Pete Hegseth will preach on the National Mall this Sunday at a nine-hour festival to rededicate the country to the Christian God.
Taxpayer money set aside for America’s 250th birthday will help pay for it. The First Amendment forbids exactly this.
Freedom 250 is already under congressional investigation for misusing federal funds. Use 5 Calls or Resistbot to tell your representatives that trampling the Bill of Rights belongs in the same investigation.
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The Secret Handshake installs satirical Iran war arcade games at DC War Memorial, mocking administration's video-game style war messaging.
Today’s GovBrief News
Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration's sanctions against UN expert on Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, finding likely First Amendment violation over her criticism of Israel.
Source: Reuters
May 13, 2026
Xi warns Trump that US missteps on Taiwan could push the two countries into 'conflict' on first US presidential visit to China since 2017.
Source: AFP
May 13, 2026
Iran names war reparations and Hormuz sovereignty among preconditions for peace 75 days into war, rejecting US proposal as "demand for surrender."
Source: CBS News
May 13, 2026
Three Republicans join Democrats in seventh failed Senate attempt to limit Trump's Iran war powers, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski flipping after past opposition.
Source: Newsweek
May 13, 2026
CMS imposes immediate six-month freeze on new Medicare enrollment for home health and hospice providers, citing fraud, with existing providers continuing to operate.
Source: News Nation
May 13, 2026
HHS chief spokesperson Rich Danker resigns over senior officials seeking FDA approval for child-appealing vape flavors, week after administration approved first fruit-flavored pod.
Source: The Hill
May 13, 2026
Utah measles cases hit 663 as state remains national hotspot, its largest outbreak in over 40 years, with 51 hospitalized and 567 unvaccinated.
Source: The Utah News Dispatch
May 13, 2026
Vance withholds $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments from California in administration's largest-ever deferral and threatens similar action against all 50 states.
Source: NBC News
May 13, 2026
Transcript released Wednesday shows Commerce Secretary Lutnick told House Oversight last week his three Epstein encounters were 'meaningless,' including a 2012 island lunch.
Source: CNN
May 13, 2026
FBI tries to interview Milwaukee County elections director Michelle Hawley at her home as agency seeks information on county's 180,000 absentee ballots from 2020 election.
Source: WISN Milwaukee
May 13, 2026
Georgia Gov. Kemp calls June 17 special session to redraw congressional maps for 2028 cycle after Supreme Court's Louisiana ruling reshaped Voting Rights Act framework.
Source: WXIA Atlanta
May 13, 2026
Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair 54-45 with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman crossing over, two days before Chair Jerome Powell's term ends.
Source: Roll Call
May 13, 2026
DHS plans November exercise sending autonomous drones across US-Canada border to gather 'battlefield intelligence,' positioning multiple companies backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.
Source: Wired
May 13, 2026
Justice Department sues D.C. disciplinary officials to halt disbarment of Jeffrey Clark, a Trump-pardoned lawyer who tried to weaponize DOJ to overturn 2020 election results.
Source: UPI
May 13, 2026
911 call obtained this week reveals ICE pepper-sprayed 47 detainees in February in enclosed Mesa room designed for two dozen, sending one detainee to the ER.
Source: The Arizona Mirror
May 13, 2026
Federal judge orders Trump administration to return Colombian woman deported to Congo despite that country's refusal to accept her on medical grounds.
Source: The New York Times [gift link]
May 13, 2026
US deportations to El Salvador nearly double to 5,033 in first three months of 2026 as Bukele aligns with Trump immigration agenda.
Source: The Associated Press
May 13, 2026
Trump administration to host 9-hour Christian prayer festival Sunday on National Mall using 250th anniversary funds, with Hegseth, Rubio and Speaker Johnson speaking.
Source: The Washington Post [gift link]
May 13, 2026
Lawsuit alleges Florida's gift of Miami land for Trump's presidential library and hotel violates Constitution's Domestic Emoluments Clause and forces other states into "arms race."
Source: The Miami Herald
May 13, 2026
USDA employees sue Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins over 'escalating' Christian religious messaging to 100,000 staff, alleging First Amendment and Administrative Procedure Act violations.
Source: Federal News Network
May 13, 2026