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1:10 PM ET, May 20, 2026

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Steve Benen / MS NOW:
2 Jan. 6 police officers sue to block Trump DOJ's ‘slush fund’  —  There's no shortage of questions surrounding the Trump administration's controversial new $1.776 billion fund.  White House friends and foes alike have wondered aloud about who'll receive taxpayer-financed checks …
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 …
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Jan. 6 police officers sue to block Trump's ‘anti-weaponization fund’ … The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Washington, argues that the fund violates the 14th Amendment's prohibition on use of federal money to “pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States.”
New York Times:
I.R.S. to Drop Audits of Trump and Family
Luke Fountain / CNBC:
Blanche won't rule out Jan. 6 rioters getting Trump DOJ fund payouts
Ryan J. Reilly / NBC News:   John Adams quote projected on DOJ building in protest of $1.8B fund
Ryan J. Reilly / NBC News:
DOJ official told GOP ally that big payouts were coming for Jan. 6 defendants
Liz Dye / Public Notice:
Trump's $1.8b slush fund could turn into giant can of worms
Discussion: New York Times and Zeteo
Russell Berman / The Atlantic:
Why Thomas Massie Thought He Was Different  —  For a long time, Representative Thomas Massie confidently defied an ironclad law of modern Republican politics—that to oppose President Trump was to start a ticking clock on your electoral career.  “I'm not worried about losing,” …
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Punchbowl News:
5/20/26☀️ AM: … With less than 24 weeks until Election Day, President Donald Trump seems almost maniacally focused on doing and saying things that could harm Republicans' chances of keeping their House and Senate majorities in November.  —  With voters saying they're frightened …
Politico:
Trump completed his revenge tour.  Allies wonder what it cost. … But the revenge tour is increasingly imperiling Trump's midterm agenda on the Hill.  —  That's because for every apostate ousted by Trump this month, there's a sign of not only his waning political capital on the Hill …
Jordain Carney / Politico:
GOP preparing to strip out ballroom security funding
Discussion: Punchbowl News
Layla A. Jones / Talking Points Memo:
Raffensperger, Who Wouldn't Steal Election For Trump, Loses Governor Race to Two Election Denialists
Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:   The Trump paradox: What's good for him is weighing down his party
RELATED:
Matt Prichard / NBC Boston:
Former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank dies at age 86 … Former Rep. Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, has died at the age of 86, his sister and a close family friend confirmed.  —  He had been in hospice care at his home in Ogunquit, Maine, in recent months, being treated for congestive heart failure.
Daniel Arkin / NBC News:
Former Rep. Barney Frank, champion of Wall Street reform and gay rights trailblazer, dies at 86  —  The most prominent gay member of Congress of his generation, the Democrat represented southern Massachusetts in the House for more than 30 years. … Barney Frank, the quick-witted Massachusetts congressman …
Steven Sloan / Associated Press:
Barney Frank, a liberal congressman and trailblazer for gay rights, dies. He was 86
Rick Rojas / New York Times:
He Was Jailed Over a Charlie Kirk Post.  The Sheriff Now Owes Him $835,000.  —  Larry Bushart sued a Tennessee sheriff who claimed he wanted to incite hysteria with a post after Mr. Kirk's killing and jailed him for 37 days.  —  A Tennessee man who was jailed for 37 days over a Facebook post …
Anna Schecter / CBS News:
Teen attackers in San Diego Islamic Center shooting were wallowing in hate, investigators say  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  The two teens who carried out a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday were wallowing in a world of hate.  —  “These subjects did not discriminate in who they hated …
RELATED:
New York Post:
Shocking manifesto reveals teen shooters' vile motivations behind San Diego mosque shooting
Brian Beutler / Off Message:
They're Really Going For It  —  Trump's plan to overturn the midterm elections comes into focus.  —  ∙ Paid  —  There's no contradiction between Donald Trump's deepening unpopularity—and his evident commitment to further unpopular conduct—and his intensifying assault on democracy and the rule of law.
New York Times:
James Murdoch, Intent on ‘Thoughtful Journalism,’ Buys Half of Vox Media … James Murdoch is acquiring roughly half of Vox Media, a dramatic expansion in American media for the younger son of the media mogul Rupert Murdoch.  —  The deal includes Vox Media's podcast network as well as New York magazine …
Reuters:
Tankers exit Strait of Hormuz with 6 million barrels of crude oil  —  Three supertankers were crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday carrying oil bound for Asian markets, after waiting in the Gulf for more than two months with 6 million barrels of Middle East crude on board …
RELATED:
Reuters:
US expected to unveil criminal charges against Cuba's Raul Castro  —  See more of our coverage in your search results.  —  Add The New York Post on Google  —  The Trump administration is expected to announce criminal charges against former Cuban president Raul Castro on Wednesday …
Steven Nelson / New York Post:
Trump mocks Democrat Texas Senate candidate James Talarico: 'Can't get elected as a vegan in Texas'  —  See more of our coverage in your search results.  —  Add The New York Post on Google  —  President Trump mocked Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on Wednesday — saying that “you can't get elected as a vegan in Texas.”
RELATED:
Ed Morrissey / HotAir:
Better Late Than Never? Trump Endorses Paxton After Voting Starts
David Gilbert / Wired:
Election Officials Are Getting Ready for ICE to Show Up at the Polls  —  The Trump administration keeps threatening to send federal agents to oversee elections.  State and local officials are preparing, and even gaming out what happens if they're arrested.  —  Last week, as President Donald …
The Colorado Sun:
Jared Polis says his Tina Peters decision “will be remembered fondly,” despite growing outrage  —  Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday said he doesn't regret his decision to commute the prison sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, despite widespread condemnation from Democrats …
Discussion: LGBTQ Nation
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 …
Shannon Butler / WFTV:
Former ‘gay cure’ ministry leader Alan Chambers charged in underage sex sting  —  DEPUTIES SAY ALAN CHAMBERS COMMUNICATED FOR MONTHS WITH SOMEONE HE BELIEVED WAS A 14-YEAR-OLD BOY  —  ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A former leader of an Orlando-based ministry that claimed for years it could cure homosexuality …
Discussion: PinkNews, Raw Story, RNS and Advocate
 
 
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 More Items: 
Carmen Russell-Sluchansky / WHYY:
Progressive Rabb wins 3rd District race with boosts from ‘the squad’ and local grassroots activism
Sherrilyn Ifill / Sherrilyn's Newsletter:
Trump's Insurrectionist Payout Scheme Violates the 14th Amendment
Mark Kennedy / Associated Press:
Stephen Colbert's long goodbye is coming to an end, leaving a void
Discussion: The Guardian
 Earlier Items: 
Itxu Díaz / The American Spectator:
Imagine a Better World: More Rich People and Fewer Mamdanis
Ben Berkowitz / Axios:
All 50 states top $4 a gallon gas as Iran impacts linger
Washington Examiner:
Trump's slush fund is no better than Obama's
Holly Baxter / The Independent:
Trump called a sudden, urgent press conference. What followed was a fever dream
Discussion: The Hill
 

 
From Techmeme:

Ina Fried / Axios:
OpenAI says its models, including GPT-5.6 Sol and “an even more capable pre-release model”, breached Hugging Face while OpenAI tested their cyber capabilities

Tulsee Doshi / Google:
Google launches Gemini 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, and 3.5 Flash Cyber, and says it has started its “most ambitious pre-training run yet” for Gemini 4

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple plans to launch Apple Upgrade, a leasing program for most iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch models, with partner Klarna in the US next week
 
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