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5 min readNPR News Now: May 1, 2026 — Shutdown Ends, Louisiana Elections Suspended, and TB Testing Advances
The House gave final approval Thursday to a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, ending the longest agency shutdown in history after more than seventy days. The shutdown had been driven by Democratic demands to rein in immigration enforcement operations, and in the end Republicans cut Democrats out of the process entirely, adopting a budget resolution that will eventually provide $70 billion for immigration enforcement.
Homeland Security Shutdown Ends
President Trump signed the bill Thursday night, bringing relief to the Department of Homeland Security. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he had spoken with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in the last couple of hours and that she "will be greatly relieved." Johnson added that the administration "was not going to have lines at TSA" and that "everybody will get their paychecks now." He also signaled continued focus on immigration enforcement, saying Republicans will "fund border patrol and immigration enforcement as soon as we return for the work session."
The shutdown had stretched more than ten weeks, creating uncertainty for DHS employees and raising concerns about airport security staffing and other agency operations. With the bill now signed, normal operations resume and back pay will be issued.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:04) **Shutdown Ends as Trump Signs Homeland Security Bill** - The longest agency shutdown in history concludes after 70+ days, with the House giving final approval.
- 2 (00:56) **Louisiana Suspends House Primaries After Supreme Court Ruling** - The state halts U.S. House primary elections following a Supreme Court decision that its congressional map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.
- 3 (01:49) **Mexico to Investigate Allegations of Officials Aiding Drug Traffickers** - Mexico's attorney general will probe U.S. federal prosecutor claims that Sinaloa officials shielded cartel members for bribes.
- 4 (02:47) **First Direct US-Venezuela Commercial Flight in Seven Years** - A flight arrives in Caracas after the U.S. Embassy reopened following the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.
- 5 (03:01) **Congress Extends Key Surveillance Program** - A 45-day extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is approved, averting a Friday expiration.
- 6 (03:24) **Trump Names New Surgeon General Nominee** - Former Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Safir is nominated after Dr. Casey Means' path stalled in the Senate.
- 7 (03:54) **New Rapid TB Test Uses DNA Screening** - The "mini doc MTB" test scans phlegm or tongue swabs for TB DNA, offering faster and more accurate results than traditional microscopy.
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