Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says the shooting near the White House over the weekend reiterates the need for President Trump’s ballroom. Blanche, in a federal court filing on Sunday, argued the incident “underscores the critical need for top level, state of the art security at the White House, including the Ballroom.” The filing was…
A special broadcast: Highlights from Democracy Now!’s 30th anniversary celebration at the historic Riverside Church, featuring Angela Davis, Patti Smith, Mosab Abu Toha, Michael Stipe, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Amy Goodman, Juan González, Nermeen Shaikh and a surprise appearance by Bruce Springsteen.
'We're structuring this in such a way where they make commitments on the enriched stockpile, but they don't get a dime unless they deliver on their commitments,' the senior official stated.
President Trump’s abrupt decision to pull an executive order on AI testing has exposed a deeper divide in the White House over how to oversee the technology’s development without stopping its growth. After ushering tech leaders to the White House for a signing ceremony Thursday, Trump’s eleventh-hour decision to scrap the order displayed his administration’s…
The U.S. Secret Service says officers shot and killed a person who opened fire at a security checkpoint on Saturday. Five senior law enforcement officials say the suspect had a history of mental health concerns. NBC News’ Julie Tsirkin reports.
A Sunday report in The New York Times revealed how the Trump administration is using a key government agency to shut down any efforts to regulate online betting markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket.According to the Times, the administration has stacked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) with industry insiders who have systematically “mowed down” staffers at the agency who have expressed interest in providing oversight on prediction markets.Among other things, the report documented how multiple officials at CFTC have been put on leave simply for asking questions about the betting markets’ ties to members of President Donald Trump’s family or for having past experience enforcing regulations related to cryptocurrencies.What’s more, the Times found that even being an industry insider isn’t enough to guarantee good standing in the agency. Brian Quintenz, who was tapped by Trump to lead CFTC last year, saw his nomination withdrawn after he drew the ire of Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss for refusing to support their cryptocurrency exchange’s complaint against the agency.Revelations about industry insiders rolling over regulators at CFTC come as the Trump administration is fighting any attempts by states to regulate prediction markets.As explained in a Thursday report from CNBC, the Trump administration is “fighting a multi-front battle to stop the state actions and assert its regulatory authority,” with CFTC arguing that it is “the only entity that can regulate” betting platforms.Sixteen different states are engaged in legal proceedings against the platforms, and Minnesota last week passed a law to ban them outright, which immediately drew a lawsuit from the administration.The new Minnesota law, which is scheduled to take effect in August, bans prediction markets “from hosting, creating or advertising in the state,” according to ABC News.In an interview with ABC, Minnesota state Rep. Emma Greenman (D-63B) said she authored the legislation because she has grown increasingly concerned about young people in the state seeing their finances drained from placing online bets.“We’re seeing studies come out that say [the companies] are targeting 18- to 21-year-olds,” said Greenman, “and we are seeing gambling starting younger and younger.”CFTC Chair Michael Selig last month warned states against trying to regulate prediction markets, which he said would “circumvent the clear directive of Congress.”“Our message to Wisconsin is the same as to New York, Arizona, and others,” said Selig. “If you interfere with the operation of federal law in regulating financial markets, we will sue you.”
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating to determine who shot the bystander, who underwent surgery, and how many bullets were fired.
President Donald Trump seems indifferent to public opinion, according to one political analyst — and that poses a grave threat to the future of democracy.“His approval rating has plunged into the 30s, and he doesn’t seem to care,” MS NOW’s Paul Waldman wrote on Sunday. “Americans think the economy is terrible, and Trump seems indifferent. Instead, he’s putting his time and attention into a series of projects that could not be better designed to make him look corrupt and out of touch.”Waldman proceeded to list Trump’s various actions that Republicans believe are counterproductive to their goal of retaining control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. These include his proposed gold-plated ballroom, his proposed Virginia arch, his $1.8 billion slush fund for supporters including Jan. 6 rioters and his revenge campaign against Republicans who do not always vote as he wishes. He also has vocally expressed indifference to problems that Americans are concerned about including the Iran war and rising gas prices.“Indeed, if Trump were trying to engineer a defeat in November for his party, it’s hard to imagine what he would be doing differently,” Waldman argued. “Where does this indifference to both his own standing and the political fortunes of his party come from? He may have a version of senioritis, the way students stop caring about classes as the end of high school approaches. Trump does care about his legacy, but as far as he’s concerned, that legacy isn’t written in legislation or policy victories; it’s physical and tangible. If he’s loathed by two-thirds of the public when he departs the White House, it may not matter to Trump so long as there are gigantic buildings with his name on them.”He added, “Even more, Trump may see this indifference to the public’s judgment as a kind of liberation. He spent a lifetime attempting to free himself of any and all constraints, so he can do whatever he wants. Before he was president, it was the constraints of the law, ethics, convention and civility that vexed him; in politics it’s the law and ethics (again), political norms, international alliances and agreements, the bureaucracy, Congress and the courts. The political interest of his own party, and even his own popularity? That’s just one more thing tying him down. And he’s going to cut those cords.”Indeed, Washington Post reporter Luke Boradwater recently noted regarding last week in the president’s career that Trump’s political standing continues to deteriorate week-by-week basis.Life finally man-handled President Donald Trump like it typically abuses Democratic presidents: with pushback and disappointment. But don’t expect to see this brand of ego acknowledge it, says Washington Post writer Luke Broadwater.“By pretty much any estimation, President Trump has had a very bad week,” said Broadwater. “New poll numbers show his approval rating has hit a second-term low. He is weighing whether to restart a bombing campaign in an unpopular war against Iran. Gas prices are high and inching higher heading into Memorial Day weekend. And his grip over Republican lawmakers is beginning to slip after he proposed a pair of deeply unpopular spending items, prompting an unusual revolt from the Senate.”He added that Trump is acting like a man who does not need to concern himself whatsoever with public approval in order to retain his power.“But Mr. Trump has decided to double down, presenting himself as politically all-powerful even in the face of indications that he is not,” Broadwater wrote.