Good evening everyone. There is a lot to cover tonight, including ABC finally pushing back against the Trump administration over attacks on the First Amendment. Virginia Democrats are preparing to appeal the redistricting ruling to the Supreme Court. Trump appears increasingly frustrated and exhausted by the war with Iran and is now searching for a political off-ramp as tensions continue to escalate. And that is only the beginning.
As I mentioned this morning, I am deep in the Epstein files right now. I have been combing through documents and evidence to help prepare members of Congress for upcoming Epstein depositions and interviews. I warned earlier that I might not have a full update tonight, but I did not want to leave you hanging. I am also pursuing legal options and other avenues regarding the ongoing AI-driven attacks targeting me, and there are major developments unfolding behind the scenes. Stay tuned.
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Here’s the news:
Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of just $871,200 alongside a massive net loss of $405.9 million. The company said much of the loss came from non-cash accounting charges tied to digital assets and stock compensation. Despite the weak revenue, Trump Media said it still holds more than $2 billion in assets and reported positive operating cash flow for the fourth consecutive quarter. The company is also pursuing a planned merger with nuclear fusion company TAE Technologies and says it plans to continue expanding its Truth Social and Truth+ platforms.
The Atlantic reports that Donald Trump has grown frustrated with the ongoing conflict involving Iran and is eager to end the war. The piece says Trump has repeatedly declared victory and extended ceasefire deadlines while avoiding deeper military escalation, partly because of political pressure from rising gas prices and declining poll numbers. According to the report, Trump believes he can frame almost any agreement as a success, but Iran has so far resisted negotiations on terms acceptable to the United States. The article portrays the White House as increasingly impatient with a conflict that has lasted longer and become more complicated than Trump expected. Gas prices continue to rise:
Virginia Democratic Party filed a motion with the Supreme Court of Virginia requesting a stay of the court’s ruling against a proposed redistricting amendment. The move is part of an ongoing legal and political battle over congressional district maps and election rules ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democrats are seeking to pause the decision while further legal challenges or appeals proceed.
ABC News accused the Trump administration of violating free speech protections through an FCC investigation targeting the talk show The View. The dispute centers on whether the program violated political “equal time” broadcasting rules after featuring Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, though ABC argues the show qualifies as a legitimate news program exempt from those requirements. The network said the FCC’s actions create a “chilling effect” on protected speech and suggested the agency is unfairly targeting liberal-leaning programs while ignoring conservative talk shows. The clash comes amid broader tensions between the Trump administration and major media companies, including separate FCC reviews involving Disney and Comcast.
Sharyn Alfonsi, a long time 60 Minutes reporter, is reportedly leaving 60 Minutes when her contract expires at the end of the month, according to Page Six. The report says Alfonsi hired prominent attorney Bryan Freedman after tensions with CBS leadership escalated over a delayed segment involving immigration enforcement and criticism of CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. The dispute reportedly centered on allegations that Weiss held back the story because it was incomplete, while Alfonsi suggested the move protected the Trump administration. CBS declined to comment publicly on the situation.
According to Christopher Hale, MAGA evangelical leaders gathered today in Mar-a-Lago to bless and dedicate a gold statue dedicate to Donald Trump.
According to Reuters, officials in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reportedly explored whether certain widely used SSRI antidepressants could face restrictions or bans as part of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s broader effort to reduce psychiatric medication use. Reuters reported that discussions involved drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro, though HHS denied that any formal talks about banning SSRIs took place. Medical experts and psychiatric groups criticized the idea, arguing there is no evidence justifying restrictions on medications that are commonly used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. Regulatory experts also noted that the FDA would need substantial new scientific evidence to restrict approved medications that have been on the market for decades.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire near the Strait of Hormuz, despite a fragile ceasefire that Donald Trump said was still in effect. U.S. officials said American naval destroyers came under attack from Iranian missiles, drones, and small boats while transiting the strait, prompting retaliatory strikes on Iranian military targets. Trump claimed no U.S. ships were damaged and said negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program were continuing, though he acknowledged the broader conflict was not fully over. The confrontation further heightened tensions around the strategically critical waterway, where global shipping traffic has sharply declined amid the ongoing conflict.
Donald Trump has reportedly approved a plan to remove FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, according to senior administration officials cited by CNN. Makary has faced criticism from Trump allies, pharmaceutical industry figures, and anti-abortion activists over issues including drug approvals, vaping regulations, and access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The potential firing comes amid broader instability within the U.S. health leadership, with other major public health positions also lacking permanent leadership. Despite the reports, sources said Trump had not yet formally dismissed Makary and could still reverse course.
The U.S. economy added 115,000 jobs in April, outperforming expectations despite economic pressures linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3%, while healthcare, transportation, warehousing, and retail sectors saw the strongest hiring gains. The report came as gas prices stayed elevated, averaging around $4.55 per gallon, and inflation remained affected by rising energy costs tied to the war. Economists said the labor market appeared surprisingly resilient, though the number of Americans working part-time for economic reasons increased significantly.
Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine agreed to a temporary three-day ceasefire and prisoner exchange mediated by the United States. The pause in fighting, scheduled from Saturday through Monday, is intended to allow both sides to exchange 2,000 prisoners of war. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed support for the deal and thanked Trump for helping coordinate it, while also urging the U.S. to ensure that Vladimir Putin honors the agreement. Despite the announcement, previous ceasefires in the conflict have repeatedly collapsed amid accusations of violations from both sides.
Donald Trump claimed, without providing evidence, that Democratic Republic of the Congo released prisoners and sent them toward the U.S.-Mexico border. The White House defended Trump’s broader argument about dangerous criminals entering the United States during the Biden administration but did not produce proof supporting the specific allegation about Congo. Officials noted that some Congolese migrants had been apprehended at the border in recent years and that the U.S. had also accepted Congolese refugees through legal admissions programs.
The United States Department of Defense released a large collection of previously classified files related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs, the modern term for UFOs. Officials said the records were intended to increase transparency around cases that had long fueled public speculation. However, the first batch of declassified material reportedly contained mostly unresolved incidents and did not provide major new evidence or definitive conclusions about extraterrestrial activity. The documents were published on a new Defense Department website dedicated to UAP disclosures.
Alabama approved legislation that would allow special primary elections if courts permit Republicans to implement new congressional and state Senate maps before the November midterms. The move follows a recent Supreme Court ruling on redistricting and could affect Alabama’s current court-ordered map, which includes two majority-minority congressional districts represented by Democrats. Republican leaders argued the current map unfairly favors Democrats, while critics said the effort threatens fair representation and voting rights. The debate is part of a broader push across several Southern states, including Tennessee and Louisiana, to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on the TV show Fox & Friends that he and his family spent parts of seven months traveling across the country by road trip to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The lengthy trip reportedly involved visiting different parts of the United States as part of a patriotic family experience tied to the semiquincentennial celebrations.
A 19-year-old man, Jeury Concepcion, said he was mistakenly detained and injured by ICE agents during a takedown in the Bronx. Video footage showed agents tackling and handcuffing him, leaving him bleeding from the head and later diagnosed with a concussion. Concepcion said agents realized during questioning that they had the wrong person, apologized, and then dropped him off at an unfamiliar park. The incident comes amid heightened tensions over immigration enforcement in New York City as state leaders debate limits on cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
California is launching a first-in-the-nation program that will provide free diapers to families with newborns through participating hospitals statewide. The initiative, called Golden State Start, is being run in partnership with the nonprofit Baby2Baby and will give families 400 diapers when they leave the hospital. Governor Gavin Newsom said the program is part of a broader effort to reduce the financial burden of raising children and make essential goods more affordable. State officials say the initiative is aimed at combating diaper insecurity, which disproportionately affects low-income families.
More than 100 people aboard the Caribbean Princess cruise ship were sickened in a norovirus outbreak, according to the CDC. A total of 102 passengers and 13 crew members reported symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea during the ship’s April 28–May 11 voyage. In response, the crew increased cleaning and sanitation measures, isolated sick individuals, and collected samples for testing. The ship is expected to arrive in Port Canaveral on May 11 for a full disinfection before its next trip.
The CDC said American passengers aboard the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius will be quarantined in Nebraska after arriving in the United States. A CDC team is traveling to the Canary Islands to meet the passengers before they are transported to a specialized biocontainment facility at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Health officials worldwide are monitoring possible infections connected to the outbreak, which has already resulted in multiple confirmed cases and deaths linked to the voyage. Authorities emphasized that hantavirus spreads mainly through close contact and that the risk to the broader public remains low.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested 28 cruise ship staff members during a child sexual exploitation investigation that involved eight cruise ships docked in San Diego. Authorities said 27 of the suspects were linked to receiving, possessing, distributing, or viewing child sexual abuse material, and their visas were revoked before they were deported. Some of those arrested worked for Disney Cruise Line, which stated it has a zero-tolerance policy and cooperated fully with investigators. The names of the accused and the identities of the other cruise lines involved were not publicly released.
Scientists are working to develop a vaccine for hantavirus, but experts say it could still take many years before one becomes publicly available. Interest in the virus has increased following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, though researchers say funding has historically been limited because outbreaks are relatively rare and often occur in poorer regions. One U.K. biotech company, EnsiliTech, is developing an mRNA-based vaccine designed to remain stable at room temperature, but it has not yet entered human trials. Researchers say that without a major government-backed acceleration effort similar to Operation Warp Speed during COVID-19, widespread clinical testing and approval could still take close to a decade.
Congressman Max Miller has been accused by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno Miller, of repeated physical abuse during and after their marriage, according to court filings and reporting from the Daily Mail and The Daily Beast. Emily Moreno, the daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno, alleges that Miller assaulted her during custody exchanges and once threw boiling water at her while their young daughter was present. Miller has denied the allegations, accused his ex-wife of attempting to harm him politically, and said evidence would disprove her claims. The accusations add to earlier abuse allegations made by former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, which Miller has also denied.
This is the sign that greeted RFK Jr. in Ohio today:
According to Politico, the Trump administration is expanding hiring at the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office, despite earlier promises to dismantle the department and major layoffs in 2025. The office plans to add 334 full-time employees by 2027 to help manage federal student loans, financial aid programs, fraud investigations, and new repayment initiatives. Officials say the hiring is necessary because Congress increased the agency’s responsibilities, even as some student loan operations are being shifted to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Critics, including union leaders and former Biden administration officials, argue the hiring surge shows the previous staffing cuts were excessive and disruptive.
A federal jury in Miami convicted four men of conspiracy related to the 2021 assassination of Jovenel Moïse. Prosecutors said the group helped plan and finance a plot to remove Moïse and install a new Haitian leader who would benefit the conspirators financially and politically. The defendants were found guilty of conspiring to kill or kidnap the president, providing material support for the operation, and violating the U.S. Neutrality Act. Moïse’s assassination plunged Haiti into deeper instability, with gang violence and political chaos worsening in the years since his death.
See you soon.
— Aaron
