Ukraine War: Russia warns Sweden and Finland against Nato membership  —  Russia has warned Finland and Sweden against joining Nato, arguing the move would not bring stability to Europe.  —  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation”.

The Backlash Over Trump's Dr. Oz Endorsement Shows His Hold on the GOP Is Slipping  —  MAGA-world's disappointment in their Dear Leader could mean they're getting ready to move on. … Donald Trump's recent endorsement of Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Republican primary race for U.S. Senate …

Abby Finkenauer can't appear on Democratic primary ballot, Iowa judge rules … U.S. Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer cannot appear on Iowa's June 7 Democratic primary ballot, a judge ruled Sunday.  —  The late night ruling, which reverses a state panel's decision, is a major setback for Finkenauer …

Why American Teens Are So Sad  —  Sign up for Derek's newsletter here.  —  The United States is experiencing an extreme teenage mental-health crisis.  From 2009 to 2021, the share of American high-school students who say they feel “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” …

Has US Rep. Kai Kahele Given Up On Washington?  —  WASHINGTON — When Kai Kahele announced he was running for Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District in 2019, he vowed one thing to his future constituents — that he'd show up and do the job.  —  It was a stark contrast to the person who was sitting in the seat at the time.

Karen Bass and Rick Caruso in dead heat, L.A. mayoral poll finds  —  Voters upset over crime and a seemingly limitless geyser of cash have propelled Rick Caruso to the front of the race for mayor, reshaping the contest and offering Los Angeles a stark contrast between the billionaire developer and his chief rival, Rep. Karen Bass.

Biden admin, DOJ to announce final rule on ‘ghost guns’  —  Steve Dettelbach is also expected to be nominated to serve as ATF director.  —  President Joe Biden and the Department of Justice are set to announce a final rule on “ghost guns” on Monday in the Rose Garden.

White House says it expects inflation to be ‘extraordinarily elevated’ in new report  — The Biden administration is bracing for the Labor Department's consumer price index report to show that inflation is “extraordinarily elevated.”  — The consumer price index, or CPI, is one of Wall Street's favorite ways to measure inflation.

The city of Philadelphia will reinstate an indoor mask mandate, the first major U.S. city to do so this spring.  —  With new coronavirus cases low but rising sharply in recent days, the city of Philadelphia announced on Monday that it will reinstate an indoor mask mandate a little more than a month …

What happens when a group of Fox News viewers watch CNN for a month?  —  A study that paid viewers of the rightwing cable network to switch shed light on the media's influence on people's views  —  atching Fox News can be like entering an alternative universe.

I Commanded U.S. Army Europe.  Here's What I Saw in the Russian and Ukrainian Armies.  —  The two armies at war today couldn't be more different.  —  In March 2011, I began a new posting as the Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, in command of all U.S. Army forces stationed in various countries throughout Europe.

Trump and Ukraine: Former Advisers Revisit What Happened  —  Amid the current crisis, Fiona Hill and other former advisers are connecting President Trump's pressure campaign on Ukraine to Jan. 6.  And they're ready to talk.  —  To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

The Lerner family will explore selling the Washington Nationals  —  The family of real estate magnate Ted Lerner, which 16 years ago purchased the Washington Nationals from Major League Baseball and oversaw a rebuilding process that eventually resulted in a World Series championship …

Stung by redistricting rulings, Republicans target state court elections  —  Republicans are vowing to spend record amounts in key state supreme court races this fall, seeking to take advantage of a favorable national political environment to elect conservative judges at the state level amid deep political divisions.

The new White House rule: Do not talk about Joe Manchin  —  The fate of President Joe Biden's domestic agenda may hinge on his administration's ability to do one simple thing: Shut up.  —  Four months after Biden's Build Back Better plan collapsed amid a bitter back-and-forth with Sen. Joe Manchin …

Russia Airs Its Ultimate ‘Revenge Plan’ for America  —  Battered and infuriated by sanctions over the war in Ukraine, Putin's henchmen are plotting their master plan for revenge on live television.  —  As Russia's war of aggression continues to ravage its neighbor, the Kremlin's propaganda apparatus …

Democrats are sleepwalking into a Senate disaster  —  Business as usual will produce a huge GOP majority … Traditionally, the President's party averages roughly 47.5% of the two-party vote 1 in midterms.  Right now, in FiveThirtyEight's average of public polls, Democrats are polling at 48.7%.

Russia has defaulted on its foreign debt, says S&P  —  London (CNN Business)Russia has defaulted on its foreign debt because it offered bondholders payments in rubles, not dollars, credit ratings agency S&P has said.  —  Russia attempted to pay in rubles for two dollar-denominated bonds …

Bucha's Month of Terror  —  ‘They shot my son.  I was next to him.  It would be better if it had been me.’  —  As the Russian advance on Kyiv stalled, a campaign of terror and revenge against civilians nearby in Bucha began, survivors and investigators say.  —  Russian soldiers set up in this school.

New York Latest To Lift Hurdle To Nurse Practitioners During Pandemic  —  New York is the latest in a growing number of states giving direct access to nurse practitioners thanks to legislation eliminating hurdles for patients who need primary care, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Remote Work Becomes Permanent, Can Manhattan Adapt?  —  With more companies adopting hybrid work, New York City's economy, which relies on commuters and full office buildings, faces an uncertain future.  —  PwC, a global consulting firm with its American headquarters in New York City …

Anti-Semitic incidents are surging in post-pandemic NYC  —  After a pandemic lull, anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York City are at historic highs.  —  The NYPD says there were 86 anti-Jewish hate crimes in the city in the first three months of this year.  At this rate, annual totals …

New Must Read Alaska poll: Sarah Palin, Nick Begich are top two Republicans on the ballot for Congress  —  A poll commissioned by Must Read Alaska over the weekend shows that Sarah Palin has both a chance of winning the race for Congress, but also has a high negative factor and could hand …

Distraught over orders to investigate trans kids' families, Texas child welfare workers are resigning  —  Other investigators don't want to follow an order they believe harms families but worry about the impact of a mass employee exodus on the state's most vulnerable children.  —  Copy link

White House Expected to Name New Commander to Lead Allied Forces in Europe  —  Army Gen. Cavoli to be nominated for European Command; Biden to tap new general to lead Special Operation forces  —  WASHINGTON—A top American Army general in Europe is expected to be elevated to lead all U.S. and allied forces …

Malinowski has colossal $1 million first-quarter fundraising haul  —  Democratic congressman's cash-on-hand now at $3.5 million  —  Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) raised an astronomical $1.06 million during the first quarter of 2022 and has a massive $3.5 million warchest in his bid for re-election in New Jersey's 7th district.