Good morning everyone. I have some exciting news. At 4:30 PM EST today, I am going to be going live on here with Senator Adam Schiff (as long as schedules don’t shift) so I hope you tune in. If you have any questions for the Senator, let me know in the comments. Questions from paid subscribers will be prioritized as a perk!
In addition, I will be going live more often. With MAGA attacks ramping up against me, I am ready to fight back harder than ever before, but I can only do it with your support. Please consider subscribing today, or sending a one-time donation via Venmo to aaron-parnas. We will not let them win.
Now, let’s get to the news:
Walmart has announced plans to raise prices in response to higher costs stemming from the ongoing trade dispute initiated under President Trump. “We remain committed to keeping our prices as low as possible,” said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon. “However, the scale of the tariffs—even after the recent reductions—makes it difficult to fully absorb the added costs due to the already slim margins in retail.”
An unusual uncertainty surrounds Thursday’s Supreme Court hearing on challenges to President Trump’s plan to end birthright citizenship. While it's one of the most high-profile cases of the year, it's unclear whether the Court will directly address the constitutionality of denying citizenship to U.S.-born children of undocumented or temporary visa holders. The justices may instead focus on a major procedural question: whether lower courts can continue to issue nationwide injunctions against federal policies.
Iran has stated it would agree to a nuclear deal with the Trump administration under four conditions: never developing nuclear weapons, eliminating its uranium stockpiles, limiting uranium enrichment to civilian levels, and allowing international inspectors to monitor compliance. Notably, all of these provisions were part of the original agreement negotiated under President Obama, which the Trump administration later withdrew from.
UnitedHealth is under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice for allegedly defrauding Medicare through a scheme involving fake patient diagnoses. The company is accused of inflating medical records to secure billions of dollars in excess reimbursements.
A leaked Signal group chat appears to show New Hampshire State Representative James Spillane encouraging violence against fellow Republicans who vote against party leadership. In the April 13 message, a user believed to be Spillane suggests punishments ranging from revoking privileges to “flogging,” “egging their house,” or “slashing their tires.” The revelation has sparked concern over rising extremism and internal threats within the state’s GOP.
Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan is seeking to have the federal charges against her dismissed, arguing that the government has no legal basis to prosecute her due to judicial immunity. She called the case “virtually unprecedented and entirely unconstitutional,” challenging the Trump administration’s decision to bring the charges.
Protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse in Milwaukee this morning in a show of support for Judge Hannah Dugan, who is set to be arraigned later today on charges brought by the Trump administration. Demonstrators held signs reading “Stop Trump’s war on democracy,” “Hands off due process,” and “Stop the coup,” signaling widespread concern over what many see as a politically motivated case against a sitting judge. This is a video from Scott Macfarlane and CBS News:
Rep. Jamie Raskin has led House Judiciary Democrats in filing a resolution condemning President Trump for attempting to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar without congressional approval. The resolution argues this action violates the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause.
Senator Dick Durbin is questioning Attorney General Bondi over her determination that Qatar’s $400 million jet gift to Trump would be “legally permissible.” He also pressed her on whether she recused herself from the matter, given her prior work as a lobbyist for Qatar.
New research suggests that wild chimpanzees have been observed self-medicating their wounds with plants, tending to the injuries of other chimps, and even freeing one another from snares set by human hunters. These behaviors indicate a complex level of empathy and medicinal knowledge in the species.
President Trump told reporters that progress on peace talks between Russia and Ukraine won't happen until he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he emphasized that “too many people are dying” and insisted that no real movement will occur without a direct meeting between the two leaders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he will decide on potential peace talks after meeting with Turkish President Erdogan. He reaffirmed that he won’t engage with anyone from the Russian side except Vladimir Putin, calling the current Russian delegation “phony.”
Trump indicated Thursday morning that the U.S. might have a trade deal with India, where the country has agreed to charge "no tariff" on U.S. goods. During a roundtable with business leaders in Doha, he highlighted that India, one of the highest tariff nations, has offered this deal to ease trade barriers.
U.S. wholesale prices unexpectedly fell by 0.5% in April, despite Trump’s broad tariffs on imports. The decline suggests that inflationary pressure from the trade measures may be weaker than anticipated.
See you this afternoon.
— Aaron
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