The U.S. and Israel will hold a new round of strategic talks this week focusing on Iran's nuclear program and countering its activity in the region, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
Why it matters: The talks will take place amid a deep stalemate in indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken's surprise meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky— reported this evening by the AP — came the same day the only Ukrainian-born member of Congress called for the U.S. to resume diplomatic services in the country.
Why it matters: The trip by Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was fraught with risks — but just the kind Ukrainian-born Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) said the U.S. must take.
The Squad is poised for big gains in November despite the Democrats’ likely loss of the House.
Why it matters: The progressivepolitics that mainstream Democrats blame for their decline stand to take center stage if both trendlines hold. And the Squad-Plus would be positioned to push the diluted ranks of its rivals into backing some of its agenda — impacting the 2024 presidential race.
The battle for abortion access is moving from the courts and legislatures to state ballots.
Why it matters: The effort to codify public support through a referendum illustrates what many experts say is the future of abortion rights in America. They envision a state-by-state battle to keep abortion legal as the Supreme Court's conservative majority gears up to pare back or overturn Roe v. Wade.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv late Sunday, according to AP.
Why it matters: This is the first time top U.S. officials have traveled to Ukraine since the unprovoked Russian incursion began.
French President Emmanuel Macron defeated far-right leader Marine Le Pen to win re-election Sunday, with projections as polls closed showing him winning 58% to 42%.
Why it matters: Macron isthe first French president in 20 years to win a second term. While polls consistently showed him in the lead, there will be relief in Washington and Brussels as his victory is confirmed.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Sunday called House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy "a liar and a traitor" when asked about audio of the congressman saying he planned to urge President Trump to resign over the Jan. 6 riot.
Driving the news: "That is really the illness that pervades the Republican leadership right now," the Massachusetts Democrat told CNN's Dana Bash, "they say one thing to the American public and something else in private."
Ukrainian officials said Russian forces killed at least eight people in missile strikes on the Black Sea port city of Odessa on Saturday — including a 3-month-old baby.
Between the lines: If Putin's forces were to take the port city of Odessa it would effectively cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea. Sea cargo makes up 70% of all of Ukraine's imports and exports, with Odessa processing about 65% of this, per Al Jazeera.
The U.S. Air Force announced Saturday that a major general was found guilty by a military judge of one of three abusive sexual contact specifications in Ohio.
The big picture: The verdict in the case of Maj. Gen. William Cooley, who pleaded not guilty to all three specifications related to a 2018 incident involving a woman in Albuquerque, New Mexico, "marks the first court-martial trial and conviction of a general officer in the Air Force’s 75 year history," per a U.S. Air Force statement.
Amazon can begin construction on the helix-shaped tower centerpiece of its second headquarters (HQ2), in Arlington, Virginia, after the plans were unanimously approved by county lawmakers Saturday, per the Washington Post.
The big picture: The project will comprise 2.8 million square feet of office space across three 22-story buildings. At the center will be "The Helix," a tree-covered office featuring "two walkable paths of landscaped terrain that will spiral up the outside of the building," Amazon said when it announced the plans in February 2021. It aims to complete construction in 2025.
Former Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the former president Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate, has died, his foundation announced Saturday. He was 88.
The big picture: Hatch served from 1977 to 2019, making him Utah's longest-serving U.S. senator. He died surrounded by family in Salt Lake City, Utah, at 5:30 p.m., the Hatch Foundation said in a statement.
Why it matters: The stranding of Russia-bound vehicles including Cadillac, Mercedes and Lexus models, since the start of April highlights "confusion at key European ports over how to interpret and enforce sanctions" against the country, per the WSJ.
