David Axelrod: The man behind President Barack Obama

AFP
Ukraine's young soldiers voice support for mobilisation law
For "Mammoth", a military drone pilot on the Ukrainian front, a new mobilisation law aiming to increase troop numbers that comes into force on Saturday cannot come soon enough.The new law coming into force on Saturday lowers the minimum age of mobilisation from 27 to 25 in an effort to boost recruit numbers.
Associated Press
Colorado GOP chair's embrace of Trump tactics splits party as he tries to boost his own campaign
At a recent primary debate, congressional candidate Dave Williams took the microphone and unleashed the same MAGA arguments that vaulted him from a former state representative to chairman of the Colorado Republican Party. “Right now we have a battle for the soul of our party,” Williams said. Williams' zeal and deployment of former President Donald Trump's combative style of politics as state pary chairman has riven the Colorado GOP, reflecting the Trump-shaped rift in the national Republican Party.
NBC News
Trump falsely claims he won Minnesota in 2020
Former President Donald Trump reiterated a false claim on Friday that he won Minnesota in 2020, despite Democratic candidates carrying it for over 40 years.
Associated Press
Malaysia minister says terror suspect who killed 2 police officers acted on his own
The young man who attacked a Malaysian police station and killed two officers was a recluse and believed to have acted on his own, despite suspected links to the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group, the country's home minister said Saturday. The man stormed a police station in southern Johor state near Singapore in the early hours of Friday with a machete. Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution called it a “lone wolf attack,” based on the initial investigation, and said there was no threat to the wider public.
Associated Press
It was once a center of Islamic learning. Now Mali's historic city of Djenné mourns lack of visitors
Kola Bah used to earn a living as a tour guide in Mali's historic city of Djenné, once a center of Islamic learning known for the sprawling mud-brick mosque that has been on the UNESCO World Heritage in Danger list since 2016. The Grand Mosque of Djenné — the world’s largest mud-brick building — used to draw tens of thousands of tourists to central Mali every year.
CNN
Zelensky wants China at Ukraine peace talks, cites ‘influence on Russia’
Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine wants to work with countries like China with “influence on Russia” as his country faces a renewed Moscow offensive, urging Beijing to attend peace talks next month.
Reuters
Donald Trump falsely tells supporters he won Minnesota in 2020
Donald Trump falsely claimed on Friday that he won the 2020 presidential election in Minnesota and he said he would win this year in the state that has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate in over 50 years. During an address to the Minnesota Republican Party's annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in St. Paul, Trump repeated the unfounded claim that the last presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden, a Democrat, was tainted by widespread fraud. "I know we won (Minnesota) in 2020," Trump said to applause.
Associated Press
Even with school choice, some Black families find options lacking decades after Brown v. Board
Since first grade, Julian Morris, 16, has changed schools six times, swinging between predominantly white and predominantly Black classrooms. At predominately Black schools, he felt more supported as a Black student, but his mother, Denita Dorsey, said they didn't have the same resources and academic opportunities. Seventy years after the Supreme Court ruled separating children in schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional, Dorsey said the options available to her family in Michigan are disappointing.
AFP
Ineos drives towards hydrogen car future
At a sprawling vehicle test centre in the English countryside, a hydrogen-powered Grenadier 4x4 made by Ineos Automotive grips steep and rugged tracks, showcasing its off-road capabilities. Calder spoke from the UTAC vehicle test centre in Millbrook, a village north of London, where the hydrogen-powered vehicle quietly navigated dusty sharp bends and other obstacles.
Associated Press
For decades, states have taken foster children's federal benefits. That's starting to change
By the time Jesse Fernandez turned 18, the federal government had paid out thousands of dollars in Social Security survivor's benefits because of the death of his mother. The money had all been used by Missouri's foster care system or relatives responsible for his care. “I was shocked,” said Jason White, a foster parent to Fernandez.
Associated Press
Widespread power outages from deadly Houston storm raise new risk: hot weather
As the Houston area works to clean up and restore power to thousands after deadly storms, it will do so Saturday under a smog warning and as all of southern Texas starts to feel the heat. The National Weather Service in Houston warned that with temperatures hitting around 90 degrees (32.2 C) this weekend, people should know the symptoms of heat exhaustion. Fierce storms Thursday with winds of up to 100 mph (161 kph) blew out windows downtown, while a tornado touched down near the the northwest Houston suburb of Cypress.
Associated Press
Donald Trump will address the NRA in Texas. He's called himself the best president for gun owners
Former President Donald Trump is expected to address thousands of members of the National Rifle Association in Texas a day after campaigning in Minnesota in the midst of his hush money trial. Trump has pledged to continue to defend the Second Amendment and has called himself “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House” as the country faces record numbers of deaths due to mass shootings.
Associated Press
Here's how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could make the first debate stage under stringent Biden-Trump rules
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long argued that the biggest hurdle of his presidential campaign is the perception that independent candidates can't win. With a famous name and a loyal base, Kennedy has the potential to do better than any third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot in the 1990s. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns, who fear he could play spoiler, bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission and agreed to a schedule that leaves Kennedy very little time to qualify for the first debate.
Associated Press
Noncitizen voting, already illegal in federal elections, becomes a centerpiece of 2024 GOP messaging
The other says it’s a dangerous distraction meant to seed doubts ahead of this year's presidential election. In recent months, the specter of immigrants voting illegally in the U.S. has erupted into a leading election-year talking point for Republicans. Voting by noncitizens already is illegal in federal elections and there is no indication it’s happening anywhere in significant numbers.
Associated Press
Landslide forces closure of iconic Southern California chapel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's son
A decades-old landslide that’s rapidly accelerating has forced the dismantling of Wayfarers Chapel, an iconic Southern California church that was designed by one of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright's sons and built among soaring redwoods and sweeping Pacific Ocean views. The earth beneath the chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes is moving an unprecedented 2 feet (61 centimeters) or more each month. “It’s actually dangerous to even walk on the grounds now because everything is breaking,” the Rev. Dan Burchett, the chapel’s executive director, told The Associated Press on Thursday.
CNN
Britain’s election campaign hasn’t started yet, but the mudslinging is well underway
When British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed the nation on Monday, he seemed tetchy and tired.
CNN
Hats and gloves come out as coldest May since 1950 grips Chile’s capital region
Straphangers at bus stops clutch steaming coffees and huddle for warmth. On the horizon, views of the Andes are as spectacular as ever, their snow-capped peaks gleaming extra bright after an early season storm
Politico
Trump attacks Biden and CNN over debates during Minnesota GOP event
During the Friday night speech, Trump also railed against the multiple criminal cases he’s facing.
Reuters
Philippines to vigorously defend territory, president says
MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Saturday the country will "vigorously defend what is ours", in a thinly veiled reference to mounting tensions with China over maritime disputes. The conduct against intruders disrespecting Philippine territorial integrity will be guided by law and the responsibility as a rules-abiding member of the international community, Marcos said in a speech to graduating military cadets. "Against intruders who have been disrespecting our territorial integrity, we will vigorously defend what is ours," Marcos said.
NBC News
Students speak out on Harrison Butker's 'uncomfortable' commencement address
Harrison Butker’s commencement speech left some at Benedictine College outraged after the Kansas City Chiefs kicker encouraged women to become homemakers.

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