PopInfo Weekly: Slop, scams, and subpoenas
A Popular Information investigation found that a network of award-winning newspapers has quietly published over 17,000 online articles pushing promo codes for sports books, online casinos, and prediction markets since 2022. Contacted for comment, the owner of the network, Advance Local, claimed these articles — which featured headlines like “Kalshi promo code PENNLIVE: UFC 328 Preview” — were legitimate journalism.
President Trump has repeatedly claimed that major U.S. cities are overrun with crime, specifically targeting Democrat-run cities as “unsafe” and “crime-ridden.” But according to a report by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, violent crime decreased in cities across the country in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
In June 2025, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump announced the launch of Trump Mobile, which promised to release “a sleek, gold smartphone” that would be “made in the USA” and available in August 2025 for $499. It has collected $100 deposits for the devices since last summer while quietly dropping its pledge to produce them domestically. As of the beginning of May, no products have been sent to customers. (On May 13, Trump Mobile claimed on X that phones, which resemble a Chinese phone available for $200, would “start shipping this week.”)
This week, acting Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst told legislators that the Iran War is estimated to have cost $29 billion so far. Other estimates, however, have found that the cost is likely much higher. A Popular Information estimate found that the U.S. spent nearly $72 billion on the war in the first 60 days. Nevertheless, many major media outlets repeated the $29 billion estimate as if it was credible.
The best of the rest
RFK Jr. is quietly pushing anti-vaccine research. Multiple people told the New York Times that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing “for government scientists and federal data contractors to examine his long-held theory that vaccines are helping to fuel an epidemic of chronic disease.” (New York Times)
DOJ investigating media leaks after Trump complaint. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche reportedly “vowed to secure subpoenas specifically targeting the records of reporters who have worked on sensitive national security stories” after Trump complained to him about media leaks about the Iran War. The Wall Street Journal received subpoenas for the records of reporters. (Wall Street Journal)
Judges have ruled against ICE detention policies 90% of the time. An analysis by Politico found that federal judges have ruled against the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention practices around 90% of the time. Judges have ruled over 10,000 times that these practices were illegal. (Politico)
Eric Trump joins Trump on China trip amidst business links. Eric Trump joined Trump on his visit to China this week. At the same time, a company with financial ties to one of the Trump family’s business ventures, World Liberty Financial, is exploring “a deal with a Chinese chipmaker that American lawmakers have warned is connected to the ruling Communist Party.” (Financial Times)
Numerical information
$13.1 million: The amount the Interior Department said it is planning to spend on repairs on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump originally said it would cost $1.8 million.
3.8%: The inflation rate in April reached its highest level in almost three years. This means that “prices are now rising faster than wages for the first time since 2023.”
$4.53: The average price of a gallon of gas nationwide as of Thursday, according to AAA.
Quote of the week
Reporter: “When you’re negotiating with Iran, Mr. President, to what extent are Americans’ financial situations motivating you to make a deal?”
Trump: “Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.”
Photo of the week
Lara Trump, Trump’s daughter-in-law, posted a group photo that included Eric Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.