Axios

In what some historians consider one of the best political speeches of the 20th century, former President Lyndon B. Johnson, 60 years ago this month, evoked memories of his former Mexican American students in Texas while urging Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act.

The big picture: As the nation marks the 60th anniversary of the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, many have forgotten the LBJ speech that made Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cry and connected Latinos to the nation's civil rights struggle.

Major League Baseball has removed the word "diversity" from its MLB Careers home page in reaction to President Trump's executive order ending "equal opportunity" for people of color and women in recruiting.

Why it matters: MLB's retreat makes it the latest entity to pull back on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices amid threats of legal action from the Trump administration.

A summit on battling antisemitism on college campuses is scheduled to begin Saturday in New York City amid a rise of antisemitic rhetoric and acts across the political spectrum.

Why it matters: The "Rise and Respond Global Student Summit Against Antisemitism" comes as President Trump threatens universities with funding cuts over antisemitism allegations, drawing criticism from free speech advocates.

President Trump has embarked on a systematic effort to unravel Lyndon B. Johnson's civil rights legacy, rolling back protections that have shaped American life for nearly six decades.

Why it matters: Backlash to the racial justice movement of 2020 has overshadowed a more fundamental, long-standing conservative goal: Turning back the clock on the sweeping societal changes of 1965.

The U.S. State Department on Friday sanctioned former Argentinian President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner due to her conviction in a $1 billion fraud scheme.

Why it matters: While a U.S. senator, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Republicans called for anti-corruption sanctions to be imposed on Kirchner, a leftist, following her conviction in December 2022. The Biden Administration declined.

Elon Musk met with the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday after President Trump and other officials denied reports that he was originally scheduled to receive a top-secret briefing for a potential war with China.

Why it matters: Some lawmakers and ethics experts have raised conflict of interest concerns about Musk's role as senior adviser to the president while his companies hold substantial government contracts — in particular SpaceX, which has deals with the Pentagon and NASA.

London's Heathrow Airport resumed some flights after closing earlier Friday when a fire at an electrical substation caused a major power outage and sparked travel chaos.

Why it matters: Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in Europe and one of the best-connected travel hubs in the world. At least 1,350 flights that were scheduled to arrive at or depart from the airport have been affected so far, per the flight-tracking service Flightradar24.

Kyivstar, the Ukrainian mobile operator that just agreed to list on the Nasdaq via a reverse merger, has agreed to buy local ride-hail and delivery firm Uklon for $155 million.

Why it matters: This suggests some level of economic optimism for the besieged country, even as that giant minerals deal with the U.S. remains in limbo.

A Supreme Court judge on Friday issued an injunction freezing the dismissal of the Shin Bet director until a hearing can be held on the matter, hours after Israel's cabinet voted unanimously to dismiss him.

Why it matters: The vote to fire Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's most powerful security agency, was unprecedented. No government in Israel's history has ever before sought to remove someone from the position.