DC Wrap: Trump mulls tentative Iran deal; DOJ probes Carroll
U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement Thursday to extend the ceasefire in the 3-month-old war by 60 days and launch talks on Iran’s nuclear program, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.
Iran did not immediately confirm any deal, and the official noted that President Donald Trump has yet to sign off on it.
The emerging memorandum of understanding came as the fragile ceasefire in the war between the U.S. and Iran appeared to be wavering. The latest flare-up in fighting happened less than a day earlier, when Kuwait intercepted missiles fired from Iran, according to U.S. Central Command.
The memorandum makes clear that Iran will not be able to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran will have to remove all mines from the vital waterway within 30 days, according to the official. The U.S., meanwhile, would gradually lift its naval blockade on the strait.
—The Associated Press
E. Jean Carroll exits the New York Federal Court after former President Donald Trump appeared in court, Sept. 6, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)
Source: Justice Department opens investigation into E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault
The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll, the longtime advice columnist who has said Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York department store 30 years ago, lied during the course of civil litigation against him, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The person who confirmed the existence of the investigation was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing inquiry and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The perjury investigation is being led by the federal prosecutors’ office in Chicago, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has had no involvement because of his prior work as Trump’s personal attorney, the person said.
It’s the latest in a series of investigations that Trump’s Justice Department has opened into perceived adversaries of the Republican president. The actions, including securing an indictment last month against former FBI Director James Comey, have raised alarm from Democrats and former officials that an institution meant to make prosecutorial decisions independent of the White House is being weaponized against the president’s political enemies.
—The Associated Press
Ex-CIA official charged with stealing millions of dollars in gold bars from federal government
A former senior CIA official with top secret-level clearance is accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million from the federal government and stashing them in his home.
David Rush was arrested and charged with criminal theft of public money last week, according to federal court filings in Virginia, where he lives.
From November to March, Rush requested and received a “significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses,” according to an affidavit from an FBI agent investigating the case.
—The Associated Press
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Bessent: Nothing ‘untoward’ about Trump appearing on $250 bill
For more than a century, federal law has stipulated that only deceased individuals may appear on U.S. currency, but that could change. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, proposed legislation could amend the Federal Reserve Act and allow a portrait of President Donald J. Trump be printed on a $250 bill.
“I don’t think that there’s anything untoward about having the president of the United States, the person who was president of the United States on the 250th anniversary bill,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday during a White House press briefing.
In February 2025, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced the Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act in the House. The legislation would “amend the Federal Reserve Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to print $250 Federal reserve notes featuring a portrait of Donald J. Trump, and for other purposes.”
—Spectrum News’ Susan Carpenter
Young MC, Morris Day, Milli Vanilli say they won’t perform after being announced as acts in Freedom 250 concert series
The Great American State Fair on the National Mall this summer is designed as an apolitical celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary. Instead, it’s becoming divisive.
On Wednesday, after the event’s organizers announced the musical lineup for a multiday concert series, three of the artists said they would not perform: Young MC, Morris Day and Milli Vanilli.
The musical lineup Freedom 250 announced for the fair Wednesday also includes Martina McBride, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, The Commodores, Flo Rida, Bret Michaels, C+C Music Factory “and many more,” according to an announcement on X. Freedom 250 called it “the first wave of participants.”
—Spectrum News’ Susan Carpenter
More Thursday reads
• Federal judge refuses to block Trump order to create federal voter list and limit mail voting
• ‘Misuse of taxpayer funds’: Democrats question payments to kill offshore wind projects
• Key inflation gauge worsens as Americans’ income and spending power erodes
• Trump administration tells prosecutors to stand down on Venezuela leader, sources say
• Supreme Court rules for Black death row inmate from Mississippi over racial bias in makeup of jury