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9:40 PM ET, May 19, 2026

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 Top Items: 
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Justice Department expands Trump settlement to cover his tax audits … The waiver specifically encompasses “tax returns filed before the effective date” of the settlement, which was Monday.  —  Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed the addendum, dated Tuesday.
RELATED:
Alex Rogers / Financial Times:
Donald Trump and sons to be ‘forever’ exempt from tax audits  —  Justice department deal comes day after government set up $1.8bn fund to pay president's allies hit by alleged ‘lawfare’  —  US tax authorities will be barred from pursuing claims against Donald Trump, his eldest sons …
Discussion: Raw Story
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
Trump's Angry Jan. 6 Tirade Accidentally Hands Dems Midterm Weapon  —  Now that Donald Trump has created his very own political slush fund with $1.8 billion in taxpayer money to hand out to allies, the very least that Democrats can do right now is this: Do everything possible to force Republicans to vote on it—over and over again.
New York Times:
I.R.S. Prohibited From Pursuing Audits of Trump and His Family  —  As part of the Justice Department's compensation fund deal, officials vowed not to pursue any matters, including those involving President Trump's tax returns, that are pending.  —  The Justice Department on Tuesday expanded …
Ryan J. Reilly / NBC News:
DOJ official told GOP ally that big payouts were coming for Jan. 6 defendants  —  Months before the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund was announced, Ed Martin predicted Capitol rioters would get millions, even if it took until 2028, two people told NBC News.
Discussion: The Atlantic, MS NOW and HuffPost
Andrew Duehren / New York Times:
The I.R.S. Thought It Could Fight Trump's Lawsuit, but It Struck a Deal Anyway  —  Officials wrote a memo outlining ways to challenge President Trump's suit against the Internal Revenue Service.  The administration is instead creating an “anti-weaponization” fund.
Torrie Herrington / NOTUS:
IRS ‘Forever Barred’ From Investigating Trump After DOJ Expands Settlement  —  The one-page document, which appeared on the DOJ website Tuesday, was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.  — Copy  —  The Justice Department on Tuesday issued an expanded settlement agreement …
Politico:
Trump's $1.8 billion ‘lawfare’ fund is making Republicans nervous … “There is no level below which these folks will not go,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I) said in an interview.  “It is just disgusting, having come off Law Enforcement Week, to have set up a slush fund to pay off people who attack police officers.”
Arika Herron / Axios:
Scoop: Pence says Jan. 6 defendants shouldn't get access to public dollars … - Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol, he was ostracized by the Republican Party and its leader.  —  Pence spoke to Axios on Tuesday while promoting his upcoming book, ‘What Conservatives Believe,’ about the future of the Republican Party.
Discussion: twitchy.com, Mediaite and Staff Stories
New York Times:   I.R.S. to Drop Audits of Trump and Family
Rebecca Beitsch / The Hill:
Senators put Blanche on defense over $1.776B ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
CNN:
New settlement term bars IRS from investigating Trump, his family for past tax issues
Discussion: Reason
Sam Levine / The Guardian:
US justice department ‘forever’ bars IRS from auditing Trump's past tax returns
Discussion: Fox News and Mediaite
Josephine Walker / Axios:
DOJ settlement prevents future tax investigations of Trump
Discussion: Forbes
Alice Miranda Ollstein / Politico:
Abortion clinic protesters eligible for payouts from new Trump ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
Discussion: MS NOW
Stephen Groves / Associated Press:
Senate advances bill aimed at ending Iran war as Cassidy, after primary loss, flips to support it  —  The Senate advanced legislation Tuesday that seeks to force President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Iran war, as a growing number of Republicans defied the president's wishes.
RELATED:
New York Times:
Republican Senators Are Livid at Trump's Endorsement of Paxton  —  News that President Trump had snubbed Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the four-term incumbent, was met with shock, anger and fear that the G.O.P. could lose his seat.  —  Republican senators reacted angrily on Tuesday …
NOTUS:
Trump's Paxton Endorsement Sends Shockwaves Through Senate Republicans
Bloomberg:
US Senate Signals Rising Opposition to Trump's War in Iran
Discussion: Reuters, CNBC and National Review
Lindsay Wise / Wall Street Journal:   Senate Advances War Powers Measure After GOP's Cassidy Switches Sides
NOTUS:
Democrats Are Bullish on Texas After Trump's Move for Paxton
Henry J. Gomez / NBC News:
Trump-backed Andy Barr wins GOP nomination for Mitch McConnell's Senate seat in Kentucky  —  Trump changed the contours of the race after endorsing Barr and urging businessman Nate Morris to drop out of the Republican primary.  —  Rep. Andy Barr, riding an endorsement from President Donald Trump …
RELATED:
Minnah Arshad / Zeteo:
BREAKING: Thomas Massie Loses Primary in Big Win for Trump and AIPAC
Lisa Kashinsky / Politico:
Trump picks off Massie in Kentucky
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Google Search as you know it is over  —  The era of the “ten blue links” is officially over.  —  Google unveiled on Tuesday an AI-powered overhaul of Search centered around a reimagined “intelligent search box” — what the company describes as the biggest change to this entry point …
Nia Prater / New York Magazine:
What We Know About the Motives of the San Diego Mosque Shooters  —  A California community has been left reeling after a pair of teenage gunmen opened fire at the San Diego Islamic Center Monday morning, killing three people in an attack that is currently being investigated as a hate crime.
RELATED:
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Five dead, including two teenage suspects, at San Diego mosque shooting
New York Times:
Early War Goal Was to Install Hard Line Former President as Iran's Leader  —  An Israeli strike designed to free Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest in Tehran, U.S. officials said, was part of an effort to bring about regime change and put him in power.  —  Days after Israeli strikes …
Discussion: Mediaite
Patrick McNeil / nomination notes:
Eight Democrats vote to confirm a lifetime judge who wouldn't say Biden won in 2020  —  The Senate on Tuesday afternoon voted (52-38) to confirm the nomination of Sheria Clarke to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.  Eight Democrats voted in favor of confirmation.
New York Times:
Manager at Trump's N.J. Golf Club Helped Plan Reflecting Pool Repairs  —  David Schutzenhofer, a Trump Organization employee, reached out to one of the vendors the government later hired for the iconic site near the Lincoln Memorial, documents show.  —  The general manager of President Trump's golf club …
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
Book on Truth in the Age of A.I. Contains Quotes Made Up by A.I.  —  Steven Rosenbaum, author of “The Future of Truth,” said he had started his own investigation after The New York Times asked about the fake quotes.  —  The author of a nonfiction book about the effects of artificial intelligence …
US Department of Justice:
Four of the World's Largest Container Manufacturing Companies and Seven of Their Executives Indicted for a Global Conspiracy Affecting Billions of Dollars of Commerce  —  For Immediate Release  —  Seven Chinese executives and four of the world's largest shipping container manufacturing companies …
 
 
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 More Items: 
Dan Diamond / Washington Post:
House GOP resurrects Trump's plan for year-round daylight saving time
Discussion: The Hill and The Independent
Reuters:
Exclusive: US plans to shrink forces available to NATO during crises, sources say
Discussion: Fox News and Bloomberg
 Earlier Items: 
Amy B Wang / Washington Post:
NAACP calls for college sports boycott in states targeting Black voting power
Fox News:
Unearthed posts show Dem Senate hopeful praising vulgar graffiti, making crude porta potty admission
 

 
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Financial Times:
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