This Morning's Political News: 4‑Minute Read
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Friday, April 24, 2026 · 8:00 a.m. ET
Federal Level
Trump Brokers Three-Week Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extension
President Trump announced Thursday evening that Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks after a second round of ambassador-level talks at the White House Oval Office. The initial 10-day truce, which took effect April 16, had been set to expire by Monday. Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States will help Lebanon defend itself against Hezbollah, and said he looks forward to hosting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Lebanese President Aoun at the White House in the near future. 1, 2, 3
Trump Signs 17th Drug Pricing Deal, Closes Regeneron Agreement
At a White House healthcare affordability event on Thursday, President Trump announced a most-favored-nation pricing agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the 17th and final deal of its kind with major drug companies. Under the agreement, the price of Regeneron’s cholesterol medication Praluent will drop from $537 to $225, and the company will offer its new gene therapy for rare genetic deafness at no cost to U.S. patients. The 17 companies now collectively represent 86 percent of the branded pharmaceutical market. 4, 5, 6
DOJ Indicts SPLC on Fraud and Money Laundering Charges
The Justice Department on Wednesday unveiled an 11-count federal indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, the prominent civil rights nonprofit, accusing it of secretly funneling more than $3 million in donor funds to leaders of white supremacist and hate groups it publicly claimed to oppose. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the SPLC created fictitious bank accounts to hide payments to informants over nearly a decade, including a leader of the group that organized the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. The SPLC called the charges politically motivated. 7, 8, 9
Federal Government Reclassifies Medical Marijuana to Schedule III
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday signed an order moving state-licensed and FDA-approved medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the most consequential federal drug policy shift in decades. The change stops short of full legalization but removes cannabis from the same category as heroin, allowing marijuana businesses to deduct standard expenses and opening the door to broader clinical research. A DEA public hearing is scheduled for June 29 to weigh further reclassification. 10, 11, 12
Georgia Congressman David Scott Dies at 80
Democratic Representative David Scott of Georgia, who served 24 years in Congress and was the first Black man to chair the House Agriculture Committee, died Wednesday at age 80, one day after casting his final House floor vote. Scott had been campaigning for a 13th term despite health concerns. His death is the fifth member of the 119th Congress to die in office, leaving Democrats with 212 seats compared to 218 for Republicans. 13, 14
State Level
Houston Reverses ICE Policy Under $114M State Funding Threat
The Houston City Council voted 13-4 on Wednesday to gut a recently passed ordinance that had limited local police cooperation with federal immigration agents, after Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to strip the city of more than $114 million in public safety grants. The original ordinance, passed just two weeks earlier, had required officers not to detain people solely on the basis of civil immigration warrants. Civil rights groups called the reversal unconstitutional, while the city attorney said the amended language makes no substantive change to the prior measure. 15, 16, 17
Michigan GOP Governor’s Race Shrinks as Leonard Drops Out
Former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard announced Thursday he is withdrawing from the 2026 race for governor, citing an “increasingly negative” primary environment that he said risks damaging Republican prospects in November. Leonard was one of six GOP candidates who had already filed petition signatures for the August primary ballot. The Republican field still includes U.S. Representative John James, former Attorney General Mike Cox, and Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt. 18, 19
Florida Redistricting Session Opens Tuesday, Agenda Expanded
Florida legislative leaders confirmed Thursday that the special redistricting session will convene Tuesday, April 28, through May 1, with the Senate scheduled to gavel in at noon. Governor Ron DeSantis has broadened the session agenda beyond congressional map-drawing to include an AI Bill of Rights and vaccine-related legislation that failed during the regular session. Republicans are seeking a new map that could produce up to five additional GOP House seats, with legal challenges already being prepared by Democrats. 20, 21
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Article Sources
1. CBS News, https://www.cbsnews com/live-updates/iran-war-trump-video-strait-of-hormuz-ship-attack-ceasefire-lebanon/
2. Reuters, https://www.reuters com/world/middle-east/lebanon-seek-ceasefire-extension-us-hosted-talks-with-israel-2026-04-23/
3. Times of Israel, https://www.timesofisrael com/trump-declares-3-week-truce-extension-after-hosting-2nd-round-of-israel-lebanon-talks/
4. The Hill, https://thehill com/video-clips/5845509-watch-live-trump-gives-remarks-on-health-care-affordability/
5. AP News, https://apnews com/article/trump-white-house-regeneron-drug-pricing-mfn-bdacc3b7e47f4ba23e85bb14705073de
6. White House Fact Sheet, https://www.whitehouse gov/fact-sheets/2026/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-announces-deal-with-regeneron-to-bring-most-favored-nation-pricing-to-american-patients/
7. DOJ Office of Public Affairs, https://www.justice gov/opa/pr/federal-grand-jury-charges-southern-poverty-law-center-wire-fraud-false-statements-and
8. NPR, https://www.npr org/2026/04/22/nx-s1-5794620/doj-indicts-southern-poverty-law-center-on-federal-fraud-charges
9. CNN, https://www.cnn com/2026/04/23/politics/what-to-know-criminal-case-southern-poverty-law-center
10. Politico, https://www.politico com/news/2026/04/23/trump-moves-to-reschedule-marijuana-00888729
11. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian com/us-news/2026/apr/23/trump-administration-reclassify-marijuana-schedule-iii
12. USA Today, https://www.usatoday com/story/news/politics/2026/04/23/donald-trump-department-of-justice-state-marijuana-reclassification/
13. NBC News, https://www.nbcnews com/politics/congress/georgia-rep-david-scott-dies-80-rcna341463
14. PBS NewsHour, https://www.pbs org/newshour/politics/rep-david-scott-a-georgia-democrat-seeking-13th-term-in-congress-dies-at-80
15. Texas Tribune, https://www.texastribune org/2026/04/22/texas-houston-city-council-ice-cooperation-amendment/
16. ABC13 Houston, https://abc13 com/post/houston-city-council-vote-revised-ice-proposal-risk-losing-114-million-public-safety-funding-state/
17. Democracy Now!, https://www.democracynow org/2026/4/23/headlines
18. Bridge Michigan, https://bridgemi com/michigan-government/whos-running-michigan-governor-former-house-speaker-tom-leonard-jumps/
19. Mid-Michigan Now, https://midmichigannow com/news/local/tom-leonard-pulls-out-of-race-for-michigans-next-governor
20. WFTV, https://www.wftv com/news/local/redistricting-takes-center-stage-florida-lawmakers-schedule-special-session/
21. MultiState, https://www.multistate.us/insider/2026/4/6/florida-redistricting-push-awaits-supreme-court-ruling-on-voting-rights-upcoming-flor