At his inaugural address two months ago, President Donald Trump declared that his proudest legacy would be that of a "peacemaker and unifier".
As both a symptom and an accelerant of America's polarised society, it's tough to imagine Mr Trump ever being remembered as a unifier. But his inauguration came the day after Israel and Hamas implemented a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and for a moment it seemed like the new President could bring an end to a conflict where his predecessor Joe Biden had failed so many times.
Today, unfortunately, it seems such hopes may have been premature. Israel this week resumed its bombing of Gaza, killing more than 400 Palestinians in a horrific return to violence. Ominously, the Israeli military yesterday announced renewed ground operations in Gaza and delivered a "last warning" to residents to return hostages and remove Hamas from power.
The warning came after Mr Trump this month said: "To the People of Gaza: A beautiful future awaits, but not if you hold hostages. If you do, you are dead."
Violence has also returned to Yemen, where the US military's Central Command has increased operations against the Houthi rebels, in response to them resuming attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. And Mr Trump yesterday indicated that he is running out of patience with Iran, warning it to stop supplying the Houthis with funds, arms and support immediately.
Speaking of ceasefires, or a lack thereof, Mr Trump this week spoke to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to push for an end to the war in Ukraine. The Russian leader agreed to a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure, but within hours, Moscow was again striking Ukrainian facilities, spelling out Mr Putin's true view on Mr Trump's call for a ceasefire: Nyet yet.
On the domestic front, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday that Elon Musk probably exercised unconstitutional power in orchestrating Trump administration efforts to close down USAID (more on that below), and the Federal Reserve yesterday lowered its growth outlook and raised its inflation forecasts.
Unlike during the years under Mr Biden, Trump supporters now don't seem to mind higher prices and economic uncertainty. An NBC survey at the weekend found Mr Trump is enjoying support from 47 per cent of people, as high as he's ever been in the polls, while the ineffectual and infighting Democrats continue to flail around like a fish on dry land.
Thomas Watkins
US Bureau Chief
EYE ON THE WHITE HOUSE
US judge bars Elon Musk and Doge from further efforts to shut down USAID
A federal judge has ruled that Elon Musk probably exercised unconstitutional power in orchestrating Trump administration efforts to close down the US agency that manages foreign aid.
Although the decision is limited to the US Agency for International Development, it marks the most direct ruling so far about the legality of the role that the billionaire Tesla chief executive has occupied in the White House since Mr Trump took office.
What's Washington talking about?
The pen is mightier than the autopen Mr Trump on Monday said pardons issued by Mr Biden were null and void because they had been signed with an autopen. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said the pardons, particularly those issued for critics who had investigated him over alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat, were "void, vacant and of no further force of effect".
Political prisoner? Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil has described himself as a political prisoner in his first public remarks since his detention by US immigration authorities who are seeking to deport him for his role in pro-Palestinian protests. In a letter made public on Tuesday, he said his arrest was a “direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza”.
'Constitutional crisis' Legal scholars are on high alert after the Trump administration appeared to ignore a federal judge's ruling temporarily blocking the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants. The alleged gang members were flown to El Salvador, despite the ruling.
Spotlight: How Columbia University became 'ground zero' in the battle for free speech in the US
In his first address to a joint session of Congress this month, Mr Trump delivered a paradox wrapped in a proclamation: he announced the end of government censorship and proclaimed the restoration of free speech – a declaration that soon revealed its inherent contradictions.
“I’ve stopped all government censorship and brought back free speech in America,” Mr Trump declared with certitude. “It’s back.”
Earlier in the day, however, he had sharpened his arrows and taken aim at educational institutions that permitted what he called “illegal protests”, with a particular focus on those related to Israel, Palestine and the war in Gaza.
ONLY IN AMERICA
Boeing astronauts return to Earth after nine months stuck in space
Two astronauts returned to Earth on Tuesday after being stuck on the International Space Station for nine months due to several technical faults with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore undocked from the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule at 9.05am GST, along with two other astronauts, and splashed down off the coast of Florida at 6.57pm local time.
Their departure marked the end of a mission that was supposed to last about eight days. Mr Trump sought to make political hay from the saga, falsely claiming that Mr Biden had abandoned them.
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