Trump News for Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Blanche, asked about other postings of '86 47,' says 'every case is different'

Alexander Mallin, Abcnews.com

Acting AG Todd Blanche says the DOJ's decision to investigate James Comey for his "86 47" Instagram post does not mean everyone who posts that will be prosecuted.

DC shooting prompts alarm about threat posed by attackers crossing state lines

Bill Hutchinson, Abcnews.com

Federal officials issued a warning to anyone contemplating traveling to the nation's capital to cause mayhem.

WATCH: Viral menopause hack raises medical questions

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Dr. Jennifer Miao explains the risks and science behind a viral trend using Allegra and Pepcid to ease menopause symptoms.

Ford books $1.3 billion tariff refund, lifting profits despite falling volumes

Ben Shimkus, Business Insider

Ford said it expects a $1.3 billion tariff refund, according to its quarterly results. Still, automakers expect to pay billions in tariffs this year.

An Untapped Energy Goldmine Is Buried Beneath the US—and No, It’s Not Oil

Ellyn Lapointe, Gizmodo.com

Massive lithium reserves in eastern states could replace 328 years of U.S. imports, according to new research by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Brendan Carr Is Playing a Dangerous Game

Nitish Pahwa, Slate Magazine

If he can weaponize Jimmy Kimmel’s joke to punish ABC, other media companies with far less will be intimidated out of ever criticizing the president again.

Trump: Putin offered to help settle Iranian nuclear enrichment impasse

Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump said that Vladimir Putin told him he’d “like to be involved” in settling Iranian nuclear enrichment.

Appeals Court Dumps California Law That Would Have Banned Federal Officers From Wearing Masks

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Raids and arrests around the nation by federal immigration officers all feature the same thing: a bunch of people in masks shoving people into unmarked vehicles. What’s happening under Trump during his second term doesn’t feel like America. And it certainly d…

Trump met with oil and gas executives as Iran war drags on, prices surge

Mary Bruce, Isabella Murray, Abcnews.com

President Donald Trump and some of his top administration officials met this week with oil and gas executives as the Iran war drags on and prices rise.

Ex-FBI chief Comey appears in court over alleged Trump threat

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

Comey turned himself in on two charges, threatening the US president's life and transmitting threats across state lines.

The Iran war now has a price tag ($25 billion), but still no end date

Greg Myre, NPR

The Pentagon estimates the war has cost $25 billion over the past two months. In congressional testimony, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not say when the war might end.

Pentagon chief Hegseth first public hearing on Iran war: Key takeaways

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Pete Hegseth testifies alongside General Dan Caine, responds to questions on war Pentagon says has cost $25bn.

SCOTUS considers Trump’s bid to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, Syrians

Laura Romero, Peter Charalambous, Abcnews.com

The Supreme Court grappled with whether the Trump admin has the authority to end humanitarian protections for thousands of immigrants without facing judicial review.

‘Trump’s Justice Department is on a revenge tour’

Al Jazeera English

Claire Finkelstein says Comey will likely fight his indictment over a social media post critical of Trump.

WATCH: Trump hosts Artemis II crew at White House after historic lunar flyby mission

ABC News, Abcnews.com

President Trump welcomed the Artemis II crew to the White House after they completed a record-breaking trip around the moon.

Florida lawmakers pass a voting map that could help Republicans flip four House seats

Tristan Wood, NPR

The map drawn by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis boosts President Trump's effort to reshape voting before the midterm elections. The GOP likely holds a slight edge over Democrats in redistricting now.

Trump vows to maintain Iran blockade, Tehran threaten ‘practical’ action

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US president says Washington's naval siege on Iranian ports is 'more effective than the bombing' as oil price soars.

Comey Spelled It In Seashells By The Seashore. The DOJ Now Pretends It’s A Felony.

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

James Comey is not exactly someone we’ve ever been a fan of on Techdirt. He was a terrible FBI director in so many ways. We’ve spent years criticizing the man — for his crusade against encryption, his supporting the FBI’s ridiculously aggressive impersonation…

This is what it takes to become Trump’s attorney general

Kelli Wessinger, Noel King, Vox

It’s been a big week for the Trump Justice Department, beginning with the arraignment of an alleged would-be presidential assassin on Monday. Just one day after charges were brought against Cole Tomas Allen, who prosecutors say attempted to assassinate Presid…

America’s Blood Populists

Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic

Most Americans fully reject political violence. It’s time to differentiate between those who tolerate it and everyone else.

How to Get a Passport Without President Trump’s Face on It

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

The president's signature will appear in gold.

Ted Cruz Bashes Trump Administration for Going After Jimmy Kimmel

Nikkimccannramirez, Rolling Stone

Texas Senator Ted Cruz criticized the Trump administration and the FCC for going after Disney and ABC over Jimmy Kimmel.

Trump admin probe into ABC amid Kimmel row sparks US free speech concerns

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Critics accuse US president of using Federal Communications Commission to censor critics in violation of speech rights.

Days before warning report, all 22 National Science Board members fired in two-sentence email

Jason Weisberger, Boing Boing

Just days before it was set to warn that the United States is losing ground to China in science and technology, every member of the National Science Board was abruptly fired via a two-sentence email from the Trump administration. The administration has provi…

The Voting Rights Act is all but dead. Prepare for maximum gerrymandering.

Ian Millhiser, Vox

Get yourself a man who loves you as much as Justice Samuel Alito loves partisan gerrymandering. The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which was handed down on Wednesday, was expected to deal a mortal blow to a longstanding federal rule that gu…

Where Are the "Legalize Comedy" Folks At Now?

Claire Guinan, Jezebel

The Trumps are once again demanding the firing of Jimmy Kimmel, suggesting that a joke was responsible for the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Melania Trump and Queen Camilla wore matching outfits during the royals' White House visit. It was no accident.

Talia Lakritz,Samantha Grindell Pettyjohn, Business Insider

King Charles and Queen Camilla are in the US for a state visit. At White House events, Melania Trump and Camilla have worn subtly coordinated outfits.

Activists tried to free 2,000 dogs from a Wisconsin research lab. Then came the tear gas.

Marina Bolotnikova, Vox

It’s exceptionally rare that the tiny, perpetually marginal, and politically outmatched animal rights movement manages to capture national attention. A lack of attention is that movement’s core problem and central organizing conundrum. How can it convince the…

How Trump's EPA head has transformed the agency — and sided with polluters

Terry Gross, NPR

New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert says EPA chief Lee Zeldin has rescinded regulations, cut or eliminated departments and terminated the jobs of many scientists. Trump calls Zeldin "our secret weapon."

ICE Is Or Isn’t Cutting Back On Courthouse Arrests, Depending On Who You Ask

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

The administration’s anti-migrant tactics are now months into an indefinite period of continuous escalation. That protest efforts have escalated alongside it apparently means nothing to the officials spearheading this brazen attack on non-white people. It was…

Why ‘8647’ landed ex-FBI chief Comey in Trump’s crosshairs

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Comey has been accused of knowingly threatening the US president.

King Charles III gives toast at White House state dinner: Read his full speech

Katie Kindelan, Abcnews.com

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are on a four-day state visit to the United States.

Senate panel advances Kevin Warsh’s nomination for US Fed chair

Andy Hirschfeld, Al Jazeera English

Senate panel approves Trump’s nominee Kevin Warsh to replace Jerome Powell as US Fed chair on party-line vote.

US gas prices surge to over $4.22 a gallon, the highest in 4 years

Ben Shimkus, Business Insider

Gas prices reached a new 2026 record on Wednesday as tensions in the Middle East continue.

Trump's tariffs haven't delivered the US manufacturing rebound he pitched

Alex Bitter, Business Insider

US imports have grown since Trump's Liberation Day tariffs, with no domestic manufacturing boom in sight, according to a new AT Kearney report.

Iran’s currency falls to new low as US blockade, sanctions impact trade

Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera English

The war has affected trade with some of Iran's largest partners, including China and the UAE.

DOJ indicts former Fauci adviser David Morens on charges related to COVID pandemic

Adam Kovac, Scientific American

Former National Institutes of Health official David Morens is accused of evading record requests related to the COVID pandemic’s origins and gain-of-function research

US Supreme Court hears Haiti, Syria TPS case with wide-ranging implications

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Court to rule whether Trump may terminate status allowing people to remain in US in case that could affect 1.3 million.

Appeals court won't rehear Trump's challenge to E. Jean Carroll verdict

Aaron Katersky, Abcnews.com

An appeals court in New York has rejected President Trump's request to rehear his challenges to the writer E. Jean Carroll's successful defamation and sex assault claims.

Facebook Flooded With Bizarre Deepfaked Photos of Alleged White House Correspondents’ Dinner Gunman

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

No, Cole Tomas Allen never worked as security for your favorite sports team.

New date set for Bondi deposition in House Oversight's Epstein probe

Lauren Peller, Abcnews.com

As Democrats sought to hold Pam Bondi in civil contempt, the House Oversight Committee said she'll sit for deposition on May 29 part of its Epstein investigation.

Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh advances to Senate confirmation vote

Max Zahn, Abcnews.com

Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh's advancement to a Senate confirmation vote comes after investigators moved to drop their probe into Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Supreme Court calls Louisiana's House map an 'unconstitutional racial gerrymander'

NPR Washington Desk, NPR

Although the court kept Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act intact, Wednesday's decision all but guts the landmark law that came out of the Civil Rights Movement and protected the collective voting power of racial minorities when political maps are redrawn.

Supreme Court sides with anti-abortion center raising 1st Amendment fears about state investigation

LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Yahoo Entertainment

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with a faith-based pregnancy center that raised First Amendment concerns about an investigation into whether it misled...

Larry’s risky business

Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge

If you want to know whether the AI bubble is bursting, there's only one publicly traded company that will tell you: Oracle. That's right, the database company. Oracle has burned its boats and pivoted to AI, but not in any kind of usual way. It is not a founda…

FedEx and UPS promise to pass on Trump tariff refunds to customers

Rob Beschizza, Boing Boing

Trump's widely-despised import tariffs were ruled unconstitutional, and everyone is suing someone—his administration, the delivery companies that collected it, the retailers—to get their money back. FedEx and UPS at least promise to pass on the refunds they h…

Fed to announce what may be the final rate decision under Powell

Max Zahn, Abcnews.com

The announcement may be the final rate move under Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Former FBI Director James Comey is expected to self-surrender to authorities

Katherine Faulders, Abcnews.com

A federal grand jury in North Carolina indicted Comey on Tuesday.

FCC Leaks To Semafor They’re ‘Investigating’ ABC Because A Comedian Told A Joke. Again.

Karl Bode, Techdirt

Anonymous insiders tell the access journalists at Semafor that Trump FCC boss Brendan Carr is cooking up a “review” of ABC broadcast licenses after Jimmy Kimmel once again made the President sad. The FCC clearly leaked word of the inquiry to Semafor in the ho…

‘No more Mr Nice Guy’: Trump warns Iran to ‘get smart’ over stalled talks

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The US president has railed against Iran's proposal on Truth Social as uncertainty over the fragile ceasefire grows.

A Teenager Died in ICE Detention. His Family Doesn't Believe the Government's Story.

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Since 2007, Jezebel has been the Internet's most treasured source for everything celebrities, sex, and politics...with teeth.

You Might Not Be the Worst-Looking Person in Your Passport Anymore!

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Starting summer, the State Department will be offering a limited-edition U.S. passport design that’ll feature Donald Trump’s mugshot as soon as you open the inside flap.

'If it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French', King and Trump joke at dinner

BBC News

The King and the US president exchanged several jokes during their speeches at a state banquet.

SCOTUS weighs Temporary Protected Status cases. And, jury indicts James Comey again

Brittney Melton, NPR

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on whether to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians. And, a grand jury has indicted former FBI Director James Comey for a second time.

WATCH: Humanoid robots at center of US-China competition

ABC News, Abcnews.com

ABC News' Sophie Flay takes a closer look at the future of humanoid robots, where the race is on to see who gets there first.

Live updates: Putin warns Trump of ‘dire consequences’ in Iran

Yahoo Entertainment

John Ternus faces critical decisions on iPhone pricing and US manufacturing – FT

Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac

Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus is going to be facing two critical decisions soon after he takes the helm, says a new Financial Times report. First, how to respond to a massive increase in memory prices, with Apple’s RAM costs increasing by more than 400% b…

The Pope Goes on an ICE Ride-Along

Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic

The Holy Father accepts Tom Homan’s gracious invitation.

Proposed rule change could cut federal benefits for disabled adults

Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, USA Today

The Trump administration is considering a rule that could cut federal benefits for up to 400,000 disabled adults and older people.

The DOJ Just Indicted James Comey for Instagramming a Picture of Seashells

Danielle Han, Jezebel

Since 2007, Jezebel has been the Internet's most treasured source for everything celebrities, sex, and politics...with teeth.

WATCH: King Charles, Trump share quips, tout US-UK relationship at state dinner

ABC News, Abcnews.com

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the White House on Tuesday evening for a state dinner in the East Room.

Napoleon, Caesar, Alexander the Great—And Trump

Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer, The Atlantic

Always the self-aggrandizer, the president now speaks of himself in historical terms.

Fed meeting updates: Will FOMC hold interest rates? What to expect from Jerome Powell's last meeting

Allie Kelly, Business Insider

The Federal Reserve will announce its interest rate decision at its April meeting, which is expected to be Fed Chair Jerome Powell's last.

Watch: President Trump's White House tribute to McIlroy

BBC News

President Trump pays tribute to back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy at Tuesday's White House banquet.

Hegseth to face lawmakers for first time since Iran war started

Steven Beynon, Chris Boccia, Abcnews.com

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will be facing lawmakers at hearings for the first time since the war with Iran started.

Supreme Court reviews Trump cancellation of Haitian, Syrian protected status

Devin Dwyer, Abcnews.com

The Supreme Court is considering whether the Trump administration unlawfully ordered hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the U.S. from Haiti and Syria to return home.

How a Republican state lawmaker tried to let Holocaust deniers hijack history lessons

Tom Dreisbach, NPR

A New Hampshire Republican. A German Holocaust denier. A suspicious bottle of baby oil. An NPR investigation reveals how the alarming rise of antisemitic conspiracy theories reached a state capitol.

How a Supreme Court fight over fish oil could raise your prescription drug costs

Leslie Walker, NPR

The justices are set to hear Hikma v. Amarin, a battle over drug patents that could raise costs for patients and change the way generic companies do business.

Stephen Colbert Explains Why ‘The Late Show’ Became More Political: ‘That’s the Part the Audience Wants to See’

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

Stephen Colbert explained why he leaned into politics on 'The Late Show' in a new interview with 'The New York Times.'

Iran war: What’s happening on day 61 as UAE exits OPEC?

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

Trump says Iran is in a 'state of collapse' as Gulf leaders meet in Saudi Arabia.

Germany Overtakes US in Ammunition Production Capacity

Ellie Cook, Newsweek

The boss of German defence giant Rheinmetall says the European country can now produce more rounds than the U.S.

U.S. to issue commemorative passports with Trump's picture for America's 250th birthday

The Associated Press, NPR

The State Department said that it is preparing a limited release of commemorative U.S. passports celebrating America's 250th birthday that feature a picture of President Donald Trump.

US Senate blocks bid to stop Trump using military against Cuba

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Senator ​Tim Kaine says if anyone did to the US 'what we are doing to Cuba', it would be considered 'an act of war'.

Janet Mills has the resume for her Senate bid. Is that enough to win over Maine's Democratic voters?

PATRICK WHITTLE and KIMBERLEE KRUESI, Yahoo Entertainment

If there’s one story Janet Mills likes to share as a warning not to underestimate her political prowess, it’s about a blue suit that the Democratic Maine...

Should Jimmy Kimmel be fired for telling a joke?

BBC News

BBC's Regan Morris reports from outside the comedian's show on Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles.

Many Democrats are stressed out by the news. They still can't turn away, a new poll finds

ALI SWENSON, LINLEY SANDERS and MEG KINNARD, Yahoo Entertainment

“It would be to avoid media,” said Cohen, an independent voter who has opposed Trump since he announced his 2016 presidential campaign. A new Media Insight ...

WATCH: King Charles’ historic address to Congress

ABC News, Abcnews.com

ABC News’ Ike Ejiochi spoke with royal commentator Sharon Carpenter on the significance of King Charles’ state visit, his speech to Congress and possible motives for his political agenda.

Trump to feature on limited-edition US passports for 250th anniversary

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

The passports are part of broader plans to celebrate the milestone anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.

The Secretary Of Health & Human Services Doesn’t Believe In The Foundation Of Modern Medicine

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

We discussed RFK Jr.’s recent appearance before Congress, where he bravely declared that the current measles outbreak in America has absolutely nothing to do with him, despite that definitely not being true. But, unsurprisingly, that wasn’t the only craziness…

How does Comey's 'threat' against Trump compare to other defendants charged by DOJ?

Peter Charalambous, Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin, Abcnews.com

A review of some cases cited by acting AG Todd Blanche as being similar to the indictment against James Comey suggests the Comey case could face a steeper hurdle.

WATCH: The future of all-electric air taxis which can take off and land vertically

ABC News, Abcnews.com

ABC News’ Ike Ejiochi spoke with Joby Aviation’s Chief Product Officer Eric Allison about the company’s innovative air taxis, addressing safety concerns and possible future routes and costs.

US appeals court rejects Trump’s immigration detention policy

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

In a 3-0 ruling, court says Trump administration misread a decades-old immigration law to justify mandatory detention.

Iran war live: Trump says Tehran wants end to blockade; Israel kills medics

Lyndal Rowlands, Zaid Sabah, Al Jazeera English

US president says Iran has reached out and asked Washington to lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports.