House advances $75B ICE funding; Gas tops $4 as Iran standoff drives costs

A five-hour floor fight and Republicans push it through

The move that could unlock billions for immigration enforcement. Plus, more than four dollars and climbing

The war in Iran is hitting you right at the pump two months in. And the photo before the attack

What the suspect did just minutes before rushing the room at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli

This morning, House Republicans are one step closer to unlocking billions of dollars to pay for immigration enforcement

The House voted late Wednesday to adopt a budget framework, setting up a path to fund ICE and Border Patrol without Democratic support

The plan could free up about $75 billion for those agencies, using a process that only requires a simple majority in the Senate

The vote was close and messy. Lawmakers kept it open for hours as Republicans pushed through internal disputes before finally passing it along party lines

Democrats opposed the funding without new restrictions, pointing to recent deadly incidents involving federal agents

Now Republicans can move forward on a final bill. President Trump wants it on his desk by June 1st

This would be just the first step in ending the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security

which has dragged on for more than 10 weeks. This morning, oil prices are spiking as President Trump doubles down on his military blockade of Iran

Brent crude jumped above $125 a barrel overnight, a new wartime high, before easing back, but still holding well above $100

Here at home, the national average for gas has climbed to about $4.30 a gallon, the highest in nearly four years

This comes as Trump warns Iran it, quote, better get smart soon

According to NBC News his national security team has presented multiple options as Iran continues to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz But the president is holding his line saying the blockade will stay in place until Iran agrees to a deal addressing its nuclear program

Well, the blockade is genius, OK? The blockade has been 100 percent foolproof. It shows how good our Navy is. I can tell you that. We're not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon. And we've knocked out their Navy. We've knocked out their air force. We've knocked out their anti-aircraft, everything, apparatus, everything they have, their radar

They have very little left, and they have some missiles, a small percentage

They have a small percentage of missile-making facilities. We knocked out about 80 percent of them

The rest could come very quickly if we don't make a deal. Iran is now warning it will not tolerate the blockade

and says it will respond if it continues. Meanwhile, the USS Gerald Ford is heading home after a record deployment of more than 300 days

with American officials saying it will leave the region in the coming days

And there are new tensions with Europe. German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz recently said the United States is being humiliated by Iran

and criticized what he called a lack of strategy. Now Trump is threatening to pull U.S. troops out of Germany as that dispute escalates

Now to redistricting. Florida just took a major step that could reshape the balance of power in Congress

And it's happening fast, with a fight already brewing. State lawmakers passed a new congressional map Wednesday

pushed by Governor Ron DeSantis, that could give Republicans as many as four additional seats in the House

The vote was contentious. Democrats blasted the plan as a power grab

even interrupting the floor with one lawmaker shouting through a megaphone as the final vote came down

The new map redraws districts across the state, including areas around Tampa, Orlando, and South Florida

potentially squeezing out Democratic-leaning seats. DeSantis and his allies argue the plan

is legally sound, pointing to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Wednesday they say changes how states can

handle this specific issue of race in redistricting That decision Louisiana versus Calais is already sparking similar moves in other states But it also setting up what could be a lengthy legal fight

Their new plan that will undoubtedly face a state court challenge. I'm not sure whether it will face a federal court challenge now, given Calais

But that leaves things up in the air in Florida as well

Democrats and voting rights groups are already promising to sue, arguing the map violates Florida's constitutional limits on gerrymandering

The bill now heads to the desk of Governor DeSantis. If or when he signs it, the legal battle will begin almost immediately

We are learning more about the suspect accused of trying to assassinate President Trump

at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, including what he was doing just minutes before the attack

New court filings show Cole Allen took this photo right here, a selfie inside his hotel room

He was armed with guns, knives and ammunition just before he headed for the dinner event

Prosecutors say he had been tracking the president's movements that night, even watching live coverage as Donald Trump arrived at the Washington Hilton

Investigators also say he sent scheduled emails with an apology and explanation

suggesting the attack was planned in advance. Moments later, video shows Allen sprinting past security toward the ballroom

where the president and hundreds of guests were gathered. He fired a shotgun, sparking an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents

A Secret Service officer was hit in the bulletproof vest, but survived

Prosecutors say Allen intended to kill and call him a serious danger if released

Allen is now charged with attempted assassination. A hearing on whether he should remain in custody is set for later today

A major shakeup of federal gun rules is now in motion. The Justice Department and the ATF are rolling out 34 proposed changes tied to President Trump's executive order on gun policy

Officials say the focus is on easing regulations for law-abiding gun owners and businesses and shifting enforcement toward criminal activity

One key change under review rolling back a Biden rule that expanded background checks at gun shows The ATF also says it will scale back penalties for minor paperwork violations by licensed dealers Gun control groups are pushing back saying the proposal weakens

safeguards at a time of heightened security concerns. The public will have 90 days to comment

before any of these changes are finalized. Finally this morning, a group of students in

Mississippi being hailed as heroes, and with good reason, after stepping in when their school bus

driver lost consciousness. Listen to this. A 46-year-old driver had just left a middle school

in Hancock County with about 40 students on board when she suffered an asthma attack and passed out

The bus was moving along a four-lane highway when it started to swerve. A sixth grader sitting right

behind the driver grabbed the wheel while another rushed forward and hit the brakes. The student

steered the bus into the median, shifted it into park, and brought it to a stop. Wow. Another student

called 911. Once the bus was secure, they found the driver's nebulizer and helped her use it

until first responders arrived. The driver is expected to be okay, and so is everybody on board

Local officials are now praising the students for their quick thinking and calm under pressure

and with good reason. Way to go. Just sixth graders. Wow, that is quick thinking. All right

before we head out, here's what we're tracking today. At 8.30, the Labor Department releases

weekly jobless claims. Later this morning, President Trump and King Charles hold a formal

farewell at the White House. At 11, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Cain

testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the DOD budget. At 3

a Texas judge weighs a bid by The Onion to take over Alex Jones' Infowars. No noise

no sides, just the news. NewsGuard gives us a perfect score for reliability

All Sides gives us a center rating for balance certification. Hey, by the way, have you signed up for our Unbiased Updates newsletter

It's a great way to start your day a little bit smarter. Go to san.com slash newsletters

Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Thursday. We'll see you back here tomorrow, Friday

We love that. And by the way, also the 1st of May. For all of us here at Straight Arrow, I'm Craig DiGrelli

Have a great day