Democrats United Against Budget Bill as Donald Trump Pardons a Sheriff Who Sold Law Enforcement Badges

Memorial Day prices rise because of Tariffs, Trump pardons a sheriff who sold law enforcement badges, medical breakthroughs, and Senate Democrats are united against the Republican budget bill.

I hope everyone had a meaningful and restful Memorial Day.

I'm currently hosting a small barbecue at home, so there won’t be a video update today—but I still wanted to share a quick text update because there’s been a lot of news worth your attention. Amidst everything, there’s also some good news to highlight, including exciting medical breakthroughs that I think you'll find uplifting.

Unfortunately, the threats against me continue. I share this not to alarm you, but to underscore that I’m not backing down—and I’m certainly not going anywhere. The latest threat? “Aaron Parnas needs to be found and expired.”

The best way you can support me in pushing back is by supporting my work directly. Subscriptions or one-time contributions via Venmo make a big difference and help me keep doing this important work.

With that, here’s the news:

• Memorial Day may mark the start of summer, but it’s also bringing a wave of higher prices due to new tariffs on imports imposed by the Trump administration. Small businesses selling summer essentials like beer, fireworks, and American flags are facing rising costs, with some already raising prices to stay afloat. While some items like grills and gas may remain stable for now, experts warn that food, beverages, and last-minute fireworks purchases are likely to become more expensive as tariffs ripple through the economy.

• Senate Majority Leader Schumer just announced that all Senate Democrats plan to vote together to oppose Trump's proposed budget bill.

• Donald Trump just announced a full pardon for Scott Jenkins, the former Virginia sheriff who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for accepting more than $70,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing local businessmen as auxiliary deputies. “He will not be going to jail tomorrow, but instead will have a wonderful and productive life,” Trump said, sparking controversy over the decision to pardon a law enforcement official convicted of corruption.

• Millie Beckett, a 74-year-old grandmother from Inverkip, Scotland, made a remarkable recovery after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage that left her in a coma for three weeks, despite doctors warning her family five times that she wouldn’t survive. Just months later, Millie is back on her feet with almost a full recovery, astonishing her loved ones who had been told she would likely be profoundly disabled and require constant care.

• In a groundbreaking medical first, doctors at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine have successfully used a customized CRISPR gene-editing therapy to treat an infant named KJ, who was born with the rare metabolic disorder CPS1 deficiency. After receiving the therapy at six months old, KJ is now healthy and thriving, offering new hope for patients with rare genetic diseases that currently lack treatment options. The case, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, marks a major step forward in personalized gene therapy.

• UK police have arrested a 53-year-old man after a car rammed into Liverpool fans during the club’s Premier League trophy parade, injuring 27 people, including four children. Authorities confirmed that the driver, a white British man from the Liverpool area, is in custody and the incident is not being treated as terrorism. Emergency responders reported that two people—one child and one adult—sustained serious injuries, while several others were treated at the scene.

• The Kremlin responded with caution after Donald Trump labeled Putin as "insane," with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov choosing a measured and diplomatic tone in his reply.

• According to a new InsiderAdvantage poll, Donald Trump holds a 60% approval rating among Hispanic voters, while 40% say they disapprove of him. The results highlight a notable level of support for Trump within a demographic traditionally seen as leaning Democratic. The poll could signal shifting political dynamics ahead of the upcoming election.

• Federal Reserve official Neel Kashkari warned that new tariffs could have a "stagflationary" effect on the U.S. economy—slowing growth while driving up prices. He also stated he doesn’t expect any changes to interest rates before September. Kashkari’s comments reflect concerns about inflationary pressures amid global trade tensions.

• During a town hall with staff last week, U.S. National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya addressed a controversial topic just 27 minutes into the meeting. Speaking at NIH headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, he acknowledged the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic may have been caused by human-led research—potentially even research partially funded by the NIH. His remarks prompted a strong reaction, with dozens of NIH employees reportedly walking out of the auditorium mid-discussion.

• French President Emmanuel Macron has downplayed a viral video showing his wife Brigitte seemingly pushing his face as they exited a plane in Vietnam, calling it a harmless moment being blown out of proportion. Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, Macron said the clip captured playful teasing and criticized the public for turning it into “a geo-planetary catastrophe.” He acknowledged the video’s authenticity but pushed back against the speculation and narratives it sparked online.

• The Environmental Protection Agency is drafting a new rule that would eliminate all federal limits on climate pollution from coal and gas-fired power plants, according to documents cited by The New York Times. This marks a major reversal of Biden-era efforts to cut emissions and could extend the lifespan of high-polluting coal plants, potentially raising energy costs. The move would undo decades of climate progress and weaken recently finalized EPA rules requiring power plants to curb or capture 90% of emissions by 2032.

• In an extremely rare wildlife moment, a mistle thrush was photographed feeding a baby blackbird alongside her own chicks in North Shropshire, England. Wildlife photographer Andrew Fusek-Peters captured the touching scene, noting that such inter-species feeding is known but almost never seen—let alone documented—making this a truly special and unusual sighting.

See you in the morning.

— Aaron