Memo

Six in 10 U.S. voters against a war Trump started, with no real way to stop it. When Congress refused Gerald Ford money for South Vietnam in 1975. & Why does everyone hate “the elites”?

U.S. federal election monitors at the polls, state officials keeping them outside. A president’s sealed plan for losing, in 1864. & What does Google see in AI that investors seem not to?

An overnight battle for Poland’s top court, with each side saying the law’s on its side. How America’s third president got rid of 16 judges with life appointments. & The weekend despatch.

Arab-led parties’ best result in Knesset history, and a fight over how they got there. When Romanian judges called off a presidential race over intelligence files in 2024. & Why is life so hectic?

A remarkable turn of events for democracy in Serbia. A memory for Aleksandar Vučić of crowds in Belgrade chanting “He’s finished!” in 2000. & Is Iran behind the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia?

Ambassadors in Brasília, hurrying to recognize Sunday’s winner. Lyndon Johnson’s warm wishes, April 1964. & The weekend despatch.

Armed U.S. immigration agents at the door, checking citizenship before the midterms. An old American fight over who gets to vote. & Why does American politics seem to have gotten so nasty?

Russia’s pitch for a summit with the U.S. and China. A 1994 trade: 1,900 warheads for a promise. & Was blowing up Nord Stream a war crime?

Alberta’s vote on leaving Canada. A Trump effect on the prairie, and Quebec’s “until the next time.” & Who’s behind the chaos in France?

Costa Rica’s new mega-prison, designed by El Salvador. A strongman’s staying power, and a country with no army since 1948. & Is dictatorship winning?