Trump Storms the Bronx, GOP’s Victory in South Carolina

Good morning, and welcome to Newsweek’s summary of Friday’s national, regional, and international newspapers.

The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission has expanded options for trading crypto-currency in the U.S. The new funds, known as Ether ETFs, were approved by the SEC on Thursday and are the second largest cryptocurrency behind bitcoin. The decision means mainstream investors will be able to sell and buy ether as easy as stocks and mutual funds. It is a significant regulatory shift for the SEC after months of silence on the issue.

The New York Times

The New York Times leads on a story about a group of Palm Springs residents seeking compensation for their lost homes and racial trauma after the city demolished Section 14, a neighborhood primarily inhabited by Black and Latino families, to make way for commercial development in the 1960s. This destruction was later condemned as a “city-engineered holocaust.” Today, only vacant lots and remnants remain, with hotels and a casino dominating the landscape. Although the city apologized and proposed reparations, negotiations have stalled. Recently, Palm Springs offered $4.3 million for 145 properties, which the group argues is insufficient. The Times also reports that the U.S. is facing difficulties in delivering aid to Gaza citizens via a temporary pier erected on the enclave’s shoreline earlier this year. Several trucks have been looted, the paper reports, with UNRWA suspending food distribution in Rafah on Tuesday, where Israeli forces have been advancing since May 6.

The Washington Post

The Washington Post reports that fast-rising seas could swamp septic systems in parts of the South. Millions of septic tanks across the American South are outdated, posing environmental and health risks amid rising sea levels, The Post says. In Miami-Dade County alone, 120,000 septic systems are outdated, leaving many vulnerable to contamination. With inadequate infrastructure and unreliable data, communities face challenges in addressing this looming threat, The Post reports. Meanwhile, as seas continue to rise, the situation worsens, prompting costly repairs and potential health hazards. From Florida to North Carolina, efforts to mitigate these risks are underway, but the scale of the problem remains largely unknown. The Washington Post‘s front page also focuses on a Thursday Supreme Court decision which allowed South Carolina to use a congressional map that a lower court said weakened Black voting rights, the paper reports. The decision marked a victory for Republicans in a year where control of the narrowly-GOP controlled House is on the line, the paper reports.

New York Post

The New York Post focuses on Donald Trump‘s visit to the Bronx, a historic Democratic stronghold and the former president’s hometown. Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to visit the area since Ronald Reagan on Thursday. He used his visit to make a pitch to African American and Hispanic voters in what he called a “love fest,” The Post reports. During the rally, which was attended by thousands of people, he told supporters he will “make New York City great again,” and lamented that “Joe Biden is not getting the job done for the Bronx.” Protest group Rise and Resist lined up near the entrance to the rally and unfurled a banner that read, “No dictators in USA,” ahead of Trump’s speech, the paper reports.

New York Daily News

New York Daily News also leads on Trump’s Bronx rally, focusing on the protests that occurred. About 200 protesters rallied against him on Claremont Parkway, Daily News reports. The front page features a picture of Rise and Resist protesters holding a “No dictators in USA” sign, as well as signs reading: “Only wins when he cheats”, and “Sleepy Don.” Another sign seen at the rally read: “F*** Trump, F*** Biden, the people of the Bronx, we run this s***.” Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Eric Adams shunned the visit, with a spokesperson saying: “We don’t need his insults.”

LA Times

The LA Times reports that Las Vegas, known for its indoor allure, is gaining a status as the adventure sports capital of the U.S. as elite outdoor athletes flock to the region to buy homes. “It has just unparalleled access to the outdoors,” the world’s most famous rock climber Alex Honnold told The Times, citing proximity to diverse climbing destinations like Red Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston. Unlike traditional outdoor cities, Vegas offers year-round climbing opportunities without the crowded and costly lifestyle, The Times reports.

Houston Chronicle

The Houston Chronicle leads with the NOAA’s forecast giving this year an 85 percent chance of having an unusually high number of hurricanes and tropical storms. The forecast added that the Atlantic hurricane region could see 17 to 25 named storms with winds of 39 mph or stronger. Between eight and 13 of those storms are forecast to be hurricanes, which have winds of 74 mph or stronger, while four to seven of those could be Category 3, bringing winds of 11mph. It is the worst forecast the NOAA has issued for May. It comes after Houston was hit with a severe storm last week, which brought 100 mph winds to the area, killing eight people and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

USA Today

USA Today’s weekend edition leads on an exclusive poll, which found that most Americans say celebrities won’t influence them at the ballot box in November—with two exceptions: the Obamas. Thirty-four percent of participants said an endorsement from Barack Obama would influence their vote, while 29 percent said Michelle Obama would. That is compared to other celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk and Taylor Swift, who would all persuade under 20 percent of participants to change their vote. The Obamas have not endorsed any candidate for the 2024 election, but Barack Obama has occasionally lent a hand to his former Vice President Joe Biden through public fundraising appeals.