The briefing for Monday, April 27.

US-Iran negotiations hit a new impasse over the weekend as Iran's foreign minister made multiple stops across the region but President Trump refused to send American envoys back to Pakistan for talks. Iran has proposed ending its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and wants the US to lift its blockade of Iranian ports, but the proposal does not address Iran's nuclear program, according to two regional officials briefed on the matter. Trump rejected the offer, telling Fox News on Sunday that Iran can "call" if they want to talk rather than requiring in-person meetings.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan twice over the weekend before continuing to Oman and then Russia, where he met with President Vladimir Putin. The White House had planned to send envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad for a second round of face-to-face talks, but Trump canceled the mission Saturday citing lack of progress. Trump emphasized that any deal must ensure Iran "will not have a nuclear weapon." Iran currently possesses 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity, close to weapons-grade levels, according to UN nuclear watchdog data.

The standoff continues at the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil normally flows. Oil prices rose Monday with Brent crude trading around $109 per barrel, up from $72 before the conflict began in late February. Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely last week, but a permanent settlement remains elusive after two months of fighting that has killed thousands and disrupted global supplies of oil, natural gas, and fertilizer. Both sides continue making military threats, with Iran warning of a "strong response" to US naval actions and Trump ordering forces to "shoot and kill" small boats suspected of placing mines.

Federal authorities identified the suspected gunman who opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old tutor and computer engineer from Torrance, California. Allen was arrested Saturday night after attempting to breach security at the Washington Hilton while armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said preliminary findings suggest Allen targeted Trump administration officials, "likely" including President Trump, though the investigation is ongoing.

Allen sent writings to family members minutes before the attack describing himself as a "Friendly Federal Assassin" and criticizing Trump administration policies, according to documents reviewed by the Associated Press. His brother contacted police in Connecticut after receiving the message, while Allen's sister told investigators he had legally purchased weapons and kept them at their parents' home without their knowledge. Law enforcement officials said Allen traveled by train from California to Washington and checked into the Hilton as a guest. He legally purchased a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol in October 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun two years later.

President Trump and other officials were rushed to safety when shots rang out around 8:35 PM in the hotel foyer. One Secret Service officer was shot but protected by a bulletproof vest and has been discharged from hospital. Allen was not struck by gunfire but was taken to hospital for evaluation. FBI agents searched an address in California linked to Allen on Sunday. He will be formally charged Monday with assault on a federal officer and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Public records show Allen worked as a tutor and donated $25 to Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign.

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis said Sunday he will no longer block confirmation of Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair after the Justice Department ended its investigation of current chair Jerome Powell. Tillis had effectively stalled Warsh's nomination in the Senate Banking Committee, but told NBC's "Meet the Press" he received assurances from DOJ that the case is "completely and fully settled" and would only reopen with a criminal referral from an inspector general.

The announcement clears a major hurdle for President Trump's effort to install Warsh before Powell's term expires May 15. The US Attorney for the District of Columbia announced Friday her office had concluded its investigation of the Fed's multibillion-dollar building renovation project, which ballooned to $2.5 billion from earlier estimates of $1.9 billion. The probe had examined Powell's congressional testimony about the work last summer. Tillis, who opposed Trump's tax bill over Medicaid cuts and announced he won't seek reelection in 2026, called the inquiry a "vindictive prosecution" that threatened the Fed's independence.

At a hearing last week, Warsh told senators he never promised to cut interest rates and pledged to be "an independent actor" if confirmed. Trump told CNBC hours before that hearing he would be disappointed if Warsh didn't immediately cut rates. The Senate Banking Committee scheduled a Wednesday vote on the nomination. Ranking Democrat Elizabeth Warren said "no Republican claiming to care about Fed independence should support" Warsh, calling him "nothing more than President Trump's sock puppet."

The Virginia Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a Republican challenge to a redrawn congressional map approved by voters last week that could give Democrats four additional US House seats. The case argues the Democratic-led General Assembly violated procedural requirements when placing the constitutional amendment before voters to authorize mid-decade redistricting. If the court agrees lawmakers broke the rules, it could invalidate the amendment and render last week's statewide vote meaningless.

The Virginia proceedings mark the latest development in a national redistricting battle as both parties seek advantage ahead of November elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain their narrow House majority. President Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw districts last year, setting off similar moves in other states. So far the parties have battled to a near draw, with Republicans potentially gaining up to nine seats in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, while Democrats could win as many as 10 additional seats in California, Utah and Virginia. Legal challenges remain in both Virginia and Missouri.

Virginia currently has six Democrats and five Republicans in the US House, elected from districts imposed by a court after a bipartisan redistricting commission failed to agree on a map following the 2020 census. The new districts, which narrowly won voter approval last Tuesday, could give Democrats an improved chance to win 10 districts. A judge in rural Tazewell County ruled in January that lawmakers failed to follow proper procedures, including approval before voting began in last year's general election and required publication timelines. The state Supreme Court placed that order on hold and allowed the redistricting vote to proceed. Trump told Fox News on Sunday the Virginia amendment pushed by Democrats is "very, very bad" for the country, while expressing support for Florida Republicans who begin a special session Tuesday to consider their own redistricting plan.

The US Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday on the Trump administration's decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians, with implications for 1.3 million people from 17 countries currently holding the designation. The case focuses on whether the administration properly evaluated conditions in Haiti and Syria when ending TPS and whether it discriminated against non-white immigrants. The decisions affected approximately 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians when former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ended TPS for all 12 countries that came up for renewal under her watch.

Among those watching closely are an estimated 200,000 Salvadorans who have lived in the United States for 25 years under TPS, which Congress created in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering natural disasters or civil strife. Many Salvadorans received protection after major earthquakes hit El Salvador in 2001, and the vast majority now have US-born children. Trump has ended TPS for about 1 million people from countries including Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua and Afghanistan. El Salvador's designation is up for renewal September 9.

José Urías, who founded a Boston-area construction company that has built more than 150 homes and employs multiple contractors, said he hasn't lost hope despite the uncertain outlook. "It's not guaranteed, but it's not impossible either," said Urías, 47, who crossed the border from Mexico in 1994 and married a fellow TPS beneficiary with whom he has two American sons. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele occupies a special place as a US ally, sharing Trump's militarized approach to fighting organized crime and hard rhetoric on national security. Extending TPS would secure a pipeline of remittances families send home, though few are counting on Trump to deliver favors."]}],

brief_mentions

[{

headline

:

China Blocks Meta's Acquisition of AI Startup Manus

,

summary

:

China banned Meta's planned acquisition of Singapore-based AI startup Manus on Monday, with the National Development and Reform Commission citing national security concerns. Meta said the deal complied with applicable law and most Manus employees were based in Singapore, with plans to discontinue Chinese operations .

},

{

,

headline

:

North Korea Opens Memorial Museum for Soldiers Killed Fighting in Ukraine

,

summary

:

Kim Jong Un and Russian Defense Minister Andrei Beloussov unveiled a memorial museum in Pyongyang on Sunday for North Korean troops killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine. South Korean intelligence estimates 15,000 North Koreans were deployed with about 2,000 killed, though neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have provided official numbers .

},

{

,

headline

:

Justice Department Pressures Preservationists Over Trump Ballroom Lawsuit

,

summary

:

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche gave the National Trust for Historic Preservation until Monday morning to drop its lawsuit blocking Trump's $400 million White House ballroom project, citing Saturday's shooting at the Washington Hilton as proof the venue is "demonstrably unsafe" for presidential events .

},

{

,

headline

:

Mali's Defense Minister Killed in Coordinated Jihadi and Rebel Attacks

,

summary

:

Mali's Defense Minister Gen. Sadio Camara was killed Saturday in sweeping coordinated attacks by jihadis and Tuareg separatists who seized the northern city of Kidal and multiple military bases. The government said the attacks appear to be over but has not provided a full death toll .

} ],

Closing_text

:

That's your briefing for Monday. Check back tomorrow for updates on the Iran negotiations, the Virginia redistricting case, and developments from the Supreme Court TPS arguments .

,

,

:

story_ count

,:9,

Full_count

,:5,

Brief_count

,:4 }

}