NTD Good Morning

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine held a press conference at the Pentagon on Friday. Hegseth reiterated to reporters that the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports is ‘growing and going global.’ 34 ships have been turned around from the Strait of Hormuz so far. President Trump is also saying the country is struggling with internal leadership issues, adding that infighting between “hardliners” and so-called moderates has been intense.

House lawmakers this week unveiled a new bill to extend a controversial spy power, known as Section 702 of FISA, until 2029. It’s the latest proposal after a group of critics blocked reauthorization last week, due to concerns about privacy breaches on Americans. The newest proposal also requires the civil liberties protection officer to give monthly reviews of queries of Americans. The House and Senate must approve the spy powers bill by April 30th to prevent a lapse.

Federal prosecutors are charging two Chinese nationals in a sweeping crackdown on global crypto scams targeting Americans. Investigators say the operation, based in Southeast Asia, is using fake investment platforms and trafficked workers to steal billions. The Justice Department says the Scam Center Strike Force will continue using every available tool to identify, seize, and return stolen funds to victims.

Speaking on Fox News, President Trump said that he is under ‘no time frame’ and was ‘in no rush’ to reach a deal with Iran. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also saying there's a lot of internal division in Iran, saying the U.S. is completely strangling Iran’s economy through the blockade of its ports. U.S. Central Command saying yesterday it has instructed 31 vessels around the Strait of Hormuz to turn around or return to port as part of its ongoing blockade against Iran.

Senate Republicans voted on Thursday morning, following an overnight marathon session, to approve a budget measure setting up funding or ICE and Border Patrol, without Democrat support. The measure instructs committees to begin drafting a bill to authorize $70 billion in funds while bypassing a filibuster. This could also pave the way for House Republicans to pass the bipartisan bill already approved by the Senate to fund the rest of Homeland Security.

Six candidates face off to debate on Wednesday night on why they should become the state’s next governor, replacing Governor Gavin Newsom, as his term begins to end. The debate comes after former representative Eric Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial run and resigned from congress, amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. The 2 candidates with the most votes in the June 2nd primary, regardless of party, will move on to the general election on November 3rd.

According to the UK Maritime Trade Organization, Iranian gunfire has struck at least three container ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. One Liberia-flagged vessel suffered heavy damage after being approached and attacked by an Iranian gunboat. Two other ships were also targeted but were not damaged, with all crew members reported safe.

Virginia voters have approved a new congressional map that heavily favors Democrats in 10 of the 11 districts in the state. This comes as Democrats are looking to offset GOP gains in Texas after its new map was drawn to favor the GOP in Congress. While Republicans are not happy about the outcome, ,there was just a few percentage points of a different between the votes to approve or reject the map.

Senate Republicans are moving ahead with a budget plan to fund immigration enforcement, breaking a weeks-long stalemate over Homeland Security funding. Lawmakers voting 52 to 46 to advance the measure, triggering the reconciliation process and allowing the bill to pass without Democratic support. The proposal directs up to $70 billion toward ICE and Border Patrol, agencies at the center of the shutdown.

President Trump is signaling he is unlikely to extend the current ceasefire with Iran, as a key deadline to reach a deal quickly approaches. The president saying the truce, set to expire Wednesday evening, will likely end if negotiations fail. With pressure mounting on Iran, Vice President JD Vance preparing for another round of talks in Pakistan aimed at ending the conflict. President Trump telling Bloomberg in a phone interview that he won't be rushed into making a bad deal.

Texas is suing ActBlue, the Democratic political fundraising platform, after years of investigation. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is alleging that ActBlue illegally accepted fraudulent foreign donations for federal and state candidates. ActBlue has pushed back on the lawsuit saying their platform has done more than any other to prevent improper donations and protect donors.

Apple announced on Monday that CEO Tim Cook is stepping down from his role, and handing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus. Apple says Ternus will take over on September 1st, with Tim Cook transitioning to the role of executive chairman. Ternus will also join the board, marking the first CEO change at Apple since Cook succeeded Steve JObs in 2011.

President Donald Trump says U.S. representatives will arrive in Pakistan on Monday for negotiations with Iran. The U.S. delegation is set to include Vice President JD Vance, Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner. Those efforts may face challenges, though, with Iran saying it will not participate unless the U.S. ends its blockade of Iranian ports. This follows the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel over the weekend.

A community in Louisiana is reeling after a shooting leaves eight children dead in Shreveport, Louisiana. Police say the suspected gunman, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, targeted his own family in what investigators are calling a domestic incident. Authorities say the victims ranged in age from 18 months to 12 years old and were killed inside a residence on West 79th Street. Investigators say Elkins fled the scene, carjacked a vehicle, and was eventually shot and killed by police after a chase.

Federal officials and lawmakers are investigating cases of 11 scientists who were either killed, died, or went missing. They all worked for the government and had access to nuclear or aerospace material. The majority of the cases took place between 2025 and 2026. One of the highest profile cases involves a retired U.S. Air Force General, William McCasland, who went missing from his Albuquerque home in February. President Trump described the disappearances as "pretty serious" involving very important people. He added that we'll know whether the cases were random or coordinated in the coming week.

Israel and Lebanon enter into a 10-day ceasefire. President Trump saying the brief pause of violence began after conversations with the Lebanese President and Israeli Prime Minister. It was the first time leaders from the neighboring countries met in-person in the U.S. Capitol for 34 years. The State Department says Lebanon, with international support, is expected to take steps to prevent Hezbollah and other armed groups from launching attacks on Israel.

In an over night vote on Capitol Hill, House lawmakers extended FISA, a controversial spy powers act. The 10-day extension gives Republican leaders more time to negotiate a deal with hold outs. FISA is a surveillance law that allows the government to gather foreign intelligence, but several lawmakers have raised concerns that it doesn't have guardrails to protect Americans' privacy. The bill will now go to the Senate, with House Speaker Mike Johnson saying he’s optimistic a deal will be reached by the new deadline.

Democrat Analilia Mejia has won a special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. She will now fill the seat vacated by Governor Mikie Sherrill. Mejia defeating Republican Joe Hathaway by roughly 40 points. The win narrows the Republican majority in the House from 217 to 214.The special election fills the remainder of Sherrill’s term, and voters will return to the polls in June for a primary, followed by a general election in November.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine gave an update on the operation in Iran at the Pentagon on Thursday. Secretary Hegseth warning Tehran to ‘choose wisely’ ahead of possible peace talks in Pakistan. Pentagon officials said U.S. joint forces will be ready to restart combat operations if Iran does not agree to a deal.

Homeland Security employee Lauren Bullis was killed this week, in what officials describe as a brutal murder. Authorities say Bullis was shot and stabbed by while walking her dog. They have identified the suspect as 26-year-old Olaolukitan Adon-Abel, a naturalized U.S. citizen from the UK. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin suggesting the case underscores the need for stricter enforcement and vetting.

House leaders were forced to delay a vote on a controversial spy bill on Wednesday night. Several Republicans refused to back down on their privacy concerns, now discussions are underway to put stronger guardrails in place. One of the main reforms that holdouts want is to require the government to obtain a warrant for “U.S. person queries” after probable cause is established that the person is an agent of a foreign power or has committed a crime.

President Trump saying on Tuesday that Pakistan's capital city Islamabad is the likely location for US-Iran peace talks. The President confirmed that he would not attend the Iran peace talks, but did not say who would be attending. Speaking on Fox News, President Trump saying he views the war as close to over.

Late Tuesday night, House lawmakers advanced a controversial section of a spy bill known as FISA. But the path forward is uncertain, with President Trump calling on Republicans to unite. A floor debate is scheduled for Wednesday on Section 702 of FISA, ahead of a final vote to extend this spy power for the next 18 months without any reforms. This spy power is not without controversy, although it’s meant to target intelligence from foreign nationals outside the United States, critics say there aren’t enough guardrails to prevent the government from unlawfully spying on American citizens.

On Monday, the U.S. and Indonesia upgraded their defense relationship to what they’re calling a 'Major Defense Cooperation Partnership.' The move deepens coordination on maritime security in Southeast Asia, highlighting the Strait of Malacca, a narrow but critical shipping lane linking the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Under the new deal, the U.S. and Indonesia will expand joint training, deploy sensors, and integrate American surveillance technology. The goal is to improve monitoring of the waterway and give Washington more presence in the region.

Lebanon and Israel are expected to hold talks on Tuesday in Washington, to discuss the situation with Hezbollah. Lebanon's foreign minister says Beirut will use the meeting to push for a ceasefire, while Israel says a ceasefire with Hezbollah is not on the table. This is as the Israel Defense Forces is keeping up the pressure against the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon.

President Trump doubling down on his stance on Iran, saying that Iran’s enriched uranium must be removed, and calling Iran’s actions on the world stage unacceptable. The U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is now also in effect. Ships can still pass through the Strait, but not if they’re heading to Iranian ports.

Two congressmen, Representative Eric Swalwell and Representative Tony Gonzales are announcing they are leaving Congress after the House launched separate ethics probes into both members. It comes just one day after Swalwell apologized over sexual assault allegations and Representative Gonzales under fire after admitting to a prohibited romantic relationship with a staffer, who later committed suicide.

The U.S. military is launching a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, after peace talks over the weekend failed to produce a deal. CENTCOM says the blockade will be enforced against vessels leaving or entering Iranian ports and coastal areas. U.S. forces said though, that they will not interfere with normal transit through the strait, as long as vessels are not traveling to or from Iranian ports.

Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week facing a crowded agenda, including a partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security now in its 59th day. Democrats are pushing for reforms at ICE and Republicans rejecting a proposed ban on agents wearing masks. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticizing a Senate-backed proposal, while a short-term House funding bill remains stalled in the Senate.

NASA is already looking ahead after a historic return from the moon. The Artemis II crew is safely back on Earth, arriving in Houston to a rousing welcome. The focus is now shifting to what comes next, with NASA setting its sights on Artemis III, the next step toward returning humans to the lunar surface. Private companies racing to be ready, with SpaceX and Blue Origin developing lunar landers.