WEEKLY DEBRIEF: While Trump gets smacked down by the courts, his minions plant his face on new passports and a planned $250 bill
Your curated summary of the top news from the previous week, plus a look ahead to coming events. And more.
That Was The Week That Was
The furious pace of the news got even more chaotic in the past few days as we learned that …
A Miami federal judge demands answers
After 35 former federal judges petitioned the court that settled Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS—resulting in the creation of a $1.7 billion slush fund and an immunity agreement for Trump—Miami District Court Judge Kathleen Williams ordered Trump to respond.
The question to be reviewed: Was there ever really a legitimate lawsuit in the first place that resulted in this sham “settlement,” and did Trump and his henchman in the Justice Department, Todd Blanche, mislead the court?
Meanwhile, another federal judge, Leonie Brinkema of Virginia, ordered Trump officials to stop setting up the slush fund’s pool of cash to “ensure that no funds are irreversibly disbursed.”
Trump’s face will be on $250 bill
The narcissism never stops.
Trump’s Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, rolled out plans for a new $250 bill that will have Trump’s mugshot plastered on the front even though federal law states that no living president can appear on currency.
They’re banking on a compliant Congress to continue being the lapdogs that Trump demands and pass legislation to allow it.
Meanwhile …
Trump’s mug to be on new passports
Apparently, it’s not enough to be on the nation’s money, Trump also wants his face on passports.
The government has confirmed that a limited number of new passports will feature Trump’s mugshot. They say it’s part of the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
We can only imagine what Thomas Jefferson, who dedicated his life to ensuring that tyrants did not rule this land, would think of this.
The Post Office wants to only deliver “approved” mail-in ballots
The U.S. Postal Service has proposed new rules that would require states to provide voter-level data on mail-in ballots in federal elections, one day after a federal judge declined to immediately block President Donald Trump’s executive order tightening mail-in voting rules.
The proposal would require states to submit to the Postal Service the names and addresses of voters receiving mail-in or absentee ballots, along with unique barcodes tied to each voter’s outbound and return ballot envelopes.
The rule would apply to general, special and runoff federal elections, but not primaries or ballots sent to military and overseas voters.
Shortly before her appearance before the House Oversight Committee, in which she was grilled on her dismal performance in releasing the Epstein Files, former Attorney General Pam Bondi disclosed she is suffering from thyroid cancer.
Bondi said she is undergoing treatment, including having surgery a few weeks ago. Bondi tells CNN she is still recovering and “doing well, though.”
President Donald Trump fired Bondi as attorney general in early April.
Meme of the Week
Quote of the Week
“In the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century, President Donald J. Trump has created a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name.”
— Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges in their lawsuit against Trump’s slush fund. Dunn is a retired U.S. Capitol police officer; Hodges a Metropolitan Police Department officer.
Letter of the Week
Trump and his CORRUPTION are making the US the laughingstock of the planet. Enough is enough; this criminal needs to be impeached.
—George Terranova
Looking Ahead
When I’m not writing this newsletter, I also scribble a current events column for Florida Weekly. You should check it out. Here are some snippets, from there and elsewhere, to help guide your week ahead.
May 31. National Mystery Month ends today. So, if you haven’t hit the bookstore or Amazon to order a mystery to read, this is your last chance until next year. And if you need any help in your selection process, check out the Tropic Press Bookstore.
June 1. Today officially begins hurricane season. And if you’ve been wondering what El Nino is all about, I’ll have more on that in my June 1 newsletter.
June 2 is Leave the Office Early Day. And if you do, it could also be Find a New Job Day. Life is all about choices.
June 3. The first game of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs tips off at 8:30 p.m. (EDT).
June 4 is National Moonshine Day, celebrating the homemade spirits popularized during Prohibition when the United States tried and failed to ban alcoholic beverages. That idea was never going to work in Florida with its proximity to the Bahamas and Cuba, which became a “rum runners paradise.”
June 5 is World Environment Day, a celebration created by the United Nations in 1972 designed to raise awareness of the importance of preserving the health of our air, water and natural resources. The Earth is our spaceship. We need to protect it.
June 6 is the anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Europe in 1941 as the Allies fought back against the fascist forces of Adolph Hitler’s Germany. More than 70,000 Americans were joined by Brits, Canadians, Australians and other allies in this daring crossing. It marked the beginning of the end of Hitler. These guys were the original antifa.
Last Week’s Tropic Press headlines
In case you missed it, here are some of the stories that headlined Tropic Press this past week.
Could Trump’s slush fund be in trouble? A Miami federal judge could decide
DeSantis’ property tax cuts could smack schools, health care and public safety
David Jolly proposes Office of Civil Rights in the governor’s office if elected
Florida’s new ‘dummymandered’ congressional map is still in play
Note to readers:
If you noticed that Miss Mingo’s usual weekend column was missing this week, do not despair. She will be back soon. She was feeling a little under the weather. Well, actually, she had a nervous breakdown fretting that war may break out between Cuba and the U.S. and that her home in Key West could be attacked by drones. She’s adjusted her blood pressure medication and is doing better now.
Meanwhile, she asks that I send her thanks to all of you for your support, especially those who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.
Thank you,
J.C. Bruce
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