‘A war from within’
This week, President Trump issued a stark directive to hundreds of top U.S. military commanders, pointing their focus not toward global hotspots like Ukraine or Taiwan, nor toward NATO allies like Poland, Romania, Estonia, or Denmark, which have recently faced Russian drone incursions.
Instead, the president designated American metropolises such as San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, asserting that “we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military.”
He has frequently characterized these cities—all Democrat-led and largely populated by his political opponents—as havens of urban decay and crime.
“We’re going to straighten that out one by one, and this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room,” Trump declared to the assembled generals and admirals. “It’s a war from within.”
In that moment, the president tapped into a profound apprehension felt in many corners of the world: the fear that a nation’s own armed forces could be turned against its citizens.
Safeguards against tyranny
America’s founders harbored deep anxieties about the potential for a standing army to suppress dissent and pave the way for tyranny. They meticulously crafted safeguards to prevent such a scenario.
Over the centuries, the deployment of the military within U.S. borders has unfolded with a complex history, often intertwined with issues of race. A pivotal measure curtailing the military’s domestic operational capacity was enacted post-Civil War, aimed at appeasing Southern white supremacists who resisted federal troops enforcing racially equitable state and local laws.
Later, in the 1950s and ’60s, U.S. military and National Guard units were dispatched to Southern states during periods of intense civil unrest to uphold federal mandates against racial discrimination. (The fascinating U.S. history of these events is extensively explored.)
However, unlike these historical instances, Trump’s directive involves deploying National Guard troops to cities not currently experiencing widespread civil disturbances, notes Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University and a longtime military scholar.
“Since there is not the generalized breakdown in civil order, or a global crisis, that makes a nonpartisan case harder to make, and we’re left with the partisan interpretation,” Feaver commented.
‘Crush every threat’
At the Tuesday gathering, Trump surveyed the assembly of military commanders, articulating his personal vision for the utilization of the U.S. military.
“With leaders like we have right here in this beautiful room today, we will vanquish every danger and crush every threat to our freedom,” he stated.
Trump’s pronouncements were met with impassive expressions. Senior military leaders had previously advised officers to refrain from showing reaction or cheering, in adherence to rules mandating military neutrality in political affairs.
MORE TOP NEWS
An attack on a British synagogue on Yom Kippur
An assailant drove a car into a crowd outside a synagogue in Manchester, England, before embarking on a stabbing spree, resulting in two fatalities on Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar.
Police swiftly responded, shooting and killing the attacker minutes after the assault began outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation. Security personnel and bystanders heroically prevented him from gaining entry to the synagogue, where morning Yom Kippur prayer services were underway.
This act of violence, classified by police as terrorism, heightens existing anxieties across Europe and the U.S. regarding the safety of Jewish communities amid a global surge in antisemitism, linked to Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Many Palestinians say ‘enough is enough’
Hamas has yet to respond to a cease-fire proposal from President Trump and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. This plan largely favors Israel’s demands and offers no clear path to Palestinian statehood. However, after two years of a devastating conflict that has claimed over 65,000 Palestinian lives, according to local health officials, and with Israel systematically restricting humanitarian aid, many Gazans desperately long for an end to the war.
“Hamas must say yes to this offer — we have been through hell already,” pleaded Mahmoud Bolbol, 43, a construction worker who has endured the war in Gaza City with his six children, living in the ruins of their home.
The proposal includes several terms that Hamas has previously deemed unacceptable, such as the relinquishment of its power in Gaza. This leaves Palestinians in a dire position, caught between Israel and Hamas. Mahmoud Abu Mattar, a former accountant in Gaza City, expressed his frustration with the negotiators in distant conference rooms who appear to dictate his family’s destiny.
“The ones negotiating on my behalf are sitting in air-conditioned rooms,” he lamented. “They are not the ones living in sand, walking half an hour to fetch water or searching for a bag of flour and getting killed.”
OTHER NEWS
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Three people were killed during Gen Z antigovernment protests in Morocco.
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In Madagascar, thousands of young people took to the capital’s streets, demanding the president’s resignation.
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Trump called the government shutdown an “unprecedented opportunity” to slash the federal bureaucracy through another round of mass layoffs.
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Stores in Denmark have reported huge increases in sales of emergency radios, rice and canned mackerel since a wave of drone incursions unsettled the public.
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Rescuers in Indonesia said they would end the search for students trapped under a collapsed school in East Java.
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Australia expanded a sunscreen recall after regulators found that multiple brands delivered protection far short of their advertised SPF.
SPORTS
Tennis: Eva Lys explains the secret behind her rise up the WTA Tour — doing less.
Golf: A comedian apologized for leading a foul-mouthed chant at the Ryder Cup.
NUMBER OF THE DAY
996
— A high-octane work schedule (9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) that first gained infamy in China, and is now taking hold in California’s Silicon Valley. Though the term is new, working intense hours is a longstanding tradition in the tech industry.
MORNING READ
The World is counting down to the release of Taylor Swift’s 12th album, which was inspired by her record-breaking, headline-grabbing Eras tour — and her eventful offstage life. (She’s engaged to the American football star Travis Kelce, in case you haven’t heard.)
The promotional blitz for “The Life of a Showgirl,” which comes out today, will include an 89-minute “release party” at movie theaters worldwide this weekend. (One of my best friends is going in London!) It’ll feature the new music video for the song “The Fate of Ophelia” and a behind-the-scenes look at how the video was made.
Are you ready for it? Just to be sure, read up on Swift’s most iconic career moments.
AROUND THE WORLD
How they’re fighting loneliness in … New York
The desire for more human connection has created a booming business in modern bathhouses, where young people gather in saunas to take classes on “Self-Care Sweat” and “Gratitude.”
Melissa Kirsch, who writes for our sister newsletter, The Morning, took the plunge to understand why the bathhouse experience holds an enduring communal appeal.
“The ice baths were excruciating at first, but I eventually was able to stay in for several minutes,” Melissa said. “I spent the rest of the day feeling a weird sense of pride for having done something challenging.”
RECIPE
The top of this rustic mango Basque cheesecake may color unevenly as it bakes. Embrace this, as they do at La Viña in San Sebastián, Spain, the home of this newly-famous dessert. Every cheesecake is slightly different, but all are glorious.
WHERE IS THIS?
Where is this Carnival celebration?
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
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Luanda, Angola
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Oruro, Bolivia
BEFORE YOU GO …
Just a quick note to say … thank you! Danke! Gracias! Shukran! 谢谢!
The World is now one week old. It’s been a roller coaster. Thanks for riding along with us. I know there have been glitches. For some of you on iPhones, the links to our app haven’t been working. We’re aware of the problem. It should be fixed soon.
I want to use this space in the Friday edition to send you into the weekend with what my teenagers call “inspo.” An amazing song. A book that changed me. A film that rocked my world. If you want to send me favorites from your part of the world, that would be cool.
I’ve got two things for you this week: I went to a screening of “Love+War,” a gripping documentary about my colleague Lynsey Addario. She’s a war photographer, mother and one of the bravest people I know. Those of us who are working parents are all familiar with work-life balance issues. Lynsey’s are off the scale. (Her husband, Paul, is the other hero of this story.) Do watch the trailer.
Finally, here’s James Brown to play us off, with his song “World.” Sit with it. It’s infused with despair about a troubled world. But it’s also a soulful cry for love and reconciliation. What else is there?
I think it could be the unofficial theme song of this newsletter.
Have a good weekend. — Katrin
TIME TO PLAY
Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.
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