Stories from United States

US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is withholding $600 million in funds previously appropriated by Congress. The specific purpose of the withheld funds remains unstated in the report.

The Federal Reserve's tone is tilting toward the hawkish side despite no recent rate hikes. A recent vote resulted in an 8 to 4 split with three members removing easing bias commentary. This shift follows hawkish price action observed in the front end of the yield curve.

The US House is considering a three-year extension for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) program ahead of its expiration this Friday. President Trump, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and FBI Director Kash Patel originally sought a two-month extension without changes.

The American administration will begin returning $159 billion in import duties that were ruled illegal by a court. Bloomberg reported the decision based on materials from the U.S. Court of International Trade. The process is scheduled to commence on May 11. The US administration will begin returning funds collected via import duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on May 11. This follows a February 20 Supreme Court ruling that found President Trump's imposition of these duties on other nations exceeded presidential authority. Donald Trump announced on April 24 that the US administration must return $159 billion in import tariff collections. The report notes that 3% of the funds are already in the process of being returned. These funds are expected to be reimbursed to the US Treasury via electronic payments.

Classes at Blake High School in Silver Spring will run on a delayed schedule on Thursday, April 30. A student brandished a weapon in a threatening manner at the school. Montgomery County Council member Andrew Freedson noted the incident was the second at Wooten High School that day. Freedson expressed that the current security model is ineffective and advocated for a full-time officer at every county high school. Montgomery County Council member Andrew Friedson stated the current model of assigning police officers to school clusters is not working. He is calling for a return to having an officer stationed at every county high school all day long. Friedson cited a recent shooting at Wooten High School, noting it was the second incident at that school on that day.

The Trump administration has filed an appeal against a court ruling that blocked a proposed overhaul of childhood vaccine schedules. The proposed changes sought to reduce protections from 18 diseases to 11, including the removal of hepatitis A/B, RSV, and meningitis. The proposed $1.5 trillion budget for fiscal year 2027 is a 42% increase from the previous year. Donald Trump has requested assistance to secure a ceasefire on May 9, according to a report involving Putin's aide Ushakov. Radio NV reported that Vladimir Putin called Donald Trump to request assistance in securing a ceasefire for May 9. Observers have characterized the proposed ceasefire as strange and noted that a large-scale event involving many foreign participants is expected in Moscow.

Alphabet and Amazon are seeing financial payoffs from their artificial intelligence spending. Meta is lagging behind in comparison, according to analysts. The report notes a divergence in how major tech companies are benefiting from AI investments.

Four members of the US Federal Reserve voted against maintaining current interest rates, marking the highest level of dissent in over 33 years. Oil markets are currently reacting to the possibility of increased attacks. Two-year yields were recorded at 3.94% during the evening as the dissent became apparent. Bloomberg reported that there were three dissenters regarding the easing bias during the recent Federal Reserve proceedings. Inflation remains above 3 percent, driven largely by energy costs. Market expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike by April 2027 have risen to 40%, up from 20% prior to the recent statement. The US Dollar Index rose four points to 98.99 following the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, which met market expectations. Eight out of twelve Fed officials agreed on the decision, while four members held differing views.

Governor Jeff Landry announced plans to suspend next month's primary election in Louisiana. Democrat Cleo Fields was elected to this district in 2024. Republican Governor Jeff Landry and the state attorney general stated the ruling prohibits the state from conducting primaries under current districts. Absentee voting for the May 16th primary has already begun, and early voting is scheduled to start this Saturday. Louisiana state officials are suspending upcoming U.S. Officials cited the court's finding that the map constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Landry stated in an executive order that the move provides the legislature time to read the new maps. Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Marl announced Louisiana cannot hold its May 16th primary with the current district map.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a joint guide regarding the adaptation of Zero Trust principles to Operational Technology. CISA has released a joint guide titled 'Adapting Zero Trust Principles to Operational Technology' to assist in securing industrial control systems. The document provides frameworks for securing critical infrastructure through zero trust architecture.