Geopolitics Q&A - reply with your questions!

Later this week, Upward News’ Foreign Affairs Editor Anthony Constantini will be answering your questions. Please reply directly to this email with your questions on geopolitics and foreign policy for Anthony!

All readers can submit questions, but part of the Q&A will be for members only.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🚔 ICE arrests migrants at their own hearings. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun detaining illegal migrants who show up for scheduled immigration hearings if they've been in the US for under two years. ICE sources have reportedly said that Americans should expect to see "a lot more" of these arrests. This tactical shift expands enforcement beyond violent criminals to include recent border crossers who voluntarily appear for legal proceedings.

🚨 Witkoff called Hamas' rejection of ceasefire proposal "unacceptable." Despite ongoing negotiations with both Israeli and Hamas leaders, the talks have stalled, with Israel continuing its military operation in Gaza. Witkoff's proposal, which would release 10 live hostages and 19 dead hostages, aims to establish a temporary ceasefire and pave the way for a permanent peace deal. However, Hamas has so far rejected the terms, calling for more humanitarian aid and an Israeli withdrawal before agreeing to a ceasefire.

📈 House bill would balloon deficit to seven percent of GDP. The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" would push federal deficits to seven percent of GDP by 2027, more than double Treasury Secretary Bessent's three percent target. Even with optimistic growth projections, the reconciliation package would keep deficits at enormously high levels through 2034. This bill reflects a glaring turn away from fiscal hawkishness, splitting many in the Republican Party.

🇬🇧 Driver rammed crowd at Liverpool title celebration. Police arrested a 53-year-old British man after he drove his minivan into fans celebrating Liverpool's Premier League championship. Witnesses said the driver stopped briefly, then accelerated again, hitting more people. The police immediately responded by saying they arrested a “white” man from Liverpool.

CORRECTION

In yesterday’s newsletter, we reported President Trump referring to Harvard’s $52 million endowment. The president did say this, but Harvard’s endowment is actually closer to $53 billion.

Corrections are included in newsletters for transparency.

INSIDER RADAR

Dan Bongino on new FBI investigations

Insiders behind the paywall: Dan Bongino, Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem, Donald Trump, and Chuck Grassley.

HOAX TRACKER

“By 2020, Gaza will be uninhabitable due to Israeli oppression”

QUICK AND IMPORTANT

• President Trump approved Nippon Steel’s purchase of US Steel, reversing Biden’s block and promising $14 billion in investment and 70,000 jobs.

• The Texas legislature approved a Parental Bill of Rights banning DEI in K-12 schools and outlawing “social transitions” for minors.

• French President Emmanuel Macron took a slap from his wife, Brigitte, on camera during a diplomatic trip to Vietnam.

• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with Israeli officials in Jerusalem following the DC embassy murders.

INSIDER EXCLUSIVE

Why Qatar is targeting conservative media

The debate over President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a $400 million jet from Qatar has drawn attention to the billions spent by the small country on lobbying the United States.

The Qataris have sent over $6 billion to American colleges and spent around $100 million on lobbying campaigns — and spent billions elsewhere…

Read Now

THE MAIN STORY

Trump bans Harvard from accepting foreigners

WHAT’S HAPPENING_

The Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s certification to enroll foreign students.

In doing so, the government cited the school’s refusal to comply with federal requests for information on nonimmigrant students, as well as its alleged ties to antisemitism and the Chinese Communist Party.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the move last week, calling it a necessary step to protect national security and enforce immigration law.

_THE FACTS_

• The administration accused Harvard of creating “an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students.”

• President Trump criticized Harvard for being “very slow” to turn over foreign student lists and suggested some were “radicalized lunatics.”

• The US government also believes Harvard researchers have worked with Chinese Communist Party-affiliated researchers on projects funded by Iran.

• Chinese students make up the largest share of Harvard’s international enrollment, with over 1,200 enrolled.

• Current international students would have to “transfer or lose their legal status.”

• The move affects over 6,700 international students, roughly 27 percent of Harvard’s student body.

• Trump is also considering redirecting $3 billion in federal grants from Harvard to US trade schools.

• Harvard filed a lawsuit claiming the ban violates the First Amendment and Due Process Clause.

• A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the enforcement of the ban. A court hearing is scheduled for today in Boston.

_OUR INSIGHTS _

Insights and analysis are for members only.

Insights behind the paywall: International student tuition and the president’s working-class redistribution.

_JOIN THE DISCUSSION_

Do you think foreign students should be accepted at US colleges?

_{Comments are open for everyone.}

MEDIA BIAS SPOTTER

How left and right outlets frame Trump’s Harvard foreign student ban

Mentioned behind the paywall: CNN, Politico, RedState, and The Daily Signal.

THE DAILY DEBATE

POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY

Is the Trump administration right to prevent Harvard from enrolling foreign students?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👍 Yes (836)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👎 No (74)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (58)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💬 Other (16)

POP QUIZ

🔎 Tip line: See something the media won’t touch? Got a story from your campus, community, or company that needs exposure? Send tips, questions, or ideas to [email protected].

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