Good morning, everyone. I have something special for you today — my first-ever interview with a world leader. If you find value in conversations like this, please share this interview with your friends and family. And if you haven’t already, I’d love for you to subscribe — it’s the best way to support my work and ensure you don’t miss future interviews like this.
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This morning, I sat down with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to discuss some of the most urgent and complex issues on the global stage: the mass starvation crisis in Gaza, France’s historic decision to recognize a Palestinian state (becoming the first G7 nation to do so), the EU–U.S. trade deal, and the high-stakes two-state solution conference France is currently co-hosting at the United Nations in New York.
Barrot shares that 52 tons of humanitarian aid are currently waiting to enter Gaza, and he's urging the Israeli government to allow it through. He outlines how the ongoing peace conference is building regional cooperation between European and Arab nations to support a peaceful transition to a Palestinian state. He also calls on Israel to end its militarized control over aid delivery, emphasizing the urgent need to get food and medical supplies to civilians.
We wrapped our conversation with a frank discussion about tariffs and the new EU–U.S. trade deal — which Barrot says will raise costs for French businesses and spark new economic tensions.
With that, here’s the rest of the news you missed today:
The suspect in Monday’s Manhattan office shooting, which left four dead, may have targeted the building because it houses the NFL headquarters, according to Mayor Eric Adams. A note found on the gunman referenced CTE — a brain disease linked to head trauma — and blamed the NFL for his mental illness. Though he never played professionally, officials say he played high school football and appeared fixated on the league.
Blackstone confirmed that senior executive Wesley LePatner was among the victims killed in Monday’s mass shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan. LePatner, a senior managing director and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, was remembered by the firm as a valued leader whose loss is deeply felt.
A UN-backed food security monitor has warned that famine is “now unfolding” in Gaza, with widespread starvation, rising hunger-related child deaths, and acute malnutrition in Gaza City. The IPC initiative says airdrops will not prevent the catastrophe, urging “immediate, unimpeded” humanitarian access as the only way to stop the accelerating crisis.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that two German A400M aircraft could begin aid airdrops to Gaza from Jordan as early as Wednesday, calling it a small but vital gesture of support. Speaking alongside Jordan’s King Abdullah, Merz emphasized regional presence and coordination with France, and urged Israel to continue easing restrictions on humanitarian access.
The U.S. Department of Justice is facing a federal lawsuit for refusing to release a memo that allegedly cleared Donald Trump to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar. The Freedom of the Press Foundation and American Oversight argue the deal, dubbed “Qatar-gate,” demands public scrutiny and may violate the Constitution’s emoluments clause. Critics, including members of both parties, have raised national security concerns over the extravagant Boeing 747-8 gift.
The U.S. Department of Justice is scrutinizing voter roll maintenance in battleground states like Nevada, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania following Trump’s March executive order aimed at tightening voter registration rules. DOJ letters request detailed data on how states identify and remove ineligible voters, prompting criticism from voting rights advocates who call it a political “fishing expedition.” The DOJ is also backing lawsuits by Judicial Watch in Illinois and Oregon, demanding more aggressive purges of inactive voters despite scant evidence of fraud.
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a misconduct complaint against Chief Judge James Boasberg, a prominent D.C. judge criticized by Donald Trump. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the move on X, citing Boasberg’s public remarks that the Trump administration acted “in bad faith” during March deportation flights, though she did not specify which comments prompted the complaint.
The Trump administration has launched a federal probe into Duke University and the Duke Law Journal over alleged race-based discrimination in editor selection, threatening the school’s federal funding. A letter from Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accuses Duke of using race in hiring, admissions, and scholarships, prompting concerns among rights advocates about free speech and academic freedom.
North Korea declared that future talks with the U.S. will not lead to denuclearization, stating that “reality has changed” since past summits. Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un, said the U.S. relying on personal ties — such as those between Trump and Kim — would be met with “mockery,” reaffirming that North Korea's nuclear status is non-negotiable and must be accepted.
Trump’s immigration crackdown is fueling labor shortages across U.S. factories, with workers at GE Appliances and Kraft Heinz plants reporting chaotic conditions and forced overtime as long-serving immigrants are abruptly terminated. The administration’s rollback of protected status programs and daily deportation quotas are hitting industries hard, with economists warning of millions of lost jobs and billions in GDP decline. Union leaders say the impact extends far beyond immigrant workers, straining entire workplaces and communities.
Rep. Delia Ramirez is demanding a congressional hearing into alleged human rights abuses at El Salvador’s secretive Cecot megaprison, where nearly 300 migrants were detained under a U.S. deal with the Bukele government. Reports detail beatings, torture, food deprivation, and sexual abuse, raising concerns that U.S. taxpayer funds enabled these violations. The Trump administration faces legal and political scrutiny over the secretive expulsions, some based on flimsy gang allegations, and its close coordination with Bukele’s controversial prison system.
Russian airstrikes on Ukraine overnight killed 22 people and injured 85, including 17 at a prison in Bilenke and 3 at a hospital in Kamianske, according to President Zelenskyy. The prison strike involved four aerial bombs and caused major destruction. Zelenskyy condemned the attack as deliberate and urged tougher sanctions on Moscow, while welcoming Trump’s newly imposed “10 to 12 day” deadline for Putin to show progress on peace efforts.
During his UK visit, Donald Trump criticized the country’s windfall tax on North Sea oil, calling it nonsensical and urging Britain to “incentivize the drillers” to unlock what he claimed is a “vast fortune.” Posting on Truth Social while touring his golf properties, Trump’s comments reflect ongoing overlap between his personal business interests and official diplomacy. The UK plans to scale back North Sea production to meet net-zero goals, arguing increased drilling wouldn’t significantly lower domestic energy costs.
Senate Judiciary Democrats have sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting a public assurance that the DOJ will not support any pardon or commutation for Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for her cooperation, amid concerns about accountability in the Epstein case.
Norm Eisen and his Democracy Defenders Fund have filed a sweeping FOIA request with the DOJ and FBI, seeking all Epstein-related files reviewed by Pam Bondi, Todd Blanche, Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino. The request also demands communications on how DOJ officials were instructed to handle references to Donald Trump or Mar-a-Lago in those documents.
Union Pacific has proposed an $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern, aiming to create the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. worth over $200 billion. The deal would streamline coast-to-coast shipping but faces intense antitrust scrutiny. If approved, it could trigger a final wave of major rail mergers, with industry giants like BNSF and CSX under pressure to respond. The Surface Transportation Board is expected to review the deal in early 2027.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
