Trump shares, then deletes, racist image of the Obamas. White House blames a staffer

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday deleted from his social media account a video clip depicting former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, following fierce backlash from Democrats and some Republicans who called it racist and urged the president to take it down.

The White House initially defended the president's post, saying it was an "internet meme video" and characterized the criticism of the post as "fake outrage." But as public criticism mounted, the president's team shifted the blame to an unnamed aide.

"A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down," a White House official said in a statement.

The image showing the Obamas as primates, while "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" played in the background, was posted by Trump on his official Truth Social account on Thursday night. It appeared toward the end of a one-minute video clip that promoted a conspiracy theory about purported voting irregularities in the 2020 presidential election.

—Los Angeles Times

Ex-principal avoids jail after boozy underage party held at her Florida home

ORLANDO, Fla. — A former Brevard County school principal accused of allowing a raucous, alcohol-fueled party for minors at her home last year accepted a plea deal Monday that allows her to avoid jail time.

Prosecutors said the party at the home of Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan, the former principal of Roosevelt Elementary School in Cocoa Beach, on the night of Jan. 19, 2025, led to one student being evaluated by paramedics for alcohol poisoning and another being arrested for driving under the influence.

Hill-Brodigan was sentenced Monday to two years of probation after pleading no contest to holding an open house party and contributing to the delinquency or dependency of minors as part of the deal, prosecutors announced that day.

Cocoa Beach police responded to Hill-Brodigan’s home that night after receiving multiple calls about the party, some of which said minors were seen walking toward the home through other peoples’ yards and yelled obscenities at them. The was an active party at the home when police initially arrived, the former principal’s arrest warrant affidavit said.

—Orlando Sentinel

Michigan House votes to ban foreign cash in ballot campaigns, election administration

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan House has voted overwhelmingly in favor of a measure that would block foreign contributions to Michigan ballot campaigns and election administration.

The bills, which passed the Republican-led House 97-6 and 99-4 on Thursday, aim to close a loophole in the overlap of state and federal laws, which already prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to political candidates and super political action committees, said state Rep. Rachelle Smit, a Martin Republican who sponsored one of the bills.

"This critical loophole exposes state and local initiatives and referenda to otherwise illegal foreign influence," said Smit, who leads the House Election Integrity Committee. The bill, she argued, would "end foreign influence in our elections and ensure only Michigan voices get to decide our state laws."

The bills move next to the Democratic-led state Senate. Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson supports the measure, according to her spokeswoman Angela Benander. While the bills received broadly bipartisan support in the House, a handful of Democrats voted against the measures.

—The Detroit News

Bomb blast at mosque in Pakistan’s capital kills at least 31

A blast at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital killed at least 31 people and injured more than a hundred, local reports said, the latest incident of violence in the South Asian nation facing a surge in militant attacks.

The incident occurred during Friday prayers at a Shiite mosque in Tarlai, a suburb of Islamabad, a police spokesperson Taqi Jawad said, adding that the official death toll was 13. Local media, including the Dawn newspaper, and Associated Press reported that 31 were killed and 169 were injured, citing senior police officials.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and ordered an inquiry, according to a statement from his office. “Those responsible for the blast should be identified and given full punishment,” he said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan’s Shiite Muslims are a minority in the largely Sunni Muslim country, and have been the target of sectarian violence in the past. The country has also seen a spike in militant attacks since last year, recording its deadliest year of violence in a decade in 2025, as relations with neighboring Afghanistan deteriorated.

—Bloomberg News