April 11

Vice President Vance leads U.S. delegation to Islamabad for 21-hour direct nuclear talks with Iran

Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leads a reciprocal delegation for direct nuclear negotiations brokered by Pakistan. The 21-hour talks represent the most substantive U.S.-Iran diplomatic contact since Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018.

DC Circuit allows $400M White House ballroom construction through April 17

A three-judge DC Circuit panel issued a temporary stay on April 11 allowing above-ground construction of the $400 million White House ballroom to continue through April 17, pausing U.S. District Judge Richard Leon's preliminary injunction that had blocked the project. Leon granted the National Trust for Historic Preservation's injunction on March 31 after finding the 90,000-square-foot addition violated federal historic preservation review requirements. The panel scheduled a full merits hearing for June 5.

DC Circuit stays White House ballroom halt until April 17

A divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit voted 2-1 to stay Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Leon's March 31 ruling that halted construction on Trump's planned White House ballroom. The appellate decision allows construction to continue until April 17 while the case proceeds. The project involves demolishing the White House East Wing to build a roughly 90,000-square-foot neoclassical ballroom estimated to cost at least $300 million. The Trump administration argued the construction involves classified national security upgrades including blast-resistant materials, drone-proof roofing, and underground medical facilities. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed the lawsuit in December 2025, arguing the administration acted unlawfully by starting construction without congressional permission under the Appropriations Clause.

Two U.S. Navy destroyers transit Strait of Hormuz for mine-clearing operations amid Iranian closure

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper announces that two U.S. Navy destroyers have transited the Strait of Hormuz to support mine-clearing operations as Iran maintains its second closure of the strait. The transit signals continued U.S. commitment to freedom of navigation through the waterway that carries roughly 20 percent of global oil shipments.

Mullin recalls DHS workers without Congress during record shutdown

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin ordered all furloughed Department of Homeland Security employees to return to work despite the ongoing partial government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history at 56 days. Mullin told workers they would receive back pay through April 4, funded by redirecting discretionary presidential spending authority rather than a congressional appropriation. About 1,200 CISA employees, roughly 60% of its workforce, are among those recalled. This move raises constitutional questions about whether the president can spend taxpayer money without Congress's authorization. The Antideficiency Act, a 150-year-old law, prohibits exactly this kind of spending. Mullin cited a presidential "flexibility" provision as his legal justification without specifying its exact statutory basis. Congress returns the week of April 13 to resume DHS funding negotiations.

CNN reports U.S. intelligence assesses China preparing to deliver air defense systems to Iran

CNN reported that U.S. intelligence agencies assessed China was preparing to deliver new air defense systems, including man-portable anti-aircraft missiles known as MANPADS, to Iran within weeks, citing three people familiar with the assessment. CNN correspondent Betsy Klein reported the story and asked Trump directly about it on camera. Neither China nor Iran confirmed the report, and no other outlet independently verified the intelligence assessment as of April 13.

Manhattan DA opens criminal investigation into sexual assault allegations against Rep. Swalwell

The Manhattan District Attorney opened a criminal investigation on April 11, 2026 into sexual assault allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell. A former staffer had alleged Swalwell assaulted her in a New York hotel room in 2018. Three other women had separately alleged additional misconduct. The probe added criminal jeopardy to the House Ethics investigation already underway, accelerating calls for Swalwell's resignation.

Trump fires all six Presidio Trust board directors

President Trump fired all six Presidio Trust board members via White House email effective immediately on April 11. The dismissed members were Chairman Mark Buell, Vice Chair Chuck Collins, and trustees Lenore Eccles, Patsy Ishiyama, Bonnie LePard, and Nicola Miner, all Biden appointees. The Presidio Trust is an independent federal corporation Congress created in 1996 to manage the Presidio of San Francisco; it has been self-sufficient since 2013. Trump had targeted it in a February 2025 executive order calling it an unnecessary governmental entity.