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There’s the handshake, and then …
The weekend despatch: Agreeing to disagree in the Middle East. Sanctions on the weak, not the strong, in Europe. &c.
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‘Nowhere to run’
Putin purges his inner circle of dissent. Haiti's gangs reach the countryside. &c. + Up now—this week’s member’s despatch.
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Today: The American political activist Charlie Kirk has been murdered on a Utah campus, with police now questioning a person of interest—extending a recent pattern of U.S. political violence across party lines. Poland and its allies shoot down Russian drones in NATO’s first engagement since the start of the war in Ukraine. A group affiliated with the Islamic State massacres 60 people at a funeral in Congo. & The U.S. Supreme Court has backed the Trump administration’s foreign-aid freeze.
Speaking of WWII …
Operation Midway Blitz hits Chicago. Jeffrey Epstein’s estate sends a drawing. &c. + Inside Iran after the strikes.
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In the dark
An FBI manhunt yields surveillance photos but seemingly few leads. Nepal's army negotiates a new government from burned buildings. &c. + Consumer technology and cognitive decline.
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Where it leads
The murder of an American activist on a Utah campus; NATO’s strike on Russian drones inside Poland. &c. + Europe’s increasing political fragmentation.
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First drafts
An urgent investigation vies with instant interpretations in America. Military strikes and executive powers in the Caribbean and the Persian Gulf. &c. | The member's despatch, Week XXXVII.
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The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy
How’s Iran’s standoff with Israel and the West affecting everyday Iranians’ feelings about the regime? Trita Parsi on why nationalism is surging while Islamic Republic’s popularity continues to tank.
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The Creator-Curator Hybrid
Why Audiences Want Curation As Much As Creation
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‘It’s not incredibly obvious what to do’
Windsor Castle welcomes Trump as Epstein images hit the walls. The Federal Reserve trims borrowing costs while a White House adviser pushes for more cuts. &c.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING. Everyone Wants a Wimbledon Ticket. Brands Included
👻😰🤌🥲😍🙏
Last year was the year of tenniscore. But the trend didn’t come out of nowhere. It likely started with Miu Miu’s FW22 collection: pleated minis, cropped knits, and silhouettes lifted straight from the court. Then came the Miu Miu Tennis Club, a roaming branded event from Saint Tropez to New York. And most recently, Challengers - Luca Guadagnino’s steamy, slow-burn tennis drama with costumes by Jonathan Anderson - brought the trend even more into the mainstream, sending TikTok into overdrive with styling tutorials on how to nail the perfect tenniscore fit. No racket required. Courtside optional.
with family and friends. But July 4 isn’t that exceptional this time of year, outside the American imagination:
🔥🤦🙏🥰
Bastille Day is is coming up in France, on July 14. In the U.K. and throughout the Commonwealth, June 14 was the King’s Official Birthday. July 1 was Canada Day—Dominion Day, as they still called it when I was a kid. And our friends in the Nordic countries celebrated the summer solstice sometime in the last week of June, depending on where. Meanwhile, politics keeps polarizing; media keeps polarizing; and everyday people keep checking out. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, and feel you need to get in on that, summer
xAI’s CFO Mike Liberatore Steps Down, the Latest in a String of Departures at Elon Musk’s Company
Blind spots
A dictators’ parade as personal betrayal for the U.S. president. Open corruption topples a strongman. &c. … The member’s despatch, Week XXXVI.
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Interpretation codes
Competing interests in Gaza spin competing evidence of famine into competing narratives about the war there—with vastly different stakes. … Ghislaine Maxwell’s jailhouse testimony clearing Trump raises tougher questions than whether she’s telling the truth.
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The weaponization of everything
Several examples of how institutions and mechanisms for governance and commerce are being used for malicious purposes, such as China and Russia using everyday infrastructure for espionage and the US president using tariffs to intervene in Brazil's judicial system. The author suggests that this trend is effective because it exploits the gap between an institution's intended purpose and its actual capabilities.
The specter of famine in Gaza—and what complicates getting it straight. … The things you can do with tariffs: What Trump’s Brazil gambit says about trade policy without trade logic. … & Bukele rewrites El Salvador’s constitution to rule longer. Well, then. … The member’s despatch, Week XXXI.
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Promises, promises
The article argues that mainstream news organizations have become enthralled with the idea that the purpose of journalism is narrative, and that facts serve it. This approach is seen as patronizing, disinformation, or useless. The article calls for a new wave of challengers that prioritize plain dealing, avoiding hype, identifying real questions, and following them where they go.
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As you were
What are the stakes of Trump’s ultimatum to Putin in Ukraine? … The Epstein case: What happens when a movement to out conspiracies takes over institutions it was meant to expose? … & Are crackdowns in El Salvador and Cambodia part of a global dictators’ playbook? … The member’s despatch, Week XXIX.
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Going west
Why are so many companies moving to America from Europe? Philippe Aghion on the foundering of the Continent’s innovation ecosystem.
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Continental
How has Europe become the destination for so much dirty money—and what are European states doing about it? Tena Prelec on why it is so hard to root out grand corruption.
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The course of human events
What good is U.S. diplomacy with Russia? Can democracy live with huge laws passed by just a few votes? & Is it finally dead in Hong Kong? … + The weird end of the U.S.-China trade war. Why Americans are losing interest in news. Music from Michael Gordon. &c. … The member’s despatch, Week XXVII.
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Cultivated conflict
Why are American states banning lab-grown meat? Hanna Tuomisto on the technology, economics, and politics of a new industry.
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Brave new world
Is political violence in America really getting worse? Why are the ultra-wealthy buying more and larger superyachts? + New music from Neggy Gemmy, Yumi Zouma, & Buscabulla. Who is Bad Bunny? &c. … The member’s despatch, Week XXV.
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War and peace
Why didn’t China or Russia help Iran? What on Earth is “the West”? New music from Four Tet, Mary Halvorson, & Amon Tobin. + What’s a pandeiro? &c. … The member’s despatch, Week XXVI.
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Help wanted
Why are millions more Americans turning to talk therapy—and sticking with it? Carlos Blanco on the decline of a stigma, a shift in health coverage, and the individualization of treatment.
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Coming like a ghost town
Why is production declining in Hollywood? Patrick Adler on the short-term disruptions and long-term trends transforming an industry.
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The new atomic age
Why are China and Russia dominating nuclear energy? Ashley Finan on its emerging role in shaping global power.
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Cold cash
What do you do if you’re the European Union, and you’re sitting on more than $200 billion belonging to the Kremlin? Sir William Browder on a potential turning point in the Ukraine war.
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Turning points
What’s been holding back those U.S.-Iran nuclear talks? What’s happening to democracy in Mexico? + New music from Ben LaMar Gay and Baxter Dury. What’s so important about Sly Stone and Brian Wilson? &c. … The member’s despatch, Week XXIV.
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Red sea
Why is China building so many ships? Brian Hart on its plan to turn overwhelming commercial advantage into military power.
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Midnight sun
Is anyone actually winning in Ukraine? Why do so many ex-Soviet kleptocrats live in London? + Music from Yussef Dayes. What’s drill rap—and what happens when you mix it with American jazz? &c. … The member’s despatch, Week XXIII.
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