The New York Times

Last year, as Democrats were dealt big setbacks in federal races nationwide, a small crop of well-funded candidates in Florida picked up 15 school board seats that had been targeted by conservative groups in competitive counties. Now, the obscure organization that backed those Florida candidates is planning a substantial expansion to cover more than half the country.

For the first time in 215 years of Mexican history, a woman led the national cry of independence late Monday, echoing the original call made by a priest for rebellion against Spanish rule. It was a deeply symbolic moment for Mexico and for President Claudia Sheinbaum, the first female president in the country’s history, who has remained popular through her first year in office while weathering intense pressure from President Donald Trump over issues like trade and drug cartels. In her appearance, Sheinbaum underscored the importance of Mexican women and her country’s sovereignty repeatedly.

For decades across Latin America and the Caribbean, U.S. drug enforcement officials have tried to cut off narcotics trafficking by intercepting boats, trucks and even horses laden with drugs and arresting the smugglers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said those efforts are not bold enough.

The effects of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown can be seen at deserted Mexican border shelters, in the plummeting numbers of illegal crossings and at workplaces raided by federal agents. But to get a glimpse of the alarm jolting Latin American immigrant communities in the United States, migrants, rights workers and experts say, follow the money.

At least once a week, María Mercedes Ortega, a 32-year-old real estate agent and spa owner, puts on a stylish ensemble and meets up with her girlfriends. Not to go bar hopping or clubbing, diversions she says she left behind in her 20s, but to play padel, Miami’s trendiest sport.

President Trump has ordered military action against Latin American drug cartels and has threatened a new tariff. President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico has pushed back.

Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, stands trial on Tuesday, accused of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 elections. Evidence suggests this is how he tried to do it.

Katrina wasn’t the first hurricane to hit the city, and won’t be the last. Here’s what’s different now.

It started in Florida with “Alligator Alcatraz.” Then came news of the “Speedway Slammer” in Indiana. Most recently the Trump administration announced plans for yet another immigration detention center, this one in Nebraska, to be called the “Cornhusker Clink.”

President Nayib Bukele says that his new education minister, a military officer, will restore discipline to schools where gangs once recruited. A school workers’ union called the appointment “absurd.”

To Mexican companies, the rule was never much of a problem, largely ignored by U.S. authorities, especially along a border where cultures had always mixed. But to the Trump administration, it is a point of critical road safety that went too long unaddressed. The issue? English.

Tiny stuffed animals that use magnets to stay perched on your shoulder have become a must-have accessory for some theme park superfans.