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4:45 PM ET, June 16, 2026

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Washington Post:
Records reveal $600M estimate for Trump's ballroom project, with half from taxpayers  —  An internal cost estimate in March by the project's contractor ran $200 million more than Trump has said publicly and counters his claims that no taxpayer money will be spent.  —  Summary
RELATED:
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
Trump Is Stalled Out  —  Would you be shocked to learn that Donald Trump's months of claims that the White House ballroom would go up with zero taxpayer spending were a total lie?  And we don't just mean the $1 billion in “security improvements” for the project they tried (and failed) to get in the latest spending bill.
Discussion: Raw Story and New York Times
Ashleigh Fields / The Hill:
White House ballroom costs may rise to $600M, with half coming from taxpayers: Report
Discussion: Raw Story
Wall Street Journal:
The Trump-Iran Deal Allows Tehran to Immediately Sell Oil  —  The agreement also waives banking and transport sanctions to facilitate transactions, an early financial benefit  —  The U.S. will allow Iran to immediately begin selling oil and fuel under the deal to end the war …
RELATED:
Edward Luce / Financial Times:
This time, Trump and Netanyahu have really fallen out  —  Rarely has a geopolitical roll of the dice gone so rapidly wrong as the Israeli PM's  —  Put yourself in Donald Trump's shoes.  It was his 80th birthday and he was planning to cap White House festivities with his US-Iran deal.
New York Times:
Highlights From the G7: Trump Says Ukraine War Has ‘No Impact’ on U.S.
Associated Press:
Iran says the deal to end the war with the US requires Israel to withdraw from Lebanon
Chloe Taylor / CNBC:
Trump denies U.S. will put ‘any money’ into Iran, as he meets allies at G7 summit
Molly Taft / Wired:
Why the Reflecting Pool Is Full of Algae After Trump's Renovation  —  Warm weather has fueled a bloom that US National Park Service workers are trying to kill using everything from hydrogen peroxide to nanobubbles ahead of July 4 celebrations.  —  On Wednesday morning …
RELATED:
Politico:
Trump promised clear water. The reflecting pool went green.
Discussion: MeidasTouch
NBC News:
Trump wanted the Reflecting Pool to be ‘American flag blue.’ Algae is turning it green.
Discussion: USA Today and The Independent
Callum Jones / The Guardian:
Algae thwarts Trump's $14.2m attempt to turn reflecting pool ‘American flag blue’
Discussion: Washingtonian, NewsMax.com and MS NOW
New York Times:
Claiming an Antifa Plot, U.S. Charges 15 in Minneapolis With Conspiracy  —  The 94-page conspiracy indictment was filed as federal prosecutors in Minnesota had trouble sustaining many criminal cases filed against Immigration and Customs Enforcement protesters.
RELATED:
Joseph Swanson / KSTP-TV:
US Attorney for Minnesota charges 15 anti-ICE protesters, alleging ties to antifa groups  —  Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have charged 15 people allegedly tied to two Minneapolis-based antifa groups.  —  U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen for the District of Minnesota and Homeland Security …
Matt Sepic / MPR News:   15 charged with conspiracy tied to MN ICE protests
Rachel Leingang / The Guardian:
Fifteen people charged over alleged interference in Minnesota immigration crackdown
Discussion: NewsMax.com
Jake Offenhartz / Associated Press:
Federal prosecutors charge 15 people it says impeded agents during Minnesota immigration crackdown
Discussion: Joe.My.God. and Raw Story
Fox News:
FBI disrupts alleged explosive-drone plot targeting White House UFC event, officials say  —  FIRST ON FOX: The FBI and its law enforcement partners disrupted an alleged plot targeting this weekend's UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C., officials told Fox News Digital.
RELATED:
Victoria Craw / Washington Post:
FBI thwarted attack targeting UFC event at White House, director says
Associated Press:
Multiple arrests as FBI disrupts ‘planned attacks’ targeting White House UFC show, director says
Washington Post:
Education Dept. plans to move special ed and civil rights out of the agency  —  The moves are part of an effort to close the department by moving its functions to other parts of the government.  —  Summary  —  The Education Department plans to move work overseeing special-education services …
RELATED:
Annie Ma / Associated Press:
Trump moves oversight of special education and civil rights from the Education Department
Discussion: New Republic and Joe.My.God.
New York Times:
The Untold Story of Jeffrey Epstein's Death  —  Late in the afternoon of July 6, 2019, about a dozen F.B.I. agents and New York Police Department officers gathered at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, waiting out of view of the tarmac so as not to spook their quarry.
RELATED:
New York Times:
Six Takeaways From the Times Investigation Into Epstein's Death  —  We considered every plausible theory of his death, both official and otherwise, seeking out the most persuasive arguments and evidence for each.  —  Jeffrey Epstein's death in federal custody in August 2019 …
Discussion: TMZ.com and NewsMax.com
Ken Dilanian / MS NOW:
Kash Patel may have a ‘personal slush fund’ of taxpayer dollars to pay loyalist agents, says Raskin  —  FBI Director Kash Patel may have authorized taxpayer-funded special payments to his inner circle of FBI executives and agents on his protective detail, according to the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
Reuters:
Exclusive: Iran deal includes $300 billion fund, more than half of which already committed, source says  —  A $300 billion private fund designed to trigger investment into Iran is outlined in the U.S.-Iran framework agreement and more than half that sum has already been committed, a source with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters.
Paul Krugman:
The Theory of the Vulgar Class  —  Collapsing norms, cage matches, and a republic in danger  —  On Sunday Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday with a cage match on the White House lawn.  The match and the events that surrounded it — especially the press conference with UFC fighters …
Discussion: Raw Story
Chadwick Moore / New York Post:
SPLC boss funneled $1.2 million to lover in neo-Nazi group — pair even had joint bank account  —  See more of our coverage in your search results.  —  Add The New York Post on Google  —  A top Southern Poverty Law Center official is accused of helping funnel $1.2 million in donor money …
Politico:
Senate Judiciary schedules confirmation hearing for Todd Blanche  —  The Senate Judiciary Committee has set a date for Todd Blanche's two-day confirmation hearing next month, potentially putting the attorney general nominee on track to be confirmed by the full Senate as soon as before the August recess — if he can get the votes.
Joel Schectman / Wall Street Journal:
A $40 Million Gold Heist Risks Exposing CIA's Top-Secret Spy Programs  —  Veterans of the agency worry the case will compromise legitimate, highly classified operations against American adversaries  —  Five decades ago, four burglars broke into a billionaire's safe, setting off a chain …
Nick Judin / Mississippi Free Press:
Mississippi Police Officer Shoots and Kills 1-Year-Old Child in Response to Senatobia Shoplifting Call  — Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email  —  A Mississippi police officer shot 1-year-old Kohen Kartier Wiley while responding to a shoplifting call on Sunday, killing him and critically wounding an adult.
Sammy Westfall / Washington Post:
A Teddy Roosevelt quote adorns a D.C. building.  He probably didn't say it.  —  The words about courage appear on a poster on the facade of the Office of Personnel Management.  But scholars say there's no evidence the 26th president said them.  —  Summary
Discussion: Joe.My.God.
Jeff Stein / NOTUS:
Trump's Family Crypto Firm Is Expected to Get Federal Banking Privileges  —  Trump-appointed bank regulators' crypto-friendly approach is likely to extend to World Liberty Financial, despite ethics concerns.  — Copy  —  President Donald Trump's family crypto business is expected to soon …
Discussion: New Republic and Bloomberg
Eric Katz / NOTUS:
TSA Plans to Fly Thousands of Employees to a Four-Hour Training  —  The training is raising questions internally around the agency's efficiency goals.  — Copy  —  Between July and September, thousands of Transportation Security Administration supervisors, in cohorts no bigger than 24 …
Greg Beacham / Associated Press:
Iran coach says team ordered out of US right after 2-2 draw with New Zealand in World Cup opener  —  The coach of Iran's World Cup team said it was ordered to leave the U.S. and return to its training base in Mexico only a few hours after opening its politically charged tournament by playing …
 
 
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 More Items: 
Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:
Republicans Confirm Another One Of Trump's Personal Attorneys To A Federal Court Seat
Discussion: New Republic and MS NOW
Yunior Rivas / Democracy Docket:
Trump DOJ bid to defend Ohio's anti-voting law is useless and untimely, court rules
Jennifer Scholtes / Politico:
OMB nominee 'can't commit' to forgoing ‘pocket rescissions’ funding gambit this year
Discussion: Talking Points Memo
Scott Bauer / Associated Press:
Former Trump attorneys, aides plead not guilty to Wisconsin fake elector felony charges
Discussion: MS NOW and Votebeat
Christopher Mathias / MS NOW:
After teasing a presidential bid, Greg Bovino joined a white nationalist's podcast
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Judge recuses herself in Georgia voter rolls case
Jeremy Barr / The Guardian:
Paramount rejected ad criticizing its owners and Warner Bros acquisition
Discussion: Wired and The Wrap
 Earlier Items: 
Douglas MacMillan / Washington Post:
ICE removed detainee protections after private outreach from top contractor
Peter Stone / The Guardian:
Experts alarmed as Trump launches broad-front attack on US voting rights
Discussion: Raw Story and Just Security
Emily Goodin / New York Post:
Trump says he ‘never cared’ about Iran regime change, claims new leaders are ‘not radicalized’
Discussion: New York Times and The Independent
Jennifer Agiesta / CNN:
CNN poll: Political independents hit their highest level in a decade
Discussion: The Lever and Washington Times
Saqib Rahim / Politico:
A red-state revolt against insurers
G. Elliott Morris / Strength In Numbers:
Democrats lead by 13 points on trust to handle voters' top problems
 

 
From Techmeme:

Reuters:
SpaceX agrees to acquire Cursor in a merger valuing the AI coding startup at $60B, set to close in Q3 2026, or pay a $4B to $10B termination fee

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Google launches Android 17 and Wear OS 7, first on Pixel devices, with support for the latest AI models, a bubble bar UI, and live updates on Wear OS

Ed Zitron / Ed Zitron's Where's Your Ed At:
Docs: audited financial figures show OpenAI spent $34B in 2025, up 172% YoY, including $19B on research and development and nearly $6B on sales and marketing
 
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