Top Items:
Washington Post:
Trump's Middle East trip marked by potential private business conflicts — The Trump Organization has entered into real estate deals in all three countries Trump plans to visit this week. — President Donald Trump kicks off the first major international trip of his second term Tuesday …
Discussion:
New York Times, DNyuz, ABC News and Townhall
RELATED:
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Trump's Plan to Take Jet From Qatar Heightens Corruption Concerns — The second Trump administration is blowing through limits on the mixing of public office and personal benefits. — 阅读.体中文.閱讀.體中文.
Discussion:
Slate, MSNBC, Washington Post, The Hill, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Boston.com
Washington Post:
Trump's gifted Qatari 747 would be a security problem, officials say — The luxury jet was moved five weeks ago to San Antonio International Airport, suggesting that preparations for improvements to the plane might already be underway. — President Donald Trump on Monday praised Qatar …
Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:
May 12, 2025 — The biggest news over the weekend was silence: the silence of Republicans. They refused to disavow White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller's statement that the administration is looking at suspending the writ of habeas corpus, that is, essentially declaring martial law.
Politico:
Trump's free plane is not so free — The Boeing aircraft that Qatar may give the president would require a pricy and complicated overhaul to serve as Air Force One. — President Donald Trump insists he's getting a “free, very expensive airplane” from Qatar's royal family.
Edward Luce / Financial Times:
Donald Trump's gargantuan self-dealing — Federal ethics rules now seem little more than decoration — Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free — Your guide to what Trump's second term means for Washington, business and the world — What can you give a person who already has everything?
Discussion:
The Hill, New Republic, DNyuz and Daily Mail
Jill Lawrence / The Bulwark:
Trump's Unquenchable, Unconstitutional Greed Is Deforming America — SAY WHAT YOU WILL about MAGA podcasters and influencers and the media owners making humiliating moves to stay on Donald Trump's good side, but actual reporters by and large are doing their jobs and informing the public.
Discussion:
New Republic
Janna Brancolini / The Daily Beast:
Guess Which Other World Leader Said ‘Yes’ to Free Qatari Jet?
Discussion:
EURASIAN TIMES
Dean Obeidallah / The Dean's Report:
Trump is the most corrupt President in U.S. history. Period.
Trump is the most corrupt President in U.S. history. Period.
Discussion:
New York Times and Wall Street Journal
Benjamin Wittes / Default:
The Situation: A Used Plane That Needs Work
The Situation: A Used Plane That Needs Work
Discussion:
The Cross Section, DNyuz and Associated Press
NBC News:
Chuck Schumer says he is placing a hold on Trump DOJ nominees amid questions on Qatar's luxury jet gift
Chuck Schumer says he is placing a hold on Trump DOJ nominees amid questions on Qatar's luxury jet gift
Discussion:
The Hill
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Schumer to Slow Trump Justice Dept. Nominees Over Qatari Jet
Schumer to Slow Trump Justice Dept. Nominees Over Qatari Jet
Discussion:
The Hill, Scripps News and Washington Examiner
Alex Thompson / Axios:
Exclusive: Biden aides discussed wheelchair use if he were re-elected, new book says — This story is adapted from the forthcoming book “Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson.
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Jeremy Herb / CNN:
New book: Biden aides discussed using a wheelchair in second term
New book: Biden aides discussed using a wheelchair in second term
Discussion:
Fox News, DNyuz, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Twitchy
Bill Scher / Washington Monthly:
The Congressional Budget Office Still Works — The nonpartisan CBO that scores legislation is giving an honest analysis of President Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill,” and that's a good thing. — On Sunday, House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee released the details …
Discussion:
Financial Times, The Hill, Breitbart, New York Times, Raw Story, Fox News, ArkansasTimes, RedState and HuffPost
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New York Times:
Trump Signs Executive Order Asking Companies to Lower Drug Prices
Discussion:
MSNBC, The White House, Associated Press, The Gateway Pundit, Reuters, The Guardian, Raw Story, STAT, NBC News, Tennessee Star, Newsweek, Axios, Baltimore Sun, Barron's Online, New Republic, Evie Magazine, The Daily Caller, One America News Network, New York Magazine, ABC News, The National Pulse, Washington Examiner, Scripps News, NOTUS, The Hill, The American Conservative, The Daily Wire, NPR, WTOP News, Chicago Tribune, Fortune, The Independent, UPI, CNN, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Signal, CBS News, Fox News, Breitbart and Bloomberg
James Politi / Financial Times:
Donald Trump leans left in bid to revive flagging poll numbers
Donald Trump leans left in bid to revive flagging poll numbers
Discussion:
Daily Caller News Foundation
Martha McHardy / Newsweek:
MAGA Attacks Church Over Donald Trump Rebuke: ‘Funds MUST Be Pulled’ — A firestorm has erupted on the American right after the Episcopal Church said it is refusing a directive from the federal government to help resettle white South Africans who were granted refugee status. — Why It Matters
Discussion:
NPR, The Independent, Associated Press, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Daily Beast, masslive.com, The Daily Wire, Townhall, USA Today, Raw Story, Tennessee Star, Axios, Blaze Media, New York Daily News, WCNC-TV, RedState, The Episcopal Church, The Post Millennial, San Diego Union-Tribune, The Daily Caller, New Republic, Twitchy and The Gateway Pundit
Wall Street Journal:
The Great Trump Tariff Rollback — The President started a trade war with Adam Smith. He lost. — Rarely has an economic policy been repudiated as soundly, and as quickly, as President Trump's Liberation Day tariffs—and by Mr. Trump's own hand. Witness the agreement Monday morning …
Discussion:
Reuters, The Bulwark, New York Post, Politico, Newsweek, DNyuz and Townhall
RELATED:
Alondra Nelson / Time:
Why I'm Resigning from Positions at the National Science Foundation and Library of Congress — Today, I am resigning from the National Science Board and the Library of Congress Scholars Council. — Even as the White House threatens the foundational tenets of constitutional democracy …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:
D.N.C. Takes Step to Void Election of Hogg and Kenyatta as Vice Chairs — David Hogg has faced sharp criticism for his plan to fund challenges to incumbent Democrats, but a D.N.C. vote on Monday began with an earlier complaint about the procedures used in an internal party election.
RELATED:
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Rule of law is ‘endangered,’ chief justice says — Speaking at Georgetown Law, Chief Justice John Roberts denounced “ad hominem” criticism of the justices. — Chief Justice John Roberts described the rule of law as “endangered” and warned against “trashing the justices,” …
Discussion:
Washington Times, Mock Paper Scissors, DNyuz, CNN, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit and Bloomberg
Chris Cameron / New York Times:
RFK Jr. Swims in Washington Creek That Flows With Sewage and Bacteria — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, shared photos of himself and his grandchildren swimming in waters that handle sewer overflow. — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, posted photos on Sunday …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, ABC News, Boston.com, DNyuz, WTOP News, Mediaite, New Jersey Online, HuffPost, Daily Kos, The Independent, Washingtonian, Washington Times, WCNC-TV, Newsweek, Washington Examiner, Ars Technica, Raw Story and The Hill
Kseniia Petrova / New York Times:
The Science I Would Be Doing if I Weren't in ICE Detention — When I moved to America from Russia to join a biology lab at Harvard Medical School in 2023, it felt as if I found my dream job. America was a paradise for science. Everything was flourishing. There was freedom of discourse; conferences, seminars.
Discussion:
USA Today
Niraj Chokshi / New York Times:
Avelo Airlines Faces Backlash for Aiding Trump's Deportation Campaign — The company, which serves airports in liberal cities on the coasts, has agreed to operate chartered flights for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. — In the four years since its first flight, Avelo Airlines …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Hartford Courant
RELATED:
Jacques Billeaud / Associated Press:
Budget airline begins deportation flights for ICE with start of Arizona operations
Budget airline begins deportation flights for ICE with start of Arizona operations
Discussion:
The Hill and The Register
President Donald J. Trump / The White House:
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Secures Historic $600 Billion Investment Commitment in Saudi Arabia — STRENGTHENING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS FOR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY: — Today in Saudi Arabia, President Donald J. Trump announced Saudi Arabia's $600-billion commitment to invest in the United States …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The Hill, CBS News, CNBC, The Post Millennial, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Times, The National Pulse, Semafor and New York Times
RELATED:
Politico:
‘The bill is dead’: New York Republican blasts House GOP's chief tax writer — New York GOP Rep. Nick LaLota said he was “insulted” by how Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith presented a proposal for a key tax deduction on a Monday morning call. — New York Republican Rep. Nick LaLota …
RELATED:
New York Times:
Air Traffic Staffing Shortage Forces Delays at Newark Airport — The shortage on Monday forced the F.A.A. to delay flights to the busy airport for up to nearly seven hours, the latest problem to plague the airport. — As few as three air traffic controllers were scheduled to work …
Discussion:
Reuters, The Guardian, Forbes, Eschaton, The Independent, DNyuz, New Jersey Online, New York Post, FLYING Magazine, MSNBC, Fox Business and ABC News
New York Times:
Why Trump Suddenly Declared Victory Over the Houthi Militia … President Trump has never bought into long-running military entanglements in the Middle East.Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times — When he approved a campaign to reopen shipping in the Red Sea by bombing the Houthi militant group …
Discussion:
emptywheel
Jason Karaian / New York Times:
Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Other C.E.O.s Join Trump at U.S.-Saudi Lunch — Many of the executives — including representatives of four of the 10 biggest U.S. companies by market value — are seeking business from Saudi investors and a chance to lobby top Trump officials.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Hill, TechCrunch, Fox Business, New York Post, Metro.co.uk, Forbes, Reuters and Daily Mail, more at Techmeme »
Emanuel Maiberg / 404 Media:
Republicans Try to Cram Ban on AI Regulation Into Budget Reconciliation Bill — Republicans try to use the Budget Reconciliation bill to stop states from regulating AI entirely for 10 years. — Late last night, House Republicans introduced new language to the Budget Reconciliation bill …
George Saunders / New York Times:
Shame on the White House — If the White House wants to fire the librarian of Congress, it can. But it was interesting to have recently had the experience of meeting this dynamic, dedicated person, and feeling so proud that she was our librarian of Congress, then reading the White House's sloppy …
Discussion:
DNyuz
ABC News:
Small nodule found in Joe Biden's prostate during recent physical — The discovery “necessitated further evaluation,” officials said. — President Joe Biden speaks during a conference of the Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled (ACRD) at the Sofitel Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, on April 15, 2025.
Discussion:
The Hill, CBS News, Washington Examiner, Axios, New York Times and New York Post
Politico:
Cuomo's very, very super PAC — The super PAC supporting Andrew Cuomo's mayoral bid is making history. — Fix the City has received more than $8.7 million — the most ever raised in city elections during the era of unlimited donations to outside entities.
Discussion:
New York Times, Streetsblog New York City, The Hill, New York Post, Washington Examiner and New York Daily News

