Ukraine and Russia Agree to Major Prisoner Swap in Istanbul Peace Talks
In Istanbul, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held their first direct peace talks since the war began, agreeing to a major prisoner swap of 1,000 captives each. The brief, Turkey-mediated discussions also touched on Ukraine’s call for a cease-fire, with both sides tasked to outline their cease-fire proposals for future talks, according to Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s delegation leader. Ukraine’s defense minister, Rustem Umerov, confirmed the prisoner exchange and cease-fire discussions, while relaying Kyiv’s request for a Putin-Zelensky meeting, though Medinsky made no promises.
Despite the talks, skepticism persists. President Zelensky, speaking from Albania, labeled the negotiations a “staged, empty process,” accusing Putin of avoiding direct talks and demanding stronger sanctions on Russia. President Macron and other Western leaders echoed doubts about Russia’s commitment, stressing the need for increased pressure. Although President Trump initially backed the talks, he later suggested progress hinges on his personal meeting with Putin, a sentiment echoed by Secretary of State Rubio and Kremlin spokesman Peskov, who noted such a summit requires careful preparation.
Axios releases some Biden / Hur Audio - It’s worse than I expected
Audio recordings from Joe Biden’s October 2023 interviews with special counsel Robert Hur, obtained by Axios, reveal the former president struggling to recall key details, such as his son Beau’s death in 2015, Donald Trump’s 2016 election, and why he possessed classified documents. The recordings, marked by long pauses, slurred speech, and a ticking grandfather clock in the White House Map Room, align with Hur’s description of Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” a factor in his decision not to prosecute Biden for mishandling classified materials, despite Republican criticism amid Trump’s own document scandal.
The audio, from two three-hour sessions, underscores why Biden’s White House resisted their release, citing concerns over Republican misuse. While Biden was cooperative and occasionally humorous, his attorneys frequently assisted with dates and terms, and tensions arose when they cautioned against speculative answers about his intent to keep documents. Democrats, including then-Vice President Harris, criticized Hur’s report as politically motivated, while Biden’s spokesperson Kelly Scully told Axios the audio merely confirms public transcripts. The recordings emerge as Democrats confront Biden’s concealed decline during his 2024 campaign, detailed in a forthcoming book by Axios’ Alex Thompson and CNN’s Jake Tapper.
The above is a summary of Axios’s no big deal take on the recordings.
Striking while the iron is hot, Rep Comer went on Fox News, following the release of the Hur Audio, and said he’s bringing Biden’s senior staffers in for transcribed interviews. Oversight Committee added that they’re continuing their investigation of Biden’s mental decline and use of the auto-pen. “They propped up a man who was unfit to lead,” they rightly claimed.
Echoing Comer and the Oversight Committee, President Trump posted to his Truth Social this morning, stating that the use of an "AUTOPEN" is part of a major scandal tied to the ‘rigged and stolen’ 2020 presidential election. He says that millions knew this, but Democrats suppressed the truth through a campaign of "inoculation and innocence." He accuses the "Unselect Committee" of political operatives, pardoned by the person controlling the autopen, of destroying evidence from their "corrupt and vicious witch hunt" against him and others, ruining lives. The President pointed to former FBI Director James Comey, Obama, and Biden as instigators, recalling how his campaign was spied on. He insists the autopen issue is just the start, with the biggest crime being the stolen 2020 election, which he says he won by millions of votes, rallying supporters with "MAGA" and vowing to continue the fight.
Speaking of Comey….
Comey and Others Interviewed By Secret Service - His wife is next
Former FBI Director James Comey was interviewed by U.S. Secret Service officials in Washington, D.C., for 70 minutes regarding his Instagram post showing seashells arranged as "86 47," which some interpreted as a call to "get rid of" President Donald Trump, the 47th president.
According to Ed Krassenstein, a liberal political influencer who, along with his brother, took to X to run cover for Comey immediately following his Instagram Post, echoing Comey’s 86 47 cryptic messaging, Secret Service also made a visit to his house. Our new Secret Service isn’t playing around.
We later learned Comey’s wife is next up on the Secret Service’s list as they will be interviewing her next.
Finally, Associate Deputy AG Eagle Ed Martin weighed in on the James Comey 8647 shenanigans - Says he'll go to jail one way or another.
He argues that James Comey's claim of ignorance about the meaning of his "86 47" Instagram post is implausible, given his experience as a seasoned professional. Martin suggests that evidence, such as testimony or a paper trail, could show Comey knew the phrase’s implications, and a jury would likely hold him accountable. Comey’s quick removal of the post indicates awareness of his mistake. He says he believes the statute doesn’t allow for such actions to be undone, potentially leading to legal consequences: “I think he's got a problem and as you point out, perjury, traps are next because he's got to either lie or tell the truth and when he chooses that, he's either going to jail on one or he's going to jail on the other."
He says he doesn't know if Comey may be a drinker and was possibly impaired because, he says, "this was a colossal misjudgment by somebody who should have known better."
On Friday, members of the House Republican Study Committee proposed a resolution to prevent former FBI Director James Comey from holding any federal position if it is approved.
Supreme Court Halts Trump's Use of Alien Enemies Act for Texas Deportations
The Supreme Court temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport a group of Venezuelan immigrants in northern Texas, citing inadequate due process. The court criticized the administration’s 24-hour deportation notices, which were “devoid of information about how to exercise due process rights to contest that removal,” and referenced a prior erroneous deportation to an El Salvadoran prison, emphasizing the “particularly weighty” stakes for detainees. The case was returned to the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals to address whether Trump’s use of the act is legal and what notice migrants should receive.
The ruling, described by CNN analyst Steve Vladeck as extending a freeze on Alien Enemies Act deportations, follows lower court orders blocking the act’s use in multiple states. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, with Alito arguing the court overstepped by intervening prematurely. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, concurring, urged a swift resolution, suggesting the court take up the case fully. The decision marks a setback for Trump’s efforts to expedite deportations, with ongoing legal battles in federal courts to determine the act’s applicability.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller doesn’t miss, as he says, “Weird how the Supreme Court never ruled that Biden couldn’t import vast armies of illegal alien invaders.”
Likewise, President Trump had plenty to say about the ruling, saying, “Supreme Court of the United States is not allowing me to do what I was elected to do. Sleepy Joe Biden allowed MILLIONS of Criminal Aliens to come into our Country without any “PROCESS” but, in order to get them out of our Country, we have to go through a long and extended PROCESS.”
“This is a bad and dangerous day for America!”
House Budget Committee Rejects President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' in Setback for GOP Agenda
The House Budget Committee failed to pass President Donald Trump’s comprehensive “Big, Beautiful Bill”, which combined efforts from 11 House committees to address border security, immigration, taxes, energy, defense, and the debt limit. Republican Representatives Chip Roy, Josh Brecheen, Andrew Clyde, and Ralph Norman voted against it, citing delayed Medicaid provisions and green energy subsidy phase-outs, with Roy stating on X, “Medicaid Work requirements must start NOW not 2029 & the Green New Scam must be fully repealed, as President Trump called for.” A fifth Republican, Lloyd Smucker, also voted “no” in a procedural move, though he expressed confidence in the bill’s future, telling reporters he was “quite confident.”
The committee, chaired by Jodey Arrington, will reconvene on Sunday at 10 p.m. for another vote after tensions and negotiations marked the session. Rep. Norman warned, “If they call for a vote now, it's not going to end well,” reflecting ongoing concerns among fiscal hawks. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise noted efforts to address the holdouts’ questions, saying, “We're going to be getting them answers as soon as we get them back from the Trump administration.” The bill’s failure delays Speaker Mike Johnson’s goal of passing it by Memorial Day, with further negotiations planned over the weekend.