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🏀 NBA playoffs: The Timberwolves blew out the Nuggets, 106-80, in Denver to go up 2-0 on the defending champs; Jalen Brunson (43 points) and the Knicks beat the Pacers, 121-117, in Game 1 at The Garden. ‌ 🏒 NHL playoffs: The Bruins blasted the Panthers, 5-1, in the series opener behind 38 saves from Jeremy Swayman, whose .955 save percentage leads all postseason goalies. ‌ ⚽️ Another loss for United: Crystal Palace beat Manchester United, 4-0, to hand the club its 13th Premier League loss this season (most ever) and 18th loss in all competitions (most since 1977-78). ‌ 🏒 Bowness retires: Jets coach Rick Bowness announced his retirement on Monday after nearly four decades behind the bench.

👀 Our true unemployment rate By Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi and Felix Salmon Note: Share of the U.S. labor force that is functionally unemployed (seeking but unable to find a full-time job, is unemployed or is employed in a position earning less than a living wage); Data: Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity; Chart: Axios Visuals The Dallas area was among the major U.S. metros with the lowest rates of true unemployment last year. Why it matters: Strong labor markets signify a healthy economy. Boom towns like Denver, Nashville and Dallas are seeing low levels of unemployment — in stark contrast to areas such as El Paso and New Orleans with large numbers of low-wage jobs, according to the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity. How it works: The institute looked at the true rate of unemployment instead of the official rate of unemployment, which tends to be significantly lower than the true rate. The official unemployment rate excludes people earning a few dollars a week and people who stopped looking for work for reasons like a lack of jobs or the demands of child care. The true rate of unemployment tracks the percentage of the labor force that doesn't have a full-time job but wants one, has no job, or doesn't earn a living wage. Zoom in: The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro had a true unemployment rate of almost 20% in 2023, significantly better than the Austin (24%), Houston (24%) and San Antonio (27%) metros. The U.S. rate was 23%. Yes, but: 45% of the Dallas metro's population 16 and older was unable to find full-time work with a living wage, which the Ludwig Institute "conservatively" pegs at $25,000 annually before taxes. Zoom out: The Laredo and McAllen areas had the highest true unemployment rates last year, close to 50%, per the Ludwig Institute.

1 big thing: Texas' low per-student funding By Fiza Kuzhiyil and Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi Data: Census Bureau; Map: Axios Visuals Around 9 in 10 Texas students attend inadequately funded schools, per a report analyzing public school funding nationwide. Why it matters: Texas ranks in the bottom 10 states in the country for education spending by several measures, including the report by the Albert Shanker Institute, the University of Miami and Rutgers University. The state Legislature hasn't increased per-student funding since 2019, leaving cash-strapped school districts to consider deep budget cuts to make ends meet. How it works: Per-student funding is set by the Legislature using a formula. The state's basic allotment is $6,160 per student and can be higher based on characteristics of the district, including family income and the number of students who need accessible education. Local property taxes also contribute to a district's overall funding. Zoom in: Dallas ISD had a $40 million shortfall for 2023-24 and projects a $188 million deficit for 2024-25, officials tell Axios. Teacher salaries, security mandates and inflation-related spending, and the number of seniors graduating "career, college and military ready" have all increased at Dallas ISD in recent years, superintendent Stephanie Elizalde tells Axios. "About the only thing that isn't up is the money that the state gives us to teach the children," Elizalde says. Threat level: Districts are spending more on maintenance, health care, food services, custodial work and utilities because of inflation. Texas schools received $19.2 billion of federal COVID funding, which ends in September. The state Legislature hasn't increased per-student funding for districts with compounding financial woes. Meanwhile: Several legislative sessions last year focused on a voucher-like proposal to provide public funding for private school tuition. It didn't pass. Gov. Greg Abbott and Republican leaders are pushing again to pass a voucher bill when the Legislature reconvenes next year.

May 7, 2024 Good morning. Today my colleague Vanessa Friedman is covering the Met Gala, the biggest night in fashion. —David Leonhardt Nina Westervelt for The New York Times, Amir Hamja/The New York Times The show By Vanessa Friedman She is The Times’s chief fashion critic. If you are wondering why your social media feeds are awash this morning with culture-shapers of all kinds (actors, athletes, musical artists, politicians) dressed up in the most over-the-top outfits you’ve ever seen, it’s because last night was the Met Gala — also known as the Oscars of the East Coast and the party of the year. Every Gala has a dress code, which is tethered to the exhibition. This year, the show is titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” Guests were instructed to dress according to a “Garden of Time” theme, an allusion to a 1962 J.G. Ballard short story. Yes, there is occasionally something cynical and commercial here. We’ve seen meme-baiting fashions in recent years: Katy Perry costumed as a chandelier, Rihanna as the pope, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a fox in the fabulous henhouse. (She wore a white ball gown with “Tax the Rich” scrawled on the back in 2021.) The famous faces often serve as quasi-advertisements for fashion brands. All of which makes it easy to forget this is actually an important fund-raiser for one of New York’s cultural pillars: the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. It was once a free-standing museum, but when it merged with the Met in 1946, part of the deal was that the Costume Institute would have to pay for itself. It is the only curatorial department in the museum where that is true. Hence the gala, which raises all the funds for the institute’s operating budget. (Last year, it made $22 million.) One reason the institute is treated like a sideshow is that it has always been controversial in some quarters to treat fashion as fine art. (Shock! Horror! Clothes with the Kandinsky!) The Costume Institute itself has historically been housed in the museum’s basement — a clear statement about its status at the museum. But the fashion exhibitions have become more ambitious and more popular as the curator in charge, Andrew Bolton, has focused on the intersection of dress and zeitgeist. He has aimed at themes such as camp, or fashion and Catholicism. Three of the 10 most visited exhibitions in the Met’s history are Costume Institute shows. That has made it harder for the museum to justify its prejudice. Last year, it announced plans to renovate the gift shop into the new costume galleries, meaning those galleries will be among the first any visitor sees. And that is a reflection of the growing importance of fashion as part of culture, high and low. The gala, with its carefully documented entrances, has simply become everyone’s pass to gleefully render judgment on the game. Feel free to do so yourself: Here are some of the more — well, eye-opening looks from last night. Amir Hamja/The New York Times Harris Reed wearing his own design. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Lana Del Rey in Alexander McQueen. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Demi Moore in Harris Reed. Amir Hamja/The New York Times Ariana Grande in Loewe. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Barry Keoghan in Burberry. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Nicki Minaj in Marni. Amir Hamja/The New York Times Bad Bunny in Maison Margiela. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Amelia Gray in Undercover, left, and Rachel Zegler in Dior, right. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Gigi Hadid in Thom Browne. For more Zendaya made two appearances on the carpet in two different dresses. Cardi B required eight ushers to arrange her voluminous skirt. Gigi Hadid said her dress bore 2.8 million beads. See more of the night’s unforgettable looks. More influencers, fewer actors: The Washington Post tracked and categorized a decade of Met Gala attendees. ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Israeli Forces in Rafah In Rafah, in southern Gaza Strip. Hatem Khaled/Reuters The Israeli military said that it had sent tanks overnight into part of Rafah — the city near Gaza’s border with Egypt where many Palestinians have taken refuge — in what it called a limited operation aimed at Hamas targets. Earlier, Israel had ordered more than 100,000 Gazans to evacuate the city. Israeli forces took operational control over the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing, an important route for aid. The military said, without offering evidence, that troops found three tunnel shafts near the crossing and that about 20 militants were killed during the operation. The incursion did not appear to be the long-discussed full ground invasion. Cease-Fire Negotiations Hours before the attacks, Hamas endorsed a cease-fire proposal. Officials told The Times that it was mostly similar to one Israel had previously endorsed. Israeli officials said that the proposal was unacceptable but that they would send a negotiating team to Cairo. The White House sees Hamas’s announcement as a counteroffer to gain negotiating leverage, Peter Baker writes. Hamas also told negotiators that the 33 hostages it was willing to release in a cease-fire’s first phase included the remains of some who had died as well as those still living. Campus Protests Pro-Palestinian protesters at M.I.T. resisted a university order to clear their encampment. Columbia University canceled its main commencement, citing security concerns. The police arrested 64 people at an encampment at the University of California, San Diego, and more than 40 at U.C.L.A. Russia Russian authorities detained a U.S. soldier in the port city of Vladivostok last week on charges of criminal misconduct. Russia is planning military exercises to practice for the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons, a display calibrated to discourage further Western intervention in Ukraine. More International News Kotono Hara, a career diplomat. Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times After decades of government and industry efforts, Japanese women are finally making progress in the workplace. India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has near-total control over the nation’s politics — except in the wealthier, ethnically diverse south, The A.P. reports. Trump on Trial The jury in Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial saw the invoices and checks that prosecutors accuse Trump of falsifying to hide a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. Two witnesses — current and former Trump employees — testified that Trump paid close attention to outgoing cash and that much of the reimbursement for the payment came from his personal account. The judge again fined Trump for violating a gag order by criticizing the jury. Addressing Trump directly, the judge said he would consider jailing him if he kept violating it. Prosecutors have about two weeks of their case left to present. The defense then gets its turn, followed by closing arguments. More on Politics Social Security and Medicare will run out of money later than previously estimated — by the mid-2030s. The strong labor market has improved the programs’ financial health. Most young voters oppose Biden’s position on the Israel-Hamas war, but few rank it as their top election issue. Most care more about inflation and housing. Bernie Sanders, 82, plans to run for a fourth Senate term this fall. Health Kendric Cromer, 12. Kenny Holston/The New York Times A new gene therapy may cure sickle cell disease. Last week, a 12-year-old boy in Washington, D.C., became the first patient to get the treatment. People with a particular gene variant are almost certain to get Alzheimer’s, a study found, meaning patients could be diagnosed years before any symptoms. Other Big Stories Dozens of former inmates at Illinois youth detention centers — now adults — sued the state, accusing it of allowing workers to abuse detainees for decades. Boeing is under yet another F.A.A. investigation: It told regulators it might have skipped required inspections on its 787 Dreamliners, a separate model from the one that lost a panel midflight. Opinions Europe’s radical right is rising because no other political group recognizes that the European Union is undemocratic, Lea Ypi argues. Here are columns by Michelle Goldberg on the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act and Paul Krugman on Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat. A subscription to match the variety of your interests. News. Games. Recipes. Product reviews. Sports reporting. A New York Times All Access subscription covers all of it and more. Subscribe today. MORNING READS On Staten Island. Ye Fan for The New York Times Rolling out: On a chilly May evening, Roller Jam USA — New York City’s only year-round roller-skating rink — hosted its final night of operation. Hustling: Meet the schemers and savers obsessed with ending their careers as early as possible. Lives Lived: Kris Hallenga received a Stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis at 23. She spent the next 15 years educating other young people about early detection through her nonprofit and in a memoir. Hallenga died at 38. SPORTS N.B.A.: Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the defending-champion Denver Nuggets, 106-80, to go up 2-0 in their playoff tilt. N.H.L.: The Boston Bruins beat the favored Florida Panthers 5-1 on the road to open their playoff series with a 1-0 lead. ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Children in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times The Times won three Pulitzer Prizes yesterday — for its coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas, an investigation into migrant child labor and a Magazine story on a family’s experience with Alzheimer’s. The Washington Post also won three prizes, while The New Yorker won two. The Invisible Institute, a nonprofit based on the South Side of Chicago, also won parts of two prizes. In the book categories, the winners tended to focus on discrimination and identity, including: a biography of Martin Luther King Jr.; a portrait of Black workers in 19th-century Boston; a story of escape from bondage in Georgia; the reconstruction of a school-bus explosion that killed Palestinians; a memoir touching on violence against women in Mexico; and poetry about a multicultural upbringing. Read the complete list of winners. More on culture Ten years ago, the bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst won Eurovision, prompting celebration and condemnation. Her creator, Tom Neuwirth, looks back. In The London Observer, one writer extols the benefits of a transformative — if a little embarrassing — practice: reading books aloud with your partner. “It’s like she thought ‘All Dogs Go to Heaven’ was a personal challenge”: Jordan Klepper joked about Gov. Kristi Noem on “The Daily Show.” THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Testani for The New York Times Smash portobello mushroom caps with a heavy skillet to make this burger. Fight fleas. Wear a sun hat on a hike. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were attachment, catchment, enchantment and enhancement. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch

🗳️ Scoop: Biden hits Trump on border Screenshot: Biden campaign ad The Biden campaign is launching a digital ad to remind Latino voters of President Trump's family separation policy at the border — officially announced six years ago today — which resulted in 3,000+ kids being taken from their parents. Why it matters: The Biden campaign is upping its effort to puncture what they see as nostalgia for Trump's four years in office. Zoom in: The ad, "Ripped Apart," interlaces video of Trump making anti-immigrant comments with the cries of children separated from their parents. The other side: Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said he "will restore his effective immigration policies ... and marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history." Watch the ad.

⛵ Navy's new problem: Drone ships A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel sails by a Royal Jordanian Navy patrol craft during a joint exercise with U.S. forces. Photo: U.S. Navy handout via Reuters The U.S. Navy's efforts to build a fleet of unmanned vessels are faltering because the Pentagon remains wedded to big shipbuilding projects, Reuters reports. Why it matters: The recent push masks years of hesitation by the U.S. Navy to build a fleet of unmanned vessels, despite repeated warnings this was the future of maritime warfare. Tactics used by Ukraine (successfully) and Houthi rebels in Yemen (less successfully) have caught the attention of the Pentagon, which is incorporating those lessons into plans to counter China's rising naval power. But the Pentagon budget process still prioritizes big ships and submarines. Go deeper.

📢 Exclusive poll: College students shrug Data: Generation Lab. (Respondents selected up to three issues.) Chart: Axios Visuals College protests are dominating headlines. But only a sliver of students are participating or view the Israel-Hamas war as a top issue, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes from a new Generation Lab survey. Why it matters: The poll hints that the war — and the accompanying protests — might not hurt President Biden's election prospects among young voters as much as some think. 🧮 By the numbers: Only a small minority (8%) of college students have participated in either side of the protests, the survey of 1,250 college students found. Students ranked the conflict in the Middle East as the least important issue out of nine options (charted above). Keep reading.

🏛️ Dems' breaking point on Israel Palestinians in Rafah carry their belongings as they leave following an evacuation order by the Israeli military yesterday. Photo: AFP via Getty Images Democrats in Congress are furious as Israel moves into the southern Gazan city of Rafah after they and President Biden spent months trying to prevent such an operation, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. Why it matters: A full-scale invasion could be a sea-change moment for Democrats on Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom relations have become increasingly strained. A House Democrat who has pushed for Biden to condition military aid to Israel said the Rafah assault "has the potential of making our case for us."

Israel frustrated with hostage talks Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike east of Rafah yesterday. Photo: Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP Israeli officials claim the Biden administration knew about the latest hostage and ceasefire deal proposal that Egypt and Qatar negotiated with Hamas — but didn't brief them before Hamas announced it had accepted it yesterday, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: The episode has created deep disappointment and suspicion among senior Israeli officials regarding the U.S. role in the hostage deal talks. It could hurt future negotiations. A senior U.S. official pushed back: "American diplomats have been engaged with Israeli counterparts. There have been no surprises." The official said the Biden administration sees Hamas' response as a counter-proposal, not a new proposal. 👀 Behind the scenes: Three Israeli officials said yesterday's Hamas announcement about accepting a ceasefire surprised the Israeli government — and that Israel didn't receive the text of the group's response from the mediators until an hour after Hamas released its statement. When the Israelis read Hamas' response, they were surprised to see it contained "many new elements" that weren't part of the previous proposal that Israel agreed on, and that was presented to Hamas by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar 10 days ago, the officials said. "It looked like a whole new proposal," one official said. Two Israeli officials said the feeling is that "Israel got played" by the U.S., and the mediators who drafted "a new deal" and weren't transparent. The other side: A source with knowledge of the negotiations said the U.S. invited the Israelis to Cairo over the weekend but they chose not to send a team. One Israeli official admitted it was a mistake that led Israel to have less visibility into the talks. Data: IDF. Chart: Axios Visuals ⚡ Breaking: Today, an Israeli tank brigade seized control of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt as Israel moved forward with an offensive. Get the latest.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 7 1994 Edvard Munch's "The Scream" recovered after theft On May 7, 1994, Norway's most famous painting, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, is recovered almost three months after it was stolen from a museum in Oslo. The fragile painting was recovered undamaged at a hotel in Asgardstrand, about 40 miles south of Oslo, police said... read more 1950s 1954 French defeated at Dien Bien Phu Art, Literature and Film History 1824 Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 debuts Cold War 1960 Leonid Brezhnev becomes leader of the USSR Crime 1896 Serial killer H.H. Holmes is hanged in Philadelphia Immigration 1843 First Japanese immigrant arrives in the U.S. Inventions & Science 1998 Daimler-Benz announces purchase of Chrysler Corp. 2004 Marine biologist Richard Thompson coins the term “microplastics” Native American History 1763 Ottawa Chief Pontiac's Rebellion against the British begins VIETNAM WAR 1984 Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange win $180 million settlement World War I 1915 German submarine sinks Lusitania World War II 1945 Germany surrenders unconditionally to the Allies at Reims

How a beach trip in Mexico’s Baja California turned deadly for surfers from Australia and the US MEXICO CITY (AP) — Two Australians and an American were doing what they loved on the stunning, largely isolated stretch of Baja California’s Pacific coast. Their last images on social media showed them sitting and gazing at the waves, contemplating the breaks. https://apnews.com/article/mexico-missing-foreigners-australian-american-surfers-685cbe3faba195be35b4b28b1cfb3acf?

House Republicans are ready to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt over Biden audio WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans plan to move forward next week with holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for his refusal to turn over the unredacted audio of an interview that was conducted as part of the special counsel probe into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents. https://apnews.com/article/biden-classified-documents-congress-garland-contempt-7db112d63dd1e8159593c32981caa85d?

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Indiana’s presidential and state primaries WASHINGTON (AP) — The race for the White House tops the ballot Tuesday in Indiana’s presidential and state primaries, but voters will also have to settle more competitive contests for governor, Congress and the state legislature. https://apnews.com/article/indiana-presidential-state-primary-biden-trump-8b75b95c95a59ec140dd72c6a77974ba?

Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial NEW YORK (AP) — With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president’s hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later. https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-hush-money-gag-order-d853768fff5fafbdee55623579889140?

Russia announces it will hold nuclear drills. What does this mean for the ongoing war? Russia on Monday threatened to strike British military facilities and said it would hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons — the first time such an exercise has been publicly announced by Moscow, and amid sharply rising tensions over comments by senior Western officials about possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine. Read more. What to know: What are tactical nuclear weapons: Unlike nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles that can destroy entire cities, tactical nuclear weapons are smaller, more discreet and less powerful weapons used against troops on the battlefield. They are also not subject to any arms control agreements between Moscow and Washington, unlike strategic weapons. How is Belarus involved: Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, said that nuclear weapons deployment to Belarus was intended to counter perceived Western threats. Russia moved some of its tactical nuclear weapons into the territory last year. What has Putin said about the weapons: Since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin has repeatedly reminded Western nations about Moscow’s nuclear might in a bid to discourage them from increasing military support to Kyiv. Moscow’s defense doctrine envisages a nuclear response to an attack that could “threaten the very existence of the Russian state.” RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West’s possible deepening role in Ukraine Putin is starting his 5th term as president, more in control of Russia than ever New US penalties against Russia target weapons development and countries aiding in sanctions evasion

Medicare and Social Security go-broke dates are pushed back The go-broke dates for Medicare and Social Security have been pushed back five years to 2036 as an improving economy has contributed to changed projected depletion dates, according to the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report Monday. Still, officials warn that policy changes are needed or the programs will become unable to pay full benefits to retiring Americans. Read more. Why this matters: Medicare covered more than 66 million people last year, with most being 65 and older. Once the fund’s reserves become depleted, Medicare would be able to cover only 89% of costs for patients’ hospital visits, hospice and nursing home stays or home health care. Lawmakers have for years kicked Social Security and Medicare’s troubling math to the next generation. Social Security benefits were last reformed roughly 40 years ago, when the federal government raised the eligibility age for the program from 65 to 67. President Joe Biden responded to the report by saying that “as long as I am president, I will keep strengthening Social Security and Medicare.” The future of Social Security and Medicare has become a top political talking point as President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump both campaign for reelection this year. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Medicare can pay for obesity drugs like Wegovy in certain heart patients Man confesses to killing hospitalized wife because he couldn’t afford to care for her, police say Biden says that all 10 drugs targeted for the first Medicare price negotiations will participate

Israeli forces take control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt The Israeli military said it had established “operational control” over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip overnight Monday into Tuesday. Footage broadcast on Israeli media showed an Israeli flag flying on the Gaza side of the crossing, though the army refused to comment. Read more. Recent developments: On Monday night, the Israeli military said it was carrying out “targeted strikes” in eastern Rafah. It said 20 Hamas militants were killed in the operation and it discovered three tunnel shafts. An Israeli army official said the vast majority of people located in the evacuation zone have left. Both Rafah and the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza, the other main aid entry point, have been closed for at least the past two days. The Rafah crossing is the main route for aid entering the besieged enclave and exit for those able to flee into Egypt. Though smaller entry points still operate, the closure is a blow to efforts to maintain the flow of medicine and food keeping Gaza’s population alive. Hamas said Monday it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but Israel said the deal did not meet its core demands, pushing ahead with an assault on Rafah. Still, Israel said it would continue negotiations. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: Israel-Hamas cease-fire negotiations on a knife’s edge Biden warns Netanyahu against major Rafah offensive as divide between the 2 leaders grows The yearly memorial march at the former death camp at Auschwitz is overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war

Inside Bernie's decision to run again Sen. Bernie Sanders is not ready to step away from the national political stage without a clear successor to his progressive throne, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The question of whether anyone could fill his role as the leading progressive voice in Washington was a top consideration for Sanders, according to Faiz Shakir, a top Sanders advisoe. Zoom in: Sanders, 82, has been the leading voice in Congress raising concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the harshest critic of the Israeli government. Sanders can reach 2024 voters on economic issues, which some in the Democratic Party don't communicate as effectively, Shakir argued. Between the lines: Former Sanders staffers have made moves in recent years to work for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who many see as the obvious successor as the top voice on the left. And Sanders is close to Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), a progressive who is one of the top choices to replace him in the Senate. But if Sanders were to leave, there is no "natural follow-up leader who could have the same power" as the Vermont senator, Shakir said. Read more

Johnson's two-hour meeting with MTG Speaker Mike Johnson thinks he can "get everyone on the same page" after a lengthy meeting today with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Why it matters: Greene promised to launch a leadership challenge this week. But she's facing a pressure campaign from her own party, including former President Trump. The two will meet again tomorrow, Johnson told reporters after the meeting. The bottom line: No motion to vacate vote tonight.

Scoop ... Noem angled for top NRA gig By Juliegrace Brufke and Sophia Cai South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at an event featuring former President Trump in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem pitched herself for a top NRA job as early as last fall, two sources told Axios. Why it matters: Noem offered to step down early as governor for the role, according to a person familiar with her conversation with former NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre. Late last fall, Noem called LaPierre to advocate to be the next executive vice president or CEO of the gun lobby. Noem is now in a heated PR cycle over passages in her book about fatally shooting her dog and meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The big picture: Noem has long been aligned with the NRA, signing an executive order during its annual conference last year. Her name came up in very senior NRA circles immediately after LaPierre resigned in January, according to a source familiar. LaPierre has little official control over who will be tapped as his successor, but stocked much of the board. Zoom in: Noem was previously seen as a potential contender to be Trump's running mate. She has vehemently defended her decision to kill her dog, Cricket, arguing the 14-month-old animal was dangerous and untrainable. When pressed on the supposed Kim meeting, Noem refused to provide a definitive answer but said the book would be changed. The other side: A spokesperson for Noem "unequivocally" denied the governor had a conversation with LaPierre. "She loves her job as governor of South Dakota," Ian Fury told Axios. LaPierre, through his lawyer Kent Correll, declined to comment. Axios has reached out to the NRA for comment.

Sierra Nevada records snowiest day of the season from brief but potent California storm TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — A weekend spring storm that drenched the San Francisco Bay area and closed Northern California mountain highways also set a single-day snowfall record for the season on Sunday in the Sierra Nevada. https://apnews.com/article/california-storm-sierra-nevada-snow-2ecf2790aa24e24d8eb3cd5b27b99373?

A gene long thought to just raise the risk for Alzheimer’s may cause some cases WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene. https://apnews.com/article/alzheimers-dementia-cause-gene-apoe-memory-c1b4f0abfc708d3be0bb9c5fb70cbc77?

Pulitzer Prizes in journalism awarded to The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP and others NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times and The Washington Post were awarded three Pulitzer Prizes apiece on Monday for work in 2023 that dealt with everything from the war in Gaza to gun violence, and The Associated Press won in the feature photography category for coverage of global migration to the U.S. https://apnews.com/article/pulitzer-prizes-2024-awards-journalism-arts-reporting-6e07cdcf937d49158d452f2cc0dbc214?

As China and Iran hunt for dissidents in the US, the FBI is racing to counter the threat WASHINGTON (AP) — After a student leader of the historic Tiananmen Square protests entered a 2022 congressional race in New York, a Chinese intelligence operative wasted little time enlisting a private investigator to hunt for any mistresses or tax problems that could upend the candidate’s bid, prosecutors say. https://apnews.com/article/iran-china-harassing-dissidents-united-states-ee48c1b9c32d187b183faaa616d9ab16?