The Supreme Court has temporarily restored mail access to mifepristone, one half of the two-drug combo that makes medication abortion possible. Democrats greeted this news with the enthusiasm of someone who's been told their house fire is only smoldering now, not actively blazing.
"This fight is just beginning," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, striking the tone of a man who's seen this movie before and knows the sequel involves more courtroom drama. "We will stop at nothing to prevent the Republicans from putting a national abortion ban into effect."
Since the 2022 Dobbs decision sent abortion rights back to the states like a game of legislative hot potato, anti-abortion groups have been laser-focused on limiting access to mifepristone and misoprostol - now the most common method for ending pregnancies in America. Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada urged the Court to "move swiftly to permanently protect access to this critical medication," while Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington state echoed the sentiment that Republicans' nationwide ban ambitions need constant pushback.
The Justice Department, meanwhile, is busy playing defense on another front: it filed a lawsuit to block Minnesota from proceeding with its climate accountability case against Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries, and the American Petroleum Institute. Minnesota had the audacity to accuse these fossil fuel giants of misleading the public about climate consequences - a lawsuit originally filed by Attorney General Keith Ellison back in 2020, during Trump's first term. The DoJ's new suit cites a Trump executive order directing the attorney general to stop states from "dictating national energy policy." It's one of several such interventions against states like Michigan and Hawaii.
In a plot twist that would make a Silicon Valley scriptwriter blush, the Trump administration is reportedly considering government oversight of new AI models. The New York Times reports that officials are discussing an executive order to create an AI working group - a reversal for a president who previously preferred a hands-off approach, unless the hand was holding a deregulatory pen. White House officials briefed leaders from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI last week. The change may have been prompted by concerns about Anthropic's new model, Mythos, which cybersecurity experts warn could supercharge complex cyber-attacks. Because of course it could.
In a moment of rare judicial candor, US Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui apologized to Cole Allen, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, for the "legally deficient" treatment he's received in a Washington DC jail. Allen was placed on suicide watch, separated from other inmates, and denied a Bible - conditions the judge deemed inappropriate for someone with no criminal history. "Whatever you've been through, I apologize," Faruqui said, adding that he has an obligation to ensure Allen is "treated with the basic decency of a human being." Allen, 31, has been charged with attempted assassination and firearms offenses and has not yet entered a plea.
At the Small Business Summit, Trump returned to his greatest hits: blaming China for decimating American manufacturing, threatening "tremendous tariffs," and complaining that the Supreme Court makes it harder for him to impose them quickly. He also boasted about passing cognitive tests designed to detect dementia - a flex that seems oddly specific until you remember that lawmakers like Representative Jamie Raskin have called for him to take another one publicly. Former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb recently called the president "clearly insane" in an interview, which is either a clinical diagnosis or a political opinion, depending on who you ask.
Trump also claimed that inflation under Joe Biden was the "worst" ever. Reality check: at the end of Biden's term, inflation hovered around 2.9%, down from a peak of 9.1% in June 2023. Under Trump, it's currently at 3.3%. So much for "worst."
On foreign policy, Trump claimed US forces have decimated Iran's capabilities: "They have no navy, they have no air force. They have no radar. They have no nothing." This follows US Central Command's announcement that it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted cruise missiles and drones in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told Fox News that Iran would be "blown off the face of the Earth" if they attack US vessels, calling the naval blockade "one of the greatest military maneuvers ever done." He also noted that Tehran has become "much more malleable" during recent talks, which is diplomatic-speak for "we're winning."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new congressional map into law that could deliver the GOP an additional four US House seats in November's midterm elections. "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered," DeSantis posted on X, attaching a map that boosts Florida's GOP delegation from 20 to 24 seats while reducing Democrats from eight to four. It's the latest salvo in a nationwide redistricting battle that Trump kicked off by urging Texas Republicans to redraw their map last year.
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is now breathing on his own after being hospitalized with pneumonia, according to spokesperson Ted Goodman. Giuliani, 81, had been diagnosed with restrictive airway disease following 9/11, which complicated his recovery from the viral lung infection. He required a ventilator but is now off it, with family at his side. "Mayor Giuliani is the ultimate fighter - as he has demonstrated throughout his life - and he is winning this battle," Goodman said. Trump called his former personal attorney a "True Warrior" on Truth Social, before pivoting to his favorite hobby: lying about the 2020 election.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Rome this week to visit Pope Leo XIV, as the Trump administration's relationship with the Vatican remains strained. The State Department says the meeting aims "to advance bilateral relations with Italy and the Vatican." No word yet on whether the Pope will bless the tariff plan.