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MIDDLE EAST WAR | Day 202.

• Human rights experts commissioned by the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva say investigations have found "reasonable grounds" to believe the United States was behind ‌two military strikes on a school and a sports facility in Iran in February in which more than 150 people, mostly children, were killed, and that these actions constituted war crimes. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,664 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian officials say at least 19 people were injured in overnight Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa regions and that Ukrainian forces carried out strikes on multiple Russian targets, including on an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and a military airfield in the Rostov region. [more]
• The U.S. House of Representatives voted, 262-159, yesterday to approve a new package of sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine that includes economic sanctions on Russian officials, banks, and a shadow fleet of tankers and the imposition of up to 100% tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil and natural gas. The U.S. Senate has already passed the measure, which now goes to President Donald Trump to be signed into law. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time since 2023 yesterday, citing stubbornly high inflation as the reason for the quarter-point increase to about 3.9%. [more]

U.S. POLITICS | The House of Representatives recessed earlier than expected yesterday, with Speaker Mike Johnson insisting the chamber had "done its job" as what he called the most productive Congress in decades. The House is expected to remain in recess until after November's mid-term elections. Reports note that the early recess meant the House avoided high-profile votes on resolutions led by Republican Representative Thomas Massie to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and release more files related to investigations into late financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. [more]

U.S. MILITARY | Speaking yesterday at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. forces need adapt to be prepared to fight not only on Earth but in space between Earth and the moon. [more]

U.S. DATA CENTERS | Prior to recessing until after November's mid-term elections, the House voted, 417-3, yesterday to approve legislation that would require state utility regulators to consider implementing a standard under which data center operators would be required to pay the full cost of new power and transmission upgrades needed to serve them. [more]

U.S. IMMIGRATION | In a preliminary injunction unsealed yesterday, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong blocked immigration officers from making warrantless arrests in Southern California unless they determine an immigrant is likely to escape. [more]

U.S., CANADA, AND E.U. | After European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested the possibility yesterday of Canada becoming the E.U.'s first associate member, U.S. President Donald Trump said such a move could be considered a "hostile act" that could lead to increased tariffs on European goods. Trump's statements came ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's address to the European Parliament today. [more]

U.S. AND PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY | The U.S. State Department said yesterday that it has, for a second year in a row, denied visas for a high-level Palestinian delegation to attend next week's annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. The department cited Palestinian legal actions against Israel, the payment of stipends to the families of prisoners convicted of attacks against Israelis, and links to the Palestine Liberation Organization as reasons behind the visa denials. [more]

GLOBAL AI | Speaking to reporters yesterday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged developers of artificial intelligence technologies to cooperate in addressing AI-related risks and threats, saying the "world cannot afford a race to the bottom on AI safety.” [more]

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY | In its annual report, environmental and human rights advocacy group Global Witness says at least 124 land and environmental activists were killed around the world in 2025, with Latin America accounting for 85% of the deaths amidst conflicts over land and natural resources. [full report] [more]

NORTH KOREA | Speaking at an international security conference in Beijing, China, yesterday, North Korean Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang Il said an expanding U.S.-led military buildup and the nuclear alliance between Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo justifies North Korea's efforts to strengthen and expand its nuclear forces. [more]

ARGENTINA AND U.K. | Amidst ongoing U.K.-Argentina tensions, an Argentine federal judge yesterday ordered British and Israeli companies to stop development of the Sea Lion oilfield project located north of the British-controlled Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. [more]

SOUTH KOREA | The government of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced yesterday that it will seek to approve and allow the use of medication abortions in the country for women who are up to nine weeks pregnant by the first quarter of 2027, easing a decades-old ban on most abortions. [more]

AI INDUSTRY | Artificial intelligence giant OpenAI yesterday disclosed six new reports of what it called "unexpected or concerning” behavior" by its AI models and said it was introducing a new framework for tracking, probing, and disclosing occurrences of what it called “misalignment,” including where AI models act without authorization, coordinate with other models, or attempt to evade oversight. [more]

TOY HALL OF FAME | The National Toy Hall of Fame announced finalists for its Class of 2026 yesterday, with Tickle Me Elmo dolls, the games Bingo, Mahjong, Mouse Trap, Yahtzee, and Sorry, and the playground slide among the nominees. [full nominee list] [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1787, the Constitution of the United States was completed and signed by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. [more history]