https://drudge.com/user/Doc_Sarvis New links and comments. en-us http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Wordzilla/0.58 10 https://drudge.com/news/292170/trumps-doj-deal-no-audits-him https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/05/19/us/trump-news#trump-irs-doj-lawsuit-audit The Justice Department on Tuesday expanded the agreement it reached this week with President Trump to resolve his extraordinary lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service to include a provision that would bar the agency from pursuing tax claims against the president, his family or his businesses. In a one-page document signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and quietly posted on the department's website, officials vowed not to pursue any matters, including those involving Mr. Trump's tax returns, that are currently pending. [P]rotectiom from audit could be quite remunerative for Mr. Trump. In 2024, The Times reported that a loss in an I.R.S. audit could cost Mr. Trump more than $100 million. <p>It is unclear if that examination has concluded or if Mr. Trump, his family members or affiliated entities are under other audits. I.R.S. procedures call for the mandatory audit of the president's tax returns annually. <p>Federal law prohibits the president, vice president and other executive officers from instructing the I.R.S. to start or stop specific audits. But that broad prohibition does appear to include a carve out for the attorney general Tue, 19 May 2026 15:14:27 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/292170/trumps-doj-deal-no-audits-him#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.292170 discussion, 0.5 daily 292170 https://drudge.com/news/292166/trump-dumps-cornyn-backs-paxton https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/19/politics/cornyn-paxton-trump-texas-endorse Trump on Tuesday endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his primary challenge to Sen. John Cornyn, dealing a massive blow to the incumbent with major implications in the fight for the Senate majority. Cornyn has spent over a year courting Trump's support, while Paxton has run to Cornyn's right and pitched himself as a stronger ally of the president. Cornyn and Senate GOP leaders argued that he is a stronger general-election candidate as Democrats look to win statewide office in Texas for the first time since 1994. The runoff is a week away, and early voting began Monday. Tue, 19 May 2026 12:56:40 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/292166/trump-dumps-cornyn-backs-paxton#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.292166 discussion, 0.5 daily 292166 https://drudge.com/news/291995/chief-executives-accompany-trump-china https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/us/politics/trump-china-musk-cook.html Trump will be joined in China this week by 16 chief executives, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlluzetyic2z" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreie2wubc35tcvftwkb7ci3qxvhg4ts7utrpspg2dkixky3dneufhb4" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">nightmare rotatshe<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mlluzetyic2z?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Aaron Rupar (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed">@atrupar.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mlluzetyic2z?ref_src=embed">2:16 PM &Acirc;&middot; May 11, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Fri, 15 May 2026 16:30:26 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/291995/chief-executives-accompany-trump-china#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291995 news, 0.5 daily 291995 https://drudge.com/news/292079/museum-seeks-cryptid-themed-art-exhibit https://news.siu.edu/2026/05/051326-sius-sharp-museum-seeking-cryptid-themed-art-for-juried-exhibition.php Whether it's Bigfoot, the Big Muddy Monster, creatures from the watery deep among urban legends, Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Sharp Museum wants all artists to put their best work on display in celebrating hidden or unknown animals and creatures. "Spooks or Spoofs," a national juried cryptid-themed exhibition will run Aug. 11 through Dec. 21 in the museum. All media are eligible, but artificial intelligence-generated images will not be allowed. Cryptozoology is the study and search for these rumored, unproven animals and figures, such as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. <p>"There are several legends of wild things lurking in the dark woods of the Shawnee Forest and remote regions of Illinois, such as Bigfoot, the freaky Farmer City Monster, a creepy thing called cohomo (Cole Hollow Monster), the Big Muddy Monster, and the Enfield horror," said T. Lance, the museum's curator of exhibits. "There is also the man-eating Piasa bird, terrifying thunderbirds over Illinois, creatures of the watery deep, kangaroos on the loose, and albino squirrels of Olney." <p>Submissions need not be focused on Illinois cryptids, they said. Fri, 15 May 2026 08:12:48 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/292079/museum-seeks-cryptid-themed-art-exhibit#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.292079 discussion, 0.5 daily 292079 https://drudge.com/news/292053/trump-mobile-reach-out-and-scam-someone https://www.thebulwark.com/p/1-800-trump-scammed-us-mobile-scam-maga-south-carolina-redistricting-clyburn-inflation According to International Business Times, more than half a million people ponied up, pouring an estimated $59 million into Trump Mobile's coffers. But no phones have arrived, the "made in America" promises have vanished, the launch date keeps sliding back, and this week, Moneywise.com reported on a quiet change made last month to the company's terms of service. <blockquote><i>A preorder deposit provides only a conditional opportunity if Trump Mobile later elects, in its sole discretion, to offer the Device for sale. A deposit is not a purchase, does not constitute acceptance of an order, does not create a contract for sale, does not transfer ownership or title interest, does not allocate or reserve specific inventory, and does not guarantee that a Device will be produced or made available for purchase.</i></blockquote> <p>That's right, MAGA Patriot! You might have thought, when you sent the president's sons your hard-earned $100, that you were preordering a phone that they'd soon be sending you"since that's how preorders work and what they led you to believe. But that's just because you don't know business. In reality, what you were ordering was just a conditional opportunity to buy a Trump phone later, should they ever get around to making them, which to be clear they are in no way promising that they'll ever do. Thu, 14 May 2026 10:27:35 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/292053/trump-mobile-reach-out-and-scam-someone#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.292053 news, 0.5 daily 292053 https://drudge.com/news/292052/former-cia-boss-iran-has-gun-our-head https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/iran-hormuz-leon-panetta-cia-boss-kbssfnhzz Leon Panetta, who helped locate Osama bin Laden, believes the war will continue for months because the US president has few options to end it. "The only justification for putting boots on the ground is if you want to make sure that Iran never controls the Strait of Hormuz," Panetta said. "When I was secretary of defence, [we concluded] you've got to have enough troops to cover 50 miles on each side of the Strait of Hormuz and 100 miles further in to control that entire area. There will be casualties as a result of that kind of effort." <p>He said there was no support in the US for a mission of that kind " which could require about 200,000 troops " either in Congress or among the American people. Thu, 14 May 2026 06:11:18 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/292052/former-cia-boss-iran-has-gun-our-head#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.292052 discussion, 0.5 daily 292052 https://drudge.com/news/292031/doj-settle-trump-suit-against-irs https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/business/trump-suit-irs.html Trump and his family have repeatedly disregarded Washington's ethical guardrails aimed at preventing government officials from profiting from public office, including by pushing for more than $200 million in a separate administrative case with the Justice Department. But a settlement payment even a fraction of the size of Mr. Trump's requested $10 billion could be much larger than his other attempts at private gain, potentially doubling his net worth. It is unclear or how much money Mr. Trump could receive in a settlement, or if he will be paid at all. <p>But protection from I.R.S. audits could prove quite valuable. Wed, 13 May 2026 07:16:57 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/292031/doj-settle-trump-suit-against-irs#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.292031 discussion, 0.5 daily 292031 https://drudge.com/news/292030/us-intel-iran-retains-substantial-missile https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/us/politics/iran-missiles-us-intelligence.html The Trump administration's public portrayal of a shattered Iranian military is sharply at odds with what U.S. intelligence agencies are telling policymakers behind closed doors, according to classified assessments from early this month that show Iran has regained access to most of its missile sites, launchers and underground facilities. Most alarming to some senior officials is evidence that Iran has restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains along the Strait of Hormuz, which could threaten American warships and oil tankers transiting the narrow waterway. People with knowledge of the assessments said they show " to varying degrees, depending on the level of damage incurred at the different sites " that the Iranians can use mobile launchers that are inside the sites to move missiles to other locations. In some cases they can launch missiles directly from launchpads that are part of the facilities. Only three of the missile sites along the strait remain totally inaccessible, according to the assessments. <p>Iran still fields about 70 percent of its mobile launchers across the country and has retained roughly 70 percent of its prewar missile stockpile, according to the assessments. That stockpile encompasses both ballistic missiles, which can target other nations in the region, and a smaller supply of cruise missiles, which can be used against shorter-range targets on land or at sea. Wed, 13 May 2026 07:03:23 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/292030/us-intel-iran-retains-substantial-missile#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.292030 discussion, 0.5 daily 292030 https://drudge.com/news/291982/checkmate-iran https://www.theatlantic.com/international/2026/05/iran-war-trump-losing/687094/ Defeat in the present confrontation with Iran ... can neither be repaired nor ignored. There will be no return to the status quo ante, no ultimate American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done. The Strait of Hormuz will not be "open," as it once was. With control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the region and one of the key players in the world. The roles of China and Russia, as Iran's allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished. The global adjustment to a post-American world is accelerating. America's once-dominant position in the Gulf is just the first of many casualties. Tue, 12 May 2026 07:31:04 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/291982/checkmate-iran#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291982 news, 0.5 daily 291982 https://drudge.com/news/291959/trump-goes-china-knowing-xi-holds-all https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/10/donald-trump-xi-jinping-beijing-summit-iran-taiwan Simon Tisdall: Will Trump claim another fraudulent triumph on the world stage in Beijing while selling out US allies, kowtowing, once again, to an anti-democratic, anti-western dictator ... <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:movn6xzezospl7lnkhy7nzpt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mle344a52c22" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreieek6ebobjr5hocgtzqlaamzt43kojrx6cr2zfauc6p5rcethenom" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">"Xi will manoeuvre Trump into the spotlight in Beijing because he knows that all his massive flaws will be on display to China's new allies."<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:movn6xzezospl7lnkhy7nzpt/post/3mle344a52c22?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Mark Chadbourn (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:movn6xzezospl7lnkhy7nzpt?ref_src=embed">@chadbourn.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:movn6xzezospl7lnkhy7nzpt/post/3mle344a52c22?ref_src=embed">May 8, 2026 at 11:44 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sun, 10 May 2026 15:33:59 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/291959/trump-goes-china-knowing-xi-holds-all#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291959 news, 0.5 daily 291959 https://drudge.com/news/291963/pardoned-trump-jan-6-rioter-gets-7-years https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/10/pardoned-january-6-rioter-sentenced-virginia-burglary A convicted participant in the 6 January 2021 US Capitol attack who was pardoned at the start of Donald Trump's second presidency has been ordered to serve seven years in prison after a jury found him guilty of committing a burglary in Virginia in May 2025. Zachary Alam, 34, had previously drawn one of the stiffest prison sentences " eight years " for his hand in the violence carried out at the US Capitol in Washington DC by supporters of Trump after his first presidency ended in defeat to Joe Biden after the 2020 White House election. <p>The judge who sentenced Alam after he was declared guilty in that case mentioned how officers regarded him as "by far the loudest, the most combative and the most violent of the rioters" at the Capitol that day. Sun, 10 May 2026 12:29:48 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/291963/pardoned-trump-jan-6-rioter-gets-7-years#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291963 discussion, 0.5 daily 291963 https://drudge.com/news/291945/trump-bored-war-he-started https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/05/iran-war-trump-deal/687100/ He wants out, but Iran could likely keep going for months. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:2q2hs5o42jhbd23pp6lkiauh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlekief52k2s" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreigcgaocyggl4il4dzbry2zz7fga5cs2sdw4lr3qtipwda2lxw7lvy" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">I love a good road trip, but this is brutally out of touch: a Trump Cabinet member making a documentary about himself while regular families can't afford road trips anymore, because Trump and his war put gas prices through the roof.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2q2hs5o42jhbd23pp6lkiauh/post/3mlekief52k2s?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Pete Buttigieg (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2q2hs5o42jhbd23pp6lkiauh?ref_src=embed">@petebuttigieg.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2q2hs5o42jhbd23pp6lkiauh/post/3mlekief52k2s?ref_src=embed">May 8, 2026 at 4:19 PM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sat, 09 May 2026 16:30:07 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/291945/trump-bored-war-he-started#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291945 news, 0.5 daily 291945 https://drudge.com/news/291946/hungarys-new-pm-promises-hold-grifters https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/09/hungary-prime-minister-peter-magyar-sworn-in-viktor-oban "Orb&Atilde;&iexcl;n's associates and the elite have a long way to go until they are confronted with what they have done," [Hungary's newly sworn-in Prime Minister Peter Magya], said, vowing that his government would seek justice against those who, even in the last hours, were trying to "steal everything". <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:p3flfra5fhvqhwrm5jirb267/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlghbhoeyc2w" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreifn54yhed4rg27octrpm44qs3vv7hzusvj2hl2q2lvdahvaxyt7ey" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">My first piece at Public Notice. Fixing Hungary is a lot easier than fixing the US. www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-orban<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:p3flfra5fhvqhwrm5jirb267/post/3mlghbhoeyc2w?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Brynn Tannehill (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:p3flfra5fhvqhwrm5jirb267?ref_src=embed">@brynntannehill.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:p3flfra5fhvqhwrm5jirb267/post/3mlghbhoeyc2w?ref_src=embed">May 9, 2026 at 10:27 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sat, 09 May 2026 15:32:21 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/291946/hungarys-new-pm-promises-hold-grifters#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291946 news, 0.5 daily 291946 https://drudge.com/news/291850/us-president-verbally-attacking-pope-again https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/05/donald-trump-accuses-pope-leo-of-endangering-a-lot-of-catholics-with-iran-stance Donald Trump has issued a fresh verbal attack against Pope Leo XIV ... <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:lqwk3ei3uwemjrvygsc6pjt2/app.bsky.feed.post/3mksjdenias2v" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreifjebppaaorolobmegikiu4t65rlew4jgg2wka7gcqlvasc6ls52u" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">&quot;Pope Leo on Friday named a formerly undocumented immigrant who was smuggled into the U.S. in a car trunk to be bishop of West Virginia&quot; From fleeing violence to working construction and other jobs, Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala embodies the dignity of immigrant labor and the power of perseverance.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:lqwk3ei3uwemjrvygsc6pjt2/post/3mksjdenias2v?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- America&#x27;s Voice (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:lqwk3ei3uwemjrvygsc6pjt2?ref_src=embed">@americasvoice.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:lqwk3ei3uwemjrvygsc6pjt2/post/3mksjdenias2v?ref_src=embed">May 1, 2026 at 12:10 PM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Tue, 05 May 2026 13:32:21 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/291850/us-president-verbally-attacking-pope-again#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291850 news, 0.5 daily 291850 https://drudge.com/news/291848/operation-epic-fury-meet-operation-colossal https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/opinion/iran-us-israel-war-drones-strait-of-hormuz.html Scott Anderson: The American and Israeli bombing of Iran failed to provoke either a popular uprising against the regime in Tehran or its capitulation, however painfully slow Mr. Trump and his advisers have been to acknowledge that. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4q4ziw4qk2hxxaxfu7jweuey/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkzz7qjbk222" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreieqrbr6mq2umqy6jl5bojjyw3fab6vmcdjgya4wvykskoff7ccleq" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">Operation Epic Fury, meet Operation Colossal Blunder<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4q4ziw4qk2hxxaxfu7jweuey/post/3mkzz7qjbk222?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Molly Ploofkins (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4q4ziw4qk2hxxaxfu7jweuey?ref_src=embed">@mollyploofkins.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4q4ziw4qk2hxxaxfu7jweuey/post/3mkzz7qjbk222?ref_src=embed">May 4, 2026 at 11:43 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Tue, 05 May 2026 12:31:21 -0400 Doc_Sarvis https://drudge.com/news/291848/operation-epic-fury-meet-operation-colossal#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291848 news, 0.5 daily 291848