Tag Archives: Iran

THE NEW STATESMAN MAGAZINE – MAY 22, 2026

Definitely, maybe

THE NEW STATESMAN: The latest issue features ‘Definitely, maybe? – Inside Andy Burnham’s leadership bid – and the campaigns under way to stop him.

Keir Starmer is a dishonest man

His successor must make a break with this failing government By Freddie Hayward

The Europe dilemma

Should the UK rejoin the EU? Caroline Lucas and Anand Menon weigh in By Caroline Lucas and Anand Menon

ECHR derangement syndrome

The great bête noire of the modern right is driving them beyond reasonBy Marina Wheeler

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, MAY20, 2026

D.O.J. Hands Trump, His Family and Businesses Immunity From Tax Investigations

The provision is a supplement to a remarkable deal that also created a $1.8 billion fund that is likely to benefit President Trump’s allies.

Prison to Pardons to Payouts: Jan. 6 Rioters Are Elated at Trump’s $1.8 Billion Fund

The possibility that people who ransacked the Capitol could get money from the government they attacked is the latest twist in the president’s effort to rewrite the history of Jan. 6.

Early War Goal Was to Install Hard-Line Former President as Iran’s Leader

An Israeli strike designed to free Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest was part of an effort to bring about regime change and put him in power, U.S. officials said.

Iran Threatens to Strike Beyond the Middle East if the U.S. Resumes Attacks

The warning was issued as President Trump and Vice President JD Vance say progress is being made toward a deal, while keeping open the threat of renewed strikes.

Days After Hosting Trump, Xi Deepens Ties With Putin

China’s leader Xi Jinping called for a halt to fighting in the Middle East, ignored Russia’s war in Ukraine and took a veiled swipe at the United States.

China Warns Against New U.S. Tariffs While Confirming Summit Deals

The Spectator World Magazine – May 25, 2026

The reckoning | The Spectator

THE SPECTATOR WORLD: The latest issue features ‘The Reckoning’ – Christopher Caldwell on Trump vs Europe….

How Trump got immigration spectacularly right

Parts of the MAGA movement are unhappy with President Trump’s migration strategy. The administration has softened its policy on deportations following a public uproar over the ICE killings in January, it is said. The focus has been on removing only the most violent offenders. “The truth is the first year was not a year of mass deportation,” says Mike Howell of the Mass Deportation Coalition. “A conscious

SLAPP-happy: why Trumpworld keeps suing the press

By Matt McDonald

Donald Trump has had a career-long love-hate relationship with the press. On one hand, he popularized the phrase “fake news” and branded the press “the enemy of the people.” On the other, the President takes phone calls from virtually every reporter with his personal cell and is fixated on cable news and his print media coverage. Trump views journalists as friends, foes…

Will Trump and Xi get what they want?

By Geoffrey Cain

Donald Trump flew to Beijing this week and wants three things when he sits down with China’s President Xi Jinping: a tariff truce that survives his own courts, Chinese pressure on Iran to end the war that never seems to end and a photograph that makes him look victorious. Xi has problems of his own. But he has watched four American presidencies from Zhongnanhai, the walled compound beside the Forbidden City where the Communist party leadership rules, and he knows the value of silence when his counterpart is talking himself into trouble. Trump’s approval rating is the lowest of his second term. What Xi wants from this meeting with Trump is recognition: two great powers, two systems, meeting as equals Trump has obliged Xi noisily.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, MAY19, 2026

Justices Hint at Strains as Supreme Court Comes Under Scrutiny

In appearances across the U.S., the justices have defended the role of the court, even as what appear to be strained relations among them have emerged.

G.O.P. Supporters Back Trump, but a Third of Them Seek a New Direction for the Party

A New York Times/Siena poll found that while President Trump is very popular within the Republican coalition, a sizable share wants change from the next nominee.

Pivotal Midterm Races in Kentucky and Georgia Highlight Busy Primary Day

Blanche Defends New Fund That Could Pay Trump Allies

Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, answered questions about President Trump’s new $1.8 billion fund for those claiming mistreatment by Democrats.

Top Treasury Lawyer Resigns After Creation of $1.8 Billion Fund

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, MAY 18, 2026

Trump’s Approval Sinks Amid Unpopular War, Darkening G.O.P. Prospects

With the midterms nearing, President Trump’s approval rating has hit a second-term low, according to the latest New York Times/Siena poll.

A Crack in the Polling Floor Puts Trump in New Territory

Trump’s Taiwan Gambit is Already a Gift to China

President Trump’s open willingness to hold up a $14 billion Taiwan arms package is a win for Beijing. Now China could be weighing how to keep the weapons on ice for as long as it can.

Painful Commute Hits New York as Long Island Rail Road Strikes

More than a quarter-million people commute on the nation’s busiest passenger rail service. Workers, who have not received a raise since 2022, went on strike on Saturday.

Stranded L.I.R.R. Riders Have Few Alternatives. Here’s What to Know.

Trump Withdraws $10 Billion Suit Against I.R.S.

President Trump dismissed his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, in an apparent effort to effectively settle the case.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2026

Soaring Prices Test Voters’ Finances and Patience With Trump

Just months before another election that may hinge on the economy, the war in Iran has sent the price of gas and other goods soaring.

U.S. Debt Is Now Bigger Than the Economy. That’s Not the Real Problem.

Trump Tightens Grasp on G.O.P. as Cassidy Loss Shows Cost of Defiance

The defeat of Senator Bill Cassidy showed President Trump’s party dominance, but Republicans are bracing for a potential backlash to his presidency in November.

How a Secretive Firm Tried (and Failed) to Fix an Epstein Friend’s Tattered Image

Terakeet, a reputation management firm, attempted to downplay the friendship of the Goldman Sachs general counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler, with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Big Questions About Epstein: What The Times Has Learned

Want to See the Epstein Files in Print? Here Are the 3,437 Volumes.

Wave of Ukrainian Strikes Kills at Least 4, Russia Says

More than 550 drones were intercepted or shot down in over a dozen regions, including Moscow, in one of largest attacks of the war.

COMMENTARY MAGAZINE – JUNE 2026 PREVIEW

COMMENTARY MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘The Covenant And The Wooden Box’ – The Betrayal of Britain’s Jews and the Corruption of Its Ruling Class.

The Covenant and the Wooden Box

by Mike Burke

The betrayal of Britain’s Jews and the corruption of its ruling class

In the northeast corner of Parliament Square, in the shadow of the Houses of Parliament, stands a bronze figure 12 feet high. Winston Churchill chose the spot himself in the 1950s, drawing a circle on a map and declaring with the finality of a man who knew his own place in history: “That is where my statue will go.” It was unveiled on the 1st of November in 1973. When the Queen spoke, she revealed a secret that Churchill himself had guarded: When offered a dukedom at the end of his life, he turned it down. He wished to spend his remaining years in the House of Commons—the Parliament he had saved, and that he loved more than any title the Crown could bestow.

The Analogy Wars

by John Podhoretz

For a decade, we’ve been awash in analogies between America in the Age of Trump and Germany in the two decades following World War I.

Most Democrats Don’t Like Israel Any Longer. Period.

by James Kirchick

The Declaration of Dependence

by Christine Rosen

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2026

The Secretive Conglomerate That Controls Cuba’s Economy

A shadowy state enterprise run by the military is a focal point of Washington’s pressure campaign against Cuba.

Pressuring Cuba to Submit to Demands, U.S. Eyes a Castro Indictment

Rubio, Once a China Hawk, Strikes a Softer Tone to Align With Trump

As a senator, Marco Rubio even hinted at the need for regime change in China. Now he talks about cooperation.

Trump Turns Taiwan Arms Sales Into Bargaining Chip With China

China Will Host Putin, Days After Trump’s Visit

How a Nature Cruise Turned Into a Nightmare

The hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius set off alarms for a world still traumatized by Covid. For those on board, the danger was much closer.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2026

Trump and Xi Play Up Stability Without Announcing Major Breakthroughs

As President Trump left Beijing, there was no indication that he and Xi Jinping had resolved any big points of contention on trade, Iran or other issues.

Trump Announces a Boeing Jet Order From China. Beijing Stays Silent.

As Powell Steps Down, the Fed Confronts ‘Regime Change’

Jerome Powell is passing the baton to Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s pick, who says the Federal Reserve needs an overhaul.

How Iran’s Energy Exports Are Still Headed Toward China

The U.S. blockade has intercepted dozens of vessels since mid-April. But a small number of ships with Iranian cargo are still sailing.

Oil Prices Climb on Fears of Broader Energy Crunch

C.I.A. Director Visits Cuba as Island Runs Out of Oil

John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, is the highest-ranking official in the Trump administration to visit the country.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026

China’s Xi Warns Trump on Taiwan at Beijing Summit

  • Xi Jinping told President Trump that the issue of Taiwan, if handled poorly, could lead to a clash with the U.S. They are also expected to discuss trade and the Iran war.
  • Both leaders attended a state banquet in Beijing, where they emphasized cooperation and Mr. Trump invited Mr. Xi to visit the White House.

Why Xi Doesn’t Need a Deal With Trump

China’s leader is buying time for Beijing and may see an opening with a U.S. president weakened by the war in the Middle East.

Elon Musk Returns to Trump’s Side in Beijing

Mr. Musk is part of a delegation of business leaders to China, where his interests include Tesla’s electric vehicle factory and solar panels.

Gen. Caine’s Silence on Iran War Leaves Questions About Military Strategy

President Trump’s top military adviser is walking a tightrope as he leads the military through a divisive and unpopular war.

Senate Again Rejects Bid to End Iran War, but G.O.P. Opposition Grows