Trumps Host State Dinner for British Royals: What You Need to Know – April 29, 2026

[0:05] This is what you need to know now. [0:07] Our nations are, in fact, instinctively like-minded. [0:11] The Trumps host the Royals for a state dinner, [0:13] highlighting the special relationship of the U.S. and the U.K., [0:17] that bond strained by tension over the war in Iran. [0:20] Well, they're back. [0:21] Former FBI Director James Comey indicted again, [0:25] accused of making a threat against the president via an Instagram post. [0:29] Why Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, [0:32] accusing CEO Sam Altman of putting profits over humanity. [0:36] More madness, the NCAA's new move to expand its men's and women's basketball tournaments. [0:43] We have much more What You Need to Know now. [0:47] I'm Maggie Rulli from ABC News. [0:49] It's Wednesday, April 29th. [0:50] This is What You Need to Know. [0:52] We'll show you the Army Special Ops soldier accused of using insider trading [0:56] to win $400,000 in bets on the U.S. operation that captured Venezuela's president. [1:01] And why President Trump's face may be appearing on new U.S. passports. [1:06] But first, the big story. [1:09] President Trump and the First Lady hosting King Charles and Queen Camilla [1:12] for a state dinner at the White House, [1:14] highlighting the special ties between the U.S. and the U.K. [1:18] Charles calling it an unbreakable bond of history and heritage [1:22] as he spoke to the exclusive guests, [1:24] including tech leaders, lawmakers, and Supreme Court justices. [1:28] President Trump posting this photo of himself and Charles [1:30] with the words, two kings and a crown emoji. [1:34] The king joking about Trump's ballroom project, [1:37] comparing the destruction of the East Wing [1:39] to the burning of the White House by the British in the War of 1812. [1:43] I cannot help noticing the readjustments to the East Wing, Mr. President. [1:49] Following your visit to Windsor Castle last year. [1:55] And I'm sorry to say that we British, of course, [1:58] made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814. [2:05] Earlier in the day, the king addressing Congress, [2:10] expressing solidarity between the two countries. [2:13] Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and equality, [2:17] they are also the foundation of our shared prosperity. [2:22] America's words carry weight and meaning, [2:26] as they have since independence. [2:29] The actions of this great nation matter even more. [2:33] James has more from Washington. [2:36] Hi, Maggie. [2:37] Interesting and much more pointed remarks from the king [2:39] than I think many people expected. [2:41] Yes, there was levity, there were jokes, [2:43] and yes, a celebration of 250 years of American independence. [2:46] But he mentioned Ukraine, a divisive issue. [2:50] He said the United States should be supporting Ukraine. [2:52] We know lawmakers aren't all on the same page about that. [2:55] He spoke about NATO. [2:56] Donald Trump has criticized NATO repeatedly. [2:58] He echoed the words of Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, [3:01] when he said that the U.K.-U.S. relationship was indispensable. [3:05] This is a man that Donald Trump has denigrated repeatedly. [3:08] So, in his own understated British way, [3:11] King Charles came here to make a point. [3:13] Former FBI director James Comey is declaring his innocence [3:17] after a new indictment against him, [3:19] his second indictment in seven months. [3:21] The charges stem from a post he shared on Instagram last year, [3:25] showing the numbers 86-47 written in seashells. [3:29] The Justice Department claims it amounts to a threat. [3:32] 86 is a slang term meaning to get rid of, [3:35] and the DOJ says 47 refers to Trump, the 47th president. [3:39] Comey deleted the post, saying he didn't know [3:41] that some people associated the term 86 with violence. [3:45] He says he'll fight the new charges. [3:46] Well, they're back, this time about a picture of seashells [3:52] on a North Carolina beach a year ago. [3:55] And this won't be the end of it. [3:58] But nothing has changed with me. [3:59] I'm still innocent. [4:01] I'm still not afraid. [4:03] And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary. [4:06] So, let's go. [4:07] Pierre Thomas has more. [4:09] A federal grand jury in North Carolina now charging Comey [4:11] with two counts alleging that Comey did knowingly [4:14] and willingly make a threat to take the life of [4:17] and to inflict bodily harm on the president of the United States. [4:21] Trump and Comey have been political adversaries for years. [4:24] Just last fall, the president demanding DOJ take action [4:27] against some of his political enemies, [4:29] New York Attorney General Letitia James and Comey among them. [4:33] Comey and James were indicted in last September, [4:35] but those cases were thrown out on a technicology. [4:38] There's widening economic impact from the war in Iran. [4:41] With the Strait of Hormuz still closed, [4:44] the Trump administration unleashed another wave of sanctions [4:46] against Iranian oil exports. [4:48] It says it's targeting the shadow banking network [4:51] that they say is allowing Iran to evade sanctions [4:54] and pocket tens of billions of dollars. [4:56] Across the U.S., gas prices are now hitting [4:59] their highest level in four years. [5:01] The average price of a gallon of gas is now $4.20, [5:04] up $1.26 since the start of the war. [5:08] Severe and violent storms rolled through Texas. [5:11] An overnight curfew is in place in Mineral Wells, [5:14] west of Dallas, after a possible tornado ripped off roofs, [5:18] reducing warehouses to rubble. [5:20] Several injuries were reported. [5:22] And in Missouri, baseball-sized hail cracking a windshield [5:25] with a driver inside. [5:27] He was not hurt. [5:28] Several other drivers reported damaged cars as well. [5:31] A U.S. special operations soldier is facing insider trading charges [5:35] stemming from bets he placed on a prediction market. [5:38] He's now pleaded not guilty. [5:40] Prosecutors say Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke won big [5:44] because he had insider information on the raid against [5:47] former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. [5:49] His specific role in the daring mission is unknown. [5:52] But beginning December 26, the indictment says Van Dyke [5:56] opened his Polymarket account, [5:58] traded more than $33,000 on Maduro and Venezuelan-related bets [6:02] on 13 different occasions, pocketing more than $400,000. [6:07] Now, this is the first case of insider trading on prediction markets [6:11] that allow users to wager on almost anything, [6:14] from the war in Iran to the FIFA World Cup. [6:16] Van Dyke is currently on leave from the Army. [6:18] His lawyer says he'll fight the charges. [6:21] Mr. Van Dyke is an American hero, [6:24] is somebody who is charged, unfortunately, [6:29] with something that is not a crime. [6:33] We have much more what you need to know. [6:35] Now to take three, the stories you'll be talking about today. [6:49] Number three, March Madness may be expanding. [6:52] Sources tell ESPN the NCAA is moving toward upping [6:55] both the men's and women's basketball tournaments, [6:58] from 68 teams to 76. [7:01] They say the goal is expanding access to more schools and fans, [7:05] not to increase revenues. [7:07] Finance website Investopedia says the NCAA earned more than $1.3 billion in 2024, [7:13] with the men's tournament bringing in more than $900 million. [7:17] Number two, America runs on this friendship. [7:21] Actors and longtime best buds Matt Damon and Ben Affleck [7:24] are calling for change to end the stigma around mental health. [7:27] The pair was honored with the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award [7:31] from Glenn Close's non-profit Bring Change to Mind, [7:34] recognizing their commitment to youth empowerment and mental health awareness. [7:38] They paid tribute to their Goodwill Hunting star Robin Williams, [7:41] saying he helped so many of the dreams they had come true. [7:45] And number one, President Trump's image and gold signature [7:48] will now be on a limited edition U.S. passport. [7:51] State Department announcing this to mark the nation's 250th anniversary. [7:55] Trump will become the first living president to be featured in the travel document. [7:59] This comes as the president's signature is set to appear on all future paper currency, [8:04] along with commemorative coins featuring his likeness. [8:07] Usually, the U.S. treasurer's name appears on dollar bills. [8:11] New today, Elon Musk is back on the witness stand in his lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, [8:17] Sam Altman. [8:18] Musk, a co-founder of the company that launched ChatGTP, [8:21] accused Altman of breaking a promise by shifting OpenAI from a non-profit business. [8:27] It's now valued at $852 billion. [8:30] Altman and company executives say the change was needed to fund the enormous cost of AI development. [8:36] They claim Musk wants to undercut OpenAI to boost his own AI company, which he launched in 2023. [8:43] Musk also testified he believes AI could become smarter than humans by next year. [8:48] And one more thing before you go, a pilot in South Georgia was caught on camera playing tic-tac-toe in the sky. [8:55] And the video shows the plane creating a four-line grid along with X's and O's, [8:59] with the controls evaporating quickly, so it is hard to tell who won. [9:04] For the final touch, the pilot also shaped a smiley face and a heart in the clouds. [9:10] And that's what you need to know for breaking news and live updates throughout the day. [9:13] Check out ABC News streaming on Disney+. [9:16] New episodes streaming every day only on Disney+.