers, and that congressional leaders be removed from the line. The successor commission simply said that congressional leaders should be removed and the line after the vice president should be the cabinet. There were (in both commission reports) additional recommendations about issues like presidential incapacity.Subscribed

Unfortunately, nothing came of either report or of any recommendations, beyond a number of process and staffing refinements. We continue to be stuck with the 1947 law. Congressional leaders are not eager to give up this potential power and role, and the willingness of the contemporary Congress to deal with a theoretical concern, no matter how problematic the existing system, is nil.

Partisanship and the threat of litigation raise more hurdles, even for something as simple as changing the norm of choosing as President Pro Tempore the most senior member of the majority party — hence the ninety-two-year-old Grassley — to someone better prepared to be president.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner made it alarmingly clear that we need to revisit presidential succession. If Congress is unwilling to remove its leaders from the line, at minimum, the act should elucidate that first in line after the vice president should be the House leader of the president’s party, and that next in line should be the Senate leader of the president’s party, not the oldest senator in the majority.

The two Continuity Commissions had a wide range of members, spanning both parties and the widest range of ideologies; the recommendations of both were adopted unanimously. Presidential succession is not and should not be viewed through partisan or ideological lenses. Even this deeply divided Congress should be able to deal with this issue once and for all.

Norman Ornstein is a renowned political scientist, co-host of the podcast “Words Matter,” and author of books, including “It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism.”

New York Times, Opinion: The Kind of Men Who Flummox Trump, David French, right, May 8, 2026. The Iran war has revealed President Trump’s true weakness. There is a kind of person who truly flummoxes Trump, the person he just can’t understand — the true believer.

Trump’s central political insight (and perhaps his key political advantage) is that he understood that Americans weren’t quite cynical enough about many of our politicians. As much as we already thought they placed power over principle, we didn’t know the half of it. He could see our politicians more clearly than we could — perhaps because he’d spent a lifetime in their presence, writing them large checks while hearing their empty promises.

And he showed it by placing a big carrot and a giant stick in front of the Republican political class, and then we watched as virtually everyone fell in line.

It’s worth emphasizing the size of the carrot and the stick. First, the carrot: Joining with Trump doesn’t just mean that you gain access to the room where it happens, to use Lin-Manuel Miranda’s memorable phrase. For a substantial number of supporters, it means access to a degree of autonomy and impunity that’s virtually unknown in modern American politics.

As Corey Lewandowski was reported to have said when he was at the Department of Homeland Security, “I’m not worried. I do whatever the f — k I want. DJT will pardon me.” Joining with Trump gave Republican elites access to wealth and power more reminiscent of a banana republic than a constitutional democracy.

But it was about more than just joining with Trump — the deeper your devotion, the greater your opportunity. Deep devotion, not personal accomplishment, became the single most important qualification for high office. Write a series of children’s books praising “King Donald,” for example, and you can become F.B.I. director.

Conversely, break with Trump, and you’d face a personal and professional apocalypse. Republican state senators in Indiana learned that lesson once again on Tuesday night — most of the Republicans who refused to redistrict the state to make it more favorable to their party lost their primaries, and it wasn’t close.

Trump is not a man who values dissent, to put it mildly. The idea of a “team of rivals” is completely alien to him. Talk to virtually any prominent person who breaks with Trump, and they can tell you stories of terrifying days and sleepless nights as MAGA’s minions made their lives a living hell.

At the core of Trump’s worldview is a belief that the world is a fundamentally transactional place, and that everyone has a price.Editors’ PicksI Regret to Inform You of the Better Face Inside Your FaceHow Ancient Centipede Ancestors Conquered the EarthWhat Doctors Want You to Know About Cannabis and Health

The Republican Party has done nothing to disabuse him of the notion. Even the religious leaders around him are fundamentally transactional. As they’ve demonstrated, they’ll put up with virtually any behavior from Trump so long as he delivers on a few, simple promises. And now — especially when it comes to abortion — he doesn’t even have to deliver on those. For some it seems as if access to power alone is compensation enough.Sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the world every weekday morning. Get it sent to your inbox.

The key to Trump’s power isn’t just that he accurately sensed that much of the Republican establishment paid lip service to principle but really cared about power — it’s that he knew millions upon millions of voters possessed similar values. Their commitments to character or ideology took a back seat to the simple desire to defeat their opponents. The most important thing was to win. Anything else was a luxury.

And, in a strange way, they appreciated him for his brazenness. In this cynical view, all politicians are, deep down, just like Trump. They were faking their dedication to principle. As for Trump, he was the honest crook. He was like the mob boss who didn’t insult our intelligence by pretending to be in the sanitation business.

Like calls out to like, and over time Trump has built one of the most purely transactional coalitions in politics. It should surprise no one that prosperity gospel pastors were among the first Christians to answer Trump’s call. Their entire religion is transactional — with God dispensing health and wealth in direct response to the financial donations of the faithful.

Nor should we be surprised that such a substantial proportion of the nation’s tech moguls found their way to MAGA. Forget culture, their politics are downstream of commerce, and Trump has promised crypto and A.I. riches to all those who fall in line behind him.

From pardons to prediction markets, the transactional nature of the Trump administration is perhaps its most obvious characteristic. And transactional people often soothe their own consciences with the belief that everyone else is ultimately transactional as well — the only question is their price.

But that’s wrong. Not everyone is transactional. Some people — for better and for worse — actually have beliefs that they’re willing to die for, and Trump is painfully, obviously baffled when he encounters belief like that.

It’s embarrassing, for example, to watch him flail his way through the Iran war, shifting strategies, objectives and timelines sometimes by the day. It’s obvious that he thought Iran would be another Venezuela. In Venezuela, he was able to capture the leader and then more or less bend the remaining regime elements to his will, at least for now.

But in Iran, he helped Israel decapitate virtually all of the nation’s senior leadership, and the rest of the regime seems to have become more intransigent and less willing to negotiate. Even worse, he also seems to have enabled the most fanatical elements of the regime — the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps — rather than the slightly more moderate clerics.

In response, Trump plays the only cards he knows how to play — alternating between threatening death and destruction and proposing business deals. Remember when he considered a “joint venture” to control the Strait of Hormuz with Iran?

It turns out that there is an immense difference between your median South American autocracy and Twelver Shi’ism, the dominant religion of the Iranian regime. Threatening death to people who are willing to die for their cause doesn’t have the same effect as threatening people who seek mainly wealth and power. They are also quite willing to make other people die for their cause as well — and that means the Iranian regime (like Vladimir Putin’s Russia) will endure catastrophic casualties without shaking its commitment or tempting it to yield.

Why hasn’t Trump been able to force an end to the Ukraine war? There are true believers on both sides. The Ukrainians won’t willingly yield an inch to the man who wants to destroy them, and Putin is infused with his own sense of religious purpose and historic destiny.

Again, this true belief can be good or bad. Ukraine’s zealous defense of its own liberty and independence is heroic and deeply virtuous. So is Denmark’s defense of its own sovereignty in the face of Trump’s bullying. In fact, much of Western Europe was transactional with Trump until they realized the price of dealing with Trump was simply too high to pay.

They thought they could hunker down and weather another Trump term, but he created a crisis so grave that Europe had to stand if it wanted to preserve any shred of dignity and independence.

The pope’s steadfast adherence to Catholic doctrine is yet another example. One gets the sense that he’s almost amused at the idea that Trump’s bellicose rhetoric should have any influence at all on his public professions of Christian faith.

At home, Trump has obviously been flummoxed by judges who stubbornly stick to principle and seem immune to his bluster. Constitutional fidelity is alien to him. He cannot understand why the justices he appointed will not do exactly what he wants.

At the same time, it’s no coincidence that the members of the MAGA coalition who are most apt to break with him are the cranks and conspiracists — people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Alex Jones and even Tucker Carlson. They came into the MAGA coalition as true believers, and they’re the ones who seem genuinely outraged when Trump breaks his promises and betrays their trust.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the last 10 years of American political life has been the way that Trump has exposed layers of differences in American life beyond right versus left. In fact, in many ways right versus left has been the least consequential aspect of the American divide. The Republican Party bears little ideological resemblance to the G.O.P. of even the very recent past.

Instead, it’s been between decent and indecent. Honest and dishonest. Transactional and principled.

The first Trump administration was a complex hybrid of all these characteristics. The president’s indecency and dishonesty were paramount, of course, but for years they existed side-by-side with the integrity of Jim Mattis, for example, and in the run-up to Jan. 6 and on the day itself, Trump encountered the lines that Mike Pence would not cross.

There is no Mattis or Pence in the present administration, and that doesn’t just mean that Trump’s id and impulses are unrestrained; it also means that he’s staffed his administration with people who can’t even comprehend integrity, much less genuine belief.

It’s not that you can’t negotiate with people who possess real convictions. Of course you can. But the nature of the negotiation is entirely different. You have to take into account the other side’s values. You have to know their red lines. And you have to know that they can’t be personally bought. If a person genuinely believes their soul is at stake, then no amount of money or power can compensate them for an eternity in hell.

As Trump has concentrated the most transactional figures in American politics into his coalition, it’s clear that they’ve created their own alternate reality — where everyone is like them, willing to surrender even their deepest values (if they even have deep values) when the price is right.

Yet that alternate reality was never going to hold. Trump was always going to confront true believers, and it is quite plain that MAGA is now fighting forces of both good and evil that it can’t even begin to understand.

U.S. Education, Culture, Media

New York Times, U.S. Schools Face a Crisis as the Number of Children Drops, Sarah Mervosh, Francesca Paris and Claire Cain Miller, May 8, 2026. With fewer students, many public school districts are confronting unfilled classrooms, and hard choices about school closures.

As American women have fewer babies each year, the number of young children in the United States is dwindling. The trend is now catching up to the nation’s public school districts.

There are simply fewer children to attend school in America today: The number of public school students in kindergarten through 12th grade has fallen in 30 states since the mid-2010s.

Enrollment in U.S. public schools plunged during the pandemic. Public schools lost more than a million students.

But elementary school enrollment was falling even before the pandemic, largely because of declining fertility.

Source: National Center for Education StatisticsU.S. Schools Face a Crisis as the Number of Children Drops - The New York Times

Declining enrollment has hit many of the nation’s largest urban school districts, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, a New York Times analysis found. But smaller and suburban districts are shrinking at a similar rate.

Fewer students means less funding, which is tied to enrollment numbers. Many districts are now facing painful budget cuts — and heated conversations about whether to close schools.

Several factors are affecting enrollment. For cities, housing costs and other expenses are driving some families out. The recent crackdown on immigration means fewer children are arriving from other countries, a demographic that had buoyed enrollment nationwide.

Many public school districts also lost students during the pandemic, and are now facing more competition than ever, from private schools, home-schooling, charter schools and virtual schools.

Data suggests that U.S. private schools had a small bump in enrollment during the pandemic, though it is unclear how much that has been sustained. This includes Catholic schools, where enrollment increased during the pandemic, but has declined overall over the last decade. Private schools are also set to benefit from new school voucher programs in many states, which help families pay for private education.

But experts say the biggest factor in declining enrollment is the record-low U.S. fertility rate. It most recently peaked in 2007, and has fallen 24 percent since then.

As children in that age cohort grow up — many babies born in 2007 graduated from high school in 2025 — there are fewer students to replace them. Projections from the National Center for Education Statistics, a research arm of the Department of Education, suggest that enrollment will keep falling in coming years.

Global News

New York Times, News Analysis: China Sees a ‘Giant With a Limp’ as U.S. Drains Weapons on Iran War, David Pierson and Berry Wang, May 8, 2026. America’s ability to deter China in a war over Taiwan is weakened, Chinese analysts say, giving Beijing leverage in an upcoming summit with President Trump.

A grinding war in Iran has so severely drained American firepower that Chinese analysts are openly questioning Washington’s ability to defend Taiwan. That shifting calculus threatens to undercut President Trump’s leverage in his high-stakes summit next week with China’s top leader, Xi Jinping.

Since the war began in late February, the United States has burned through around half of its long-range stealth cruise missiles and fired off roughly 10 times the number of Tomahawk cruise missiles it currently buys each year, according to internal Defense Department estimates and congressional officials.

To some Chinese military and geopolitical analysts, the war has done more than deplete U.S. munitions stockpiles, it has also shattered America’s aura of dominance. They argue that it has exposed a major flaw in U.S. war strategy: its inability to make weapons quickly enough to replenish its arsenal in a sustained, intense conflict.

This depletion “has significantly diminished the U.S. military’s ability to project its combat power, laying bare the shortcomings of its global military hegemony,” said Yue Gang, a retired colonel of the People’s Liberation Army, in an interview.

Such arguments help fuel a narrative among hawkish Chinese commentators, and potentially in the government, that American forces could no longer effectively defend Taiwan should the United States and China ever go to war over the self-governed island. The logic of Chinese nationalists is that since the United States has been unable to achieve a quick victory against Iran, a regional military power, then it would most likely have even less success against China, which the analysts see as a peer competitor.

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: One Speed Only, Andrew Egger, May 8, 2026. Something weird’s been happening lately. Donald Trump will be doing some unremarkable event surrounded with cheerful citizens, sometimes children. He makes small talk, banters with them, as one does. Only the small talk often turns out to be insane MAGA gobbledygook, like an in-person reenactment of Trump’s latest Truth Social rant.

Just this week, Trump staged an Oval Office event announcing his revival of the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, the annual grade-school fitness contest. “Barack Hussein Obama—have you heard of him?” the president groused to the kids around him. “The Obama administration phased out this wonderful tradition. Thank you, Barack, very much. Great job.” When one boy told him he was planning to try powerlifting, Trump immediately began yammering about the unfairness of biological males participating in women’s powerlifting—before suggesting he didn’t think this kid (who looked all of 13) would stoop to such tactics: “I don’t think we have to worry about you.”

Or consider last month, when Trump used an even more implausible event—the White House Easter Egg Roll—to share some of his favorite conspiracy theories about Joe Biden. “He was incapable of signing his name, so they’d follow him around with a big machine,” Trump told a table of coloring children. “Do you know what it was called? An autopen. He’d have the autopen sign for him. . . . That’s not too good, right?”

Or how about his tax-week stunt with DoorDash? Trump’s choreographed “delivery” last month of McDonald’s to the White House was supposed to be a straightforward victory lap on his affordability accomplishments for service workers. Instead, Trump peppered “DoorDash Grandma” Sharon Simmons with questions about whether she’d voted for him and whether men should play in women’s sports. “I really don’t have an opinion on that,” Simmons demurred. “I’m here about no tax on tips.”

Now Andrew, you might say, this is not new. And you’d be right, to a point: Trump has a longstanding habit of injecting his particular manias into even the most incongruous proceedings: During last year’s Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning, Trump joked that “some of my more enthusiastic staffers” had been drafting paperwork to ship the turkeys “straight to the terrorist confinement center in El Salvador.” Already during Trump’s first term, it was a running joke that he could never hold himself in the register of respectability for long—and that it was some monumental accomplishment when he could make it the length of a full speech without major incident (“today is the day Trump truly became president”).

We’ve been pointing this out for years. To get the best Trump coverage in the business, become a Bulwark+ member.Subscribed

But what we see now is different. It isn’t just that Trump can’t keep his id under control for long stretches of time. These days, it seems, he can’t sublimate it at all.

We could spend productive hours speculating about why this is—the weakening impulse control of advanced age, the brain-puddinging effect of being surrounded at all times by bowing, scraping yes-men. Or maybe it’s just the same solipsism and monomania Trump’s been carrying around in his skull all along: He is so incapable of imagining the world as others see it that he actually thinks kids want to yuk it up with him about trans sports and autopens.

Whatever the psychological explanation, Trump’s growing inability to turn off The Trump Show™, even in short bursts, couldn’t be coming at a worse time for him politically. As a person, as a leader, as the head of a political project, Trump has rarely been less popular: Nate Silver’s polling aggregator puts him at just 39 percent approving, with 57.6 percent disagreeing.

Presidents are not without tools to try to fight against headwinds like these. That’s the whole point of all these smaller events: To try to show different (less odious?) sides of the president’s personality, or at least to remind voters of specific things they’ve liked that he’s done.

But successfully pulling off a strategy like this would require Trump to exercise a little self-discipline—to recede into the background, to keep a hold on his tongue, to let his strategists take the lead for a change. It would require him to admit to himself that his stream-of-consciousness shtick—his secret sauce, his essential himness that has kept him in the driver’s seat of American politics for a decade—might not be what this moment calls for.

It is, in a word, impossible. Trump always deeply resents being told what he can and can’t say. Even now, even when it is obviously and enormously in his interest to do so, he either can’t or won’t clam up—which, for a man as enslaved by his own vices as Trump is, has always amounted to the same thing.

America, to its increasing distaste, has the sort of president who spends his days nattering insanely to children about the elections that have been stolen from him and the suspiciously ethnic middle names of his predecessors. And the president seems determined not to let them forget it.

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Post Imperium Americanum, Joe Perticone,  May 8, 2026. A little more than one year ago, I was walking along the Tiber River in Rome when my phone buzzed with a push alert announcing the death of Pope Francis. A week later, Vatican City swelled with Catholic pilgrims, dignitaries, and tourists for his funeral, which added another layer of logistical stress to my wedding the same day at the nearby Basilica di San Silvestro in Capite.

Then, exactly one year ago today, the conclave reached their decision: Chicago-born Robert Prevost would become the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. Since then, Pope Leo XIV’s papacy has created a surge in Catholic enthusiasm and engagement in the United States and elsewhere. Baptisms are skyrocketing in the United States. Anecdotally, I’ve never seen Masses more packed than they are now every Sunday. If you arrive five minutes late, it’s standing room only.

Leo has also been unapologetically critical of U.S. foreign and domestic policies, which have been violent and erratic during Donald Trump’s second term in office. Trump has routinely responded with lies about the pope’s personal views, while others in his administration have butted heads with the Church and its leadership. On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ventured to the Vatican to meet with the pope. Afterward, the Holy See issued a statement emphasizing the “need to work tirelessly in favor of peace.”

It’s important to not view Leo’s papacy as a response to American authoritarianism, even if he often finds himself responding to the Trump administration’s statements and behavior. That the conclave elected a U.S.-born cardinal actually speaks more to the United States’s irrelevance to Church matters. Shortly after Prevost became Pope Leo, Antonio De Loera-Brust recalled in the Jesuit America Magazine something a priest once told him: “Catholicism outlived the Roman Empire. We’ll outlive the American Empire, too.”

AROUND THE BULWARK

• IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: A technical glitch slowed down email delivery of last night’s Receipts, in which CATHERINE RAMPELL rings the bell for all the companies Trump has killed (other than his own). If you want to join the vigil for the once-great American economy, tune into Receipts Live at 12:30 p.m. eastern time.
• Ukraine’s Secret Weapon: Adaptation… Nothing beats outthinking the enemy, reminds MARK HERTLING.
• Could an 8-Year-Old Beat Up the President? On Bulwark+ Takes, SARAH LONGWELL and CATHERINE RAMPELL react to the absurd new YouGov poll asking whether Americans think they—or even an 8-year-old boy—could beat Donald Trump in a fight.
• In Russia, a New Dissident Rises—But What’s His Game? CATHY YOUNG on why Ilya Remeslo is sus.
• Summer Movie Preview! On The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood, SCOTT MENDELSON joins SONNY BUNCH on the coming summer movies, $50 tickets, and ... ‘Infinity Vision’? Plus, SONNY reviews ‘The Sheep Detectives.’ Just announced! We’re thrilled to welcome these chatty friends to the stage for Bulwark Live: LA. Join Tim, Sarah, and Sam for this one-night live show at The Novo on May 21. Grab your seats today.

Quick Hits

RE-UN-LIBERATED: When the Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs this year, the president remained defiant: He’d just put the same tariffs back in place, he said, using different trade authorities. So far, however, that strategy’s not going so well, either. Yesterday, a panel of judges at the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down Trump’s replacement tariff regime as well, ruling that these tariffs also exceeded his authority under the statute he’d used to authorize them. The ruling even orders the administration to refund payments already made under these new tariffs.

Trump is, of course, expected to appeal. And he’s going back to the drawing board as well: “Nothing surprises me with the courts,” he told reporters last night. “Nothing surprises me, so we always do it a different way. We get one ruling, and we do it a different way.”

TRUMP’S WIND FATWA: America may be in a growing energy crunch, but Donald Trump will be damned if he’ll let a little thing like that stop his jihad against the wind industry. Despite losing in court many, many times in his attempts to unilaterally grind all new wind-power construction to a halt, climate publication Heatmap News reports, Trump is now reaching for his most far-reaching anti-wind strategy yet: smothering the industry by declaring basically all new turbine construction a threat to commercial flights on a case-by-case basis. Here’s Heatmap:

Since the early days of Trump 2.0, renewable energy industry insiders have been quietly skittish about a potential secret weapon: the Federal Aviation Administration. Any structure taller than 200 feet must be approved to not endanger commercial planes—that’s an FAA job. If the FAA decided to indefinitely seize up the so-called “no hazard” determinations process, legal and policy experts have told me it would potentially pose an existential risk to all future wind development.

Well, this is now the strategy Trump is apparently taking. Over the weekend, news broke that the Defense Department is refusing to sign off on things required to complete the FAA clearance process. . . . Over the past few weeks, according to ACP, this once-routine process has fully deteriorated and companies are operating with the understanding FAA approvals are on pause because the Department of Defense (or War, if you ask the administration) refuses to sign off on anything. The military is given the authority to weigh in and veto these decisions through a siting clearinghouse process established under federal statute. But the trade group told me this standstill includes projects where there are no obvious impacts to military operations, meaning there aren’t even any bases or defense-related structures nearby.

One energy industry lawyer who requested anonymity to speak candidly on the FAA problems told me, “This is the strategy for how you kill an industry while losing every case: just keep coming at the industry. Create an uninvestable climate and let the chips fall where they may.”

May 7

Top Headlines

• New York Times, Jack Smith Calls the Justice Dept. ‘Corrupted’ by Trump and His Allies, Glenn Thrush, May 7, 2026 (print ed.). At a private event in Washington last month, Mr. Smith, the former special counsel (shown above left), accused Justice Department leaders of targeting people for prosecution to please and impress the president.
• The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Comment, U.S. Begins Strikes on Iran Again, Kash Patel Paranoid and Orders Polygraphs, Court Strikes Down Trump's Backup Tariffs, Aaron Parnas, right, May 7, 2026. The United States has resumed strikes on Iran. Kash Patel is reportedly ordering polygraphs for top FBI officials amid growing paranoia over leaks. A federal court has struck down Trump’s backup tariffs. I also obtained exclusive reporting on a massive cyberattack affecting Columbia University and campuses across the country. Meanwhile, the Trump administration cut funding for critical hantavirus research that could have helped during the deadly outbreak that is unfolding. And there is much more still developing.
• New York Times, Trade Court Rules Trump’s 10% Global Tariff Is Illegal, Tony Romm and Ana Swanson, May 7, 2026. A panel of federal judges found that President Trump could not legally impose the tariff on most imports.
• New York Tmes, As Stockpiles Fall, U.S. Sells More Missiles Worth $17 Billion to Gulf Nations, Edward Wong, May 7, 2026. The United States and its partners have burned through an enormous amount of air defense missiles in the Iran war, and production is slow.
• New York Times, Shell Reports Nearly $7 Billion Profit Amid ‘Unprecedented Disruption,’ Gregory Schmidt, May 7, 2026. The oil giant’s earnings in the first three months of the year were more than double the previous quarter’s and follow similarly strong results of European rivals.
• The Hartmann Report, Commentary: Was the 2024 Election Stolen, Not by Ballots, but by Algorithms? Thom Hartmann, right, May 7, 2026. New data suggests social media algorithms didn’t just influence voters; they may have tilted the entire outcome…
• New York Times, ICE Agents Barred From Wearing Masks in New York Under State Budget Deal, Grace Ashford, May 7, 2026. State and local officials will also be prohibited from formally cooperating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement under the agreement.

More News Roundups

• The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: The Trump administration this morning has deep concern over the president's political prospects in the November midterm elections, Aaron Parnas, right, May 7, 2026. In a stunning geopolitical shift, key U.S. allies in the Gulf are reportedly refusing to allow Trump to use their military bases or airspace for military operations. At the same time, Trump’s own advisers are reportedly warning that rising gas prices and the Iran conflict could devastate Republican chances in the midterms. 
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Whose House? Trump’s House, Bill Kristol, Andrew Egger and Jim Swift, May 7, 2026. A home renovation project only an aspiring emperor would love. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was back in the hot seat yesterday, giving closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee over his contradictory statements about his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Emerging U.S. Scandals 

• Politico, FBI raids office of Dem state lawmaker in Virginia who led redistricting efforts, Gregory Svirnovskiy, May 7, 2026 (print ed.). The maps championed by state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, shown above, gives Democrats the advantage in four congressional seats.
• New York Times, Jack Smith Calls the Justice Dept. ‘Corrupted’ by Trump and His Allies, Glenn Thrush, May 7, 2026 (print ed.). At a private event in Washington last month, Mr. Smith, the former special counsel, accused Justice Department leaders of targeting people for prosecution to please and impress the president. 
• Politico, Trump calls for Jeffries to be charged with ‘inciting violence’ in social media post, Gregory Svirnovskiy, May 7, 2026. Trump in the post implied Jeffries' call for "maximum warfare" against the GOP in redistricting efforts was connected to a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner three days later.Donald Trump points.
• Paul Krugman via Substack, Political-Economy Commentary: Grand Theft Oil Futures, Paul Krugman, right, May 7, 2026. Insider traders keep making a killing at our expense. 
• Heather Delaney Reese, Commentary: Our country will not survive if we don’t stop this, Heather Delaney Reese, right, May 7, 2026. At 6:05 in the morning on January 14th, FBI agents arrived at the door of a home in Alexandria, Virginia. The woman inside was 29 years old. And what happened next was a defining moment in the United States of America.
• The Contrarian, Opinion: The Justice Department’s Appalling Grift Store, Lauren Stiller Rikleen, May 7, 2026. Settlements with the president's friends and the possibility of payouts to the him are an affront to every taxpayer.
• Emptywheel, Analysis: The Loaner AUSAs Todd Blanche Disavowsnalysis: The Loaner AUSAs Todd Blanche Disavows, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 7, 2026. In an attempt to disclaim that local prosecutors decided to charge Jim Comey for posting a picture of seashells were engaged in political prosecution, Todd Blanche invoked, as proof, a claim that he doesn’t know the local prosecutors who are charging it.
• Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: The truth about State Farm, Judd Legum, right, and Rebecca Crosby, May 7, 2026. "So forget what we told you. It ain’t worth squat." Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

More On Iran War

• New York Times, War and Energy Shortages Boost China’s Influence in Asia, Alexandra Stevenson and Murphy Zhao, May 7, 2026. The war in Iran has left China’s neighbors appealing for help, handing Beijing the kind of sway it has long sought.
• New York Times, World in Waiting Game Over Iran Peace Proposal Response, Qasim Nauman and Leo Sands, May 7, 2026. An Iranian official said that Tehran would convey its reply through Pakistan, a key mediator. Another Iranian official earlier dismissed a reported proposal to end the war as a “list of American wishes.”
• Emptywheel, Analysis: Trump’s Base Motives, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 7, 2026. There were several stories yesterday that revealed details about Trump’s failing Iran war.
• New York Times, The Long Journey From the Strait of Hormuz to the Gas Tank, Agnes Chang and Pablo Robles, May 7, 2026. This month-long journey cannot be meaningfully sped up. Ships can sail faster, but that risks safety and uses more fuel, raising costs. Once the oil reaches land, the refining, loading and transit speeds are constrained by the existing infrastructure.

U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

This shows the current congressional map for Tennessee maps, which includes one seat (shown in blue) surrounding the predominately pro-Democrat city of Memphis. The new map will split the city into fragments so that voting can be dominated by pro-Republican surrounding areas, just like the Republican legislature did previously with the predominately Democratic city of Nashville, Normally in U.S. governance, House maps are revised once a decade, as in 2020 or 2030, not in mid-decade to secure House majorities as President Trump has sought, backed by his six fellow Republican U.S. Supreme Court justices (New York Times map)

• New York Times, Republicans Unveil Map Carving Up Tennessee’s Majority-Black House District, Emily Cochrane, May 7, 2026 (print ed.). The General Assembly is expected to quickly approve the map, which slices up Memphis, a majority-Black city that makes up most of the state’s lone Democratic district.
• New York Times, Trump’s Indiana Victory Shows His Enduring Grip on Core Republican Supporters, Nick Corasaniti and Shane Goldmacher, May 7, 2026 (print ed.). Low approval ratings? MAGA divisions? The president was able to turn out party loyalists in an Indiana primary to help him oust Republican state lawmakers who had crossed him.
• Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 6, 2026 [], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 7, 2026. It has not been a banner day for members of the Trump administration.
• New York Times, 5 Takeaways From the Last Televised California Governor Debate, Soumya Karlamangla and Laurel Rosenhall, May 7, 2026. Candidates debated housing and insurance policy in the first half, then furiously attacked one another at the end.
• Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: No Kings. No Ballroom, William Kristol, May 7, 2026. Donald Trump’s ballroom isn’t just an architectural monstrosity and a blunderbuss of bad taste. It is an assault on American republicanism.

U.S. Inflation, Markets, Economy, Jobs

• MS NOW, Opinion: The GOP’s glaring gas prices double standard, Jack Fitzpatrick, May 7, 2026. Republicans who slammed Biden’s gas prices are preaching patience for Trump.  

Top Stories

New York Times, Jack Smith Calls the Justice Dept. ‘Corrupted’ by Trump and His Allies, Glenn Thrush, May 7, 2026 (print ed.). At a private event in Washington last month, Mr. Smith, the former special counsel (shown above left), accused Justice Department leaders of targeting people for prosecution to please and impress the president.

Jack Smith, the special counsel who twice indicted President Trump, accused the Justice Department of having been “corrupted” by Trump loyalists he claimed were demolishing its credibility and seeking to undermine the rule of law.

Mr. Smith’s remarks, made last month in a private discussion at the Cosmos Club in Washington, represented his sharpest criticism of the department since leaving his post early last year. They came at a time when Mr. Trump is demanding Mr. Smith be prosecuted for his work as special counsel — an outcome Mr. Smith believes is likely, according to people familiar with his thinking.

“We have a Department of Justice today that targets people for criminal prosecution simply because the president doesn’t like them,” Mr. Smith said in the hourlong discussion on April 20, according to a video obtained by The New York Times.

Mr. Smith, speaking in the deliberate cadence of a prosecutor delivering a closing argument, cited what he cast as the wholesale erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from the White House. “We have a department that fails to investigate cases because they might uncover facts that are inconvenient narratives the president would like to press,” he said.

“We have a department that fails to move on cases because they might uncover facts that are inconvenient to narratives the president would like to press,” added Mr. Smith, who was appointed in late 2022 to investigate Mr. Trump’s post-presidency retention of government documents and his push to overturn the 2020 election.Videotranscript0:00/0:22Video footage the Cosmos Club shared with its members and attendees of a private event where the former special counsel Jack Smith spoke.

Asked to comment, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, Emily Covington, said, “I would expect nothing less from Jack Smith.”

The New York Times obtained a video of the event — an hourlong session in front of 300 people that included an opening speech and a brief question period — that was sent to club members and attendees.

The video offers a rare glimpse of the typically tight-lipped prosecutor, who has confined his comments to congressional testimony and closed events in an effort to defend himself against attacks by the president and his allies.

Mr. Smith told the audience, which included former Justice Department officials, that he remained optimistic that the institution could be recommitted to its nonpartisan mission, even though it had “been corrupted over the last year” by Trump appointees he said were more eager to impress their boss than follow laws, rules and norms.

Now, given the way the department has been corrupted over the last year, I understand it’s very easy to be cynical, to be skeptical about the future. I know in chatting with some folks at the dinner tonight, there have been expressions of how terrible things are and where do we go from here. I believe that we’re going to come through this better. And I believe the department ultimately will come through this better.

Mr. Smith declared that the department had been “corrupted” over the last year, according to footage the Cosmos Club shared with members and attendees.

Mr. Smith said it had become “difficult to track” the number of times federal judges had accused Justice Department officials of dishonesty or lack of candor since Mr. Trump returned to office.

He expressed solidarity with department employees who had quit or been forced out during the Trump administration. Efforts to portray them as Democratic partisans, he suggested, were part of a larger push by Mr. Trump to undermine the criminal justice system for political gain.

“To erode the rule of law in our country, you need to attack these people, and that is what we have seen since January of 2025,” Mr. Smith said, adding, “This attack on public servants — it’s not a byproduct of the attack on the rule of law. It is a central component of it.”

The Parnas Perspective, Evening News and Comment, U.S. Begins Strikes on Iran Again, Kash Patel Paranoid and Orders Polygraphs, Court Strikes Down Trump's Backup Tariffs, Aaron Parnas, right, May 7, 2026. The United States has resumed strikes on Iran. Kash Patel is reportedly ordering polygraphs for top FBI officials amid growing paranoia over leaks. A federal court has struck down Trump’s backup tariffs. I also obtained exclusive reporting on a massive cyberattack affecting Columbia University and campuses across the country. Meanwhile, the Trump administration cut funding for critical hantavirus research that could have helped during the deadly outbreak that is unfolding. And there is much more still developing.

Here’s the news:

The United States military has resumed strikes against Iran, but according to Axios, this is not a resumption of the war (despite bombings being an act of war)

A U.S. trade court has ruled against Donald Trump’s sweeping, backup 10% global tariff, finding the administration overstepped its authority. The court said the across-the-board ⁠tariffs were not ​justified ​under ⁠the ​1970s ​trade ⁠law invoked by the administration.

A Columbia student has sent me the following screenshot of what appears to be a large-scale hack of the University’s learning software. Students cannot access Canvas at this time.

A canceled U.S.-funded research program may have helped scientists better understand the rare Andes strain of hantavirus now linked to a deadly cruise ship outbreak. The Trump administration cut funding in 2025 for a network studying viruses that jump from animals to humans, including hantaviruses capable of limited person-to-person spread. Researchers say the project would not necessarily have prevented the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, but it could have improved scientific understanding of how the virus spreads and how to respond to future outbreaks. The controversy has renewed debate over federal cuts to infectious disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness as health officials monitor passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was identified.

According to MS Now, Kash Patel has reportedly ordered polygraph tests for more than two dozen current and former members of his security detail and staff as part of an aggressive effort to identify alleged leaks within the FBI. According to reports, Patel has become increasingly isolated from some senior bureau officials following a series of damaging media stories about his leadership, travel, and personal conduct. Critics inside the bureau are said to fear the investigations could intimidate employees and politicize internal operations, especially because some leak probes reportedly involve scrutiny of journalist contacts.

The Washington Post has obtained newly delivered CIA assessment reportedly concludes that Iran could withstand the current U.S. naval blockade for another three to four months before experiencing significantly deeper economic pain.

The finding challenges public claims that Iran is on the verge of rapid collapse. According to U.S. intelligence cited in the report, Iran still possesses roughly 75% of its pre-war mobile missile launchers and about 70% of its missile stockpile. Officials also believe the regime has restored some underground storage facilities and repaired damaged missile systems. The assessment contrasts sharply with recent statements from Donald Trump, who described Iran’s economy and military capabilities as being in near-total decline.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said current national gas prices averaging about $4.55 per gallon are “in a good place” and encouraged Americans to travel by car during the summer. His comments come amid ongoing public concern over fuel costs and inflation, with critics arguing that prices remain burdensome for many households.

The World Health Organization says a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius highlights the importance of international health cooperation, as the U.S. and Argentina move forward with plans to leave the WHO. The outbreak has killed three people and infected at least five others, with health officials monitoring passengers who returned to several U.S. states after exposure to the Andes strain, a rare form of hantavirus capable of person-to-person transmission. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said WHO and U.S. CDC officials are still collaborating closely on containment and repatriation efforts despite political tensions over the agency. U.S. officials say the risk to the general public remains low, though some experts worry cuts to federal health agencies could weaken the long-term outbreak response capacity.

Former special counsel Jack Smith reportedly accused the Justice Department of being “corrupted” by allies of Donald Trump during a private speech in Washington, arguing that prosecutors are now targeting critics and avoiding investigations that could politically harm the president. Smith said attacks on career public servants and federal investigators are part of a broader effort to weaken the rule of law and undermine institutional independence.

His remarks mark some of his strongest public criticism since leaving office and come as Trump and his allies continue pushing for investigations into Smith himself. The comments highlight escalating tensions between former Justice Department officials and the current administration over political influence, prosecutorial independence, and the future credibility of federal law enforcement institutions.

The Trump administration is backing a proposal that would allow Americans to mail handguns through the U.S. Postal Service for the first time since a 1927 federal restriction was enacted. The Justice Department argues the old ban violates the Second Amendment and says law-abiding gun owners should be able to ship concealable firearms under safety rules similar to those already used for rifles and shotguns. Democratic attorneys general from roughly two dozen states oppose the change, warning it could undermine state gun laws, increase illegal firearm trafficking, and complicate criminal investigations. Gun rights groups praised the proposal as a victory for constitutional rights, while gun safety advocates argued it could turn the postal system into a major channel for unregulated handgun distribution.

A planned White House press conference ahead of the bilateral meeting between Donald Trump and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was first delayed and then canceled entirely after the two leaders met privately. Footage shared by reporter Kellie Meyer showed members of the Brazilian press leaving the White House following the cancellation announcement.

The abrupt change fueled speculation about tensions or disagreements surrounding the meeting, though no official explanation was immediately provided. The canceled appearance denied reporters a chance to hear direct remarks or take questions from both presidents. The incident drew attention because joint press events are typically used to signal diplomatic alignment and cooperation. Here’s what Trump said after the meeting:

Tennessee Republicans approved a new congressional map that dismantles the state’s only majority-Black district, a Memphis-based seat currently represented by Democrat Steve Cohen. The redraw follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened Voting Rights Act protections against racial gerrymandering and is expected to help Republicans gain another House seat in the midterms. Democrats and protesters denounced the plan as a racially motivated power grab, leading to walkouts, chants, and disruptions inside the state Capitol.

French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk, X, and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino after Musk reportedly failed to appear for a voluntary interview requested by authorities in Paris. The investigation stems from a broader cyber-prosecutor probe launched in 2025 into alleged abuses linked to the platform and its parent companies. Prosecutors said they are seeking to formally question or potentially charge Musk, X Corp, and related entities, emphasizing that the case is aimed at protecting victims of alleged online and offline criminal offenses.

The war involving Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are reportedly causing a shortage of Diet Coke in India because the drink is sold there exclusively in aluminum cans. Delayed aluminum shipments from the Gulf, a major global production hub, have strained supply chains, leading Coca-Cola distributors to ration deliveries and leave some orders unfilled. The shortage highlights how broader geopolitical conflicts are now affecting everyday consumer goods and global packaging supplies. Retailers say Coca-Cola is increasingly pushing customers toward bottled alternatives like Coke Zero as production and transportation costs continue to rise.

The FBI is defending Director Kash Patel after reports claimed he distributed personalized whiskey bottles engraved with “Ka$h Patel FBI Director” branding to officials and associates. The FBI said the gifts were part of a long-standing tradition of commemorative exchanges within the bureau and insisted Patel followed ethics rules and personally reimbursed any private gifts. The controversy adds to a series of recent allegations involving Patel, including claims about his conduct during official travel and accusations that he has targeted journalists critical of him. Patel has strongly denied the allegations and is suing The Atlantic for defamation over earlier reporting about his behavior and alcohol use.

A federal appeals court appeared doubtful that the Pentagon can legally punish Mark Kelly for publicly telling service members they have the right to refuse illegal orders. The Trump administration had sought to censure Kelly, a retired Navy captain and former astronaut, arguing that retired military officers are still subject to military standards and can influence active-duty personnel. Judges questioned whether penalizing Kelly over comments rooted in established military law would violate First Amendment protections against political retaliation. The case has become a broader test of free speech rights for retired military officials and the limits of executive authority under the current administration.

A Defense Department inspector general declined to investigate a controversial military helicopter flyover at Kid Rock’s home after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he did not want the matter pursued. The incident involved a military helicopter hovering near Kid Rock’s property and later flying over an anti-Trump protest, prompting ethics watchdog CREW to raise concerns about misuse of military resources and taxpayer funds. CREW criticized the decision as undermining independent oversight, arguing it sets a troubling precedent if political appointees can effectively block investigations into themselves or allied figures. The episode has intensified broader concerns about accountability and politicization within the Defense Department under the current administration.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. State Department will begin revoking passports from Americans who owe large amounts of unpaid child support, initially targeting people with debts exceeding $100,000 before expanding enforcement to anyone owing more than $2,500 under a long-standing federal law. Officials say the policy is designed to pressure delinquent parents into paying overdue support and has already prompted some people to settle their debts after news of the crackdown emerged. Those affected will lose the ability to travel internationally until their arrears are resolved, though Americans stranded abroad will still be able to obtain emergency documents to return home.

France is moving its aircraft carrier strike group, led by the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle, toward the Red Sea as part of preparations for a possible joint French-British mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz. French officials said the operation would be defensive and separate from the U.S.-led “Project Freedom,” with the goal of restoring confidence in maritime shipping after the Iran war disrupted global oil flows. Emmanuel Macron said the mission would only proceed if regional conditions stabilize and neighboring countries, including Iran, agree.

A former missionary tied to the Assemblies of God’s Chi Alpha ministry, Daniel Savala, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two boys and was sentenced to 30 years in prison without parole. Prosecutors said Savala used his spiritual influence over decades to groom and exploit young men and teens, despite repeated warnings and a prior 2012 child sex abuse conviction in Alaska. NBC News reported that church and ministry leaders allegedly ignored multiple complaints and continued allowing Savala access to students, helping preserve his status as a revered mentor. Victims and whistleblowers described the conviction as long-overdue justice but argued that the broader religious system that enabled the abuse still has not been fully held accountable.

New Jersey officials have reduced the planned World Cup transit fare from $150 to $105 after securing private sponsorships and other non-taxpayer funding sources. Governor Mikie Sherrill had previously clashed with FIFA over who should cover the estimated $60 million cost of transporting fans to matches at MetLife Stadium. Despite the reduction, the fare remains among the highest for any World Cup host city, reflecting ongoing concerns over security, labor, and infrastructure expenses. The dispute has become part of a broader debate over whether major sporting organizations like FIFA place too much financial burden on local governments and taxpayers.

Authorities in California have launched a new search connected to the 1996 disappearance and murder of Kristin Smart, whose remains have never been found. Investigators executed a search warrant at a home linked to the family of Paul Flores, who was convicted in 2022 of killing Smart during an attempted rape while both were students at California Polytechnic State University. Officials say they remain committed to locating Smart’s body nearly three decades after the case became one of California’s most notorious unsolved disappearances. Renewed public attention to the case has been fueled in part by the podcast Your Own Backyard, which helped uncover new witnesses and revive investigative momentum.

New York Tmes, As Stockpiles Fall, U.S. Sells More Missiles Worth $17 Billion to Gulf Nations, Edward Wong, May 7, 2026. The United States and its partners have burned through an enormous amount of air defense missiles in the Iran war, and production is slow.

The Trump administration has approved sales of thousands of air defense interceptor missiles and related services valued at $17 billion to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, according to State Department and congressional officials.

The exports were approved despite alarm among some Pentagon officials over the dwindling U.S. stockpiles of such missiles, which have been expended in large numbers during the war against Iran.

The State Department gave formal notification of the sales to Congress last Friday. But it did not announce them in public statements, as it did with other arms sales to Israel and Gulf Arab nations that it authorized that day under an emergency provision.

The packages of sales announced in news releases on Friday were valued at more than $8.6 billion, and the State Department said it was bypassing congressional approval to expedite them because of an emergency in the Middle East.

In total, the State Department authorized about $25.7 billion in sales last Friday.

The $17.1 billion of interceptor missiles and related services being sold to Kuwait, Bahrain and the Emirates are expansions of three earlier sales approved by Congress — a package in 2019 in the case of Bahrain, and in 2024 for Kuwait and the Emirates. The State Department generally does not issue news releases about expansions of previous sales.

“These countries have deployed U.S. defense systems successfully to defend their territory and people, Americans overseas and U.S. bases,” the State Department said in a statement to The New York Times after it was asked about the sales. “This emergency action sends our partners a clear message we stand with them.”Want to stay updated on what’s happening in the Middle East? Sign up for Your Places: Global Update, and we’ll send our latest coverage to your inbox.

The State Department did not provide a breakdown of how many interceptor missiles each country would receive. A congressional official said the dollar values were $9.3 billion from Kuwait, $6.25 billion from the Emirates and $1.625 billion from Bahrain.

The letter to Congress from the State Department lists two types of Patriot interceptor missiles in the orders from each country, according to a copy obtained by The Times.

The three orders amount to about 4,250 missiles, based on the fact that a single interceptor missile costs about $4 million. That is in addition to another large order: Last Friday, in one of its news releases on the $8.6 billion in new emergency sales, the State Department said Qatar was ordering $4 billion of interceptor missiles, which equates to about 1,000 units. It would take years to produce those amounts.

The Patriot air defense system is made by Raytheon, and that company and Lockheed Martin produce missiles for it.

Since President Trump and Israel started a new war against Iran on Feb. 28, the U.S. military has used more than 1,300 Patriot interceptor missiles, according to internal Defense Department estimates, putting a significant dent into global American stockpiles. The Times first reported last month on the extent to which the United States has used up critical munitions.

During the war, Gulf Arab countries have fired about 600 Patriot interceptor missiles to defend themselves against Iranian missiles and drones.ImageA heavily damaged car sits among debris next to a building.Damage to a neighborhood in Sitra, Bahrain, last month resulted from an intercepted drone. The country is buying $1.625 billion worth of interceptor missiles and services from the United States.Credit...Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters

American companies produce more than 600 Patriot interceptor missiles per year. That means the United States and its Gulf Arab partners have burned through three years’ worth of such missiles in the war. Officials in the region have been pressing American counterparts to expedite shipments and to consider drawing from U.S. stockpiles to do so.

Patriot air defense launchers and interceptor missiles are among the most coveted weapons systems in the world. Ukraine, for instance, has asked the United States for the systems throughout its defensive war against Russia. The Trump administration has announced a plan for companies to increase total production of interceptor missiles to 2,000 units per year, but that change would take time.

The administration now has to make hard decisions on allocation of missiles. Some Pentagon officials are worried that the military’s readiness for conflicts has been compromised by the low U.S. supplies. It has had to divert munitions from U.S. commands in Asia and Europe to the Middle East, despite a widespread assessment in Washington that China — with the fastest-growing military in the world — poses the biggest security challenge to the United States.

When Raytheon and Lockheed Martin send interceptor missiles rolling off production lines to the dozen or so foreign customers that have signed contracts for them, that means fewer munitions for the United States.

Democratic and some Republican lawmakers have been pressing administration officials about the compromises to U.S. global military capabilities given the drain on resources by the Iran war.

The Trump administration has invoked an emergency authorization three times to bypass the standard congressional approval process to make arms sales to the Middle East. The $8.64 billion of arms exports announced last Friday was the latest instance. In January, it bypassed congressional approval to sell Apache attack helicopters, combat land vehicles and other arms to Israel, but did not invoke an emergency provision then.

New York Times, Shell Reports Nearly $7 Billion Profit Amid ‘Unprecedented Disruption,’ Gregory Schmidt, May 7, 2026. The oil giant’s earnings in the first three months of the year were more than double the previous quarter’s and follow similarly strong results of European rivals.

The British energy giant Shell reported robust profits following the surge in oil prices prompted by the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.

The company, based in London, said Thursday that its adjusted profit soared to $6.92 billion in the first three months of the year, higher than expected and more than twice what the company earned in the previous quarter.

The strong financial turnout came amid an “unprecedented disruption in global energy markets,” the company’s chief executive, Wael Sawan,said in a statement.

On Thursday, the price of Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, hovered just below $100 a barrel, an increase of about 37 percent since the war began on Feb. 28. Oil prices briefly traded above $126 a barrel last week.

The oil shock has pushed up energy costs through higher prices for products like diesel and jet fuel, prompting airlines to cut flights and reduce snack services. Americans, spending more for gasoline and airfares, are rethinking their summer travel plans.

Shell is not the only major European oil producer to report increased profits. In April, Britain’s BP said it more than doubled its profit in the first quarter, to $3.2 billion, from the previous quarter, driven by superior oil trading and elevated oil prices. And the French oil company TotalEnergies, which reported quarterly net income of $5.4 billion, said it would raise its dividend and double its share buybacks.

The strong returns have renewed calls for a windfall tax on oil profits, similar to the response when oil companies benefited from higher energy prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

On Friday, Exxon Mobil reported $4.2 billion in first-quarter earnings, down 46 percent from a year earlier primarily because of accounting reason, while Chevron said that its quarterly profit slid to $2.2 billion, a 37 percent drop from a year earlier. Both companies attributed the decline to paper losses that would be unwound in the coming months.

Exxon and Chevron, the two largest American oil producers, said on Friday that they are not planning to further increase oil drilling to take advantage of higher gas prices.

The war in Iran has upended the global outlook for the industry. Oil reserves are being tapped to help ease supply disruptions, according to a report last month from the International Energy Agency, which lowered its forecast for oil demand for 2026.

The Hartmann Report, Commentary: Was the 2024 Election Stolen, Not by Ballots, but by Algorithms? Thom Hartmann, right, May 7, 2026. New data suggests social media algorithms didn’t just influence voters; they may have tilted the entire outcome…

It sure looks like tech billionaires and foreign dictatorships gave us Trump in 2024. This is as bad as the massive Russian bot presence on Facebook and Twitter back in 2016 that Robert Mueller documented gave Trump the presidency the last time.

A peer-reviewed study released yesterday in Nature, the world’s most prestigious scientific journal, has finally put hard numbers to what a lot of us suspected the moment the 2024 election was called for Trump (and Republicans in Congress) by the big networks: the algorithms that control our largest social media platforms intentionally and explicitly tilted the playing field, and they tilted it for Donald Trump and the GOP.

Researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi created hundreds of “sock puppet” TikTok accounts in New York, Texas, and Georgia (via VPN), uploaded to them either pro-Democratic or pro-Republican videos to show their political leanings, and then watched what TikTok’s algorithm fed back to them every day over the 27 weeks leading up to Election Day.Subscribed

Across more than 280,000 recommendations, Republican-seeded accounts received about 11.5 percent more “party-aligned content” than their Democratic counterparts, while the pro-Democratic accounts were force-fed 7.5 percent more attacks from the other side. As Professor Talal Rahwan put it:

“The algorithm wasn’t just giving people what they want; it was giving one side more of what the other side says about them.”

The pro-rightwing bias was even more dramatic when researchers looked at how the candidates’ own accounts did. Candidate Trump’s official TikTok videos were pushed to Democratic-leaning users 27 percent of the time, while Kamala Harris’s videos only reached Republican-leaning users just 15.3 percent of the time.

Translation: Leading up to the 2024 election, TikTok was working overtime to expose Democrats and lefties to MAGA’s most persuasive messaging, all while shielding rightwingers, independents, and Republican voters from Harris’s voice.

Making it even more astonishingly consequential, studies show that TikTok matters enormously to young people; roughly half of TikTok users under 30 say they use the app to keep up with politics and news, and that TikTok-engaged demographic shifted a mind-boggling full 10 percentage points toward Trump between 2020 and 2024 following this exposure.

Young men, for example, flipped from voting 56 percent Biden in 2020 to 56 percent choosing Trump in 2024, the kind of swing that decides battleground states.

Even more troubling, other research shows that TikTok isn’t an outlier. It’s one piece of a much larger algorithm-run social media ecosystem, and that system is now the main way a plurality of Americans engage with politics. Pew Research, for example, found that 42 percent of US social media users consider these platforms “important” for getting involved in political and social issues, and almost none of them have any idea how the top-secret social media algorithms decide what they see.

Sometimes it’s so obvious that it’s surprising it’s not a bigger news story.

Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology found a “structural break for Musk’s metrics around July 13th, 2024,” the exact day Elon Musk endorsed Trump. Overnight, algorithm-driven view counts on Musk’s own X posts jumped 138 percent and retweets exploded 237 percent, far above what any other major account experienced.

And it wasn’t just Musk’s own posts that got the boost; other pro-MAGA, pro-white supremacy, pro-GOP right-wing accounts across X were also systematically amplified. A separate peer-reviewed field experiment published this year in Nature randomly assigned active US users to either an algorithmic or chronological X feed for seven weeks. The result — what could only be called successful brainwashing of those being fed posts by the X algorithm — was astonishing.

The scientists noted that those on the algorithmic feed shifted “towards more conservative positions, particularly regarding policy priorities, perceptions of criminal investigations into Donald Trump, and views on the war in Ukraine.”

And once people are initially convinced of a worldview, changing their mind is a huge and usually unsuccessful undertaking, which is why rightwing billionaires were so eager to fund Charlie Kirk and other programs to indoctrinate schoolkids. Switching back to a chronological feed didn’t undo the damage.

This was on top of the roughly $277 million Musk personally spent electing Trump and Republicans, $239 million of it through his America PAC, making him by a wide margin the largest individual donor of the 2024 cycle.

Then there’s Mark Zuckerberg. After spending a decade telling Congress that Meta was politically neutral, Zuckerberg watched Trump win, metaphorically dropped to his knees, and immediately killed the fact-checking systems on Facebook and Instagram that kept identifying and calling out Trump’s and Republicans’ lies and misrepresentations.

Like a loyal puppy (or a terrified rabbit), Zuck called Trump’s reelection “a cultural tipping point,” wrote a $1 million check to Trump’s inaugural slush fund, replaced his head of global policy with longtime Bush-era Republican Joel Kaplan, and then announced he was moving Meta’s trust-and-safety operation from California to Texas. Meta’s institutional pivot toward Trump and MAGA wasn’t even subtle.

YouTube — also largely owned and run by rightwing billionaires — isn’t innocent either. An UC Davis audit using 100,000 sock-puppet accounts found that right-leaning users get systematically funneled into channels pushing rightwing extremism, conspiracy theories, and hard-right “otherwise problematic content,” while left-leaning users see nothing comparable.

A separate Brookings analysis found that YouTube’s algorithm tugs every user, regardless of where they start, “in a moderately conservative direction.”

I’ve been around digital media since the very beginning. My business partner Nigel Peacock and I were running forums on CompuServe back in the early 1980s, when “going online” meant a 300-baud modem screeching into your phone line and a connection bill that could put a small business under in a month.

The platforms were primitive, slow, and gloriously pluralistic; us gatekeepers were a handful of sysops who worked with Nigel and me (CompuServe paid us) trying to keep the message boards clean and useful. Things were civil, the feed was chronological, and there was no anonymity; even political arguments were reasonable.

None of us back then imagined that one day a few billionaires would be able to flip a switch in Beijing, San Francisco, or Austin and successfully shift the political mood of an entire continent overnight. But that’s exactly where we are today, and it appears to have been the tipping point that brought us Trump and all the horrors that accompanied him.

The closest historical parallel is the era of William Randolph Hearst and the Yellow Press at the turn of the 20th century. Hearst’s chain of newspapers reached more readers than any information outlet in human history up to that point, and when he decided it would be in his interest for America to have a war with Spain in 1898, he largely manufactured one with wild, sensationalist coverage of an explosion in the boiler room of the USS Maine in Havana harbor, casting it as an attack against America.

He’s said to have cabled his illustrator in Cuba, “You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war.” And, sure enough, within just a few months, America was at war.

The difference between Hearst and the men running today’s platforms isn’t moral; it’s mechanical. Hearst had to print on physical paper and ship it on physical trains. Musk, Zuckerberg, and the executives at TikTok and Google/YouTube can rewrite the political information environment in which hundreds of millions of people are marinating in real time, with no editor, no copy desk, and — unless things change — exactly zero public accountability.

So what do we do about these men effortlessly swinging our elections invisibly and without spending a penny of their own money? Three things are at the top of the list that Democrats in Congress and Democratic candidates need to make priorities.

First, Congress needs to require algorithmic transparency, as I suggested in The Hidden History of Big Brother in America. Senators Markey and Blumenthal have introduced excellent bills demanding that platforms disclose how their recommendation systems weight political content and forcing them to submit to fully independent audits. Given the political power these platforms and their billionaire owners command and how they’ll fight to hang onto it, none of these types of bills will pass without sustained public pressure.

Second, we need to repeal or substantially reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act so that algorithm-driven platforms are treated legally like the publishers they are, rather than like the telephone wires they used to travel over.

Third, the Justice Department’s antitrust division needs to be unleashed against the handful of companies that now control the political conversation in America. Standard Oil was broken up in 1911. AT&T was broken up in 1984. There is nothing about Meta, X, or Google that makes them more sacred that these behemoths that preceded them.

New York Times, ICE Agents Barred From Wearing Masks in New York Under State Budget Deal, Grace Ashford, May 7, 2026. State and local officials will also be prohibited from formally cooperating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement under the agreement.

Four months after masked federal agents shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis, New York leaders announced a plan to implement some of the strictest rules for immigration officials of any state in the country.

The package, which is included in the state budget deal announced on Thursday, prohibits state and local officials from entering into formal or informal cooperation agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and forbids law enforcement agents from wearing masks.

The rules also prohibit ICE from using local jails to house detainees and from searching New Yorkers’ homes, hospitals, churches and schools without a warrant signed by a judge. But they will not affect the ability of law enforcement officials to coordinate with the agency on public safety issues. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Thursday that the changes were necessary given the extent of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

“They didn’t just target hardened criminals and gang members, which I would have supported — we did support,” Ms. Hochul said. “They also targeted mothers still nursing their infants, separating them, an 85-year-old widow in her nightgown.”

She said that ICE had used intimidation tactics to evade responsibility, adding: “New York will no longer stand for it.”

Democrats expect many of the measures — including a new provision that would allow the families of those who have had their rights to life, liberty or property violated by government agents to seek retribution — to be challenged in court.

Those cases will not only set up a novel legal battle, but will also provide an opportunity for the country to see in real time what happens when states and their citizens resist the federal government’s’ immigration enforcement efforts.

Days before the measures were finalized, Tom Homan, President Trump’s border czar, threatened to respond with force if they were approved. 

“We’re going to flood the zone,” Mr. Homan said this week during a speech in Phoenix. “You’re going to see more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen before.”

Ms. Hochul quickly pushed back on his comments. “Donald Trump himself said he would not send a surge of ICE agents to the state of New York unless I ask,” she said. “I’m not asking.”

The package’s inclusion in the budget deal speaks to increased momentum among Democrats to counter the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.

It also reflects the evolution of Ms. Hochul, a moderate Democrat who first rose to national attention as a county clerk opposing a state mandate to provide driver’s licenses to immigrants without legal status.

In an interview earlier this year, Ms. Hochul said that the Trump administration’s deployment of ICE — and in particular its separation of families — threatened the value system on which the country was founded.

“I feel like it’s unraveling, and I have a moral responsibility as a human being, but also as a leader, to use my platform, my voice, to call it out and try to rectify it with every fiber in my being,” she said.

The issue was elevated by the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a blind Rohingya refugee who was found dead after immigration agents left him alone outside on a cold Buffalo night. The city’s medical examiner determined his death was a homicide.

Ms. Hochul referred to the case, which took place in her hometown, in announcing the budget agreement on Thursday. “Come on, that’s not who we are,” she said. “Not as New Yorkers, not as Americans.”

News Roundups

The Parnas Perspective, Morning News and Commentary: The Trump administration this morning has deep concern over the president's political prospects in the November midterm elections, Aaron Parnas, right, May 7, 2026. In a stunning geopolitical shift, key U.S. allies in the Gulf are reportedly refusing to allow Trump to use their military bases or airspace for military operations. At the same time, Trump’s own advisers are reportedly warning that rising gas prices and the Iran conflict could devastate Republican chances in the midterms. Federal authorities have also opened a major investigation into suspicious oil market trades after billions were made betting oil prices would collapse right before they did. Plus, major new developments in the deadly hantavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, the media landscape continues to shift rapidly. We have fresh reporting this morning about further alleged interference by Bari Weiss in CBS News coverage. We also learned the Murdoch family may acquire Vox Media assets, including New York Magazine and major podcasts. And Trump is now openly calling on CNN’s new leadership to restore the network to its “former days,” whatever exactly that means.

What is clear is this: the media environment is changing fast, and many major outlets are either capitulating to political pressure or increasingly controlled by people aligned with power. Independent journalism is not optional in this moment. It is essential. Subscribe today, gift a subscription to someone else, and help us keep building truly independent media.

Here’s the news:

President Donald Trump abruptly paused “Project Freedom,” a U.S. operation meant to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, after Saudi Arabia objected to the plan and temporarily restricted U.S. military access to its airspace and bases. The operation had been launched to counter Iran’s blockade and protect commercial vessels, but Gulf allies including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman were reportedly caught off guard by the announcement. It wasn’t just Saudi Arabia. Kuwait also denied access, per Ryan Grim and DropSite News:

U.S. officials said military cooperation from regional partners was essential because American aircraft and ships relied heavily on Gulf airspace and logistics support. Despite the setback, the U.S. continues to maintain a large military presence in the region while diplomatic efforts to end the Iran conflict continue through mediators such as Pakistan.

Several prominent right-wing commentators and influencers are criticizing Donald Trump over the Iran conflict, arguing he has abandoned “America First” principles that helped fuel his political movement. Figures including Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Megyn Kelly are described as part of a growing divide within the MAGA movement over U.S. involvement in the Middle East and support for Israel.

The Wall Street Journal has confirmed that aides around Donald Trump are privately worried that rising oil, gas, and jet fuel prices tied to the Iran conflict could severely hurt Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. According to the report, Trump’s inner circle fears voters could blame the administration for higher living costs if the conflict continues and energy prices remain elevated. The concerns reportedly center on the possibility that economic backlash, rather than foreign policy itself, could become a major political liability for the GOP.

Donald Trump shared a chart on social media comparing the length of U.S. wars, but critics noted several of the figures were inaccurate. The chart reportedly understated the duration of conflicts including the war in Afghanistan, the Vietnam War, and the ongoing Iran conflict, which, as we know, has already entered its ninth week despite Trump labeling it as six weeks long.

The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly investigating at least four oil traders after more than $2.6 billion was earned from bets that oil prices would fall shortly before they sharply declined, according to sources cited by ABC News. Investigators are examining whether any traders may have had advance knowledge of market-moving developments related to the Middle East conflict or energy policy decisions. The probe comes amid heightened scrutiny of oil market volatility tied to tensions involving Iran and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.

More Iran news:

Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, right, told French President Emmanuel Macron that Iran no longer trusts the U.S., accusing Washington of undermining diplomacy through threats, sanctions, and simultaneous military aggression during negotiations. Pezeshkian described the U.S. approach as “stabbing from behind.”

Iran denied responsibility for damage to a South Korean-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz after an explosion and fire aboard the ship. While Donald Trump blamed Iran for the incident, South Korea said the cause remains under investigation, and Iran’s embassy in Seoul insisted ships must follow Iranian regulations for safe passage.

A Washington Post analysis of satellite imagery found Iranian strikes caused far greater damage to U.S. military facilities in the Middle East than publicly acknowledged, reportedly damaging or destroying at least 228 structures and pieces of equipment. U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the findings.

In Lebanon, Israeli strikes killed three people in Nabatieh despite an existing ceasefire with Hezbollah. The Israeli military also said one of its soldiers was seriously wounded by an explosive Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon.

In Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed Azzam Khalil al-Hayya, son of senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya. According to Hamas officials, he died from injuries sustained in a strike on Gaza City, becoming the fourth son of the exiled Hamas leader to be killed during the conflict.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived at the Vatican City to meet with Pope Leo XIV amid tensions between the U.S. and the Vatican over the conflict in the Middle East. Rubio said the talks were not primarily focused on recent rhetorical disputes, but instead on expanding areas of cooperation between the U.S. government and the Catholic Church, including humanitarian and diplomatic efforts similar to past Church-supported aid initiatives involving Cuba.

If you want to know what the President was up to this morning, this was his post:

A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has led to three passenger deaths and multiple infections, with concerns growing after about 40 passengers disembarked without contact tracing. Authorities in Europe and South Africa are now trying to locate and monitor former passengers from at least 12 countries, though health experts say the broader public risk remains low. Tests confirmed the virus as the Andes strain, the only hantavirus known to spread between humans, and investigators believe the outbreak may have originated during the ship’s earlier travels in Argentina. The ship is currently heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands with more than 140 passengers and crew still on board.

A KLM flight attendant in Amsterdam is being tested for hantavirus after developing mild symptoms and being hospitalized, according to the Dutch health ministry. Reports say she may have come into contact with a Dutch passenger who was removed from a KLM flight in Johannesburg and later died from the virus in South Africa. KLM confirmed the passenger was taken off Flight KL592 before departure on April 25 due to her medical condition, and the airline said Dutch health officials are now contacting passengers from the flight as a precaution.

U.S. health officials said several former passengers from the hantavirus-affected Hondius cruise ship have returned home, including one person in Arizona, two in Georgia, and others in California. Authorities in those states are monitoring the individuals, though none have reportedly shown symptoms of the rare virus so far. The update comes amid broader international contact-tracing efforts after multiple passengers disembarked the ship before the outbreak was fully identified. Health experts continue to say the overall public risk remains low, despite concerns about the Andes strain’s rare ability to spread between humans.

A passenger aboard the hantavirus-stricken Hondius cruise ship told NBC News that travelers were “not well informed” after the first passenger death was initially described as noninfectious and due to natural causes. Turkish travel vlogger Ruhi Cenet said life on the ship continued normally for days without isolation measures, despite what later became a deadly outbreak linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus. Cenet recorded the captain’s original announcement reassuring passengers that the ship was safe, but he later said passengers unknowingly spent nearly two weeks without proper precautions.

Meanwhile, MAGA is pushing complete misinformation about treatment:

Scientists from the University of Bath, the United States, and South Africa are working on a vaccine for hantavirus following the deadly outbreak linked to the Hondius cruise ship. The BBC confirmed the team is developing a thermally stable vaccine using a technique called “insilication,” which coats vaccines in protective inorganic layers so they can survive temperature changes and potentially be delivered by drone. Researchers had already begun work on the vaccine before the cruise outbreak, which has now been linked to at least three confirmed infections and three deaths under investigation. Health officials continue to say the public risk remains low because human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is rare.

The Trump administration plans to redirect roughly $2 billion originally allocated for global health programs to help cover the costs of shutting down USAID. The diverted funding would come from programs targeting diseases and health crises including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal health, and nutrition, prompting warnings from health experts that the cuts could lead to tens of thousands of preventable deaths worldwide. Critics, including Senate Democrats and global health advocates, argue the administration is withholding congressionally approved aid to pay for the dismantling of the agency itself. The report also says spending on the long-running PEPFAR HIV/AIDS program has slowed significantly, raising concerns that testing, treatment, and outreach efforts are already deteriorating in vulnerable communities.

A Florida-born U.S. citizen in Alabama is seeking court protection after being detained by ICE three times within a year despite repeatedly presenting proof of citizenship. Leonardo Garcia Venegas and his attorneys argue federal immigration agents ignored his identification during multiple encounters tied to immigration raids in Baldwin County. His legal team says the repeated detentions violated his constitutional rights and is asking a federal judge to block future arrests while the case proceeds. The lawsuit comes amid broader scrutiny of ICE detentions involving U.S. citizens during immigration enforcement operations.

The Trump administration is closing the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, a federal watchdog that investigated abuse and misconduct in immigration detention facilities. The Department of Homeland Security said Congress effectively ended the office through a recent appropriations bill, though critics argue the legislation did not explicitly require its closure. Human rights advocates warn the move reduces oversight as concerns grow over detention conditions, with at least 18 deaths reported in ICE custody during the first four months of 2026. The office had reviewed cases involving alleged mistreatment of detainees, including Palestinian American activist Leqaa Kordia and a detained family with five children.

CBS News staffers accused editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of intervening editorially in a CBS Sunday Morning segment about archaeological disputes in the West Bank. According to the report, Weiss made script edits and changes shortly before the piece aired, marking what some employees described as her first direct editorial involvement with the program. The controversy adds to broader internal tensions at CBS over claims that Weiss has been reshaping coverage and programming to appeal more to conservative audiences. Critics also alleged the final segment underrepresented Palestinian perspectives on the historical and political significance of archaeological sites in the occupied West Bank.

James Murdoch is reportedly in talks to acquire New York Magazine and Vox Media’s podcast network for more than $300 million, according to CNN. The potential deal would give Murdoch control over brands including The Cut, Vulture, Intelligencer, and podcasts such as “Pivot” and “Today, Explained.” Vox Media has reportedly been exploring asset sales amid ongoing financial pressures in digital media. James Murdoch, the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has distanced himself politically and professionally from his family’s conservative media empire in recent years.

Moderna announced that its experimental mRNA-based flu vaccine outperformed standard flu shots in a large Phase 3 clinical trial, reducing illness by about 27% more than traditional vaccines. Researchers say mRNA technology could improve flu protection because vaccines can be updated faster to better match circulating strains. The trial involved more than 40,000 adults across 11 countries and found the vaccine caused mostly mild side effects such as fatigue and arm pain. The results may strengthen Moderna’s case for FDA approval after regulators previously questioned aspects of the company’s earlier submission, amid broader political scrutiny of mRNA vaccines under Robert F. Kennedy Jr..

Western intelligence officials told the Associated Press that Vladimir Putin’s government has intensified efforts to assassinate political opponents and pro-Ukraine figures across Europe since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Authorities in countries including France, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, and Spain have uncovered or linked multiple assassination plots targeting Russian dissidents, Ukrainian supporters, and military defectors. Officials say Russia is increasingly using criminal proxies and intermediaries rather than intelligence officers directly, partly because many Russian operatives were expelled from Europe after the 2018 poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom. The report highlights growing fears among European governments that the campaign is meant not only to eliminate opponents but also to intimidate critics of the Kremlin and destabilize countries backing Ukraine.

According to NBC News, Kamala Harris has privately told donors that she believes the Democratic National Committee should release its internal “autopsy” report examining why Democrats lost the 2024 presidential election. According to NBC News, Harris was not involved in the DNC’s decision to keep the report private and only learned afterward that party chairman Ken Martin planned to withhold it. The issue has become a major source of tension within the Democratic Party, with some leaders demanding transparency about the campaign’s failures and spending decisions. Harris’ position signals that she is open to a public examination of the 2024 loss even as she weighs a possible 2028 presidential run.

Tom Steyer, a Democratic candidate for governor, suggested that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller should face prosecution over his role in shaping hardline immigration and domestic policies under the Trump administration.

Chief Justice John Roberts said the Supreme Court of the United States is “not part of the political process” and rejected the idea that justices act as political figures. Speaking at a legal conference in Pennsylvania, Roberts argued that court decisions are based on interpreting the law and Constitution, even when the outcomes are unpopular. His remarks came amid declining public confidence in the court and after recent controversial rulings on voting rights, abortion, gun rights, and affirmative action. Roberts also condemned personal attacks and threats against judges, saying criticism should focus on legal rulings rather than individual justices.

Powerful storms and at least one confirmed tornado caused widespread destruction across parts of Mississippi, damaging hundreds of homes, toppling trees, and knocking down power lines. Officials said there were no immediate reports of deaths, though several injuries were reported, including in a heavily damaged mobile home park in Bogue Chitto. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said multiple tornadoes were reported across central and western Mississippi as emergency crews continued damage assessments and road clearing operations. Forecasters warned that additional severe storms and possible tornadoes could spread into Alabama, Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas, and Texas.

According to CNN, China sentenced two former defense ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, to suspended death sentences after convicting them of corruption and bribery. Under Chinese law, the sentences will automatically be commuted to life imprisonment without parole after two years. The punishments are part of Xi Jinping’s sweeping military anti-corruption purge, which has removed or sidelined dozens of senior officers across the People’s Liberation Army since 2022. Analysts say the unprecedented crackdown reflects Xi’s effort to tighten control over the military but may also raise concerns about the PLA’s operational readiness and internal stability. 

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: Whose House? Trump’s House, Bill Kristol, Andrew Egger and Jim Swift, May 7, 2026. A home renovation project only an aspiring emperor would love. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was back in the hot seat yesterday, giving closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee over his contradictory statements about his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Ahead of Lutnick’s appearance, Oversight Republicans weren’t exactly rallying to his defense: “I haven’t seen wrongdoing in the email correspondence,” Chair James Comer told reporters. “But he wasn’t 100 percent truthful with whether or not he had been on the island.”

And afterward, Democrats were scathing in their assessment of his performance: “After what we have seen so far, I feel very comfortable in saying Howard Lutnick is a pathological liar who is enabling the most egregious coverup in American history,” Rep. Yassamin Ansari said. Happy Thursday.

Emerging U.S. Scandals

Politico, FBI raids office of Dem state lawmaker in Virginia who led redistricting efforts, Gregory Svirnovskiy, May 7, 2026 (print ed.). The maps championed by state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, shown above, gives Democrats the advantage in four congressional seats.

The FBI searched the office of Democratic Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas on Wednesday morning, according to multiple media reports and news footage in front of her Portsmouth office.

The FBI confirmed it was “executing a court-authorized federal search warrant in Portsmouth,” but did not explicitly state a target of its probe or what it was investigating. The investigation is ongoing and there is no threat to public safety, the agency said.

The Associated Press and Fox News, citing anonymous individuals, both confirmed federal agents carried out the raid and Fox aired footage of federal agents at the office of the lawmaker, who is the state Senate’s president pro tem.

Lucas’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Portsmouth Police Department said that it was unaware of any FBI investigation.

Lucas, 82, has long been an outspoken figure in state politics and gained national attention in recent months for helping lead the effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps, which could help Democrats gain four additional seats in the coming midterm elections. She routinely took shots at President Donald Trump and statewide Republicans with bombastic posts on social media throughout the process.

“You all started it and we fucking finished it,” she wrote on X in February, a response to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who called out the Virginia maps as a Democratic gerrymander.

In April, Virginia Democrats won a statewide referendum to enact the redraw by more than 100,000 votes.

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott, a Democrat, urged caution in a statement given to multiple news outlets.

“At this point we simply do not know what this ultimately means,” he said. “Right now, there is far more theatrics and speculation than actual information available to the public.

Politico, Trump calls for Jeffries to be charged with ‘inciting violence’ in social media post, Gregory Svirnovskiy, May 7, 2026. Trump in the post implied Jeffries' call for "maximum warfare" against the GOP in redistricting efforts was connected to a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner three days later.Donald Trump points.

President Donald Trump pushed for Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to be charged with “INCITING VIOLENCE” on Thursday, his latest call to go after Democratic opponents in the legal arena.

“The Radical Left Democrats actually want to Destroy our Country,” he wrote on Truth Social, alongside an image of Jeffries gesturing to a “maximum warfare” sign and another image from the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which took place three days after the photo of Jeffries was taken.

Republicans have blamed Democrats for escalating violent rhetoric in the wake of the shooting at the dinner. Trump had previously faced two assassination attempts, including one in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the 2024 election that left him with a wound to his ear.

Jeffries, who unveiled the “maximum warfare” campaign — a redistricting initiative — after Democrats passed a 10-1 redraw in Virginia last month, in particular has drawn Trump’s ire. Trump called the seven-term lawmaker “Hakeem ‘Low IQ’ Jeffries” on Thursday.

When asked for comment, Jeffries’ office referred POLITICO to a post from the minority leader on X on Thursday.

“The Knicks are up 2-0 and I have to wake up to another deranged rant from this guy,” he wrote. “Gas prices are sky high, grocery bills are surging and families can’t catch a break. Democrats are about to take back the House and you’re losing your mind. Where’s the luv?”

But Jeffries is far from the only high-profile Democrat Trump has pushed to prosecute in recent months.

The president accused six Democrats — including battleground Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) of “sedition” last November after they made a video urging service members to disobey illegal orders. Democrats filed police complaints after Trump called for them to be arrested and even hanged.

A grand jury in February rejected D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s effort to indict the six lawmakers.

Last September, Trump urged then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to move faster in charging several of his longtime political opponents, including Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” he wrote on Truth Social. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

James was indicted just weeks later, but the charges were later dropped.

The Trump Administration is charging former FBI Director James Comey with conspiracy to assassinate President Trump -- charges widely regarded as revenge by Trump for Comey's investigation of documented Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to help Trump win -- based on Comey's posting on social media seashells he saw arranged on a North Carolina beach, as shown above, displaying the numbers "86 47," which the Justice Department alleges to have been a serious threat against Trump. The term "86" reputedly stems from a coded expression by restaurant and bar personnel to oust undesirable patrons. Comey, a Republican, is not alleged to have arranged the seashells and promptly removed the image from his social media site when MAGA supporters denounced it.

Emptywheel, Analysis: The Loaner AUSAs Todd Blanche Disavowsnalysis: The Loaner AUSAs Todd Blanche Disavows, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 7, 2026. In an attempt to disclaim that local prosecutors decided to charge Jim Comey, above, for posting a picture of seashells were engaged in political prosecution, Todd Blanche invoked, as proof, a claim that he doesn’t know the local prosecutors who are charging it.

We file thousands, thousands of criminal cases in this country every year. Thousands at the Federal level. Um, hundreds every day. And so to the extent that myself or President Trump or lawyers who work with me are being accused of some sort of political retribution, it is simply not true. It is absolutely not true.

How do I prove it’s not true?

Well, if you look at the recent [unintelligible] you asked me about a few minutes ago, you have local prosecutors, you have local agents, I don’t even know their names. I don’t know their names. Who are bringing these charges. That’s one way.

There’s a lot that’s ridiculous in this rebuttal on its face. DOJ may charge thousands of people every year, hundreds every day. But the Acting Attorney General only announces charges in a handful of those cases.

Since Blanche, right, took over (at least according to DOJ’s website), he has made announcements of the following:

The roll-out of the fraudulent National Fraud Enforcement Division The charges against SPLC The charges against accused WHCD attacker Cole Allen A rollback of gun regulations An investigation into the meatpacking industry

The only charges Blanche has announced were targets of Trump or his close allies. And generally, the charges for interstate threats like those with which Comey was charged are only announced if a senior Republican (obviously, including Trump) or a right wing influencer was the purported victim.

There may be thousands, thousands … thousands of charges every year. But Todd Blanche only announced three.

More importantly, there’s something wildly suspect about Blanche’s claim that he doesn’t know the name of the local prosecutor who charged this.

First of all, the single AUSA whose name is on the indictment, Matthew Petracca, is not exactly a longtime local prosecutor, he’s a former local Republican politician who moved down from New Jersey, who previously focused on Medicaid fraud at DOJ.

More importantly, there was at least one prosecutor on this case whose name Blanche likely does know, because they got moved from EDNC to EDVA to prosecute Comey the last time around.

[Ellis] Boyle acknowledged in Senate nomination disclosures that 99% of his private practice involved civil proceedings, with 52% of that work in state court. Since arriving in August, he’s impressed people in his office by working hard to learn the criminal docket, including by attending trainings and trials.

Still, the only other name on the Comey indictment is a junior assistant US attorney, Matthew Petracca, whose background as a state Medicaid fraud attorney also gives him minimal federal criminal experience.

Petracca only got involved after more experienced lawyers in the office investigating the sea shells post at earlier stages left the case, according to people familiar with the matter, who like others spoke anonymously about sensitive deliberations.

Last fall, Boyle loaned two of the office’s more seasoned and newly promoted prosecutors to the US attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia to take over her ultimately unsuccessful indictment of Comey on separate false statements allegations.

At least one of the lawyers who worked on the Virginia case was also among those investigating Comey at some point in the North Carolina threats matter, the people added.

They returned from their Virginia assignment after a judge dismissed the case. Following a few weeks back in Raleigh, both prosecutors left Boyle’s office for private practice, ahead of the threats case going to the grand jury. It’s not clear if Boyle will staff the case with additional prosecutors, as Comey’s defense team prepares to request a dismissal. [my emphasis]

Of critical import, they were told that a Fourth Circuit precedent governing lawyers’ communications prohibited doing the kind of filter protocol they wanted to do with EDNC personnel, a protocol that sounds similar to the one Todd Blanche confessed they used in his press conference announcing the charges (the one that makes it clear this is not just any of the thousands of cases DOJ charges every year).

Well, I’m not going to get into the details of the investigation itself, but a lot of these cases, you can look at when the threats were made and when charges are brought. They are not easy cases, and so we have to, there’s a communication that is sent allegedly in this case, so that means we have to look at devices. Mr. Comey is a lawyer. He has lawyers. To the extent we are looking at materials that are potentially privileged, we have to get a wall and set up a wall and let totally independent lawyers look at them. That does not happen overnight or quickly. The Statute of Limitations is five years. We brought it under one year. That is where we are.

There’s a good deal of reporting from last September about how those EDNC AUSAs got assigned to an EDVA case that no career prosecutors wanted to touch. And now there are hints that the very same career prosecutors didn’t want to touch this one in EDNC, and so left DOJ.

And because of the filter protocol, and because of this public report, Jim Comey is likely to ask for details of these earlier staffing issues along with the rest of the stack of selective prosecution.

Particularly if Comey can prove that Blanche lied when he disavowed knowing these local prosecutors, or knowing why they left DOJ.

Paul Krugman via Substack, Political-Economy Commentary: Grand Theft Oil Futures, Paul Krugman, right, May 7, 2026. Insider traders keep making a killing at our expense Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for moreGrand Theft Oil FuturesInsider traders keep making a killing at our expense.

At this point it’s almost routine: Almost every time Donald Trump makes a major announcement about the Iran War, that announcement is preceded — sometimes by only a few minutes — by huge and hugely profitable bets in the oil market.

The influential Kobeissi Letter documents the latest example:

• BREAKING: According to our analysis, ~$920 million worth of crude oil shorts were taken 70 minutes before an Axios report claimed the US and Iran were near a “14-point” deal to end the war.
• At 3:40 AM ET today, nearly 10,000 contracts worth of crude oil shorts were taken without any major news.
• This is equivalent to ~$920 million in notional value, an unusually large trade for 3:40 AM ET.
• At 4:50 AM ET, just 70 minutes later, Axios reported that the US is “close” to a “memorandum of understanding” to end the Iran War.
• By 7:00 AM ET, oil prices had fallen over -12% with these crude oil shorts gaining approximately +$125 million.

Minutes later, Iran launched the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority” and oil prices surged +8%.

What just happened?

As the BBC among others has documented, this isn’t the first time, or the second time, that this has happened. Again and again, just before Trump makes announcements that raise hopes about the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one or more “whales,” very large traders, sell large quantities of oil futures, almost instantly reaping big profits as prices fall.

What’s truly remarkable is that this keeps happening even though the pattern has become familiar. This tells us two things: The Trump administration is making no real effort to crack down on whoever is trading using inside information, and these inside traders are operating with a complete sense of impunity, assured that they can get away with it.

The stench of corruption is overwhelming. Yet aside from the raw corruption, these incidents also raise a larger question. The insiders ripped off the parties who sold futures to them at what turned out to be very unfavorable prices to the sellers. What broader damage does this kind of unchecked insider trading do?

There’s both a narrow and a broad answer.

The narrow answer involves economic efficiency. How is the functioning of the economy affected by the realization that somebody — it’s not hard to make guesses, but we don’t know for sure — is trading oil futures based on advance knowledge about what will soon appear on Truth Social or Fox News?

It took me a while to figure this out. But I think I have an answer.

First, ask yourself what purpose is served by the oil futures market. Unlike the prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi, the oil futures market is not intended to be mainly a vehicle for gambling. Instead, it is a market that serves to reduce risk through hedging.

Here’s how it works. There are people and institutions, such as oil producers, who will need to sell oil at a future date. They want to lock in the price today on those future sales. There are also people and institutions, such as airlines, who have a future need for oil and would like to lock in the price today. Thus the futures market lets both sellers and buyers of oil eliminate a major source of risk – fluctuations in the price of oil. This reduces uncertainty in the economy as a whole.

But what if there are substantial players in the futures market with inside information? Then if you are, say, a corporation trying to lock in the price of oil you plan to buy next month, you may not be making a mutually beneficial deal with future sellers. You may, instead, be being played for a sucker — paying what in retrospect will have been an excessive price — by people who know what’s about to appear in the president’s social media feed.

The same could apply to sellers of oil futures, although the examples of insider trading we know about involved Trump insiders getting ahead of falling, not rising, prices.

Either way, the effect of traders’ suspicion that they may be losers in a rigged game will be to make them reluctant to play at all — reluctant either to buy or to sell oil futures. And this will mean losing the risk-reducing benefits of a properly functioning futures market.

Now, insider trading of oil futures probably isn’t big enough to do critical damage to those markets. But it does do damage, which hurts all of us, not just the buyers who got stuck with the immediate losses.

And beyond the narrow economic losses, insider trading on oil is part of the broader rise of what we can call the predation economy.

Under Trump II, corruption runs rampant. Success in business depends not on what you know but on who you know, and there are no rules beyond having — and, obviously, buying — the right connections.

This is bad for everyone who doesn’t have those connections. It’s bad for economic growth. And it undermines the moral basis of the economy and society as a whole. It’s the path of how a country slides into third-world status.

I’ll have much more to say about the predation economy in future posts. 

Heather Delaney Reese, Commentary: Our country will not survive if we don’t stop this, Heather Delaney Reese, May 7, 2026. At 6:05 in the morning on January 14th, FBI agents arrived at the door of a home in Alexandria, Virginia. The woman inside was 29 years old. And what happened next was a defining moment in the United States of America.

The woman was not accused of a crime, and agents explicitly told her she was not even a target of an investigation. And yet they still raided her house. The agents had a warrant, and they used it. And when they left, they took with them her phone, her Garmin watch, two laptops, one personal and one issued by her employer, a recorder, and a portable hard drive. And that matters because she was a reporter for The Washington Post, and on those devices was her journalistic work. There were communications with confidential sources and stories she was working on.

But there were also personal communications. Medical information and the wedding plans she had been making with her fiancé. Her entire life, professional and deeply private, walked out the door in federal agents’ hands. And the raid did not come out of nowhere, at least not as far as the FBI was concerned. Court documents later revealed that in the days before agents knocked on her door, a federal investigator had followed her from her home to a nearby train station, documenting where she went and the technology she carried with her. They knew an extraordinary amount of information about someone they supposedly were not investigating.

The human behind all of this is Hannah Natanson, and inside The Washington Post newsroom, she had become known as the federal government whisperer. Over the previous year, she had published more than 200 stories documenting the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal workforce. She had built relationships with 1,169 current and former government employees.

And after what had to be one of the most terrifying days of Natanson’s life, she walked into the newsroom shaken and violated in every sense of the word. Not just personally violated, but constitutionally violated. Her home had been raided, her devices seized, and the private details of her life placed into the hands of the federal government, despite the fact that she was not even accused of a crime. And yet, in that moment, she showed exactly what journalism is supposed to look like under pressure. She looked at her colleagues and told them, The best thing you can do for me is keep reporting.

I’ve thought about what she said every day since. Because that is what you would expect someone to say who is facing this kind of treatment in a place like Putin’s Russia, North Korea, or some other authoritarian state where journalists are treated as enemies of the state and the press exists only to protect the powerful. It is not what we expect to hear from a journalist in the United States of America. But this is Trump’s America now.

The official justification for the raid was a leak investigation connected to Venezuela. Days before the search, Natanson and five Post colleagues had published an exclusive story based on classified government documents concerning U.S. military operations there. A government contractor and Navy veteran was accused of improperly accessing classified databases connected to the case.

And hours after the raid, Trump walked into the Oval Office and announced to reporters that “the leaker on Venezuela” had been found and was “in jail right now.” He was referring to Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a 61-year-old Navy veteran and Pentagon contractor with top-secret clearance who had been arrested six days earlier. He had been caught the old-fashioned way, through federal investigative work, not through anything taken from Hannah Natanson or her reporting.

But the way Trump announced it, standing in the Oval Office hours after agents had raided a journalist’s home, was deliberate. He wanted the two things to sound like one thing. The contractor in jail. The reporter’s house raided. Said in the same breath, on the same day, to make the public hear it as a single story. It wasn’t. What Trump did not mention is that American law gives the press strong First Amendment protection to publish truthful information on matters of public concern, even when a source may have broken the law to obtain it, so long as the journalist did not participate in the illegal act. That protection is not unlimited, but it is one of the core safeguards of a free press. Courts have reaffirmed that protection again and again. The contractor may have broken the law. Hannah Natanson did not.

The prosecution said in court that Perez-Lugones had thrown everything away, his job, his clearance, his career of more than two decades. A Navy veteran who had served his country for more than 20 years, now facing federal charges, his life completely upended. Prosecutors said he did it “to get back at the administration.” And maybe he did. Or maybe he just couldn’t stay quiet anymore. Maybe he sat inside that secure facility, watching what was being planned and executed in Venezuela, watching what was being done to this country, and decided that someone needed to know. Maybe that was enough. He knew exactly what he was risking. So did every one of the 1,169 federal employees on Hannah Natanson’s phone. The real target was never the Venezuela documents. It was them.

The Trump administration was furious that 1,169 federal employees had trusted her with what was happening inside their agencies. Sharing details about every DOGE cut, every illegal order, every moment of chaos, intimidation, corruption, and cruelty the administration did not want the public to see. That is what they were really after. And Hannah Natanson understood exactly what those people were risking. On Christmas Eve, weeks before the raid, she published an essay about what this reporting had cost her emotionally. In it, she described one message she could never forget. A woman had written to her on Signal and asked her not to respond. The woman said she lived alone and planned to die that weekend. But before she did, she wanted at least one person to understand what had happened to her life. Trump had unraveled the government, she wrote, and with it, her future. That is what Hannah Natanson was protecting. That is what was on her phone.

And then came the detail that made the whole raid make sense. An entire section of the FBI warrant affidavit cited that Christmas Eve essay, and about her reporting methods and source relationships, as justification for the search. Her transparency about how she worked, communicated, and protected sources became part of the government’s rationale for raiding her home. She told the truth about how she found the truth, and they used it against her. The administration wasn’t just angry about one article about Venezuela or an essay about the human toll of what was happening. They were angry that a journalist had built a trusted pipeline to more than a thousand people inside the federal government who were still willing to tell the public the truth about what was happening to their country, and they wanted that pipeline shut down. The raid was not just an investigation. It was a warning. A warning to anyone willing to share what was really happening, and a warning to any journalist willing to share about it.

What happened to Hannah Natanson in January was just the next move in this administration’s larger plan to silence dissent. This week, we learned that the FBI has opened a criminal leak investigation targeting Atlantic journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick over her sources for a story reporting that FBI Director Kash Patel had been allegedly engaging in heavy drinking and unexplained absences. Patel denied it and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic. The FBI has denied the probe exists. But here is what makes this one different as they escalate their attacks on the First Amendment. The Natanson raid, as unprecedented as it was, was at least framed around classified information and national security. This new investigation wasn’t. It is an investigation into who told a reporter about a government official. That is the new line they are drawing. You don’t have to leak classified documents anymore to become a target. You just have to share about someone they want protected.

This is how it works. This is the manipulation that makes this administration so dangerous. They don’t even have to accuse anyone of formal wrongdoing anymore. They are not even charging people with crimes. They just have to make the question loud enough. Is this a national security threat? Are the people talking to journalists endangering the country? They are trying to turn our First Amendment rights alone into the threats. To make sources afraid to speak, reporters afraid to publish, and readers afraid to trust what they read. You don’t have to silence the press directly if you can make the press silence itself.

But the courts are not playing along. Not yet, at least. Two federal judges have now blocked the Justice Department from accessing Hannah Natanson’s devices. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, appointed by President George W. Bush, rejected the government’s appeal and ruled that the prolonged seizure of a journalist’s tools was preventing her from doing her job. The magistrate judge below him had already criticized the DOJ for failing to even mention to the court the Privacy Protection Act of 1980, a federal law that restricts the government from raiding journalists for their unpublished work. They didn’t mention it because doing so would have made the warrant harder to obtain. Two judges have now seen through it. The government may still appeal. But for now, the line is holding.

And it’s important for us to remember how many people have been part of the resistance in these moments. There are still people inside our government sharing the truth at great risk to their livelihoods and freedom, judges holding the line, and politicians calling all of this out while risking their safety and careers to defend what is left of our democracy. I needed to hear this today. I’ve found myself needing to hear as much hope as I can lately. Maybe you need to hear it too.

Because as we all expected, this administration has been ramping up its intimidation tactics ahead of the midterms. The outlook for our country looks dark in so many ways, and I myself have been facing what I call cruelty and chaos burnout. Being in Washington, D.C. during the shooting made me realize how truly upside down our government is in so many ways. I was never a political obsessive. I never had aspirations to talk about politics every night of my life. But I am a human being, and I’ve noticed my own ability to process the destruction unfolding is starting to follow a path where I have highs and lows. I’m walking a fine line between being a present mother to my children and also spending enough time each day trying to fully understand as much of what is happening as I can. It is a fine line. And some days it catches up to me.

I’m getting better about compartmentalizing it all so that I don’t go numb, because I am here for the long haul. I will never stop, no matter how tired I get. And I know so many of you feel the exact same way.

Today was one of those days where I struggled, though. I got an email this afternoon that I should not have opened. It was a tirade from someone telling me I should end my own life. And it took me down a path of realizing just how deep this rot has gone. Where people now see cruelty as courage. Where sending something like that feels like patriotism. And I worry every single day about how far this goes before we reach the point where things finally begin to turn around.

But instead of breaking me, it made me stronger. It helped remind me what we are actually fighting for. Better days where we can all agree again that what we are living through is not normal and that we all deserve better than this. A country with competent leadership that governs from a place of real patriotism and public service, not this performative red hat extremism that feeds on outrage, cruelty, and division while calling itself “American greatness.”

So if you are feeling burned out tonight, I see you. I get it. It would be easy for us to check out for a while, but we can’t do it. We have too much work to do. We just need to remember that at some point, this will be over, and we can rest then knowing that we pushed through the hard days and never gave up on building a future for our children and grandchildren where the United States stood for freedom and democracy and not the authoritarian nightmare Trump is trying to turn it into.

As I’ve promised so many times before, whenever this administration goes after a journalist, every time they raid a home, or file a lawsuit, or open an investigation designed to make someone afraid to exercise their First Amendment rights, we respond by making sure the voices they are targeting are not silenced. We vote with our dollars and support the writers, media, journalists, and social media creators who are not backing down to Trump’s authoritarian demands. We support our favorite voices who are still telling the truth, not just me, but the ones protecting sources, too.

Because we recognize just how important that work is. Protecting confidentiality and classified information is how these investigative reports even see the light. And without this information, so much of what I write would not be possible. I depend on the bravery of journalists like Hannah Natanson to do the investigative work so I can bring it to you every night. I cannot imagine what it costs her, the fear on top of the exhaustion on top of the weight of protecting more than a thousand people who trusted her with their lives. I live with concern about what I write, but not anywhere near the level she carries. I am so grateful for her. And for every reporter still doing this work and not backing down. Because that is exactly what we are going to need to get through this.

And I want to thank you all for your paid memberships, especially on heavy nights like this. You have made this work possible and free for all, never behind a paywall. And beyond supporting me, please support investigative reporters, independent content creators, and every voice on the right side of history that you can. We will never be able to match the other side dollar for dollar. But we can make sure that when one of us is feeling the weight of the world, the others can carry the work forward. That is how movements survive. That is how the truth stays alive.

And it’s not just us recognizing the important work these journalists are doing under these harsh conditions. On Monday, something remarkable happened. The very reporting that this administration tried to intimidate and suppress was honored on the highest level. The Washington Post won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, journalism’s highest honor, for piercing the veil of secrecy around the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal government and documenting in rich detail what it has cost the people inside it. Hannah Natanson’s reporting was at the center of that work. The same reporting that they raided her home to stop.

And in her remarks after learning of the award, she said: “To every government worker who risked so much to confide in me, I want you to know your trust is the highest honor I will ever receive.”

That line stayed with me because it captures something I think so many of us have been trying to hold onto lately. There are still people in this country willing to risk their comfort, their careers, their reputations, and sometimes even their safety to do the right thing. There are still journalists willing to tell the truth when powerful people try to intimidate them into silence. There are still government workers choosing conscience over obedience. And there are still millions of Americans refusing to surrender to cruelty and fear, no matter how exhausted they become. And that is why I still have hope for America. And you should, too. 

Popular Information, Accountability Journalism: The truth about State Farm, Judd Legum, right, and Rebecca Crosby, May 7, 2026. "So forget what we told you. It ain’t worth squat." 

In an ad campaign that has blanketed the airwaves this year, State Farm compares itself to a sleazy fictional competitor, Halfway There Insurance. The commercial features two popular comedic actors, Danny McBride and Keegan Michael Key, riffing to the Bon Jovi classic, Livin’ on a Prayer.

“There’s damage to your home on this block,” McBride and Key croon. “We won’t make things right, cuz filing a claim is tough.” The comedy duo stresses that, unlike State Farm, their pretend company will not live up to its promises and does not care about customer satisfaction. “So forget what we told you. It ain’t worth squat. It doesn’t make a difference if you’re happy or not,” they sing.

A website created by State Farm, HalfwayThereInsurance.com, jokes that Halfway There Insurance will just claim that home damage is not their responsibility. For “actual home protection,” the website advises, “we’d say go with State Farm.”

No expense is spared on the campaign, which debuted during the Super Bowl. The ad concludes when Jon Bon Jovi himself, riding in a red convertible with State Farm pitchman “Jake,” offers a disgruntled Halfway There customer, played by actress Hailee Steinfeld, a lift. “Stop living on a prayer and get State Farm,” Jake says.

The Halfway There campaign is one of countless ads with a similar message: State Farm is a relatable and ethical company that will be there to assist you when you need them. “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” is the company’s iconic slogan. According to a document filed with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and obtained by Popular Information, State Farm spent an astounding $1.139 billion on advertising in 2025.

According to an enforcement action filed by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) this week, the experience of being a State Farm customer has little in common with the advertising copy. CDI “announced a major enforcement action against State Farm General Insurance Company after an expedited investigation uncovered significant mishandling of insurance claims filed by survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.” According to CDI Commissioner Ricardo Lara, “State Farm delayed, underpaid, and buried policyholders in red tape at the worst moment of their lives.”

As part of the investigation, CDI examiners reviewed a sampling of 220 claims. In more than half the claims (114) CDI determined that State Farm violated state law. In a legal filing known as an “Order to Show Cause,” CDI summarized State Farm’s violations:

The examination showed a troubling pattern of claims handling practices by [State Farm], including: slow and inadequate investigations of claims; underpayment of claims; numerous instances where multiple claims adjusters were assigned, over a short period, causing policyholder confusion; a lack of reasonable standards for prompt investigation and processing of claims, including in regards to smoke damage; and/or, delayed or inadequate communication with policyholders. These practices failed to comply with applicable laws regulating the fair handling of claims and related regulations resulting in unfair and unlawful burden to policyholders during a declared state of emergency.

The CDI is seeking authority to suspend State Farm’s license in California for up to a year. That would mean the company could not write new insurance policies during that time.

State Farm flatly rejected the conclusions of the CDI investigation. “California’s homeowners insurance market is the most dysfunctional in the country, and State Farm has worked to be part of real solutions,” the company said in a statement. “Wildfire survivors deserve real solutions - not a distorted picture of State Farm’s response.”

The investigation revealed a more nuanced picture. State Farm denied fault in some cases but admitted fault in others, “often saying that the problem was due to issues with specific adjusters.”

According to CDI, State Farm could face $2 million or more in penalties. $2 million represents less than one day of State Farm’s annual ad budget.State Farm aggressively pursued the California home insurance market

In the years before the wildfires, as other insurers were more cautious in California, State Farm blitzed the market, even while being aware of the risks.

A 2025 report from the Wall Street Journal found that, in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic, State Farm “gobbled up market share… by insuring high-value homes in the Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles neighborhoods that many of its competitors rejected as too vulnerable to wildfires.” In 2023, the company took in “$2.7 billion of home-insurance premiums in the state,” a 70% increase compared to five years earlier.

“State Farm was the only—and I mean the only—big insurer that would take everything” during that time period, an owner of an independent insurance agency told the Journal. One insurance agent said that the only quote that he could get for a high-value home in 2022 was $20,000, until State Farm insured it for $6,000.

State Farm knew about the risks even as it expanded. According to the Journal, consultants told State Farm that there was a high risk of a fire. State Farm also knew it was selling policies that had unsustainably low premiums. But it continued to ask California “for a fraction of the increases that would be needed to bring its rates up to the necessary levels” in 2021 and 2022.

In 2023, that abruptly changed. State Farm began asking the state for much higher increases in home-insurance rates. Shortly after, the company announced that it would no longer be accepting new home-insurance policies in California.

In March 2024, State Farm announced that it would be dropping coverage for a total of 72,000 houses and apartments in the state beginning that summer. A CDI spokesman told CBS that around “1,600 policies in Pacific Palisades were dropped by State Farm in July.” An analysis by CBS News San Francisco found that State Farm dropped over 2,000 policies in two other zip codes in Los Angeles. Customers whose policies were not being renewed were advised to get insurance through California’s Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan, which is used as a last resort and typically offers less coverage for a higher price.

In January 2025, State Farm reversed course and announced that it was offering to renew residential policies that it had intended to drop in Los Angeles County. But the decision only applied to policies that were still held by customers before the Los Angeles fires. Customers whose coverage had already been dropped before the fire are out of luck.

More On Iran War

New York Times, Trump Reversed Hormuz Plan After Saudis Denied Airspace Access, Michael Crowley, Eric Schmitt and Vivian Nereim, May 7, 2026. Saudi Arabia’s refusal of support suggests that President Trump’s unpredictable approach to Iran has strained ties with one of his closest allies in the Middle East.

President Trump’s announcement on Sunday that the U.S. military would escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz angered Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who denied U.S. access to Saudi airspace and American bases in the country, according to a person briefed by Saudi officials and a U.S. military official.

Prince Mohammed’s action stunned U.S. officials and forced Mr. Trump to abandon his plan, according to a U.S. military official familiar with the sequence of events. The Saudis have since lifted the restrictions on the bases and overflights, but still have not agreed to permit the use of its territory in support of “Project Freedom,” as Mr. Trump named the naval operation, the U.S. official added.

Mr. Trump halted the tanker escort operation on Tuesday, after a flurry of phone calls between Washington and Saudi Arabia, including a call between Mr. Trump and Prince Mohammed. By that evening, Mr. Trump had announced that he had “paused” the operation after less than 24 hours.

Mr. Trump said he was reacting to new “progress” toward a peace agreement with Tehran, although no evidence of a dramatic breakthrough has emerged.

Even if the U.S. disagreement with Riyadh over tanker escorts is resolved, the initial Saudi refusal of support suggests that Mr. Trump’s unpredictable and whipsawing approach to Iran has strained ties with one of his closest allies. As recently as mid-March, the de facto Saudi leader was pressing Mr. Trump to continue his bombing campaign against Iran with the goal of bringing down its clerical regime and ridding the kingdom of a longtime adversary, according to people briefed by U.S. officials on the conversations. Saudi officials dispute their accounts.

Prince Mohammed’s calculus has since shifted. Mr. Trump instead agreed to an April cease-fire deal with Iran’s leaders, and Prince Mohammed is now trying to help end the conflict by supporting peace talks through Saudi Arabia’s ally, Pakistan. Iranian officials said on Thursday that Tehran and the United States were discussing a one-page proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz and end hostilities — which flared up again on Thursday — for 30 days while they search for a comprehensive deal that would include matters like Iran’s nuclear program.

The person briefed by Saudi officials confirmed that the kingdom had denied U.S. permission to fly over Saudi Arabia for the tanker mission, which they did not think had been well studied. Saudi officials also feared it would have led to an escalation with Iran, according to the person.

Signs of a rift between Mr. Trump and Prince Mohammed could embolden Tehran as it jockeys for leverage in on-again, off-again negotiations with the United States amid clear signs that Mr. Trump is eager for a deal.

The Saudi government’s Center for International Communication, which handles queries from journalists, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Saudi Embassy in Washington.Editors’ PicksHunting for the Rare Thrills of Northern Vietnamese Food? Try Portland.Sizzling Summer ThrillersBy the End of a Hiking Trip, Their Relationship Was Elevated

The friction emerged after Mr. Trump declared on Sunday via his Truth Social account that the U.S. military would begin guiding commercial ships through the narrow waterway between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Most maritime traffic through the strait has been halted since Iran began attacking tankers in response to the joint U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign that began in February.

Mr. Trump initially depicted the operation as a “humanitarian” mission intended to free ships and crews who had been stranded in the strait for weeks or months, although his rhetoric grew more bellicose after the announcement. On Monday, Mr. Trump warned that he might wipe Iran “off the face of the earth” if it attacked American vessels in the strait.

On Tuesday, Saudi officials notified U.S. counterparts that they could not use their country’s territory or airspace for the operation, according to a U.S. military official. That rendered the plan unfeasible: U.S. naval escorts through the strait would require substantial air support for protection, including from fighter jets and attack helicopters.

In addition to Mr. Trump’s call with Prince Mohammed on Tuesday, an official said, Marco Rubio, the national security adviser and secretary of state, spoke to his Saudi counterpart. Steve Witkoff, a special U.S. envoy, and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, also spoke to the Saudi leadership that day. Mr. Trump spoke again to Prince Mohammed on Wednesday.

Three people who speak often to Saudi officials said the episode shows growing frustration in Riyadh with Mr. Trump’s shoot-from-the-hip management of his clash with Iran. Mr. Trump has left his strategic goals unclear and his tactics subject to sudden change, often catching U.S. allies by surprise.

In his early years, Prince Mohammed pursued a hawkish approach to Iran, which included a disastrous bombing campaign in Yemen launched to fight Iran-backed Houthi rebels. But in recent years he has prioritized diplomacy over military action, and in 2023 Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations with Iran after decades of deep hostility.

The shift reflects Prince Mohammed’s view that regional stability is crucial for his broader economic ambitions, which involve turning Saudi Arabia into a global hub for business and tourism, Saudi officials and analysts say.

After Mr. Trump went to war against Iran, Prince Mohammed’s main interest was in seeing a decisive victory against Iran’s regime. Despite the easing of tensions in 2023, Saudi Arabia still considers the country a threat to its security.

New York Times, War and Energy Shortages Boost China’s Influence in Asia, Alexandra Stevenson and Murphy Zhao, May 7, 2026. The war in Iran has left China’s neighbors appealing for help, handing Beijing the kind of sway it has long sought.

As the war in Iran drags on, China has deepened its influence with fuel-starved neighbors, offering to ease shortages while pushing its renewable energy technology.

In the days after the United States and Israel attacked Iran and the Strait of Hormuz was closed, China banned oil-product exports, squeezing Asian countries that rely on its refineries for jet fuel, gasoline and diesel.

Across Asia, governments are petitioning Beijing to blunt the war’s impact. Unlike the rest of the region, China is dealing from a position of strength. It is the world’s largest importer of crude oil, but it has amassed huge reserves, spent decades reducing its dependence on foreign oil and poured hundreds of billions of dollars into clean energy technology.

Vietnam appealed to Beijing over its looming jet fuel shortage. The Philippines asked China not to restrict fertilizer exports. After a visit to China last month to press the subject, Australia’s foreign minister said Beijing would cooperate with Australian companies on jet fuel shipments.

The outreach produced assurances from China to address regional energy security issues as well as commitments from other countries to advance diplomatic dialogue with Beijing and, in some cases, cooperate on future renewable energy projects, according to government readouts. The diplomacy kept some Chinese fuel flowing, helping Asia avoid some of the worst-case scenarios that experts feared at the start of the war.

New York Times, The Long Journey From the Strait of Hormuz to the Gas Tank, Agnes Chang and Pablo Robles, May 7, 2026. This month-long journey cannot be meaningfully sped up. Ships can sail faster, but that risks safety and uses more fuel, raising costs. Once the oil reaches land, the refining, loading and transit speeds are constrained by the existing infrastructure.

Japan is fortunate enough to have strategic energy reserves and a robust distribution system that can help it weather the energy crisis. Not every country has those advantages. In those with less developed refining, port or pipeline infrastructure, getting fuel to consumers can take even longer.

And countries that rely on others to refine their petroleum may now face even more delays because of the war as they wait for damaged equipment in the Gulf states to come back online. In March, the Philippines declared a national emergency because of disruptions in oil supplies.

Even once the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens, it may take months for shipping to return to normal. With hundreds of tankers trapped or diverted, clearing the traffic will make trips longer.

And insurance premiums for traveling through the strait — still considered a high-risk zone — will likely make some voyages economically unviable.

It is not just a matter of getting the oil flowing again. Supply chains thrown into disarray by the cutoff will need time to recover. Already, much of Asia is grappling with shortages of petroleum-derived goods like plastics, adhesives and paints. 

Emptywheel, Analysis: Trump’s Base Motives, Emptywheel (Marcy Wheeler), right, May 7, 2026. There were several stories yesterday that revealed details about Trump’s failing Iran war.

The second, posted by NBC towards the end of the day, reveals that no one gave America’s Gulf allies a heads up before Trump decided to re-heat the war with a plan to accompany ships to the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s plan to forcibly reopen the Strait using the Prince Sultan Airbase got quickly vetoed.

Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing “Project Freedom” on social media Sunday afternoon, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia. In response, the Kingdom informed the U.S. it would not allow the U.S. military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort, the officials said.

A call between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not resolve the issue, the two U.S. officials said, forcing the president to pause Project Freedom in order to restore U.S. military access to the critical airspace.

Other close Gulf allies were also caught off guard; the president spoke with leaders in Qatar after the effort had already begun.

Tellingly, Trump did not respond to this rejection from his son-in-law’s benefactor with a tantrum, like he has every time European countries have refused to let Trump conduct an offensive war from their territory.

Trump lied to cover up the rejection.

The story of Crown Prince Bone Saw’s disinterest in serving as a base for hostile operations that would, hypothetically at least, serve Saudi interests came hours after WaPo advanced a story that NYT, NBC and CNN have also slowly been pursuing: the damage Iran did in the initial days of the war was far worse than originally known, especially on three bases in Kuwait and at the 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain.

Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites across the Middle East since the war began, hitting hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft and key radar, communications and air defense equipment, according to a Washington Post analysis of satellite imagery. The amount of destruction is far larger than what has been publicly acknowledged by the U.S. government or previously reported.

The threat of air attacks rendered some of the U.S. bases in the region too dangerous to staff at normal levels, and commanders moved most of the personnel from these sites out of the range of Iranian fire at the start of the war, officials have said.

[snip]

More than half of the damage reviewed by The Post occurred at the 5th Fleet headquarters, and the three bases in Kuwait — Ali al-Salem Air Base, Camp Arifjan and Camp Buehring. Camp Arifjan is the U.S. Army’s regional headquarters.

Some Persian Gulf nations have refused to allow the U.S. military to conduct offensive operations out of their bases. A U.S. official said bases in Bahrain and Kuwait were two of the hardest hit, possibly because they permitted attacks from their territory, including the use of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) that can fire missiles at ranges exceeding 310 miles.

The entire story — with an explanation of WaPo methodology, which (given US-driven withholding of commercial satellite imagery) started from Iranian images that WaPo then fact checked; as well as the details of the strategic fuck-ups that led to this damage, notably a refusal to learn about the use of drones from Ukraine — is worth reading in detail.

This is one thing Whiskey Pete Hegseth has been trying to prevent journalists from exposing.

But the most important detail, in my opinion, is this one: US officials are not sure they’ll return to the damaged bases, particularly Bahrain.

A U.S. official said that damage at the Naval Support Activity is “extensive” and that the headquarters there relocated to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, the home of U.S. Central Command. It is unlikely that troops, contractors or civilian employees will return to the base “anytime soon,” the official said.

Two other officials said U.S. forces may never return to regional bases in large numbers, though no final decision has been made.

These details came on the same day that Hugo Lowell explained (from his new perch at Wired) that Trump would be ready to accept a JPCOA-like deal, but for the fact that he knows he’ll be attacked for capitulating to a deal like the Obama deal he ripped up eight years ago.

President Donald Trump’s negotiators face the arduous task of trying to convince the president that a deal he previously rejected is their best option in Iran.

Last month, Trump initially gave his blessing for a so-called “cash for uranium” deal, under which the US would release around $20 billion in frozen funds in exchange for Iran handing over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, sources familiar with the matter tell WIRED.

Trump’s negotiators, vice president JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, received repeated approvals from the president while they were in Islamabad, giving them confidence a deal was close.

But the deal unraveled, in part because Trump was warned by his team that there was a risk he could be seen as giving Iran “pallets of cash”—an echo of his own oft-stated criticism of Barack Obama’s Iran deal—and he pulled the plug, the sources said.

Except now, that’s once again the cornerstone of the current proposal.

As I’ve noted, admitting Barack Obama’s superiority is one of the two intractable psychological dilemmas Trump’s failed Iran invasion has presented for him.

And that is why, Lowell suggests, Marco Rubio and JD Vance have tried to distance themselves from this shitshow.

For all the machinations in the West Wing, it has not gone unnoticed by Trump’s orbit that some of his top players have been conspicuous in their absence on Iran, according to two administration officials familiar with the matter.

Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and national security adviser, has been part of the group advising Trump on Iran and, physically speaking, spends most of his time in his West Wing office overlooking West Executive Avenue instead of at the State Department.

Rubio was happy to brief reporters on Tuesday, but he did so only at the request of the White House, a person familiar with the matter said, with his advisers wary of him getting involved in Iran negotiations that could as easily unravel as succeed.

[snip]

Rubio instead has been more focused on Cuba, and on Venezuela, where assistant secretary of state Caleb Orr has been involved in overseeing new private equity investment to rebuild the country’s oil infrastructure.

Vance has been stuck in an awkward middle ground. Vance is a good soldier and is regularly in the Situation Room, but he was always skeptical of striking Iran at all and once suggested a six-month delay to build up the US stockpile of anti-missile interceptors, according to a person familiar with the matter. [emphasis original]

It’s probably suboptimal that the guy who is supposed to be in charge of diplomacy is hiding under the bed, but it might explain why the Saudis didn’t get a heads up that Trump wanted to wage war from their territory.

All this is happening in advance of Trump’s scheduled visit to China, and China — which has issued competing orders regarding US sanction attempts even while serving as a key broker of negotiations while dangling its own ask, Taiwan.

Trump’s incompetent attack on Iran has partially effected the primary goal Islamic extremists fought for decades to achieve: the end of US force projection into the Middle East, and with it, one cornerstone US hegemony.

If next week’s Trump visit to China happens, it may well mark the sunset of the US empire. 

New York Times, World in Waiting Game Over Iran Peace Proposal Response, Qasim Nauman and Leo Sands, May 7, 2026. An Iranian official said that Tehran would convey its reply through Pakistan, a key mediator. Another Iranian official earlier dismissed a reported proposal to end the war as a “list of American wishes.”

The United States was waiting on Thursday for Iran to convey its response to the latest American proposal to end the war, after public messages from top-ranking officials on both sides suggested a burst of behind-the-scenes diplomatic activity.

Business leaders, consumers, politicians, shipping companies, and many others around the world have also been watching closely for signs of a breakthrough. The conflict, which has dragged on into a third month and prompted Iran and the United States to implement rival blockades around the Strait of Hormuz, has choked off a major oil transit route, wreaking havoc on global supply chains and causing energy prices to spike.

More On U.S. Courts, Law, Crime, Rights, Justice 

The Contrarian, Opinion: The Justice Department’s Appalling Grift Store, Lauren Stiller Rikleen, May 7, 2026. Settlements with the president's friends and the possibility of payouts to the him are an affront to every taxpayer.

The Department of Justice’s grift store for friends and supporters of the president, laying a solid foundation for settlement payouts, should be an affront to every taxpayer in America.

In the past few weeks, Michael Flynn, a 2016 Trump campaign adviser, seems to have benefited twice from DOJ largesse. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about discussions with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 transition — a case that was dismissed after President Trump pardoned him. Not satisfied with the good fortune of a pardon and dismissal, Flynn sued the government, alleging malicious prosecution and related claims. The DOJ, which had been successfully fighting the case, reversed course under the Trump administration, paying a reported $1.25 million taxpayer-funded settlement to Flynn. And just days ago, the government submitted a court filing asserting it had reached yet another settlement in principle with Flynn on a different claim. (Neal McNeil/iStock)

The DOJ also reportedly paid $1.25 million to former 2016 Trump campaign adviser Carter Page for his claims against the government relating to the Russia investigation, notwithstanding that lower courts had dismissed Page’s lawsuit and an appeal was pending.

At the start of his second term, Trump continued to upend history’s retelling of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by issuing blanket clemency to more than 1,600 January 6 riot defendants and absolving the attackers from owing restitution for the millions in damages they caused. Many of those pardoned have become repeat offenders.

Now, in a display of jaw-dropping audacity, pardoned January 6 rioters have sued the federal government for tens of millions of dollars for alleged physical and emotional damages caused by the police seeking to repel the attacks. Another DOJ settlement seems more likely in light of the department’s recent move to vacate the conspiracy and sedition convictions against Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders. Polymarket is likely planning its betting odds on how long the pardon-to-payout pipeline will take before a taxpayer funded settlement from the DOJ is achieved.

In this administration, loyalty and personal benefit are mutually reinforcing. It’s worth comparing, as the grift grows, the government’s efforts to protect its friends and supporters from accountability with this country’s treatment of wrongly convicted individuals. The justice system has long been marred by the numbers of people who have languished in prison for years, seeking to prove their innocence. Those who are fortunate enough to ultimately be exonerated struggle — often unsuccessfully — to receive any compensation. Unlike those who are pardoned, an exonerated prisoner is declared innocent in the eyes of the law, as opposed to being forgiven by a presidential benefactor.

The settlements to Trump’s cronies, however, may merely be practice for the ultimate payment to the president and his family that would result in one of the most brazen examples of public corruption in history.

The president, his two sons, and The Trump Organization have sued the Internal Revenue Service — an agency the president oversees — for $10 billion, alleging the IRS disclosed confidential tax information to the media. The president had previously filed claims before the DOJ seeking $230 million as compensation for grievances that included the search for classified documents at Trump’s Florida home and the Russia investigation.

The president controls both sides of these cases. Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general and Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer, demonstrates the same slavish devotion to the president that his fired predecessor, Pam Bondi, exhibited. While recently defending the firing of DOJ lawyers for working on assigned cases during the prior administration, Blanche stated that, if he is not nominated as attorney general or otherwise retained at DOJ, he would thank the president and say, “I love you, sir.”

The president requested, with the DOJ’s consent, an extension of a key deadline in his IRS suit, claiming that the parties were engaging in settlement discussions. If the DOJ resolves this case for even a fraction of the billions sought, it will validate its disdain toward the taxpaying public and its contempt for conflict-of-interest requirements.

Paying taxes is an act of trust that is based on an expectation that the government will use those funds to perform essential functions on behalf of the public. DOJ settlements and potential settlements with the administration’s friends and supporters (and possibly the president and his family) undermine its responsibility to seek accountability and serve as a stunning breach of that trust at the taxpayers’ expense.

Lauren Stiller Rikleen is the executive director of Lawyers Defending American Democracy and the editor of Her Honor—Stories of Challenge and Triumph from Women Judges.

The Contrarian is reader-supported. To receive new posts, enable our work, help with litigation efforts, and keep this opposition movement alive and engaged, please consider joining the fight by becoming a paid subscriber.

Lauren Stiller Rikleen is the executive director of Lawyers Defending American Democracy and the editor of Her Honor – Stories of Challenge and Triumph from Women Judges.

U.S. Elections, Politics, Governance

This shows the current congressional map for Tennessee maps, which includes one seat (shown in blue) surrounding the predominately pro-Democrat city of Memphis. The new map will split the city into fragments so that voting can be dominated by pro-Republican surrounding areas, just like the Republican legislature did previously with the predominately Democratic city of Nashville, Normally in U.S. governance, House maps are revised once a decade, as in 2020 or 2030, not in mid-decade to secure House majorities as President Trump has sought, backed by his six fellow Republican U.S. Supreme Court justices (New York Times map)

New York Times, Republicans Unveil Map Carving Up Tennessee’s Majority-Black House District, Emily Cochrane, May 7, 2026 (print ed.). The General Assembly is expected to quickly approve the map, which slices up Memphis, a majority-Black city that makes up most of the state’s lone Democratic district.

Tennessee Republicans on Wednesday proposed a congressional map aimed at diluting the state’s lone majority-Black district, a swift response to last week’s Supreme Court ruling that weakened a landmark voting rights law.

The new map slices up Memphis, a majority-Black city, and Shelby County into three districts and will most likely give Republicans the ability to flip Tennessee’s lone remaining Democratic seat, which includes the city.

New York Times, Trump’s Indiana Victory Shows His Enduring Grip on Core Republican Supporters, Nick Corasaniti and Shane Goldmacher, May 7, 2026 (print ed.). Low approval ratings? MAGA divisions? The president was able to turn out party loyalists in an Indiana primary to help him oust Republican state lawmakers who had crossed him.

Even as President Trump’s popularity sags amid an unpopular war and soaring gas prices, his success Tuesday in ousting a group of Republican state lawmakers in Indiana who had crossed him showed that he continued to hold a viselike grip on a critical core of the Republican base.

For all the talk of divisions within the MAGA movement over the war in Iran, the results in Indiana on Tuesday showed that Mr. Trump can still inspire the kind of voters who will turn out to vote when he asks them to. In this case, it was for revenge: The challengers Mr. Trump backed defeated at least five of the seven Republicans incumbents in the Indiana Legislature who had defied his call to draw new congressional maps ahead of the midterms.

Victories in a low-turnout Republican primary do not mean that Republican fortunes are improving ahead of the midterm elections. The party still faces an uphill battle to keep control of Congress, amid intense headwinds from the unpopular Iran war and growing economic anxiety.

But in these races, Mr. Trump and his allies were able to vastly outspend the incumbents and weaponize the bully pulpit of the presidency over little-known state lawmakers. Mr. Trump posed for photos in the Oval Office with most of the challengers, giving them powerful visuals to drive home their alliance with the White House.

It can be hard to be an incumbent. Yet the results on Tuesday were so lopsided that one state senator lost by more than 50 percentage points. The results reinforced what has remained an unshakable truth over the decade of Mr. Trump’s domination of national politics: His sway over a significant part of the Republican base is immovable.

“You are next,” Chris LaCivita, Mr. Trump’s co-campaign manager in 2024, warned Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican who has battled with Mr. Trump, in a social media post early Wednesday. Mr. Trump wants to oust Mr. Massie in a primary later this month, and Mr. LaCivita is leading an anti-Massie super PAC.

While Mr. Trump’s overall approval rating has fallen to 39 percent, according to The New York Times polling average, it is much higher among Republicans. His approval rating with that subset held steady at 85 percent in the latest Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll.

“Donald Trump has ruled the Republican Party and the Republican base, and he obviously continues to do so,” said Whit Ayres, a longtime Republican pollster. Mr. Ayres pointed to a difference between high-profile defectors such as Tucker Carlson and the average Trump voters. “While MAGA influencers and elites may have broken with the president on the war, MAGA Republicans are 100 percent, or maybe 90 percent, behind it.”

Most immediately, the romp by Mr. Trump and his allies through Indianapolis is likely to send up warning flares to Republicans across the country: Fall in line on the president’s priorities, especially on redistricting, or face the consequences.

Letters from an American, Historical Commentary: May 6, 2026 [], Heather Cox Richardson, right, May 7, 2026. It has not been a banner day for members of the Trump administration.

Evan Hill, Jarrett Ley, Alex Horton, Tara Copp, and Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post reported that Iranian strikes since February 28, when U.S. and Israeli air strikes began, have caused far more damage to U.S. military sites in the Middle East than Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the U.S. government have admitted.

While the damage from the Iranian strikes, which have killed and wounded servicemembers, is itself important, so is the underlying story: the U.S. government is hiding the true cost of the war in Iran from the American people. The journalists note that it is “unusually difficult” to get satellite imagery from the Middle East right now because less than two weeks into the war, the U.S. government asked two of the largest commercial providers of satellite imagery, Vantor and Planet, “to limit, delay or indefinitely withhold the publication of imagery of the region while the war is ongoing.”

The companies complied, forcing the journalists to turn to high-resolution satellite imagery published by Iran’s state-affiliated media, cross-checking it with lower-resolution imagery from the satellite system the European Union uses.

Global affairs journalist David Rothkopf wrote today in The Daily Beast: “Not since Vietnam have we seen a more systematic effort by an administration to lie about the nature, costs, consequences, and results of a war than we have seen from the White House on Iran.”

Early this morning, Barak Ravid of Axios, who often reports information from White House insiders, wrote that the White House believed it was close to a memorandum of understanding with Iran that would end the war and lay the groundwork for future negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, although there was plenty of hedging in the article.

Once again, there were fortuitously timed trades before the story broke. Adam Kobeissi’s Kobeissi Letter, which comments on global capital markets, noted that about 70 minutes before the Axios story, someone took about $920 million worth of crude oil shorts and bet the market would drop, meaning they promised to provide about 10,000 contracts for oil at the current price. Within two hours, oil prices had fallen more than 12%, making the entity a profit of about $125 million.

On social media, Trump’s account continued to whipsaw between pressing for an end to the war and threatening apocalyptic destruction if Iran doesn’t agree to U.S. demands. “Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption,” he wrote, “the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

The administration’s shifting justifications and claims about the Iran war are “dizzying,” Ben Finley, Matthew Lee, and Farnoush Amiri of the Associated Press wrote today. Yesterday, after calling the war “concluded,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spent the day selling Trump’s Project Freedom to open the Strait of Hormuz, only to have Trump call Project Freedom off with a post on social media.

Mosheh Gains, Courtney Kube, Andrea Mitchell, Natasha Lebedeva and Daniel Arkin of NBC News reported tonight that Trump’s abrupt about-face came after Saudi Arabia told the U.S. it would not permit the U.S. military to use Saudi airspace for the operation.

This afternoon, the U.S. fired on an Iranian oil tanker as it tried to pass through the U.S. blockade, and Israel launched strikes on a suburb of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said today that China is “deeply distressed” by the conflict and called for a ceasefire. “We believe that a comprehensive ceasefire is urgently needed, that a resumption of hostilities is not acceptable,” he said. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in China today, where he met with Wang. Trump is due to visit China on May 14. Trump wants a solution to the Iran War before that meeting, and the Iranians know it, giving them leverage over a deal.

This evening, Iran’s foreign minister M.B. Ghalibaf posted: “Operation Trust Me Bro failed. Now back to routine with Operation Fauxios.”

Hegseth is not the only member of the administration in trouble in the news today. After journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick wrote an April 17 story in The Atlantic detailing FBI director Kash Patel’s drinking and inability to perform his job, Patel sued both The Atlantic and Fitzpatrick for defamation, asking for $250 million in damages.

The Atlantic and Fitzpatrick stood by the story, which had two dozen sources. Fitzpatrick noted that after she published the piece, additional informants came forward to corroborate her findings.

Today, Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig of MS NOW reported that the FBI has launched a criminal leak investigation into who talked to Fitzpatrick. Sources told the reporters that such an investigation, called an “insider threat investigation,” usually involves government officials who may have given away state secrets or classified documents. Focusing on leaks to a reporter is “highly unusual,” they say. Although it remains unclear what steps the investigation has taken, Dilanian and Leonnig note that it could allow FBI agents to obtain Fitzpatrick’s phone records and examine her social media contacts.

One of the sources told the reporters that FBI agents feel ”deep concern” about the probe. “They know they are not supposed to do this,” one source told the reporters. “But if they don’t go forward, they could lose their jobs. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”

FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson denied the story, telling Dilanian and Leonnig: “This is completely false. No such investigation like this exists and the reporter you mention is not being investigated at all. Every time there’s a publication of false claims by anonymous sources that gets called out, the media plays the victim via investigations that do not exist.”

Under Patel, the FBI has already investigated a New York Times reporter who wrote a story about an FBI security detail assigned to Patel’s girlfriend and searched the home of a Washington Post reporter.

Today the FBI raided the offices and business of Virginia state senator L. Louis Lucas, 82, a Black woman who led the movement to redraw Virginia’s districts after Republicans redrew districts in Republican-dominated states. The Fox News Channel was on the scene, suggesting it had been tipped off by the FBI.

Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick published a new story today in The Atlantic reporting that Patel travels with “a supply of personalized branded bourbon” with the label “KASH PATEL FBI DIRECTOR” and an FBI shield. She explains: “Surrounding the shield is a band of text featuring Patel’s director title and his favored spelling of his first name: KA$H. An eagle holds the shield in its talons, along with the number 9, presumably a reference to Patel’s place in the history of FBI directors. In some cases, the 750-milliliter bottles bear Patel’s signature, with ‘#9’ there as well.”

In what sure reads like a journalist burying a subject with evidence, Fitzpatrick lists the places and occasions on which Patel has given out bottles of the whiskey and explains that he has transported the whiskey on a Department of Justice plane including to the Olympics in Milan, Italy. When a bottle went missing during a “training seminar” with Ultimate Fighting Championship athletes in Quantico, Virginia, Patel was angry enough that he threatened to make his staff take polygraphs and face prosecution.

Fitzpatrick notes that “[s]everal current and former FBI employees, including multiple senior leaders, told me that the director regularly handing out his own personally branded bourbon, including to civilians outside the bureau, was unheard-of.” They explain: “The FBI has traditionally had a zero-tolerance approach to unauthorized use of alcohol on the job and for its misuse while off duty.”

“Handing out bottles of liquor at the premier law-enforcement agency—it makes me frightened for the country,” George Hill, a former FBI supervisory intelligence analyst, told Fitzpatrick.

Ron Filipkowski of MeidasNews noted: “The journalist who is being sued by Kash Patel and reportedly being investigated by the FBI is out with a new story. Is there a Pulitzer for being a fearless badass? If so, she should win it.”

Josh Wingrove of Bloomberg reported today that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will ask the Supreme Court to let the Department of Justice (DOJ) intervene in the case of columnist E. Jean Carroll, who won an $83.3 million jury verdict against Trump for defamation after he lied that he had not sexually assaulted her. Although the Department of Justice is supposed to represent the American people, Trump’s appointees are using the department as Trump’s personal law firm.

If the Supreme Court allows the DOJ to step in, swapping the U.S. government for Trump in the case, the case would have to be dismissed because plaintiffs can’t sue the federal government for defamation. Judges from the appeals court have already refused to permit such a swap, but Blanche is giving it another shot.

Finally, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today for a closed-door interview about his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He was not under oath for his testimony, a requirement Democrats want for those testifying before the committee and committee chair James Comer (R-KY) does not.

Lutnick had said he had cut all ties with Epstein in 2005, only to have information come out that, in fact, the two maintained contact until at least 2018, years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution for a minor.

Asked why he had taken his wife and their four young children to Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean in 2012, Lutnick told the committee that he didn’t remember and that it was “inexplicable.” 

Morning Shots via The Bulwark, Political Opinion: No Kings. No Ballroom, William Kristol, May 7, 2026. Donald Trump’s ballroom isn’t just an architectural monstrosity and a blunderbuss of bad taste. It is an assault on American republicanism.

On Saturday, October 18, 2025, somewhere between 5 and 7 million Americans demonstrated under the banner of No Kings.

Ahead of the rallies, House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed the demonstrators would be anti-American and that the message of the rallies would be “Hate America.” He even predicted, “Let’s see who shows up for that. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see Antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists in full display, the people who don’t want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic.”

Johnson lost his bet. The protests were very American. Indeed, one could say that they were animated by “the foundational truths of this republic.” Their spirit and energy followed from the assertion of the Declaration of Independence that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Their propriety and legality followed from the Constitution’s guarantee of “the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

And so after that Saturday’s peaceful and patriotic protests, all that was left for most of the No Kings haters was a retreat into sullen silence.

But Trump had a response. Two days later, on October 20, bulldozers suddenly appeared on the White House grounds to begin demolishing the East Wing in order to make way for Trump’s ballroom. There had been no consultation with Congress, or with organizations entrusted with the task of historical preservation, or with the public. Trump couldn’t stop or even discredit citizens rallying on town squares across America. But he was going to show that the White House was not the people’s house but his house. He could and would reshape it unilaterally as he alone decided.

Trump’s action was anti-democratic and anti-republican in spirit. It also comported with his psychological needs. As Timothy Devinney explained recently, the gilded ballroom was one of Trump’s projects that

share a common psychological origin in what might be called an “edifice complex,” which emerges when individuals in positions of authority, uncertain of their place in history, attempt to pre-empt posterity’s judgment with grandiose construction projects. It reflects insecurity and egomania in equal measure.

This is surely why the ballroom—like the planned Triumphal Arch and the renaming of the Kennedy Center—has had such outsized importance to Trump personally. But the destruction of the old East Wing, the transformation of a people’s house into an emperor’s palace, also symbolizes his broader effort to replace the old republican regime with an imperial one. It’s fair to point out that there had already been, for quite a long time, too many imperial encroachments on our old republicanism. But this was a new and dramatic step in the direction of imperial grandiosity replacing republican simplicity.

On August 22, 1864, one of Donald Trump’s predecessors in the presidency, Abraham Lincoln, addressed soldiers returning home during the Civil War from the White House balcony:

I almost always feel inclined, when I say anything to soldiers, to impress upon them, in a few brief remarks, the importance of success in this contest. It is not merely for the day, but for all time to come, that we should perpetuate for our children’s children that great and free government which we have enjoyed all our lives. I beg you to remember this, not merely for my sake, but for yours. I happen, temporarily, to occupy this big White House. I am a living witness that any one of your children may look to come here as my father’s child has.

If you’d still prefer that government of the people, by the people, for the people not perish from the earth, join our pro-democracy community.

Our presidents have understood themselves to be temporary occupants of “this big White House.” Trump thinks of himself as the constructor of a permanent Donald J. Trump Ballroom that will dwarf the old, republican White House.

The new Republican party’s budget reconciliation bill, unveiled this week, includes $1 billion for Trump’s ballroom. After last month’s assassination attempt, the rationale for the appropriation is dressed up as presidential and national security. But that was never Trump’s original justification. He wanted a grand edifice built by him and named after him.

In fact, it’s telling that Trump tried to undercut public resistance by stressing that it would be paid for by private donations. But leaving aside all the corruption that this entails, it does bring home that this is a private and imperial project, not a public and republican one.

There are weightier matters of state on which to confront Trump at this moment than his ballroom. But the billion-dollar ballroom is a potent symbol and a teachable moment. It’s a good fight to have.

But, Trump apologists will say, the East Wing is in shambles! There were facilities that were once there that need to be replaced, and so would you just do nothing? The answer is Yes. If those facilities were so important, Trump shouldn’t have taken a sledgehammer to them in the first place. In any case, the area has been a construction site for six months now, and the presidency has been able to function.

When a president who believes in democracy and republicanism succeeds Trump, he or she can restore an appropriate East Wing to the people’s White House. For now, we can fight to stop the ballroom. If this means leaving the area immediately east of the White House as a construction site—or rather, a destruction site—for the remainder of Trump’s presidency, so be it. Let its ugliness exemplify the ugliness of the Trump era. Let its rubble symbolize what he has tried to do to the American republic.

AROUND THE BULWARK

• Trump’s Corruption Is Going to Sink Him… Conditions are right for voters to stop turning a blind eye to his greed, grift, and gold leaf, argues MONA CHAREN.
• Todd Blanche Blew Up His Own Case Against The SPLC… On The Illegal News, ANDREW WEISSMAN joins SARAH LONGWELL to explain why the acting AG’s case against the civil rights group is already dead on arrival—and they break down the Supreme Court’s voting rights decision.
• Ted Turner, 1938–2026… A man who changed the world, remembers SONNY BUNCH.
• FBI Raids Virginia Democrat Who Beat Republicans at Redistricting… On Bulwark+ Takes, WILL SALETAN joins SAM STEIN to discuss the breaking news that the FBI raided the office of Virginia Democrat Louise Lucas, the bizarre presence of a Fox News crew already on the scene, and the FBI’s reported investigation into leaks connected to a damaging Atlantic story about FBI Director Kash Patel.

Quick Hits

STRAIT STILL SHUT: Whatever the Trump administration says about it, it remains incredibly risky for ships to try to transit the Strait of Hormuz without Iran’s permission. On Tuesday, a French cargo ship that was attempting to run the strait under the auspices of America’s “Project Freedom” was hit by an Iranian strike, injuring eight crew members. The New York Times has more:

A U.S. military official said the French ship did not follow specific Project Freedom guidelines and check-in procedures, adding that when the vessel came under fire, it asked Oman for help, not the United States.

But [shipping company] CMA CGM said in a statement that the ship’s transit through the strait “was carried out as part of” Project Freedom. It added that the voyage was done “in coordination” with the U.S. Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping and “in strict accordance with the required guidelines and procedures.”

Shortly after the incident, Trump announced a “pause” in Project Freedom, ostensibly as a goodwill offering for renewed U.S.–Iran negotiations. More likely, he had simply rediscovered what he first learned eight weeks ago at the outset of the war: No amount of American military might is sufficient to keep Iranian fighters from making the strait too risky to transit.

LITTLE MAN, BIG EGO: FBI Director Kash Patel has had just about enough of your mockery, your fake news, your clowning around! Last month, Patel sued the Atlantic for reporting that people around him were concerned he was behaving erratically and had at times been intoxicated on the job. And yesterday, MSNow reported that Patel has launched a criminal investigation into the story’s author, journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick:

The sources said the so-called insider threat investigation is highly unusual because it did not stem from a disclosure of classified information and because it is focused on leaks to a reporter. The agents involved are part of an insider threats unit based in Huntsville, Alabama, the sources added.

Typically, leak investigations look into government officials who may have disclosed state secrets or classified documents. Journalists who receive and publish such information have typically only been involved as potential witnesses.

As is so often the case, the alleged behavior by Kash and his klatch is as much clownish as evil. As writer Derek Thompson put it: “If, as you say, the reporter ‘fabricated’ those stories about you without talking to anybody from your department, why are you demanding to search her phone . . . for leaks . . . from your department?”

PRESIDENTIAL FIGHT CLUB: When Donald Trump asked a teenage boy the other day whether “you think you could take me in a fight,” the numbers munchers at YouGov pricked up their ears. Immediately, they put the question out as a poll: Who do you think would win in a physical fight between you and Donald Trump?

The results were amusing. Fully 75 percent of Democratic respondents thought they could take the president, compared to only 5 percent who thought he’d hand them their asses. Republicans, however, seemed more torn by the question: A third said they thought they’d be victorious, while 39 percent said the president would come out on top.

It’s fun to imagine the struggle of the MAGA mind faced with this question, which sets two load-bearing pillars of the ideology against one another—who’s a bigger alpha-male he-man, me or the president? For our part, though, we think the median Republican is selling himself short on this one. It’s probably for the best that the fighting days of our near-octagenarian president who claims his hands are perennially bruised from shaking too many hands are behind him.

New York Times, 5 Takeaways From the Last Televised California Governor Debate, Soumya Karlamangla and Laurel Rosenhall, May 7, 2026. Candidates debated housing and insurance policy in the first half, then furiously attacked one another at the end.

What began as a tame, hourlong debate on Wednesday between seven candidates running for California governor morphed by the second half into a flurry of barbs during the last televised face-off before the June 2 primary.

The debate, held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, was the second in two days in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom to run the nation’s most populous state. Two Republicans and five Democrats took the stage for the event, hosted by NBC Los Angeles and the local Telemundo station, seeking enough support to be among the two top vote-getters next month.

The two Republicans, Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, have teamed up to attack Democrats but have not differentiated themselves much from each other on policy.

They were joined by a crowd of Democrats: Xavier Becerra, a former California attorney general and cabinet secretary under President Joseph R. Biden Jr.; Tom Steyer, a former hedge fund manager; Katie Porter, a former congresswoman; Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, Calif.; and Antonio Villaraigosa, a former mayor of Los Angeles.

Under California’s election laws, the top two candidates in the primary will advance to November’s general election, regardless of party. 

U.S. Inflation, Markets, Economy, Jobs

MS NOW, Opinion: The GOP’s glaring gas prices double standard, Jack Fitzpatrick, May 7, 2026. Republicans who slammed Biden’s gas prices are preaching patience for Trump.  

Gas prices have risen by more than $1.50 per gallon since President Donald Trump launched attacks against Iran almost 10 weeks ago, and throughout that time, Republican lawmakers have offered a consistent response to the increased costs: It’s a sacrifice we have to make.

GOP lawmakers have preached patience with Trump’s war with Iran, insisting that an eventual victory that stops Iran from developing nuclear weapons will be worth it. But many of those same Republicans were sounding the alarm in 2022 when gas prices spiked under President Joe Biden after Russia invaded Ukraine.

“There are trade-offs,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., recently told MS NOW. “I think the American people understand it. They’ve been through conflicts in the Middle East before. They know these prices will come down once the conflict is over.”

That patience sits in stark contrast to Kennedy’s concern about the rise in gas prices during Biden’s presidency as a result of Russia’s attack on Ukraine in early 2022. When pressed about how he squares his patience now — for a conflict Trump initiated — with his impatience with gas prices under Biden, Kennedy said, “I don’t have to square anything with you.” But Kennedy’s tolerance for high gas prices may exceed the patience of voters. 

See our News Reports section for earlier clips during this unusually heavy news period.