Prosecutor in Trump criminal probe convenes grand jury to hear evidence, weigh potential charges  —  NEW YORK — Manhattan's district attorney has convened the grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict former president Donald Trump, other executives at his company or the business itself …

“Cancel Culture,” Hypocrisy, and Double Standards  —  Two controversies—over Nikole Hannah-Jones's teaching post at UNC and Emily Wilder's firing by the AP—raise questions about attacks on free speech from the right  —  Last Wednesday, a surge of Twitter outrage followed reports that Nikole Hannah-Jones …

‘Time For Self Care’: Dianne Morales' Campaign Goes Dark As Sources Say Multiple Senior Staff Quit  —  The mayoral campaign of Dianne Morales, a former non profit executive, effectively paused on Tuesday with just 28 days left until the crucial Democratic primary in New York City.

Federal Judge Dismisses Steve Bannon's Indictment Due to Trump Pardon, But Not Without a Parting Shot  —  Former White House strategist Steve Bannon got what he asked for—and then some.  —  The hard-right media mogul turned Donald Trump campaign and administration operative prevailed …

Scoop: States warn banks — Drop coal, and we drop you  —  More than a dozen Republican state treasurers are threatening to pull assets from large financial institutions if they agree to decarbonize their lending and investment portfolios, Axios has learned.

Nevada GOP thrown into turmoil after avowed Proud Boys member said he participated in censure vote of state official  —  The leaders of the Nevada Republican Party are facing an internal revolt after an avowed Proud Boys member said he was invited with friends to attend a state party meeting …

Tech company running Arizona ballot audit backs out: ‘They were done’  —  Jen Fifield Andrew OxfordArizona Republic  —  The Pennsylvania-based IT company that was in charge of running the hand recount of Maricopa County ballots is no longer involved in the audit.

Trump is starting to put together his own Contract with America.  And he's teaming up with Newt.  —  Acid wash jeans, scrunchies, and... Newt Gingrich.  Fashion from the '90s is having a comeback, and so too is the '90s Republican playbook for how to win back congressional majorities.

The Strange Anti-Semitism of the Pro-Jewish Right Marjorie Taylor-Greene loves the Jews to death.  —  Representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene is perhaps best known for having shared her belief that California wildfires were deliberately started by space lasers controlled by the Rothschild family …

Biden ready to name Eric Garcetti ambassador to India  —  President Biden is ready to nominate Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as his ambassador to India, sending a trusted political ally to the world's biggest democracy, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Kathryn Garcia leads field in new poll, 4 weeks ahead of Election Day  —  Former city sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia is leading the Democratic field of mayoral contenders, with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams hot on her trail, according to a new poll four weeks ahead of Election Day.

The GOP Becomes What it Once Despised  —  Turning their backs on the First Amendment, Republicans are making Marcuse great again.

Schumer to force vote on Jan. 6 commission this week  —  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is planning to hold a vote before the Memorial Day recess on whether to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the events of Jan. 6, according to several senators.

AI emotion-detection software tested on Uyghurs  —  A camera system that uses AI and facial recognition intended to reveal states of emotion has been tested on Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the BBC has been told.  —  A software engineer claimed to have installed such systems in police stations in the province.

Pompeo-led effort to hunt down Covid lab theory shut down by Biden administration over concerns about quality of evidence  —  US still not sure on the origins of Covid-19 pandemic  —  Washington (CNN)President Joe Biden's team shut down a closely-held State Department effort launched late …

If Roe v. Wade is Struck Down, It'll Cost Republicans  —  The Supreme Court could overturn the landmark abortion ruling.  Democrats could benefit especially in purple swing states.  —  In March, I wrote of my hope that the Supreme Court would let stand the lower court decision nullifying Mississippi's ban …

Secretary of State Katie Hobbs stripped of roles by Appropriations Committee  —  PHOENIX — Political score-settling is not supposed to be part of the budgeting process, but you will have a hard time convincing Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee of that.

After democracy dies  —  Wisconsin Republicans quickly rejected a fully-funded federal offer to provide healthcare to the poor: … The normal solution in a 50/50 state to legislators acting like sociopaths and doing extremely unpopular things would be to defeat them at the ballot box.

Black residents now account for more than 8 in 10 D.C. coronavirus cases  —  Black people make up more than 80 percent of coronavirus cases reported in the District in recent days, compared with 46 percent late last year, a disparity that D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) highlighted in a call with Ward 8 community leaders Tuesday.

Families in anguish over pair held in Belarus  —  The families of a dissident journalist and his girlfriend, held after a plane was diverted to Belarus, have spoken of their concern for their safety.  —  Roman Protasevich and his Russian girlfriend Sofia Sapega are now in detention.

Scoop: Israeli spy chief in talks to join Mnuchin's investment fund  —  The boss of Israel's spy agency has been in private talks with former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin about joining his investment fund that will work with Gulf countries, two sources familiar with the conversations tell Axios.

COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections Reported to CDC — United States, January 1-April 30, 2021  —  CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Case Investigations Team (View author affiliations)  —  COVID-19 vaccines are a critical tool for controlling the ongoing global pandemic.

Senate confirms DOJ nominee Kristen Clarke with just one Republican vote  —  Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted yes with all Democrats, and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., did not vote  —  Fox News Flash top headlines for May 25  —  The Senate confirmed Kristen Clarke as the first Black woman …

“Shadow Wins”: How ICE Avoids Judicial Accountability by Quietly Releasing Immigrants Who Challenge Being Detained  —  ICE helps maintain the status quo of prolonged detentions by releasing immigrants without having their cases vindicated in court, according to a new report.

The Teen Who Filmed George Floyd's Murder Shared How It Changed Her Life In A Touching Tribute  —  Darnella Frazier, the teen who recorded the viral video of George Floyd's murder, reflected on witnessing his final moments and the impact it has had on her life in a powerful post on the anniversary of his death Tuesday.

Bipartisan group of senators prepares new infrastructure plan as talks stall between White House and GOP  —  Romney and several others are trying to craft a deal that they hope can win support from lawmakers in both parties  —  A small bipartisan group of senators is privately sketching …

Newsom ordered to pay $1.35 million for COVID-19 church discrimination  —  California's embattled Gov. Gavin Newsom has been dealt a fresh blow after a federal judge ordered him to pay $1.35 million over the state's draconian lockdown of 3,000 churches during the coronavirus pandemic.

Red Lines  —  The Constitution invites us—and politics compels us—to consider redrawing state and local borders.  —  The following essay is the first in a new feature from The American Mind on the possibilities—and necessity—of rearranging our political map.  —  In September of 2020, I published a book entitled The Stakes.