While You Were Sleeping.

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Travel Ban 2.0: Trump Signs Travel Ban for 12 Countries Including Afghanistan (Bloomberg)

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President Donald Trump signed a proclamation that bans individuals from 12 countries from entering the US, reinstating one of the most controversial measures from his first term after an attack in Colorado that targeted an event supporting Israeli hostages.

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The travel ban announced Wednesday covers Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The measure also partially limits entry of people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

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Revenge Tour: Trump Orders Inquiry Into Biden’s Health, Use of Autopen (Bloomberg)

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Donald Trump directed aides to investigate whether former President Joe Biden’s staff conspired to hide information about his health from the public and enacted any executive actions without his predecessor’s knowledge.

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The memorandum, published Wednesday, orders an inquiry by the counsel to the president in consultation with the US attorney general and the heads of any relevant agencies and cites Biden’s use of an autopen to sign documents.

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Raising Stakes in the War on Harvard: Trump Bars Foreign Students From Entering US to Attend Harvard (Bloomberg)

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Trump signed an executive action that prevents foreign nationals from entering the US to study at Harvard University, accusing the school of failing to implement discipline on campus and fostering a dramatic rise in crime.



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The Trump action may allow the administration to sidestep a ruling by US District Judge Allison Burroughs that allowed the university to temporarily continue enrolling students. 

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Smells Like Self-Interest: Musk Aims to ‘Kill’ Tax Bill as He Fails to Save EV Credits (Bloomberg)

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Elon Musk ratcheted up his offensive against the president’s signature legislation on Wednesday, urging that Americans contact their lawmakers to “KILL” the legislation, pinning his opposition to the bill’s $2.4 trillion price tag.

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“Call your Senator, Call your Congressman,” Musk wrote in a social media post. “Bankrupting America is NOT ok!”

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Tech Explainer.

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How to Own AI: Your AI Survival Kit (Axios)

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Axios put together a great list of AI tips and tools that was too good to keep to myself.

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As Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen of Axios write, everyone should "start preparing today for society-shifting AI advancements coming soon."

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But if that sounds daunting or scary, consider this:  AI is "the first advanced technology that you don't need to be a computer nerd or coder to master. You simply need to master the art of prompting."

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To help you do that, Axios collected the best insights from AI experts, government officials, business leaders and others in what is an AI Survival Kit for the College Freshman inside us all.

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Among the tips I'm bookmarking, the first is "Learn the models." ChatGPT may have become to AI as Vaseline is to petroleum jelly, but they are far from the only player in the market. Claude, Grok, Perplexity, Gemini , Meta AI and Apple Intelligence are all major AI tools to test and potentially add to your arsenal.

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Then there's "Experiment aggressively." Two easy ways to start are to train your model of choice as a writing assistant that can help you communicate more clearly in your own voice, and to use the technology's robust research capabilities, including to help you prepare for a meeting, understand a new subject or plan a trip or event. 

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Put on your manager hat and "Master the prompts" by: being hyper-specific and detailed; assigning a clear role for your AI assistant; outlining the task — and providing a plan; and doing what Axios calls "meta-prompting," which is another way of saying, ask the AI to help you improve your prompts.

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The TL:DR: Figure out now ways to leverage Large Language Models (LLMs) to vastly improve your productivity, creativity and enjoyment. This is a snooze-you-lose moment. But if you jump in, start to master LLMs, and try to double or, even, triple your output this year — and 10x it down the road — this could be a game-changer for your life and career.

Tariff Fallout Roils US Economy.

Steep Contraction Under Trump: US Services Activity Contracts for First time in Nearly a Year (Bloomberg)

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The steepest contraction in new orders and the highest prices-paid index since late 2022 illustrate a more pronounced impact on demand and inflation as a result of higher US duties on imports.

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Job Market Losing Steam: US Hiring Cools to Slowest Pace in Two Years, ADP Data Show (Bloomberg)

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Private-sector payrolls increased by just 37,000 last month, lower than all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. That marked the second month in a row when the figures were well below expectations.

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It suggest the past two months of high anxiety around Trump’s ever-changing economic policies weighed on business staffing decisions. Hiring has slowed and it is taking longer for people who are out of work to find a new job. Economists anticipate the labor market will show more signs of cooling in the coming months.

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Fiscal Cliff: Republican Tax Bill Adds $2.4 Trillion to US Deficits, Congressional Budget Office Says (Bloomberg)

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Prospects for an even more dire US fiscal trajectory threaten to stoke concerns about the bill among GOP fiscal hawks. 

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Unreliable Sources: Economists Raise Questions About Quality of U.S. Inflation Data (Wall Street Journal)

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the office that publishes the inflation rate, reports that a hiring freeze at the agency was forcing the survey to cut back on the number of businesses where it checks prices. 

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Economists say the staffing shortage raises questions about the quality of recent and upcoming inflation reports. There is no sign of an intentional effort to publish false or misleading statistics. But any problems with the data could have major implications for the economy.

AI Jobs Impact: Vista CEO Says AI to Force 60% of SuperReturn Crowd to Seek Work (Bloomberg)

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‌“Earlier this year, Bloomberg Intelligence released a report suggesting global banks will cut as many as 200,000 jobs in the next three to five years as artificial intelligence encroaches on tasks currently carried out by human workers.”

What I'm Reading.

Did Trump Take Dictation in Call?: Trump Says Putin Plans to Retaliate for Ukrainian Attack on Its Warplanes (New York Times)

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Trump said Russia planned to retaliate against Ukraine for its surprise attack, after speaking to Vladimir Putin on the phone for more than an hour.

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Trump did not say if he sought to discourage Putin from attacking Ukraine. He rather expressed optimism over the prospect of working with Putin on another foreign policy priority: deterring Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

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Higher Learning Under Siege: Trump Officials Target Columbia Accreditation (Bloomberg)

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Less than two months after the Trump administration canceled $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University to force changes at the institution, the Education Department is alleging the school no longer meets accreditation standards.

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Any revocation of the school’s accreditation could have significant implications for students. Some 21% of Columbia College and Columbia Engineering undergraduates receive the Pell Grant, a type of federal aid for high-need students, according to figures on the university’s website. Removing access to federal student loans would also increase borrowing costs for many students financing their education, while federally-backed work-study programs could also be under threat.

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Don't Miss Today's Daily Read Podcast: Click here to listen to the latest episode of the AI-generated companion of today's newsletter on Spotify. It's also available on Apple Podcasts.  Take a listen today.

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And Don't Forget to Wear Orange Today! Visit Wear Orange online to learn how you can get involved with the movement to end gun violence.  And learn more at Everytown for Gun Safety's website.

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Today in DC: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Has Courted and Criticized Trump From Afar. Now They Meet (Bloomberg)

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After nearly a month in office, the 69-year-old conservative German Chancellor is in Washington for his first meeting with Trump. Past meetings between the two countries’ leaders have often been formalities to reinforce their unshakable postwar partnership: This time is different, with top issues ranging from support for Ukraine in its war against Russia to looming tariffs on German exports.

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Climate Impact: Eastern U.S. Is Shrouded in Smoke and Dust (New York Times)

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The National Weather Service issued air quality alerts for New York City and many surrounding areas, including New Jersey and most of Connecticut. Officials said that those more sensitive to air pollution should limit going outdoors and watch for respiratory symptoms from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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Satellite imagery showed a broad swath of smoke still covering the eastern United States on Wednesday. The smoke stretched from northern Georgia to New England and into parts of the Upper Midwest.

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Opening Next Week in NYC: 'Passengers' Promises Astonishing Blend of Cirque, Music and Dance (PAC NYC)

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‌The 7 Fingers, Montréal’s acclaimed contemporary physical theater troupe, pulls into PAC NYC on June 12. Their limited run promises to bring breathtaking wonder and heartwarming storytelling in a rare entertainment event that makes for a perfect date night or a thrilling family adventure.

Best of Late Night.

On Donald Trump's new official portrait:

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"Yesterday, the White House dropped the president's new official portrait. You might remember, he already had an official portrait, which I believe was released on his inauguration. And that photo can only be described as 'body in the morgue that just stood up'."

-- Stephen Colbert

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"The new picture will replace the official photographs of Trump that have already been hung in federal buildings and offices. The old pictures will not be thrown away. They will be used from now on to scare horses."

-- Stephen Colbert

On Elon Musk's criticism of Trump's deficit-exploding budget bill:

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“Just days after leaving his official role at the White House, Elon Musk is now blasting President Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ as a ‘disgusting abomination.’ And that’s coming from the guy who made the Cybertruck.”

-- Jimmy Fallon

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On legislation that could force snack food makers to add warning labels:

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"A new bill in Texas could force Doritos, M&Ms and other snack foods to add warning labels about ingredients 'not recommended for human consumption'. That's not the only warning label snacks will have to add. For example, Stacy's Pita Chips will have to add the warning, 'The chip that you're chewing might also be your shattered tooth'. Next up, Cracker Jack would need the label, 'We really stretched the definition of a prize.'"

-- Jimmy Fallon