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The following is kind of a made-up story, but required reading for anyone with a 2028 fixation.

I don’t mean that it’s fictional. This Axios piece is based on real reporting.

But it’s just another angle out of a thousand possible angles about who might win the next Democratic nomination.

I’m an Axios fan. I’ve written many such stories myself. It’s what you do when there’s no hard news about an event that won’t start for another year and a half.  You’ve got to keep feeding the beast.

AOC, ASKED ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, SAYS HER AMBITION IS 'WAY BIGGER THAN THAT'

(In fairness, Axios’ first three stories yesterday were about the war, Donald Trump’s suit against the IRS and congressional maneuvering.)

So this is one of those in-between stories, for days when there are no hard-news developments.

We used to call this the "invisible primary." But that term has to be retired. In the era of X and Instagram, of group chats, of powerhouse podcasts, nothing is invisible anymore. Anyone can go on Substack and try to draw a following, with varying levels of insight and accuracy. Few "scoops" last more than two minutes in this echo chamber.

AOC TAKES PAGE FROM BIDEN PLAYBOOK IN DODGING INTERVIEWS WITH NATIONAL PRESS

And you probably know the history involving name ID. At the end of 2007, Rudy Giuliani was the GOP front-runner. Hillary Clinton, who everyone expected to win, was leading Barack Obama 45 to 27%.

At the end of 2003, Howard Dean led the field with 23%t, more than double his closest rivals. John Kerry was in sixth place, with 4%. That Kerry guy easily won the nomination.

Now Axios puts the spotlight on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna:

"Veterans of Bernie Sanders' two presidential campaigns are splitting their allegiances between a pair of Democrats vying to inherit his progressive movement…"

The California congressman "has taken a slightly more centrist view than Ocasio-Cortez on issues such as crime and immigration. He's hired key members of Sanders' 2016 campaign–the best known is 2016 campaign manager Jeff Weaver–which had a relatively moderate brand on immigration and guns — and didn't fear going negative on Hillary Clinton."

AOC "has tapped strategists behind Sanders' effort in 2020, when the Vermont senator moved left on social issues to back policies such as decriminalizing border crossings by unauthorized immigrants, and largely avoided bashing Joe Biden."

So this is mainly about recruiting little-known operatives. "Old Bernie" vs. "New Bernie."

The news peg, if there is one, was the New York congresswoman’s shot at MTG: "I personally do not trust someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene, a proven bigot and antisemite, on the issue of what is good for Gazans and Israelis."

Based on an AtlasIntel survey, Ocasio-Cortez leads the Democratic field with 26%, and Khanna came in tenth at 0.9%. So this narrative might help him.

Personally, I don’t think AOC is going to run. She recently said she’s more interested in pushing such agenda items as health care than in holding office. I’m not saying she can’t run, or that she can’t win the nomination, though she’d get clobbered in a general election. But she’s not openly lusting for it the way Kamala Harris is.

Of course, any Democrat with a pulse has got to be tempted by Donald Trump’s sinking poll numbers.

In the latest New York Times/Siena College survey, the president’s approval rating has sunk to a second-term low of 37%. (Keep in mind that each such declaration only applies to that media outlet’s own previous poll, leading to overlapping ALL-TIME-LOW headlines.)

Nearly two-thirds say going to war with Iran was a mistake, and 64% disapprove of his handling of the economy. 

Trump won’t be on the 2028 ballot, of course, but Trumpism certainly will.

Meanwhile, the approval of Trump nominee Kevin Warsh as Fed chair doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll get his longstanding wish of reduced interest rates. In fact, quite the opposite.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE'S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY'S HOTTEST STORIES

On Maria Bartiromo’s Fox show, an analyst, Ryan Payne of Payne Capital Management, said there is increasing pressure on the Fed to actually raise interest rates.

"The bond vigilantes have spoken, and what they’re telling you is the Fed probably has to raise rates here just to keep inflation in check because, clearly, right now we’re pricing in a much different market than we were just two weeks ago." 

Bartiromo agreed: "Yeah, it’s true and, of course, the president continues to say that this is a temporary situation."

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A former Virginia assistant principal is on trial on felony child neglect charges after prosecutors say she ignored warnings that a 6-year-old student had a loaded gun before the child shot his teacher in 2023.

Jury selection began Monday in Newport News in the trial of Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School. Parker, who has pleaded not guilty, faces eight felony child neglect charges tied to the shooting of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, according to The Associated Press.

Prosecutors allege several school employees warned Parker that the student might have a gun, but she failed to take action before the shooting happened, the outlet reported.

Parker’s defense has argued she is being unfairly blamed for broader failures that preceded the shooting.

ATTORNEY SAYS VIRGINIA SCHOOL MISSED WARNINGS BEFORE 6-YEAR-OLD SHOT TEACHER

Prosecutors brought one count for each of the eight bullets loaded in the gun. If convicted, Parker could face up to five years in prison for each count, AP reported.

The shooting happened on Jan. 6, 2023, when authorities said the 6-year-old student shot Zwerner while she was teaching. 

She was hospitalized for nearly two weeks and underwent six surgeries after the bullet narrowly missed her heart. She still has limited use of her left hand, according to the AP.

TEACHER SHOT BY 6-YEAR-OLD TELLS JURORS SHE NEVER PULLED CHILD FROM CLASS AS DEFENSE EXPERTS BACK OFFICIALS

In November 2025, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in a civil lawsuit against Parker, alleging the former administrator dismissed concerns that the student may have brought a gun to school.

In a statement to Fox News Digital at the time, Zwerner’s legal team said the verdict marked a "major step forward in Abby’s long road of healing."

During the earlier civil trial, Parker’s attorneys argued the shooting was "unforeseeable" and maintained she did not have a legal responsibility to protect Zwerner from the attack.

KENTUCKY TO CONSIDER BILL THAT WOULD HOLD PARENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR CHILDREN’S GUN CRIMES

Zwerner is expected to testify in the criminal trial, AP reported.

Authorities said the child got the gun from his mother’s purse after climbing onto a dresser. The student’s mother was previously sentenced to nearly four years in prison. 

Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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It’s no secret that China is willing to influence and undermine U.S. interests and national security by any means possible. On May 11, Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, Calif., resigned after pleading guilty to acting as a foreign agent for China, marking the latest high-profile example of the extent of our foreign adversaries’ intelligence operations.

The Chinese Communist Party is targeting U.S. lawmakers and officials, from the state and local levels to our nation’s capital. But not every target of foreign subversion efforts is as easy to compromise as, for instance, failed presidential and California gubernatorial candidate and former representative for California’s 14th Congressional District – Democrat Eric Swalwell. Foreign intelligence assets are equally determined to gain access to principals' aides and staff, a reality that rarely makes national headlines.  

In 2022, a compromised staffer for a Northern Virginia congressman was fired after the employee made repeated attempts to schedule meetings with other congressional offices at the behest of the Chinese Embassy, in order to lobby for the CCP’s priorities.

The U.S. Capitol campus, despite all the visible public security measures, belies the truth that it is still relatively open access for the American people and foreigners alike. Lawmakers and staff, on a regular basis, also often have engagements with foreign diplomats, who each have their own agendas that go beyond small talk at receptions.

CHINESE SPY INFILTRATION: MAYOR’S BUST ADDS TO GROWING TIMELINE OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE CREEPING INTO US

Even foreign entities that may not appear threatening at face value are oftentimes soft power and intelligence conduits for adversarial state actors. Russia-aligned entities, posing as religious or non-political organizations, sought meetings with congressional offices last year, to disseminate Kremlin propaganda and sway U.S. policy.

In a similar manner, individuals with academic credentials with strong ties to the Iranian regime have tried to influence congressional offices to advocate for sanctions relief. These individuals, well known in Beltway foreign policy circles, strive to gain access to lawmakers and their staff and successfully exploit loopholes under the Foreign Agent Registration Act.

The point here is not that members and their staff are totally oblivious to the threat posed by foreign agents. In fact, on May 9, it was reported that a would-be CCP spy had offered $10,000 to a staffer on the Select Committee on China in return for insider information. The staffer promptly reported the incident, and the committee referred it to the FBI for further investigation. Still, this shows that foreign agents can be subtle as well as bold in their attempts to gain access to classified information or compromise a target.

BIPARTISAN SENATORS PUSH TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR FOREIGN-BACKED CRIMES ON US SOIL

What’s clearly needed is a far more serious focus on deterring the threat posed by foreign intelligence operations. For this reason, I, along with House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., have introduced the Stop Talking to Other People (STOP) Resolution.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

This resolution would require the House of Representatives to establish a training program for both members of Congress and staff with access to classified information to undergo counterintelligence training and information protection best practices. Many would be surprised that such a program does not already exist for Congress.

In the interest of U.S. national security, we cannot afford to neglect giving our public servants the know-how and resources to combat foreign intelligence threats here in the workplace. After all, in recent years the FBI has given a ballpark estimate of 10,000 for the number of foreign agents in the DC area.

Because a savvy operator can easily develop the pretense to physically access congressional offices and lawmakers, it’s no secret that foreign intelligence agencies view Washington, D.C., as the ultimate soft target for espionage.

Pat Fallon represents Texas’ Fourth Congressional District. An Air Force Veteran, he is a member of the House Oversight, Intelligence and Armed Services Committees.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REP. PAT FALLON

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As Route 66 prepares to celebrate 100 years since its creation, the Route 66 Commission in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is already looking ahead to the next century.

When the sun goes down in Tulsa, bright neon signs light up the historic highway along the city’s 28-mile stretch of Route 66.

Michael Wallis, founder of the Route 66 Alliance and known as the voice of the Sheriff in the Disney-Pixar movie "Cars," has spent years driving, studying and exploring Route 66.

"We think of it as this winding museum," he tells FOX from his Tulsa home, just a block from the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza. "This is the home of Cyrus Stevens Avery, the Father of Route 66." 

ROUTE 66 SPURS TOURISM IN HISTORICAL SMALL TOWNS

Route 66 is known around the world as the "Main Street of America," highlighting an integral part of westward expansion in U.S. history.

"It’s a way of really going deep into America, and getting to know the heart of it," Spanish traveler Ignacio Casares said while driving the route with a group of friends in a rented RV.

In the second half of the 20th century, the interstate system expanded across the US. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials later voted to remove Route 66 from the national highway system.

Wallis said he wanted to help inspire a new future for Tulsa’s section of Route 66.

"I knew the road was still there, more than 85% of it, you can still drive. So I was wary of hearing that in the past tense," Wallis said. 

ROUTE 66 AT 100: DOOCY KICKS OFF MASSIVE ROAD TRIP

But several businesses along Tulsa’s stretch of the historic route struggled after the highway was decommissioned.

"When I was born, this was an area in Tulsa that most Tulsans weren't proud of," said Julia Figueroa, store manager at Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios.

Figueroa’s shop is one of the most eclectic and vibrant stops along Route 66 in Tulsa, located in the Meadow Gold District. The owner brought in giant fiberglass statues to help attract visitors to the area.

To draw more visitors, the Tulsa Route 66 Commission launched a matching grant program for businesses.

"We formed a neon sign grant," said Ken Busby, chair of the Tulsa Route 66 Commission.

The grant helped businesses buy new neon signs or restore old ones for advertising.

"Neon was the first — was the first advertising on the road," Busby said. "And that's how drivers going across this little two-lane road across America found a vacancy, a restaurant or whatever."

CRUISES STILL SEE BUSY SUMMER SEASON AMID OUTBREAK

Busby said there are now 84 neon signs along Tulsa’s 28 miles of Route 66.

"You just see all these neon signs popping up, and you're just like in a big city of neon," he said.

Many locals told FOX they love the neon signs, while businesses are looking toward a brighter future.

"I'll drive there at night just to watch people taking pictures at night and enjoying the neon," Figueroa said.

Busby said the next step is proposing a matching grant for businesses to restore building facades.

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris wants to expand the Supreme Court. 

This is a seriously awful idea. 

FDR, at the height of his popularity, after winning his first reelection, tried that – and got his head handed to him. 

The reason for his effort, in 1937, to have as many as 15 justices was to overcome conservative opposition to his blizzard of New Deal programs. 

HARRIS' 'NO BAD IDEA BRAINSTORM' FOR DEMS INCLUDES PACKING SCOTUS, ELIMINATING ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Sound familiar? 

Even some Democrats at the time thought this would fatally undermine the independence of the judiciary. 

Congress refused to approve the bill, even though Roosevelt enjoyed a big Democratic majority. 

HARRIS LABELED 'INSTITUTIONAL ARSONIST' FOR PLAN TO FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM SCOTUS AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE

But the high court, perhaps under pressure, then did start upholding major New Deal programs launched after the Great Depression. 

Harris said she wanted to "invite ideas," such as packing SCOTUS, leaving herself some wiggle group. Her goal: "To neutralize this red state cheating."

In a call with the liberal group Emerge, the former vice president also said they should look at the Electoral College as well as statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico, both efforts that would help the Democrats. 

Harris, who became the Democratic nominee when Joe Biden dropped out, lost all seven swing states to Donald Trump in 2024. She was extraordinarily cautious during her 107-day run, spending the first third of it refusing to talk to the media. 

Now she's increasingly acting like a candidate, perhaps emboldened by Trump's unpopularity because of the Iran war and other issues. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson accused Harris of a "dangerous gambit," saying: "You don't just blow up the system when you lose."

DEMOCRATS SHY AWAY FROM QUESTIONS ON WHETHER HARRIS SHOULD RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028

The reason most politicians avoid messing with the court, the Electoral College or the Senate filibuster, is fear. They have dark visions of the same unchecked powers being used against them when they no longer control the White House or Congress. Republicans worry they would be unable to stop an all-out liberal agenda, starting with national health insurance, when they are on the receiving end. 

One of Harris' many problems during the campaign was that she couldn't separate from Biden, famously telling "The View" that "not a thing comes to mind" on what she would have done differently.

The former president, meanwhile, has been keeping an extraordinarily low profile. The Democrats have basically moved on from Biden, who is battling cancer. 

Even during his time in the White House, Trump drew more media attention as he battled four criminal investigations. This was in part because Biden walled himself off from the press to hide his severe mental decline. 

In fact, the person who mentions Biden most frequently, both in speeches and online, is Trump – even when the topic has nothing to do with his predecessor. 

Asked by Fox’s Bret Baier whether Xi Jinping liked the fact that he hasn’t yet approved arms sales to Taiwan, Trump said: 

"I would say ‘like’ is maybe too strong a word because he thinks I could do it with just the signing of my signature, unlike Biden who couldn’t sign his signature."

LIZ PEEK: WHAT KAMALA HARRIS BUZZ IS TELLING US. READ BETWEEN THE LINES, AMERICA

As for the Democrats, they still have a deep well of affection for former President Barack Obama, who has emerged as the party's most prominent Trump-basher. 

"We pulled it off," Obama said of Iran on one of Stephen Colbert's final shows, "without firing a missile. We got 97% of their enriched uranium out... and we didn't have to kill a whole bunch of people or shut down the Strait of Hormuz."

When Colbert jokingly suggested that he himself would run for president, Obama said the bar had already been lowered. 

Trump – who always refers to him as "Barack Hussein Obama," for obvious reasons – has hit back hard. 

Trump shared a former adviser's post that "there’s now incontrovertible evidence that he was the spearhead of a seditious conspiracy to subvert the will of the American people and overthrow the United States government back in 2016."

The president added: "I hope they arrest you before your grand opening of your war bunker in southside Chicago," referring to Obama's presidential library. 

In another post, Trump called Obama "the most DEMONIC FORCE in American politics in decades."

A whole lot of Democrats, led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, will be battling Harris for the 2028 nomination. This will be the first time in 16 years that Trump's name won't be on the presidential ballot. 

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Such polls are ridiculously early, given past campaign seasons when those with high name ID quickly faded once the action got under way. 

If Kamala Harris is smart, she'll drop this idea of packing the Supreme Court. She can say it was just a trial balloon, one that quickly popped when FDR tried such a scheme 89 years ago. 

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An Arkansas man was arrested after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting at his local Walmart if the country went into lockdown over the hantavirus outbreak, authorities said.

Aaron Bynum, 20, of Oakland, was arrested Friday for allegedly making the threats, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

He was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications.

Officials said the arrest followed an investigation into online threats allegedly made by Bynum on May 9.

GUN JAMS AS SHOPLIFTING SUSPECT TRIES TO SHOOT OHIO POLICE OFFICER AT POINT-BLANK RANGE IN WILD BODYCAM VIDEO

The FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received an electronic tip from an individual playing an online video game who alleged another player threatened to carry out a mass shooting at a local Walmart "if the country were locked down again due to the Hantavirus."

Authorities said the reporting individual provided the player’s gamer username along with an in-game recording of the alleged threats.

Investigators said they subpoenaed the game’s parent company, which identified Bynum as the owner of the account.

MASKED SUSPECT CHARGED WITH USING FUEL, FIREWORKS IN WALMART KIDS SECTION AS COVER FOR MASSIVE JEWELRY HEIST

The FBI’s Fayetteville Field Office then alerted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and authorities executed a search warrant at Bynum’s residence Friday.

Investigators said they seized Bynum’s computer and related accessories.

Authorities said Bynum was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Marion County Detention Center on a $2,500 bond.

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER DESCRIBES UNCERTAINTY AFTER 3 DEATHS AMID HANTAVIRUS PROBE

The hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship has sickened multiple people aboard the vessel, with WHO reporting as of May 13 that all cases then identified were passengers.

As of May 13, the World Health Organization said 11 cases had been identified in connection with the outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case. Three deaths had also been linked to the outbreak, and WHO assessed the risk to the global population as low.

Canadian health officials on Sunday confirmed that one of four Canadians who returned from the MV Hondius tested positive for the virus. The Associated Press reported that the Canadian case brought the number of confirmed infections tied to the ship to 10, updating the earlier WHO count from May 13.

While the outbreak has sparked comparisons to the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel previously told Fox News Digital there is "no comparison," noting hantavirus is difficult to spread.

The CDC says Andes virus, the strain confirmed in the MV Hondius outbreak, is the only hantavirus documented to spread from person to person, though such transmission is rare and generally requires close, prolonged contact with a symptomatic person.

"It's not airborne ... in terms of respiratory droplets hanging in the air," he said. "It's very difficult to transmit."

Fox News Digital’s Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.

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The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people — including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.

This week's quiz highlights Knicks knowledge, sitcom similarities — and a whole lot more.

Can you get all 8 questions right?

Give it a try and see how you do!

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To try your hand at more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click here. 

Also, to take our latest News Quiz — published every Friday — click here.

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