Top 5 US news stories
April 27 2026
Gunman Opens Fire Outside White House Correspondents' Dinner
Trump Pulls Negotiators From Iran Talks, Citing Inadequate Offer
Corporate Profits Surge Despite Wartime Pressures and Weak Consumer Mood
Common Herbicide Linked to Rising Colorectal Cancer in Younger Adults
Two Runners Break 2-Hour Marathon Barrier at London
Gunman Opens Fire Outside White House Correspondents' Dinner
A gunman opened fire outside the Washington Hilton on Saturday night during the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, exchanging shots with authorities before being subdued by the Secret Service, Washington police chief Jeffery W. Carroll said. The shooter did not reach the ballroom where President Trump and hundreds of journalists had gathered, but security swept guests including House Speaker Mike Johnson out of the venue as the response unfolded. Two law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a Caltech graduate from Torrance, Calif., who had been recognized as a Teacher of the Month. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Allen will face charges of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault of a federal officer, with an arraignment scheduled for Monday in Federal District Court. Writings authorities have linked to Allen describe him as the "Friendly Federal Assassin" and indicate he was targeting Trump administration officials, according to a copy reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. Voting records show Allen registered with no party preference, and FEC filings show a $25 donation to ActBlue in 2024 earmarked for the Harris campaign.
NYT / WSJ
Trump Pulls Negotiators From Iran Talks, Citing Inadequate Offer
President Trump abruptly canceled a planned trip by senior negotiators to Islamabad on Saturday, telling reporters that Iranian officials could phone directly instead. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been scheduled to fly to Pakistan along with top aides to Vice President JD Vance, who participated in earlier talks in the Pakistani capital. Pakistani officials have been relaying messages between Tehran and Washington, but the two sides remain far apart on Iran turning over its enriched uranium stockpile and on control of the Strait of Hormuz, a passage that normally carries about a fifth of global oil. Trump said Iran had submitted a written proposal that fell short, then offered a revised version that still did not meet U.S. demands. He also complained that the Iranian negotiators dispatched for the talks were not senior enough to speak for the country's leadership. An administration official said Vance remains on standby to re-engage if circumstances change.
NYT
Corporate Profits Surge Despite Wartime Pressures and Weak Consumer Mood
Major U.S. companies are reporting strong first-quarter profits despite war in the Middle East and weakening consumer sentiment, according to early earnings results. With just over a quarter of S&P 500 companies having reported, year-over-year earnings-per-share growth is on pace to top 13 percent for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to financial-data firm LSEG. Sales growth is expected to exceed any quarter since the fall of 2022. Deutsche Bank equity strategist Parag Thatte said the earnings strength has broadened beyond technology and financial firms. The figures stand in contrast to economist forecasts that have been trimmed in recent weeks, with high oil prices acting as a drag on household spending while pushing inflation higher. Consumer sentiment readings hit a record low in April.
WSJ
Common Herbicide Linked to Rising Colorectal Cancer in Younger Adults
A widely used farm herbicide called picloram may be linked to rising rates of colorectal cancer in adults under 50, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine. Researchers at Spain's Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology examined chemical changes in the DNA of cancer patients and built profiles to track which environmental exposures showed up in tumor tissue. They found that U.S. counties using more picloram also had higher rates of early-onset colorectal cancer, even after accounting for income levels and other pesticides. Lead author José Seoane said picloram showed a stronger statistical link than other herbicides studied, including glyphosate. The researchers cautioned that the study identifies an association and does not prove the chemical causes cancer, and they called for further research before drawing firm conclusions. Colorectal cancer is now the leading cancer killer of Americans under 50, with cases rising about 1.4 percent each year in younger adults.
Medical News Today
Two Runners Break 2-Hour Marathon Barrier at London
Two distance runners crossed under the two-hour mark at the London Marathon on Sunday, shattering a barrier long considered out of reach in competitive road racing. Kenya's Sabastian Sawe won in 1:59:30, eclipsing the previous world record of 2:00:35 set by Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha finished second at 1:59:41, also under the historic threshold. The London performances marked the first time any runner has gone sub-two in a record-eligible marathon. The result caps a decade of advances in shoe technology, training methods and pacing strategy that have reshaped elite distance running.
WSJ
April 27, 1861: President Lincoln Suspends the Writ of Habeas Corpus
On April 27, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln authorized General Winfield Scott to suspend the writ of habeas corpus along key military transport routes in Maryland, allowing the Union army to detain suspected Confederate sympathizers without immediate judicial review. The move sparked an intense constitutional clash, as Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled that only Congress—not the president—could suspend habeas corpus, a position later essentially affirmed by the Supreme Court. Lincoln’s decision left a lasting legacy in American law and politics, becoming a central case study in how far executive power may stretch in wartime and how civil liberties can be curtailed in the name of national security.
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