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  • Putin reacts to Iran crash: Vladimir Putin vowed during an emergency meeting to do "whatever is necessary," as reports emerged of the Iranian president's fatal helicopter crash, Tehran's envoy to Moscow has told. Here's what he said. Read more coverage below.
  • China school attack: Authorities in China's eastern Jiangxi province arrested one individual on Monday after a "vicious attack" at an elementary school caused injuries to "multiple students," Chinese state media said, citing a local police statement.
  • Taiwan's new president: William Lai, a 64-year-old doctor turned politician, has been sworn in as Taiwan's president following his win in January's election.
  • Biden's gun control setback: A federal judge has blocked a new Biden administration rule that requires gun dealers to run background checks on buyers at gun shows and other places outside of gun shops. Here's what we know.
  • 'Unconventional': Newsweek Editor-at-Large Naveed Jamali returns with season two of Unconventional. The premiere kicks off in Alaska, with Jamali embedding with the Alaska National Guard and showing what it is like to serve in "The Last Frontier." Get an inside look at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage. Watch the latest episode now.
  • In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia may have lost another warship in its Black Sea naval fleet, according to new reports, after Ukraine said it had taken out a Russian minesweeper over the weekend.

TL/DR: Raisi, a former judiciary chief, was elected president in June 2021 and was poised to stand for re-election for a second four-year term next year.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, 63, is reported to be dead after rescue workers reached the site where a helicopter carrying him and his entourage crashed in the country's northwest, according to official Iranian state media. A breakthrough emerged early in the morning, local time when a drone provided by Turkey identified a thermal signal believed to be from a wrecked aircraft.

Why it matters: Reports emerged Sunday that a helicopter carrying Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Ayatollah Mohammed Ali Ale-Hashem, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, and several guards and crew crashed in Iran's East Azerbaijan province after visiting Azerbaijan. Heavy fog in the area hindered the subsequent search and rescue efforts. Raisi, a former judiciary chief, was elected president in June 2021 and was poised to be re-elected for a second four-year term next year. His death comes at a turbulent time for the region as Iran has emerged as a leading player in the broader crisis gripping the Middle East around the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Iranian President's Helicopter Crash: Everything We Know

Hamas Issues Statement on Iran President Raisi's Death

Iranian President's Helicopter Crash: Analysts Warn of 'Turmoil'

What happens now? In the wake of Raisi's death, Iranian Vice President Muhammad Mukhbar would be set to assume acting presidential duties with the approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as per Article 131 of the Iranian Constitution. New elections would then be held within 50 days.

TL/DR: Pro-Palestine demonstrators outside the ceremony demanded a "ceasefire" in Gaza as some students turned their back on the president.

President Joe Biden received a standing ovation from Morehouse College administrators following his commencement speech on Sunday as polls show him at a loss with Black voters. Most students remained seated. Not all at the historically Black college for men were fans of his speech. A video on X showed a few graduates turning their backs as he spoke as a sign of protest.

Why it matters: Biden highlighted the accomplishments of Black Americans and his diverse administration at Morehouse's commencement amidst controversy over his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Valedictorian DeAngelo Jeremiah Fletcher, wearing a Palestinian flag pin, called for a Gaza ceasefire in his speech. Protests also occurred outside, and several graduates and faculty members wore traditional Palestinian Keffiyeh scarves.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Protesters Against Joe Biden Chant 'Liar' Outside Morehouse Commencement

What happens now? The number of college-educated Black people supporting Biden has decreased. Only 71 percent said they favored Biden over Trump in the WSJ poll. Democratic strategist Brad Bannon said Biden must address two issues with Black voters—civil rights and the economy.

TL/DR: Despite a decline in overall crime in the city, in February, several NYPD officials were attacked by a group of undocumented migrants, prompting outrage from many.

New York City residents are blaming an influx of migrants in the city for the crime rate, a new poll conducted exclusively for Newsweekby Redfield & Wilton Strategies of 974 eligible voters in New York City found, as NYPD stats show that crime has fallen this year.

Why it matters: Despite a decline in overall crime, several NYPD officials were attacked by undocumented migrants in February, sparking outrage. A poll showed over 70 percent blamed migrants for the crime rate, with 41 percent seeing a "significant" impact and 31 percent a "fair amount." Only 18 percent cited a "small" impact, and 10 percent saw no impact. The New York Post reported this month that six migrants arrested in the Times Square attack were offered plea deals.

Read more in-depth coverage:

New York City's $1,400 Payments to Migrants Gets a Boost

What happens now? Since last spring, the city has taken in more than 175,000 migrants. Immigration remains a major political issue ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

TL/DR: In Sean Diddy Combs' Instagram video, he said that his "behavior on that video is inexcusable" and that he takes "full responsibility for his actions.

Rap mogul and producer Sean "Diddy" Combs reacted to a 2016 video of him attacking his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, saying that he was "disgusted" by his actions and that he is "truly sorry" in an Instagram video posted on Sunday.

Why it matters: On Friday, CNN released surveillance footage from March 2016 showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel room. Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, accusing him of rape and years of repeated physical and other abuse. The suit was quickly settled. Several women have filed lawsuits against Combs in the past year under the New York Adult Survivors Act. In March, Combs' mansion in Los Angeles was raided by Homeland Security and local law enforcement, along with his compound in Miami, about an ongoing sex-trafficking investigation in New York.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Sean 'Diddy' Combs on Video Attacking Cassie Ventura: Everything We Know

What happens now? While the Los Angeles Police Department called the footage “extremely disturbing,” it said it “would be unable to charge” Combs in the attack due to statute limitations.

TL/DR: In cities like Austin and Seattle, buying a starter home was more than twice as expensive as renting, while in Phoenix and Los Angeles, it was nearly twice as much.

Aspiring homeowners who have been waiting for years for prices and mortgage rates to come down and supplies to expand are likely to continue putting off purchasing a property, as renting is more affordable than buying a starter home.

Why it matters: A recent report from Realtor.com using February data found that the cost of buying a starter home—which considers monthly mortgage payments—in every one of the country's 50 largest metropolitan areas was $1,027 (60.1 percent) higher than renting an apartment in these same cities. In cities like Austin and Seattle, buying a starter home was more than twice as expensive as renting, while in Phoenix and Los Angeles, it was nearly twice as much. A year earlier, in February 2023, buying a home was $865 (50.4 percent) higher than renting—which means that the convenience of renting over buying is increasing.

Read more in-depth coverage:

'Crisis' Warning Over Housing Market Affordability

What happens now? “The median asking rents for starter homes have declined for eight consecutive months,” Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu told Newsweek. This trend is "very likely" to continue in the coming months in most of the markets. Meanwhile, macroeconomic factors such as the Federal Reserve's interest rates, inflation, and unemployment rate could also affect the trend.

90-Year-Old Man Breaks Space Travel Record: 'Everybody Needs to Do This'

A 90-year-old former Air Force captain broke a record when he was launched into space Sunday morning on Blue Origin's first crewed spaceflight in nearly two years.

Ed Dwight, whose Blue Origin bio states he was born in 1933 and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, described Sunday's flight as a "life-changing" experience.

Dwight was one of six people on board, joining Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller and Gopi Thotakura for the trip. Sunday's launch marked the first time Blue Origin's New Shepard sent humans to space since August 2022.

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