The Trump administration has announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire to end hostilities. However, the deal comes with significant caveats. It is contingent on a complete cessation of fire from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah armed group and the evacuation of all its fighters from the area south of the Litani River. Notably, Hezbollah has not been part of the negotiations.
The Lebanese government has been negotiating with Israel without Hezbollah as part of its effort to reassert control over the country and disarm the armed group. Despite the joint commitment to a ceasefire, Israel carried out drone strikes in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon on Thursday morning.
Israel's Targeting in Southern Lebanon
William Christou in Beirut reports that three hospitals in southern Lebanon have been attacked by Israel in under a week, wounding more than 150 people and killing nine. Analysts and human rights experts say these attacks on healthcare facilities aim to degrade conditions for life in south Lebanon. The Israeli military stated it struck “Hezbollah infrastructure in the area of Tyre” and acknowledged a hospital was “affected incidentally,” accusing Hezbollah of “taking over” one of the hospitals it struck.
US House Passes War Powers Resolution to Curb Trump's Authority in Iran
The US House of Representatives delivered a stunning rebuke to Donald Trump over his war on Iran on Wednesday, voting 215 to 208 in favor of a war powers resolution. The move forces Trump to seek approval from Congress or withdraw US forces. Four Republicans voted with Democrats: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Tom Barrett of Michigan. The resolution now goes to the Senate.
This is the fourth vote on a resolution to rein in Trump's power to continue the conflict, which has been running for more than 90 days. The 90-day threshold is significant because the 1973 War Powers Resolution requires a president to seek congressional approval to continue waging war after that period. Trump's White House has rejected this argument, citing a temporary ceasefire in place since 8 April, though it has been broken several times by the US, Israel, and Iran.
Tech Industry Wins Big in California Primary Election
Silicon Valley had a big night in California's primary election, with tens of millions of dollars funding candidates across the state proving to be money well spent. While the tech industry's preferred candidate for governor came in a scant sixth place, donations to smaller elections proved successful. Tech billionaires have thrown their full weight into politics as the industry fights regulations, taxation, and promotes the unfettered growth of artificial intelligence. Getting the right candidates in office, especially in California, is existential as the fight over a proposed 5% wealth tax on billionaires edges closer to a vote.
However, there have been setbacks. Residents in Monterey Park, California, became the first in the US to vote for a permanent ban on datacenters on Tuesday. Seattle's city government is on the verge of passing a year-long ban on new datacenter construction, the largest US city to consider such a moratorium.
In Other News
- Ben Black, head of a $205bn government investment agency, had personal and business ties to Jeffrey Epstein, according to documents released by the Department of Justice.
- The US military attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two men.
- Protests over a Jared Kushner-backed luxury resort saw thousands take to the streets of Tirana, Albania for a third straight day.
- Space X is seeking to raise about $75bn through its imminent stock market listing, potentially making Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire.
Stat of the Day: Gender-Reveal Fireworks Settlement
Nearly six years after a couple's gender-reveal stunt sparked a deadly wildfire in southern California, the companies that sold the pyrotechnic device—Ohio-based Wholesale Fireworks Corp and its subsidiary American Fireworks Wholesale LLC—have agreed to pay more than $4m. A third company, Miami-based Pink or Blue Gender Team Inc, agreed to pay $50,000.
The Filter Recommends: Six Small Upgrades to Relax Your Tight Neck and Achy Back
Lauren Gould has selected six practical items that may help ease aches and hit spots a long warm bath doesn't always reach.
Don't Miss This: Indigenous American Artists Challenge Our Relationship to Nature
Skye Sherwin examines a new exhibition of Indigenous American art in the UK, transporting works from Santa Fe's Tia Collection, representing more than 35 tribal nations, offering a counterpoint to colonialist history. The artist's work explores a continent whose beliefs and traditions date back millennia.
Or This: New York in 1973, the Last Time the Knicks Won a Championship
Julius Constantine Motal has compiled a nostalgic collection of pictures of NYC in the 1970s.
Climate Check: 'An Equal and Habitable World Is Possible'
Humanity can raise living standards, reduce inequality, and keep global heating within a 2°C rise, according to a sweeping vision for planetary survival by the World Inequality Lab. Wealth taxes, reduced working hours, dietary changes, and new investment priorities are key.
Last Thing: I Launched Cuba's First Independent Magazine—That's When My Troubles Began
Abraham Jiménez Enoa and his friends wanted to tell the story of Cuban life without interference. Before long, he was isolated, monitored, and interrogated. In this long read, he tells how he was treated and ultimately forced to leave Cuba for exile in Spain.
