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| President Trump has mobilized thousands of National Guard troops in California. Mark Abramson for The New York Times |
Why is the U.S. military in L.A.?
The use of military force on domestic soil in the U.S. is rare, and it is usually reserved for the most extreme situations. In deploying 4,000 members of the National Guard and 700 Marines in response to protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles, President Trump is pushing his powers to the limit.
California officials asked a court yesterday for an emergency order that would limit the role of the Marines and the Guard to protecting federal property. The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, said Trump was bringing the country to the precipice of authoritarianism.
“California may be first, but it clearly won’t end here,” Newsom said in a televised address. “Other states are next. Democracy is next.” Trump has defended his response, saying, “If we didn’t get involved, right now Los Angeles would be burning.”
Helene Cooper, who covers the Pentagon, gave us more context. “While National Guard troops often deploy to help local authorities contend with wildfires, national disasters or even protests, it is usually done in conjunction with governors,” she said. “As with many other things in this administration, President Trump is pushing the boundaries of the law.”
Active-duty forces are barred from domestic law enforcement, unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act, which allows for the use of federal troops on U.S. soil. “It is hard to see how the Los Angeles protests, which are scattered and not really affecting life in the city in a widespread way, can be seen as an insurrection,” Helene said.
The latest: Mayor Karen Bass imposed a curfew in downtown Los Angeles, and thousands of demonstrators gathered across the nation. We have live updates.
On the ground: My colleague Jesus Jiménez, who is reporting in L.A., said the protests were not widespread. “They aren’t happening across all of L.A. They aren’t even happening across all of downtown L.A.,” he said. “They’re happening in a pocket of downtown, mostly around federal buildings.”
For more: Watch my colleague Livia Albeck-Ripka describe the “pretty intense, instant pain” she felt when she was hit by a projectile fired by an officer.
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| News crews waiting on Tuesday outside Lancaster House in London, where U.S.-Chinese trade talks were taking place. Toby Melville/Reuters |
A U.S.-China trade ‘framework’
After two days of marathon negotiations in London, the U.S. and China agreed to a “framework” for resuming a trade truce that had unraveled in recent weeks. Top economic officials from both countries are expected to present it to President Trump and Xi Jinping, China’s leader, for final approval.
Officials said both sides had agreed to roll back some of their recent punitive measures. Full details were not immediately released. American concerns over Chinese restrictions on exports of badly needed minerals and magnets have been resolved, a U.S. official said.
Tariffs: A federal appeals court agreed to let Trump maintain many of his tariffs, for now. Global economic growth is likely to slow sharply this year because of Trump’s disruptions, a World Bank report said.
China’s growing reach: In a first, the Chinese Navy sent two aircraft carriers into the Pacific, beyond the islands of Japan, to conduct exercises together, Japan’s defense minister said.
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| Police officers near the school in Graz, Austria, yesterday. Erwin Scheriau, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
A gunman killed 10 at an Austrian high school
A former student opened fire yesterday at a high school in Austria, killing at least 10 people before apparently killing himself. The attack in Graz, Austria’s second-largest city, was among the worst European school shootings in years.
The state police said the gunman, a 21-year-old, carried a pistol and a long gun that had been legally purchased. He was found dead in a school bathroom. Chancellor Christian Stocker declared three days of national mourning.
| MORE TOP NEWS |
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| Josh Haner/The New York Times |
| Argentina: Former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was sentenced to prison and barred for life from public office after the Supreme Court upheld her corruption conviction. France: A teaching assistant died after being stabbed several times during a bag search at a middle school. The police arrested a 14-year-old student. Tech: Meta is preparing to unveil a new A.I. research lab pursuing “superintelligence.” U.K.: The government said it would spend about $19 billion to build a new nuclear power station. Northern Ireland: Rioters set fire to houses and shops in the town of Ballymena after two teenage boys were charged with sexual assault. North Korea: The U.N. nuclear watchdog said the country appeared to be building a new uranium-enrichment plant to expand its nuclear arsenal. Social media: Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikToker, was detained and forced out of the U.S. The immigration authorities said he had overstayed his visa. South Korea: K-pop fans are awaiting the reunion of the boy band BTS, whose members are wrapping up their military service. |
Middle East
| Gaza: Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, called for Hamas to “hand over its weapons,” free all hostages and step down. Israel: Five countries imposed sanctions on two far-right cabinet ministers who have called for expelling Palestinians from Gaza. Diplomacy: Trump said Iran appeared to have rejected a key element of a U.S. proposal in the negotiations over its nuclear program. Activism: Israel said it had deported Greta Thunberg and another activist, both of whom were detained on an aid ship bound for Gaza. |
Russia & Ukraine
| E.U.: The European Commission proposed new sanctions on Russia, including a ban on transactions with the Nord Stream pipelines supplying Russian gas to Europe. Ukraine: Russia’s nighttime attacks on Ukrainian cities have made sleep impossible for many. Russia: An American teacher who was taken from his home in eastern Ukraine after the 2022 invasion has been found in a Russian prison. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Soccer: The new Club World Cup begins on Saturday, with some of the biggest clubs taking part. Here’s a guide. Swimming: Summer McIntosh shattered two world records at the Canadian trials. Formula 1: The leaders of Formula 1 have decided to go head-to-head with the Indy 500 by scheduling a Grand Prix on the same day. That could be a huge mistake. |
| MORNING READ |
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| Ayesha Kazim for The New York Times |
Lydia Wood is on a mission to draw every pub in London. So far, she has sketched about 300 of them, with roughly 2,500 to go.
Her quest has given Wood a front-seat view of fears about the future of the city’s pubs, which face skyrocketing rents, noise complaints and other pressures. Some wonder whether her project is an ode, an archive or a requiem.
| CONVERSATION STARTERS |
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| Nic Antaya for The New York Times |
| 100 good years: The Goodyear blimp is celebrating its centennial. We have pictures. “Taxicab geometry”: The Etch A Sketch provides a window into a weird mathematical world of straight lines. Memorable lines: Can you match these literary quotes to their sources? Controversy, reborn: Why Brazilian politicians want to ban extremely lifelike baby dolls from public spaces. |
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
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| Simon Bailly |
The travel writer’s dilemma
The moment a “hidden treasure” is written about, it becomes a lot less hidden and less of a treasure. What’s a travel writer to do? Pico Iyer has grappled with this paradox for decades, particularly in the Japanese city of Kyoto, his home for 37 years. Tourists have now crowded the locals out of favorite restaurants and seats on the bus.
“No reviewer of books or movies faces this predicament, and if an overlooked novel or documentary suddenly wins recognition, most of us rejoice,” he writes. “But destinations are fragile, on several fronts — many can’t bear the weight of thousands.” Read more of Iyer’s article.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
Cook: These crispy potato quesadillas are rich and spicy.
