News chronological

NYTIMES (Natan Odenheimer) - Israel Minister Taunts Pro-Palestinian Flotilla Activists in Video Wed May 20 17:56:32 2026

In the video, the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, walks past activists in handcuffs and forced to kneel on the deck of a ship. It drew outrage at home and abroad.

NYTIMES (Ronda Kaysen) - House Passes Housing Bill, Uniting on a Measure to Bring Down Costs Wed May 20 17:56:31 2026

The legislation, which had been stalled amid Republican divisions, passed overwhelmingly, signaling an eagerness in both parties to address affordability in an election year.

AXIOS (Barak Ravid) - New Iran peace proposal triggers tense Trump-Netanyahu call Wed May 20 17:56:01 2026

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed a new effort to reach a deal with Iran in a difficult call on Tuesday, three sources said, with one source saying Netanyahu's "hair was on fire" after the call. Why it matters: A revised peace memo was drafted by Qatar and Pakistan with input from the other regional mediators to try to bridge the gaps between the U.S. and Iran, the sources said. It comes with Trump vacillating over ordering a massive strike on Iran and holding out for a deal. - Netanyahu is highly skeptical about the negotiations and wants to resume the war to further degrade Iran's military capabilities and weaken the regime by destroying its critical infrastructure. Trump continues to say he…

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed a new effort to reach a deal with Iran in a difficult call on Tuesday, three sources said, with one source saying Netanyahu's "hair was on fire" after the call. Why it matters: A revised peace memo was drafted by Qatar and Pakistan with input from the other regional mediators to try to bridge the gaps between the U.S. and Iran, the sources said. It comes with Trump vacillating over ordering a massive strike on Iran and holding out for a deal. - Netanyahu is highly skeptical about the negotiations and wants to resume the war to further degrade Iran's military capabilities and weaken the regime by destroying its critical infrastructure. Trump continues to say he…Open

AXIOS (Andrew Pantazi) - How Trump's $1.8B "anti-weaponization" fund works Wed May 20 17:56:00 2026

President Trump sued his own administration, settled and will now spend $1.776 billion of taxpayer money to pay people who say the government targeted them politically. Why it matters: The "Anti-Weaponization Fund" turns a personal Trump settlement into a new government program, shields decisions on who gets the money from the courts and limits information about what the public knows about where the funds go. The backstory: Trump sued the IRS and Treasury in January for $10 billion over the 2019 leak of his tax returns. The settlement gives Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization a formal apology but no money, and it bars the IRS from auditing Trump's past tax returns. - Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former criminal…

President Trump sued his own administration, settled and will now spend $1.776 billion of taxpayer money to pay people who say the government targeted them politically. Why it matters: The "Anti-Weaponization Fund" turns a personal Trump settlement into a new government program, shields decisions on who gets the money from the courts and limits information about what the public knows about where the funds go. The backstory: Trump sued the IRS and Treasury in January for $10 billion over the 2019 leak of his tax returns. The settlement gives Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization a formal apology but no money, and it bars the IRS from auditing Trump's past tax returns. - Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former criminal…Open