Your Weekly Brief: Politics, War & Business Updates
Headlines
First Lady Says Epstein Didn’t Act Alone
First Lady Melania Trump made a public speech calling on Congress to do more for the victims of the late Jeffrey Epstein. Melania Trump said Epstein didn’t act alone in his sex trafficking operation, contradicting the Justice Department, which claims Epstein had no coconspirators. Source
Bill Gates will testify before Congress about his connections to the deceased pedophile. Link
The CIA planted leaks of false stories about its search for a downed crewman to throw Iran off the scent of its operation to rescue a stranded F15 weapons system operator. Link
Artemis II crew reports the Moon appears brown with green hues after a flight that marked the farthest humans had flown into space. Read More
An Indianapolis City Council member reported that an assailant fired 13 shots at them in an anti-AI terrorist attack. Read More
A hacker breached a state-owned Chinese supercomputer and gained access to missile schematics and battle plans. and other sensitive military information in the largest data breach in the nation’s history. Read More
Politics
The Department of Justice announced that Pam Bondi won’t testify before the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the Epstein files, since she was subpoenaed in her capacity as Attorney General, a position she no longer holds. Source
Democrat Chris Taylor won the election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Liberals now hold a 5-2 majority in the swing state Supreme Court. See Details
President Trump endorsed former Fox News host Steve Hilton in the California gubernatorial election. Voters will have their chance in November to replace outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom. See Details
A top Republican Super PAC plays out a plan to spend $342 million in 8 key Senate battleground races. Democrats need to flip 4 GOP-held seats to reclaim the majority. See Details
Democrat Congressman and California Gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell faces sexual misconduct allegations. Source
Democrats running for President in 2028 want to distance themselves from the stands they took in 2020 on immigration, diversity, transgenderism, and climate change. Link
U.S. News
The crew of Artemis II is set to fly over the shadowed lunar surface of the moon to set the record for the farthest man-missioned flight from Earth. Link
Police arrested an illegal alien released into the country in 2022 for bludgeoning a mother of two to death with a hammer at a Florida gas station. Link
Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann admitted he strangled eight women and ditched their remains in Long Island. Source
Health officials warned that Dino Chicken Nuggets sold at Walmart may be contaminated with lead. Link
The jury is deliberating in the murder trial of Hawaii doctor Gerhardt Konig, who stands accused of trying to kill his wife on a hiking trail. Find out More
Business
Members of Congress push to ban online prediction markets amid growing allegations of insider trading. Find out More
A key Federal Reserve official hinted at rate hikes to combat inflation caused by rising gas prices stemming from the war with Iran. Read More
The Trump administration is beginning to lay out its plan to refund companies’ money collected from the “Liberation Day” tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional. Link
Moody’s top economist says a soft U.S. job market indicates a recession is already underway. Find out More
JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s annual letter to shareholders cited risks to the economy stemming from geopolitical disruption and AI. Read More
World News
South Korea cited credible intelligence to indicate that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un named his teenage daughter, believed to be named Ju Ae, as his designated successor. Link
Taiwan’s opposition leader travels to Mainland China for the first such visit in over 10 years. China’s stated goal is to reabsorb Taiwan by 2027, and global fears are growing that this could lead to a world war. Source
Iran halted oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after Israel launched an attack in Lebanon that killed 182 people, including civilians. Find out More
Fugitive mafia boss Roberto Mazzarella, head of the Mazzarella clan of the Camorra, was arrested at a luxury villa on the Amalfi Coast. Mazzarella had been on the run since 2025 and was wanted on murder charges stemming from a fatal 2000 shooting. Link
Entertainment
The ‘Super Mario Bros. Galaxy” movie roared to the top of the box office charts, raking in a massive $372 million domestic and international haul. Find out More
Jasveen Sangha, 42, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison for supplying the drugs that led to “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s death. Link
CBS announced that Byron Allen’s ‘Last Comic Standing’ will replace Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’ when Colbert’s program ends its run on May 21st. Find out More
Actress Lisa Kudrow said writers and producers never made her character Phoebe a priority on the hit show “Friends.” “Friends” ran from 1994 to 2004. Source
Sports
The University of Michigan defeated UConn 69-63 to win its first men’s basketball championship since 1989. Guard Elliot Cadeau won the award for being the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Link
The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into the National Football League over the NFL’s growing practice of putting regular-season and playoff games behind a streaming paywall. Read More
University of Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder’s blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit when he died in a single-car crash on March 1st. Source
Benches cleared during a brawl in the Atlanta Braves’ 7-2 win over the Anaheim Angels. The fight occurred when Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez threw an up-and-in pitch that hit the backstop at Solar in the at-bat after Solar homered. Find out More
Off the Wall
The world’s oldest tortoise – which clocks in at 193 years old – is still alive after a viral online hoax reported its passing. Source
A billionaire’s dream destination wedding is now in doubt after a judge ruled that the Penthouse Pet he was set to marry can’t leave the state of California following prosecutors’ charges that she had six felony counts of using data apps to cultivate relationships with rich men and shaking them down for money. Find out More
“Live with Kelly and Mark” reveals her secret signal that she’s not in the mood for husband Mark Consuelos is putting her retainer in before bed. See Details
