Stories from Washington · United States

Embassies from the UAE and Saudi Arabia have visited the White House over the past two months. They have been urging the United States to continue efforts to finish the current war. This follows a shift in leadership factions favoring more pervasive military action.

A group of former FCC chairs and the Radio and Television Digital News Association filed a petition in the DC Circuit Court today. The group is asking the FCC to repeal specific regulations. The petition follows comments made by Brendan Carr regarding broadcasters. Schwartzman stated the policy is being used against broadcasters. A group of former Federal Communications Commission chairs has filed a petition to repeal existing FCC rules. The group represents interests within the radio and television sectors. The petition specifically targets the news distortion policy, which Schwartzman claims is used against broadcasters like Jimmy Kimmel to influence administration-related discourse. The group is representing interests regarding regulatory changes in the broadcasting sector. The petition covers a period between 2028 and 2031. NPR has reached out to the FCC for comment.

Russian-linked fishing campaigns have compromised thousands of Signal and WhatsApp accounts. The attacks targeted U.S. officials and military personnel. These campaigns bypass encryption by targeting the user and device directly to impersonate individuals and infiltrate networks. These attacks reportedly bypass encryption to access communications. The security risk is described as for federal agencies. Cyberattacks targeting messaging accounts have been reported to bypass encryption. Compromised accounts include those belonging to U.S. One breach can allow an attacker to impersonate a user and infiltrate an entire network.

The charges include knowingly and willfully transmitting a communication containing a threat to kill President Trump. The accusation is being reported in contrast to typical rhetoric used by Donald Trump. Prosecutors allege the threat was made through an image briefly shared on Comey's Instagram account last year. Trump administration officials claim the image constituted a threat. The announcement follows a recent assassination attempt against the president in Washington. Legal experts stated that Mr. Comey's post against the president at a dinner in Washington is protected by the First Amendment. Critics have characterized the new charges as an attempt by President Trump to weaponize the Justice Department. James Comey has denied allegations that his social media post regarding the year 1986 constituted a threat to Donald Trump.

The Pentagon has submitted a $52 million proposal to the US Congress to formally rename itself the "Department of War." The rebranding effort includes a comprehensive overhaul of the agency's identity. The US Pentagon has formally submitted an application to rename the Department of Defense to the War Department. The Pentagon's Office of the General Counsel has released a formal proposal to rename the department, with expected costs exceeding $50 million. This request was reported by Emisoras Unidas Guatemala. The announcement was made during a broadcast from Guatemala City. Donald Trump intends to change the name of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency responsible for locating migrants. The proposal comes as the agency faces a reputation crisis, according to reports from the Spanish newspaper El País.

Julie Davis plans to retire after a 30-year career due to frustration with the reduction of American support for Kyiv. The Financial Times reported her intention to step down. António Costa stated that Europe must maintain strength to deal with the United States.

A U.S. The case involves the unauthorized use of sensitive mission details for financial gain. A woman pleaded guilty to several counts of deception and causing harm to her six-year-old son. The court heard she fabricated claims that her son had three tumors on an optic nerve behind his eye. The woman admitted to spreading these lies, according to the report. Gannon Ken Fundyke entered a plea on Tuesday regarding charges that he used classified information to win over $400,000. Fundyke is accused of using the data on the Polymarket prediction site. Prosecutors allege Van Dyke used intelligence from the mission to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to make over $400,000 on Polymarket. The soldier faces two counts that each carry a maximum sentence. The charges include the unlawful use of confidential government information.

A group of seniors, including Rita Sibonala, joined Democratic lawmakers outside the Capitol to call for protections for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders. Representative Cipanala addressed the group, noting the physical vulnerabilities of aging and the reliance on caretakers. Thousands gathered in Washington in early April for a Stand Up for Science demonstration. Participants denounced efforts to silence scientific findings and criticized the Trump administration's practice of making political appointments to key scientific roles. Marie-Pierre Ellis reported that the movement aims to resist attacks on scientific facts and research. The demonstration highlighted concerns regarding the influence of politics on scientific institutions. Protests are scheduled around the Washington Monument for May Day.

The US administration has ended or attempted to end Temporary Protected Status for more than one million immigrants since last year. Advocate Sibonala stated that the justices should consider the human toll of removing valuable workers, particularly those in long-term care roles.

The United States will begin issuing passports that include the facial image and signature of President Donald Trump. The Washington, D.C. passport office will begin issuing commemorative passports featuring Donald Trump's picture as the default document for in-person applicants. This change is expected to take effect shortly. Images of the new passport designs are reportedly available on the Cadena SER website. The move follows recent political developments in the US. Department of State confirmed new passports featuring an image of President Donald Trump will be circulated in July. A spokesperson stated that these new passports will maintain the same security guarantees as standard versions. The release is expected to continue until current stocks are exhausted.