Morning Brief: Trump & Putin Alaska Summit, Anti-Woke Review Of Federal Museums, NY Vaxx Case

President Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska today for a high-stakes summit aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The Trump administration orders a sweeping review of Smithsonian museums to remove “woke” and “divisive” narratives from exhibits. A 16-year-old girl wins a federal court case in New York, forcing her school to accept a medical vaccine exemption in a state that bans religious exemptions.

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Trump and Putin Face Off in Alaska Summit

Topline: President Trump is set to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska today for a high-stakes, one-on-one meeting that could set the stage for ending the war in Ukraine.

The two leaders will meet at an Air Force Base in Anchorage for what President Trump has called a “feel out” meeting. “This meeting sets up the second meeting,” Trump said Thursday. “The second meeting is going to be very, very important because that’s going to be a meeting where they make a deal.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the initial summit, warned that Putin is not preparing for a ceasefire and will use the meeting as a “personal victory.” Trump has offered assurances that if the talks go well, Zelensky will be included in a future meeting.

Putin enters the negotiations with more leverage than he had earlier in the war, with Russia now controlling about 18% of Ukrainian territory. His likely demands include formally retaining seized land, a guarantee that Ukraine will never join NATO, and the normalization of economic ties with the U.S.

Trump Orders Review of ‘Woke’ Smithsonian Museums

Topline: The Trump administration has ordered a sweeping review of eight Smithsonian museums to remove what the White House calls “divisive, race-centered ideology” and restore an “America First” vision to the nation’s cultural institutions.

In a letter released this week, the administration announced a comprehensive review to remove “divisive or partisan narratives” and ensure exhibits are “historically accurate.” The move has drawn fierce criticism, with one museum educator comparing it to the actions of the Taliban.

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Supporters of the review argue that a rewriting of history has already taken place through the embrace of woke ideology. In an appearance on CNN, TV personality Jillian Michaels pointed to a Smithsonian exhibit on gender in sports that calls gender testing “complex.” “It’s not complex. It’s basic science,” she said. “It’s XX chromosome, XY chromosome.”

President Trump defended the review, saying, “We want the museums to talk about the history of our country in a fair manner, not in a woke manner or in a racist manner.” The Smithsonian’s board of regents, which includes Vice President JD Vance, has agreed to cooperate with the review. The move is part of a broader cultural push by the president, who recently vetoed several “woke” honorees for the Kennedy Center awards, selecting Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, Michael Crawford, and the rock band KISS instead.

New York Teen Wins Vaccine Exemption Case

Topline: A 16-year-old girl has won a federal court case against her New York public school, which must now honor her medical exemption for a vaccine in a state that has banned religious exemptions.

On Tuesday, a federal court granted a medical exemption to the teen, identified as “Sarah Doe,” ordering her school to allow her to attend classes this fall. The case is significant because New York is one of four states that do not allow religious exemptions, and families have reported that schools are increasingly denying valid medical exemptions as well.

After New York ended religious exemptions in 2019, Sarah received 18 vaccine doses in two months to comply with school mandates. She subsequently developed severe autoimmune conditions and a bleeding disorder. Six different doctors advised her to skip her final Hepatitis B vaccine dose, but the school repeatedly denied the exemption.

The family’s attorney, Sujata Gibson, argued that New York’s regulations have led to hundreds of children with longstanding medical exemptions having them revoked, forcing some to get vaccinated against medical advice. She believes the school’s actions are a “square violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.” With vocal vaccine exemption supporter Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now leading HHS, federal guidance on the issue may be forthcoming.