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May 13, 2026
Wholesale inflation jumps 6% in April on annual basis, biggest increase in four years
(CNBC) Wholesale prices in April rose the most in three years, signaling more nettlesome inflation as pipeline costs intensify. The producer price index rose a seasonally adjusted 1.4% for the month, much higher than the 0.5% Dow Jones consensus forecast and the upwardly revised 0.7% March increase, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. This was the largest monthly gain since March 2022. On an annual basis, the index was up 6%, the biggest increase since December 2022.
Go to discussionTrump says he's not thinking about Americans' finances 'even a little bit' in Iran talks
(NBC News) President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he is not weighing the economic burden of the Iran war on everyday Americans when negotiating a deal with the country’s leadership. Speaking on the White House South Lawn before departing for a diplomatic trip to China, Trump was asked to what extent “Americans’ financial situations” were motivating him to make a deal with Iran. “Not even a little bit,” Trump replied.
Go to discussion'Merry band of looters' at Trump DOJ accused of paying millions to 'disgraced' FBI agents
(Raw Story) The top-ranking Democrat in the House Judiciary Committee published a letter on Tuesday accusing Trump's Department of Justice of forcing the FBI to pay a "merry band of looters" and disgraced agents, including white nationalist allies and a Jan. 6 participant. "It has come to our attention that you have used your office to improperly shower government cash on Donald Trump's political operatives and sycophants," Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) wrote in a letter to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Go to discussionTrump Officials Are Reportedly Discussing Whether To Pay Trump a Settlement in IRS Lawsuit
(Mediaite) The Department of Justice is having “internal discussions” about potentially settling President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, The New York Times reported on Tuesday night. In January, the president sued his own administration for $10 billion in damages stemming from a leak of his tax returns that occurred during his first term. His sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who run the Trump Organization, are also suing.
Go to discussionHow the Trump administration has undermined the fight against public corruption
(NPR) In 2024, a federal jury needed just two hours to return a guilty verdict for former Las Vegas councilwoman Michele Fiore for pocketing some $70,000 in donations to build a memorial for police officers killed in the line of duty — and spending it instead on herself, including rent and her daughter's wedding. Then, weeks before Fiore was scheduled to be sentenced in May 2025, President Trump granted her a full, unconditional pardon.
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Trump Alludes to Ominous Plans When Asked About ICE At the Polls
(TPM) On Tuesday, Trump finally directly answered a question about sending armed federal law enforcement to the polls in the fall. PBS Newshour’s Liz Landers asked Trump if he planned to send the National Guard or ICE agents to voting locations. 'I’d do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections,' Trump said. 'We have to have honest elections.' The remarks come after he posted on Truth Social over the weekend, ominously foreshadowing the deployment of some sort of 'Election Integrity Army' of his allies for the midterms.
Go to discussionRepublican Jen Kiggans faces calls to resign for agreeing with racist 'cotton-picking' remark
(The Guardian) Jen Kiggans, a Republican congresswoman, is facing calls from Democrats to resign for agreeing with a radio host after he said the top US House Democrat, Hakeem Jeffries, should get his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia”. Kiggans, who represents a swing district in southeastern Virginia, has said she was agreeing with the host that Jeffries – who is the first Black American to lead a party in Congress – should stay out of the state’s politics. She also said she did not condone the host’s language, which multiple Democrats criticized as racist.
Go to discussionSenator challenges Kash Patel to take test for problem drinking at fiery hearing on Capitol Hill
(The Independent) A Democratic senator challenged Kash Patel to take a test designed to identify problem drinking behavior on Tuesday amid angry exchanges at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The FBI director’s visit to Capitol Hill was similar to many past showdowns between members of Donald Trump’s Cabinet and various congressional committees, with Patel disparaging the credibility of media reports about his personal life and management of the bureau, and slinging insults at his critics.
Go to discussionTrump changes story on reflecting pool contractor
(The Hill) President Trump said Tuesday he does not know the contractor that is renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after previously saying he spoke to a man he knew about it. Restoration of the basin has drawn criticism for the cost of the no-bid contract and the president’s vision, which includes a paint in the color of “American flag blue.” The project, which Trump first mentioned last month, was awarded to a Virginia firm, Atlantic Industrial Coatings. The work is being done to coincide with the nation’s 250th birthday in July.
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