Flagship

Warning over Iran nuclear potential

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Iran could produce enriched uranium within “months,” contradicting US President Donald Trump’s assertion that Tehran’s nuclear program was “obliterated.” Rafael Grossi’s remarks echoed an earlier US assessment and European intelligence suggesting Iran’s nuclear ambitions were set back by just months — senior Iranian officials also reportedly said the US strikes weren’t as destructive as they’d expected. While the American attack may have stalled Iran’s near-term ability to make a bomb, some of the targeted facilities might not have existed if Trump hadn’t abandoned an earlier nuclear deal in his first term, experts told The New York Times. Trump said Friday he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran enriched uranium to worrisome levels.

Trump pushes for Gaza deal

Israel’s military signaled it would intensify its campaign in Gaza as US President Donald Trump on Sunday called again for a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas. A top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington this week for talks, but it’s unclear if any significant progress has been made toward a truce. The renewed attention on Gaza comes as Israel’s military faces heightened scrutiny after Haaretz reported that troops were instructed to fire at unarmed Palestinians near aid distribution sites; one soldier called it a “killing field.” Israel’s government rejected the story, calling it “blood libel.”

Countries scramble for US trade deals

World powers are scrambling to secure trade deals with the US before President Donald Trump’s pause on his “Liberation Day” tariffs ends July 9. India’s trade team has extended its stay in Washington, while new fractures have emerged within the European Union: Germany wants Brussels to strike a deal fast, but France wants the EU to take a firmer stance. It appears increasingly unlikely that US negotiators will agree dozens of deals within 10 days. “The idea that uncertainty will be resolved early this summer appears to be completely dead,” one expert told CNN. Compounding the uncertainty is Washington’s unpredictable approach to trade relations; Trump on Friday abruptly terminated talks with Canada, shortly after announcing a new agreement with China.

Central banks warned over inflation

The world’s “central bank of central banks” warned about the rising possibility of fresh outbreaks of inflation. The Switzerland-based Bank for International Settlements noted in a new report that consumers across the globe expect steep price increases in the next year — and that because of the lasting effect of COVID-era inflation, those predictions now risk becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. “When it comes to inflation expectations, it’s once bitten, twice shy,” a BIS official said. The report gives clues to central bankers’ thinking as they cautiously trim interest rates amid subsiding inflation. Washington’s trade war adds to the volatility: Rising protectionism is eroding the global economic order, the BIS’ chief said, creating a “new era of heightened uncertainty and unpredictability.”

GOP advances ‘big, beautiful bill’

The US Senate narrowly voted to advance President Donald Trump’s tax and spending package, as the White House ramped up pressure on lawmakers to pass the measure before July 4. Hurdles remain: Several Republican senators still want changes to the bill, which would cut taxes and bolster military spending while shrinking safety net programs like Medicaid. The bill, which still has to pass a final House vote if it clears the Senate, has challenged Republicans’ congressional majority and exposed party fault lines. Trump attacked GOP lawmakers who criticized the bill, including North Carolina’s Thom Tillis, who voted against it in a test of “whether he’d be able to flex his independence from Trump,” Semafor reported — Tillis later announced he won’t seek reelection.

Russia expands secrecy law

Russian President Vladimir Putin expanded the country’s secrecy law, tightening his grip on society as Moscow and Kyiv exchanged bruising strikes. Information about Russia’s foreign and economic policy, as well as military mobilizations, can now be classified as secret if its disclosure is deemed harmful to national security. Putin has intensified his crackdown on dissent since Russia invaded Ukraine; one expert noted that the move to classify military call-up details was likely a reaction to Ukraine’s drone attacks. Kyiv on Saturday said it had hit a Russian missile and drone arsenal, hours before Moscow reportedly launched its largest airstrike on Ukraine since the start of the war.

Thousands protest in Bangkok

Thousands of protesters in Bangkok called for Thailand’s prime minister to resign amid a scandal linked to a weeks-long dispute with Cambodia. Tensions at the countries’ shared border have escalated since late May: The dispute morphed into a political crisis for the Thai government after a phone call leaked in which the Thai premier referred to Cambodia’s de facto leader as “uncle” and said she would “arrange” anything he wanted. Saturday’s demonstration was the largest anti-government protest since the ruling right-wing populist party came to power in 2023, the Bangkok Post reported. Analysts are closely watching the outpouring of public frustration in the country, where past governments have collapsed following large-scale protests.

Steve Inskeep has one of the most recognizable names and voices in the country, greeting millions of Americans every morning since the 2000s. This week, Ben and Max bring on the Morning Edition host to talk about NPR’s battle with the Trump administration, the role of public radio in an overcrowded media landscape, and why local journalism matters more than ever. They also discuss the conflict in Iran — a place that Steve has been to six times as a reporter — and whether Americans are less informed about global politics now than they were at the start of his career.

Listen to the latest episode of Mixed Signals now.

Restoration effort shows rewilding risks

A massive coastal restoration project in China could increase methane emissions tenfold, a new study found, underscoring the unexpected environmental risks of rewilding. Launched in 2023, the project aims to curb an invasive weed choking up shipping lanes, clam farms, and marshlands, and replace it with native plants, like mangroves. An international team of researchers looked at emissions levels before and after the weed was removed, and found that dredging the plants led to spikes in methane. While the native flora will eventually combat those effects, that could take decades. Other countries considering similar restoration efforts “need to look at the bigger picture,” one scientist said, but the researchers also caution that abandoning the project isn’t the answer.

Invest in drought resilience: OECD

The world must invest in drought resilience as global warming changes rainfall patterns, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned. A new report by the group of high-income countries predicts that long periods of too little rain and not enough water will become more frequent and severe: Some 25% of the world’s land is now exposed to drought, up from 10% in the early 1900s. Water shortages cause a third of all deaths from natural disasters, as droughts can cripple food production and cause starvation. The report argues that every dollar invested in water management, climate-resilient farming, and forest and wetland conservation could have a $10 return purely by lessening the impact of future droughts.

10 years after Obergefell v. Hodges

The number of married same-sex couples in the US has doubled in the 10 years since the Supreme Court instituted marriage equality across the nation. Same-sex unions were performed and recognized in 36 states before Obergefell v. Hodges changed the law in 2015. Then, there were 390,000 same-sex married couples; now there are more than 800,000. Public opinion has shifted, too. In 1995, just 27% of Americans believed gay people should be able to marry; now, 68% do, according to Gallup, although that represents a slight dip in support since 2023. Progress is not smooth, The Washington Post noted: This year, some officials have suggested Obergefell should be overturned, and the number of same-sex weddings has also dropped.

June 30:

• The fifth anniversary of Hong Kong’s national security law imposed by Beijing.
• The World Trade Organization’s Trade and Environment Week kicks off in Geneva.
• Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz play in the first round of men’s and women’s singles tennis matches at Wimbledon.

A UK museum is rallying support for its bid to acquire a rediscovered painting by acclaimed English artist J.M.W. Turner. The painting, The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent’s Rock, Bristol, is believed to be the first of Turner’s oils to be publicly shown — in 1792, when he was just 17. It disappeared into obscurity in the 19th century, only to reemerge after it was bought for just $506 and the new owner had it cleaned, revealing Turner’s signature. Now, it is expected to fetch at least $270,000 in a Sotheby’s auction. Bristol Museum and Art Gallery hopes to keep the painting in public hands: More than 1,600 donors have contributed to their bid fund.

The insurance giant Allstate released a report last week warning that Americans’ trust in each other is “at a tipping point,” low enough to threaten the country’s democracy.

But Allstate CEO Tom Wilson sees cause for optimism in the finding that people trust their neighbors more than other Americans on average. “It shows there’s a really great base for America to build on,” he told Semafor’s Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson. “If I’m doing sandbags with you, or I’m walking through the Palisades fire… we’re not going to be arguing about whether there should be tariffs or not.”