Primaries in 5 states, Biden's 'Quad' meeting, Austin on Ukraine: 5 things to know Tuesday

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Georgia elections highlight primary day in five states

The Georgia primaries will headline a busy day in politics when four other states will also be holding elections. Incumbent Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp faces Trump-backed David Perdue, a former Senator, for the state's GOP gubernatorial nomination. Many eyes will also be fixed on Georgia's GOP secretary of state primary, where Republican Rep. Jody Hice, another Trump acolyte, looks to unseat current Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Both Kemp and Raffensperger have drawn opposition from former President Donald Trump after they refused to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results. For Democrats, Stacey Abrams will win her party's gubernatorial primary after running unopposed. Abrams, who worked to help flip Georgia blue during the 2020 presidential election, would be the state's first Black governor if she wins the general election in the fall.

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Biden wraps Asia trip with meeting of the 'Quad'

During one of the last stops on his five-day trip to Asia, President Joe Biden told fellow Indo-Pacific leaders in Tokyo Tuesday they were navigating "a dark hour in our shared history" due to Russia's brutal war on Ukraine and he urged the group to make greater effort to stop President Vladimir Putin's aggression. "This is more than just a European issue. It's a global issue," Biden said as a summit with Japan, Australia and India began. While the president did not directly call out any countries, his message appeared to be pointed, at least in part, at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with whom differences persist over how to respond to the invasion. India has not imposed sanctions or even condemned Russia, its biggest supplier of military hardware. The four nations comprise an informal alliance known as the "Quad" — short for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue — that has met sporadically to discuss issues of mutual interest. One unspoken goal of the partnership is to check China's power.

From left to right, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announce a scholarship program that will bring together American, Japanese, Australian and Indian masters and doctoral students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to study in the United States. The announcement came at the Quad Leaders Summit in Tokyo on Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Russia seeks base in Kherson region; Austin speaks out about West's help

Kirill Stremousov, a Russian-installed official in Ukraine's Kherson region, has been quoted by Russian state media as saying the region's pro-Kremlin administration will ask Moscow to set up a military base there. Russian forces took control of the region in southeastern Ukraine early on in the war and installed its own administration. Ukrainian officials have speculated that Russia plans to stage a referendum in the region to declare its independence, similar to the ones that took place in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2014. Vladimir Saldo, installed by Russia as governor of the Kherson region, already has stated the area will have dual currency — Russian rubles and Ukrainian hryvnyas. As the fighting in Ukraine rages on, western allies have promised new, sophisticated weaponry to support Ukraine as it resists Russia's invasion, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday. However, Austin also stated he thinks that "this is Ukraine's fight. "It's not the United States' fight."

Southern Baptist executive committee meets to discuss sexual abuse report

Southern Baptist Convention leaders perpetuated a cycle of abuse for two decades by ignoring reports of sexual abuse and dismissing recommendations for reform, investigators found in a historic report released Sunday. The nearly 300-page document from Guidepost Solutions contains explosive details about how the nation's largest Protestant denomination responded to a growing sexual abuse crisis within its ranks. Since then, several top leaders have resigned, and the body — under interim leadership — will meet Tuesday to discuss the report. Thirty employees and an 86-member board of elected officials lead the executive committee, which manages denomination business when the SBC isn’t gathered at its annual meeting. Guidepost urges the SBC to establish an offender database, formally apologize to survivors, and clarify standards for churches and clergy, among its 17 recommendations.

Golden State Warriors are one win away from NBA Finals berth

The Golden State Warriors can clinch a spot in the NBA Finals with a win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals Tuesday night in Dallas (9 p.m. ET, TNT). The Warriors enter the game with a commanding 3-0 lead series after securing a 109-100 victory on the road Sunday. Hoping to prevent – or at least delay – a sixth NBA Finals appearance for Warriors stars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, is Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Dončić. The 23-year-old is averaging 34 points per game against the Warriors in this series, including back-to-back games with more than 40 points. However, history is not in Dončić or the Mavericks' favor, as no NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Primaries in 5 states, Biden's 'Quad' summit: 5 things to know Tuesday