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May 18, 2026
Stacey Abrams Accuses Mike Johnson of Celebrating The 'Return of Jim Crow'
(Mediaite) Stacey Abrams accused House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) of celebrating the return of Jim Crow to the South after he commended the Supreme Court for ruling race-based gerrymandering violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Abrams ripped Johnson and the recent redistricting decisions during an interview on MS NOWs The Weekend: Primetime on Sunday. The show played a clip of Johnson telling Fox News earlier in the day that the Supreme Courts 6-3 ruling that Louisianas congressional map violated the VRA was long overdue and was bringing back fairness and certainty to the system.
Go to discussionMarjorie Taylor Greene Sends 'Revolution' Warning To Donald Trump: 'I'll Make Sure Of It'
(Huff Post) Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Sunday issued a stark warning about what she believes will happen in the U.S. if Donald Trump sends American troops into Iran. If you send in U.S. military troops into Iran, there is going to be a political revolution in America, Greene wrote on X. WE. ARE. DONE, she continued. We said no more foreign wars, and we meant it. The coalition will unite and be unstoppable. Ill make sure of it.
Go to discussionOil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying
(Fortune) Dire warnings about oil supplies are coming from everywhere lately as the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed while President Donald Trumps trip to China failed to produce a breakthrough to reopen the critical waterway. While investors have been trading on hopes that the Iran ceasefire will remain intact, there is little sign that the oil trade will return to normal soon, forcing them to reckon with the reality of worsening shortages and an imminent tipping point ahead.
Go to discussionAmericans are leaving the U.S. in record numbers and spending hundreds to learn how to do it
(CNBC) A record number of Americans are leaving the U.S.: The country saw a net negative migration of between 10,000 and 295,000 people in 2025, according to research from The Brookings Institution. The widest estimated range was among people who left voluntarily, with Brookings estimating that between 210,000 to 405,000 people did so last year. Its the first time in at least 50 years that more people moved out of the country than moved in.
Go to discussionEpstein prison guard to testify in front of House Oversight Committee today
(MS NOW) A corrections officer who was on duty when Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York City prison cell in August 2019 is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday. Tova Noel told federal investigators that she believes she was the last person to see the convicted sex offender alive at the Metropolitan Correctional Center before he killed himself.
Go to discussionCDC to escalate Ebola response after WHO declares emergency
(Bloomberg) The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is escalating its response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, after the World Health Organization labeled the outbreak a public health emergency. The agency plans to deploy additional staff to the affected countries and will provide technical support including laboratory testing, contact tracing and surveillance through its country offices, said Satish Pillai, the CDCs Ebola response incident manager, on a call with reporters Sunday. It has also activated its emergency response center.
Go to discussionTrump Snubs His Big Faith Event to Go Golfing
(Daily Beast) President Donald Trump skipped his own White House-backed event rededicating the nation to God to spend the day at his preferred place of worship: the golf course. As thousands flocked to the National Mall on Sunday for a Trump-backed rally highlighting the Churchs role in history and civic life in honor of Americas 250th, the presidents motorcade rolled out of the capital towards the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia
Go to discussionGOP lawmakers battle as conservatives press for third budget reconciliation bill
(The Hill) Conservatives are calling on the House to pass a third GOP-only bill through the special reconciliation process to boost Pentagon funding and address alleged fraud in federal programs by the August recess an extremely aggressive timeline that is sure to face headwinds in the slim majority. Chief among those pushing for that timeline is Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), chair of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House.
Go to discussion60 Minutes Reveals Insider Trading on US Military Conflicts Is Exploding: 'Luck Alone Can't Explain The Numbers'
(Mediaite) Prediction markets analysts told 60 Minutes Sunday that insider trading on U.S. military conflicts is exploding, and that the soldier accused of trading on the U.S. invasion of Venezuela was merely a small fish in a very large pond. Last month, Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke was indicted on federal charges for allegedly using information he had about the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to rake in $400,000 on Polymarket.
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