The Needle: White House Is Investigating Missing Kennedy Center Donation, Families Protest National Guard Deployment at Schools, Ballroom Donor Details Unearthed, and More
Posted
Gail O'Hara (via Washington CityPaper)
Donor pass: The White House is investigating missing Kennedy Center money after former Trump lawyer Alina Habba alleged that former Kennedy Center leader Ric Grenell failed to deposit a nearly $5.6 million donation from her husband, Turhan Mildon, last year. Grenell denies receiving the payment and the Trump administration is still waiting for receipts. Plus one point for what Axios calls a “MAGA blood feud.” +1 [Axios]
Cross with the guard: Community members including parents and students came out Wednesday to protest the National Guard near D.C. schools. Citizens who want to keep federal officers away from schools showed up at the “No Guard at Bard” news conference at the Congress Heights Metro station. “D.C. doesn’t want the National Guard here. Veterans don’t want the National Guard here, and this occupation needs to end now,” veteran Jermaine Collins told WTOP. Plus two points for showing up. +2 [WTOP]
Ballroom blitz: Ever since Russian American investor Konstantin Sokolov donated an undisclosed sum to convicted felon and President Donald Trump’s $600 million ballroom, $12 million to the MAGA Inc. super-PAC, and hundreds of thousands to GOP campaigns and committees, he’s raked in the benefits: Per TPM, the Treasury Department gave a company he manages a license to get around sanctions against Russia; the State Department tapped him to run a $201 million investment fund; and he’s been communicating with Don Jr.’s 1789 Capital investment firm. Today, the Post revealed more about other ballroom donors. Minus one point for paying to play. -1 [TPM, New Republic]
CREW cuts: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington says Jared Kushner is violating the law by acting as a U.S. diplomat without Senate confirmation or financial disclosures. CREW filed a lawsuit to stop him performing in this role and demand receipts. Nearly all of the $6 billion in assets under management in Kushner’s firm are owned by foreign investors from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. Plus one point for trying to rein in a nepo diplomat. +1 [Bloomberg]
Networking: A federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the president can’t ban 70-plus journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, saying that Trump’s decision to bar them violated their fundamental free speech and due process rights, both enshrined in the Bill of Rights. The news organizations sued last month after being denied access. The judge highlighted Trump’s own statements to show the president is more concerned about negative coverage than national security. The DOJ, which is investigating all five major TV networks, said Wednesday it would appeal. Plus one for a free press. +1 [NPR]
SNAP back: More than 5 million people—including more than 100,000 Virginians—have lost their SNAP benefits since 2025’s One Big Beautiful Bill passed. It cut funding, expanded work requirements, and pushed costs to states. The OBBBA plans to cut $186 billion in SNAP funds in the coming 10 years. The number of recipients has declined sharply in recent months, falling by 13 percent. As of June 2026, national participation was at its lowest point since August 2009. Minus three points for hungry Americans. -3 [PBS Newshour]
19 days … until the midterm elections. Plus one point for hope. +1
