Race to the riggings
The US, Iran, Italy, Brazil, and Mexico.
Hello,
Here are the five things you need to know today:
UNITED STATES. Trump presents as his own fifth column.
IRAN. Washington gets stuck in a tit-for-tat doom loop.
ITALY. Meloni’s coalition begins to fray.
BRAZIL. Lula must tread carefully with the trade war.
MEXICO. Sheinbaum braces for her next showdown.
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UNITED STATES. The enemy within
Trump presents as his own fifth column.
Donald Trump released intelligence documents he said showed "shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure", while accusing China and the "deep state" of interference. Truth Social announced a data feed for high-frequency traders.
INTELLIGENCE. As Trump sows doubt ahead of the midterms, and presses Congress to pass contentious voter ID reforms, his media business is shilling his online missives as an arbitrage scheme. It comes as his teleprompter is probed for alleged prediction market bets. In an era of blatant manipulation, old-fashioned state interference seems quaint. Yet Trump has failed to prove anything, other than his willingness to push institutions to their breaking point.
FOR BUSINESS. Trump’s accusations are either old, unsubstantiated or disproven. Even Fox News, one of the few broadcasters to air his address on the claims, seems to have given them short shrift. What’s notable is his willingness to risk ties with China in the service of domestic politics. It begs the question of what other lines he’ll cross, if required, such as the currently denied suggestion of sending ICE agents to polling stations, or declaring a state of emergency.
IRAN. Bridge to nowhere
Washington gets stuck in a tit-for-tat doom loop.
Tehran responded to a sixth night of US strikes, including on roads and civilian infrastructure, with further attacks on regional countries. Tehran said its Houthi allies would close the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait if its power stations were targeted.
INTELLIGENCE. The US and Iran are again moving up the escalation ladder, with