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What Happened Today – April 29, 2026

A Secret Service officer fired four times at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, according to a Washington Post analysis of higher-resolution camera footage.

The footage doesn’t capture every shot authorities say was fired, but it shows none from the suspect. An officer was wounded by a round the video doesn’t show. The defense calls the government’s case “built entirely upon speculation.”

That news is overshadowed tonight by the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act. The 6-3 ruling struck down Louisiana’s congressional map, with Justice Elena Kagan writing in dissent that the decision “renders Section 2 all but a dead letter.” Louisiana’s governor moved tonight to suspend the May 16 primary so his legislature can redraw it. The 1965 law fell at sunrise, and the new map was moving before sunset.

Eighteen other stories ran tonight. Every one matters. If you only have time for one right now, dig into the assassination attempt or the voting rights ruling. Both are destined for the history books.

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🚨 GovBrief Intensity Score 224
Extreme. History will remember.
Volume: Normal (20)
Severity: High (2.8)
Defining Moments: 2
Court guts Voting Rights Act
Secret Service shot wounded officer
Previous 5 Days
🚨164|🚨188|🟡97|🔴145|🟠112
100 = normal day. Volume is headline count. Stories weighted by significance. Defining Moments are the ones history remembers.
Today's Quote
Well, if anybody knows anything about crime, they know 86, you know what eighty-, it’s a mob term for kill them, you know? You ever see the movies? “86’em,” the mobster says to one of his wonderful associates. “86’em,” that means kill’em! It’s-, I think of it as a mob term, I don’t know, people think of as something having to do with disappearing, but the mob uses that term to say when they want to kill somebody they say, “86 the son of a gun.”
Donald Trump to reporters at The White House on April 29, 2026
Yesterday's Most Read

State Department plans 250th anniversary passport redesign placing Trump's portrait and signature over Declaration of Independence text.

Today’s GovBrief News


Foreign Relations 1 of 20

Russian President Putin warns Trump against new Iran strikes and offers to remove Iran's enriched uranium during phone call on war day 63.

Iran threatens Bab el-Mandeb attacks

Source: CBS News

April 29, 2026

Foreign Relations 2 of 20

Trump threatens to reduce US troops in Germany after Chancellor Merz says US is being "humiliated" by Iran and lacks a war strategy.

About 34,500 personnel based there

Source: Euronews

April 29, 2026

Epstein Sex Crime Network 3 of 20

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will testify before House Oversight Committee on May 29 about Epstein files release, 45 minutes after Democrats filed contempt charges.

Bondi fired earlier this month

Source: NBC News

April 29, 2026

Voting Rights 4 of 20

Florida Legislature approves DeSantis congressional map 48 hours after release that splits Tampa into three districts and could deliver four Republican seats.

One House Republican broke ranks

Source: The Tampa Bay Times

April 29, 2026

Voting Rights 5 of 20

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry plans to suspend May 16 House primary elections so legislature can redraw congressional map after Supreme Court ruling.

Overseas ballots already mailed weeks ago

Source: The Washington Post [gift link]

April 29, 2026

Voting Rights 6 of 20

Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana congressional map 6-3 and requires proof of intentional discrimination for future Voting Rights Act challenges.

Mississippi, Alabama signal swift action

Source: UPI

April 29, 2026

Economy 7 of 20

Ford raises 2026 guidance after booking $1.3 billion tariff refund from Supreme Court ruling that struck down Trump's emergency tariff authority in February.

Part of $160 billion in expected refunds

Source: CNBC

April 29, 2026

Military 8 of 20

Defense Secretary Hegseth defends firing nearly 30 senior officers with false Obama claim at first congressional hearing since Iran war began.

Sourced to 2018 Breitbart Facebook post

Source: The Hill

April 29, 2026

Military 9 of 20

USS Gerald R. Ford to leave Middle East mid-May after 300-plus day deployment that included Maduro capture, Iran war strikes, and on-board fire.

Three carriers in region since 2003

Source: The Associated Press

April 29, 2026

Justice Dept 10 of 20

Fidelity Charitable and Vanguard Charitable pause donor-advised fund grants to Southern Poverty Law Center, citing standard policies that block giving to indicted charities.

Guidelines apply to any indicted nonprofit

Source: Barron's

April 29, 2026

Justice Dept 11 of 20

Former FBI Director Comey appears in Virginia federal court and is released without conditions on two threats charges over Instagram seashell post.

Trump on the post: probably endangered me

Source: Reuters

April 29, 2026

Justice Dept 12 of 20

Justice Department sues New Jersey, Governor Sherrill, and Attorney General Davenport over March law banning federal agents from wearing masks during arrests.

Identification required before any arrest

Source: Gothamist

April 29, 2026

Courts 13 of 20

Second Circuit refuses Trump's request for full court rehearing of $83.3 million Carroll defamation judgment, sending case toward Supreme Court.

Second separate Carroll appeal pending

Source: USA Today

April 29, 2026

Courts 14 of 20

Supreme Court rules unanimously that New Jersey crisis pregnancy centers can challenge state subpoena seeking donor and medical staff identities in federal court.

Decision draws on 1958 NAACP precedent

Source: CNN

April 29, 2026

Courts 15 of 20

Wisconsin judge orders state Department of Justice to release names, birth years, and work history of approximately 16,000 certified law enforcement officers.

Targets "wandering officers" who change agencies

Source: WLUK Green Bay

April 29, 2026

Criminal Justice 16 of 20

Washington Post analysis of higher-resolution video shows Secret Service officer fired four times at suspect with no visible muzzle flash from suspect's shotgun, three shots fired toward fellow security personnel.

Wall holes match handgun, not shotgun

Source: The Washington Post [gift link]

April 29, 2026

Oversight 17 of 20

Senate confirms longtime ATF official Robert Cekada as director 59-39, who immediately unveils 34 rulemakings rolling back Biden-era firearm regulations.

https://go.govbrief.today/atf-confirmed-guns

Source: Roll Call

April 29, 2026

Congress 18 of 20

House votes 235-191 to extend warrantless foreign surveillance authority Section 702 for three years without requiring warrants for searches of Americans' communications.

Surveillance authority ends Thursday

Source: NextGov

April 29, 2026

Grift 19 of 20

Amazon executives have internally discussed rebooting "The Apprentice" with Donald Trump Jr. as host on Prime Video, Wall Street Journal reports.

Melania documentary cost Amazon $40 million

Source: The Wall Street Journal [gift link]

April 29, 2026

Fighting Back 20 of 20

Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady and Powell announces he will remain a Fed governor through January 2028, citing political attacks.

First chair since 1948 to stay

Source: Axios

April 29, 2026

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