South Africa banishes Israeli diplomat days before vote in Congress on trade benefits

Washington moves to lift Syria’s state sponsor of terrorism label

As the Trump administration moves to dismantle much of the decades-old U.S. sanctions regime imposed on Syria, one major obstacle remains: Damascus is still designated as a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. The White House and lawmakers have signaled that could be about to change, in another move to attempt to pull Syria... <a href="">Read More</a>

California faculty union leads backdoor maneuver to repeal campus protest restrictions

The 29,000-member California Faculty Association, California State University’s teachers’ union, is spearheading a backdoor legislative push to repeal the time, place and manner restrictions implemented across the state’s university system following its 2024 anti-Israel encampments.&nbsp; The California Faculty Association, which represents faculty across the 23 campuses of the California State University system, announced it would... <a href="">Read More</a>

Real Hostiles of Doha

Today's Daily Kickoff covers antisemitism in Brooklyn, controversial F-35 jet sales to Turkey, and JD Vance's comments on U.S. military-IRGC coordination via Qatar amid shifting Middle East dynamics.

Qatar emerges stronger as Washington’s go-between with Iran

As diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran continues following the adoption of the memorandum of understanding between the two countries last week, Washington is again leaning on Qatar to serve as a critical interlocutor, further cementing Doha’s standing as an intermediary despite the significant setbacks sustained by the Gulf state during the recent war with... <a href="">Read More</a>

State Department champions economic initiative uniting allies toward AI, tech collaboration

The State Department announced on Thursday that nine new parties had signed on to Pax Silica, the U.S.-led initiative uniting American allies with the aim of developing global supply chains for artificial intelligence and the production of semiconductors, chips, critical minerals and energy sources to reduce global dependence on China. The announcement came from Jacob... <a href="">Read More</a>