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1:40 AM ET, May 16, 2025

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 Top Items: 
Julia Ornedo / The Daily Beast:
Kristi Noem Wants Migrants to Compete for Citizenship on New Reality Show  —  LET THE GAMES BEGIN  —  A Homeland Security official told the Daily Beast that the show is in the early stages of vetting, though approval has not been given—or denied.  —  Kristi Noem reportedly wants …
RELATED:
Shawn Cohen / Daily Mail:
EXCLUSIVE: ICE Barbie Kristi Noem is backing insane reality TV show where immigrants compete for fast-tracked citizenship  —  She's been called ‘ICE Barbie’ for treating her Cabinet position like a TV production, but now Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is pushing for an actual reality …
Matthew Gault / 404 Media:
Why Did Grok Start Talking About ‘White Genocide’?  —  For a few hours on Wednsday, X's Grok AI wouldn't stop talking about about white genocide.  When the X account for a baseball podcast asked Grok about the stats for Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, it answered the question …
RELATED:
The Atlantic:
The Day Grok Told Everyone about ‘White Genocide’  —  What in the world just happened with Elon Musk's chatbot?  —  Yesterday, a user on X saw a viral post of Timothée Chalamet celebrating courtside at a Knicks game and had a simple question: Who was sitting next to him?
Wall Street Journal:
FEMA Head Admits in Internal Meetings He Doesn't Yet Have a Plan for Hurricane Season  —  Two weeks from hurricane season, agency staff are worried FEMA isn't prepared  —  WASHINGTON—The newly appointed head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency acknowledged in private meetings …
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Anne D'Innocenzio / Associated Press:
A rare warning from Walmart during a US trade war: Higher prices are inevitable  —  Walmart, which became the nation's largest retailer by making low prices a priority, has found itself in a place it's rarely been: Warning customers that prices will rise for goods ranging from bananas to car seats.
RELATED:
Nathaniel Meyersohn / CNN:
Walmart warns it will raise prices because of tariffs
Sarah Nassauer / Wall Street Journal:
Walmart Plans to Raise Prices Because of Tariffs
Slate:
The Supreme Court May Pick the Worst Possible Case to Cede More Power to Trump  —  During one of the term's biggest sets of oral arguments on Thursday, everyone at the Supreme Court seemed to agree that the United States is in the midst of an emergency.  But there was far less agreement about what specifically that emergency is.
RELATED:
Politico:
Trump's birthright order gets frosty reception, but justices appear ready to limit nationwide blocks  —  Several justices suggested that, when a broad judicial remedy is needed, the proper course is for the case to be handled as a class-action lawsuit.  —  President Donald Trump's executive …
Nnamdi Egwuonwu / NBC News:
Former FBI Director James Comey under investigation for post seen as a potential threat to Trump's life  —  Several Trump allies accused Comey of calling for the president's assassination in a now-deleted Instagram post.  He denied it was meant as a threat.
RELATED:
Fox News:
Ex-FBI chief Comey's ‘86 47’ social media post condemned by White House as attempt to put ‘hit’ on president
Alec Schemmel / Fox News:
EX-FBI chief Comey's post to ‘86’ Trump condemned by White House as attempt to put ‘hit’ on president
Lauren Lewis / The Daily Beast:
Kid Rock's Restaurant Closes to Avoid Trump's ICE Raids  —  NOTHING TO SEE HERE  —  Kid Rock's Big A— Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse in Tennessee shuttered reportedly closed on Saturday to avoid being caught by ICE.  —  A Nashville restaurant owned by MAGA musician Kid Rock reportedly closed …
Discussion: Newsweek, The Guardian and Daily Mail
RELATED:
Eli Motycka / Nashville Scene:
Kitchens Close to Avoid ICE at Steve Smith's Broadway Bars
Discussion: Raw Story, Daily Mail and Mediaite
NBC News:
Senate Republicans put House on notice: We won't accept your Trump agenda bill without changes  —  GOP senators have raised concerns about the deficit impact of the emerging package, as well as the cuts to Medicaid and clean energy funding.  —  WASHINGTON — As House Republicans scramble …
RELATED:
Jo Black / BBC:
Cut-price Magna Carta ‘copy’ now believed genuine  —  A manuscript once considered an unofficial copy of Magna Carta is now believed to be a genuine version and “one of the world's most valuable documents”, according to UK academics.  —  Harvard Law School paid $27.50 (then about £7) …
Heather Vogell / ProPublica:
After Two SpaceX Explosions, U.K. Officials Ask FAA to Change Starship Flight Plans  —  ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.  Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published.  —  Update, May 15, 2025: This story has been updated to reflect …
Discussion: The Register and SPACE.com
Emily Cochrane / New York Times:
Florida Just Banned Fluoride From Public Water.  Here's What to Know.  —  Medical experts have warned that ending fluoridation will have negative consequences for oral health.  —  Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed a bill into law on Thursday that bans the addition of fluoride to public water supplies …
RELATED:
Kaanita Iyer / CNN:
CNN to air George Clooney's ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ Broadway play live on June 7  —  CNN will exclusively televise actor George Clooney's record-breaking Broadway show “Good Night, and Good Luck,” on Saturday, June 7, the network announced Thursday.  —  The limited-run play's penultimate performance …
Katie Langford / Denver Post:
Denver airport air traffic control went out for 6 minutes on Monday, report says  —  Up to 20 pilots were unable to talk to controllers, Denver7 reports  —  Pilots flying into Denver International Airport on Monday couldn't communicate with air traffic controllers for about six minutes …
RELATED:
New York Times:
Trump's Military Buildup at the Border Expands  —  The Pentagon has sent thousands of troops, spy planes and even two warships to surveil the land and coasts.  —  The Pentagon has sent thousands of troops, spy planes and even two warships to surveil the land and coasts.
RELATED:
Gina Kolata / New York Times:
Baby Is Healed With World's First Personalized Gene-Editing Treatment … KJ Muldoon was born with a rare genetic disorder, CPS1 deficiency, that affects just one in 1.3 million babies.Muldoon Family  —  Something was very wrong with Kyle and Nicole Muldoon's baby.  —  The doctors speculated.
Natalie Alms / Nextgov/FCW:
DOGE went looking for phone fraud at SSA — and found almost none  —  After installing anti-fraud checks for benefit claims made over the phone early last month, the Social Security Administration is considering walking back the policy after finding only two cases that had a high probability of being fraudulent.
Discussion: Democrats
Brett Wilkins / Common Dreams:
2nd-Place Runner in High School Race Rips Maine GOP Lawmaker for Attacking Trans Winner  —  A high school runner in Maine who finished second to a transgender competitor at a recent track meet said this week that a Republican state lawmaker's “hateful” crusade targeting trans athletes …
Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:
RFK Jr. Insists He Hasn't Fired ‘Any Working Scientists’ ― After Firing Hundreds Of Them  —  The HHS secretary “clearly believes that the more he tells a lie, the more it becomes the truth,” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) told HuffPost.  —  WASHINGTON ― During a Senate committee hearing …
Discussion: Boston.com and The Daily Wire
Olivia George / Washington Post:
Price tag for Trump's military parade could reach $45 million  —  Service members will be housed in the Agriculture Department and General Services Administration buildings for days.  —  A massive military parade planned in Washington next month will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million …
Discussion: Reuters, CBS News, UPI, CNBC, USA Today and The Hill
Washington Post:
Hundreds of VOA employees set to be axed amid legal fight with Trump  —  More than 500 of the news service's contractors could be out of a job on June 30.  —  More than 500 Voice of America contractors are expected to lose their jobs by June 30 as the U.S.-funded news service continues …
Washington Post:
We ran 10 flagship state colleges.  The war on higher ed won't stop with Harvard.  —  Plus, the radical jurisprudence of the late David Souter.  —  The Trump administration's attack on higher education won't be confined to Harvard University.  And Americans should be worried about what it portends …
Eric Tucker / Associated Press:
The FBI is disbanding one of its public corruption squads in its Washington office, AP sources say  —  The FBI is disbanding a squad in its Washington field office that investigates allegations of fraud and public corruption against members of Congress and other federal officials, people familiar with the matter said Thursday.
S.V. Date / HuffPost:
‘Most Transparent’ White House In History Keeps Majority Of Trump's Remarks Secret  —  Trump's aides released just 20% of the transcripts of his speeches and interactions with the press over his first 100 days, excluding many of his most unhinged comments  —  WASHINGTON — If you're interested …
Jeremy Bogaisky / Forbes:
Why The Qataris Are Happy To Dump Their 747 On Trump  —  The Qatari 747 that President Donald Trump would like to make the next Air Force One.  —  The president may be thirsting for a new four-engine jumbo jet, but many governments and royal families are unloading their fuel-guzzling palaces in the sky.
Scott Cummings / New York Times:
There's a Darker Reason Trump Is Going After Those Law Firms  —  Every year, The American Lawyer publishes a scorecard ranking big law firms by the amount of pro bono service they provide.  In 2024 the top firms on the list were Jenner & Block, Covington & Burling and WilmerHale …
Discussion: E&E News and Above the Law
Kate Conger / New York Times:
Terrorists Continue to Pay for Check Marks on X, Report Says  —  Elon Musk's social media company has continued to accept payments for subscriptions from entities barred from doing business in the U.S., a nonprofit found.  —  More than a year after researchers first warned X …
Discussion: Gizmodo
Spencer S. Hsu / Washington Post:
Ed Martin publicizes ethics probe he says was wrongly disclosed  —  Former D.C. U.S. attorney nominee revealed he faces a legal disciplinary review in an all-office goodbye email, while claiming his confidentiality was violated  —  Justice Department official Ed Martin …
Discussion: The Hill, IJR and Reuters
Jason Koebler / 404 Media:
CBP Seizes Shipment of T-Shirts Featuring Swarm of Bees Attacking a Cop  —  Customs and Border Protection seized a shipment of t-shirts from a streetwear brand that sells an “Eliminate ICE” t-shirt and multiple shirts critical of police and capitalism.  Among the shirts seized was a design …
Discussion: MeidasTouch News
 
 
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 More Items: 
Ron Filipkowski / Meidas+:
Today in Politics, Bulletin 131. 5/15/25
Yunior Rivas / Democracy Docket:
Louisiana Sued Over Vague Proof-of-Citizenship Voting Law
Discussion: Votebeat and Washington Examiner
Ross Rosenfeld / New Republic:
How Trump's “Emergency” Powers Could Become Permanent
Washington Post:
How Trump has made billions as president
 Earlier Items: 
Yuval Levin / National Review:
Who Is in Charge of the Library of Congress?
Margaret Hartmann / New York Magazine:
Trump Mocks France Because He's Jealous of World War II Celebrations
Discussion: New York Times and Newsweek
Dave Lawler / Axios:
Biden officials “awed” by Trump's rule-breaking Middle East moves
 

 
From Techmeme:

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Netflix agrees to acquire WBD's studios and streaming business in an $82.7B cash-and-stock deal, including debt, to close after WBD splits in two in Q3 2026

Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:
The EU fines X €120M for breaching online content rules, the first fine under the DSA, citing issues like its deceptive blue checkmarks, after a two-year probe

New York Times:
The New York Times sues Perplexity, claiming the AI startup violated its copyrights and kept using its content despite repeated demands over the past 18 months
 
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