memeorandum

11:30 PM ET, May 16, 2026

Top Items:

Rachel Cohrs Zhang / Bloomberg:

GOP Senator Cassidy Loses Louisiana Primary, DDHQ Projects — President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. succeeded in their efforts to defeat Senator Bill Cassidy in Louisiana's Republican primary, a signal of the enduring strength of the president's hold on his party despite …

Discussion: NBC News, New York Post, Washington Examiner, CBS News, Politico, WWL-TV, Raw Story, CNN and STAT

Michael Gold / New York Times:NEW!

Cassidy Loses His Primary in Louisiana, as Trump Vanquishes Another G.O.P. Foe — Senator Bill Cassidy, a two-term Republican who voted to convict President Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, could not muster enough votes to continue to a runoff next month.

Discussion: Newsweek, Mother Jones, Washington Examiner and MS NOW

Axios:NEW!

Sen. Bill Cassidy loses Louisiana Republican Senate primary — Sen. Bill Cassidy failed to finish in the top two spots in Louisiana's Republican Senate primary on Saturday, AP projects. — The race now goes to a June 27 runoff between Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming.

Discussion: The Hill, NBC News, Townhall, Associated Press, NewsMax.com, Politico, WWL-TV, The Guardian, Fox News, WLT Report, MS NOW, New York Times, National Politics, KEYT-TV, Raw Story, CBS News, ABC News and The Gateway Pundit

The Hill:
Live results: Cassidy loses Louisiana Senate GOP primary as Letlow, Fleming advance to runoff

Discussion: Mediaite and louisianaradionetwork.com

NBC News:
Sen. Bill Cassidy faces a primary for the first time since his Trump impeachment vote

Discussion: NOTUS, New York Post, Breitbart, Washington Post, Politico, HuffPost, WWL-TV, The Hill, Mediaite, Reuters, Washington Examiner, RedState, Associated Press, Fox News, PBS NewsHour, Raw Story, NewsMax.com, Newsweek and Wall Street Journal

Sarah-Jane Collins / The Daily Beast:

Pardoned Capitol Rioter Who Vowed to ‘Bring Violence’ Arrested Again — LAW AND DISORDER — The number of pardoned Jan. 6 rioters re-arrested is starting to add up. — Yet another pardoned Jan. 6 rioter has been arrested—the latest for allegedly threatening a man with a gun in a church parking lot.

Discussion: MS NOW and Los Angeles Times

Ramon Antonio Vargas / The Guardian: At least five people pardoned by Trump for Capitol attack accused of new crimes

NBC News:

Fmr. government watchdog says Trump stock trades are ‘completely unprecedented’ — NBC News Senior National Political Reporter Jonathan Allen and Don Fox, former acting director and general counsel of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, join Meet the Press NOW to discuss the new scrutiny …

Jordain Carney / Politico:

Ballroom security money nixed by Senate parliamentarian … “While we expect Republicans to change this bill to appease Trump, Democrats are prepared to challenge any change to this bill,” Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the top Budget Committee Democrat, said in a statement Saturday.

Discussion: New York Times, Associated Press, Raw Story and The Hill

Maria Sacchetti / Washington Post:

She was deported without her toddler. Then ICE blamed her for his killing. — ICE accused Wendy Hernandez Reyes of leaving her child with a violent uncle, but she says her son would still be alive if officers hadn't detained and deported her. — Summary

Discussion: U.S. Home and The Independent

Jennifer Hansler / CNN:

As global crises multiply, scores of US diplomats say they have been forced out — The Middle East Federal agencies Donald Trump — Amid ongoing foreign policy crises around the globe and as the Trump administration struggles to reach a deal to end the war with Iran …

Discussion: Raw Story

Brad Brooks / Reuters:

Trump says Iran war is worth the economic pain. These rural voters agree. — Perched behind the cash register at Stubs liquor store, Amy Van Duyn gazed out the window at a red-and-green gasoline price sign, which she said seemed to tick up daily. — The price was $4.34 per gallon …

Discussion: Raw Story

Chris Buckley / New York Times:

Trump Uses Taiwan Arms Sales as Bargaining Chip With China, in a Risky Move — The president said a potential arms deal for Taiwan was a “very good negotiating chip” in talks with Beijing. His words raise questions about the reliability of U.S. support. — President Trump has described …

Discussion: The Mahablog, IJR, Associated Press, Fox News, The Hill, RTÉ, Mediaite, The Atlantic, Grabien and Axios

Financial Times:
What did Donald Trump achieve in talks with Xi Jinping?

Discussion: Atlanta Black Star, Newsbusters, BizPac Review, MS NOW, en.people.cn, The Hill, Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, GZERO, The Guardian and NewsMax.com

Michael Mechanic / Mother Jones:

Suing His Own IRS? Creating a $1.8 Billion Slush Fund? What the Hell Is Trump Trying to Pull? — Whatever it is, it's staggeringly corrupt, and possibly very dangerous. — Sen. Ron Wyden, longtime Oregon Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Finance Commitee, has never been a fan of President Donald Trump.

Discussion: The Guardian, Mediaite, Bloomberg, U.S. Home, Techdirt and Mock Paper Scissors

Gabrielle Fahmy / New York Post:

Minnesota ‘Squad’ Rep. Ilhan Omar knew about $250M COVID meal fraud, scheme ‘mastermind’ claims in jailhouse interview — The Minnesota “mastermind” of the state's massive COVID meal fraud claims “Squad” Rep. Ilhan Omar was in on the $250 million scam. — Aimee Bock, founder of nonprofit Feeding …

Discussion: The Post Millennial, NewsMax.com and The Gateway Pundit

Adam Liptak / New York Times:

At Supreme Court, Virginia Democrats Pressed Legal Theory Embraced by Trump — A long-shot emergency request to restore a voting map was the latest salvo in an all-out legal war over control of the House. — Virginia Democrats suffered a stinging loss in their state Supreme Court this month.

Discussion: oag.state.va.us, Straight Arrow, Truthout, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Wall Street Journal, LifeNews.com, Washington Times, Staff Stories, The Hill and Democracy Docket

Politico:

Poll: Israel is dividing Republicans, too … The Republican Party is starting to splinter over support for Israel — and President Donald Trump's most loyal supporters are largely aligned with the embattled U.S. ally. — New results from The POLITICO Poll find that self-identified “MAGA” …

Discussion: Raw Story, NewsMax.com and The Hill

Nathan Bomey / Axios:NEW!

Farmers growing desperate amid rising energy and fertilizer prices — Farmers across the Midwest are entering planting season under mounting financial pressure, as the Iran conflict drives up diesel and fertilizer prices — deepening an agricultural downturn that some say is the worst since the crisis of the 1980s.

Discussion: Raw Story, Newsweek and Mother Jones

africom.mil:

ISIS Number Two Killed in Nigeria — At the direction of the President of the United States and the Secretary of War, and in coordination with the Government of Nigeria, U.S. Africa Command conducted an operation against ISIS in Northeastern Nigeria on May 16, 2026. — View Gallery