News From Around the Web
#10 Bessent Says $2B Cut From IRS Technology Budget Without Disruptions - David Lawder for Reuters, Yahoo Finance YouTube, Grabien, Proud Elephant, Naeem Aslam, and Broccali Ai on X
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said the Trump administration has cut $2 billion from the IRS information technology budget without operational disruptions and intends to save hundreds of millions more by automating processing of paper forms. "Last year, the IRS spent approximately $450 million on paper processing with nearly 6,500 full-time staff dedicated to the task," Bessent said in testimony before a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee hearing. "Through policy changes and automation, Treasury aims to reduce this expense to under $20 million by the end of President (Donald) Trump's second term."
https://www.youtube.com/live/hyAdEROpMU8?si=CoOSgNCDWTglkuxH
#9 Luxury Carmaker Ferrari Warns of U.S. Tariff Risks After 17% Jump in First-Quarter Profit - Sam Meredith and Michael Wayland for CNBC, Globalnews.ca, Investing.com, Rahul Sharma, and DOGEai on X
Luxury carmaker Ferrari reported a significant upswing in first-quarter profit on Tuesday, citing robust demand for personalized vehicles, but warned U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policy could hit earnings this year. The Maranello, Italy-based sports car manufacturer posted net profit of 412 million euros ($466.3 million) for the first three months of the year, reflecting a 17% increase from the same period last year. Analysts had expected first-quarter net profit to come in at 410 million euros, according to Reuters poll. “Another year is off to a great start,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said in a statement. “In the first quarter of 2025, with very few incremental shipments year on year, all key metrics recorded double-digit growth, underscoring a strong profitability driven by our product mix and continued demand for personalizations,” Vigna said...
#8 Ed Martin’s Judicial Nomination May Be at Risk as Tillis Says He’ll Vote Against Him - Kathryn Watson for CBS News, Charlie Kirk Commentary, Senator Rand Paul, John Strand, Rep. Mike Collins, and General Mike Flynn/KanekoaTheGreat on X
The nomination of Ed Martin, President Trump's controversial pick to be the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, may be in jeopardy as the "Stop the Steal" advocate who backed Jan. 6 rioters struggles to find sufficient Republican support in the Senate. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced Tuesday that he won't support Martin's nomination. And with that, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Martin's nomination may not make it out of the judiciary panel for a floor vote. The committee has 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats, meaning that if everyone votes along party lines and Republicans lose no one else, Martin's nomination would end in a tie...
#7 India Launches Missile Strikes Into Pakistan—Islamabad Calls It ‘Act Of War’ - Antonio Pequeño IV and Siladitya Ray for Forbes, Jim Hanson, George Papadopoulos, Gator Gar, NotKennyRogers, and Joel Berry on X
India’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement said the strikes targeted “nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” and added they were “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature.” India claimed no Pakistani military facilities were hit by the strike and said the military operation, which it has dubbed “Operation Sindoor,” underscores India’s “resolve to hold perpetrators accountable while avoiding unnecessary provocation.” Pakistani officials denounced the strikes, calling them “an unprovoked and blatant act of war” that had “violated Pakistan’s sovereignty.”
#6 Key Takeaways From Donald Trump’s Meeting With Canada’s PM Mark Carney - Al Jazeera, Viva Frei, Mark Carney, Rapid Response 47, Jasmin Laine, and George on X
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has made his much-anticipated first visit to the White House, as his country and the United States continue to spar over trade, tariffs, and the prospect of reimagining their shared borders. Seated across from Carney in the Oval Office on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump continued to advocate for Canada becoming part of its southern neighbour. But Carney reiterated his firm commitment to defending Canadian sovereignty, though he spoke only briefly during his half-hour appearance with Trump in the Oval Office. “As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” Carney told Trump, in a gesture to the president’s background as a real-estate developer. He then referenced his mandate from Canada’s recent federal elections, which reflected growing anti-Trump sentiment among Canadian voters...
#5 Jill Biden Lands New Job Following Four Years as First Lady - Emma Colton for Fox News, Milkin Institute, Katie Laine, Daily Caller, Ydennekde, and ERIC on X
Following her four years in the White House, Jill Biden landed a new job: leading a California-based think tank's initiative to improve women's health. "From endometriosis to healthy aging, the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research made important investments in research and development, while making clear it will take collaboration across industries to bring these innovations to scale," Biden said, according to a Milken Institute press release published April 29. "I am honored to join the Milken Institute as we unite leaders around a shared mission: for women everywhere to benefit from the lifesaving, world-changing research we know is possible."
#4 Largest Fentanyl Bust in DEA History: Authorities Seize Over 400 Kilograms of Fentanyl in Record-Shattering Operation - Office of Public Affairs, MAGA Voice, Tara Bull, New Mexico House Republicans, and Chad Gilmartin on X
Federal authorities have arrested 16 individuals and seized record-breaking quantities of fentanyl, cash, firearms, and vehicles across multiple states, dismantling one of the largest and most dangerous drug trafficking organizations in U.S. history. “This historic drug seizure, led by the DEA, is a significant blow against the Sinaloa Cartel that removes poison from our streets and protects American citizens from the scourge of fentanyl,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will continue working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle every cartel network operating illegally in the United States.” As part of this operation, law enforcement executed coordinated search warrants across five states, resulting in the following seizures...
#3 Who’s the ‘Real’ Peter Marks? New Website Exposes Failure of Former FDA Vaccine Czar to Protect Americans From COVID Vaccine Dangers - Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. for The Defender, Tracy Beanz, Jessica Rojas, Brianne Dressen, and The HighWire on X
A former top U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine official ignored evidence that COVID-19 vaccines caused serious injuries, and dismissed the pleas of people injured by the vaccines, all while reassuring the public the shots were safe, documents published today on TheRealPeterMarks.com website reveal. The website hosts public statements by Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., recordings of his calls with vaccine-injured individuals, transcripts, and previously unreleased FDA records. Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), React19, and Follow the Silenced — organizations that advocate for the vaccine-injured — obtained the documents through Freedom of Information Act requests and other legal work. Dr. Danice Hertz, a retired gastroenterologist injured by the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, said she hopes the website reveals the side of Marks that the media ignores. Hertz said...
#2 Florida Set to Ban Fluoride in Drinking Water, Citing “Forced Medication” Concerns - Forrest Saunders for ABC 27, Ron DeSantis, Make Miani Fluoride Free, MAHA Action, and Children's Health Defense on X
Florida is on track to become one of the nation's first states to ban the addition of fluoride to public drinking water. Governor Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that he intends to sign Senate Bill 700—a sweeping agricultural bill that includes the fluoride restriction—making the measure law across all of the state’s cities and counties. “Jamming fluoride in the water supply, irrespective of whatever for the teeth when you can get that other ways,” DeSantis said, “you know, that's impinging on other people's ability, you know, to have access to water in ways that they may not want to be exposed to what is essentially a forced medication.”
#1 Essential for Life, the WHO Compiles “Deadly Fungi” List - Tracy Beanz and Michelle Edwards for The HighWire, UncoverDC, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Reva Katz, World Health Organization (WHO), and The Japan Times on X
With the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror, the World Health Organization (WHO) has shifted focus to its next global crisis. In early April, the group published its “first-ever” reports to address what it calls “the critical lack of medicines and diagnostic tools for invasive fungal diseases,” noting that this deficit underscores “the urgent need for innovative research and development (R&D) to close these gaps.” Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance ad interim, remarked: “Invasive fungal infections threaten the lives of the most vulnerable, but countries lack the treatments needed to save lives. Not only is the pipeline of new antifungal drugs and diagnostics insufficient, there is a void in fungal testing in low- and middle-income countries, even in district hospitals. This diagnostic gap means the cause of people’s suffering remains unknown, making it difficult to get them the right treatments.”
