Luigi Mangione speaks to his attorney, Jacob Kaplan, during a suppression of evidence hearing in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan Criminal Court on December 18, 2025 in New York City. (Luiz C. Ribeiro-Pool/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione asked a judge on Wednesday to postpone his federal trial from September 2026 to January 2027.
Mangione argued he could not properly prepare for his federal trial — which is set to begin with jury selection on Sept. 8 and opening statements on Oct. 13 — while he is on trial in the state case, which begins June 8.
The state trial would be ongoing while hundreds of potential jurors for the federal case begin filling out questionnaires on June 29.
“Mr. Mangione is now in the impossible position of having to review 800 jury questionnaires during the week of June 29, 2026, while on trial for second-degree murder in state court,” defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo wrote in a letter to the judge. “As a practical matter, this would not be possible.”
She also argued potential jurors would be “bombarded” by news accounts of the state trial.
“As a result, forcing Mr. Mangione to start the state trial on June 8, 2026 — three weeks before potential federal jurors start filling out juror questionnaires a few blocks away in Mr. Mangione’s federal case — guarantees that the fairness and impartiality of Mr. Mangione’s federal jurors will be negatively impacted by weeks of media reporting,” the defense said.
Federal prosecutors are expected to oppose moving the trial date.
Mangione pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges after he was arrested for allegedly gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024.
In January, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett took the death penalty off the table in the federal case.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attends an event where President Donald Trump delivered an announcement on his Homeland Security Task Force in the State Dinning Room of the White House on October 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — For the first time since the start of the war, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard faced pointed questions Wednesday on whether Iran posed an “imminent threat” to the U.S. as President Donald Trump has maintained.
Lawmakers pressed Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel and other national security officials on the conflict, and other global matters, on the intelligence community’s annual assessment of such worldwide threats on Capitol Hill.
The hearing came one day after the resignation of Joe Kent, the Trump administration’s top counterterrorism official, who stepped down over his objections to the war, arguing there was no “imminent threat” from Iran.
Gabbard says only Trump can determine an ‘imminent threat’ in contentious exchange
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff pointedly questioned Gabbard about the intelligence community’s assessment on Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
President Trump previously said Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated” by U.S. strikes last summer. Among its several justifications for the current war, however, the White House said Tehran posed an imminent nuclear threat.
“Was it the assessment of the intelligence community that there was an imminent nuclear threat posed by the Iranian regime? Yes or no?” Ossoff asked Gabbard.
“Senator, the only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president,” Gabbard said.
Ossoff pushed back, accusing Gabbard of not answering directly because her response would contradict a statement from the White House.
“It is precisely your responsibility to determine what constitutes a threat to the United States. This is the worldwide threats hearing, where, as you noted in your opening testimony, you represent the [intelligence community’s] assessment of threats. You are here to represent the IC’s assessment of threats,” Ossoff said.
At another point in the hearing, CIA Director Ratcliffe said Iran has “been unwilling and incapable of enriching uranium to 60% as a result of” last summer’s strikes.
Lt. General James Adams, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, deferred questions about Iran’s existing nuclear capability and discussion about the possibility of U.S. boots on the ground to eliminate it to a classified session.
On Iran’s missile capabilities, Gabbard said Iran “previously demonstrated space launch and other technology it could use to begin to develop a militarily viable ICBM [Intercontinental Ballistic Missile] before 2035, should Tehran attempt to pursue that capability.”
Her remarks repeat an earlier assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency before the U.S. and Israel began the war on Iran on Feb. 28. Gabbard said the assessment would be updated with the impact of the administration’s military campaign “Operation Epic Fury.”
Gabbard says Iranian regime appears ‘intact’ but ‘largely degraded’
In her opening statement, Gabbard provided the latest intelligence community assessment on Iran.
On the country’s current leadership, Gabbard said the regime “appears to be intact, but largely degraded due to attacks.”
“Its conventional military power projection capabilities have largely been destroyed, leaving limited options. Iran’s strategic position has been significantly degraded,” she said.
She also warned that while “internal tensions are likely to increase” inside Iran as its “economy worsens.”
“If a hostile regime survives, it will likely seek to begin a yearslong effort to rebuild its military, missiles and UAV [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle] force,” Gabbard said.
CIA director pushes back on ex-counterterrorism official
Ratcliffe told senators that Iran “posed an immediate threat” when the U.S. decided to attack the country, pushing back on the statements made by Kent when he resigned.
Kent said in his resignation letter he could not “in good conscience” support the war and argued that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the nation.
Asked whether he believed “Iran had ceased in its nuclear ambitions, or … its desire to continue to build ballistic missiles capable of threatening American troops and allies in the Middle East” by Republican Sen. Jon Cornyn, Ratcliffe said “the intelligence reflects the contrary.”
“So you disagree with Mr. Kent?” Cornyn asked.
“I do,” Ratcliffe said.
Cornyn did not put the question to Gabbard, Kent’s former boss.
“I think Iran has been a constant threat to the United States for an extended period of time, and posed an immediate threat at this time,” Ratcliffe said.
Officials pressed on planning for Strait of Hormuz, Gabbard sidesteps
Gabbard sidestepped questions on whether she briefed the president on a probable response from Iran — which has been now beared out with Iranian strikes against U.S. partners in the region and a closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Asked by Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, whether that contingency was “communicated to the president,” Gabbard would only say that the U.S. military took “preemptive planning” measures ahead of its attack.
She later acknowledged that it’s “long been an assessment of the IC that Iran would likely hold the Strait of Hormuz as leverage.”
“Did you brief the president, if he starts a war of choice, that the likely result would be that Iran would strike adjacent Gulf nations and close the Strait of Hormuz?” Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, asked Gabbard at one point.
“I have not and won’t divulge internal conversations,” Gabbard replied.
Dua Lipa attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Mark Guiducci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)
Dua Lipa is brewing up yet another brand deal.
The “Levitating” singer is now the global brand ambassador for Nespresso. A Nespresso executive says in a statement, “Our purpose is to empower endless exploration through exceptional coffee, and Dua brings that mindset to life in a modern, effortless way.
“Together, we want to inspire a new generation to open up to new tastes with confidence and to discover how a coffee moment can become something truly exceptional.”
Dua, meanwhile, says in a statement, “I feel like I have grown up with Nespresso. There’s always been a Nespresso machine nearby – at home with my family, on set, or in a hotel room – so teaming up with them was really an easy decision. I just love how they are always exploring new flavors and finding ways to evolve as a brand.”
Dua’s first job in her role is starring in the brand’s new global campaign, “Vertuo World,” which launches April 14. Longtime ambassador George Clooney will also appear in the campaign.
Nespresso is just the latest company to tap Dua for a promotional role. She has also either fronted campaigns for, served as an ambassador for or collaborated with Bulgari, YSL Beauty, Porsche, Versace, Chanel, Evian and Puma, among others.
Dua also recently teamed with Augustinus Bader for her own line of skin care products, and became the co-founder and chief creative officer for Frame Fitness, which makes at-home Pilates reformers.
Chairman Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) delivers an opening statement during a confirmation hearing for U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to be the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing began with a personal confrontation between fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul as Mullin seeks to take over the Department of Homeland Security from its embattled leader, Kristi Noem.
Paul, the Senate Homeland Security Committee chairman, sparred with Mullin over comments the Oklahoma senator reportedly made earlier this year regarding Paul’s voting record and assault by a neighbor in Kentucky in 2017.
“You told the media that I was a ‘freaking snake’ and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted,” Paul said.
Paul also pointed to Mullin’s previous public confrontations and temperament, adding that Mullin had “low impulse control.”
“Tell the world why you believe I deserve to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it. And while you’re at it, explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues,” Paul said.
“I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits of the proper use of force,” he continued.
Before making his opening statement, Mullin fired back.
“I said I could understand, because of the behavior, you were having, that I could understand why your neighbor … did what he did,” Mullin said. “As far as my term of ‘snake in the grass,’ sir, I work around this room to try to fix problems. I’ve worked with many people in this room. It seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us.”
Mullin, who President Donald Trump earlier this month tapped to take over the agency from Noem, asked Paul to let him earn his respect and said he would be secretary for all Americans.
Paul later played the tense moment at a November 2023 Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing when Mullin stood up from his seat and appeared to prepare to physically fight Teamsters Union President Sean O’Brien as well as a montage of Mullin’s responses to the incident.
“I get it it’s about character assassination for you,” Mullin said to Paul. “That’s the way this game is played. I understand it. And you are making this about you, which is fine.”
Mullin noted that O’Brien, sitting directly behind him, came to the hearing on Wednesday as a “close friend.”
“As you can notice over my shoulder is my good friend, Sean O’Brien. Both of us have had conversations and shaken hands and agreed we could have done things different,” Mullin said. “Sean has become a close friend. We talk all the time. I have been on his podcast. It is how you handle your differences. Not like this, chairman.”
Paul told ABC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Jay O’Brien on Wednesday that he’s planning to hold a committee vote to advance Mullin’s confirmation out of the committee on Thursday — during which, Paul said he will vote no. That means Mullin still needs at least one Democratic vote to advance — and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman said he’s open to being that vote.
Fetterman previously said he was inclined to support Mullin, and Wednesday’s hearing didn’t change that, he told reporters.
Mullin pressed on Pretti comments
Lawmakers on the Senate Homeland Security Committee grilled Mullin, who has no law enforcement experience, throughout the day as the department he’s seeking to lead remains shut down due to a funding stalemate, with no clear end to that shutdown in sight.
Mullin’s hearing came as parts of DHS — from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the Transportation Security Administration — are shut down amid a funding fight over Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Democrats have said they will fund the department only if changes are made to the agency in the wake of the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Sen. Gary Peters, the ranking member of the committee, pressed Mullin over his comments following the killing of Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse who was shot by federal agents during a protest in January.
After Pretti’s death, Mullin echoed initial statements from Noem and White House deputy chief Stephen Miller, calling Pretti “a deranged individual that came in to cause max damage.”
Noem later walked back her comments, claiming she did not have all of the facts at the time.
“I think I said this privately when we had a conversation. Those words probably should have been retracted. I shouldn’t have said that,” Mullin said to Peters, adding he was “responding immediately without the facts.”
“That’s my fault. That won’t happen as secretary,” Mullin said.
When Peters asked Mullin if he would apologize to Pretti’s family for his comments, Mullin stressed that the investigation into the shooting was ongoing.
“We’ll let the investigation go through, and if I’m proven wrong, then I will, absolutely,” he said.
Mullin asked about travel after ‘smell’ of war comments
Peters asked Mullin, who is not a veteran, about his comments to Fox News earlier this month where he suggested he knows what war “smells” like. Mullin admitted that he had never been out of the country for anything other than mission work and vacations.
Peters asked about the travel to Georgia and Azerbaijan that was listed in the FBI report on Mullin, but the nominee said those 2021 trips were classified.
“So where did you smell war?” Peters asked.
“Sir, I just said that this was classified,” Mullin responded.
Mullin on elections, FEMA
Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin asked Mullin about Trump’s controversial suggestion that Republicans “nationalize” elections and asked Mullin if he supported putting armed agents at polling stations.
“The only reason why my officers would be there, if there was a specific threat for them to be there, not for intimidation,” Mullin said.
Mullin appeared to counter the messaging of his predecessor when it came to Federal Emergency Management Agency and said the agency “needs to be restructured not eliminated.”
After the Senate Homeland Security Committee vote on Thursday, if his nomination is confirmed, it would then head to the Senate floor where he could be confirmed as soon as next week.
It is all but certain that Mullin will be confirmed as DHS secretary on the Senate floor.
ABC News’ Allison Pecorin and Jay O’Brien contributed to this report.
Jordan Davis performs in Berlin, Germany. (Frank Hoensch/Redferns)
Jordan Davis is quite the world traveler these days.
He recaps his half a dozen international shows so far this year in a new Instagram video set to his #12 hit “Turn This Truck Around.”
“Ripped through Europe and the UK on the Ain’t Enough Road Tour with [Avery Anna] and [Solon Holt],” he captioned the post. “Kicking off the next leg of tour in New Zealand Thursday. Let’s ride.”
The footage also includes Jordan leading a backstage toast to his biggest show yet, selling out London’s OVO Arena Wembley.
On Sunday Jordan plays the first of three Australian shows in Willowbank, Queensland, before heading to Sydney and Melbourne.
The Irish rockers have announced that subscribers can now purchase a special bundle featuring a CD copy of their recently released EP, Days of Ash, which is the first physical version of the EP they’ve released.
The bundle also comes with a print edition of their magazine Propaganda, as well as one of seven limited-edition posters, featuring an image from the magazine.
The special edition of Propaganda was dedicated to Days of Ash and includes interviews with all the members of the band, with Bono’s interview offering up in-depth insight into making the songs on the EP.
While the bundle is only available to U2.com subscribers, those who aren’t members can still subscribe in order to purchase the bundle. More info can be found at U2.com.
Released on Feb. 18, Days of Ash features five new U2 songs and a poem, with a guest appearance by Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian musician-turned-soldier Taras Topolia.
It was described in a press release as “an immediate response to current events and inspired by the many extraordinary and courageous people fighting on the frontlines of freedom.” It comes ahead of a new U2 record, expected in late 2026.
A television station broadcasts the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates after a Federal Open Market Committee meeting on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday at its first meeting since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran drove up gasoline prices and risked a wider bout of inflation.
The central bank’s move marked the second consecutive time it has opted to maintain interest rates at current levels since the outset of 2026. Before that, the Fed cut interest rates a quarter-point three straight times. The decision on Wednesday matched market expectations.
“The implications of developments in the Middle East for the U.S. economy are uncertain,” the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a policymaking body at the Fed, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Elevated price increases have coincided with a slowdown of economic growth, threatening to intensify an economic double-whammy known as “stagflation,” which poses difficulty for the Fed.
If the Fed opts to lower borrowing costs, it could spur growth but risk higher inflation. On the other hand, the choice to raise interest rates may slow price increases but raises the likelihood of a cooldown in economic performance.
The benchmark rate stands at a level between 3.5% and 3.75%. That figure marks a significant drop from a recent peak attained in 2023, but borrowing costs remain well above a 0% rate established at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A lackluster jobs report last week showed the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, which marked a reversal of fortunes for the labor market and erased most of the job gains recorded in 2026.
The unemployment rate ticked up from 4.3% in January to 4.4% in February, the BLS said. Unemployment remains low by historical standards.
A revised government report last week on gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew at a sluggish annualized pace of 0.7% over the final three months of 2025.
Those economic headwinds helped set the conditions before the outbreak of war with Iran, which spiked oil prices and risked price increases for a host of diesel-fuel transported goods.
U.S. crude oil prices rose to about $97 per barrel on Wednesday, marking a surge of more than 50% since a month earlier.
Since the military conflict began, U.S. gas prices have gone up 86 cents to an average of $3.84 per gallon as of Wednesday, according to AAA.
The rate decision on Wednesday marked the first such move since a federal judge blocked Justice Department subpoenas to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors after determining the government “produced essentially zero evidence” to support a criminal investigation of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, according to an unsealed court opinion.
“A mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning,” U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said in his opinion on Friday.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro blasted Boasberg as an “activist” judge and pledged to appeal his ruling.
ABC News’ Alexander Mallin, Allison Pecorin, and Jack Date contributed to this report.
Jane Fonda attends the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar party hosted by Mark Guiducci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)
Jane Fonda is set to star in a film adaptation of the bestselling book The Correspondent.
Lionsgate made the announcement to its social media on Wednesday. The studio shared a screenshot of Deadline‘s article on the subject.
“#TheCorrespondent – based on the best-selling novel by @virginia.l.evans. Coming soon,” Lionsgate’s caption reads.
In addition to starring, Fonda will produce the film alongside Todd Lieberman for his company Hidden Pictures. Cat Vasko will write the film’s script and executive produce the movie.
The Correspondent is the debut novel by Virginia Evans. It was published in April 2025 and has since sold over 1 million copies. Evans will also executive produce the film.
The novel’s plot follows an opinionated, retired lawyer named Sybil Van Antwerp who writes letters every single day to a litany of different people in her life. When she one day receives letters from someone in her past, she’s forced to examine one of the most difficult times in her life.
Lorde performs during day three of Glastonbury festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 27, 2025 in Glastonbury, England. (Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
Lorde may never be royal, but she is now an official member of YouTube’s billion views club thanks to “Royals.”
The U.S. video for the New Zealand artist’s breakout hit has officially reached the 1 billion views milestone, marking a career-first for Lorde.
The video premiered on YouTube in June 2013, when Lorde was 16 years old. It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 months later in October 2013.
“Royals” appears on Lorde’s debut album, 2013’s Pure Heroine. She’s since put out three more albums, 2017’s Melodrama, 2021’s Solar Power and 2025’s Virgin.
Lorde is headlining a number of upcoming U.S. festivals, including Lollapalooza, New Orleans Jazz Fest and Governors Ball.
Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless at 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Disney/Frank Micelotta)
The Pretty Reckless has premiered the video for “When I Wake Up,” which features frontwoman Taylor Momsen reuniting with her former Gossip Girl co-stars Jessica Szohr and Connor Paolo.
The NSFW clip follows Momsen over a night of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, and also features cameos from Pat Smear and Ilan Rubin of Foo Fighters.
“l wanted the video to reflect where the song came from – a time in my life when I was out of control, not caring whether I lived or died,” Momsen says in a press release. “We shot it raw, with no grade, no filter. Reality doesn’t come color-corrected, and I didn’t want to change what we captured. The imperfection is the grade.”
“This is where life can take you when you play too close to the edge, chasing substances, sex, and dopamine highs to escape depression,” she continues. “It led me down a rabbit hole of self-destruction that leaves you emptier than where you began.”
Momsen concludes, “With all that being said…enjoy.”
The “When I Wake Up” video is now streaming on YouTube.
“When I Wake Up” appears on The Pretty Reckless’ upcoming album, Dear God, due out June 26. The record also includes the single “For I Am Death.”
The Pretty Reckless will launch a U.S. headlining tour in July. They’re also playing shows opening for AC/DC.
