A round-up of President Trump’s mixed messages from the weekend regarding his war on Iran. / Foreign Exchanges Detailed maps show how the war has widened. / The Wall Street Journal [$] The Pentagon adopts Palantir’s Maven model as its main AI system. Ironically, Maven uses Anthropic’s Claude to analyze
An explainer for how China might end the Iran war on the basis of its 2023 detente. / Forever Wars The United States intensifies the battle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. / The Wall Street Journal [$] Israel continues to attack Tehran while Iran targets gas and oil facilities. / NPR A tanker
The Defense Secretary says the end of the Iran war “will be at the president's choosing.” / The Wall Street Journal The Director of National Intelligence says only Trump knows which threats are imminent. / Politico Oil and natural gas prices spike following a string of attacks targeting oil and
Researchers in Sweden say the United States is no longer a democracy. “Our data on the USA goes back to 1789.” / The Guardian Speaking of data, researchers say the current White House and other governments are undermining the credibility of official statistics. / Nature A federal judge blocks the Trump administration&
A summary of where things stand after three weeks of war in Iran. / Wake Up to Politics Europe rejects Donald Trump’s pleas for help in securing the Strait of Hormuz. / Politico In the United States, the White House quietly encourages farmers to hire immigrants to fill staffing shortages. / The
Iran’s hacking of medical-equipment firm Stryker is likely the largest wartime cyberattack on the US in history. / The Wall Street Journal [$] For Iranians, suddenly being forced into war means wondering “which violence they are more likely to survive”—that from the regime or the attackers. / Vox The US State
More than three million people have been displaced in Iran since Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu launched their war. / The Hill By several measures, Russia is the war’s biggest winner thus far. / Semafor Trump switches from bragging about keeping gas prices low to boasting about making gas prices high.
An investigation says the deadly missile strike of an Iranian elementary school was the result of a targeting mistake by the United States. / The New York Times [$] In his first public statement as Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei vows revenge. / NPR Until recently, the Pentagon was working on ways
Iran starts laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and vows to block oil exports from the Gulf. / CNN, AL-Monitor At the same time, Tehran is exporting more oil than before—headed for China—while ignoring pleas from the White House for a ceasefire. / The Wall Street Journal [$], The Guardian
A technical note: Our headlines newsletter may arrive a bit late this month while we produce the Tournament of Books. By April, we promise, we’ll be right as rain. The Pentagon and the president publicly disagree about how long Trump’s war on Iran will last. / The Hill Attacks
Mojtaba Khamenei is picked to succeed his father as Iran’s supreme leader, reinforcing Tehran’s security establishment. / Time A classified intelligence report concludes that not even a large-scale assault would oust Iran’s clerical establishment. / The Washington Post [$] A round-up of Donald Trump’s justifications for the attack sound
Regarding Iran, anonymous government sources say the White House has no “real rationale, endgame, or plan for the aftermath.” / The Intercept Israel continues to wreak havoc in Gaza and the West Bank, and is said to have turned Lebanon into a “digital occupation laboratory.” / The New Arab, The Dial Donald
Donald Trump’s war with Iran expands beyond “the geography that has long defined Iranian power projection.” / The Diplomat According to military reporters, the lack of information from the White House makes the war “something of a black box.” / Reliable Sources Sources say the CIA started supporting Iranian Kurdish groups
Persian Gulf states are running out of air-defense interceptors and may have less than a week’s worth remaining. / The Wall Street Journal [$] A round-up of some of the fake war videos swirling through social media. / Bluesky See also: Researchers identify the munitions being used—more importantly, not being used—
According to anonymous sources, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman encouraged the White House to attack Iran. / The Washington Post [$] The US aerial assault includes replicas of Iranian-made one-way drones. / Defense One An explainer for how Iran’s Shahed drones—familiar to Ukranians—sound and fly. / The Guardian How do
The United States and Israel continue their attack on Iran (and Lebanon), planning for at least a month of war. / Al Jazeera, CBS News In retaliation, Iran strikes hotels, malls, and airports in America’s regional allies. And Riyadh becomes an exit hub for the worried rich. / CNN, Semafor US
For the first time since the Great Depression, more people moved out of the United States last year than moved in. / The Wall Street Journal [$] In Southern California, thousands of people—including lots of elderly white people—are now patrolling the streets to monitor ICE raids. / The LA Local Conservative
With little warning, Kansas has voided trans residents’ drivers licenses, and yes, “the persecution is the point.” / Erin in the Morning, the Kansas City Star Amid the Epstein fallout—Bill Gates apologizing, Larry Summers and Richard Axel resigning—memos connected to Trump’s accuser are missing. / The Wall Street Journal
Assessing Vladimir Putin’s endgame after four years of attacking Ukraine. / Interruptrr Young journalists in Ukraine explain how they do their work and survive day-to-day. / OCCRP Dan Caine, “the white DEI hire at the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” is swiftly becoming President Trump’s fall guy on Iran. / Forever Wars
Trump’s new tariffs are just as illegal as his old tariffs, and news outlets across the board are leaving that out of their reporting. / Popular Information See also: Following last week’s Supreme Court decision, FedEx is suing the US government for a full refund and interest on the
A new longitudinal study finds that cannabis use among adolescents increases risks of being diagnosed with bipolar and psychotic disorders years later. / NPR Mexican security forces kill the drug lord El Mencho. / CNN Javier Cabral: El Mencho was “the final mass-trafficking titan standing alongside El Chapo and El Mayo, marking
Dozens of fighter jets have flown from the United States and Europe to bases in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, should President Trump decide to attack Iran. / The Wall Street Journal [$] The Supreme Court will rule soon on the legality of Trump’s tariffs, and it’s unlikely to go Trump’
A study finds the effective tax rate for the United States’ 400 wealthiest individuals is 24%, compared with 45% for top labor income earners. / The Wall Street Journal [$] Scotland passes the world’s first national “community wealth building” legislation requiring public finance to support local and sustainable development. / TFN Should
Ukraine and Russia end another round of negotiations with little progress, seeming more and more like political theater (for an audience of Donald Trump). / Politico A project documents actions, statements, and plans of Trump and his administration “that echo those of authoritarian regimes.” / Trump Action Tracker Davy Rothbart remembers the
Ukraine recaptured 78 square miles from Russia last week—nearly the equivalent to Russia’s gains in December. / France 24 Now entering its fifth year, the war has become Europe’s largest conventional conflict since World War II. / Foreign Affairs Brief notes on a drone strike on a crowded market
China is found to be rapidly growing and improving its nuclear arsenal. / The New York Times [$] European diplomats say Donald Trump has fundamentally changed transatlantic ties. / Politico Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledges that the White House has a list of Americans deemed domestic terrorists, including “antifa.” / The Intercept The Pentagon
A report says people in the United States bore 90 percent of the cost of President Trump’s tariffs in 2025. / CBS News Another consequence: Foreign countries reduced their future reliance on a US “that has increasingly embraced protectionism.” / Bloomberg [$] “The job market is cooked.” Gen Z explains why they
Following a surprisingly strong job growth report that showed unemployment improved last month, US stocks surged toward an all-time high yesterday. / AP See also: Nearly all of the new jobs added in January were in healthcare and related fields. / The Wall Street Journal [$] However, according to new data, job growth
Reports say Russia can’t recruit enough soldiers to keep up with its losses in Ukraine, and its war spending may be maxed out. / Semafor, The Overshoot Inflation in Argentina accelerates for a fifth straight month in January. / The Associated Press When the US economy disproportionately rewards capital over labor,
After DHS was unable to prove she should be deported, the case against Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk—who apprehended by agents almost a year ago—has been thrown out. / NBC News The father of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was detained by ICE in Minnesota, says his son is traumatized
Four stories of white-collar workers who left their careers to pursue blue-collar jobs. / The Wall Street Journal [$] San Francisco’s public school teachers strike for the first time in 47 years. / The San Francisco Standard In Europe, the Epstein scandal is taking down politicians, whose American counterparts remain unscathed. / Politico
In 2025, the US job market posted the weakest growth outside of a recession since 2003. / CNN Also in 2025: The unemployment gap between workers with bachelor’s degrees and those with occupational associate’s degrees flipped. / The Washington Post [$] Regarding means testing’s true nature: Since Georgia implemented work
Every year over the past three decades, immigrants have paid more in taxes than they received in benefits—and very well may have saved the US from a debt crisis. / Cato Institute The United Nations is in dire straits due to unpaid fees, 95% of which are owed by the
The White House’s military buildup in the Middle East continues, and experts say the risks of miscalculation are rising. / The Wall Street Journal [$] Spencer Ackerman: It has been haunting to watch the frictionless way President Trump appears set to enact or hasten some form of regime change in Iran.
“Their opposition was never to authoritarian violence or state terror, but instead to being subjected to that violence and terror themselves.” Welcome to the Jade Helm presidency. / The Intercept See also: Project 2025 is a neo-Confederate blueprint, and what’s happening in Minnesota is no accident. / Weekend Reading Over the
This year could see the first-ever population decline in American history, as a result of Trump’s attacks on immigration. / Bloomberg [$] “I came for the socialists and communists and trade unionists.” I’m still your America. / McSweeney’s The Trump administration has been purchasing massive warehouses across the US with
In light of today’s national shutdown, a few links pertaining to strikes, protests, and helping one another. We’ll see you on Monday with the regular edition. Stay safe out there. Hundreds of events are planned across the United States today and tomorrow. / The Guardian “We’ve voted, we’
“I’ve learned to be extremely wary of anyone whose eyes show panic and fear when they’re holding a gun.” Staring down agents at a Home 2 Suites in Minneapolis. / Welcome to Hell World Watch: A Marine explains the battlefield tech spotted in Minneapolis, including gear that he wasn’
Since July, at least 10 people have been shot by Dept. of Homeland Security officers, and three people have been killed. / The Washington Post [$] Numerous ICE and Border Protection employees have sexual and violent criminal histories, including 20 involving underage victims. / The New Republic Spencer Ackerman: Minnesota is showing the
Across subreddits, social platforms, and YouTube, anger at ICE has entered typically apolitical spaces. / The Washington Post [$] Kristi Noem wants to criminalize revealing ICE agents’ identities—if only she could get agents to stop doxing themselves on LinkedIn. / Wired Trump’s current approval ratings show him underwater in most states,
Minnesota leaders successfully sue the Trump administration to force it to preserve evidence from the killing of Alex Pretti. / The Minnesota Star Tribune White House officials continue to spread lies and misinformation about Pretti and his death. / The Guardian Bills are pending in at least 15 states to stop ICE
Japan’s Prime Minister calls for snap elections, hoping to increase her bloc’s power. / The Japan Times Was the Canadian Prime Minister’s speech just bluster? Unless Canada and Europe unite on policy, probably. / IPS Accounting for a year of anarchy under President Trump. / Foreign Affairs Ruth Ben-Ghiat: What
President Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” would have him serve as chairman for life. / The New York Times [$] Deducing what the US is now, exactly—a kakistocracy, a kleptocracy, or a fascist state—one thing’s for certain, Trump can only be a dictator if you let him. / The
Canada’s Prime Minister receives a rare standing ovation at the World Economic Forum for criticizing leaders who kowtow to President Trump. / The Independent Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron grabs attention for wearing sunglasses indoors. / Euronews Under Trump 2.0, the Environmental Protection Agency will no longer calculate the health benefits of
Lydia Polgreen: “It might not yet be a civil war, but what the White House has called Operation Metro Surge is definitely not just—or even primarily—an immigration enforcement operation.” / The New York Times [$] Coinbase pretty much runs the Senate now, and isn’t hiding how much control it
We’ll be off Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and will see you again on Tuesday. More than two dozen times over the past year, ICE agents have drawn or pointed their guns at people, almost all of them US citizens. / Jacobin See also: A sourced
As America throws its weight around, it’s only a matter of time before other nations form new coalitions to rebalance power in ways the US won’t like. / Foreign Policy See also: Trump’s imperialist moves prove how authoritarianism is a response to climate change—it’s a race
The Minnesota US attorney’s office is in turmoil over the White House’s attempts to blame Renee Good for being murdered, with at least six federal prosecutors resigning. / NBC News See also: “You think you’re watching an ICE agent murder an innocent woman,” but what you’re watching
In its airstrikes on boats in the Caribbean, the US reportedly disguised its planes to resemble civilian aircraft—which constitutes a war crime. / The Guardian Trump’s invasion of Venezuela comes with the promise of cheaper oil, which is bad news to the residents of the petroleum capital of Midland,
Russian forces had been deeply embedded in Venezuela; but when the US showed up, they either showed no resistance or vanished entirely. / Euromaidan The Dept. of Justice has subpoenaed the Fed over building renovations, in what Jerome Powell says is actually an attempt to end the central bank’s independence.
The European Union agrees to a trade pact with South American countries that would create one of the world’s largest free-trade zones (no matter any French tractors.) / eNCA, DW The White House is considering paying Greenlanders $10,000 to $100,000 per person to secede from Denmark. / The Hill
Multiple videos show very clearly that DHS is lying to you about ICE shooting and killing a woman in Minneapolis. / 404 Media See also: The murder victim is Renee Nicole Good, who won the Academy of American Poets Prize in 2020 for her poem “On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pgs.
France, Germany, and Poland meet to plan their response if President Trump decides to attack Greenland. / The Guardian Secretary of State Rubio says Trump’s goal is to buy Greenland, not invade it. / The Wall Street Journal [$] US National Parks start to void any passes that obscure the photo of
“MAGA is me. MAGA loves everything I do, and I love everything I do, too” is something the president of the United States said in an interview where he declared the US is not at war with Venezuela. / NBC News Journalists must call Trump's power grab in Venezuela
Following his invasion of Venezuela, Trump suggests Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico could be next, and renews his intention to annex Greenland. / Axios, NPR For context, Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves, produces comparatively little, and “has a type the US needs.” / By the Numbers See also: “The world
We asked some of our favorite journalists, writers, and thinkers: What were the most important events of 2025, and what were the least?
TMN is taking a holiday break, and we’ll return with our regularly scheduled headlines on Monday, Jan. 5. In the meantime, here are some places we and our friends like for year-end giving. United Way of Snohomish County is coordinating relief for people displaced by historic floods this December
In case you missed it, the United States recently carried out “a massive strike” against the Islamic State in Syria. / BBC News Reporters use hard-to-find social media accounts to get a glimpse into the Assads’ life of luxury in Russia. / The New York Times [$] President Trump announces plans for a
Japan plans to restart the world’s biggest nuclear power plant, which has sat dormant ever since the Fukushima disaster. / CNN Emmanuel Macron says France intends to build a new aircraft carrier, its first in decades. / The Associated Press, Semafor A brief look at some of the bills signed into
Why have coups become so frequent in Africa lately? “The challenge in West Africa and the Sahel is that you’ve got very rapid population growth.” / DW In Benin and Guinea-Bissau, coup leaders are said to be responding to democratic disappointments. / Good Authority India’s parliament votes to open its
Iranian President Pezeshkian says Tehran must be moved due to its ongoing ecological disasters. / Iran Insight Related: Pezeshkian says Iran is facing insurmountable problems “and that he is out of ideas to fix them.” / The New York Times [$] A good overview of water’s influence on politics in the Middle
The White House orders a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers going into and leaving Venezuela. / Bloomberg [$] A summary of things said by White House chief of staff Susie Wiles over the last year to a reporter, now published in Vanity Fair. / Wake up to Politics, Vanity Fair President Trump says
The United States and Europe offer security guarantees to Ukraine modeled on NATO’s mutual defense pledge. / Reuters What was the center of US military activity in 2025? Somalia. / Forever Wars Some 117 billion people are estimated to have lived on our planet, and seven percent of them are alive
Australian leaders vow to further strengthen their gun control laws after a mass shooting targets a Hanukkah celebration. / The Associated Press How journalists covered a weekend of mass shootings on two continents. / Poynter In 1965, the CIA lost a nuclear device in the Himalayas that people now worry may leak
Bulgaria’s government collapses following a wave of youth-driven protests. / The Wall Street Journal [$] The White House wants Ukraine to withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region and create a "special economic zone." / The Guardian One of Zelenskyy’s advisors says the zone would require both Ukrainian and Russian
As mentioned here previously, European officials say Russia is escalating “deniable, disruptive” attacks on the continent, using local proxies recruited through Telegram. / Semafor Conservatives are gradually cooling toward the Tate brothers despite their Trump connections. / The New York Times [$] The EPA’s website about the causes of climate change now
President Zelensky says he’s ready to hold elections in Ukraine if the United States guarantees their integrity. / NBC News Europe prepares to use frozen Russian assets to bankroll Kyiv for the next two years. / Reuters The White House wants visitors to the US to provide five years of social
The new US National Security Strategy contorts the Monroe Doctrine into the “Trump Corollary,” invoking imperialism in the Western Hemisphere. / Reuters, Foreign Policy Related: The security strategy checks off most everything on Russia’s wishlist, and overall it’s less a “strategy” and more a “statement of values.” / Bloomberg [$], Foreign
Even as a science journal retracts a study claiming Roundup is safe, the White House is trying to shield Bayer from lawsuits, illustrating the MAGA-MAHA schism. / Mother Jones Related: Monsanto employees coauthored the study that became a cornerstone of the company’s claims of glyphosate’s safety. / Retraction Watch In
Had Zelenskyy’s flight to Dublin not been ahead of schedule, it would have run into four unidentified military drones. / The Journal School budgets are feeling the pain of Amazon’s dynamic pricing, where the cost of supplies can swing from one extreme to another. / The Verge “Bell was in
Why did Trump pardon the former Honduran president? Very likely in order to preserve Thiel and Andreessen’s tech-right “freedom city” in the country. / Mother Jones Jamelle Bouie: “As venal and scandalous as the president’s pardons have been, they aren’t yet as bad as they could be.” / The
Responding to numerous public complaints, Illinois officials tell rental car companies it’s illegal for ICE agents to switch out license plates on vehicles. / NBC News Unrelated: “I’m in charge at this Hertz location, and buddy, you’re not getting a car today.” / McSweeney’s White paper: Congress members’
On Black Friday 2025, Americans spent more, got less, and opted to buy now, pay later 45% more often than last year. / The New Republic When buying items from abroad, US consumers are suddenly finding themselves stuck with paying hundreds extra in tariffs. / The New York Times [$] See also: Costco
In Gaza, where Israeli strikes have destroyed most banks and there are no working ATMs, some residents are now repairing damaged banknotes. / BBC News Sally Rooney’s support for Palestine Action, a nonviolent protest group proscribed under anti-terror laws, means she may not publish in the UK for publishers’ fear
We’re taking off the rest of the week for the Thanksgiving holiday. See you on Monday. Hundreds of firefighters struggle to contain a blaze that’s engulfed multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong. / BBC News Jonathan A. Czin: Whereas most countries targeted by President Trump’s tariffs rushed to
Russia’s oil and gas revenues this month are expected to fall 35% year-on-year. / Semafor Calls with the White House have done little to defuse the spat occurring between Beijing and Tokyo. / CNBC As Chinese cities have grown safer, security guards are mostly protecting property prices “and the class status
Ten years after the Paris Agreement, the world appears to be retreating from its goal to keep global warming “well below” 2 degrees Celsius. / Grist From David Runciman, a good round-up on recent books on whether humanity is doomed. / The London Review of Books Unrelated: A volcano in Ethiopia erupts
A White House plan to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, recently leaked, seems to heavily favor Putin’s interests. / BBC News, The Atlantic [$] Ukraine prepares a first-ever claim for wartime damages linked to carbon emissions. / Reuters Elmira Bayrasli: The urgency to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine is
In a California housing dispute, the plaintiff submitted an AI deepfake as real evidence—it’s unclear how often this has already happened, which is actually the bigger problem. / NBC News Reenactments are one thing in documentaries, but AI is an entirely different line to cross, and it threatens the
Syrians continue to discover large-scale burial sites, sometimes by chance. / The Wall Street Journal [$] President Trump welcomes Saudi Arabia’s MBS, saying about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, “things happen.” / Semafor Karen Attiah: Jamal’s plight and murder was a warning sign for America, “of the censorship that would
“While the trauma and terror that Bovino’s unit instills is certainly real and damaging, it’s remarkable to note how ineffective the force has turned out to be.” On ICE’s retreat from Chicago. / Doomsday Scenario Bovino is who E.B. White meant when he wrote, “I am deeply
China tells its citizens not to travel to Japan with Tokyo and Beijing locked in a fight over Taiwan. / BBC News China’s $49 billion luxury market is changing quickly, with domestic interest turning to homegrown labels. / Bloomberg [$] See also: L’Oréal takes a stake in mass-market Chinese skincare brand
Six French museums have been burgled since the beginning of September—one of them twice. / The Wall Street Journal [$] Brussels (mostly) bans bicycles in its 124-acre car-free zone. / Bloomberg CityLab Italy investigates citizens alleged to have taken sniper “safaris” to Sarajevo three decades ago. / BBC News A photojournalist from Texas
Last week’s US elections showed voters may welcome an anti-AI message, as winning candidates pledged to curtail the boom in data centers. / The New Republic See also: Data centers are cropping up in the wrong places in the US, with some areas having far too many, and sometimes in
The world’s use of fossil fuels remains on track to peak before 2030, despite a recent surge in political support for coal, oil, and gas. / CarbonBrief “You don’t necessarily have to mention climate change to start adapting to it”—as seen across the United States. / Grist Thanks to
“I want you to understand that every issue you care about—any hope of participatory democracy—is downstream of this.” I want you to understand Chicago. / Aphyr One of DHS’s least-reported surveillance networks in the country is the one that operates every Saturday at college football games. / FOIAball Jeet
Dissecting the ways DHS’s propaganda paints agents as heroes—for example, by editing out the screams of children and families. / Chicago Sun-Times Elon Musk and DOGE’s destruction of USAID has, as of right now, caused the deaths of 400,000 children worldwide. / The New Yorker In the US
A round-up of news links to help understand the siege of El Fasher in Sudan. / This Week in Africa Britain rejected atrocity prevention plans for Sudan despite intelligence warnings that El Fasher would fall. / The Guardian See also: A critique of typical writing about Sudan. / good chat Airlines in the
Mamdani’s win just turned politics upside down, and certainly within the Democratic Party itself, which now has a chance to reinvent itself. / Garbage Day See also: Following Pelosi’s announcement that she won’t seek reelection, some guesses as to who might fill her San Francisco-based House seat. / The
Democrats win all the United States’ key races yesterday. At the same time, nothing from the night was too surprising. / Politico, Wake Up to Politics If Democrats want to continue winning, they need to run moderates and liberals both, say both Charlotte Alter and Ezra Klein. / X, The New York
Political strategists from across Europe are studying Zohran Mamdani’s campaign for lessons to apply back home. / Politico If Zohran Mamdani wins, could New York City become a welfare state model? / Monocle Matt Glassman: Voting is the universal symbol of political participation, but too many people see it as the
More than 5,000 flights in the United States were delayed or canceled over the weekend while air traffic controllers missed a paycheck. / BBC News A major philanthropic donor based in the United Kingdom pulls the plug on US giving, saying the political landscape is too risky. / Alliance Europeans worry
Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for economic globalization at a regional forum skipped by President Trump. / Al Jazeera Who would benefit from Trump’s desire to resume nuclear testing? China. / Center for Strategic & International Studies Mira Rapp-Hooper: China is highly unlikely to adjust its global aims, “and there are
ICE and CBP agents are using facial recognition to “verify” people’s immigration status, in what is certainly a severe violation of the Constitution. / 404 Media, Ars Technica “What happens to the White House’s trash is secret,” and that also seems to be the case with the debris from
President Trump says “nothing” will jeopardize his Middle East truce despite Israel bombarding Gaza after Hamas is accused of killing a soldier. / BBC News A temporary deescalation of Trump’s trade war may give China exactly what it seeks: “a crucial pause… to accelerate its domestic efforts to bolster its
“None of this comports with either 18th century English practice, the 1787 Founders’ vision, or typical past practice.” A round-up of good things to read about the shutdown, ICE, and the construction of a presidential police force. / Matt’s Five Points See also: “How Trump is building a violent, shadowy
Doing its part to try and pin the government shutdown on Democrats, the USDA says it may withhold billions in SNAP benefits already approved by Congress. / The Hill How the threat of a colossal Buc-ee’s gas station—derided as “an invasive species from Texas”—tore at the fabric of
President Trump cancels trade negotiations with Canada over an ad. Meanwhile, Washington and Beijing prepare for a week of intense talks. / Politico, Semafor The practice of various American officials flying to Israel to keep pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu is being referred to as “Bibisitting.” / The Wall Street Journal [$] Some
Attorneys, advocates, and abortion providers are organizing to protect legal abortion by increasing access to medication and providing legal services for clinicians. / The Washington Post [$] Trump killed a federal database tracking billion-dollar climate disasters; now, its lead scientist has collaborated with a nonprofit to relaunch the tool. / The Verge, Climate
Bird flu is back, and immigration raids along with the government shutdown are making it impossible to get a complete picture of outbreaks. / The New York Times [$] In the bankruptcy hearings for Claire’s, the judge and lawyers share their memories of ear piercings. / The Wall Street Journal [$] Cory Doctorow
