memeorandum: Trump Adds Iraq to Special Envoy Tom Barrack's Role in Syria (Yash Roy/Bloomberg)

2:50 PM ET, May 31, 2026

Top Items:

Trump Administration Sees Striking Exodus of Legal Talent — The departure of more than 10,000 federal lawyers has left some agencies without sufficient staff and has boosted the ranks of state attorneys general offices and advocacy groups. — President Trump's upheaval of the federal government …

Discussion: The Independent and Mediaite

New York Times:

As Deaths From U.S. Boat Strikes Pass 200, Locals Tally an Even Greater Cost — Residents of coastal communities in Colombia and Ecuador said the airstrike campaign was making many reconsider anything involving the ocean as a livelihood. — More than 200 people have now been killed …

Discussion: CBS News, The Guardian and Associated Press

Julian E. Barnes / New York Times:
U.S. Military Kills 3 on Boat Suspected of Drug Trafficking

Discussion: The Independent, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion and RedState

Darrell Lucus / Staff Stories:

Minnesota GOP convention has moment of silence for Derek Chauvin — This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication. … Yesterday, the Minnesota Republican Party held its nominating convention in Duluth. But the most outrageous moment came early in the proceedings.

Discussion: FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul

Wall Street Journal:

Here Are the Adversaries Trump Has Threatened and Prosecuted — President has asked Justice Department to investigate more than four dozen enemies, leading to a spate of prosecutions — An emboldened Justice Department with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at the helm is ramping …

New York Times:
Inside the Deal to Drop Trump's $10 Billion Suit Against the I.R.S.

Discussion: RedState

New York Times:

Pulling Customs From ‘Sanctuary’ City Airports Would Cause Chaos, Business Groups Say — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's proposal could block hubs like Boston, New York and Los Angeles from accepting international flights. — Travel industry and business leaders are denouncing …

Discussion: Scripps News

Helene Cooper / New York Times:

Timeline: Where and When Trump Has Involved the U.S. Military in International Conflicts … During his first term, President Trump sharply criticized the wars launched by his predecessors as a waste of American resources, and he promised not to get involved in any long military entanglements.

Mary Papenfuss / The Daily Beast:

Trump Goon Unmasked as CIA Gold Hoarder's Mentor — FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES — Former CIA official David Rush, who was busted with a stash of $40 million in gold bars, reportedly has close ties to Trump's billionaire deputy defense secretary. — A now-former high-level CIA official accused …

Discussion: American Thinker

New York Times:
C.I.A. Officer Arrested With Gold Once Worked With No. 2 Pentagon Official

Discussion: NBC News

Washington Post:

Blue states pitch 100 percent tax on Trump's ‘anti-weaponization’ payouts — “If you storm the Capitol and you take from this slush fund, too bad, we're taking it,” one New York lawmaker said. — Summary — Democratic state leaders around the country have an unusual strategy …

Discussion: Raw Story

Heather Digby Parton / Salon:

How Trump squandered the economic recovery — In January 2025, the president was set up for success. Instead, he blew it — When Donald Trump was 13, his father caught him with a hidden cache of switchblades. Fred Trump, according to Tony Schwartz, who ghostwrote the president's book …

CBS News:

Transcript: Former Vice President Mike Pence on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” May 31, 2026 — Add CBS News on Google — The following is the transcript of the interview with former Vice President Mike Pence that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on May 31, 2026.

Cheyanne M. Daniels / Politico:

‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ is ‘deeply offensive,’ Pence says … The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. — The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is a $1.776 billion fund announced by the Justice Department earlier this month that would allow people who believe …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, The Hill, CBS News, Salon, Washington Times, NBC News, The Gateway Pundit and Raw Story

Joseph Choi / The Hill:

GOP's Bill Cassidy faces new decisions on bucking Trump — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) finds himself in a unique position: scorned by President Trump and out of the running for reelection, but still in charge of the highly influential Senate health committee, which can block nominees …

Discussion: Raw Story

Axios:

Trump requests edits to Iran deal his envoys negotiated — President Trump asked for several amendments to the deal his envoys reached with their Iranian counterparts during a Situation Room meeting on Friday, according to a senior administration official and a second source briefed on the issue.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel, CBS News and Middle East Monitor

New York Times:
Trump Sends Tougher Terms to Iran for Peace Framework, Officials Say

Discussion: CNN, Mediaite, Fox News and The American Conservative

Yash Roy / Bloomberg:

Trump Adds Iraq to Special Envoy Tom Barrack's Role in Syria — President Donald Trump said he's expanding the scope of his special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, to include Iraq. — Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, became Trump's Syria envoy in 2025, soon after President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power.

Discussion: Fox News, Middle East Monitor and Al Jazeera

Ford McCracken / ABC News:

White House economic director downplays Americans' economic anxiety amid high gas prices and inflation — Kevin Hassett says real income is up despite higher prices and inflation. — Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell in New York on May 27, 2026.

Discussion: NewsMax.com, The Daily Caller and Politico

Dan Diamond / Washington Post:

Why the favorite for California governor has divided his Biden-era colleagues — Xavier Becerra led President Joe Biden's health agency during the pandemic but kept a low profile. He has risen to lead in polls ahead of California's gubernatorial primary. — Summary

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, RedState, Bloomberg and Time

CNN:

Graham Platner's wife says she's ‘deeply hurt’ by public revelations of her husband's extramarital sexts — The wife of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner said she was “deeply hurt” after details of her husband's extramarital sexting became public Saturday …