President Donald Trump’s administration is arguing that the has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.
The statement laid out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate on Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a 1973 law to seek formal approval from Congress for military action that extends beyond 60 days.
While the ceasefire has since been extended, Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. Navy is to prevent Iran’s oil tankers from getting out to sea.
Here’s the latest:
King Charles III wins praise for deft handling of Trump on his US state visit
sang the praises of after the monarch’s this week. He even lifted some as a favor to the British monarch.
The king delivered a diplomatic master-class on the trip, mixing praise for his host with subtle criticism. It’s unclear, though, whether it will make a major difference to a trans-Atlantic relationship by divisions over issues including .
“In the short term probably yes, in the long term probably no,” said Kristofer Allerfeldt, a University of Exeter professor specializing in American history. But he said Charles had “definitely clawed back some of the prestige of the monarchy” in his homeland with his assured performance.
“He’s done us proud,” Allerfeldt said.
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Joe Biden endorses a former Atlanta mayor and White House adviser for Georgia governor
The former Democratic president is wading into the midterms, making his first political endorsement of the 2026 cycle by backing Keisha Lance Bottoms for the state’s top job.
Bottoms served as Biden’s senior adviser for public engagement after her tenure as Atlanta mayor.
In a promoting her candidacy, Biden praised her track record as mayor and said “those same qualities that made her a great mayor made her invaluable to our administration — smart, focused, gets things done.”
“She handled it all with steady and thoughtful leadership,” Biden said in the video. “That’s the definition of battle-tested.”
After major enforcement operations, the Trump administration recalibrates its immigration crackdown
When Homeland Security Secretary was questioned by senators during his confirmation hearing about his vision for implementing President Trump’s mass deportation agenda, he said his goal was to keep his department off the front pages of the news.
To some degree, he has. Gone are the social media video clips of now-retired clashing with protesters. Mullin’s predecessor, , made her first trip as secretary to New York City to make arrests with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In contrast, to review hurricane recovery efforts.
The Republican administration appears to be recalibrating its approach to a centerpiece policy that helped bring Trump back to the White House, moving in many ways away from aggressive, public-facing tactics toward a quieter approach to enforcement. Despite that shift, the administration insists it’s not backing down from its lofty deportation goals.
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Republicans say they will defer to Trump on Iran war despite arrival of 60-day deadline
Many Republicans who have been uneasy with Trump’s war in Iran emphasized that there would be a May 1 deadline for Congress to intervene. But the date is now set to pass with no action from GOP lawmakers who continue to defer to the White House.
Under the , Congress must declare war or authorize the use of force within 60 days — a deadline that falls on Friday — or within 90 days if the president asks for an extension. But Congress made no attempt at enforcing that requirement, leaving town for a week on Thursday after the Senate rejected a Democratic attempt to halt the war for a sixth time.
The Trump administration has shown no interest in seeking congressional approval at all. It is arguing that the deadlines set by the law don’t apply because the effectively ended when a ceasefire began in early April.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday he doesn’t plan on a vote to authorize or otherwise weigh in.
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Trump gives go-ahead to major new Canada-US oil pipeline
President Donald Trump granted a key approval Thursday for a major new from Canada into the U.S. that’s been dubbed “Keystone Light” over its similarities to a contentious project blocked by the Biden administration.
The three-foot-wide (1 meter) Bridger Pipeline Expansion would carry up to 550,000 barrels (87,400 cubic meters) of oil a day from Canada through Montana and Wyoming, where it would link with another pipeline.
The pipeline needs additional state and federal environmental approvals before construction, which company officials expect to start next year. Environmentalists hope to stop the project over worries that the pipeline could
At peak volume, the 650-mile (1,050-kilometer) pipeline would move two-thirds as much oil as the better-known that got partially built before President Joe Biden, citing climate change, on the day he took office in 2021.
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Prosecutors release video of armed man storming correspondents’ dinner
Federal prosecutors released a video Thursday showing the moment authorities say a man armed with guns and knives tried to and attempt to kill Trump.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, posted the amid questions over whose bullet struck a Secret Service officer as Cole Tomas Allen ran through security with a long gun toward the hotel ballroom packed with journalists, administration officials and others.
Prosecutors had previously claimed the agent was shot in the bullet-resistant vest during the melee, but had not confirmed it was Allen who shot the agent. Pirro, however, said Thursday that there is no evidence that the officer was hit by friendly fire.
Allen was injured but was not shot during the Saturday night attack at the , which disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital.
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Trump administration says its war in Iran has been ‘terminated’ before 60-day deadline
The Trump administration is arguing that the has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.
The statement laid out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate earlier Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a 1973 law to seek formal approval from Congress for military action that extends beyond 60 days.
A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s position, said for purposes of that law, “the hostilities that began on Saturday, Feb. 28 have terminated.” The official said the U.S. military and Iran have not exchanged fire since the two-week ceasefire that began April 7.
While the ceasefire has since been extended, Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. Navy is to prevent Iran’s oil tankers from getting out to sea.
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