By Steve Contorno, CNN

(CNN) — In a matter of days this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dragged lawmakers to Tallahassee, handed them an aggressively gerrymandered congressional map, strong-armed the Republican-controlled legislature into backing it and tilted the midterm battlefield toward his party.

It was a familiar display of the raw political power that DeSantis once used to fight culture wars and notch conservative victories as he chased the presidency. Now, he is flexing that same authority in service of the man who dimmed his White House dreams — but who could yet revive them: President Donald Trump.

Over the past 16 months, few, if any, Republicans outside Washington have proven more indispensable to Trump than DeSantis. He has enthusiastically aided the federal immigration crackdown — forcing law enforcement to cooperate with Trump’s ICE, launching a statewide dragnet that has troubled even deeply conservative sheriffs and erecting a costly detention center on Florida swampland that became known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” He created a Florida version of the Department of Government Efficiency, echoed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in pushing to end school vaccine requirements, is helping the White House rewrite the rules for how colleges pay student-athletes and arranged for the state to hand over a prime piece of Miami waterfront to a foundation planning Trump’s presidential library.

DeSantis’ realignment with Trump comes as uncertainty hangs over his political future. His second term as governor ends in January, leaving him two plausible paths: a job in Trump’s Washington, or positioning himself for a Republican Party after Trump.

Both require the president’s favor — and perhaps some bridge-mending with his remaining foes in Trump’s inner circle. DeSantis has responded to that reality with the same hard-changing, maximalist governing style that fueled his first rise to political stardom.

His latest win for Trump — a new congressional map that could net the GOP four more House seats this fall — potentially rescued the Republican Party’s flailing mid-decade redistricting gambit. And it has earned praise from corners of the president’s orbit that once mobilized against him when he challenged Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.

Mike Davis, a longtime Trump legal adviser who regularly mocked DeSantis’ presidential campaign, wrote on X shortly after Florida lawmakers approved the new district boundaries: “Once again, America’s best governor delivers. And fast.”

“Finishing strong is going to be important for his legacy and he knows that’s what will impact his future and how people view him more than anything else,” said Nick Iarossi, a lobbyist who has raised money for both Trump and DeSantis and has clients in Washington, DC, and Tallahassee.

DeSantis’ office did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment. White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump “appreciates the work Governor DeSantis is doing in the great state of Florida and the ongoing partnership they maintain to help advance the President’s America First agenda.”

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By Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN

(CNN) — When the world’s most prestigious international art exhibition, the Venice Biennale, opens next week, it will do so amid a series of crises.

It will not receive its customary blessing from Italy’s minister of culture Alessandro Giuili who, along with a growing number of people and organizations, is furious over Russia’s return to the event during its war with Ukraine. More than 200 participating artists, curators and workers signed an open letter last month demanding the Venice Biennale exclude Israel’s pavilion over human rights abuses in Gaza. Another letter followed, which included the United States for its war in Iran. Most recently, after its five-person jury abruptly resigned on Thursday, the Biennale’s illustrious awards program will be replaced by two Visitors’ Prizes, with voting open to members of the public who attend the official exhibitions.

Now in its 61st year, the Biennale is a massive, global presentation of contemporary art from 99 nations, exhibited largely in permanent national pavilions dotted around Venice’s Giardini della Biennale. The Biennale typically offers a series of juried Gold and Silver Lions for both winning pavilions and individual participating artists. Jurors have resigned before, such as in 1968, whey they abandoned their positions in solidarity with widespread student protests.

However, the culture minister’s absence from the official opening ceremony will be a notable first in the history of the Biennale, which opens May 9. Instead of leading inaugural proceedings, Giuli announced he would be sending inspectors to the main venue to “gather information on the reopening of the Russian Pavilion,” a spokesperson told CNN.

While the Biennale has often had world politics play out among its pavilions, this year’s exhibit was explicitly positioned to reflect the current geopolitical landscape. Koyo Kouoh, who had been chosen as chief curator — the first African woman to hold the role — had put together the frameworks of the exhibition “In Minor Keys,” before being diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, of which she died last year at age 57.

“In refusing the spectacle of horror, the time has come to listen to the minor keys, to tune in sotto voce to the whispers, to the lower frequencies; to find the oases, the islands, where the dignity of all living beings is safeguarded,” reads her original curatorial statement for “In Minor Keys.”

Instead, the Biennale Foundation, which runs the event, ignited controversy when it approved Russia’s participation in this year’s Biennale, saying in a statement that “no regulations have been violated and sanctions against the Russian Federation have been fully complied with, as is our duty.”

In addition to boycotting the Biennale, Giuli has also called for the resignation of Tamara Gregoretti, the culture ministry’s only representative on the foundation’s board, for not vetoing the move, saying she had failed to alert Italian government officials of Russia’s planned return and had “expressed support for its participation despite being fully aware of the international sensitivity surrounding the issue.”

Gregoretti told CNN she had no intention of resigning but would not comment further.

Internal revolt

The clash over Russia and Israel has exposed a divide between the Biennale’s board and members of the international jury, a rotating cast of art world figures which awards the fair’s top prizes. It is unclear why the jury’s members — chair Solange Farkas, Zoe Butt, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Marta Kuzma and Giovanna Zapperi — resigned, and following the Biennale’s announcement, a spokesperson declined to com

By Glen Levy, Elizabeth Pérez, CNN

Miami, Florida (CNN) — For Kimi Antonelli, time is of the essence.

The Italian driver, who competes in Formula One for Mercedes – replacing no less a legend than Lewis Hamilton at the Silver Arrows – is still just 19 years old, but he isn’t biding his time, fully aware that a title is there to be won in only his second season in the sport.

On the grid, the current leader in the 2026 drivers’ standings hasn’t hung around, with achievements stacking up as effortlessly as he maneuvers his car around the track.

In his debut season in 2025, at just 18 years and 224 days, Antonelli became the youngest driver to lead a race, and on the same day in Japan, the youngest to set the fastest ever lap (1:30.965 seconds).

He’s arguably taken it up a notch this season by becoming the youngest Grand Prix Pole Sitter (19 years, 6 months, and 17 days at the Chinese Grand Prix) and by going on to clinch victory in Shanghai that weekend, the second youngest race winner – that sound you can hear is Max Verstappen breathing easy, safe in the knowledge that he remains the youngest driver to win a race (18 years and 228 days old at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix on his debut for Red Bull Racing).

His love for driving

But Verstappen and the rest of the competition are currently being left behind by Antonelli, who will hope it’s business as usual when the F1 season resumes this weekend in Miami. With a nine-point lead over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, Antonelli is the youngest ever Championship leader.

“I’m a very ambitious person,” Antonelli tells CNN Sports just days ahead of competing in the Miami Grand Prix.

“The goal is to win, not only racing, but try to win the championship… this year is looking good so far, we’ve been very strong, and this weekend is going to be very important in Miami, to be back from where we left [off].”

And off the track, time is at the forefront of the young man’s mind too. Or perhaps that should be, at the forefront of the young man’s wrist. CNN Sports is catching up with the Italian in his guise as an IWC Schaffhausen ambassador, as he partakes in an event in Miami’s fashion district before his next race.

“It’s important to do these kind of activities,” he acknowledges, before impressing upon CNN Sports that “the thing I love the most is driving.”

No kidding. A highly respectable seventh-place finish in Antonelli’s rookie campaign – and, yes, the 150 points he amassed are a record in a driver’s first Championship season – will surely be improved upon in year two, with those early-season victories in Shanghai and Suzuka seeing Antonelli ascend to the top of the standings.

Even if his age precluded him from indulging in the traditional post-race celebrations of enjoying some champagne in Japan. “It was very tricky because, obviously, they had to get it ready, but yeah, it was a non-alcoholic beverage,” he admits.

Navigating champagne and non-alcoholic beverages notwithstanding, the dream of a first-ever title in just year two of his F1 career can get one step closer to fruition with a third visit to the top step of the podium in Miami on Sunday.

And returning to the theme of time, there’s plenty of it left this season, with 18 races still to go in a slightly truncated season, due to the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia being cancelled due to safety concerns and regional instability from the ongoing conflict in Iran.

“The break was not ideal,” Antonelli notes, “because we had really good momentum after Japan. But it’s really good to be back in Miami…I’m really lookin

By Nic Robertson, Jessie Yeung, CNN

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) — As the stalemate between Washington and Tehran drags on and the world waits in hope of a deal, the very real possibility of an alternate outcome – the resumption of war – looms overhead.

The clock is ticking, with Friday as the anticipated deadline for Pakistan to receive Iran’s revised peace proposal, after US President Donald Trump rejected a previous version.

Mediators in Islamabad believe a fair deal is within reach and that it is now down to Tehran to respond to it, according to sources familiar with the process. They’ve been working tirelessly to get an agreement, but as they have waited for most of this week for that reply, the US and Iran have doubled down on their threats and taunts.

As recently as Wednesday – the earliest day Tehran was expected to respond – Trump posted a mocked-up image of himself holding a gun on Truth Social, telling Iranian leaders to “get their act together.”

“No more Mr. Nice Guy,” read the caption.

Later, from the Oval Office, Trump added: “At this moment, there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will be no nuclear weapons.”

But Iran has pushed back defiantly against that key demand. In a message on state media Thursday, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran would “safeguard” its nuclear and missile capabilities, and that “foreign actors” have no place in the Persian Gulf except “the depths of its waters.”

Iranians have still not seen or heard Khamenei, more than seven weeks after he was announced as their new supreme leader following the assassination of his father – but he has issued several written messages.

These back-and-forth jabs appear to put ever greater distance between the parties, nearly four weeks after the US and Iran first reached their temporary ceasefire. Late Thursday, Trump said no one knows the status of talks with Iran aside from himself and a handful of others, suggesting the negotiations are advancing despite the public appearance of a standstill.

But Iran’s nuclear capabilities clearly remain a major sticking point, with Trump demanding guarantees on curbing its nuclear program, while Tehran insists it has the right to enrich Uranium for peaceful purposes. It’s a critical red line for both sides, which leaves things at an impasse.

Tehran appears to be playing for time, dragging out talks about talks and sending multiple proposals with seemingly incremental movement – perhaps in the hope that Trump will eventually tire of the fight, or that domestic political pressure over soaring gas prices will force his hand.

But Trump is said to be weighing his options to force Tehran back to the negotiating table, including being briefed by military officials on a possible new round of strikes on Iran.

His current preferred strategy, though, is inflicting maximum economic pain, sources familiar with the talks told CNN. His team is preparing to extend the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, including a longer-term closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the sources said.

The US has intercepted or redirected nearly 40 ships attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports since the blockade began earlier this month – with Trump telling reporters earlier this week, “The blockade is genius.”

His administration is also pressing foreign governments to join a new coalition to support freedom of navigation in the contested waterway, as both the US and Iran maintain their respective blockades.

But the economic fallout also continues to grow, with oil prices shooting to a four-year high and gas prices in the US soaring this week as markets worry about the possible failure of peace talks

Por Tierney Sneed, Fredreka Schouten y John Fritze, CNN

Un día después de que la Corte Suprema de Justicia de EE.UU. debilitara aún más la Ley de Derechos Electorales, los estados gobernados por el Partido Republicano están considerando cambios para impulsar la manipulación de distritos electorales a expensas de los votantes de color, mientras que los grupos defensores de los derechos electorales intentan limitar el impacto del fallo en las elecciones de mitad de período de este año.

La Corte Suprema dio inicio a la polémica al anular un mapa de distritos electorales para el Congreso en Louisiana que incluía dos distritos de mayoría negra, en una opinión que dificultará significativamente impugnar los planes de redistribución de distritos por considerarlos discriminatorios en virtud de la Ley de Derechos Electorales.

Los líderes de la legislatura de Louisiana, controlada por los republicanos, anunciaron que se están preparando para rediseñar los distritos electorales del Congreso para las elecciones de mitad de mandato de noviembre, a pesar de que las papeletas para las primarias del 16 de mayo ya se han enviado por correo.

Los funcionarios republicanos indicaron que no contarán los votos de los candidatos a la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos en dichas primarias.

En Tennessee, altos cargos republicanos se enfrentaron a crecientes presiones públicas para convocar una sesión legislativa extraordinaria con el objetivo de destituir al único congresista demócrata del estado.

La presión de la derecha para la redistribución de distritos también está aumentando en otros estados, como Georgia, Carolina del Sur y Alabama.

Mientras tanto, un grupo de votantes negros que defendían el mapa congresional actual de Louisiana advirtió el jueves a la Corte Suprema contra permitir que el estado se apresure a emprender una redistribución de distritos precipitada basada en la decisión del tribunal.

“El gobernador ya ha indicado que tiene la intención de cancelar las elecciones primarias republicanas y demócratas en curso, en las que los votantes ya han emitido su voto y en las que los candidatos ya han invertido mucho dinero, tiempo y recursos”, declararon los votantes negros que defendían los mapas ante la Corte Suprema, citando órdenes anteriores de los magistrados que instaban a los tribunales a tener cuidado de no perturbar la planificación electoral con medidas de último minuto.

“Una medida tan drástica”, señalaron los votantes, “es innecesaria e injustificada”.

El gobernador republicano de Florida, Ron DeSantis, pudo utilizar el miércoles el fallo de la Corte Suprema para ayudar a que se aprobara un plan del Congreso en ese estado que busca convertir cuatro escaños demócratas en la Cámara de Representantes en republicanos, después de enfrentar recelo tanto por parte de la legislatura estatal como de la delegación del Congreso.

Una vez que la legislatura aprueba un nuevo plan de redistribución de distritos, “es el punto de partida, no la meta”, para los funcionarios que necesitan reelaborar apresuradamente sus planes para administrar las elecciones, dijo David Becker, un exabogado electoral del Departamento de Justicia que ahora asesora a funcionarios electorales.

Eso podría incluir verificar que millones de votantes estén correctamente registrados en sus nuevos distritos y reiniciar el proceso de calificación de candidatos.

La actual disputa surge después de que el presidente Donald Trump inyectara un enorme caos en este ciclo electoral al convencer a Texas de embarcarse en una ronda sin precedentes de redistribución de distritos a mitad de la década, una medida que inició una carrer