Gifts Of Cheer — From Mugs To Microbe Toys — From Your Friends At The Fbi, Cia And Nih

“The Federal Reserve voted to keep interest rates at a 23-year high on Wednesday, as the central bank tries to curb stubborn inflation,” NPR reports. “Investors now think it could be September at the earliest before borrowing costs start to come down.”

Wall Street Journal: “Last year, as Mike Pompeo’s memoir, Never Give an Inch, made the rounds among China’s leaders, one passage in particular enraged Xi Jinping. The secretary of state under former President Donald Trump wrote that the U. S. should ‘grant full diplomatic recognition’ to Taiwan.” “Xi’s anger at the remark foreshadowed a broader worry coursing through Beijing: What awaits China should Trump and his inner circle regain power?”

Florida’s six-week abortion ban took effect today. That means abortion is now either banned or severely restricted in nearly the entire southern United States. .memberful-global-teaser-content p:last-child{ -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); mask-image: linear-gradient(180deg, #000 0%, transparent); } Join now to continue reading. Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more. If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

Donald Trump will speak at the Libertarian National Convention on May 23rd in D. C., where the third party will gather to nominate its presidential ticket, Semafor reports.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s increasingly frequent appearances on conservative media platforms are beginning to raise alarms at Mar-a-Lago,” Politico reports. “It’s another sign of the rising threat that Kennedy, the independent presidential candidate, poses to Trump.” “In recent months, Kennedy has become a regular on Fox News and Newsmax, and he is now a staple on the conservative podcast circuit — being interviewed by the likes of Ben Shapiro, Glenn Beck and Megyn Kelly.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said that he has started drafting a censure resolution against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) following her comments that suggested some Jewish students at Columbia University are “pro-genocide,” the New York Times reports.