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High emotions on Ukraine, Liverpool tragedy and a pardoned sheriff

 
Today's INTERnational story

Germany lifts Kyiv missile limits as Trump, Putin spar

What happened
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said yesterday that his government, France, Britain and the U.S. had lifted "any range restrictions for weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine," allowing Kyiv to "defend itself by, for example, attacking military positions in Russia." His comments followed Russia's biggest drone and missile attacks of the war, which prompted President Donald Trump to claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has gone absolutely CRAZY!" Russia suggested Trump's criticism stemmed from "emotional overload."

Who said what
"I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin," Trump told reporters Sunday in New Jersey. "I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people and I don’t like it at all." Putin is "needlessly killing a lot of people" for "no reason whatsoever," he said on social media a few hours later.  

When asked by reporters, Trump said he was "absolutely" considering new sanctions on Russia. But he has made empty threats about sanctions before and "expressed shock that the Russian president was unleashing attacks on Ukrainian civilians," while refusing to give Kyiv new weapons or missile defenses, David Sanger said at The New York Times. "The result is a strategic void" in which Trump "complains about Russia’s continued killing" but won't make Putin "pay even a modest price."

Trump's decisions on Ukraine are "colored" by his "dislike" for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his belief that Putin "would end the war as a personal favor" to him, The Wall Street Journal said. After Putin "refused" to meet with Zelenskyy in Turkey for peace talks, Trump "claimed that the only way to achieve progress in the war would be by him speaking directly" with Putin, The Washington Post said. "The two men spoke for several hours by phone last week, and Russia has since ramped up its devastating attacks across Ukraine."

What next?
Merz, speaking at a forum organized by public broadcaster WDR, was "tightlipped" on whether his new government would supply Kyiv with Tarsus missiles, which have a range of 310 miles, The Associated Press said. He cited a need for "strategic ambiguity."

 
 
Today's UK story

Van rams crowd at Liverpool FC parade

What happened
British police arrested a 53-year-old citizen yesterday after a minivan plowed into a Liverpool crowd celebrating their soccer team's Premier League victory at a parade through the city. Officials said last night that 27 people were hospitalized following the attack, including a child and adult with serious injuries, and a further 20 people were treated at the scene. The driver was believed to have acted alone and police are not treating the attack as terrorism.

Who said what
Liverpool FC clinched their victory in England's top-tier soccer tournament last month, tying Manchester United's record of 20 League titles, but the season did not end until Sunday. The attack yesterday "has cast a very dark shadow over what had been a joyous day for the city,” Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said at a news conference.

"Everyone, especially children, should be able to celebrate their heroes without this horror," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. "Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool."

What next?
"Global episodes involving vehicles being driven into crowds have become increasingly common," including deadly attacks in New Orleans and Munich earlier this year, The New York Times said. Liverpool police "identified the suspect as white, in a possible decision to prevent misinformation from flooding social media," The Associated Press. Online rumors after a stabbing attack last summer led to rioting in England and Northern Ireland.

 
 
Today's POLITICS Story

Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery

What happened
President Donald Trump said yesterday he was pardoning a former sheriff in Culpeper County, Virginia, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges. Scott Jenkins was sheriff for 12 years before voters rejected him following his 2023 indictment.

Who said what
A jury convicted Jenkins, 53, of accepting more than $75,000 in bribes from wealthy businessmen in exchange for making them auxiliary deputies, which allowed them to avoid traffic tickets and carry concealed weapons. Trump said on social media that Jenkins was "dragged through HELL" by an "overzealous Biden Department of Justice, and doesn't deserve to spend a single day in jail."

The Justice Department had celebrated Jenkins' conviction in March. "We hold our elected law enforcement officials to a higher standard of conduct" and will "hold them accountable" when they "use their authority for unjust personal enrichment," acting U.S. attorney Zachary Lee said in a statement. Jenkins is the "latest pardon Trump has given to loyal supporters," The Associated Press said, including 1,500-plus Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot participants and, last month, Nevada Republican Michele Fiore, convicted of spending money raised for a statue honoring a slain police officer on cosmetic surgery and other personal expenses.

What next?
Jenkins "will not be going to jail tomorrow, but instead will have a wonderful and productive life," Trump said. Critics may decry Trump's "growing list of controversial clemency decisions," The Washington Post said, but the Constitution gives "the president broad authority to grant pardons," and the process "does not require judicial approval or congressional oversight."

 
 

It's not all bad

The Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru in Wales hopes that glitter will help save critically endangered water voles. The conservationists plan to feed edible glitter to the semi-aquatic creatures, then track them, as the "sparkle should come out the other end," said the BBC. Different colors of glitter may be used to differentiate vole families. If the group gleans important information from the glitter trails, they could step in to make potentially life-saving adjustments to vole habitats.

 
 
Under the radar

When you think of cheerleaders, the usual image is of pom-pom-wielding young women pulling off acrobatic flips and spins in colorful costumes. But in Japan, an entirely new demographic is entering the female-dominated ranks of cheerleading: male office workers. 

During the week, members of Cheer Re-Man's are "quintessential" Japanese salarymen, said Reuters, squeezing into "crowded trains" to work behind a desk. But on the weekend, they "balance their professional lives" in real estate, marketing and other sectors with a "passion for cheerleading."

Formed in 2023, Cheer Re-Man's — a combination of "cheerleading" and "salaryman" — is made up of alumni from the elite Waseda University's male cheerleading squad. The group "finds joy" in cheerleading, and thanks to its thrilling performances, it's "injecting some high-flying excitement into Japan's typically buttoned-down" business world, said the South China Morning Post. 

"In Japan, we are all going through a lot," said Yasuko Yamaki, a 61-year-old woman who recently became a fan after hearing about the group on social media, but watching them "putting in so much without giving up makes me cry — it's so inspirational." Although the Cheer Re-Man's cheer squad is a hobby for its members, the "unusual sight" of these Japanese "corporate warriors being launched" into the air has earned them at least one paid gig, Reuters said: advertising the Uniqlo suits they wear for their performances.

 
 
On this day

May 27, 1679

England's Parliament passed the Habeas Corpus Act, strengthening protections against being detained unlawfully without a court hearing. Over a century later, habeas corpus became a key tenet of the new U.S. Constitution. The legal principle has recently been challenged by the Trump administration regarding the detention of immigrants.

 
 
TODAY'S newspaperS

"Remembering the fallen" on Memorial Day, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says on Tuesday's front page. "Reflecting on their sacrifice," The Minnesota Star Tribune says, "even when the wars are unpopular, such as in Vietnam." President Donald Trump's "somber" Memorial Day speech was a "contrast to posts," USA Today says. "Tired of political attacks, Musk turns back to business," The Washington Post says. "DOGE expanding Grok AI in government," says The Commercial Appeal. "Allies of Israel raise pressure to cease war," The New York Times says, while "even in war, hot-dog-loving Ukrainians savor taste of the West."

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Running wild and free

More than 160 runners have signed up for the Buck Creek Streak, a 5K race held at the Carolina Foothills nudist resort in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. "You can go anywhere and do a 5K, but you can't go anywhere and run a 5K naked," resort board member Tom Crowder told The Post and Courier. Now in its 11th year, the race will take place on June 14, entirely within the boundaries of the resort.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Chas Newkey-Burden, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Sean Gallup / Getty Images; Paul Ellis / AFP via Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images; Runstudio / Getty Images