1 Iran Conflict: President Trump Says He's Not Thinking About Americans' Finances In Iran Talks
President Trump departed for Beijing yesterday for a diplomatic summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and before boarding Marine One, he gave reporters one of the most blunt answers of his presidency about the Iran war's economic toll. Asked to what extent Americans' financial situations were motivating him to reach a deal with Iran, Trump said: "Not even a little bit." He elaborated that the "only thing" that matters in the negotiations is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, adding that stock market performance, while "at an all-time high," was also secondary to that goal. A Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson called it the quiet part said out loud, comparing it to "let them eat cake." The comments landed on the same day that the Bureau of Labor Statistics released April's inflation data, showing prices rose 3.8-percent, the highest level in nearly three years.
2 Marty Makary Resigns As FDA Commissioner
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned yesterday after roughly 14 months on the job, stepping down amid reports that President Trump had already signed off on a plan to fire him over a dispute about flavored e-cigarettes. A source familiar with the matter told CBS News that Makary did not want to approve fruit-flavored vaping products from the company Glas Inc., but was pressured to do so. The FDA ultimately authorized the products last week, marking the first time the agency had ever approved flavored e-cigarettes. Trump acknowledged the departure while speaking with reporters on the White House South Lawn, calling Makary a "great guy" and saying he was "having some difficulty" without elaborating. Kyle Diamantas, the deputy commissioner for food, was immediately named acting commissioner. He is expected to testify before Congress today in Makary's place.
3 Longtime ICE Official David Venturella Picked To Lead Agency
David Venturella, a longtime ICE official, has been named as the new head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, replacing acting director Todd Lyons, whose departure had been announced last month, with a final day of May 31st. Venturella most recently served as executive director of ICE's Secure Communities program, which identifies undocumented immigrants in local law enforcement custody, and previously worked at a private prison company. The Obama administration ended the Secure Communities program in 2014 before Trump reinstated it in his first term. Venturella takes over following a tumultuous period at the agency that included mass arrest campaigns in major cities and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers in Minneapolis.