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"I feel like I look like Kathleen Hanna or Courtney Love, all these people who are my heroes," the pop star said of the style that set the internet ablaze.

While the long-term effects of AI have yet to be established, a new study reveals that the technology can seriously impair brain performance in a relatively short period.

Newsom Vows 100% Tax On Trump "Anti-Weaponization Fund" Payouts

Authored by AG News Staff via American Greatness,

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that his administration will seek to impose a 100 percent tax on any California residents who receive money from President Donald Trump's newly created $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund.

Speaking to reporters, Newsom denounced the fund as a "slush fund" and pledged to block Californians from financially benefiting from it.

"Anyone from California that receives any of those funds, we want to tax 100 percent of those proceeds," Newsom said during a press conference.

"He pardoned all of those folks that were beating up cops and absolved them, providing them 1.776 billion dollars," Newsom said. "So not only do you get a pardon, you get rewarded. That's why this is needed."

The fund was established as part of Trump's settlement with the Department of Justice stemming from his lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns.

Trump has described the program as restitution for Americans harmed by what he called politically motivated government actions during the Biden administration.

Last week, Trump defended the fund as compensation for people "badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden Administration."

Democrats in several blue states are now attempting to block recipients from keeping any payouts tied to the program.

In New York, Democratic Assemblyman Alex Bores introduced legislation that would similarly impose a 100 percent tax on recipients of the fund.

State Sen. Mike Gianaris said Democrats in Albany are pushing to advance the measure before the legislative session ends next week.

"There's widespread, bipartisan agreement that this is baldfaced corruption at its worst and if we have the ability in New York to combat it by ensuring that none of this money benefits anyone in our state's borders, I'd expect there'd be widespread support for that idea," Gianaris said.

Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey are also drafting similar legislation.

State Sen. Andrew Zwicker called the proposal "a brilliant counter move to Trump's corruption."

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/28/2026 - 11:20

Oklo COO Says Nuclear Waste Could Power America For 150 Years

Earlier this week, we covered Oklo’s approval by Chris Wright’s DOE to convert plutonium previously set for disposal into new fuel. “Fuel supply constraints are a key throttle to advanced reactor development,” Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte said following the announcement. 

Jacob’s wife and Oklo’s COO Caroline DeWitte joined ZeroHedge and Radiant Energy Group’s Madison Hilly. Caroline laid out Oklo’s ambitious vision: recycle spent nuclear fuel, build fleets of reactors for AI hyperscalers like Meta, and turn what the industry currently treats as a liability (nuclear waste) into a strategic asset.

And unlike many of the “PowerPoint reactor” startups flooding the space, she says they are already building.

Nuclear Waste And A New Energy Order

One of the company’s core theses is that the U.S. is sitting on a massive untapped energy reserve in the form of spent nuclear fuel already stockpiled around the country.

“It has enough energy in it to power the entire country for 150 years. So let’s use it.”

Unlike conventional light-water reactors, Oklo’s fast reactors are designed to utilize fuel currently treated as waste, potentially bypassing future uranium bottlenecks while lowering long-term fuel costs.

The company is also pushing aggressively into isotope production, a market DeWitte suggested remains critically undersupplied after years of Western dependence on Russian supply chains.

“Some of these isotopes… if you had a kilogram, it might be a trillion dollars.”

Oklo is now racing to bring an isotope test reactor online in Texas and DeWitte says they hope to hit criticality around July 4th.

pic.twitter.com/fNjQsmgIoR

— ZeroHedge Debates (@zerohedgeDebate) May 27, 2026 Silicon Valley’s AI Boom Fast-Tracking Nuclear Energy

The AI infrastructure arms race has abruptly transformed advanced nuclear energy from a niche policy idea into a strategic national priority.

DeWitte said the current policy environment, under Trump’s energy secretary Chris Wright, has dramatically accelerated Oklo’s deployment timelines.

“It’s been a world of difference since about a year ago.”

According to DeWitte, working through a Department of Energy partnership framework allowed Oklo to begin construction activities roughly two years earlier than would have been possible under the traditional Nuclear Regulatory Commission process. And Oklo currently has six DOE projects underway.

The company’s recent deal with Meta highlights where much of the demand is coming from: hyperscale AI infrastructure desperate for reliable baseload electricity.

“Everyone needs as much as they can get as soon as they can get it.”

Public sentiment around nuclear power appears to be shifting as communities increasingly resist giant AI server farms.

“Is there going to be a data center in my backyard?... Oh no, no, no, just a nuclear power plant. And they’re like, ‘Oh, good.’”

pic.twitter.com/8TH2ImTNpe

— ZeroHedge Debates (@zerohedgeDebate) May 27, 2026

Check out the full interview below or listen on our Spotify.

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/28/2026 - 11:05

Remarkable Turns Of Events

By Michael Every of Rabobank

It’s remarkable screen oil prices are little changed at below $100 today after Trump said the US is “not satisfied” over talks with Iran, days after claiming a deal was imminent, and hours after saying the terms the Iranians had leaked that the US agrees to --a real TACO-- were a “complete fabrication.”

It’s more remarkable when Trump added Iran and Oman will not control the Strait of Hormuz, which they say they will; vowed to blow up Oman if it misbehaves; struck Iran again in another “defensive action”; and reiterated a deal requires the region to sign up to the Abraham Accords, underlining it has to be a turning point to a new geopolitical/economic architecture.

It’s truly remarkable given Trump added he can outwait Iran and dismissed the growing economic impact of this crisis and the looming midterm elections; and that Israel ordered the mass forced displacement for all the population of south Lebanon as the IDF-Hezbollah conflict intensifies, destroying terror infrastructure across thousands of civilian homes.

Meanwhile, another think tank report argues US munitions depleted by the Iran war will take until 2030 or 2031 to restore. That leaves a global shortfall already being felt in Europe and Asia and requiring them to develop their own systems, and supply chains, at very high cost – and it will require the kind of ‘reverse perestroika’ change to the US political-economy previously discussed for it to overcome that bottleneck more rapidly.

Relatedly, the UK claims half a million Russians are dead in the war, as a senior Ukrainian commander claims a 'turning point' in its favor, but Zelenskyy asked Trump for immediate air defence support that might not be available. On the other side, Russia is tasking bankers with shooting down Ukrainian drones. The grimness of war aside, and in the best Russian black-humour tradition, the latter brings to mind the joke about three econometricians shooting at a target, one 20 feet to the left, one 20 feet to the right, and the third crying, “I hit it!” without firing.

Brussels now has a timetable for Ukraine's and Moldova’s EU bids, which should be made public mid-June, as Albania says it will accept membership with a probation on vetoes as it is the “EU Taliban” in its fanaticism about joining. The former move will only increase EU-Russia tensions, as another ex-Soviet republic, Armenia, signs a strategic partnership deal with the US.

Elsewhere, India-Pakistan border tensions simmer; Japan welcomed the Philippines’ President Marcos as their defence ties deepen; China says it drove away a Dutch warship near the Paracel Islands; and US Secretary of War Hegseth is heading to Asia ‘with Taiwan questions swirling.’

In related geoeconomics, the ECB warned of a financial crisis triggered by the Iran war impact; a ‘plastic shock' is hitting Asia; Central Asia could turn to China over water security fears; and China and Cuba are holding agriculture talks as Beijing backs it against US pressure.

The US Trade Representative just stated, “We've just come to terms with the fact that there is not going to be some giant comprehensive reform of the way the Chinese political system works.” US policy will adapt accordingly. France said it may accept 'Made in Europe’ subsidies for UK cars; an EU wind turbine maker called non-western rivals ‘a security threat’; and it’s argued Germany can’t tariff China as its so reliant on inputs from it; as US tariffs and slumping EV sales are reportedly crippling the Canadian auto sector, with the local press asking if it will survive.

In technology, Nvidia chief Huang is to join a Tim Cook-chaired board at a prestigious Beijing university as the Chinese press share that their scientists claim AI is massively increasing China’s new weapon development speed – as it is in the US, of course, but not in those who don’t have that AI muscle.

In politics, what were once unthinkable Overton outcomes are becoming normal and so is political turmoil. New York lawmakers just passed a billionaire’s pied-a-terre tax; Australia is pressing ahead with its new property and capital gains taxes; Britain faces a ‘lost generation’ as youth worklessness heads for 1.25 million, claims one paper - as former PM Blair attacks current Labour PM Starmer and the pretender Andy Burns for a lack of vision; indeed, the Financial Times argues the UK has ironically become a European country since Brexit in that it now has high public debt and permanent political instability; and, in Europe, a police raid on the party headquarters of Spanish PM Sanchez, whose wife is already charged with corruption, has increased the pressure on him.

In markets, as oil --so everything else-- clutches at favoured straws, the FT has another op-ed which argues, ‘Want to predict central banker behaviour? Look to their birth date’, because “Formative experiences shape our views on future inflation as much as the data.” If so, what will the deeply dissatisfied youth growing up with the background described above take as normal regarding inflation and monetary policy?

Will they think in the same way those born when “I can’t get no satisfaction” was written, and look to technocratic econometrics as the answer to their multifaceted geopolitical and socio-economic problems? The election of Mamdani in New York, and of right and left populism globally, suggests not. Also note a 2025 YouGov poll showed a quarter of self-described US ‘very liberals’ say political violence is sometimes justified to achieve desired outcomes - as Luigi Mangione, on trial for murdering a US health executive, is as a social-media icon. Hikes followed by cuts can take on an entirely new meaning in that kind of socio-political context.

Of course, technocrats can clutch at straws, and at more technocracy, too. The Australian press this week saw a Rolling Stones-era author make a decent historical argument that immigration policy shouldn’t be politicized, and is complex, so “Perhaps it's time to consider relieving politicians of responsibility for it, just as they were relieved of monetary policy 30 years ago.” The Overton window looks so over!

But for now, it’s what is and isn’t over the Middle East that’s the primary focus.

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/28/2026 - 10:45

Chinese Navy Pushes Dutch Frigate From Claimed Waters Via Electronic Warfare

The Netherlands has become the latest Western nation to tangle with Beijing and exchange tense words after testing its sweeping claims to the South China Sea.

A tense military encounter unfolded involving a Dutch warship, identified as the HNLMS De Ruyter, after it had entered waters near the disputed Paracel Islands. China's military reportedly used electronic warfare measures to force it out of the China-claimed waters in the incident on Wednesday.

source: Defensie.nl

Chinese military spokesperson Zhai Shichen later charged that the Dutch ship violated "China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime and air security," while further alleging that the ship illicitly launched multiple helicopter sorties and entered Chinese airspace.

"The Dutch side’s actions…seriously undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea and could easily lead to misunderstanding and miscalculation," Zhai said.

"We firmly oppose such acts and solemnly demand that the Dutch side immediately cease its infringement and provocative actions. The Chinese military will maintain a high state of alert at all times and resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty, security and regional peace and stability," the PLA statement added.

However, the Netherlands has rejected this account, instead saying "the frigate has not been in territorial waters" and "operates in accordance with international law," according to the words Dutch navy spokesperson Marinka Hiraldo Vos-van Kooten.

USNI News details the Dutch frigate's mission as follows:

The Royal Netherlands Navy De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate is deployed to the Indo-Pacific for Amsterdam’s five-month-long Pacific Archer mission. The mission aims to promote freedom of navigation and foster ties with allies and partners. De Ruyter is also set to attend the Rim of Pacific naval drills around Hawaii later this summer.

One week before the incident, De Ruyter moored in Manila for a port visit and activities with the Philippine Navy. The frigate’s captain told local media outlet Manila Bulletin that the ship’s previous interactions with a Chinese helicopter was “professional” and did not involve a territorial challenge.

Following a brief but intense naval clash with Vietnam in the 1970s, Beijing seized control of the Paracel Islands. There remain overlapping claims among many nations in the region.

Encylclopaedia Britannica

In the decades since, China has systematically militarized the region, constructing extensive military infrastructure across a network of sprawling artificial islands. The US, Europe, and regional allies see much of this as international territory and waters.

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/28/2026 - 10:15

Williams last played at the 2022 US Open, losing to Ajla Tomljanović in the third round.

Dodd and husband Rick Leventhal addressed the charges for the first time in a new video.

Dodd and husband Rick Leventhal addressed the charge for the first time in a new video.

US New Home Sales Tumbled In April As Prices Soared

With Case-Shiller reporting existing home price declines in half of America's largest cities, and after two straight months of rip-roaring demand, NAR reports that New Home Sales in April tumbled 6.2% MoM (almost twice as bad as the 3.2% MoM decline expected). March's 7.4% MoM spike was revised down bigly to just +3.4%, all of which left new home sales down 

Source: Bloomberg

Overall, new home sales have really gone nowhere for four years...

It seems lower mortgage rates did nothing to help new home sales...

Finally, while existing home prices are lower, median new home price rose 2.2% y/y to $422,500; average selling price at $508,800.

This was the biggest MoM jump in median new home prices since 2019...

Not great for affordability.

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/28/2026 - 10:07

Audio tapes featuring the man accused of killing Tupac Shakur allegedly boasting about the rapper’s murder have been discovered — and could become key evidence in his upcoming trial.

Can the Knicks blitz their opponent in Game 1 of the NBA Finals?

Get in, losers. We're going to Calabasas.

Thugs viciously wailed "Grab your guns and kill yourself," and "Every cop, every fed, shoot yourself in the head" at more than a dozen unfazed federal officers.

Paige Adams facies decades in prison if convicted.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced sanctions Thursday against Iran's new Persian Gulf Strait Authority and warned companies against paying tolls to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

Does X mark the final resting spot?

US Charges Google Employee With Pocketing Millions From Insider Trading Bets On Polymarket

Authored by Stephen Katte via CoinTelegraph.com,

US authorities have charged a Google employee with allegedly using information from the company to make bets on Polymarket and profit $1.2 million.

The Justice Department said on Wednesday that it unsealed charges against Google software engineer Michele Spagnuolo, accusing him of accessing unreleased internal information at Google and placing 25 bets worth $2.7 million on markets related to the most searched individuals on Google in 2025.

Prosecutors said Spagnuolo owned the Polymarket account “AlphaRaccoon”, which profited $1.2 million on “outcomes that the market treated as unlikely” when Google published information on the most searched individuals in December.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a twin complaint against Spagnuolo on Wednesday, making similar allegations of insider trading.

Prediction markets are facing growing scrutiny over insider trading, with Congress launching a probe into Polymarket and Kalshi on Friday, questioning the companies’ response to incidents of insider trading on the platform, with lawmakers concerned that government officials are using insider knowledge to make bets.

Manhattan US District Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement that the charges “reinforce a decades-old message: Corporate insiders cannot use confidential business information to turn a profit in our markets.”

Source: US Attorney Southern District of New York 

AlphaRaccoon account allegedly changed name 

According to the court documents, communities on Discord and X started discussing the possibility that AlphaRaccoon was a Google insider in December. Soon after, the username was allegedly changed to a wallet address.

Prosecutors alleged that the funds in the AlphaRaccoon account were also sent to a decentralized crypto swapping service and to an unnamed transfer service that offers privacy protection for blockchain transactions

The Justice Department charged Spagnuolo with commodities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, and could face a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.

In its complaint, the CFTC seeks restitution, disgorgement, civil monetary penalties and trading and registration bans. 

CFTC Director of Enforcement David Miller said in a statement that “the division is a cop on the beat in policing the illegal use of inside information in the prediction markets and other markets within the CFTC’s jurisdiction.”

Source: CFTC

“We will continue to take action to protect markets from insider trading and other forms of fraud, abuse and manipulation,” Miller added.

It comes after the Justice Department charged a US soldier in April with using classified information to place bets on the US capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/28/2026 - 09:50

Jannik Sinner is stunningly out of the 2026 French Open in the second around after one of the all-time collapses in sports.

The first Manhattanhenge of 2026 returns this week to New York City.