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Republican senators want more answers on $1.8 billion settlement fund as Trump considers its future

(AP) Senate Republicans will meet Tuesday to discuss next steps after the Justice Department said it would comply with a court order pausing the implementation of a $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate President Donald Trump’s political allies. GOP senators who revolted against the settlement before leaving for a Memorial Day recess two weeks ago say they want more information from the administration about the future of the fund, which could potentially go to Trump supporters who beat police and attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Tuesday is a big primary day. Here are key races to watch.

(NPR) Six states — California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota and New Mexico — hold elections on Tuesday. Most of the attention is on California and Iowa, where there are competitive primaries for governor. In both states, the Democratic Party also sees a road map to control of Congress in the fall.

Pentagon press office is now a classified area and off-limits to reporters

(Politico) Journalists are no longer allowed in the Pentagon press office. The office where journalists have long been able to seek information from military officials has been deemed a classified space and off-limits to the press to make room for speechwriters who handle sensitive material, the Defense Department said Monday. "As a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space," Joel Valdez, the acting press secretary, said in a statement. "There's nothing controversial about that."

How Trump has used the presidency to benefit himself and his allies

(AP) President Donald Trump tried to create a near $1.8 billion fund that could be funneled to his supporters as a means of settling a lawsuit he filed against his own government — even arguing that he “gave up a lot of money in allowing” it. After drawing outcry in Congress and the courts, however, the White House is reconsidering the fund. That potentially means the suit — and the possibility that the president could still cash in — might be back on.

Tuesday's Condensed News Cartoons

In Trump's Cabinet, flattery is the job. Governing is secondary

(Salon) Donald Trump has the title and the great powers of the presidency. But it is not enough for him. His real goal is to be America’s first dictator or king. The presidency is a skin suit that barely conceals this ambition. His Cabinet and senior staff consist of extremist ideologues. Regardless of category or position, their most important qualification is loyalty to Trump and MAGA rather than to the Constitution, the American people and the nation. For them, there is no contradiction or tension — Trump is the State. This is the logic of political personality cults and authoritarianism.

Sen. Bernie Sanders stands by Graham Platner after controversy over sexually explicit texts

(AP) Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Monday that he is standing by Graham Platner in the wake of media reports that the Maine Senate candidate previously exchanged sexually explicit text messages with several women while he was married. Platner, a Democrat, posted a video over the weekend taken by his wife, Amy Gertner, who reportedly told his campaign of the text messages last year. In the video, Gertner decried coverage of the issue as “gossip” and said “being married is hard.”

Trump names William Pulte as acting intelligence head

(The Hill) President Trump named William Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as the acting head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In tapping Pulte, Trump turns to an ally who has been behind referring several of his foes for prosecution for alleged mortgage fraud. Pulte would replace Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month.

Philly Cops Admit That They're Tracking "First Amendment Activity" Critical of AI

(The Intercept) The Intercept obtained the Philadelphia report as part of a larger cache of such documents from local fusion centers. It adds to growing evidence that counterterror officials are putting data center skeptics under a microscope. Last week, Wired magazine reported on other notices from local intelligence agencies warning about “anti-tech extremism.” Journalists Ken Klippenstein and Dan Boguslaw also reported on a document from the U.S. Capitol Police Intelligence Services Bureau warning of the potential for anti-data center violence.

Inside MAGA's Fake Gay Motorcycle War

(The Bulwark) The conservative influencers have spoken: Harley-Davidson—whose motorcycles helped create the paradigm of American masculinity—is in fact woke and gay. The past week has seen wave after wave of MAGA personalities and meme accounts decide, seemingly out of nowhere, that Harley-Davidson was company non grata. MAGA influencer Priya Patel declared the manufacturer “fundamentally anti-American,” while Hercules actor-turned-tweeter Kevin Sorbo said his friends were abandoning Harley-Davidson en masse.