U.S. and Iran Reach a 60-day Agreement

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and launch talks on Iran’s nuclear program.

TAG: That’s correspondent Bernie Bennett in Washington.

VERBATIM:
That’s according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, who said President Donald Trump still needs to sign off on the emerging memorandum of understanding. Iran did not immediately confirm any deal with the United States.

The tentative agreement worked out by the two sides comes at a moment when the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran appeared to be wavering.

Retail Sales Slow in April

NEW YORK (AP) — Retail sales slowed in April do in part to high gas prices.
Bernie Bennett reports from Washington.

VERBATIM:
Shoppers tempered their spending in April as higher gas prices fueled by the Iran war meant less money left over for some nonessentials like clothing and furniture. But they’re still buying, thanks to more generous tax refunds.

Retail sales rose 0.5% in April, a slowdown from the revised growth level of 1.6% in March, according to Commerce Department data released Thursday. March marked the largest one-month increase in retail spending in more than three years, largely because gas prices spiked higher rapidly.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

White House Policy on AI

A new directive would ask tech companies to submit their advanced AI models to a review by federal agencies.

VERBATIM: The White House’s highly anticipated artificial intelligence and cybersecurity executive order will designate a coalition of national security and civilian agencies to ramp up scrutiny of cutting-edge AI models.

Industry officials began receiving details on the directive from the White House on Tuesday night. It could come as early as Thursday.

One key question is whether the order will require a federal review of advanced AI models before they can be released, an idea the Trump administration had distanced itself from earlier this month after initially floating the proposal. The latest draft would ask developers of the systems to submit certain models to a voluntary review by a phalanx of federal agencies as far as 90 days before they’re made public.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Trump Cabinet Meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump meets with his Cabinet at a precarious moment for talks aimed at ending the war with Iran. Bernie Bennett has details. ((THE CABINET MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR 11AM ET))

VERBATIM:
The Republican president has projected confidence that he’s closing in on a deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and give him a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory.

As he prepares to huddle with his top aides this morning, President Trump is hoping to wind down a conflict that’s been politically unpopular for Republicans as the midterms are approaching. Under the potential deal, Tehran would agree to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in return for sanctions relief.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

House – DOJ

House Judiciary Committee Republicans reject a subpoenas for architects of a new ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ at the Department of Justice. Bernie Bennett reports.

VERBATIM: House Republicans rejected a bid from Judiciary Committee Democrats to subpoena several Trump administration officials involved in the establishment of a new, $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that’s been cast in a negative light.

Ultimately, 18 House Republicans voted Wednesday to dismiss the motion to compel testimony from “those involved in the creation or execution” of the account.

That includes Attorney General Todd Blanche, associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, IRS CEO Frank Bisignano and Brian Morrissey, who recently resigned as general counsel at the Treasury Department.

The new fund was announced Monday as part of a settlement deal with President Trump, where he agreed to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the government over the leak of his tax returns, in part, in exchange for the creation of the account.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

Natural Born Members and Judges

A House Republican introcuces an amendment that judges and members of congress can only be natural-born U.S. citizens.
This report from Correspondent Bernie Bennett.

VERBATIM:
South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting naturalized citizens from serving in Congress, becoming federal judges or holding Senate-confirmed positions.

In a Wednesday statement shared on X, Mace says she introduced a “long overdue joint resolution” for the constitutional amendment, noting, “This is the very same standard the President and Vice President are already required to meet.”

Mace, who’s running for governor, suggests that U.S. officials born in other countries could have split loyalties.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Affordable Housing

HOUSE-AFFORDABLE HOUSING

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The House overwhelmingly passed a housing affordability bill Wednesday after winning the backing of President Donald Trump on some key provisions less than 24 hours before the vote. Bernie Bennett has this update.

VERBATIM:
The House-amended 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed the chamber by a vote of 396-13 and will be sent back to the Senate. The passage of the bipartisan, White House-endorsed bill marks a win for the House, which had been pressed for weeks to accept a Senate-passed version of the legislation.

Speaker Mike Johnson wrote in a statement, “We are grateful that a strong, bipartisan majority of the House voted to pass this bill today. We urge the Senate to swiftly do the same.”

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

Alabama Senate Race

ALABAMA-SENATE

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Congressman Barry Moore and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson advanced to a runoff Wednesday for the Republican nomination for Alabama’s open Senate.

VERBATIM:
Moore is a three-term congressman endorsed by President Donald Trump and Hudson is a political newcomer. Moore said the state deserves a “Trump conservative” in the Senate, while Hudson has promised to be “a warrior for President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda” if he is elected.

On the Democratic side, business owner Dakarai Larriett and lawyer Everett Wess are heading to a runoff, but either of them would face an uphill climb in deep-red Alabama.

The Republican and Democratic runoffs will be held June 16.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Senate-War Powers

A Senate Republican spurned by President Donald Trump joined Senate Democrats and provided the key vote to advance a war powers resolution through a key hurdle. Bernie Bennett has the story.

VERBATIM:
Lousiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost his primary bid over the weekend, sided with Senate Democrats in their war of attrition to curtail President Trump’s policing powers in the Middle East. It comes after Democrats successfully gained another defector, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, last week.

The Democrats’ gambit finally worked after seven failed tries, with four Senate Republicans joining them to move the measure forward. But there is still a long way to go before the resolution becomes official. And even if it were to succeed, Democrats likely do not have a veto-proof coalition to counter President Trump.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

Texas Democrats

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – The Texas Supreme Court refuses to declare Democrat lawmakers who fled the state in 2025 to block a vote on new congressional maps pushed by President Donald Trump had vacated their office.

VERBATIM:
The all-Republican court dealt a blow to Gov. Greg Abbott and state Republicans in their efforts to severely punish the more than 50 Democrats who bolted for New York, Illinois and Massachusetts in a bid to stop a vote on the maps during a special session.

The Texas redistricting effort kick-started cascading efforts by both parties across the country to redraw voting maps ahead of this year’s midterm elections: Republicans seek to hold their slim majority in Congress as Democrats try to counter them.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

FDA Official Fired

WASHINGTON (AP) – A Food and Drug Administration official involved in scrutinizing the safety of antidepressants, COVID-19 vaccines and other widely used therapies has been removed from her role leading the agency’s drug program.

VERBATIM:
Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg will be replaced as FDA’s acting drug center director by Dr. Mike Davis, who has been serving as deputy director.

Hoeg said in a social media post late Friday that she was “fired,” from the agency, adding: “I learned so much and leave with no regrets.”

Hoeg’s departure is the latest in an ongoing shake-up at the regulatory agency. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned earlier in the week, and Dr. Vinay Prasad, the agency’s vaccine and biotech chief, stepped down last month following intense criticism from drugmakers, patients and investors.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

ISIS Leader Dead

President Trump says the U.S. Military has killed an Islamic State leader in Nigeria.
Reporter Bernie Bennett has details.

VERBATIM:
The President announced Friday evening that U.S. and Nigerian military forces had killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a leader of the Islamic State group, in a “meticulously planned and very complex mission.”

Mr. Trump described al-Minuki as the Islamic State’s second-in-command globally and “the most active terrorist in the world.”

Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished. He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

Border Patrol Chief Resigns

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks says he is resigning, effective immediately.

VERTATIM:
The Director of the Border Patrol says, “It’s just time.”

In a televised interview, Banks says, “I feel like I got the ship back on course from the least secure disastrous chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen. Time to pass the reigns, 37 years, it’s time to enjoy the family and life.”

Banks faces unconfirmed reports of misconduct while in office.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Senate Confirms Warsh for Fed Chair

The Senate confirms President Trump’s nominee for to chair the Federal Reserve. Bernie Bennett has more.

VERBATIM:
The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh’s nomination to a 14-year term on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors on Tuesday, teeing up a final vote to make the ally of President Donald Trump the central bank’s next chair.

The 51-45 vote was largely along party lines, with Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania the only Democrat to vote in favor of Warsh, a former Fed governor and Wall Street banker. Warsh’s nomination to be the central bank’s chair for a four-year term requires a separate Senate vote, which is expected as soon as Wednesday.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

Prime Minister Starmer Asked to Resign

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure to resign as junior ministers quit, and Members of Parliament urge him to go.

VERBATIM:
Four junior ministers have quit in protest as Prime Minister Keir Starmer refuses to heed growing calls to resign. Eighty-Seven members of his own party have resigned from Parliament in protest.

Starmer has promised to “get on with governing”, defying calls from more than 80 MPs who are urging him to leave imminently or set out a timetable to do so after his Labour Party suffered heavy election losses.

Amid the uncertainty, King Charles III is to give a speech on Wednesday to open the next parliamentary session and outline the government’s plans.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Consumer Price Index Rises

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. consumer prices climbed a sharply again last month as the 10-week war with Iran pushed energy prices higher. Details from Correspondent Bernie Bennett.

VERBATIM:
The Labor Department reported Tuesday that its consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025. On a month-to-month basis, April prices were up 0.6% from March as gasoline prices rose 5.4%.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called consumer core prices were up 0.4% last month from March and 2.8% from April 2025, relatively modest readings that suggest the energy price burst isn’t yet spilling over much into other prices.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in White House Correspondents Dinner Shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) – A man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner while armed with guns and knives pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he attempted to kill President Donald Trump and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer who tried to stop the attack. Bernie Bennett reports.

POSSIBLE OUT CUE: Pirro and Blanche were in attendance at the dinner, when Allen ran past a check point and shot the secret service agent.

VERBATIM: Cole Tomas Allen was handcuffed and shackled and wearing an orange jumpsuit when he appeared in federal court for his arraignment Monday.

Allen didn’t speak during the brief hearing. One of his attorneys entered the plea on his behalf.

Allen’s lawyers are asking U .S. District Judge Trevor McFadden to disqualify Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Iran-US

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Iran and the United States have reached an impasse again over how to end their war.
Bernie Bennett reports.

VERBATIM:
Their ceasefire is growing increasingly shaky, with the two sides exchanging fire in recent days, ships and Gulf states being targeted, and fighting flaring between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The volatility could tip the Middle East back into open warfare and prolong the worldwide energy crisis sparked by the conflict.

President Donald Trump is expected to use a trip this week to China to urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Iran into making concessions and end the current limbo. The President rejected Iran’s most recent proposal via Pakistan over the weekend.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Virginia-Redistricting

The Virginia Supreme Court has struck down a Democratic congressional redistricting plan that had won voter approval. Bernie Bennett has this report.

VERBATIM:
The court’s 4-3 decision Friday marked a major setback for Democrats in a nationwide redistricting battle with Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

The plan approved April 21 by voters could have helped Democrats win up to four additional U.S. House seats. But the court said state lawmakers violated procedural requirements when referring the plan to the ballot.

A recent U.S, Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act has been used by Republicans in several Southern states to try to eliminate congressional districts held by Black Democratic lawmakers.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Jobs Report

America’s employers a delivered a surprising 115,000 new jobs last month despite an economic shock from the Iran war.

OUT CUE: Correspondent Bernie Bennett reporting.

VERBATIM: Hiring was better than the 65,000 that economists had expected, though it decelerated from the 185,000 jobs created in March.

The unemployment rate remained at a low 4.3%. The war has caused the biggest disruption of global oil supplies in history and sent average U.S. gasoline prices surging past $4.50 a gallon this week.

But the conflict hasn’t done much damage to the American job market so far.

Jobless Claims

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. jobless claim applications rose last week but remain at historically low levels despite elevated inflation and other economic headwinds. More from Bernie Bennett.

VERBATIM:
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the week ending May 2 rose by 10,000 to 200,000. That’s fewer than the 205,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet were expecting.

The previous week’s new claims figure, which was the fewest since 1969, was revised up by 1,000 to 190,000.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Election 2026 Redistricting

Lawmakers in several southern states are meeting this week to consider redistricting plans in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act.

OUTCUE: That’s reporter Bernie Bennett.

VERBATIM:
Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called legislators into a special session on Monday which could enable a new date for congressional primaries. Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee has announced a special session starting Tuesday to redraw the state’s U.S. House districts. And Louisiana lawmakers also are in session to consider how to redraw districts after the Supreme Court struck down a majority Black district in the state.

Ohio-GOP Primary

The Supreme Court restores access to an abortion pill through telehealth, mail and pharmacies. Bernie Bennett reports.

VERBATIM:
The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito temporarily allows women seeking abortions to obtain the pill at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor.

Those rules had been in effect for several years until a federal appeals court imposed new restrictions last week.

The majority of abortions in the U.S. are obtained through medications, usually a combination of mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol.

The availability of those drugs has blunted the impact of abortion bans that most Republican-led states have sought to enforce since a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Abortion Pill

The Supreme Court restores access to an abortion pill through telehealth, mail and pharmacies. Bernie Bennett reports.

VERBATIM:
The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito temporarily allows women seeking abortions to obtain the pill at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor.

Those rules had been in effect for several years until a federal appeals court imposed new restrictions last week.

The majority of abortions in the U.S. are obtained through medications, usually a combination of mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol.

The availability of those drugs has blunted the impact of abortion bans that most Republican-led states have sought to enforce since a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Bernie Bennett reporting.