NOTUS | News of the United States

Pressing Pause

Tim Grieve — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:40:17 GMT

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:40:17 GMT https://www.notus.org/final-notus-newsletter/pressing-pause

President Donald Trump speaks during a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for June 18, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, pausing the escalation that halted the U.S.-Iran talks that were supposed to happen today but didn’t.

Donald Trump dismissed criticism of his Iran deal as whining from “Dumocrats,” but the vibes among Senate Republicans are also hovering somewhere between “somber” and “dismay.”
JD Vance was supposed to be flying to Switzerland for the talks. Now he’s stuck in Washington, taking heat from Republicans over his comments about Israel.
Sixty-five percent of American adults disapprove of how Trump is handling Iran, per a new AP-NORC poll out today.

The U.S. and Italy are arguing over Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “begged” to take a picture with him. Italy canceled Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s trip to the U.S., and Meloni said on camera: “Neither I nor Italy ever beg.”

The USMNT plays Australia at 3 p.m. ET, which may or may not be why you’re getting this holiday edition of Final NOTUS early.

THE ADMINISTRATION

Bill Pulte asked for a list of all employees in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Sources told CNN he’s trying to figure out which ones to fire.

The FAA is working with Palantir to see if AI can help prevent collisions and close calls on airport runways.

No, Trump didn’t cancel Juneteenth. He can’t.

THE MIDTERMS

State Auditor Matt Dunlap won the Democratic primary in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, yet another sign of progressives rising. He’ll face former Gov. Paul LePage in November.

Another progressive, former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree, won the Democratic primary for governor. Bobby Charles, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state, won the Republican primary.

THE DISTRICT

The Trump administration says the Height of Buildings Act of 1910 — which limits buildings in D.C. to 130 feet tall — doesn’t apply to Trump’s arch or anything else the federal government wants to build.

The Wizards have the No. 1 draft pick, and they may take BYU’s AJ Dybantsa — and his dad.

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN?

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116776456544210565

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Andrew Burton. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.]]>

Matt Dunlap Wins Maine’s Democratic Primary in a Key Congressional District

Torrie Herrington — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:04:31 GMT

The Associated Press called the race early Friday morning,10 days after the June 9 primary. Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Maine state auditor Matt Dunlap is projected to win the Democratic primary in the race to replace outgoing Rep. Jared Golden in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race early Friday morning, 10 days after the June 9 primary.

Dunlap, a progressive candidate who was the Maine co-chair for Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, will face Paul LePage, the state’s former Republican governor, in the general election in November. It’s one of the most closely watched races for both parties looking to win the House majority.

The district is one Republicans have long eyed as a possible pickup seat, and Democrats expect a major fight as they try to hold on to it. The Cook Political Report has classified it as a “likely” Republican district.

Golden won his last election by less than a percentage point in 2024, and the district has voted for Trump each time he has run.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included the district in its 2026 Red to Blue program, which is aimed at investing in competitive districts, though it backed state Sen. Joe Baldacci in the primary. The endorsement drew criticism from other candidates in the race, who argued the DCCC was putting its thumb on the scale.

Dunlap beat out Baldacci, former congressional aide Jordan Wood, and social worker Paige Loud for the nomination.

The race for this seat was tight, with not a single contender winning more than 50% of the vote in the first round of counting. Because no one cleared the majority, additional rounds of tabulation were triggered, eliminating Loud and Wood and distributing second- and third-choice votes to the remaining candidates. This put Dunlap over the top and secured him the win against Baldacci.

Jim Melcher, a professor of political science at the University of Maine at Farmington, said on primary day that a win by Dunlap “would definitely be a sign of the progressive wing being in ascendancy.”

“Matt Dunlap has been around Maine politics, he's in a way an establishment figure, but he also was co-chair of Bernie Sanders' campaign,” Melcher said. “Somebody other than Baldacci winning would be a rejection of what Washington's been trying to push in this race.”

Dunlap was endorsed by progressives such as California Rep. Ro Khanna.

AJ Dybantsa and His Dad Have Been Everywhere Together. Is D.C. Next?

Jesse Dougherty — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:00:00 GMT

AJ Dybantsa is in the mix to be the Wizards' pick at No. 1 overall. Noah K. Murray/AP

What you’re about to read is not particularly normal. OK, it’s actually not normal at all. You see, NBA players (almost always) have agents. Players about to enter the NBA (almost always) have agents, too. AJ Dybantsa, however, is not your typical NBA-bound player because, among other reasons, Ace Dybantsa is not your typical basketball dad.

Ace runs the business of his son, full stop. And he does so with his chest out, his mouth grinning, his head often nodding as he talks — like, yes, world, if you want even the smallest piece of my superstar son, you’ll have to go straight through me.

The NBA draft is less than a week away, meaning AJ, a 6-foot-9 forward with tons of scoring ability, could be less than a week from going first off the board. He visited just two teams during the predraft process: the Wizards, who have the No. 1 pick, and the Jazz, who will choose second. His trip to Utah was shorter than his one to Washington, but only because he and his family are very familiar with Salt Lake City and the people running the Jazz, namely CEO Danny Ainge and owner Ryan Smith. They are both Brigham Young University grads and donors. AJ spent two years in their general airspace, including playing his lone college season at BYU.
Ace Dybansta (4918x3279, AR: 1.50)So when they met this month, Jazz officials didn’t have to see if AJ planned to hire an agent. They already knew the deal. But according to Ace, the Wizards did ask if he would eventually bring on an agent to negotiate AJ’s rookie contract. Ace, sticking with his long-running strategy of keeping as much money in the family as possible, told them no, that wasn’t happening. (In his retelling, Ace makes sure to say the Wizards weren’t skeptical about this, only checking in case there was a change of heart. If you can believe it, he says each team is in love with AJ, just like everyone else.)

“I’m just doing what I believe is best for my son,” Ace told me of his unorthodox involvement. “You know how much AJ is going to make. Everyone and their mother knows how much AJ is going to make. Whoever doesn’t know, all they have to do is Google it. AJ is going to get a max rookie deal. You know that, I know that, so why should I hire an agent to tell me what I already know?”

Per Google, the max deal for the top pick in this year’s draft is just over $69 million for four years. Then the prescribed figures are lower for the second selection, then the third and so on. AJ, Ace reasons, doesn’t have to pay someone just to sign his paperwork.

Agents, you may not be surprised, are not so fond of that take. And there are coaches and executives who wonder if the father-son partnership could get messy, especially as AJ gets older. But there are others who have commended Ace’s efforts, saying it’s about time someone bucked the idea that an agent should get a set percentage of every player’s first contract.

This is the whole Ace experience, complex and brash, hard-charging and completely unfiltered. And soon, once AJ is drafted, Ace will be a main character in an NBA city, the franchise player’s hands-on dad. It’s an archetype with a modern twist, enabled by the name, image and likeness (NIL) era in college sports, which allowed AJ to make millions before turning pro, including while in high school. That’s why Ace has built tall walls around his son, wary of anyone who offers help while sticking their hand out for a cut.

People have grabbed at AJ like that since he was a high school sophomore, when he emerged like a lab-created prodigy, weaving through ankle-biting guards with his magnetic handle, dunking whenever he pleased. So along the way, Ace developed a saying for almost every situation, Daddy knows best being one of his favorites. If his speech patterns were broken into a pie chart, it would be about 30 percent sayings and jokes, like this sampling of his latest:

When I asked why the family recently hired a marketing team based in Paris and not in the U.S., Ace said: “Because AJ is an IBM. An International Black Man.” (Ace grew up in the Republic of Congo, moved to France in his teens, then immigrated to the Boston area in his early 20s, where he and his wife, Chelsea, raised AJ and their two daughters.) And after telling me AJ turned down an offer for his own podcast, I joked that maybe Ace should launch his own show — the bombastic sports dad peeling back the curtain — and he said: “Sure. On the 31st of June.” (About two minutes later, he made sure I knew there are only 30 days in the month.)

“He’s an extremely modern basketball parent because he has a business brain that’s always going, going, going,” said one NBA executive for a Western conference team, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he’s not permitted to talk publicly about draft-eligible players. “And he also seems to really love being Ace Dybantsa — which, hey, I would too if I were managing a player as talented as his son.”

As for where AJ will land, just about every recent report says the Wizards are down to him and Darryn Peterson, the 6-foot-6 guard from Kansas. And as for how the NBA views his dad’s role, a small anonymous survey of NBA execs revealed a consistent take on Ace: He’s the most involved parent in this draft, by their estimation, especially without an agent in the mix. But that would be more concerning, at least to the four of them, if Ace were as involved in basketball as he is in business. Ace, according to many of AJ’s past coaches, has never demanded his son change positions or be put in more pick-and-roll sets. Instead, he’s more likely to track how often AJ’s team or sponsors are sharing him on their social media accounts and ask for more exposure.

https://x.com/WizardsMuse1/status/2064850736836424111

His general marketing approach with AJ is fairly simple. They have signed only a small handful of brand deals — Nike, Red Bull, Fanatics, all extremely lucrative — because they don’t want to dilute his value. But when it comes to interviews and social media, AJ is everywhere, which Ace believes has been good practice for dealing with reporters in the NBA. Plus, in the NIL era, social impressions often directly correlate to dollars made. Everything with AJ is by design.

And after hammering why AJ doesn’t need an agent some more, Ace listed off the circle around his son, as if to prove it’s not just him: an advisor in Leonard Armato, who was once Shaquille O’Neal’s agent; a financial advisor; a lawyer; the marketing team in Paris; a soon-to-be-hired public relations team; Ace’s manager; and a soon-to-be-hired assistant for Ace.

“And then I’m the CEO,” Ace said. “I can negotiate contracts. I’ve done it. I did a great contract with Nike. I did great contracts with Red Bull and Fanatics. AJ is happy with them. I’m happy with them. We like to keep everything in the family.”

You know when you’re on a call and you get a text and it buzzes against your ear? And then, despite trying to focus, because our attention spans have been ground to whatever’s after dust, you sneak a peek at the message — just in case, you know, it’s urgent or something? Earlier this week, in the middle of a phone interview for this story, that happened and I caved. I peeked.

The message was from Ace, it turned out, a photo of Wizards and Jazz shirts laid side-by-side on a hardwood floor. Then I snapped back to listening to … Ace, who had fired off the text in the middle of an answer, never missing a beat. So once he finished the thought, I asked why he sent that message, especially, um, right now.

“Because on Tuesday, I will finally put one of them on,” he said. “And then you can have the other!”

Madman Theory

Jasmine Wright, Jenna Monnin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT https://www.notus.org/newsletters/madman-theory

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Today’s notice: Have the Iranians figured Trump out? Growing animus between the White House and Senate Republicans. The DSA gets another big win. Democrats search for identity in New York. Public health funding hits a roadblock. Plus: Obama’s tan suit makes a comeback.

P.S. Sign up for our new local newsletter. NOTUS has added some of the best reporters covering D.C.-area news, sports and culture. Sign up for the NOTUS Metro Newsletter now!

THE LATEST

Testing out the “madman theory”: Donald Trump has oscillated between wild extremes during the course of his war with Iran, threatening “total decimation” one moment and suggesting our adversary should have an arsenal of missiles the next. Now, the president’s signature (and at times intentional) brand of unpredictability will be put to the test during 60 days of technical talks, NOTUS’ Akbar Shahid Ahmed and Jasmine report.

The negotiations will test the “madman theory” of foreign policy the president leans on: assuming adversaries will cave because they don’t know how far he’ll actually go.

White House officials have long said Trump’s unpredictability is an essential part of his dealmaking — the main reason he’s been able to get rivals to concede in ways other presidents haven’t. But now Trump has to embrace a framework for talks that overwhelmingly benefit Iran, and his personal volatility is unlikely to tilt the discussions in the U.S.’s favor.

Iran, experts say, has learned to focus on what Trump does and not just what he says. And after two U.S.-Israeli assaults in less than two years since the president’s return to office, Iran has seen that depleting stocks of U.S. weaponry “didn’t move the needle for Trump,” but hiking gas prices by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz did, Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, told NOTUS.

JD Vance postponed his trip to Switzerland late Thursday to meet with his Iranian counterparts, with a White House spokesperson saying, “the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. As of now the Vice President is not departing tonight.”

Open tabs: The paint is already peeling in Trump’s renovated Reflecting Pool (Reuters); Scores Fall Ill at Air Force Base After Hegseth Makes Flu Vaccine Optional (NYT); Kash Patel accused of directing $1m to ‘slush fund’ to pay bonuses to loyalist agents (Guardian); Government can’t restrict gun ownership over marijuana use, Supreme Court rules (WaPo)

From the Hill

*Tension overload* is the current status of the relationship between Trump and Senate Republicans after the president’s latest move to pull his director of national intelligence pick from the scheduled confirmation hearing. It’s moments like this that leave Senate Majority Leader John Thune in the lurch, NOTUS’ Al Weaver, Jasmine and Reese Gorman report.

“We take two steps forward, but then keep having to check to see if there are any landmines around,” said one source familiar with Trump and Thune’s dynamic.

Trump has grown frustrated with the lack of movement on his priorities: getting rid of the filibuster and the “blue slip” process and passing the SAVE America Act. Thune has said repeatedly there aren’t enough votes for any of it.

Meanwhile, rank-and-file Republicans feel disrespected and are facing a White House they believe doesn’t care about the party’s midterm prospects. Long story short: There are a lot of grievances with no immediate remedy.

From the campaign trail

A Mamdani-style candidate is on track to become D.C.’s next mayor. Janeese Lewis George just put the Democratic Socialists of America one step closer to another major victory after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s successful campaign led to a significant increase in the group’s membership, NOTUS’ Violet Jira reports. The DSA spent hundreds of hours door-knocking and canvassing for both Lewis George and Aparna Raj, who’s running for Ward 1’s Council seat.

“We’ve had, I think, close to 300 unique volunteers coming out, knocking doors in the rain and the cold and the heat,” said Kurtis Hagans, chair of the Metro D.C. DSA’s steering committee.

Democratic identity is on the ballot — or at least it is in New York City, where next week voters will choose between Darializa Avila Chevalier and Rep. Adriano Espaillat. The Democratic primary for the 13th Congressional District has become one of the defining races in the battle between progressives and the establishment, the fight between younger Democrats trying to ascend to higher office and older ones trying to stay put. NOTUS’ Manuela Silva spent some time with the insurgent Avila Chevalier as she campaigned.

“Folks here are very hungry for a different type of politics, and we proved last year that we can do it,” Avila Chevalier said, referring to Mamdani’s win. “Now we’re ready to prove that it wasn’t a fluke.”

Meanwhile, Espaillat has leaned on experience as his reelection pitch. “As an appropriator, I know budget and legislation,” he told Manuela. “You’ve got to know legislation, also somebody that knows public policy, that ensures that we implement good public policy.”

From the agencies

NOTUS scoop: Suicide hotlines. Opioid recovery centers. Response to global disease outbreaks. Those are just some of the public health initiatives waiting for an onslaught of federal funding, which is currently held up due to a new political review process at Health and Human Services, NOTUS’ Eric Katz and Paige Winfield Cunningham report.

To get congressionally allocated money out the door, the funds have to first clear an AI screening that catches keywords the Trump administration has gone to war with like “culture,” “harm reduction,” “gender” and “transgender.” If those are found, they’re sent to an HHS assistant secretary for approval before going to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s desk. And then it would need to go to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final clearance. Those impacted say the backlog puts key health programs at risk and strains the system.

“If we start to see these delays extended because of these approvals, things will have to stop,” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. “There’s no off-ramp. It just stops.”

NOTUS PERSPECTIVES

Today at NOTUS Perspectives, Damon Young on how the Knicks’ championship win created unstoppable joy that maybe, just maybe, could save the country. And Dana Milbank on Vance, Trump and their week of so much losing.

NEW ON NOTUS

Does anyone remember Obama’s tan suit? The star-studded crowd gathered on Chicago’s South Side for the opening of the new Barack Obama library did, NOTUS’ Torrie Herrington reports. The ensemble was the “it” accessory for many in attendance, including Stephen Colbert, Rep. Bill Foster (D-Illinois), NBA legend Isiah Thomas, David Letterman and even a few local politicians like Illinois state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford.

Unfortunately, the infamous suit itself isn’t in the library’s collection, Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett told NPR this week. “President Obama gave it away when he was cleaning out his closet.”

More: Lawmakers Say Education Department Changes Will Leave Students ‘Lost,’ by Adora Brown

NOT US

The Democratic Base Is Angry, by Elaine Godfrey for The Atlantic
A Wild Jaunt Across Europe With Trump’s Tourism Czar, the Aussie Expat Formerly Known as “Nick Adams, Alpha Male,” by Aidan McLaughlin for Vanity Fair
Alexander Hamilton, the Wrong Founder, by William Hogeland for The Nation
Everyone in Trump’s Cabinet Is Eating Sauerkraut, by Natalie Andrews and Liz Essley Whyte for The Wall Street Journal

BE SOCIAL

Sound on.

https://x.com/NotHoodlum/status/2067626802143502751

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The newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe, Brett Bachman, Thomas Burr and Andrew Burton. Photo by Jacquelyn Martin/AP.]]>

The Trump Administration Is Holding Up Billions in HHS Funding

Eric Katz, Paige Winfield Cunningham — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:50:00 GMT

The new grant funding political review process goes up through Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the White House. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

States and health organizations are waiting for $211 million in grants to grow their 988 suicide hotline capacities, $75 million to build out global disease outbreak response, $3 million to build treatment centers for opioid addiction and $95 million for programs that “improve the overall performance of the public health system.” And the list goes on.

The Trump administration is holding up billions in grant funding because of a new political review process that goes up through Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the White House.

To get congressionally approved dollars out the door, all HHS funding opportunities must first clear an AI screening which flags certain keywords that the administration finds unacceptable, such as culture, harm reduction, gender and transgender. Then they're sent to an HHS assistant secretary for financial review for approval before going to Kennedy’s office.

The final step is outside HHS altogether: The White House’s Office of Management and Budget must give a final sign-off before all funding opportunities are approved.

Internal documents, public records and interviews with a dozen current and former HHS employees and grant recipients all demonstrate the Trump administration's new spending regime is leading to unprecedented delays in the release of funds.

The backlogs are putting key public health programs at risk and causing a strain on states and local organizations that rely on the federal dollars to carry out key health activities, these sources say.

“If we start to see these delays extended because of these approvals, things will have to stop,” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. “There’s no off-ramp. It just stops.”

State and local health departments typically receive around 25% of their funding from federal grants, and delaying that money will quickly lead to cuts in service, she said.

“The longer-term impacts of that is people won’t be as healthy,” Tremmel Freeman said. “They won’t be able to get what they need. “

The process delayed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from posting around 30 grants, totalling around $728 million. At the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than half of its projected $700 million worth of grants this year were held up.

The day after NOTUS reached out to HHS for comment on the backlog, the department began opening up a slew of those grants that had been repeatedly delayed since late last year for application. SAMSHA’s backlog is now down to $286 million in pending grants. CDC cut its backlog to $630 million.

Two HHS employees told NOTUS that the new review policy went into effect in fiscal 2026. The delays are impacting hundreds of states, municipalities and organizations.

A document obtained by NOTUS lays out the nine-step process for posting online notices of HHS funding opportunities, starting with the AI review and ending at the White House budget office. The document shows that every funding notice “must pass through political review at multiple levels to ensure alignment with Agency priorities,” steps that current and former department officials, as well as grant recipients, said marked a departure from the normal procedure.

One former senior career staffer at the CDC who served under four administrations said fewer than five or six grant notices in a year would typically get reviewed at the HHS level. Now, it’s all of them.

A SAMHSA employee said the agency does not have “immediate access” to funds that Congress has already approved.

Grant opportunities “have been held up and are waiting for department-level approval before we can move those out,” the employee said.

Potential grant recipients told NOTUS funding opportunities they had anticipated applying for and receiving were repeatedly delayed starting early this year, with staff citing the reviews as an explanation.

“Things keep getting stuck within the HHS approval process,” said Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

Dr. Philip Huang, director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services, said federal funding makes up 90% of his department’s budget. Lately, he said, there’s been a slowdown in grant opportunities. Very few were released between January and May.

“It’s really been very quiet,” Huang said, adding that his department has already gone through layoffs due to prior disruptions from federal funding under President Donald Trump.

One CDC employee briefed on the new process said it has allowed political appointees to preselect which entities are eligible for grants.

“They will say, ‘These applicants won’t make the cut,’ and we will have to go with that,” the employee said.

HHS earlier this year sought to terminate thousands of SAMHSA grants, but quickly walked back that decision after facing bipartisan pushback. The employee there said funding opportunity approvals typically would occur within the agency, but they now move up to HHS appointees and the secretary’s office. Individual centers within SAMHSA have been “caught off guard,” the staffer said, as the offices have dealt with “slow rolling” from department higher-ups.

“It is going even slower than it had last year," the person said. "Things are stagnant. When you ask for an update, there is never really an update."

The CDC employee said staff overseeing grants are taking care in their drafting of funding opportunities to ensure nothing can be construed as supporting diversity or other efforts that would offend the Trump administration. They are telling applicants to do the same.

“[We] can’t just do the work, follow the science,” the employee said. “We have to make sure it’s done in a way that does not conflict or cause retaliation.”

The changes are part of a larger trend across the administration. Trump signed an executive order last year requiring more political oversight of federal grants. Last month, OMB proposed codifying the mandate that senior political appointees review any potential award for compliance with “the president’s policy priorities” and that they avoid any diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The Interior Department has also added new layers of political review to its grants process, leading to a backlog of hundreds of millions of dollars in funds, as NOTUS first reported. The administration recently put an end to a similar system at the Federal Emergency Management Agency after bipartisan outrage over slowed disaster aid.

Several employees and grant recipients expressed concern the administration is pressuring agencies to implement the proposed rule despite it not yet having any effect.

“The rule is fundamentally about accountability and ensuring that we are able to have good oversight of the grant process and that it is in alignment with the administration’s agenda,” Hal Duncan, an OMB official, told lawmakers on Tuesday during a confirmation hearing to be the agency’s deputy director.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told NOTUS the changes at HHS are politicizing federal grants and creating the kind of red tape Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency sought to eliminate.

“It's undermining America’s edge in research, holding up funding for front-line responders, and denying resources and services to communities because of politics,” Murray said. “Putting a Trump-appointed goon in front of every basic grant that is otherwise ready to go is nothing short of self-sabotage.”

Emily Hilliard, an HHS spokesperson, dismissed the notion that delays or politics have had any negative repercussions.

All grant funding opportunities “follow the standard review and approval process,” Hilliard said. “Once finalized, HHS will release remaining notices of funding opportunities for Fiscal Year 2026.”

In the meantime, health programs reliant on federal funds are growing concerned they won’t be able to serve their communities. Ingoglia, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing president, said he’s most worried about delays to a bucket of funds that help behavioral health clinics reach more patients. It’s one of the larger and more significant programs to help expand access to mental health and substance abuse services to Americans, especially those who can’t afford it.

“The communities — providers, local municipalities etc. – are just waiting,” said one former senior HHS official who still works in the HHS grant space. That person described the delays caused by the reviews as unprecedented and said the backlogs are having significant downstream impacts.

The delays are making it hard for clinics to plan annual budgets and provide stability to workers whose salaries are reliant on the grants, mental health leaders say.

The nonprofit group Community Health Resources, which operates 34 clinics around Connecticut, plans to seek a renewal of two federal grants which brought in $8 million over the past four years.

By this time in the year, the group would typically have already applied for the grants, which are supposed to go out the door in October once the previous grants expire Sept. 30.

“It creates an awful lot of anxiety for the staff who are being paid out of those grants, so it is more likely they start looking for other jobs,” said the group’s president and CEO, Heather Gates.

That anxiety has extended to career federal workers, who are seeing Trump’s political reach as a sign of long-term volatility in government spending. The number of political appointees has grown in government; CDC went from one — its director — to now more than a dozen.

Their presence and the tightened grip on federal spending will replace expertise with politics and neutral decision making with the whims of the president, said Dr. Deb Houry, former CDC chief medical officer who resigned from the agency last fall.

“We don’t want year-to-year changes to grants and cancellations of grants based on who is in the administration,” she said.

Trump's Iran Strategy Tests the Limits of the 'Madman Theory'

Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Jasmine Wright — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:45:00 GMT

A senior White House official said President Donald Trump's commentary is "an asset because no one will have to read between the lines." Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo

President Donald Trump has handled his war on Iran with his signature brand of unpredictability, veering from threatening “a whole civilization will die” to cheering diplomacy and Iranian freedom. It’s not clear how much he’ll have to show for it.

The U.S. and Iran are expected to begin talks soon toward a permanent end to the war. They have 59 days to agree on contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, economic sanctions and a new regional arrangement governing the Strait of Hormuz.

It’s a particularly delicate period, but Trump remains deeply volatile. The negotiations will test the “madman theory” of foreign policy the president leans on: assuming adversaries will cave because they don’t know how far he will go. They will also test whether U.S. officials can reach mutually agreeable terms when their boss might shift the goalposts at any time — an especially significant task given how massive the global cost of resuming conflict with Iran has become.

“I am old enough to remember President Nixon's ‘madman theory,’” said Alan Eyre, a former U.S. career diplomat, of Nixon’s handling of the Vietnam War. Trump, he said, “is doing what he does because he can't do otherwise, and that's the biggest threat. He has no strategic messaging. … He's going to sabotage negotiations, not just by moving red lines, which I think he probably will do, but by saying stuff in the media that's going to have an effect.”

Eyre, who helped negotiate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under then-President Barack Obama, continued: “That's one of the many reasons why I don't think that the U.S. will be able to negotiate a nuclear agreement in 60 days, 120 days or however many days.”

White House officials have long credited Trump’s unpredictability with frightening rivals into concessions, producing good deals for Americans. Trump has threatened major escalations — including illegal ones — against Tehran for months, seemingly in hopes of forcing compromises.

A senior White House official said Trump’s comments will ensure all involved know the president’s red lines and thoughts concerning the ongoing negotiations. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will take the lead, along with a team of technical experts ready to be deployed, the official said.

“It’s an asset because no one will have to read between the lines,” the senior official said — on the U.S. side or the Iranian side. “It gives direction to everyone.”

Kushner Witkoff Vance AP-26102077651829 (6000x4000, AR: 1.50)But Trump has now embraced a framework for talks that overwhelmingly benefits Iran, and experts say the president's volatility is unlikely to tilt the discussions in the U.S.’s favor.

The Iranians “go into this thinking they have the upper hand,” said Wendy Sherman, a top American negotiator on the Obama-era Washington-Tehran nuclear deal, which Trump later abandoned. “Initially there was belief by some that the madman approach might work, but it has been shown to be toothless.”

“At the end of the day,” she added, “Trump has agreed to a bad deal because the war didn't turn out the way he wanted it to.”

Iran has learned to focus on tangible signs of Trump’s preferences rather than his language, seeing his unpredictability as a strategy rather than taking it at face value, said Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy think tank.

Toossi pointed to last weekend, when Trump criticized Israel for bombing the Lebanese capital of Beirut after Iran said an emerging ceasefire had to cover Lebanon. Iranian decision-makers did not perceive it as a U.S.-Israeli split, but instead a test from Washington of how Iran would handle the matter, Toossi said. Iran ultimately launched major barrages against Israel and doubled down on including Lebanon in peace talks.

After two U.S.-Israeli assaults in less than two years since Trump’s return to office, Iran has seen that depleting stocks of U.S. weaponry “didn’t move the needle for Trump,” but bolstering gas prices by shutting down Hormuz did, Toossi said.

And for all of Trump’s claims last week that he loved the spike in inflation due to increased energy costs, he showed his hand Wednesday in France when discussing why he moved to sign the memorandum.

"I didn't want to see economic catastrophe,” the president said at a press conference before leaving the G7 meeting. “If you kept this going, that could have happened.”

Beyond the U.S.-Iran negotiators, Trump’s capriciousness has competing implications for outside players.

Caution about Trump — and a desire to stay in his good graces — could limit Netanyahu’s efforts to scuttle U.S.-Iran talks, though he and other Israeli hard-liners dislike the idea of a compromise with Tehran.

Countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also fear Washington will be too conciliatory toward Iran, but are unlikely to broadcast skepticism of the negotiations because they want to remain involved. Those nations have outsize influence through their business ties with Trump and his circle, particularly the leading negotiators Witkoff and Kushner; they could wield their sway to try to ensure any final settlement is not limited to nuclear issues.

Human rights advocates are similarly hoping Trump can reshape talks in their favor. Iran’s record of repression is largely ignored in the memorandum currently underpinning the talks. But if the president gives the issues new attention — for instance, by reiterating his pledge to free Americans jailed abroad — it could make Iranian gestures of good will, like releasing detained U.S. citizens, part of the diplomacy.

Ryan Fayhee, an attorney representing the jailed U.S. journalist Reza Valizadeh, told NOTUS the White House has emphasized to him that “the Iranians are well aware of the need to have these Americans released.”

Domestically, Trump’s willingness to assail fellow Republicans who question his foreign policy choices (like soon-to-be-unseated Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky) could stem criticism of the negotiations, though some GOP discontent is already bubbling up. Deploying a “madman” approach toward Republicans might help the administration convince Congress to lift the many layers of legally enshrined American sanctions on Iran, and to stave off new legislation limiting U.S.-Iran engagement.

Conversely, however, a former U.S. official noted “real concern” that Trump will, amid the talks, again be persuaded by anti-Iran voices — like the talk show host Mark Levin or the Israeli-American Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson — to abandon diplomacy with Tehran.

The former official told NOTUS they doubt any further settlement can be reached, despite predictions from some in the Trump administration of a dramatic U.S.-Iran rapprochement.

“I think this is it: The status quo is good enough, everyone moves on,” said the former official, who requested anonymity to protect relationships. Trump might bolster tensions again, seeking a drastic change from the Iranians, “but there is no world in which more war results in a different outcome.”

This story was updated to clarify when the discussions to end the war are expected to begin.

D.C.'s Democratic Socialists Have Become a Campaigning Powerhouse

Violet Jira — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:30:00 GMT

Lewis George is all but certain to become D.C.’s first democratic socialist mayor. Kainaz Amaria/NOTUS

D.C.’s progressive left packed the house at Transmission, an underground dance club on H Street, for a “fundraver” in March to support Janeese Lewis George for mayor.

Lewis George and fellow democratic socialist candidate Aparna Raj, who is running to be Ward 1’s council member, spoke to an energetic crowd. The attendees cheered as the candidates promised to champion causes that are important to them: lowering utility costs, protecting tenants, and standing up to President Donald Trump.

“The status quo wants to continue to fight against labor when we organize across this city. The status quo wants to continue having fossil fuels and lead in our water and continue environmental racism throughout this city,” Lewis George said. “That [status quo] continues to want to be complicit in this fight against Donald Trump and ICE and fascism, but that status quo has one problem, and that is us.”

After closing her speech, Lewis George stepped off the stage and put on shades to rave with the 20-somethings, many of them Metro D.C. Democratic Socialists of America members, an organization that makes up a core pillar of her campaign apparatus.

Those members have been at work.

They spent hundreds of hours door-knocking and canvassing ahead of this week’s primary. It paid off: Lewis George is all but certain to become D.C.’s first democratic socialist mayor, beating out the other leading Democratic candidate, Kenyan McDuffie. Raj, who previously chaired the local DSA chapter, is leading in Ward 1. Both were endorsed by the local DSA chapter.

Oye Owolewa, who is a DSA member, is also ahead after the first tally of ranked-choice ballots. Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker, who the DSA chapter endorsed in his successful 2022 election, won his primary this week.

Their successes are the surest sign yet of the growing influence of D.C.’s DSA chapter as more democratic socialist candidates win races around the country, most famously New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. With strategic endorsements and a mass of eager volunteers, the chapter is expanding its foothold in D.C. politics.

Metro D.C. Democratic Socialists of America added roughly 1,000 new members since this time last year and is well on its way to 4,000 members, according to Kurtis Hagans, chair of MDC DSA's steering committee.

That growth added to the number of volunteers who were willing to do what DSA does particularly well: door-knocking at scale.

“I think now, between the two campaigns, I'm at like 4,600 doors right now,” said one member, referring to Lewis George and Raj, while canvassing an apartment complex in Ward 1 the day before the election (he noted that was well above average).

The majority of door-knocking on Raj’s behalf was done by DSA members, according to the chapter and the candidate. For Lewis George’s campaign, MDC DSA placed the number at 20% to 30%. Lewis George’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

In total, MDC DSA says it has knocked on well over 100,000 doors for this campaign cycle.
JLG_electionnight_01.jpg (5712x3808, AR: 1.50)“We’ve had, I think, close to 300 unique volunteers coming out, knocking doors in the rain and the cold and the heat,” Hagans said. “I think we’re certainly a force to be reckoned with in the region, and folks are starting to see that. It’s interesting to see how folks are trying to develop reactions, because, you know — who's knocking doors for McDuffie?”

The DSA chapter’s surge is happening at a politically tumultuous time. Trump has exerted an unprecedented level of federal power over the District, briefly taking over the city’s police department last year and deploying federal agents throughout the city to conduct immigration enforcement.

The city also faces the same affordability concerns as elsewhere in the country. The DSA-endorsed candidates, like other Democrats nationwide, centered their platform on making D.C. more affordable, promising to advance policies that are socialist in nature, such as implementing free child care and building thousands of homes to boost the availability of affordable housing.

“I think it's a change election, so voters are looking for people that have a message of something new versus more the same. Democrats, in particular, want someone to stand up to Trump, particularly on the ICE issue,” said Byron LaMasters, a progressive political strategist.

He said Lewis George “did a terrific job” of talking about affordability.
Janeese Lewis George (8122x5415, AR: 1.50)“People are concerned about the affordability of everything from housing to gas to groceries, and Democrats I think can win by having a message on those issues pretty much across the country, and it certainly resonated here in D.C.,” LaMasters said.

Looking ahead, MDC DSA members said they plan to use their growth and momentum to continue their efforts throughout D.C.

“We are really excited to be able to work on the inside track with Janeese,” Hagans said. “We would love to see the promises made to the District realized.”

Raj said DSA and her campaign had offered people joy and a positive vision for the future.

“Transmission was a dance party, but it was also queer resistance in a lot of ways,” she said.

The votes are still being counted in Raj’s race but she looks likely to win. If elected, she said she intends to serve like an organizer.

“We saw a huge mobilization of people who had never been politically activated before in our campaign,” she said. “I think this is an opportunity to bring people’s voices to the Wilson building.”

Correction: This story has been updated to clarify which candidates the DSA chapter formally endorsed this election cycle.

This New York Race Is a Microcosm of Democrats' Identity Fight

Manuela Silva — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:13:00 GMT

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, in pink, and state assemblyman Al Taylor, in white, take photos with voters after the congressman's annual Juneteenth celebration in Manhattan. Manuela Silva/NOTUS

NEW YORK — Darializa Avila Chevalier can change what it means to be a Democrat in a Democratic stronghold.

At least that’s the democratic socialist’s view of her insurgent congressional campaign against an established New York power broker. The candidate, who was recruited to run by Justice Democrats, volunteered for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign when he was polling at just 1% in last year’s race. Now that he’s one of the highest-profile elected officials of the progressive left, she’s hoping to be his teammate from a perch in Congress — specifically, incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s seat.

Both candidates in the congressional race are generally thought of as progressives, but the race has become a contest between young and old, upstart versus establishment, ideas versus experience.

In other words, it’s a microcosm of the broader fight for the Democratic Party’s identity and sparking a debate about what the Democratic brand should look like in its most progressive districts.

“Folks here are very hungry for a different type of politics, and we proved last year that we can do it,” Avila Chevalier told NOTUS, referring to Mamdani’s win. “Now we're ready to prove that it wasn't a fluke. We're ready to prove that this is something that we want and this is what's here to stay, and to show that, in a federal race, has national implications.”
IMG_4990 copy.jpg (4032x2688, AR: 1.50)As she walked back to her Harlem campaign headquarters after canvassing on the first day of early voting, Avila Chevalier said voters in the deep-blue district she’s running in expect their representative to be pugnacious enough to meet the moment.

“Yes, it really matters that we're sending Democrats to office and to Congress, but it matters what kind of Democrats we're sending,” Avila Chevalier said.

On Tuesday, those voters will choose between Avila Chevalier and Espaillat, in what limited polling suggests is a close race. It’s one of a handful of closely watched New York City congressional primaries.

Espaillat’s campaign message is that his years of work as an elected official makes him the type of leader that Democrats need to implement their policy agenda if they reclaim the majority. Avila Chevalier is making the case that as the Democratic Party builds toward its vision of the future, it has to back its most progressive candidates, especially in its bluest districts.

With Democrats feeling like a majority in the House of Representatives is within reach, Espaillat said his longtime experience as a legislator in Washington and his perspective as the only formerly undocumented member of Congress are precisely why he should have a “seat at the table.”
Adriano Espaillat (4426x2951, AR: 1.50)He pushes back on the suggestion that he’s an establishment candidate, pointing to his history as the first Dominican-American member of Congress, as well as his diverse coalition of supporters.

“That's a new voice, someone that has sort of gone against the grain with the support of the community as they kick down the door to have a seat at the table,” Espaillat said of himself.

Espaillat is the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which has spearheaded much of Hill Democrats’ pushback to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. As a member of the House Appropriations committee, Espaillat says his experience balancing a budget makes him a key player if Democrats are to make good on their promises if they reclaim the House.

“As an appropriator, I know budget and legislation,” Espaillat told NOTUS. “You’ve got to know legislation, also somebody that knows public policy that ensures that we implement good public policy.”

“I’ve fought in the legislature and I fought in the courts and won and beat Donald Trump,” he continued, pointing to a lawsuit he filed with 11 other members of Congress against the Trump administration for barring them from inspecting ICE facilities. “That's the kind of experience that you need.”

Espaillat has not faced serious competition since he was first elected in 2016, when he knocked out Rep. Charlie Rangel’s chosen successor, New York Democratic powerhouse Keith Wright, by less than 3 percentage points. Espaillat did not face a primary challenger at all in 2024, and in 2022, he won almost 80% of the vote in the Democratic primary.

But Mamdani managed to inspire a major turnout in that part of the city, which Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats, said was a factor in making it a target district for the organization.

Since Avila Chevalier, who is also Dominican-American, launched her campaign last summer, she has repeatedly criticized Espaillat for accepting of donations from the pro-Israel lobby and his votes in favor of continued U.S. military support of Israel. At a recent debate, Espaillat addressed his acceptance of AIPAC money, stating that “no one” tells him how to vote other than his constituents.
IMG_5051 copy.jpg (3775x2517, AR: 1.50)Espaillat’s supporters have made an issue of Avila Chevalier’s attendance at a pro-Palestine rally in Times Square one day after the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, as well as her now-deleted social media posts calling for abolishing the police and posts attacking several mainstream Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Joe Biden. She has since said that she “deeply regrets” her statements.

Many Avila Chevalier supporters see her as a continuation of the effort started by Mamdani’s campaign last summer. Adriana Barrios, a previous volunteer for the Mamdani campaign and now a canvassing lead for Avila Chevalier’s campaign, said some of Avila Chevalier’s supporters recognize the candidate as a community organizer and from her efforts on behalf of Mamdani.

That, she says, is a record she’s excited by.

“I volunteered for Zohran because I was really excited to see a new kind of politics,” Barrios told NOTUS at a canvassing event in Thomas Jefferson Park featuring Mamdani. “As someone who was previously a really disaffected voter, I was incredibly thrilled to be able to vote someone into office who I felt represented me, and I see this as a continuation of that.”

But many Democrats, in particular members of the national party, have largely stuck with Espaillat.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (8192x5462, AR: 1.50)Espaillat has received the endorsements of a slew of local and national elected officials, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Congressional Black Caucus. He’s also got a coalition of New York City officials backing him who say their familiarity with the lawmaker and the working relationships they’ve built are key to their support.

“I want to be able to pick up my phone and say, ‘OK, this person has an immigration issue,’ and there are some basic things that I can do that are in my tool belt, or I can reach out to Gillibrand's office, I can reach out to Schumer’s office, but Adriano's office is closer to all of us,” Al Taylor, the assemblymember for New York’s 71st District, told NOTUS as he handed out campaign material for both himself and Espaillat. (The candidates have endorsed each other.)

“I can reach him and say, ‘Hey, can you all do something with this situation?’” Taylor said.

Espaillat and his supporters say now is not the time for a challenger. They think the focus should be on making sure the right people are in place to deliver on a Democratic agenda.

“This is not the time for training sessions, and whether you like him or not, Espaillat has a record that he can stand on,” Rep. Nydia Velázquez, who is retiring at the end of her term and who has backed Espaillat, told NOTUS. “I disagreed with him at the beginning in terms of Gaza and the criminal behavior of Netanyahu, but beyond that, he’s been serving this district. In the area of immigration, in the area of putting more resources.”
Nydia Velázquez Adriano Espaillat (3224x2149, AR: 1.50)“I support him, and I believe in my heart that this is not the time to try something new, because we don’t have time for experiments,” she continued.

The race gained a new level of attention when Mamdani endorsed Avila Chevalier at the end of May, as one of the three congressional races he’s decided to weigh in on. It’s made for complicated dynamics: Mamdani had reportedly agreed to back Espaillat, who supported his mayoral campaign after his primary win, but then the mayor went with Avila Chevalier instead. In the weeks since, Mamdani has stumped for Avila Chevalier and attended canvassing events.

“I won't minimize the impact of our mayor coming in. It absolutely gave a higher profile to his opponent, for all those reasons,” New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, a longtime supporter of Espaillat, told NOTUS after a labor rally in support of Espaillat on the first day of early voting. “It's a close race, but I'm confident that we're going to win.”

In the weeks since, Mamdani and Avila Chevalier, along with the other two House candidates he’s hoping to propel to federal office, have appeared in an ad together and canvassed alongside each other. On Thursday, the candidates appeared at a joint rally with Mamdani and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, where Sanders ticked through some of the antiestablishment momentum that progressives have logged so far this primary cycle in races across the country.

Avila Chevalier “embodies the best of our politics: she has long held the belief that government should work for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected,” Mamdani said in a statement to NOTUS. “In D.C., I am confident that [she] will fight for everyday working New Yorkers; she'll take on corporate greed and protect our immigrant communities.”

But as splashy as her campaign has been, Avila Chevalier is still competing in a district where residents have known Espaillat as their lawmaker for a decade — one of the biggest challenges she would have to overcome.

“I supported him for years,” Harlem resident Larry Graves told NOTUS shortly after he met Espaillat at the lawmaker’s annual Juneteenth concert at Riverbank State Park. “He says what he does and he does what he says. He’s not just one of those people just sitting around doing nothing. He does what he’s supposed to do.”

The other candidate, Graves said, just “talks a good game.”

Trump Is Fed Up With Senate Republicans. The Feeling Is Mutual.

Al Weaver, Jasmine Wright, Reese Gorman — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT

President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune still talk, but the frustration is building, sources say. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

A disconnect is growing between President Donald Trump and Senate Republican leaders as the president grows increasingly frustrated with what he views as stagnation on his top priorities – and on the other side, senators miffed as they struggle with a month of tumult.

Trump has torpedoed what appeared to be nearly done deals, including most recently yanking his director of national intelligence nominee Jay Clayton from a fast-tracked confirmation hearing and hobbling an extension of a foreign intelligence gathering tool. And the president has primaried sitting senators he viewed as disloyal.

As a result of all the wrenches Trump has thrown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is left in a lurch, some say, while the South Dakota Republican tries to maintain his slim majority in the upcoming midterms.

“We take two steps forward, but then keep having to check to see if there are any landmines around,” said one source familiar with Trump and Thune’s dynamic.

That puts the Senate in a precarious place, where five months ahead of the midterm elections, the appetite for substantial legislation is already low. In conversations with more than a dozen Republican lawmakers, Senate aides, current and former administration officials and people close to the president, they describe a contentious relationship between the White House and Senate — with no identifiable remedy.

Trump and Thune speak at a steady clip, according to sources familiar with the pair. The conversations are not on a set schedule but ebb and flow depending on whether major Senate business is underway. That is a significant contrast from Trump’s relationship with Speaker Mike Johnson, whom he speaks with far more often.

“Thune tells him what he needs to hear, and Johnson tells him what he wants to hear,” the source familiar with Trump and Thune’s dynamic told NOTUS. “Right now, [Trump’s] in a ‘want to hear’ space.”

However, senators and aides alike have argued that Trump and Thune maintain a cordial relationship despite the recent roller coaster of events. The two last spoke over the weekend before Trump departed for the G7 Summit in France.

And they say that Trump’s frustration is not with the Senate leader personally, but rather the chamber writ large and its arcane procedures.

“Thune just happens to be the majority leader,” a senior White House official told NOTUS. “This is what happens when you’re in the big boy chair.”

The president’s frustrations are centered on the still existing filibuster, the lack of movement on the SAVE America Act, the not-yet-jobless parliamentarian and the “blue slip” procedure that allows home-state senators to block certain judicial nominees.

“He’s a CEO of companies. When you’re CEO of companies, you just say ‘this is what we’re going to do’ and the company does it,” one Senate Republican said. “He gets frustrated with the judges because you can’t tell the judges what to do. He gets frustrated with the legislative branch. Same thing — you can’t compel it. You’ve got to be able to work with people and figure it out.”

Those frustrations seeped out once again as members were leaving for the week on Thursday, with the president lambasting senators who are against nixing the 60-vote threshold as “a FOOL, a very stupid one, at that!"

The White House said Thursday that Trump has “enjoyed working closely with Leader Thune and Senate Republicans to deliver on many important promises to the American people,” on key issues like the tax-cut package passed last summer and funding for Trump’s border security agenda.

“We look forward to continuing these close relationships and fulfilling President Trump's priorities that Americans elected him to enact,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

For the rank-and-file side, sources told NOTUS that Republican senators feel ignored and disrespected. One person close to Senate leadership said GOP senators are trying to hold together a tight majority but the White House “doesn’t care.”

“There hasn’t been enough of a heads-up when they’re going to do something, particularly the president, but I don’t really know if the president’s staff really knows that he’s going to be doing stuff,” a second Senate Republican said. “We’re looking at these electoral numbers, and we all have to get on the same page here — quickly.”

And as for Thune, he has been left exasperated and irritated by the latest string of events.

A mild-mannered Midwesterner, the Republican leader rarely shows his true colors while being peppered by reporters — until he lets his guard down. That happened on Wednesday morning after Trump derailed his hopes of confirming Clayton and reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act by tying a nominee that is likely unconfirmable and the SAVE America voting bill to them, respectively.

When pressed on why Trump is connecting all of these items together, Thune shot back: “Good question.”

Multiple lawmakers who spoke with NOTUS say that Thune’s frustration stems largely from the consistent derailing of the chamber’s agenda and the high-wire act of keeping an increasingly fractured conference united. Prime examples: The president’s “anti-weaponization” fund that almost tanked the second single-party measure that green-lighted border funds and the latest DNI and FISA rug-pullings.

“Thune has about 50 things he wants to get done right now,” the first Senate Republican said. “I think his frustration is when we get stuck in a week and we’re not productive and we’re not able to actually move one of the many things that have got to move.”

Senate Republicans are still unclear on how the opening for director of national intelligence and a FISA extension will get resolved.

James Braid, the White House director of legislative affairs, told Punchbowl News in an interview Thursday that Trump has “a lot of confidence” in the Republican leader, citing the pair’s “shared relationships and a shared sense of accomplishment.” Braid also took issue with the idea that the two are not speaking regularly, saying that "the talking is going on."

“When the train’s on the track, we can’t take any more stops,” the second Republican lawmaker said. “We’ve just got to keep going.”

Senators have frequently cited Trump’s repeated calls for the SAVE America Act to be attached to key items, including FISA reauthorization or a potential third reconciliation bill —- the latter of which few believe will even happen.

His focus on the voting bill has also grated on members as they make clear that there are not the votes to proceed on it no matter how much the president pushes it. And that’s a reality Trump hasn’t taken kindly to.

"He's got two speeds: Uninterested and the speed of light,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana). “And on the things that are important to him, he moves at the speed of light.”

The blame for how the Republican-led White House and Republican-led Senate got into this quagmire stretches far and wide.

Lawmakers and aides told NOTUS that they believe that Trump’s advisers don’t have a grasp on the Senate or Congress, citing the ill-timed announcement that Bill Pulte would be the incoming acting DNI — a move that jeopardized renewal of the key spy powers.

Others defended the president. On Pulte, Trump realized that Democrats were playing politics by fast-tracking Clayton and moved in to stop it. But on a larger note, a senior White House official said, it’s because of Trump that many lawmakers on both sides had their seats to begin with and that the legislative wins they tout are a result of the president’s agenda.

“A little bit of humility and recognition of the president’s political instincts” could be required, the senior White House official said. And the quicker members learn that “if you just follow Trump, you’ll win,” the official added, the better off they’ll be.

A former senior Trump advisor told NOTUS that the president does know how to count the votes, but he also believes that he can get more out of the body with additional pressure.

“[Trump] thinks he can twist, go one more step to get one more thing. He got everyone to move on this, and then he's like, ‘Oh, well, maybe I can get another bite at this apple and get them to approve the Save America Act,’” the ex-advisor said of the latest DNI kerfuffle.

“I think this is an example of where he just took one step too many,” they added.

The Hottest Item at Obama’s Library Opening? A Tan Suit.

Torrie Herrington — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 22:09:09 GMT

Tan suits were a hit at the dedication of the Obama Presidential Center on Thursday. Jeff Roberson/AP

A star-studded crowd featuring (nearly) all living presidents gathered Thursday at the new Barack Obama library towering over Chicago’s South Side to celebrate the 44th president’s legacy.

Oh, and his fashion choice on a single day more than a decade ago.

Ronald Reagan proclaimed: “Tear down this wall.” George W. Bush grinned in front of a “Mission Accomplished” banner. And Obama once wore a tan suit.

It’s ancient political history now, but 12 years ago Obama bounded into the White House briefing room for a press conference about ISIS in Syria. The national security news was overshadowed by the president’s outfit.

Barack Obama tan suit (5000x3155, AR: 1.58)

For a younger generation that grew up after President Donald Trump took office, a tan suit might not even register as a blip on TikTok.

But at the time, Fox News talked about it for days. Twitter (as it was known back then) erupted. And some of Obama’s colleagues in Washington denounced it.

Then-Rep. Peter King (R-NY) went as far as to call the fashion faux pas “unpresidential.” “The Audacity of Taupe,” some proclaimed it. “Yes we tan,” others joked.

On Thursday, a who’s who of A-list entertainers and political insiders attempted to resurrect the tan suit from the annals of forgotten history and reclaim it as a symbol of presidential competence — if this is still what qualified as scandal, imagine what the world would look like now.

https://x.com/JamieBonkiewicz/status/2067660430869205204“How y’all like my tan suit?” the Obama Foundation’s board chair, Martin Nesbitt, beamed as he took the stage to address the crowd suited up in his own tan shade.

“It was inspired by a very good friend of mine who made tan suits famous,” Nesbitt said. “And I don’t know about the rest of you all, but I thought he looked pretty good wearing his. So I decided to wear one myself.”

“You look good,” Obama said later, pointing out Nesbitt’s ensemble. “That is sharp.”

“Well, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” Nesbitt clapped back.

In the audience were several celebrities who donned similar outfits: comedian Stephen Colbert, Rep. Bill Foster (D-Illinois), NBA legend Isiah Thomas, legendary television host David Letterman and even a few local politicians, including Illinois state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford.

David Letterman Obama Library opening AP - 26169548409140 (3000x2000, AR: 1.50)

While some of former first lady Michelle Obama’s iconic outfits are on display in the new presidential center, Obama’s tan suit doesn’t make an appearance.

“The reason we don't have the tan suit is President Obama gave it away when he was cleaning out his closet,” former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett told NPR this week.

NPR host Tamara Keith responded: “That means there may be a tall, skinny guy somewhere out there with an infamous tan suit in his closet who doesn't even realize it.”

Lawmakers Say Education Department Changes Will Leave Students ‘Lost’

Adora Brown — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:17:58 GMT

The Trump administration describes its moves of Education Department responsibilities to other agencies as “partnerships.” Jose Luis Magana/AP

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said the Department of Health and Human Services is too large and too broad to handle the work of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

Because of changes by the Trump administration to dismantle the Department of Education earlier this week, HHS now jointly oversees OSERS with the Department of Education. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has a similar agreement to take on the responsibilities of the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights.

“I thought it was wrong to move OSERS,” said Cassidy, a physician and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee. “A lot of these kids are going to need rehabilitative services to end up right in the workforce, and I just think that they get lost in there.”

Cassidy said if the administration insisted on moving the office, then the Department of Labor would be a better fit for it because of OSERS’ focus on workforce development.

The Trump administration has justified the moves by saying they will cut bureaucratic tape and improve outcomes. These are poised to be some of the most sweeping changes to scale back the role of the Department of Education by transferring the responsibilities, and even some funding, of entire offices to much broader federal agencies.

The administration continues to describe the moves as “partnerships,” and it now has a range of them across different agencies.

But other lawmakers — Democrats — had concerns similar to Cassidy’s, noting that they’d long feared that the administration would take these steps. OSERS is responsible for tracking legislation, implementing policy and supporting programs for people with disabilities of all ages.

“I’ve heard concerns from so many families with loved ones with disabilities,” Sen. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), HELP committee member, told NOTUS. “I specifically pushed Secretary Kennedy on this in a previous hearing, because in HHS they’re gutting funding to so many different programs that are for people with disabilities. I don’t trust him. It’s not the right move at all.”

In a statement to NOTUS, the Department of Education defended the moves.

“HHS administers a broad portfolio of programs that support individuals with disabilities across multiple divisions,” Savannah Newhouse, a spokesperson for the department, said in the statement. “As with all ED partnerships, we have been clear that states, students, and families should expect to see no disruptions as ED's Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services continues to oversee its statutory functions.”

Trump had long floated the idea of moving special education and nutrition programs to HHS, under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. In an unrelated news conference in the Oval Office last year, he said “those two elements will be taken out of the Department of Education.” HHS already oversees several programs related to nutrition in public schools and medical schools.

The Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights, which enforces civil rights laws for any school or institution that receives federal funding, has already faced major changes throughout the second Trump administration. The office fired hundreds of employees last year, creating a major backlog of cases, and then recalled many of those employees in December.

A study by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) office concluded that of at least 23,000 pending civil rights cases, only 1% of them were resolved in 2025.

“We’ve already seen less cases being prosecuted, less advocacy for our children. And so we’re very concerned about this move, and we want to see the secretary come before our committee,” Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Delaware) told NOTUS.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has not appeared before the HELP committee since her confirmation hearing in February 2025, and several Democratic members of the committee have been calling on Cassidy to bring her to Congress. Newhouse said McMahon “routinely” updates congressional leadership.

“We’ve seen this Department of Justice is incapable, really. They are used, they’ve been weaponized by this administration. The administration has totally stripped the integrity of other people at that agency,” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Maryland) told NOTUS.

The moves this week to outsource more of the Education Department’s responsibilities bring the department to 14 interagency agreements since it started making such changes in November. Previous interagency agreements moved primary and secondary education, Native American education, workforce development, medical accreditation, child care and the federal student loan portfolio.

Education responsibilities are now spread across six different agencies: the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, Justice, Interior, Treasury and State.

Unlike Cassidy, other Republican members of the HELP committee seemed less alarmed by the moves.

“Look at it this way: They’re moving them to preserve the programs. I suppose the administration could be calling to shut it down, and so, I don’t have any issue with relocating programs and agencies,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) told NOTUS.

‘Words Don’t Matter’

Marissa Martinez — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:11:27 GMT

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:11:27 GMT https://www.notus.org/final-notus-newsletter/words-dont-matter

Vice President JD Vance points to a reporter to take a question in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for June 18, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

JD Vance is defending the new Iran peace deal – touting what he views as the U.S.’s superior position without sharing additional details about unspecified “gentlemen’s agreements” between the two countries.

The vice president insisted the deal is already benefitting Americans, adding that gas prices will continue to fall after they dropped below $4 for the first time since March.

“Words don’t matter, ladies and gentlemen,” Vance said at a news conference this morning. “We’re about verification.”

Congress received the formal signed copy of the deal today, Vance added, and the White House will brief lawmakers soon.

Donald Trump is still backtracking on provisions of the deal he’s signed twice, posting on Truth Social that “there is no 300 billion dollar payment to Iran by the U.S. That’s Fake News!”

Vance also reemphasized Trump’s influence as leader of a world superpower to Israeli critics. The president, he said, “is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time” — and warned Israeli Cabinet members against attacking their “only powerful ally.”

THE ADMINISTRATION

Pete Hegseth said he expects some NATO countries to “fail” a Pentagon-led review of U.S. forces in Europe, criticizing the allied countries for not taking part in the war against Iran.

The Department of the Interior must restore exhibits that mentioned topics like race, climate and LGBTQ+ communities — and ensure that they “remain available and visible to the public” when reinstalled, a federal judge ruled.

The administration can replace a slavery exhibit at George Washington’s Philadelphia home, a federal appeals court ruled in a separate case.

Scientists say Health and Human Services is misinterpreting their data and ignoring evidence to push Medicaid work requirements.

THE HILL

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-New Jersey), will return for House votes on June 30 after being absent for more than three months with an undisclosed health issue. The House is scheduled to leave for recess July 2.

Michigan Democrats allege a conservative “dark money” nonprofit’s TV ad for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers violated a federal disclosure rule.

The Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate Commerce Committee by a 19-9 vote, and could soon see a full vote on the floor.

The federal government would get a 50% stake in AI giants like Open AI in a new bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) — a more aggressive version of Trump’s idea. Sanders told NOTUS he’s having conversations with conservative senators about his bill.

THE DISTRICT

Janeese Lewis George will all but likely be D.C.’s next mayor after her opponent Kenyan McDuffie conceded the city’s mayoral primary this morning.

HE WAS MY DOG

https://x.com/EricM_Katz/status/2067626489038655643

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Erik Schutz. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.]]>

Michigan Democrats Allege ‘Dark Money’ Group Violated TV Ad Rules

Taylor Giorno — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:37:16 GMT

“[T]he advertisements cannot be interpreted as anything other than advocacy to elect Mike Rogers to the U.S. Senate,” the Michigan Democrats argue in their complaint. Meg Kinnard/AP

Michigan Democrats are crying foul over a conservative “dark money” nonprofit group’s streaming TV ad boosting Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, alleging the group violated a federal disclosure rule.

In a complaint to the Federal Election Commission, filed Thursday, the Michigan Democratic Party accuses the Senate Opportunity Fund of failing to publicly disclose its donors — something the Democrats argue it must do by law because the group is overtly urging voters to go to Rogers’ campaign website, RogersForSenate.com.

“[T]he advertisements cannot be interpreted as anything other than advocacy to elect Mike Rogers to the U.S. Senate,” the Michigan Democrats argue in their complaint.

The ad praises Rogers’ service in the United States Army and FBI and urges viewers to “tell Mike Rogers to keep fighting for Michigan families,” which does not inherently trigger disclosure requirements with the agency because the language does not expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate.

But by adding the Rogers campaign website URL at the end of the ad, the nonprofit is expressly advocating for the Rogers campaign, which would trigger disclosure requirements, according to the Democrats’ complaint.

The Senate Opportunity Fund spent about $349,000 to run the ad between March 6 and June 1, according to data from the advertising tracking company AdImpact.

A Rogers campaign spokesperson directed NOTUS to Rob Collins, the executive director of Senate Opportunity Fund. Collins did not respond to a phone call, and the Senate Opportunity Fund did not respond to emails requesting comment.

The FEC does not comment on complaints or enforcement matters.

Despite the complaint, it’s unlikely the nonprofit will face FEC enforcement actions before the 2026 midterm, if ever.

That’s because only two of the six seats on the commission are currently occupied, which means the FEC is currently unable to pursue enforcement actions and carry out other high-level duties.

And almost a year and two months into the de facto shutdown, the agency has a sizable backlog of enforcement matters: 253, FEC Chair Shana Broussard, a Democrat, posted on BlueSky last Friday. That means even if the agency votes to pursue the matter, which is not a guarantee given the agency’s limited resources, it may not get to the case until well after the 2026 midterms if enough commissioners eventually vote to advance the case at all.
260618-mike-rogers-ad-ak (1999x1299, AR: 1.54)Nevertheless, campaign finance experts told NOTUS the Senate Opportunity Fund likely triggered federal disclosure requirements by including a URL to Rogers’ campaign website at the end of its ad — a hallmark of a campaign-finance-law disclosure benchmark known as “express advocacy.”

The Senate Opportunity Fund — which works to “advance conservative solutions through research and communication on public policy issues,” according to its website — is also not registered as a political committee with the FEC.

“The URL clearly uses the magic words of encouraging votes for Rogers for Senate, which has long been the primary standard of express advocacy,” said Craig Holman, a government affairs lobbyist at Public Citizen.

But according to Dan Weiner, director of the elections and government program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, it’s not a slam dunk.

“Rogers for Senate is about as direct a call as you can imagine,” Weiner, a former FEC lawyer, told NOTUS. But the real question is “any other reasonable interpretation” of the URL, Weiner said, adding that the nonprofit could feasibly argue it included the URL as a way for viewers to contact Rogers — although the ad's vague appeal to reach out to a man who doesn't hold public office somewhat undercuts that argument, he added.

The nonprofit reported nearly $3.1 million in grants and contributions in 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, according to a copy of its latest filing with the Internal Revenue Service available through ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer.

As a nonprofit, Senate Opportunity Fund does not legally have to disclose its donors, meaning voters have little insight into who is behind the pro-Rogers ads.

That’s not uncommon or inherently illegal. Groups can run so-called “issue ads” that don’t expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate without triggering disclosure requirements. Even if the ad sings the praises of the candidate, unless it uses the “magic words” like “elect” or “support,” the group running the ad does not have to file reports with the FEC.

Michigan’s Senate primary is August 4. Rogers is all but assured to win the Republican nomination and is poised to face the winner of a competitive Democratic primary that features Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed.

Missing Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Sets a Date for His Return to Congress

Oriana González — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:12:34 GMT

The lawmaker has missed more than 100 votes, but plans to return June 30. Bill Clark/AP

Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey, who has been absent from Congress for three months, will return to the House on June 30.

“Congressman Kean is eager to return to in-person work on June 30 and resume a full schedule,” Harrison Neely, Kean’s spokesperson, told NOTUS.

Kean has not been seen in Washington since early March, missing over 100 votes in the House. Shortly before securing the Republican nomination to run for re-election in November, for which he ran uncontested, the congressman said he was “focused on recovery” and would return to in person work “in a matter of weeks. At that time I will be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition.”

Neely said that Kean plans to reveal what his medical condition is on June 30. The congressman told the New Jersey Globe in May that the medical issue did not impact his cognitive health.

Despite the mystery around Kean’s disappearance, his team has been operating as if it’s business as usual: The congressman has introduced legislation, he seemingly approved staff trips in April, he traded stocks in March, and his social media accounts have made posts written in first-person.

Scientists Say HHS Is Spinning Their Data to Push Medicaid Work Requirements

Margaret Manto, Emily Kennard — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:07:23 GMT

The Trump administration has argued that Medicaid work requirements could reduce poverty for millions. Mark Schiefelbein/AP

The Trump administration is using a short policy brief with minimal citations to justify work requirements for Medicaid coverage. Some of the cited researchers say their work is being misinterpreted.

The brief represents a stark departure from the usual quality of work from the Department of Health and Human Services’ top policy office, experts and former federal employees told NOTUS.

One former Health Department official called the policy document “very disappointing.”

“Frankly, I was appalled,” said Richard Frank, who served as assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at HHS during the Obama administration. “The concern is that the political narrative was what took over.”

The brief, titled “Medicaid Work Requirements Incentivize Employment and Are Estimated to Reduce Poverty,” was written by political appointees and career employees within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

It was published in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ interim final rule on the implementation of an 80-hours-per-month work requirement for able-bodied adult Medicaid enrollees and applicants. CMS touted the study in its early June press release announcing the new rule.

ASPE, though little known outside of HHS, is meant to serve as a principal adviser to the Health Secretary; the office generates research reports that play a critical role in developing department policy. (The assistant secretary role is currently vacant.)

Over the course of about four and a half pages, the Trump administration argues that Medicaid work requirements could reduce poverty for millions of people and increase employment by over 4 percentage points in the first five years of implementation, compared with unconditional cash transfers.

“Recent studies also show positive impacts on employment and earnings,” it states.

But the brief’s conclusions are “grounded in unrealistic assumptions instead of evidence,” said Michael Karpman, a researcher with the Urban Institute whose work was cited.

The ASPE brief cites a study Karpman co-authored titled, “Many Working People Would Be Shut Out of Medicaid under Proposed Work Requirements: Findings from the Survey of Income and Program Participation.”

The brief does not describe the actual findings of that study. Instead, it uses it as a source of “factors that could impede the potential reach of this policy” without specifying what those factors are. Had the brief fully cited his work, it might have drawn very different conclusions about work requirements, Karpman said.

“This study really helps explain why opportunities to increase employment through work requirements are so limited,” Karpman said.

Another cited researcher told NOTUS he was concerned that the report drew overly broad conclusions using his relatively narrow research: Michael Webb researched the effectiveness of work requirements for the public housing program in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the ASPE brief uses his study to help bolster the claim that work requirements could increase employment among Medicaid participants nationwide.

Webb said that while the brief didn’t mischaracterize his study’s findings, he noted “a lot of crucial differences” between how the Charlotte Housing Authority implemented the program and how each state will likely implement these new Medicaid requirements. His findings attributed much of the public housing program’s success to the availability of hands-on case managers and the city’s healthy economy, which enabled participants to find jobs.

“Having on-site support was really crucial,” Webb said in a statement. “It's also important to note that the goal of the program was to get residents to participate in services — not to terminate them from the program.”

The brief cites only 10 outside sources to back up its findings — a small sampling of the research on the impacts of work requirements, which generally comes to a very different conclusion, Adrianna McIntyre, an assistant professor of health policy and politics at Harvard University, told NOTUS.

“The most relevant and most recent research is being left out of their discussion,” said McIntyre, who, along with another researcher, wrote a lengthy analysis of the brief’s shortcomings.

An HHS spokesperson pointed to the brief’s mention of an ASPE-commissioned review of the scientific literature on “work promotion strategies” as evidence that the brief’s authors considered more than the studies cited.

The brief links to a “technical appendix” that lists 132 studies on work-promotion strategies, though only seven of the listed programs involved work requirements and none mention Medicaid participants in the “population studied” column.

The brief itself does not seem to cite the studies listed in the appendix. The HHS spokesperson said via email that ASPE research briefs are intended to be “concise and accessible to readers,” with supporting materials in appendices rather than in the body of the brief. (Other ASPE briefs have been significantly longer.)

Some of the studies included in the technical appendix seem to directly contradict the brief’s findings. Among the studies about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program work requirements listed in the technical appendix — studies that the HHS spokesperson specifically pointed to, but which were not cited in the brief — one showed “no effects on employment,” while the other found that they “may increase the risk of disadvantaged individuals failing to receive the assistance they need.”

Experts and former staff told NOTUS that while ASPE’s work can be influenced by the political leanings of each administration, the office’s many career staff generally ensure that its work remains grounded in evidence.

This brief, they said, is different.

“I do think that it is a shame to use the office to push research that is this shoddy,” McIntyre said.

Karpman told NOTUS the brief leaves out research that doesn’t support the conclusion that work requirements raise employment rates.

“They cite selected studies on work requirements in [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] and housing programs, which were implemented in a much different context,” Karpman said. “They don't cite studies on SNAP and other literature showing no employment effects from work requirements.”

Notably, multiple experts said, there’s an Arkansas-shaped hole in the brief: While several of the cited sources mention Arkansas, the first state to fully implement Medicaid work requirements, the state goes unmentioned by the ASPE brief.

The Arkansas work requirements implemented during the first Trump administration were widely considered a failure. More than 18,000 people — about 25% of the population subject to the requirements — lost coverage while they were in effect. The requirement was discontinued in 2019 after less than a year.

“It’s an enormous gap in this analysis, and it makes it very hard to view it at face value as anything other than a political effort,” Benjamin Sommers, who was the senior official overseeing health policy at ASPE during the Biden administration, said of the brief’s omission of Arkansas’ implementation.

Sommers, who is now a professor of health care economics at Harvard University, noted that the brief cited one study by his team on Medicaid participation rates — but conspicuously omitted two papers he worked on that showed Arkansas saw no change in employment as a result of work requirements.

“The assumptions here are just really implausible and outright ignore the evidence on Medicaid work requirements, and so I just don’t think you can really put much stock in this at all,” Sommers said.

The HHS spokesperson said via email that the review “focused on studies that received moderate or high ratings on methodological rigor” based on a government research clearinghouse. They added that Sommers’ 2020 study on work requirements in Arkansas used a study design that was “assessed as not sufficient,” and was therefore not included. (Sommers strongly disputed this assessment.)

Two of the cited authors told NOTUS that their research was correctly characterized, but otherwise didn’t comment on the brief’s conclusions.

The brief also models the potential effects of the new Medicaid work requirements — one with perfect implementation and one with less-than-perfect enrollment, employment rate and coverage. But those scenarios don’t reflect reality, said McIntyre, the Harvard University health policy expert.

“This is what I call a ‘sunshine and rainbows’ approach to analysis,” McIntyre said. “It’s basically ignoring everything we know about how work requirements operate in practice to say, ‘Well, what could they do if we ignore all of the evidence?’”

The brief acknowledges that the modeling scenarios are limited in their usefulness.

“Our results should be interpreted as approximate estimates rather than precise point estimates,” it states.

The HHS spokesperson said via email, “The purpose of the simulations is to illustrate the full potential of the policy when implemented as intended and to highlight poverty reduction as a key objective. The Trump Administration and HHS are committed to helping individuals move toward greater economic stability and self-sufficiency.”

This is not the first time an HHS report produced during the Trump administration has used questionable methods to back up scientifically dubious claims. A report from the Make America Healthy Again Commission published last year included fabricated citations, as NOTUS first reported.

There has been some indication that the administration is trying to improve its research standards. A recent advisory on the dangers of screen time was transparent that generative AI was used in its production.

But several of the former HHS officials and experts who spoke to NOTUS said they were concerned that this brief indicates a loosening of standards at a federal research office known for producing work grounded in evidence.

“Going back to the Bush administration, the Clinton administration, both Bushes — there was always a basic credibility,” Frank said. “When you kind of make up the assumptions, and you don’t rely on data, and you don’t rely on evidence, and you in fact put out the evidence and then ignore it — that goes to the credibility of the exercise, and that’s very damaging.”

Vance to Israel: Stop Criticizing Your ‘Only Powerful Ally’

Jenna Monnin — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:47:01 GMT

“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump,” Vice President JD Vance said Thursday. Evan Vucci/AP

Vice President JD Vance issued stark warnings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, demanding they stop criticizing President Donald Trump and the U.S. agreement with Iran.

“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump,” Vance told reporters Thursday at the White House. “Anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of [their country’s] situation.”

Though Netanyahu has remained mostly silent since the U.S. enacted a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran, Axios reported Wednesday that the Israeli prime minister has been privately fuming.

Vance denied the parts of Axios’ report about Netanyahu, saying it was “not reflective of the conversations” he’s had with him. But Vance was less forgiving when talking about the members of Israel’s cabinet who have openly criticized Trump in the wake of the deal.

If he was an Israeli cabinet member, Vance said, he “might not be attacking the only powerful ally” they have left in the world. He also pointed to the extensive defensive weaponry “paid for by American tax dollars” that the U.S. has provided to Israel.

Israel has continued attacking Lebanon, targeting the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, with airstrikes reported by Reuters just hours before Vance’s briefing. Axios reported that Israeli officials say they aren’t bound by the U.S.-Iran deal and want Hezbollah disarmed before they withdraw troops. Strikes over the weekend complicated the initial timeline for the MOU, straining the once-close relationship between Trump and Netanyahu.

At the Group of Seven summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, Trump tried to reassert control over the situation.

"Bibi [Netanyahu] is a good man. He gets a little excited sometimes. But we have an amazing partnership. We are the big partner and he is the very small partner," Trump said Wednesday.

Trump railed against Netanyahu after Israel’s strikes in southern Lebanon threatened to break down the pathway to the final agreement, telling Axios the prime minister had "no fucking judgment.”

When asked about the Lebanon component of the MOU — which states that Israel will have to withdraw from the neighboring country under any final agreement — Vance remained somewhat vague and told reporters that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been running point on managing that portion of the broader conflict.

“This is about regional peace,” Vance said. “Sometimes these ceasefires are a little messy.”

Hegseth Expects Some NATO Allies to ‘Fail’ Pentagon-Led Review

Joe Gould — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:37:47 GMT

“It's a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colors,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. Kevin Wolf/AP

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced a Pentagon-led review of U.S. forces in Europe, and ripped NATO allies over defense spending and not taking part in the war against Iran.

“It's a review that some countries will fail, and others will pass with flying colors,” he told defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The move comes as the Trump administration moves to cut back forces and equipment from Europe.

The U.S. was expected to discuss plans Thursday with NATO allies in Brussels to cut the number of fighter jets, reconnaissance drones and warships it would activate to support Europe in case of war or a crisis, according to The Washington Post. The U.S. would reportedly pull back about a third of U.S. fighter jets and strategic bombers, sending the alliance scrambling to fill the gaps.

The review, Hegseth said, would take up to six months to “examine America's force posture and basing in Europe” and ensure NATO allies are “moving fast and irreversibly” to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe. Hegseth said the review would involve U.S. European Command and consultations with Congress and allies.

The plans offer a test for Congress, where the Trump administration’s recent reshuffling of thousands of troops in Europe has been a friction point. U.S. lawmakers from both parties moved in recent days to complicate the administration’s effort to pull back forces.

Lawmakers in both parties swiftly pushed back at the emerging plans.

“The administration continues to do unilateral force reductions in Europe while Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine and threatening the Baltics,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska), the co-chair of the House Baltic Caucus, said in a statement to NOTUS. “Our actions further destabilize Europe. Weakness invites more aggression. The vast majority in Congress will oppose.”

Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said the drawdown plans are ignoring Congress, and he’s fielded complaints from international allies, who he called “gravely concerned.” The move, he said, would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The loss of U.S. strategic bombers would be an “exceptionally difficult” gap for allies to fill because NATO’s posture has long been built around American forces, he said.

“They have put more equipment in the field, but in the middle of an active hot war on the eastern frontier of Europe,” Coons said. “It sends one heck of a signal, both to encourage Putin and Xi for us to unilaterally withdraw strategic assets from Europe, to even contemplate withdrawal of strategic assets from Europe that have been there for decades.”

Several key NATO backers in both parties said the review, with the pledge to include Congress, is a reasonable step, including Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker of Mississippi. “There was some speculation that some specific announcement might be made. And to the extent that no drawdowns were announced, it was a relief to some people,” Wicker said. “A six-month review, I guarantee you it will be accompanied by congressional input.”

Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, said it was better than the administration’s surprise changes in the U.S. footprint.“At least they're doing it publicly and through a process, so that our Armed Services Committee has a chance to weigh in, and not doing a midnight submarining of our allies,” he said.

The Trump administration abruptly ordered 5,000 troops to be pulled from Germany in May following friction with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran. A few weeks later, Trump said he would send 5,000 additional troops to Poland.Since then, the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act for next year would require the chair of the Joint Chiefs and the commander of U.S. European Command to conduct an independent risk assessment of any proposed changes to troop levels in Europe.

The bill would also require the Pentagon to notify Congress and provide an assessment of the impact on NATO deterrence and defense requirements before reducing permanent or rotational troop deployments in a NATO country. It would also bar the Pentagon from relinquishing land or U.S. command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe position — or removing any of the Army’s prepositioned stocks from Europe.

The House version included provisions that would extend minimum U.S. troop levels on the continent mandated by last year’s NDAA and require justification before major drawdowns.

Congress already passed legislation that bars a president from drawing down U.S. forces on the continent below 76,000 without congressional authorization. There are between 80,000 and 85,000 U.S. service members deployed to European posts, though only 65,000 are permanently assigned there.

This story updated to include additional lawmaker reaction to the Pentagon review.

Janeese Lewis George Set to Become D.C.’s Next Mayor

Michael Brice-Saddler, Martin Austermuhle — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:18:58 GMT

Janeese Lewis George is positioned to become D.C.’s ninth Mayor. Kainaz Amaria/NOTUS

Former D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie conceded in the city’s mayoral primary Thursday morning, all but ensuring that Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George, a self-described democratic socialist who ran on an ambitious platform, will serve as the next leader of the nation’s capital.

“While the certification process will continue, it is clear that the voters have chosen a different path,” McDuffie wrote. He added that he had called Lewis George to “congratulate her on her victory.”

The Associated Press declared Lewis George the winner Thursday afternoon. Preliminary election results showed that in the first round, Lewis George held a commanding lead with over 52% of first-choice rankings to McDuffie’s 37%.

And because the Democratic nominee is overwhelmingly favored to win the general election in the deep-blue District, Lewis George is now effectively positioned to succeed Mayor Muriel Bowser as the city’s mayor.

electionday_dc_edits/_C0A3492 copy.jpg (7855x5237, AR: 1.50)On Thursday afternoon, at her first news conference as D.C.’s presumptive mayor-elect, Lewis George said she and her team had already gotten started.

“We are already taking a look at many of our agencies and how we can be more efficient and what policy changes we can make,” she said. “It’s so critical where the government is right now. The bond rating has to be preserved. I am going to be prudent, thoughtful and strategic about our funds and the budget, and also be innovative.”

Bowser, who supported McDuffie but did not formally endorse him, told reporters at a separate news conference that she had congratulated Lewis George Thursday morning.

“We’re going to keep governing over the next six months, and on Jan. 2, pass off the baton of the best city in the world,” Bowser added. “And it will be in great shape.”

On her path to becoming D.C.’s ninth mayor, Lewis George fended off attempts by her opponents to make her platform appear overly ambitious at a time when the city is facing significant economic turbulence. Instead, voters appear to have embraced the 38-year-old former prosecutor’s unabashedly progressive platform, which includes proposals like providing universal child care and building 72,000 new housing units in five years.

Last week’s eleventh-hour action from the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance also appeared to have little impact. In response to a complaint, the office levied $16,000 in fines against Lewis George’s campaign for alleged improper coordination with several local unions — accusations she has denied. Lewis George said Thursday that she filed a motion for reconsideration with the campaign finance office.

Lewis George, who pledged on the campaign to stand up aggressively to the Trump administration, suggested Tuesday that the president’s comments may have actually been beneficial to her campaign, injecting “even more energy” into it on the eve of the election.

While addressing reporters Thursday, Lewis George said she wants to make sure the president understands she “is willing to work with anyone to benefit D.C. residents, and that includes President Trump.”

Lewis George also said she had also spoken with Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California), who serves as ranking member of the powerful House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, which plays a direct role in overseeing and modifying D.C. laws.

“I talked to him because I wanted to get his thoughts on how we can strategize,” Lewis George said. “He said to me, ‘We are going to be a welcome partner to you.’”
IMG_8507 copy.jpg (5184x3456, AR: 1.50)Lewis George's win represents a victory for the Democratic Socialists of America, a national organization whose local chapter supported Lewis George’s campaign. It also reflects a growing trend in major urban centers including Los Angeles, Seattle and New York City — where Zohran Mamdani garnered nationwide attention for winning the mayoralty on a similar platform.

First-choice rankings show that progressive and left-leaning candidates in D.C. were successful across the board. In the race to succeed Eleanor Holmes Norton, the city’s delegate to Congress, Council member Robert White easily defeated his primary challenger, Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto, winning 63% of first-choice votes to her 22%.

In the highly competitive at-large Council races, progressives like Elissa Silverman and Oye Owolewa also captured strong leads, and in the Ward 1 Council race, DSA-backed Aparna Raj won easily, securing 47% of first-choice rankings.

Taken together, these victories shift the ideological balance of power in the D.C. government firmly to the left, setting the stage for a new progressive era in city leadership. With the general election considered a formality, attention now turns to how these incoming leaders will navigate their new roles.

For Lewis George, the immediate challenge will be translating this progressive wave into actual policy at the Wilson Building, even with the omnipresent threat of action from a Trump administration that has promised to strip D.C. of self-governance.

“People saw me run a well-run, professional campaign, so they know I’ll run a well-run, professional government,” she said.

Undead on Arrival

Evan McMorris-Santoro, Jasmine Wright — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT https://www.notus.org/newsletters/undead-on-arrival

Michel Euler/Pool via AP

Today’s notice: “Day of the Living Dead” legislation in the Senate. What people really think of renaming Palm Beach International after Trump. Progressive leaders in New York attempt to primary their cake and eat it, too. The senator “kicking the tires” on a 2028 bid. And: Giving plasma because you need the money.

THE LATEST

Senators’ fears come true: Earlier this week we told you about senators worrying that the zombie SAVE America Act was lurking around, impossible to pass but kept alive by Donald Trump. What havoc might it wreak? Yesterday, they got a hint when the zombie burst through the perimeter and stumbled around hunting for delicious brains, NOTUS’ Al Weaver and Avani Kalra report.

The original plan had two goals: A quick hearing by the Senate Intelligence Committee would have put director of national intelligence nominee Jay Clayton on a glide path to confirmation and prevented Bill Pulte from stepping into the acting role, which spooked national security traditionalists on both sides of the aisle. Moving forward with Clayton’s nomination would have broken the unified Democratic opposition to a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act extension.

None of that happened because Trump said Clayton could not be confirmed unless Congress passed the SAVE America Act, which does not have the votes.

Trump shattered whatever chance he had at leveraging bipartisan fears over FISA to get his DNI nominee through quickly. It is unclear what comes next. “I’m not sure I know the answer to that just yet, but we’ll take it a day at a time,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

But wait, there are two zombies on the loose. That other gurgling, lurching sound you hear is the return of the debate over taxpayer funding for the White House ballroom, which Trump also reanimated. NOTUS’ Igor Bobic and Anna Kramer report that the Office of Management and Budget has quietly apportioned $352 million from the “one big, beautiful bill” for “White House security measures.”

No one knows what that means exactly, but OMB brought up the ballroom unprompted when NOTUS asked about the money. Senators who thought this other uncomfortable issue — taxpayer funds for the ballroom — was dead, buried and eulogized were not happy to see it stumbling around again.

“That’s a big problem,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) said.

Open tabs: Knicks Will Be First NBA Team to Visit Trump White House (NOTUS); Trump plan would fence park near White House long used by tourists, protesters (WaPo); RFK Jr. Orders American Exposed to Hantavirus to Stay Quarantined Against Medical Advice (WSJ); Teamsters, DOJ move to end federal monitorship after 37 years (Axios)

From Florida

What fliers won’t be seeing at the renamed Palm Beach International Airport is this 8-foot-tall, 5,000-pound granite statue of Trump currently located in North Dakota and owned by Florida business consultant Jim Schiffler, NOTUS’ Dave Levinthal writes. Schiffler offered the statue to airport authorities — one of the few kind offers sent by the general public to PBI officials that Dave obtained via FOIA ahead of the facility’s July 1 renaming to the President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The airport commission politely declined the statue, Schiffler told Dave.

Most of the public responses sent through PBI’s website were not as enamored with the name change as Schiffler was. “Trump Airport…FUCK YOU. Should be Palm Bitch,” one commenter wrote, summarizing the majority of takes Dave found.

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From the Hill

Good news for The Trump Organization: The Senate Armed Services Committee closed its doors last week and voted along party lines, 14-13, to squash a Democratic-led amendment that would have banned the Pentagon from investing in companies tied to Trump, his Cabinet or their respective families, NOTUS’ Joe Gould reports. “We keep all the cheap shots out, and we think the president and most of the other members would have considered that a cheap shot,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) said.

From the campaign trail

New York’s progressive stars divide and conquer? New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is front and center in an effort to primary several of the city’s Democratic U.S. House members from the left. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who gained notoriety winning just that kind of primary, is not publicly getting involved in those races. Instead, she’s backing a slate of progressive state legislative candidates. Mamdani is not spending a lot of time on those.

Call it the maturing of the DSA. NOTUS’ Elena Schneider and Daniella Diaz write that observers in New York see a pretty canny strategy behind the divided focus: the mayor risks alienating state Democrats he needs to run the city by getting too involved in state primaries, while AOC risks creating enemies within her congressional delegation ahead of a possible run for higher office.

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Local news: Why Was D.C. Slow to Report Results on Election Night? By Martin Austermuhle and Michael Brice-Saddler

Sports desk: D.C. Lost Out on the World Cup. These Local Bars Are Winning. By Zara Norman

ON NOTUS PODCAST

From your favorite podcast app: Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) is “kicking the tires” on a presidential bid and calling for a reexamination of his party’s stance on Israel. “Any credible Democratic presidential candidate has to be willing to hold the government of Israel accountable when it is violating human rights and violating international law and violating U.S. interests,” Van Hollen told NOTUS’ Igor Bobic on the most recent episode of On NOTUS.

NEW ON NOTUS

Give until it hurts: There are numerous signs that more Americans are donating plasma (and pocketing the money) as affordability struggles continue to ratchet up, NOTUS’ Emily Kennard reports. American rules around donation are much, much looser than in other countries — donating up to 104 times per year (!) is currently allowed, despite the potential health risks.

But more congressional oversight of the plasma-donation industry is not popular on the Hill, Emily found. “Until I see the detriment, why would I make more regulations?” Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Georgia), a physician, said.

Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Oregon), who is also a physician, agreed: “I think that we should not be in the business of telling medicine what they should or shouldn’t do.”

More: Trump Settles $100 Million Lawsuit Against His Niece, by Jenna Monnin

The U.S. Military’s AI Policy Is Up for Debate, by Samuel Larreal

Trump Is Threatening State Unemployment Funds. Some States Didn’t Get the Memo. By Natalie Alms

NOT US

Planet UFC, by Nic Johnson for The New York Review of Books
Searching for the Victims—and Answers—After the July 4 Flood That Devastated Texas, by Karen Valby for Vanity Fair
American Ephemera: A primer on a free people’s government, by William T. Vollmann for Harper’s

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American Gothic (2026)

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Zohran Mamdani and AOC’s Split Endorsements Are Raising Eyebrows

Elena Schneider, Daniella Diaz — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:24:00 GMT

Ocasio-Cortez said her “much deeper focus” is in building a progressive bench downballot. Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP

Two of the biggest progressive stars in the country are taking a split path on endorsements in messy Democratic primaries, leaving some Democrats reading the tea leaves for what it means for their political futures.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing a trio of insurgent candidates in House races, including two who are challenging Democratic incumbents, while staying out of contentious state legislative primaries. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is supporting several Democratic Socialists of America candidates in competitive New York state legislative races, while so far staying out of contentious congressional primaries.

The seemingly complementary slates, when combined, cover most of DSA’s endorsed candidates, leading some consultants to speculate that the pair “divided and conquered,” as one put it. They’re also a sign of the pair’s diverging political realities, more than a half-dozen New York Democratic strategists said.

Mamdani, who must work with Albany powerbrokers for his city’s budget, is avoiding run-ins with state leaders, while Ocasio-Cortez, who is seen as a potential presidential candidate, isn’t alienating relationships with her congressional colleagues, they said.

Mamdani has “got to build his allies, and for him, clearly the path that he's taken is working locally, within New York City, to do that,” said David Hogg, co-founder of progressive group Leaders We Deserve, an early backer of Mamdani. “Whereas, for AOC, it’s been much more of a national focus.”

In a brief interview with NOTUS, Ocasio-Cortez, who has endorsed in a handful of other House races, said she and Mamdani are “in two different positions,” and “as a member of the New York delegation,” it was “important to let those processes … bear out.” She also acknowledged her “much deeper focus” in building a progressive bench downballot. Spokespeople for both Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez declined to comment on the suggestion of the pair coordinating their endorsements.

New York’s June 23 primaries feature a slew of races for solidly blue seats, riven by all the forces dividing the Democratic Party: generational change, ideological battles, U.S.-Israel politics and record-breaking spending from outside groups representing AI, crypto and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. It’s the latest round of expensive, contentious primaries that have defined much of the party’s primary season as Democrats look to retake the House in November.

And for Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani, the primaries have provided a moment to flex and test their political muscles.

“They are very strategic political actors, but they are also political actors who are tied to an outside movement,” said Grace Mausser, the co-chair of New York City’s DSA chapter. “They know they can't build power just by themselves.”

Mamdani is backing three left-wing challengers in some of his biggest political swings yet. He endorsed former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive ally even as they competed for mayor, against Rep. Dan Goldman (D-New York), whose more moderate position on Israel had made him a target of progressives.

He’s also backing Assembly member Claire Valdez in the open race to replace retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-New York), who has endorsed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. Mamdani’s support could prove key here in a district where Reynoso’s name recognition and record would usually give him the upper hand against someone like Valdez, who was first elected in 2024.

“From polling that I’ve seen, Zohran’s endorsement of a candidate moves a race in New York City, typically, about 30 %,” said Hogg, whose group has also endorsed Valdez. “If he was any other political figure, [these endorsements] are risky, but he is so uniquely positioned.”

That hasn’t always played out early in Mamdani’s time as a political kingmaker. The mayor had an early loss when he jumped into a City Council special election in April, endorsing a candidate who ultimately went on to lose by a wide margin.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-New York), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, may be hoping for a repeat of that failure. Espaillat is fending off a challenge from activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who picked up Mamdani’s final congressional endorsement. It might be Mamdani’s most dangerous intervention, several Democrats said, as Espaillat is the informal dean of New York politics, mentoring a generation of Dominican and Latino leaders.

“There’s minimal governing risk but a lot of political risk” by backing Avila Chevalier, said Trip Yang, a Democratic consultant working on several New York races, including for Goldman. “He may very well need some of [Espaillat’s] mentees’ help.”
AP26165632622718 (4560x3040, AR: 1.50)Mamdani has taken heat for his role in the race: The New York Times reported last month that the mayor had originally pledged to support Espaillat. A spokesman for Mamdani declined to comment.

Mamdani’s intervention has infuriated the Congressional Hispanic Caucus as well as House Democratic leadership, with two senior House Democrats sharing that his endorsement could cost Espaillat that seat.

“The Mamdani movement has never been tested, except when he himself was on the ballot, so I see him as the Donald Trump of the left,” said a New York Democratic operative, granted anonymity to speak candidly. “He’s only focused on his base and his strategy around appealing to his base, and these endorsements do that.”

Nonetheless, Mamdani is trying to rub some of his viral magic off on his endorsed candidates. The mayor appeared in a basketball-themed TV ad, bathed in New York Knicks orange, last week, as they fought for their first championship in decades.

“This is my team,” Mamdani said in the ad, flanked by Lander, Avila Chevalier and Valdez. “This is our year.”

Ocasio-Cortez was not part of the ad. She effectively stopped endorsing against incumbents after the 2022 cycle, committing to not do so when she was running to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, losing to the late Rep. Gerry Connolly. But she did reopen that door earlier this spring.

It’s not surprising, then, that Ocasio-Cortez has opted against endorsing in these races because “governing is difficult, and in order to govern, you need to rely on other people in government to help you be successful, and it requires having relationships with peers and colleagues in elected office,” said Jasmine Gripper, co-director of the New York Working Families Party.

“AOC's maturity, and being a more senior member, [she] understands that in order to continue to advance in her career, she has to have friends and partners in government in order to continue to get things done,” Gripper continued.

So far, she’s weighed in judiciously on House primaries, often waiting until the final weeks to give her preferred candidate a boost. This “closer” approach has worked in several races, including in California, Pennsylvania, Montana and New Jersey. She’s not gotten involved in some high-profile primaries involving progressive candidates, including the Maine Senate race.

Ultimately, observers see their endorsements and navigation as a bigger sign of what’s to come for the two democratic socialists.

“Mamdani seems to be swinging harder into these primaries than Ocasio-Cortez, while she’s been taking her shots more carefully,” said a Democratic consultant, granted anonymity to discuss the issue candidly. “Ocasio-Cortez is trying to build a national operation while Zohran is consolidating power in New York.”

Americans Can’t Afford Not to Sell Their Plasma

Emily Kennard — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:13:00 GMT

Some low-income people have come to rely on plasma centers to make ends meet, and the industry has an inverse relationship with the health of the economy. Shutterstock

A young influencer throws on a moto jacket and a tote bag, getting ready to show off her new "favorite rich girl habit." B-roll plays of her filling out a questionnaire and having her blood pressure taken, as she explains in a voice-over how viewers can get up to $700 in just one month.

“It’s honestly the perfect way to make a real impact while earning extra money for whatever you need,” she says in her sponsored content post.

The influencer, who did not respond to a request for comment, partnered with BioLife Plasma Services to show part of the “plasma donation process.” People, often cash-strapped, are paid, usually via prepaid debit cards, to sit for an hour or two as a machine harvests a pale, yellow liquid from their blood.

The U.S. is one of a handful of countries that allow people to be compensated for the time they spend donating plasma. And business is booming: Plasma, which is used to make life-saving drugs for people with cancer, chronic diseases or immune deficiencies, is a multibillion-dollar business and a major U.S. export.

Across the country’s 1,214 active plasma collection centers, it’s estimated that more than 200,000 people donate their plasma each day, a figure that’s increased in recent years. These centers have long been strip-mall fixtures in impoverished neighborhoods, but they are increasingly popping up in middle-class suburbs.

Affordability debates are dominating U.S. politics, yet when it comes to the plasma industry — where some struggling Americans turn for emergency cash — Congress is shirking responsibility.

“I have been sort of puzzled by why nobody in Congress seems to talk about it. It never seems to come up in any sort of political context,” said Emily Gallagher, an economist who’s researched the connection between plasma centers and poverty in America.

“We asked people why they're donating, and 64% said the primary reason was to pay for essential goods and emergencies. So basically, they're late on their rent, their electricity has been turned off,” Gallagher said of one study she conducted. “We didn't see a lot of evidence that people were doing it purely for altruistic reasons.”

The industry and its paid partners tend to frame the transaction as an opportunity to earn extra money for fun expenses — like gifts for family members — rather than as a way to pay for necessities like bills and groceries. That obfuscates harsh realities in America: Some low-income people have come to rely on plasma centers to make ends meet, and the industry has an inverse relationship with the health of the economy.

“Americans are selling their plasma to pay the bills at the same time Trump is trying to spend their tax dollars on his new ballroom,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) in a statement to NOTUS. She said her party is working to ensure “no family is forced to sell their plasma to make ends meet.”

Congressional attention, though, is limited to rhetoric: The legislative body has not introduced any bills that specifically address donation frequencies or offer new donor protections.

In the U.S., people can give 104 times a year, or twice a week, a limit that has existed since at least 2000. Elsewhere, the standard is typically around twice a month, and even the more permissive paid donation systems allow it only about once a week.

There is a stunning lack of research around the safety of long-term, frequent donations, and recent research suggests that giving plasma as frequently as the U.S. allows could deplete donors’ blood proteins faster than they can regenerate.

CSL Plasma, a subsidiary of an Australian company that operates more than 300 U.S. plasma centers, warns about protein depletion on its website. “This can lower the ability to fight off infections, so check in with your healthcare provider to monitor your immunoglobulin levels if you donate plasma often,” the site says.

The Food and Drug Administration requires plasma collection centers to report adverse events and fatalities, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said.

“FDA continues to review the safety of plasmapheresis procedures,” the spokesperson said in a statement to NOTUS. “FDA also keeps abreast of scientific literature on the safety of plasma donations.”

The high cap for plasma donations was met with surprise on Capitol Hill.

“Are people giving plasma over a 104 times a year?!” said an email from one shocked aide for Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, home to the chamber’s main health subcommittee. No other health committee responded to questions about what work they’ve done to oversee the industry.

Rep. Greg Murphy (R-North Carolina), a physician, said he’d want to review research on how many people give plasma that often.

“Good boy, that’s a lot. That’s like, every three days. Who are the people that are doing it? Are they high-risk individuals?” Murphy said. “The bottom line is, you would always want to make sure it does not pose a safety risk to the donor.”

A spokesperson for the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association, an advocacy group representing plasma-collection companies and plasma-derived drug manufacturers, emphasized that plasma is used to make drugs that save many patients’ lives, and that the collection process in the U.S. is “safe, long-standing and strictly regulated.”

“Many patients around the world are able to access their therapies due to higher donation frequency in the U.S., which currently supplies approximately 48% of plasma to the rest of the world,” the PPTA spokesperson said in a statement. “If more countries were to update plasma donation policies and modernize regulations based on current scientific knowledge, there would be less reliance on the U.S. to meet growing global clinical need for plasma.”

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has urged its member countries as recently as this month to develop incentives to build self-sufficient, voluntary plasma supplies.

Congress regularly involves itself in trivial regulatory matters, from showerhead water pressure to the availability of whole milk in public schools. Still, several members told NOTUS they knew little about the commercial plasma industry.

When asked about it, Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Georgia), a physician, immediately offered a free-market argument.

“If you don’t want to give blood or plasma, guess what? Nobody put a gun to your head. If you want to donate, make some extra dollars, yeah, good for me, good for you. That’s capitalism at its best,” McCormick said. “Until I see people dying of it, or seeing people harmed by it, which I haven’t yet seen … until I see the detriment, why would I make more regulations?”

He said Congress hasn’t gotten involved because the industry works fine: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Oregon), who’s also a physician, said any new rules or regulations should be left up to federal health agencies.

“That is an unfortunate reality that some people have to use that as a mechanism for survival right now, literally, to pay the bills,” Dexter said. “I think that we should not be in the business of telling medicine what they should or shouldn’t do.”

“We’re too slow and clunky here, and we’re not scientists or doctors for the most part,” Dexter continued. “I, of course, am, but I recognize that means nothing in a legislative branch role.”

Art Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University Grossman School of Medicine who formerly served as chair of the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability at HHS, said it’s been decades since Congress gave the industry serious thought.

“I can't even remember the last time there was a hearing on this whole subject,” Caplan said. “Many people in Congress believe that a market is the best way to distribute any resource, and that there is nothing wrong with a market that depends upon poor people to provide the supply.”

That doesn’t mean the industry isn’t present in Washington. The PPTA, which counts several commercial plasma companies among its members, reported spending $160,000 on lobbying during this year’s first quarter, in part to talk to congressional offices about “plasma protein therapies and the rare disease patients that use them, and the need for continued Source plasma donations,” according to its disclosure documents.

“I like the fact that people can participate as they wish and actually get paid for it, but maybe the question that is underneath what that industry does is, are there ethics and morals? And are we taking advantage of vulnerable people?” Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah), a physician, told NOTUS. “That’s a whole set of questions, considering the massive nature of the industry that probably needs to be considered, evaluated.”

Still, Congress is busy.

As Kennedy put it: “Considering all the things I got to think about, it’s not on the top of my list for consideration.”

Why Was D.C. Slow to Report Results on Election Night?

Martin Austermuhle, Michael Brice-Saddler — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:07:00 GMT

Even with early voting centers opening on June 8, not one vote was counted 90 minutes after polls closed. Kainaz Amaria/NOTUS

The pledge was simple enough: Once the polls closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, the District of Columbia Board of Elections would quickly post the results online. Election night parties could proceed, reporters could file their stories and residents could go to bed having some sense of the consequential election they just voted in.

But that didn’t happen.

“It is nearly 90 minutes after polls closed in the nation’s capital, and there’s still zero votes counted in the Washington, D.C., mayoral primary,” noted New York Times reporter Reid Epstein. “Alabama’s polls closed at the same time, and more than 165,000 votes have been counted in the state Senate’s primaries.”

Epstein — and just about everyone else waiting on results, NOTUS reporters included — would have to wait almost another 90 minutes before initial counts were posted, at 10:47 p.m. The wait dragged on to such an extent that one top mayoral candidate — Kenyan McDuffie — spoke to supporters before any results had been made public to tell them what was becoming apparent to everyone else: “It’s going to be a while.”

Gary Thompson, the chair of the elections board, says the reason for the delays is simple: There were still D.C. residents waiting to vote when polls were set to close, so election workers did what they always do and waited for them to do so. And as long as they waited, no results would be released.

“The most important thing is the voter,” he told NOTUS. “I would rather have some in the media be annoyed than stop the voters from thinking clearly about who they want to vote for.”

But why were there lines outside some polling places? There’s a more complicated explanation, and it involves a new way of voting, old machines to vote on and a tug-of-war between apolitical election officials and the D.C. lawmakers who oversee and fund them.

‘This Is a Fiasco’

On Tuesday, residents could vote at any of the 75 vote centers located across the city. Gone are the days of being tied to a specific polling place based on your residential address; now any voter can get a ballot on demand at any vote center for the specific races they’ll be weighing in on. And that ballot can be on paper — which is printed on the spot — or on an electronic machine, which is preloaded with all the possible ballot combinations for any given election.

By late afternoon on Tuesday, though, some vote centers were experiencing problems with their ballot printers, with some running out of ink. A NOTUS reporter was on hand at Powell Elementary in Petworth when a printer stopped working, forcing voters to use the three available electronic voting machines.

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“This is a fiasco,” remarked a frustrated election worker, who asked not to be named, as the line quickly grew. The same problem was reported at Bancroft Elementary in Mount Pleasant, at Shiloh Baptist Church in Shaw and at Noyes Elementary in Brookland.

In some cases the printers were quickly fitted with new ink cartridges; in others, though, long lines developed as voters waited to cast ballots on the electronic voting machines. And those machines were an additional source of the problem; one voter in Ward 5 said they were “slower than a 10-year-old iPad.”

And that was a problem D.C. lawmakers were aware of — and, election officials say, haven’t done anything to remedy.

During a D.C. Council budget hearing last month, Board of Elections Director Monica Evans explained the board needed a one-time allocation of $2.5 million, plus $90,000 in ongoing maintenance, to replace 450 aging “ExpressVote ADA ballot-marking devices.” She noted that the machines are 10 years old “and at the end of their useful life.”

She went on to explain that there have been increased problems with the touch screen and that it’s taking longer to mark choices — issues the board saw crop up in the 2024 election and were also evident in Tuesday evening’s long lines.

“The current machines have issues including unresponsive touch screens that frustrate voters and undermine confidence in the election process,” Evans testified. She said the vendor supplying the machines also told the board it was time to replace the equipment.

The shift to ranked-choice voting, Evans added, only exacerbated the problem by naturally causing voters to spend more time at the machines. In some cases that NOTUS reporters observed, voters could spend up to 20 or more minutes navigating through the many pages of the longer ballot on the electronic voting machines.

_C0A3769 copy.jpg (5987x3991, AR: 1.50)

Evans also warned of the broader implications: “Malfunctioning equipment also directly erodes public trust, especially as the BOE implements ranked-choice voting, which requires highly responsive and accurate ballot-marking devices.”

While elections officials acknowledged during the May hearing that it was already too late to deploy new equipment in time for the June primary, the aim was to secure funding and get new machines in place ahead of the general election, helping to maintain “the credibility of the District’s electoral process,” Evans said.

‘He’s Out of His Mind’

In an interview with NOTUS, Thompson said that the elections board has long been stymied by the Council in its requests for funding to replace outdated electronic voting machines. He said that’s especially the case with Council member Anita Bonds, who chairs the committee that oversees the elections board.

“She doesn't understand our needs, she hasn’t been responsive to them. She’s been unhelpful for a while,” he said. “We threw up our hands and said we have to keep calm and carry on, do what we have to do. We’ll use these slightly outdated machines and we’re going to figure it out.”

For her part, Bonds called the primary night delays “upsetting,” but told NOTUS that she was under the impression the current machines, which are set to be replaced for the general election, could withstand one last citywide vote.
janeese_electionnight.jpg (4726x3151, AR: 1.50)“But we were not expecting it to be nearly two hours,” Bonds said of some of the lines, noting she did not anticipate compounding equipment malfunctions like printers running out of ink.

As to Thompson’s accusation that she hadn’t supported his requests for funding and assistance, Bonds fired back directly: “He’s out of his mind,” she said, adding that the agency’s day-to-day staff would readily disagree with his assessment.

Alice Miller, a senior policy adviser and former executive director with the elections board, similarly disputed Thompson’s characterization of the Council member, adding that Bonds has “really tried to advocate to get us what we need.”

Beyond voting technology, though, Thompson also said that human nature may have played a role in the lines at polling places and delayed reporting of election results.

“I started going to vote centers yesterday morning and they were pretty empty and as the day went on, a lot of people left it until the last minute,” he said. (D.C. sent every registered voter a mail ballot in mid-May, and had a weeklong period of early voting before the primary election.)

While Tuesday’s delays have passed, there’s still more waiting to come: Tens of thousands of late-arriving mail ballots have yet to be counted, meaning that the first tabulation rounds under ranked-choice voting may not happen until this weekend.

D.C. Lost Out on the World Cup. These Local Bars Are Winning.

Zara Norman — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:05:00 GMT

Local bars are seeing a surge in business from World Cup enthusiasts. Violet Jira/NOTUS

The D.C. area may not be an official part of the World Cup this summer, but as games begin, there are plenty of local venues vying to act as unofficial hosts.

The District’s diehards can still travel to Philadelphia, Boston or even farther afield to catch a match. But with tickets alone going for hundreds of dollars, fans who have to stay closer to home will be well served by the area’s bars and event spaces.

“It's sad for the nation's capital that we're not hosting a game here, but it is what it is,” said Patrick Doody, a manager at Ireland’s Four Courts in Arlington. “If you can't afford that expensive ticket, you can come down to your neighborhood pub.”
IMG_8275 copy.jpg (4974x3316, AR: 1.50)The sidelined setup may actually be preferable to hosting official games, which nets millions in tourism revenue but can run a city more than $100 million in infrastructure upgrades and public safety costs. Games would also funnel fans into larger venues rather than local joints, said Brandon Bayton, who directs strategy for Wunder Garten in Northeast D.C.

Instead, he said, “neighborhoods are actually working to bring their communities together.”

Local bars, many of which are partnering with embassy groups or sports organizations to host events, are seeing a surge in business around games. More than an hour before last week’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa, every table at Ireland’s Four Courts — recently dubbed “America’s best soccer bar” — was full. Camilo Zarate, a Colombia fan and recent D.C. transplant, said he and his friends arrived hours in advance to secure a table, as well as a discounted bucket of hard seltzers.

On the same afternoon, 200 people showed up to Penn Social to see Mexico earn a 2-0 win.

“Interest is through the roof,” said Rob Hess, Penn Social’s manager. “It provides a huge opportunity to expand hours of operation and host some really fun events.”

The local schedule also features “official” events. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser anointed D.C. United as hosts for the city’s designated watch parties. This weekend, the MLS team is hosting free screenings featuring food vendors, D.J. sets and youth soccer games.

Another official watch spot is a fan zone on the National Mall, co-hosted by FIFA and the Trump-created group Freedom 250. Some bar managers are worried that the fan zone could divert some business, but summer temperatures might keep fans indoors.

“I’m thinking of going,” said David Cuerva, a Guadalajara native who was watching Mexico at Ireland’s Four Courts last week. “But not today, it’s too hot.”
IMG_8319 copy.jpg (5124x3416, AR: 1.50)Cuerva is one of the lucky lottery winners who scored tickets to a game: He and his wife paid $800 for two tickets to see France play Norway in Boston next week. Cuerva, who has lived in Arlington for five years, was disappointed but not surprised to learn that D.C. wouldn’t host a game.

“We have a team, D.C. United, but still — I think there’s a lot of development [that has] to happen to really build a true soccer ambience,” Cuerva said.

Zarate and his friends tried to get tickets through the lottery, but lost out. Tickets on the secondary market were prohibitively expensive, he said, but as the first game kicked off, the group was happy to be camped out in the cool air-conditioning at their local bar.

“It’s sad. [D.C.] is one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. and it has a mix of every single culture, so it would have been good,” said Zarate.

FIFA’s decision in 2022 to pass over D.C. and Baltimore’s joint bid to be host cities raised eyebrows: It’s only the third time in World Cup history a game has not been hosted in a country’s capital city.

“Of course, you would love to be a host city,” said Samantha Ward, a spokesperson for D.C. United. “We're still very excited to play a part in this, and to be able to provide a platform to bring the game to the community of the DMV.”

Florida Fliers Rage Against Trump International Airport

Dave Levinthal — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:01:00 GMT

Palm Beach International Airport, which is being renamed in honor of President Donald Trump, is located about five miles from Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club. The name change is slated to take effect July 1. Matt Rourke/AP

When word dropped that Palm Beach International Airport would change its name to honor President Donald Trump, some of the Florida facility’s frequent fliers had thoughts.

Angry thoughts.

Exasperated thoughts.

Violent thoughts.

“I will never fly in or out of this pathetic, ass-kissing airport again once you change the name to honor the most corrupt, incompetent, disastrous moron to ever hold the office,” a person identifying themselves as “Florida Native” wrote to airport officials on April 2.

“I will never again utilize PBI for any travel plans now that it is named for the orange headed clown,” another traveler wrote.

“If you actually change the name of this airport and honor that man, I will make it my mission in life to never, ever, EVER spend a penny at your airport,” a third promised.

One person, citing Trump, made a bomb threat — it’s unclear whether officials investigated — saying they had placed explosive devices within the airport and on an outbound plane. They demanded $30 million to not detonate them.

These comments are among dozens of missives sent by outraged patrons through Palm Beach International Airport’s website since March, when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that renamed the facility “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.” The airport is situated about five miles from Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club and political redoubt, and the name change is slated to take effect July 1.

NOTUS obtained the airport’s website comments log through a Florida Public Records Act request.

Some of the commenters cursed.

“You bunch of spineless motherfuckers. Taxes aren’t to make Trump rich. That is corruption,” one person wrote on May 5, the day The New York Times published a story headlined, “To rename its airport after Trump, Palm Beach had to license his name.”

“Trump Airport…FUCK YOU. Should be Palm Bitch … once this asshole is gone…you will all look like fools,” another wrote May 7.

Some pleaded and puzzled.

“Please!!! Block this travesty.”

“PLEASE do NOT change the name of Palm Beach International Airport. The majority of citizens in Palm Beach County do not support a name change.”

“How [in] the world can a state name an airport after a CONVICTED FELON, A person who was found liable for sexual assault, a person who doesn’t really care about TRUE Amaericans.”

Others mocked.

“Good luck with business going forward. The fate of the Kennedy Center in DC should be instructive as to how well this may play out,” wrote “Angry Flyer” on March 31.

A man named John congratulated the airport for being renamed after a felon. “You must be so proud!! USA!! USA!!” he wrote on May 7, punctuating his message with an American flag, heart and fist bump emoji.

At least 17 messages mentioned pedophilia in some form or fashion — not-so-oblique references to Trump’s onetime friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the dead financier and socialite who served prison time for soliciting a minor for prostitution and later faced more than 40 years in prison over charges related to sex trafficking minors. Trump has denied wrongdoing in connection with Epstein’s crime or criminal allegations against the convicted sex offender.

Several commenters encouraged Florida officials to perform sex acts on themselves.

Beyond simply venting, some commenters offered specific plans for how they would avoid a Florida airport honoring Trump.

“Naming an airport after a living American is fundamentally un-American. So it looks like it’s going to be Vero Beach or Orlando going forward for me.”

“I will fly to Fort Lauderdale instead … this is not a political move, but purely based on principle.”

“I’ll drive an hour to Fort Lauderdale or two hours to Orlando to avoid traveling through anything with that vial [sic] thing’s name on it.”

Trump Palm Beach Airport 02 (5411x3607, AR: 1.50)Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is about 50 miles south of Palm Beach International Airport and is serviced by most major domestic airlines, including United, American, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, Allegiant and Frontier. Arlene Satchell, a Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport media official, declined to comment.

Miami International Airport, a major international gateway, is about 70 miles away.

Representatives for the White House and DeSantis did not respond to NOTUS’ requests for comment. Government officials for Palm Beach County, which owns and operates the airport, also did not respond to requests for comment, including a question about whether law enforcement investigated the bomb threat Palm Beach International Airport received through its website.

On its website, Palm Beach International Airport states that “while we recognize that the required name change may be received in different ways by our passengers, we’re grateful for your continued support through this transition period.”

It continues: “We remain committed to serving all passengers and ensuring a positive travel experience. While some things may evolve over time, our core focus remains the same: providing a safe, reliable and welcoming airport experience.”

Kathleen Joy, a spokesperson for the City of West Palm Beach, declined to comment on the airport’s name change and “any potential operational or economic impacts” from it, citing Palm Beach County’s status as owner and operator.

As for West Palm Beach itself, the city “remains focused on what we can control: continuing to make our community a great place to live, work, visit, and do business,” Joy said. “West Palm Beach continues to attract residents and visitors because of the strength of our economy, quality of life, and the unique amenities that make our community a destination.”

Nearly all the Trump-related comments Palm Beach International Airport received in March, April and the first half of May opposed or criticized the airport’s name change, according to the records NOTUS obtained.

These anti-Trump objections came as the president is attempting — sometimes successfully — to put his face or name on all manner of things: the Kennedy Center, government buildings, national parks, passports, money, savings accounts and a class of Navy warships.

But at least one person sensed a business opportunity at the soon-to-be Trump airport: A man identifying himself as a “premium domain consultant” named Paul inquired whether the airport might want to use the website domain pdjtia.com. “I would appreciate your feedback if this is of interest,” he wrote on April 7. (The domain name remains “for sale” as of this week.)

Jim Schiffler, a Florida business consultant, also wrote Palm Beach International Airport on April 28 with an offer: an eight-foot-tall, 5,000-pound granite statue of Trump.

“Would you consider placing it at the now Donald J. Trump International Airport? I will gladly send you pictures,” Schiffler wrote the airport.
Trump Palm Beach Airport 03 (2448x3264, AR: 0.75)Reached by NOTUS, Schiffler said he’s owned the statue since 2017 and that it’s located in North Dakota. He declined to say how much he paid for it.

“My desire is to move it to a prominent location, where it can be appreciated and acknowledge [Trump’s] accomplishments,” Schiffler said.

It appears, however, that the Trump statue is not destined for President Donald J. Trump International Airport.

“The airport commission replied with a ‘thank you, we are not interested at this time’,” Schiffler said.

Knicks Will Visit Trump White House

Torrie Herrington — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:41:33 GMT

New York Knicks owner James Dolan’s acceptance of the invite would make the Knicks the first NBA team to visit the White House in either of President Donald Trump’s nonconsecutive terms. Darren Abate/AP Photo

New York Knicks owner James Dolan said Wednesday that the team will be the first NBA champion to visit President Donald Trump at the White House after the team accepted an invitation.

“We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted,” Dolan said during an interview on New York’s WFAN. “We still have to figure out the details, etc., but yes, of course. Look, I invited the president to come down for the game. He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years, and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”

Dolan, a longtime friend of the president, invited Trump to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, in which the Knicks hosted the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. Spectators inside and outside the arena booed the president — a New Yorker and Knicks fan —when he was spotlighted during the national anthem.

The Knicks lost the game 115-111 — the team’s only defeat during the series.

When asked before Dolan’s announcement if he would accept a hypothetical invitation to visit the White House, guard Jose Alvarado told TMZ on Wednesday: “If there’s a chance, I’m going wherever my teammate goes.”

However, at least one team member doesn’t seem to be a fan of the president.

“YESSIR!!!! GET TRUMP’S DUMBASS OUT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!” guard Josh Hart posted on X in November 2020.

Dolan’s acceptance of the invite would make the Knicks the first NBA team to visit the White House in either of Trump’s nonconsecutive terms.

Last March, the Oklahoma City Thunder declined an invitation due to a “timing issue.”

During Trump’s first term, back-to-back champions Golden State Warriors did not meet with the president after he rescinded his invitation because some star players spoke out against him in 2017. The Warriors also skipped out on visiting the president in 2018, instead touring the National Museum of African-American History and Culture with local D.C. students.

The Warriors did visit former President Barack Obama to celebrate their 2015 championship, as well as former President Joe Biden in 2023 in honor of their 2022 title.

The Los Angeles Lakers did not visit the White House in 2021 over COVID-19 protocols.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NOTUS, but a White House official told Vanity Fair before Dolan’s announcement that any rumors the Knicks aren’t going are not true.

“This is fake news,” the official said.

Trump Is Threatening State Unemployment Funds. Some States Didn't Get the Memo.

Natalie Alms — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 23:16:19 GMT

California was among the several states listed in the Labor Department's letter. Jeff Chiu/AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

The Department of Labor’s historic threat to withhold funding from states’ unemployment insurance programs didn’t quite land with the weight the government apparently intended: Several states told NOTUS they didn’t know much about the Trump administration’s new directive.

The Labor Department announced it sent out a letter Wednesday, signed by acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, telling states that “for the first time in modern history” — their emphasis — the federal government would cut states off from administrative funding if they didn’t do more to address waste, fraud and abuse in their unemployment systems.

The missive, which name-checked six states run by Democratic governors, including California, New Jersey and New York, but no red states, blamed the Biden administration for allowing “widespread fraud” in the programs.

It’s unclear whether states received the message.

A spokesperson for the Virginia Employment Commission said they couldn’t yet comment on the letter, as “we are currently trying to determine whether and where the letter was received within the Commonwealth and have not yet reviewed the correspondence directly.”

New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development asked for more information from NOTUS on the directive. “We don’t have insight on this yet,” a spokesperson said.

The Labor Department didn’t respond to NOTUS’ request for clarification on whether it had actually sent out the warnings on Wednesday, when the agency put out an associated news release.

The confusion could stem from the fact that the department’s letter is addressed to state governors, not the state offices that run jobless aid programs.

Some states did get the memo. Andrea Cyr, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Labor, said the state was “aware of the letter.”

“The State has implemented several updates since the pandemic to fight fraud and abuse and we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue criminals and hold perpetrators accountable while continuing to make sure workers receive the benefits to which they are entitled under law efficiently,” Cyr said in a statement.

The Trump administration has prioritized rooting out “waste, fraud and abuse” in social services. This latest threat to take away a main source of funding used to operate an unemployment insurance program is unprecedented, and it could affect the distribution of benefits.

“It would be a disaster,” said one former high-level executive in a state labor office, who asked for anonymity out of fear the Trump administration would target their state. “I don’t know how states would operate.”

The jobless aid system did struggle to ward off fraudsters looking to cash in on expanded benefits during COVID-19 pandemic — the beginning months of which happened during the first Trump administration.

Quantifying the exact number of benefits doled out to fraudsters during the crisis is difficult, but the Government Accountability Office has pegged $60 billion as a conservative estimate.

There is no single federal unemployment insurance system. Rather, states run individual programs, following guidelines set by the federal government.

The federal government also covers states’ administrative costs through taxes on employers. Most states rely completely on the federal government for the money to operate the program.

So far, the Labor Department hasn’t told states what they would need to do to prevent that funding being taken away. Wednesday’s letter says that the department will send specific directives in the coming days.

“We are officially putting governors on notice,” Sonderling said in a statement. “This department is no longer afraid to use every lever available to ensure taxpayer money is protected.”

Some see the letter as political bluster until proven otherwise, said the former state-level executive, noting that most states didn’t receive any advanced warning on the coming threat. A spokesperson at Maryland’s Department of Labor noted that Sonderling was praising the state’s anti-fraud work just yesterday.

“The Trump Administration continues to govern by press release – blasting notes to the media and providing states with no information while threatening them,” a spokesperson for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told NOTUS. “If they were serious about protecting taxpayers, they wouldn't be eliminating resources used to modernize systems and strengthen fraud prevention.”

Last May, the Labor Department terminated millions in grant funding it had previously given to states to modernize their jobless aid systems. A spokesperson for Pennsylvania's Department of Labor and Industry said those cuts hit funding that helped states root out fraud.

Pennsylvania was among the states listed in the Labor Department’s letter as having “egregious systemic issues.” The spokesperson rejected the characterization, calling Pennsylvania a “national leader… despite USDOL’s sudden and arbitrary termination in May 2025 of vital federal grants used in part to combat fraud.”

Typically, issues with how states are running their unemployment programs go through a back-and-forth process with the Labor Department’s regional offices to ensure compliance.

The federal government has the authority to shut off administrative payments to states that aren’t following all of DOL’s rules for how to operate the program, although “it just doesn’t happen,” said Michele Evermore, who worked at Labor during the Biden administration.

That’s in part because the Labor Department only has the ability to withhold the entirety of this administrative funding, which would cause maximum pain for states.

The last time a state even came close to losing funding was in the 1970s, even though most states are occasionally out of line with one of the department’s many rules, Evermore said. Many currently aren’t meeting standards for how long a person should have to wait to receive their benefits, for example.

The department’s letter specifically called out New York and California, but lumped together fraud and other mistakes in the payment process that makes a payment “improper,” like paperwork errors. Left off the letter was Florida, which ranks No. 2 on a Department of Labor website listing improper payment rates across states.

Trump Settles $100 Million Lawsuit Against His Niece

Jenna Monnin — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 22:58:52 GMT

President Donald Trump sued Mary Trump, The New York Times, several journalists and ABC in September 2021. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

President Donald Trump settled a $100 million lawsuit against his niece, Mary Trump, for her part in leaking his confidential information to The New York Times as part of a bombshell investigation into the president’s tax filings.

“The parties are pleased to report they have reached a settlement and anticipate being able to stipulate to the dismissal of this action with prejudice in the ensuing weeks,” attorneys for both parties wrote in a joint letter to the judge ahead of a status hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Lawyers for the president and his niece did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the terms of the settlement.

If the case is dismissed with prejudice, as the letter requests, the president cannot pursue additional legal action against his niece on the matter.

Trump sued Mary Trump, The New York Times, several journalists and ABC in September 2021. The original complaint alleged the defendants engaged in an “insidious plot” that was “motivated by a personal vendetta and their desire to gain fame.”

Trump’s lawyers argued that the group of journalists from The New York Times “relentlessly sought out” his niece to persuade her to “smuggle” records to the newspaper.

A New York Supreme Court justice dismissed the lawsuit against The New York Times and its journalists in 2023 — ordering the president, who was not in office at the time, to pay all legal fees associated with the case.

“These actions are at the very core of protected First Amendment activity,” Justice Robert Reed argued, defending journalists’ pursuit of the president’s niece.

The reporters won a Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for their extensive investigation into the Trump family’s tax history.

The president has launched multiple lawsuits against individuals and entities that have leaked his confidential financial records.

Trump sued the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department for $10 billion in January, arguing that the government failed to properly secure the president’s confidential tax returns. Trump dropped the lawsuit in exchange for creation of a controversial $1.776 “anti-weaponization” fund to compensate people who have been investigated by the federal government.

Federal Judge Kathleen Williams reopened the case on May 29 after a group of 35 former federal judges urged her to look into possible “collusion” ahead of the case’s dismissal.

Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress that the Justice Department would not move forward with the fund in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on June 2.

But despite bipartisan pushback on the fund, lawmakers did not pass an amendment to kill it during Senate budget reconciliation proceedings earlier this month.

Virginia federal Judge Leonie Brinkema moved to indefinitely block the “anti-weaponization” fund on Friday, arguing Blanche’s verbal statements did not guarantee that the fund would be dropped. Brinkema’s preliminary injunction extended her original block on the fund that was set to expire.

An earlier version of this story misstated the consequences of a dismissal. If the case is dismissed with prejudice, no further legal action can be pursued.

Trump’s Surprise DNI Announcement Leaves Senate Republicans Reeling

Al Weaver, Avani Kalra — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 22:11:39 GMT

Both Democrats and Republicans raised concerns about Bill Pulte’s credentials for the acting DNI post, and there appeared to be bipartisan support to confirm Jay Clayton as soon as this week. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters pool photo via AP

President Donald Trump torched the Senate’s chances of expeditiously confirming Jay Clayton to become the next director of national intelligence on Wednesday, effectively grinding the chamber to a halt as members try to pick up the pieces following the presidential blockade.

Senate Republicans had been confident they would be able to quickly confirm Clayton’s nomination this week. That move would have killed two birds with one stone — denying Bill Pulte from becoming acting DNI on Friday and potentially allowing them to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Those hopes were dashed in the wee hours of Wednesday morning with the president tying both items to unmovable business, leaving members fuming.

“There’s some frustration,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said of the mood of the conference after members convened for lunch. “702 is going to stay dark, and that's a danger to the country during the World Cup. We have a lot of people here from around the world, and where we've got regimes like the Iranian regime mad at us.”

“We’ve basically blinded our intelligence community,” Cornyn said, noting that 60% of the president’s daily brief, a summary of current national security threats, emanates from intelligence gathered via the spy powers.

Both Democrats and Republicans raised concerns about Pulte’s credentials for the acting DNI post, and there appeared to be bipartisan support to confirm Clayton as soon as this week.

Republicans have grown increasingly bothered by recent maneuvers from Trump, with a number of them coming at inopportune times. Those continued with Wednesday’s social media post that came just hours before Clayton was set to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the afternoon.

Initially, Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) indicated the committee would proceed, but then hours later he announced that Clayton would no longer appear and the hearing was canceled, calling the development “regrettable.”

Adding to the tumult was Trump’s demand to also tie the nomination and the FISA reauthorization to both the confirmation of James McDonald, a former member of his legal team who would backfill Clayton as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the SAVE America voting bill, respectively.

Neither item appears to be going anywhere quickly. The voting measure has no path in the chamber, as it cannot clear the 60-vote threshold and not enough Republicans are behind scrapping the hurdle to enact the “talking” filibuster.

McDonald also is subject to the “blue slip” procedure which gives Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) the ability to hold up his confirmation as home-state lawmakers. Members are not banking on them giving him the green light.

“I don’t expect any cooperation,” Cornyn said about that possibility.

This is leaving Senate Republican leaders with no obvious solution on how to get Clayton and the FISA reauthorization cleared.

“I’m not sure I know the answer to that just yet, but we’ll take it a day at a time,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters about next steps.

The expedited effort to cement Clayton as DNI was a reaction to Pulte in line to fill the acting role on Friday.

Democrats initially blocked reauthorization of FISA’s Section 702 over their concerns with Pulte, who has no intelligence experience and has garnered criticism from lawmakers in both parties.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) told reporters on Wednesday that the president’s move is “another kink in the slinky that makes no sense,” adding that Trump is complicating Congress’ ability to enact his own agenda.

“We are not the manufacturing department of the Article II branch, we are the board of directors for the Article II branch.” Tillis said. “You start treating us like that, coordinating with us like that, we won't have these embarrassing setbacks.”

Tillis said that FISA is essential and could pose a significant national security challenge in the midst of a series of high-profile events this summer, blaming the president’s decision on poor advice.

“If somebody told the president exactly how Jay Clayton got the permanent position for U.S. attorney and exactly what this was likely to do to 702 reauthorization, and he did it anyway, he made a colossal mistake,” Tillis continued.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also indicated this episode demonstrated that the president is not working effectively with the conference. When asked if Senate Republicans and Trump are on the same page, Murkowski told reporters, “He’s turning it ahead without telling us about it.”

Wednesday’s development follows a number of others from the White House that have roiled the conference, including an ill-timed endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Cornyn, a popular member, and the announcement of Pulte, which jeopardized the FISA renewal.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), a proponent of the SAVE America Act, told reporters on Wednesday that the president is simply doing what he does best: pushing his priorities through Congress. Though Senate Republicans might have been caught off guard, Kennedy said that Trump is simply trying to pass the legislation by attaching it to a must-pass bill.

“I just think the president is a salesman, and here’s what a salesman do: they sell,” Kennedy said. “He’s a promoter. What do promoters do? They promote. He’s got two speeds: uninterested and the speed of light.”

Beyond causing frustration within the Republican conference, the president’s surprise announcement makes the path forward on both FISA and Clayton’s nomination murky. Senate Democrats are calling on Republicans to work with them to choose a new nominee in exchange for lifting their hold on Section 702.

"Every time Republicans are searching for a path forward, Trump slams the door shut,” Schumer said. “He pulled the rug out from under his Republicans, who were trying to find that path forward.”

“What shambles, what an embarrassment,” he added.

White House Details Iran Deal, But Trump Warns Bombs Could Still Fall

Hamed Ahmadi — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 20:40:09 GMT

“If it doesn’t get done in 60 days, it’s all right. We go back to bombing,” President Donald Trump said Wednesday of a final nuclear deal. Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo

President Donald Trump’s preliminary deal with Iran would give Tehran a path to oil sales, frozen funds and sanctions relief before a final agreement is reached. But Trump’s warning to Iranian leaders on Wednesday about what could happen if talks fail was blunt: The U.S. would bomb Iran again.

“If it doesn’t get done in 60 days, it’s all right. We go back to bombing,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t want to do that … but we might have to, because we’re never going to let them have a nuclear weapon.”

The memorandum of understanding, which White House officials said was digitally signed Sunday, gives the U.S. and Iran 60 days to negotiate a final nuclear agreement. Officials said the MOU is final and has not been changed, but emphasized that it is not the final deal. The official signing, which had been expected to happen Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, could take place sooner, Trump suggested. Vice President JD Vance is expected to represent the U.S. at the ceremony.

White House officials made clear that the negotiating window does not guarantee a final deal and that either side could walk away before a binding agreement is reached. The final deal, if one is reached, would be endorsed by a binding United Nations Security Council resolution, according to the MOU.

The MOU, according to text read to reporters by White House officials, commits the U.S. and Iran to stop military operations, begin reopening the Strait of Hormuz, work toward Iranian sanctions relief and negotiate the future of Iran’s nuclear program.

The U.S., Iran and their allies in the current war “declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” the MOU says. It also says both sides agree not to start war or military operations against the other and would “refrain from the threat or use of force against each other.”

Trump said the written agreement does not capture everything the two sides have discussed and warned that Iran would still face U.S. military force if it violates those understandings.

“We have an understanding of certain things without writing it, and if they don’t honor that, we’ll probably go back to bombing them until they honor it,” Trump said.

Under the MOU, the U.S. would begin lifting its naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic immediately and fully end it within 30 days. Iran would use its “best efforts” to allow commercial vessels to move through the Strait of Hormuz without charge for 60 days while removing technical and military obstacles to passage

The MOU would also open the door to major economic relief for Iran. It says the Treasury would issue waivers for Iranian oil exports and related banking, insurance and transportation services. It also says the U.S. would make frozen or restricted Iranian funds “fully available” once the MOU is implemented, with the details to be worked out during negotiations.

Trump reiterated his stance that Iran would only benefit economically if it adheres to the agreement.

“Any relief they receive under this deal, they’ll have to get based on merit, and it won’t be from us. We don’t have to give them anything, but some people may want to invest,” Trump said.

Trump also said the frozen funds belong to Iran and suggested the U.S. would have to release them.

“We have taken a lot of their money, and we have their money,” Trump said. “I guess we’re going to have to give it back.”

The document also says the U.S. and regional partners would develop a reconstruction and economic development plan for Iran worth at least $300 billion. The mechanism for implementing that plan would be finalized as part of the final deal.

The MOU settles some nuclear issues while leaving others for later. Iran reaffirms in the MOU that it will not “procure or develop nuclear weapons,” and the two sides would resolve the future of Iran’s enriched material through a mutually agreed process. But the MOU leaves some of the hardest nuclear questions for later, including on uranium enrichment and Iran’s broader nuclear needs.

Asked whether Iran could keep a civilian nuclear program, Trump questioned why Tehran needed one but stopped short of ruling it out.

“I’ve said to them … you have probably the third-largest oil reserves in the world. What the hell do you need nuclear for?” Trump said. “You need nuclear for some electricity?”

Still, Trump acknowledged the issue was not simple, and that squaring whether to allow an Iranian civilian nuclear program when other nearby countries have one is “always a little tough.”

Trump also suggested the agreement would not eliminate Iran’s missile program. He said the U.S. and Gulf nations would address “non-nuclear issues,” including conventional ballistic missiles, but argued Iran could not be barred from having missiles altogether.

“Am I going to let Saudi Arabia have missiles, but they can’t have them?” Trump said. “It doesn’t work that way ... and missiles aren’t the problem.”

Until a final deal is reached, both sides would maintain the status quo. Iran would keep the current status of its nuclear program, and the U.S. would not impose additional sanctions or deploy additional forces in the region.

Asked how the deal permanently stops Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, Trump again pointed to the threat of U.S. strikes.

“When I say permanently, it should be permanently, but if it’s not permanently, we will bomb them,” Trump said. “They will be bombed, just like I bombed them on Wednesday night and Tuesday night.”

Asked whether the agreement has an enforceable mechanism, Trump said it did not need one.

“Doesn’t have to be,” Trump said. “If you don’t adhere to the agreement … we’re going to bomb the hell out of you.”

Republicans Block Pentagon Investment Ban Aimed at Trump Family

Joe Gould — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 20:37:12 GMT

Republicans, including Sen. Mike Rounds (pictured), said the measure was a partisan attack on the president that would have undermined support for the bill. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)

Senate Republicans quietly killed an effort to bar the Pentagon from investing in companies tied to President Donald Trump, his Cabinet or their families, rejecting a Democratic amendment targeting conflict-of-interest concerns.

The amendment failed 14-13 on a party-line vote last week during the Senate Armed Services Committee’s closed-door markup of its $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act, according to a committee vote tally released Wednesday. Republicans said they rejected a partisan attack on Trump that would have undermined support for the bill.

“It just seemed like a shot at the president, but the NDAA is for serious stuff,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) said. “We keep all the cheap shots out, and we think the president and most of the other members would have considered that a cheap shot, and that’s not what the NDAA is all about.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) confirmed that her amendment would have prohibited the Pentagon’s equity investment arm, the Office of Strategic Capital, from making investments in any company in which top executive branch officials or their immediate family members hold a significant ownership stake. Details of the measure haven’t been previously reported.

“There was not even a debate,” Warren told NOTUS. “This is the most corrupt administration in American history. Every amendment that might curb Trump's corruption even slightly was radioactive to Republicans.”

The vote came amid Democratic scrutiny of Pentagon loans and contracts awarded to companies connected to Trump allies and family members, including firms backed by Donald Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm and transactions that have raised questions about the financial interests of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s family.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), who voted for the amendment, said lawmakers were trying to bar taxpayer-backed investments from benefiting Trump’s family.

“We’re trying to be responsible with taxpayer money, and try to put in some restrictions, so it doesn’t continue to flow to the Trump family,” Kelly told NOTUS. He called the administration “corrupt” and accused Trump of profiting from public office.

The amendment appears to have been prompted in part by concerns surrounding Vulcan Elements, a rare-earth magnet company that received a conditional $620 million loan commitment from the Office of Strategic Capital after receiving an investment from 1789 Capital, a firm where Trump Jr. is a partner.

Warren and other Democrats have questioned whether companies linked to Trump Jr. received favorable treatment, while Pentagon officials and the company have denied political influence in the process.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan), who also voted for the amendment, suggested Republicans rejected it out of concern for how Trump would react.

“Over and over we heard in the NDAA markup a number of my Republican colleagues express concern that they didn’t want to insult the president, they didn’t want to send a negative message to the president, they didn’t want to offend the president, or they were scared of his reaction,” Slotkin told NOTUS. “To me, this one fell in that category.”

The proposal mirrored a broader Democratic effort to impose conflict-of-interest restrictions on government-backed investment programs. An amendment raised by Warren with similar language aimed at Defense Production Act authorities advanced through the House Financial Services Committee with bipartisan support.

Warren did not rule out reviving the proposal as a floor amendment when the Senate takes up the bill.

All but four Senate Armed Services Democrats, with some saying that the president is waging unauthorized military action against Iran and elsewhere, voted against the NDAA.

Republicans were willing to approve significant guardrails in the 1,562-page bill. One provision would restrict Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget if the Pentagon doesn’t give Congress more details about the deadly bombing of an Iranian girls school in February and full videos of lethal strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the waters off Latin America.