At night, the U.S. Naval Base in Guantánamo, Cuba appears like a tangled string of Christmas lights along the coastline, casting colored silhouettes across the waves that lap ashore. Sailors and Marines pack the local sports bar blaring pop music. Others frequent the bowling alley or play video games under intense strobe lights. Yet in contrast to the brightly illuminated base…
Source
Happy Tuesday! Here’s your Tuesday Tech Drop, the past week’s top stories from the intersection of politics and technology.
GAO’s DOGE probe hampered
Officials at some federal agencies are reportedly stonewalling the Government Accountability Office’s investigation into what sensitive information Elon Musk and other federal employees may have accessed while working for the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
The Washington Post reported on officials who have spurned requests from the GAO, which conducts audits and investigations into federal misconduct. Wouldn’t you like to know whether and how Musk and his minions garnered access to some of the government’s most highly guarded documents? I, for one, am certainly curious why some officials are blocking these efforts.
A GAO spokeswoman told the Post that the agency remains “committed to fulfilling our statutory audit responsibilities,” adding, “Timely cooperation from [a] federal agency is essential to ensuring Congress has the information it needs to conduct effective oversight.”
I don’t know about you, but to me that sure sounds like “you better hand over the documents.”
Read more at The Washington Post.
Elon’s latest L
Musk lost his lawsuit against OpenAI that could have led to a massive overhaul of the artificial intelligence company. The ruling, which the X owner has vowed to appeal, was something of a victory for OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman.
But Altman didn’t survive unscathed, as there were parts of the trial that made him appear quite untrustworthy.
Read more at Bloomberg.
Trump’s stock trades
I wrote about a new financial disclosure showing that President Donald Trump bought and sold stocks in tech companies, including Palantir and Nvidia, while his administration has had a hand in regulating — and enriching —
On May 1, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the mailing of mifepristone, a common abortion medication. The ruling restricted distribution and use of the medication to in-person clinic visits only, even as the number of brick-and-mortar abortion clinics has continued to shutter over the past year, and some red states blocked access to mail order pills.
Source
Pennsylvania can make or break a politician’s dreams.
In recent presidential elections, it has swung narrowly between Republicans and Democrats, proving to be a major part in sending Donald Trump to the White House.
In theory that should make life difficult for Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro as he runs for a second term this November. For the GOP, it’s a dual opportunity: win back a crucial office in a battleground state and halt the momentum of a potential presidential contender.
Instead, Shapiro appears to be headed for a much smoother fall than many of his peers in states around the country.
A whirlwind of reasons are at behind it all, from Shapiro’s political talents — and midterm momentum on the left — to problems within the Republican Party.
“There’s no question it’s an uphill battle,” said GOP Rep. Dan Meuser, who passed on a gubernatorial run of his own. To him, “Shapiro is good on his feet. He’s been around, he’s a transactional guy.”
Play
Shapiro tells MS NOW: Trump’s war with Iran has wreaked havoc across the globe
April 8, 2026 / 02:57
A former Pennsylvania attorney general, Shapiro was elected governor in 2022 in a 15-point rout over Trump-endorsed state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who was deeply involved with president’s falsehood filled crusade trying to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.
Democrats say he’s come away from his time so far with a record that has something to offer to moderate and progressives.
In office, Shapiro had to contend with a divided General Assembly, the Interstate 95 collapse and political violence against him. But Democrats say he’s come away from his time so far with a record that has
The word “Black” has been almost completely removed from a package of bills that have long been viewed as Congress’ main legislative vehicle to address the Black maternal health crisis, frustrating some advocates who feel Black women are being erased from the policy. The key change this year is the title. The Momnibus Act — filed in mid-March — was called the Black Maternal Health Momnibus…
Source
On the surface, the case of Bryan Rafael Gomez seemed like thousands of others filed from coast to coast as the Trump administration has detained immigrants without a bond hearing.
But after Gomez successfully petitioned for his release, it became clear his case could hardly be more different.
First, on April 30, the Department of Homeland Security posted a press release online that blamed an “activist judge” for releasing “a violent criminal illegal alien who is wanted for murder in the Dominican Republic.”
After media coverage of that release ensued, the judge, Melissa DuBose of the District of Rhode Island, issued a stark order that same day. Noting that the government had never apprised her of the detainee’s “dangerousness and/or criminal history,” she directed the Justice Department to explain why it should not be held in contempt.
And that’s when things really took a turn.
In his May 1 response, the DOJ lawyer involved, Kevin Bolan, acknowledged that he knew, prior to DuBose’s release order, that Gomez had an outstanding 2023 arrest warrant, but he said unnamed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials told him Bolan “was not permitted to disclose that information” to DuBose for an unspecified “legitimate law enforcement reason.”
Bolan added, “I sincerely apologize to Judge DuBose, personally, and to the entire Court for the consequences of this lack of disclosure.”
Less than two weeks have passed since Bolan’s admission and apology, but the fallout has been swift.
DuBose referred Bolan, the chief of the civil division of Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, for disciplinary proceedings for his “lack of candor.” The chief judge of the district has since appointed a law professor and former Scalia