00:01Two superpowers face-to-face. President Trump heads to China to meet with Xi, with trade, war, and global power
00:08all on the table.
00:09Plus, a possible new Hantavirus case in the U.S. and one cruise passenger now fighting to stay alive as
00:16health officials watch for what comes next.
00:19And a hearing turns personal fast. The FBI director and a senator trade accusations, then agreed to take an alcohol
00:26test side-by-side.
00:30The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world.
00:36These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow.
00:42Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli. President Trump will arrive in Beijing later this morning for a high-stakes meeting with
00:49Chinese President Xi Jinping,
00:51with the war in Iran expected to be front and center.
00:53The Trump trip was delayed by the conflict, but ahead of departure, the president made clear he does not believe
01:00the U.S. needs China's help in the war.
01:03Beijing maintains close ties with Tehran, buying much of Iran's oil and playing a role in efforts to reopen the
01:09Strait of Hormuz.
01:11I don't think we need any help with Iran, to be honest with you.
01:14They're defeated militarily, and they'll either do the right thing or we'll finish the job.
01:19This marks the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Xi since last October.
01:24Trump says trade will be his top priority, with plans to push for deals that would have China buy more
01:29American agricultural products and aircraft.
01:32He's also bringing a group of top business leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
01:40This morning, U.S. health officials are tracking a possible new case of Hantavirus in Illinois,
01:46and they say it is not connected to the cruise ship outbreak.
01:50The patient is believed to have contracted a North American strain while cleaning a home that had rodent droppings.
01:56That's according to state health officials.
01:58This comes as the outbreak linked to that Dutch cruise ship continues to worsen.
02:02A French passenger, diagnosed with the virus earlier this week, is now critically ill,
02:08with doctors in Paris treating a severe case impacting her lungs and heart.
02:13She is now on an artificial lung, what doctors call a final-level support system,
02:19used to take pressure off her organs and give them time to recover.
02:23And a Dutch hospital has quarantined 12 staff members
02:27after blood and urine samples from a Hantavirus patient were improperly handled.
02:31They will be quarantined for six weeks, even though officials say the risk of infection is very low.
02:37Meanwhile, with all passengers and most crew off the ship,
02:40the MV Hantavirus is now headed back to the Netherlands for cleaning and disinfection.
02:45The World Health Organization says all cases so far are limited to passengers and crew,
02:51but warns more could emerge with an incubation period that can last up to six weeks.
02:56The head of the FDA is out this morning.
03:00Dr. Marty McCary stepping down after weeks of pressure and after a direct clash with the White House
03:05over flavored vapes, according to reports.
03:08McCary had opposed approving fruit-flavored e-cigs, citing concerns they could dry in young users.
03:15But the administration moved forward anyway, signing off on new products and expanding how they can be marketed.
03:21That disagreement ultimately put him at odds with the White House and helped drive his exit.
03:26The Trump administration brought in McCary as a reformer, but his tenure quickly turned contentious,
03:32clashing with industry groups, public health officials, and members of the administration.
03:36President Trump would not say whether he fired McCary or asked him to resign, but confirmed he is out.
03:43Did you ask Marty McCary to resign, sir? Or did you fire your FBI?
03:48Well, I don't want to say it, but Marty's a great guy.
03:51He's a friend of mine. He's a wonderful man.
03:53And he's going to be off.
03:54And the assistant, the deputy, is taking over temporarily until we find him.
04:00Everybody wants that job. It's a very important job.
04:03The FDA's top food official, Kyle Diamantis, is now stepping in as acting commissioner,
04:10while the search for a permanent replacement is underway.
04:13FBI Director Kash Patel faced sharp questions on Capitol Hill Tuesday,
04:18and at times the hearing turned into a back and forth.
04:22Senator Chris Van Hollen pressed Patel over reports about his conduct,
04:26including a story from The Atlantic that raised questions about alleged drinking and absences.
04:32Patel has denied those claims and is suing over the report.
04:36There have been no occasions during your tenure when FBI personnel were unable to promptly reach you?
04:41Absolutely not. You can ask my entire workforce.
04:43They hear from me at every single hour of the day, as do these great gentlemen here,
04:47as do the men and women of the interagency in state and local law enforcement in the White House.
04:51And so there have been no occasions when your security detail had difficulty waking or locating you.
04:56Is that right?
04:57Nope. It's a total farce. I don't even know where you get this stuff,
04:59but it doesn't make it credible because you say so.
05:02I'm not saying it, Director Patel. It's been written and documented.
05:06You are literally saying it.
05:08No, I'm saying that these are reports, Director Patel.
05:11Unlike your basis reports, the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar
05:17with a convicted gangbanging rapist was you.
05:19You know, the only person that ran up a $7,000 bar tab in Washington, D.C. at the lobby
05:24of El Salvador was you.
05:26So the only individual in this room that has been drinking on taxpayers.
05:31The exchange escalated further with Van Hollen asking Patel if he would get screened for alcohol issues.
05:38Are you willing to take the test that it's called the audit test that members of our active duty military
05:46and others take
05:47to determine whether they have a drinking problem?
05:50I'll take any test you're willing to take.
05:52I will take it, Director Patel. I'll take it. Ready to take it?
05:56Let's go.
05:56Yes or no?
05:57Let's go. Side by side.
05:59The hearing was part of a broader budget session,
06:02but this back and forth stood out as one of the most contentious moments of the day.
06:07A familiar name is stepping in to lead ICE.
06:10Longtime official David Venturella is set to become the agency's interim director on June 1st,
06:16replacing Todd Lyons, who is stepping down at the end of the month.
06:19Venturella has served under both Republican and Democratic presidents
06:23and most recently worked for the GEO Group,
06:26a private prison company with more than $1 billion in ICE contracts.
06:30The leadership change comes after a year of intense scrutiny for the agency.
06:35Recent crackdowns in Minneapolis left two U.S. citizens dead,
06:38Renee Good and Alex Preddy, after federal agents shot them during street confrontations.
06:44Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen says he wants the department, quote,
06:48out of the headlines.
06:49Borders are Tom Homan, who brought Venturella back as an advisor last year,
06:54says the agency is shifting to a more targeted approach as it deals with a record-long funding lapse.
07:01Finally this morning, if you turn to the arts to relax,
07:05there's new evidence that it's doing more than just that.
07:09Researchers say it may actually help slow the aging process.
07:12A new study of more than 3,500 adults in the U.K. found people who regularly engage in cultural
07:19activities like singing,
07:21dancing, painting, or even visiting museums and libraries show signs of slower biological aging.
07:28Researchers analyzed blood samples in what's known as the body's epigenetic clock,
07:33a way to measure how fast somebody is aging at the cellular level.
07:38People who are regularly arts engaged have a pace of aging that's about 4% slower each year,
07:44and they're around a year biologically younger than people who don't engage.
07:48And as a point of comparison, this is the same kind of effect size that we see for regular physical
07:53activity
07:53or for giving up smoking.
07:55So it's a marked impact that it's having on biological aging.
07:59The study from University College London was published this week in the journal Innovation in Aging.
08:06So all together now, deep breath, everybody slow down, relax, take it easy, and exhale and live longer.
08:18All right, we're all in this together.
08:19All right, before we head out, here's what we're tracking today.
08:21At 8.30, a new read on wholesale inflation with the April Producer Price Index coming out.
08:27At 1.30, Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen speaks at ICE headquarters for National Police Week.
08:34Later today, sentencing in the Corey Richens case after she was found guilty in her husband's fentanyl death.
08:40She's the mother who wrote a book on grief after killing him.
08:43And tonight, a national tribute in Washington as fallen officers are honored at the law enforcement memorial.
08:49Hey, we're the fastest, fairest few minutes in news.
08:52Watch unbiased updates anytime at san.com or on the app.
08:55You can also stream us on Spotify.
08:57By the way, thanks for making us part of your morning routine.
09:00We certainly do appreciate it.
09:01Those are your unbiased updates for this Wednesday.
09:03We'll see you back here tomorrow.
09:04For all of us here at Straight Arrow, I'm Craig DiGrelli.
09:07Have a great day.
09:09I'm Craig DiGrelli.
09:10I'm Craig DiGrelli.
09:10I'm Craig DiGrelli.
09:11I'm Craig DiGrelli.
09:11I'm Craig DiGrelli.
09:11I'm Craig DiGrelli.
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