A King in Congress

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for April 28, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

King Charles’ congressional address was a hopeful picture of U.S.-British relations, emphasizing the countries’ shared democratic values and avoiding recent tension over America’s war with Iran. Charles did, however, affirm the U.K.’s commitment to NATO, a recent target of Donald Trump’s ire.

• “The commitment and expertise of the United States armed forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other’s defense, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries,” he said. “Our defense, intelligence and security ties are hardwired together through relationships measured not in years but in decades.”

• He also noted that the U.K. has committed to the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War.

The four-day trip will continue tonight with a state dinner. Charles gave the president a framed recreation of design plans for the Resolute Desk, while Queen Camilla gave the first lady a brooch made by British jewelry designer Fiona Rae. The first lady gave six Tiffany’s English king sterling silver teaspoons and White House honey to the queen.

THE HILL

The House is deadlocked over three key pieces of legislation: an extension of a piece of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the annual farm bill and a funding measure to end the ongoing DHS shutdown.

• The chamber went into recess almost immediately after gaveling in this morning to negotiate, and will reconvene later tonight. It remains unclear whether Republican lawmakers are any closer to a deal on any of the three measures than they were this morning.

THE ADMINISTRATION

The FCC is reviewing ABC’s broadcast licenses after the Trumps demanded the firing of Jimmy Kimmel over a joke saying Melania Trump looked like an “expectant widow,” Semafor reports. The licences were not up for renewal until at least 2028. The FCC said in a filing that the license review is due to parent company Disney’s corporate diversity policies.

Trump is putting his face on passports, ostensibly as part of the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary of independence, The Bulwark reports. It’s the latest in a series of designs featuring his face, which include a $1 coin and a National Park Service pass. The design is still awaiting approval for the “limited run” of 25,000 copies, the report said.

THE COURTS

A big day for the Comey family: Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for a second time, over an Instagram photo of seashells arranged as the numbers “86 47,” which critics interpreted as a threat toward the president.

Comey’s daughter, Maurene Comey, however, scored a victory when a New York judge issued a decision that opens the door to challenging Trump’s firing of federal employees in federal court. She says she was illegally fired last year from her job as a federal prosecutor after nearly a decade.

The Trump administration cannot indefinitely detain most immigrants without providing them access to bond hearings, a federal appeals court ruled. Other appeals courts have sided with the administration, setting up a potential Supreme Court fight.

• At issue is a July ICE memo declaring that any immigrant who enters the country illegally must be detained, which has led to the detention of those who have lived in the U.S. for decades and don’t have criminal records.

SNAP OF THE DAY

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Matt Berman and Andrew Burton. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.