It is unusual in Britain for ethnic groups to vote along religious lines. But the leading political parties鈥 tepid response to Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza is prompting Muslims to favor independent candidates.
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SubscribeDo presidential debates matter?
That鈥檚 a question our story today asks. It鈥檚 one we may get some answers to this week, when Joe Biden and Donald Trump meet on the debate stage, kicking off their campaigns in earnest.
We鈥檒l have two more related stories: Story Hinckley will preview Thursday鈥檚 debate tomorrow, and Cameron Joseph will offer a postevent analysis Friday. Cameron joined the Monitor this week, bringing with him 15 years of experience writing about campaigns and politics, most recently for Vice News, the Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian.
Looking ahead to Thursday, Cameron notes that most Americans hold strong opinions about the candidates at this point. But that doesn鈥檛 mean those views can鈥檛 shift. 鈥淭his is the earliest we鈥檝e seen a general election presidential debate,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hat means voters might not remember this by November, but it gives both candidates their first good chance of the campaign to redefine themselves.鈥
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And why we wrote them
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It is unusual in Britain for ethnic groups to vote along religious lines. But the leading political parties鈥 tepid response to Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza is prompting Muslims to favor independent candidates.
鈥 Kenya protest: Part of Kenya鈥檚 Parliament building has been burned by protesters, the most direct assault on the government in decades.
鈥⒙Gun violence: The U.S. surgeon general is declaring it a public health crisis, amid a rising number of injuries and deaths involving firearms.聽
鈥⒙Debt relief: Two federal judges in Kansas and Missouri blocked U.S. President Joe Biden鈥檚 administration from further implementing a new student debt relief plan.
鈥⒙Military draft: Israel鈥檚 Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men.
鈥⒙Plea deal: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to plead guilty on June 26 to violating U.S. espionage law. The deal will set him free after a 14-year British legal odyssey and allow his return home to Australia.
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President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump face off Thursday for their first 2024 presidential debate. Will their respective performances sway any voters? We asked a veteran Washington reporter to put the value of these election-season staples in context.聽
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Women shoulder most of the unpaid caregiving around the world. Colombia鈥檚 capital city is focusing on this population with free services in hopes of recognizing the value of their work 鈥撀燼nd redistributing it more evenly among men and women.
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What does being independent look like for children? A school in Las Vegas encourages students to take on hobbies and activities on their own 鈥 in hopes of building more confidence and growth.
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For almost a century, the federal government barred Apaches from conducting their traditional coming-of-age ceremonies for girls. They are performed openly today.
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Nearly seven months after taking office, Argentine President Javier Milei has begun to tame one of the worst economic crises in Latin America. His spending cuts and currency reforms have drastically cut high inflation. The government has seen its first budget surplus in 16 years. And with a strong mandate from voters, he has made some progress in Congress to pass reforms 鈥 despite his party being in the minority.
Much still needs to be done, such as reducing nearly $400 billion in foreign debt and privatizing state-owned enterprises. Yet, concludes a paper by the United Kingdom-based Economics Observatory, the changes so far mark 鈥渢he first time since the turn of the century that Argentina is purposefully addressing the deep-rooted cause of all its economic struggles.鈥
To a large degree, Argentina is following the path of Greece, which faced a similar financial crisis 15 years ago. Greeks endured years of economic austerity, aided by a renewal of official honesty 鈥 such as data transparency and better tax compliance 鈥 and the resilience of individual citizens.
Mr. Milei鈥檚 biggest challenge may be in keeping a political consensus for his difficult reforms. He has brought key opposition figures into his Cabinet. And in a June 13 vote in the Senate, he won incremental changes that mix spending cuts with measures to strengthen cooperation between national and local officials.
In March, Mr. Milei asked ordinary citizens for their 鈥減atience and trust.鈥 The reforms enacted so far have exacerbated hardships. The percentage of people living in poverty has reached the highest it鈥檚 been in 20 years (57.4% nationally). Yet two polls this month found that as many as 63% of citizens are willing to stay the course.
Their confidence may rest on a willingness of Argentina鈥檚 political leaders to work together with transparency. 鈥淚t was crucial that he showed that he can work with the opposition to get something approved,鈥 Eugenia Mitchelstein, a political analyst at the University of San Andr茅s in Buenos Aires, told The Wall Street Journal. 鈥淚f everything is a conflict, and no negotiation, he won鈥檛 get anything done.鈥
Mr. Milei received similar advice this week during a brief visit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. While Argentina makes far-reaching economic reforms, it is important to protect 鈥渟ocial cohesion,鈥 Mr. Scholz said. Greece won that key battle. Argentina seems ready to do the same.
Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication 鈥 in its various forms 鈥 is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church 鈥 The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston 鈥 whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.
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As we understand that we have an eternal union with divine Love, we tangibly experience more comfort and companionship.
Thanks for joining us today. Tomorrow,聽Fred Weir will look at the terrorist strikes in Dagestan, a region that is a microcosm of Russia鈥檚 ethnic and religious diversity. Instability there could be a harbinger of wider troubles.