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https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/05/19/congress/new-antisemitism-bill-00927709

Sens. James Lankford and Jacky Rosen will introduce a sweeping, bipartisan bill Tuesday aimed at combating antisemitism.

The bill, which was first shared with POLITICO, would target antisemitism in education and online, as well as provide security grant funding.

“Those are three big issues that get talked about the most, so we tried to pull those together into one bill,” Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, said in an interview. “We are trying to do this bipartisan, bicameral.”

Rosen, a Nevada Democrat who co-chairs the Senate’s bipartisan task force for combating antisemitism with Lankford, said in an interview the bill was “personal” and has “been over a year in the making.”

“It really is a coordinated federal response to help fight domestic antisemitism,” she added.

The measure would require the Department of Education to designate an antisemitism coordinator and lay out new regulations to combat antisemitism at colleges that receive DOE funding, including requiring those colleges to establish non-discrimination policies and grievance processes.

It would also boost nonprofit security grant funding to $1 billion that can be used by Jewish communities, as well create a new grant that can be used for places of worship. The bill would, in addition, require new disclosures about how online platforms moderate and respond to antisemitic content.

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https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/19/morrissey-treasury-anti-weaponization-irs-00927843

The Treasury Department’s general counsel resigned as the Trump administration announced a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” as part of a deal to settle President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leaking of his tax returns.

Brian Morrissey, who was confirmed by the Senate in October and served as Treasury’s top legal officer, stepped down on Monday. His departure came the same day the Trump administration announced it would create that $1.776 billion fund to resolve Trump’s lawsuit, an unusual arrangement that has provoked bipartisan criticism.

“As General Counsel, Brian Morrissey has served the United States Treasury with both honor and integrity,” a Treasury Department spokesperson said in a statement. “We wish him all the best in his next endeavors.”

Morrissey did not respond to requests for comment.

The New York Times, which first reported Morrissey’s resignation, said his departure letter expressed gratitude to Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Morrissey, a former partner at the law firm Sidley Austin, previously held senior roles at the Treasury and Justice Departments during Trump’s first term.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told senators Tuesday he was unaware of the reason for Morrissey’s resignation. “I don’t know if it’s a coincidence,” Blanche said in response to Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.). “I can’t speak to why he resigned.”

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https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/nx-s1-5821265/minnesota-ban-prediction-markets

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed the nation's first law banning prediction market sites from operating in the state, and in response, the Trump administration has sued, teeing up a legal battle over the most far-reaching crackdown on popular services like Kalshi and Polymarket.

It comes as states confront a growing standoff with the Trump administration over how to regulate the industry, which allows people to bet on virtually anything.

The new state law makes it a crime to host or advertise a prediction market, which it defines as a system that lets consumers place a wager on a future outcome, like sports, elections, live entertainment, someone's word choice and world affairs.

The prohibition extends to services supporting prediction markets, like virtual private networks, that could allow consumers to disguise their location and get around the ban.

It would force prediction market sites like Kalshi and Polymarket to leave the state, or face possible felony charges. The law takes effect in August.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two teenagers who shot and killed three people in an attack on a California mosque were radicalized online where they first met and shared white supremacist views, according to authorities and writings they authored.

The pair “didn’t discriminate on who they hated,” Mark Remily, the lead FBI agent in San Diego, said Tuesday.

The writings, obtained by The Associated Press, include hateful rhetoric toward Jewish people, Muslims and Islam, as well as the LGBTQ+ community, Black people, women, and both the political left and right. Both express beliefs that white people are being eliminated, and one writes about mental health struggles and being rejected by women.

https://apnews.com/article/islamic-center-san-diego-shooting-mosque-hate-d81d87793aa3eea836d45a9d5b1f297b

These two pathetic white supremacists rage quit life lmao

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https://www.thebulwark.com/p/how-corrupt-is-trump-here-are-the-numbers-trades-chips-nvidia-pardons-settlement-fund

THIS IS THE TRUMP ERA, which means if you blink, you will miss another shattering example of unabashed corruption. I don’t usually write about the same topic twice in a row, but the latest revelations of Trump’s wanton, shameless profiteering from the White House cannot go unremarked. The phrase “drain the swamp” will go down in history as a bitter irony. The latest outrage against the public—and since I started typing this sentence there have surely been more—concerns Trump’s stock trades.

When I was being considered for a job in the Reagan White House, I had to reveal every cent I had ever earned from any job or investment (which was simple since I had no money), and everyone else who worked for the administration had to do the same. It was a pain, but I was happy to do it, knowing that I would be serving in an honest government. High-ranking officials like cabinet secretaries with substantial portfolios put their assets in blind trusts during their public service. “Blind” meaning the principal had no control. And though the ethics rules do not apply to the president, past presidents put their funds (with the exception of U.S. treasuries and mutual funds) into blind trusts anyway for appearances’ sake. The reason is obvious, but since this is a time of foggy ethics, let’s spell it out: Government officials are in a position to steer policy and award government contracts in ways that benefit or harm private interests. By requiring blind trusts, we minimize the chance that a decision-maker is swayed by the opportunity for private gain.1

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https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/us/politics/trump-irs-doj-lawsuit-audit.html

The Justice Department on Tuesday expanded the agreement it reached this week with President Trump to resolve his extraordinary lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service to include a provision that would bar the agency from pursuing tax claims against the president, his family or his businesses.

In a one-page document signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and quietly posted on the department’s website, officials vowed not to pursue any matters, including those involving Mr. Trump’s tax returns, that are currently pending.
The new provision was released just one day after Mr. Trump agreed to drop his suit in exchange for the creation of a $1.8 billion compensation fund for people he believes were wronged by federal investigations or prosecutions. The fund drew repeated criticism from Democrats when Mr. Blanche appeared before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee for a hearing on Tuesday morning.

The New York Times reported last week that Mr. Trump’s talks with the Justice Department and the I.R.S. had included a measure calling on the I.R.S. to drop any audits of the president, his relatives or businesses. But that provision did not appear in the nine-page agreement laying out the terms to dismiss the lawsuit, which the department released Monday.

In January, Mr. Trump, along with two of his sons and the Trump family business, sued the Internal Revenue Service for at least $10 billion over the leak of their tax returns during the president’s first term. The Trumps argued that the I.R.S. should have done more to prevent a former contractor from disclosing tax information to The New York Times and ProPublica.

Neither the Justice Department nor the I.R.S. immediately responded to requests seeking comment. The top lawyer at the Treasury, Brian Morrissey, resigned on Monday after the Justice Department announced the settlement with Mr. Trump.

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How a Troubles ruling could impact court's definition of a woman
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2pz4r4kk8o

tld;dr
Something happened in Bongland; troons seething.

A recent ruling by the Supreme Court has made it harder to use Northern Ireland's Brexit deal to bring human rights challenges against the government.

The case concerned the last Conservative government's plan to allow immunity for some Troubles-related crimes.

The Labour government dropped that plan, but still wanted the court to clarify the scope of the human rights aspect of the Brexit deal. The government won a partial victory which could have a much wider impact.

It is likely to be significant in deciding whether the 2025 Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman applies in Northern Ireland in the way it does in the rest of the UK.

What has the NI Brexit deal got to do with human rights?

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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5885414-paxton-cornyn-texas-senate-trump/

Senate Republicans on Tuesday vented their frustration and disappointment over President Trump’s decision to endorse state Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn (R) in the Texas Senate Republican primary, a move that deals a crushing blow to Cornyn’s hopes of winning the May 26 runoff.

“I don’t understand. He is an ethically challenged individual,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said of Paxton, who was charged with defrauding investors in a Dallas-area tech startup before he completed a pretrial diversion program.

“John Cornyn is an outstanding senator and deserved in my judgment the president’s support. Obviously it’s the president’s call but I’m disappointed that he did it,” Collins said.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she was “supremely disappointed” in Trump’s endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn.

“I don’t understand it,” she said when asked about Trump’s motivation.

Murkowski said the endorsment probably makes it tougher for Republicans to win the Texas Senate race against Democratic candidate James Talarico.

“Based on the numbers that I’ve seen, yeah,” she said. “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?”

https://abcnews.com/US/air-show-crash-prompts-idaho-air-force-base/story?id=133055114

Mountain Home Air Force Base outside of Boise, Idaho, was locked down Sunday afternoon after two U.S. Navy jets performing at an air show crashed in midair, according to authorities and bystander video of the incident.

The two Navy EA-18 Growler jets collided in midair during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show, according to a Navy spokesperson.

"All four of the air crew successfully ejected," Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for the Naval Air Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, said in a statement. All four are in stable condition, according to the Mountain Home Air Force Base Gunfighters.

Umayam said the crash occurred around 12:10 p.m. MDT while the crews were performing an aerial demonstration.

The two jets involved in the crash were assigned to the Electronic Attack Squadron at Whidbey Island, Washington, Umayam said, adding that the cause of the crash is under investigation.

A bystander video of the incident captured two jets flying near each other when they collided in midair. As the two planes plummeted to the ground, four parachutes appeared to deploy.

A plume of black smoke is seen in the footage as the jets crashed to the ground and exploded.

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https://www.rawstory.com/rs-exclusive/trump-epstein-2676900153/
>Newly unearthed court records reveal that in 2009, a woman accused President Donald Trump of having “knowledge” of Jeffrey Epstein’s “sexual desire for minor girls,” veteran journalist Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez wrote — an accusation she noted had been “available to law enforcement for 17 years.”

>The accusation was discovered in a set of written answers provided by a woman who claimed to have been abused by Epstein as a minor between 2002 and 2005 at his home in Palm Beach, Florida. The filing is part of a lawsuit the woman, whose name is redacted in the document, brought against Epstein in the Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County.

>The set of written answers was in response to questions provided by Epstein and his attorneys, according to the filing, one of which asked the woman to “list the names of all persons who are believed or known by you to have any knowledge concerning any of the issues in this lawsuit.”

>The woman’s attorney or attorneys responded with a list of more than 50 names. Fifth on that list was “Donald Trump,” written more than seven years before he would become president.

>Next to the listed names was a brief description of their knowledge concerning the lawsuit; one was accused by the woman of arranging for “underage girls to go to and from Jeff’s island,” and another, of being “Epstein’s house manager during [the] time our client went to him.” Trump was explicitly accused of having “knowledge of finances and [Epstein’s] sexual desire for minor girls.”

>In the other written responses, the woman did not mention Trump again, but did detail the alleged abuse she endured while at Epstein’s home, which she claimed to have visited “more than 100 times.”

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Key Points
President Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state’s Republican Senate primary runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
The last-minute endorsement gives Paxton a major boost one week before the May 26 runoff, which has become a test of Trump’s sway over GOP voters.


https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/19/trump-primary-election-ken-paxton-john-cornyn-texas-senate.html

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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5882011-senate-parliamentarian-rejects-trump-white-house-ballroom-funding/

The Senate parliamentarian late Saturday ruled against a $1 billion provision intended to fund President Trump’s White House ballroom in the budget reconciliation package.

According to Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, the guidance states that “a project as complex and large in scale as Trump’s proposed ballroom necessarily involves the coordination of many government agencies which span the jurisdiction of many Senate committees,” adding that the funding provision is outside the scope of the Judiciary panel.

Earlier this month, the Senate Judiciary Committee — as well as the upper chamber’s Homeland Security Committee — included funding for the new complex in a budget reconciliation bill for federal immigration enforcement.

According to Merkley, Elizabeth MacDonough, the nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian, said the ballroom funds violated the Byrd Rule — a strict Senate provision that prevents nonbudgetary, “extraneous” provisions from being passed through the budget reconciliation process.

“The Parliamentarian’s advice is based on whether a provision is appropriate for reconciliation and conforms to the limitations of the Byrd Rule; it is not a judgement on the relative merits of a particular policy,” the Saturday statement from Merkley’s office reads, adding that any vote on ballroom funding would be subject to a 60-vote threshold.

Amid the setback for the White House, Ryan Wrasse, who serves as the communications director for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), said the plan is to “Redraft. Refine. Resubmit.”

“None of this is abnormal during a Byrd process,” Wrasse posted to the social platform Twitter on Saturday evening.

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https://www.foxnews.com/us/luigi-mangione-evidence-ruling-could-determine-jurors-see-september-murder-trial

A New York judge has ruled that some key evidence seized from Luigi Mangione's backpack during his arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald's is inadmissible at trial, while some of it can still be shown to jurors, including the suspected murder weapon.

Judge Gregory Carro's written ruling was posted online ahead of a hearing Monday morning. He agreed with the defense argument that a search of Mangione's backpack at McDonald's was unconstitutional because it had been moved away from arm's reach, however, he found that a subsequent search of the bag at the police station was lawful. During that search, an officer found the handgun allegedly used in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50.

He also found that most of Mangione's statements to police in Pennsylvania would be admissible, except for some made about his alleged fake ID after police read him his Miranda warning.

A different judge, overseeing his separate federal case, has already rejected the defense team's argument that the search was improper, and the evidence will be part of his federal trial.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv28pd4n22o

A man has driven his car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, injuring eight people, four seriously, officials say.

They include a woman who reportedly had both her legs crushed.

After the car came to a halt against a shop window, the driver emerged holding a knife and injured a passer-by who gave chase, before the suspect was overpowered.

The suspect, 31, has been identified by officials as an Italian national of Moroccan origin. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the incident as "extremely serious".

The incident occurred around 16:30 (14:30 GMT), when the speeding car hit the pedestrians in Via Emilia next to the iconic cathedral of Modena, south-east of Milan. The vehicle then veered left before coming to a halt against a shop window.

"We saw the car approaching, it was heading for the curb," an eyewitness said.

"It suddenly accelerated - it was going at least 100km/h (62mph)."

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https://newrepublic.com/article/210405/trump-venezuela-51st-state-citizenship

>Taking another zany plan by the president seriously because he cannot possibly do so.
>President Donald Trump suggested earlier this week that Venezuela should be annexed by the United States. He reportedly told Fox News correspondent John Roberts—not to be confused with the chief justice—that he was “seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the fifty-first state.”

>This is a far-fetched idea, to say the least. Venezuela has no interest in voluntarily becoming a U.S. state, as its acting President Delcy Rodríguez told reporters on Monday. “We will continue to defend our integrity, our sovereignty, our independence, our history,” she said, adding that Venezuela was “not a colony, but a free country.”

>U.S. forces managed to infiltrate the country and arrest former President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, which led to Rodríguez’s interim presidency. Trump suggested in January that the U.S. would play some kind of administrative role over the country after capturing Maduro, but no such direct control appears to exist. Venezuela retains every functional attribute of sovereignty.

>I would welcome anyone to join the United States, so long as they do so freely, voluntarily, and democratically, and so long as they agree to live under the Constitution and its principles. I would not support the forcible annexation of any country or territory to the U.S. under any circumstances. If the Trump administration sought to seize any territory by force or coercion, the next Democratic president would be legally and morally obligated to return it to its previous status.