King Charles addresses Congress and calls the U.S.-U.K alliance “unbreakable.” What he says about Ukraine and where he breaks with President Donald Trump.
Plus, former FBI director James Comey is indicted again over a year-old social media post prosecutors call a threat. He’s now answering to the charges.
And NASA moves closer to Artemis III with a key orbital test, one that could make or delay the next moon mission.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
King Charles urges US stay engaged, calling alliance vital amid global conflicts
As some U.S. alliances face strain amid the war with Iran, Britain has reasserted its ties with Washington.
In a rare address to Congress, King Charles marked the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, calling the relationship a “story of reconciliation, renewal and remarkable partnership.” But he also struck a cautionary note, urging the U.S. to stay engaged abroad, including continued support for NATO and Ukraine.
“From the bitter divisions of 250 years ago, we forged a friendship that has grown into one of the most consequential alliances in human history. I pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to defend our shared values with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth and across the world … America’s words carry weight and meaning as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more.”
— King Charles III
The king did not mention Iran directly, but referred to “times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East,” calling them a test for the international community.
At a state dinner, Trump said the king shared his position on Iran.
“We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever, Charles agrees with me even more than I do… We’re never gonna let that opponent have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “They know that, and they’ve known it right now very powerfully.”
But Charles does not speak for the British government, and did not publicly back that claim.
The moment came as Trump stepped up criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Britain’s role in the Iran conflict.
On Wednesday, King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit the 9/11 memorial in New York, where they’ll take part in a wreath-laying and meet with families of victims.
Comey indicted over seashell post prosecutors say threatened Trump
Former FBI Director James Comey responded after a new indictment charged him over a social media post that federal prosecutors say threatened President Donald Trump. The case centers on an image of seashells arranged to spell “86 47.”
Prosecutors said that combination could be read as a threat to remove the 47th president, Donald Trump. A grand jury in North Carolina has now indicted Comey.
Comey responded in a video Tuesday, saying he’s still innocent and not afraid.
“Well they’re back,” he said. “This time, about pictures of seashells on a North Carolina beach from a year ago. And this won’t be the end of it. But nothing has changed with me. I’m still innocent. I’m still not afraid. And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go.”
Comey is charged with making a threat against the president and sending that threat across state lines. They’re charges that could carry up to 10 years in prison.
He later deleted the post, saying he did not realize the numbers could be interpreted as violent and that he opposes violence of any kind.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said threats like this are routinely prosecuted and that the grand jury decided to move forward.
“You are not allowed to threaten the president of the United States of America. That’s not my decision. That’s Congress’s decision in a statute that they passed that we charge multiple times a year. And so, whether there is a defense, as you just described, maybe there is, but the government will have evidence. I am not gonna talk about the evidence that we have. That’s unfair to him, it’s unfair to the prosecutors, but it’s enough to say that the grand jury returned an indictment.”
— Todd Blanche, acting attorney general
This is the second time the Trump administration has brought charges against Comey, following an earlier case last year that a federal judge dismissed. Legal experts said the case may hinge on intent and on whether prosecutors can prove the post was intended as a threat.
For now, it moves forward with an arrest warrant issued, and the next steps are expected to be worked out between Comey’s lawyers and federal prosecutors.
Cellphone in Secret Service agent’s vest likely struck during Correspondent’s dinner shooting
New details have emerged about how the shooting unfolded at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and just how close the gunman got.
Surveillance video shows the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Allen, sprinting past security and running full speed through a checkpoint inside the hotel.
CBS News reported he fired a shotgun, possibly hitting a cell phone inside a Secret Service agent’s bulletproof vest.
Allen then fell, and agents moved in quickly, pinning him down and taking away his weapons.
In all, six shots were fired, one by the suspect, five by a Secret Service agent.
The agent was hit in the vest but was not seriously injured.
CBS News also reported Allen was able to get close after booking a room at the hotel, and then used an unguarded stairwell to reach the event.
One floor below, the president, first lady, and hundreds of guests were told to take cover as agents moved them out.
Allen now faces federal charges, including attempting to assassinate the president.
Wiles orders high-level security review to examine correspondents’ dinner breach
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is expected to meet with Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security leaders this week. The priority is to keep Trump and top officials safe following Saturday’s shooting.
Earlier, Straight Arrow anchor Craig Nigrelli spoke with Philip Farina of Risky Business Security and Safety Advisors. Farina examined video footage of the suspect, who hurried past security on their way to the ballroom. Here’s what he shared:
CRAIG NIGRELLI: What did the Secret Service do right where things may have broken down, and what was the risk of having the president and other key leaders all in one place?
PHILIP FARINA: When we think about security, especially at these very high levels, there’s a concept called protection in depth. And what that basically means is that there are multiple layers happening, both what we can see as the public and what’s really going on behind the scenes that we don’t see. And so there are multiple layers an individual has to get through to accomplish what they’re trying to do. So you know, when you look at what actually happened, some of what we’ve been shown, right? This protection depth was actually taking place, and there were more levels. I’m quite sure of what we haven’t seen, you know, off camera, that would have provided additional levels of protection for the President and the attendees.
NIGRELLI: On Saturday night, Trump attended the event, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the first lady. Is it wise to have so many high-level officials in one central location where, if a gunman did rush the banquet hall, theoretically, a lot of high, high-powered people could be at risk?
FARINA: We don’t see as many of those types of events. So again, when you’re at the government level, and you’re in the Secret Service, you’re the head of the Secret Service, and you’re the head of the protection division handling these, you’re going to be coordinating these events quite extensively and creating a plan that makes sense, that, again, provides layers of security along the way and throughout. So I believe that certainly there were these layers in place, and does it make sense to continue, especially in an environment now where it’s heightened by the different types of threats out there, to bring everybody together? Despite the threats that are out there, bringing everybody together, those events are going to continue to happen. And again, our government really just has to make sure that the planning, the process, and the responses are in place to make that a successful event.
NASA preps rocket for Artemis III
NASA shows no signs of slowing; shortly after Artemis II concluded, preparations for the next mission are already underway.
The core stage of NASA’s massive SLS rocket has reached Kennedy Space Center. The 212-foot Backbone of the rocket traveled about 900 miles by barge from New Orleans and was moved into the vehicle assembly building Tuesday. That’s where crews will finish putting it all together.
This rocket is set to power Artemis III, scheduled for late 2027.
But this mission won’t head to the moon just yet.
Instead, astronauts will travel to low Earth orbit, where they’re expected to dock with a lunar lander before heading to the lunar surface. That lander will come from either SpaceX or Blue Origin.
If that works, it clears the way for Artemis IV in 2028, the first return to the lunar surface since 1972.
Trump to be featured on US passports for 250th anniversary
As the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday, the State Department said it will issue a limited number of U.S. passports featuring the president’s likeness.
Trump will be the first living president to appear on a U.S. travel document.
Officials said between 25,000 and 30,000 will be issued, available only at the Washington, D.C., Passport office around the Fourth of July. If you apply there during that window, you’ll receive the design. There’s no option to choose a different version.
Currently, the only presidents featured on U.S. passports are those on Mount Rushmore: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
More from Straight Arrow News:
Disney keeps Kimmel on the air despite calls from Trump to cancel show
On Monday, speaking to a room full of reporters, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche laid out the case as to why a man armed with guns and knives tried to rush into the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner two days earlier.
As he looked out to the sea of faces, some of whom had been at the event, he told them plainly that they were part of the problem.
“When you have reporters, when you have media just being overly critical and calling the president horrible names, for no reason and without evidence and without proof, it shouldn’t surprise us that this type of rhetoric takes place,” he told the reporters.
Hours before Blanche made his comments, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made hers, in which she placed the blame on Democrats and the media. Leavitt specifically singled out Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Penn., which was notable since his home was attacked by an antisemitic arsonist in 2025.
“The left-wing cult of hatred against the president and all of those who support him and work for him has gotten multiple people hurt and killed,” Leavitt said.
A day before, President Donald Trump and the first lady pointed the finger at “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host Jimmy Kimmel, who made a joke two days before the shooting happened. In a segment crafted to look like a roast, Kimmel joked that first lady Melania Trump had a “glow like an expectant widow,” as a video of her played.
The president took issue with that, saying in a Truth Social post that “Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”