News Briefs

Supreme Court sides with consumer protections. The Supreme Court on May 16 rejected a conservative-led attack that could have undermined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The justices ruled 7-2 that the way the CFPB is funded does not violate the Constitution, reversing a lower court decision. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion. Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented. The CFPB was created after the 2008 financial crisis to regulate mortgages, car loans, and other consumer finance. The case was brought by payday lenders who object to a bureau rule that limits their ability to withdraw funds directly from borrowers’ bank accounts. 

Putin and Xi reaffirm ties at Beijing summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed their “no-limits” partnership as both countries face rising tensions with the West, and criticized U.S. military alliances in Asia and the Pacific region. At their summit on May 16, Mr. Putin thanked China’s proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, which have been rejected by Ukraine and its Western supporters as following the Kremlin’s line. Mr. Putin’s two-day visit comes as Russian forces are pressing an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began.

As Russia’s war with Ukraine drags on, a growing number of European leaders have concluded that the days of the “peace dividend” are over, and that Europe needs to spend more – much more – on its defense.

South Africa asks World Court to halt IDF. South Africa asked the top U.N. court on May 16 to order a halt to Israel’s Rafah offensive as part of its case in The Hague accusing Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip. The hearings at the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, come after South Africa last week asked for additional emergency measures to protect Rafah, a southern Gaza city sheltering Palestinians. It also asked the court to allow unimpeded access to Gaza for U.N. officials, organizations providing humanitarian aid, and journalists and investigators. 

The West Bank has not been untouched by war in Gaza, which has catalyzed settler attacks and military raids. With jobs in Israel lost and public sector wages unpaid, the cumulative weight of the war is dragging down the economy, too.

Civil unrest in New Caledonia. Violence is raging across New Caledonia for the third consecutive day and France has imposed a state of emergency in the French Pacific territory. Authorities boosted security forces’ powers to quell deadly unrest in the archipelago, where some residents have long sought independence from France. Five people, including two police officers, have been killed in the violence. The unrest came after protests earlier this week over voting reforms pushed by President Emmanuel Macron’s government turned deadly. At least 214 people have been arrested.

Supreme Court backs Black majority Louisiana district. The Supreme Court ordered Louisiana to hold congressional elections using a House map with a second mostly Black district, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander. The order allows the use of a map that has majority Black populations in two of the state’s six congressional districts, potentially boosting Democrats’ chances of gaining control of the closely divided House of Representatives in the 2024 elections. The justices acted May 15 on emergency appeals filed by the state’s top Republican elected officials and Black voters seeking to avoid voter confusion. 

How does gerrymandering change U.S. politics? Look at this district.

Biden and Trump to debate. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to hold two campaign debates. The first will be on June 27 hosted by CNN, and the second on Sept. 10 hosted by ABC. CNN says its debate will be held in its Atlanta studios and “no audience will be present.” Mr. Biden announced on May 15 he won’t participate in fall presidential debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission that’s organized them for more than three decades, and proposed two debates with the Republican ex-president, excluding third-party candidates. CNN will allow third-party candidates who meet polling and ballot access requirements.

Slovakian prime minister shot. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is fighting for his life after he was shot by an assailant following a political event on May 15. The shooting sent shockwaves across Europe a few weeks before EU parliament elections. Leaders from across the political divide are denouncing the apparent assassination attempt against the populist, pro-Russian leader, calling it an attack on democracy. Mr. Fico returned to power in Slovakia last year. Having previously served twice as prime minister, from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2012 to 2018, the 59-year-old’s third term made him the longest-serving head of government in Slovakia. 

Secretary Blinken is in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from some parts of the country’s northeast and were battling Russian troops in other areas. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has postponed all his upcoming foreign trips, underscoring the seriousness of the threat his soldiers are facing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to reassure the ally of continuing American support. He announced a $2 billion arms deal on May 15. Most of the money comes from a package approved last month. The top diplomat is in Ukraine as Russian troops press a new offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

Before U.S. aid was approved, Ukraine scrambled to bolster its defenses with a new, tougher conscription law. But some war veterans warn that more troops only offer so much help.

U.S. inflation dips. Led by lower food and auto prices, inflation in the United States cooled slightly last month after three elevated readings, likely offering a tentative sigh of relief for officials at the Federal Reserve as well as President Joe Biden’s re-election team. Consumer prices rose 0.3% from March to April, down slightly from 0.4% the previous month. Measured year-over-year, inflation ticked down from 3.5% to 3.4%. And a measure of underlying inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, fell to the lowest level in three years. Inflation had been unexpectedly high in the first three months of this year.

Gains in real wages often happen during relatively rare bursts. For a while, it looked like one of those accelerations in worker buying power was underway after the pandemic. But an uptick in inflation threatens it.

Shift in South African politics. After 30 years of dominating South African politics, the ruling African National Congress faces its toughest election this month as most opinion polls predict it will lose its parliamentary majority for the first time. Once admired under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, and regarded as a beacon of hope by the Black majority following the fall of apartheid in 1994, the ANC’s reputation has been battered by record levels of unemployment, widespread poverty, the collapse of some government services, and corruption. If the ANC loses its majority, it will be forced into a coalition to form a government. 

The Monitor’s View: Thirty years after South Africa ended its violent system of racial segregation called apartheid through peaceful elections, it may be poised for another watershed moment: a transition from one-party rule to pluralism and power-sharing.

Georgia’s parliament passes “foreign agents” bill. The bill passed May 14 with 84 out of 150 members of parliament voting in favor. The draft now goes to President Salome Zourabichvili, who has said she will veto it, but her decision can be overridden by another vote in parliament. It would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, imposing punitive fines for violations. Demonstrations have been running for weeks, where crowds numbering in the tens of thousands have mounted some of the biggest protests seen in Georgia since it regained independence from Moscow in 1991. 

French court clears Roman Polanski. The court acquitted the filmmaker May 14 of defaming British actor Charlotte Lewis, who had accused him of sexual assault. The case stems from a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine, where Mr. Polanski allegedly called Ms. Lewis a liar following her accusations. The court’s ruling did not address the truth of the rape allegation but focused solely on whether Mr. Polanski’s comments constituted defamation against Ms. Lewis. She had contended the remarks were defamatory, launching a legal battle against the 90-year-old director, known for classics such as “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Chinatown.” 

Why We Wrote This podcast: The caricature of the libertine French male, practicing a form of predation masked as seduction, is one with deep roots and some social support. Our Paris-based writer looked at where trust in those pushing back has begun to stir. She joined our podcast to talk about her reporting. 

Arizona grants 90 more days on abortion decision. Arizona’s highest court has given the state’s attorney general another 90 days to decide further legal action in the case over a 160-year-old near-total abortion ban. Lawmakers recently voted to repeal the law but it won’t take effect until 90 days after they wrap up their current session. The Arizona Supreme Court’s order leaves in place for now a more recent law that legalizes abortion up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. It also allows Attorney General Kris Mayes more time to decide whether to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a presidential election year, abortion has become a defining issue driving political campaigns. 

Putin to visit China. Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a two-day state visit to China starting May 16, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, in the latest show of unity between the two authoritarian allies against the U.S.-led Western liberal global order. The ministry said the two leaders would discuss “cooperation in various fields of bilateral relations ... as well as international and regional issues of common concern.” China has backed Russia politically in the conflict in Ukraine and has continued to export machine tools, electronics, and other items seen as contributing to the Russian war effort, without actually exporting weaponry.

A byproduct of the war in Ukraine is a cement bond between China and Russia. Their burgeoning relationship is mostly driven by a mutual alienation from the West and by the need to have each other’s back if the East-West confrontation escalates.

Biden hikes Chinese tariffs. The Biden administration plans to slap new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum, and medical equipment – an election-year move that’s likely to increase friction between the world’s two largest economies. The tariffs are to be phased in over the next three years, with those that take effect in 2024 covering EVs, solar cells, syringes, needles, steel, aluminum, and more. There are currently very few EVs from China in the U.S., but officials worry low-priced models made possible by Chinese government subsidies could soon start flooding the U.S. market.

China’s booming electric vehicle industry is sparking concern among foreign automakers, as they watch their market shares in China decline and brace for a flood of Chinese EVs in their home countries. Could this tension benefit consumers?

Change in leadership at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Melinda French Gates announced on May 13 she is stepping down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She helped establish it more than 20 years ago with her ex-husband Bill Gates. It’s now one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world. In a post on X, Ms. French Gates wrote, “This is not a decision I came to lightly.” Bill Gates thanked Ms. French Gates for her “critical” contributions. She will receive $12.5 billion as part of her agreement with Mr. Gates, and plans to put it toward her work focused on women and families.

From the Monitor archives: Melinda Gates has been called ‘the most powerful woman you know next to nothing about.’

Putin shifts battlefront focus to economy. Russian President Vladimir Putin tapped a civilian economist as his surprise new defense minister on May 12 in an attempt to gird Russia for economic war by trying to better utilize the defense budget and harness greater innovation to win in Ukraine. Andrei Belousov has worked as director of the department for economics and finance, adviser to the Russian president, and first deputy prime minister. Mr. Putin wants Sergei Shoigu, in charge of defense since 2012 and a long-standing friend and ally, to become the secretary of Russia’s powerful Security Council.

Georgia vows to pass “foreign agents” bill. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze vowed May 12 to push ahead with a law on “foreign agents” that has sparked a political crisis, after opponents held one of the largest protests seen since independence from the Soviet Union. Georgia’s opposition has called on opponents of the bill to stage an all-night protest outside parliament. The bill requires organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence or face punitive fines. Critics liken it to Russia’s 2012 “foreign agent” law, which has been used to hound critics of Vladimir Putin.

The Monitor’s View: Mass protests in the former Soviet state against a Russia-inspired bill are yet another front against Moscow’s attempt to rebuild an empire.

The Republic of Georgia has been at the heart of conflicting interests since the collapse of the USSR. Many of its 3.7 million inhabitants are torn between loyalty to historical links with Moscow and aspirations to join the European Union and NATO.