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Bolivian labor protests get fiery, US-Iran deal looks increasingly unlikely, Trump critic faces Republican primary challenger

Labor unions bring La Paz to a halt

Protests and unrest have gripped the Bolivian capital of La Paz for the past two weeks, culminating in clashes between demonstrators and police on Monday. What began with the national labor union demanding a 20% wage increase quickly grew as other unions joined in, citing rising fuel costs and unsafe working conditions. Many of these groups are supporters of former president Evo Morales, and have now called for the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, who took office just six months ago as Bolivia’s first conservative leader in two decades. The protests have brought much of the city to a halt - major roads are blocked, and nearly 5,000 trucks are stranded on highways costing businesses around the city nearly $50 million per day. Bolivia is already facing its worst economic crisis in 40 years, and while the government has acknowledged grievances with some of the unions, it is unlikely to meet the protesters’ demands in full.

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Deadly mosque attack in San Diego

The two gunmen, who took their own lives after the shooting, killed three men outside the Islamic Center of San Diego. Law enforcement was already on the hunt for one of the suspects: his mother had called the police earlier in the day saying he had stolen her guns and car. Soon after, police received a call about an active shooter – and authorities say it was the same teenager, alongside an accomplice. Last year, complaints about Islamophobic reached their highest level since records began in 1996, per the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The shooting comes amid a sharp rise in hate crimes across the United States over the last decade, with attacks on synagogues, gay night clubs, and Black neighborhoods.

Seoul mates? South Korea and Japan get chummy

It was the jam session that rocked Asia. In January, a video of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung drumming to K-Pop hits went viral, heralding a new diplomatic era between their countries. Now it seems the band is back together and taking it on the road. This week, the two leaders are meeting again in Lee’s hometown of Andong. The two-day summit is focusing on security, energy, and critical minerals, with another meeting slated to take place in Takaichi’s birthplace later this year.

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Trump flip flops on Iran threats

In his latest “ask ian," Ian Bremmer examines US–Iran tensions, as President Trump signals possible military strikes but repeatedly pulls back amid regional pressure and limited strategic options.

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Walmart’s $1 billion investment is strengthening associate careers

Chris, an Army veteran, started his Walmart journey over 25 years ago as an hourly associate. Today, he manages a Distribution Center and serves as a mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success. At Walmart, associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the pathways, perks, and pay that come with the job — with or without a college degree. In fact, more than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates. Learn more about how over 130,000 associates were promoted into roles of greater responsibility and higher pay in FY25.

Advancing AI evaluation through global partnerships

Microsoft recently announced new agreements with the Center for AI Standards and Innovation in the US and the AI Security Institute in the UK to strengthen how advanced AI systems are tested for safety and security.

As AI systems become more capable, rigorous testing is essential to ensure they behave as intended and to stay ahead of emerging risks, including those related to national security and public safety. This work brings together government expertise with Microsoft’s experience building and deploying AI to strengthen how risks, safeguards, and system performance are evaluated.

Read the full blog here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to China this week to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping. Under the leadership of these two men, who have met dozens of times, Russia and China have forged what they call a “no limits” partnership. Russia is a major source of natural resources for China, while Beijing has helped Moscow weather increasingly harsh Western sanctions and technology restrictions triggered by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
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According to American Enterprise Institute's Kori Schake, when the US struck Iran, it was easily foreseeable that Tehran would move against the Strait of Hormuz. Washington failed to predeploy forces to counter that, and now the US is paying for it. The distant blockade prevents Iran from fully profiting from its position, but it doesn't reopen the waterway. Commercial shipping won't run the risk of a potentially mined strait, and the US isn't willing to force the issue.

That leaves two options, neither good, Shake says. Dramatic escalation, after 37 days of intensive military operations failed to produce Iranian capitulation, or accepting that Iran controls one of the world's most critical chokepoints. As she puts it: "We're at a Mexican standoff with the Iranians, which means we're gonna have to negotiate some kind of arrangement that's not just in our interests but also in their interests to get them to release the chokehold on the strait."

The most likely path forward is a drawn-out negotiation, with Washington hoping economic pressure on Tehran outlasts economic pressure on everyone else. But that is a bet, not a strategy, and every week the Strait stays closed, the costs mount for US allies, global markets, and the credibility of American military power.

In his latest Quick Take, Ian Bremmer says the war in Ukraine is entering a new phase, with Kyiv retaking territory from Russia through advanced drone warfare.
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The number increased by one on Saturday after Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his reelection primary in Louisiana to Rep. Julia Letlow. The previous four had retired, albeit under pressure from Trump. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are now the only two GOP senators left who voted to impeach Trump. Just two of the 10 House Republicans who voted that way remain in Congress: Reps. David Valadao of California and Dan Newhouse of Washington. Trump celebrated Cassidy’s exit, but his happiness may be tempered after his approval rating reached a second-term nadir of 37%, according to the latest polling from the New York Times/Siena College.

World Health Organization declares global health emergency

On Saturday, the World Health Organization declared the current epidemic of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda “a public health emergency of international concern,” but said it does not meet the criteria for a pandemic. The latest outbreak has killed over 100 people, and at least 330 are suspected to have the virus. Six Americans have reportedly been exposed to Ebola within the DRC. Past strains of the virus have mostly affected sub-Saharan Africa, but the current one, known as Bundibugyo, could be difficult to contain as there is no targeted vaccine nor treatment, and fewer field tests are available. Experts believe that the Trump administration’s decision to exit the WHO and cut funding for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which previously helped to contain outbreaks, will also complicate the response to this latest epidemic.

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The Iran war has had a ripple effect on the global economy and international relations way beyond the Middle East. Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute joins Ian Bremmer to discuss how the conflict is redrawing power for the US, Russia, China, and America's allies.

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Operation Epic Fury may be over, but the Iran war is far from resolved. On this week's episode, American Enterprise Institute Kori Schake joins Ian Bremmer to discuss the conflict's global ripple effects.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to commercial shipping, the US finds itself in what Schake calls a Mexican standoff, unable to force Iran's hand without dramatic escalation, and unwilling to accept the humiliation of ceding control of one of the world's most critical waterways. Meanwhile, Washington's two biggest rivals are gaining ground. Russia is cashing in on higher oil prices at a moment when the Kremlin was under mounting financial pressure over Ukraine.

In Beijing, the Trump-Xi summit took place with the White House in a weakened position. The US needs China's help pressuring Iran, and Xi knows it. As Schake puts it: "It's an important measure of just how much President Trump has lost in starting the war in Iran and pursuing it in the way he has, that he's having to go appeal to China, America's most powerful potential adversary, for assistance in delivering us from a problem of our own creation."

The costs for US allies are adding up too. Partner countries are absorbing economic pain they had no hand in creating, with energy prices squeezing European economies. Schake also raises a harder structural question: with Patriot systems redirected from Europe to the Gulf and munitions stocks stretched thin, the war has laid bare the limits of the American defense industrial base, and what it means for the credibility of US commitments around the world..

A ceasefire is holding, barely, but the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz isn't forcing real concessions from Tehran. Iran is betting Trump has no appetite for renewed war, and they may be right. Gas prices are climbing toward $5 a gallon and a global recession looms.

Meanwhile Russia is cashing in. Higher oil prices are refilling Kremlin coffers just as pressure over Ukraine was mounting. Patriot systems meant for Kyiv are now guarding Gulf infrastructure.

And China is playing it smart. With Trump heading to Beijing needing Xi Jinping's help to stabilize the Strait, Beijing has leverage on trade, minerals, and fentanyl, and it knows it. Ian Bremmer explains why the president who promised quick victories looks increasingly trapped.

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