News of the day: Ilse Aigner teases, US Democrats examine Trump, mourning in Berlin

In front of the capital's press, he not only praised their empathy, down-to-earthness, non-partisanship and clear stance against extremism. The Chancellor said that Aigner's background from a craftsman household particularly impressed the CDU committees. With Aigner, a trained electrical engineer, the highest office in the state will not only be held by a woman for the first time, but also by a person with training instead of a degree. According to Merz, this is "an important sign at a time when many people no longer feel seen in the reality of their lives."

For me as a journalist who worked as a Bayern correspondent for over ten years, Aigner's nomination remains incredible. I wouldn't have bet on CSU leader Markus Söder letting his eternal rival move to Berlin - and thereby sacrificing his own dream of running for chancellor. I would still have believed that the CDU chairman Merz would stumble in another recruitment search so much that he would ultimately have to choose a woman with a CSU party ticket over capable women from his own party. Aigner himself seemed slightly surprised. At today's press conference, after the words of thanks, she couldn't help but say: "The Chancellor made it really exciting. For me too.”

So how did Aigner manage to pull off two men who didn't actually want her? Perhaps with the patience and calm of a craftswoman whose father used to say in stressful situations, “Take it slow, it’s pressing!”? And their ability to gather a functioning team of employees around them. With whom she enjoys smoking a cigarette at the end of a long day. Probably today too.

Aigner himself campaigned for confidence and a new unity in Germany: "As a woman and with my CV, I stand for the promise of advancement in this country."

There are also signs of a move to impeach US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is said to have abused his powers and undermined national security. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is primarily criticized as a vaccine skeptic, is threatened with the same thing. The country is currently struggling with a historically high number of measles infections. In Wisconsin, a baby just died from the highly contagious disease.

Even if the chances of success of impeachment proceedings are slim: US democracy seems more lively these days than Trumpocracy.

My colleague Florian Kistler has compiled all the questions and currently possible answers about the mysterious and tragic case. What is known so far seems nightmarish. Apparently Lisa T. left home on Tuesday morning to go to school. But the girl never got there. The large-scale search operation with sniffer dogs, a helicopter and an underwater drone remained unsuccessful for days.

Around midday on Sunday, the police were apparently informed that unauthorized persons had broken into an uninhabited single-family home in Altglietzen, Brandenburg. The fact that Lisa T. and the alleged perpetrator were encountered there was "purely coincidental," according to the Berlin public prosecutor's office.