Axios

Former President Trump is getting major help for his campaign ahead of closing arguments next week in his historic criminal trial.

• Why it matters: Gov. Ron DeSantis is helping with big donor fundraising, while former UN ambassador Nikki Haley has moved to mend the primary's deepest rift by saying she'll vote for him over President Biden.

DeSantis spent this morning raising $3 million to support Trump's campaign, AP reports.

• DeSantis is supporting Right for America, a super PAC that competes with Trump's main super PAC, AP reports. The arrangement will reportedly court donors who want to back Trump but don't want their cash going to his legal bills.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas went after the 70-year-old Brown v. Board of Education ruling today, suggesting the court overreached its authority in the landmark decision that banned separating schoolchildren by race.

Why it matters: American public schools are growing more separate and unequal even though the country is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever, according to an Axios review published last week.

• The 9-0 Brown decision declared the "separate but equal" doctrine unconstitutional and helped usher in the Civil Rights Movement.
• Thomas attacked the Brown decision in a concurrence opinion today that allowed South Carolina to keep using a congressional map that critics say discriminated against Black voters.

Outside Trump's upcoming rally in South Bronx, New York, an impersonator does his thing.

Arizona doctors can now legally provide abortions in California for Arizona patients needing to travel out of state for care.

Why it matters: The new law protects and expands access to the procedure as Arizona patients and doctors navigate the state's recent near-total abortion ban.

Bipartisan Senate negotiators are weighing decreasing U.S. support for some International Criminal Court programs along with, or potentially instead of, the sanctions that some Democrats oppose, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Lawmakers are split on just how harshly to target the ICC after it decided to seek an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Former President Trump's false claim that President Biden was "locked & loaded ready to take me out" during the FBI's search at his Mar-a-Lago residence has quickly fallen apart.

Why it matters: Trump's claim fueled a social media frenzy among some of his MAGA allies, leading federal law enforcement to denounce the accusations.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is facing growing calls from Democratic lawmakers to recuse himself from Jan. 6-related cases after news emerged that a second controversial flag was flown at one of his homes.

Why it matters: To many Democrats, the news reinforces their suspicions about conservative justices' sympathy for former President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

A border deal that would have allowed the president to shut down the border when crossings surge was blocked again on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon.

Why it matters: Democrats have been pounding former President Trump and Republicans for refusing to help fix a broken border system. The vote was seen as providing cover for vulnerable Senate Democrats up for re-election — and for the White House as it weighs aggressive executive actions.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas issued a strong rebuke of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling on Thursday, suggesting the court overreached its authority in the landmark decision that banned separating schoolchildren by race.

Why it matters: Thomas attacked the Brown decision in a concurrence opinion that allowed South Carolina to keep using a congressional map that critics say discriminated against Black voters.

President Biden's campaign called out former President Trump Thursday for claiming that his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin will secure Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's release "almost immediately after the Election."

Why it matters: Gershkovich has been detained in Russia for over a year without formal charges or a trial after being accused of espionage for reporting on the long-term financial strain on the Russian economy from Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

María Guadalupe Navarro Hernández of Mexico competes in the Para Athletics World Championships, the world's premier para athletics event, this week in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.

• Navarro Hernandez finished seventh in the women's javelin throw F56, and fifth in the women's discus throw F55 final.

1. The brother of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has been placed under "medical supervision" at home — allegedly against his will — after he publicly criticized the government.

• Humberto Ortega, a retired general, already had his phone and electronics confiscated earlier this week, and Nicaraguan dissidents are saying the "medical watch" is a sign that he's essentially been placed under house arrest.
• Last week Humberto Ortega gave an interview to regional outlet Infobae in which he said the country run by his brother and sister-in-law Rosario Murillo (who goes by "co-president") is "headed for disaster".

Today's pachanga is dedicated to Melody Capote, the executive director of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute!

• Melody, a New York City-raised Afro Puerto Rican activist, is dedicated to uplifting her community and working on behalf of artists and many others.
• She is also a skilled fundraiser who has helped the institute grow.
• Melody is currently one of the first 12 arts leaders selected for the Pinkerton Foundation's latest initiative, the Pinkerton Advanced Leadership Network, which includes a series of grants for work advancing racial justice and civil rights.

Our hats off to you, Melody!

Over 1,000 Harvard University graduates walked out of their commencement ceremony Thursday in protest of the school's decision to bar some students who participated in pro-Palestinian encampments from getting their degrees.

Why it matters: After encampments and demonstrations on campuses across the country were shut down by police and college administrators, students are maintaining their anti-war push and their demands that universities divest from Israeli companies.

The number of Americans who identify as Asian American Pacific Islander Latinos has more than doubled over the last two decades, a new study finds.

The big picture: AAPI Latinos are having an enormous influence on literature, politics and pop culture, but little research exists on one of the nation's fastest-growing demographics.

Steve Kramer, a longtime Democratic political operative, was indicted over AI-generated robocalls that impersonated President Biden's voice to discourage voters in New Hampshire, the state's Attorney General announced Thursday.

The big picture: Kramer, a former political consultant for Biden's long-shot Democratic primary challenger Rep. Dean Phillips (Minn.), was charged with 13 felony counts of voter suppression and 13 misdemeanor counts of impersonation of a candidate.

Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay $310 million for damages from the 2023 derailment of a freight train carrying toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Thursday.

Why it matters: Several different toxic chemicals were released during the derailment and its aftermath, igniting concerns over potential long-term health ramifications for residents and environmental impacts.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday pushed back on the notion that Democrats are divided on Israel, quipping that it's "nothing but puppies and rainbows" on his side of the aisle.

Why it matters: Since the onset of the war in Gaza, Republicans have repeatedly held votes aimed at splintering Democrats on the issue and going after those who vote against any pro-Israel measures.

House Democrats are preparing for a sizable number of defections on a vote to block a Washington, D.C. law allowing non-citizen voting despite their leadership whipping against it.

Why it matters: The bill is likely doomed in the Senate, but Republicans have vowed to turn it into a campaign issue by going after any Democrat who votes against it.

Northwestern's administration won't divest from Israel, despite demands from pro-Palestinian student activists, the university's president told Congress on Thursday.

Why it matters: Northwestern was one of the first universities to reach an agreement with encampment protesters, whose principal negotiation terms included the university's divestment from academic and economic ties to Israel.

The number of English-language streaming films dropped by more than 28% from 2022 to 2023, per a new report.

Why it matters: Fewer streaming films means fewer opportunities for Latino actors and filmmakers to get a shot in Hollywood.

More than half of Americans — 56% — mistakenly believe the U.S. is currently in a recession and that Biden is responsible for a worsening economy, according to a stunning new poll conducted by Harris for The Guardian.

Why it matters: The economy is actually in good shape and there's no recession. But misperceptions like this are a huge political challenge for President Biden and an advantage for former President Trump as they vie for second terms.

Working class voters are unhappy about President Biden's economy. That may be partly due to the price of their Happy Meals.

Why it matters: Fast food restaurants have had some of the sharpest price hikes during the Biden administration, higher than both grocery bills and gas prices.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry was on alert after China's military announced two days of drills around the self-governing island, three days after the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.

Why it matters: Chinese military spokesperson Li Xi said the drills should serve as a "strong punishment for the separatist acts" after the election on the democratic island Beijing claims is part of its territory and also a "stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces," per state media.

An "Appeal to Heaven" flag was hung outside Justice Samuel Alito's vacation home as recently as 2023, according to photographs obtained by the New York Times.

Why it matters: It's the second symbol reportedly displayed outside an Alito home that has a connection to the Jan. 6 riot.

Plans to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress are being met with fierce pushback from Democrats.

Why it matters: Some top House Democrats are going so far as to say Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) should not sign onto the invitation.

The progressive movement's intense, zero-sum focus on the war in Gaza since Oct. 7 is wearing on some of its Capitol Hill allies, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The tension played out this month when Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) floated a statement in support of pro-Palestinian campus protesters.

• The proposal, which has not been previously reported, faced pushback from several senior members of the caucus, multiple sources familiar with the discussions told Axios. Ultimately, the statement did not go out.

Zoom out: Raucous pro-Palestinian protests have, for many lawmakers, come to represent a nuisance that highlights chaos and conflict on their side.

This morning: Capitol Police recovered two vials of blood sent to the Republican National Committee headquarters, just blocks from the Capitol building.

This afternoon: The House floor ground to a halt for more than an hour after Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said Trump is "on trial for covering up hush money payments to a porn star for political gain." The comments were eventually struck from the record.

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to note that McGovern is a Democrat, not a Republican.

Former President Trump is holding a rally on Thursday in South Bronx, a New York neighborhood that's 64% Hispanic and 31% Black.

Why it matters: It'll be a test of how much support (or curiosity) he will be able to gin up in a nonwhite, working-class community.

The progressive movement's intense, zero-sum focus on the war in Gaza since Oct. 7 is wearing on some of its Capitol Hill allies, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The tension played out this month when Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) floated a statement in support of pro-Palestinian campus protesters.