The Supreme Court decides President Trump can fire independent regulators at will, though not at the Federal Reserve. / NPR In ruling that prison staff can’t be held financially liable for violating religious freedoms—specifically, for cutting a Rastafarian man’s hair—the Supreme Court would seem to run roughshod
Officials say Russia has been pressuring Belarus to launch nonconventional operations against NATO members. / The Wall Street Journal [$] Thanks to Ukraine’s attacks on energy infrastructure, regions across Russia impose restrictions on gas and diesel sales, and Crimea declares a state of emergency. / Radio Free Europe, Kyiv Post Unrelated: Watches
At least 164 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured in Venezuela after 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck last night. / The Associated Press As part of sentencing related to protests at a Texas ICE facility, one person got 30 years for transporting zines that the
At least 94 million people in Europe are expected to experience temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit today. / The Guardian Forty people drowned recently in France while trying to escape the heat. / Reuters More than 5,300 people remain trapped in online scam centers in Myanmar, defrauding people worldwide. / Al Jazeera
Madison Square Garden is reportedly tracking activists who have publicly criticized the venue’s use of facial recognition. / 404 Media Grocery stores seem well on their way to introducing AI-enabled shopping carts that track your items and pepper you with targeted ads. / Futurism It’s Prime Day, which also
Embattled British PM Keir Starmer announces he’ll step down, likely to be succeeded by Andy Burnham, who will become the UK’s seventh PM in 10 years. / Reuters Polymarket has been paying creators to film themselves winning trades on a dummy version of its platform, then posting the final
Israel has reportedly killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the alleged ceasefire in October. / The New Arab For the first time in 110 days, ships are crossing the Strait of Hormuz after being marooned. / The Associated Press The biggest short-term variable in the agreement between Iran
What’s in Trump’s Iran deal? No regime change, no mention of Israel, and no clear answer on who’s supposed to pay Iran $300 billion. / Al Jazeera Netanyahu ally and right-wing anchor Shimon Riklin: “If you compare the agreement Obama did with Iran to this, what’s
As reported yesterday, Iran appears to have emerged from Trump and Netanyahu’s attack in a stronger strategic position. / Institute for the Study of War A round-up of media coverage of the agreement. Tom Nichols says Trump doesn’t understand the war he lost. / Reliable Sources, The Atlantic [$] The
Hosted by a fractured North America, this year’s World Cup feels like three separate—and competing—events, each with its own message and mascot. / The Wall Street Journal [$] The coach of Iran’s World Cup team says US officials ordered them to return to their training base in Mexico
