Top Items:
Jordain Carney / Politico:
Trump ballroom project security funding included in $72B GOP enforcement bill … “The White House applauds Congress's latest proposal in its reconciliation package which includes additional funding for security infrastructure upgrades in relation to the long overdue East Wing Modernization Project …
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Carl Hulse / New York Times:
G.O.P. Proposes $1 Billion in Immigration Bill for Trump's Ballroom Project — The money would go toward security improvements as part of an East Wing construction project, including a new ballroom that President Trump has said would be built with private dollars.
Discussion:
NBC News, MS NOW, CNN, The Guardian, Bloomberg, The Independent and The Post Millennial
Washington Post:
GOP offers $1B for White House security, sparking dispute over ballroom — Senate Republicans maintain their proposal would authorize security construction, but not Trump's ballroom. The White House disagrees. — Summary — Senate Republicans late Monday proposed $1 billion to pay …
Discussion:
Newsweek
Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:
Republicans Unveil $72 Billion Package For ICE, Trump's Ballroom
Discussion:
The Hill, Roll Call and NewsMax.com
Igor Bobic / NOTUS:
Senate Republicans Seek $1 Billion for White House Ballroom Security
Senate Republicans Seek $1 Billion for White House Ballroom Security
Discussion:
Migrant Insider, New York Magazine, New Republic, New York Times, Fox News, Military.com, Digby's Hullabaloo and NPR
Dan Pfeiffer / The Message Box:
How Trump Turned His Ballroom into a Midterm Gift for Democrats
How Trump Turned His Ballroom into a Midterm Gift for Democrats
Discussion:
To the Contrary
Barak Ravid / Axios:
White House gave Iran private message before new Hormuz operation — A high-level Trump administration official informed Iran on Sunday of the impending U.S. operation to “guide” ships through the Strait of Hormuz and warned Tehran not to interfere, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge.
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NBC News:
U.S. insists Iran ceasefire not over despite attacks in Strait of Hormuz — Iran has “not even begun yet” in the standoff over the critical waterway, a top official warned Tuesday, after Tehran attacked ships that were part of the new American “Project Freedom.”
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Intercept, Asia Times, The Lever, Fox News, Council on Foreign Relations, CNN, Washington Times, 19FortyFive, The American Conservative, Daily Kos, The Daily Signal, Washington Examiner, Charleston Daily Mail, Stars & Stripes, KSTP-TV, Al Jazeera, Deccan Chronicle, Axios, Truthout, HotAir and Wall Street Journal
Politico:
Hegseth says battle for Hormuz is ‘separate and distinct’ from the Iran war
Discussion:
CNBC, The Hill, Bloomberg, Defense One, Raw Story and Al Jazeera
New York Times:
Iran War Live Updates: U.S. and Iran Both Claim Control Over Strait of Hormuz
Iran War Live Updates: U.S. and Iran Both Claim Control Over Strait of Hormuz
Discussion:
CBS News, Drop Site News, Mediaite, The Portland Press Herald, Townhall, HuffPost, Raw Story, WALV-TV, Reason, Truthout, The Hill, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera and Reuters
James LaPorta / CBS News:
2 U.S. Navy destroyers transit Strait of Hormuz after dodging Iranian onslaught
2 U.S. Navy destroyers transit Strait of Hormuz after dodging Iranian onslaught
Discussion:
CNBC, Wall Street Journal, The Maine Wire, Washington Post, Human Events, Stars & Stripes, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Hill, Jewish Insider, Politico, New York Post, Fox News, Washington Examiner, One America News Network, Asia Times, The Guardian, Ace of Spades HQ, NewsMax.com, Associated Press, HotAir, Deccan Chronicle, KTLA, Middle East Monitor, Reuters, Responsible Statecraft, Washington Times, CNN and New York Times
Sam Meredith / CNBC:
Maersk says ship passed through Strait of Hormuz under U.S. military protection
Maersk says ship passed through Strait of Hormuz under U.S. military protection
Discussion:
The Hill, Wall Street Journal, CBS News, Breitbart, 19FortyFive, Washington Times, NewsMax.com, Middle East Monitor, Bloomberg, IJR, Military.com, BBC, Washington Examiner, New York Post and WALV-TV
Christina Jewett / New York Times:
F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe — The agency's scientists and data contractors reviewed millions of patient records for studies that were pulled back before release. — Officials at the Food and Drug Administration have blocked publication …
Discussion:
Reuters
U.S. Department of Education:
U.S. Department of Education Opens Title IX Investigation into All-Women's Smith College for Admitting Men — Today, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened an investigation into Smith College, one of the nation's largest all-women's colleges …
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Politico:
Education Department opens probe into Smith College for admitting trans women
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, twitchy.com, Townhall, The Daily Signal, Fox News, The Daily Wire and Washington Times
Michael T. Nietzel / Washington Monthly:
Higher Ed's Affordability Problem Isn't Just the Price
Higher Ed's Affordability Problem Isn't Just the Price
Discussion:
New Yorker, Deccan Chronicle, The Portland Press Herald and Strada Education Foundation
Michael C. Bender / New York Times:
Trump Administration Investigating Smith College Over Transgender Admissions
Trump Administration Investigating Smith College Over Transgender Admissions
Discussion:
Althouse
Politico:
Another House Republican is under the microscope for alleged sexual misconduct … “We have said it from the beginning, if you are abusing your power in Congress it does not matter if you have an R or a D beside your name, there needs to be consequences for your actions,” Mace added.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Mediaite and Raw Story
RELATED:
Democracy Docket:
Exclusive: Bert Callais, lead plaintiff in case that gutted Voting Rights Act, is an election conspiracist who was at Jan. 6 protest — The lead plaintiff in the case that destroyed the Voting Rights Act (VRA) has a history of promoting false election conspiracies and anti-voting policies …
RELATED:
Daniel Nichanian / Bolts:
“The Court Interred the Voting Rights Act Without the Dignity of a Funeral”
Discussion:
Law Dork, Election Law Blog and The Guardian
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
Trump's Case Against Comey Is Imploding—and Handing Dems a New Weapon — Here's a simple thought experiment for you. The Justice Department, as you know, is prosecuting former FBI Director James Comey, a longtime foe of Donald Trump. Now imagine if acting Attorney General Todd Blanche remarked …
Discussion:
emptywheel, Raw Story, Newsweek and Above the Law
New York Times:
Trump Administration Demands Names of 2020 Election Workers in Georgia — The Justice Department again appears to be using the investigative power of the federal government to rehash debunked claims that Democrats stole the 2020 election. — The Justice Department has demanded the identities …
Discussion:
Fox News, Washington Examiner, ABC News, Associated Press, NBC News, The Guardian, UPI, NewsMax.com and Grabien
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Jacob Knutson / Democracy Docket:
In major escalation, DOJ demands personal information of 2020 election workers in Georgia
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Hill, MS NOW and Grabien
Ben Penn / Bloomberg Law:
DOJ Offers Lawyers $25,000 Signing Bonuses as Recruitment Lags — The Justice Department is taking a new tack to overcome hurdles in attracting qualified legal talent: offering $25,000 signing bonuses to staff an office investigating youth transgender treatments and litigating the Trump administration's immigration agenda.
Brian Todd / CNN:
Exclusive: VA conducted internal investigations into employees who attended vigil for Alex Pretti — Federal agencies Veterans Labor unions — For days after the killing of Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, fellow workers for the Department of Veterans Affairs held vigils …
US Department of Justice:
Nashua Man Charged With Threatening the President — For Immediate Release — U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Hampshire — CONCORD - A Nashua resident and federal employee was charged by criminal complaint in federal court on Friday, May 1, 2026, for interstate communication …
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Examiner, Associated Press, CNBC, The Maine Wire, Newsweek, The Daily Wire, The Post Millennial, Raw Story and NewsMax.com
Raquel Rutledge / ProPublica:
Prosecutors Had a Drugs-for-Votes Scheme “Locked Up.” Under Trump, They Were Told Not to Pursue Charges. — To the narcotics agents investigating drug smuggling in Puerto Rico prisons, it seemed at first like a typical scheme: associates of an inmate gang sneaking drugs into the prison …
Ellen Barry / New York Times:
Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants — The health secretary has long complained that Americans overuse psychiatric medications. New policies he is introducing aim to change that. — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced several initiatives intended …
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Hill, Daily Kos, NextDraft, The Independent, STAT, The Federalist, The Post Millennial, NOTUS, NewsMax.com and Washington Examiner
Cory Doctorow / Pluralistic:
Pluralistic: The three armies fighting for the post-American world (05 May 2026) — The three armies fighting for the post-American world: Hippies, investors and hawks. — Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. — Object permanence: NK dictator's son v Tokyo Disneyland …
Sister Toldjah / RedState:
Karen Bass' Latest Move to Thwart ICE in L.A. Prompts a Smackdown From the DOJ — One of the tricks Democrats have tried to pull since the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration began has been to implement directives, executive orders, and even pass legislation at the state level …
Discussion:
FOX 11 Los Angeles, The Daily Caller, American Greatness, Blaze Media and Louder With Crowder
Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark:
A Conspiracy Theory We Can All Believe In — How do Democrats win the crazy person vote? — ∙ Paid — 1. True Lies — On The Focus Group this week, Sarah heard from lots of voters—Republicans and Democrats—who think the latest alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not on the level.
Paul Krugman:
Trump Is Losing a Second War — Last month, out of more than 11,000 new passenger vehicles registered in Norway, only around 150 had internal consumption engines. The rest were fully electric. In mainland Europe as a whole, EV sales are up 51 percent from a year ago.
Discussion:
New York Times, Eunews and The Nation
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Pressures FDA Commissioner to Approve Flavored Vapes — Marty Makary has been on thin ice with the White House in recent days — WASHINGTON—A frustrated President Trump over the weekend upbraided Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary for not moving quickly enough …
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, CNBC, Raw Story, Mediaite, LifeNews.com and Bloomberg
Peter Wells / Financial Times:
SEC moves to scrap quarterly reporting requirement — Wall Street watchdog suggests allowing public companies to file semi-annual reports — Wall Street's top watchdog has proposed scrapping mandatory quarterly reporting for US-listed companies, a sweeping move that has the potential …
Discussion:
Axios, Reuters, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, CNBC, Politico, Fox News and The Hill, more at Mediagazer »
Ryan King / New York Post:
House quietly paid out more than $300K in taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment cases, docs show — House lawmakers doled out more than $338,000 in taxpayer funds from a so-called “sexual harassment slush fund” between 2007 and 2017, according to data released by Rep. Nancy Mace this week.
Discussion:
CNN, Townhall, IJR, The Independent, New Republic, Charleston Daily Mail, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, NewsMax.com and Politico
