Happy Friday! Taylor Swift announced today that she officially owns all the music she’s ever made after buying all of her albums back following a yearslong fight. Keep reading for more info.
In today’s issue:
- Explosive NYT report alleges Elon Musk drug use
- Supreme Court OKs Trump suspending migrant program
- Trump, Musk’s farewell presser
- Biden’s first public event since diagnosis
- MAHA health report cites nonexistent studies
🎤️ GETTING TRACTION
TBH, I’m expecting a chatty champagne toast:
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is embarking on his farewell tour as he exits the White House and returns to his companies. Here’s what’s on tap:
➤ This afternoon: Musk will appear alongside his now-former boss President Trump for a press conference where they are expected to take a victory lap over the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts. 💻 Watch the 1:30 p.m. presser
➤ Sunday: Musk also sat down for an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning,” which will air this weekend.
Some tension in the background: Trump and Musk have seemingly become best buds over the past year, but Musk has increasingly grown critical of Trump’s fiscal policies. He has recently taken some verbal shots at Republicans’ bill to advance the president’s legislative priorities.
And remember — Musk didn’t quite reach his goal: Musk’s original goal was to slash $2 trillion from the federal budget. “But as DOGE hit several well-worn roadblocks to serious debt reduction, the cost-cutting team claimed to identify $160 billion in potential spending cuts, some of which must be approved by Congress.”
Read Julia Shapero and Sylvan Lane’s reporting in The Hill: ‘Musk leaves White House with frustrations, little progress on debt’
New reporting on Elon Musk’s drug use:
The New York Times’s Kirsten Grind and Megan Twohey published an explosive report about tech billionaire Elon Musk’s alleged drug use while on the 2024 campaign trail, claiming it was “more intense than previously known.”
Excerpt: “Mr. Musk’s drug consumption went well beyond occasional use. He told people he was taking so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that it was affecting his bladder, a known effect of chronic use. He took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. And he traveled with a daily medication box that held about 20 pills, including ones with the markings of the stimulant Adderall, according to a photo of the box and people who have seen it.”
Did he use drugs while running DOGE?: That’s unclear, per the Times. “But he has exhibited erratic behavior, insulting cabinet members, gesturing like a Nazi and garbling his answers in a staged interview.” The White House wouldn’t say whether Musk took drug tests while working in the government.
His private life was also in a tough spot: Musk was reportedly juggling “overlapping romantic relationships” and legal battles involving his children.
Helpful primer on ketamine: “The Food and Drug Administration has formally approved the use of ketamine only as an anesthetic in medical procedures. Doctors with a special license may prescribe it for psychiatric disorders like depression. But the agency has warned about its risks, which came into sharp relief after the death of the actor Matthew Perry. The drug has psychedelic properties and can cause dissociation from reality. Chronic use can lead to addiction and problems with bladder pain and control.”
Read the full report: ‘On the Campaign Trail, Elon Musk Juggled Drugs and Family Drama’
💡Timing: This story comes as Musk leaves the White House after becoming a fixture of the second Trump campaign and the early months of Trump’s second administration. Trump gave him significant access and power as an influential member the president’s core circle. Expect Musk and the president to be asked about the explosive report.
➤ WHAT’S NEXT FOR MUSK?:
Musk says he’s back to sleeping in “conference/server/factory rooms” while he puts his pedal to the metal on his companies.
The Wall Street Journal notes: “Tesla is about to launch its first robotaxis, SpaceX is trying to launch a spacecraft to Mars, and xAI is racing to develop human-level artificial intelligence before the competition does it first.”
Read more: ‘Out of DOGE, Elon Musk Returns to His Bruised Business Empire’
➤ NEW WHITE HOUSE CANCELLATIONS:
The Trump administration canceled nearly $4 billion in funds for 24 projects that were aimed at cutting planet-warming emissions from fossil fuel plants. What we know
🏛️ ️SUPREME COURT
Trump got the OK to revoke Biden’s humanitarian program:
The Supreme Court this morning granted the Trump administration’s emergency request to end deportation protections for more than 530,000 Latin American migrants who are fleeing humanitarian crises.
Was it unanimous?: No, two of the court’s liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, issued a *scathing* dissent.
What is this migrant program?: Former President Biden started this program to ease the pressure at the border. Migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela could apply in advance and, if accepted, could be given a two-year work permit with some stipulations.
For context: This is the second time the Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to rescind migrants’ temporary legal status.
🩺 ️OTHER NEWS
Welp:
The Trump administration recently published a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report on children’s health. The report included “clear, evidence-based” facts, describing itself as “gold-standard science.”
Well, NOTUS discovered that it cited studies that do not exist. The New York Times then found more references to false citations.
Keep in mind: The White House has acknowledged issues with the report and said Thursday it will fix errors.
Joe Biden’s first public appearance since his diagnosis:
Former President Biden spoke at a Memorial Day event in New Castle, Del., this morning.
Keep in mind: He has spoken at this event on several occasions: Once in 2021 and before he was president.
COMING UP
The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Washington and Pennsylvania today. (All times EST)
1:30 p.m.: Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk give a joint press conference. 💻 Livestream
3:35 p.m.: Trump leaves for Pennsylvania.
5 p.m.: Trump delivers remarks at the U.S. Steel Corporation – Irvin Works. 💻 Livestream
7:55 p.m.: Trump returns to the White House.
🐝 INTERNET BUZZ
🌿 Celebrate: Today is National Mint Julip Day.
🎤 Taylor Swift announced this morning that she officially owns all of the music she’s ever made!! She bought all of her albums after a yearslong saga with producer Scooter Braun. “You belong with me.💚💛💜❤️🩵🖤,” she posted, directing fans to her letter.
🕊️ Rest in peace to a fascinating connection to history: Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the grandson of the 10th president of the United States, has died at the age of 96. His grandfather, former President John Tyler, left the White House in 1845 (!) Read his NPR obituary
📘 The dreaded blue books are back: The Wall Street Journal reports that teachers are reverting to the old-school blue books for testing students as a way to combat cheating with ChatGPT.
👋 AND FINALLY…
To get your weekend off to a fun start, watch this lion cub sneak up on their parents.
The parents’ reaction is *so* relatable. Did you see the look they exchanged?