S.C. House advances roads bill, drops buyback plan

April 30, 2026

Summary

South Carolina’s House passed a roads bill with toll lanes and permitting changes, but dropped a local road buyback plan.

Why this matters

The bill could affect how quickly South Carolina builds and expands roads, how projects are funded, and who oversees the state’s transportation agency. It also signals that lawmakers remain divided over shifting more road maintenance to local governments.

The South Carolina House unanimously passed a roads bill Wednesday that would allow optional toll lanes on new highway projects, shift some environmental permitting from the federal government to the state, and require potholes reported online to be repaired within a week.

The House version differed from the Senate bill passed last month by removing a program that would have encouraged local governments to take over maintenance of some state roads. It would also eliminate the commission that oversees the Department of Transportation and place the agency under the governor’s control.

The bill now returns to the Senate, which can accept the House changes or send the measure to a conference committee.

The House also removed a proposal to raise biennial fees on electric vehicles to $400. Under a 2017 law, fully electric vehicles pay $120 every two years, and hybrids pay $60. Bannister said the increase proved too divisive.

After the buyback program was removed, Rep. Joe White of Newberry withdrew 160 proposed amendments and supported the bill.

Both chambers included money for a road buyback program in their budget proposals — $12.5 million in the Senate plan and $25 million in the House plan — and some amount could remain in the final budget, Bannister said.

Rep. Robby Robbins said the state needs to reduce the number of roads managed by the transportation department. South Carolina has more than 41,000 centerline miles of state-maintained highways, the nation’s fourth-largest system.

Lawmakers said the bill aims to speed road construction as population growth increases congestion.

More top news

US Politics

Senate panel advances Warsh for Fed chair post

The vote followed months of public criticism of Powell by President Donald Trump over interest rates.

Full story +

Kevin Warsh moved closer Wednesday to becoming Federal Reserve chair after the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs voted 13-11 along party lines to advance his nomination to the full Senate.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis cast the deciding vote after the Trump administration said Friday it would end a Department of Justice investigation into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

“It’s no secret that the reason that Mr. Warsh’s nomination could have been held up is because of my concern with the investigation. I want to thank the Department of Justice for the assurances that they gave me,” Tillis, a Republican, said after the brief committee meeting.

“The fact of the matter is, this was based on two minutes of testimony. It was not criminal,” Tillis said of the DOJ review of Powell’s June 2025 testimony to Congress about a $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed’s Washington headquarters.

A federal judge last month blocked administration subpoenas seeking records from the Fed and Powell, citing “a mountain of evidence” that Trump was using the investigation to pressure Powell.

The Fed was scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon on interest rates, possibly its last meeting under Powell, whose term expires May 15.
US Politics

House adopts budget plan to advance ICE funding

In a memo to lawmakers Tuesday, the Office of Management and Budget warned that Homeland Security “will soon run out of critical operating funds, placing essential personnel and operations at risk.”

Full story +

The House on Wednesday adopted a Senate-approved budget plan, the first step in a Republican strategy to fund federal immigration agencies through the rest of President Donald Trump’s term without Democratic votes.

The resolution passed 215-211. It directed the committees that oversee Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection to draft legislation providing about $70 billion for those agencies. Both chambers would still need to approve that legislation.

Senate Republicans unveiled and adopted the budget blueprint last week as they sought to meet Trump’s June deadline to fund ICE and Border Patrol and end the funding lapse that has shut down the Department of Homeland Security since February. Republicans planned to fund other parts of the department separately.

Republicans said there was added urgency after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. Democrats said most of Homeland Security could be funded immediately if House Republican leaders allowed a vote on legislation the Senate passed with bipartisan support in March.

Democrats have said they would not support funding for ICE and Border Patrol without reforms. Disagreement between House and Senate Republicans over whether to split immigration enforcement funding from the rest of Homeland Security has also extended the standoff.

In late March, the Senate passed a measure to fund most of the department, excluding ICE and Border Patrol, with plans to fund immigration enforcement through budget reconciliation, which allows the Senate to pass some budget bills by simple majority. House Democrats said they would support that bill, but House Republican leaders did not bring it up for a vote. Instead, the House passed a 60-day funding measure for the entire department, sending the issue back to the Senate.
World Politics

Trump says Putin discussed possible Ukraine ceasefire

A Kremlin aide said the friendly, businesslike call lasted more than 1.5 hours and that Trump said he believed a deal to end the Ukraine war was close.

Full story +

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he discussed a possible ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump spoke after the Kremlin said the two leaders discussed a temporary ceasefire next month to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II.

“We had a good talk, I’ve known him a long time,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission.

Trump said he suggested “a little bit of a ceasefire” in the war in Ukraine during the call.

“And I think he might do that,” Trump said, before asking reporters whether Putin had already announced a ceasefire.

The two leaders’ last publicly reported phone call was March 9, although Trump has said they speak regularly.

Putin announced a similar three-day truce last year that was not agreed with Kyiv.

Trump also said Putin offered to help on the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium, which Trump described as an obstacle to a deal to end the Iran war, but that he told Putin, “I’d much rather have you be involved with ending the war with Ukraine.”

“I said, before you help me, I want to end your war,” Trump said.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov did not say what proposals Putin made on Iran. Moscow has previously offered to remove enriched uranium from the country.
US Politics

Hegseth faces questions on Iran war, military costs

At a House hearing, Democrats pressed Pete Hegseth on Iran war costs, authority, and military leadership changes.

Full story +

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced sharp questions from Democrats on Wednesday over the Trump administration’s war in Iran, including its cost, legal authority, and personnel decisions, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the 2027 military budget.

The war had cost $25 billion so far, according to Pentagon figures presented during the hearing. The administration’s budget proposal would raise defense spending to $1.5 trillion.

Democrats focused on the war’s costs, the use of U.S. munitions, a school bombing that killed children, and President Donald Trump’s shifting rationale for the conflict. Republicans largely backed the administration and focused on budget issues.

Hegseth called criticism of the war political. “The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” he said.

Rep. Adam Smith, the committee’s top Democrat, pressed Hegseth on his statement that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “obliterated” in a 2025 U.S. attack, questioning why the administration later said war was necessary because of an imminent nuclear threat.

“We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat,” Smith said. “Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”

Hegseth said Iran “had not given up their nuclear ambitions” and still had thousands of missiles. Smith replied that the war “left us at exactly the same place we were before.”

Democrats also criticized Hegseth’s management of the war and its economic effects, including higher gasoline prices. “Secretary Hegseth, you have been lying to the American public about this war from day one and so has the president,” Rep. John Garamendi of California said.

A ceasefire is in place. House and Senate Democrats failed to pass war powers resolutions that would have required Trump to halt the conflict unless Congress authorized further action.

Lawmakers also questioned Hegseth about removing senior military officers, including Army Gen. Randy George. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said George was widely respected and asked why he was fired. Hegseth replied, “We needed new leadership.”

Hegseth also removed Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Gen. Jim Slife, while Trump fired Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. Hegseth said the moves were part of an effort to rebuild a “warrior culture” at the Pentagon.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace defended Hegseth’s staffing decisions and later praised his handling of the war, saying, “Everything I have seen, you have surpassed all of my expectations.”
US

Former Fauci aide indicted over COVID records case

One 2021 email said, in part, “I learned from our FOIA lady here how to make emails disappear after I am FOIA’D.”

Full story +

The Justice Department said this week that David Morens, a former top aide to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, faced charges in an alleged scheme to conceal federal records during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prosecutors alleged that Morens and two unnamed, unindicted co-conspirators worked to defraud the U.S. by shielding records from the public. According to the indictment, Morens used his personal Gmail account to exchange emails about the pandemic, a bat coronavirus grant, requests for documents about that grant, and the origins of COVID-19.

The indictment came less than two years after Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and his team helped uncover emails from Morens. One 2021 email said, in part, “I learned from our FOIA lady here how to make emails disappear after I am FOIA’D.”

Those emails were later examined in a 2024 hearing by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, where Morens was questioned about his actions.

The indictment also renewed calls for the Justice Department to prosecute Fauci. May 11 marked a five-year legal deadline to file an indictment related to Fauci’s sworn statements that he did not fund “gain of function” experiments involving modified bat coronaviruses. Fauci and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., previously clashed on that issue.

Efforts to indict Fauci would be difficult because Fauci received a preemptive pardon before former President Joe Biden left office.

If no plea deal is reached, the case will likely go to trial. If convicted, Morens could face up to five years in prison for conspiracy and up to 20 years on each count of destroying or altering records.
US

U.S. to issue passports with Trump portrait

Trump would be the first sitting president to appear inside Americans’ travel documents.

Full story +

The U.S. State Department said it will issue a limited-edition “patriot passport” featuring President Donald Trump’s portrait to mark the nation’s 250th birthday.

The special passports will be issued only in Washington. They will feature Trump’s portrait on the inside cover, surrounded by the text of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. flag, with his signature in gold underneath.

Current U.S. passports depict historical scenes, including the moon landing, and symbols such as the Liberty Bell and Statue of Liberty.

The launch is expected to coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence on July 4. It is not clear whether Americans will be able to opt out of the special edition.

Since returning to office in January, Trump’s name, likeness, or signature has appeared on multiple government buildings and documents. The Kennedy Center and U.S. Institute for Peace are being renamed to include his name; the Treasury Department announced last month that his signature will appear on paper currency, and Trump-class battleships have also been announced.
\top\

Trump weighs U.S. troop cuts in Germany

The United States has about 34,000 troops at bases and installations in Germany.

Full story +

President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that the United States was reviewing a possible reduction of troops in Germany and expected a decision soon.

“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

His comments followed criticism this week from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the United States was being “humiliated” by Iran during the war in the Middle East. In an earlier post, Trump said Merz “thinks it’s OK” for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

After Merz’s criticism, the German leader said Wednesday that “the personal relationship between the American president and me is, from my perspective, still good.” Before the Iran war, Merz and Trump had been seen as having warm relations, partly because Germany had increased its defense spending.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who reposted Trump’s comment about possible troop cuts, told Congress on Wednesday that he expected allies to support U.S. military operations.

“When allies do not step up, there will be consequences,” Hegseth said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

“In recent weeks, for instance, far too many of our NATO allies showed that they could not be relied upon to support our nation’s operations against Iran. … This is unconscionable, and we will remember,” he added.

Some European countries said the Trump administration did not consult them before the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. At the same time, multiple NATO countries enabled U.S. operations through bases across Europe.

Near the end of his first term, Trump planned to withdraw 12,000 U.S. service members, including moving the 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Vilseck to the United States. President Joe Biden later canceled that plan, which also would have moved U.S. European Command from Stuttgart to Belgium.

Trump had criticized Germany at the time for not meeting NATO defense spending targets. Germany is now Europe’s largest military spender and is on track to meet NATO’s new target of 5% of gross domestic product on defense. Last week, Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby praised that shift.
Tech & Artificial Intelligence

SoftBank plans robotics venture for data centers

SoftBank is preparing Roze for an initial public offering, expected in the second half of 2026, with a target valuation of $100 billion.

Full story +

SoftBank is assembling a new company, Roze AI, that would aim to make U.S. data center construction more efficient, according to reports from the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal.

The company would use autonomous robots, among other tools, to help build server farms.

Other recent ventures have also focused on using artificial intelligence and automation in industrial operations. Jeff Bezos co-founded Project Prometheus, a startup that plans to buy companies in major industrial sectors and update them with artificial intelligence.

SoftBank has previously backed startups outside the mainstream; the company invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Zume, an artificial intelligence-driven pizza delivery startup that shut down in 2023.
Health

Trump administration appeals vaccine ruling in Mass.

A judge ruled that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr unlawfully reconstituted a federal vaccine advisory board.

Full story +

The Trump administration appealed a Massachusetts federal judge’s ruling that blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule.

A filing Wednesday evening in the District of Massachusetts showed the administration was appealing U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy’s March 16 order. Murphy put on hold decisions made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee, ruling that Kennedy had replaced the committee “unlawfully.”

In January, Kennedy and the CDC changed the childhood vaccine schedule, cutting the number of recommended diseases from 18 to 11.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups sued the Department of Health and Human Services, arguing that the schedule changes and Kennedy’s overhaul of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices violated federal law.

Under Murphy’s ruling, Kennedy’s appointment of 13 committee members was stayed, voiding their positions and any votes they cast.

The Justice Department could seek emergency relief to prompt faster action on the appeal. That would require the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to decide quickly whether to stay the March 16 order. Further steps could otherwise take months and include oral arguments.

The status of the advisory panel remained unresolved. A meeting scheduled for March, where members were expected to discuss Covid shots, was postponed indefinitely.
Military & National Security

Air Force outlines plan to hire, keep AI talent

The department said it would streamline hiring for AI jobs, identify financial incentives, and use a “Mission Matching Strategy” to connect candidates with defense projects.

Full story +

The U.S. Air Force said Tuesday it had approved a plan to recruit, retain, and train artificial intelligence professionals as part of a broader Defense Department push to strengthen the military’s AI capabilities.

The AI Hiring and Talent Development Plan, approved this month, aimed to help the Department of the Air Force maintain an edge over U.S. adversaries and become an “AI-first force,” according to the strategy document.

“This Al strategy is fundamental to leveraging our people as a strategic asset, strengthening readiness and lethality, and modernizing our Air and Space Forces to ensure our nation’s competitive advantage,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said in the document.

To retain workers already in service, the department said it would create a Department of the Air Force Dual-Track Career Model that would allow AI specialists to advance as technical experts rather than move only into management roles.

For airmen and guardians already in AI-related jobs, or seeking them, the department said workers would need to show their skills matched a specified model rather than meet a course-completion requirement alone. The training effort also aimed to establish a baseline of AI literacy across the force.

“AI is not a niche technology of the future; it is now an indispensable capability that must be integrated across our platforms and mission sets now as foundational to our readiness, to enhancing lethality and reestablishing deterrence, and as a cornerstone of our modernization efforts,” Meink said.

The strategy also identified mission areas for broader AI use, including maintenance, training, and faster deployment of AI tools to airmen and guardians.

Beyond workforce development, the department said its AI effort also covered data, technology, and infrastructure; partnership and ecosystem management; change management and process re-engineering; and AI governance and oversight.

The document said the Air Force would later release an AI implementation plan detailing how it would carry out the strategy, but it did not give a date.