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Congress questioned Defense Secretary Hegseth about Iran war. On a second day of testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, lawmakers questioned Mr. Hegseth, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst聽about the war and the administration's record $1.5 trillion defense budget request for fiscal year 2027. Asked whether he would send U.S. troops to polling stations during U.S. elections 鈥撀燼 possibility some administration officials have not ruled out 鈥� the secretary called the question a 鈥済otcha hypothetical.鈥澛犫�淭he biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,鈥� he said.

Maine governor suspended her campaign for U.S. Senate. Janet Mills, a聽two-term incumbent with the endorsement of the national Democratic Party, had for months polled behind her main competitor, political newcomer Graham Platner. 鈥淚 have the drive and passion, commitment, and experience,鈥� Ms. Mills wrote in a statement. 鈥淚 very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources.鈥� Mr. Platner, an oyster farmer representing a new generation, is now the presumptive Democratic nominee to face five-term GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November.聽

Our coverage: In Maine, Senate primary puts Democrats鈥� generational tensions on display.

Hampshire College will sell its campus to pay off debt. The liberal arts college, which recently announced it would close at the end of 2026, holds about $25 million in loan debt. It secured those loans during the 2010s by using its 800-acre Amherst, Massachusetts, campus as collateral. Hampshire, like other small private colleges, has struggled financially for years amid declining enrollment. A recent analysis by the Huron Group found that 442 of the nation鈥檚 1,700 private, nonprofit institutions could close in the next decade.

Our coverage:聽What drove Hampshire College to shutter, despite raising $55 million.

Elusive street artist Banksy secretly installed a new sculpture in London. The elaborate piece, which appeared early Wednesday in Waterloo Place, shows a man in mid-stride about to step off a plinth because he鈥檚 been blinded by a flag billowing against his face. Banksy revealed how the work was installed in a video posted on Instagram. The installation comes months after a Banksy mural critiquing free-speech restrictions was removed from the wall of Royal Courts of Justice in London. Banksy鈥檚 latest work arrives amid efforts to unmask his secret identity, including a recent report by Reuters that the artist hasn鈥檛 commented on.

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

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Clarification: A brief in yesterday's newsletter noted a decision on Wednesday by the Federal Reserve. The U.S. central bank kept interest rates unchanged at the current target range of聽3.5%鈥�3.75% for a third consecutive meeting.

Lawmakers resolved several persistent issues, including some that had been held up by inter-party disagreements among Republicans, and addressed homeland security funding less than a week after an alleged assassination attempt against President Donald Trump.

Lebanese people displaced by war have been on an emotional roller coaster. A ceasefire has been extended, but fighting in the south hasn鈥檛 ended. Even as families yearning for home prepare to return, despite the uncertainty, they are warned not to take the risk.

High prices at the pump pose a direct hit to many Americans鈥� wallets, and are a driver of other costs. Some GOP strategists worry that even if the Iran war ends soon, voters may not feel an improvement in their finances before the midterm elections.

A lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston marks a latest push by immigrant advocates to challenge the Trump administration鈥檚 moves to tighten legal migration pathways, amid a decline in naturalizations overall.

Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine has left many people unaccounted for, which is where the 鈥淎ntares鈥� Pavlohrad search-and-rescue canine unit helps. Its work has also proved essential for team members who are themselves dealing with the war鈥檚 tribulations.

Ronald and Roxy are a piglet and a hedgehog who meet in Sequoia National Park, in a new kids TV show about the wonder and history of nature in America.

New data on global deforestation has the potential to infuse a breath of fresh air into conservation efforts and the world鈥檚 ongoing quest to balance environmental and economic priorities.

Findings released this week from the University of Maryland鈥檚 Global Land Analysis and Discovery laboratory show that the rate of tree loss worldwide went down by 14% from 2024 to 2025. More significantly, deforestation in tropical rainforests 鈥� which help regulate weather by absorbing carbon and releasing water vapor and oxygen 鈥� plummeted by 36%.

鈥淚mproved governance, recognition of Indigenous land rights and corporate commitments鈥� helped spur these achievements in countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Colombia, noted the World Resources Institute. While the advocacy group and other environmental experts caution against reading too much into what may be a one-year 鈥渓ull,鈥� signs of progress are present.

Recent years have seen more countries engaging in measured policymaking and enforcement efforts; pursuing private- and public-sector cooperation; broadening civic engagement and participation of Indigenous peoples; and using technology such as satellite imagery to monitor performance. In addition, sophisticated financial instruments are also being used to incentivize forest protection. (This includes the Tropical Forests Forever Facility launched last November to target investment capital to countries maintaining low levels of deforestation.)

These trends of thought and practice indicate a shift away from what climate change critics have called alarmist or exaggerated tactics to more considered conversations that acknowledge both the ecological and economic value of forest resources.

When it comes to the Amazon 鈥� which makes up one-fifth of the world鈥檚 forests 鈥� 鈥淚ts services are immensely valuable,鈥� The Economist pointed out last October. 鈥淭reating its carbon storage, water regulation and biodiversity as services rendered, rather than free gifts 鈥� would make its preservation economically rational.鈥� Conserving this resource, it said, requires 鈥渃reativity, diplomacy and clear-sightedness.鈥�

Such clarity can also be supported by a greater degree of humility and readiness to go beyond 鈥渆xpert鈥� opinions and learn from local communities 鈥� and from nature itself. For instance, studies show that collaborative, community-based forest management can reduce tree cover loss by 55% to 66%, compared with areas overseen by government staff alone. And in early April, scientists expressed surprise and delight at what they discovered about nature鈥檚 rapid resilience. In the course of a four-year study of deforested areas in Ecuador, they found that complex ecosystems can recover in a few years or decades 鈥� rather than the century or more they had previously believed necessary.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a huge surprise for all of us,鈥� one of the study鈥檚 authors told The New York Times. 鈥淣one of us expected it to be so impressive and so quick.鈥�

The challenges of continued rainforest loss remain serious and extensive. Population and economic pressures are often compounded by corruption, poverty, and inefficiency in many countries. But, as the quality of governance, scientific inquiry, and democratic participation improve, so, too, can principled stewardship of the world鈥檚 natural treasures.