2026-05-04
DHS restart, GameStop–eBay bid, Giuliani hospitalized, troop withdrawals.
Good afternoon. Monday opened with staffing chaos at Homeland Security, a hostile takeover bid from GameStop, and a hospitalization. Trump's policy moves abroad are reshaping alliance math in real time.
Lunch Brief
The Justice Department's action against the prompted swift criticism over prosecutorial independence. Both sides claim the other weaponized the courts.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said his agency confronts sweeping staffing challenges as it recovers. The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended April 30.
Mark Rutte said European leaders heard Trump's push on Iran war costs after the U.S. announced a 5,000-troop withdrawal from Germany. European commitments are 'stepping up,' he added.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is in critical but stable condition, his spokesperson Ted Goodman said Sunday. No further details about his condition or hospitalization length were disclosed.
The video game retailer's CEO warned the offer could turn hostile if eBay's board rejects it. The bid values eBay at £41 billion.
Mayor Brandon Scott is working to re-energize the city's vacant property problem.
Trump said Sunday the effort would begin Monday as a 'humanitarian gesture' to neutral countries caught in the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran. Few operational details were provided.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) defended House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) after Trump said Jeffries should be impeached for criticizing a Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act.
- Schumer pushes House and White House to ban official betting on prediction markets
- Rideshare passenger held hostage for eight hours during armed standoff with police in swanky neighborhood
- ECB Likely to Hike Rates with Capital Economics' McKeown
- UAE Issues Missile Warning as Rising Tensions Risk US-Iran Truce
- Germans Are Not Panicking Over Trump’s Troop Threats
- Why Saudi Arabia is withdrawing from sport
- European finance chiefs press Anthropic for Mythos AI access
- Musk texted OpenAI president about settlement before trial
- Health care industry pursues AI solutions amid labor shortages
- UFO expert warns mystery craft are outmaneuvering US military in restricted airspace
"Almost respectable. Use it cautiously."
"Below the radar. Statistically rare; enjoy it."
DHS restarts with staffing holes. GameStop bids $55.5B for eBay. Giuliani hospitalized. Politics sputters on.
Back at 6:00 PM ET with the night owl brief.