How Joe Biden enabled Israel’s aggression toward Gaza — and Iran

How Joe Biden enabled Israel’s aggression toward Gaza — and Iran

David D. Kirkpatrick writes: On March 5, 2024, five months into the war in Gaza, Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, sent a confidential letter to President Joe Biden. Under the Geneva Conventions, the Red Cross holds a unique responsibility to counsel states about avoiding war crimes. In the letter, which I obtained from a former United States official, Spoljaric reminded Biden that the organization had condemned the “horrific” October 7th massacre of Israelis…

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Nearly half of Israel’s government joins march vowing Gaza settlements

Nearly half of Israel’s government joins march vowing Gaza settlements

Oren Ziv reports: The “March of the Thousands” could hardly be called a demonstration or a protest. Those are actions usually taken in opposition to the government, or demanding something from outside of it. But when several thousand right-wing activists marched to the Gaza fence on Sunday, calling for Israel to re-establish settlements in the Strip, they did so with the participation of almost half of the government and under the auspices of the police — even though the army…

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Cover-up: Pentagon has withheld information on dozens of U.S. military injuries in Iran war

Cover-up: Pentagon has withheld information on dozens of U.S. military injuries in Iran war

The New York Times reports: In the week leading up to the Iranian attack on Friday that killed two U.S. soldiers and left one service member missing in Jordan, Iran carried out three other strikes against U.S. forces in the country. Those attacks injured dozens of U.S. service members and damaged several helicopters, according to several U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters. But the Pentagon did not disclose the earlier strikes, nor the…

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Trump’s aggressive crackdown on leaks is not unprecedented

Trump’s aggressive crackdown on leaks is not unprecedented

The New York Times reports: The Trump administration sought the phone records of several New York Times journalists and their relatives — including one reporter’s mother — in its effort to unmask the confidential sources who had provided information for articles about the security capabilities of President Trump’s new Air Force One jet. The Justice Department told The Times late last week that it had issued subpoenas to third-party phone service providers seeking several journalists’ phone and text messaging records….

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Wildfires across North America won’t be extinguished with tarrifs

Wildfires across North America won’t be extinguished with tarrifs

The Guardian reports: After days of acrid smoke from northern wildfires choking major US cities and inspiring Donald Trump to threaten Canada with tariffs, officials now say the reverse is also happening as parts of Canada issue air quality warnings caused by American fires to the south. Officials in the Canadian province of British Columbia warned in an alert on Saturday evening that smoke from US fires, spurred on by thousands of lightning strikes in the north-east, was creating smoky…

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How soon will the UK’s newest prime minister, Andy Burnham, seek a mandate?

How soon will the UK’s newest prime minister, Andy Burnham, seek a mandate?

Daniel Boffey writes: Andy Burnham had emerged victorious, but niggling doubts remained about his mandate. It was the summer of 1987 and the 17-year-old had represented Labour in a school hustings as Margaret Thatcher and Neil Kinnock were battling it out in that year’s general election. “Andy was standing against another guy, a really nice guy who was the Conservative candidate,” said Steve Harrington, a former English teacher at St Aelred’s Catholic high school, in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside. “Andy gave a…

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Trump’s World Cup dream

Trump’s World Cup dream

  Andrew Giuliani writes: Serving as executive director of the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been the honor of a lifetime. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to serve under President Trump and help make his vision for this country a reality during this extraordinary moment for America. As we look ahead to the Olympics and America’s next chapter, let this World Cup stand as proof that when President Trump sets an…

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In the data-center age, the business of Silicon Valley is more like oil-refining than coding

In the data-center age, the business of Silicon Valley is more like oil-refining than coding

Matteo Wong writes: The AI boom has showered some of the nation’s most prominent companies in market value. OpenAI and Anthropic are now the two most valuable private companies in the world. Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia have become larger than ever. But among the biggest winners has been Caterpillar, a purveyor of yellow trucks and cranes. Caterpillar’s stock has more than doubled in value over the past year, making the company worth six times as much as Nike. Its ascent…

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Data centers have united Americans of both parties in a shared hatred

Data centers have united Americans of both parties in a shared hatred

The Washington Post reports: Kyle Schmidt ticked through what makes him irate about the massive Google data center slated for construction about a mile away from his home near Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He didn’t like that residents were kept in the dark about what would be built on a pristine tract of mostly forested land. He’s worried about the data center’s potential impact on the community’s water supply and on the dream home that his family moved into last year….

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My son was killed by ICE. I want accountability

My son was killed by ICE. I want accountability

Rachel Reyes writes: This spring I watched Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing to become the homeland security secretary. It was most likely the first confirmation hearing I ever watched. I have never been a political person. I tuned in because Mr. Mullin’s words were of personal concern to me. In 2025 a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent killed my son, Ruben Ray Martinez, in Texas. He was 23 years old, a quiet, funny and gentle young man — and an…

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Federal agents were told FBI will no longer investigate ICE confrontations

Federal agents were told FBI will no longer investigate ICE confrontations

The New York Times reports: Federal agents around the country were told in recent days that the F.B.I. would no longer investigate confrontations with immigration agents — cases that sometimes yield evidence that could be used to prosecute Department of Homeland Security agents implicated in violent encounters, according to people briefed on the decision. If enacted, such a change would sharply limit law enforcement scrutiny of immigration agents, as the Trump administration draws mounting criticism over killings at the hands…

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Federal prosecutors are under fire after critics accuse them of smearing man killed by ICE in Houston

Federal prosecutors are under fire after critics accuse them of smearing man killed by ICE in Houston

CNN reports: An FBI agent arrived at a crime scene and saw something suspicious: tied plastic baggies containing unknown substances resembling illegal drugs. He would need to laboratory test the items to be sure. To do that, he would also get a warrant. The Houston incident, following one of the latest deadly shootings by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, mirrors countless routine police encounters that happen daily across the country as officers find suspected drug paraphernalia and seek court…

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Trump’s ex-campaign manager is running an Israeli influence operation targeting the MAGA base

Trump’s ex-campaign manager is running an Israeli influence operation targeting the MAGA base

Time reports: After the U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire deal on June 17, a senior U.S. official was monitoring the online reaction when they noticed something surprising. President Donald Trump’s aides had expected his supporters to celebrate the agreement. Instead, online influencers in Trump’s MAGA movement were excoriating it on social media. One shared an Israeli op-ed titled, “You Could Have Been the Greatest President of All—But You Failed.” Several posted the same video of Qatar’s prime minister…

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Democrats see an opening in rural states for the first time in decades. In Iowa, it’s about water

Democrats see an opening in rural states for the first time in decades. In Iowa, it’s about water

Tom Philpott and Nina B. Elkadi write: Chris Jones, the 65-year-old Democratic nominee for Iowa secretary of agriculture, stands at the edge of a pond on a 72-acre farm in eastern Iowa. “What you see here is how fertile Iowa is,” he says, looking intently into the water. Massive bluegills dart about in the clear depths. “When we go up to a corn or soy field, we don’t see this anymore.” Jones isn’t just talking about the fish. He means…

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