Kitchen Briefs - May 20, 2026 PM

• The ballroom fund is dead
• Iran’s chief negotiator says the US wants to restart the war and is carrying out overt and clandestine movements that signal a new attack
• Netanyahu is mad with the Israeli security minister for releasing the footage of their taunting of flotilla activists
• I am not traditional media
• The US has charged Cuba’s Raul Castro with murder over the 1996 downing of two planes
• The US Surgeon General today issues a recommendation that goes against the Trump administration which is that children’s screen time should be limited at school to improve their physical and mental health
• Two January 6 police officers have sued to block the Anti Weaponization Fund stating it violates the 14th Amendment
• Yesterday former Congressman Barney Frank passed away at the age of 86. He was a member of the House from 1981 until 2013 and the first member of Congress to publicly and voluntarily come out as gay
• A Tennessee man who was charged with a felony after he refused to take down a Facebook comment which used Trump’s words when it comes to school shootings in regards to Charlie Kirk’s death that said “We have to get over it” just won an $835K settlement
• SpaceX has officially filed for their IPO with a valuation of $1.75Trillion and tracked to the biggest IPO ever
• The Sandy Fire in Simi Valley is at just shy of 1700 acres and 15% contained
• Check out Emma Grey's new book, Start At The End

Kitchen Briefs - May 20, 2026 AM

• Iran says it will extend the war far beyond the region if the US and Israel resume attacks while Russia is offering to me an intermediary
• Italy has summoned the Israeli ambassador over the treatment of activists on flotillas demanding an apology for the total disrespect
• Another person has been killed and one wounded in Lebanon due to Israeli attacks
• China has been hosting Putin this week
• Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie lost in his primary yesterday which leaves him 7 months to read the Epstein files
• Yesterday Trump signed another executive order, this one ordering banks to take a closer look at the citizenship status of their clients warning that deportations could put risk on the bank when it comes to mortgage loans and credit cards
• Trump spoke to reporters and said voting is rigged in California otherwise he would have won here. He also said Israel loves him so much that he might run for Prime Minister there
• Jeff Bezos said on CNBC that Trump is being more mature and more disciplined than in his first term
• Target reported an increase in annual sales growth of 4% for the first time in two year

Kitchen Briefs - May 19, 2026 PM

• Trump says the US will attack Iran in 2 or 3 days while the Senate has just pushed the War Powers Resolution to committee. This was the 8th time Democrats have brought it to a vote and Senators Collins, Murkowski, Cassidy and Paul voted with them
• Today Admiral Brad Cooper avoided the US taking responsibility for the attack on the Iranian school that killed 73
• Trump has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for Senate.
• Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune has split with the Trump administration over its creation of a $1.8bn saying he’s "not a big fan". Part of the settlement includes the DOJ has forever barred the IRS from ever auditing Trump or his offspring or his companies or any trusts for past tax issues prior to the settlement date
• Trump is pressuring Thune to fire the Parlimentarian who said the ballroom fund was unconstitutional
• Minnesota has become the first state to ban prediction markets
• Black political leaders and the NAACP are launching a new campaign called “Out of Bounds,” urging Black student athletes and fans to boycott major Southern college sports programs in response to Republican-led redistricting efforts they say weaken Black political representation.
• I’ll be working on a Senate video roundup and starting that weekly series next

Kitchen Briefs - May 19, 2026 AM

• The US has slapped new sanctions on an Iranian foreign currency while Iran is prepared to confront any military aggression
• Lebanon’s death toll has reached 3,042 since March due to Israeli attacks
• Kuwait and Pakistan are talking about joining military forces while Lebanon and Syria are reshaping their ties
• A WHO doctor says the Ebola outbreak may be spreading faster than first thought
• Attorney General Todd Blanche will be on Capitol Hill today testifying before a Senate appropriations committee regarding the Anti Weaponization Fund . Senator Van Hollen asked if the DOJ will commit to not pardon anyone in the Epstein files and Blanche avoided the question
• It’s primary day in Kentucky and Rep Thomas Massie is hoping for a win while Hegseth is campaigning against him
• The Trump administration is proposing more White South Africans according to an emergency determination sent to Congress
• The Sandy Fire in Simi Valley which is north of Los Angeles is currently at 1385 acres with 5% containment. Check out Watch Duty
• The Long Island railroad strike has ended and an agreement has been made
• The US Treasury has just hit its highest level in 19 years
• Speaking of higher costs, Trump decided to have an impromptu press conference about his ballroom and he's lost his mind
• Donnie Jr’s business 1789 Capitol saw a 17x growth this year going from managing $200M to $3.5B

Kitchen Briefs - May 18, 2026 PM

• Trump says he was going to attack Iran tomorrow but is holding off at the request of leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE
• Oil prices went up
• The DOJ has created a $1.76B fund called the Anti Weaponization Fund for those who claim they were unfairly targeted by the Biden administration
• The US has invoked Title 42 public health law which restricts entry to America from Ebola hit region
• A 2nd ICE agent faces several assault charges in connection with a January shooting involving two Venezuelan immigrants in Minnesota
• Three men were killed today in a San Diego mosque and the two teen suspects were found dead in a nearby car. This is being considered a hate crime
• Elon Musk has lost his case against OpenAI because the jury found it exceeded the statute of limitations
• The FDA made a hard pivot when it comes to vaping and took down guardrails that have limited the industry’s growth over the years
• Southwest airlines has banned robots aboard planes after a passenger brought a humanoid onboard which he purchased a seat for
• Check out my Substack today on authors getting when it comes to the podcast world

Kitchen Briefs - May 18, 2026 AM

• Iran has submitted another 14 point peace proposal and Trump says the clock is ticking
• Iran is claiming that US and Israeli backed terrorist groups are operating in northern Iraq trying to smuggle weapons and ammunition
• Trump will be meeting with his security advisors on Tuesday after posting to lies social a bunch of AI images of himself
• Israeli forces have stopped another aid flotilla heading for Gaza and have detained the sister of the President of Ireland while 7 more have been killed by Israeli military in Lebanon
• China has agreed to purchase at least $17B in agricultural products through 2028 from the US. This is in addition to the renewed soybean commitments made last fall. A reminder that US exports to China fell 65.7% in 2025
• I shared that a US intelligence report said Cuba now has drones and Cuba is claiming the report is a justification for the US to be aggressive
• France is opening their investigation into Epstein and 10 more victims have come forward
• JD Vance is not only accusing democratic states of fraud but is now claiming some state officials could face prison time
• Trump phones will no longer be made in the US. Although, they will be made with "American values in mind"
• Trump has officially dropped his $10B lawsuit against the IRS but he did indeed talk about the fund he wants to create for his allies l
• Trump is considering a permanent helipad to the White House South lawn because newer helicopters could ruin the lawn
• Experts are warning that the Trump’s crackdown on deportations and immigration could lead to a loss of $479B in tax revenue
• There is a high end tornado threat that has been issued in Central US with severe storms peaking today
• 4 US Navy crew members safely ejected after their two jets collided at an Idaho air show on Sunday
• Anderson Cooper signed off 60 Minutes last night after 20 years on the program. He’ll remain a CNN anchor

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