Kitchen Briefs

Kitchen Briefs - May 17, 2026

• A drone strike has hit a nuclear plant in the UAE causing a fire at an electrical generator
• Israel is forcing more Lebanese citizens out of their homes and settlers have cut down more than 150 fruit and olive trees. Israel is also targeting organizations that are helping those displaced across Gaza including a community kitchen where 3 workers were killed
• Netanyahu claims Israel is close to eliminating those responsible for October 7th. He and Trump had a 30 minute call this morning to discuss China and Iran
• Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones and has started discussing using them to attack the US base at Guantanamo Bay and possibly Key Key West, FL
• The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo an international emergency
• Congresswoman Julia Letlow who is backed by Trump will head to a runoff next month for Louisiana’s Senate after ousting incumbent Republican Senator Bill Cassidy who voted to convict Trump
• If you’re near the National Mall in DC today, there’s a day long prayer festival called Rededicate 25
• In good news, the $1B proposal to fund the ballroom fails to meet procedural rules in the Senate

Kitchen Briefs - May 16, 2026

• Israeli settlers are attacking the West Bank and the Israeli army says it has attacked 100 sites in southern Lebanon over the past two days. At least 2 civilians have been killed by an Israeli drone in Gaza city and multiple casualties in Lebanon
• Iranian hackers are suspected of breaching multiple gas stations in multiple states monitoring fuel storage
• US and Nigerian forces joined together to kill the second-in-command of ISIS in Nigeria
• The USS Gerald R. Ford returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday, ending a 326-day deployment—the longest for an American warship since the Vietnam War
• RFK Jr says he wont’ run for President in 2028
• The Long Island Railroad, North America’s largest commuter rail system is shut down after unionized workers went on strikes for the first time in 30 years
• Sean Duffy been filming a new reality tv show with his family called The Great American Road Trip
• The Supreme Court rejected Virginia's bid to restore a congressional map that would have given Democrats a chance to pick up four seats in the House of Representatives.
• Two Bay Area USDA employees are among a group of federal workers suing Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, alleging she violated the First Amendment by sending agency wide messages that promoted Christianity to thousands of employees
• Also in the Bay Area, work is starting on a planned ICE detention facility near Gilroy and Santa Clara County is suing to have it stopped
• On Tuesday, deputies documented vandalism at Old Memphis Cemetery in Palmetto, Fla., where 17 gravesites at the 122-year-old burial ground were damaged with cracked concrete and red spray paint
• Thousands of people today are in Mobile, Alabama, the birthplace of the civil rights movement attending the All Roads Lead to the South rally to defend Black political representation

Kitchen Briefs - May 15, 2026 PM

• The ceasefire in Lebanon has been extended 45 days but Israel killed another 11 people and injured 3 more paramedics. Israel says they have killed Hamas’ top military commander in Gaza today
• A judge has declared a mistrial for Harvey Weinstein after the jury was deadlocked
• Turns out Elon Musk didn’t go alone to China…he brought along his son
• Those who were traveling on Air Force One to China were given basically burner phones to ensure China couldn’t use surveillance on them
• Trump announced that the ballroom is ahead of schedule and will be open by September 2028
• The Justice Department is seeking the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez who is accused of killing 2 Israeli embassy staffers in Washington DC last year

Kitchen Briefs - May 15, 2026 AM

• Israel has issued new forced orders for 4 Lebanese villages making Lebanese citizens of nearly 100 villages displaced. New attacks today have killed another 6 Lebanese
• Trump is heading back to the US. He told reporters on Air Force One that in regards to Iran’s missile launchers, “we’re hitting them like pinatas”
• Congressman Ed Case told a Senate committee that the US has lost 39 aircraft in the War in Iran while the Pentagon Chief Financial officer declined to confirm
• The Trump administration tried to bypass competitive bidding for the proposed 250-foot Triumphal Arch by leveraging an existing engineering contract
• A reporter asked Trump about US objectives in Iran and Trump told him he’s a fake guy and that what he writes is treason
• Trump is considering dropping his $10B lawsuit against the IRS and wants a $1.7B allie fund to compensate people targeted by the Biden administration
• Trump went on Hannity on Fox News and said he’s renaming Democrats to Dumocrats
• Trump also said the mission to recover highly enriched uranium from Iran is "more for public relations than it is for anything else"
• The hantavirus press conference was led by a penile implant specialist with no public healthy policy experience
• There is a new outbreak of Ebola in Congo and has killed 65 people

Kitchen Briefs - May 14, 2026 PM

• Hezbollah targeted Israeli soldiers in north Israel and Israel is reporting several Israeli civilians were injured
• China has vowed not to provide military equipment to Iran
• China has agreed to purchase 200 Boeing Jets
• 4 Palestinians have been killed due to Israeli strikes in Gaza with more wounded, including children
• A new giant dinosaur fossil has been found in Thailand that weighed as much as 9 elephants
• Cuba is considering an offer of $100M from the US
• US Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks has resigned
• A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to bring back a Colombian woman who was deported to Congo
• Senators voted today to withhold their own pay during future government shutdowns
• Our tax dollars funded a VIP snorkeling trip at Pearl Harbor for Kash Patel
• I recorded a bonus episode of Beyond The Campaign today with Congressman Johnny O about the ROBE Act which is an amendment he is proposing for SCOTUS term limits
• Paramount CBS is looking at giving Katie Miller a big podcast deal
• Californians, as you vote for Lt Governor, I’m going to encourage you to go watch a video today by attorney Lisa Bloom on the fact that Fiona Ma was state treasurer who was accused of sexual harassment by another woman. The case was to go to trial but the state of CA settled the case and Californians paid $350K plus attorney fees. I've interviewed other candidates such as Michael Tubbs on Beyond The Campaign podcast, so go check that out before you vote.
• The gold Trump phone has started shipping this week

Kitchen Briefs - May 14, 2026 AM

• Dozens of ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz today, including Chinese owned ones while CENTCOM says it’s redirected 70 and disabled 4
• Admiral Brad Cooper told a Senate committee today that Iran has a significantly downgraded threat and no longer threaten regional partners or the US
• Hezbollah has fired artillery at 2 Israeli military sites in southern Lebanon
• Netanyahu has instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times over the op-ed alleging sexual violence by Israeli prison guards against Palistinian detainees
• China’s President warns Trump that their differences over Taiwan could bring conflict between China and the US
• Miami residents are suing Gov DeSantis and Trump over the donation of downtown land for the future Trump library stating it’s unconstitutional to give a financial benefit to a sitting president
• There are new allegations that FBI Director Kash Patel has been inflating arrest numbers and actually put people on the Most Wanted list just before arresting them
• Senator Rand Paul’s son ran into Rep Mike Lawler at a Washington Bar and allegedly went on a drunken antisemitic and anti-gay tirade
• FIFA has announced that the World Cup half time show will feature Shakira, Madonna and BTS
• Today in 1804 Lewis and Clark began their expedition
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Kitchen Briefs - May 13, 2026 PM

• VP Vance says he believes progress is being made in negotiations with Iran
• Vance announced the deferment of $1.3B in medicaid reimbursements from California because he says California hasn’t taken fraud seriously and because people are being prescribed drugs they don’t even need
• A member of Iran’s negotiating team said the two demands from the US are the Complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of all 60 percent-enriched material from Iran
• The Pentagon is busy coming up with a new name for the War in Iran if the ceasefire fails and right now Operation Sledgehammer is winning
• Another war powers resolution was put to vote in the Senate today and once again didn’t pass BUT Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky for the first time to vote with Democrats against the war
• I shared on Monday on "What's Going On In The House?" how Interior Secretary Burgum is defending his proposed cuts. Representative Jared Huffman schooled him!
• Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has called for a special session to redraw some district maps
• Kevin Warsh was confirmed today to replace Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve Chair
• Kouri Richins, an author who wrote a children’s book about grief after her husband died was found guilty today of murdering him
• Researchers are warning that the US is in a reading recession with our kids. Join Pizza Hut's Book It Program

Kitchen Briefs - May 13, 2026 AM

• Israeli strikes have not only killed another 12 people, including 2 children in Lebanon but they’ve also bulldozed down at least 50 Palestinian shops for a settlement road project
• Iran says they are on standby and ready if the ceasefire goes away
• The ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is over and Russian drone attacks have already killed 13 in Ukraine
• Trump has arrived in China. Nvidia’s CEO received a last minute phone call to join the trip
• The DOJ has started discussing the settlement of Trump’s $10B lawsuit against the IRS
• Alex Murdaugh who was convicted of murdering his wife and son has had his appeal granted for a new trial due to improper external influences on the jury
• PCOS which is polycycstic ovarian syndrome and impacts 1 in 8 women has been renamed PMOS or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome
• South Carolina’s Senate has spoken and said no to redistricting while Missouri’s top court upheld a new map that could help Republicans gain a seat
• Australia’s Gold Coast was set to have the first Trump tower at a cost of $1.5B but the developer said the Trump brand is too toxic and has canceled the project
• It seems the repainting of the Reflecting pond isn’t going well at all
• Stephen Cloobeck who was running for California Governor has been arrested on felony charges
• Good news: in Gardener, Massachusetts Maddy’s Ice Cream and More had a child who had no money want an ice cream. Maddy’s motto is that if a child wants a Maddy’s ice cream, the child gets it. People loved this and have donated so much money to Maddy that all summer long, every child will get a free ice cream from Maddy’s. @maddytheicecreamlady
• I think you’re wonderful. Thank you for being here.

Kitchen Briefs - May 12, 2026 PM

• Trump said, "I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation."
• For the first time in three years inflation is outpacing wages
• Trump also told reporters that it won’t be long before the War in Iran ends
• Epstein survivors testified today in a shadow hearing
• The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to trump’s request to delay his payment of $83M to E. Jean Carroll but he did have to post a $7.4M bond to cover interest until the US Supreme Court reviews the case or rejects the appeal
• Trump’s proposed Golden Dome that he said would cost $175B over 20 years will actually cost $1.2T
• Trump’s FDA chief, Marty Makary is resigning
• The DOJ says they will subpoena reporters who get classified information because they want to prosecute leakers
• Senator Chris Van Hollen left no room for questioning what he thinks of Kash Patel
• The Hantavirus that Trump claims is under control is known to be the Andes strain which is spreadable person to person
• Waymo is recalling 3700 robotaxis after one of them tried to drive in a flooded lane

Kitchen Briefs - May 12, 2026 AM

• At least 3 more killed and 4 wounded in Lebanon due to Israeli attacks
• Iran’s chief negotiator has said the US must either accept peace terms or face failure
• According to CNN, Trump is frustrated so he’s thinking of restarting combat
• Trump posted to Truth Social images including a $100 bill, AI images of blowing up Iran’s boats and planes, Obama, Biden and Pelosi in the Reflecting Pond but with sewage, claiming 300K children have been trafficked out of America, and called for Obama’s arrest
• Yesterday Trump praised AG Todd Blanche saying he’s good because he kept him out of jail for years
• The Pentagon has publicly revealed that nuclear submarine USS Alaska has arrived in Gibraltar
• On Sunday 60 Minutes interviewed Netanyahu. He said that he would like to draw down to zero the American financial support
• Secretary Hegseth will be back defending his $1.5T budget
• The US is in talks with Greenland about opening a US military base there
• The House Oversight Committee is currently just miles away from Mar-A-Lago where Epstein survivors are testifying
• Arcadia, CA mayor Eileen Wang has resigned and agreed to plead guilty to charges from the DOJ of acting as an illegal agent of China
• Santa Clara county is suing Meta over scam advertising. Meta earns over $7B annually from fraudulent ads
• The DOJ has filed criminal charges against two companies and the ship’s technical superintendent in the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge two years ago that killed 6
• Ebay has rejected GameStop’s takeover offer
• General Motors has announced they are laying off 500-600 employees amid the need for new skills
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