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May 7, 2026
Undeterred by polls and courts, Trump honors ballroom donors at White House
(Washington Post) The White House hosted a reception Wednesday night for the organization that manages donations to President Donald Trump’s ballroom, highlighting the president’s unceasing drive for a legally embattled project that polls show is broadly unpopular. Amid a war with Iran, surging gas prices and backlash to his immigration policies, Trump dedicates extensive time to the ballroom. He made calls for a new ballroom a key focus of his remarks following the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner last month, arguing that it was needed for security.
Go to discussion'Wow!' Trump Posts Chart Boasting That His War Against Iran Has So Far Been Shorter Than WWII, Vietnam
(Mediaite) President Donald Trump posted a graphic on Truth Social on Wednesday, boasting that his ongoing conflict with Iran had so far been shorter than World War II, the Vietnam War, the Civil War, and the War of 1812. “Wow. Study this Chart! President DJT,” wrote Trump. In the attached “Length of Wars” chart, Trump’s “Iran Excursion” was listed at the bottom at just six weeks, even though the conflict has actually been going on for more than nine weeks.
Go to discussionJet-Fuel Prices Are Spiking and Trump's Advisers Are Worried
(Wall Street Journal) Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu delivered a warning to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a recent visit to Washington: Already-high airfares will surge if the war in Iran doesn’t end soon. Sununu, a Republican who represents some of the biggest airlines as the president of the industry group Airlines for America, has for weeks sounded the alarm to Trump administration officials about the economic fallout from high jet-fuel prices.
Go to discussionChief Justice John Roberts says Supreme Court is not political
(AP) Supreme Court justices are not “political actors,” Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday, insisting unpopular court decisions are based solely on the law. “I think, at a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions, we’re saying we think this is how things should be, as opposed to what the law provides,” he said. “I think they view us as purely political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do.”
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Another House Republican is under the microscope for alleged sexual misconduct
(Politico) Two House Republicans who were key last month in helping oust a pair of colleagues facing sexual misconduct allegations are now eying GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards — the two-term North Carolina lawmaker being investigated by the Ethics Committee for allegedly having an improper relationship with a subordinate and sexually harassing staff. “ANY member of congress engaging in an inappropriate relationship with staff needs to go,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said when asked about the allegations against Edwards.
Go to discussionRubio meets Pope Leo after weeks of tensions with Trump
(CNN) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday amid a historic period of tension between Washington and the Vatican. Rubio’s visit follows President Donald Trump’s extraordinary criticisms of the first American pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history, which came after the pontiff expressed his opposition to the US military operation in Iran.
Go to discussionRepublican says it's 'pretty clear' Trump is on team Putin
(Alternet) President Donald Trump rarely faces dissent from his Republican Party members in the House and Senate — but this is an election year, and Trump’s polls are doing big damage to his GOP buddies. U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) is one such Republican who does not represent a "safe" seat in a bruising 2026 midterm. Bacon holds a highly competitive swing seat in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes the urban area of Omaha. He managed to nab a narrow 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent victory in 2024 largely thanks to suburban support. That razor-thin line may be one of the reasons Huffington Post writer Igor Bobic is posting Bacon’s Saturday takedown of Trump as an ally to Russian authoritarian Vladimir Putin.
Go to discussionKash Patel's Personalized Bourbon Stash
(The Atlantic) ne of J. Edgar Hoover’s greatest reforms at the FBI was his embrace of fingerprinting. During the 1930s, visitors to the FBI offices in Washington, D.C., received souvenir fingerprint cards featuring his name. The men who succeeded him as FBI director were more discreet and judicious, mindful of the cult of personality that had developed around Hoover. They generally avoided giving out branded swag. But then came Kash Patel.
Go to discussionTrump’s abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies
(NBC News) President Donald Trump’s abrupt reversal on his plan to help ships go through the Strait of Hormuz came after a key Gulf ally suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, according to two U.S. officials. Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing “Project Freedom” on social media Sunday afternoon, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia. In response, the Kingdom informed the U.S. it would not allow the U.S. military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort, the officials said.
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