PopInfo Weekly: Slop, Scams, and Subpoenas
A Popular Information probe uncovered that Advance Local’s award‑winning newspaper network has published more than 17,000 online pieces that act as covert advertisements for sports‑books, online casinos and prediction markets since 2022. Meanwhile, the Pentagon comptroller’s $29 billion estimate for the Iran war contrasts sharply with a Popular Information calculation of nearly $72 billion spent in the first 60 days. Additional headlines include Trump Mobile’s delayed, non‑U.S.‑made smartphone rollout, DOJ subpoenas of journalists after a Trump‑led leak complaint, and a 90 percent judicial defeat rate for ICE detention policies. These stories illustrate a pattern of misinformation, fiscal opacity and regulatory push‑back across media, government and private sectors.
PopInfo Weekly: Leaks, Lapses, and Lies
A recent PopInfo Weekly roundup highlights several accountability lapses across the U.S. government and private sector. The Trump administration has not paid ICE detainee medical bills for over seven months, coinciding with a spike in deaths, while Popular Information estimates...
The Truth About State Farm
State Farm spent $1.139 billion on advertising in 2025, including a Super Bowl spot that pits the insurer against a fictional rival. A California Department of Insurance (CDI) enforcement action this week found the company mishandled more than half of 220...
The Real Cost of the Iran War: $72 Billion for the First 60 Days
Popular Information released a study estimating the United States has spent roughly $71.8 billion on the Iran war during its first 60 days. That figure dwarfs the Pentagon’s public $25 billion claim and even the internal $50 billion estimate cited by lawmakers. The...
ICE Has Not Paid for Detainee Medical Care for 7 Months
On October 3 2025 the Trump administration halted reimbursements to third‑party providers for ICE detainee medical care, creating a seven‑month payment gap. The pause coincided with a sharp rise in detainee deaths, jumping from an average of 9 per year to 33...
Trump Floats Taxpayer Bailout for Middle Eastern Autocracy
President Trump indicated the United States is weighing a taxpayer‑funded bailout for the United Arab Emirates, including a potential currency‑swap line that could give the Gulf state cheap dollar access. The proposal follows a September $20 billion swap to Argentina and...
These Highly Profitable Corporations Paid Zero Federal Income Taxes Last Year
The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy reports that 88 profitable U.S. corporations paid zero federal income tax in 2025, thanks to tax breaks from the 2022 One Big Beautiful Bill such as 100% bonus depreciation, immediate R&D expensing, and...
UPDATE: Judge Dismisses Trump’s $10 Billion Epstein Lawsuit Against the Wall Street Journal
A federal judge dismissed former President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, which alleged the paper fabricated a 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin Gayles ruled the complaint failed to meet the “actual malice”...
Trump's CFTC Goes to War with States — to Protect His Family's Business Partners
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has filed lawsuits against Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois to stop those states from restricting prediction‑market platforms such as Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com and Robinhood. The agency argues these markets are regulated swaps, not gambling, and claims...
The $1.7 Trillion Military Budget Includes a Massive Slush Fund for Trump’s Political Allies
President Trump unveiled a $1.5 trillion defense request for FY 2027, pushing total military spending to roughly $1.7 trillion when combined with a $200 billion supplemental war fund for the Iran conflict. The proposal includes a $185 billion "Golden Dome" space‑based missile defense program, whose...
One Company’s Million-Dollar Gambit to Turn the Healthcare Crisis Into a Gold Mine
HealthEquity, the largest U.S. health‑savings‑account administrator, announced record HSA sales and expanding margins in its March earnings call. The company credited the Trump‑era "One Big Beautiful" bill for broadening HSA eligibility, adding roughly 10 million new potential participants. Shortly after, HealthEquity...
Planning to Fail
The Trump administration entered the Iran war without a clear strategy for a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that moves about 20% of global oil. Iran’s shutdown of the strait pushed Brent crude above $100 per...
Consumers Paid for Trump’s Illegal Tariffs. These Companies May Profit.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that President Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, striking down most of his tariffs and opening the door to roughly $175 billion in refunds. A federal judge ordered Customs and Border...
UPDATE: Trump Says Kushner Helped Convince Him to Go to War with Iran
President Trump told reporters that Jared Kushner was among a small group of advisers who persuaded him to launch major combat operations against Iran. Kushner, who holds no formal government role, participated in Geneva mediation while running his private‑equity firm...
9 Days in, the Most Basic Question About the Iran War Remains Unanswered
President Trump announced on Feb. 28 that the United States began major combat operations in Iran, a conflict that has already killed more than 1,500 people and is costing roughly $1 billion per day. Nine days into the war, the administration has...