WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

👩‍⚕️ Trump nominated Casey Means for Surgeon General. President Trump withdrew Janette Nesheiwat’s nomination for US Surgeon General and selected Casey Means, a Stanford-trained physician. Means will collaborate with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to combat chronic disease. This selection signals a deeper alignment with Kennedy’s health agenda, as Means was one of the original MAHA celebrities.

⚖️ Judge mandated Trump to resettle 12,000 refugees. A Biden-appointed federal judge ordered the Trump administration to resettle 12,000 refugees, countering an executive order suspending admissions on day one. Judge Jamal Whitehead rejected limiting processing to just 160 cases. This decision sharply challenges Trump’s immigration stance, likely spurring an appeal.

🌍 Trump officials to convene with China on trade. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer scheduled talks with Chinese counterparts in Switzerland to address the ongoing trade war. With US tariffs on Chinese imports at 145 percent, these discussions seek to cool heated tensions. Markets may breathe easier if tensions ease, though breakthroughs remain uncertain.

🏳️‍🌈 Labor and DOGE nix $13.6M in DEI grants. The Department of Labor, alongside the Department of Government Efficiency, cut 25 diversity, equity, and inclusion grants, saving $13.6 million meant for initiatives like “gender equity training.” These funds targeted programs for “gender-expansive people” and global projects. These cuts divert resources to merit-based opportunities over ideological efforts.

INSIDER RADAR

Pam Bondi on Jeffrey Epstein

Insiders behind the paywall: Pam Bondi, JD Vance, Kash Patel, and Thomas Massie.

HOAX TRACKER

“DOJ Investigates the Mistakenly Deported Salvadoran Man”

QUICK AND IMPORTANT

• President Trump signed a proclamation recognizing May 8 as "Victory Day for World War II.”

• Tyson Foods announced it will remove petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of May.

• US military flights are scheduled to soon deport illegal migrants to Libya.

• A new pope was not chosen yesterday. Voting continues today.

INSIDER EXCLUSIVE

Trump's “Liberation Day” headache

President Donald Trump declared April 2 “Liberation Day,” and fired the opening salvo of an economic war on the world. Since then, the economy has gone through a roller coaster of ups and (mostly) downs — and so has Trump’s economic approval rating.

One poll asked respondents to name Trump’s biggest mistake thus far. The overwhelming answer? “Tariffs.”

Read Now

EDITOR’S NOTE

Barstool conservatism bites back

Good morning. Over the weekend, a Temple University student brought a sign that said “F**k Jews” to Dave Portnoy’s club. Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, is known for a brand of wishy-washy frat-boy conservatism that leans more toward common sense than ideology. But this crossed a line.

Furious, Portnoy vowed to expose the group. Then, in a surprising move, he offered them a way out: take a paid trip to Auschwitz, and he’d keep their names quiet.

The student refused — and doubled down. He went on an antisemitic talk show and claimed Portnoy, Jews, and Israel were the villains, all of whom are trying to “cancel” him. Sometimes, evil can’t be reasoned with. It just needs to be shunned.

THE MAIN STORY

The pro-Palestine chaos campaign surges

WHAT’S HAPPENING_

Pro-Palestine protesters occupied an engineering building at the University of Washington (UW) this week, leading to dozens of arrests and more than $1 million in property damage.

The group responsible, Super UW, used similar violent tactics to the left-wing extremist group Antifa. The extreme damage from this riot has been unseen in the United States since last year’s demonstrations at Columbia University.

The riots were sparked by students demanding the school divest from Boeing, which produces significant amounts of munitions, including bombs and missiles, used by Israel.

_THE FACTS_

• Boeing donated $10 million to help build UW’s engineering school.

• Super UW is demanding that the building be renamed the Shaban al-Dalou Building, in honor of a teenage engineering student who was killed by a bomb in Gaza.

• Protesters are voicing outrage at Boeing for manufacturing weapons being “used by Israel in their US-funded genocide of Palestinian people.”

• Masked rioters “blocked access to two streets outside the building, blocked entrances and exits to the building, and ignited fires in two dumpsters on a street outside.”

• Police arrested 30 individuals on charges including trespassing, property destruction, and conspiracy.

• Protesters praised Hamas’s October 7 attack as a “heroic victory” and called for a global “student Intifada.”

• The university condemned the protest as illegal and antisemitic, stating it would not be intimidated by violent groups.

• UW officials estimate the protest caused over $1 million in damages.

_OUR INSIGHTS _

Insights and analysis are for members only.

Insights behind the paywall: Police “negotiations” and Trump’s antisemitism task force.

_JOIN THE DISCUSSION_

What, if anything, should be done to tamp down destructive pro-Palestine riots?

Comments are open for everyone.

MEDIA BIAS SPOTTER

How left and right outlets frame Casey Means’ nomination for Surgeon General

Mentioned behind the paywall: NPR, The Washington Post, The Daily Signal, and The New York Post.

THE DAILY DEBATE

POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY

Do you think Trump is making a mistake by trusting the Houthis to uphold a ceasefire?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👍 Yes (543)
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👎 No (268)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (164)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💬 Other (31)

POP QUIZ

Get everything members love — complete daily news, expert analysis, and premium coverage on geopolitics, D.C., and the conservative movement.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.