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May 27, 2026
House Democrats launch new anti-corruption caucus targeting Trump-era ethics concerns
(MS NOW) As lawmakers grow increasingly frustrated with President Donald Trump’s planned $1.8 billion lawsuit settlement fund and his thousands of stock trades totaling hundreds of millions dollars, a trio of House Democrats is launching a new caucus aimed at fighting malfeasance in government. The new End Corruption Caucus — details of which were shared first with MS NOW — is launching at the direction of Reps. Jason Crow, D-Col., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Mike Levin, D-Calif., spanning the party’s centrist to progressive wings. "Corruption is poisoning our politics," Crow said in a statement. "From the disastrous Citizens United decision, to the President using his office to enrich himself and his family, our democracy is buckling under the influence of billionaire donors and special interests."
Schiff targets compensation fund for Trump allies with two measures
(The Hill) Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is expected to introduce two new pieces of legislation targeting payouts from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) new $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. One piece of legislation would block the DOJ from issuing payouts from the fund to President Trump, Vice President Vance, members of Congress, congressional staff, political appointees, senior executive branch employees, and presidential campaign employees, according to Semafor. The other bill aims to ban payouts from lawsuits filed by Trump and Vance retroactive to 2025, per the outlet.
Go to discussionPaxton Crushes Cornyn in Texas Runoff After Winning Trump Nod
(Bloomberg) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stormed to a blowout victory in the state's Republican Senate runoff, easily defeating four-term incumbent John Cornyn and setting up a November showdown with a well-funded Democrat, James Talarico. Paxton's victory, the first time since 1970 that an insurgent has won a primary against a sitting Texas senator, underscores Trump's sway with Republican voters -- but it also opens the door to a more serious challenge in November as the Democrats fight to flip both houses of Congress. Paxton, a conservative firebrand with a history of scandal, will face Talarico as national polls show voters souring on Trump's handling of the economy and the war with Iran.
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Democratic state AGs say their staff excluded from Vance anti-fraud meeting
(States Newsroom) A handful of Democratic state attorneys general said Tuesday that expert officials from their offices were denied access to a major White House anti-fraud meeting convened by Vice President JD Vance and attended by Republican AGs. Two dozen Democratic attorneys general had earlier declined invitations for their own attendance at the White House anti-fraud roundtable, citing extremely short notice and a lack of an agenda in a letter to Vance, who has helmed the Trump administration’s sweeping anti-fraud effort.
Go to discussionNew Mexico AG calls on Epstein survivors to come forward amid Zorro Ranch investigation
(Scripps) New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez is calling on survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to come forward and help with the state's criminal investigation into Epstein's former New Mexico ranch. Torrez shared an open letter Tuesday urging survivors to contact the New Mexico Department of Justice directly, saying their input is "essential" to the investigation into allegations of illegal activity at Epstein's Zorro Ranch before his death in 2019.
Go to discussionTrump redistricting push suffers twin setbacks
(AFP) US President Donald Trump's push to redraw congressional borders in Republicans' favor before November's midterm elections suffered twin setbacks Tuesday, as South Carolina lawmakers blocked a new map and a court halted Alabama's redistricting plan. The blows slowed a broader Republican effort, urged by Trump, to reshape voting districts in conservative-led states as the party tries to protect its narrow majority in the US House of Representatives.
Go to discussion'Scum': Trump attacks US states' efforts to regulate prediction markets
(The Guardian) Donald Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday it was “critically important” that the federal government retain control over the multibillion-dollar prediction market industry, as he cast a critical eye on state attempts to impose new restrictions. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) should retain “exclusive authority” over prediction markets, Trump said. Prediction markets allow users to make speculative bets on the outcome of events. Their meteoric rise in recent years has attracted attention from state governments, who view trading on prediction markets as gambling by another name, which in many cases would subject the activity to state gaming laws.
Go to discussionElon Musk Accuses Trump Admin of Using Starlink for Military Purposes
(Newsweek) Elon Musk, owner of global satellite internet service Starlink, on Tuesday accused the Trump administration of breaching the agreement his company has with the Pentagon amid reports of disputes over charges. Musk took to his X social media platform to accuse the Department of Defense (DOD) of violating the terms of service for using Starlink at a time when the U.S. military is relying more and more on external companies and products, specifically those belonging to the billionaire.
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