Happy Friday Slatersters, it's Mary, which means it's time for another episode of the show

that's kind of like a secret episode. It is just for the Slate Plus members. That's you. So come in,

make yourself comfortable. The last few weeks we've been playing this game we call Maine Character

Syndrome with all our friends around the Slate Newsroom. We've been asking for an update on one person place or thing.

They think you need to know about this week.

And here's the deal.

Usually we try to avoid the words Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Washington, D.C.,

but sometimes there's something so big, so important.

We need to break this rule, especially because I can talk to Jim Newell about what's going on. Jim Newell, you are here. Hello, Jim.

Hi, Mary. How you doing? I've dragged you here. Not really dragged you. Yeah, what do you want? What do you want for me?

I'm dragging because big news in your beat this week.

The one big beautiful Bill Act has officially passed the house.

And I got to say, I really didn't think Mike Johnson would meet his deadline.

His deadline was Memorial Day.

And you know what?

He got it done.

Were you surprised by that?

I was by the timing. I thought last week,

when they were having some trouble getting through a couple of committees and they had like

one failed vote and there were some headlines like, oh, this is chaos. They're in disarray.

I thought they were actually in a pretty good place to close the deal, but I did think it

might take another week or so of wrangling.

...