Elves should have mathematicians, too

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/06/05/day-1598/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/06/05/day-1598

1/ Trump threatened to cancel Elon Musk’s federal contracts and subsidies, saying “the easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.” He said he’s “very disappointed” in Musk, called him “crazy,” and claimed the billionaire only developed a “problem” after losing influence and perks. “He misses the place,” Trump added, suggesting Musk suffered from “Trump derangement syndrome.”The feud centers on Trump’s tax and spending bill, which cuts EV and solar credits, adds $2.4 trillion to the deficit, and removes funding that benefits Musk’s companies. Musk called it a “disgusting abomination,” saying it was filled with “disgusting pork” and unfairly preserved oil and gas subsidies. Musk, however, denied Trump’s claim that he’d reviewed the legislation, writing: “This bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it.” Musk, who spent nearly $300 million to elect Trump and Republicans in 2024, claimed that “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude.” He floated forming a new political party “that actually represents the 80% in the middle” and warned Republicans: “Trump has 3.5 years left […] I’ll be around for 40+.” The rift continued to explode throughout the day with Musk saying it was “Time to drop the really big bomb,” accusing Trump of being “in the Epstein files,” which “is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT! […] The truth will come out.” Musk also attacked Hill Republicans, singling out Speaker Mike Johnson and Sen. John Thune for abandoning past concerns over the national debt. Tesla shares, meanwhile, plunged 14%, wiping out more than $180 billion in market value and marking the stock’s worst day in four years. Musk later said SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft “immediately” due to Trump’s threats to cancel his government contracts. The Dragon capsule – which brought two NASA astronauts back to Earth in March after they were stranded for months by a Boeing Starliner capsule – is the only U.S. option for delivering crew to and from the International Space Station. And, at the time of this writing, Musk capped the day saying “The Trump tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year” and signed off on a suggestion on Twitter that Trump should be impeached and removed from office. Trump, of course, was impeached twice during his first term and acquitted both times by the Senate. (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Bloomberg / Washington Post / ABC News / CNN / NBC News / CNBC / The Hill / Axios / Associated Press / NPR / Bloomberg / Politico / Axios / CNBC / Bloomberg)

2/ Trump issued a travel ban blocking immigration and most travel from 12 countries, reviving a version of his first term travel ban targeting Muslim-majority nations. The order bars entry from Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and six other countries, and limits visas from Cuba, Venezuela, Laos, and others. The ban takes effect June 9 and exempts green card holders and some visa categories. Even though Egypt was not part of the travel, Trump nevertheless justified the action by tying it to the Colorado attack by an Egyptian man with an expired visa. “We don’t want them,” Trump added. (Politico / CBS News / The Hill / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Reuters)

3/ A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to give over 100 migrants deported to El Salvador a chance to challenge their removals, calling the current process “constitutionally inadequate.” Judge James Boasberg said officials “spirited away planeloads of people” in March under the Alien Enemies Act without letting them contest the claim that they belonged to a Venezuelan gang. “There is simply no way to know for sure,” Boasberg wrote, adding that “significant evidence” suggests many of the migrants held at CECOT prison have no gang ties. The order gives the government one week to outline how it will let the detainees seek habeas relief. (CNN / Associated Press / NBC News)

4/ Trump blocked foreign nationals from entering the U.S. to study at Harvard, targeting only that school and citing “national security” risks. The proclamation accused Harvard of underreporting “known illegal activity” by international students and claimed the university is “no longer a trustworthy steward” of student visa programs. The proclamation directs Secretary of State Rubio to consider revoking visas of current students and will last six months unless extended. A Harvard spokesperson called it “yet another illegal retaliatory step,” while Attorney General Bondi wrote: “Admission to the United States to study at an ‘elite’ American university is a privilege, not a right.” The order followed a federal judge’s injunction blocking earlier efforts to strip Harvard’s visa certification and freeze its enrollment of international students. (CBS News / Axios / Bloomberg / Politico / USA Today / Washington Post)

5/ The Supreme Court unanimously threw out Mexico’s lawsuit against U.S. gun makers, ruling that a 2005 federal law shields gun manufacturers from civil lawsuits tied to misuse of their products. Mexico argued that companies like Smith & Wesson and Colt knowingly fueled trafficking by selling to dealers linked to cartels, pointing to firearms like the “Emiliano Zapata 1911” pistol marketed with Mexican revolutionary imagery. About 70% of the 30,000 guns seized and traced in Mexico each year come from the U.S., according to U.S. and Mexican officials. (Washington Post / New York Times / Politico / NBC News)

6/ The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a straight woman passed over for promotions can sue for job discrimination. Marlean Ames, a Ohio state employee, claimed because she is straight she was demoted and replaced by a “25-year-old protégé” who “lacked the minimum qualifications.” The justices struck down a rule used by several federal appeals courts requiring plaintiffs from majority groups – often meaning white, male, or heterosexual individuals – to prove their employer was “unusual” in discriminating against them. “Congress left no room for courts to impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone,” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote. (Associated Press / Washington Post / CNN / New York Times / NPR / NBC News / CBS News / USA Today)

7/ The Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin illegally denied the Catholic Charities Bureau and its affiliated groups a religious tax exemption. In a unanimous decision, the justices said state officials violated the First Amendment by rejecting the charity’s religious status because it serves people of all faiths and doesn’t proselytize. Wisconsin had argued the charity didn’t qualify because its services – like housing and job support for people with disabilities – were available to anyone and lacked religious content. The Wisconsin Supreme Court had sided with state regulators, who called the group’s work “secular in nature” and not “operated primarily for religious purposes.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, however, wrote the state “transgressed” constitutional limits by favoring some religious practices over others. (NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post)

The midterm elections are in 516 days.

✏️ Notables.

1. A 20-something tech operative known online as “Big Balls” is now a full-time federal employee with top-level access to government systems. Edward Coristine, a former Neuralink contractor tied to Elon Musk’s DOGE team, was hired at the General Services Administration on May 31 as a senior adviser with a GS-15 salary – one of the highest possible. Alongside two other young Musk associates, he helped dismantle USAID and push a $5 million “gold card” visa plan while gaining access to dozens of agencies, despite having no prior government experience. (Wired)

2. The Trump administration put 22-year-old Thomas Fugate, a recent college graduate with no national security background, in charge of the Department of Homeland Security’s main terrorism prevention office. Fugate now oversees CP3, an $18 million grant program once led by a decorated Army veteran, after the White House gutted the office and shifted its focus to immigration. (ProPublica)

3. Trump is spending $2.1 million on a probe to see if DEI policies caused plane crashes, including the January accident near Reagan airport that killed 67 people. The Department of Transportation hired Elon Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, to lead the investigation, which includes $1.8 million in legal fees and up to $15,000 per interview. (The Atlantic)

4. Trump ordered a federal investigation into whether Biden’s aides used an autopen to hide his “serious cognitive decline” and execute presidential actions. The memo called for a review of documents Biden signed, including pardons and executive orders, to determine if others “unconstitutionally exercise[d] the authorities” of the presidency. Trump claimed the public was “purposefully shielded” while Biden’s signature was used to enact “radical policy shifts.” Biden, meanwhile, dismissed the claims as “ridiculous and false,” saying: “I made the decisions during my presidency.” (CNN / Politico / Washington Post / New York Times / NPR / USA Today)

Support today's essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member

Subscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/06/05/day-1598/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/06/05/day-1598

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/06/04/day-1597/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/06/04/day-1597

1/ Trump’s tax and spending bill would add $2.4 trillion to the federal deficit and push 10.9 million more Americans off health insurance by 2034, according to a new estimate by the Congressional Budget Office. The bill extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, eliminates taxes on tips, and imposes deep cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. The CBO projects $3.7 trillion in lost revenue and $1.3 trillion in spending cut – a $2.4 trillion increase in the deficit. The agency also said 7.8 million people would lose Medicaid coverage, including 5.2 million under new work requirements, and another 1.4 million would lose coverage due to immigration restrictions. Speaker Mike Johnson, nevertheless, dismissed the findings, saying, “We’re not buying the CBO estimates,” while Sen. Ron Johnson called the package “grotesque” and said: “I refuse to accept $2 trillion-plus deficits as far as the eye can see as the new normal.” Trump, meanwhile, continues to demand passage by July 4, while Elon Musk urged his followers to call their lawmakers and encourage them to “KILL the BILL.”(Associated Press / ABC News / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Politico / NBC News / CNBC)

2/ Marjorie Taylor Greene admitted that she didn’t read the Trump-backed spending bill before voting for it, saying she just discovered it includes a 10-year ban on state regulation of artificial intelligence. “Full transparency, I did not know about this section,” Greene said, adding, “I would have voted NO if I had known this was in there.” She now says she won’t support the bill when it returns from the Senate unless the AI language is removed. Rep. Mike Flood made a similar admission, saying he was unaware the bill limited judges’ ability to hold federal officials in contempt. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed the House by a single vote after a late-night scramble and pressure from Trump. Lawmakers were given hours to review the final 1,038-page text before the vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, meanwhile, downplayed Elon Musk’s criticism that the package is a “disgusting abomination” that would “massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit.” Johnson said Musk is “flat wrong, and I’ve told him as much,” while Thune added: “This is a 51-vote exercise […] and the alternative isn’t a good one.” (HuffPost / Daily Beast / Politico / New York Times / The Guardian / The Hill / Washington Post / USA Today)

3/ Trump raised tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 50% — more than doubling the rate imposed in March. He said the increase was needed because earlier tariffs “have not yet enabled” U.S. producers to reach sustainable capacity. Manufacturers, however, warned that it will raise prices on cars, appliances, and canned goods, and lead to job losses in industries that rely on imported metals. Tariffs on the UK, meanwhile, were left at 25% under a pending trade deal, though Trump said that could change by July 9. Canada called the tariffs a “direct threat to Canadian jobs,” while Mexico said they were “unsustainable” and would seek an exemption. (CNN / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Axios / CNBC)

4/ Trump called Chinese leader Xi Jinping “VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!” U.S.-China trade talks stalled less than a month into a 90-day pause on tariffs after China refused to lift export restrictions on rare earth minerals, which U.S. officials saw as a breach of the May 12 agreement. Trump responded by claiming China “TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US” and said he made a “FAST DEAL” to “save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation.” Beijing, however, denied violating the deal and called U.S. actions “groundless,” citing new restrictions on tech exports, student visas, and warnings against Huawei chips. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, said the talks were “a bit stalled” and likely required a call between Trump and Xi, though none has been confirmed. (CNBC / CNN / The Hill / Washington Post)

5/ Trump demanded the Federal Reserve cut interest rates after a private jobs report showed hiring slowed sharply in May, a drop economists linked to growing business uncertainty from his trade policies. ADP reported 37,000 new private-sector jobs – the weakest since March 2023 and far below expectations. “ADP NUMBER OUT!!! ‘Too Late’ Powell must now LOWER THE RATE. He is unbelievable!!! Europe has lowered NINE TIMES!” Trump posted immediately after the report’s release. Last week, Trump told Fed Chair Jerome Powell during a White House meeting that he was “making a mistake by not lowering interest rates.” Powell, however, told Trump that Fed policy “must be guided by objective economic data, not politics.” (CNBC / Axios / CNN / USA Today)

6/ Putin told Trump he’ll “have to respond” to Ukraine’s drone strike on Russian air bases housing strategic bombers, casting doubt on a ceasefire and undermining Trump’s repeated claims that he’d end the war “within 24 hours” of taking office. After a 75-minute call, Trump admitted it was “not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.” The Kremlin, meanwhile, accused Ukraine of stalling diplomacy through “terrorist acts,” including attacks on rail lines and bridges. Ukrainian officials dismissed the accusation and called Russia’s ceasefire offer an “ultimatum.” They pointed to continued Russian strikes on civilian areas and front-line advances during the talks as evidence that Moscow “has no genuine intention of ceasing hostilities.” (Associated Press / Politico / ABC News / Bloomberg / Axios / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / CNBC)

The midterm elections are in 517 days.

✏️ Notables.

1. The Trump administration revoked federal guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions when needed to stabilize a patient’s condition. The guidance, issued in 2022 after the fall of Roe v. Wade, directed hospitals receiving Medicare funds to follow the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which mandates stabilizing care in medical emergencies – even in states that ban the procedure. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the guidance “does not reflect the policy of this Administration” and promised to “rectify any perceived legal confusion.” (Associated Press / The Guardian / Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post / Axios)

2. The Education Department said Columbia University may lose accreditation after determining it violated federal anti-discrimination law by failing to stop harassment of Jewish students. The department accused Columbia of “deliberate indifference” following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and formally notified its accreditor, which must now decide whether to penalize the school. “This is not only immoral, but also unlawful,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. (Bloomberg / Axios / CNBC / Reuters)

3. A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting the wife and five children of the man charged with throwing Molotov cocktails at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder. Immigration officials detained the family and moved them to a Texas facility, despite a pending asylum case and no charges against them. The judge warned that deporting them “without process” could cause “irreparable harm.” Lawyers called the detentions “patently unlawful” and said that “punishing individuals for the crimes of their relatives violates the very foundations of a democratic justice system.” Mohamed Sabry Soliman told police he acted alone, planned the attack for over a year, and “never talked to his wife or family” about it. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Wall Street Journal / NBC News)

4. Federal prosecutors charged two Chinese nationals with smuggling a toxic plant pathogen into the U.S. that the FBI described as a potential “agroterrorism weapon.” Zunyong Liu entered Detroit Metro Airport in July 2024 with baggies of Fusarium graminearum hidden in tissues; he later admitted he brought it to conduct research at the University of Michigan, where Yunqing Jian worked. Investigators recovered messages between the pair discussing how to hide biological materials in shoes and books. (Reuters / NBC News / ABC News)

5. The Justice Department dropped its civil lawsuit against former Trump adviser Peter Navarro over his use of a private email account and failure to return presidential records. The one-page filing offered no explanation and said both sides would “bear their own fees and costs.” The DOJ had accused Navarro of using a ProtonMail account to conduct official business and withholding records that should have gone to the National Archives. The Justice Department declined to explain the reversal. (Associated Press / CNN)

Support today's essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member

Subscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/06/04/day-1597/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/06/04/day-1597

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/05/28/day-1590/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/05/28/day-1590

1/ Elon Musk said he’s “disappointed” with Trump over the House-passed tax and spending bill, calling it a “massive spending bill” that “increases the budget deficit” and “undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.” The legislation extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, expands funding for military and immigration enforcement, while cutting funding for health care, education, nutrition, and clean energy programs. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would rescind Medicaid coverage for 8.6 million people, roll back food assistance for over 4 million, and eliminate clean energy tax credits used by millions of households and businesses. Musk added: “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.” The CBO also projected the bill would add $3.8 trillion to the deficit over ten years. Trump, nevertheless, dismissed Musk’s criticism, saying, “We will be negotiating that bill,” and “I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects.” (CBS News / Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / Bloomberg / NBC News / Associated Press)

• House Republicans rejected a push from some Trump allies to include a tax hike on millionaires in the GOP’s tax and spending bill. The House-passed legislation extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and delivers the biggest benefits to high earners. The top 1% would receive an average $70,000 cut, while those earning under $13,000 would lose support due to cuts to Medicaid and food stamps. (Washington Post)

2/ The White House will send a $9.4 billion rescissions package to Congress to formalize a portion of spending cuts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The proposal would eliminate $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $8.3 billion in foreign aid, including USAID and PEPFAR, and starts a 45-day countdown under federal law for Congress to act. Speaker Mike Johnson said the House is “eager and ready to act,” but gave no timeline or details. NPR, which is now suing the White House, called the cuts a “clear violation of the Constitution,” while Sen. Rand Paul said that “If Congress can’t cut $9 billion, I think most of them should resign and go home.” Some Republicans, meanwhile have warned that the package may not pass given previous attempts to rescind similar funding have failed. (Axios / Politico)

3/ A federal judge allowed the Trump administration to give DOGE access to the Treasury systems that handle trillions in payments and store Americans’ Social Security numbers and bank data. Judge Jeannette Vargas approved access for four DOGE staffers and said future employees could be cleared without court approval if they are properly vetted and trained. “There is little utility in having this Court function as Treasury’s de facto human resources officer,” she wrote. Vargas had blocked access in February, citing the administration’s “chaotic and haphazard” approach to security and privacy risks. DOGE staffers had previously tried to use the system to stop federal spending programs, prompting 19 Democratic attorneys general to sue. (CNN / ABC News / Politico / Washington Post)

4/ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may ban government scientists from publishing in top medical journals, calling the Lancet, NEJM, and JAMA “corrupt” and “controlled by pharma.” Kennedy said HHS would create its own “in-house” journals unless the existing ones “change dramatically.” Experts warned the move could isolate U.S. research, weaken scientific credibility, and “delegitimize taxpayer-funded research.” The threat follows Kennedy’s push to end CDC vaccine guidance, cut NIH funding by $3 billion, and purge tens of thousands of HHS staff. (Politico / Washington Post / STAT News / The Guardian)

5/ Trump defended his pattern of threatening and then reversing tariffs after investors began using the term “TACO” – short for “Trump Always Chickens Out” – to describe his behavior. “You call that chickening out? It’s called negotiation,” Trump said, after delaying a 50% tariff on EU goods two days after announcing it. The phrase gained traction as traders profited by betting on market rebounds tied to his reversals. Asked about the nickname, Trump called the question “nasty” and claimed his threats forced talks. “They wouldn’t be over here today negotiating if I didn’t put a 50% tariff on,” he said. (HuffPost / New York Times / Bloomberg / CNBC / The Hill)

The midterm elections are in 524 days.

✏️ Notables.

1. Stephen Miller and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem want ICE to make 3,000 arrests per day – triple the rate at the start of Trump’s first term. Miller reportedly told agents to “get arrest and deportation numbers up as much as possible,” leaving some officials fearing they’d be fired if they failed. ICE already holds nearly 50,000 people, exceeding its funding limit, while deportations from inside the U.S. have risen despite falling border crossings. (Axios / New Republic)

2. Trump said Harvard should cap foreign student enrollment at 15%, claiming that “We have people who want to go to Harvard […] they can’t get in because we have foreign students there.” Since taking office, Trump’s frozen over $2.6 billion in research funding to Harvard, revoked its certification to accept international students, and moved to cancel all federal contracts. He’s accused Harvard of antisemitism and said its leaders “want to show how smart they are” but “they’re getting their ass kicked” and “all they’re doing is getting in deeper and deeper and deeper.” (Bloomberg / ABC News)

3. The Trump administration sued North Carolina for failing to collect ID numbers from hundreds of thousands of voter registrations, calling it a violation of federal law. The Justice Department said the state used a form for years that didn’t clearly require a driver’s license or Social Security number, and then failed to fix old records before the 2024 election. (Associated Press / The Hill)

4. Trump will wait two weeks to see if Putin is “tapping us along” before changing course on a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Trump, however, has refused to impose new sanctions after Russia launched 367 drones and missiles over the weekend, killing at least 12 people, saying: “I think I’m close to getting a deal, I don’t want to screw it up.” Trump called Putin “crazy” and warned he is “playing with fire,” but admitted, “until the document is signed I can’t tell you” if Russia is negotiating in good faith. (CNN / Politico / Washington Post / USA Today)

5. Trump granted pardons to Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of defrauding banks out of $36 million and evading taxes over four years. “Your parents are going to be free and clean,” Trump told their daughter in a call from the Oval Office, despite prosecutors calling the couple “career swindlers” who funded a lavish lifestyle through fraud. The Chrisleys had served two years of 12- and 7-year prison terms, and their lawyer claimed they were targeted for “conservative values” – a claim Trump echoed while continuing a pattern of pardoning political allies and reality TV figures. (NPR / New York Times)

6. Trump said he’s considering pardons for the two men who were convicted of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job,” Trump said, claiming Adam Fox and Barry Croft, who were sentenced to 16 and 19 years in prison, “were drinking” and “said stupid things.” Prosecutors, however, said the men used encrypted chats, night vision goggles, and planned to bomb a bridge to block police during the 2020 plot targeting Whitmer over COVID restrictions. (NBC News / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / The Hill)

Support today's essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member

Subscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/05/28/day-1590/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/05/28/day-1590

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/05/27/day-1589/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/05/27/day-1589

1/ Senate Republicans threatened to block Trump’s tax and spending bill, saying it would add trillions to the national debt and gut safety net programs. “We have enough to stop the process until the president gets serious about spending reduction and reducing the deficit,” Sen. Ron Johnson said, calling the $1.5 trillion in proposed cuts “a rounding error.” The bill, which passed the House by one vote, includes a $4 trillion debt ceiling hike and would cut nearly $700 billion from Medicaid, disqualifying over 8 million people. Sen. Rand Paul added that the plan’s cuts are “wimpy and anemic” and would “explode the debt.” Trump, however, said he expects “significant” Senate changes, but claimed the bill remains “the most significant piece of legislation” ever. Speaker Mike Johnson also insisted that the bill doesn’t cut Medicaid, but instead targets “fraud, waste, and abuse,” though nonpartisan analysts said some claims about ineligible recipients were false. (NBC News / The Guardian / New York Times / USA Today / Politico / Washington Post / ABC News / The Hill)

2/ Trump announced and then two days later delayed a 50% tariff on all European Union imports until July 9 after EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asked for more time to negotiate a deal. Trump said she “wants to get down to serious negotiation,” calling their conversation a “very nice call.” On Friday, Trump said trade talks were “going nowhere” and accused the EU of being “very difficult to deal with.” He then proposed the 50% tariff starting June 1, escalating from the 10% rate he set during an earlier 90-day pause. Von der Leyen, however, said the EU was ready to move “swiftly and decisively.” (NBC News / New York Times / CNN / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / NPR / Politico / CNBC)

3/ Trump threatened a 25% tariff on iPhones not made in the U.S., despite warnings that a domestically built model could cost up to $3,500. “If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.,” Trump posted on Truth Social, insisting iPhones be made “not in India, or anyplace else.” Trump later said the tariff would also apply to Samsung and “anybody that makes that product,” and could take effect by the end of June. Analyst Dan Ives, however, called the idea of U.S.-made iPhones a “fairy tale,” saying it would take years and sharply raise prices. (TechCrunch / Axios / NBC News / The Guardian / CNBC / CBS News)

4/ The Trump administration stopped all new student visa interviews as it prepares to require social media screening for every applicant. A State Department cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered embassies to “not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity” until further notice. The administration has already revoked visas and detained students over pro-Palestinian activism, citing national security and antisemitism concerns, though it hasn’t made specific evidence public. More than one million international students are currently in the U.S., and all new applicants are now subject to the pause. (Politico / Reuters / Axios / Bloomberg / CBS News / The Hill)

5/ A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from banning international students at Harvard. The Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard’s certification to host foreign students last week, ordering roughly 7,000 international students to transfer or lose legal status. Harvard sued within 24 hours, accusing the administration of trying to “erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body” and punish the school in “retaliation” for rejecting federal oversight of its curriculum, hiring, and protests. Judge Allison Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order Friday, citing “immediate and irreparable injury.” DHS, however, said Harvard “lost this privilege” for failing to turn over student protest records and creating an “unsafe campus environment hostile to Jewish students.” (New York Times / ABC News / Associated Press / Washington Post / NBC News)

6/ The Trump administration ordered federal agencies to cancel all remaining contracts with Harvard University, totaling about $100 million. A letter from the General Services Administration directed agencies to submit cancellation lists by June 6 and “seek alternative vendors” for future work. The order follows an earlier move to freeze more than $3 billion in federal research grants to Harvard. “I am considering taking THREE BILLION DOLLARS of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Trump accused Harvard of antisemitism and racial discrimination, citing a Harvard Law Review fellowship awarded to a student charged – but not convicted – in a 2023 protest. The administration also claimed the university defied a Supreme Court ruling banning race-based admissions, pointing to a drop in Black enrollment. Harvard called the cuts unconstitutional and a threat to academic freedom. “We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action,” said President Alan Garber. “It imperils the futures of thousands of students.” (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Associated Press / NPR / NBC News / ABC News / Bloomberg / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Politico)

The midterm elections are in 525 days.

✏️ Notables.

1. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that Covid-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children or pregnant women. Kennedy bypassed the CDC’s usual process and claimed the vaccines were removed from the CDC’s immunization schedule without consulting its advisory panel. (STAT News / Washington Post / Reuters / CNN)

2. Trump, in a campaign-style commencement speech at West Point, called the graduates “the first West Point graduates of the Golden Age” and vowed to purge the military of “social experiments.” Trump defended his elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion policies and reiterated his ban on transgender service members, saying: “We’ve liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings.” Trump also criticized past “nation-building crusades,” promised new “stealth planes” and a “Golden Dome” missile shield, warned cadets to avoid “trophy wives,” calling them a common mistake that “doesn’t work out too well,” and claimed his reelection gave him “the right to do what we want to do.” (Associated Press / USA Today / Axios / New York Times / Washington Post)

3. The Trump administration removed more than 100 National Security Council staffers. Most of those put on administrative leave were career officials detailed from agencies like the Pentagon and State Department. They were told by email they had 30 minutes to clear out. A White House official called the NSC “the ultimate Deep State” and that “We’re gutting the Deep State.” (CNN / Politico / Bloomberg / Axios / Washington Post)

4. Trump accused Putin of being “absolutely CRAZY” after Russia launched 355 drones and nine cruise missiles into Ukraine – the largest aerial attack since the 2022 invasion. “He’s killing a lot of people,” Trump said. “I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” warning that “He’s playing with fire,” and claimed, “if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia.” Trump said he is “absolutely” considering new sanctions, but hasn’t approved any military aid to Ukraine since taking office in January. The Kremlin, meanwhile, dismissed Trump’s remarks as “emotional overload.” (Politico / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / New York Times / Associated Press)

5. NPR and three Colorado public radio stations sued Trump, calling his executive order to cut off federal funding for NPR and PBS “textbook retaliation” and a violation of the First Amendment. The lawsuit said Trump’s order illegally bypassed Congress, which controls federal spending. Trump, meanwhile, claimed public broadcasters spread “left-wing propaganda” and said funding should go to outlets that offer “fair, accurate, unbiased” coverage. (NPR / Wall Street Journal / New York Times)

6. A federal judge – again – blocked Trump from moving forward with mass federal layoffs and agency overhauls, saying he “must do so in lawful ways” and “with the cooperation of the legislative branch.” The injunction stops Trump’s February 11 order, which targeted 22 federal agencies for job cuts and structural changes. Judge Susan Illston wrote that “Agencies may not conduct large-scale reorganizations and reductions in force in blatant disregard of Congress’s mandates.” The Trump administration called the decision “judicial overreach” and appealed to the 9th Circuit and the Supreme Court, arguing that the president has full authority to direct agencies to reduce staff. (NPR / CBS News / Washington Post / New York Times)

7. A federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order punishing the law firm Jenner & Block, calling it “an unconstitutional act of retaliation.” Judge John Bates wrote that Trump targeted the firm “because of the causes Jenner champions, the clients Jenner represents, and a lawyer Jenner once employed” – a reference to Andrew Weissmann, a former prosecutor on Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Bates said the administration offered no national security justification and accused Trump of trying “to chill legal representation the administration doesn’t like.”

8. Federal judges blocked Trump’s executive orders punishing two law firms linked to the Russia investigation, calling the actions unconstitutional and politically motivated. Judge Richard Leon struck down the order against WilmerHale, writing that Trump aimed to “coerce” the firm over its ties to Robert Mueller and declaring the move an attack on “an independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases.” In a separate ruling, Judge John Bates blocked the order against Jenner & Block, calling it “an unconstitutional act of retaliation” based on “the causes Jenner champions, the clients Jenner represents, and a lawyer Jenner once employed” – a reference to Andrew Weissmann, a former prosecutor on Mueller’s Russia investigation. Both judges said the administration provided no national security rationale and accused Trump of trying “to chill legal representation the administration doesn’t like.” (Washington Post / New York Times / Axios CNBC)

9. Trump pardoned a convicted tax felon less than three weeks after his mother attended a $1 million Mar-a-Lago fundraiser. Paul Walczak had admitted to stealing over $10 million in employee taxes to fund luxury spending, but argued that he was targeted “over his family’s conservative politics.” The judge said there “is not a get-out-of-jail-free card” for the rich, yet Trump’s pardon erased his prison sentence and $4.4 million in restitution. (New York Times)

10. Trump pardoned former Virginia sheriff Scott Jenkins one day before he was set to begin a 10-year prison sentence for federal bribery and fraud. Jenkins was convicted of selling deputy badges for over $75,000 in cash, allowing wealthy donors to carry concealed weapons and avoid traffic stops. Prosecutors called it a “cash-for-badges scheme,” while Trump dismissed the conviction as the work of a “corrupt and weaponized Biden DOJ.” (ABC News / Associated Press / Washington Post)

11. Trump’s new political appointee overseeing pardons personally reviewed a clemency request for Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers founder convicted of seditious conspiracy for the Jan. 6 attack. Ed Martin, a longtime ally of Jan. 6 defendants who called the riot “like Mardi Gras,” accepted 11 applications, including four Proud Boys leaders, within days of taking the role. He’s pledged to advance them after previously firing the prosecutors who secured their convictions. (Politico)

12. Trump Media will raise $2.5 billion from investors to buy bitcoin and create a company-run “bitcoin treasury,” expanding Trump’s direct financial stake in a market he regulates. The company, controlled by Trump’s family, called the move protection against “harassment and discrimination by financial institutions,” according to CEO Devin Nunes. The announcement follows Trump’s private dinner for top $TRUMP memecoin holders and dropped enforcement cases against major crypto firms. (Politico / The Verge / Associated Press)

Support today's essential newsletter and resist the daily shock and awe: Become a member

Subscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/05/27/day-1589/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/05/27/day-1589