AI Summary
5 min readCongress voted to end a historic shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. economy grew at a two percent annual rate in the first quarter, and a major study found that an AI reasoning model outperformed doctors on some diagnostic tasks. These were among the developments in the April 30, 2026, evening edition of NPR News Now.
Congress Ends DHS Shutdown; Supreme Court Ruling on Louisiana Maps
The House approved a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year, minus immigration enforcement. The measure passed by voice vote after weeks of delays and infighting among Republicans over how to fund the agency. Separately, Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry suspended that day’s primary elections in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The conservative majority struck down an election map that had been redrawn to create a second majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana. Landry stated that other state primaries would proceed as scheduled.
Pentagon Grilled on Iran War and Defense Budget
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:04) **Congress Ends DHS Shutdown** - The House approves a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security minus immigration enforcement through the fiscal year, after weeks of Republican infighting.
- 2 (00:26) **Supreme Court Strikes Down Louisiana Election Map** - Following a conservative majority ruling, Louisiana's Republican Secretary of State Nancy Landry says state primaries will proceed as scheduled.
- 3 (00:45) **Senate Grills Pentagon on Iran War and Defense Budget** - For a second day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces senators who question the war's rationale and a proposed massive budget increase.
- 4 (01:40) **U.S. Economy Grew at 2% in First Quarter** - The economy accelerated from the end of 2025, though slightly below forecasts, as the government shutdown ended.
- 5 (02:15) **Strait of Hormuz Stalemate Pushes Gas Prices Higher** - The ongoing geopolitical standoff continues to lift crude oil prices, with AAA reporting another seven-cent overnight jump at the pump.
- 6 (02:36) **President Trump Comments on Foreign NHL Players** - Asked about signals regarding their entry to the U.S., the president says "let 'em play" and speculates casually about team quality.
- 7 (02:53) **King Charles III Visits Virginia for 250th Anniversary** - The British monarch and Queen Camilla join spectators in Front Royal to commemorate the Declaration of Independence, on the final day of a state visit aimed at defusing U.S.-UK tensions.
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