Scott Colom; Trump; Russia-Ukraine talks; El-Sayed : NPR

Key Points:

• Democrat Scott Colom won the Mississippi U.S. Senate seat, defeating Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith by a narrow margin, becoming the state's first Black Senator in nearly 150 years and expanding the Democratic majority in Congress to 55 seats.
• The White House has warned Democrats that their planned investigations into administration officials may cross into "blatant criminality," signaling a legal battle ahead over congressional oversight, while Democrats remain undeterred.
• Russia and Ukraine agreed to a significant prisoner swap after U.S.-mediated talks, with Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff now in Moscow to pursue further progress toward ending the war.
• Abdul El-Sayed made history as the first Muslim U.S. Senator, advocating for bold Democratic leadership on issues like Medicare for All, ending the war in Iran, and abolishing ICE, while expressing willingness to work with Republicans.
• The average price of new vehicles in the U.S. hit a record $51,109, driven by supply chain issues, tariffs, and consumer preference for larger, feature-rich vehicles, though price increases have slowed to 2.1% over the past year.