PopInfo Weekly: Leaks, lapses, and lies
The Trump administration has not paid third-parties for medical care provided to detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for over seven months. This has coincided with a large spike in deaths and medical crises for people in ICE detention centers.
Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told Congress that the cost of the Iran War through the first 60 days was $25 billion. But a cost estimate conducted by Popular Information found that the U.S. spent an estimated $71.8 billion on the Iran War through the first 60 days, or $1.2 billion per day on average.
State Farm markets itself as a reliable company that will always be there for its customers. But the company’s California customers had a different experience during the 2025 wildfires. This week, the California Department of Insurance “announced a major enforcement action against State Farm General Insurance Company after an expedited investigation uncovered significant mishandling of insurance claims filed by survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.”
The best of the rest
Only a small percentage of users take home the majority of the winnings on prediction markets. On Polymarket, the Wall Street Journal found that “67% of profits go to just 0.1% of accounts,” meaning “less than 2,000 accounts netted a total of nearly half a billion dollars.” (Wall Street Journal)
An Air Force facility in Maryland spilled thousands of gallons of jet fuel without informing the state. A Maryland Air Force facility, Joint Base Andrews, was spilling jet fuel into a nearby creek that feeds into the Potomac River for an unknown amount of time. Between December and April, the facility lost around 32,000 gallons of fuel. But despite state regulations requiring the disclosure of leaks, the state of Maryland did not hear about any issues until late March. (NOTUS)
Satellite images show that Iran has damaged more U.S. military sites than previously reported. A Washington Post analysis of satellite imagery found that airstrikes by Iran have caused more damage than what the government has publicly acknowledged. According to the report, airstrikes have “damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites across the Middle East since the war began.” (Washington Post)
Soil the Trump administration dumped at golf course tests positive for contaminants. Data released by the National Park Service found that soil at a public golf course in Washington, D.C., “tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals.” The Trump administration used the golf course as a dump site for the debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing. While the level of the contaminants was relatively low, it raises questions about the Trump administration’s decision to bypass environmental laws and dump debris at the golf course. (New York Times)
Numerical information
$1 billion: On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee released a funding package that included $1 billion in Secret Service funding that could cover security measures for President Trump’s ballroom.
$4.55: The average price of a gallon of gas nationwide as of Thursday, according to AAA.
62%: Trump’s disapproval rating reached a new high, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll that surveyed U.S. adults at the end of April.
Quote of the week
“Credit card spending is through the roof. They’re spending more on gasoline, but they’re spending more on everything else, too,” — National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, during an interview with Fox Business on Wednesday.
Photo of the week
US President Donald Trump shows a rendering of the upcoming “UFC Freedom 250” event as he speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on May 6, 2026, in Washington, DC. The June 14 event has been dubbed “UFC Freedom 250,” in reference to the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations this summer. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)
Unf***ing believable. This is where we are now?
We couldn’t make this up. Thank you.