Waiting for the check marks
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 Trump reiterates his demand that Israeli President Isaac Herzog pardon Benjamin Netanyahu—“in case you’d forgotten one of the motives for this war.” / Foreign Exchanges
Regarding another motive: After the 2025 strikes, analysts estimated an optimistic timeline of at least two years before Tehran’s nuclear program could be restored to meaningful operational status. / Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
See also: “Waiting for the check marks: The reality of connecting with family in Iran.” / rest of world
Volodymyr Zelensky says his government’s open to working as drone consultants. / X
Iranian TV programs broadcast strength with fake videos made with artificial intelligence, while the White House uses gamer memes despite its real attacks killing children amidst hundreds of civilians. / The New York Times [$], Kotaku
Related: Young Americans process war anxiety with the Village People’s “In the Navy.” / daily dot
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art releases three-dimensional renderings of dozens of holdings. / Colossal
A new dataset says our universe is “reverberating with cosmic collisions.” / Scientific American
Like contemporary humans, chimpanzees find crystals fascinating—and often won’t give them back to researchers. / The New York Times [$]
See also: Recent photographs of crystals in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s “Unearthed: Raw Beauty exhibition.” / Chamblissian
An ex-pro tennis player offers advice for any groupies on how to seduce her former colleagues. “Move quick, be ruthless, and good luck!” / Finite Jest
The 2026 Tournament of Books, presented by Field Notes, begins today with the play-in match! / Field Notes, the Tournament of Books
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