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.

Judge Apologizes to Attempted Assassination Suspect

A federal judge on Monday decried the prison treatment of President Donald Trump’s alleged would-be assassin, and apologized to him for restrictive confinement imposed by jail staff.

VERBATIM: Cole Allen has been in federal custody since prosecutors say he attempted to crash the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and kill President Trump along with other high-level government officials.

Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui told a Department of Corrections attorney that he was “fascinated and disturbed” by Allen’s treatment in jail. Allen was placed on suicide watch when he was first imprisoned.

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine reasoned that since Allen told investigators he did not expect to survive the alleged attack, he could be a danger to himself.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

United States – United Kingdom

Recent data shows a sizable income gap between Americans and their British counterparts. Correspondent John Scott reports.

VERBATIM:Per capita income in the United States is 90-thousand dollars – about 60 percent higher than in the United Kingdom, where it stands at roughly 57-thousand-600. Economists say higher income can point to a stronger economy and higher living standards, though it doesn’t factor in costs like housing or healthcare. The gap highlights America’s stronger overall economic output and productivity compared to Britain.

Liberty Bell Replicas

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Want to see the Liberty Bell on America’s big birthday, but don’t have the time or money for a pilgrimage to Philadelphia? Have no fear: Chances are, there’s one at a state Capitol, museum or even a fire station near you.

TAG: That’s reporter Bernie Bennett.

VERBATIM:
It won’t be the original, but it’ll be a dead ringer.

For a savings bond drive in 1950, the Treasury Department commissioned copies of the famously broken bell, one for each U.S. state and several territories. Except for the serial numbers, they were faithful replicas – right down to the Pass and Stow trademark and a faux crack.

There’s a small but growing group of “bell hunters” who’ve dedicated themselves to visiting as many of the replicas as possible.

Trump Endorses Kentucky Senate Candidate

A GOP congressman gets a key endorsement from President Trump as he tries to succeed Senator Mitch McConnell.

VERBATIM:
President Donald Trump entered the fray of another Republican primary Friday by endorsing Kentucky congressman Andy Barr for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former longtime Senate GOP leader.

Barr is facing former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron in the May 19 Republican primary, and would have faced entrepreneur Nate Morris. In a Truth Social post just before his endorsement of Barr, Mr. Trump announced that he’d asked Morris to “step aside” from the race to join his administration as an ambassador.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

“Juicy Lucy” Burger

LOS ANGELES – Juicy Lucy is expanding distribution of its famous cheese-stuffed hamburgers. More details from reporter Bernie Bennett.

VERBATIM: The hamburger style originated in Minneapolis in the 1950s, and Juicy Lucy launched its frozen patties at select Target stores in the Upper Midwest in 2025.

Now Juicy Lucy is available at select Target stores across California, Arizona and soon Utah. Juicy Lucy can also now be found in Harris Teeter stores across North Carolina and South Carolina.

According to the company, Juicy Lucy has been featured in national media, including Time and on “Man v. Food” and” Food Wars,” both on Travel Channel.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

American Dew

A popular softdrink is changing it’s name for the country’s 250th birthday!

VERBATIM: In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, Mountain Dew is releasing limited-edition 12-ounce cans and 20-ounce bottles under the name “American Dew.” Available through the summer, American Dew also celebrates Mountain Dew’s 78th anniversary.

Mountain Dew Marketing Vice President Michael Smith said in a news release, “Tasting Great Since ’48 is our tribute to where we started – and to the fans who’ve carried the brand forward for nearly 80 years. American Dew is a tangible celebration of that story, created to mark this moment in a meaningful way.”

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Spirit Airlines Bankruptcy

Spirit Airlines declares bankruptcy. Correspondent Bernie Bennett has this report.

[VERBATIM:
Spirit announced early Saturday that it had “started an orderly wind-down of operations, effective immediately,” after efforts to obtain a $500 million federal bailout stalled. All Spirit flights had been cancelled.

Losing Spirit, known for its ultra-low fares, will likely mean costlier tickets on other airlines. An analysis of aviation analytics found average fares jumped 23%, or roughly $60, for a round-trip flight when Spirit exited a route.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

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The House Passes the Homeland Security BIll

House approves bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end the record shutdown. Bernie Bennett has more.

VERBATIM:
After weeks of delay, the House voted Thursday to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security, but not its immigration enforcement operations, and sent the bipartisan package to President Donald Trump to sign, ending the longest agency shutdown in history.

The White House had warned that temporary funding that President Trump had tapped to pay Transportation Security Administration and other agency personnel would “soon run out,” and that sparked new threats of airport disruptions.

DHS has been without routine funds since Feb. 14, causing hardship for workers, though much of Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda that is central to the dispute is being funded separately.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

Virginia Supreme Court Weighs in on Redistricting Vote

The Virginia Supreme Court is considering whether to block new U.S. House districts narrowly approved by voters. Here’s correspondent Bernie Bennett with the story.

VERBATIM: The court is to hear arguments Monday in a case contending that the Democratic-led General Assembly violated procedural rules when it placed a constitutional amendment before voters. If the court agrees, it could invalidate the amendment, making last Tuesday’s vote meaningless.

Democrats hope to win as many as four additional seats under the new Virginia map. The case is part of a national redistricting battle between Republicans and Democrats seeking an advantage in the November elections.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

Netanyahu Faces Challengers

Wars with Iran and its proxies haven’t gone according to plan for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that could mean trouble for Israel’s longest-serving prime minister in elections scheduled for later this year.

VERBATIM:
At the start of the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran in late February, Netanyahu said the goal was to degrade the Islamic Republic’s military, eradicate its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and create the conditions for its overthrow.

While Iran’s military has been badly damaged, it is still a threat to neighbors and ships in the Strait of Hormuz – and Netanyahu’s other goals remained unfulfilled when a ceasefire was announced earlier this month.

Netanyahu’s government is in the final months of its four-year term and is required to hold elections by the end of October.

Two opposition politicians – Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid – announced Sunday that they would join forces in the next election.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Ohio Governor’s Race

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio’s Republican primary for governor is a few weeks away, but there are few signs that the top candidate sees it as a competitive race.

VERBATIM:
The primary season has exposed potential vulnerabilities for former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

The biotech billionaire is focused mostly on his likely general election opponent, Democrat Amy Acton. She’s the state’s former public health director.

Ramaswamy feels so assured of gliding through the May 5 vote that his campaign has all but ignored his GOP opponent so far. That’s Casey Putsch, an engineer and vehicle designer who calls himself “The Car Guy.”

If enough voters stay home in the fall, Ohio could see its first Democratic governor in 20 years.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

President Trump on Unity

President Donald Trump is calling for unity after what he says he feels was a third assassination attempt.

VERBATIM:
The President spoke on Saturday night about the experience shortly after a man armed with guns and knives tried to rush past the security perimeter inside a Washington hotel where the president was about to address the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Mr. Trump suggested his politics made him a target but is saying there’s a need for bipartisan healing. President Trump tells Fox News Channel that after the incident, he would have given a “speech of love” if the event hadn’t been curtailed.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said increasingly polarizing political rhetoric was partly to blame for so many violent incidents around the President.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

White House Media in Action

Journalists in the nation’s capital are accustomed to chasing stories. But on Saturday night, the story came to them! Reporter Bernie Bennett has details.

[VERBATIM: Hundreds of reporters, gathered as President Donald Trump prepared to speak, thrust suddenly into chaos when a gunman tried to storm the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

In the aftermath, safety and coverage blended as some of the nation’s most powerful reporters and editors tried to figure out what was unfolding in front of them.

Once it became apparent that something serious had happened, many of the journalists in tuxedos and gowns moved swiftly into work mode – recording video and photos of the scene on their mobile phones, and wrestling with spotty service to get the news out as swiftly as they could.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.