“Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will testify next month in the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Republicans on the panel announced Wednesday, shortly after Democrats moved to hold her in contempt following her failure to appear for a previously scheduled deposition. Republican lawmakers on the panel said Bondi will give testimony on May 29, calling Democrats’ filing of a civil contempt resolution ‘theater and completely unnecessary.’ … Bondi has faced widespread criticism and controversy over the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files under her leadership. The department was required to release all its files related to the disgraced financier by Dec. 19 under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed by Congress in November and signed into law by Trump soon afterward. But the DOJ failed to meet that deadline, prompting outcry from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and survivors of Epstein’s abuse.” (04/29/26)
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving to speed drug development and review by launching real-time clinical trials. The move could soon mean more options for patients who need life-saving medications. The agency announced Tuesday that it has completed the first tests of a system that allows FDA scientists to see safety and effectiveness data from patients as it is collected. This shift aims to turn the traditional, stop-and-go process of drug testing and reporting into a continuous stream of live data.” (04/29/26)
“This has scientists quaking in their boots. Researchers have found that one of the US’s most dangerous fault lines is overdue for an earthquake, potentially threatening millions of people across California, per an alarming study in the journal Seismological Research Letters. This terrifying tremor could ’cause extensive damage to such a dense population zone,’ wrote the team from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), in a statement. Part of the massive San Andreas Fault Line, the Hayward Fault Line extends 74 miles through major Bay Area hubs, including Berkeley, Oakland and Fremont, an area that’s collectively home to around 8 million people. This fault is of particular concern as it regularly generates magnitude 7 Earthquakes — more powerful than the 1989 Loma Prieta quake that killed 63 people and injured 3,757 in the Bay Area.” (04/29/26)
“The U.K. on Wednesday expelled a Russian diplomat in retaliation for Moscow’s recent expulsion of a British official and the smear campaign that followed. Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it summoned the Russian ambassador to its offices in London to inform him of the ‘reciprocal action.’ The tit-for tat moves reflect spiraling tensions between Moscow and the West. … Russia and NATO member states have carried out multiple rounds of mutual expulsions of diplomats since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, sending diplomatic relations to their lowest ebb since the Cold War.” (04/29/26)
“The Virginia Supreme Court will allow a lower court order temporarily blocking the commonwealth from certifying the results of a redistricting referendum to remain in place, dealing a blow to Democrats who sought to challenge the ruling. The high court on Tuesday denied a motion by Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) to appeal last week’s ruling from a Tazewell County circuit court judge that found the referendum unconstitutional. Judge Jack Hurley Jr. sided with the Republican National Committee (RNC) in February in a lawsuit seeking to block the April 21 referendum, arguing against its timing and the phrasing of the ballot question. But the state Supreme Court stepped in and allowed it to continue, stating last month that while there were issues of ‘grave concern’ regarding the process undertaken by the Virginia General Assembly, it declined to offer an opinion on the matter.” (04/29/26)
“A federal grand jury handed down indictments for two individuals connected to the assault on Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest in Minneapolis earlier this month, Fox News Digital has learned. The suspects were indicted on Tuesday, federal sources told Fox News Digital, though their names have yet to be released. The sources said the indictment is expected to be unsealed later Wednesday. The incident happened on April 11 outside the Whipple Federal Building, where a protest was taking place over a local ICE field office that also serves as a detention facility. Video shows protesters swarming Hernandez, blowing horns in front of her face, yelling obscenities and waving adult novelty products in front of her, as she tries to cover herself and run away.” [editor’s note: Does any video show the alleged assault? – TLK] (04/29/26)
“Russia’s traditional parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II will take place next week without tanks, missiles and other military equipment, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement. It will be the first time in nearly two decades – and in Russia’s 4-year-old war in Ukraine – that no military equipment will rumble through Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, the day Russia celebrates its most important secular holiday. The Kremlin has used it to showcase its military might and global clout, and it is a source of patriotic pride. … The ministry cited the ‘current operational situation’ as a reason for excluding military equipment, as well as cadets, from this year’s parade on the 81st anniversary of the victory. Ukraine has launched drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter Moscow’s more than 4-year-old invasion.” (04/29/26)
“Kim Jong Un has praised North Korean soldiers who killed themselves by detonating their grenades while fighting for Russia against Ukraine, confirming a long-suspected battlefield policy. In a speech this week, the North Korean leader said those who ‘unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting, suicide attack, in order to defend the great honour’ were ‘heroes.’ South Korea estimates at least 15,000 North Koreans have been sent to help Russia recapture parts of western Kursk, and more than 6,000 have been killed so far. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed the numbers. Intelligence agencies and defectors have said the soldiers were under Pyongyang’s orders to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner by Ukraine.” (04/29/26)
“A former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci was indicted on federal charges alleging he conspired to hide his communications related to COVID-19 research as the pandemic raged across the country, the Justice Department said Tuesday. Dr. David Morens, 78, is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institutes of Health. The Justice Department alleges that he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.” (04/29/26)
“The Supreme Court unanimously sided with a group of faith-based pregnancy centers on Wednesday that challenged the New Jersey attorney general’s investigation into whether the centers misled donors and the public about steering women away from having abortions. The case was brought by First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, a group of five Christian-based facilities in New Jersey that provide various pre-natal services to women facing unplanned pregnancies. The Supreme Court found the centers’ First Amendment rights were violated, handing a victory to the pro-life movement, which had argued the state investigation rattled the centers’ donors. The opinion was narrow, finding that First Choice is now able to fight the state investigation in federal court, rather than state court.” (04/29/26)
