New Flu Vaccine

U.S. health advisers are debating a new kind of flu vaccine. Correspondent Bernie Bennett has the story.

[VERBATIM: The new shot is made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moderna is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for mFlusiva as an option for people 50 and older.

The FDA advisory panel is meeting Thursday to consider it. There already are numerous types of flu vaccines to choose from, but experts say adding a faster-to-manufacture mRNA option could be useful. FDA’s advisers are being asked if there’s enough evidence for the shot in both 50- to 64-year-olds and those 65 and older.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

Strait of Hormuz Open to Shipping

Maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence says major shipowners have begun moving vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Reporter Bernie Bennett has details.

VERBATIM: For the first time in 110 days, ships owned by major companies are transiting the strait after effectively being marooned there since February. The strait is a critical passageway for the world’s oil and natural gas. Its closure has created a historic energy crisis.

Tankers controlled by major ship owners Grimaldi Group, Cosco, Knutsen and NYK have passed through the strait. Lloyd’s List estimated that 550 merchant ships will need to prepare to exit the Persian Gulf, including 160 tankers, 200 bulk carriers, 60 container ships and 10 vehicle carriers.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Meet Merlin, FiFA Mascot!

Meet Merlin the duck, a Mexico City streetside regular turned World Cup mascot.

VERBATIM:
As Mexico celebrated its World Cup-opening victory over South Africa on Thursday, Merlin, a 2-year-old duck dressed in the national team’s colors, became an unlikely internet sensation and the tournament’s first unofficial mascot.

Images of Merlin parading through Mexico City, wearing a Mexican national team jersey – and socks – as thousands of fans celebrated, quickly went viral, racking up millions of views across social media. Overnight, and as if by the magic of the famous wizard who inspired his name, Merlin had captivated the internet.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Iran-Lebanon

Iran says the deal to end the war with the U.S. requires Israel to withdraw from Lebanon.
Reporter Bernie Bennett has details.

VERBATIM: Iran’s top diplomat said Tuesday that the tentative deal to end the war would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon – a condition Israel has already rejected. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon would violate the deal.

The contradictory interpretations threatened to sink the agreement and lead to the resumption of all-out war. The U.S. has not said whether Lebanon was part of the final agreement. It remains unclear what is in the agreement as it has yet to be released publicly in full.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Georgia Changes Rules for Counting Votes

ATLANTA (AP) – When Georgia lawmakers return to the Capitol this week for a special session, they are expected to try to clean up an election mess of their own making. Correspondent Bernie Bennett reports.

VERBATIM:
The election system used throughout the political battleground state relies on a QR code printed on ballots to tally the votes. Legislators passed a law two years ago barring the use of that barcode for the official vote count beyond July 1 of this year, but no replacement method of tabulating votes was ever implemented.

One of the instructions Republican Gov. Brian Kemp laid out for lawmakers when he called the special session is to “address issues created” by that law. Meanwhile, the secretary of state’s office and the State Election Board have further muddied the waters by issuing conflicting guidance for county election officials about how votes should be cast and counted.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

President Trump Endorses Candidate in Georgia’s U.S. Senate Race

In Georgia, Senate hopeful Mike Collins celebrates being President Donald Trump’s latest ‘MAGA’ pick in GOP primaries. More from reporter Bernie Bennett.

[VERBATIM:
In the closing stretch of Georgia’s Republican U.S. Senate runoff, Rep. Mike Collins celebrated his 11th-hour endorsement from President Trump on Sunday and dismissed any ideas that the Republican president’s stamp of approval is a risky bet in a potential showdown with Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.

Mr. Trump disclosed his choice of Collins over former football coach Derek Dooley in a middle-of-the-night social media post that praised the second-term congressman for his loyalty.

The Republican candidates are competing Tuesday for the chance to unseat Ossoff in one of the most closely watched campaigns in the November midterm elections.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

USA Wins Their World Cup Opening Match!

The US opens its home World Cup with a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay, sparked by Balogun’s 2 goals.

VERBATIM:
Folarin Balogun scored twice in the Americans’ historic three-goal first half, and the U.S. opened its first home World Cup in 32 years with its biggest win in the tournament, a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night.

Christian Pulisic had an assist in a stellar first-half playmaking performance for the Americans, who enthralled their Southern California fans with an aggressive attack while streaking to a 3-0 halftime lead – the team’s largest in any World Cup game.

Gio Reyna ripped another goal in the dying moments of second-half injury time, giving the Americans four goals in a World Cup match for the first time.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Anthropic Takes AI Offline

WASHINGTON (AP) – AI giant Anthropic said Friday it has taken its latest artificial intelligence models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, offline to comply with a directive from the Trump administration to prevent their use by foreign nationals.

VERBATIM:
The export controls mark the U.S. government’s most significant step to date to restrict access to the most advanced AI models. Anthropic released Fable widely this week. That model is a limited version of the even more advanced Mythos, to which the company has tightly limited access due to cybersecurity fears.

In a statement, Anthropic said it disagrees with the government’s handling of the matter, saying it received the directive from the U.S. government Friday afternoon and it did not specify the national security concerns.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

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President Trump Announces New DNI Nominee

President Donald Trump plans to nominate US Attorney Jay Clayton to be his news national intelligence director. Correspondent Bernie Bennett has details.

VERBATIM:
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he plans to nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, as director of national intelligence.

Trump announced the nomination on social media amid pressure from Congress to name a permanent replacement for Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month. Trump faced intense pushback over his decision to name Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director. The job oversees the coordination of 18 intelligence agencies.

Bernie Bennett in Washington

Detroit/Canada Bridge Delays in Opening

The opening of a Canadian-U.S. bridge across the Detroit River that President Donald Trump previously threatened to block has been delayed due to “outstanding issues.”

POSSIBLE TAG:
The construction project was negotiated by Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan, and paid for by Canada to help ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Work has been underway since 2018.

VERBATIM:
In a statement released Thursday ahead of a Friday ribbon-cutting ceremony at the bridge, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority says “Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues.”

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is jointly owned by Canada and Michigan and was expected to open to traffic later this month.

The Republican U.S. president in February demanded Canada turn over at least half the ownership of the bridge to the U.S. federal government.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

America’s 250th Birthday Celebration

The countdown to the nation’s 250th birthday is on. Celebrations will include dazzling pyrotechnics and an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight on the White House lawn. Reporter Bernie Bennett has more.

POSSIBLE TAG: Two different groups are planning separate celebrations.America250 is a bipartisan commission run by Congress, while Freedom 250 is a quasi-government group formed by President Trump.

VERBATIM:
Officials are also planning a massive 16-day Great American State Fair and a ball drop in Times Square, while President Trump teased that the UFC arena under construction could be permanent. He said, “Maybe we’ll never, ever take it down.”

The President suggested canceling the State Fair concert after many artists pulled out, including Milli Vanilli, The Commodores and Bret Michaels of Poison. Vanilla Ice, however, said he is “super honored” to perform.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

House Passes Bill to End the War

se passes a resolution to end the War with Iran. Correspondent Bernie Bennett has the story.

VERBATIM:
House lawmakers on Wednesday passed legislation designed to force President Trump to end the Iran War, marking a victory for Democrats and the constitutional purists who say the conflict is illegal without explicit congressional approval.

The tally was 215-208, with four Republicans – Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Tom Barrett (Mich.) and Warren Davidson (Ohio) – joining every Democrat in supporting the measure.

Democrats in the House and Senate have yet to get behind a bicameral measure that could be sent to Mr. Trump’s desk.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Alaska Sen. Sullivan Faces Challenges

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is running for reelection in Alaska and faces a field of 15 competitors. One of them is Dan Sullivan.

VERBATIM:
The senator told reporters in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday that he thinks the appearance ON the state’s primary ballot of another Republican with the same name is a dirty political trick coordinated by Democrats and the campaign of his chief rival for the seat, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. He threatened a lawsuit to get to the bottom of it.

Harry Child, a spokesman for the Peltola campaign, said it “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.” Jenny-Marie Stryker, executive director of the Alaska Democratic Party, said her organization “is in no way affiliated with either Dan Sullivan.”

Bernie Bennett

Many Candidates for Governor Running in Tuesday’s California Primary

One of the country’s messiest and most consequential governor’s races is hurtling toward an inflection point on Tuesday in California.

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VERBATIM:

California voters face a crowded ballot with 61 names during Tuesday’s primary to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. The race has no clear front-runner and includes a mix of Democrats and Republicans. The primary operates under a “jungle” system, meaning the top two finishers, regardless of party, will advance to the general election.

Key contenders include former Democrat House member and Biden cabinet member Xavier Becerra. Republican Steve Hilton, endorsed by President Donald Trump, is emphasizing lower taxes and smaller government.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

President Trump Will Headline America’s State Fair

An upcoming celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, called “The Great American State Fair,” has faced challenges as several musical guests backed out due in part to its connections to President Donald Trump.

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VERBATIM:

Organizers announced Saturday that President Trump himself will now headline the event, set to start June 25 on Washington’s National Mall. Some artists, like Bret Michaels, the Commodores and Martina McBride, withdrew over concerns about the event’s political ties. Others, including rappers Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice, still plan to perform.

Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez emphasized the broader fair that is scheduled from June 25 through July 10… includes an array of exhibits, family friendly attractions, musical performances, flyovers and more.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

DHS May Remove Customs Agents from Newark Airport

Fears of travel chaos flare as DHS Secretary Mullin weighs pulling customs officers from Newark’s airport. Reporter Bernie Bennett explains.

VERBATIM:
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is considering pulling some customs staff from Newark’s airport to help federal officials respond to protests at a nearby immigration detention facility, a move that the airline industry and some federal personnel warn would create havoc for international flights entering the country.

One official said Mullin’s call will depend in part on whether protests escalate over the weekend, as well as whether border czar Tom Homan, who visits New Jersey this weekend, can defuse tensions on the ground. And President Donald Trump would have the final say if Mullin decided to make good on his threats.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

Trump Endorses South Carolina Governor Candidate

President Donald Trump endorsed a GOP challenger to Rep. Nancy Mace’s campaign for South Carolina governor on Friday, backing Lt. Gov. Pam Evette in the contest. More from Correspondent Bernie Bennett.

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VERBATIM: The president lauded Evette as an “America First Patriot” who “never wavered” in a Truth Social post on Friday evening.

Also in a social media post on Friday, Mace responded, suggesting that her advocacy for the release of the Justice Department’s files related to its probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contributed to the president’s decision not to back her.

Trump’s Friday endorsement also snubbed Republican Congressman Ralph Norman, who had taken a slight lead on Mace in recent polling.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Louisiana Redistricting

Louisiana lawmakers have passed a new congressional map to pick up a Republican seat while leaving the state with one of its two majority-Black House districts. Details from reporter Bernie Bennett.

VERBATIM:
The map approved Friday is designed to give Louisiana a 5-1 split in Republicans’ favor.

The U.S. Supreme Court last month struck down one of the state’s majority-Black districts as an illegal racial gerrymander, weakening the landmark 1965 federal Voting Rights Act.

That decision intensified a national battle over partisan redistricting fueled by President Donald Trump’s efforts to protect the GOP’s slim House majority in this year’s midterm elections.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry is expected to sign the measure.

Bernie Bennett reporting.

Bondi Testifies on Espstein Files

WASHINGTON (AP) – Pam Bondi defends the Trump administration’s release of Epstein case files as she testifies before lawmakers Friday. Reporter Bernie Bennett has details.

VERBATIM:
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi stood behind the Trump administration’s release of the case files on Jeffrey Epstein as she testified Friday before House lawmakers scrutinizing a process that was delayed and included personal information of potential victims.

Bondi, who arrived Friday morning on Capitol Hill for her closed-door interview, was defiant in previous public testimony when she was confronted by lawmakers about the Epstein investigation. In her opening statement, she kept to the same tact.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.

U.S. and Iran Reach a 60-day Agreement

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and launch talks on Iran’s nuclear program.

TAG: That’s correspondent Bernie Bennett in Washington.

VERBATIM:
That’s according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, who said President Donald Trump still needs to sign off on the emerging memorandum of understanding. Iran did not immediately confirm any deal with the United States.

The tentative agreement worked out by the two sides comes at a moment when the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran appeared to be wavering.

Retail Sales Slow in April

NEW YORK (AP) — Retail sales slowed in April do in part to high gas prices.
Bernie Bennett reports from Washington.

VERBATIM:
Shoppers tempered their spending in April as higher gas prices fueled by the Iran war meant less money left over for some nonessentials like clothing and furniture. But they’re still buying, thanks to more generous tax refunds.

Retail sales rose 0.5% in April, a slowdown from the revised growth level of 1.6% in March, according to Commerce Department data released Thursday. March marked the largest one-month increase in retail spending in more than three years, largely because gas prices spiked higher rapidly.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

White House Policy on AI

A new directive would ask tech companies to submit their advanced AI models to a review by federal agencies.

VERBATIM: The White House’s highly anticipated artificial intelligence and cybersecurity executive order will designate a coalition of national security and civilian agencies to ramp up scrutiny of cutting-edge AI models.

Industry officials began receiving details on the directive from the White House on Tuesday night. It could come as early as Thursday.

One key question is whether the order will require a federal review of advanced AI models before they can be released, an idea the Trump administration had distanced itself from earlier this month after initially floating the proposal. The latest draft would ask developers of the systems to submit certain models to a voluntary review by a phalanx of federal agencies as far as 90 days before they’re made public.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Trump Cabinet Meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump meets with his Cabinet at a precarious moment for talks aimed at ending the war with Iran. Bernie Bennett has details. ((THE CABINET MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR 11AM ET))

VERBATIM:
The Republican president has projected confidence that he’s closing in on a deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and give him a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory.

As he prepares to huddle with his top aides this morning, President Trump is hoping to wind down a conflict that’s been politically unpopular for Republicans as the midterms are approaching. Under the potential deal, Tehran would agree to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in return for sanctions relief.

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

House – DOJ

House Judiciary Committee Republicans reject a subpoenas for architects of a new ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ at the Department of Justice. Bernie Bennett reports.

VERBATIM: House Republicans rejected a bid from Judiciary Committee Democrats to subpoena several Trump administration officials involved in the establishment of a new, $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that’s been cast in a negative light.

Ultimately, 18 House Republicans voted Wednesday to dismiss the motion to compel testimony from “those involved in the creation or execution” of the account.

That includes Attorney General Todd Blanche, associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, IRS CEO Frank Bisignano and Brian Morrissey, who recently resigned as general counsel at the Treasury Department.

The new fund was announced Monday as part of a settlement deal with President Trump, where he agreed to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the government over the leak of his tax returns, in part, in exchange for the creation of the account.

Bernie Bennett, Washington.