Grindr, the popular LGBTQ dating and online hookup app, will host its inaugural “White House Correspondents’ Dinner Weekend Party” on April 24. The dinner party joins a crowded group of events ahead of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner on April 25. Axios reporter Andrew Solender shared a flyer to the event. “A Friday evening gathering bringing together leaders across government, media, and the LGTBQ community as we toast the First Amendment,” the flyer read. You, a fool: “surely DC couldn't host an event gayer than the Heated Rivalry lookalike contest!!” Grindr: "hold my beer" pic.twitter.com/koGWgXlrTK — Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) April 7, 2026 The Hill shared further: In an interview last year, Grindr CEO George Arison said the dating app aimed to be a “place that is welcoming to everybody” regardless of political affiliation. “No matter what their political views are, people who are gay should be welcome on Grindr and we want them to have a really good experience,” Arison said at the time, confirming reports that there was a “significant spike in usage” on the app in Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention in 2024. After bucking tradition and shunning the correspondents’ dinner throughout his first term in office, President Trump said in March that he planned to attend this year’s gala at the Washington Hilton hotel. “Grindr represents a global community with real stakes in Washington. The issues being debated here — HIV funding, privacy and online safety, LGBTQ+ family rights — are daily life for our community,” said Joe Hack, Grindr’s head of global government affairs, according to the outlet. “Nobody does connections like Grindr, and WHCD weekend is the most iconic place in the country to make them. We figured it was time to host,” Hack added. Trump is set to attend the WHCA dinner for the first time as president. “The White House Correspondents Association has asked me, very nicely, to be the Honoree at this year’s Dinner, a long and storied tradition since it began in 1924, under then President Calvin Coolidge,” Trump said earlier this year. “Trump announces he WILL be going to the White House Correspondents Dinner this year, after declining every other year. The 2011 dinner, where Obama tried roasting him, is reportedly what SOLIDIFIED Trump’s decision to run for President. Trump got the last laugh,” journalist Nick Sortor wrote last month. JUST IN: Trump announces he WILL be going to the White House Correspondents Dinner this year, after declining every other year The 2011 dinner, where Obama tried roasting him, is reportedly what SOLIDIFIED Trump’s decision to run for President. Trump got the last laugh pic.twitter.com/WV3tzvS5U8 — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 2, 2026 More from the Associated Press: Trump was invited annually, but never attended the dinner during his first term and also skipped last year’s gathering. “For more than 100 years, the journalists of the White House Correspondents’ Association have enjoyed an evening with the president,” the association’s president, Weijia Jiang, said in a statement. “We’re happy the president has accepted our invitation and look forward to hosting him.” The event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021, but President Joe Biden attended each of the dinners during his term’s final three years. Every president since Coolidge had attended except Trump — until now. In his post Trump wrote that, “Because the Press was extraordinarily bad to me” he had “boycotted the event, and never went.” “However, I look forward to being with everyone this year. Hopefully, it will be something very Special.” The correspondents’ dinner debuted in 1921. Three years later, Coolidge became the first president to attend. While all presidents but Trump went, not all did every year of their terms. Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon opted not to, and Ronald Reagan — then recovering from an assassination attempt — missed the 1981 installment, but called in from Camp David. Trump attended the correspondents dinner before he was president, and was the subject of mocking by then-President Barack Obama in 2011. Obama joked: “Say what you will about Mr. Trump, he certainly would bring some change to the White House. Let’s see what we’ve got up there.”

The Justice Department announced the arrest of a former Army employee for her “alleged transmission of classified national defense information to individuals not authorized to receive it.” The FBI arrested Courtney Williams, 40, of Wagram, North Carolina. Williams allegedly leaked classified information to a journalist. More below: HOLY CRAP! The FBI has arrested former US Special Operations and DELTA FORCE veteran Courtney Williams for violating the ESPIONAGE ACT DOJ says she transmitted classified national defense intel to the media and put our warfighters at risk This sends a message to leakers!… pic.twitter.com/jOPWGIwYug — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 8, 2026 CNN shared further: Courtney Williams worked in a Special Military Unit from 2010 to 2016 and had top secret clearance with access to a significant amount of classified material, charging documents say. Federal prosecutors allege that from 2022 to 2025, Williams shared classified information that the journalist used in reporting for an article and book on Fort Bragg. While court records do not name the journalist, a book “The Fort Bragg Cartel” and magazine article from independent reporter Seth Harp last year, profiles Williams and her allegations of harassment and abuse while employed at Fort Bragg. With scant details, charging documents allege that information shared by Williams to the reporter included classified information she was not allowed to provide. CNN is attempting to contact Williams’ attorney. Harp’s article details the significant sexual and race-based harassment Williams says she saw and, at times, experienced during her work at the North Carolina army base. “Clearance holders accept a solemn obligation to protect the classified information entrusted to them,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “That they do so is critical to the security of our Nation. When clearance holders violate that trust, the National Security Division will act swiftly to hold them accountable,” Eisenberg continued. “We trust our war fighting individuals to cooperate as a team to protect our military and country,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle. “We will pursue criminal charges to keep these warriors safe whenever we find leakers exalting their own feelings over the safety of the United States,” Boyle added. In a statement, Harp called Williams a “brave and patriotic truth-teller who has committed no crime.” Statement on the arrest of Courtney Williams, a brave and patriotic truth-teller who has committed no crime and, if there is any justice in the world, will soon be free from the clutches of Trump's rogue DOJ pic.twitter.com/NZblU0xmwb — Seth Harp (@sethharpesq) April 8, 2026 More from the Justice Department: As alleged, between 2022 and 2025, Williams repeatedly communicated with the Journalist via telephone and text messages. During this period, Williams and the Journalist had over 10 hours of telephone calls and exchanged more than 180 messages. In one such message, the Journalist identified themselves as a journalist and stated that they sought information about the SMU in support of an upcoming article and book. After these communications with Williams, the Journalist published a book and article that named Williams as a source and attributed specific statements to her. Some of these statements contained classified national defense information. In addition to her disclosures to the Journalist, Williams also made unauthorized disclosures of national defense information via her social media accounts. On the day the article and book were published, Williams exchanged several messages with the Journalist. In one such message, Williams stated that she was “concerned about the amount of classified information being disclosed.” In a separate message to a third party, Williams added that, “I might actually get arrested . . . for disclosing classified information.” In a subsequent message, Williams citied a statutory provision of the Espionage Act. And when asked how she knew that she may face legal consequences for her disclosures to the Journalist, Williams responded, “I have known my entire career,” adding that “they tell you everyday . . . 100 times a day.” Finally, in a message to a different third party, Williams stated that she was “probably going to jail for life.”

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) is keeping the door open for a possible 2028 White House bid. “There are those who have raised the prospect that you should run for president,” Al Sharpton told the California Democrat. “You’re going to be my running mate?” Khanna joked in response. Khanna said the primary focus for Democrats should be making Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) the Speaker of the House. Khanna later said he thinks he offers “two things” in a potential presidential bid. “One is I represent the economic future, and I have a clear roadmap for how we’re going to make sure every part of this country has an economic stake in the future,” Khanna said. “Whether that is workers having equity, whether it is the Black South being a part of the AI revolution, whether it is making sure families have economic independence with health care and child care, I have a comprehensive economic vision, and I believe the people need an economic vision,” he continued. “Secondly, I fundamentally believe, because of my grandfather, that we need to move beyond the colonial model of the world,” Khanna said. Watch below: Rep. @RoKhanna (D-CA) considering running for president in 2028: "I believe I offer two things…one is I represent the economic future…secondly, I fundamentally believe, because of my grandfather, that we need to move on from the colonial model of the world." pic.twitter.com/bBWHADf1B6 — CSPAN (@cspan) April 8, 2026 The Hill has more: Khanna is one of several potential Democratic contenders in the 2028 presidential race. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris are seen as the top options for the party, although neither has committed to running. Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel recently pitched a “six for 2026” plan for Democrats to run on in the midterm elections amid speculation that he was weighing a presidential bid. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), another possible contender, spoke at Wednesday’s conference, where he also teased a possible 2028 run. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is another Democratic lawmaker considering a 2028 presidential run. Democrat Senator Considering 2028 White House Bid ABC News elaborated further on the Sharpton-hosted event: What is expected to be the biggest gathering of possible Democratic 2028 presidential hopefuls is set to happen at the convention for the National Action Network, an organization dedicated to fighting for civil rights and equality. In New York City this week, the potential candidates will gather to look to engage with Black civil rights leaders and voters. The event, hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton, has become a hub for those considering a presidential run and will offer a preview of what the jostling for the Black vote in the 2028 election will look like. "Two years out, we’ll see some of the people that have been thinking of running, and they’ll see us," Sharpton told POLITICO in an interview about the gathering. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Ro Khanna are among the potential 2028 Democratic candidates who will attend the convention, according to the National Action Network website. Nearly all of the lawmakers have either expressed interest or have not shut down the idea about running for president. All of them are set to take part in a conversation with Sharpton.

The Minneapolis City Council will consider legalizing and regulating venues, such as adult bathhouses, where consenting adults can engage in sexual activity. The city has banned such venues for nearly 40 years. “In 1988, Minneapolis passed an ordinance to ban bathhouses. There were three bathhouses that existed in the city: Hennepin Baths, Locker Room Baths and Big Daddy’s Bath House,” MPR News stated. “All of them closed prior to the ban. Locker Room Baths was known as the 315 Health Club at the time of closure,” it added. The city council referred a package of four proposed ordinances to staff. “The ordinances would create a licensing framework, update zoning regulations, revise health standards and add exceptions to existing indecency laws,” CBS News reports. Minneapolis may legalize adult bathhouses – allowing adults to engage in sexual activity https://t.co/OTnhxHth3q pic.twitter.com/Lt0nGeLKZP — New York Post (@nypost) April 8, 2026 CBS News explained further: The proposed changes come as the city council also considers a proposed ordinance that would decriminalize drug paraphernalia. Adult bathhouses and sex venues were a component of nightlife prior to the advent of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, which led to the passage of a surfeit of ordinances banning them among virtually all U.S. urban areas. As reported by the Star Tribune, the last bathhouse to operate legally in Minneapolis closed in 1988. The Star Tribune added that, in a statement, council member Jason Chavez argued, “LGBTQIA+ gathering spaces, including bathhouses, have long been targeted by criminalization and policing, and our communities have paid a devastating price for that.” Several cities in Minnesota, including Duluth and St. Paul, have allowed the bathhouses to continue operating with varying levels of oversight. One ordinance would add a new chapter to city code specifically for adult sex venues. It would establish licensing and business regulations for establishments where sexual activity between consenting adults may be facilitated. “We don’t necessarily look back at the codes that we’ve adopted and revisit them and be like, ‘is this still what we need?’ I think this is something we don’t need if it doesn’t match our current public health landscape,” one advocate said, according to MPR News. Minneapolis city leaders to consider bathhouses that allow sexual activity https://t.co/hUTI41Gz0e — The Minnesota Star Tribune (@StarTribune) April 7, 2026 More from MPR News: While places like New York and San Francisco are considered LGBTQ+ capitals of the nation, historians say there was a rich and expanding industry for places like adult bathhouses in the Twin Cities and, until the 1979 raid, they went largely unmonitored by police departments. Compared to other major cities, Minneapolis is an outlier by not having bathhouses. Numerous cities across the nation including Chicago; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Cleveland, Ohio; Berkeley, Calif.; Dallas, Texas, and more have them. And a bit to the north, Duluth also has one. The council is expected to forward a series of directives to city staff on Thursday that would decriminalize and legalize adult bathhouses and sex venues and introduce zoning and health ordinances. A final vote is expected in June after a public hearing.

Authorities in Philadelphia have reported that multiple people are trapped after a parking garage collapsed in the City of Brotherly Love. On Wednesday afternoon, two construction workers were reportedly trapped underneath rubble after a parking garage they were working on collapsed. A third construction worker was found but has now been pronounced dead. CBS filled in the details: One person has died and at least two people are missing after a partial parking garage collapse in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood Wednesday afternoon, police said. Police said emergency crews are searching for at least two people trapped. One construction worker was rushed to an area hospital, where police said he later died. Reports of the building collapse, which is under construction, came across dispatch shortly after 2 p.m. The building is located at 3000 Grays Ferry Avenue, the Philadelphia Fire Department said. Chopper 3 was live over the scene, showing part of the garage that had collapsed. The collapse appears to have happened on the first floor of a seven-floor parking garage under construction. Here’s the scene: WATCH: Parking garage collapses in Philadelphia with reports of multiple people trapped, per CBS. pic.twitter.com/rxDAdq9pY1 — Resist Wire (@ResistWire) April 8, 2026 Aerial footage of the collapse: #BREAKING: A stairwell collapsed in a parking garage that is under construction in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighborhood. https://t.co/tgHvDFrmHO — NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) April 8, 2026 NBC Philadelphia reported that members of the community previously protested the construction of the parking garage: Back in February, people in the community gathered to protest the construction of this garage, saying it would increase traffic congestion, harm the environment, and affect public health. NBC10 had reached out to CHOP for comment regarding the planned garage and the protest. A spokesperson provided the following statement: “Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia remains committed to engaging with the residents of Grays Ferry to understand and address their feedback. We have held more than 20 community meetings with the Grays Ferry community, which has resulted in several community-requested initiatives including a five-year grant funding for Grays Ferry nonprofits, financial contribution to the D. Finnegan Recreation Center, health education workshops, support for local employment, alternate parking options for Titan Street neighbors , and exploration of expanded pediatric clinical services in Grays Ferry. We take all concerns from residents incredibly seriously as we look to support CHOP’s growing patient and staff needs.”