Iniaes

In Washington and on the security beat

New CCTV footage from the Trump dinner incident appears to show how fast the suspect got through security, in about four seconds, before an officer drew a weapon and fired. It is another uncomfortable reminder that “layered security” can sometimes mean “layered surprise.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also told senators it could take months, or even years, to replace munitions used in the Iran conflict, as lawmakers pressed him on stockpiles and readiness.

In business and tech

Apple beat Wall Street expectations, reporting $111.2 billion in revenue in its latest quarterly results, the company’s first since announcing Tim Cook will step down as CEO. Cook said he trusts incoming CEO John Ternus, who called this the most exciting moment of his 25-year run at Apple.

Separately, security researchers say a new supply chain attack has hit more developer tools, including SAP and Intercom npm packages and the lightning PyPI package. The malware, dubbed Mini Shai-Hulud, is being used to steal credentials, which is never the sort of “integration” anyone wants.

In the Middle East

Iran-linked tensions are now spilling into food security, with Yara’s chief warning that a fertiliser shortage could hit crop yields and push prices higher, putting an estimated 10 billion meals a week at risk. The conflict is not staying politely in its lane.

In local crime

In Lower Merion, two burglary suspects are in custody after police say they fled officers following a reported residential break-in. The chase ended in a crash and a foot pursuit before the arrests.

In Pottstown, a man has been charged with sexually assaulting two women, including a 90-year-old. Investigators say he forced his way into a home and attacked the older woman in her bedroom, a serious and disturbing case.

In Europe

Two members of the Venice Biennale jury have resigned just days before the exhibition opens, after tensions over Russia’s return for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The art world, apparently, still knows how to stage a political crisis with good lighting.

In state politics

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says he wants to delay the state’s primary elections so lawmakers can redraw the congressional map first, after the Supreme Court ruled Louisiana’s second majority-Black district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The calendar, as always, is suddenly very flexible when maps are at stake.

In Washington

Sen. Susan Collins broke with most Republicans and voted with Democrats to try to halt the Iran conflict, the first GOP defection on the issue. The measure failed, but it is a warning shot for President Trump as he faces a legal deadline this week to get the U.S. out of the war without congressional authorization.

Trump also said he is not worried about another assassination attempt, after prosecutors said there had been a third effort against him. He said, “I don’t think about it. If I did, I wouldn’t be here.”

In the courts and on the record

A purported Jeffrey Epstein suicide note, found in a Manhattan jail in July 2019, has reportedly stayed sealed in a New York courthouse for nearly seven years. It was sealed in connection with the cellmate’s case, which meant investigators looking into Epstein’s death did not have access to what may have been a key piece of evidence. That is, to put it mildly, not how transparency is supposed to work.

In public safety

New York police say a routine response to a domestic dispute in South Ozone Park ended with a house explosion early Thursday. Officers were thrown to the ground by the blast, then moved back in to help people inside. The man believed responsible, Anrup Parasram, was later found dead in the rubble, and investigators are still piecing together what happened.

In Daytona Beach, a school resource officer and an armed guardian stopped a 16-year-old former student before he reached Mainland High School with a loaded handgun and two magazines in his waistband. He was arrested on an open runaway warrant and now faces juvenile firearm and ammunition charges. The school was not locked down.

In the U.S. and abroad

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum is questioning U.S. claims linking Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha to drug trafficking, after prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging Rocha and nine others over alleged ties to the Sinaloa cartel.

In Australia, a commission reviewing the December mass shooting at a Hanukkah event in Bondi Beach says gun reforms, counterterrorism efforts, and security for Jewish events all need to be strengthened.

In business and transportation

Federal aviation officials are investigating a United Airlines pilot’s report that the aircraft may have struck a drone over San Diego. No further details have been released.

Trump says he will lift restrictions affecting Scotland’s ability to work with Kentucky on whisky and bourbon after the king’s visit. Apparently even tariffs can be diplomatic if enough royal small talk is involved.

Philadelphia has selected two companies to install hundreds of public EV chargers over the next decade, with more than 900 charging ports planned for city streets and lots. The city says the first units could go live next year, pending contract approval.

In politics and redistricting

Trump says Tennessee will redraw its maps after a ruling that weakens the Voting Rights Act, a decision that could make it easier for states to dilute minority voting power. Once again, the map is not the territory, but it is apparently the battleground.

In Washington

The House voted 384 to 35 to let SNAP benefits be used to buy rotisserie chicken, a small but notable loosening of the long-standing rule that food assistance is for items people can cook at home. Separately, House Republicans advanced a budget resolution that would help fund ICE and Border Patrol without Democratic votes, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune pushed a 45-day extension of FISA surveillance powers to keep Section 702 from expiring while lawmakers do what they do best, which is run security policy up against the clock.

In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills suspended her Senate campaign, clearing more of the lane for Graham Platner in the Democratic primary against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. The race already had its share of drama, so naturally the vacuum did not stay vacuum-like for long.

In courts and criminal cases

Investigators say newly released search warrants point to a fraud scheme targeting Greg Biffle’s family after the deadly plane crash that killed them in December, with friends of the family allegedly helping steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. In a separate case, Cole Allen will remain detained before trial after agreeing to stay in custody over charges that he tried to violently disrupt the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, including an allegation that he attempted to assassinate the president.

And in California, seven families from the Tumbler Ridge school shooting have sued OpenAI and Sam Altman, arguing the company’s systems flagged the shooter months before the attack and should have triggered stronger safeguards, including police referrals. The claims are serious, and so is the question of what companies owe when their tools appear to spot a threat before humans do.

In science

A new preprint from the Donostia International Physics Centre suggests the universe could eventually collapse in a Big Crunch, possibly in about 19.5 billion years, depending on an axion dark energy model. Other cosmologists say the timing is highly uncertain, which is comforting in the same way a weather forecast for the end of everything is comforting.

In Washington

The Supreme Court has ordered Louisiana to redraw its congressional districts in a major Voting Rights Act case, a ruling that could reshape how racial-discrimination protections are enforced in future redistricting fights.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is back on Capitol Hill for another round of Senate questioning over the Iran war, as lawmakers press on costs, strategy, and the administration’s handling of the crisis. House Republicans also advanced a budget framework that could open the door to about $75 billion for ICE and Border Patrol. Washington, in its usual calm and orderly fashion, is managing several fires at once.

On trade, federal documents say the government expects to begin issuing the first refunds of President Trump’s invalidated tariffs around May 11, with Customs and Border Protection already working through about $166 billion in repayments.

In business and cybersecurity

Nearly half of UK businesses were breached last year, and the main culprit was still basic phishing: fake login pages and scam emails posing as IT support. The oldest trick in the inbox continues to have a very solid track record.

Separately, Claroty researchers say two flaws in EnOcean SmartServer devices could let attackers bypass security and remotely execute code, potentially exposing connected building systems if they are left unpatched.

In Philadelphia

Philadelphia police are asking for help identifying two suspects in a homicide investigation in the 1700 block of Teesdale Street. Investigators say the two men were with a group of juveniles that may have been attending Northeast High School, and the city is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

In defense technology

Turkish drone maker Baykar says it has developed MIZRAK, an AI-powered loitering munition with a strike range of up to 1,000 kilometers. The system comes in two main configurations, including a dual-warhead version carrying 40 kilograms of explosive payload. In other words, the pitch is precision at distance, with a very large downside for whatever gets picked.

In the Middle East

Iran’s oil industry is coming under growing strain as U.S. sanctions and the blockade squeeze exports and storage. Analysts say production is already slowing, and continued pressure could force cuts or well shut-ins within weeks, reducing hard currency for Tehran and potentially damaging aging fields. Trump, meanwhile, says the blockade of Iranian ports is working and is pressing Tehran to surrender.

In Europe

Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Greece, according to activists, who say soldiers boarded the vessels and damaged engines and communications equipment. In London, police are treating the stabbings of two Jewish men in Golders Green as a terrorist incident. Two separate cases, because apparently one continent was not dramatic enough.

In U.S. news

A Haitian woman who died after being released by ICE spent about 24 hours in a Pittsburgh bus shelter in subfreezing temperatures, according to bus camera images released by Pittsburgh Regional Transit. She had been held in county jail on charges that were later dismissed before being released under ICE’s Alternatives to Detention program. The cause and manner of death are still pending, but the case is already raising hard questions about what responsibility ends, and what basic human decency should not.

In football

Arsenal drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, but the match was dominated by controversial VAR decisions. Viktor Gyokeres scored from the spot for Arsenal, Julian Alvarez equalised after a handball call against Ben White, and Arsenal were later denied what Mikel Arteta called a clear penalty. The result is level, the argument is not.

In the UK

Police in north London are treating the stabbing of two Jewish men as a terrorist incident, a serious escalation that has intensified concern over antisemitic violence in Britain. The attack in Golders Green left both men injured, and counterterrorism officers are leading the investigation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has convened an emergency Cobra meeting and said he will visit the scene. Israel has urged his government to do more to protect Britain’s Jewish community, because apparently words are still being mistaken for a security plan.

In U.S. politics and policy

Florida lawmakers approved a new congressional map designed to strengthen Republicans heading into the midterms. The move came just as the Supreme Court weakened a key part of the Voting Rights Act, which could make it harder for Democrats to challenge redistricting plans that dilute voters of color. Separately, Donald Trump said his administration is reviewing whether to cut U.S. troop numbers in Germany, with a decision expected soon.

The Justice Department also says it has indicted 10 current and former Mexican officials on drug-trafficking charges, another sign of how aggressively Washington is pushing on cartel-linked corruption.

In business and tech

Big tech earnings are moving markets, with Meta, Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft all reporting and investors laser-focused on one thing, how much they are spending on artificial intelligence. The numbers are doing what the numbers usually do, which is making everyone nervous in a very expensive way.

In courts and crime

A federal appeals court has rejected Donald Trump’s bid to reopen the defamation verdict in E. Jean Carroll’s favor, leaving him one step closer to asking the Supreme Court to take the case. In New Orleans, Sheriff Susan Hutson was indicted on 30 counts, including malfeasance and payroll fraud, just days before she is due to leave office.

In a separate and far more disturbing case, prosecutors say singer D4vd, legal name David Anthony Burke, is accused of fatally stabbing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez to stop her from speaking about sexual abuse. Prosecutors say he met her when she was 11 and later began a sexual relationship with her when she was 13, before her killing. This remains a serious criminal case, and the allegations are stark.

In health

The FDA says U.S. infant formula appears safe after reviewing more than 300 samples collected between 2023 and 2025. Officials said contaminant levels were undetectable or very low, with heavy metals well below EPA drinking water limits and no pesticides found in 99 percent of samples. Outside experts broadly backed the findings, while also noting that synthetic chemicals like PFAS and phthalates still warrant close monitoring.

In Washington

House Speaker Mike Johnson held off a Republican revolt for now, which is becoming a recurring job requirement in a razor-thin majority. The goal is to keep a few high-profile bills moving without the whole place sprinting off in different directions.

Also on Capitol Hill, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced questions over the Iran war during a budget hearing, with lawmakers pressing him on the Pentagon’s spending and the conflict’s scope. Separately, President Trump’s Fed pick, Kevin Warsh, cleared another Senate hurdle and is headed for a full vote.

In Florida, lawmakers approved a new congressional map designed to boost Republicans ahead of the midterms. The timing was, let’s say, convenient, with the Supreme Court also having just weakened a key part of the Voting Rights Act.

Internationally

U.S. prosecutors have charged the governor of Sinaloa and nine other current and former Mexican officials with taking part in a broad conspiracy to help a cartel move drugs and weapons. It is a serious case, and one that will put fresh strain on an already tense U.S.-Mexico relationship.

In Ukraine, acting U.S. Ambassador Julie Davis will leave her post in June and retire from the Foreign Service. The State Department denied a report that she was stepping down because of frustration with Trump.

In Hungary, opposition leader Péter Magyar says frozen EU funds should be released soon after his trip to Brussels, following his party’s landslide election win.

And in London, two Jewish men were stabbed in what authorities are treating as a terrorist attack. Police say a man with a knife was seen running through the area before the assault.

In crime and courts

A Wisconsin woman has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide after police say she fatally stabbed her boyfriend during an argument over dinner plans. The case is moving forward on a $2 million cash bond.

In Kentucky, Joshua Cottrell pleaded guilty in the killings of a mother and her 13-year-old daughter and received life in prison without parole. Investigators have not said what led to the deaths.

In business and markets

A new Kearney study says Trump’s tariffs did not bring a meaningful near-term return of manufacturing jobs to the U.S. Imports from China fell, but companies largely shifted sourcing to other Asian countries instead of bringing production home. Tariffs, it turns out, are not magic. Just expensive punctuation.

In Europe

Police in north London have arrested a suspect after two Jewish men were stabbed on a street on Wednesday. Both victims are in stable condition. It is a serious attack, and the investigation is ongoing.

Separately, the European Commission says Meta has failed to properly keep minors off Facebook and Instagram under the Digital Services Act. Brussels says the company is not doing enough to identify underage users or reduce risks to children on its platforms.

In Washington and the courts

The Supreme Court handed Republicans and conservative groups a pair of notable wins. It struck down Louisiana’s congressional map, which had created a second Black-majority district, and the NRCC immediately praised the ruling as a victory for the Constitution. In a separate unanimous decision, the Court said a New Jersey pro-life group can challenge a subpoena for donor information, finding the subpoena itself may count as an ongoing injury. Apparently privacy is still a thing, at least when the paperwork gets loud.

Meanwhile, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey was not aimed at auditioning for the top Justice Department job and was not done at President Trump’s request. He says that with all the serenity of a man standing next to a very small bonfire.

Congress is also being pushed to repeal a federal mandate that would require new cars to include technology for detecting driver impairment. Supporters say it could save lives, critics call it invasive surveillance, and the rule is already delayed, so the fight is now over whether it ever happens at all.

In markets

Oil prices jumped sharply, briefly moving above $117 a barrel, as the war in the Middle East kept traders on edge and reports pointed to an extended blockade. Energy markets, as ever, remain a reminder that geopolitics is just another way to make everyone pay more at the pump.

In tech and federal policy

The Pentagon is reportedly moving to expand its use of Google’s AI in classified operations, a sign that the defense world is still very interested in machine help, as long as the machine is on the right side of the clearance paperwork.

At the same time, the White House is said to be preparing guidance that would let federal agencies work around Anthropic’s earlier security designation and bring in newer models, including its most powerful one, Mythos. That would be a sharp reversal from the administration’s earlier view that the company was too much of a supply-chain risk to be trusted in federal use.

In U.S. politics and courts

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is facing backlash after bringing new charges against three activists tied to the Cop City protests in Atlanta. Critics say the move looks designed to help his lagging Republican governor campaign ahead of the May 19 primary.

In Arizona, a federal judge has thrown out the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking detailed voter records, including birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. It is another setback for the administration’s effort to collect sensitive state data before the midterms.

In security and public safety

A senior journalist says the man accused in the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump had stayed in the next hotel room less than 24 hours earlier, raising fresh questions about security at the Washington hotel where the incident is said to have unfolded.

In north-west London, police arrested a man after two people were stabbed in Golders Green. The Jewish neighbourhood watch group Shomrim said its members detained the suspect after he was seen running with a knife and trying to stab Jewish members of the public.

In world affairs

North Korea’s nuclear arsenal may now be large enough to overwhelm the U.S. missile defense system built over the last 30 years, according to the latest reporting. That is not the sort of milestone anyone in Washington was hoping to celebrate.

Oil prices jumped to $115 a barrel after reports of an extended blockade involving Iran, with markets reacting to the latest uncertainty around the war in the Middle East.

In crime and public health

A Pennsylvania court heard from families of opioid overdose victims after Purdue Pharma was sentenced in the U.S. opioid crisis case. It is one more reminder that the legal bill for that catastrophe is still being slowly, painfully written.

In UK politics

Sir Keir Starmer is facing criticism after Labour MPs were whipped to block a Commons privileges committee probe into the Peter Mandelson scandal. The motion was defeated 335 votes to 223, with 15 Labour MPs rebelling. Conservatives called the move heavy-handed, while No 10 dismissed it as a desperate political stunt. Westminster, as ever, has discovered that procedure can be a very loud way of not answering a question.

In public safety

A major fire broke out overnight at the newly renovated St Michael’s Inn in Leuchars, Fife, and firefighters were still dealing with a well-developed blaze by early morning. Nine appliances and four specialist resources were sent at the peak, with six still at the scene later in the morning. No casualties have been reported, but nearby residents were told to keep doors and windows closed because the road disruption is significant.

In courts

Jurors in the murder trial of Preston Davey have heard evidence that former teacher Jamie Varley allegedly called the 13-month-old “dead meat.” Prosecutors say the comment is part of a wider pattern of abuse inside the toddler’s adoptive home. The case remains before the court.

In tech and regulation

The European Commission says Meta has been found in preliminary breach of EU law because it does not have effective measures to stop children under 13 accessing Facebook and Instagram. The finding follows a nearly two-year investigation into the company’s child-safety controls.

In sports

Wales great George North has confirmed he will retire from rugby at the end of the season, closing out a career that brought 121 caps for Wales and two British and Irish Lions tours. He made his Wales debut at 18 and had already stepped away from Test rugby after a serious Achilles injury.

In international news

Voting has begun in the final phase of West Bengal’s election, with Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and Narendra Modi’s BJP in a high-stakes contest. The vote has already been marked by violence and rigging allegations. Meanwhile, rain brought some relief from the heat in Delhi.