President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will have different mandates on Thursday, strategists say. Mr. Biden will want to show vigor and stamina, while Mr. Trump will want to demonstrate he can be serious and statesmanlike. 

• Bolivia coup attempt: Armored vehicles rammed into the doors of Bolivia’s government palace Wednesday in what appeared to be a failed coup attempt.
• Denmark climate tax: Denmark will tax livestock farmers for the greenhouse gases emitted by their cows, sheep, and pigs in 2030, the first country in the world to do so.
• Biden pardons: President Joe Biden pardons potentially thousands of former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex.
• Hollywood union deal: The union that represents most behind-the-scenes film and television crews reaches a tentative deal with studios for about 50,000 of its members, making another production-stopping strike unlikely.
• Democratic primary: George Latimer has defeated U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York in a Democratic primary that highlighted the party’s deep divisions over the war in Gaza. Mr. Bowman has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.

Read these news briefs.

Can the federal government crack down on misinformation online without stomping on the First Amendment? That’s just one hard question that remains unresolved after Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling.

Many factors fuel resilience in time of war: hope, confidence, unity, trust in government. As Israelis endure their longest-ever war, against Hamas in Gaza, the threat of a far more arduous conflict looms with Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah.

Russia stamped out domestic terrorism 20 years ago, after a violent campaign in the Caucasus. But ethnic and religious tensions appear to be rising again amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine – and with them, worries about extremist terrorism.

What’s lost in a society that prizes productivity and efficiency? The sweetest moments are found when we slow down, pause, and take a moment to connect with loved ones. 

Charitable giving by individual Americans took a dip last year, largely because of worries over inflation, according to the latest Giving USA report. Yet the report also notes an unexpected shift. Giving for basic needs such as food or housing has risen for four years despite economic changes. Such giving for “human services” now ranks second to donations for religious institutions, edging out giving for education.

One reason may be that Americans are trying different ways to be generous without relying on established charities. One popular avenue in recent years has been “giving circles.” These are small groups of individuals who gather to seek out local needs and then pool money to meet those needs.

Search almost any local newspaper and you might find a headline like this recent one in Ashland County, Ohio: “County to benefit from EmpowHer Giving Circle.” Donors in that group are asked to give only $75 or less to a cause.

The growth of giving circles has been explosive. Their numbers have risen from roughly 1,600 seven years ago to nearly 4,000 last year. Their total giving has jumped from $1.29 billion to more than $3.1 billion, according to a report in April by Philanthropy Together.

The report found that 77% of people in a collective giving group say their participation gave them a “feeling that their voices mattered on social issues.” The report attributes such results to five “T’s”: time, treasure, talent, ties, and testimony.

This sort of bottom-up philanthropy relies heavily on trust, equality, and selflessness; a virtuous circle that draws in more individuals who see the inherent worth of those in need in a community. Giving circles are also “schools of democracy,” as the report puts it. Participants must often listen to and learn from those who hold opposite views on social problems.

The report predicts that the number of giving circles will double in the next five years. “We are a force, and a joyous force,” Isis Krause, Philanthropy Together’s chief strategy officer, told Inside Philanthropy. New ways of giving are not only creating new ways of gathering. They are also pointing to higher concepts of joy.