The Bulletin
WORLD IN BRIEF
- China's AI could overtake US: Scientists in China are potentially on track to build next-level artificial intelligence that is infused with Chinese Communist Party values and which could propel China ahead of the US in the race for human-like, "artificial general intelligence", a new report says.
- US aircraft carrier heading towards Middle East: The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz was tracked leaving the western Pacific Ocean as it transited toward the Indian Ocean, indicating a possible deployment to the Middle East. Here's what the map shows.
- Iran's supreme leader calls Trump a 'disgrace': Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has lashed out at President Trump in a televised address, calling him a "disgrace," accusing him of dishonesty, and declaring "he lied" about claims to use American power for peace. Know more.
- Palm Springs bombing suspect: The suspect believed to be responsible for a car explosion outside of a Palm Springs, California, fertility clinic has been identified as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus. Meanwhile, his father has revealed his son's troubling behavior as a child.
- Trump reacts to Biden's prostate cancer: President Trump wished Joe Biden a "fast and successful recovery" on Sunday night following the announcement of the former president's aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis. Here's what he said.
- British warship sends message to China: The British Royal Navy recently sailed a warship through the South China Sea to assert "freedom of navigation," pushing back against China's territorial claims in the strategic waterway. Learn more.
Netanyahu Says Israel Will Seize Control of All Gaza Strip
The rundown: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces will "take over all areas" of the Gaza Strip and that Israel will act to prevent a famine by lifting a weekslong blockade on aid, though he said the resources allowed in would be "minimal." Get more details.
Why it matters: Hamas formerly governed Gaza until the Israeli invasion. Hamas militants launched the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw hostages taken from Israel into Gaza, sparking the current war. Netanyahu's remarks came a day after Israel launched a major ground offensive in Gaza, dubbed "Operation Gideon's Chariots". Israel says it must eliminate the militant group Hamas from Gaza for its own security. Netanyahu acknowledged a new plan developed with the U.S. for American companies to deliver aid via distribution points secured by the IDF. He accused Hamas of looting previous aid deliveries.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Israel Official Says Gaza Could Be the New Dubai if Trump Enacts Plan
TL/DR: "There is one essential condition: We must not reach a situation of famine, both from a practical standpoint and a diplomatic one," Netanyahu said in a video posted to his Telegram page on Monday morning.
What happens now? Netanyahu said that the aid that would be let in would be "minimal," without specifying precisely when it would resume. "Our large-scale entry is essentially about taking control of all of Gaza and stripping Hamas of any ability to loot humanitarian aid.”
Deeper reading Netanyahu Says Israel Will Seize Control of All Gaza Strip
Obamas React to Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis
The rundown: Former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama have sent their well wishes to former president Joe Biden, following his prostate cancer diagnosis. Read more.
Why it matters: On Sunday, Biden's office announced that the Democrat has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer after he "was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms." Biden's office said his cancer score was 9 on the Gleason score, a 1 to 10 scale which measures how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. A rating of 9 suggests his cancer is among the most aggressive. Among a flurry of well wishers, writing on X, Biden's predecessor Obama said: "Michelle and I are thinking of the entire Biden family." Meanwhile, other world leaders and political figures from across the political spectrum wished Biden well.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Joe Biden Diagnosis: Prostate Cancer and Gleason Score Explained
TL/DR: In 2021, the latest year for which data is available, 236,659 new cases of prostate cancer were reported in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What happens now? Biden's office said that he would be receiving treatment following the diagnosis. Treatment for metastatic prostate cancer typically involves hormone therapy to suppress testosterone, which feeds the cancer's growth. Other options include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and newer targeted treatments.
Deeper reading Obamas React to Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis
Florida's Population Makes Major Shift
The rundown: A slowdown in the pace of the explosive population growth that has characterized Florida over the past few years could put the state's housing market in a "vulnerable" position, experts say, and curtail its economic growth. Here's what to know.
Why it matters: Florida's population growth has been on an uptrend for many years since experiencing historically low growth during the Great Recession in the late 2000s. This phenomenon was accelerated by the pandemic, when the rise of remote work allowed many out-of-state Americans to relocate to Florida, where they pushed up demand for housing and home values. However, post-pandemic factors—like return-to-office trends and fewer domestic migrants—have dampened growth. While international migration remains a key contributor, it's expected to decline in 2025. Natural population growth has turned negative, largely due to Florida's aging population. Between 2019 and 2022, the state added an estimated 184,889, 239,914, and 547,363 residents each year within this time frame, according to data from Washington-based think tank Brookings.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Florida House Prices Are Falling in Nearly a Dozen Cities
TL/DR: Over the past few years, Florida has consistently been one of the fastest-growing states in the union, together with Texas.
What happens now? Experts warn that without renewed domestic or international migration, housing demand will shrink, home values may decline and economic momentum could slow. According to Nick Gerli, real estate analyst and CEO and founder of Reventure, Florida could become the stage for what the rest of the country is bound to experience later on—the so-called "Silver Tsunami," a term that refers to the deep social and economic changes expected with the aging of the U.S. population.
Deeper reading Florida's Population Makes Major Shift
Why Do MAGA Republicans Hate Europe?
The rundown: In 1988, Republican President Ronald Reagan emphasized America's shared values with Europe, but by 2018, President Trump labeled the EU a trade "foe," signaling a shift in GOP attitudes. Read more.
Why it matters: The Republican Party's relationship with Europe has since deteriorated, driven by perceptions of Europe as a defense free rider and widening cultural divides. MAGA Republicans, like J.D. Vance, oppose military aid framed as "bailing out" Europeans, while others blame Europe's social progressivism and low defense spending. Historical isolationism and regional divides within the GOP contribute to this trend. Trump's admiration for Putin and desire to shift focus toward China reflect a potential "reverse Kissinger" strategy. Yet experts doubt this will split the Russia-China alliance, leaving U.S.–EU relations in a cold and uncertain state.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Far-Right Parties Bid for Power in Europe's Election 'Super Sunday'
TL/DR: Staring directly at the camera, Reagan said: "Shared [moral] standards and beliefs tie us to Europe today. They are the essence of the community of free nations to which we belong."
What happens now? Given the Trump administration's perception of the EU and its leaders as a fixture of the "liberal edifice," it is possible hostilities with the region may be on track to worsen.
Deeper reading Why Do MAGA Republicans Hate Europe?
Exclusive: Al Green on Trump Impeachment Push—'Don't Wait' for 'Tanks'
The rundown: Rep. Al Green of Texas, a Democrat, has spoken with Newsweek about why he introduced articles of impeachment against President Trump this week, saying he felt the need to act now before "tanks are rolling down the street," with plans to introduce further articles at a later date. Read his full remarks here.
Why it matters: On May 15, Green filed articles of impeachment with the House of Representatives, calling for Trump's removal from office and declaring him "unfit to be president." He cited the clash between the administration and U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who last month said he found "probable cause" to hold the administration in contempt of court, as just one such example of the administration flouting judicial authority, and told Newsweek that now is the time to act before the president's use of power grows too flagrant. Green noted that Trump still contests the 2020 U.S. presidential election, despite numerous court rulings that affirmed Joe Biden won that contest, which leads him to conclude Trump is "a person in office who can only see an election as fair when he wins...it's important to start there."
Read more in-depth coverage:
New Trump Impeachment Bid Is Imminent, 'Hands Off!' Rally Told
TL/DR: Green sparked national interest when he abruptly left in the middle of Trump's State of the Union address on March 4.
What happens now? Green's articles of impeachment will have a floor vote, but even if they don't pass, that will not be the end of his efforts. He told Newsweek that he is already working on additional articles of impeachment which address other matters.
Deeper reading Exclusive: Al Green on Trump Impeachment Push—'Don't Wait' for 'Tanks'
Is a Billionaire Hotel Heir the Answer to Democrats' Working-Class Problem?
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt hotel empire, has the kind of profile that seems destined to ignite debate in today's Democratic Party. He's rich—very rich, to the tune of nearly $4 billion. But he's also big—in stature, yes, but also in rhetoric.
In recent months, Pritzker has emerged as one of the loudest, most full-throated voices opposing President Trump's second term, even as his own party wrestles with how to handle the contradictions of populist rage and patrician leadership.
Pritzker's growing national footprint comes at a moment of reckoning for Democrats. His speeches are forceful, his money is bottomless, and his policy platform leans unapologetically liberal. But can a billionaire—especially one born into wealth—really be the champion of a party that's spent the last decade railing against economic oligarchy?
