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Category: Politics

More than 145,000 U.S. citizen children have had one or both parents detained in immigration sweeps

More than 145,000 U.S. citizen children have had one or both parents detained in immigration sweeps

Brookings reports: The Trump administration has made detention and deportation the centerpieces of its immigration policy. Around 60,000 people are being held in detention currently, and around 400,000 people have been booked into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention from an interior arrest since the administration began. Detention capacity is likely to expand, with $45 billion allocated to expanding detention facilities in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Though it is mostly adults who are detained and deported, many children…

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Is the far right driving a Christian revival in the UK?

Is the far right driving a Christian revival in the UK?

  For decades, Britain seemed to be leaving Christianity behind. Then a controversial report suggested church attendance was on the rise, published just as far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson began seizing on Christianity as a symbol of national identity. So is the UK really experiencing a Christian revival and to what extent is it being driven by Christian nationalism? To find out, the Guardian visited churches across the country and uncovered a growing schism over how Christianity is being…

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As the American epoch of oil is collapsing, fossil fuel fascists are trying to turn back the clock

As the American epoch of oil is collapsing, fossil fuel fascists are trying to turn back the clock

Jonathan Watts writes: “Farewell,” the flag-waving Chinese children chanted to Donald Trump as he strolled along the red carpet back to Air Force One at the end of his summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing. The US leader claimed he was leaving with a cluster of “fantastic” trade deals to sell US oil, jets and soya beans to China. That has not been confirmed by his smiling host, but one thing was crystal clear from the two days of meetings:…

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Can the Israel lobby ‘come in and take out a Republican who’s skeptical of Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies?’

Can the Israel lobby ‘come in and take out a Republican who’s skeptical of Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies?’

Politico reports: The pro-Israel lobby that’s pumped millions into Democratic primaries this year is facing the next test of its political power on the right in ruby-red Kentucky. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and other pro-Israel interest groups have uncorked over $9 million in a bid to unseat Republican Rep. Thomas Massie on Tuesday in a competitive primary that has shattered spending records. Prominent pro-Israel GOP donors have funneled millions more into a super PAC stood up by President…

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Iran eyes a new source of power deep beneath the Strait of Hormuz

Iran eyes a new source of power deep beneath the Strait of Hormuz

CNN reports: Emboldened by its successful wartime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is turning to one of the hidden arteries in the global economy: subsea cables beneath the waterway that carry vast internet and financial traffic between Europe, Asia and the Persian Gulf. The Islamic Republic wants to charge the world’s largest tech companies for using the subsea internet cables laid under the Strait of Hormuz, and state-linked media outlets have vaguely threatened that traffic could be disrupted…

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Christian nationalists gather in Washington to wage ‘spiritual war’

Christian nationalists gather in Washington to wage ‘spiritual war’

The New York Times reports: Thousands of people gathered on the National Mall on Sunday for a daylong rally blending Christian prayer and political fervor, a gathering President Trump had touted as an opportunity to “rededicate America as one nation under God.” The crowds came to the heart of Washington to hear from spiritual and elected leaders and members of Mr. Trump’s cabinet. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appeared in a recorded video message, early in the day, exhorting the…

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Israel is dividing Republicans, poll finds

Israel is dividing Republicans, poll finds

Politico reports: The Republican Party is starting to splinter over support for Israel — and President Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters are largely aligned with the embattled U.S. ally. New results from The POLITICO Poll find that self-identified “MAGA” Trump voters are more supportive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its relationship with the U.S. than those who don’t identify as MAGA but still voted for the president. Nearly half of MAGA Trump voters say they back Israel and…

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Trump uses Taiwan arms sales as bargaining chip with China, in a risky move

Trump uses Taiwan arms sales as bargaining chip with China, in a risky move

The New York Times reports: President Trump has described a potential multibillion-dollar weapons sale to Taiwan as a “negotiating chip” with China, raising new doubts about the pace and scale of American military support for the island democracy. Taiwan’s government has been waiting for months for Mr. Trump to sign off on a $14 billion package of missiles, anti-drone equipment and air-defense systems intended to fortify the island against Beijing’s military threats. Mr. Trump himself had pressured Taiwan to spend…

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As global crises multiply, scores of American diplomats say they have been forced out

As global crises multiply, scores of American diplomats say they have been forced out

CNN reports: Amid ongoing foreign policy crises around the globe and as the Trump administration struggles to reach a deal to end the war with Iran, the State Department last week finalized the firings of nearly 250 foreign service officers in a brief, impersonal email. “Your reduction in force separation will be effective today,” part of it read. “Thank you again for your service to the Department.” Those reductions in force (RIFs), which were initiated last July, also impacted more…

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Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds

Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds

The Guardian reports: The Pentagon has quietly dismantled a program it is legally required to operate to prevent and respond to civilian deaths in US military operations, according to its internal watchdog. A report released by the department’s inspector general concluded the US military no longer has the people, tools or infrastructure needed to comply with two federal statutes requiring it to maintain a functioning civilian casualty policy, and operate a Civilian Protection Center of Excellence (CP CoE). Donald Trump’s…

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Political money is flowing to influencers. But who’s paying?

Political money is flowing to influencers. But who’s paying?

The New York Times reports: Last month, Carlos Eduardo Espina, a progressive influencer, revealed a surprising endorsement to his 14.5 million followers on TikTok: He would support Tom Steyer, the billionaire running for California governor as a Democrat. “I really believe Tom Steyer is different,” Mr. Espina said in a speech that he posted on social media. “He could be traveling around the world or doing whatever he wants, but he wants to serve the people of this state.” Unmentioned…

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Rising diesel costs from Iran war strain U.S. school budgets

Rising diesel costs from Iran war strain U.S. school budgets

Reuters reports: Soaring diesel prices since the onset of the Iran war are draining already tight U.S. school district budgets, making it more expensive to bus students and run generators in a shock officials say they will not be ​able to afford for long. School districts from Yakima, Washington, to Waco, Texas, are tapping emergency funding reserves to keep buses running. In remote Alaska, officials are scrambling to secure enough ‌fuel to keep the lights on, according to Reuters interviews….

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How a new Israeli policy cuts off humanitarian aid in Gaza

How a new Israeli policy cuts off humanitarian aid in Gaza

Clayton Dalton writes: On a hazy morning in November, a group of aid workers with Médecins Sans Frontières (M.S.F.), known in English as Doctors Without Borders, crossed into Gaza for a two-month mission. Jennifer Hulse, an emergency physician from the U.K., led a medical team. “We all had as many bags as we could physically carry,” Hulse said. Inside were essential supplies such as surgical tools and engine oil for generators. Her assignment was to help the Gaza Health Ministry…

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China’s ‘industrial policy of everything’ leaves rest of the world in the dust

China’s ‘industrial policy of everything’ leaves rest of the world in the dust

Greg Ip writes: In the decades since China joined the world economy, U.S. presidents have traveled to Beijing with a predictable list of demands: stop stealing American intellectual property, don’t force technology transfer, open your markets. Donald Trump followed the script on his previous visit in 2017. Whether he does so again this week, it would be pointless. Those demands reflect a view of Chinese industrial policy (broadly, government support for favored sectors) that is woefully out of date. Xi…

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Trump administration considers creating $1.7 billion slush fund for allies investigated under Biden

Trump administration considers creating $1.7 billion slush fund for allies investigated under Biden

The New York Times reports: The Trump administration is considering the establishment of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate allies investigated by the Justice Department under President Biden, creating an ethical, legal and political minefield for Republicans and the department’s leadership. The unusual plan, which Democrats and former government officials criticized as a vast political slush fund financed by taxpayers, has yet to be finalized or approved, according to three people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition…

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Investigation indicates U.S. boat strikes were never a serious counter-drug operation

Investigation indicates U.S. boat strikes were never a serious counter-drug operation

The Guardian reports: A five-month investigation has named 13 previously unidentified victims of US attacks on boats allegedly carrying narcotics in a campaign that has killed nearly 200 people in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. It is unclear if the US has ever identified any of its 194 victims before attacking them, and the names of just three had previously emerged, after their families launched legal cases against the White House. The Trump administration has consistently sought to justify…

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