Press Digest: Wall Street Journal - April 15

Aegon

15/04/2026 07:22

April 15 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- The White House is considering former deputy U.S. surgeon general Erica Schwartz as the new leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

- Prosecutors from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office made a surprise visit on Tuesday to the Federal Reserve's headquarters renovation project.

- Maine lawmakers on Tuesday passed a ban on large data-center construction, making it the first state to enact such a measure as communities around the U.S. deal with fallout from the artificial-intelligence boom.

- A fallback plan to ensure Europe can defend itself using NATO's existing military structures if the U.S. departs is gaining traction after getting buy-in from Germany, a long-term opponent of a go-it-alone approach.

 - New York Governor Kathy Hochul is planning to propose a tax on New York City's second homes worth $5 million or more in an effort to fill the city's budget deficit.

 - Transamerica owner Aegon AEGN.AS agreed to sell its UK insurance business to Standard Life for 2 billion pounds ($2.71 billion) in cash and stock, taking another step to pivot to the U.S.

($1 = 0.7371 pounds)

 (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

 ((globalnewsmonitoring@thomsonreuters.com))