The Daily Brief - May 5, 2026
The latest on the US-Iran ceasefire, primary races in Indiana and Ohio, the House Ethics probe against another congressman, and more
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US-Iran Ceasefire
US military leaders said the US-Iran ceasefire is still in effect, even after they blamed Iran for new attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
The 60-day clock under the War Powers Resolution has run out, meaning President Trump is now legally required to either get congressional authorization for the war or pull back US forces that have been deployed for the war in Iran. The administration’s position is that neither is necessary because the hostilities “terminated” when last month’s ceasefire took effect.
At a press conference earlier today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “Project Freedom” — the US naval operation announced by President Trump to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz — is temporary and “defensive in nature.” He added that it is “separate and distinct” from Operation Epic Fury, the military campaign the US launched against Iran on Feb. 28.
The strait itself is barely functioning. Iran has restricted access, and Project Freedom, according to US officials, is meant to help ships cross — but few are willing to try, fearing Iranian attacks. US officials said only two ships completed the transit yesterday, and no others had made it through until this afternoon.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told reporters today that Iran has attacked US forces more than 10 times since the ceasefire began, but that the strikes fall “below the threshold” that would trigger a US military response. Caine added that the decision to restart the military response is a political one.
Indiana Tests Trump’s Grip on GOP; Ohio Holds Marquee Clashes
Three states are holding major primaries today: Indiana is testing Trump’s grip on his own party, Ohio is staging two key races, and Michigan’s special election for a vacant state senate seat will decide who controls the chamber.
In Indiana, the focus is on primaries in seven state senate races where President Trump has endorsed challengers against Republican incumbents who refused to back his congressional redistricting push last year. Outside groups aligned with Trump have spent millions on what are normally low-profile contests to oust the GOP incumbents to punish them. Indiana is also voting in US House and other state races.
Ohio is conducting primaries for two major races. In the Senate primary, former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown is mounting a comeback bid against Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed to the seat after JD Vance vacated it. Brown previously held Ohio’s other Senate seat and lost it in 2024. In the governor’s primary races, Democrat Amy Acton is running unopposed, while Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is leading in fundraising. Ramaswamy has largely ignored his GOP opponent in the primary — engineer and vehicle designer Casey Putsch — and has instead focused his attacks on Acton. Polling shows Ramaswamy and Acton are within a point or two of each other.
In Michigan, a special state senate election could decide control of the chamber. A Democratic win secures a clear majority while a Republican win splits the chamber 19-19.
Louisiana Governor’s Primary Delay Faces Court Challenges
Two lawsuits were filed this week challenging Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s executive order postponing the May 16 congressional primary. Landry issued the order the day after the Supreme Court struck down the state’s second majority-Black voting district as a racial gerrymander in Louisiana v. Callais. Vote-by-mail ballots had already gone out to overseas and military voters; early voting was set to start Saturday; and some voters say they have already cast ballots that include the congressional races.
A congressional candidate and a voter have sued in federal court, arguing that the cancellation violates their civil rights. In a state court lawsuit, voters and voting-rights groups argue Landry overstepped. They say state law gives the governor authority to postpone elections only in response to natural disasters or public-health and safety crises — not a Supreme Court ruling against a state law. In their joint state lawsuit, voting-rights groups say Landry’s order has “caused mass confusion at the polls.”
The Court’s decision became final yesterday, when the justices fast-tracked certification rather than waiting the usual 32 days. According to a district court decision earlier this week, state officials have three days after certification to lay out their redistricting plan. The Louisiana legislature plans to take public comment later this week on a new proposed map that would include only one majority-Black district.
Newsbreak
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Possible Human-to-Human Transmission of Hantavirus on Cruise Ship
The World Health Organization has said human-to-human transmission of hantavirus may have occurred on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship, MV Hondius, is carrying 147 passengers and crew, including 17 Americans.
Hantavirus is rare and is usually picked up from contact with the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents. It does not normally spread between people. But one strain — the Andes virus, found mainly in Chile and Argentina — is capable of limited person-to-person transmission, which is what the WHO is assuming happened here.
As of yesterday, the WHO had identified seven cases on board the ship: two confirmed in a laboratory, five suspected. Three of those people have died.
The ship was traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde, an island nation off West Africa. It is anchored off the coast of Cape Verde, where local authorities have refused to let passengers come ashore for fear of spreading the virus. The Dutch government is preparing to evacuate two sick people to the Netherlands. The ship will then proceed to the Canary Islands — a Spain-controlled archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa — where Spanish authorities and the WHO will conduct a full epidemiological investigation.
House Ethics Panel Probing Rep. Chuck Edwards Over Conduct With Staffers
The House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) over alleged “inappropriate” conduct toward two young female staffers, including an alleged affair with one who left his office earlier this year. House rules prohibit members from engaging in romantic relationships with their staff, even if the relationship is consensual.
Shortly before the staffer left, Edwards sent her a handwritten letter saying she had “written a complex chapter in my heart,” according to Axios, which reviewed the note.
Edwards, 65, is in his second term, married, with two children and two grandchildren. He called the allegations “false” in a statement and said he welcomes the investigation.
He is at least the fourth member of Congress in recent weeks to face accusations of inappropriate conduct toward a female staffer. Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Tony Gonzales (R-TX) have resigned. Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) has been under House Ethics Committee investigation since August 2024 over allegations of sexual misconduct, dating violence (a specific violation in Florida), campaign finance violations, and profiting from federal contracts while in office.
Judge Questions Isolation of WHCA Dinner Shooting Suspect
A federal judge sharply criticized the DC Department of Corrections for holding the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooting in what he called “functionally solitary confinement.”
The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, is a California tutor with no prior criminal record. He was arrested April 25 after an alleged gunfire exchange with Secret Service agents near the dinner venue in Washington and is charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump.
Allen’s lawyer said he was being held on suicide watch, but he was reportedly placed in a padded “safe cell” with constant lighting, near-total isolation, and limited access to communication or legal materials without an initial suicide-risk assessment. Jail officials have not publicly explained why he was placed on suicide watch.
US Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui called the conditions “extremely disturbing” and said they could provoke suicidal thoughts rather than prevent them. He ordered officials to remove the suspect from suicide watch.
Secret Service Shoots Man Near White House
Secret Service agents shot an armed man near the White House yesterday after they say he opened fire on them when confronted. Officials have not said what drew the agents’ attention to him in the first place.
Two law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Michael Marx, 45, from Texas. He was hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds, including to his back and leg. His injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Marx is expected to be charged today, officials said. Investigators are seeking warrants to review his phone and search his home. A Secret Service official said they recovered a weapon from the man but did not provide details. Officials have not confirmed whether he traveled from Texas before the shooting.