NATO Is Applying to Join Ukraine
A News Link Round-Up
Here is the latest weekly round-up of links, focusing on something that has gotten a bit lost in the background of all the other chaos: the war in Ukraine, where Ukraine seems to be slowly gaining the upper hand by becoming the world’s drone superpower. Before that, there’s a wry note about King Charles in America, and after it, some coverage of the recent Supreme Court arguments on birthright citizenship, an overview of the “vibes-based” SpacEx IPO, and a quick good riddance to Paul Ehrlich.
A reminder about this News Link Round-Up format: The main headlines are there to provide context and perhaps a little commentary, the headlines with the links are the original headlines from the articles, and the quotations beneath are extracts from the articles.
Oh, the Irony
King Charles Urges Checks on Executive Power as Trump Hosts Royal Visit
During his first state visit to the United States as monarch, Charles stayed scrupulously nonpartisan over the course of a 28-minute address to a joint meeting of Congress. But he promoted what he described as centuries of common interests, including in areas where President Donald Trump has sought a sharp break from U.S. precedent in his drive to reshape American society and governance.
The U.S. and Britain should defend Ukraine, Charles said. An independent judiciary should deliver impartial justice. Diverse societies make countries strong. Societies must protect the natural world. And the U.S. and Europe should “ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking.”
Charles is officially barred from engaging in politics and mentioned no political leader in his speech. The vision of the American role in the world that he outlined, however, stood in stark contrast to that of Trump, who has declared that migration weakens societies, used executive orders to bypass Congress, attacked judges who rule against him, questioned the scientific consensus on climate change and declared his desire to wind down support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. The speech came on the day the Justice Department brought a new indictment against former FBI director James B. Comey, a longtime Trump target.
As the king spoke, the White House posted an image of Trump and Charles on X, calling it “TWO KINGS,” with a crown emoji….
“Executive power is subject to checks and balances,” Charles said, spurring bipartisan cheers and whistles from his audience at a time when the Republican-led Congress has greatly diminished its power largely by acquiescing to Trump’s demands.
