Mentioned in this edition: Nigel Farage, Elon Musk, Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mark Carney, Javier Milei, and more.
Good morning. Oh, Canada (your political persuasion will determine whether that “Oh” is a sigh or an exclamation). We get into everything you need to know about their stunning election results. Plus, Ari sits down with a major player in Israeli politics.
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
1. 🇬🇧 The populist right swept England’s local elections. Nigel Farage’s populist right Reform UK party won stunning victories across England in a series of local elections, crushing both the governing center-left Labour Party and the center-right Conservatives. If national elections were held today, Reform UK would win an overwhelming majority in parliament. However, Labour is lucky: national elections are not scheduled until 2029.
2. 🇩🇪 Germany’s spy agency classified AfD as an extremist threat. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) officially labeled the populist right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a “right-wing extremist” group, possibly a prelude to banning it entirely. The move has sparked criticism from Elon Musk and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This marks a broader trend of political forces across the world aiming to suppress right-wing parties.
3. 🇷🇺 The US might levy heavy sanctions on Russia. US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced that a sanctions bill, which would punish any country buying Russian oil, gas, and uranium, now has enough support to get past a filibuster and, implicitly, a Trump veto. The bill would also put a 500 percent tariff on countries that buy Russian energy. Graham said he would only wait weeks before pushing for a vote on the legislation.
4. 🇮🇱 Netanyahu said victory is the “superior objective” of the Gaza war. The Israeli Prime Minister called the return of hostages “very important,” but said that victory over Hamas was much more so. The comments came shortly after thousands of Israeli reservists signed a letter calling for the end of the war and the return of the hostages. However, since there is no pressure from the Trump administration — and Netanyahu’s government is secure — it is unlikely that he will seek a quick end.
EUROPE
Mentioned behind the paywall: Talks for a Palestinian state, migrant problems, and a freed American detainee.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Mentioned behind the paywall: Australian election results, South Korea’s allegations, and American missile launchers.
How Canada’s left won a stunning upset
The story
The Liberal Party won Canada’s national elections earlier this week, a stunning political comeback that came just months after the party was left for dead by most analysts and forecasters.
The reversal came after the resignation of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and repeated prodding — by his tariff war and threats of annexation — from American President Donald Trump…
Welcome to Israel’s “Deep State,” with MK Simcha Rothman
Judicial reform. The Israeli Supreme Court. Bibi Netanyahu. The hard right. These key elements of Israeli society — constantly at war with each other — were the reason Israel was more divided than ever in the days before October 7…
THE DAILY DEBATE
📊 Should the US sanction Germany if they ban the right-wing AfD party?Results will be in tomorrow's newsletter |
POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY
Do you support Mike Waltz’s nomination as UN Ambassador?
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👍 Yes (585)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👎 No (110)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (210)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💬 Other (Comment) (14)
👍 Yes: “This isn't a chess game, but Trump has a limited number of trustworthy pieces to move around.” — Chase
👎 No: “He screwed up and should be fired NOT given another job. If a government hire did what he did they'd be gone in a heart beat.” — Anonymous
🤔 Unsure: “What are Mike Waltz's credentials for UN Ambassador? His snafu's as National Security Advisor hurts his reputation.” — Michael
💬 Other: “Who cares? The US should exit the useless and corrupt UN and invite it to move to Madagascar.” — Anonymous
POP QUIZ
What did Israel's Netanyahu try to reform before the October 7 attack? |
Today’s newsletter was written by Anthony Constantini, Brandon Goldman, and Ari David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won’t find in the mainstream media.