Wednesday Rundown
Keeping you up to date on pressing news from May 19 – 21.
Welcome back to Ghost Reader – a publication to help you stay informed when you don’t have the time, access or energy to keep pace with today’s news cycle.
Here’s what you can look forward to this edition:
Federal Government Operations: The latest on President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” and “Golden Dome.” We’ll also look at how recent cuts to FEMA may play out in the upcoming hurricane season.
Human Experience & Rights: A variety of topics including how foreign aid is being reallocated to fund the removal of migrants; a recent FDA decision on who can receive COVID-19 boosters; and a study on how artificial intelligence can help predict postpartum depression.
Executive Orders & Legislative Impacts: A look at the “Take It Down Act” that became law this week; and recent pushback from more than 100 groups on an AI-related aspect in the legislative package making its way through Congress.
High-Impact Events: Another tense Oval Office meeting between Trump and another country’s president; and news the federal government will end oversight of local police departments under investigation for civil rights violations.
Good for the Soul: What to do and not to do to improve sleep quality.
Let’s get into it.
Federal Government Operations
The latest on Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”
Tuesday, President Trump met with House Republicans to persuade them to overcome intra-party divides and move the legislative bill forward.
What should I know?
Why there are challenges: It’s rare for a single bill to include the bulk of a president’s legislative agenda, which is making it tricky to get everyone on the same page. Republicans are walking a fine line in their attempts to extend costly tax cuts and increase spending on defense and border security, while also reducing the federal deficit without touching key programs like Society Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Trying to meet all those needs has exposed divides in the GOP-led House and Senate, specifically with three groups – one that believes the bill doesn’t reduce the federal deficit enough; another that wants the deduction cap for state and local taxes (SALT) increased, and a third that believes the changes to Medicaid are going too far.
Some numbers: Many nonpartisan economic and research groups – such as the Joint Committee on Taxation, Penn Wharton Budget Model, and Moody’s – estimate the bill in its current form will increase the federal deficit by more than $3 trillion over the next decade, which already sits at an all-time high of $36.8 trillion.
What the White House is saying: Despite the projections, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the bill would save the federal government $1.6 trillion and be the “largest savings for any legislation that has ever passed Capitol Hill in our nation’s history.”
Tell me about the “Golden Dome”
Tuesday, President Trump announced details for a missile defense system – referred to as the “Golden Dome” – estimated to cost tens of billions of dollars and become the first space-based weapon for the U.S.
What should I know?
What the “Golden Dome” is: It aims to create a network of satellites to detect, track, and potentially intercept incoming missiles. It would integrate with existing ground-based defense capabilities and entails a system capable of stopping hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles.
Who will lead the project: Trump named Space Force General Michael Guetlein to lead the project. Following 30 years in the Air Force, Guetlein joined the Space Force in 2021 and is a four-star general specializing in missile defense and space systems.
The cost: The Congressional Budget Office estimates the project will cost more than $500 billion, despite the president saying it will be $175 billion.
How it’ll be funded: An initial $25 billion for the program is included in the tax bill making its way through Congress. Beyond that, it’s unclear where the funding would come from amidst an effort to decrease the federal deficit and spending.
How long it will take to build: Trump said he would like the project to be complete by the time his term ends in 2029 – it’s unclear if that’s possible.
Some history: Under President Ronald Reagan, there was a project called the “Strategic Defense Initiative,” or, “Star Wars” program. The initiative proposed a missile defense system for America through ground and space counter-weapons, including lasers. It never materialized, with critics pointing to its massive cost, lack of feasibility, and threat against the doctrine of mutually assured destruction – a concept that assumes a nuclear strike from one superpower would be met with a nuclear counterattack, destroying both countries.
What FEMA cuts might mean for hurricane season
With less than two weeks until the start of Atlantic hurricane season, government leaks suggest concerns about what might come due to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) being understaffed, underfunded, and underprepared.
What should I know?
A reminder on what FEMA is: A U.S. federal agency that works with states and local groups to coordinate the proactive and reactive federal response to disasters. It sits in the Department of Homeland Security and was created under President Jimmy Carter.
The current reality at FEMA: Despite data that shows extreme weather is increasingly more destructive, FEMA has undergone massive cuts and leadership changes the past few months due to ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) efforts, executive orders, and cuts to foreign aid. Here are some examples:
Since February, FEMA has shed about 1,000 workers and more than a dozen senior leaders as a result of DOGE cuts.
Former acting FEMA head Cameron Hamilton was fired earlier this month after testifying to Congress that eliminating the agency – as Trump called for – is not “in the best interest of the American people.”
Trump’s “skinny budget” proposal to Congress included more than $646 million in additional cuts to FEMA. He also signed executive orders to streamline the agency and shift more responsibility to the states.
The agency is on track to run out of disaster relief funds by July or August for the third consecutive year, and the administration canceled billions of dollars in grants for disaster preparedness.
The impact: Certain states – many with Republican majorities – would be hit hard by continued reductions in federal relief funding. Analysis from the Carnegie Disaster Dollar Database found that Louisiana received about $1.4 billion annually in FEMA and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding from 2015 – 2024, covering 14 disasters. Similarly, Florida received $2.1 billion a year during that time to assist with disaster relief efforts. Support like this is at risk with ongoing cuts.
A more recent example: With tornadoes ripping across parts of the central and southern U.S. last week, local leaders are pleading for federal aid. Monday, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said FEMA and the federal government must help. She said, “Our city cannot shoulder this alone. The state of Missouri cannot shoulder this alone.”
Human Experience & Rights
Let’s talk about reallocated foreign aid
This week, The Washington Post gained access to internal documents that showed the Trump administration is working on plans to spend up to $250 million earmarked for foreign aid to instead fund the removal of migrants under temporary protected status. The documents reference 700,000 Ukrainian and Haitian migrants who fled their countries amidst extreme, ongoing violence as potential first targets.
What should I know?
Some context: Ukrainians and Haitians are granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows migrants to remain in the U.S. if they are unable to return to their home nation safely. The Ukrainians were granted TPS in 2022 after Russia invaded the country. Haitians have had TPS since 2010 when an earthquake hit the country and killed thousands, with the status extended multiple times due to ongoing safety and instability issues.
About the program: Coined as a “voluntary removal program,” the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) would use money previously appropriated by Congress as Migration and Refugee Assistance funds to relocate the migrants. These funds are traditionally used for refugee resettlement in the U.S. and efforts to help people return to their home nations once it’s deemed safe to do so. In addition to Ukrainians and Haitians, the internal documents for the program also mention Afghans, Palestinians, Libyans, Sudanese, Syrians, and Yemenis as potential targets for the voluntary deportation program.
A caveat: The proposal appears to bypass the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – a United Nations-affiliated body that typically aids in returning migrants to their homes. That office does not support the return of people to any of those countries. Additionally, the U.S. State Department advises against all travel to Ukraine and Haiti, citing significant safety risks.
What critics are saying: That it’s inhumane and counter to long-held U.S. ideals for the Trump administration to require people seeking refuge from such countries to return to them. There are also concerns the plan would be a misuse of foreign aid funds that are primarily intended to support refugees and their resettlement in the U.S.
Tell me about changes for the COVID-19 booster
Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it will require drug manufacturers to conduct more scientific studies before approving updated COVID-19 vaccines for healthy adults under the age of 65. FDA officials also said the new framework will likely shift away from approving updated COVID-19 vaccines each year based on the virus now mutating at a slower rate.
What should I know?
What this means: For individuals, it will likely limit access to COVID-19 shots (boosters, at this point) to those older than 65 and/or with pre-existing conditions who are at higher risk of serious infections such as asthma, cancer, pregnancy, diabetes, and certain mental health conditions. For manufacturers such as Pfizer or Moderna, it could add more hurdles while limiting insurance coverage of the shots. For regulators, it will require more data showing the shots are safe and effective for healthy adults and children by requiring randomized, controlled trials to show benefits outweigh the risks.
What’s expected: The FDA will continue to approve booster shots for adults over 65 and anyone over six months old with at least one risk factor for developing severe COVID-19.
The response: Manufacturers said they’re evaluating the new policies and engaged in discussions with the FDA. Pfizer said it stands by the science behind its COVID-19 vaccine and continues to believe broad vaccination programs are essential for helping prevent COVID-19 hospitalizations and severe disease, including death.
The broader landscape: Uptake of COVID boosters fell sharply in the past two years, with about 23% of Americans receiving the most recent version, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.
AI for good - predicting postpartum depression
Researchers at Mass General Brigham healthcare system in Boston recently developed a machine learning model that can evaluate a patient’s postpartum depression (PPD) risk using readily available clinical and demographic factors. This means early identification of patients at risk of PPD could improve proactive mental health support.
What should I know?
What postpartum depression (PPD) is: It’s a medical condition that many women experience after having a baby. It carries strong feelings of sadness, anxiety, and fatigue that can last for a long time. It can happen any time after childbirth, but often starts one to three weeks after giving birth. It’s the most common complication for women who recently had a baby, affecting up to 15% of individuals after childbirth.
How it’s determined: Typically, PPD symptoms are evaluated at postpartum visits 6 to 8 weeks post-delivery. As a result, many parents may struggle for weeks before receiving mental health support.
About the model: It requires only information that’s readily available in a patient’s electronic health record at the time of delivery, including demographics, medical conditions, and visit history. The model weighs and integrates the variables to more accurately – and proactively – evaluate PPD risk.
How it was created and tested: Researchers used information from 29,168 pregnant patients who delivered at two academic medical centers and six community-based hospitals within the Mass General Brigham system from 2017 – 2022. In this cohort, 9% of patients met the study’s criteria for PPD in the six months following delivery. The researchers then used health record data from about 50% of the patients to train the model to identify PPD. They tested the model by asking it to predict PPD in the other half of patients, and found the model was effective in ruling out PPD in 90% of cases. It also showed promise in predicting PPD, with nearly 30% of those predicted to be high risk developing PPD within six months after delivery. The researchers also found the model performed similarly regardless of race, ethnicity, and age of delivery.
What comes next: The researchers are testing the model’s accuracy – an essential step toward real-world use – and working with patients, clinicians, and stakeholders to determine how information derived from the model might be incorporated into clinical practice. Their hope is the predictive tool, paired with clinicians’ expertise, can help improve maternal mental health for postpartum patients.
Executive Orders & Legislative Impacts
Catch me up on the “Take It Down Act”
Monday, President Trump signed the Take It Down Act into law – a measure that imposes penalties for online sexual exploitation.
What should I know?
About the law: It’s now a federal crime to “knowingly publish” or threaten to publish intimate images without a person’s consent, including AI-created “deepfakes.” Websites and social media companies are also required to remove such material within 48 hours after a victim requests it. The platforms must also take steps to delete duplicate content.
How it got to this point: The bill was previously introduced by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and received bipartisan support in Congress, passing the House in April with a 309-2 vote and clearing the Senate unanimously. First Lady Melania Trump also supported the bill in its introduction and path through Congress.
What the First Lady said on Monday: The new law is a “national victory” that will help protect children from online exploitation, including through the use of artificial intelligence. She said, “AI and social media are like digital candy for the next generation, sweet, addictive, and engineered to have an impact on the cognitive development of our children. But unlike sugar, these new technologies can be weaponized, shape beliefs and, sadly, affect emotions and even be deadly.”
There are some critics: Free speech advocates and digital rights groups say the bill is too broad and could lead to censorship of legitimate images, including legal pornography and LGBTQ content. Others said it could allow the government to monitor private communications and undermine due process.
Speaking of AI…
The legislative package making its way through Congress includes a lesser talked about rule that, if passed, would prohibit states from enforcing “any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems” for 10 years. Based on that, more than 100 organizations have raised concerns about the provision that would impede regulation of artificial intelligence systems for the next decade.
What should I know?
About the concerns: 141 organizations and individuals sent a letter to Congress Monday outlining concerns about the provision. They said with the advancement of AI into every aspect of human life, blocking states from enforcing their own laws related to the technology could harm users and society. They said, “This moratorium would mean that even if a company deliberately designs an algorithm that causes foreseeable harm – regardless of how intentional or egregious the misconduct or how devastating the consequences – the company making or using that bad tech would be unaccountable to lawmakers and the public.”
Who signed the letter: Academic institutions like the University of Essex and Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology and advocacy groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and Economic Policy Institute. Employee coalitions like Amazon Employees for Climate Justice and the Alphabet Workers Union – associated with large tech companies – also signed the letter, showing how widely held concerns about the future of AI development are.
The timing: The letter hits amidst the federal government limiting federal rules for AI. Shortly after resuming office, Trump revoked a Biden-era executive order to provide at least some safeguards around AI. He also said he would rescind Biden-era restrictions on the export of critical U.S. AI chips earlier this month. In February, Vice President JD Vance emphasized deregulation as part of the administration’s priority to remain the global leader in AI, stating, “We believe excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off.”
What states are doing: In absence of federal oversight, some states are taking steps to regulate AI. Colorado passed an AI law last year requiring tech companies to protect consumers from the risk of algorithmic discrimination in employment and inform users when they’re interacting with an AI system. New Jersey enacted a law this year that creates civil and criminal penalties for people who distribute misleading AI-generated deepfake content. Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill now that would require watermarks on AI-generated content and prohibit identify fraud using deepfakes. All of this and more could be threatened by the provision in the tax bill.
High-Impact Events
Tell me about Trump’s meeting with the South African president
During an Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa today, President Trump requested videos be shown depicting violence against white people in the country.
What should I know?
The context: Trump – who recently cut all foreign aid to South Africa – has embraced false accusations of genocide against white South Africans as justification for granting them refugee status in the U.S. Check out the May 14 edition of Ghost Reader for more context.
About the visit: Ramaphosa wanted to smooth relations following the removal of foreign aid from his country and U.S. government claims South Africa is discriminating against its white citizens.
What happened during the meeting: Here is a rundown of the events.
A reporter asked Trump what it would take for him to be convinced there was no genocide in South Africa. Ramaphosa answered the question, saying it would “take President Trump listening to the voices of South Africans.”
Trump responded by saying there are “thousands of stories and documentaries” depicting the genocide. He then had a video played that featured the voice of a leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters in South Africa who was ejected from Parliament. The video showed what Trump claimed were “burial sites.”
Ramaphosa clarified the footage in the video is “not government policy” and someone expressing themselves.
South Africa’s Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen – who was also in the Oval Office and is white – reiterated that point, emphasizing the two people in the video are opposition leaders.
Trump interjected saying, “You do allow them to take land … and then when they take land, they kill the white farmer, and when they kill the white farmer, nothing happens to them.”
Ramaphosa acknowledged there is “criminality” in South Africa, but said the majority of people who have been killed were Black.
After the video ended, Trump flipped through stacks of news printouts describing violent attacks against white people in the country. Press remained in the room for another 30 minutes. When they were dismissed, the actual meeting between Trump and Ramaphosa began.
A reminder on important stats: Since apartheid ended in South Africa, the once-ruling white minority has retained most of its wealth. Despite making up about 7% of the South African population, white individuals own about 70% of land. Less than 10% of white South Africans are out of work, compared with more than one third of their Black counterparts. Despite these facts, the claim that white South Africans face discrimination by Black individuals has contributed to what Trump spoke about in the Oval Office today and paved the way for the U.S. accepting white South African “refugees” last week. Check out the May 14 edition of Ghost Reader for more.
Let’s talk about federal oversight of local police departments
Wednesday, the Trump administration eliminated agreements for federal oversight of police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville as part of a broader abandonment of efforts by previous administrations to improve local law enforcement across the U.S.
What should I know?
The details: Justice Department officials said they plan to drop cases filed after incidents of police violence against Black people in Minneapolis and Louisville, and to close current investigations into departments in Memphis, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Trenton, N.J., and Mount Vernon, N.Y., and a case against the Louisiana State Police.
The rationale: Justice Department officials said they are retracting Biden-era findings that police departments in those cities and states violated the constitutional rights of residents, declaring the findings to be misguided.
The background: After nearly two years of negotiations with Minneapolis, the Justice Department and city submitted an agreement to the court in January calling for federal oversight of the police department’s efforts to address issues found in the investigation following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. That arrangement – known as a consent decree – set requirements for how officers should be trained and disciplined, with an outside monitor and judge to ensure compliance. The Minneapolis arrangement had not taken effect yet and the consent decree with Louisville was also awaiting a judge’s approval. Last month, Trump signed an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to review all federal consent decrees and “modify, rescind, or move to conclude” them within 60 days.
What comes next: Leaders in Minneapolis and Louisville expected this, with officials in Minneapolis saying they are prepared to go forward with the measures in the agreement, regardless of federal oversight. Other cities like Memphis and Phoenix have resisted such agreements, despite reports of abuse and misconduct.
Good for the Soul
Ever have trouble sleeping? Finding solutions may be easier than you think – let’s check out how focusing on what you eat and drink before bed can help overcome sleep-related woes.
What should I know?
What the research says: Marie-Pierre St-Onge, a nutrition scientist, researcher at Columbia University, and co-author of the cookbook “Eat Better, Sleep Better,” says what we eat and drink – in terms of nutrients, fats, sugars, and fiber – all play a role in sleep quality.
What to do about it: Let’s check out some science-backed dietary practices shared by sleep researchers that improve sleep.
Eat foods rich in tryptophan: This is an amino acid in food that gets converted to serotonin and melatonin in the brain – chemicals in our bodies important for sleep. Tryptophan can be found in almonds, barley, brown rice, chia seeds, lentils, oats, pumpkin seeds, salmon, tofu, turkey, walnuts, white beans, and yogurt.
Swap sugar and processed foods for fruits and vegetables: St-Onge says one of the best ways to improve sleep health is to eat more fruits and vegetables. Many fruits and veggies include serotonin, melatonin, and micronutrients like magnesium, vitamin B6, and folate. They’re also a great source of fiber, with research showing people with higher fiber diets tend to sleep more deeply.
Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening: Caffeine blocks adenosine - a chemical that builds up during the day and makes you feel sleepy at night – leading you to feel more alert. For most people, caffeine has a half-life of about six hours. That means if you have caffeine around 5 p.m., about half of that caffeine will still be in your body at 11 p.m.
Don’t drink alcohol before bed: It’s a common misconception that alcohol helps people sleep. While it may initially help, it wakes you up as it leaves your system, leading to shallow and disrupted sleep. If you have a drink, give it a few hours and then go to bed.
Don’t eat heavy meals late: Digestion slows at night and laying flat after eating can lead to heartburn and acid reflux. While it’s fine to eat a light snack in the evening, sleep scientists say our bodies aren’t meant to eat and then lay down for hours at a time.
So whether you’re someone who struggles with sleep quality or not, consider factoring these strategies into your daily routine as ways to improve rest or simply promote overall health and well-being.
That’s all for today. Until Friday, let’s keep working to create clarity in the chaos.
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