The following is kind of a made-up story, but required reading for anyone with a 2028 fixation . I don’t mean that it’s fictional. This Axios piece is based on real reporting. But it’s just another angle out of a thousand possible angles about who might win the next Democratic nomination . I’m an Axios fan. I’ve written many such stories myself. It’s what you do when there’s no hard news about an event that won’t start for another year and a half.  You’ve got to keep feeding the beast. AOC, ASKED ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, SAYS HER AMBITION IS 'WAY BIGGER THAN THAT' (In fairness, Axios’ first three stories yesterday were about the war, Donald Trump’s suit against the IRS and congressional maneuvering.) So this is one of those in-between stories, for days when there are no hard-news developments. We used to call this the "invisible primary." But that term has to be retired. In the era of X and Instagram, of group chats, of powerhouse podcasts, nothing is invisible a...

A former Virginia assistant principal is on trial on felony child neglect charges after prosecutors say she ignored warnings that a 6-year-old student had a loaded gun before the child shot his teacher in 2023. Jury selection began Monday in Newport News in the trial of Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School. Parker, who has pleaded not guilty, faces eight felony child neglect charges tied to the shooting of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, according to The Associated Press. Prosecutors allege several school employees warned Parker that the student might have a gun, but she failed to take action before the shooting happened, the outlet reported. Parker’s defense has argued she is being unfairly blamed for broader failures that preceded the shooting. ATTORNEY SAYS VIRGINIA SCHOOL MISSED WARNINGS BEFORE 6-YEAR-OLD SHOT TEACHER Prosecutors brought one count for each of the eight bullets loaded in the gun. If convicted, Parker could face up to five y...

Two American nationals were reportedly arrested in Japan on Sunday after one allegedly entered the enclosure of Punch, the young macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo who became famous online for his inseparable bond with a stuffed orangutan toy. Videos circulating online appear to show a person dressed in an emoji costume climbing over a barrier into the Japanese macaque enclosure before dropping a small stuffed toy near the animals, startling them and causing them to retreat, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The suspects were identified as a 24-year-old college student and a 27-year-old self-described singer, AFP reported. PUNCH THE MONKEY, VIRAL STAR, EXPERIENCES DRAMATIC BREAKTHROUGH AMONG ZOO MATES Zoo staff quickly intervened, and authorities said neither suspect made physical contact with the monkeys, according to AFP. Ichikawa Police told AFP the two men were arrested on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business. One suspect was not cooperating with police, while the oth...

As Route 66 prepares to celebrate 100 years since its creation, the Route 66 Commission in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is already looking ahead to the next century. When the sun goes down in Tulsa, bright neon signs light up the historic highway along the city’s 28-mile stretch of Route 66. Michael Wallis, founder of the Route 66 Alliance and known as the voice of the Sheriff in the Disney-Pixar movie "Cars," has spent years driving, studying and exploring Route 66. "We think of it as this winding museum ," he tells FOX from his Tulsa home, just a block from the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza. "This is the home of Cyrus Stevens Avery, the Father of Route 66."  ROUTE 66 SPURS TOURISM IN HISTORICAL SMALL TOWNS Route 66 is known around the world as the "Main Street of America," highlighting an integral part of westward expansion in U.S. history . "It’s a way of really going deep into America, and getting to know the heart of it," Spanish traveler Ignac...

Former Vice President Kamala Harris wants to expand the Supreme Court.  This is a seriously awful idea.  FDR, at the height of his popularity , after winning his first reelection, tried that – and got his head handed to him.  The reason for his effort, in 1937, to have as many as 15 justices was to overcome conservative opposition to his blizzard of New Deal programs.  HARRIS' 'NO BAD IDEA BRAINSTORM' FOR DEMS INCLUDES PACKING SCOTUS, ELIMINATING ELECTORAL COLLEGE Sound familiar?  Even some Democrats at the time thought this would fatally undermine the independence of the judiciary.  Congress refused to approve the bill, even though Roosevelt enjoyed a big Democratic majority.  HARRIS LABELED 'INSTITUTIONAL ARSONIST' FOR PLAN TO FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM SCOTUS AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE But the high court, perhaps under pressure, then did start upholding major New Deal programs launched after the Great Depression.  Harris said she wanted to "invite ideas," suc...

An Arkansas man was arrested after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting at his local Walmart if the country went into lockdown over the hantavirus outbreak, authorities said. Aaron Bynum, 20, of Oakland, was arrested Friday for allegedly making the threats, according to the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office. He was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications. Officials said the arrest followed an investigation into online threats allegedly made by Bynum on May 9. GUN JAMS AS SHOPLIFTING SUSPECT TRIES TO SHOOT OHIO POLICE OFFICER AT POINT-BLANK RANGE IN WILD BODYCAM VIDEO The FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received an electronic tip from an individual playing an online video game who alleged another player threatened to carry out a mass shooting at a local Walmart "if the country were locked down again due to the Hantavirus." Authorities said the reporting individual provided the player’s gamer username along with an in...