The Daily Brief — June 2, 2026
Political control over grants, judge says “8647” can stay, female and minority officers denied promotions
White House on Federal Grants
The White House has proposed new rules that would give President Trump’s political appointees a far larger role in deciding how billions of dollars in federal grants are awarded and whether recipients keep their funding.
The roughly 400-page draft guidance, released last week by the Office of Management and Budget, would require a senior political appointee at each agency to review every discretionary grant to make sure it advances Trump’s policy priorities. The rules would make any scientific recommendation related to a grant merely advisory. Right now, panels of independent scientists score grant proposals, and federal agencies typically follow them. Under the new rules, however, a political appointee could overrule the experts and approve or reject a grant on their own.
The proposal bars federal money from funding diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and efforts that conflict with the administration’s positions on sex and gender, and would make it easier for grants to be canceled.
Judge Says “8647” Protest Flag Is Protected Speech
A federal judge in Washington, DC, barred the National Park Service from forcing an anti-Trump protest group to take down a flag reading “8647,” rejecting the government’s claim that the message was a threat against President Trump.
The group, Accountability Now USA, has held a round-the-clock anti-Trump vigil for months near the George Gordon Meade Memorial on Constitution Avenue, across from the federal courthouse and within walking distance of the Capitol and the National Mall. It obtained a Park Service permit in April. Last week, Park Police said that the flag needed to be removed or their permit would be revoked. The group then sued.
US District Judge Randolph Moss issued a two-week restraining order yesterday, writing that the government had shown no real basis to treat the flag as a threat rather than protected political speech. The order lets the group keep flying the flag while the case continues.
The judge noted the slang term “86” dates to 1930s soda-counter culture and that the original meaning of “86” was to throw out, get rid of, or refuse to serve someone. The Trump administration argues that the term “86” means to kill someone, and that “47” refers to Trump as the 47th president. Taken as a whole, they say “8647” is a threat to assassinate the president.
The phrase is also at the center of a separate case. In late April, the Justice Department indicted former FBI director James Comey, saying an Instagram photo he posted of seashells arranged to spell “8647” was a threat against the president.
Pentagon Declares Its Press Office a Classified Space
The Pentagon has designated its press office a classified space, barring reporters from an area they have used for years.
Until now, the press office was an open room where credentialed journalists could walk up to the desks of military public affairs staff without an escort. Under the new designation, that access ends. Reporters can reach press officials only by appointment.
Acting press secretary Joel Valdez said the office was reclassified because speechwriters who handle classified material now share the space, adding that journalists would no longer be allowed in.
This is at least the third move to limit Pentagon press access under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The department first said reporters could not cover defense matters unless the information was officially released. In protest, most news outlets turned in their badges rather than agree. A judge has struck down that requirement, but the news outlets that walked out have not gone back. The Pentagon subsequently imposed an escort policy saying that news outlets must be accompanied anywhere they go in the building. It is now being challenged in court.
Report: Hegseth Blocked Promotions of Female and Minority Navy Officers
Defense Secretary Hegseth blocked the promotions of at least nine Navy officers who had been chosen for one-star admiral by a board of senior admirals.
At least three of those removed from the promotion list are women and two are Black men. The revised one-star-admiral list, released in late May, has 22 nominees and includes no women, even though women make up about 21% of the active-duty Navy. It includes only two nonwhite officers, though racial minorities are about 38% of the force.
By Pentagon rules, the defense secretary can pull officers from a promotion list only for moral, mental, physical, or professional failings.
Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said promotions “are given to those who have earned them” and that the department would never weigh a service member’s race or gender.
The move echoes a similar one in March, when Hegseth removed two Black and two female Army officers from a one-star-general promotion list.
Newsbreak
Revive the cherished art of letter writing with this garden-inspired stationery set. With 12 illustrated sheets of letter-sized paper and six coordinating envelopes made of premium materials, the set is perfectly suited for both long letters and brief notes. Whether penning thoughtful thank-you notes or keeping in touch with distant friends, each piece provides an elegant canvas for your handwritten words.
Appeals Court Sides with Current Transgender Troops
A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that the Trump administration’s ban on transgender military service was illegal.
The ban grew out of an executive order Trump signed in January 2025 that directed the military to bar service by people whose gender identity differs from their sex, which he called inconsistent with military readiness.
The 2–1 ruling, from a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, affirmed a lower court decision that found the policy likely violates the Constitution. The appeals panel said the policy was designed to exclude people based on their gender identity.
The administration had argued that military leaders need broad authority to set personnel standards and that the restrictions were necessary for readiness. Hegseth said in a social media post that the administration would likely appeal. The decision does not immediately lift the ban because of a Supreme Court order that allowed the Pentagon to enforce the ban while litigation continues.
Rubio Sets US Conditions for Iran Talks
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate committee this morning that Iran will get no sanctions relief until it makes major concessions on its nuclear program, including limiting or ending uranium enrichment and discussing the fate of its stockpile of existing enriched uranium.
He was testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the State Department’s 2027 budget. Rubio asserts that Iran has agreed to discuss parts of its nuclear program, while Iran says current talks are focused only on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
At the committee hearing, Rubio said reopening the Strait of Hormuz — a key oil route largely shut since the war began — would be only a first step in reaching a peace deal.
Trump Names Bill Pulte Acting Intelligence Chief
President Trump today named housing official Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard. She announced last month that she would step down effective June 30 to care for her husband, who has cancer.
Pulte currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Trump said Pulte would retain those positions while serving as the nation’s top intelligence official.
Pulte has no known national security or intelligence background. The director of national intelligence oversees 18 agencies. Since the role is temporary, Pulte can serve without Senate confirmation for up to 210 days.
Pulte has used his position as director of the FHFA to push for federal investigations of several of Trump’s perceived foes. He referred New York attorney general Letitia James, US Sen. Adam Schiff, US Rep. Eric Swalwell, Fulton County (GA) district attorney Fani Willis, and Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to the Justice Department over allegations of mortgage fraud. All denied the accusations. Only James was charged, but a federal judge later dismissed the case.
You can't make this stuff up. 😑