September 17, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Israel's military continues its renewed ground offensive targeting Gaza City today, prompting criticism and calls for suspension of the attack by a group of more than 20 aid organizations operating in Gaza. Reports note that Israel announced the opening of a new temporary route for Gaza City residents to leave the city today. [more]
• The Israeli military carried out airstrikes against what it said was Houthi rebel “military infrastructure” yesterday in the port city of Hodeida in Yemen. Houthi officials claim to have activated air defense systems during the attack, forcing some Israeli aircraft to depart the area before taking part in the attack. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | Commerce Department data released yesterday indicates that retail sales in the U.S. rose a higher-than-expected 0.6% in August – the same as the monthly increase shown in revised numbers for July. Analysts suggest the continued growth was helped by back-to-school shopping and by continued purchasing ahead of expected price increases associated with tariffs. [full report] [more]

MORE U.S. ECONOMY | The Federal Reserve is widely expected to reduce its benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point to about 4.1% today. If taken, the move would be the Fed's first rate cut in nine months. [more]

U.S. HEALTH | According to a copy of testimony she intends to give during a Senate hearing today, fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez will testify that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressured her to endorse new vaccine recommendations before seeing scientific evidence. [more]

U.S. VOTING | As part of continuing efforts to obtain detailed voter data, the Justice Department filed lawsuits yesterday against Oregon and Maine, saying the states have violated federal law by refusing to provide electronic copies of state voter registration lists and information regarding ineligible voters. [more]

CHARLIE KIRK MURDER | Prosecutors in Utah filed murder charges yesterday against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week on the campus of Utah Valley University, and indicated that they intend to seek the death penalty in the case. [more]

U.S. EDUCATION | A coalition of faculty, staff, student organizations, and labor unions associated with the University of California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration yesterday, claiming that the government is using civil rights laws to wage a campaign against the University of California in an attempt to curtail academic freedom and undermine free speech. The University of California system itself was not a party to the lawsuit. [more]

U.S. AND U.K. | King Charles III will welcome U.S. President Donald Trump to the U.K. today on the first full day of Trump's state visit. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the president are scheduled to meet tomorrow and are expected to sign multiple technology and energy cooperation agreements. [more]

U.S. AND COLOMBIA | Responding to his country being placed on a U.S. list of countries considered to be non-cooperative in fighting drug trafficking this week, Colombian president Gustavo Petro accused the U.S. yesterday of seeking to "participate" in Colombian politics ahead of the South American nation's presidential elections next year. [more]

U.S. AND CHINA | Yuanjun Tang, a leader of New York's Chinese dissident community, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of spying on his fellow activists on behalf of the Chinese government. Tang, whose sentencing has been scheduled for January, faces up to five years in prison if convicted. [more]

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM | A report released today by watchdog group Global Witness says at least 146 land and environmental activists were killed or went missing around the world in 2024, with more than 80% of the cases taking place in Latin America. [full report] [more]

DENMARK | Following years of cuts to its military budget, Denmark plans to purchase long-range precision weapons to counter threats posed to Europe by Russia, according to a statement from Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. [more]

E.U. AND CHINA | Officials with the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said yesterday that European companies are expecting more shutdowns and suffering losses as China continues to hold a tight grip on rare earth exports despite a July agreement to fast-track shipments to the bloc. [more]

U.K. | Data released by the Office for National Statistics indicates that inflation in the U.K. held steady at 3.8% in August. Reports note that the U.K. inflation rate is the highest among major advanced economies and that higher food prices contributed significantly to the month's high inflation. [more]

PERU | Tourism officials in Peru say at least 900 tourists remained stranded in villages near the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu yesterday amidst demonstrations and alleged blocking of rail lines by people protesting the process of replacing tour bus operator Consettur after its concession expired. [more]

CHINA | As part of ongoing efforts to boost domestic semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries, Chinese regulators today banned tech companies from buying AI chips from Nvidia, putting expected orders of tens of thousands of the chips on hold. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1978, after 12 days of meetings with U.S. President Jimmy Carter at the presidential retreat of Camp David, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords, a framework for a peace treaty. [more history]