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HERE & ABROAD
❧ DEEP DIVE:Israel’s Strike on Qatar, Unpacked❧
Last week, Israel bombed Doha, the capital of Qatar, in an attempt to kill senior Hamas leaders who were meeting in the country to discuss a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. Analysts have broadly argued that the strike was unsuccessful on two counts: it failed to kill the targeted Hamas leadership (although five lower-level Hamas officials and one Qatari were killed); and it destabilized ceasefire talks, likely prolonging the war in Gaza.
The strike in Doha was bold. Qatar, which only began hosting Hamas leadership at the United States’ insistence, is a strong friend to the Trump administration. (You may recall that Qatar gifted Trump a new Air Force One in July—can you believe it was only in July?) More bold is the fact that Israel may not have adequately informed the U.S. that the strike was happening until it was too far gone to stop. While Israel claims to have been given the “green light” by the U.S., the Trump administration has claimed that it was only told after missiles were already in the air. Regardless, the strike sent a signal that the U.S. was either unable or unwilling to control Israel.
In the aftermath of the missile attack, Qatar hosted an impromptu summit of Arab states to discuss protecting their collective sovereignty. But the more important consequence is that ceasefire progress has stopped, just as Israel launched a new offensive in Gaza City. The increased bombing and troop movements have forced 350,000 Palestinian civilians to flee; another 500,000 are trapped with nowhere to go.
❧ In Other News ❧
❧ Russian drones breached NATO airspace. Nearly two dozen Russian drones flew through Polish and Romanian skies over the past week. NATO leaders more sympathetic to Putin, like Trump, suggested the flights were a “mistake.” Other, more sane leaders condemned the flights; French President Emmanuel Macron said, “We will not yield to Russia's growing intimidation.” Poland’s Prime Minister NATO has announced it will deploy additional jets to Eastern Europe to protect against future attacks. Either way, this development brings all of Europe closer to a war that would be disastrous for everyone.
❧ Charges against Michigan “Fake Electors” have been dropped. If you haven’t repressed your thoughts of the 2020 election, you might recall the scheme wherein Trump supporters from Michigan falsely certified that he had won the state and claimed to duly be voting on his behalf in the Electoral College. In fact, Biden had won by more than 150,000 votes, and the fake electors were later charged with conspiracy to commit election forgery. But last week, a judge dismissed the criminal case against those electors. Judge Kristen Simmons ruled that prosecutors failed to show that the defendants had the intent to defraud—a necessary component of the state charges. She instead ruled that they sincerely believed that there were election irregularities.
❧ Meanwhile, a Trump judge lied to Congress. Regular News Briefing readers will recall that in July, the Senate confirmed Emil Bove, Trump’s former personal attorney, as a Federal judge. At the time, we described him as a typical Trump appointee—absolutely unqualified for the role, with horrible, corrupt politics. And a recent Washington Post investigation confirms our analysis. The Post this week reported on a whistleblower report that as a top DOJ official, Bove suggested he would promote attorneys who helped him get the charges against Eric Adams dropped, and punish those who stood in his way. Bove ultimately succeeded in relieving Eric Adams of his indictment for bribery, but during testimony to Congress during his confirmation hearings, he denied threatening prosecutors. We suppose it is too much to expect Federal Judges to tell the truth.
Art by Emily Altman from Current Affairs magazine, Issue 54, July-August 2025
❧ In More News ❧
❧ ICE Sorted Workers in New York by Race. Last week, the News Briefing broke down the Supreme Court’s deeply flawed decision to allow ICE to racially profile suspected illegal immigrants. (TL;DR: Brett Kavanaugh is exactly as smart as he looks.) It seems the administration is already taking the Court’s advice to heart. On Monday, Syracuse.comreported that when ICE agents raided a factory in upstate New York, the first thing agents did was racially sort employees. Those who looked white could stay, while Latinos were corralled into breakrooms for further questioning. Within 72 hours, dozens of employees had been deported to Guatemala, despite many being denied the ability to speak to a lawyer and being in the U.S. legally.
❧ A promising Australian treaty is advancing. The legislature of the Australian state of Victoria has introduced a bill to create an official treaty with Indigenous groups; advocates note that this would be the first treaty between the Australian government and traditional owners. The bill as it stands would be a win for the First Australian activists who have been working on this legislation for more than a decade. It would create a permanent representative body for First Australians and require schools to more accurately teach the history of Australia’s relationship with Indigenous groups.
❧ Two men have been found guilty of attempted witchcraft to kill Zambia’s president. The two would-be assassins were sentenced this week to two years in prison after they were “found to be in possession of a live chameleon and other ‘assorted charms,’ including a red cloth, an unidentified white powder and an animal’s tail,” apparently meant to cause the death of President Hakainde Hichilema. This is not the sole prominent mention of witchcraft in Zambian politics. In the fight over the funeral of former president Edgar Lungu, Lungu’s family has alleged that Hichilema desires to administer the funeral of his former rival in part for occult reasons. But this latest conviction stems from a colonial-era law against witchcraft—a reminder that the aftereffects of the British Empire and its religious oppression are still being felt in Africa today.
ROBE RAGE
This Week In The Courts:
The Supreme Court never rests. Except, of course, in the summer and early fall when justices go on fishing trips and book tours. For this week’s Robe Rage, we want to give you the opportunity to do what the Justices are doing now. Relax, recharge, and review some of the most important cases of the upcoming Supreme Court term.
First, a recurring theme of the Roberts Court: legalized corruption… er, we mean “ ethical money in politics.” In National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission, the Court is set to decide whether the First Amendment precludes restrictions on coordinated party expenditures—essentially, limits on how much political parties may spend in coordination with their candidates. This case was filed by then-Senate candidate JD Vance and the Republican Party, and from the outset the conservatives have sought to overturn the 25-year-old precedent allowing campaign spending limits. But in that timespan the Roberts Court has significantly limited campaign finance restrictions under the theory that spending limits are only justifiable in order to limit clear “quid pro quo” bribery. It’s quite a convenient argument for the conservative justices who have toed awfully close to that line themselves, but for this case, it means more money will likely flow through American politics.
Does another yacht trip for Clarence Thomas await? (Image: CNN)
Next on the docket is Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety. The facts in this case are egregious. Damon Landor is a Rastafarian, and he had spent thirty years growing his dreadlocks before being transferred to the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in central Louisiana. But when he arrived, prison guards ordered that he shave his hair. And when Landor showed guards a printed out court decision affirming his religious right to keep his locks, guards threw the papers in the trash, held him down, and shaved his head.
This is obviously an egregious abuse of police power, and the question the Court is set to decide is whether Landor can collect damages from the individual officers who violated his rights. This is set to be a highly technical argument focused primarily on the statute at play—the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. We’ll likely have a better sense of the Court’s disposition during oral argument in November.
And, of course, no Supreme Court term would be complete without a splash of culture war shenanigans. This term, the Court has taken up two cases about trans participation in youth sports. Both cases ask the question of whether the 14th Amendment grants trans women the right to play in sports leagues of their choosing, and one also asks a similar question of Title IX. Best case, after years of difficult litigation, these students are allowed to play. Worst case, the Court rules that trans people have no protected status under the 14th Amendment, like what Barrett wanted the Court to do in the Skrmetti case.
So, to recap, enjoy the last days of summer. Unfortunately, the fall looks bleak.
Art by Nick Sirotich from Current Affairs Magazine, Issue 46, January-February 2024
MARSUPIAL FACT OF THE WEEK
There’s now a Koala Chlamydia Cure!
Chlamydia is a crisis for the world’s cutest marsupial. The disease causes painful urinary tract infections, conjunctivitis, blindness, and death in koalas, and unfortunately, some experts estimate that as many as 85 percent of koalas are infected. But last week, the world’s first single-dose koala chlamydia vaccine was approved by the Australian government. Trials show it cuts mortality by around 65 percent. So tell the koalas in your life: help is available!
Writing and research by Grady Martin. Editing and additional material by Alex Skopic and Nathan J. Robinson. Header graphic by Cali Traina Blume. This news briefing is a product of Current Affairs Magazine. Subscribe to our gorgeous and informative print edition here, and our delightful podcast here.
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