West Virginia and Nebraska hold primaries; Trump en route to China for Xi meetings
NBC News Clone summarizes the latest on: Trump China Iran Nebraska West Virginia Primary Congress Live Updates Rcna344604 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone. This article is rewritten and presented in a simplified tone for a better reader experience.
The Senate voted to confirm Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee to be the chairman of the Federal Reserve, to be a member of the central bank’s Board of Governors.
What to know today
- NEBRASKA PRIMARIES: Democratic voters in Nebraska chose Cindy Burbank to take on Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts in a potentially competitive general election contest in November. But Burbank has said she would consider dropping out and backing independent Dan Osborn if she didn't have a path to victory.
- WEST VIRGINIA PRIMARIES: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who has President Donald Trump's endorsement, fended off about a half-dozen GOP challengers as she seeks another six-year term.
- TRUMP CHINA TRIP: Trump departed for China for a highly anticipated summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade issues, the Iran war and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.
- FDA CHIEF DEPARTS: Dr. Marty Makary is out as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Makary is the fourth high-profile Trump official to leave the administration this year.
U.S. and China hold trade talks in South Korea as Trump heads to Beijing
Senior U.S. and Chinese officials are holding another round of trade talks in Seoul, South Korea, ahead of Trump’s arrival in Beijing for a two-day state visit.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the leader of the Chinese delegation, Vice Premier He Lifeng, met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung before the talks began, the president’s office said.
This is the seventh round of talks between the world’s two biggest economies since Trump launched a global trade war last year in which the U.S. and China imposed mounting tariffs on each other that reached as high as 145%. During their summit this week, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are seeking to extend a fragile trade truce that was reached last year.
After the talks in Seoul, Bessent will head to Beijing, where he will join Trump for the first trip by a U.S. president to China since 2017.
Scott Petersen defeats Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen in Republican primary, NBC News projects
Omaha businessman Scott Petersen defeated incumbent Bob Evnen in the Republican primary for Nebraska secretary of state, NBC News projects.
With 76% of the expected vote in, Petersen led Evnen, who was seeking a third term as Nebraska's top election official, 55% to 45%.
The result is an upset, as Evnen had endorsements from Nebraska's governor, both senators and three House members. But Petersen ran to Evnen's right as an "America First conservative," arguing Evnen did not do enough to ensure confidence in Nebraska's election system. According to his campaign website, Petersen supports hand-counting ballots and restricting mail voting.
Evnen agreed to hand over sensitive voter data to the Justice Department this year and praised Trump's sweeping election executive order last year. But Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race.
Evnen also struggled in his 2022 primary, earning less than 50% of the vote as he fended off two challengers.
Petersen will be the heavy favorite to win the general election in the solidly Republican state.
Two Nebraska Democrats locked in tight primary race in battleground House district
The Democratic primary for Nebraska’s battleground 2nd District is too close to call, with state Sen. John Cavanaugh and political organizer Denise Powell separated by less than 300 votes.
With 85% of the expected vote in, Cavanaugh is leading Powell 38.3% to 37.5%.
The winner will take on on Omaha City Council member Brinker Harding, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, in the general election to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Don Bacon. The 2nd District, which Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 election, is a top pick-up target for Democrats.
Nvidia's Jensen Huang is joining Trump's China trip after all
Jensen Huang, CEO of the American tech giant Nvidia, is joining Trump on his state visit to China this week after earlier reports suggested he would not be in attendance.
Huang joined the U.S. delegation in Alaska for the second leg of the flight to Beijing, according to pool reports. He had not been included on an earlier list of the American CEOs accompanying Trump, but White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said Huang was added to the trip once his schedule allowed it.
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang in Beverly Hills, Calif., last week. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
A spokesperson for Nvidia said in a statement, “Jensen is attending the summit at the invitation of President Trump to support America and the administration’s goals.”
Huang’s earlier absence from the list had drawn attention given his strong efforts to persuade the Trump administration to relax U.S. restrictions on Chinese purchases of some of Nvidia’s more advanced chips for use in AI, a strategically important technology that is increasingly central to U.S.-China competition.
Trump also confirmed that Huang was on the trip, saying in a social media post that he was “honored” to be accompanied by Huang as well as others including Apple’s Tim Cook and Elon Musk of SpaceX and EV maker Tesla. The president, who is set to arrive in Beijing tomorrow morning U.S. time for the two-day visit, said his “very first request” to Chinese President Xi Jinping would be “to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic.”
Cindy Burbank wins the Democratic Senate primary in Nebraska, NBC News projects
Cindy Burbank won the Democratic Senate primary in Nebraska, NBC News projects, potentially clearing the way for independent Dan Osborn to take on GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts head-to-head in the fall.
Burbank defeated pastor William Forbes for the Democratic nomination, while Ricketts easily won his Republican primary.
And see the latest results here.
Polls close in Nebraska
The polls closed in Nebraska at 9 p.m. ET.
Nebraska Primary Election in Omaha, Neb., on Tuesday. Rebecca S. Gratz / AP
Today's primary results will, among other races, determine the final candidates in the state's 2nd Congressional District and in a potentially competitive Senate race.
Comey says DOJ must be the ‘guardian’ of U.S. principles of justice
Former FBI Director James Comey said today that the Justice Department can’t fulfill its role to uphold the rule of law in the U.S. while it also fixates on those who criticize Trump.
“I think it’s really important for the Department of Justice to be just and to make decisions just based on facts and law,” Comey said in an interview with NBC News.
Comey said the Justice Department “has to be the guardian” of making decisions “without regard to race or wealth or politics.”
The Justice Department has sought to prosecute many of Trump’s political enemies, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and former CIA Director John Brennan.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito wins the Republican Senate primary in West Virginia, NBC News projects
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito has won the Republican Senate primary in West Virginia, NBC News projects.
Capito, who has Trump's endorsement, faced five primary challengers. With 6% of the expected vote in, she was taking two-thirds support.
She will be heavily favored to win a third term this fall in the solidly Republican state.
Polls close in West Virginia
Polls closed at 7:30 p.m. ET in West Virginia, where voters are deciding who will be on the ballot in their Senate and House races in November.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who has represented the state in the Senate since 2015, faced five GOP challengers, including state Sen. Tom Willis. Trump has endorsed Capito in her re-election campaign.
South Carolina Senate rejects effort to tackle redistricting despite pressure from Trump
The Republican-led South Carolina state Senate rejected a measure today to take up a redraw of the state’s congressional map despite pressure from Trump.
South Carolina state Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey. Jeffrey Collins / AP file
A resolution that would have extended the state’s legislative session, set to end this week, to tackle redistricting fell short of the two-thirds support needed, with five Republicans voting against it.
The vote shuts the door, at least for now, on Republican plans to carve up the state’s lone majority-Black district, represented by longtime Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, before the midterm elections. South Carolina’s primaries are set for June 9.
Trump had urged the state Senate to pass the resolution, which the state House had previously approved, on Truth Social last night.
Missouri Supreme Court upholds GOP-drawn congressional map
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the state's redrawn congressional map, designed to give Republicans an extra seat, can go into effect for this year's midterm elections.
The court rejected two separate challenges it heard arguments in today. In one case, justices said an effort by organizers to submit signatures for a ballot referendum to repeal the map did not automatically pause it from being implemented. And in another, they said the map did not violate constitutional requirements that districts be compact.
Missouri's top court had also upheld the new map in a separate decision earlier this year, saying mid-decade redistricting is not explicitly prohibited by state law.
The new map, passed at Trump's urging last year, divides up Missouri's lone Democratic district, represented by longtime Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.
Some Republicans aren’t sold on $1B price tag for Trump’s ballroom project in their party-line ICE bill
After they got a private briefing today, Senate Republicans remained torn over whether to spend $1 billion in taxpayer funds on Trump’s ballroom project.
Inside the closed-door lunch meeting, Secret Service Director Sean Curran briefed senators on how the money would be spent.
“He walked through the various categories,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters. “So it was a good back-and-forth, a good discussion, and obviously we had a lot of questions that were asked by our colleagues, just to get the details and precision as much as possible about how dollars will be used.”
A memo circulated to senators, obtained by NBC News, provided some of those specifics: $220 million to harden the White House complex, $180 million for a visitors screening facility, $175 million for training and another $175 million to enhance security for Secret Service protectees.
Republican Rep. Tom Kean’s two-month absence continues as House returns
Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey, who has not voted in the House since March 5, will miss another week of work in Washington as the House returns today, his office told NBC News.
Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., last year. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images file
Kean’s office has said his two-month absence is related to a “personal health matter” but has not elaborated. He has missed 68 votes in the House, including a vote on legislation to end the record 75-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump calls reporter a 'dumb person' while discussing his White House ballroom
Trump lashed out at a reporter over the cost of his planned ballroom as he took questions from members of the media outside the White House.
"I've doubled the size of it, because we obviously need that, and we're right now on budget, under budget, ahead of schedule," he said.
A reporter noted that the price of the ballroom "doubled."
He then said in response to a reporter: "I doubled the size of it, you dumb person. I doubled the size. You are not a smart person."
"We're going to have a ballroom that's appropriate for the White House," he added.
The original estimate for the ballroom was $200 million. Then it increased to $300 and then $400 million. Senate Republicans have proposed $1 billion in their reconciliation bill to secure the building.
Democrats grill Patel about Olympics trip, drinking habits: 'Stick to podcasting'
Patel was asked several questions at the hearing about his drinking habits and his trip to the Milan Olympics this year.
"How much did your trip cost and to what extent did that help you carry out your mission as director of the FBI?” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., asked him.
"The FBI and DHS are responsible for the security of the Olympics, the World Cup, the F1, the Super Bowl and everything else. We had 250,000 Americans travel to Milan. We’re proud that we stood up our jock there and had zero major security incidents involving American citizens," Patel said.
He added that "we purposely planned that trip around the Olympics" because "the top cybercriminal from the CCP was housed in Italian custody” at the time. CCP is the Chinese Communist Party.
"While there we were able to work an agreement" to have that person expelled, and the person was "returned to America two weeks ago," he said.
Patel went viral during that trip for his beer-chugging locker-room celebration with the U.S. men’s hockey team after its win against Canada. A person familiar with the matter later told NBC News that Trump was disappointed in Patel's over-the-top display.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., later told Patel the FBI needs "serious leadership." "We need someone at this agency who is focused on solving criminal cases, not passing out branded bourbon or jetting around the globe. Your job is to be reachable. If you want to pass out liquor or pop bottles in a locker room, stick to podcasting," she said.
Patel responded by holding up a sheet with crime statistics and the number of arrests the department has made during his tenure. "This is what leadership looks like at the FBI," he said.
Patel says the FBI isn't targeting or investigating journalists
Patel said that the FBI isn't targeting or investigating journalists.
The remark came after Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., asked him if he could commit that no FBI agents were pulled from work on counterterrorism or violent crime investigations to work on matters "related to negative press about you or your personal lawsuit."
"I can tell you, unequivocally, this FBI is targeting and investigating no journalists. The Obama and Biden administration has targeted dozens of journalists," Patel said.
Murray replied: "I didn't ask you about the Biden administration. I asked if you can commit to this committee that no agent hours have been pulled from other work."
Patel, who again said that wasn't the case, sued The Atlantic last month over a story it published that alleged he drinks to excess and has had unexplained absences at the bureau.
A few days later, The New York Times reported that the FBI investigated a Times reporter in March after she wrote about Patel's using FBI staff members to provide his girlfriend with transportation and security. NBC News has not confirmed that reporting.
This morning, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche responded to a separate report from The Wall Street Journal this morning that the Justice Department has aggressively pursued investigations into journalists over leaks of classified information about the Iran war.
"Prosecuting leakers who share our nation’s secrets with reporters, in turn risking our national security and the lives of our soldiers, is a priority for this administration," Blanche said on X. "Any witness, whether a reporter or otherwise, who has information about these criminals should not be surprised if they receive a subpoena about the illegal leaking of classified material."
Patel denies drinking problem, accuses senator of having one
Patel got into a heated exchange with the top Democrat on the committee after he pressed Patel about reports that he'd been hard to reach because of excessive drinking.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., had told Patel that "reports of your being so drunk and hungover that your staff had to force entry into your home are extremely alarming" and asked him whether those reports were accurate.
Patel called them "categorically false."
"The only individual drinking on the taxpayer's dime is you," Patel said, accusing Van Hollen of "slinging margaritas in El Salvador with the taxpayer dollars with a convicted gang-banging rapist" — an apparent reference to Van Hollen's 2025 meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Abrego was not charged with or convicted of being a gang member or rape.
Federal officials have asserted that he is a member of MS-13, which he has denied. He is awaiting trial on human smuggling charges.
"Drink during the day, that’s you," Patel continued. "This is the ultimate example of hypocrisy."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Van Hollen said, asking whether Patel would take an "audit" test about his drinking. He said he would, if Van Hollen did so, as well. "I will take it," Van Hollen said. "Let's go," Patel responded.
Johnson defends GOP rep. criticized for agreeing with 'cotton-picking' comment
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., after she faced backlash for agreeing with a radio host that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., should get his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.” Kiggans later said she did not condone that language.
Johnson said he hadn’t seen the comments yet but said that Kiggans is “an extraordinary member of Congress.”
“So, look, sometimes people misspeak, if that’s what it was, I don’t know, I’ll look into that and I’ll talk to her about it,” Johnson said. “But you should not be evaluating the character of Jen Kiggans based on some comment that supposedly she said.”
Trump takes off from Joint Base Andrews en route to China
Trump just took off from Joint Base Andrews on Air Force One en route to China.
Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to discuss trade issues, the Iran war, and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.
Trump says he's 'not even a little bit' motivated to end Iran war because of Americans' finances
Trump told reporters that Americans' financial situations are not influencing him to reach an agreement with Iran as it's currently in a stalemate with the U.S.
Outside the White House, the president was asked to what extent their financial situations are motivating him to make a deal.
“Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans’ financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon," Trump told the media.
The war with Iran has led to higher prices for Americans, especially the cost of gas. Data released this morning said that inflation increased to 3.8% last month.
Asked about Trump's comments, White House spokesman Steven Cheung said, “The President’s ultimate responsibility is the safety and security of Americans. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if action wasn’t taken, they’d have one, which threatens all Americans.”
Trump says outgoing FDA Commissioner Makary 'was having some difficulty'
Trump told reporters this afternoon that outgoing FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary "was having some difficulty" and declined to say whether he was fired or had resigned.
“I don’t want to say it, but Marty is a great guy. He’s a friend of mine,” Trump said.
“He's a wonderful man. And he's going to be off and the assistant, the deputy, is taking over temporarily until we find him," Trump continued. "Everybody wants that job. It's a very important job. Marty's a terrific guy, but he's going to go on and he's going to lead a good life. He was having some difficulty. You know, he's a great doctor and he was having some difficulty, but he's going to go on and he's going to do well.”
Melania Trump not going on China trip
First lady Melania Trump will not be accompanying the president on his trip to China, her office said just ahead of the trip.
"The First Lady is not traveling to China for this visit," her communications director Nick Clemens said in a brief statement.
Kash Patel testifies before Senate amid controversies
FBI Director Kash Patel and the heads of several other Justice Department agencies are testifying before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee this afternoon on the administration's budget request for the upcoming fiscal year.
Patel is expected to face scrutiny over his leadership of the bureau and allegations regarding his alcohol use.
Trump says he plans to have a 'long talk' with Xi about Iran war
Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for his trip to China this afternoon, Trump laid out his plan to discuss the Iran war with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"We're going to have a long talk about it. I think he's been relatively good, to be honest with you. You look at the blockade, no problem. They get a lot of their oil from that area. We've had no problem," Trump said.
Asked if Xi needs to intervene in Iran, Trump said, "I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other. We'll win it peacefully or otherwise. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Every single element of their war machine is gone."
The trip is Trump's first to Beijing since he traveled there as president in 2017.
Dr. Marty Makary is out as FDA commissioner
Dr. Marty Makary is out as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, the fourth high-profile departure of a member of the Trump administration this year, according to two people familiar with the decision.
It comes several days after NBC News reported that Trump was considering canning Makary after months of dissatisfaction with some of his work at the FDA.
Epstein survivors blast DOJ's handling of files
A field hearing conducted by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in Palm Beach, Florida, has come to a close after several Epstein survivors described how they've been retraumatized by the Justice Department's handling of investigative files related to the case.
One, Dani Bensky, said during the three-hour hearing that the department released information it should not have about her and other survivors under the terms of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, while withholding information about alleged wrongdoers that she said should have been released.
"I am just one of the hundreds of survivors exposed like this," Bensky said, and while she'd previously gone public with her identity, "these documents hold disturbing and yet incomplete accounts of my abuse, and they were viewable, not only by the entire world, but by my child, my students, my students' parents, my friends, my employers, my colleagues, my family."
Another, who gave her name only as Roza, said she'd never gone public before her name was released by the DOJ. "I kept my identity protected as Jane Doe. I woke up one day with my name mentioned over 500 times," she said.
"While the rich and powerful remain protected by reduction, my name was exposed to the world," she said. "I cannot live without looking over my shoulder. I can only imagine the long-term impact this mistake will have on my life."
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in March that "mistakes were made" in the redacting process while scrambling to release the files, but "we took pains to protect victims."
"When someone identified that there was a victim, we immediately pulled that document down, fixed it and put it back up," he said then. "We don't ever want to do anything to revictimize anybody that was victimized by the horrible crimes of Mr. Epstein."
Ambassador to China 'fully expecting' Taiwan will come up during Trump-Xi meeting
Ambassador to China David Perdue said in a Fox News interview this morning that Taiwan will be part of the discussion during Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing this week.
Perdue downplayed any chance of the U.S. policy on Taiwan changing during the trip.
“At this point, you know, President Trump is doing exactly what every president’s done since 1979 and what we are expecting — unlike Busan, where Taiwan did not come up — we’re fully expecting Taiwan will come up as an issue. We will hear the Chinese out, but I don’t anticipate President Trump making any major changes in our policy on Taiwan,” he said.
Perdue also said the full group of business leaders accompanying Trump on this trip signals “we’re united,” and “the business community is behind President Trump. These people want a level playing field. They’re here to echo what President Trump is talking about. And we welcome them. And I think the Chinese do as well.”
When asked what would make this a successful summit, Perdue alluded to China not being a “good friend” or even a “great friend,” but added the two countries are “building a relationship here based on trust.”
Kevin Warsh confirmed to Federal Reserve's board
Kevin Warsh, Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Reserve when current Chair Jerome Powell's term ends on Friday, has been confirmed by the Senate to the Fed's board.
That's the first of two steps to confirm Warsh to lead the central bank. The Senate will need to vote a second time to elevate Warsh to chair, which could come tomorrow.
While all recent Federal Reserve chairs have stepped down from the Fed entirely when their terms have ended, Powell has said he will remain on the Fed's board as a "low profile" member.
He's remaining after the Justice Department closed a criminal investigation into the central bank related to renovations at its Washington headquarters, but threatened that it could reopen it.
U.S. and China arrest 5 in joint drug smuggling investigation ahead of Trump trip
HONG KONG — U.S. and Chinese authorities jointly arrested five suspects in a cross-border smuggling and trafficking operation, Beijing said yesterday, touting the cooperation ahead of Trump’s state visit this week.
Three Americans and two Chinese nationals were arrested in a joint operation of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the narcotics control bureau of China’s Public Security Ministry that spanned Florida, Nevada and the Chinese provinces of Liaoning and Guangdong, state broadcaster CCTV said.
GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans faces backlash for agreeing with ‘cotton-picking’ comment about Hakeem Jeffries
WASHINGTON — Vulnerable Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Virginia Republican, is under fire after she agreed with a radio show host who said that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — the highest-ranking Black lawmaker in Congress — should get his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.”
Kiggans, one of Democrats’ top targets in the November midterm election, later posted that the host “should not have used that language” and that she did not condone it.
Oversight Democrats hold Epstein hearing in Florida
House Democrats on the Oversight Committee are holding a field hearing in Palm Beach, Florida, today with survivors of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who preyed on numerous girls and young women in the area in the early 2000s.
"Now we're here of course in Palm Beach, just miles away from Mar-a-Lago," said Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the committee.
"Florida has been a key place where so much of the horrors and crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell happened," he said, and it's where federal prosecutors offered Epstein a sweetheart deal in 2008 that his victims say allowed him to keep preying on women with impunity.
Garcia said the government under Democratic and Republican administrations had failed to do right by the victims and is continuing to do so today, in part by failing to fully comply with a subpoena last year demanding the Justice Department turn over related files to the committee.
"DOJ continues to withhold half the Epstein files," Garcia said.
A representative for DOJ did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed after the Justice Department failed to fully comply with the committee's subpoena, over 3 million investigative files were released.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has maintained DOJ is in compliance with the law, while also acknowledging that it is withholding roughly 3 million files. He said those files include duplicates and documents that are being withheld because of various legal privileges and court orders.
Lawmakers have said many of those documents were supposed to have been turned over under the language in the law.
While the law also exempts the release of files that would jeopardize an active investigation or prosecution, it requires such a withholding of records to be narrowly tailored and temporary.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey sets special primary election dates for redrawn districts
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called for special primary elections to take place on Aug. 11 for the districts that will be affected by the state's new congressional map.
The announcement came one day after the U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for Alabama to use a map for this year's midterm elections that eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts, putting Republicans in position to pick up a seat.
In a statement, Ivey said she would set special primary elections in the redrawn 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th districts. She added that there will not be runoffs, so the top vote-getters from both parties' primaries will advance to the November general election.
Alabama's other primary elections will occur as scheduled on May 19.
Trump nominates Cameron Hamilton to lead FEMA, a year after he was fired from the role
Trump nominated Cameron Hamilton yesterday to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a notable comeback for the former Navy SEAL who was fired from his role as FEMA’s temporary leader last year after he defended its existence.
His nomination comes as the Trump administration has increasingly signaled it is backing away from promises to dismantle FEMA, an agency that has faced withering criticism by the president. The nomination of Hamilton, who argued abolishing FEMA was not in the country’s best interests, is the latest indication of that change.
Protesters at Hegseth hearing charged with unlawful conduct
Two protesters who interrupted Hegseth's testimony this morning at a Senate hearing on the Pentagon's budget request have been charged with unlawful conduct, U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement.
One of the protesters could be heard at the hearing yelling that Hegseth was "complicit" in war crimes in Iran before she was removed by security.
A protester is removed during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing today. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Supreme Court lets Alabama speed adoption of congressional map eliminating a majority-Black district
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court yesterday removed an obstacle to Alabama’s using a new congressional map in this year’s election that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black districts.
The court, over the objection of its liberal members, sent litigation over the Republican-drawn map back to the lower court, which could speed up the state’s effort to use its map.
Ship operators involved in Baltimore bridge collapse charged with misconduct and obstruction
BALTIMORE — The Department of Justice announced 18 charges today against the operators of the 100,000-plus-ton cargo ship that crashed into a Maryland bridge more than two years ago, causing it to collapse and killing six people.
Federal prosecutors said they were charging the international companies Synergy Marine Pte Ltd and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, as well as ship technical superintendent Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and false statements.
James Comey says seashells case illustrates Trump’s ‘bottomless desire’ for revenge
Former FBI Director James Comey said yesterday that the Trump administration’s pursuit of another indictment against him — this time over an Instagram photo of seashells — reflects the president’s fixation on going after his critics.
“Donald Trump has a bottomless desire to gain revenge against those who criticized him,” Comey said in his first post-indictment interview with Nicolle Wallace on MS NOW.
Trump says fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire is on ‘massive life support’
Trump is warning that the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran is hanging on by a thread. "I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support," he said. It comes as Iran’s lead negotiator posted that the longer the Trump administration "drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it." NBC News’ Keir Simmons reports for "TODAY."
Senate to vote today to confirm Kevin Warsh to Fed board
The Senate will vote at 11:30 a.m. today to confirm Kevin Warsh to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of 14 years from Feb. 1, 2026. Warsh needs a simple majority to be confirmed, and he’s expected to be confirmed.
Warsh also needs to get a separate confirmation vote to be made Fed chair.
Immediately after that 11:30 a.m. confirmation vote, the Senate will vote to move forward with Warsh’s nomination as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. If and when that passes, it will start up to 30 hours of debate on his nomination to be Fed chair, and the confirmation vote for that is expected to happen tomorrow afternoon.
Trump says he would support suspending the federal gas tax
Trump told reporters yesterday that he would support suspending the federal gas tax “until it’s appropriate.”
Suspending the tax, which is at about 18 cents per gallon, would require congressional approval.
Pentagon official says cost of Iran war is now about $29 billion
The cost of the war with Iran stands at about $29 billion, Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III said in testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Defense Department's budget request.
Hurst said in late April that the cost of the war stood at about $25 billion.
"The joint staff team and the comptroller team are constantly looking at that estimate, and so now we think it's closer to 29," he said today.
"That's because of updated repair and replacement of equipment costs, and also just general operational costs keep people in theater," he added.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watches as Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III testifies today. Alex Brandon / AP
It is unclear exactly how the Pentagon arrived at the cost estimate. NBC News has not independently confirmed the figure.
The Pentagon previously told lawmakers that it estimated that the first six days of the war cost more than $11 billion.
Inflation surged to 3.8% in April, its highest level in nearly three years
Inflation surged to 3.8% in April, its highest level in nearly three years, according to data released today, as the war with Iran causes a ripple effect across the economy and energy prices surge.
As inflation continues to accelerate, it’s eating into Americans’ wages at a rapid clip. April’s inflation rate means that prices are now rising faster than wages, which could exacerbate the affordability crisis that has already been gripping consumers.
Mayor of Southern California city to plead guilty to acting as agent of China, feds say
LOS ANGELES — The mayor of the Los Angeles-area city of Arcadia has resigned and will plead guilty to illegally acting as an agent of China, officials said yesterday.
Eileen Wang, who was elected mayor of the city of 56,000 in 2022, appeared in federal court yesterday and was released on a $25,000 bond.
Supreme Court temporarily extends full access to abortion pill while it mulls legal challenge
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court yesterday maintained full access to the abortion pill mifepristone while it continues to mull how to rule in a case that could limit availability of the drug.
The court on May 4, via an order issued by Justice Samuel Alito, had provisionally blocked a lower court decision that would have prevented the pill from being administered by mail.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says Democrats shouldn’t trust Marjorie Taylor Greene
When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez singled out former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as an “antisemite” and a “bigot” in public remarks Friday, she rattled more than a few cages.
One of those was Greene herself, who charged yesterday that Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was “very hypocritical” to attack her.
Inflation expected to jump to a 3-year high as Iran war continues to fuel rising prices
The consumer price index is widely expected to show inflation has risen to a nearly three-year high when April’s data is released this morning.
The Iran war’s wide-ranging economic fallout has caused prices to spike, and economists and analysts project that inflation will hit 3.8%, up 0.6% from March to April, according to a survey from Dow Jones.
China signals again that Taiwan is a priority ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
China again signaled that Taiwan would be a priority topic ahead of a highly anticipated summit between Trump and Xi Jinping this week, saying that U.S. must adhere to the “one China principle” for a stable relationship with Beijing.
Earlier this month, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said he hopes the U.S. would make the “right choices” relating to the self-ruled island when he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Primaries to set up key fall matchups in Nebraska
Today’s primary elections in Nebraska will set the stage for November in a battleground House district, as well as a potentially competitive Senate contest, as Democrats try to win control of Congress.
Democrats will choose their nominee in the 2nd District, one of three House seats Republicans won in 2024 that former Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the presidential election. On the GOP side, Omaha City Council member Brinker Harding cleared the primary field to replace retiring Rep. Don Bacon.
And the outcome of Nebraska’s Democratic Senate primary could go a long way to determine just how much GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts will have to sweat his bid for a first full term in the red state in a race that will also feature independent Dan Osborn.
Voters in West Virginia will also decide general election matchups in Senate and House races today.
