• ProPublica wins Pulitzer for blaming abortion pill deaths on pro-life laws: The Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on Monday; our lead story today is about two of them. In the case of ProPublica, the award was won for its deceptive coverage of abortion bans and preventable deaths. The best way to prevent abortion deaths is, of course, to stop killing babies in the womb. That was not ProPublica’s angle. Instead, it focused on the case of Amber Nicole Thurman, who died of complications from taking the dangerous abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol. ProPublica would have you believe Thurman died because she was refused an abortion; the fact is that she died because she received one.

• Secretary of education has the final word in the Harvard fight? Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who has been hired to “put herself out of a job” by downsizing and eliminating her department, is making good use of her position while it endures. In a letter to Harvard President Dr. Alan Garber, McMahon explains that because the university does not wish to engage in merit-based admissions and hiring, it will cease to be a publicly funded institution. The letter informs Harvard to stop asking for federal grants, as no new grants will be awarded. Now that McMahon and Trump have cut off the taxpayer spigot, funding must come from elsewhere — perhaps Harvard’s $53 billion endowment. Conservatives have long known that America-haters debased the university system; for them, McMahon’s letter is a moment of profound catharsis.

• Dems stop circling the wagons for Fetterman: Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman suffered a major stroke during his 2022 campaign run, but he still won the election. Democrat colleagues prioritized a Senate majority over concerns about Fetterman’s health. With the Senate now firmly in Republican control, Democrats are asking questions. The New York Times recently reported that Fetterman’s former chief of staff wrote to his doctor last year about his “erratic behavior” and “mental health issues,” stating, “I’m worried that if John stays on his current trajectory he won’t be with us for much longer.” The Times also notes the Left’s bigger concern, which is that Fetterman’s “politics have become more conservative.” The truth is, Fetterman has not become more conservative; rather, the Democrats see him as too much of a political wild card. That’s why they’re suddenly concerned about his health.

• Another Pentagon purge: There are too many chefs in the kitchen. That’s effectively the argument the Trump administration is making regarding DOD leadership. On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to eliminate roughly 20% of four-star generals and admirals. Citing the need for ensuring military lethality and readiness, Hegseth’s memo reads, “To accomplish this mission, we must cultivate exceptional senior leaders who drive innovation and operational excellence, unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness.” The Pentagon is “going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our war fighters,” Hegseth explained. “Now this is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers. Nothing could be further from the truth.” This is being done with a deliberate process to achieve the goal of “maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions in the general and flag officer ranks.”

• Trump EO blocks gain-of-function research: Trump is ending the unpopular and dangerous gain-of-function research on viruses that likely led to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. The executive order signed Monday blocks all gain-of-function research in China or Iran, as they are deemed to have “insufficient research oversight.” The fact that they are America’s principal adversaries likely also played a role in the decision. Furthermore, the EO empowers American research agencies to identify and end any similar research likely to pose a risk to American public health. Gain-of-function research has always been subject to strict scrutiny in the U.S., so it has been outsourced to other nations. This EO attempts to close the loopholes that make that outsourcing possible.

• Stipend for self-deporters: The Trump administration has taken both a stick and a carrot approach to securing the southern border and removing illegal aliens. The stick has been the targeted roundup and deportation of criminal illegal aliens. However, with the courts and activist judges stymying Donald Trump’s efforts to remove illegal aliens, the administration is also deploying a carrot. The DHS announced a $1,000 stipend for illegal aliens who self-deport. According to DHS, this would save American taxpayers 70% of the current cost of arresting, detaining, and deporting an illegal alien. To ensure that illegals follow through on deporting, they would not receive a stipend payout until it has been verified that they have been deported. This move follows through on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s statement: “If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest.”

• CNN interviews cartel: Apparently, CNN cares more for the “plight” of Mexican drug cartels who have run up against Donald Trump’s border enforcement than it does for Americans. During a recent interview with a Mexican cartel member, CNN’s Isobel Yeung asked how he felt about Trump classifying them as terrorists. This is CNN attempting to paint notoriously violent criminal cartels as victims of the Bad Orange Man. Obviously, CNN is running damage control for Democrat lawmakers who’ve made fools of themselves defending the MS-13 illegal alien “Maryland man” deported by the Trump administration. Unfortunately for CNN, the cartel member failed to give the desired answer, instead saying that Trump was rightly “looking after his people.”

• Cinco de Portation: Monday, May 5, was Cinco de Mayo, but celebrations were reportedly muted due to fears of Trump’s deportations. A traditional parade in the Little Village in Chicago was canceled. In recent years, that parade had garnered massive crowds. In an enlightening interview with CNN, Chicago Mexican community leader Hector Escobar discussed the fear in the community; they know they’re safe in their “sanctuary city,” but they fear the federal government. The most jarring moment was when Escobar discussed the $100 billion that these “immigrants” have given to the federal government and how the government needs to give that money back if they’re going to deport these “immigrants.” The entitlement and lack of responsibility on display are truly impressive. American citizens, of course, need not fear deportation. Escobar’s comments imply that many thousands of noncitizens would have attended the celebration.

Headlines

• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declines Senate run (Townhall)

• Federal judge orders NC to certify Supreme Court election results with Democrat leading (Fox News)

• FBI “butchered” 2017 congressional baseball shooting probe, blistering report concludes (NY Post)

• ICE makes arrest after Soros-backed prosecutor made controversial plea deal (Fox News)

• Taliban giving American weaponry to terrorist groups (Washington Free Beacon)

• China at a “rapid boil” for military action, admiral warns (Washington Times)

• Israel green-lights operation to occupy Gaza Strip if Hamas doesn’t make deal (Daily Wire)

• Humor: Trump’s to-do list for his next 100 days (Babylon Bee)

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