America in Brief

Vance Teams Up With States in Fraud Crackdown

Vice President JD Vance met with the chief legal officers of 15 states on May 26 to discuss fraud-fighting efforts across the country as part of the Trump-appointed Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

The Anti-Fraud Roundtable hosted by Vance and Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson in Washington, housed Republican attorneys general from 15 states, plus senior staff members from one Democratic state.

On March 16, President Donald Trump announced Vance as the head of the Task Force to “combat widespread fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal benefit programs.”

At the meeting with state attorneys general, Vance discussed how, in just two months, they had exposed billions of dollars in stolen benefits.

Ebola Quarantine Center for Americans Stalled by Kenyan Court

An Ebola quarantine center for Americans in Kenya was stalled by the nation’s high court on May 28, over concerns by activists and medical workers of infectious diseases spreading in the country.

An outbreak of the rare Ebola strain Bundibugyo was announced in the Congo on May 17, and has now spread to Uganda.

Currently, as of May 29, there are 906 suspected cases in Congo, with 125 confirmed cases, 223 suspected deaths, and 17 confirmed deaths, according to the CDC.

Uganda, which neighbors Kenya, has nine confirmed cases and two confirmed deaths.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on May 27, during a cabinet meeting in Washington, highlighted the importance of the situation.

“We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States,” he said.

High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi has halted construction of the facility until arguments from the Law Society of Kenya and the advocacy group the Katiba Institute are heard on June 2.

DOJ Sues UCLA Over Discrimination

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the University of California–Los Angeles, alleging that the school discriminated against Jewish and Israeli students and failed to protect them from hostility. This is the second lawsuit of this nature against the school in recent months.

Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack caused nationwide protests across universities in 2024, causing increased levels of reported harassment and violence against Israeli and Jewish students.

A previous lawsuit filed on Feb. 24 alleged that UCLA engaged in a hostile work environment against Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff.

The most recent lawsuit accused UCLA of continued “deliberate indifference” in a hostile educational environment.

In April 2024, during the height of demonstrations, masked men “slapped, kicked, beat with sticks, doused with pepper spray, and knocked unconscious” Jewish and Israeli students, according to the lawsuit.

Trump Accounts App Becomes Available Ahead of Launch

President Donald Trump’s financial investment fund for families is preparing for its final launch, with the Trump Accounts app now available for download.

Launching July 4, any child born between 2025 and 2028, who is a U.S. citizen and has a valid Social Security number, will receive a $1,000 investment fund from the U.S. Treasury, with the ability for parents to contribute a maximum of $5,000 a year until the child turns 18.

The child will then be able to use this money for eligible expenses such as college tuition or down payment on a first home.

The app will serve as an interface for families to access their child’s account.

Judge Temporarily Blocks Justice Department’s $1.8 Billion Payout Fund

A U.S. judge had temporarily blocked a $1.776 billion fund created by the Trump administration that would compensate those they deem to be victims of weaponized government investigations.

“The Anti-Weaponization Fund” was introduced by acting Attorney Todd Blanche on May 18, as part of a settlement agreement with President Donald Trump, who dropped a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leaking of his tax returns.

Democrats have been mostly critical of the fund, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowing to impose a 100 percent tax on anyone receiving such funds.

A lawsuit has been filed by the legal advocacy group Democracy Forward.

The judge has blocked the fund until a June 12 hearing.

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi Diagnosed With Thyroid Cancer

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi has confirmed that she had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and that she had undergone surgery.

She told CNN on May 27 about her diagnosis and that she is recovering and “doing well.”

Bondi appeared before the House Oversight Committee on May 29 to testify on their investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She highlighted the Trump administration’s commitment to transparency in releasing the files.

Ex-CIA Official Arrested Over $40 Million in Gold Bars Found in Home

A former CIA official has been arrested after the FBI found $40 million in gold bars in his Virginia home.

David Rush, formerly a senior official with top-secret-level clearance, has been charged with criminal theft of public funds after FBI officials on May 28 seized 303 gold bars, $2 million in U.S. currency, and approximately 35 luxury watches, many of them Rolexes.

Between November 2025 and March 2026, Rush had made several requests and received a large quantity of foreign currency and gold bars for “work-related expenses.”

The FBI affidavit also alleged that he had lied about his military background and education for years.

He is scheduled to appear in court on June 5.