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Iran war’s true cost closer to $50 billion, not $25 billion, U.S. officials say

April 30, 2026 / 3:41 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — The true price tag of the Iran war is closer to $50 billion, U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments told CBS News, roughly double the public estimate the Pentagon cited in congressional testimony this week.

In testimony Wednesday on Capitol Hill, a Pentagon official placed the cost of the Defense Department’s Operation Epic Fury at about $25 billion, a figure that did not fully account for damaged or destroyed equipment or U.S. military installations damaged.

As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared before lawmakers this week to defend the Pentagon’s sprawling $1.5 trillion budget request, U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments suggested the war’s price tag is closer to $50 billion so far.

Much of the gap is accounted for by munitions that have been used and need to be replaced. For instance, the Pentagon has lost 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones — sophisticated unmanned aircraft that can cost $30 million or more apiece — underscoring how quickly the financial toll has mounted. Taken together, the higher estimate reflects not only the tempo of operations but also the often unseen costs of attrition, as material lost in the field reshapes the ledger.

The Pentagon’s acting comptroller, Jules Hurst, testified before the Senate on Thursday that the cost of military construction is hard to estimate.

“We don’t know what our future posture is going to be or the future construction of those bases,” Hurst said when Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut questioned what was included in the $25 billion.

CNN first reported that the real estimate is closer to $40-50 billion.

On Wednesday, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware expressed doubt that the war so far has cost only $25 billion: “I am frankly certain that that is low,” he said, suggesting that figure did not include the cost of deploying and holding forces in theater for two months and other expenses.

The war is hitting Americans’ pocketbooks more immediately, too.

In a congressional hearing this week, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California asked Hegseth how much the war will cost Americans through higher prices.

“Do you know how much it will cost Americans in terms of their increased cost in gas and food over the next year because of Iran?” Khanna asked.

Hegseth didn’t respond directly. “I would simply ask you what the cost is of an Iranian nuclear bomb,” the defense secretary said, accusing Khanna of “playing gotcha questions about domestic things.”

The right-of-center American Enterprise Institute estimates higher fuel and fertilizer costs alone translate to an extra $150 per month for each U.S. household.

Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch-sen-blumenthal-grills-pentagon-officials-on-cost-of-iran-war/

US banks left guessing over scope of looming order on citizenship data

2026-04-30 10:06:46 UTC / Reuters

By Pete Schroeder, Tatiana Bautzer and Michelle Price

April 30, 2026 10:06 AM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

节点运行失败

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attends a Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on President Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget request for the Department of the Treasury, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 22, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/File Photo

• Summary

• Bankers say they are in the dark on what major executive order may require
• Think tank warns order could cost billions of dollars to implement
• Experts and industry cite major IT, legal and enforcement challenges for banks
• Order could disproportionately impact lower-income Americans

WASHINGTON, April 30 (Reuters) – U.S. banks say they are largely in the dark about an expected White House order requiring them to collect data on their customers’ citizenship or immigration status, a directive senior industry executives warn would be costly and disruptive.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told media outlet Semafor this month that the administration is working on the executive order, but did not provide details. It was first reported in February by the Wall Street Journal, which characterized the effort as an extension of the administration’s crackdown on immigrants living in the United States illegally.

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Bank lobby groups initially pushed back on the effort in meetings with administration officials, warning it would be operationally and legally complex, expensive, and could potentially lead to millions of people becoming unbanked, according to three of the people.

But in recent weeks, banks have had little communication from the administration and say they are largely in the dark, despite the magnitude of the potential requirement, the people said.

Center-right think tank American Action Forum estimated last month that just for new accounts, collecting citizenship data could cost the industry between $2.6 billion and $5.6 billion annually.

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“The logistical challenges for banks are significant,” said Kathryn Judge, a professor at Columbia Law School.

“Overall, the initiative is bad news for banks but worse news for ordinary Americans. Even for citizens, the process could create significant headaches.”

The effort is another example of the Trump administration causing potential headaches for the banking industry in the pursuit of broader policy goals, even as it relaxes other rules it says are stifling lending. In January, Trump blindsided the industry by calling for credit card providers to cap interest rates in a bid to address cost-of-living concerns, and he has targeted Wall Street banks for discriminating against conservatives, a claim they deny.

A White House official said in an email that the administration continues to explore ways to protect the banking system from “unacceptable credit risks and to ensure that banking services remain available and affordable for all Americans.”

A spokesperson for the Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment. Bessent told Semafor it was not unreasonable to have more information about who is using the banking system.

The bank executives requested anonymity to discuss sensitive regulatory issues.

MASSIVE OVERHAUL OF IT SYSTEMS

Existing know-your-customer regulations require banks to verify a customer’s identity and gather other basic personal data, including Social Security or tax identification numbers. But they do not require lenders to gather and verify citizenship or immigration status information.

Banks say that doing so would entail a massive overhaul of their document processing and IT systems, as well as extensive training for frontline staff so they could identify and assess the validity of more than 180 different types of visas listed by the State Department.

Verifying such documents for new customers would be extremely burdensome, say bankers, but doing so for existing customers would be almost “impossible,” said a fourth source who runs a retail bank, a sentiment echoed by other executives.

The requirement would also create massive new enforcement risks for banks if the authorities decide to pursue lenders for failing to adequately check customer paperwork, said one of the sources and a fifth person who is a top banker.

Bank regulatory data suggests there are hundreds of millions of existing personal U.S. bank accounts. Roughly half of Americans, however, do not have passports, according to State Department data, and more than 9% of American citizens of voting age, or 21.3 million people, do not have readily available proof of citizenship, according to 2024 research by the Brennan Center for Justice, a think tank at NYU School of Law.

And many account-holders, most notably women who have been married, may have different names on their birth certificates.

GREATER IMPACT ON LOWER-INCOME AMERICANS

Even if the order targets only new accounts, those documentation gaps would still create challenges, say bankers and lawyers, especially for lower-income Americans who may struggle to afford birth certificates or passport fees.

Most banks would likely restrict online account opening, two of the people said. That would also make it harder for Americans in rural banking “deserts” — where average household incomes are lower, according to research from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — to open bank accounts.

“The initial implementation would be a lot of extra work because nobody would be accustomed to following the process,” said Ross Delston, an attorney specializing in anti-money laundering compliance. “And then you run the risk that banks would just start turning customers away,” with a potential discriminatory impact on some groups, he said.

For an executive order to become legally effective, the Treasury or bank regulators would typically have to write new rules and allow public feedback, giving the industry another chance to water down the requirements.

Dan Goldbeck, director of regulatory policy at the American Action Forum, who authored the research on the potential costs, said it was unclear what statutory authority regulators could potentially invoke to implement such an order.

That could open the door to “significant legal challenges,” he added.

Writing and reporting by Michelle Price; Reporting by Pete Schroeder in Washington and Tatiana Bautzer in New York; additional reporting by Megan Davies and Paritosh Bansal in New York; Editing by Alistair Bell

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Despite change atop the Fed, investor hopes for rate cuts hit hurdles

2026-04-30 10:13:37 UTC / Reuters

By Lewis Krauskopf and Suzanne McGee

April 30, 2026 10:13 AM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

节点运行失败

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell walks to testifying before a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on “The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress,” at Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Craig Hudson

• Summary

• Fed holds rates steady but three on board dissent on easing bias
• Powell to hand Fed chair to Warsh, Trump’s nominee
• Energy price surge complicates path to lower rates

NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) – Investors are turning the page to a newly led U.S. Federal Reserve that has long been expected to have a more dovish bent, but instead faces a bumpier rates path ahead.

The Fed meeting that concluded on Wednesday ​was set to be Jerome Powell’s last as the chair of the central bank, with Kevin Warsh on track to take over. Warsh was picked by U.S. President Donald Trump, ‌who heavily favors rate cuts, but the divisions revealed in the Fed decision showed barriers to monetary easing.

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A move to lower rates over the past couple of years and the expected bias toward further easing have supported risk assets, but a more hawkish-than-anticipated rate path could become problematic for equities and many corners of the fixed income market. Meanwhile, some investors have shifted their portfolios to protect against inflation amid the energy price surge, such as by buying inflation-protected Treasuries.

“The markets and those following the ​Fed have kind of said, well, this new Fed chair is going to be dovish regardless,” said Matthew Miskin, co-chief investment strategist at Manulife John Hancock Investments. “And I think as we get closer ​to that time, with this meeting … with the data not really helping the cause for cuts, you add it all up and it’s not clear that the ⁠Fed should cut or that the Fed will cut.”

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Indeed, following the meeting, futures pricing indicated markets had ruled out cuts for the remainder of the year.

‘SHOT ACROSS THE BOW’

The Fed held interest rates steady in its monetary policy ​decision on Wednesday, which was widely expected. But the decision was the central bank’s most divided since 1992, including three dissents from officials who no longer feel the Fed should communicate a bias towards lowering borrowing costs.

The ​dissents represented “a shot across the bow” to Warsh, said Chris Grisanti, chief market strategist at MAI Capital Management. “The dissenters are saying ‘you cannot take for granted that we will support your easing intentions.’ I suspect there will be a lot of drama ahead.”

Uncertainty over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and its impact on energy prices and inflation cast a shadow over the meeting, with U.S. crude up over 80% this year. Oil prices surged on Wednesday, with U.S. crude settling at about $107 a barrel, as ​deadlocked negotiations caused investor worries about prolonged disruptions to Middle Eastern supply.

Following the Fed decision, benchmark Treasury yields hit one-month highs, with the 10-year yield at 4.42% late on Wednesday.

The benchmark S&P 500 stock index (.SPX) ended little ​changed on the day after falling initially following the Fed decision. The U.S. dollar index modestly extended gains against a basket of currencies.

PRICING OUT CUTS IN 2026?

The Fed cut its benchmark rate by 175 basis points in 2024 and 2025, ‌but has held ⁠it steady in the 3.5%-3.75% range so far this year. Heading into 2026, markets had expected about two more standard quarter-percentage-point cuts by the end of this year, but the Middle East war and the resulting higher energy prices undercut those hopes.

“At the beginning of the year, the Fed had a pretty clear path to rate cuts,” said Joseph Purtell, a portfolio manager at Neuberger. “The advent of the Iranian conflict and the oil price shock have changed all of this.”

Following Wednesday’s meeting, Fed Funds futures had largely ruled out rate cuts this year and were pricing in a potential hike in the first half of next year, according to LSEG data.

“We’ve seen ​some of the more dovish members move toward the ​center,” said Dustin Reid, chief strategist, fixed income ⁠at Mackenzie Investments in Toronto. “The real discussion becomes could the Fed hike, should it and will it, in the second half of the year.”

Trump has consistently chastised Powell — who began as chair in 2018 after being nominated by Trump — for the Fed not cutting rates more significantly. Investors have anticipated that Warsh may take a more ​dovish stance but at his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Warsh said he had made no promises to Trump about cutting interest rates.

Warsh “is still dealing with an ​administration that is fervently in ⁠the corner of cutting rates at a time that it may not necessarily be called for quite yet because the unemployment picture still doesn’t necessarily warrant it,” said Gregg Abella, CEO at Investment Partners Asset Management. “I’d be surprised, if right out of the gate, he’s able to persuade the other governors on the board of the Fed that this (rate cuts) needs to happen imminently.”

Not everyone had taken rate cuts off the table entirely this year. Analysts at Citi ⁠said in a ​note that they continue “to project that cooler inflation and renewed loosening labor markets” will lead to rate reductions in September, adding that “rate ​cuts can be rapidly priced back in by markets if oil prices fall.”

Michael Reynolds, vice president of investment strategy at Glenmede, said his firm was looking for opportunistic bets on shares of smaller companies, which tend to benefit from lower rates.

“I’m kind of skeptical of this ​emerging narrative that a hike is more likely than a cut this year,” Reynolds said.

Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf and Suzanne McGee; additional reporting by Laura Matthews and Saqib Iqbal Ahmed; editing by Megan Davies and Sam Holmes

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Prosecution of ex-FBI chief Comey over seashell post is flawed, experts say

2026-04-30 11:04 AM UTC / Reuters

By Jan Wolfe

April 30, 2026 11:04 AM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

节点运行失败

[1/2]FBI Director James Comey testifies before the House Intelligence Committee hearing into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Legal experts say Comey’s post is protected speech, not a true threat
• Prosecution seen as part of Trump administration’s targeting of political adversaries
• Experts expect charges to be dismissed, citing First Amendment and prior Supreme Court rulings

April 30 (Reuters) – The latest criminal charges against James Comey are fundamentally flawed and will be dismissed on ​free speech grounds, according to legal experts, who said the former FBI director is being singled out for his criticism of President Donald Trump.

The charges relate to a post Comey made on Instagram last May showing seashells arranged on a beach to form the numbers “86 47.” Prosecutors say the post threatened Trump.

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Comey, who appeared in court on Wednesday, a day after being indicted over the post, has said he is innocent and will fight the accusations.

Comey’s photo was in “bad taste” but “protected speech,” said David Hudson, a professor at Belmont ​University College of Law, adding that the post fell far short of being a true threat.

“More reasonably, the message likely means opposition to the president ​or ejecting the president out of office,” said Hudson. “One of the most fundamental of all First Amendment principles is the ​ability of individuals to criticize government officials – even intemperately and harshly.”

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The indictment marks a renewed push by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who took over leadership of ​the Justice Department earlier this month, to target perceived political enemies of the president with criminal prosecution. Trump mentioned Comey last year by name in a social media post ​calling for criminal charges against his adversaries.

The number “86″ is used by restaurants to mean eject, refuse service, or run out of an item. The term is associated with the Prohibition-era speakeasy Chumley’s, located at 86 Bedford Street in Manhattan.

In some military contexts, the term has evolved to mean eliminate or kill.

Forty-seven is a possible reference to Trump as the 47th U.S. president. ​Prosecutors allege that a reasonable recipient of the message would interpret it as a threat to Trump.

Comey deleted the post shortly after it was published, saying ​he “didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.”

Comey, a longtime Trump foe, has now faced two criminal cases from the Justice Department during Trump’s second administration. A previous case accusing ​Comey of ​lying to Congress about leaking to the media was dismissed by a federal judge, who said the interim prosecutor spearheading the case was unlawfully appointed.

Experts said he will succeed in having the new charges dismissed as well.

BROAD PROTECTIONS

Americans have broad free speech protections under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits government infringement on the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

In a case from 1969, Watts v. United States, the Supreme Court said the First Amendment does not protect “true threats,” ​but it does allow for “vehement, caustic, ​and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on ​government and public officials.”

That case involved criminal charges against an 18-year-old man who allegedly threatened President Lyndon Baines Johnson during an anti-war demonstration.

The defendant had told a crowd: “If they ever make me carry a rifle the first man I want to ​get in my sights is L.B.J.”

The Supreme Court threw out his conviction, saying his remarks were “political hyperbole.”

In later cases, ​the high court has ​said “true threats” are “serious expressions of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence.”

Clay Calvert, a First Amendment scholar affiliated with the American Enterprise Institute think tank, said Comey’s photo of seashells was more benign than the rhetoric at issue in the Watts case.

“Seashells on a beach would be an odd context to convey a threat of violence,” Calvert ​said, adding ​that the case “fits a pattern of retribution by the Trump administration against his perceived political enemies.”

Comey ​is the “poster child” for someone who has been subjected to a “frivilous prosecution” and “harrassment” by the Justice Department, said Thomas Berry, a constitutional lawyer at the libertarian Cato Institute.

Bery said that while Comey “will never ​be convicted,” he will have to waste time and money defending himself.

“The process is the punishment,” Berry said.

Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Stephen Coates

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

5 things to know for April 30: Astronauts honored, interest rates, Iran war, gun control, visa applicants

Apr 30, 2026, 6:56 AM ET / CNN

Across major US cities, some intersections are becoming impromptu arenas as street takeovers turn public roads into a dangerous spectacle. In Las Vegas, police recently arrested more than 70 people in a sweeping crackdown on the illegal activity.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

Artemis II astronauts flank President Donald Trump as he takes questions during an event in the Oval Office at the White House on Wednesday.

Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

1️⃣ Astronauts honored

Fresh off their trip around the moon, the Artemis II astronauts arrived at the Oval Office on Wednesday, where President Donald Trump honored the crew and said there’s a “good shot” another person will walk on the moon during his presidency. Trump highlighted his broader space agenda, touting the creation of the Space Force branch of the military and reiterating plans to release classified material related to UFOs. Read more.

WATCH:Artemis II astronauts welcomed in the Oval Office

2️⃣ Interest rates

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held interest rates steady during Jerome Powell’s final meeting as chair. Powell said he will step aside when his term ends on May 15, though he will remain on the central bank’s powerful board for now. He also emphasized the uncertainties surrounding the war in Iran and warned of continued political attacks on the Fed’s independence. Read more.

3️⃣ Iran war

Oil surged above $126 per barrel earlier today, its highest price in four years, as President Trump lays the groundwork for an extended naval blockade of Iranian ports. Meanwhile, the cost of the war in Iran continues to climb. A senior Pentagon official told lawmakers Wednesday the US has spent roughly $25 billion on the war since it began in late February. But sources tell CNN that’s a lowball figure that does not include the cost of repairing extensive damage suffered by US bases in the region. Read more.

Hegseth spars with Khanna over cost of Iran war

In a tense exchange at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) pressed US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over the rising costs of the Iran war and its economic impact on American taxpayers.

Hegseth spars with Khanna over cost of Iran war

4️⃣ Gun control

Days after a gunman charged security at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in what investigators say was an attempt to kill President Trump using legally owned firearms, his Justice Department is moving to roll back gun control measures. The administration is proposing 34 new rules it says will make it easier for gun sellers to comply with the law, including by adopting a narrower definition of who must be a licensed seller. Read more.

5️⃣ Visa applicants

Visa applicants to the US will now be required to affirm they do not fear persecution in their home countries as the Trump administration moves to further limit potential asylum seekers from entering the country. The policy, detailed in a diplomatic cable sent to embassies and consulates this week, comes amid a sweeping shift in policies that have upended and restricted immigration to the US. Read more.

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彭博：中国批准国有炼油企业向亚洲买家出口燃料

2026年4月30日 19:35 / 联合早报

知情人士透露，中国已批准国有炼油企业向部分固定亚洲客户出口50万吨燃料。图为一艘原油油轮4月28日在位于山东省青岛市的青岛港码头卸货。 （法新社）

知情人士透露，中国已批准国有炼油企业向部分固定亚洲客户出口50万吨燃料，显示此前北京对燃料出口的限制正逐步放松。

彭博社引述知情人士报道，这一一次性配额将允许汽油、柴油和航空燃料在下个月出口，为受波斯湾战争持续影响、供应受阻的亚洲新兴经济体提供一定缓解。

知情人士称，这些燃料已完成装载，目的地可能包括越南、老挝等国家。

随着伊朗战争进入第三个月，原油、燃料、食品和化肥等关键物资仍滞留在霍尔木兹海峡另一侧，供应持续受限。作为全球最大原油进口国、且高度依赖中东原油的消费大国，中国通过收紧燃料出口以保障国内供应。

目前，中国的汽油和柴油等燃料库存已升至季节性高位。彭博社此前报道称，中国国有石油企业已开始申请政府许可，以恢复燃料出口。

‘It’s a mess’: With no Trump endorsement in Texas Senate race, Cornyn and Paxton are locked in an expensive brawl

Apr 30, 2026, 5:00 AM ET / CNN

By Patrick Svitek

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, and Sen. John Cornyn.

Getty Images

Nearly two months ago, President Donald Trump promised he would make an endorsement “soon” in the Republican primary runoff for US Senate in Texas.

That endorsement still has not arrived — and its absence is keeping the race highly competitive.

Three people involved in the race said they no longer expected Trump to get involved in the battle between Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. However, they cautioned he could change his mind before the May 26 runoff, keeping both sides on edge in the final weeks.

While Democrats haven’t won statewide in Texas since 1994, they have a Senate nominee in state Rep. James Talarico who is energizing liberals ahead of the November midterms and raising massive sums. Republicans long wanted to avoid a damaging runoff that could make things easier for Talarico, in part by having Trump boost one candidate and pressure the other to back down.

Trump was likely to eventually endorse Cornyn after he and Paxton advanced from a March 3 primary, sources told CNN at the time. However, Trump grew frustrated after Republican operatives leaked his expected plans, the sources said. Trump also fielded calls from some of his most ardent supporters, pushing him not to endorse Cornyn and warning it would be a mistake with his “Make America Great Again” base.

Trump met briefly with Paxton after the primary during a gala held at his Mar-a-Lago residence, part of an effort by the state attorney general to head off a Cornyn endorsement. Paxton also publicly offered to consider ending his candidacy if the Senate bypassed the filibuster to pass a Trump-backed overhaul of election requirements, the proposed Save America Act.

Trump has not said much about the race since then, including whether he still plans to pick between Cornyn and Paxton.

The president and some other Republicans have also cooled on Talarico as a formidable Democratic contender amid a deluge of opposition research released after the primary. Trump said in a March 22 post on Truth Social that “any human being running against” Talarico could win.

A poll released Wednesday by the University of Texas suggests Republicans have reason to be concerned about Talarico. He led both Cornyn and Paxton by single digits in hypothetical general-election matchups, though nearly a fifth of voters in each case said they had no opinion yet.

Washington Republicans had long hoped a Trump endorsement of Cornyn would effectively end an intraparty fight and allow the GOP to fully focus on Talarico.

“It’s a mess,” one national Republican strategist said. Speaking on condition of anonymity to assess the race, the strategist blamed a “failure by multiple entities to do their part.”

Some Cornyn supporters have conceded that Trump is unlikely to save the day for the incumbent. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, a former chair of Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, said during a Semafor event in Washington earlier this month that he “would be surprised if the president will weigh in on that race.”

“Staying neutral, frankly, would be a good thing at the moment,” Daines said.

Supporters of each candidate continue making the case for a Trump endorsement.

“The impact of him staying out of the race, I think, has been unfortunate because now we’ve spent tens and tens of millions of dollars in a competitive US Senate seat in Texas that could’ve otherwise be used for competitive House seats … against Democrats in the fall,” said US Rep. Nathaniel Moran of Texas, who endorsed Cornyn after the primary.

“I know, talking to donors across Texas, that they are drained of resources because of this race alone, and as a result, you’re going to see the impact, I think, in the election cycle in November because many of the competitive House seats that needed money coming out of Texas won’t happen,” Moran added.

The fight of Cornyn’s political life

Sen. John Cornyn walks to a vote at the US Capitol on April 20.

Francis Chung/Politico/AP

Cornyn entered the runoff after finishing one point ahead of Paxton in the March 3 primary, beating the expectations of even some Paxton supporters.

Still, Cornyn remains in the dire position of a longtime incumbent fighting for his political life. It took tens of millions of dollars in ad spending for Cornyn to get there, an ominous sign for a politician who has been running in statewide elections dating back to 1990.

There has been little independent polling of the runoff, with most surveys coming from groups aligned with Democratic groups or Republican candidates. But one pro-Cornyn operative, speaking on the condition of anonymity to characterize their view of the runoff, described the race as very close, calling it a “jump ball” or “coin toss.”

That would be much different from the blowout that Paxton predicted in his primary night speech, when he suggested he would romp by double digits like he has done in two previous statewide runoffs.

In his own speech after the primary, Cornyn raised expectations for an all-out offensive against Paxton in the runoff, saying, “Judgment Day is coming.”

Cornyn and his allies have continued to savage Paxton with ads citing the fact his wife, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, filed for divorce last year and accused him of adultery. Paxton has denied the allegation, and during the primary, he ran ads featuring other members of his family.

But the runoff has been a quieter fight so far. After the primary saw $100 million in ad spending, the runoff tally was just $5.7 million in ad spending as of Wednesday, almost all of it from Cornyn and allied groups, according to AdImpact. The air war is expected to intensify in the coming days.

Paxton has encountered headwinds too

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, on March 27.

Leandro Lozada/AFP/Getty Images

Paxton continues to receive credit, even from some people aligned with Cornyn, for preventing what appeared to be an imminent endorsement of Cornyn after the primary. A day after Trump teased an imminent endorsement – The Atlantic and then Axios reported he was set to back Cornyn – Paxton announced he would consider ending his candidacy if Senate Republicans eliminated the filibuster to pass the Save America Act.

Six days later, Cornyn announced he would support “whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary” to pass the legislation.

The deadline for candidates to formally drop out of the runoff came and went without Trump making an endorsement. Afterward, Trump said in a Fox News interview that he still wanted to issue an endorsement, “but the main thing I have to do is find out who’s going to get the Save America Act approved.”

Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas said Paxton’s push on the Save America Act was the “catalyst” for Gill dropping his neutrality and backing Paxton following the primary.

“We don’t need a senator representing Texas, of all places, who has to be dragged to the right in the middle of a contested Republican primary to get him to do the right thing,” Gill said.

Paxton’s campaign and super PAC remain significantly underfunded compared with Cornyn’s side. When it appeared Paxton was about to receive major outside support earlier this month – from a super PAC aligned with the cryptocurrency industry – senior GOP officials intervened publicly.

Both Chris LaCivita, a top Trump adviser working for a pro-Cornyn super PAC, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee criticized the initial plans by the Fellowship PAC to spend almost $2 million on pro-Paxton ads. The group has not responded to requests for comment but amended a filing with the Federal Election Commission to scrub the pro-Paxton ad buy.

Paxton also has been angling for an endorsement from Rep. Wesley Hunt, the third-place primary finisher in the March primary with 14 percent of the vote. But Hunt told Fox News on Friday that he had no current plans to get involved, saying he was “following the lead of the president.”

Hunt’s comments frustrated some in Paxton’s world. Hours after the interview aired, a longtime Paxton aide reposted another Paxton supporter who said Hunt “lacks the courage to do what he knows is right.”

Publicly, Paxton has voiced confidence.

“I’m very optimistic. In Texas, runoffs tend to favor the most conservative person,” Paxton said last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Dallas, a Trump-friendly gathering that Cornyn skipped.

As for fundraising, Paxton told the crowd of activists: “We’re going to raise more money this time. He’s not going to outspend me 20 to 1.”

Republicans still think they’ll beat Talarico

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for US Senate, greets supporters at a primary election watch party in Austin, Texas, on March 3.

Eric Gay/AP/File

Both have rolled out new rounds of endorsements as the specter of a Trump endorsement has appeared to fade. Still, the state’s highest-ranking leaders – Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Ted Cruz – have continued to stay neutral.

Patrick, a close Trump ally who chairs his Presidential Religious Liberty Commission, used a recent speech in Austin to lament the “nasty race” and call on each candidate to endorse the other if they do not win. Both candidates have promised, with little enthusiasm, to support the eventual GOP nominee.

Talarico, meanwhile, has been focused on replenishing his campaign coffers after a competitive primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett and reaching out to Black voters who supported her. Crockett has not endorsed Talarico so far, while former Rep. Colin Allred – who feuded with Talarico during the primary – has backed him.

Talarico raised a record-breaking $27 million in the first quarter. Talarico’s campaign finance report showed he spent nearly as much over the period, ending March with $9.9 million cash on hand compared with Cornyn’s $8.2 million and Paxton’s $2.6 million.

CNN’s Kristen Holmes and Alayna Treene contributed to this report.

工人党完成纪律审查 向毕丹星发谴责信

2026年4月30日 19:39 / 联合早报

工人党中委会星期四向工人党秘书长毕丹星，发出正式谴责信。工人党指他的行为虽违反党章，但无意违背党的原则或损害党的利益。 （档案照片）

工人党中委会星期四向工人党秘书长毕丹星，发出正式谴责信。工人党指他的行为虽违反党章，但无意违背党的原则或损害党的利益。 （档案照片）

工人党中央执行委员会已完成对秘书长毕丹星的纪律审查，并决定向他发出正式谴责信作为处分。

工人党星期四（4月30日）发声明说，中委会于星期二和三（28日和29日）召开会议，审议纪律委员会（Disciplinary Panel）的报告。工人党主席林瑞莲、副主席费沙，以及毕丹星本人，回避相关讨论。

纪律委员会认定，基于法院裁决，毕丹星已违反党章第20（1）条及第30条，中委会接受这一认定。

根据工人党党章，若党员行为违背党的原则或损害党的利益，中委会可采取包括撤职、开除党籍等纪律处分；参选公职的党员也须遵守党纪，并在与党及公众的往来中，保持诚实与坦率。

不过，中委会指出，在相关事件中，毕丹星无意违背党的原则或损害党的利益，他的行为反映的是当下的判断。声明说：“在考虑可采取的各项纪律处分时，中委会综合评估整体情况，决定向毕丹星发出正式谴责信。”

今年1月初，工人党启动内部程序，由中委会成立纪律委员会，审查毕丹星是否违反党章，并将在纪律程序完成后，召开特别党干部大会。调查在今年4月初完成，并向中委会提交最终报告和建议。

在声明发布前，毕丹星以工人党秘书长身份，于星期四中午发表劳动节献词。

Trump to sign order expanding workers’ access to retirement plans, Semafor reports

April 30, 2026 9:31 AM UTC / Reuters

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U.S. President Donald Trump gives a speech during the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn on day two of the State Visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the United States of America, on April 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. Chris Jackson/Pool via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights

April 30 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump will ​sign an executive ‌order on Thursday seeking to expand access ​to retirement plans ​for workers whose employers ⁠do not ​provide one, the Semafor ​media outlet reported, citing two White House officials.

The ​administration will ​integrate its push with the ‌so-called ⁠Saver’s Match, a 2022 legislation that directs the federal ​government ​to ⁠match retirement-plan contributions from workers ​making less than $35,000 ​with ⁠up to $1,000 starting next year, the ⁠report ​said.

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Reporting by ​Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; ​Editing by Andrew Cawthorne

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

大雨滂沱 巴士车长为乘客暖心撑伞

2026年4月30日 19:47 / 联合早报

雨天为上车乘客撑伞的一个小举动，让新捷运巴士车长获网民一致好评。 （脸书视频截图）

谁说超人一定穿着披风，说不定他穿的是巴士车长的制服。

近日，一段巴士车长在巴士车站为上车乘客撑伞的视频，温暖了无数网民的心窝。

这段于星期一（4月27日）上传的视频显示，一场突如其来的大雨让许多未带伞的乘客措手不及。一名巴士车长见状，主动在停车后，站到车门边撑起雨伞，为乘客遮挡站台与巴士之间的缝隙，以免他们淋湿。

根据上传视频的TikTok用户@singaporeproperties 的贴文，这温馨的一幕发生在星期一中午，一名新捷运巴士车长在中峇鲁广场一带为乘客撑伞。

贴文也说，巴士车长简单却令人动容的举动，让每个人脸上绽放出笑容。

“这个美好的瞬间提醒着我们，世间依然充满善意，一个善良的灵魂能带来如此巨大的影响。”

新捷运向《联合早报》证实，视频中为乘客撑伞的是驾驶145号巴士的车长刘永彬。

新捷运发言人回复询问时说，该公司车长为乘客尽心尽力的贴心举动，深刻体现新捷运关怀与可靠服务的关怀文化。

“这也彰显了我们致力于为乘客打造愉悦旅程的承诺。”

这并非本地首次有巴士车长被拍到为乘客撑伞。

去年9月，也曾有网民分享了一名SMRT巴士车长在下雨天为乘客“遮风挡雨”的视频，在寒冷的雨天为人们带来一丝暖意。