1. Last week, we revealed that the New York Post published a fake cover story claiming "thousands" of 9/11 families were trying to ban Mamdani from the 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero. Instead of admitting its error, the Post quietly edited the article, adding even less credible info.

United Democracy Project, an AIPAC-affiliated super PAC, is running YouTube ads featuring an AI-generated Trump assisting Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan campaign. “Don’t Help Trump’s Candidate,” the ad warns. Meanwhile, United Democracy Project’s largest donor is Paul Singer, a major Trump fundraiser.

Meta is spending $600 billion+ to build out its AI model. That model is being aggressively integrated into platforms used by 3.9 billion people. This week, Meta announced its AI will be trained on content from Newsmax, the far-right website with a history of promoting pro-Trump conspiracy theories.

David Barton is a fake historian who wrote a book on Thomas Jefferson that was so inaccurate his publisher was forced to pull it from the shelves. Now Barton, and his son Tim, are advising Trump on his anti-Smithsonian crusade.

Hope everyone who picked up this story now corrects it. popular.info/p/the-truth-...

The truth about the viral 9/11 petition targeting Mamdani

“We don’t have a list”

popular.info

If you appreciate journalism by humans who are willing to make phone calls I have one request: please sign up for my newsletter. There are no paywalls. popular.info

Judd Legum@juddlegum.bsky.social · last wk.

1. This New York Post cover: “Thousands of 9/11 families demand Mamdani be banned from 25th-Anniversary” is a brazen lie. How do I know? I interviewed the organizer of the petition.

1. This New York Post cover: “Thousands of 9/11 families demand Mamdani be banned from 25th-Anniversary” is a brazen lie. How do I know? I interviewed the organizer of the petition.

1. American taxpayers are spending $2 BILLION every year providing Medicaid benefits to hundreds of thousands of employees of Amazon and Walmart, a new analysis by Popular Information reveals.

News outlets that covered the US-Saudi nuclear deal without mentioning that Jared Kushner, Trump’s top foreign policy advisor, is getting paid by the Saudi government: WSJ NYT AP Reuters CNN NBC ABC CBS The Guardian Semafor Washington Post Fox News New York Post BBC Newsweek MS NOW

A nuclear deal for the Saudis. A media blackout for Kushner’s corruption.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration signed a 30-year nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that paves the way for the kingdom to enrich its own uranium.

popular.info

1. Trump just signed a landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, paving the way for the Saudis to enrich their own uranium. Meanwhile, Trump's top foreign policy advisor, Jared Kushner, is being paid tens of millions of dollars anually by the Saudis That fact was IGNORED in almost all the coverage

On May 26, a healthcare executive received a letter from the FDA that created an existential legal crisis for his company — and his career. Days later, he sent $1 million to MAGA Inc. (1/2)

1. ICE is lying about body cams and I have the documents that prove it. On July 14, Tom Homan, who oversees ICE's immigration crackdown at the White House, said that ICE purchased body cams as soon as Democrats approved funding for DHS in April. That is a lie.

I took a hard look at the financial donors to ICE’s biggest supporters in Congress. These are people who want to significantly expand ICE’s power and have sponsored or co-sponsored legislation to do so. Here are the top 25 consumer brands bankrolling the biggest ICE supporters in Congress:

"Federal agents around the country were told in recent days that the F.B.I. would no longer investigate confrontations with immigration agents — cases that sometimes yield evidence that could be used to prosecute Department of Homeland Security agents implicated in violent encounters"

Consumer brands bankrolling the biggest ICE supporters in Congress (2025-2026): SpaceX — $589,000 Home Depot — $536,500 Charter (Spectrum) — $407,000 UPS — $353,500 Chevron — $352,500 Walmart — $308,000 Valero — $297,500 New York Life — $295,500 Altria (Marlboro) — $279,000 Aflac — $278,000 (1/3)

"Citizens Bank said it plans to wind down its financial relationship with two private prison companies that have been government contractors under the Trump administration to help run immigration detention centers, bowing to public pressure from advocates and left-leaning city governments."

Trump's border czar says there will be "more bloodshed" until Democrats "shut their mouth"

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 3w ago

Tom Homan: "It all go backs to the Dems ... there's still gonna be more bloodshed unless they shut their mouth and let ICE enforce the laws that they enacted."

"Trump's longtime teleprompter operator is believed to have made tens of thousands of dollars by placing bets on that speech and more than a dozen others on the prediction market Kalshi, federal investigators with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission found" abcnews.com/US/white-hou...

1. On at least two dozen occasions since the outset of the war Trump has declared that the Strait of Hormuz was “open” or controlled by the United States. The Strait of Hormuz is not open. The U.S. does not control the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump on Monday called on the Senate to advance industry-friendly cryptocurrency legislation “in honor of” Lindsey Graham, calling him a “big supporter” of it. Graham was not a sponsor of the legislation.

1. Last week, the Trump administration published its "Unified Agenda" a massive document (4000 rules!) that details its regulatory plan for the next year. Buried inside was a massive concession to some of Trump's largest donors: Big Chicken.

Massive giveaway to Trump donors buried in obscure government document

The administration quietly delivers a huge win to corporate poultry processors, who have donated tens of millions to Trump and his allies, at the expense of family farmers.

popular.info

The Human Cost of DOGE’s War on U.S.A.I.D.

The Human Cost of DOGE’s War on U.S.A.I.D.

Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and the “public man-made death” that they’ve caused.

newyorker.com

"Trump’s sons Donald Jr & Eric Trump have amassed a portfolio of defense technology start-ups that are benefiting from new Pentagon priorities and spending, further entangling the United States’ interests and the Trump family’s financial fortunes in an area with immense stakes for national security"

1. RFK Jr. has engaged in an aggressive campaign to discourage the use of antidepressants. He also has an ongoing financial relationship with a Scientology-linked law firm that has spent decades suing antidepressant manufacturers.

RFK Jr., Scientology, and the war on antidepressants

Kennedy has an ongoing financial connection to a Scientology-linked law firm that spent decades suing antidepressant manufacturers.

popular.info

The allegations against Platner were disqualifying. He had to drop out. The difference between Platner and Trump is Platner was credibly accused by a victim — Trump was credibly accused by a victim AND found liable by a jury.

Through four months, the US has spent $103 billion on the Iran War. An average of $860 million per day.

The real cost of the Iran War: $103 billion in 120 days

Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee last week, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought said the US had spent $30 billion on the Iran War.

popular.info

1. The Pentagon has refused to provide an accurate accounting of the costs of the Iran War, so Popular Information crunched the numbers. The DIRECT COSTS are at least $103 BILLION in the first 120 days. This is $73 billion more than the latest official estimate.

The real cost of the Iran War: $103 billion in 120 days

Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee last week, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought said the US had spent $30 billion on the Iran War.

popular.info

UPDATE: In a statement, Kalshi says that it is “open about our news partnerships, as have our news partners.” Kalshi, CNN, and CNBC have not disclosed the financial terms of their partnership. (1/3)

Judd Legum@juddlegum.bsky.social · last mo.

1. Since December, CNN and CNBC have promoted Kalshi to viewers extensively, frequently vouching for its accuracy. The existence of a financial relationship between the networks and Kalshi, however, is disclosed to viewers inconsistently. w/@atrupar.com

UPDATE: CNBC responds, says it only includes the disclosure of their financial relationship with Kalshi when it is "directly relevant to the story" These are examples of stories where CNBC determined it wasn't "relevant" to disclose that the company invests in Kalshi and gets paid for new customers

Judd Legum@juddlegum.bsky.social · last mo.

1. Since December, CNN and CNBC have promoted Kalshi to viewers extensively, frequently vouching for its accuracy. The existence of a financial relationship between the networks and Kalshi, however, is disclosed to viewers inconsistently. w/@atrupar.com

1. Since December, CNN and CNBC have promoted Kalshi to viewers extensively, frequently vouching for its accuracy. The existence of a financial relationship between the networks and Kalshi, however, is disclosed to viewers inconsistently. w/@atrupar.com

How Kalshi infects the news

After inking financial deals with CNBC and CNN, Kalshi's prediction markets have become ubiquitous on cable news.

popular.info