Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Trump and Netanyahu are clashing over how to end the Iran war U.S., Iran exchange fire, with drone attack closing Kuwait airport U.S. Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Iran’s Biggest Crypto Exchange S&P vice chairman Daniel Yergin: Energy markets limit the Hormuz shock As Russia fails to achieve war aims in Ukraine, Putin needs a way out Ukrainian drones set fire to a St. Petersburg oil terminal ahead of Putin visit Israel strikes south Lebanon after stepping back from Beirut attack UN chief Guterres presents options for future Lebanon presence Left with few choices, EU braces for a trade fight with China Kenyan court deals new blow to plans for U.S. ebola unit Former US secretary of state John Kerry and CEO of seed global health Vanessa Kerry: Time to Apply the Lessons of the 2014 Ebola Outbreak Congress to consider restricting how the military uses A.I.In The News
Israel
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the war against Iran with an unprecedented level of coordination. Now three months later, they are fighting over how to bring the conflict to a close. – Wall Street Journal
Israel appeared to be holding off Tuesday on what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had described as imminent strikes on Beirut. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israel Defense Forces continued to operate in an expanding “security zone” in southern Lebanon but had refrained from powerful strikes in the capital, “except for targeted assassinations,” following a U.S. request. – Washington Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has come under fire from his political opponents after he appeared to abandon a threat to strike Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, under pressure from President Trump. – New York Times
Israeli fire killed at least four Palestinians in separate incidents across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Gaza health officials said. – Reuters
Israeli defence sector exports grew nearly 30% in 2025 to a record $19.2 billion, led by missile, rocket, and air defence systems, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Tuesday announced the government approved an extra NIS 13 billion ($4.5 billion) to strengthen the war-battered north, following a “special meeting” on the subject that nearly all ministers skipped. – Times of Israel
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday appeared to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recently stated goal of seizing 70 percent of Gaza to defeat Hamas, saying that such a move was not part of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terror group. – Times of Israel
Editorial: Opening an embassy there is a statement of priorities. Countries that repeatedly support Israel should expect greater engagement and investment. Countries that consistently work against it should not assume that diplomatic business will continue as usual. Israel’s embassy in Fiji matters not because Suva is a global capital, but because, in modern diplomacy, small states can be strategic. They provide votes, moral backing, and proof that even during a period of growing international pressure, Israel is not standing alone. Sometimes the wisest diplomatic investments are not made where support is weakest but where friendship has already been proven. This is one of those times. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
The U.S. and Iran exchanged heavy fire after the U.S. struck an empty oil tanker that it said was attempting to breach its blockade. That set off a string of attacks by both sides, culminating as Iran fired ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. – Wall Street Journal
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday outlined the Trump administration’s demands for a peace deal with Iran, saying the regime in Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz and commit to future talks on curtailing its nuclear program before Washington will lift its blockade of Iranian ports or ease financial sanctions strangling the country’s economy. – Washington Post
The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange and some of its founders on Tuesday, accusing them of helping the Iranian government to evade sanctions, pay for militant activities and transfer wealth abroad. – New York Times
The Iranian authorities have announced details about the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s former supreme leader, who was killed on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, state media reported on Tuesday. – New York Times
An Iranian drone and missile attack struck Kuwait’s international airport early on Wednesday, causing injuries and forcing authorities to divert flights, Kuwait’s state news agency reported. – Reuters
A British couple held in Iran have lost their appeal against a 10-year prison sentence, their family said on Tuesday, adding that the pair were not allowed to attend the hearing and had little information about the proceedings. – Reuters
As part of the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign to pressure Iran into a deal that would end an ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel, the U.S. placed sanctions on Iran’s largest digital asset exchange and three other exchanges, Tuesday. – Associated Press
Daniel Yergin writes: Today’s crisis has hit Asia hardest, due to its heavy dependence on oil and gas from the Gulf, and leading to shortfalls in supply. In response, governments have resorted to interventions to repress demand, such as rationing, issuing Covid-era like directives to work from home, and giving some domestic consumers priority over others. The U.S. is in a much better position than most other countries. As an energy exporter, America is benefiting from the revenue. The U.S. energy system is functioning efficiently, helping forestall a global economic crisis that could hit hard at home. If faced with major physical shortages of fuel, governments may have little choice but to intervene more directly in markets. Any intervention should be done with great care. Allowing markets to balance supply and demand, rather than trying to circumvent them, is a basic lesson of energy security. Let’s hope that lesson won’t have to be relearned if the strait isn’t reopened soon. – Wall Street Journal
Henry Rogers writes: These recommendations are an acknowledgment that the Houthi movement, an impediment to free trade and a driver of instability in the Red Sea region, will be more vulnerable than it has been in years. The United States and its regional partners have an opportunity to curb the group, making meaningful progress toward stabilizing a key trade route and area of Islamic extremist proliferation. While the Houthis will be vulnerable, the group is highly resourceful and adaptable, and any window of opportunity is limited. If the United States does not adapt to the new strategic landscape, the Houthis will. – National Interest
Russia and Ukraine
Pressure is mounting on Russian President Vladimir Putin over how to end his war in Ukraine as Moscow’s battlefield offensive stalls, financial resources dwindle and more frequent Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia exacerbate growing public dissatisfaction, Russian and European officials and analysts said. – Washington Post
Russian forces hammered Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, firing more than 70 missiles and launching 650 attack drones that killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens more, officials said Tuesday. – Washington Post
A drone attack killed seven people and wounded another 11 in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on Wednesday, the Kremlin-installed head of the region said. – Reuters
Russia downed 50 drones over the Leningrad region northwest of Moscow overnight and continues to repel the suspected Ukrainian attacks, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Wednesday, as a major annual economic forum was about to start. – Reuters
Ukrainian long-range drones struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and set it ablaze, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, as the Russian city hosted an annual international economic forum promoted by President Vladimir Putin. – Associated Press
Gregory P. Wilson writes: Based on what Russia is doing to help Iran behind the scenes and its relentless attacks on Ukraine and its innocent civilians, the question is not whether the U.S. should impose tough, comprehensive sanctions on Russia, but when? How about now? Thanks to one courageous signature, Congress has a unique opportunity to send a strong signal to our adversaries as well as our allies around the world. It should pass Meeks’ bill and then take the next logical step to finally make Russia pay for its illegal war in Europe and its complicity in helping Iran attack our vital interests in the Middle East. – The Hill
Seva Gunitsky and Jeremy Morris write: The war may have begun with the decision of one man. But it will end only when the underlying incentives that sustain it change, whether through exhaustion, external pressure, or off-ramps that make peace less costly. Understanding the invisible constraints that limit even the ruler’s choices is the first step toward designing those off-ramps. Too much diplomatic energy has been spent trying to read Putin’s mind. It would be better spent trying to understand the war machine he has built, and the ways in which that machine now runs the country without him. – Foreign Affairs
Igor Harry Rusnak writes: Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, dozens of different drone systems, developed by a mix of military units, start-ups, and volunteer networks, have been deployed across the Ukrainian battlefield. Units have fielded rapidly evolving drone fleets sourced from a range of different suppliers, often adapting systems to their needs in weeks rather than the years such technical advances usually take. This approach is not about removing complexity but accepting it and organizing it. The lesson from Ukraine is that capability can emerge without central selection, but only if systems are designed to connect. The challenge for Europe is to make fragmentation work. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Hezbollah
Israel kept up strikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday, pressing its campaign against Hezbollah a day after U.S. President Donald Trump asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Beirut to avert further escalation in the three-month-old war. – Reuters
David M. Halbfinger writes: When Israel’s prime minister and defense minister warned on Monday that the air force would soon bomb the suburbs of Beirut, it wasn’t just a threat to intensify Israel’s simmering three-month-old war with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia that dominates Lebanon. It was an admission that Israel’s strategy in that fight was falling short. And when Israel backed down from that threat a few hours later, the decision pointed up just how much it had been backed into a corner — stuck between domestic pressure to hit Hezbollah hard, and American pressure to constrain its attacks in Lebanon. – New York Times
Abdi Latif Dahir and Aaron Boxerman write: Taking on Hezbollah would seem to require a major overhaul of the Lebanese military, which lacks sufficient personnel, equipment and training, and it is unclear who would pay for that. Gulf states that might back such a project have been strained by the regional war, and Lebanon has not made fiscal reforms that would be required to gain access to international financial assistance. – New York Times
Lebanon
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has written to U.N. Security Council members stressing the need for a continued uniformed U.N. presence in Lebanon after the mandate of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires at the year-end. – Reuters
Lebanon’s aviation regulator has launched a safety audit of Middle East Airlines (MEA) as pilot groups raised concerns that crews were being asked to fly close to airstrikes and penalized for reporting safety incidents, according to letters seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Christina Goldbaum writes: On Tuesday, the attacks in southern Lebanon showed few signs of easing. In Nabatieh, a southern city for which Israel issued a new evacuation warning on Tuesday, most of the few people who remained there were sheltering in the main public hospital, residents said. “The situation is extremely dangerous right now,” said Abbas Fahd, 45, a resident in Nabatieh who has not evacuated despite the Israeli warnings. Mr. Fahd said that he thought the threats and diplomacy on Monday were “all theater” and only deepened his sense of how little say Lebanese people have in the decisions affecting the country. “We want a cease-fire,” he added, “but we do not believe the war is likely to end anytime soon.” – New York Times
Edward M. Gabriel writes: Any serious agreement must therefore move beyond the illusion that regional stabilization can occur while the proxy architecture remains untouched. At a minimum, a future arrangement should include enforceable mechanisms to curb weapons transfers, disrupt sanctions-evasion networks, restrict financing channels to Iran’s network of armed groups, and strengthen sovereign state institutions vulnerable to Iranian influence. Otherwise, Washington risks repeating a familiar cycle of securing temporary de-escalation while reinforcing the very regional structures that generate instability on the ground. And Lebanon will, perhaps more than anywhere else, bear the consequences. – National Interest
Gulf States
The International Atomic Energy Agency is offering the United Arab Emirates technical as well as moral support, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday after a visit to the site of a nuclear power plant that came under a drone attack last month. – Reuters
The UAE’s non-oil private sector expanded only modestly in May as war in the region and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz weighed on output and new business growth, a business survey showed on Wednesday. – Reuters
Two Israeli delegations will arrive in the United Arab Emirates next week, a senior Israeli official told AFP on Monday, adding that ties between the two countries are growing closer because of the war with Iran. – Agence France-Presse
Middle East & North Africa
Two of Iraq’s most powerful Iran-backed militias said on Tuesday they would begin handing in their weapons to the authorities, a major step in the new government’s effort to rein in militias that have long operated on their own even though they were nominally under state command. – Associated Press
A Tunisian court sentenced Rached El Ghannouchi, leader of the largest opposition group, Ennahda, to life in prison, adding to his previous jail terms totaling dozens of years in connection to earlier cases brought against him under President Kais Saied. – Bloomberg
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long relied on divide-and-rule tactics to fend off political challengers. The approach appears to have worked remarkably well of late. – Bloomberg
Iraq is poised to more than triple crude exports through a pipeline in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, as the OPEC nation seeks to alleviate the impact of the effective blockage of the Strait of Hormuz on its oil revenue. – Bloomberg
Aaron-Matthew Lariosa writes: Several Turkish defense firms confirmed that multiple Middle Eastern nations had expressed interest in domestically-made air defense systems to defeat massed drone threats. Another firm said that their recent investments focused on preparing Turkish munition factories for mass artillery shell production. Numerous unmanned surface vessels, including kamikaze variants designed to sink ships, were shown and demonstrated at Efes. Lessons from Ukraine, the U.S.-Iran War and potential markets prioritizing maritime strike capabilities have influenced the trajectory of Turkey’s defense industrial base – one that is eager to deliver to a profitable global market. – USNI News
Korean Peninsula
South Koreans vote on Wednesday in local elections expected to boost President Lee Jae Myung’s ruling Democratic Party, in the first nationwide ballot since his snap presidential election victory last year. – Reuters
South Korea’s Science Ministry said on Wednesday that the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) had secured access to Anthropic’s cybersecurity AI model, Mythos, through participation in the company’s Project Glasswing alongside major Korean companies. – Reuters
South Korea has leapfrogged India to become the world’s sixth largest share market, leaving equity markets in the UK, Germany and France trailing in its dust. But despite the runaway success, some are raising concerns that the Kospi index is too dependent on two freshly minted trillion-dollar chipmaking companies. – The Guardian
China
China doesn’t have a homegrown alternative. Huawei is pitching stacking as a substitute for conventional chip advances rather than a complement to them because the key technology that would make it a complement is the one thing it can’t get. – Wall Street Journal
The European Union is gearing up to warn its citizens and companies about a potential trade war with China as the bloc starts weighing new restrictive measures against Beijing aimed at resetting an imbalanced economic relationship. – Bloomberg
The Solomon Islands will negotiate a comprehensive strategic treaty with Australia and review a security agreement with China, the Pacific country’s new prime minister said on Wednesday. – Reuters
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Liaoning Carrier Strike Group has conducted 170 sorties in the past week as the group trains in the Philippine Sea east of Luzon while shadowed by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. – USNI News
Michael Sheridan writes: Europe and China may be heading for a trade war. The European Commission said on May 29 that its economic and security interests will require “a more robust and coherent response” to a surge in Chinese exports to the bloc. The current situation is “not sustainable,” it said. For its part, China accused the Commission of seeking a scapegoat for Europe’s own ills and resorting to “protectionism.” It has just published academic papers to set out its case, saying that the EU’s strategy is built on illusions. Their arguments are worth studying. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Jessica C. Liao and Kyle Marcrum write: A shift toward high-visibility public engagement is not just about transparency — it is urgently needed amid the rising skepticism and distrust of America’s credibility. In an era of heightened anxiety, such visibility is essential to proving the U.S. commitment to Taiwan’s defense. Reassuring the Taiwanese electorate is the only way to neutralize the weaponized doubt that disrupted the legislative process. By treating Taiwan as a vibrant democracy rather than a subset of its China policy, Washington can transform a stalled budget into a sustainable foundation for regional stability. – War on the Rocks
South Asia
Pakistan’s federal budget is not likely to be presented on June 5, a government source and local media said on Wednesday, mainly as some fiscal measures have not been settled with the International Monetary Fund. – Reuters
The United States has proposed an additional tariff of 12.5% on imports from India, saying it is among 60 economies that failed to curb imports made with forced labour, a step that threatens to complicate two-way trade talks underway in New Delhi. – Reuters
The US has approved a possible $100 million foreign military sale to Vietnam for C-130 Hercules sustainment services and related equipment, advancing what could be one of the Southeast Asian nation’s most significant defense procurements from Washington in years. – Bloomberg
Asia
Philippine President Marcos Jr. called on the Senate to “get back to work,” expressing disbelief on Wednesday that an impasse in the upper chamber has stalled urgent legislative duties ahead of a congressional break. – Reuters
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday there has been no change in U.S. policy on Taiwan and that Washington wants to see the status quo preserved. – Reuters
Ten Israelis were recently deported from Thailand due to suspicions that they were operating illegal businesses in Koh Pha Ngan, The Bangkok Post reported Tuesday, amid a crackdown on foreign crime networks believed to pose a national security risk to the Southeast Asian country. – Times of Israel
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asian allies on Saturday to ramp up military spending to counter China’s growing power and prevent its dominance in the region, warning of “rightful alarm” over its rapid military buildup. – Defense News
Joseph Bosco writes: Successive U.S. administrations of both parties have adopted a deliberate policy of strategic ambiguity, saying America’s response to aggression against Taiwan “would depend on the circumstances.” Trump is uniquely qualified to eviscerate the vagueness of that policy and avoid Beijing’s blundering the Indo-Pacific into what he and Biden openly dreaded: triggering World War III. As a corrective bookend to his unfortunate meeting with Xi, Trump should use his conversation with Lai to deter a strategic mistake by Xi and prevent that catastrophe. – The Hill
Europe
The death of a student who was handcuffed as he lay dying from multiple stab wounds has sparked a debate in Britain over whether efforts to stamp out racism in policing have swung too far and are creating unintended consequences, from interfering with good policing to unconscious bias against white people. – Wall Street Journal
Protests have grown in recent days against plans by Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, to develop luxury properties on an ecologically sensitive portion of the Albanian coast. – New York Times
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Tuesday he was ready to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy next week to open a new chapter in relations after ousting Moscow-friendly predecessor Viktor Orban in an election. – Reuters
Britain has begun using SpaceX’s militarised satellite network Starshield, according to two people familiar with the matter, making it among the first countries outside the United States to adopt Elon Musk’s government-focused variant of Starlink. – Reuters
The European Union has moved forward with a vast overhaul of its migration policy, aiming to ramp up deportations and ink controversial deals to build detention centers abroad. Rights groups have criticized it, comparing the new regulations to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies. – Associated Press
The future presence of U.S. troops in Lithuania is “under review”, the Baltic country’s defense minister said on Tuesday, adding that although Washington had assured him new rotations would arrive, he did not know when and at what strength. – Defense News
Africa
Kenya’s high court on Tuesday effectively delayed by three more weeks the Trump administration’s plan to set up a quarantine unit in the country for Americans exposed to Ebola, dealing a new setback to a project that has sparked angry protests among Kenyans. – New York Times
The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on commanders of armed groups it accused of driving the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where fighting has continued despite mediation efforts by Washington. – Reuters
The World Health Organization said there have been 321 confirmed cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo outbreak and 116 suspected cases, marking a large drop in the number of suspected cases as hundreds were ruled out after investigation. – Reuters
Mozambique said five of its citizens died in anti-immigration violence in the South African town of Mossel Bay over the weekend in the latest flare-up of xenophobic attacks. – Reuters
Zimbabwe’s government introduced a bill to parliament on Tuesday that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years to 2030, despite criticism from a fractured opposition and some veterans of the country’s liberation war. – Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a House of Representatives committee on Tuesday that the Trump administration is considering appointing a single official to coordinate its response to the Ebola outbreak in Africa. – Reuters
Ebola has reached a health zone more than 100 miles from the mining town where Democratic Republic of Congo’s outbreak is believed to have begun, as responders track fewer than 40% of known contacts in the epidemic’s hardest-hit province. – Bloomberg
John F. Kerry and Vanessa Kerry write: That means deploying technical expertise, not just money. Supporting laboratories and surveillance systems. Strengthening contact tracing. Expanding treatment centers. Ensuring medical supply chains. Training and protecting health workers. Building community trust. The administration still has time to change course and mobilize America’s scientific expertise, public-health capabilities and diplomatic leadership. The costs of waiting, in dollars and lives, are vastly greater than the costs of acting now. The lesson from 2014 is simple: When America leads, outbreaks can be contained. When we hesitate, they grow. – Wall Street Journal
The Americas
President Trump inserted himself into Colombia’s presidential election on Tuesday night, energetically endorsing a right-wing candidate in what has been a pattern of putting his finger on the scale of foreign elections during his second term. – New York Times
Bolivia’s defense minister stepped down on Tuesday after a month of anti-government protests, two government sources said, marking the highest-level departure yet under centrist President Rodrigo Paz who is himself facing calls to resign. – Reuters
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez will visit India from June 3 to June 7, India’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, at a time when New Delhi is ramping up its crude imports from Caracas. – Reuters
Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said on Tuesday the country intends to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and will present its application on Wednesday in Paris. – Reuters
Canadian diplomats traveled to Venezuela last week as Mark Carney’s government mulls restoring formal ties after the US operation to remove President Nicolás Maduro. Two Canadian government officials visited Caracas in part to assess the embassy building, according to people familiar with the matter. It has been closed since 2019, when Canada formally recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president. – Bloomberg
North America
Canadian officials said they had a lengthy and positive meeting in Washington on Tuesday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as they try to move talks between Ottawa and D.C. on more a fruitful path. – Wall Street Journal
There are signs of economic weakness in Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, arguing this reflects policy decisions made since he came to power that have been aimed at rewiring the economy to deal with U.S. tariffs. – Wall Street Journal
Cuba on Tuesday defended a military-run conglomerate long the target of U.S. sanctions, saying the group of businesses known as GAESA has contributed to the nation’s economic and social development despite a recently ramped-up U.S. pressure campaign. – Reuters
Mexican authorities have arrested an alleged cartel figure tied to the killing of workers at Canadian miner Vizsla Silver early this year, officials said on Tuesday, a case that highlighted security risks facing mine workers and foreign mining companies operating in Mexico. – Reuters
Mexico’s government has reiterated its support to extend the U.S.-Mexico Canada (USMCA) trade agreement for 16 years, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Tuesday, as talks are underway to renew the regional free trade pact. – Reuters
Steven Hendrix writes: Cuba’s future should be chosen by Cubans. But US policy will affect the conditions under which Cubans make that choice. A weak Cuba is not automatically a free Cuba. A collapsing Cuba could also be more repressive, more dependent on outside patrons, and more dangerous for the region. That is why the real question is not whether Washington should be tough or soft. The real question is whether Washington knows what outcome it wants. Cuba’s crisis is now about more than ideology. It is about electricity, fuel, food, migration, and state capacity in the Caribbean basin. If Washington cannot say clearly what it wants, it should not be surprised if events decide for it. – National Interest
United States
Florida lawmakers approved a measure for the November ballot that would dramatically overhaul the state’s property-tax system, significantly reducing the tax bill for many homeowners and creating potential funding woes for local governments. – Wall Street Journal
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday that the Justice Department would abandon plans for a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who claim they were unfairly investigated. His declaration was an attempt to end an unusual standoff between the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers who have refused to fund immigration enforcement agencies over concerns about the payout fund. – Washington Post
President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced he was appointing Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, tapping a staunch political supporter who heads a federal mortgage regulation agency but has no intelligence experience. – Washington Post
The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed imposing additional duties of 10% or 12.5% on imports from 60 economies after determining their failures to curb trade in goods made with forced labor are unreasonable and restrict U.S. commerce. – Reuters
The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for Alabama to use a pro-Republican congressional map that eliminates one of its two districts where Black voters make up a majority or near-majority, giving a boost to President Donald Trump as his party defends its control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. – Reuters
The CIA has stopped contributing to some intelligence assessments, including those related to the Iran war, produced by the office of the nation’s top spy as disputes over intelligence-sharing and areas of responsibility boil over, say people familiar with the matter. – Reuters
Andreas Kluth writes: Nobody can plausibly argue that Pulte was chosen for any competence in the immensely sensitive and important functions of a DNI. Instead, Mark Warner, the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has it right. Pulte, he says, was “selected precisely because the White House believes he will provide the narrative it wants, not the intelligence we need.” Odds are, Warner thinks, that Pulte will “shape intelligence around the president’s wishes, regardless of the cost to the American people.” At a time when America is fighting, on-again-off-again, in the Middle East, contemplating strikes in Cuba and elsewhere and hoping to deter the real adversaries in places like Beijing, decisions to nominate lackeys such as Bill Pulte are worse than irresponsible. They show a president who has lost the plot, a leader who cares not a whit for America but always and only puts POTUS First. – Bloomberg
Cybersecurity
Congress is considering legislation that would restrict how the Pentagon uses artificial intelligence, as the Defense Department battles a leading company developing the technology over what the limits should be. – New York Times
Alphabet Inc.’s Google must make changes to its artificial intelligence generated search summaries after the UK’s antitrust watchdog forced it to give publishers more control over how their content is used. – Bloomberg
US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., is spearheading a markup amendment to the Senate’s 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that would create a “Cyber Force” as the next armed service branch. The senator’s office confirmed that the amendment proposes to establish the branch under the Army, just as the Space Force and Marine Corps sit under the Air Force and Navy. – Defense One
Federal agencies must expand oversight of advanced AI systems under a cybersecurity-focused artificial intelligence executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, the administration’s latest attempt to foster innovation while addressing fears of AI-enabled cyber attacks. – Defense One
After weeks of delay, the White House issued an intensely anticipated executive order today that creates a new “voluntary framework” for government oversight of cutting-edge AI, with the National Security Agency playing a central role. – Breaking Defense
Parmy Olson writes: At the same time, profits from the old advertising model are helping Google fund its big AI switch, alongside a fundraising push that takes advantage of the public market’s AI mania. Alphabet is raising $80 billion in equity, it said this week, including $10 billion from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, to pay for the computing power behind its new ambitions. So while Google’s evolution takes it into uncharted waters, ultimately that may be less of a problem for Alphabet than for advertisers. – Bloomberg
Defense
The U.S. and NATO allies will launch scaled-back drills in the Baltic Sea this week, as conflicts in other regions draw ships away, though the exercise will still send a message of unity and strength to Russia, a senior German military official said. – Reuters
U.S. officials are engaged in NATO-internal discussions about the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons to new countries within the alliance, a new report says, in what would be a remarkable proliferation in nuclear sharing. – Defense News
Historically, many U.S. policymakers have regarded the Western Hemisphere as a U.S. sphere of influence, vital to U.S. interests, or both. U.S. engagement in the region has shifted over time, responding to changes in the hemisphere and in U.S. objectives. Following the end of the Cold War, the U.S. approach to the Western Hemisphere primarily sought to promote democracy and human rights, reduce barriers to trade, and combat transnational security threats. – USNI News