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MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Amidst the ongoing tenuous cease-fire in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that his country will not compromise with Hamas on fulfillment of the terms of the cease-fire agreement – specifically on the return of the remains of deceased hostages – and U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that the war in Gaza could resume if Hamas does not follow through on its commitments. [more]
• Hamas leaders said yesterday that the group has handed over all hostage remains it can access, saying “significant efforts and special equipment” are needed to recover the remaining dead captives in Gaza. [more]

U.S. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN | Day 15. San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge Susan Illston issued a temporary restraining order yesterday blocking the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown, saying she believed evidence would show such cuts to be illegal and in excess of administration authority. A 10th Senate vote is scheduled for today on a Republican-backed temporary spending measure that is expected to be rejected by Democrats, who are demanding the extension of health care insurance subsidies. [more]

U.S. VIOLENT CRIME | President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel yesterday announced the results of a recent FBI crackdown on violent crime, saying 8,700 people accused of such crimes were arrested and more than 2,200 guns were seized as part of the three-month "Operation Summer Heat." [more]

U.S. PRESS | Almost all Pentagon reporters turned in their access badges yesterday rather than agree to new government-imposed restrictions that press organizations say would limit legitimate reporting on Defense Department activities and infringe on First Amendment protections. Reports note that the conservative One America News Network is the only established news organization to agree to the new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. [more]

CALIFORNIA | U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said yesterday that he will withhold $40 million in federal funding to California over what he says is the state's failure to enforce English language requirements for truck drivers. [more]

U.S. MILITARIZATION | U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut yesterday extended her order barring the deployment of federalized National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, for another 14 days while related court proceedings play out. [more]

U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION | Brown University yesterday became the second university, after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to reject a Trump administration proposal to receive favorable access to federal funding in exchange for agreeing to a wide range of administration policies. In rejecting the proposal, Brown President Christina Paxson said, "the Compact by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance, critically compromising our ability to fulfill our mission." [more]

U.S. AND VENEZUELA | President Donald Trump confirmed yesterday that he has authorized the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations within Venezuela and that he is considering carrying out military operations within the South American country. Trump cited Venezuela having "emptied their prisons into the United States of America" and illegal drugs coming from the country as reasons for the CIA activity. [more]

GLOBAL CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS | In its latest annual bulletin on greenhouse gases, the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization says heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere rose by the highest amount on record in 2024 and that the increase is "turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather." [press release] [full report] [more]

AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN | Following days of border clashes and after appeals for restraint from regional powers and the United Nations, Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to a 48-hour cease-fire yesterday. Reports say border crossings between the two countries remain closed. [more]

EUROPEAN SECURITY | The European Commission proposed four security and defense projects today amidst ongoing concerns about threats from Russia. The projects, which will now be considered by leaders of the E.U.'s 27 member governments, include a counter-drone system, fortification of the bloc's eastern border, a European Air Shield to defend against missiles and other airborne threats, and a space program to protect European space assets and services. [more]

HAITI | Citing ongoing gang violence in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, international medical group Doctors Without Borders announced yesterday that it is permanently closing its emergency care center in the city. [more]

COLOMBIA | In a letter released this week, U.N. Human Rights Council special rapporteurs warn that mercury contamination from illegal gold mining in Colombia’s Atrato River basin has created a “serious and ongoing human rights crisis,” threatening the health and survival of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities who depend on the river for food, water, and culture. [more]

FRANCE | Newly re-appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes in France's parliament today – one filed by the far-left and one by the far-right. [more]

ECUADOR | Ecuadoran authorities say two bridges in the South American country were damaged yesterday in explosions believed to have been carried out by the Los Lobos criminal gang and dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrilla movement. Reports note that no group has yet claimed responsibility for the blasts. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1962, the [Cuban Missile Crisis](Cuban Missile Crisis) began after U.S. reconnaissance photos revealed the presence of Soviet nuclear missile bases in Cuba. The 13-day confrontation was resolved when the U.S. agreed to remove some missiles from Europe and the Soviet Union agreed to remove its missiles from Cuba. [more history]