Are sanctions on Russia working? Yes, but they're not a knockout blow, and other autocracies are watching. / The Economist Suketu Mehta: It is crucial that India remains a democracy for all its citizens. / Scroll.in The White House says it will cancel up to $20,000 of student
Six months after Russia's invasion, Ukraine today marks 31 years of independence, forgoing large celebrations over worries of "brutal strikes." / Associated Press See also: "We cannot stop, and we cannot move into a boring, low-intensity war. We need to think how we can squeeze
The costs of grains and oils have returned to levels last seen before Russia invaded Ukraine. / The Economist French supermarkets and gas stations freeze prices for the next few months. / CNN See also: A bull rampages through a bank in Israel. / The Times of Israel In the UK, heatwaves and
Russia claims Ukraine is responsible for the car-bombing death near Moscow of Darya Dugina, daughter of Putin ally and invasion proponent Alexander Dugin. / BBC News Visualizing data from American mass killings—when four or more people are murdered—underscores how most of the deaths aren't those that
TMN is going on a week's vacation. See you Monday, August 22. The White House unveils a new Africa strategy that seeks to avoid "painting African countries as geopolitical pawns." / Foreign Policy Kenya's presidential election remains too close to call, not to mention a
In the raid on Mar-a-Lago, the FBI was searching for classified documents, including some concerning nuclear weapons. / The Washington Post With an estimated 95% of Americans over 16 having some level of Covid immunity, the CDC relaxes its guidelines on quarantining, social distancing, and school testing. / Associated Press
A large fire near the French city of Bordeaux forces 10,000 residents to flee. / BBC News It's unclear if the fossil fuel industry will use Joe Manchin's provisions on the senator's terms. / Grist Ahead of last weekend's big vote, Senate Democrats
Biden signs a bill to invest more than $200 billion in American semiconductors in an effort to loosen dependence on overseas manufacturing. / CNN See also: Western chipsets have continued flowing to Russia, even after the invasion. And that same technology is turning up in weapons used to strike Ukraine. / Reuters
The FBI searches Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents. / Politico Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book reports that White House staff periodically found wads of paper clogging a toilet—and there are photos. / Axios Tucker Carlson is said
The $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act—nearly $375 billion of which is dedicated to fighting climate change—passed in the Senate along party lines. / Associated Press How does the Inflation Reduction Act ease the inflation we're feeling right now? It doesn't, but it will curtail persistent
