Vladimir Putin seeks influence with African leaders, but his efforts are unsuccessful. Two Americans were abducted amidst civil unrest in Haiti. And Ron DeSantis is feeling the pressure from his Republican colleagues regarding Florida’s Black history standards.
Here is the most important news you missed over the weekend:
Drones target Moscow prior to a procession that Putin will attend.
Russian officials claimed they shot down three Ukrainian drones aimed at Moscow on Sunday morning, hours before the start of a significant military parade that President Vladimir Putin was present for.
Images from an accident site in the Russian capital depicted the facade of a skyscraper with shattered glass and deformed support beams on one floor.
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According to TASS, the alleged assaults led to the closure of airspace over Moscow and a one-hour delay in takeoffs and landings at Vnukovo International Airport.Here is the complete story.
Putin’s pursuit of allies
A bombing in Pakistan murders 55 and injures 135 others.
On Sunday, a suspected suicide explosion in the Bajur District of Pakistan resulted in at least 55 deaths and 135 injuries. A senior police officer told NBC News that the explosion occurred during a Jamiat Ulema Islam-organized employees’ convention.
No one claimed responsibility for the assault immediately.
Cardi B tosses a microphone at a fan who doused her with water.
During her Saturday performance in Las Vegas, a spectator appeared to douse Cardi B with a drink, which did not amuse her. A TikTok video shows the rapper performing her well-known single “Bodak Yellow” at Drai’s Beachclub when someone holding the cup close to the stage throws it at her.
Cardi B appeared startled for a moment before throwing her microphone in the direction of the beverage thrower.
Cardi B was the most recent performer in recent memory to suffer damage from concertgoers’ thrown objects.
Two American citizens were abducted in Haiti.
An American nurse and her infant were kidnapped in Haiti on Thursday morning, according to a nonprofit organization affiliated with the woman.
The kidnappings occurred on the same day that the State Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government personnel and their families to evacuate Haiti, citing kidnapping and civil unrest risks. The State Department stated that it is aware of the kidnapping reports and is in contact with Haitian authorities.
Parents comment on the murder of their adolescent daughter.
The parents of Lily Silva-Lopez, a 15-year-old Colorado girl who was allegedly murdered by her 16-year-old ex-boyfriend, assert that police should have arrested him after their daughter filed a domestic violence complaint against him six days before her death, alleging that he struck her in the face.
Alma Lopez and Hector Silva told NBC News in an exclusive interview that if the police had taken more action, their daughter would still be alive. Lopez stated, “They didn’t do much, which is unacceptable, and I lost my daughter as a result.”
Meet the Media
Several Black Republicans have criticized the new public school standards in Florida, which teach that some Black people benefited from slavery because it taught them useful skills. According to three members of the work group that created the standards who spoke to NBC News, the majority is opposed to the sections that have been criticized.
On “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Republican presidential candidate and former Texas representative Will Hurd criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis for defending the curriculum.
“Real leadership would have asserted, ‘Hey, there’s no benefit to slavery. Slavery was not an employment program,’ said Hurd. “However, this is another example of the pattern of Ron DeSantis’s mean and hateful behavior.”
Hurd also responded to being jeered at an Iowa Republican event on Friday evening. Here, you can observe the entire interview.
Politics in Summary
Among the dozens of individuals who served in former President Donald Trump’s cabinet, only four have publicly endorsed his candidacy for re-election in 2024.
The majority of the 2024 Republican field has struggled to convince voters to vote against Trump. However, if they validated or ignored his fraudulent election claims, they may bear some responsibility.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a freshman Republican lawmaker, was condemned by members of both parties for allegedly yelling at a gathering of high school-aged Senate pages. One witness told NBC News that the congressman was “physically aggressive” and “screaming inches away from the pages’ faces.”
Culture and Fashion
Some online creators have embraced the concept of “race change to another,” or RCTA, claiming to be able to manifest tangible changes in their appearance and genetics by watching subliminal videos that claim to give them an “East Asian appearance” or “Korean DNA.”
According to experts, it is impossible to alter your race because it is a combination of inherited traits and cultural traditions that are passed down through generations. Some members of the East Asian community regard RCTA as fetishistic and harmful.
