What We’re Watching: The US and Israel reportedly court the Kurds, The race for US Congress begins, China’s new five-year plan

Trump reportedly speaks to Kurdish leaders in the Iran conflict

As the Iran conflict shows no signs of slowing, Donald Trump and BenjaminNetanyahu appear to be seeking allies within the country. The US president reportedly spoke with Kurdish leaders in Iraq after the attacks on Tehran over the weekend. The Kurds – considered one of the world’s largest stateless populations – span Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, and have longstanding security and military ties to Israel. What could Trump and Netanyahu want from them? The White House offered no details, but Kurdish forces have thousands of fighters along the Iran-Iraq border. Just days before the war erupted, five dissident Kurdish factions in Iraq formed the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan to fight Tehran. On their own, Kurdish forces may not be able to topple the Iranian government. But a Kurdish uprising could destabilize the Iranian regime and further stretch its security forces at a critical moment.

The US midterm primaries start with a bang

The US midterms kick off today, with voters in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas choosing nominees for the November elections. In Texas, the Senate race has become the most expensive primary battle on record — and a bitter one. Four-term Sen. John Cornyn faces a tough challenge after his vote in 2022 for a gun safety bill — passed after the Uvalde school shooting– has made him a pariah among parts of his own party. He’s trying to fend off the scandal-ridden Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is beloved by MAGA loyalists. On the Democratic side, State Rep. James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian who preaches the politics of unity, faces off against firebrand US Rep. Jasmine Crockett, underscoring a broader primary divide over whether to energize the liberal base or court bipartisan voters. Together, the contests today will help shape the battle for control of Congress this fall.

China to unveil blueprint for tech rivalry with US

One of China's most important political events will get underway in Beijing tomorrow, where the country will outline how it plans to rival the US as a technological superpower. Thousands of delegates from the National People's Congress are expected to sign off on China’s five-year economic plan, which lays out the policy priorities of the Chinese Communist Party until 2030. Key agenda items include an expected GDP growth target of roughly 4.5% — the first time it will fall below 5% — due to low consumer spending, industrial overcapacity, and a stagnant property sector, which are trapping China in a deflationary spiral. Beijing, meanwhile, is expected to focus on technological independence, particularly its ability to produce semiconductors domestically – the backbone of artificial intelligence.