海角大神

The Texas power grid is more reliable today than it was three years ago, when a massive winter power failure convulsed the state. But restoring trust is a longer-term challenge. Officials will have to show they鈥檝e earned it.聽

鈥⒙燝aza cease-fire deal proposal:聽President Joe Biden says Israel would be willing to halt its war on Hamas in Gaza during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some of the hostages held by the militants.
鈥⒙燱ashington eyes shutdown:聽President Joe Biden meets with top Democrats and Republicans in Congress in a bid to head off a partial government shutdown beginning in four days and to urge lawmakers to pass an aid package for Ukraine and Israel.聽
鈥⒙燤ichigan heads to polls:聽Joe Biden and Donald Trump are marching toward their respective presidential nominations. But Michigan鈥檚 primary on Tuesday could reveal significant political perils for both.
鈥� Japan鈥檚 birthrate falls to new low:聽The number of babies born in Japan fell for an eighth straight year to a fresh record low in 2023, preliminary government data shows, underscoring the challenge the country faces in trying to stem depopulation.聽

Read these news briefs.

President Joe Biden is facing calls from erstwhile allies to exit the race, amid concerns he could lose in November. Others say the criticism is unhelpful 鈥� and unwarranted.

States are leaning into the 鈥渟cience of reading鈥� to address a growing crisis in learning. But success might depend on factors that go beyond the classroom.

For decades, Gambia鈥檚 dictator and his henchmen were untouchable. Now international courts are offering victims a new path to justice.

Literature can change minds. It can also help us imagine a different future. From redressing old wrongs to taking new steps, the protagonists in our 10 picks for this month seek justice and autonomy.聽聽

Poland, which was the pioneer in eroding the Soviet empire during the 1980s, was rewarded last week for being a pioneer in rolling back an authoritarian trend within Europe. The executive branch of the European Union announced that Poland would start receiving $148.5 billion in frozen EU funds after the country 鈥� led by young voters 鈥� took the first steps in restoring a core principle of democratic governance: equality in rule of law before impartial judges.

鈥淧oland聽is moving from being a聽rule of law problem child to becoming a champion of democracy,鈥� said German Minister of State for Europe Anna L眉hrmann.

The money due Poland had been withheld by the EU because the previous government, under the Law and Justice party (known by its Polish acronym PiS), had violated the separation of powers in eroding the independence of the judiciary. Since 2015, when the party won an election, it had altered the selection process for judges in order to place thousands of party loyalists on the bench.

The PiS lost power after an election last October that saw the highest voter turnout 鈥� 74% 鈥� in over a century. 鈥淧olish citizens chose democracy and the rule of law on the 15th of October,鈥� Donald Tusk, the new prime minister, told reporters. 鈥淭hey are the real heroes of Polish history.鈥�

In particular, voters under age 29 showed up. Their turnout was nearly 69%, compared with 46% in 2019. Under the previous government, they had experienced an erosion of civic liberties marked by greater inequality from court decisions.

鈥淭he outcome of the October election should serve as a reminder that democracy鈥檚 decline is not inevitable and can be halted,鈥� wrote Patrice McMahon, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in The Conversation.

The new ruling coalition under Mr. Tusk faces an uphill struggle to clean up Poland鈥檚 judiciary. The current president, a PiS loyalist whose term ends next year, can veto measures passed by the parliament. Yet the EU has enough faith in the new government鈥檚 initial reforms to start releasing the bloc鈥檚 funds promised to Poland.

鈥淲e are impressed by [the efforts] of the Polish people to restore the rule of law as the backbone of your society,鈥� said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 鈥淎 society where everyone plays by the rules. A society where people and businesses can trust the institutions and can hold authorities to account. Together we will protect the rule of law all over Europe.鈥�