Attention to the Unseen

  Herman Wasserman writes: Amidst the slew of executive orders issued by US President Donald Trump—ranging from reinstating plastic straws, renaming the Gulf of Mexico, and proclaiming that only two genders exist—one, in particular, reverberated around braais, brandies-and-cokes, and bakkies from Brackenfell to Benoni: the executive order “Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa,” which included the policy that the “United States shall not provide aid or assistance to South Africa” and that the “United States shall promote…

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CNN reports: Hurricane preparations at Federal Emergency Management Agency have slowed to a crawl, and the disaster relief agency “is not ready” for the June 1 start to the season, according to an internal agency review obtained by CNN. Prepared at the direction of new acting Administrator David Richardson as part of a problem-solving exercise at FEMA, the document outlines the agency’s struggles in recent months and raises a number of red flags ahead of hurricane season, including a general…

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Forbes magazine reports: The royal family of Qatar, owner of one of the largest private jet fleets in the world, has been quietly getting rid of some of its biggest planes. It may have found the perfect taker for one of its Boeing 747 jumbo jets in President Donald Trump, who has been frustrated with the multi-year delays in replacing Air Force One. While many have speculated that the Qataris have offered Trump the luxurious plane to curry favor with…

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The Washington Post reports: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials at the National Intelligence Council, weeks after the council wrote an assessment that contradicted President Donald Trump’s rationale for invoking the Alien Enemies Act and deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members without due process. Gabbard removed Michael Collins, the acting chair of the National Intelligence Council, as well as his deputy, Maria Langan-Riekhof, according to a spokesperson for Gabbard’s office. The actions are the latest…

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NPR reports: President Trump campaigned on a pledge to fight antisemitism. “Antisemitic bigotry has no place in a civilized society,” Trump said at an event in 2024. However, the president’s critics question whether antisemitism may have found a place within his administration. NPR has identified three Trump officials with close ties to antisemitic extremists, including a man described by federal prosecutors as a “Nazi sympathizer,” and a prominent Holocaust denier. The White House did not respond to multiple requests for…

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Politico reports: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party submitted a controversial bill to parliament Wednesday in what critics see as an attack on civil society. The bill, entitled On the Transparency of Public Life, would allow the Sovereignty Protection Office to blacklist organizations receiving foreign funding, including from EU grants, if it deems them a “threat” to national sovereignty. The Sovereignty Protection Office is a government authority established in December 2023 with the power to investigate any groups or…

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