I'm heading out to dinner with my wife, but before I go, I want to make sure you’re up to speed on what’s been a hectic and important news day. I’m facing censorship on TikTok, relentless attacks from MAGA supporters, and increasing pressure trying to silence my voice. If you value this work and want to help me keep going strong, I urgently need your support. Please consider subscribing today.
With that, here’s the news:
The Trump administration is ramping up federal staffing and resources to meet the White House’s goal of tripling daily immigration arrests—a significant expansion beyond past administrations.
The push includes pressure on law enforcement agencies to reach one million deportations annually, resulting in a surge of federal agents being redirected toward immigration enforcement. At the FBI, hundreds of agents have been reassigned to immigration work, sparking concern that the shift could weaken national security investigations, including those focused on terrorism and foreign espionage from countries like China and Russia.
A federal appeals court has temporarily brought back Trump’s tariffs after a lower court had previously blocked them. This does not apply to the ruling issued by a D.C. court, however, and I outline that below.
Judge Contreras has decided that Trump's tariffs are illegal. This decision comes from a federal judge in Washington, D.C., and is separate from the trade court’s ruling yesterday. While Contreras’ order only directly affects the two companies that brought the lawsuit, his reasoning—that the tariffs are unlawful—could apply to others in similar cases. As a result, this ruling might encourage a wave of new legal challenges.
On May 29, federal and state law enforcement, led by Homeland Security Investigations, conducted immigration raids in Tallahassee, detaining over 100 people at a construction site near Doak Campbell Stadium. Officers checked IDs and work permits before deciding who to release or detain, with some of those arrested reportedly having prior deportations or criminal records.
Hyundai is considering raising prices across all of its vehicle models sold in the U.S.
Donald Trump met with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday for the first time in his second term, criticizing him for not cutting interest rates. The meeting, held at Trump’s request at the White House, followed months of public attacks by Trump on Powell. According to a statement from the Fed, Powell didn’t share any specific expectations for monetary policy, emphasizing instead that decisions would be based solely on economic data and the outlook going forward.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims his “Make America Healthy Again” report is based on top-tier science, citing over 500 sources. However, many of these citations are flawed — some links are broken, some studies are misrepresented, and at least seven don’t seem to exist at all. One such citation falsely attributes a study to epidemiologist Katherine Keyes, who confirmed she never authored or co-authored the paper mentioned.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer responded to news that Trump is considering pardons for the men convicted in the plot to kidnap her, saying: "I'm very disappointed they're even thinking about it. When the president was shot at in Pennsylvania, I was one of the first from either party to speak out against it. We must denounce political violence, no matter who it's directed at."
A man from Colorado who made threats against election officials has been sentenced to three years in prison. He claimed that his actions were influenced by exposure to extremist content online.
A U.S. judge has said she intends to issue an injunction to stop the Trump administration from immediately revoking Harvard’s ability to admit international students.
Trump's Department of Health and Human Services is withdrawing over $700 million in funding that had been allocated to Moderna to support the development of a bird flu vaccine.
The Trump administration says it’s taking steps to bring back to the U.S. a Guatemalan man who was unlawfully deported to Mexico, according to a judge’s ruling. Officials also seem to be preparing to release him once he returns.
France plans to ban smoking in all outdoor areas where children might be present—such as beaches, parks, and bus stops—according to the country’s health and family minister in an interview published Thursday.
Massive wildfires are raging out of control across western and central Canada, forcing thousands to evacuate as the country faces a severe fire season. Smoke from the fires is starting to drift into major U.S. cities, creating hazardous conditions. Manitoba’s premier declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, and much of the country—from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Quebec—is at the highest wildfire risk level, according to Environment Canada.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
Share this post