What Caught My Eye (no. 24)
Some interesting articles and podcasts that caught my eye this week
Here’s this week’s edition of articles I thought worth reading and sharing. Don’t hesitate to recommend your own reads; I may include some as well.
Ezra Klein, Why American Jews No Longer Understand One Another, New York Times, July 20, 2025. The Times columnist dissects the turmoil within the American Jewish community by the developments inside Gaza. “For decades, American Judaism, built on the liberalism of the diaspora, has been interwoven with Zionism. What happens when the ideals of the one become incompatible with the reality of the other?”
Antonia Hitchens, Donald Trump’s Tariff Dealmaker-in-Chief, The New Yorker, July 21, 2025. The magazine’s staff writer takes an inside look at Howard Lutnick, the Commerce Secretary, and his effort to turn the US government into a money-making machine. A great long read.
Dov Lieber and Anat Pelad, Why Israel’s Chaotic New Food Program in Gaza Has Turned So Deadly, Wall Street Journal, July 20 2025. A close look at the food distribution effort inside Gaza that is failing in so many respects to meet the needs of the people inside the strip.
Russian sabotage attacks surged across Europe in 2024, The Economist, July 22, 2025. New data shows an alarming rise in Russian sabotage in Europe, up sharply since 2022. The number of attacks almost quadrupled in 2024 compared to a year before (though has slowed down a bit in 2025 so far). This is war by other means, underscoring that the security threat posed by Russia isn’t just direct military action.
Peter M. Shane, This Is the Presidency John Roberts Has Built, The Atlantic, July 21, 2025. A distinguished scholar at NYU’s school of law argues that John Roberts has led a revolution in rebalancing power within the United States, putting in practice the unitary executive theory he has long espoused. Rather than halting the executive power grab we’ve witnessed, Roberts has encouraged it, especially by Republican presidents.
Martin Wolf, The Ukraine war will shape the world, Financial Times, July 22, 2025. The chief economics commentator argues that the outcome of the war in Ukraine will determine not only Ukraine’s future but that of liberal democracy in Europe itself.
Selam Gebredikan and Malika Khurana, This Was Supposed to Be the Year China Started Catching Up With SpaceX, New York Times, July 23, 2025. A graphic discussion of how China is finding it hard to catch up in space because it can’t send enough satellites into low-earth orbit.
Finally, in case you missed it here are links to some of the things I did and wrote this week.
I had the honor of testifying in front of the UK House of Lord’s Defence Committee on US-UK relations. You can watch the session here.
My weekly World Review post covered the famine in Gaza, the plight of Afghan refugees, and the latest on trade talks.
Happy reading, watching, and listening!