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”.

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” …

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.

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.

Tide turns for Trump favorite in key Senate race  —  SELMA, N.C. — Donald Trump came to town at just the right moment — in time to witness his chosen candidate finally emerge as the front-runner in the state's contentious Senate primary.  —  After struggling for months to take the lead …

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.

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.

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 …

‘What the hell was he thinking?’  Pennsylvania conservatives react to Trump's support of OZ  —  RICHLAND, Pa. — Chairwoman Jackie Kulback has a very detailed list of criteria that her county party she chairs — the Cambria County Republican Committee — requires to endorse candidates in next month's U.S. Senate primary contest.

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.

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.

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%.

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 …

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 …

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

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 …

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 …

Why Elon Musk has blocked me on Twitter (and now owns the joint)  —  This isn't about freedom of speech.  It's about power. … We begin another gut-wrenching week watching Putin's barbarity in Ukraine.  The Russian people know little about it because Putin has blocked their access to the truth, substituting propaganda and lies.

Ethics experts say Herschel Walker's U.S. Senate financial disclosure bears further scrutiny  —  Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker takes questions at a rare appearance in front of reporters during qualifying for the 2022 election in Atlanta early March 2022.

John Fetterman says he'll ‘lean in’ on U.S.-Israel relationship as senator … John Fetterman, the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and the Democratic frontrunner in next month's high-profile Senate primary, said he was “eager to affirm” his “unwavering” commitment to bolstering ties between …

Russian ‘regime of murderers’ revealed by twice-poisoned Putin critic  —  Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician, decries world leaders unable to “open their eyes” to Putin's dangerous regime until large scale war broke out.  Big Picture is available on CNN+ — CNN's new streaming service.Source: CNN

In French Election, It's Macron vs. Le Pen in a Showdown for Mélenchon's Voters  —  The French went to the polls on Sunday to choose their next president.  As predicted, turnout was low, with 26.3 percent abstaining (up nearly 4 percent since 2017).  The incumbent, Emmanuel Macron …

BREAKING: Philly Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate  —  Philadelphia will again require masks indoors at businesses and schools.  The Health Department is still holding a briefing about the news.  —  Lee la historia en español aquí.  —  With COVID-19 cases slowly rising …

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 …

Trump alums cash in on Saudi ties  —  Two former top officials in the Trump White House have secured billions of dollars from the Saudi government, in the form of investments in their new private equity funds, the New York Times reports.  —  Driving the news: Jared Kushner's firm …