Twitter's U.S. Ad Sales Plunge 59% as Woes Continue  —  In internal forecasts, the company projected that ad sales would keep declining, handing a tough challenge to its new chief executive.  —  Ryan Mac reports on Twitter, and Tiffany Hsu reports on misinformation.

Ukraine's counter-offensive appears to have begun  —  Its armour strikes in the south-east; but there is more to come  —  For months a guessing game has played out in military circles worldwide: where and when would Ukraine conduct its counter-offensive?  Most expected it to come through …

Sonic boom heard across D.C. region caused by military flight, officials say  —  An authorized Defense Department plane caused a sonic boom heard across the D.C. region Sunday afternoon, officials in Maryland said.  —  The sonic boom was related to an incident involving a Cessna that crashed in Virginia …

Showtime Pulls ‘Vice’ Episode on Ron DeSantis  —  An installment delving into the Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate's time as a U.S. Navy JAG officer at Guantanamo Bay was quietly shelved without explanation.  —  Showtime quietly pulled an episode of its Vice newsmagazine last week …

Inside the high-stakes clash for control of Ukraine's story  —  The News  —  Journalists covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine are engaged in a running, low-grade conflict with the Ukrainian government, which many believe uses access and accreditation to shape their stories.

Unsafe Maritime Interaction During Routine Taiwan Strait Transit  —  Video by Petty Officer 1st Class Reymundo Villegas  —  Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet  —  230603-N-XX566-0001 TAIWAN STRAIT (June 3, 2023) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) observes PLA …

What Happened When a Brooklyn Neighborhood Policed Itself for Five Days  —  On a two-block stretch of Brownsville in April, the police stepped aside and let residents respond to 911 calls.  It was a bold experiment that some believe could redefine law-enforcement in New York City.

Casey DeSantis Is the Walmart Melania  —  She'd better hope that pleather is pudding-proof. … The First Lady of Florida showed up on the campaign trail in Iowa this weekend wearing a ghastly black leather jacket—American flag on front, an alligator and the silhouette of her state on the back …

DeSantis and the Nebulous ‘Charisma Threshold’  —  On the menu today: I'm not interested in discussing whether you think Ron DeSantis is charismatic or not.  What I want to discuss is how seemingly overnight, so many people decided that the single most important measuring stick of DeSantis …

Democratic Senate hopeful claims primary residence in Arizona — and D.C.  —  As part of a VA loan application, the Arizona congressmen pledged the D.C. home was his ‘principal’ residence.  —  When Arizona Senate candidate Ruben Gallego bought a house near Capitol Hill last year …

These 25 rainbow flag-waiving corporations donated $13.5 million to anti-gay politicians since 2022  —  In 2023, conservative activists have advanced the theory that major corporations are pushing a radical, pro-LGBTQ agenda onto the country.  —  For example, Anheuser-Busch sent trans …

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tests the conspiratorial appetite of Democrats  —  One of the most famous living descendants of the most famous American political dynasty shows early strength against Biden in polls  —  INDIANAPOLIS — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a candidate for president supported …

Exclusive: Ukraine has cultivated sabotage agents inside Russia and is giving them drones to stage attacks, sources say  —  Ukraine has cultivated a network of agents and sympathizers inside Russia working to carry out acts of sabotage against Russian targets and has begun providing …

Suddenly, things are actually going the Senate GOP campaign arm's way  —  A high-profile recruit and some decisions by people not to run has the NRSC feeling good.  —  Senate Republicans blew it last year in the midterms.  Six months later, things are finally going their way.

‘Trump too small’ trademark clash to be decided by Supreme Court  —  The dispute is over whether lawyer Steve Elster can register “Trump too small” as a trademark for use on T-shirts.  —  WASHINGTON — A crude joke that Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., used to mock what he said was then-2016 …

Targeting Toyota for Its Electric-Vehicle Heresy  —  Public pensions and proxy advisers try to punish the company using corporate governance as a pretext.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  It wasn't long ago that Toyota's hybrid vehicles were all the rage with the climate-change left.

The GOP's Authoritarian Acceleration  —  Internal resistance to its anti-democratic turn has all but vanished.  —  In May 2017, Donald Trump fired FBI director James Comey, crashing through the first of many important democratic norms.  While FBI directors technically can be fired …

Big Banks Could Face 20% Boost to Capital Requirements  —  Those relying on fees might need larger buffers to absorb losses under planned rules  —  WASHINGTON—U.S. regulators are preparing to force large banks to shore up their financial footing, moves they say will help boost the resilience …

Kamala Harris can't be trusted with AI regulation  —  AI regulation needs to be handled by a panel of experts, not Kamala Harris  —  Recently, the White House decided that appointing an unqualified, politicized leader is perfect for tackling the complex issue of AI regulation.

Congress used to pass laws.  Now we're a nation of executive orders.  —  Recent history shows it's not a stable way to make policy.  —  ∙ Paid … Last week, the Senate passed a bill that would eliminate President Joe Biden's student loan debt relief plan.

June 4, 2023  —  Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, a staunch supporter of Russian president Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine, last week awarded the First Degree of the Order of Glory and Honor from the Russian Orthodox Church to Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán.