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June 6, 2025
Trump tells ABC Musk 'lost his mind'; 'not particularly' interested in talking to him
(ABC News) In a phone interview Friday morning, hours after his blistering exchange with Elon Musk, President Donald Trump sounded remarkably unconcerned about their feud, as if it weren't even the most interesting thing that happened Thursday. Speaking on a phone call Friday morning shortly before 7 a.m., ABC News asked him about reports he had a call scheduled with Musk for later in the day. "You mean the man who has lost his mind?" he asked, saying he was "not particularly" interested in talking to him right now.
Go to discussionThe Elon-Trump Feud Is Oligarchy in Action
(American Prospect) No doubt there will be more petty, Mean Girls-esque drama by the time this article is published. But this is certainly a real dispute. They may patch things up later, or pretend to, but a fake conflict does not typically escalate to accusations of pedophilia right out of the gate. This is just what happens when people like Trump and Musk hold the reins of power.
Go to discussionTrump team set to destroy $12m worth of HIV drugs and contraceptives that were bought before closing USAID
(The Independent) Roughly $12 million worth of HIV-prevention drugs and contraceptives purchased by the U.S. Agency for International Development will likely be destroyed after President Donald Trump dismantled the organization, according to a report. These drugs have been sitting in distribution centers in Belgium and the UAE since January, when Trump ended the agency’s spending, The Washington Post reported. Now, negotiators have been instructed to sell the drugs or else they’ll be thrown out, according to the outlet.
Go to discussionCrypto's New Bailout Fund: Your Savings Account
(Lever News) After a flood of crypto industry campaign cash, the U.S. Senate is poised to pass a financial deregulation bill ensuring that when a bank goes out of business, the savings of cryptocurrency owners would be made whole before those of other bank customers. During a bank collapse, the language buried deep in the bill could effectively require financial institutions to drain money from regular depositors’ savings and checking accounts and give it to cryptocurrency investors to reduce those investors’ losses.
Go to discussionElectric vehicle battery company halts construction of SC manufacturing plant
(SC Daily Gazette) A battery cell maker is pausing work on its manufacturing plant under construction in the Pee Dee, delaying its pledge of 1,600 new jobs for South Carolinians. Envision Automotive Energy Supply Co. (AESC) announced the work stoppage Thursday, two years after breaking ground on the facility near Florence. “AESC has informed the state of South Carolina and our local partners that due to policy and market uncertainty, we are pausing construction at our South Carolina facility at this time,” spokesman Brad Grantham said in a statement.
Go to discussionJack Daniel's maker Brown-Forman sees sales fall as Trump trade conflicts weigh on spirits producers
(AP) Brown-Forman Corp. reported weaker sales Thursday as the maker of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey confronts challenging market conditions amid global trade conflicts and pinched consumer spending. The Louisville, Kentucky-based spirits giant said its full-year net sales of nearly $4 billion were down 5% from a year ago, and fell 7% in in the fourth quarter. The quarterly drop came as Brown-Forman and other U.S. spirits producers who rely heavily on foreign sales felt the reverberations from President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff plans and consumer anxiety about the economy. Brown-Forman also offered a sobering assessment for the coming year.
Go to discussionMore Federal Workers Are Flooding the Job Market, With Worsening Prospects
(NY Times) After Matt Minich was fired from his job with the Food and Drug Administration in February, he did what many scientists have done for years after leaving public service. He looked for a position with a university. Mr. Minich, 38, was one of thousands swept up in the mass layoffs of probationary workers at the beginning of President Trump’s second administration. The shock of those early moves heralded more upheaval to come as the Department of Government Efficiency, led by the tech billionaire Elon Musk, raced through agency after agency, slashing staff, freezing spending and ripping up government contracts.
Go to discussionDespite talk of 'meritocracy,' a Team of Amateurs holds sway on Team Trump
(MSNBC) ProPublica published a report this week on Thomas Fugate, who graduated from college last year. The ProPublica report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added that those familiar with CP3 confirmed that, under normal circumstances, someone as young, inexperienced and unqualified as Fugate wouldn’t even been considered for a junior position. On Team Trump, however, he’s reportedly overseeing the Department of Homeland Security’s main hub for combating violent extremism.
Go to discussionHouse Democrat Informs Trump Commerce Secretary, 'We Cannot Build Bananas in America'
(Mediaite) Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick earned an amusing rebuke on Thursday after he insisted the U.S. “produce” and “build” bananas. Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee, Lutnick answered questions from lawmakers, including Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), who pressed him on President Donald Trump’s tariffs, particularly bananas. The U.S. imports the fruit from several Latin American countries, most prominently Guatemala, Ecuador, and Costa Rica.
D-Day veterans return to Normandy to mark 81st anniversary
(AP) Veterans gathered Friday in Normandy to mark the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings — a pivotal moment of World War II that eventually led to the collapse of Adolf Hitler’s regime. Along the coastline and near the D-Day landing beaches, tens of thousands of onlookers attended the commemorations, which included parachute jumps, flyovers, remembrance ceremonies, parades, and historical reenactments.
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