Hillary Clinton marked Cinco de Mayo by making a bold pronouncement on immigration policy, calling for a path to citizenship. The Los Angeles Times reports:

Although many details of her immigration policy remain to be filled in, Clinton’s comments in Las Vegas drew a purposely sharp line between her stance and that of the large GOP field — none of whom supports a path to citizenship for people lacking proper legal documentation.

It also highlighted a split among Republicans, between hard-liners who favor an enforcement-driven approach to illegal immigration and others who support a more comprehensive overhaul that, in some fashion, would allow millions of people in the country without proper documentation to stay permanently.

(C-Span/Jamie DuPree)

According to the AP, Clinton said she supported President Obama’s executive actions and would “defend” them against Republican opposition while seeking ways to expand them if elected President.

President Obama himself also talked immigration with a group of Hispanic leaders and activists at the White House, saying: “Congress still needs to step up and ultimately pass comprehensive immigration reform,” and that passing a bill is “the right thing to do.”

The DNC announced it would host six primary debates starting this fall.

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On the GOP side, Mike Huckabee launched his bid for the nomination, as Philip Bump writes at the Washington Post, “with a violation of campaign finance law.”

Jeb Bush, still to formally join the race, also issued a Cinco De Mayo message, as New York magazine observes, “recorded for some unknown reason on the floor of a factory.”

(YouTube/Right To Rise PAC)

With the GOP field continuing to expand, Time magazine notes that the party’s first big test will be “fitting candidates on the debate stage.”

The first debate, in Cleveland in August, will be the most pivotal, according to GOP operatives and campaign aides. Failure to earn a place on the stage will likely be the death knell to a campaign, depriving a candidate of an opportunity to shine, and a visible mark of failure in a crowded field. Republicans who have traveled the country boosting their name recognition but who haven’t made any steps toward actually running, like Rep. Pete King and former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton, are, by all accounts, out.

Carly Fiorina, who entered the race on Monday, sat down with Yahoo’s Katie Couric, who expertly knocked back Fiorina’s attempt to plead sexism when asked if she was really running for vice-president.

Away from potential Presidential politics, in Staten Island on Tuesday, Republican Dan Donovan won a special election to replace Rep Michael Grimm, who had been elected to a third term while under federal indictment, and resigned in January after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges.

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* WORLD * ISIS claimed credit for the recent shooting attack in Texas, but there appears little proof of a connection beyond social media activity and a possibly inspirational – rather than operational – role. Time writes:

On Tuesday, a statement from ISIS’s Al Bayan radio claimed responsibility for the attack, marking the first such ISIS claim for an attack on U.S. soil. “We tell America that what is coming will be even bigger and more bitter, and that you will see the soldiers of ISIS do terrible things,” the group said.

Meanwhile, the US offered $20million in rewards for four men described as ISIS leaders.

In France, new legislation gives the government broader surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers.The BBC‘s Hugh Schofield writes: “It has been an unusual debate. Many in the Socialist Party who would normally have spoken out against the new powers have instead kept quiet. In the wake of the January attacks, there is little political mileage in raising doubts about the intelligence services…The consensus means that the powerful civil liberties arguments have had little of an airing in the National Assembly. In some sessions there were no more than a handful of deputies in attendance.”

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* BRITISH ELECTION *  With one more full day of campaigning to go, the papers are fairly ramped up, many pushing their proprietors’ preferences.

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With the parties still almost inseparable in the latest party vs party polls, almost half of respondents to an IPSOS/MORI issues poll say the future of the NHS is most important for them – which The Economist writes, should be good news for Labour. 

Here’s how the parties have performed on social media during the campaign:

BBC Newsnight explains “who gets to be PM if nobody wins”

And finally,

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* MEDIA * News Corp saw its profits halved in the third quarter, year-on-year, but is apparently now “a global leader in digital real estate” due to the growth of its Realtor.com property site.

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* SPORT * After the opening Champions League semi-final, Juventus will take a 2-1 lead into next week’s second leg against Real Madrid. Wednesday sees Barcelona host Bayern Munich in the first leg of the other semi, as Pep Guardiola returns to the scene of his previous success.

A German TV crew said they had their recordings wiped and were detained in Qatar while filming a documentary on conditions for migrant workers preparing for the 2022 World Cup. Qatari officials said the journalists did not have the proper permits for filming in the country. German television on Monday aired the documentary the crew had been working on, about FIFA and the awarding of the 2022 tournament.

With Floyd Mayweather apparently realizing that there could be plenty of lucrative mileage left in fighting Manny Pacquiao, there are a couple of fascinating legal situations arising from their initial “event” at the weekend. Pacquiao is apparently being sued by two fight fans over failing to disclose his shoulder injury, while the bout’s broadcasters, HBO and Showtime, are dealing with the new reality posed by live-streaming technology, specifically Twitter’s app Periscope.

http://twitter.com/dickc/status/594725651854139392

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* CULTURE * There is new audio from some of Thomas Edison’s 19th century talking dolls, and it’s very very creepy indeed.