New York Times

1. Battlefield Picture Worsening for Ukraine as Trump Pushes Peace Plan

   Russian forces have advanced on several fronts recently. President Vladimir V. Putin signaled after talks with U.S. officials that he was not budging from demands.

2. Trump’s Security Strategy Focuses on Profit, Not Spreading Democracy

   President Trump’s new National Security Strategy describes a country that is focused on doing business and reducing migration while avoiding passing judgment on authoritarians.

3. The Supreme Court, Once Wary of Partisan Gerrymandering, Goes All In

   The court’s conservative majority said that Texas’ asserted political motives justified letting the state use voting maps meant to disadvantage Democrats in the midterms.

4. Have Trump’s Tariffs Gone as High as They Can Go? Business Hope So

   A wave of companies are petitioning for exemptions from the Trump administration’s high levies on foreign-made goods, saying they are hurting business and raising prices.

5. Afrikaner Access Soars Amid Trump’s Policy Shift

   The white descendants of Europeans who colonized the country are getting greater access to American officials this year, both in Washington and in Pretoria.