Billboard Magazine reports: Audra McDonald has responded to Patti LuPone‘s recent disses. Shortly after LuPone said that her fellow Broadway legend was “not a friend,” citing a past “rift” between them, McDonald told Gayle King for CBS Sunday Morning, “If there’s a rift between us, I don’t know what it is.” LuPone had asked Shubert Organization head Robert Wankel to …

Bloomberg News reports: The Trump administration is adding four essay questions to applications for civil service jobs, asking applicants about their favorite executive orders and their commitment to government efficiency. The essay requirements apply even to relatively lower-level jobs starting at the GS-5 pay scale or above — positions that can begin at base salaries as low as $32,357. Those …

“I don’t think the Democrats are going to get it together because they have to have standards. You don’t have standards in that party. That’s why Fetterman’s allowed to wear shorts. That is why they let you sleep on the street and inject heroin and no one says anything. The teachers are racist because they see these kids, Hispanics, Blacks, …

USA Today reports: Two hikers mistakenly thought a companion, the third member of their hiking party, was dead and reported the false death. However, they were later determined to be in “an altered mental state” after ingesting mushrooms, according to officials. On May 24, at 9 a.m. local time, a forest ranger responded to a call on Cascade Mountain in …

The Christian site Protestia reports: Prominent charismatic teacher Lance Wallnau is under fire for claiming to be and repeatedly promoting himself as a ‘Doctor’ despite holding only an honorary degree from a diploma mill University. We’ve written about Wallneau in the past after demonstrating how he’s been thoroughly discredited as a false prophet. A key player in the New Apostolic …

NPR reports: The Medical Council of Canada said in an email statement that the number of American doctors creating accounts on physiciansapply.ca, which is “typically the first step” to being licensed in Canada, has increased more than 750% over the past seven months compared with the same time period last year — from 71 applicants to 615. Separately, medical licensing …

The Daily Beast reports: White House communications director Steven Cheung has built a reputation for his profanity-laced, scorched-earth style—but author Michael Wolff, one of Cheung’s favorite punching bags, thinks his combative persona is just theater. “There’s a sort of tragic feel about (Cheung) because he’s so heavy,” Wolff continued, arguing that he has to be “hidden away” and can’t become …

Just in via press release: Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today introduced the Make Autorail Great Again Act to block all federal funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) until it officially changes its name to the “Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access” (WMAGA) and renames the Metrorail the “Trump Train.” “WMATA has received billions in federal assistance over …

CBS News reports: The Trump administration is shaking up Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership amid continued frustrations within the White House about the level of immigration arrests and deportations conducted by the agency, three sources familiar with the effort told CBS News Thursday. Kenneth Genalo will no longer lead the ICE branch tasked with carrying out arrests and deportations, Enforcement …

CNBC reports: A federal appeals court on Thursday granted the Trump administration’s request to temporarily pause a lower-court ruling that struck down most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The Trump administration had earlier told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that it would seek “emergency relief” from the Supreme Court as soon as Friday if the tariff …

MARIA BARTIROMO: Joining me now is White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. Kevin, good to see you. I think the reporters at this point know how to taunt President Trump by using the term ‘chickening out.” What’s your reaction? KEVIN HASSETT: “Well, actually, I think if President Trump had just a minute more, if you go back into …

Axios reports: The Supreme Court should intervene after a federal trade court’s Wednesday ruling that blew up much of President Trump’s tariff regime, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. Wednesday’s surprise decision threw the rules of global commerce into chaos, adding urgency into the appeals process. The administration filed a notice of appeal just minutes after the ruling. …

CNN reports: Floyd Brown, a far-right political activist with a history of anti-gay rhetoric and promoting conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama, said he was fired from a senior leadership role he briefly held at the Kennedy Center — just hours after CNN reached out with questions about his past statements. Brown’s past statements include calling homosexuality “a punishment” …

“In the story, which is online, it will soon be printed in the print copy, I am quoted by saying, Charlie, every time he sees President Trump, reminds him to, quote, crush these universities with every power that he has. That is true. That is not fake news. In fact, yesterday, when I was with President Trump — I mean, …

The New York Times reports: The Trump administration has delivered its latest blow to vaccines, canceling a nearly $600-million contract to the drugmaker Moderna that was intended to develop a shot for humans against bird flu. The decision also forfeited the U.S. government’s right to purchase doses ahead of a pandemic, and canceled an agreement set up by the Biden …

“What this really shows is that the global deep state is real, this legal deep state. This is their last line of defense, where you have these unelected judges who are trying to force their own will when it comes to tax policy, trade policy, and all matters of the economy. “In fact, all you have to do is look …

Florida Politics reports: Rep. Byron Donalds urged the city of Naples to fight a court ruling permitting the show. U.S. District Judge John Steele, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, ruled earlier this month that Naples city officials cannot prohibit a drag performance from being held at an outdoor venue, Cambier Park. He also declined to stay his ruling …

“We are going to protect the innocence of our children. Why would it be problematic to say you can’t do this stuff that’s sexually explicit in front of minors that used to not even be something that would be questioned? “Now, somehow you have folks going into court and they really want to push the envelope on this stuff, and …

The Independent reports: Retiring DOGE hatchet man Elon Musk rushed to the Middle East during Donald Trump’s visit there earlier this month to block a massive American AI partnership with the United Arab Emirates backed by the president – unless it included him, according to a new report. That apparently explains the tech billionaire’s sudden appearance at a Trump meeting …

The Associated Press reports: Dr. Annie Andrews, the South Carolina Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in 2022, says she’s running against Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham in 2026, challenging the four-term incumbent in part due to what she characterized as his waffling positions over the course of his political career. “He’s changed his position on nearly every …