AI EO Is A-Go

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for June 2, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

President Donald Trump is wading into AI oversight, signing an executive order directing federal agencies to ask tech companies for early access to advanced AI models.

Trump’s signing caps weeks of White House deliberations and means federal agencies have 30 days to preview the models instead of a scrapped proposal that called for 90 days.

Lawmakers want limits on the Pentagon’s rapid AI integration into autonomous weapons systems and nuclear operations.

Two Senate candidates are in D.C. to drum up support. Maine’s Graham Platner is meeting with Senate Democrats days after reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with women who weren’t his wife. Ken Paxton, flying high after his Trump-backed win, is scheduled to meet with the president at the White House.

THE ADMINISTRATION

Marco Rubio said U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are not under review. That’s despite recent speculation that the deals were being used as bargaining chips during Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Talks with China aren’t “what is holding up our decision making,” the secretary of state told a Senate panel.

Trump tapped Bill Pulte, a housing official with no background in intelligence or national security, as acting director of national intelligence. As director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Pulte used housing records to target Trump foes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is already skeptical of the pick, telling reporters “we don’t need a weaponized DNI.”

An insect-defense agency is facing a bed bug infestation, and the irony, one Agriculture Department employee said, “was lost on no one.”

THE HILL

A tale of two Dan Sullivans: Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, who’s running for a third term, is threatening legal action against an opponent who is also named Dan Sullivan. The Senate Republican accused his challenger of being a plant for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola.

The House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez over sexual misconduct allegations, CNN reports. The probe stems from claims that the California Democrat was spotted kissing a staffer who worked for another lawmaker in 2023. Gomez acknowledged “personal mistakes outside my marriage,” but said any alleged “actions were consensual” and did not violate House ethics rules.

THE STATES

Voters in six states — California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota — have only a few hours left to cast their vote in primary elections tonight. One of the more curious candidates is Rep. Tom Kean Jr., the Republican running unopposed (and endorsed by Trump) in his primary, despite being MIA in the House for months.

WYDEN’S DOPPELGANGER

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Missy Khamvongsa, Matt Berman and Erik Schutz. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.