‘Biden and Me’: DeSantis Privately Tells Donors Trump Can’t Win
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday told donors and supporters on a call that only he would be able to win both the Republican primary and the general election. “You have basically three people at this point that are credible in this whole thing,” DeSantis said on the call. “Biden, Trump and me. And I think of those three, two have a chance to get elected president — Biden and me, based on all the data in the swing states, which is not great for the former president and probably insurmountable because people aren’t going to change their view of him.”
Supreme Court Rules Against Andy Warhol in Copyright Case
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Andy Warhol was not entitled to draw on a prominent photographer’s portrait of Prince for an image of the musician that his estate licensed to a magazine, limiting the scope of the fair-use defense to copyright infringement in the realm of visual art. The vote was 7-2. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing for the majority, said the photographer’s “original works, like those of other photographers, are entitled to copyright protection, even against famous artists.” In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, wrote that the decision “will stifle creativity of every sort.”
Feinstein Suffered More Complications From Illness Than Were Publicly Disclosed
When she arrived at the Capitol last week after a more than two-month absence recovering from shingles, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., 89, appeared shockingly diminished. Feinstein’s frail appearance was a result of complications after she was hospitalized for shingles in February, some of which she has not publicly disclosed. The shingles spread to her face and neck, causing vision and balance impairments and facial paralysis. The virus also brought on a previously unreported case of encephalitis, a rare but potentially debilitating complication of shingles that a spokesperson confirmed Thursday after The New York Times first revealed it, saying that the condition had “resolved itself” in March.
As Biden Weighs Paring Public Assistance in Debt Limit Talks, Liberals Balk
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s demand that any deal to raise the debt limit include stricter work requirements for social safety net programs has drawn a backlash from liberal Democrats in Congress. A group of 11 senators wrote to President Joe Biden on Thursday urging him to “prepare to exercise your authority under the 14th Amendment,” which says the validity of U.S. public debt “shall not be questioned,” to continue issuing new debt to pay bondholders, Social Security recipients, government employees and others even if Congress fails to extend the government’s borrowing authority when the limit is reached, projected to be as early as June 1.
Supreme Court Dismisses Case on Pandemic-Era Immigration Measure
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an attempt by Republican-led states to maintain the pandemic-era immigration measure known as Title 42. The court’s one-sentence order instructed an appeals court to dismiss the states’ motion to intervene in the case as moot. The move was almost surely prompted by the end of the health emergency that had been used to justify Title 42. Title 42 allowed migrants who might otherwise have qualified for asylum to be swiftly expelled at the border with Mexico. The policy, introduced by the Trump administration in March 2020, has been used to expel migrants about 2.5 million times. The measure was lifted May 11.
As Russia Tries to Pummel Kyiv, a Blast in Crimea Hints at Ukraine’s Reach
Ukraine’s air defenses shot down dozens of Russian missiles in the skies above Kyiv early Thursday, and an explosion derailed a Russian freight train in Crimea, the latest in a series of blasts in Russian-occupied territory. Ukrainian authorities did not claim any role in the derailment. The missile attack and the explosion come before a widely expected Ukrainian offensive aiming to retake occupied land. In anticipation of that campaign, Russia has fired volley after volley of missiles. One slipped through Ukraine’s defenses, striking an industrial site in Odesa and killing a civilian, city officials said. The derailment in Crimea caused no injuries but interrupted rail service.
The Long Isolation of Syria’s Assad Is Over
In the three months since a devastating earthquake struck in February, Syrian President Bashar Assad has made a remarkable comeback, going from more than a decade of near-total global isolation after a series of atrocities to being welcomed back into the Arab fold. On Friday, he is expected to attend an annual summit of Arab leaders for the first time in 13 years. Assad could face a tepid welcome by the rest of the Arab League, with members divided over whether and how to rebuild their relationships with the Syrian dictator. But his attendance alone is a powerful symbol.
As U.S. Attends G-7, China Hosts Summit of Its Own
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, is kicking off a summit Thursday, rolling out the red carpet for five Central Asian countries critical to China’s regional ambitions. The inaugural China-Central Asia summit is part of China’s broader aim to strengthen economic and political partnerships with like-minded countries. Xi’s summit was scheduled on the eve of the annual Group of 7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, which begins Friday, where China is expected to be a major topic. The summit also points to China’s interest in filling some of the void left by Russia, a key trading partner and longtime security provider for the region.
Junta Stands in Way of Cyclone Aid in Myanmar
Four days after Cyclone Mocha made landfall in Myanmar, aid groups remained stymied by the junta Thursday as survivors faced growing threats of hunger and illness. A spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said relief agencies were ready to step in, but awaiting the military regime’s approval. Victims of the cyclone face food shortages, disease, a lack of clean water and other perils. Without swift aid, humanitarian experts fear that the number of deaths — estimated by some at more than 450 — could climb, as it did after 2008’s Cyclone Nargis, which ultimately claimed more than 135,000 lives.
A Centuries-Old Mystery: Did This Elusive Viking City Exist?
After the local government decided to build an observation tower on an island in the Baltic Sea, a Polish archaeologist was called in to check the site before construction. The archaeologist found charcoaled wood indicating the remains of a 10th century stronghold. Was it a fearsome fortress mentioned in ancient texts? Nordic warriors established outposts more than a millennium ago on Poland’s Baltic coast. But the location of a military stronghold that early 12th century texts called Jomsborg has never been known. Some scholars believe Jomsborg was only a legend. The findings on Wolin Island might alter that view.
By wire sources