DNI Gabbard resigns
On Friday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis. “I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” Gabbard explained. She will stay on as director through June 30 to help ensure “no disruption in leadership or momentum.” President Donald Trump responded on social media, writing, “Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her.” He also announced that Aaron Lukas, the current deputy secretary, will serve as acting director. Gabbard’s resignation is the fourth departure from Trump’s cabinet. Interestingly, all four have been women.

Iran deal, continued
Over the weekend, President Trump announced that negotiations with Iran were “proceeding nicely,” indicating that a potential peace deal could be imminent. At the same time, Trump hedged, “It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all.” He then warned that if the deal fell through, it would be “Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed positivity while couching it with cautious language, saying, “I think there’s strong alignment and agreement on what a preliminary draft should look like,” adding that the deal was “95% there.”

U.S. hits southern Iran with defensive strikes
On Tuesday, the U.S. military hit a number of targets across southern Iran in what U.S. Central Command has termed “defensive” strikes aimed at preventing Iran from threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM added that the action was to “protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.” The U.S. hit a number of missile launch sites as well as Iranian mine-laying ships that were moving into the Strait. It’s unclear what impact, if any, this will have on the ongoing peace negotiations.

Warsh sworn in
On Friday, President Trump’s choice to head the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, was sworn in as the new chairman. At the White House ceremony, Trump said that he wanted Warsh to be “totally independent,” adding, “Don’t look at me, don’t look at anybody.” For his part, Warsh committed to “lead a reform-oriented Federal Reserve, learning from past successes and mistakes, both escaping static frameworks and models and upholding clear standards of integrity and performance.” Warsh replaces the outgoing Jerome Powell, who plans to remain on the Fed’s board through 2028. Warsh steps into the unenviable position of navigating a stubborn inflation rate that remains above 3% while at the same time facing calls from Trump and others to cut interest rates.

1,500 show up for lone WWII vet’s funeral
Memorial Day is for the remembrance of servicemen and women who died in service to this great nation, but all veterans deserve remembrance. John Bernard Arnold III was orphaned as a child and joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. After leaving the Navy, John never had a family of his own. When he died in May, there was no one left to bury him, so Terrance O'Keefe of Hanover-Hanson Veteran Services sent word out to the community, requesting that Patriots show up to give John a proper send-off. The community responded in droves. Four veterans saluted Arnold’s casket during the ceremony, with over 1,500 people in attendance. Arnold wished to be remembered as a believer in Jesus Christ. His great-nephew, who saw the coverage and recognized the name, flew to Massachusetts to receive Arnold’s flag and visit the grave.

Chris Kyle’s widow blasts Graham Platner
Taya Kyle, widow of American hero Chris Kyle, has denounced Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner for his disparaging remarks about Kyle’s service record. In a podcast appearance in 2024, Platner, a Democrat who was tattooed with Nazi imagery, suggested that Kyle was “less discriminating” with his sniper fire than a “professional” would be, implying that he inflated his record by targeting noncombatants. Mrs. Kyle has responded, saying Platner’s remarks show “a total inability to lead with character.” She added, “For me, he would be out of the running immediately.” For his part, Chris Kyle, after leaving the service, worked to help combat veterans with PTSD until he was tragically murdered during one such session.

Pratt’s power-washing ads
Spencer Pratt is challenging Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in the upcoming June 2 election, and his message is simple: “We don’t have to live like this.” That message is being hammered home with a new series of ads, power-washed into the streets of LA. The ads read, “Imagine if the streets were this clean,” and even include the necessary “Paid for by” disclaimers. Pratt is seeing a surge in support but faces an uphill battle to defeat the entrenched Bass. Pratt launched his campaign after the Palisades fire burned down his home over a year ago. Due to LA’s red tape, almost no homes have been rebuilt almost 18 months later.

Poland offers to build permanent U.S. military base
After the Trump administration’s troop movements left many NATO members confused and concerned, President Trump announced that 5,000 more troops would be deployed to Poland. The move showed solidarity with the Eastern European ally after a planned rotation of units from the U.S. Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment was unexpectedly canceled. Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski is seeking a more permanent deployment and is prepared to take the necessary steps to make it possible. Zalewski offered to build a permanent base for the U.S. troops in Poland, where 10,000 troops are already stationed. The base would effectively be a small city, with the infrastructure to house not just active-duty troops but also their families. Recent Polish-U.S. talks reaffirmed Trump’s commitment not to decrease American engagement with Poland.

Minnesota pays criminals
Just when you thought Minnesota couldn’t get any worse… Marvin Haynes was convicted in 2004 of first-degree murder during an armed robbery of a Minneapolis flower shop. His conviction was upheld by the Minnesota Court of Appeals in 2006 and the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2007. Twenty years later, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty joined the Great Northern Innocence Project (GNIP) petition to re-litigate Haynes’s conviction. The judge signed off on vacating it, and Haynes was free that day. He then filed a lawsuit against the state of Minnesota, seeking compensation under the Imprisonment and Exoneration Remedies Act. Gov. Tim Walz signed the claims bill last week, which approved the compensation payments. A convicted murderer is now out on the streets and receiving $4.5 million of taxpayer money, the largest compensation in state history. A clear message was sent to criminals in Minnesota: Crime pays.

Headlines

• Jacob Frey criticized for remembering George Floyd on Memorial Day (Fox News)

• Secret Service shoots, kills man who fired shots outside the White House (Washington Times)

• Ivanka Trump targeted in Iranian assassination plot (Washington Examiner)

• U.S. Army hits 2026 recruiting goal four months ahead of schedule (Not the Bee)

• GOP secures agreement from North Carolina election officials to clean up voter rolls (The Federalist)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.