1A

Most Americans know who the president is. Many people also know the names of their senators and representatives in Congress. But what about the people who run the local school board?

Most school board members are elected by people living in their communities. That board then works together to set the goals and performance standards for public schools in its local district.

But make no mistake, school boards aren’t apolitical. Since 2021, board races have been dominated by culture war issues like trans students’ access to bathrooms, book bans, and critical race theory.

But that tide is shifting. In politically-mixed communities across the country, progressive candidates are winning school board elections, unseating more conservative opponents who made gains during the Biden era.

So, what does a shift in local politics mean for students and parents? And what can school boards – and the issues they prioritize – tell us about the state of our democracy?

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Most Americans now get at least some of their news from social media. But these days, the internet can seem less a place for humans to connect and more a playground for AI-powered bots.

One estimate found around 20 percent of accounts on social media are automated, while another study found that, for controversial topics, nearly half of the posts could be bot–generated.

Experts are sounding the alarm. Large-scale automated social media campaigns could threaten our democracy and the next presidential election.

We know conversations we have online can influence how we experience this political moment, but what happens when bad actors fan the flames with AI-generated photos, bot campaigns, and misinformation?

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Border czar Tom Homan announced the end of the ICE operation in Minnesota in the coming days following weeks of operations by federal law enforcement in the state.

Customs and Border Patrol officials closed airspace around the El Paso airport this week after firing an anti-drone laser, and failing to coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration.

And President Donald Trump ordered pride flags at New York City’s Stonewall National Monument, a prominent site in LGBTQ history, removed as part of a larger campaign to change displays at national parks around the country.

And, in global news, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington this week meeting with President Donald Trump. Items on the agenda were Iran, its ballistic missiles, and Iranian nuclear capabilities.

Meanwhile, European leaders gathered in Belgium to counter economic pressure from China and military threats from Russia.

And the Trump Administration threatened to block the opening of the Gordie Howe Memorial Bridge over disputes with the Canadian government. The structure, which connects Michigan and Ontario, took several years and billions of dollars to build.

We cover the most important stories from around the globe on the News Roundup.

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In his latest round of verbal attacks against Canada, Donald Trump says the country is trying to “take advantage of America.”

The comments come as the president threatens to block the opening of a bridge between Michigan and Ontario. The Gordie Howe International Bridge cost about $4.7 billion dollars to build and has been under construction since 2018. The bridge is due to open this year. That’s according to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Canadian government entity behind its construction.

But in a post on his social media on Monday, Trump said he won’t allow the bridge to open, saying the U.S. won’t benefit. While the bridge is financed by the Canadian government, it’s publicly owned by the governments of Canada and Michigan.

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Thousands of people protested the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota last month, including hundreds of religious leaders. At least a hundred clergy were arrested during a demonstration at Minnesota’s largest airport.

Meanwhile in Maine, local religious leaders have been lining up outside of businesses targeted by ICE to form a “spiritual shield” to protect immigrant workers. But the actions of these faith leaders is a stark contrast to the conservative Christianity touted by the Trump administration.

The relationship between religion and social activism is far from new. But how is that relationship evolving in the current political moment?

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