What Caught My Eye (no. 31)
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.
Aaron Klein, Here is How Trump Takes Over the Fed, New York Times, September 15, 2025. A former chief economist of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee details the rules of Feder Reserve governors and president appointments, and how the timelines are aligned to enable the president to appoint a majority of members of the critical body setting interest rates in the next few months.
Mehul Srivastava, How Israel is dismantling the dream of a Palestinian state, Financial Times, September 17, 2025. Even as many countries are moving to recognize Palestine as a state, Israel has in recent years moved expeditiously to render such a state inviable. The FT reporter takes a detailed look at Israeli policies in the West Bank that have been gathering pace as the world’s attention focused on Gaza.
Adam Ward and Dov Lieber, Exclusive | Why Trump Privately Fumes About Netanyahu but Gives Him Free Rein, Wall Street Journal, September 17, 2025. The Journal scoops Trump’s deep unhappiness with Netanyahu and delves into why this hasn’t translated in opposition to policies he has opposed.
Mara Hvistendahl, Autocrats Move Quickly to Fill Void as Trump Retreats from UN, New York Times, September 19, 2025. One the eve of the UN General Assembly’s 80th session, the Times publishes a detailed investigation demonstrating how Trump’s retreat from the UN in Geneva and other places is giving autocratic governments increasing scope to determine the UN’s agenda.
Nahal Toosi, Trump is breaking US diplomacy, State Department staffers say, Politico, September 21, 2025. Politico’s senior foreign policy correspondent and columnist writes an insightful account about how the State Department and its Foreign Service is steadily being diminished as the new administration sidelines the normal channels of diplomacy and cuts out diplomats who have long served presidents of both parties from the day-to-day business of interacting with foreign governments.
M. Gessen, I Look at This Country and I See a Stranger, New York Times, September 21, 2025. The Times columnist, who was banned from Russia, sees their adopted country with new eyes as the administration moves against those who are different — or believe different — than they are or believe. Fear of saying the wrong thing, of showing up at the wrong place, is a new sentiment that now prevails in our land, the columnist concludes
Finally, in case you missed it here are links to some of the things I did and wrote this week.
I spoke to Jake Tapper on CNN about the state of negotiations to end the Ukraine war.
I spoke with Bloomberg about Poland’s idea to create a no-fly zone in Ukraine and US strikes on striking another vessel in the Caribbean.
My weekly World Review examined efforts to pressure Russia, the move to recognize Palestine as a state, and the US retreat from the UN.
Happy reading, watching, and listening!