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11:15 AM ET, May 19, 2026

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Paul Krugman:
The Looting of America  —  So the Trump administration is creating a $1.776 billion slush fund — 1776, get it? — to pay off victims of “lawfare and weaponization.”  Just to be clear, if you're a U.S. taxpayer, this action means that almost $1.8 billion of your money will be handed …
Discussion: Raw Story
RELATED:
Andrew Duehren / New York Times:
Top Treasury Lawyer Resigns After Creation of ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’  —  Brian Morrissey, the department's general counsel, stepped down hours after the Trump administration announced the $1.8 billion fund.  —  The top lawyer at the Treasury Department stepped down on Monday in the wake …
Jay Willis / Balls and Strikes:
The Trump IRS Lawsuit Settlement Will Use Your Tax Dollars to Make January 6ers Rich  —  The following paragraph includes a lot of scare quotes, but I promise that you will soon understand why: On Monday, the Justice Department announced that it had “settled” a “lawsuit” brought by President Donald Trump …
Wall Street Journal:
Treasury Lawyer Quits as Government Settles Trump IRS Suit  —  Trump appointee leaves as administration creates $1.8 billion payment fund  —  WASHINGTON—The Treasury Department's top lawyer resigned Monday as the government announced a controversial settlement with President Trump, according to people familiar with his departure.
Discussion: Raw Story, The Hill and New York Times
Zachary Basu / Axios:
Trumpworld's presidential gold rush  —  Democrats erupted Monday over President Trump's $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for MAGA allies who claim political persecution, vowing to investigate what they called textbook corruption. … - The taxpayer-backed fund will be overseen …
The Independent:
Vance says ‘stealing’ $1B from treasury is theft - on the same day Trump pledged to give $1.7B taxpayer cash to his allies  —  Vice President JD Vance pledged to crack down on the misuse of government funds Monday, the same day the Justice Department committed more than a billion dollars …
Chris Geidner / Law Dork:
Read Trump's “settlement” with the Trump admin to create a nearly $2 billion slush fund that Trump ultimately controls
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
How to Rob Taxpayers of $1.8 Billion Without Really Trying
Wall Street Journal:
See How Trump's Accounts Were Busy Trading Big Tech Stocks
Discussion: Bloomberg
David Rothkopf / The Daily Beast:
Trump's Golden Age Has Arrived—It's a Golden Age of Grift
CNN:
What to know about Trump's $1.8 billion taxpayer-fueled fund for his allies
Julie Watson / Associated Press:
Teenage gunmen open fire on San Diego mosque, killing 3 men and then themselves  —  Two teenage shooters opened fire at a San Diego mosque on Monday and killed three men before killing themselves a few blocks away, police said.  The attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego is being investigated …
RELATED:
KGTV-TV:
Two suspects dead in shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont
Paul Waldman / Public Notice:
No one is coming to bail Trump out of his disastrous war  —  PN is supported by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  💥 Subscribe to PN 💥  —  It was just a couple of weeks into his war in Iran that President Trump began demanding other countries solve the problem he had created.
RELATED:
New York Times:
Trump Threatens Iran and Then Pulls Back, All in the Same Day
Wall Street Journal:
Russia's War Is Going Badly—on the Ground and in the Air  —  Putin shows no signs he is rethinking his aims  —  KYIV—Ukraine's military has wrestled Russia's much-larger army almost to a halt in recent months, having gained a tactical and technological edge.
RELATED:
Bloomberg:
Ukraine Sees US Seeking Technology Transfers in Drone Deal
Discussion: NewsMax.com
New York Times:
Trump Moves to Admit 10,000 More White South Africans as Refugees  —  The Trump administration argues that an “emergency refugee situation” in South Africa merits bringing more Afrikaners to America, at a cost of some $100 million.  —  President Trump moved ahead on Monday with plans …
Discussion: The Guardian and NewsMax.com
RELATED:
G. Elliott Morris / Strength In Numbers:
Independents and 2024 non-voters have swung back left  —  The big story in the new NYT/Siena poll isn't Trump's 37% approval (although that's very bad) — it's a 24-point swing among persuadable voters  —  I received six emails from major news outlets on Monday asking me to comment …
Demetri Sevastopulo / Financial Times:
Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that Putin might ‘regret’ invasion of Ukraine  —  US president also suggested they should co-operate with Russian leader against the International Criminal Court  —  Xi Jinping told Donald Trump during their talks last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin might end …
Wall Street Journal:
The American Rebellion Against AI Is Gaining Steam  —  Booed commencement speakers, blocked data centers, plummeting poll numbers: Fast-growing industry has a faster-growing crisis  —  The only thing growing faster than the artificial-intelligence industry may be Americans' negative feelings about it …
Courtney Tanner / Salt Lake Tribune:
After Sharon McMahon controversy, Utah colleges must now vote on commencement speakers  —  When author and educator Sharon McMahon was initially named this year's Utah Valley University commencement speaker, there was no official vote or debate where members of the public could weigh in.
Miranda Bryant / The Guardian:
Greenlanders are not ‘experimental subjects’, says minister as she decries US doctor's visit  —  Health minister in Nuuk condemns doctor's presence in US delegation as ‘deeply problematic’  —  Greenland's government has criticised the arrival of a US doctor in Nuuk alongside Donald Trump's special envoy …
Associated Press:
Live updates: Blanche will face questions from lawmakers over a nearly $1.8B fund to compensate Trump allies  —  Will Trump's endorsement continue to carry the day in Tuesday's primaries?  —  He's repeatedly shown that Republican primary voters will follow his lead, even as his popularity wanes with the broader electorate.
Discussion: Associated Press and NewsMax.com
NOTUS:
Trump Is Pressuring John Thune to Fire the Parliamentarian Over Ballroom Funding  —  The nonpartisan Senate adviser determined that the ballroom funding, as written, could not be included in the party-line budget bill.  — Copy  —  President Donald Trump pressed Senate Majority Leader John Thune …
New York Times:
G.O.P. Supporters Back Trump, but a Third Seek a New Direction for the Party  —  While President Trump remains overwhelmingly popular within the Republican coalition, a New York Times/Siena poll found, a sizable share wants the party's next nominee to take a different approach.
Discussion: Washington Examiner and The Hill
Fox News:
Unearthed posts show Dem Senate hopeful praising vulgar graffiti, making crude porta potty admission  —  GOP strategist calls the yearslong trail of posts a ‘character issue’ ahead of a potential race against Susan Collins  —  Editor's note: This story contains graphic language.
NBC News:
Pentagon's internal watchdog to probe U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats  —  Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have raised concerns about the legality of the strikes.  —  WASHINGTON — The Defense Department's inspector general said Monday that it's investigating U.S. Southern Command …
Jane C. Timm / NBC News:
News organizations sue to unseal filings in DOJ's Fulton County election investigation  —  Federal investigators have demanded the names and addresses of 2020 election workers, but officials in the Atlanta-area county have refused.  —  A group of news organizations, including NBC News …
Discussion: Democracy Docket
Ronda Kaysen / New York Times:
Trump's Deportations Are Costing Americans Jobs  —  According to a new study, construction was impacted more than any other industry studied, with American-born workers losing more jobs than immigrants as a result of the deportations.  —  The Trump administration has long claimed …
Kenny Stancil / Talking Points Memo:
Democrats Shouldn't Let Russell Vought Fly Under the Radar  —  President Donald Trump's second administration is full of highly qualified candidates for “top villain.”  But there's a central White House figure who continues to evade his fair share of scrutiny: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought.
Scott Wong / NBC News:
Nancy Pelosi endorses fellow progressive Connie Chan in high-profile race to succeed her  —  Chan's competition includes state Sen. Scott Weiner and wealthy former tech executive Saikat Chakrabarti, a co-founder of the progressive group Justice Democrats.  —  After months of resisting endorsing …
New York Post:
Trump reveals the ‘one thing’ he and Mark Cuban have in common at TrumpRX event  —  See more of our coverage in your search results.  —  Add The New York Post on Google  —  President Trump and Mark Cuban's “love-hate” relationship was on full display at the White House Monday …
Bill Scher / Washington Monthly:
Democrats Have the Biggest Midterm Election Lead in May, by any Party, in 20 Years  —  While the polling industry has taken a lot of guff in recent years, one question continues to earn its keep: the generic congressional ballot test.  It is a poll question that asks respondents …
Discussion: Sabato's Crystal Ball
 
 
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 More Items: 
Simon Foy / Financial Times:
Deutsche Bank fined by UK for breaching Russia sanctions
Reuters:
Slovenia's Janša seeks fourth term after coalition secures majority
Discussion: Politico
Thomas B. Edsall / New York Times:
Is There a Door No. 3 for Democrats?  —  Despite the collapse of support for President Trump …
Charles Sauer / Washington Examiner:
Republicans could sway 2026 swing voters by leading on Alzheimer's
Discussion: Breitbart and Florida Politics
Kellen Browning / New York Times:
Peltola Debuts First Television Ad in High-Profile Alaska Senate Contest
Punchbowl News:
5/19/26☀️ AM: … House GOP leaders have pulled the SCORE Act from this week's …
 Earlier Items: 
New York Post:
Bloodthirsty Luigi Mangione fangirls unapologetically celebrate CEO's assassination: ‘F—k Brian Thompson,’ ‘His children are better off without him’
Sonia A. Rao / New York Times:
Hantavirus Patient Ordered to Stay in Quarantine Despite Desire to Leave
Meredith Lee Hill / Politico:
Bill revamping college athletics is again pulled from House agenda
Discussion: The Hill
Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:
Trump U.S. Attorney Pick Darin Smith Accused Of Misconduct Ahead Of Senate Vote
Discussion: emptywheel and Raw Story
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Jody Godoy / Reuters:
Sources: a group of US states is preparing a lawsuit against Paramount's WBD acquisition; California's AG has said his office would make a decision soon

Ted Johnson / Deadline:
Memo: Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim say they will stay at 60 Minutes as they don't want to see it die and are “working to build trust with Nick”

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Q&A with BBC's Matt Brittin on the necessity of YouTube, growing the BBC's role in education and skills, streamers helping pay for public broadcasting, and more
 
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