America in Brief

King Charles and Queen Camilla Visit the US

King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, came to the United States this week for a four-day visit amid strains over the Iran war to commemorate the two nations’ special relationship on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary.

They arrived on April 27 and were received by President Donald Trump for a tour of the White House. The king addressed Congress on April 28, where he cited the importance of the U.S. role in NATO, and the significance of the U.S.–UK alliance.

This followed a visit and tour of New York City and an America 250 community parade in Virginia.

This is the first state visit by a UK monarch since Queen Elizabeth II in 2007.

Record Government Partial Shutdown Ends

Trump signed a bill on April 31 ending the record-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

Eleven weeks of disagreements over funding between Democrats and Republicans made for the longest shutdown in U.S. history, surpassing the 2025 impasse.

The heart of the contention was Democrats’ bid to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who have been cracking down on illegal immigration and arresting what the Department of Homeland Security has been calling the worst of the worst criminals.

Immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota at the beginning of the year were met with violent protests against ICE officers, resulting in the death of two protesters.

The shutdown had caused major disruptions at airports across the country due to staff shortages.

Monsanto Asks Supreme Court to Excuse Lawsuits

Monsanto’s owner, Bayer, took its case to the Supreme Court on April 27 to decide whether it’s liable for thousands of lawsuits accusing the company of failing to warn consumers about the potentially harmful effects of its weedkiller brand Roundup.

The case centers around a Missouri man, John Durnell, who successfully sued Monsanto in 2019, alleging he contracted non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after repeated exposure to Roundup. Monsanto asked the high court to overturn the ruling.

Although Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate, has been linked to cancer in some studies, it’s one of the most common brands in the country for commercial use on farm crops and has not been designated a known carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Supreme Court Clears the Way for Texas Redistricting

The nation’s highest court on April 27 gave the all-clear for Texas to use its redrawn congressional map, which had previously been blocked by a lower court.

The state had been sued by the civil rights group League of United Latin American Citizens, accusing it of being racially discriminatory, and the map was blocked by a panel of three judges in November.

Texas redrew its congressional districts in March 2025 in an effort to gain a Republican House majority in the 2026 midterm elections, which was strongly opposed by Texas Democrats and sparked a series of retaliatory redistricting in Democratic-held states across the country.

Ballroom Shooting Suspect Appears in Court

The alleged shooter who tried to break into the White House Correspondents’ Association ​dinner in Washington appeared in court on April 30, for the second time this week, charged with attempting to assassinate the president.

Cole Allen, 31, allegedly rushed through security at the Hilton on April 25, attempting to gain access to the ballroom where Trump was speaking, but he was accosted by Secret Service agents immediately after allegedly shooting one agent in the chest.

The agent was wearing a bulletproof vest and received minor injuries.

Other charges that Allen faces include transporting a firearm across state lines to commit a felony and discharging a firearm during a time of violence.

Allen, who has not yet entered a plea, will remain in custody until his return to court on May 12.

Former Congressman Found Guilty of Lobbying for Venezuela

Former Florida Rep. David Rivera was found guilty on May 1 for a secret $50 million lobbying campaign on behalf of the Venezuelan government to ease sanctions during leader Nicholas Maduro’s regime.

The seven-week trial concluded that Rivera, who was charged alongside his associate Esther Nuhfer, used his influence to secretly launder millions of dollars without registering as a foreign agent to advance the interests of the Maduro regime.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a close friend of Rivera’s, testified during the trial.

Maduro, who was captured by U.S. forces in January, is waiting to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges.

Former FBI Director James Comey Indicted for Second Time

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted on suspicion of making suggestive threats on Trump in a 2025 social media post, making this his second indictment in a year.

A grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina is alleging that an Instagram post showing the numbers “8647” written in seashells on a beach suggests that he was making a threat to take the life of Trump.

According to popular belief, the numbers “86” allude to getting rid of, and 47 to Trump being the 47th president.

His previous indictment in September 2025 was on suspicion of making false statements and obstructing justice over his testimony to Congress in 2020.

Comey, as FBI director, led an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and its alleged ties to Trump’s campaign, but the probe found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy.

Elon Musk Testifies in OpenAI Trial

Elon Musk testified this week in Oakland, California, in the much-anticipated OpenAI trial, accusing the company he co-founded of straying from its nonprofit charity mission and becoming a for-profit structure.

Musk is accusing cofounders CEO Sam Altman, and President Greg Brockman, of defrauding him, adding that had he known of their intentions, he would not have contributed his resources to the project they founded in 2015, which was meant to be dedicated to the public good.

Major stakeholder Microsoft is also on trial. Musk is accusing the company of aiding and abetting the breach of trust with its initial $10 billion investment.

OpenAI is the owner of the chatbot ChatGPT.