NYTIMES (Lydia Polgreen and William Keo) - I Went to Lebanon and Found Something Strangely Hopeful
If given the chance, the country could remake itself on its own terms.
NPR (Stephen Fowler) - Iowa voters pick their nominees for competitive general elections
Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek will face Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson in the Senate race. For governor, Democrat state Auditor Rob Sand and Republican businessman Zach Lahn move on to November.
AXIOS (Josephine Walker) - Trump loyalist Pulte gets oversight of vast U.S. intel
President Trump on Tuesday picked Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte to lead the U.S. intelligence community, elevating a MAGA loyalist to one of the government's most powerful national security posts. Why it matters: President Trump's decision to install Pulte atop the nation's intelligence network gives the MAGA enforcer wide-ranging access to vast amounts of data the government collects. Between the lines: Critics questioned Pulte's independence in leading the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), citing investigations he launched as FHFA director into figures Trump has publicly criticized, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). - Pulte will replace…
AXIOS (Sara Fischer) - Scott Pelley fired from "60 Minutes" following testy exchange
Nick Bilton, the newly installed executive producer of "60 Minutes ," has fired Scott Pelley after the veteran anchor assailed him in front of staff members during a meeting on Bilton's first day on the job. Why it matters: The leaked exchange showed how little confidence top talent has in the new management team at "60 Minutes " and CBS News. - Pelley told Bilton he lacked relevant expertise and that Bilton's new boss Bari Weiss was "murdering" CBS News' flagship show. Zoom in: In a termination letter, Bilton said he fired Pelley "for cause" after the confrontation. - He said he was disappointed the journalist chose to ambush him at his first meeting instead of have a conversation after he invited Pelley to dinner. - "Yesterday, you…
THEAMERICANCONSERVATIVE (Ted Snider) - Russia’s Warnings Signal Danger of Widening War
In the Baltics and in Kiev, the risks of a major escalation are rising. The post Russia’s Warnings Signal Danger of Widening War appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs Russia’s Warnings Signal Danger of Widening War In the Baltics and in Kiev, the risks of a major escalation are rising. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP via Getty Images) The United States and Russia have agreed on little in the war in Ukraine. The one thing they have agreed on is the existential necessity of avoiding a direct war between NATO and Russia, which could become a third world war or even a nuclear war. At the beginning of November 2021, three and a half months before the war began, then-CIA Director William Burns spoke to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, and the two laid out what the…Open
THEAMERICANCONSERVATIVE (Iain Macwhirter) - The New Mandelson Files Continue Labour’s Long Nightmare
While the freshly disclosed WhatsApp messages damage Starmer, they do not unambiguously help Burnham. The post The New Mandelson Files Continue Labour’s Long Nightmare appeared first on The American Conservative .
UK Special Coverage The New Mandelson Files Continue Labour’s Long Nightmare While the freshly disclosed WhatsApp messages damage Starmer, they do not unambiguously help Burnham. UK Special Coverage (Photo by Gareth Fuller – WPA Pool/Getty Images) The curse of WhatsApp strikes again. The text messaging service habitually used by many UK politicians to chat to their colleagues was always a liability. They often seemed to believe they were talking in a secure space, but of course on social media nothing is really secure. Now a tranche of some 1,500 text messages and emails has been published by the UK government…Open
THEAMERICANCONSERVATIVE (Joseph Addington) - Sheinbaum Consolidates Control
The Mexican president is cutting off threats to her power from within and without. The post Sheinbaum Consolidates Control appeared first on The American Conservative .
Latin America Sheinbaum Consolidates Control The Mexican president is cutting off threats to her power from within and without. In an announcement marking the end of an era, Andrés “Andy” López Beltrán, the son of the former Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, declared that he would resign his position as secretary of organization for the Morena party to stand as a candidate for Mexico’s legislature in the state of Tabasco. The departure of López Beltrán, once considered a surrogate and potential political heir for his father, leaves Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in unquestioned control of the party that…Open
NYTIMES (David Yaffe-Bellany and Sharon LaFraniere) - U.S. Is Said to Be Investigating George Santos Over Kalshi Betting
The former congressman was referred to federal authorities after he bet on his own attendance at the State of the Union address, a person familiar with the matter said.
NPR (Kirk Siegler) - Why one of the cities most dependent on the Colorado River now has water for sale
Once one of the most dependent on the Colorado River, San Diego now may have water to sell to states that are seeing their supplies from the shrinking river cut.
NYTIMES (Christine Zhang) - 9 Counties to Watch in the California Governor’s Race
The race might not be called on election night, but these counties could provide signals for what lies ahead.