NPR News: 05-29-2026 10AM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Justice Department from paying out any money from a new $1.8 billion fund. President Trump says this would go to anyone who claims they were targeted by the agency.
What recent legal actions have been taken regarding the Justice Department's fund?
Critics have said it's a slush fund that could pay money to rioters who assaulted police during the January 6th attack. Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to testify in a closed-door hearing before members of Congress today. She's to answer questions about her handling of files belonging to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. NPR's Ava Berger reports.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee is expected to question Bondi about how she handled the release of millions of documents. Critics have said the process was sloppy and revealed the personal information of some survivors. Bondi was ousted from the Justice Department's top job in April. Some Epstein survivors, like Danny Bensky, are frustrated that the hearing will be behind closed doors, not videotaped.
It should be transcribed, it should be filmed, and it should be publicly released as quickly as possible.
Bondi joins a growing list of high-profile people. The committee has questioned about Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton and current Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Ava Berger, NPR News. Stocks opened higher this morning as crude oil prices inch down. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrials are up 180 points.
Speculators in futures markets are betting that oil will soon start flowing again through the Strait of Hormuz, but businesses that actually use oil say falling futures prices don't reflect the actual risk to supplies. Exxon Mobil warned this week that physical stockpiles of oil are approaching record low levels, and unless they're replenished, oil prices could spike again in the coming weeks. AAA says retail gasoline prices in the U.S. dipped about three cents a gallon overnight. But the average price of $4.39 is still about $1.40 higher than before the U.S. launched its war with Iran. The U.S. trade deficit narrowed slightly last month. The Commerce Department says exports and imports both increased in April, but exports grew more.
Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
What are the implications of the closed-door hearing involving Pam Bondi?
A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin company exploded during a test yesterday. NPR's William Jones reports.
The failed test on Thursday night at Cape Canaveral saw the night sky painted orange. Video footage shows the rocket on the pad and then seconds later a large fireball erupts. Homes nearby were left shaking. Blue Origin said that the rocket, which is called New Glen, exploded during an engine firing test. That test was being conducted ahead of a planned satellite launch next week. Posting on X, Jeff Bezos, who founded Blue Origin, said it's too early to know the cause. He said it's been a rough day, but the team would get back to rebuilding and flying. Nobody was hurt, and local officials say there's no threat from fumes. William Jones, NPR News.
Vice President Vance says a deal between the U.S. and Iran to stop the war is very close, but he says we're not there yet. He's also warning it's hard to say if or when President Trump would sign any deal. Iran has also demanded an end to Israel's attacks in Lebanon and these are continuing. The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with a black death row inmate from Mississippi in a jury discrimination case. Will Stribling from Mississippi Public Broadcasting reports the inmate claimed racial bias.
Harry Pitchford was sentenced to death for his role in a 2004 northern Mississippi grocery store robbery that ended with his friend killing the owner near Grenada. The jury that convicted Pitchford had one black juror and 11 white jurors. Pitchford's lawyers argued Prosecutor Doug Evans improperly struck black prospective jurors from the jury pool. Courts have found Evans had a history of dismissing black jurors for discriminatory reasons. The Supreme Court, however, did not rule on whether prosecutors intentionally discriminated.
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