Was he trying to kill the president? The suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting appears in court Monday as investigators examine whether President Donald Trump was the intended target.
Plus, U.S.-Iran talks collapse before they even begin. A meeting set for Monday is scrapped, with both sides blaming each other for the breakdown.
And the royal visit moves ahead after a violent weekend in Washington, D.C. King Charles arrives Monday, with tensions between the U.S. and U.K. still unresolved over Iran.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, April 27, 2026.
White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect faces judge Monday
“I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” Trump said, reacting after a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The suspect in that shooting is expected to appear in court Monday.
The president now wants the dinner rescheduled within 30 days and said he plans to attend.
Investigators have not confirmed whether Trump was the intended target, but officials said the gunman appeared to be going after administration figures.
Authorities identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, a teacher from California. The acting attorney general said investigators are reviewing writings Allen sent to family just minutes before the shooting as they work to determine a motive.
Officials said Allen is not cooperating.
“I read a manifesto, which is — he’s radicalized,” Trump said on 60 Minutes. “He was a Christian believer, and then he became an anti-Christian, and he had a lotta change. He’s been goin’ through a lot, based on what he wrote. His brother complained about him, and I think reported him to the police. And his sister, likewise, complained about him. His family was very concerned. He was probably a pretty sick guy.”
Police said Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives when he rushed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. A Secret Service agent was shot but protected by a bulletproof vest and was later released from the hospital.
While Trump said the Secret Service’s response was swift, he’s using the incident to push his plan to build a ballroom at the White House, arguing that it would ensure his safety in the future.
“He had been staying at the hotel since Friday,” Trump said. “He checked in, he said he had cased the place, and he wrote, ‘What the hell is the secret service doing?’ and he wrote this quote, ‘I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every ten feet, metal detectors out the wazoo. What I got is nothing.’
Trump addressed security at the event, saying, “You know, I can take any event having to do with security or anything else. I can always find fault. Those guys did a good job last night. They did a really good job.”
He said security concerns are among the reasons for his proposed ballroom at the White House.
“I’m building a safe ballroom,” Trump said. “And one of the reasons I’m building it is exactly what happened last night. We’re building a room right there. If you walk out and move 20 yards to the left, you’ll be right at the entrance to the ballroom. And that ballroom is being built on the safest piece of property in this country, probably ONE of the safest pieces of land in the world.”
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is scheduled to meet with the Secret Service and Homeland Security this week to assess next steps.
UK royals to arrive in Washington for high-stakes visit
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in Washington on Monday, moving forward with a high-profile state visit despite weekend security concerns. Preparations are already underway across the Capital, with American and British flags lining key sites ahead of the royal arrival.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the trip will still happen, even after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Officials said the King was kept informed and expressed relief that Trump and others were unharmed.
The four-day visit marks the first British state trip to the U.S. since 2007, and is timed to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
It also comes at a tense moment between the two allies, marked by disagreements over the war in Iran.
On Monday, Trump will welcome the king and queen to the White House for a private tea. The two last met in the fall during Trump’s visit to the U.K.
The president was asked about the visit Sunday on Fox News.
“King Charles is coming, and he’s a great guy, and we look forward to it,” Trump said. “He’s really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative.”
The visit includes a state dinner, a rare address to Congress and events in New York and Virginia, all intended to reinforce ties between the two countries.
The last British monarch to make a state visit here — Queen Elizabeth — did so nearly two decades ago.
Iran blames US for collapse in talks after Trump cancels meeting after deal dispute
Iran is blaming the United States for the collapse of peace talks.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, meeting in Russia with President Vladimir Putin, said talks broke down because of what he called “excessive demands” from the U.S.
The comments follow weekend meetings with mediators in Pakistan and Oman.
Trump said he’s done waiting, canceling a planned Monday meeting in Pakistan with Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Trump told Fox News if Iran wants to talk, they can reach out directly. He also said a proposal from Iran fell short.
“They gave us a paper that should have been better,” Trump said. “And interestingly, immediately when I canceled it within ten minutes, we got a new paper that was much better.”
The president continued, saying, “We talked about, we talked about, they will not have a nuclear weapon. Very simple. Look, that whole deal is not complicated. Iran could not have a nuclear weapon. Very simple.”
The Associated Press reported Iran is now offering to ease its control of the Strait of Hormuz, without addressing its nuclear program.
In return, Iran wants the U.S. to lift its naval blockade.
Prosecutors detail accused killer’s searches on body disposal methods
Prosecutors in Tampa, Florida, alleged that a murder suspect looked up ways to hide a body. They said he even asked ChatGPT what would happen if someone were put in a garbage bag and thrown into a dumpster, and how it could be detected.
Hisham Abu-Gharaibeh, 26, is charged with killing two University of South Florida doctoral students, Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy. Investigators discovered Limon’s remains on the Howard Franklan Bridge. An autopsy revealed multiple sharp-force injuries.
Prosecutors believe Bristy is also dead, though she remains missing. Investigators recently recovered unidentified human remains from Tampa Bay.
Deputies said investigators found items belonging to Limon in a compactor dumpster at the apartment complex, along with material that matched both victims in DNA testing.
Investigators also found blood in the apartment and said Abugharbieh gave conflicting accounts of his movements on the day the two students disappeared.
He is being held without bail. A pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Tillis ends Warsh confirmation blockade after DOJ drops Powell probe
A key Republican senator has cleared the way for Kevin Warsh to become the next Federal Reserve chair.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told NBC News on Sunday he will now support Warsh’s nomination after the Justice Department dropped its investigation into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Tillis had been holding up the process, refusing to move forward while that probe remained active.
“I am prepared, and with the assurances from the Department of Justice that the case is completely and fully settled,” Tillis said.
He continued, “I am prepared to move on with the confirmation of Mr. Warsh. I think he’s going to be a great Fed chair.”
The investigation focused on the Fed’s multi-billion-dollar renovation of its Washington headquarters, and Tillis warned it could have threatened the central bank’s independence.
Now, with the case closed, the Senate Banking Committee is expected to take up Warren’s nomination this week.
Warsh, a former Fed governor, faced questions from lawmakers about whether he would operate independently of the White House if confirmed. That’s been a central concern, with Trump pushing for lower interest rates and openly criticizing Powell.
Powell’s term ends on May 15th. Warsh is expected to face a committee vote in the coming days, with Tillis’ support now removing a major obstacle to confirmation.
Giant octopus ruled ancient oceans: Study
New research indicates giant octopuses once dominated the ocean millions of years ago.
Scientists studying fossils found in seafloor sediments near Japan and off Vancouver Island determined that the sea animals were massive. They had eight arms and could extend up to 60 feet.
Researchers said they weren’t just big, they were apex predators, sitting at the top of the food chain.
Fossils show heavy wear on their jaws — a sign of a powerful bite — likely used to crush hard-shell prey like snails.
The study suggests these giant octopuses were in the ocean as far back as 100 million years ago.
More from Straight Arrow News:
Power naps or warning signs? Study raises red flags for frequent nappers
Longer and more frequent daytime naps may be a warning sign of underlying health problems in older adults, according to new research.
A study published in JAMA Network Open tracked 1,338 adults aged 56 and older for up to 19 years using wrist-worn activity monitors. Researchers found that each additional daily nap was linked to a 7% higher risk of death, while each extra hour of daytime sleep raised the risk by about 13%.
Older adults who mainly napped in the morning faced about a 30% higher risk of death than those who napped in the early afternoon. The link remained even after accounting for nighttime sleep, chronic illness, depression and physical activity.