Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton said Jay Clayton’s confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence will proceed unless Trump withdraws the nomination or directs Clayton not to appear. Trump said he wants action on a voting bill and a U.S. attorney nominee before moving forward.
News Mash
Janeese Lewis George leads Kenyan McDuffie in Washington, D.C.’s unsettled Democratic mayoral primary as officials count ballots under the city’s first ranked-choice primary system. The race has centered on affordability, public safety and how the next mayor would confront federal pressure over D.C. home rule.
Luigi Mangione’s defense team plans to argue he was suffering from an extreme emotional disturbance when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed. A judge said records on the psychiatric defense will be unsealed as the state trial approaches.
Brent crude fell to its lowest level since early March as markets anticipated a US-Iran framework agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping groups and analysts warned that restoring normal energy flows could still take weeks or months.
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon continued after President Donald Trump urged Benjamin Netanyahu to be more restrained. The attacks have added pressure to an undisclosed US-Iran agreement that mediator Pakistan says includes Lebanon.
Kevin Warsh chairs his first Federal Reserve rate meeting as inflation rises and energy prices remain elevated after the U.S.-Iran conflict. Investors will watch the policy statement, news conference and dot plot for signs of the new chairman’s approach.
Iranian oil tankers have crossed a U.S. blockade line near the Strait of Hormuz ahead of planned U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland. The emerging memorandum has triggered disputes over sanctions relief, Lebanon and the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump said he is delaying Jay Clayton’s intelligence chief nomination and keeping Bill Pulte as acting director while pressing Congress to pass a voter ID bill. The move comes amid a fight over renewing Section 702 of FISA, a lapsed surveillance authority.