Extra, Extra

It’s Strictly Personal: “If you step back, you see that this entire visit isn’t mostly about U.S. foreign policy at all. Trump is bringing ‘his’ CEOs and everyone is cutting deals. And as the top dog, Trump is cutting his too — and to be clear, not as President of the United States, but as Trump.” Josh Marshall with a good overview of the Qatar jet offer, Trump’s trip abroad, and how geopolitical negotiations are coming down to some guys doing business. Personalization, The Vastly Bigger Story Behind the Pimpmobile Jet Bribe. And it pays to be one of the guys. Bigly. Bloomberg (Gift Article): Musk Strikes Starlink Deal With Saudi Arabia During Trump Visit. And from ProPublica: The Trump Administration Leaned on African Countries. The Goal: Get Business for Elon Musk.

+ DollMart: “The magnitude and speed at which these prices are coming to us is somewhat unprecedented in history.” Walmart Becomes Biggest Retailer Yet to Pass Through Tariff Price Increases. “Walmart plans to raise prices this month and early this summer; other retailers likely will follow.” (If nothing else, this serves as a reminder of who ends up paying for tariffs.)

+ Defanging Public Health: Florida becomes second state to ban fluoride in public water. Gov DeSantis: “There’s nothing preventing you in your house from adding fluoride to your water.”

+ Peace Nicked: Unsurprisingly, a guy who doesn’t want peace chose to skip direct peace talks. Alexander Vindman thinks this could mark a diplomatic victory that could force Trump to back away from Putin. (Seems optimistic.) Zelenskyy Calls Putin’s Bluff on Peace Negotiations. Meanwhile, I’m guessing no one in Poland is surprised by Putin’s peace aversion. NPR: Poland prepares for war. “As a neighbor of Ukraine and host to more than 2 million of its war refugees, Poland has seen, heard and felt what Russia is capable of, and it is now preparing for the worst.”

+ Intelligence Not Allowed: Tusli Gabbard fires 2 top intelligence officials, changes who preps Trump’s daily brief. (If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve already guessed that the people were fired for telling the truth about something.)

+ Dick Picks: “Dick’s Sporting Goods said Thursday it plans to acquire rival Foot Locker as it looks to expand its international presence, win over a new set of consumers and corner the Nike sneaker market.”

Bottom of the News

“Bought for $27.50 after World War II, the faint, water stained manuscript in the library of Harvard Law School had attracted relatively little attention since it arrived there in 1946. That is about to change. Two British academics, one of whom happened on the manuscript by chance, have discovered that it is an original 1300 version — not a copy, as long thought — of Magna Carta, the medieval document that helped establish some of the world’s most cherished liberties.” NYT (Gift Article): Harvard Law Paid $27 for a Copy of Magna Carta. Surprise! It’s an Original.

+ Nicolas Cage is NFL coach John Madden in 1st look at upcoming film. (I’m not sure if this is the bottom of the news or the top. I suppose time will tell.)