Israel appears to be following the advice of the Biden administration and other allies by waging a more targeted war to reduce civilian casualties. / The New York Times [+] Still, the death toll of Palestinians in the Gaza war surpasses 25,000, as Israel announces the death of another hostage. / AP
Some of these certainly flew under the radar, but here are 20 things the US government did this week. / Wake Up to Politics A surprising number of Americans think they live in the Midwest, even when they're as far away as Colorado or Arkansas. / The Wall Street Journal
Ambassadors to Washington are betting against American democracy, thanks to the GOP-Democratic divide. / Politico Magazine Richard Louv: Reconnecting children and nature may be the last cause in the US that transcends political barriers. / MIT Press Reader Related, perhaps: "Poverty doesn't cause societal violence—how you become
The United States attacks Houthi ballistic missiles in Yemen over the Iran-aligned group's targeting of Red Sea shipping. / PBS Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they attacked Israel's "spy headquarters" in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. / Reuters Pakistan warns of retaliation
Despite facing multiple indictments, Donald Trump wins the Iowa Republican primary by a historic margin. / Politico A round-up of African migration trends to watch in 2024—e.g., state fragility, seasonal economic opportunities. / Africa Center The world's most "powerful" passports, ranked. / The Points Guy A
Internet and telecom services in Gaza get cut as a result of Israel's bombardment. / Al Jazeera Jeremy Bowen: It's time to stop talking about the war spreading elsewhere—it's already happened. / BBC News Spencer Ackerman: You did it, Joe! You escalated the war you
A report says Niger, Senegal, and Rwanda will be among this year's highest growth economies. / Semafor Whither pandemic preparedness and global health cooperation? Helen Branswell's public health questions for 2024. / STAT Unrelated: Collective online archiving as a way to mourn a friend. / Dirt In normal times
Taiwan says it doesn't consider the launch of a Chinese satellite, whose rocket flew over southern Taiwan, an attempt at election interference. / Reuters Related: Breaking down Wang Yi's speech on China's diplomacy in 2023 and priorities for 2024. / Tracking People's Daily Ethiopia
Hezbollah says one of its commanders has been killed in a strike in southern Lebanon. / BBC News Alon Pinkas: Maybe the most ominous thing about an Israeli-Hezbollah war in Lebanon is the feeling that it's a foregone conclusion. / Haaretz In 2024, more than half of humanity will
Xi's military leadership shake-up—apparently part of his plan to tackle corruption and disloyalty—raises questions about China's combat readiness. / The Wall Street Journal [+] The history of the US government's comic books, which run the gamut from educating Americans on safety to pushing
