海角大神

President Donald Trump threatened 鈥渧ery strong action鈥� if Iran executes protesters, as human rights observers estimate over 2,400 deaths amid a crackdown on demonstrations across the country. The Iranian regime accused Washington of manufacturing a 鈥減retext for military intervention,鈥� warning that that 鈥渉as failed before.鈥� Mr. Trump has encouraged Iranians to 鈥渒eep protesting.鈥�

The Supreme Court appeared willing yesterday to uphold two state laws banning transgender females from participating in female school sports, with justices split along ideological lines. What is unclear is how broadly or narrowly the court鈥檚 majority might reach that outcome. Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted that states are split on the question, asking, 鈥淲hy would we ... constitutionalize a rule for the whole country while there鈥檚 still 鈥� uncertainty and debate?鈥�

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney鈥檚 visit to China this week is part of what officials see as an effort to 鈥渞ecalibrate鈥� relations after a decade of tensions, amid strained ties with Washington. Mr. Carney hoped the trip will help move Canada鈥檚 economy 鈥渇rom reliance to resilience.鈥� Beijing called the three-day visit an opportunity for Canada to embark on a new 鈥渟trategic autonomy.鈥�

The Trump administration labeled Muslim Brotherhood groups in Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt terrorist organizations. The Lebanese branch is designated a foreign terrorist organization, making it a criminal offense to support the group. Leaders of the Islamist group said they are committed to peaceful political action. We look today at how debate in the U.S. over the meaning of the word 鈥渢errorism鈥� has gained new steam.

French politician Marine Le Pen appeared yesterday in a Paris court for an appeals trial that will determine whether she can run for president in 2027. The far-right leader was convicted last March of embezzling EU funds and was barred from running for office for five years. Polls show that Ms. Le Pen has a good shot of winning the presidency if her conviction is overturned.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is poised to dissolve Japan鈥檚 parliament this month and call a general election in February, in a bid to win more seats for her ruling Liberal Democratic Party, according to Japanese media reports. Japan鈥檚 first female prime minister has enjoyed high popularity since her election last October. Her conservative ruling coalition has a slim majority in the lower but not upper house.

Ugandans head to the polls to elect a new president tomorrow, but the only person really in the running is Yoweri Museveni, the octogenarian who has ruled since 1986. That鈥檚 longer than more than 80% of Ugandans have been alive. This trend is mirrored across the continent, which, despite having the world鈥檚 youngest population, has some of its oldest leaders.

Finally, Vice President JD Vance was due to meet with foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland today in a bid to change the future of the mineral-rich Arctic island. Watch for our story from Linda Feldmann.

鈥� From Monitor writers around the globe

There鈥檚 a difference between constitutionally protected free speech and acts of civil disobedience that could lead to arrests. Still, it鈥檚 not clear that Renee Good in Minneapolis was interfering illegally with ICE operations. And civil disobedience isn鈥檛 terrorism under traditional definitions.

The Smithsonian Institution receives federal money but historically has made its own decisions about how to tell the American story. Now, the Trump White House wants to make sure museum exhibits conform to its ideology.

Efforts to diversify rare earth supply chains are bringing new attention to war-ravaged Myanmar, where massive rare earth deposits create opportunity 鈥撀燼nd risk 鈥撀爁or the fractured rebellion.

Getting from Russia to the rest of Europe should just be as easy as stepping across a border. But since the start of the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions, it鈥檚 become a frustration 鈥� as the Monitor鈥檚 Moscow correspondent knows from experience.

Decades ago, Diamond Head was a coastal defense system, hence the tunnels, bunkers, and lookout stations carved into the volcanic crater. Today, it鈥檚 a National Natural Landmark beloved by hikers.

Tensions between U.S. presidents and heads of the Federal Reserve banking system, history shows, are common. In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson reportedly shoved and yelled at the chair of the Fed, for not lowering the interest rate to the president鈥檚 liking. In the 1950s, Harry Truman pressured not one, but two, chairmen on the same issue. And in the 1970s, Richard Nixon succeeded in his efforts 鈥� which economists blame for yearslong, double-digit inflation.

鈥淒ivorcing monetary policy from national politics helped make the United States a safe haven for global investors,鈥� observed conservative commentator Nick Catoggio in The Dispatch on Monday. The Federal Reserve, he wrote, 鈥渉as a special role in America鈥檚 international preeminence and therefore also arguably a special duty to resist鈥� presidential or political pressures.

While past White House-Fed differences have typically been argued behind closed doors, they have now burst into the open, threatening to further erode declining public trust in governance and democratic institutions. Calling for a 1% interest rate, President Donald Trump has escalated verbal and social media criticism of current chair Jerome Powell and other Fed board members.

On Jan. 9, the Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with subpoenas to investigate Mr. Powell鈥檚 testimony to Congress about renovations of its headquarters. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have decried the move as politically motivated. And Wall Street CEOs as well as global central bank heads have expressed confidence in Mr. Powell鈥檚 integrity 鈥� and in the importance of independence from political meddling.

Mr. Powell agrees that he is not 鈥渁bove the law.鈥� But in a video statement, he cast the administration鈥檚 move as retaliation for 鈥渟etting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President.鈥�

Perceptions of how well the institutions of democracy serve the 鈥減ublic interest鈥� are key assets for any government. Countries such as Argentina, Turkey, Russia, and Venezuela, where political leaders pushed for artificially low interest rates, have experienced runaway inflation, rapid devaluation, and instability.

鈥淧ublic trust is a cornerstone of central banking,鈥� researchers at the London-based Centre for Economic Policy Research noted in a January 2025 report analyzing 4 million social media posts about the Federal Reserve.

Trust, the researchers explained, is about the 鈥渂elief in the goodwill or integrity of the central bank. ... an expectation that [it] will act in the public interest.鈥�

鈥淪candals that bring into question the integrity of key officials cause the largest erosion in trust鈥� they found.

Whether the Federal Reserve investigation moves forward or not, Americans would do well to expect goodwill among public institutions and political leaders 鈥� while also demanding integrity from them.