• Trump, Hegseth reset War Powers clock: The toothless War Powers Resolution of 1973 remains toothless. Technically, Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28, should now be winding down, as the 60-day window under the War Powers Resolution, during which presidents are allowed to act without congressional approval, has passed. However, President Donald Trump is under little to no pressure from any quarter to actually wind down the operation. In 2011, President Barack Obama explained that the lack of troops on the ground in Libya justified a nine-month-long campaign without approval. War Secretary Pete Hegseth is providing a similar technical excuse in this case — i.e. the ceasefire initiated on April 8 paused or reset the clock. That argument, like Obama’s, doesn’t really align with the WPR’s language, but unless Congress acts, it doesn’t matter. The executive branch is tasked with conducting war, and that is what is happening.

• U.S. Navy guides ships through Hormuz: The U.S. Navy has begun escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, an operation President Trump dubbed “Project Freedom.” Calling the move a “humanitarian” operation, Trump noted that the U.S. Navy would protect ships from the Iranian regime and would meet any Iranian attempt to interfere with military force. This move will include informing commercial ships of the best shipping lanes through the strait that have not been mined by Iran. “The Ship movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong,” Trump explained. “They are victims of circumstance. This is a Humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran.”

• Withdrawal from Germany: Prominent NATO members have not supported President Trump’s actions against Iran, and some have been downright antagonistic. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed that the U.S. was being “humiliated by the Iranian leadership” and had “no strategy” to end it. The German chancellor “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump responded. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage.” Trump also noted that his administration would be “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany.” On Friday, the Pentagon announced it would withdraw some 5,000 troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months. German officials conceded that the presence of U.S. troops was in their nation’s interest, yet Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil doubled down, blasting Trump for “the mess he’s made” in Iran.

• May Day and the Democrat socialists: The Democrat Party is increasingly openly allying itself with professed communists, and the 2026 May Day protests provided a stunning example. Over 600 groups and $2 billion came together to organize a series of socialist/communist protests on Friday. The Democratic Socialists of America, Code Pink, and the Communist Party of the USA worked with the American Federation of Teachers, Indivisible, and local DNC parties to give schoolchildren a formative communist holiday experience. Protests called for “revolution” to “fight Trump’s agenda,” “Abolish ICE,” and more. The bottom line is that public school students participated in Marxist protests designed to destroy the very taxpayers supporting those public schools.

• Court temporarily halts abortion pill by mail: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request for a stay on the Biden-era FDA regulation permitting the mailing of the abortion drug mifepristone. According to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murril, “This means that prescribers cannot lawfully mail abortion drugs into Louisiana.” The Pelican State is among a number of red states that have outright banned or severely limited access to abortion following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022. The Biden administration greenlighted nationwide mail-order mifepristone despite significant health concerns about the drug, especially when administered without direct in-person physician oversight, as had been required prior to the change. The Fifth Circuit granted a stay, concluding that Louisiana had a good chance of prevailing in its case against the FDA. With medication abortions accounting for roughly 60% of all abortions in the U.S., this ruling will have a significant impact.

• Acting AG doubles down on Comey indictment: After indicting former FBI Director James Comey a second time, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche asserted that the case is not just about the “86 47” Instagram post, but about “a body of evidence that the grand jury collected over the series of about 11 months.” The two counts are threatening the president and “transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.” The maximum penalty for the charges, if he is found guilty, is 10 years. Blanche said that the grand jury has a lineup of documents and witnesses to support the case, and that the DOJ is absolutely prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt every element of the crime. Sen. Adam Schiff claims the case is weak and “deeply illegitimate,” predicting it would be tossed out by the jury before it even goes to trial.

• Feds cap graduate loans: Federal regulators are stepping in to address the surging cost of college degrees created by … federal regulators. If the government had never gotten into the business of subsidizing college tuition, prices would not have ballooned out of control. Since the government did get involved, prices have reached unsustainable levels, which the new caps on student loans aim to address. Under the new system, student loans will be split into two categories, “Professional” and “Graduate,” with professional loans capped at $50,000 per year and graduate loans at $20,500 per year. The aggregate cap for professional programs is $200,000, and $100,000 for graduate programs. In another effort to reduce bloated costs, the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS program, which offers loans covering the full cost of a degree, is being phased out over the next two years.

• Air Force completes retrofit of Qatari 747 for Air Force One: President Trump will soon travel in a newer Boeing 747 that was controversially donated to the U.S. by Qatar. Donated last year, the $400 million jumbo jet has now been fully retrofitted by the U.S. Air Force to serve as Trump’s Air Force One. The jet will serve as a “bridge” until the new pair of Boeing 747s, which have been in production for nearly a decade, are delivered, currently scheduled for 2028. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with the current Air Force One jets, which are over 40 years old, and with the slow pace of producing the new jets, calling the situation “a total mess.” The eventual plan is for the Qatari-donated 747 to be retired and incorporated into Trump’s presidential library after he leaves office.

Headlines

• Georgia governor won’t redraw congressional maps this year (Washington Times)

• Trump announces tariffs on European cars going to 25% (NY Post)

• Prosecutors say man who started Palisades fire was obsessed with Luigi Mangione (Not the Bee)

• Texas judge allows Muslim city in Texas to resume construction (Not the Bee)

• Nun attacked in Jerusalem in “disturbing rise in Christianophobia” (Washington Examiner)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.