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Endangered orangutan filmed using canopy bridge to cross public road in Indonesia: “A world first”

April 27, 2026 / 1:37 PM EDT / CBS/AP

A Sumatran orangutan has been filmed for the first time using a human-made canopy bridge to cross a public road on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, conservationists said Monday.

Rapid development has been shrinking the jungle habitat of the critically endangered species, and fatal conflicts with people have been increasing.

The fleeting scene, captured by a motion‑sensitive camera, showed a young Sumatran orangutan pause at the forest’s edge, grip a rope with deliberate care and step out into open air. Halfway across, it stopped, casting a glance down at the road below.

“Then, with a cheeky glance to camera, he continues on his way,” the Sumatran Orangutan Society, or SOS, said in a social media post showing the video.

Conservationists said that it marks the first documented case of a species on the brink of extinction using an artificial canopy bridge to cross a public road that had divided its habitat.

“This was the moment we had been waiting for,” Erwin Alamsyah Siregar, executive director of Indonesian conservation group Tangguh Hutan Khatulistiwa, or TaHuKah, told The Associated Press. “We are very grateful that the canopy here provides benefits for orangutan conservation efforts.”

He said that the bridge spans the Lagan-Pagindar road in Pakpak Bharat district, a vital corridor connecting remote villages to schools, healthcare and government services. But the road also cuts directly through a prime orangutan habitat, splitting an estimated 350 orangutans into two isolated forest areas: the Siranggas Wildlife Reserve and the Sikulaping Protection Forest.

When the road was upgraded in 2024, the gap in the forest canopy widened, eliminating natural crossings for tree‑dwelling wildlife.

“Development was necessary for people,” Siregar said. “But without intervention, it would have left orangutans trapped on either side.”

TaHuKah, working with SOS and local and national government agencies, proposed a simple solution: rope bridges suspended between trees, allowing arboreal animals to cross above traffic.

While other species including gibbons and long-tailed macaques have also been spotted crossing there, “this is a world first for Sumatran orangutans,” SOS told AFP.

In this undated photo provided by the Sumatran Orangutan Society/TaHuKah, a Sumatran orangutan crosses a canopy bridge that stretches over a road in Pakpak Bharat, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Sumatran Orangutan Society/TaHuKah via AP

“One orangutan has crossed, but a population of 350 still remains isolated,” SOS said in a statement on social media.

Five canopy bridges were installed, each with a camera trap, carefully positioned after surveys of orangutan nests, forest cover and animal movement. The structures were designed to support the orangutan’s weight — no small feat for the world’s largest tree‑dwelling mammal.

The program is closely monitored, with camera traps on every bridge and regular patrols to prevent forest encroachment. Conservationists hope more orangutans will follow the first pioneer.

“Seeing this young male orangutan confidently cross the road is a huge milestone for conservation — proving that it is possible to stitch fragmented forests back together,” SOS said on social media.

They waited two years for the first orangutan to cross the bridge. Before the accomplishment, only smaller animals used it. Camera traps recorded squirrels, langur monkeys and macaques, followed by gibbons — a promising sign.

The orangutan’s approach was slower, building nests near the bridge, lingering at its edges and testing the ropes over time.

“They observe,” Siregar said. “They don’t rush. They watch, they try, they retreat. Only when they’re certain it’s safe do they move.”

Then, one day, he crossed fully — a first not just for Sumatra, but for the species globally on a public road, conservationists say.

Similar bridges have been used by orangutans elsewhere, but usually over rivers or on private industrial forest roads. Conservationists say public roads — noisy, busy and unpredictable — pose a far greater challenge.

For orangutans, the stakes are high. Isolation leads to inbreeding, genetic weakening and eventual population collapse. Restoring connectivity gives them a chance to survive.

Once widespread across southern Asia, the animal now only survives on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Fewer than 14,000 Sumatran orangutans remain in the wild, alongside just 800 Tapanuli orangutans and about 104,700 Bornean orangutans, according to conservation groups.

“These bridges allow orangutans to move, to mix, to maintain healthy populations,” Siregar said. “It reduces the risk of extinction.”

AFP contributed to this report.

Archaeologists at Pompeii use AI to reveal the face of a victim trying to flee the Mount Vesuvius eruption

April 27, 2026 / 2:01 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Archaeologists at the ancient Roman site of Pompeii have used artificial intelligence for the first time to digitally reconstruct the face of a victim of the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius that smothered the city, offering a new way to understand one of history’s most famous natural disasters.

The digital portrait represents an older man who was among two victims discovered as they attempted to flee the city toward the coast of what is now Italy during the volcanic eruption. Researchers believe the man died earlier in the disaster, during a heavy fall of volcanic debris.

The reconstruction was developed by the Pompeii Archaeological Park in collaboration with the University of Padua and is based on archaeological survey data from excavations near the Porta Stabia necropolis, just outside the walls of the ancient city.

Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Naples, was buried under ash and pumice when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago, preserving the city and thousands of its inhabitants in remarkable detail.

Archaeologists found the victim holding a terracotta mortar, which they interpret as an improvised attempt to shield his head from falling lapilli, the small volcanic stones that rained down during the eruption.

Ancient accounts — including those of Roman writer Pliny the Younger — describe residents using objects to protect themselves as ash and debris blanketed the city.

The man was also carrying an oil lamp, a small iron ring and 10 bronze coins, personal objects that offer insight into his final moments as well as daily life in Pompeii before the catastrophe.

Archaeologists noted that the victim, along with many others, was discovered near the city gates, emphasizing that “it should be kept in mind that many may have lost their lives outside the city, attempting to reach the coast.”

Last year, archaeologists discovered evidence pointing to the reoccupation of Pompeii following the devastating eruption, because some survivors could not afford to start a new life elsewhere.

The digital portrait was created using artificial intelligence and photo-editing techniques designed to translate skeletal and archaeological data into a realistic human likeness.

This image released by the Italian Culture Ministry on Monday, April 27, 2026, shows a victim of the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in the Pompeii archaeological area near Naples in southern Italy. AP

“The vastness of archaeological data is now such that only with the help of artificial intelligence will we be able to adequately protect and enhance them. If used well, AI can contribute to a renewal of classical studies,” Pompeii park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said in a statement.

The project aims to make archaeological research more accessible and emotionally engaging for the public while maintaining a scientific foundation, researchers said.

“Pompeii is perhaps the most prestigious place in the world for archaeological research where every new discovery illuminates enthusiastically the plot of ancient life,” Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said in a statement. “Investigations conducted with these excavations demonstrate that innovative methodologies, used with care, can give us new historical perspectives.”

Earlier this year, archaeologists announced they had uncovered a 2,000-year-old love note and an illustrated gladiator fight scene on a wall in Pompeii.

Senate panel to vote on Wednesday on advancing Fed chair Warsh’s nomination

April 27, 2026 4:17 PM UTC / Reuters

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Kevin Warsh, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be next chair of the Federal Reserve, attends a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing to testify, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 21, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

April 27 (Reuters) – The Senate Banking Committee is expected on Wednesday to advance ​Kevin Warsh’s nomination as Federal Reserve ‌Chair to the full Senate, with a vote now set for 10 a.m. ​EDT (1400 GMT).

The timing – which comes ​as Fed policymakers will be nearing ⁠the end of their two-day ​policy-setting meeting under current chair Jerome ​Powell — increases the chances that Warsh will be in place by the time Powell’s ​leadership term ends on May ​15, and to run the Fed’s next meeting, ‌in ⁠June.

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Republican Senator Thom Tillis dropped his block on the Warsh confirmation process on Sunday, after the Department of ​Justice ended ​an investigation ⁠into Powell that Tillis felt was a threat ​to the Fed’s independence.

All of ​the ⁠panel’s Democrats oppose Warsh’s nomination, but with Tillis the Republicans outnumber them ⁠13 ​to 11. Republicans are ​also the majority in the full Senate.

Reporting by ​Ann Saphir; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

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The legal showdown between Elon Musk and Sam Altman begins today. Here’s what to know.

April 27, 2026 / 12:49 PM EDT / CBS News

By Mary Cunningham

Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. She previously worked at “60 Minutes,” CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program.

Read Full Bio

Jury selection begins Monday in a high-profile case brought by Tesla CEO Elon Musk alleging that Sam Altman’s OpenAI, which was founded as a nonprofit research lab, prioritized profits over its original mission to benefit humanity as it ballooned into a corporate enterprise.

Musk originally sued in 2024, alleging that OpenAI, Altman, and OpenAI President Greg Brockman betrayed the company’s founding agreement to be altruistic stewards of a revolutionary technology that would eventually result in the launch of ChatGPT in 2022.

Musk is seeking an unspecified amount to fund the charitable arm of OpenAI, as well as Altman’s removal from the OpenAI board. OpenAI, which Musk and Altman co-founded in 2015, is valued at $852 billion, according to the Associated Press.

Opening statements could begin as early as Tuesday. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is presiding, will make the final decision in the case, with the jury serving in an advisory role.

The trial is expected to provide riveting theater, with contrasting testimony from two of technology’s most influential and polarizing figures: the 54-year-old Musk and the 41-year-old Altman.

OpenAI declined to comment on Friday. In a post on X on Monday, the company called the lawsuit a “baseless and jealous bid to derail a competitor.” Musk’s xAI operates the AI chatbot Grok, which debuted in 2023 and competes with OpenAI.

“We’ll also finally have the chance to question Mr. Musk under oath before a jury of Californians about this attempt to undermine our work to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity,” the post said.

Musk’s legal team did not respond to a request for comment.

The “core dispute”

Musk stepped down as co-chair of OpenAI in 2018 but continued to donate to the AI company until 2020, with his financial contributions totaling $44 million, according to legal filings. However, the Tesla founder grew displeased with the direction of OpenAI as it shifted toward a for-profit structure and eventually yanked his funding — leading to a bitter fallout between him and Altman.

As Musk withdrew his financial support, Microsoft swooped in, becoming OpenAI’s biggest investor.

Julia Powles, a technology law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, told CBS News on Friday that the dispute centers on who will control the transformative technology and profit from it.

“Both are arguing in this case that they have the public good at heart, that’s essentially the core dispute,” she said. “But what I think the evidentiary record shows is that both like to tell you what you want to hear.”

Implications for the AI landscape

The trial comes at a pivotal moment in the development of artificial intelligence, a technology poised to bring breakneck advancement even as concerns swirl about its impact on the nature of work and humanity as a whole.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a note on Monday that the case could heighten the AI arms race as OpenAI competes for dominance against other players like xAI and Anthropic, which operates the Claude chatbot. OpenAI is expected to go public later this year.

The case could also reshape the corporate governance structure of AI research, Ives added.

The trial, which is taking place in federal court in Oakland, California, is expected to be a fiery showdown between two of the biggest names in tech.

“We believe any major damage to OpenAI and Altman will be more scrapes and bruises than real consequences to the company and his role as CEO,” Ives wrote. “That said, it’s Elon and never doubt him in these spots.”

Edited by Aimee Picchi

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hill GOP braces for ‘nightmare week’ as pressure mounts to end DHS funding standoff

2026-04-27T17:13:26.287Z / CNN

By Sarah Ferris, Lauren Fox

PUBLISHED Apr 27, 2026, 1:13 PM ET

House Speaker Mike Johnson at the US Capitol on April 20, 2026.

Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP

Top Republicans on Capitol Hill have spent 10 weeks struggling to end the bitter stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Now, as federal workers — including US Secret Service agents who protected the president in this weekend’s shooting in Washington — prepare to miss a paycheck, GOP leaders are under more pressure than ever before to resolve the standoff.

Congressional Republicans return to DC Monday evening with a slew of contentious votes ahead that have fiercely divided the party, including the critical DHS funding measure. But there are other must-pass bills that still don’t have the votes to pass in the narrowly divided House, according to GOP leadership aides, including a bill overseeing the government’s spy powers that conservative privacy hawks detest and a massive farm bill that’s angered the MAHA bloc of the GOP.

“We’ve got a nightmare week,” one GOP leadership aide told CNN.

Perhaps most difficult for Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune will be ending the 72-day shutdown of DHS, which has thrown into question pay for thousands of federal workers, including the agent who took a bullet to the vest at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this weekend. DHS has so far paid staff out of a previously approved $10 billion rainy day fund – but that money will be depleted soon, aides have warned. The expectation is that staffers would receive only one more paycheck from that fund before it runs out.

“We have to move DHS funding because it’s urgent. As the secretary of Homeland Security has said. We are out of money. He is out of money at the end of this week. Democrats have been playing games with this. It’s very dangerous as demonstrated Saturday night. We got to get the job done,” Johnson said Monday when asked if he would move on that funding this week.

Resolving the DHS funding crisis was already a nearly impossible task for Johnson and the fractious House GOP. The party is in a bitter feud over how to reopen DHS, with conservatives enraged that Thune decided to bow to Democratic demands to only partially fund the department – without money for immigration enforcement. It has set off a frantic scramble to pass a separate – and legislatively complex – package of only federal immigration enforcement and border patrol funding, though that has been bogged down by other hardliner demands.

Saturday’s gunfire at one of Washington’s most high-profile annual events has further complicated talks, with some of those hardliner Republicans, like Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, demanding that the party set aside funding for a “secure ballroom” on White House grounds for the president to safely hold events. (Many of them already had major demands for the DHS vote, including tying the measure to Trump’s federal elections overhaul bill, as well as a promise for an ambitious domestic policy push sometime before the midterms.)

The DHS shutdown – already the longest in history – is now threatening to have dire consequences for officials charged with protecting US borders.

One Republican member who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing conversations with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told CNN that there are concerns at the agency that there could be “serious consequences” if the House doesn’t move DHS funding soon.

Mullin himself has used his many TV appearances in recent weeks to warn that the money is running dry.

While headline-making airport lines have abated after Trump unilaterally moved to pay Transportation Security Administration workers, other areas overseen by DHS like the Coast Guard are running up against the constraints of existing funding streams.

“You have agencies that are not TSA and not getting paid like (the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency). And the Coast Guard is running out of options,” the member said. “Cyber security is a big deal. And you cannot hire any staff and you aren’t able to give them any guarantees. They are going to start leaving the agency.”

Other brewing battles

GOP leaders must also figure out how to defuse a legislative landmine that’s already led to two failed votes on the House floor: renewing a government spy authority that’s critical to US surveillance overseas.

That tool, which is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, is contentious among the many Hill Republicans who are distrustful of the government’s ability to spy on its citizens without a warrant.

House GOP leadership believed as of Friday that enough conservatives would accept their latest FISA proposal and longer-term funding could finally pass the chamber, sending it to the Senate. But one conservative who attended a meeting with Johnson late last week told CNN they were still skeptical of leadership’s proposal.

National security hawks in Johnson’s ranks are also increasingly uneasy about empowering GOP hardliners to tackle major changes to FISA.

It remains unclear whether the speaker’s latest proposal will satisfy his right flank given the changes do little to address the warrant concerns. If Johnson can’t win the approval from his own party, he may need to turn to Democrats.

Lawmakers and senior aides have acknowledged that Johnson could much more easily put together a coalition of Republicans and Democrats rather than try to satisfy every Republican in his conference.

That would require cooperation from Democratics leaders, either by helping the GOP get through a procedural hurdle known as a rule vote, or by helping to deliver a wide swath of votes in what’s known as a “suspension vote,” which is typically reserved for noncontroversial bills and requires two-thirds support in the House.

It’s a familiar conundrum for Johnson as he navigates one of the slimmest House margins in history: Work with Democrats to move must-pass bills or find a way to satiate conservatives without losing moderate support.

“I gotta suspect they are gonna have a rules issue and then maybe only then when they faceplant a second time, will they decide it’s time to work with Democrats,” Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut said, referring to that procedural vote that must pass before the measure can be taken up by the full House.

Meanwhile, there is growing animosity from rank-and-file Republicans that a handful of conservatives are dictating the process – on both FISA and the DHS shutdown – and dragging it out.

“Let’s stop doing the pretzel twister game with Republicans who never want to get to yes anyway,” Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told CNN. “We are trying to accommodate 20 people. This is what is broken about Congress. These guys want to rule with just 218 and that gives power to 20 or 10 depending on the issue and that just ain’t right.”

But it’s not just Bacon – and it’s not just about FISA.

On Friday, before the shooting, Bacon and a handful of other Republicans from swing districts sent a letter to leadership urging Johnson to bring the DHS funding bill that includes everything but immigration enforcement funding to the floor for a vote.

The Senate passed it twice already but it has languished in the House as Johnson has had to contend with conservatives who argue they don’t want to vote for anything that zeroes out funding for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and US Customs and Border Protection. But while the House also holds the Senate-passed budget proposal that begins the process of funding those immigration enforcement agencies, it may not be enough for conservatives who want to include additional items like the SAVE Act and deficit reduction, which could further drag out the process.

Johnson is also facing pressure from conservatives to include additional items in the legislation, since many view it as perhaps the last opportunity to push their own priorities before the midterms even as leadership has kept the door open to moving yet another party-line reconciliation bill down the line.

Many in GOP leadership, however, are skeptical that another massive policy bill can pass Congress before the midterms, multiple sources have told CNN.

And some hardline conservatives don’t believe GOP leaders will adequately try to push it through. They believe Johnson’s promises for a so-called “Reconciliation 3.0” bill are disingenuous and may threaten to hold up the DHS funding bill this week unless they can extract some more assurances.

CNN’s Annie Grayer contributed to this report.

Florida’s DeSantis proposes new US House map targeting four Democratic seats

2026-04-27 17:35:23 UTC / Reuters

By Joseph Ax

April 27, 2026 5:35 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visits a temporary migrant detention center informally known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in Ochopee, Florida, U.S., July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

April 27 (Reuters) – Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed a new congressional map on Monday aimed at flipping four Democratic U.S. House of Representatives seats in November’s midterm election, further escalating ​a coast-to-coast redistricting war that has already reshaped dozens of districts nationwide.

It remains unclear ‌whether the map has enough support in the Republican-controlled state legislature to pass. DeSantis has called lawmakers to convene a special session starting on Tuesday to consider his plan.

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The map, which DeSantis first shared with Fox News, ​would likely give Republicans 24 of the state’s 28 U.S. House seats, up from its ​current 20-8 majority.

Republicans can afford to lose only two House seats in ⁠November’s election to retain a majority. A Democratic-led House could initiate investigations into President Donald Trump’s administration ​while blocking his legislative agenda.

Last week in Virginia, voters narrowly approved a Democratic-backed map that targets four ​Republican incumbents there. Republicans have filed several lawsuits challenging the validity of the ballot measure, and the Virginia Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments in one of those cases.

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Any successful redistricting in Florida would likely face its own ​legal challenges. In 2010, voters approved a constitutional amendment explicitly banning lawmakers from drawing district ​lines for political gain, a practice known as gerrymandering.

A handful of Florida Republicans have expressed concern that an aggressive ‌redrawing ⁠could leave some incumbents vulnerable in a Democratic wave year. Democrats have consistently outperformed their 2024 margins in dozens of elections since Trump took office in January 2025.

Virginia and Florida represent what are likely the final battlegrounds in the redistricting war that Trump initiated last summer, when he successfully ​urged Texas Republicans to ​install a new map ⁠that targeted five Democratic incumbents.

While Republicans appeared to hold the redistricting advantage nationwide, Democrats have managed to fight back to a near-draw, depending on ​the final outcomes in Virginia and Florida.

Redistricting typically occurs after the end ​of each ⁠decade to account for population shifts in the U.S. Census. Trump’s gambit set off an unprecedented mid-decade cycle that quickly spread to a dozen states, both those controlled by Republicans and by Democrats.

The U.S. ⁠Supreme ​Court is expected to issue a voting rights decision by summer ​that could allow Republican-led Southern states to redraw additional Democratic seats with large minority populations. But any ruling may be ​too late to have a significant impact on this year’s midterms.

Reporting by Joseph Ax Editing by Bill Berkrot

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California billionaire tax secures enough signatures to make ballot

April 27, 2026 / 1:42 PM EDT / CBS News

Proponents of a proposal to tax California billionaires say they have obtained enough signatures for the measure to appear on the November ballot.

The measure, proposed by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), a union representing more than 120,000 California health care workers, would impose a one-time 5% tax on Californians with net worths of $1 billion or more.

The union said it obtained more than 1.5 million signatures, exceeding the 875,000 required to qualify for the ballot.

Called the “2026 Billionaire Tax Act,” the statewide ballot measure is intended to prevent hospital and clinic closures across California and help fund public K-14 education and state food assistance programs, according to organizers. But the proposed tax has also proven divisive, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom arguing it could hurt the state’s economy and budget if it drives its wealthiest residents to relocate.

Raising $100 billion

The tax is projected to raise about $100 billion over five years, according to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Backers argue that the roughly 200 billionaires in California have collectively amassed $2 trillion in wealth, yet pay less than 1.5% of that in annual taxes — a fraction of the effective tax rate paid by middle-class residents. The state tax rate for single filers earning about $25,000 to $70,000 ranges from 4% to 8%.

Opponents of the proposal argue that it would drive wealthy Californians from the state. Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, a New York resident, opposes the measure, saying he believes wealth taxes “effectively represent an expropriation of private property and have many unintended and negative consequences.”

Suzanne Jimenez, chief of staff at SEIU-UHW, lead sponsor of the measure, said in a Monday statement that while “controversial billionaires” have tried to stop the measure from moving forward, “our current signature tally proves frontline healthcare workers will prevail in bringing this commonsense proposal to voters.”

“When our growing coalition files these signatures, David will have won the first round against Goliath, but healthcare workers and our allies won’t quit until we fully protect our patients from the looming healthcare disaster that will be caused by $100 billion in cuts to California healthcare,” she said.

At a press conference announcing the milestone on Monday, proponents of the act dismissed the threat of a billionaire exodus from the state.

“Many billionaires in California made their lives there. Those folks are not going to leave,” Jimenez said.

She acknowledged that only “a little handful” of ultra-wealthy residents have reported that they have moved.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/video/san-francisco-mayor-says-proposed-wealth-tax-is-just-a-theoretical-issue-at-this-point/

Fetterman breaks with Democrats after shooting scare, backs Trump on major White House project

April 27, 2026 12:33pm EDT / Fox News

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., broke party lines again after the close call at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this weekend, siding with President Donald Trump’s push to build a ballroom at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Fetterman, who has repeatedly shown he is willing to defy his party, posted on X that he was “there front and center” at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner when the shooting occurred Saturday night. The alleged shooter, 31-year-old California resident Cole Allen, broke through multiple layers of Secret Service security at the Washington Hilton and nearly opened fire in a room where the president, vice president and other key administration and federal officials were present.

“After witnessing last night,” Fetterman called for people to “drop the TDS [Trump derangement syndrome] and build the White House ballroom.”

He said the purpose of the ballroom would be to host events “exactly like these.”

HOW DID SUSPECTED GUNMAN GET WEAPONS INTO CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER? EX-DETECTIVE QUESTIONS SECURITY FAILURES

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., called for the completion of the new White House ballroom after the close call alleging an active shooter situation at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25, 2026.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“We were there front and center,” he wrote. “That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government.”

Though construction is continuing on the $400 million privately funded White House ballroom, the project is currently bogged down in a legal challenge by the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). After the shooting, the Justice Department pressed NTHP to drop its lawsuit, citing concerns about the safety and security of the president and other key personnel.

“[Y]our lawsuit puts the lives of the president, his family, and his staff at grave risk,” Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general in DOJ’s Civil Division, wrote in a Sunday letter to opposing counsel, shared on X by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“Enough is enough,” Shumate continued. “Your client should voluntarily dismiss this frivolous lawsuit today in light of last night’s assassination attempt on President Trump.”

“As history proves, that venue is demonstrably unsafe for the President of the United States because its size presents extraordinary security challenges for the Secret Service.

“[Saturday’s] assassination attempt on President Trump proves, yet again, that the White House ballroom is essential for the safety and security of the President, his family, his cabinet, and his staff.”

SECURITY UNDER SCRUTINY AS WHCD ATTENDEES CITE INCONSISTENT SCREENING BEFORE SHOOTING

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino jumps over a chair after an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026. President Donald Trump and other officials were evacuated from the Washington Hilton following reports of gunfire. The FBI’s Washington field office said a subject is in custody.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Raquel Debono, a conservative influencer who attended the dinner, told Fox News Digital, “No ballroom no matter how grand, matters if we can’t keep people safe first.”

“Everyone’s debating architecture while a shooter got into what should have been the most heavily secured event in America – it’s a ridiculous distraction,” said Debono. “The security failures are the story. It was too easy to get in.”

Debono shared on X that she left the dinner early prior to the shooting due to an “uneasy feeling.” She noted that their bags were not checked and that people were “shoved through doors.”

Trump himself pointed to the incident as evidence that the hotel venue was “not a particularly secure building,” arguing that a new White House ballroom — equipped with features like bulletproof materials — would offer a safer alternative.

“It’s really what you need,” Trump said on Fox News on Sunday. “You can’t have a thousand [hotel] rooms or whatever it is, I mean, it’s a very big hotel, on top of the ballroom. And people come down the elevator, and they’re right next to the ballroom.”

WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER SHOOTING: TIMELINE TRACES HOW SUSPECT’S ALLEGED CROSS-COUNTRY PLAN UNFOLDED

President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House after an unspecified threat at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, Saturday, April 25, 2026.(Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Though the shooting prompted widespread calls for a White House ballroom, Fetterman stood out as a lone Democrat willing to join in on the push.

On Sunday, Fetterman admitted on CNN, “I never really had a strong opinion on the ballroom to be honest, but this clearly demonstrated [the need].”

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He emphasized the need to ensure not only the president’s protection but also that of those in the line of succession, should anything happen to the president.

“I just walked away from that still kind of stunned how lucky we were that no one was seriously hurt,” said Fetterman. “And when we have the significant majority of our leadership in a very small, clustered area, it could have been much more catastrophic for our nation that day.”

Fox News Digital’s Eric Mack and Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

Trump’s strange focus on his ballroom after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting

2026-04-27T17:33:20.412Z / CNN

Analysis by

Aaron Blake

2 hr ago
PUBLISHED Apr 27, 2026, 1:33 PM ET

President Donald Trump speaks in the White House briefing room after Saturday’s shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Jose Luis Magana/AP

After Charlie Kirk’s assassination last year, the Trump administration immediately set about citing the tragedy to justify a major crackdown of left-leaning groups. (This despite no evidence that such groups played any role.)

After a suspected gunman targeted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this weekend, President Donald Trump and some of his allies have focused on a much more quotidian political aim.

It’s all about the ballroom.

The president, the White House and the Justice Department quickly argued the shooting at the Washington Hilton demonstrates the need to build Trump’s White House ballroom, which is stuck in court proceedings. And it’s not just an aside; this appears to be the major point of emphasis for much of MAGA.

There is no question that the security at the hotel and around the dinner is worth revisiting. But there are multiple reasons Trump’s planned ballroom isn’t a particularly suitable alternative.

And perhaps more than that, it seems a questionable — and somewhat bizarre — move to focus attention on a $400 million construction project that has been a political albatross for Trump, even though he insists it’s being privately funded.

It looks a lot like those around the president are trying to capitalize on this weekend’s scare to sell something that’s of great personal importance to Trump. But, like the effort to target left-leaning groups after Kirk’s assassination, this pitch doesn’t necessarily deal with the problem.

The calls for the ballroom

The calls for the ballroom began among Trump and pro-Trump influencers shortly after the suspected gunman was apprehended Saturday night a floor above the dinner. Many of the messages were remarkably similar.

“We need the ballroom,” Trump said at a press conference that night.

By Sunday, the idea was pushed by Trump, the White House, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, former Attorney General Pam Bondi and scores of lawmakers — including at least one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who often sides with the Trump administration these days.

A construction crane is seen above the White House on April 19.

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

That push continued Monday, with the issue on the tips of many Republicans’ tongues during TV interviews.

“The ballroom will be a solution for this,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News, citing the proposed project’s windows being half a foot thick.

“A ballroom is imperative,” Rep. Mike Lawler of New York said on Fox Business.

“We’ve got to build that ballroom as soon as possible,” Rep. Michael Rulli of Ohio added on the same show.

Blanche, meanwhile, asked the group suing to stop the ballroom to dismiss its lawsuit so construction can move forward. A judge recently halted the construction, citing the lack of congressional authorization.

And some lawmakers like GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado are calling for Congress to authorize the building of the ballroom to get around that issue. Congress this far has shown no interest in voting on the ballroom, which would need some Democratic votes to pass.

Trump’s ballroom isn’t a great alternative, though

But it’s a curious initiative, for a series of practical reasons.

One is that the dinner hosts more than 2,000 people, while Trump’s ballroom is expected to seat about 1,000, according to the architect.

Another is that the dinner is not a government event; it’s a private function hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association. While presidents typically attend, Saturday was the first time Trump attended the dinner as president. Would an event that doesn’t feature the president and his Cabinet even be appropriate to hold on White House grounds?

And finally, to the extent the Washington Hilton — where anyone can book a hotel room — is deemed not secure enough to hold the dinner, there is already a logical alternative in DC. The 2.3 million-square-foot Walter E. Washington Convention Center has plenty of capacity and is accustomed to securing high-profile events with foreign diplomats and the like.

Trump’s ballroom is remarkably unpopular

But as much as anything, the focus on Trump’s ballroom is politically strange.

That’s because it’s really unpopular. That could seemingly change after this weekend’s events — maybe people will be convinced of the need for it despite the above points — but it would seem to take a lot to change how Americans feel.

The ballroom has polled poorly ever since Trump suddenly bulldozed the East Wing last year with little warning and without going through typical approval processes. Likely contributing to its unpopularity, Trump has gone back on some of the promises he’s made about the ballroom, including that the East Wing wouldn’t be demolished.

Polling last fall, for example, showed Americans opposed Trump’s ballroom by between 18 points (59%-41% in a Marquette Law School poll) and 2-to-1 margins (56%-28% in a Yahoo News-YouGov poll and 61%-25% in a Washington Post-ABC News poll).

And importantly, the issue appears to have ignited much more passion on the “anti” side than the “pro.” To wit:

• Strong opponents of the new ballroom outnumbered strong supporters by around 3-to-1 margins in the Yahoo and Post-ABC polls.
• A CNN poll that asked people to react to the ballroom showed 54% offered negative emotions, compared with just 10% who offered positive ones.
• The National Capital Planning Commission was inundated with negative feedback about the project, with a CNN analysis finding more than 97% of comments critical of the project.

It might seem logical that people disliked the sudden demolition of the East Wing but would be more OK with the new ballroom. But the Yahoo poll showed slightly more actually opposed Trump’s plans for a new ballroom (61%) than the demolition of the East Wing (57%).

As I wrote last year, that might suggest that people have big problems not just with the process, but also with building a monstrous ballroom in a time of economic hardship.

Of course, that hasn’t seemed to matter much to Trump. In fact, he seems positively preoccupied with the ballroom. He’s brought it up dozens of times in recent months, even when the issue has faded from the news.

During an interview with The New York Times in January, shortly after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump interrupted a discussion of the operation to talk about his ballroom. He also proudly displayed a rendering of it last month on Air Force One.

“I’m so busy that I don’t have time to do this, but — I’m fighting wars and other things — but this is very important, because this is going to be with us for a long time,” Trump said.

So you could understand why he might want to use the moment to push for the outcome he’s quite invested in.

But the window for action after events like this is limited, and Trump’s ballroom would seem a strange choice to move to the front of the line.

Of course, it’s not terribly surprising that the president would prioritize it.

Iran turns to Putin as US talks collapse, Hormuz standoff threatens global oil flow

April 27, 2026 12:27pm EDT / Fox News

War Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Russia ‘should not be involved’ amid reports of intelligence-sharing with Iran

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Fox News national correspondent Bryan Llenas reports on Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for ending the U.S. blockade as tensions persist on ‘Fox & Friends.’

Iran’s foreign minister met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday as U.S.–Iran negotiations appeared to collapse, raising the risk of further escalation in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global oil choke point.

Abbas Araghchi arrived in Moscow for talks with Putin as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between Iran and Washington remain stalled.

“We see how courageously and heroically the people of Iran are fighting for their independence, for their sovereignty,” Putin said at the meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, according to Russian state news agencies.

“The significance of this conversation is hard to overestimate in terms of how the situation around Iran and in the Middle East is developing,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier.

RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UN RESOLUTION AIMED AT REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP DEADLINE

The visit comes just days after Araghchi held talks with Pakistani mediators, where he said Iran had shared its position on ending the war but questioned whether the U.S. was “truly serious about diplomacy.”

President Donald Trump has pushed back sharply on that characterization, signaling Washington believes it holds the advantage.

The meeting comes at a pivotal moment, as tensions at sea intensify and scrutiny grows over Russia’s role following reports Moscow may have shared intelligence with Tehran during the conflict.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth warned in March that Russia “should not be involved” in the escalating war, as reports emerged suggesting Moscow may be providing intelligence to Iran on U.S. military positions in the region.

U.S. officials say they are closely tracking any potential intelligence-sharing between Russia and Iran, while downplaying the confirmed operational impact. Still, the possibility of Russian support — whether through intelligence, technology transfers or other assistance — has raised concerns that Moscow could indirectly influence the battlefield without committing forces.

Araghchi has acknowledged that Russia is assisting Iran “in many different directions,” though he has not publicly detailed the scope of that cooperation.

Russia has positioned itself as a potential mediator in the conflict, offering to help restore calm following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran — actions Moscow has publicly condemned.

The Kremlin also has proposed storing Iran’s enriched uranium as part of a potential effort to ease tensions, though the U.S. has not taken up the offer.

The outreach comes as ties between Moscow and Iran have deepened in recent years. Iran in 2025 finalized a 20-year strategic partnership agreement with Russia, which is building two additional nuclear reactors at Iran’s Bushehr facility — the country’s only nuclear power plant.

At the same time, Iran has supported Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, supplying Shahed drones that Moscow has used in strikes against Ukrainian targets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attend a meeting at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library in Saint Petersburg, Russia, April 27, 2026.(Dmitri Lovetsky/Pool via Reuters)

“If they want to talk, all they have to do is call,” Trump said over the weekend, adding that the U.S. has “all the cards.”

Trump also has pointed to what he described as “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership, arguing Iran is under internal pressure as the conflict drags on.

The president canceled a planned trip by special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Pakistan, where they had been expected to participate in mediated talks with Iranian officials.

Trump said the trip would have been a waste of time, arguing there was no reason for U.S. officials to make an 18-hour flight when negotiations could take place remotely.

Both sides have since traded blame for the breakdown in talks, with Iran accusing the U.S. of making “excessive demands,” while the Trump administration has insisted Iran must return to negotiations on U.S. terms.

Attempts at mediation, including efforts in Pakistan, have failed to produce progress, with both sides refusing to compromise on core issues such as Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi during a meeting at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library in Saint Petersburg, Russia, April 27, 2026.(Dmitri Lovetsky/Pool via Reuters)

As diplomacy falters, the confrontation has increasingly shifted to the water.

The U.S. has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping, while Iran has restricted and at times threatened traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a high-stakes standoff over one of the world’s most vital energy corridors.

Roughly one-fifth of global oil supply passes through the narrow waterway, making disruptions there a direct threat to global markets.

TRUMP SEEKS WARSHIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Oil prices already have risen as tensions escalate and shipping traffic declines amid uncertainty over whether the strait will remain fully open.

Iran has floated a potential off-ramp, proposing to reopen the strait if the U.S. lifts its blockade and agrees to defer nuclear negotiations — a framework the Trump administration has shown little willingness to accept.

At the same time, Iran’s outreach to Moscow is drawing renewed scrutiny over Russia’s role in the conflict.

An Iranian flag is planted in the rubble of a police station, damaged in airstrikes on March 3, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.(Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Araghchi has acknowledged that Russia is assisting Iran “in many different directions,” though he has not publicly detailed the scope of that cooperation.

The meeting with Putin now signals Iran may be seeking to deepen that relationship as leverage — or as an alternative diplomatic channel — as direct talks with Washington falter.

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With both sides dug in and pressure building at sea, the conflict is increasingly defined by a three-way dynamic: stalled diplomacy, rising military risk in the Strait of Hormuz and the growing question of how far Russia is willing to align itself with Iran.

Analysts warn that without a breakthrough, the standoff risks sliding further toward a broader confrontation — with global economic consequences tied directly to the fate of the world’s most important oil transit route.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Iranian mission to the United Nations, the Russian embassy and the White House for comment.