EyoNik 02

A $1.8 billion fund championed by President Trump has hit a wall - and the loudest objections are coming from inside his own party. Sources say some of the president's allies are now urging the White House to scrap it entirely, an unusually public break that was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The fund was created to settle a lawsuit Trump brought against the IRS over the unauthorized disclosure of his tax returns years ago. On paper, it's meant to compensate people who say they were wronged by the Justice Department during the Biden years. Critics from both sides call it something blunter: a slush fund to reward the president's allies. Even people who assaulted police during the January 6 Capitol riot could be eligible for payouts, though acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says a five-person commission would weigh their conduct first.

Then came Friday. A federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked the administration from moving forward and set a June 12 hearing. A second judge, overseeing the original IRS case, ordered Trump to respond to claims that he committed "fraud" on the court.

The political fallout is just as sharp. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wasn't even given a heads-up before the fund was announced. Sen. Mitch McConnell was harsher: "So the nation's top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong - take your pick."

The standoff is now tangling up Trump's own immigration agenda. Senators left for the Memorial Day recess without passing a bill that would send tens of billions to ICE and border patrol - unable to find 50 votes while the fund fight rages. Trump wanted that package on his desk by June 1.

Should the fund be scrapped, or is the backlash overblown?

A couple in New York named Nova and Reemo Styles got married at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

They wanted a beautiful wedding. They also wanted to save money. They came up with a solution that no other couple in modern American history had been bold enough to try.

They charged the guests admission.

The price of attendance was $333 per person. Per Reemo, the number 333 represented "change, growth, and strength." Per Nova, the price was justified because, in her words, "people choose to go to Beyoncé concerts because they know they're gonna have an experience. Let's put the stress on the guests. Let's sell tickets for a wedding."

When she pitched this to Reemo, he said, "Babe, people aren't going to come."

People came.

Sixty guests paid the $333. The ticket included a 12-hour day in New York City on a double-decker party bus that toured Hudson Yards, the courthouse, and a movie theater. There was a group sound bath meditation on the roof of the bus before the ceremony. The dress code was "dope NYC street style denim look."

Some of the guests grumbled. One asked the bride to her face, "Who do you guys think you are? Jay-Z and Beyoncé?"

The Styles do not have any regrets. They are also still married 👀