#1DHS Shutdown Drags On as GOP Infighting Stalls Resolution
The longest Department of Homeland Security shutdown in history continues as Republican infighting has replaced the clash with Democrats. House Republicans reject the Senate's DHS spending plan, with the Freedom Caucus pushing to fund the entire department through budget reconciliation. Lawmakers left Washington for a two-week Easter recess and won't return until Monday, likely prolonging the standoff into summer.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-infighting-replaces-clash-dems-derails-path-end-historic-dhs-shutdown)
#2Vance Heads to Pakistan for High-Stakes Iran Peace Talks
Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff are en route to Islamabad for negotiations aimed at turning a fragile two-week ceasefire with Iran into a lasting peace deal. Vance warned that if Iran lies or cheats, "they're not going to be happy," while Trump slammed Tehran over "dishonorable" behavior regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif has invited delegations for Friday talks, stating the ceasefire will apply "everywhere," including Lebanon.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vance-warns-iran-find-out-trump-not-one-mess-around-ceasefire-deal-falls-apart) | [Newsmax](https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/vance-iran-islamabad/2026/04/08/id/1252310/)
#3$267 Million Hospice Fraud Scheme Busted in California
Five people have been arrested and 21 charged in "Operation Skip Trace," a massive scheme that defrauded California's Medi-Cal system of $267 million. The ring purchased stolen identities on the dark web, enrolled fictitious patients in Covered California, then billed Medi-Cal for hospice services never provided through shell companies with fake offices and fraudulent diagnoses. House Oversight has launched an investigation into what it calls "rampant" California hospice fraud.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/us/five-arrested-alleged-267m-hospice-fraud-scheme-exploited-californias-medi-cal-system) | [Newsmax](https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/hospice-fraud-gavin-newsom/2026/03/24/id/1250574/)
#4Fox News Poll: Trump Approval Hits 41%
A new Fox News poll finds President Trump's approval rating has dropped to 41%, with 59% disapproving. Voters give him low marks on inflation and the economy, with 53% anticipating economic conditions will worsen in the next year and 86% concerned about inflation and high prices. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent counters that cooling inflation and record stock market highs show the economy is delivering for Americans.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-sour-voters-say-washington-out-touch)
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**Top World Stories**
#1Iran Threatens to Collapse Ceasefire Over Hezbollah Exclusion
Iran is using Hezbollah's exclusion from the U.S.-brokered ceasefire as leverage against Washington, threatening to walk away from the deal entirely. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon "deeply damaging" and urged the ceasefire be extended to cover Lebanon. The fate of the broader peace deal may hinge on whether Hezbollah is brought into the framework during Vance's talks in Islamabad.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-threatens-end-ceasefire-over-hezbollahs-exclusion-from-truce-deal)
#2Israel Strikes Over 100 Hezbollah Targets in Lebanon
The IDF struck more than 100 targets in Lebanon including Hezbollah headquarters, command-and-control centers, weapons storage facilities, and key crossings used for transferring rockets and launchers. The strikes came after a coordinated 200-missile and drone attack on Israel by Hezbollah and Iran. Israel's U.N. Ambassador told the Security Council that Lebanon must either restrain Hezbollah or Israel will dismantle the organization by force.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-hits-back-after-coordinated-iran-hezbollah-missile-drone-strikes-urges-beirut-rein-terrorists)
#3Trump-Iran Ceasefire Sends Markets Soaring
U.S. stock markets rallied sharply after President Trump announced the two-week ceasefire with Iran, predicated on Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The Dow surged 1,325 points, the S&P 500 leaped 2.5%, and the Nasdaq rallied 2.8%. Markets are now watching whether the Islamabad talks can convert the temporary truce into a durable agreement.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/trump-us-iran-war-ceasefire-strait-hormuz-israel-live-updates-04-08-2026)
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**Science & Technology**
#1Artemis II Crew Splashes Down Tonight After Historic Moon Flyby
The four-person Artemis II crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — is set to splash down off the coast of San Diego just after 8 p.m. tonight, capping a 10-day mission. The crew traveled 252,760 miles from Earth, breaking the 56-year-old distance record set by Apollo 13. The Orion capsule will re-enter Earth's atmosphere at nearly 25,000 mph before an 11-parachute sequence slows it for a Pacific Ocean landing.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/artemis-ii-nasa-prepare-reentry-splashdown-historic-moon-flyby-04-10-26) | [Newsmax](https://www.newsmax.com/us/artemis-moon-nasa/2026/04/06/id/1251922/)
#2FDA Approves First Human Trial for Brain-Computer Interface Restoring Speech
The FDA has approved the first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface, which could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology. The device represents a major step forward in the race to develop practical neural interfaces for medical applications.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/tech)
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**Wildcard**
**Coast Guard Rescues Family Adrift in the Pacific for Nearly a Week**
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a family of three who had been stranded in the western Pacific Ocean for nearly a week after their boat engine failed. The two men and one woman departed Fananu Island in the Federated States of Micronesia on March 30 for a short trip to nearby Murillo Island but never arrived. After the U.S. Embassy reported them missing on April 5, the crew of the USCGC Midgett spotted their 23-foot skiff in open waters off Chuuk State — alive and safe.
Source: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/travel/coast-guard-rescues-family-stranded-days-pacific-boat-engine-sets-them-adrift)
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