Friday morning news: May 29, 2026

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Iran latest » U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached a tentative deal to extend the ceasefire and start talks on Iran's nuclear program. President Trump, though, still has to sign off.

If approved, the agreement would extend the truce by 60 days. Iran would have to pull all mines from the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days and could not charge tolls to passing ships. The U.S., for it's part, would gradually ease its naval blockade and relax sanctions, letting Iran sell more oil. 

But Trump said Thursday he's still in no rush:

TRUMP: I'm playing it out and we're gonna see, and that's what I do. I negotiate, they negotiate. They're very good negotiators, they're crafty. Uh, but, uh, in the end, we have all the cards, because we've defeated them militarily. Look, they have no navy. Their air force is totally gone, 100%.

And the ceasefire has been shaky. On Thursday, Iran fired missiles at Kuwait, which U.S. Central Command called an "egregious ceasefire violation." That came after the U.S. struck targets in Iran late Wednesday—shooting down drones and hitting a control station.

Vice President JD Vance has been working on the deal's details, and he said on the nuclear piece:

VANCE: We're going back and forth on a couple of language points. I do think that we've made a lot of progress here. It's very clear that I think, uh, the Iranians, uh, they want a deal and they want to open the Straits of Hormuz. We want them to open the Straits of Hormuz. There are a couple of issues on, uh, the nuclear, uh, stuff, the, the, the highly enriched stockpile and also the question of enrichment.

Iran has hundreds of pounds of uranium near weapons-grade—and has not yet agreed to give it up.

Israel and Lebanon talks to resume as fighting flares » Israeli and Lebanese military officials sit down again in Washington today for their first security talks since an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire began in April. 

But Israeli airstrikes have intensified ahead of the meeting. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has details.

BENJAMIN EICHER: Israel hit a Beirut suburb Thursday, targeting Hezbollah militants. The Lebanese Health Ministry claims at least 14 people were killed in strikes across the south.

The Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group has been firing drones into northern Israel. The Israeli military says one of its soldiers was killed Thursday and it will keep targeting the Iranian-backed group's assets.

Israel says the goal of today's talks is to disarm Hezbollah.

Iran wants Israeli strikes in Lebanon to stop and wants to make that a condition of any peace deal with the U.S.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict began in March—when the terror group fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Iran.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Inflation numbers » Inflation just hit a three-year high. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that prices were up 3.8 percent in April from one year ago. Gas prices, of course, a big driver, spiking amid the Iran war—averaging just over $4.40 a gallon today.

Food, clothing, and electricity prices have also swelled. Americans' incomes have lost ground to inflation for three months in a row. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insisted Thursday that the price spike will be temporary, abating once the war ends. 

And PNC Financial Services Group chief economist Gus Faucher sees a path to lower energy costs:

FAUCHER: Certainly if there was a resolution to the war in Iran, if there was a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, we would expect to see energy prices decline, uh, in the summer and into the fall. Um, inflation is still going to be elevated, but it's not going to be as bad as it is now.

But he notes that the energy spike and resulting inflation could make it tough for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this year.

E. Jean Carroll DOJ probe » The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating E. Jean Carroll—the writer who accused President Trump of sexually assaulting her more than 30 years ago. 

WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports:

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Federal prosecutors in Chicago are reportedly looking into whether Carroll lied under oath. Carroll says Trump assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. Trump has denied it from the start.

A jury in 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and awarded her $5 million dollars. A separate jury awarded another $83 million for defamation the following year. Both were civil cases—where a jury only has to find one side more likely than not—in contrast to a criminal case which requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Justice Department is said to be looking into a deposition Carroll gave in 2022—about who paid for her lawsuit. Trump's team alleged that she lied about outside funding.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Suspect in Taylor Swift concert attack plot sentenced » A court near Vienna handed down its sentence Thursday to an Austrian man convicted of plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert.

The 21-year-old admitted to the plot and was sentenced to 15 years behind bars. Prosecutors say he had ties to ISIS and planned to use knives or homemade explosives outside the stadium where Swift was scheduled to perform in 2024.

Investigators searched his apartment and found bomb-making materials just one day before the concerts were scheduled to start. Austrian authorities foiled the attack, but still canceled Swift's three Vienna shows as a precaution. 

The court also sentenced a 21-year-old co-defendant to 12 years.

I'm Kent Covington.

And coming up: Katie McCoy is standing by for Culture Friday. And later, your Listener Feedback for the month of May.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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