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Google Pixel May 2026 update fails to fix battery drain issues
Google has started rolling out a new update for Pixel smartphones. However, while the update brings various fixes and improvements, it fails to fix a major issue that users have been facing since the March update.
Opinion - Bill Bishop: ‘Grievance politics’ thrives on chaos and confusion. That’s our system now
Columnist Chris Clayton noticed something odd in the Trump Administration’s budget for the Department of Agriculture. Since the USDA is the federal government’s primary contact with rural America, Clayton expected to see the word “rural” in the document. And it was there – 12 times in 92 pages. But there were other words that seemed...
OnePlus 16 leak reveals 200MP zoom camera, new chipset and large battery
A new leak has revealed key details about the OnePlus 16 well ahead of its launch. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro flagship is expected to feature a 200MP zoom camera, a large battery, and a BOE display.
Health officials monitoring potential hantavirus infections in at least 3 states
The CDC said the "administration is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers" onboard the cruise ship that was hit with an outbreak.
U.S. Small Business Administration tours Canonsburg
Trump administration under ‘increasing political pressure’ to secure Iran deal: Former Navy SEAL
Former Navy SEAL Jason Redman discusses President Donald Trump's optimism about an Iran deal and the ongoing U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on 'The Evening Edit.'
Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a plan to re-open the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies
Saudi Arabia, a key Gulf ally, suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, sources say. The White House said the administration notified Middle East allies in advance.
How Will AI Reshape Politics? New Volume Co-Edited by Stanford Law’s Nathaniel Persily Explores the Stakes
STANFORD, Calif., May 6, 2026 — As artificial intelligence reshapes political campaigns, public administration, national security, public opinion, a
National Science Board member with longtime New Mexico ties speaks out on firing
At the end of April, the Trump administration fired the entire National Science Board, which one former member says threatens U.S. science.
Children’s Minnesota resists federal subpoena for private health records of patients
The Minneapolis-based provider accuses Trump administration of overreach in its campaign to eliminate pediatric transgender medical care.
US Navy shot out rudder of Iran blockade runner with fighter jet gun
It's the second time the Navy has used force against an Iranian commercial vessel since the Trump administration's blockade began last month.
US and Iran closing in on memorandum aimed at ending war, source says
The United States and Iran are moving closer to an agreement on a short memorandum to end the Iran war, a regional source familiar with the negotiations said, although Trump administration officials cautioned that talks had previously fallen apart at the last minute.
Mesa County claims the state stiffed it $1.3 million for mental health services
The county is suing the state Behavioral Health Administration, which is looking into how the grant money was spent
Exclusive: Deleted tweets reveal new surgeon general pick criticized Trump and RFK Jr. health policies
Just two months before she was selected as President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Nicole Saphier suggested the administration was hiding that measles was spreading widely enough in the United States for the country to lose its “elimination” status until after the midterm elections.
Exclusive: Deleted tweets reveal new surgeon general pick criticized Trump and RFK Jr. health policies
Just two months before she was selected as President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Nicole Saphier suggested the administration was hiding that measles was spreading widely enough in the United States for the country to lose its “elimination” status until after the midterm elections.
Former NSF leaders and its board urge Senate to restore agency’s ...
Thirteen former heads of National Science Foundation and its advisory body respond to Trump administration's abrupt dismissal of the agency's entire board
Defiant border czar brushes away MAGA critics, says ‘mass deportations are coming’
White House border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday brushed off critics within President Donald Trump’s base who say the administration is not deporting enough people, while vowing to “flood the zone” with immigration officers in jurisdictions which pass legislation limiting cooperation with federal enforcement.
reMarkable Paper Pure leaks as a cheaper e-ink tablet with a 3-week runtime
With the reMarkable Paper Pure, the manufacturer will soon be launching a more affordable e-ink tablet with stylus. The e-note is now listed in advance by a retailer, who reveals the most important details about the Paper Pure.
Final faculty senate session addressed enrollment, Neyland entertainment district
As university enrollment declines nationwide, University of Tennessee administrators boast sturdy enrollment numbers for the fall 2026 semester. UT Provost John Zomchick provided an overview of the university’s fall 2026 enrollment at Monday’s faculty senate meeting, days after UT’s first-year student enrollment confirmation deadline. “I’m happy to announce that we have had a very strong...
Trump admin proposes letting companies report earnings only twice a year
Opponents of the proposal say it could reduce transparency and accountability in corporate America.
Sony Xperia 1 VIII: European model leak showcases Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 performance but only 12 GB RAM
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII has now surfaced on a popular benchmarking website. Featuring Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, the new Xperia flagship is once again saddled with 12 GB of RAM unlike many of its peers.
Trump Pressures FDA Commissioner to Approve Flavored Vapes
President Trump upbraided Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary for not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products.
Xperia 1 VIII listed on Amazon: Release date, specs, colors, sky-high price revealed; WH1000XM6 headphones with pre-orders
A massive leak on Amazon UK and Germany has revealed the Sony Xperia 1 VIII ahead of schedule. The listings detail a June 26 release date, new colors, 6.5-inch 120Hz OLED display, a new telephoto lens, and a launch bundle. With prices starting at £1,728, Sony's next flagship faces scrutiny over a significant price hike compared to the Xperia 1 VII.
Supreme Court abortion case could force Trump to take a public stance on mifepristone
The return of abortion to the Supreme Court is testing President Donald Trump’s strategy of avoiding the issue as the anti-abortion advocates grow increasingly frustrated that his administration hasn’t done more to crack down on access to mifepristone, the drug approved to terminate pregnancies.
National Small Business Week celebrates America’s largest source of jobs
It’s National Small Business Week, an annual event hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration to recognize small business owners around the country.
Mamdani taps behavioral health leader to head new Office of Community Safety
Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey previously served in a top behavioral health role during former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration.
Trump Administration Demands Names of 2020 Election Workers in Georgia
The Justice Department again appears to be using the investigative power of the federal government to rehash debunked claims that Democrats stole the 2020 election.
Trump Administration Demands Names of 2020 Election Workers in Georgia
The Justice Department again appears to be using the investigative power of the federal government to rehash debunked claims that Democrats stole the 2020 election.
DC small business week continues with solution expo
Small businesses make up XX in D.C.There are roughly82,666 small businesses in DC, accoding to the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy.Be
American Commentator Who Worked for Russian TV Challenges Biden-era Charges
The Biden administration called Dimitri Simes, a former Trump adviser, a Russian propagandist. He says the charges against him violate free speech.
AP, Washington Post, Reuters and Minnesota Star Tribune among Pulitzer winners for 2025 work
The Washington Post won the Pulitzer Prize for public service for scrutinizing the Trump administration’s sweeping, choppy cuts and changes to federal agencies. The Associated Press won the 2026 Pulitzer
Trump to host White House small business summit for National Small Business Week
President Donald Trump is set to host a small business summit at the White House on Monday, highlighting what the administration says are major economic gains.
Trump to host White House small business summit for National Small Business Week
President Donald Trump is set to host a small business summit at the White House on Monday, highlighting what the administration says are major economic gains.
The Global Politics of Everyday Humiliation
Administrative dignity is not cosmetic. It is democratic infrastructure.
'The Bean' Sculptor Kapoor Blasts America's 'Politics Of Hate' And 'Warmongering'
Kapoor last year threatened to sue the Trump administration after a group of border patrol agents posed for a photo in front of his Chicago sculpture.
The Crossword, May 4: Fire Away
Don’t be shy! Solve our Monday crossword. This week’s puzzle was constructed by Rebecca Goldstein and edited by Hoang-Kim Vu. Rebecca is a research scientist and crossword constructor in the Bay Area. She is also a co-director of Westwords, a crossword tournament taking place in Berkeley, Calif., and online on Sunday, June 14. Defector crosswords, launched in partnership…
Small business confidence surges as Trump tax cuts deliver ‘blockbuster’ job growth
Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to tout President Donald Trump’s small business agenda, highlight job growth from tax cuts and detail a crackdown on $22B in suspected fraud.
The New Smoking Section: The Politics of Vaccine Denialism
Fueled by social media propaganda, an administration that undermines scientific consensus is amplifying vaccine denialism and framing it as a fight for individual choice.
AMD Strix Halo refresh leaks online with massive memory upgrade
A new AMD CPU called the Ryzen AI Max+ 495 Pro has just shown up on PassMark. The rumoured Gorgon Halo part has 16 CPU cores and a Radeon 8065S iGPU.
Insight: Warned off vaccine actions, Kennedy seeks quick health wins ahead of midterms
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is aiming for quick wins on new health initiatives to help Republicans in November’s midterm elections, after the White House asked him to pivot from a widely criticized campaign to rewrite U.S. vaccine policy, senior administration officials told Reuters.
Racial health-care problems are stubborn — and they're particularly bad in Ohio, report says
Ohio has persistent and severe racial and ethnic health disparities. After cuts by the Trump administration, they'll get worse, a report says
Global Health & WASH: May 2026 Funding Opportunities (14 new opportunities!)
The May update for Global Health & WASH brings new calls that cluster around three distinct shifts: LMIC research leadership moving from funder encouragement into a hard eligibility constraint, pharmaceutical and corporate-linked funders running structurally independent education and use-inspired research portfolios at substantial scale, and AI adoption shifting decisively from speculative tool to operational capability across health and WASH systems alike. In LMIC Research Leadership as Eligibility, Not Encouragement, Wellcome anchors the dominant signal of the month with three separate major calls that all require or strongly center LMIC leadership in their basic eligibility architecture. Wellcome’s ESIC Hubs (£1.5-£1.9M per hub over 3-5 years) explicitly requires an LMIC-based lead applicant, treating Global South leadership as a design constraint rather than a participation goal. Wellcome’s Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Development Award funds transdisciplinary teams whose lead must be a mid-career or established researcher based at an organization in Africa, South Asia, or Southeast Asia. Wellcome’s larger Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award (£1M-£8M for optimizing licensed interventions) requires the administering organization to be in eligible LMIC regions and at least 50% of applicants based there. Around Wellcome, the same pattern shows up at smaller scale and across funders: CHINNOVA channels $1M into West and Central African research institutions for climate-health work; IBRO’s Neuroscience Training Grants explicitly tier ceilings by region of residence with Africa receiving the highest amount ($5,000); IHME’s GBD Emerging Researcher Award reserves at least one of its two annual awards for an LMIC researcher; Sidaction’s HIV Cure call funds research teams across France, the Netherlands, and eligible African countries with a minimum two-country collaboration requirement. Taken together, these calls signal a meaningful shift in how research equity is being operationalized — not as encouragement language at the bottom of a call, but as a structural feature of who can lead, where the work must be administered, and what proportion of the team must be regionally rooted. In Pharma-Funded Independent Medical Education and Use-Inspired Research, the lineup this month is unusually deep. Pfizer alone runs four parallel calls under independent education and quality improvement frameworks: a Migraine and Women’s Health RFP (200K x 2-year, $500K pool), Migraine IME ($200K, $1M pool), JAK Inhibitor evidence-based education ($100K), and Maternal Vaccination HCP Education in Saudi Arabia ($75K), plus a separate Pediatric Pneumococcal Surveillance research call in Saudi Arabia ($400K per project). Novo Nordisk Foundation runs four parallel calls of its own at substantial scale: Infectious Diseases Catalyst Grants (DKK 60M pool, up to DKK 7M collaborative), Non-Diabetic Endocrinology Collaborative Grants (DKK 53M pool, DKK 5-10M per project), Pioneer Innovator Grant Health (DKK 1.1M), and Distinguished Innovator Grant Health (DKK 6.8M). LEO Foundation deploys DKK 2-4M per project for dermatology research excellence. Pfizer’s framing across calls deliberately separates the funding from product promotion, emphasizing measurable practice-relevant change and structural distance between scientific outputs and commercial activity. Novo Nordisk’s “use-inspired” hard filter pushes researchers toward a credible translation pathway from mechanism to deployable tool. The pattern: industry-aligned funders are running structurally independent portfolios at meaningful $ that fund implementation evidence, not promotion. In AI as Operational Capability, Not Speculation, several calls this month explicitly treat AI adoption as a near-term operational question with real evidence and governance requirements, rather than a speculative trend to be watched. Wellcome’s ESIC Hubs frames AI as “the accelerator” for evidence synthesis, asking hubs to translate technical innovation into adoption-ready workflows that can match real-world policy timelines. UNICEF Venture Fund’s new Climate Tech for Children’s Health call funds for-profit startups deploying AI, machine learning, and blockchain in low-resource environments, with a strict requirement that solutions must already have a working prototype with promising pilot results. The Water Research Foundation has launched two simultaneous AI calls treating reproducibility, cybersecurity guardrails, and human-in-the-loop deployments as core design constraints rather than nice-to-haves: one on GenAI and Agentic AI in water utilities ($200K), one on alternatives to water shutoffs that explicitly screens for implementation economics evidence. Nordic Innovation’s quantum technology call (NOK 4.5M) extends the same logic into life science and healthcare, demanding consortium-stage projects mature enough to test with real users. TEF-Health offers €300K in subsidized testing infrastructure for European healthcare AI and robotics SMEs. The pattern: funders are converting AI pilots into playbooks, requiring transfer evidence and risk controls before AI can move from experimentation to sector-wide operational practice. For LMIC-based researchers in infectious disease or evidence synthesis, the three Wellcome calls together represent the deepest concentration of LMIC-led research capital in recent memory — pair the Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Development Award (£200K, deadline May 19) as a strategic pipeline feeder into the larger Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award (£1-£8M, deadline June 2), since the development award functions explicitly as a track into the larger trial scheme. For Nordic researchers, the four Novo Nordisk Foundation calls plus LEO Foundation and Nordic Innovation Quantum represent ~$30M in regional research capital this cycle, all with deadlines clustered in May-August. For WASH practitioners, the three Water Research Foundation calls together (each up to $200K) are a cluster worth reading across — one on AI deployment, one on shutoff alternatives, one rewarding applied innovation — and the strongest applicants will articulate how their work bridges utility operations to policy-relevant evidence. For US-based clinical researchers and educators, the four Pfizer calls plus the APF Portfolio’s 80+ programs form an unusually accessible recurring pipeline; APF’s prohibition on indirect costs is a meaningful structural feature for early-career applicants whose institutions might otherwise absorb significant overhead. Snapshot of New Opportunities Total Estimated Funding Pool: $100 Million+ USD The grants are organized into three categories: Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 39 open opportunities- 14 new! Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 14 rolling opportunities- 1 new opportunity! Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 4 long term opportunities! A quick tip for returning readers: if you want to jump straight to the newest additions, use CTRL F to search for “New!” and navigate quickly to the latest funding opportunities This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities. Subscribe To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer pay what you can rates. You can find more details here. Open Calls: Migraine Competitive Grant Program: Migraine and Women’s Health (Quality Improvement and/or Research RFP), Pfizer.*Closing soon!* Pfizer, in collaboration with the American Headache Society, is seeking independent quality improvement and research projects that close persistent gaps in migraine care for women across the United States. The funding logic centers on measurable, practice-relevant change: proposals should generate actionable evidence, tools, or system improvements that can be shared and used widely, not just within a single site. Priority areas span menstrual migraine and screening in women’s health settings, the role of hormonal fluctuations across the lifespan, sex-specific risk factors, comorbidities and quality-of-life burden, and disparities in outcomes by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The call is structured as a two-step competitive process with an initial Letter of Intent, with the strongest concepts expected to translate scientific insight into implementable improvements in diagnosis, management, and equity. Geographies: United States. Who can apply: U.S.-based organizations (not individuals), including professional schools, healthcare institutions, professional organizations, and other entities focused on healthcare improvement. Funding amount: Up to USD $200,000 total over 2 years; total pool USD $500,000. Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: migraine, women’s health, quality improvement, clinical research, menstrual migraine, health disparities. Deadline: LOI: May 5, 2026; Full proposal (by invitation): August 28, 2026. Learn more and apply here. This RFP rewards “shareable impact”: the most competitive submissions will pair rigorous methods with a clear plan for system uptake and dissemination beyond the originating institution. ReSSARC: Strengthening the Health Sector and Food Security in the Central African Republic (AID 013381/01/0) Call for Proposals, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). *Closing soon!* AICS is seeking a limited set of high-capacity humanitarian partners to deliver an integrated package that stabilizes essential health services while reducing acute malnutrition and strengthening food security resilience in priority areas of the Central African Republic. The funder’s logic is explicitly nexus-based: proposals should meet urgent, life-saving needs while reinforcing local systems, coordination mechanisms, and community-level capacity so results persist beyond the emergency window. AICS emphasizes inclusion and protection outcomes, expecting gender-sensitive design and explicit measures for groups facing compounded vulnerability, including women, children under five, internally displaced people, and people with disabilities. The call also signals a localization pathway, encouraging stronger collaboration with national NGOs and balanced partnerships, alongside clear coordination with existing cluster and humanitarian actors to minimize duplication and improve coverage. Geographies: Central African Republic (Bangui, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Lim-Pende, Lobaye). Who can apply: Non-profit organizations registered with AICS, plus eligible non-profits without an office in Italy that have a pre-existing collaboration agreement with an AICS-listed organization. Funding amount: Total pool EUR €1,800,000; max EUR €800,000 (single applicant) or EUR €1,000,000 (ATS). Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: malnutrition prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, community health services, food security and resilience, localization partnerships Deadline: May 5, 2026. Learn more and apply here. This call is structured to reward partners who can link frontline service delivery to system durability and localization, not just short-term coverage gains. Contracts for Innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare, Innovate UK. *Closing soon!* Innovate UK, on behalf of the Office for Life Sciences Addiction Healthcare Goals program, is procuring R&D to accelerate innovations that can improve treatment outcomes, strengthen recovery, and reduce harm and deaths linked to drug and alcohol addiction. The competition is positioned as a market-facing readiness push: selected projects are expected to advance solutions toward later-stage validation, generate evidence of user acceptability and UK market fit, and map credible routes through regulatory and certification requirements. Innovate UK signals a preference for innovations that can be field-tested in relevant UK settings and progressed to TRL 6 or 7, with practical plans for commercialization after contract completion. This structure favors applicants that can execute most work in-house, co-develop with service providers and people with lived experience, and translate technical progress into deployable tools for addiction healthcare delivery. Geographies: United Kingdom. Who can apply: Single organizations of any size (including EU, EEA, or international) leading delivery, with most work and key deliverables carried out in the UK; subcontractors for specialist skills only. Funding amount: GBP £200,000–1.5 million per project (inclusive of VAT); Total pool: GBP £20 million (across two strands). Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: Mental Health, Health Systems Strengthening, Research & Development, Technology Access. Deadline: May 6, 2026 (11:00am). Learn more and apply here. This call uses procurement to pull near-market addiction innovations toward operational proof and adoption pathways in UK services.
Leaving the world better: Chris Klomp on what government owes the next generation
Chris Klomp, chief counselor, Health and Human Services, and deputy administrator and director of Medicare, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, spoke at
To avoid GTA 6 release date delay, Rockstar employee leaks unrealistic demands in review
A leak has provided rare insight into the atmosphere of a Rockstar studio ahead of the GTA 6 release date. A Glassdoor job review from a QA analyst highlights extended hours with claims of unpaid overtime. Conditions have worsened over the past month in order to sidestep a third delay.
The Antiabortion Movement Is Turning on Trump
The ubiquity of abortion pills during the second Trump administration has frustrated antiabortion advocates.
Inside the Trump administration’s failed ‘Hail Mary’ to save Spirit Airlines
Winding down a major US airline is a complicated business. Doing so when the president of the United States hints it could be saved adds another layer of complexity.
Ultimate camera flagship to launch globally: Xiaomi Mix 5 expected to sport major upgrades
Five years have passed since the Xiaomi Mix 4. Younger readers probably will not even remember Xiaomi's China-only flagship with an under-display camera, but current code analyses suggest it may finally get a successor in 2026. Particularly interesting: the ultimate Xiaomi flagship will likely also be available in Germany and Austria.
Key U.S. science panels are being axed—and others are becoming less open
President Donald Trump and his administration downsized US science by historic margins last year as it reduced the workforce at federal research agencies by tens of thousands of people and terminated ...
Landlords want to be paid for pandemic losses and hope to reach a deal with the Trump administration
A group of landlords are hoping to settle with the federal government over what they say are billions of dollars in losses due to the federal eviction moratorium in place for nearly a year during the pandemic.
Razer releases new 16-inch gaming laptop globally with Intel Panther Lake and up to 64 GB RAM
Razer has now released its latest 16-inch gaming laptop globally. Equipped with a 16-core Intel Panther Lake processor, the new Razer Blade 16 can also be configured with up to 64 GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU. All variants feature a 240 Hz OLED display, too.
US ‘drowning in misinformation’ under RFK Jr, autism advocates say
Health officials in Trump administration were accused of fueling ‘crisis of public trust’ over autism and vaccines
Asus releases new 14-inch 2-in-1 with 144 Hz OLED display; global launch coming soon
Asus has finally started selling its new 14-inch 2-in-1. An alternative to the Surface Pro before Microsoft releases the Surface Pro 12, the ProArt PZ14 combines a 144 Hz OLED display with up to 32 GB LPDDR5X RAM and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-88-100 chipset.
Curing U.S. Health Care, Part II
On March 23, 2010 President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — usually referred to either as the Affordable Care Act or as Obamacare — into law. Joe Biden, then the vice president, could be overheard whispering “This is a big fucking deal.” And it was. The ACA, which went into full effect in 2014, created a system of subsidies and regulations designed to make health insurance available to many Americans who had previously been left out. It worked: In 2010 there were 47 million uninsured people in America, but by 2016 this number had dropped to 27 million. This still fell short of the universal health insurance that every other advanced nation has, but it was real progress. In 2017, during his first term, Donald Trump tried to destroy the ACA, replacing it with the American Health Care Act — legislation that would have eliminated most of the provisions that expanded health insurance under Obama. At the time the Congressional Budget Office projected that the G.O.P.’s replacement bill would nearly double the number of Americans without health insurance, increasing the total uninsured population by 23 million and undoing all of the progress achieved under the ACA. However, the attack on Obamacare failed by one vote in the Senate, and the ensuing public backlash against the G.O.P. delivered a large victory in the 2018 midterms to the Democrats. After these developments many observers assumed that the ACA had become a more or less permanent feature of American life. Such assessments, however, failed to take into account the deep hostility of the U.S. right toward policies that expand access to healthcare. As we’ll see, this hostility goes back generations. And the second Trump administration has taken actions that the CBO projects will add 16 million people to the rolls of the uninsured by 2034. How did we get here? And now what? Today’s primer will analyze the political economy of U.S. healthcare since the 1940s and the combination of danger and opportunity created by the current crisis. Beyond the paywall I will discuss the following: US health care on the eve of Trump II 80 years of US health politics The Obamacare story The new assault on healthcare
Places Trump's name or image is being added by the federal government
The Trump administration has made an aggressive push to add the president's name to buildings, battleships, money and government websites.
Rising oil prices cause political headache for Trump administration
Political blame game begins and upset passengers stuck after Spirit ceases operations
Republicans blame Biden administration block on JetBlue deal; Democrats point to fuel price surge amid Iran war
The politics of Trump's ballroom
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — President Trump was about a half-hour into his second speech of the day, musing about the danger he faced last week at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Saturday night, it was good for one thing. People are loving my ballroom now,” Trump told a crowd last night. “That’s the only thing. They love my ballroom.” Ever since he was hustled off stage at the Washington Hilton last week, after an attempted shooter breached the dinner’s security perimeter and sent guests diving to the floor, the president has argued that the incident is proof for why his White House ballroom is needed. Only his planned $400 million, 90,000-square-foot project, Trump has reasoned, can keep a president truly safe at major events. It’s true that a bunch of GOP lawmakers have jumped on board with new legislation and words of support for Trump’s project. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. Rand Paul and other prominent Republicans went on TV to talk about the need for a ballroom. But as we reported at The Washington Post this week, “people” aren’t really changing their minds on Trump’s ballroom. A new Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that most Americans still oppose the ballroom project: 56 percent against it versus 28 percent in favor. The numbers are the same as a poll from last year, the Post’s polling whiz Scott Clement found. Other new polls have found similar margins, too. “I’m just not a giant fan, especially of extravagance,” one independent voter told me. “I mean, in the era we’re in right now, given how much people are struggling, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to spend $400 million on a ballroom.” How we got here The Washington Post has followed Trump’s ballroom project very closely. (My colleague Jonathan Edwards may have written the most total words of any reporter about the project; I may be second.) The project exploded as a national issue after Trump tore down the White House’s East Wing after initially promising not to touch it.1 Historic preservationists sued, and about a month ago, a federal judge ordered a halt to ballroom construction.2 The only way the ballroom could proceed, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled, was if Congress explicitly authorized Trump’s plans. (An appeals court has stayed Leon’s order for now.) The judge’s ruling raised an obvious question: would Congress authorize the project? Keep in mind, “authorization” doesn’t mean that Congress needs to necessarily fund the planned $400 million project; they could just sign off on the private donations that Trump has solicited to pay for the ballroom.3 But GOP lawmakers really didn’t want to talk about the ballroom, we reported at The Post just a few weeks ago. One major reason was the ballroom’s bad polling — not a small detail with many of their own midterm elections looming. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident, and Trump’s advocacy, may have changed the political conversation around the ballroom. As this week’s polling shows, it doesn’t seem to have affected the fundamental questions surrounding the project. To put it another way, voters still say that cost-of-living concerns are top-of-mind heading into the midterms. Some Republican and independent voters have told me that they see the ballroom as a vanity project that will help Trump but do nothing for their own lives. It might not help Republicans that Trump has dismissed some of the cost-of-living concerns. He’s described “affordability” as a buzzword manufactured by Democrats whose policies helped cause inflation. “They’ve got one good line of bullshit,” Trump said in his first speech yesterday, delivered at a Florida retirement community known as The Villages. Thanks for reading Dan Diamond's newsletter! Subscribe for free to stay up-to-date on my work. Subscribe Speaking of Trump’s speeches… I’m down in Florida because it’s my “duty week” as a White House reporter — basically, I follow the president wherever he goes. (And then hand the baton off to one of my Washington Post colleagues next week.) As part of my duty week, I’ve spent a few days covering the White House’s reaction to Saturday’s attempted shooting, including officials’ review of the security protocols to protect the president. Trump was restrained in the wake of the incident, addressing the nation from the White House briefing room about the need for peaceful dialogue and trying to lower the temperature. But he’s clearly been itching to get back out of the White House, and I was curious to hear how his Florida speeches would go. And — to my ears — it was an unburdened Trump. Not the one we saw Saturday night in the White House briefing room, but the one we witnessed on the campaign trail in 2024. Loose, dropping profanities, mocking everyone, including members of his team. “We have a man here who knows more about Medicaid, Medicare, medical crap than any human being. Where’s Dr. Oz? Where the hell are you, stand up,” Trump said, referring to Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “It’s the most boring trip I’ve ever made. He’s telling me about Medicare, Medicaid. All I want to do is take care of you, I don’t care. I said, ‘You work out the details.’” I wrote up the speech, as Trump headed to West Palm Beach to deliver more remarks a few hours later. The White House didn’t like my story. Their rapid-response team called it the work of a “total loser”4 and “a miserable TDS-ridden moron.” You can be the judge of whether it’s a fair story or the product of someone afflicted with “TDS.” (The White House’s shorthand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”) I’ve pasted the story below with a gift link, meaning that you don’t need to be a Washington Post subscriber to read it. It might prompt you for an email address, though. Meanwhile, I’ll be down in Florida for the rest of the weekend, covering the president. It’s TBD whether those stories will be deemed TDS-afflicted, too. 1 Jonathan details the past six months of ballroom fallout, reactions and the implications for executive authority here. I also had a great time talking about Trump’s ballroom and other projects with Australia’s ABC News Daily on a podcast this week. 2 The judge allowed underground construction and national security-related work to continue. But that hasn’t been enough for Trump, who says the ballroom itself is essential for his protection. 3 The ballroom donors include companies like Palantir, Google and Amazon. For transparency, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, where I work. No one has ever interfered with our team’s coverage of the ballroom or our mentions of Amazon or Bezos, and if that changed, I’d speak out. 4 To be fair, I’ve spent the morning working on stories and writing this Substack post rather than enjoying the beautiful Florida weather. So they may be onto something about who’s winning and who’s losing.
Immigrants have made huge contributions to U.S. science
The current administration’s policies impede the best and the brightest foreign-born researchers' access to research laboratories in America.
The Cannabis Industry’s New Best Friend? President Trump
The administration’s decision to relax federal regulations on medical marijuana comes with big tax breaks for many cannabis companies, and could drive new investment in the budding sector.
Cuban Americans have been big Trump backers. His Cuba policy may change that.
Florida’s Cuban American community is on a pressure campaign to make sure the Trump administration knows it’s regime change, or else.
Spirit Airlines shutting down after rescue talks collapse
The airline had been in talks with the Trump administration about a $500m bailout.
Leaker indicates that Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 returns this June, retaining its 12GB VRAM offering
Reports from Chinese industry forums and leakers claim Nvidia will restart production of the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB in June 2026, with add-in board partners targeting a July launch to offset delays and uncertainty around an entry-level RTX 50-series release amid ongoing GPU and memory shortages. The move would rely on newly fabbed Samsung 8nm Ampere chips rather than clearing old stock, but pricing and supply remain key uncertainties that will determine whether the card can credibly serve budget buyers.
Trump Endorses Andy Barr for Senate as Musk-Backed Candidate Exits Race
The candidate in Kentucky, Nate Morris, said he would be joining the Trump administration. He met with the president a day before his announcement.
Small Business Administration opens disaster loan applications for March 6 tornadoes
The Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for Michigan businesses, private nonprofits and residents affected by the March 6 tornadoes.
Spirit is running out of money and time. Trump sounded tepid about a deal to save it
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House Friday that the administration will likely make an announcement on its decision whether or not to bail out Spirit Airlines “today or tomorrow.”
Nicole Saphier Is Trump’s New Pick For Surgeon General—What To Know About Her Healthcare Agenda
Saphier is broadly aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, but has split with the Trump administration in a few areas of healthcare policy.
Administration Explains National Science Board Firing as Criticism Grows
The White House says the board's firing was necessary to comply with a 2021 Supreme Court decision.
The high-ranking officials Trump has fired, forced to resign or moved elsewhere in his second term
Administrative turnover is nothing new for this notoriously fickle president
Despite Its Claims, the Trump Administration Isn’t Helping Farmers at All
A group of Iowa soybean farmers who voted for the president are undergoing a very rude awakening.
Trump says he's considering taxpayer-funded deal to bail out Spirit Airlines
Trump said his administration gave Spirit "a final proposal" and would make an announcement Friday or Saturday"
Trump gives Spirit Airlines 'final' proposal as beleaguered carrier prepares to shut down
Spirit Airlines received a final bailout proposal from the U.S. as President Donald Trump says the administration is "driving a tough deal" to aid the beleaguered carrier.
Trump says Spirit given 'final proposal' on bailout
Talks with the Trump administration about a massive federal investment had raised hopes that Spirit could ride out a surge in the price of jet fuel.
Nine Key Moments: Hearing with Health System CEOs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – CEOs representing some of the nation’s largest health systems, including the largest for-profit and tax-exempt hospital systems in...
Watch Out For Those Fees
Obviously, going to print with piddly retail squabbles is the stuff of hacks. But I’m hacky enough, and still stunned enough by the upselling tactics, that I just gotta share. I’ve previously noted that some power people here at Defector have occasionally suggested I try to write regularly about food, because they think I’m a…
Spirit Airlines Prepares to Shut Down After Trump Administration Bailout Falls Through
The low-fare airline, which has struggled for years, had been trying to secure a $500 million lifeline from the Trump administration.
Make It Nice: How To Organize A Home Office
Welcome back to Make It Nice, Defector’s best interior design advice column. Today, we have two home office cleanup situations and a delightful bird-related request. Selene asks: I work from home at a computer job and am a hobbyist musician. My partner, who lives with me, has done a phenomenal job making the rest of…
NASA Aircraft Studies Tiny Particles with Atmospheric Impacts
Scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have turned to one of NASA’s high-altitude research planes to characterize
USDA issues health alert for frozen pizza sold nationwide at Aldi stores due Salmonella concerns
A health alert has been issued by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for a frozen pizza brand sold nationwide at Aldi stores because of possible Salmonella contamination.
USDA issues health alert for frozen pizza sold nationwide at Aldi stores due Salmonella concerns
A health alert has been issued by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for a frozen pizza brand sold nationwide at Aldi stores because of possible Salmonella contamination.
How US equipment ended up in the hands of Iran’s allies in Yemen as USAID was disbanded
The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen seized US funded equipment, including vehicles, after the Trump administration suspended and slashed humanitarian funding around the world and began dismantling the US Agency of International Development.
Trump administration rejects need for Iran war Congressional approval despite deadline
Pete Hegseth argued that a ceasefire agreement with Iran more than three weeks ago ‘means the 60 day clock pauses, or stops’
Trump says Cuba is “next.” What does that mean?
The island may be next in the administration’s crosshairs after Venezuela and Iran. But it’s not clear what the plan is.
Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff and the Profitable Business of Peace
The Trump administration is turning diplomacy into an asset to be leveraged.
Medicare portal database exposed health providers’ Social Security numbers
It is the latest technical problem related to the Trump administration’s push to create a national directory of health providers.
Prosecutors release new video showing moments before shooting at press dinner
Prosecutors filed new evidence Thursday including video showing the moments before the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner that President Donald Trump and administration officials attended at the Washington Hilton hotel in DC on Saturday night.
The Trump Administration Casts Out the ‘Soul’ of MAHA
The withdrawal of Casey Means’s nomination for surgeon general is the latest blow to the movement.
Trump administration ends funding for fentanyl test strips, baffling public health groups: "It doesn't make sense"
FEMA reinstates whistleblowers as Trump administration reverses Noem’s policies
FEMA has reinstated a group of whistleblowers who signed an open letter to Congress last August warning that the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal agency was setting the stage for a disaster-response breakdown on the scale of Hurricane Katrina, according to five FEMA officials with knowledge of the matter.
Made in Germany: Volla Phone Plinius launches for €598 with modular battery
The Volla Phone Plinius (Plus) combines a modern design with a particularly robust body and a Google-free Android version. With a 120 Hz OLED display, a 64 MP main camera and a replaceable 5,300 mAh battery, the smartphone offers a reasonable range of features.
Trump Administration Casts Host of Policies Under Biden as Anti-Christian
A new report is the latest effort by the Justice Department to argue that it is removing political bias from prosecutorial decision-making.
Trump Administration Imposes Caps on Graduate School Loans
The changes stem from student loan provisions in a sprawling tax and domestic policy bill signed into law last year.
Key US science panels are being axed - and others are becoming less open - College of Arts and Sciences
A Nature analysis shows that the Trump administration has terminated more than 100 advisory committees to science agencies — and reduced the transparency and independence of those that remain. … “I would hope that in the future, in this administration … Read more
How much should politics influence science, and vice versa? National Science Board’s ousting resurrects an existential debate
The Trump administration fired the entire board that oversees the National Science Foundation, raising an age-old question about the separation of science and state.
How much should politics influence science, and vice versa? National Science Board’s ousting resurrects an existential debate
The Trump administration fired the entire board that oversees the National Science Foundation, raising an age-old question about the separation of science and state.
A Formula for Promoting Student STEM Success
James Álvarez, a new administrator in the College of Natural Sciences, spoke to us about his work in STEM education.
A Dangerous Shift in Maternal Health Policy
The Trump administration is cutting the budget in ways that put the lives of pregnant women and babies at risk, write Stephanie Psaki, Dara Kass, and Liz Tobin-Tyler.
White House says funds to pay TSA and other Homeland Security workers will 'soon run out'
In a memo late Tuesday to lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget said money that President Donald Trump tapped to pay Transportation Security Administration and other workers through executive actions will be exhausted by May
Illinois business owners navigate murky waters of tariff refunds
A Chicago-area company forced the Trump administration to undo much of its tariff policy. Now that toy company and others want their money back.
US will deny visas to applicants who say they fear persecution at home
Applicants for visas to the United States will now have to affirm that they do not fear persecution in their home countries as the Trump administration seeks to further restrict potential asylum seeks from entering the country.