ABC News Live Prime: April 28, 2026

[0:00] Tonight on ABC News Live Prime, King Charles' historic address. [0:07] Whatever our differences, whatever disagreements we may have, [0:12] we stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy. [0:17] King Charles addresses Congress only the second time a monarch has done so, [0:22] focusing on the relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. [0:25] and receiving standing ovations during his speech. [0:28] And I'm James Longman at the White House with details of today's address at Congress [0:32] and a look at who's in attendance at tonight's glamorous state dinner. [0:36] Former FBI Director James Comey indicted over a photo of seashells arranged to say 86-47, [0:43] which officials say threatened President Trump, [0:46] marking the White House's second attempt to prosecute him. [0:49] I'm Pierre Thomas with the latest on these new indictments [0:52] against one of the president's greatest political adversaries. [0:56] U.S. gas prices hitting a four-year high, up 40% since the start of the war with Iran. [1:02] This as the United Arab Emirates announces its exit from OPEC. [1:06] Is there any relief in sight? [1:07] Looks like the future is here. [1:09] These all-new air taxis promising to get you to the airport in a fraction of the time [1:14] for the cost of a car service. [1:16] How safe are they? [1:17] And how soon could they show up in your skies? [1:20] And the hit show, Euphoria, is back. [1:22] And we're talking to one of its biggest stars, Chloe Cherry, [1:25] about her breakout rise to fame and what we can expect to see from this season. [1:32] From ABC News World Headquarters in New York, this is Prime with Lindsay Davis. [1:38] Good evening, everyone. I'm Mike Adjachi. [1:42] In for Lindsay Davis. Thanks so much for streaming with us. [1:45] We're going to begin with the King and Queen's high-stakes royal visit to Washington. [1:48] Right now, King Charles and Queen Camilla are at the White House for a state dinner [1:52] hosted by President Trump and the First Lady. [1:54] This comes after the king delivered a historic address to Congress, [1:58] marking the second time a British monarch has done so. [2:02] Amid tensions over the war in Iran, the king reaffirmed the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K. [2:07] Earlier today, President Trump and the First Lady formally welcomed the royal couple at the White House, [2:12] which included a 21-gun cannon salute and an exchange of gifts. [2:16] The state visit comes ahead of the 250th anniversary of the American independence, [2:21] a symbolic celebration of the United Kingdom's special relationship with the U.S. [2:26] Chief International Correspondent James Longman is at the White House. Hey, James. [2:30] Hi, Ike. Yeah, well, the king is here to repair the damaged U.S.-U.K. alliance. [2:36] But in this address today, the king made a number of pointed remarks about American leadership in the world. [2:43] Mr. Speaker, their majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. [2:48] A historic moment tonight at the U.S. Capitol. [2:51] King Charles in a packed bipartisan chamber, here to repair the strained U.S.-U.K. alliance [2:56] after President Trump has been deeply critical of Britain for not joining the war in Iran. [3:01] We meet in times of great uncertainty. [3:04] The king here just days after an assassination attempt on President Trump. [3:08] We meet, too, in the aftermath of the incident not far from this great building [3:14] that sought to harm the leadership of your nation. [3:17] Let me say with unshakable resolve, such acts of violence will never succeed. [3:25] Charles is the first monarch to address a joint meeting since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991. [3:30] The king is here to mark America's 250th anniversary. [3:33] The founding fathers were bold and imaginative rebels with a cause. [3:40] 200, 250 years ago, or as we say in the United Kingdom, just the other day, they declared independence. [4:02] There were pointed moments. [4:04] The king honoring the founding father's belief in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness [4:09] and the belief that our leaders should be held to account. [4:12] The principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances. [4:19] The king reminded the world it was NATO allies who were there for the United States after 9-11 [4:24] and said we must now all be there for Ukraine. [4:28] Today, Mr. Speaker, that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine [4:35] and her most courageous people. [4:38] The king, a longtime champion for the environment, spoke of America's natural wonders. [4:45] As we look toward the next 250 years, we must also reflect on our shared responsibility [4:53] to safeguard nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset. [5:04] And in his final message to lawmakers, in a deeply divided time, he said that words matter, [5:10] but that the actions of the U.S. matter even more. [5:13] America's words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. [5:19] The actions of this great nation matter even more. [5:25] And this message as we near America's 250th birthday. [5:29] And so to the United States of America, on your 250th birthday, [5:35] let our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples [5:44] and of all the peoples of the world. [5:47] God bless the United States and God bless the United Kingdom. [5:53] And James joins us now. [5:58] James, what was most interesting to you regarding the king's speech? [6:02] Well, Ike, don't let the accent fool you, because actually there was a lot here. [6:06] And a lot of it was very, very pointed in my view. [6:09] I mean, he spoke very clearly about NATO, the importance of NATO. [6:12] I mean, we've heard Donald Trump and others, members of this administration, repeatedly criticize it. [6:17] He spoke about the Article 5 that was only triggered after 9-11 by the United States. [6:22] And it was NATO allies that came to the help of the United States. [6:25] He spoke about Ukraine. [6:26] We know that that has faced serious problems getting support among lawmakers sitting in that chamber. [6:33] He said that, quite simply, that the United States needed the United Kingdom, that countries cannot go it alone. [6:40] And I'm reminded of just in the last two months where Donald Trump, when asked about allies in fighting the war in Iran, [6:46] said simply, we don't need them. [6:48] So time and time again in this speech, he stood up for what Britain has been saying these last few weeks. [6:56] This was a speech written by the British government. [6:59] He wasn't here to pull his punches. [7:00] I found it very interesting. [7:02] And what will they make of all this in the U.K.? [7:05] Well, the context of this is that the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, is currently in pretty deep hot water in the U.K. [7:11] He's fighting for his political life. [7:13] Donald Trump is not a particularly well-liked figure in the United Kingdom. [7:19] It plays well politically for him to criticize Donald Trump. [7:22] The war on Iran, the decision by Britain to not join in that war, has been positive for Keir Starmer. [7:27] So what he wanted in this speech, and to be clear, every word in that speech would have been looked at by the U.K. government, [7:33] he wanted this to seem pointed because it plays well back home. [7:38] I think that they'll be thrilled with how it was received because he said all the right things, [7:43] but in the tone that could be received well by the United States. [7:47] So I think on both sides, it seems to have gone pretty well. [7:49] Now, the challenge for the United Kingdom, of course, is that often Donald Trump listens to the last person he was in the room with. [7:55] So I think the basic message here is this alliance is a lot bigger than any two or three individuals. [8:02] All right, James Longman, thank you for that reporting. [8:05] For more, we're joined now by royal commentator Sharon Carpenter. [8:08] Sharon, thanks so much for joining us. [8:10] Now, as we saw, it was a busy day for the royals on Capitol Hill today. [8:14] Break down for us the significance of this state visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla. [8:18] Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's historic. [8:23] This is actually King Charles' first time to the U.S. as the monarch. [8:28] He's been here 20 times now. [8:31] And it's his first state visit as well. [8:34] It makes him the second monarch in history, the second royal in history to address Congress. [8:41] So a very big honor for him. [8:44] And I have to say that speech left me speechless. [8:48] It was not the speech that we expected. [8:51] A lot of the talk leading up to today was about how we all thought that the king was going to be walking on eggshells [9:00] and avoiding certain topics and not being direct so he wouldn't seem as if he's challenging Donald Trump. [9:07] And this speech was actually quite the opposite. [9:10] So a lot of people in the U.K., a lot of people in the U.S. as well, very proud of what they saw today. [9:17] So what were your takeaways from King Charles' speech before Congress earlier? [9:23] Yeah, absolutely. [9:24] Well, certainly a lot more political than we expected for a constitutional monarch. [9:30] But he did it in a way that was just so graceful. [9:34] He was funny. [9:35] He managed to win over Congress. [9:37] We talk a lot about how the British monarchy really stands for unity. [9:42] And we saw that in action today. [9:44] Not just unity in the United Kingdom. [9:47] But we saw that with Congress, both sides of the aisle united, giving him multiple standing ovations. [9:55] And what was surprising, when he talked about executive power needing checks and balances, [10:02] people on both sides on their feet applauding. [10:06] So this is a rare moment of unity for Congress during a time when the country is so divided. [10:11] Now, even though the British monarchy no longer has political power in the U.K., [10:16] the monarch is still involved in British politics. [10:20] What is King Charles' political agenda here? [10:23] Yeah, well, his political agenda. [10:26] Really, he's here at the advice of the U.K. government. [10:31] And yes, it was to come over and strengthen the relationship between the U.K. and the U.S. [10:38] And the speech was certainly a lot about the history there. [10:43] One of the big concerns was if he doesn't, if he rubs Donald Trump the wrong way, [10:48] could that potentially make things worse? [10:51] Well, obviously, he wasn't too worried about that because he did indirectly challenge Donald Trump. [10:57] But I think the big meaning behind this speech was, yes, OK, the U.S.-U.K. relationship is very important. [11:05] But what's also important is what it stands for and what it stands up for as well. [11:11] And then he got into detail about NATO and Ukraine and compassion and climate change, [11:17] which is something that's been very, very important to King Charles since the 1970s. [11:22] And of course, we all know that Donald Trump says he doesn't believe it exists. [11:27] So in very subtle ways, challenging Donald Trump through his values-based arguments [11:35] that do challenge a lot of Trump's policies. [11:39] Now, Sharon, what are some of the security precautions that King Charles and Queen Camilla [11:43] have had to take for the visit? [11:44] Was there anything beyond the norm? [11:47] Well, yeah, obviously, the king is one of the most protected people in the entire world, [11:53] and so is the president of the United States. [11:55] After what happened on Saturday, we know that as much protection that was already in place [12:03] that had to be beefed up. [12:04] And if you remember, on Sunday, there was a lot of discussion between Buckingham Palace, [12:10] U.S. officials, and the U.K. government as well to make sure the trip could go ahead [12:14] and that the king and queen would be safe enough. [12:17] But I know, from what I understand, more Secret Service agents were part of this state visit, [12:26] have been part of the state visit, along with royal protection officers, [12:31] along with local police and Capitol police. [12:34] And of course, there's intelligence working around the clock on both sides of the pond [12:38] to evaluate any potential threats. [12:42] All right, Sharon Carpenter, thank you so much. [12:45] Thank you. [12:46] Late today, a federal grand jury indicted former FBI Director James Comey for a second time. [12:51] Charges this time stem from a long-deleted social media post made by Comey, [12:57] the Justice Department claiming it was a threat against the president. [13:00] Comey, one of the president's top political adversaries, is now reacting. [13:04] Here's Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas. [13:07] Tonight, former FBI Director James Comey, again in the sights of the Justice Department, [13:12] indicted for a second time, now accused of threatening to kill President Trump. [13:17] A federal grand jury in North Carolina charging Comey with two counts, alleging that Comey did knowingly [13:23] and willfully make a threat to take the life of and to inflict bodily harm upon the president of the United States. [13:30] Threatening the life of the president of the United States will never be tolerated by the Department of Justice. [13:36] The indictment centers around this since-deleted Instagram post from Comey showing the numbers [13:42] 86-47, written in seashells on the beach, with the caption, [13:47] Cool shell formation on my beach walk. [13:50] Trump's supporters immediately condemned that post, claiming it was a call to 86 or kill the 47th president. [13:57] Prosecutors claimed that post is a serious expression of an attempt to do harm to the president. [14:03] But Comey immediately deleted that post, writing, quote, [14:06] I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. [14:10] It never occurred to me, but I opposed violence of any kind, so I took the post down. [14:16] And tonight, Comey is firing back. [14:18] I'm still innocent. [14:20] I'm still not afraid. [14:22] And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let's go. [14:26] Legal experts say the government faces an incredibly high bar. [14:30] It can't just be something where someone might have interpreted it in a particular way. [14:37] He has to have intended it to have been a threat for this to be a successful prosecution. [14:45] Trump and Comey have been political adversaries for years. [14:49] Just last fall, the president demanding the Justice Department take action against some of his enemies, [14:54] New York Attorney General Letitia James and Comey among them. [14:58] Comey and James were indicted last year, but both their cases were thrown out on a technicality. [15:03] Frustrated at the lack of prosecutions, President Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this month, [15:10] announcing that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was also his former criminal attorney, [15:15] would take over the Justice Department in an acting capacity. [15:18] Pierre Thomas joins us now. [15:20] Pierre, how is Comey responding to being indicted a second time? [15:23] Well, this is the second time he's been indicted in seven months, [15:27] and the government claims that this post was a direct threat against the president. [15:31] But tonight, Comey says that was never his intention and that he'll see them in court. [15:36] Ike? [15:36] Pierre Thomas, thank you. [15:38] Now, you'll remember, in Comey's first indictment, he was charged with making false statements [15:42] and obstruction of a congressional proceeding related to his testimony before the Senate Judiciary [15:46] Committee in 2020. [15:47] Those charges dismissed when a federal judge ruled that the appointment of the U.S. attorney [15:52] who brought the indictments was invalid. [15:55] But for more on this second indictment, let's bring in ABC News legal contributor Bernardo Villalona. [15:59] Now, you say this is going to be an uphill prosecution. [16:03] Why is that? [16:04] Absolutely. [16:05] So I think this is going to be an uphill prosecution. [16:07] And let's assume that it makes it past the judge reviewing it and sustaining that this indictment [16:12] should go forward, that it should see a jury. [16:15] It's going to be an uphill battle for two reasons. [16:17] Number one, focusing on the intent. [16:19] The prosecution is going to have to prove what was on the mind of James Comey [16:24] when he posted that picture of seashells in the form of 8647. [16:29] Did he have an intent that Donald Trump should be taken out or for any physical injury to [16:35] be inflicted on him when we're talking about seashells formed in an 8647, right? [16:41] So secondly, having to deal with ambiguity, because will the reasonable person, when they [16:46] view this post, when they view this picture, going to automatically in their mind say, oh my [16:51] God, that's a threat to take out the president or inflict harm on the president. [16:55] So that's why I think it's going to be an uphill battle, aside from the defense bringing up [17:00] a motion of vindictive prosecution. [17:03] So there's many issues that the prosecution is going to have to tackle if they want to [17:07] see a successful prosecution, because in the end, you can indict anything, right? [17:11] You say you can indict a ham sandwich. [17:13] But when you're talking about a jury trial, where you have to prove your case beyond a reasonable [17:17] doubt with 12 jurors that have to agree and have a consistent verdict, would they be able [17:24] to bring back the verdict that the prosecution is seeking? [17:27] I doubt it. [17:28] Now, Bernardo, this is a post from May of 2025. [17:30] Why did this take so long? [17:32] So generally, when you're dealing with prosecutions and with investigations, when it's, of course, [17:36] a slam dunk case, of course, prosecutions and investigations move much quicker. [17:41] But just exactly what we're talking about, when you have to prove a case beyond a reasonable [17:45] doubt and when it focuses on what was in the mind of James Comey, the prosecution and investigators [17:51] in this case, they had to do a lot of digging in the sense of his prior social media posts, [17:55] what was in his phone, what were the conversations that he had, do they have any additional evidence [18:00] to try to prove what was in this man's mind? [18:03] Because also, we have to remember, James Comey was interviewed that very night or the very next day, [18:08] and still, he was allowed to leave freely, and he wasn't taken into custody. [18:13] Now, what happens next? Could we actually see a perp walk here? [18:15] So I think it's possible that you can't see a perp walk, because usually when you're dealing [18:20] with crimes of violence, usually investigators or district attorney's office or U.S. attorney's [18:27] office, they want to make an immediate arrest in the sense of, I'm not going to give you [18:31] the option of surrendering. Instead, I want to send a message to the public that this type [18:36] of behavior is not going to be tolerated. And then again, we're talking about Donald Trump, [18:41] so I can see a possible perp walk in this case. [18:43] All right, Bernardo Villanota, thank you very much for that. All right, the American special [18:47] ops soldier who authorities say bet on Nicolas Maduro's capture in Venezuela is now pleading [18:52] not guilty. Authorities say he won more than $400,000 using classified information to win [18:57] on polymarket. Here's Aaron Katursky. [19:00] Tonight, this U.S. Army commando who authorities say placed bets on polymarket that Nicolas Maduro [19:06] would be ousted from Venezuela before the president announced it is out on bond after pleading not [19:12] guilty. Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of the [19:17] raid, and federal prosecutors said he decided to use that classified information to place trades [19:22] for his personal profit. His specific role in the daring mission is unknown, but beginning December [19:28] 26th, the indictment said Van Dyke opened his polymarket account, traded more than $33,000 on Maduro [19:35] and Venezuela-related contracts on 13 separate occasions and pocketed more than $400,000. This [19:41] is the first case of insider trading on prediction markets that allow users to wager on almost [19:46] anything from the war in Iran to the FIFA World Cup. Defense attorneys are promising a fight. [19:52] Mr. Van Dyke is an American hero, is somebody who is charged, unfortunately, with something that is [20:01] not a crime. But sources tell ABC News federal prosecutors are now investigating other cases [20:07] of well-timed trades on prediction markets. Tonight, Ike, that soldier is on leave from the [20:13] Army. Critics say his alleged actions amounted to war profiteering, and they're calling for [20:19] regulations on prediction markets. Ike? Aaron, thank you. Now that the tornado watches across multiple [20:25] states. More than 20 million Americans from Texas to Tennessee under severe weather alerts tonight. [20:30] Let's get right to Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zine. Hey, Ginger. [20:35] Ike, in the last six days, we've already seen more than 900 severe storm reports, and we are adding [20:40] them up as we speak. So let's dive into the maps. There are warnings on there, tornado and severe [20:45] thunderstorm warnings, but also six states with tornado watches from Dallas all the way up to close [20:51] to Memphis, Starkville, Mississippi, and a new severe thunderstorm watch just within the last two [20:56] hours that's in Alabama, because this is going to keep cruising to the east as we go through tonight. [21:00] And remember, this is why the Storm Prediction Center has upped that level four out of five [21:05] around Dallas-Fort Worth, mostly for that giant hail. Could easily be baseball to even softball-sized [21:11] hail as we go through the evening. Then, let's talk rain, because the southeast desperately needs [21:16] it, especially southern Georgia, north Florida, where that horrible drought is in place. They're [21:20] going to get a few showers, but unfortunately, the heaviest is going to stay north of them from [21:25] Washington, D.C. to New York tomorrow night, and then possibly some more strong thunderstorms [21:29] along the Gulf. You know, to make a dent in that drought where those fires are, they need [21:33] a foot to a foot and a half of rain. We're not going to get anywhere close, but at least [21:37] the pattern is becoming more wet, Ike. [21:39] All right, Ginger, thank you. [21:42] Technology tycoons Elon Musk and Sam Altman are squaring off in a high-stakes trial in Oakland, [21:47] California over the origins and operation of OpenAI. Musk, who co-founded the company, is [21:53] suing Altman and OpenAI for breaking a promise, shifting from a non-profit to a profit-driven [21:59] business. Now, the lawsuit alleges Altman shifted into a money-making mode behind Musk's back, [22:04] Musk saying it's not okay to steal a charity. Altman and company executives say the change [22:10] was necessary to fund expensive AI development. And dramatic video shows the escalation in the [22:16] ongoing effort to root out fraud in programs funded by the state of Minnesota. Today, the FBI [22:21] executed 22 search warrants across the state. Investigative reporter Ryan Raich from our [22:26] partner station in Minneapolis, KSTP, has the latest. [22:30] From Burnsville to Shakopee to St. Paul in Minneapolis, by 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, this [22:38] was the scene across the Twin Cities. Federal agents raided at least nine daycares, five autism [22:45] centers in one restaurant. [22:46] When I looked at the ring camera this morning, they came in, guns out. [22:52] Kasim Bashuri owns A-plus Universal in Shakopee. We caught up with him as he gathered his belongings. [22:58] According to them, they have a search warrant. [23:00] Yes, sir. [23:01] And I'm still trying to wait and see what the search warrant says, but we are still operational. [23:08] The daycares under investigation get taxpayer dollars that are supposed to help families [23:12] who can't afford the care. Five Investigates has highlighted the gaps in the program, and [23:18] a YouTuber brought it to the mainstream back in December. Today, the State Department of [23:23] Children, Youth and Families, which oversees the program, said multiple agencies worked together [23:28] to, quote, root out fraud and hold bad actors accountable. That early morning coordination [23:33] caught many off guard. [23:35] We've had a lot of experience with ice in this area, so that's why our neighbors were [23:41] on alert this morning to kind of let each other know what was happening. [23:45] At the original child care center in Minneapolis, federal and state agents spent more than five [23:50] hours inside. When they finally emerged, they carried box after box after box, along with various [23:57] electronics, to a waiting truck. I approached the man who was allowed in at one time and then [24:02] waited in his car for agents to finish. Excuse me, sir, can we get a couple minutes? Can we [24:07] just have one second? We just want to get your side of the story, sir. [24:11] One daycare owner tells me that the agents were seeking various student records and described [24:16] the search warrant as very broad. Now, some of these businesses appeared to open right back [24:21] up after the raids. Others put a lock on the door and shut down. Ike, back to you. [24:27] All right, Ryan Rage from our Minneapolis partner station. Thank you. And coming up, gas prices have [24:32] jumped to their highest point in four years. We'll tell you by how much and what you can [24:36] expect as we head into the summer travel season. Plus, our Brit Clinton takes you inside a factory [24:41] racing to win the humanoid robot arms race. And Jeopardy champ Jamie Ding's historic winning streak [24:48] has come to an end. How he was dethroned and his final message coming up. [24:56] Welcome back. Across the country, the war with Iran continues to empty wallets just a little bit [25:01] faster as the price of gas continues to rise. Just today, the United Arab Emirates said they'd [25:06] be leaving OPEC this Friday, a shocking announcement from one of the world's largest [25:10] suppliers of oil and gas. In a moment, we'll have our Elizabeth Schulze explain what that could mean [25:15] for prices here. But first, gas prices are this evening's by the numbers. The national average for [25:20] a gallon of gas is now at $4.19. According to GasBuddy, California has the highest prices, [25:26] averaging nearly $6 a gallon there. Oklahoma is where it's cheapest at $3.57 a gallon. [25:33] Now, gas prices today officially hit their highest level in four years. The last peaked [25:39] in 2022, shortly after Russia launched their war against Ukraine. And when pandemic-related [25:45] supply issues drove the nationwide average to $5 a gallon. Now, since the start of the war with [25:50] Iran, gas prices had jumped more than 42%. Diesel prices are up even more at 45%. And you'll feel [25:58] that acutely in the cost to ship packages and in food prices, since farm equipment and trucks, [26:04] of course, use diesel. Now, without Iranian oil being sold on the global market, worldwide prices [26:10] are expected to rise even further. Iran is now loading into barrels just 27% of the amount of oil [26:17] they were before the war. And as we mentioned, today's other major headline, aside from the [26:23] price of gas hitting a four-year high, is that the United Arab Emirates announced they'd be leaving [26:29] OPEC effective Friday. The UAE has been one of the countries most impacted by the Iran war. Relations [26:34] between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the most powerful OPEC country, were poor before the conflict began [26:41] and have only gotten worse. And joining me now to break this all down is ABC News correspondent, [26:45] Elizabeth Schulze. Elizabeth, this is a pretty big move. The UAE joined OPEC decades ago. [26:51] So why did they decide to leave now? Yeah. And they're one of the biggest oil-producing [26:54] countries. Saudi Arabia is number one, but UAE pretty close to second or third, fourth, kind of [27:00] depending on the month when you look at the numbers when it comes to oil production. And what this really [27:04] signals, Ike, is that the UAE wants to be at a point where it can produce more oil than OPEC was [27:10] basically letting it. So OPEC is a group of oil-producing countries, a cartel, mostly countries [27:15] in the Middle East. And it really had kind of put these caps in place on production. And the UAE is [27:20] saying, we want to be free of those restrictions. We want to be able to produce as much as we want, [27:24] especially given the current, basically, shortage that is happening. Now, this doesn't have an [27:28] immediate impact on the market because we know oil isn't moving through the strait. That's where most [27:32] of that oil would go. But in the longer term, what this could mean is that there is more volatility [27:37] in the oil market because you don't have that group kind of setting prices and watching the [27:41] supply and demand so closely and coordinated like that. Really going to have to see what that means. [27:46] And I do think it's just worth pointing out the UAE's economy has been hit really hard. One of the [27:50] hardest hit as a trader text to me, they have taken the brunt of a lot of what we're seeing with oil [27:55] and also the fact that tourism in the UAE Dubai, you know, really has been down. So that's something [28:00] that they're looking at, they're saying, where can we kind of make up that revenue. [28:02] And of course, the question on everyone's mind is how might this affect oil and gas prices [28:06] moving forward. And when you look at the price today for oil, it's still mostly is being driven [28:10] by the fact that you have this complete backlog of oil not moving through the strait and really [28:15] no progress toward getting that oil moving. The negotiations are stalled. You see, don't see [28:19] those oil tankers going through at the pace, even anything close to where they were before the war. [28:24] And that's why you saw oil now back above $100 a barrel. We are seeing a very notable move in gas [28:29] prices. This increase in gas overnight, sixth biggest increase on record. We're at about $4.20 [28:35] a gallon for the national average. We've been checking in with Patrick DeHaan over at Gas [28:38] Buddies since the beginning of this. He says we could get up another $0.20 or so, you know, [28:42] in the short term because of what we're seeing in these moves for oil. So not good news in the short [28:47] term for oil. A lot of questions about how the oil market will rebalance when this is all done. But for [28:51] now, the real big picture is there's still that backlog, which is why we're seeing those higher prices. [28:55] All right, Elizabeth Schultz, I know you'll be keeping up for us. Thanks a lot. All right, [28:58] coming up, the limited edition passports coming out this summer with President Trump's image. [29:03] And the New York Times reveals their list of the best living songwriters who made the cut. [29:08] Welcome back to Prime. Here's a look at the stories making headlines right now. [29:17] Happening right now, President Trump and the First Lady are hosting a state dinner [29:20] for King Charles and Queen Camilla. The royal couple's state visit comes ahead of the 250th [29:26] anniversary of American independence. Now, earlier, the king delivered a historic address to Congress, [29:31] marking just the second time a British monarch has done so. Amid tensions of the war in Iran, [29:37] the king reaffirmed the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K., reminded the world it was NATO allies [29:42] who were there for the U.S. after 9-11. Former FBI Director James Comey is now responding after [29:48] federal prosecutors indicted him for a second time. The new case centers on this photo Comey shared on [29:54] Instagram last year. In a new message to Substack, Comey reaffirmed his innocence and said this is [30:00] not how the DOJ is supposed to operate, adding he still has faith in the judiciary. Now, Comey faces [30:07] two charges, including threats against the president and successors. And a director at Camp Mystic in [30:13] Texas offered a tearful apology to the families of the 25 campers and two counselors killed in last [30:19] year's flood. Now, during the second day of a special hearing looking into the devastating July 4th [30:24] tragedy, Edward Eastland told family members that he and his father tried very hard that night to [30:29] save the girls, but that it wasn't enough, adding that he was so sorry. A written report of the [30:35] hearing's findings is expected later this year. And the State Department announced it's releasing a [30:40] limited edition U.S. passport this summer to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. Now, [30:46] the document will feature President Trump's image and signature. The passports will be available only [30:51] on request. Coming up, the growing humanoid robot market will take you inside a factory in China [30:56] where they're attempting to dominate this industry. And we're getting a first look at season four of [31:01] the hit series Ted Lasso and when new episodes will drop. After dominating the electric vehicle market, [31:10] China's supply chains have now turned their attention to something new, the humanoid robot. Now, [31:15] while these robots are still partially controlled by humans, the hope is that they'll soon be completely [31:21] autonomous and do the jobs we don't want to do. A sprint towards humanoid workers is shaping up to be [31:27] the latest competition between the U.S. and China, and the Chinese market is advancing at a rapid pace. [31:32] A few weeks ago, a humanoid won the Beijing half marathon in a staggering 50 minutes and 26 seconds. [31:39] The fastest human was more than 10 minutes behind. So is China winning the race? Well, our Brit [31:45] Clinton went behind the scenes at the world's largest humanoid maker, Unitree, in Hangzhou, China to find out. [31:51] In the future, walking your dog might look like this. It's just me and my mate, my robot mate and my [32:01] robot dog walking along the river in Hangzhou. But actually, the age of the robots may already be upon us. [32:09] Ah, poor. And he doesn't even need a reward. And it's my buddy here that's now at the center of a U.S. [32:17] China competition. This is a humanoid robot, still partially controlled by a human. But the aim is [32:24] for this robot to be autonomous and do the jobs we humans don't want to. The race is on now for who [32:31] gets there first. On the home front, Boston Dynamics made a splash of CES earlier this year, unveiling its [32:40] latest Atlas robot for industrial manufacturing. Its walk is pretty natural and pretty smooth. Elon Musk and [32:47] Tesla's long-delayed Optimus model hope to show a gentler domesticated robot. In China, the humanoid [32:56] robots are a bit feistier. Having dominated the electric vehicle and consumer drone markets, [33:08] China's supply chains and manufacturing ecosystems are now steering towards mass-producing humanoids. [33:16] The Chinese government has designated humanoids as an industry of the future and crucial pillar in the [33:22] country's current five-year economic plan. Last summer, they held the first international [33:28] humanoid robot games in Beijing, where the Chinese robot startups swept the events, including industry [33:34] leader Unitri, whose models won four golds in events like the 4x100m relay and the 100m race. [33:42] Unitri is trying to make their humanoids affordable for all and ubiquitous. Standing four-foot-four, [33:50] Unitri's G1 model is the first humanoid model to cost under $14,000. You may have seen them [33:57] fighting, like here for UFC CEO Dana White on his recent trip to China. But regular people are buying [34:05] them too. In Hangzhou, China's humanoid valley, we meet our first humanoid in the wild. Something of a [34:12] local celebrity. Meet Benny, a dripped-out robot influencer and his human live-streaming partner, [34:19] number one sister. He's an internet star, she's saying. He's very famous here in Hangzhou. [34:25] Benny spreads happiness, she says. It shows. Benny has nearly 150,000 followers. [34:31] And he turns out to be a bit of a flirt. I have seen it all now. A humanoid robot acting like an [34:41] unruly teenager or child running away, running after girls down the street. Under all that, [34:47] Benny is also a Unitri G1. Hello, NBC News. Benny here. Stay fabulous. [34:53] Enhanced with an AI created by his owner, he speaks with me in English. [34:58] Every chat with you makes my circuits sing. Well, that's very sweet. At Unitri's headquarters, [35:07] they show us their G1s going head to head. And I couldn't resist jumping in. [35:12] Do you reckon you could take me on? Let's give it a go. [35:15] With humanity's future on the line. It's actually quite fun. And quite a workout. [35:22] It's hard not to take it a bit too seriously. In your face. [35:30] The majority of Unitri's customers are university researchers, pushing the robot's [35:35] abilities, teaching G1s how to backflip and recover from even more abuse than I clearly [35:41] was able to deliver. And it's working. Within a span of a year, their robots went from dancing [35:48] like this at last year's Lunar New Year's celebrations, to this at this year's. [35:55] They dance, they box, kung fu. Many people will ask, how are they actually useful? [36:01] When you see our robot do the kung fu dancing, we want to showcase our high performance in the [36:08] motion control. So movement is the fundamental. Once the robot can keep the balance under the [36:15] very extreme circumstance, then the next step is getting to our daily life to assist the human. [36:20] So is the idea to have one of these or one of those in everyone's household, [36:25] that it's going to be like having a smartphone or having a drone? [36:28] We assume in the future, the robot could get into our daily life. But maybe we assume five [36:34] to ten years, not currently. The humanoids industry is still nascent, [36:40] but Morgan Stanley expects it to hit five trillion dollars by 2050, [36:45] with nearly a billion of these robots working around the world. [36:49] Basically, the robots can, on one hand, fill in or replace, you know, the low-end manufacturing [36:56] jobs. And then on the other hand, also taking care of the elderly. [37:02] But China does have an advantage. [37:05] In China, what we've seen is that these kind of projects are happening at a much bigger and [37:11] faster scale than in the US. Because the simple reality is that I think my, with the exception of [37:18] Tesla, there's just not that many like advanced manufacturing that is still left in the US for [37:25] this kind of experiments. Does that mean that the US cannot win this humanoid robot race? [37:31] The US still commands the lead when it comes to really cutting edge research. [37:36] What the US does not have at the moment, and for several years to come at least, [37:43] is the places to apply that research. [37:52] And the industry is developing at a dizzying speed, which leads to the question, [37:57] when this is all combined with AI, should we be worried? [38:01] Is there a risk that they're going to take over and develop minds of their own? [38:06] Whenever actually we manage to develop AI models that are sentient, then yes, that's when I will [38:13] probably get worried that the robots are going to take over, we're going to see robot armies, [38:18] you know, taking over the world or whatever. [38:20] The most we're concerned about is not the robot will hurt humans. [38:25] We're most concerned about is the bad guys, is taking advantage of the robot. [38:29] So we need to build up the regulation. [38:32] Back in Hangzhou, number one sister tells me she bought Benny a month before we met. [38:40] She says humanoid robot interaction is the trend of the future, [38:43] and they want to show the audience what that future might look like. [38:47] And at least for now, we can only hope the future is less Terminator and a little more Benny, [38:53] just a playful robot in search of hugs and likes. [38:56] Bye, be nice, see you next time. [39:02] Our thanks to BrickClinet for that. Coming up, the terrifying moment where writers had to evacuate [39:07] a stuck roller coaster, and Euphoria's Chloe Cherry joins us to talk about season three and her growing [39:14] career. The terrifying sky-high roller coaster malfunction, New York Times releases their list of [39:23] 30 Best Living Songwriters who made the cut and meet the 2,000-pound sea line charming the Bay Area. [39:29] These stories and more in tonight's Rundown. [39:37] Roller coaster riders at Six Flags experience everyone's worst nightmare. Riders were seen [39:42] walking down tracks high above to escape a stalled ride after being stuck for about an hour. [39:48] The Superman ride at Six Flags in New England was shut down for the day following the incident. [39:53] A TikTok user saw the video and commented saying they were on the ride and everyone received [39:59] refunds and two free tickets. According to Six Flags, at its highest point, the track reaches 208 feet [40:06] into the air. Today, the New York Times released a new list featuring the 30 greatest living songwriters [40:13] today. Those listed included songs from decades past like Part-Time Lover by Stevie Wonder, [40:18] Work It by Missy Elliott, Tim McGraw by Taylor Swift, and Always Be My Baby by Mariah Carey. [40:39] The list featured interviews from the artists and lyrics from songs that transcended the music [40:44] industry, helping shape different genres and develop the sounds we hear today. [40:48] Jamey Ding humbly ended his 31 game winning streak last night on Jeopardy. His streak concluded the [40:59] fifth longest winning streak in Jeopardy history. Early in the broadcast, Ding found himself behind [41:06] contested Greg Shihadi, an international master of chess. In the final round, Ding jotted down the [41:12] correct response, but it wasn't enough to make up the deficit. [41:19] We Can't Be Friends singer and Oscar-nominated actress Ariana Grande announced her eighth studio [41:25] album, Petal. In the announcement, she described the album as something full of life growing through [41:30] the cracks. The album is executive produced and co-written by Grande and Swedish-Persian producer [41:35] Ilya. It will be released on July 31st. Welcome back, coach. And a new teaser was released today for [41:43] Apple TV's highly anticipated return of Ted Lassa. The fourth season follows Ted, played by Jason Sudeikis, [41:50] as he takes on coaching a second division women's football team. The series will return on August 5th, [41:57] with new episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays. It's a bird. It's a plane. [42:04] It's a 2,000-pound sea lion named Chonkers. The creature has captivated the hearts of San Francisco [42:10] natives with its robust frame and apparent disregard for its dockmate space. The hefty sea lion swam up to [42:17] Pier 39 and has been a California resident ever since. License pending. From fashion runways to a [42:28] breakout turn on one of TV's most talked about dramas, Chloe Cherry is making her mark. She made [42:34] her debut in season two of Euphoria as Faye. What started as a reoccurring role quickly turned into a [42:40] breakout as she brought a chaotic, complex edge to a character navigating addiction, loyalty, and survival. [42:48] Now she's stepping into a bigger spotlight this season as the much anticipated series continues [42:53] to build buzz. Let's take a look. [42:55] No, he's trying to get out of the drug business. Yeah, I don't know about that. [43:02] He's been saving up. That's why he's got a lot of money in his safe. [43:09] What's safe? [43:13] The big one in his basement. [43:16] He wants to get into avocados and you can make a lot of money with avocados. [43:23] You really can. [43:24] No, you definitely can make a lot of money with avocados. [43:27] Oh, absolutely. [43:28] Yeah, sometimes I think I got into the wrong business. [43:31] The avocado business is big this time of year. Chloe, Cherry, listen, thank you so much for [43:36] joining me. I do want to talk about something else, not avocados. I want to talk about Euphoria. [43:42] Listen, it carries so much cultural weight each season and the fans, they've been waiting for this [43:48] current season since 2022. So what's it like being part of something where the anticipation level is so [43:55] high? Well, honestly, I'm extremely grateful to the fans that they stayed anticipating our show. [44:02] Like, that's incredible that you guys were willing to wait four years for us. [44:07] I just feel so grateful to the fans for still being interested and still watching. [44:12] And it just makes me so excited and I'm just so happy that people are enjoying watching it. [44:16] Now, as many as many know, the cast experienced some profound losses in recent years. [44:21] Two co-stars, Angus Cloud and Eric Dain. How have you carried those experiences with you when you [44:28] think back on your time with the show? I mean, honestly, I have cried a lot about both Angus [44:34] and Eric, like a lot, just knowing how good of people they were. They were genuinely both very, [44:41] very good, kind people, very talented people. And it just makes me so sad that somebody could [44:50] live such a wonderful life and like touch so many people's hearts and be so kind and so giving [44:57] and that they still, you know, die. It just makes me so, so, so sad. And I just genuinely want them [45:04] both to always, always, always be remembered as incredible actors and wonderful people. [45:10] Mm. It was definitely difficult to experience. I can only imagine. [45:13] And now we were speaking before this, Beyond Euphoria, I mean, you're doing so much. I mean, [45:17] you're building a very diverse career. Indie films, music videos, fashion campaigns. I can do more. [45:25] How have all these different ventures essentially shaped you? [45:30] Um, honestly, I think it has just shown me that I guess I knew myself all along. I guess this was [45:40] always my dream to do. And I didn't really know if it was possible. And all of a sudden I've done it. And I'm [45:48] just so grateful that I get the opportunity to do these things. Now the fans are clamoring for this [45:53] information. What's next for you? Well, my movie Find Your Friends is coming out in June on the horror movie [46:02] only streaming app called Shudder and it is a scary movie. Very scary. Cannot wait for this. [46:10] Chloe, Jerry, we want to thank you so much for this. Thank you for joining me. Thank you for having me. [46:13] Of course. Of course. Thank you for stopping by. And you can catch season three of Euphoria [46:18] right now streaming on HBO and HBO Max. That's our show for this hour. I'm Micah Jocci. Stay tuned to [46:25] ABC News Live for more context and analysis of the day's top stories. Thanks so much for streaming with us.