Wednesday morning news: May 6, 2026

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Iran - Trump remarks, Hegseth says ceasefire is holding » President Trump hit the brakes Tuesday on a military operation in the Strait of Hormuz. He paused Project Freedom—the effort to guide stranded commercial ships through the waterway.

Trump pointed to progress toward an Iran agreement and said the pause gives negotiators room to complete a deal. The U.S. blockade of Iran's ports, however, will stay in place.

The move comes after a tense Monday—when U.S. ships sank six Iranian boats in the strait. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates for a second straight day.

Trump says Iran's recent attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz did not brake the ceasefire. 

When asked at the White House what would, he replied:

TRUMP: Well, you'll find out, because I'll let you know. They know what to do and they know what to do. They know what not to do, more importantly...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. military has accomplished what it set out to do, and what happens next is up to Iran.

RUBIO: Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. I'm not going to, you know, we're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What the president would prefer is a deal.

Iran's foreign minister flies to Beijing today. Rubio is hoping China will lean on Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukraine latest » In Ukraine:

SOUND: [Russian air strike aftermath]

Five people were killed and at least a dozen others were injured after a Russian glide bomb strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, Tuesday. And authorities say another twelve people were killed in a similar attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.

Meanwhile in Russia:

SOUND: [Ukrainian drone attack]

Video captured the moment that was reported to have been a Ukrainian drone struck what Russian officials said was a residential building just east of Moscow. Authorities there claim three people were injured in that attack.

All of this comes amid rival ceasefire proposals between the two countries. 

Russian leader Vladimir Putin declared a two-day ceasefire on May 8th and 9th to mark Russia's World War II victory over Nazi Germany. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the fighting should stop earlier...on May 5.

ZELENSKYY: [Speaking Ukrainian]

Zelenskyy says Ukraine has to know what kind of ceasefire it's agreeing to, and he says Russia is killing Ukrainian people and then demanding a ceasefire...which he calls flatly unfair.

White House drug price agreements » The White House projects big savings from the Trump administration’s “Most Favored Nation” drug policies.

WORLD’s Harrison Watters has more now from the nation’s capital:

HARRISON WATTERS: The White House Council of Economic Advisors now estimates that Americans will save nearly $530 billion on new drugs over ten years.

So far, 17 drug companies have agreed to give the U.S. Most Favored Nation pricing, though the specifics have not been made public.

Federal research in 2024 found that Americans typically paid more than 3 times what patients elsewhere pay for brand name drugs. Many new drugs are launched in the U.S. at premium prices before expanding to markets around the world, often at much lower prices.

The estimated savings depend on drug companies lowering prices in the United States, while raising prices for other wealthy nations.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Harrison Watters in Washington.

Presidential fitness test award » Push-ups and pull-ups are coming back to American schools.

President Trump on Tuesday signed the new Presidential Fitness Award at his Oval Office desk, flanked by cabinet members and kids in sports jerseys.

TRUMP: We're bringing it back. We're bringing it back. My administration's working very hard to defend America's cherished athletic traditions and pass our values of excellence and competitiveness to the next generation. So important.

The Presidential Fitness Test was a school fixture for decades—a one-mile run, sit-ups, and other drills, with top performers earning a presidential award. President Obama phased it out in favor of a non-competitive health program. Trump signed an order last summer to restore it.

Pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau chairs the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition:

DECHAMBEAU: Reestablishing the golden standard of the presidential fitness test has been a huge, uh, deal for me is, is that these kids now are going to have a healthy future.

After the ceremony, kids putted, kicked soccer balls, and tossed baseballs on the South Lawn with pro athletes.

Transgender policy of women’s college under Title IX review » The Education Department is investigating one of America's largest all-women's colleges for admitting men. 

WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Federal civil rights officials opened the Title IX probe Monday into Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. The school was founded in 1871, but began admitting males who identify as women back in 2015.

Title IX gave women equal access to education more than 50 years ago and lets colleges keep single-sex student bodies. But the Education Department says that exception is rooted in biological sex, not gender identity. Investigators want to know whether Smith broke the law by letting men into women's bathrooms and other intimate spaces.

The Trump administration has sued or threatened to pull federal funding from several colleges over similar policies. Smith College has not commented.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

And I'm Kent Covington.

Coming up, what has changed in Venezuela since the capture of Nicolas Maduro. Plus, simple steps that can help save marriages.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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