A Week in Review
Catching you up on important news from May 24 – June 1.
Welcome back to Ghost Reader – a publication to help you stay informed when you don’t have the time, access or energy to keep up with today’s news cycle.
Before we get into today’s edition, a quick programming update…
For the summer, Ghost Reader is moving to once a week. We’ll arrive in your inbox each Monday with a recap of last week’s news and preview of topics to keep an eye on. We know summertime is even busier than the rest of the year – our goal is to help readers stay informed while delivering on a schedule that matches that shift in focus and time.
Want a source that provides daily news and updates? I recommend Letters from an American by author and Boston College history professor Heather Cox Richardson (free on Substack), Axios daily newsletters (free subscriptions), and NPR’s daily newsletter (free subscription).
Now, here’s what you can look forward to this edition:
High-Impact Events: Where things stand with the budget reconciliation bill and war between Russia and Ukraine.
Federal Government Operations: An update on Elon Musk’s departure from the federal government. We’ll also recap the error-filled ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report and a State Department pause on student visa interviews.
Executive Orders & Legislative Impacts: An overview of what happened last week related to tariffs, as well as recent court rulings on legal protection status for immigrants.
Human Experience & Rights: A variety of topics including recent guidance on COVID-19 boosters for pregnant people and children, a boost in consumer confidence, and a poll showing majority of people would rather move slowly with AI than “mess it up.”
Good for the Soul: How optimism can be a form of action.
Let’s get into it.
High-Impact Events
Catch me up on the budget reconciliation bill
The House of Representatives passed the budget reconciliation bill – now known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – on May 22. The legislation now sits with the Senate, where several GOP senators already signaled it will face more challenges and markups around spending cuts, Medicaid, and overall effects on the federal deficit.
What should I know?
The numbers: The bill calls for nearly $3.8 trillion in tax cuts, mostly through extending 2017 tax cuts set to expire this year. It would also raise the nation’s debt limit by nearly $4 trillion over the next decade.
It includes a provision that would limit federal courts’ contempt powers: Meaning, it would limit federal courts’ ability to hold government officials in contempt for disobeying court orders. The proposal would block funding to enforce contempt orders if a judge didn’t require a bond when granting a preliminary injunction or restraining order. The rule would also be applied retroactively, meaning courts would have limited ability to enforce past orders on contempt of court.
It also includes a subtle ban of state-issued AI regulation: The legislation includes a provision imposing a 10-year ban on state and local governments enforcing “any law or regulation” concerning artificial intelligence (AI). Generally, this would prevent a wide array of state AI regulations such as measures to protect privacy, public safety, infrastructure, election integrity, and children’s mental health.
Medicaid takes a hit: According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), increased work requirements and changes to enrollment processes would cut Medicaid spending by at least $716 billion. CBO estimates 10 to 15 million people could lose health coverage by 2034 due to the proposed cuts and failure to extend Premium Tax Credits (PTCs) for Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage.
SNAP also takes a hit: The bill would also cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by roughly 30% - or $300 billion – through 2034. The majority of these cuts would come from placing more responsibility on states to cover costs, changing eligibility standards to deny food assistance to almost all non-citizens who are not lawful permanent residents, and expanding current work requirements.
There are a variety of tax-related measures: In addition to Medicaid and other benefit changes, the bill also introduces several new or adjusted tax measures. Check out some of the more prominent measures below:
An increase for the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to $2,500 until 2028, but only for individuals with Social Security numbers and families that earn more than $2,500. Under the proposed plan, about 17 million children come from families that would be unable to claim the full credit.
Temporary changes such as no taxes on overtime or tips earned between 2026 and 2028.
The cap for State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions would increase from $10,000 to $40,000 for married couples with incomes up to $500,000.
The bill takes Premium Tax Credits (PTCs) and Medicare away from many immigrants who live and work in the U.S. lawfully, including people granted refugee or asylum status and/or victims of trafficking or domestic violence.
Changes to federal student aid: The legislation would change eligibility rules for the Federal Pell Grant program, including an increased number of credits to qualify, as well as changes to repayment terms and lending limits for federal student loans.
What happens next: The Senate returns from a week-long recess today, with the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” now the focus. Several senators already suggested major changes must occur before they’ll vote to pass it.
The latest on Russia and Ukraine
In the past week, President Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin “CRAZY;” Putin called Trump “emotional,” prisoners of war were swapped, and fighting continued, with Sunday evening seeing a massive Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air bases that was 18 months in the making.
What should I know?
About the prisoner swap: On May 23, Ukraine and Russia exchanged 1,000 prisoners of war – the largest since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The exchange was the only deal from the countries’ negotiations toward a ceasefire that occurred in Istanbul the previous week.
About the exchange of words: On May 26, Trump said Putin had gone “absolutely CRAZY” by ordering a massive aerial attack on Ukraine that included at least 347 drones and missiles and killed at least 12 people, including three children. In the same post, Trump also said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does” and that “everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop.” When asked about Trump’s comments, Putin thanked the U.S. for its assistance in the peace negotiations but suggested Trump and others might be “emotionally overloaded.”
And what happened most recently: Last night, Ukraine launched its largest drone strikes against Russia, targeting dozens of strategic bombers at several air bases deep within the country. The operation was code-named “spider web,” conducted by Ukraine’s security service, and planned for 18 months. Around 40 Russian military planes were reportedly hit in the attack, and Zelenskyy said 34% of Russia’s strategic bombers were hit. No casualties were reported.
What comes next: As of now, direct ceasefire talks are supposed to resume in Istanbul today. On X, Zelenskyy said “a full and unconditional ceasefire, release of prisoners and the return of abducted children” will be the main issues discussed. We’ll see if those talks happen following last night’s strike.
Federal Government Operations
I heard Musk is done
Friday afternoon, Elon Musk – former leader of the so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) – joined President Trump in the Oval Office for a final press conference announcing the end of his 130-day tenure as a federal employee. His roughly four-month term saw several clashes with Cabinet members, legal setbacks, decreasing popularity, financial stress on his businesses, and little evidence to support claims of savings or government efficiency.
What should I know?
The reality: Before joining the Trump administration, Musk communicated a goal of slashing $2 trillion from the federal budget. Since then, the target was revised down several times, eventually landing around $150 billion he claimed would be saved by the end of this fiscal year.
Some comments on the way out: Last week in an interview with CBS, Musk spoke against Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” saying the legislation’s projected addition to the federal deficit “undermines work the DOGE team is doing.”
What comes next: Musk will return to focusing on his businesses such as Tesla, X, SpaceX, Neuralink, and xAI. Despite Musk’s departure, DOGE will continue its stated work to shrink the federal workforce and budget.
And for anyone interested, here’s a gift link to The New York Times article about Musk’s reported drug use throughout his time supporting the Trump campaign.
Tell me about last week’s MAHA report
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. released the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) report, citing hundreds of studies and decrying America’s food supply, pesticides, and prescription drugs. Shortly after the report was released, several errors were found, including cited studies that did not exist.
What should I know?
About the report: It’s 72 pages long and supposed to help develop policy recommendations later this year. The report calls for increased scrutiny of the childhood vaccine schedule and describes the nation’s children as over-medicated and under-nourished.
About the discrepancies: NOTUS – a Washington publication from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute – reported Thursday that seven of the more than 500 studies cited in the report were not ever published. Some studies were also misinterpreted, including incorrect and/or unfounded citations on topics about children’s screen time, medication use, and anxiety.
How the White House responded: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters she understood there were “some formatting issues” but they don’t negate the substance of the report, which, “is one of the most transformative health reports that has ever been released by the federal government.” She said the errors will be fixed and report will be updated.
Let’s talk about the pause in student visa interviews
Last Tuesday, the State Department temporarily halted interviews with foreign citizens applying for student and exchange visas as it expanded scrutiny of applicants’ social media posts. The order was issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and sent to all U.S. embassies and consulates.
What should I know?
The background: The order comes as President Trump attempts to force higher education institutions to restrict what can be said on campus, with particular focus on antisemitism. In recent months, Rubio has spoken about canceling student visas, revoking permanent residency status (“green cards”), and scrutinizing social media history of foreign visitors, mainly in the context of the Israel / Hamas war in Gaza.
Why this is significant: Aside from the human element, many U.S. colleges and universities rely on foreign students to pay full tuition. Those students are responsible for a substantial portion of universities’ annual revenues; and on some campuses, foreign students make up significant portions of researchers in certain disciplines.
Another layer: Wednesday, Rubio also announced plans to cancel the visas of all Chinese students in the U.S. (as many as 280,000 students), claiming it will help root out spies. Since then, it was reported the administration realized China was withholding rare earth minerals and magnets as a tariff negotiation tool. This realization is reportedly what inspired the president’s Friday post on Truth Social that said, “China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US.”
Executive Orders & Legislative Impacts
Catch me up on the tariff landscape
In the last week, a variety of actions and updates related to tariffs occurred. We’ve provided a high-level recap of the most significant actions below.
Trump announced and then delayed tariffs on the European Union: On April 2, the president imposed 20% tariffs on the EU as part of his ‘Liberation Day’ reciprocal tariffs. On April 9, he cut that rate to 10% for 90 days. Last week, however, Trump suggested a 50% tariff on the EU to begin June 1 due to the 27-nation bloc being “very difficult to deal with.” A few days later, after Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, called Trump asking for an extension, he agreed to postpone the 50% tariff until July 9.
Additional tariffs on steel and aluminum: Friday, the president told steelworkers in Pennsylvania he’s doubling the tariff on steel imports to 50% to “protect their industry.” In a later post on Truth Social, he also said the aluminum tariff would be doubled to 50%, and that both tariffs would take effect Wednesday (June 4). According to the government’s Producer Price Index, steel prices have climbed 16% since Trump resumed office in January; and as of March, steel cost $984 a metric ton in the U.S. – significantly more than in Europe ($690) and China ($392).
Trump claims China violated its tariff agreement: Friday, the president accused China of violating the truce the two countries signed in mid-May that included a 90-day deal to lower tariffs while they negotiated on trade. Last week, there were reports the truce and negotiations were not going well. It’s since been reported the U.S. believes China is limiting rare earth minerals, which – as mentioned above – led to the State Department’s plan to revoke Chinese students’ visas.
Recent court rulings related to tariffs: Last Wednesday, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled the president did not have “unbounded authority” to impose tariffs on nearly every country, and as such, the president’s tariffs were illegal and had to be paused within the next 10 days. The administration asked the trade court to pause enforcement and sought appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. On Thursday, that appeals court decided the administration could impose tariffs on trading partners while litigation continues. On the same day, a federal judge in a separate case ordered another temporary halt to many of the tariffs, ruling in favor of an educational toy company in Illinois, whose lawyers told the court it was harmed by the tariff actions.
Where everything stands today: Despite recent rulings, the bulk of Trump’s sweeping tariffs are still in effect for now. This means the 30% tariff on China, 25% tariff on certain goods from Mexico and Canada, and 10% baseline tariffs on most countries are all able to carry forward while litigation continues. Additional tariffs on steel, aluminum, and foreign-made autos and auto parts were not impacted.
Tell me about the court rulings on legal protection status
Friday, the Supreme Court lifted a lower court order that kept humanitarian parole protections in place for more than 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
What should I know?
The background: The administration filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court after a federal judge in Boston blocked the administration’s push to end the humanitarian parole protection program. As has been common in cases of this nature, the Justice Department argued the protections were meant to be temporary, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) saying the president has the power to revoke those protections without court interference.
About the ruling: As is common in the emergency docket, the court did not explain its reasoning for the brief order. Two justices – Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor – publicly dissented. While the Supreme Court’s order is not a final ruling, it means the protections will not be in place while the case proceeds.
What it means, more broadly: Temporary legal protections for hundreds of thousands of migrants could be stripped away, pushing the total number of people who could be newly exposed to deportation to nearly 1 million.
Human Experience & Rights
Let’s talk about COVID boosters
Last Tuesday, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced in a video on X that COVID vaccines are no longer recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for pregnant women and “healthy” children.
What should I know?
The rationale: RFK Jr. said there’s a “lack of clinical data” to support the repeat booster strategy and he “couldn’t be more pleased” with the updated guidance.
What happened next: In its own announcement, the CDC went against that guidance, recommending later in the week that children over six months can get COVID shots after consultation with a medical provider.
The missing piece: While the new CDC vaccine schedule counteracted the guidance on COVID boosters for children, it did not make a recommendation on COVID vaccines for healthy pregnant women.
Tell me how consumers felt in May
For the first time in five months, Americans’ views on the economy improved, with the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index rising more than 12 points last month.
What should I know?
About the improvements: They spanned all demographic groups and political affiliations, with the strongest improvement seen among self-reported Republicans. In the report, consumers expressed a more optimistic outlook on business conditions, the labor market, and future income; and the share of consumers expecting a recession declined. Consumer inflation expectations for the year also fell half a percentage point to 6.5%.
The potential cause: The Conference Board said respondents often referred to the Trump administration’s agreement to ease tariffs on China as a reason for their improved outlook.
A caveat: The Conference Board said about half its responses were collected before Trump announced the U.S. would cut tariffs on Chinese imports to 30% for the next 90 days. The survey also ended before Trump’s latest threat of 50% tariffs on European imports and doubled tariffs for steel and aluminum were announced.
It sounds like people don’t want to “move fast and break things” when it comes to AI
In a recent poll, more than three quarters of American respondents (77%) said they want companies to create AI slowly and “get it right the first time,” even if that delays breakthroughs.
What should I know?
About the poll: The data was in a recent Axios Harris 100 poll that ranks the reputations of 100 companies most visible to Americans.
What else the poll found: The findings were consistent across generational lines, with some variation – 91% of baby boomers, 77% of Gen X, 74% of Gen Z, and 63% of millennials said they favor slower AI.
The broader context: The leading developers of AI – OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, Meta, and xAI – believe they are racing toward “artificial general intelligence,” or, a level of AI that surpasses human capabilities. AI makers see themselves in a race with one another to build faster; companies see themselves in a race to figure out how to best utilize AI; and nations – mainly the U.S. and China – see a race for global AI dominance. Almost all studies evaluating public perception of AI, however, show the public isn’t bought into that narrative; and for many, AI remains “a solution in search of a problem” that will lead to bad information and job loss. This poll reiterates that point and might draw on lessons learned from forms of technology such as smartphones and social media – that moving more slowly and thoughtfully in the early days might be the only way to prevent choices we ultimately regret down the road.
What to Watch
This week, we recommend keeping an eye on:
Talks between Russia and Ukraine resuming in Istanbul … maybe: Direct ceasefire talks are supposed to resume in Istanbul today. On X, Zelenskyy said “a full and unconditional ceasefire, release of prisoners and the return of abducted children” will be the main issues discussed.
What’s in store for the budget reconciliation bill: With the Senate returning from a week-long recess today, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will now be its focus, with several senators already suggesting major changes to the legislation. Republicans set a July 4 deadline for both chambers to pass the bill.
Steel and aluminum tariffs doubling: As of now, 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum are planned to take effect Wednesday.
Next steps in tariff-related court proceedings: Plaintiffs in the case recently appealed by the Trump administration must respond to federal officials by June 5. Then, the federal government must respond by June 9. In the meantime, Trump’s tariffs are allowed to continue while litigation occurs.
Good for the Soul
In a world full of chaos, sometimes it’s hard to feel optimistic. But what if optimism can help overcome the chaos? In a new book – “The Bright Side” – Sumit Paul-Choudhury, an astrophysicist-turned-journalist and former editor-in-chief of New Scientist magazine argues optimism is essential to creating better futures.
What should I know?
What Paul-Choudhury believes: That optimism – psychological, philosophical, and practical – is vital to human survival and progress. He also believes optimism isn’t only for times of adversity, but also for overcoming everyday life challenges.
If there can be “too much” optimism: Paul-Choudhury says yes, and it can lead to complacency. He said he often sees two lines of thinking – some people so crushed by the challenges ahead they fall into a pessimism trap and self-fulfilling prophecy of never solving anything; and the other end of the spectrum that manifests in false hope that everything will work itself out without any action on our part.
How to turn optimism into action: Paul-Choudhury suggests a few strategies –
Reframe the now: When the present feels overwhelming, it’s helpful to remember it’s just the current point in our story. Focus on the next best step.
Think sideways: Optimism encourages us to take action and seek solutions to problems. When we’re struggling to find solutions, it can be helpful to “think sideways” – imagine how things might have turned out if different choices were made and consider what that might look like in the current situation.
Consider the future: Simply asking someone what they’re looking forward to can have a short impact on their optimism. And for oneself, thinking about what your day looks like when you’re acting as your “best possible self” can help align a vision for how you’d like to live life with the actions to make it a reality.
So as we begin this Monday, let’s all take a minute to consider what optimism in action might look like for ourselves; and find one way to put it into practice this week.
That’s all for today. We’ll see you next Monday (June 9) – until then, let’s keep trying to create clarity in the chaos.
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