Wednesday morning news: April 29, 2026

Editor's note: The following text is a transcript of a podcast story. To listen to the story, click on the arrow beneath the headline above.

King Charles speech to Congress, state dinner » Britain’s King Charles III is traveling from Washington to New York City today, where he’ll pay respects at the One World Trade center memorial and take part in community events.

Yesterday:

SOUND: [Charles welcome music]

He and his wife, Queen Camilla, were the guests of honor for a state visit at the White House.

Trump welcomed the royal couple with a ceremony on the South Lawn under gray, drizzly skies, quipping that it was a “beautiful British day.”

TRUMP:  Honoring the British King might seem an ironic beginning to our celebration of 250 years of American independence, but in fact no tribute could be more appropriate.

He said America inherited its moral courage from Britain.

King Charles also stopped by Capitol Hill, addressing a joint meeting of Congress. That made him the first British monarch to do so since Queen Elizabeth II, 35 years ago.

CHARLES:  This is a city which symbolizes a period in our shared history, or what Charles Dickens might have called A Tale of two Georges.

Charles also huddled with President Trump in the Oval Office for a closed-door meeting. The king likely sought to ease friction between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer—stemming from the Iran war.

UAE exits OPEC » A major member of OPEC is leaving the organization in a move that could have a significant impact on energy prices. 

WORLD's Kristen Flavin has more:

KRISTEN FLAVIN: The United Arab Emirates announced that it is pulling out of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, more commonly known as OPEC.

The UAE says it will exit the group on May 1st.

Officials cited the rising global demand for oil, plus the ongoing conflict over the Strait of Hormuz.

OPEC sets production quotas and limits for its members, while at the same time collectively producing more than 30 percent of the world's crude oil.

OPEC limited the UAE's production to a little more than three million barrels of oil per day, versus the UAE's stated goal of five million barrels by 2027.

Analysts widely regard the move as a heavy blow to the oil cartel and a step closer to creating a more competitive oil market.

For WORLD, I'm Kristen Flavin.

Iran » Still no word on when or if the US and Iran will reschedule a second round of in-person peace talks. President Trump over the weekend cancelled a planned trip by U.S. envoys to Pakistan for renewed negotiations—not seeing them as worthwhile.

Shortly thereafter, Trump says Iran submitted a new offer that was better, but not good enough. Iran thus far has not agreed to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

In the meantime, Iran continues to effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, with the threat of violence against commercial ships.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio:

RUBIO:  The Strait is basically the equivalent of an economic nuclear weapon that they're trying to use against the world. And they're bragging about it. They're putting up billboards in Tehran, bragging about how they can hold 25% or 20% of the world's energy hostage. Imagine if those same people had access to a nuclear weapon? They would hold the whole region hostage.

The U.S. Navy is working to clear mines and Iranian vessels from the critical waterway. It's also maintaining a blockade on Iranian ports.

Comey indicted again » Former FBI Director James Comey is facing federal charges for the second time in seven months.

A grand jury in North Carolina indicted Comey Tuesday on two counts of threatening President Trump, pointing to a 2025 Instagram post showing seashells spelling out "86 47."

"86" is restaurant industry slang for getting rid of someone—paired with Trump's number as the 47th president. 

Each count carries up to 10 years in prison.

Comey responded in a video message:

COMEY: Nothing has changed with me. I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let's go.

Comey was charged last year with lying to Congress. But a federal judge tossed out that indictment after ruling that the prosecutor who brought the case had been unlawfully appointed.

Trump has long called for charges against Comey—asserting that he is guilty of crimes.

The president fired Comey as FBI Director in 2017 amid the bureau's so-called "Russia probe," which found no collusion on the part of Trump’s campaign.

GOP tensions over DHS funding intensify » Pressure is mounting to fund the Department of Homeland Security in Washington following the attempted assassination of President Trump and other officials on Saturday. 

DHS oversees numerous agencies, including the Secret Service, which of course, responded to that weekend attack. But leaders in Congress are still in gridlock over how to end the shutdown.

WORLD’s Harrison Watters has more:

HARRISON WATTERS: House leadership cut Tuesday’s morning session short ahead of King Charles III’s afternoon address to Congress. That meant no bills could reach the floor.

Speaker Mike Johnson is struggling to unite his razor-thin majority behind a two-bill plan to fund DHS.

Last month, Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said they’ll fund most of DHS through the regular budget process, but use a special fast-track called reconciliation for immigration and border enforcement. That would let them pass it with only Republican votes.

But a handful of House Republicans object to carving up DHS funds, and Johnson cannot move forward without their votes.

Earlier this month, President Trump directed DHS to use emergency money for salaries, but Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last week those funds will run out by Thursday.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Harrison Watters.

And I'm Kent Covington.

Coming up: the U.K. tries to stop smoking for an entire generation. Plus, a veteran who works to honor those who fought in the Gulf War.

This is The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.