Iran pushed back on the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog. It told the International Atomic Energy Agency, without details, that it plans to open a new uranium enrichment facility in response to the watchdog's board of governors declaring it in breach of non-proliferation obligations on Thursday, an agency official said. Iranian state TV said the move by Iran was one of several measures being taken because of the resolution. – Reuters

The U.S. and China settled on some tariff terms. The United States will get rare earth minerals, and Chinese students can attend U.S. universities in a deal announced by President Donald Trump Wednesday. Tariffs on Chinese goods will rise to 55%, up from the 30% levy set in Switzerland during talks in May. Mr. Trump says the deal is subject to final approval by him and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. – The Associated Press

Gaza aid-distribution sites remain under fire. The Gaza Health Ministry said another 36 people were killed and 207 wounded near sites run by the Israeli and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. It said Wednesday that the Palestinian death toll from the 20-month Israel-Hamas war had climbed past 55,000. Overnight, Hamas and Israel made competing claims about a clash between Gaza’s Hamas-run police force and an Israeli group. – AP
Related Monitor story: Amid continuing war, we spoke to Palestinians and Israelis who say it’s imperative to talk peace.

The EPA made a move on emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it planned to repeal a 2024 rule requiring power plants to cut carbon emissions by the 2030s. That Biden-era rule had established the first legally enforceable deadlines for carbon reductions in the electricity sector, which is the No. 2 source of emissions in the U.S. The industry and their GOP allies had raised questions about the timeline, the commercial viability of emissions reduction technology, and the potential for strain on the electric grid. – Staff

New York approved an assisted suicide bill. The bill, now waiting for the governor’s signature, would allow a person with an illness deemed incurable to be prescribed life-ending drugs if he or she gets approval from two physicians. Opponents have argued the state should instead improve end-of-life medical care or have objected on religious grounds. Eleven other states and Washington, D.C., have laws allowing medically assisted suicide. – AP

The Smithsonian is reviewing its content. The decision this week by the Board of Regents follows a March executive order by President Trump to remove “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” at the Smithsonian’s 21 museums. The Wall Street Journal called the review a victory in the White House’s bid to reshape American’s cultural institutions. – Staff

An iconic American songwriter leaves a rich legacy. Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys co-founder who died Wednesday, was one of the most influential American songwriters of the 20th century and the face of the Grammy-winning band, which would sell 100 million records and be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Known for surf-pop hits like “California Girls,” Mr. Wilson was also an experimenter. His acclaimed “Pet Sounds” inspired other concept albums, including the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” It won a place in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance. – Staff

Immigration is Donald Trump’s signature issue. At least in the short term, the president’s deployment of armed forces in Los Angeles after isolated anti-immigration enforcement protests and violence plays to his strengths, says Mike Madrid, a California-based Republican consultant. “The images coming out of Los Angeles are helpful for him,” says Mr. Madrid. “It ties very neatly the ideas about law and order, about an invasion, about people’s loyalties to foreign countries over the United States of America, about violence and safety.” It’s too early to tell whether, in the long run, Mr. Trump is overplaying his hand.

It’s not the Great Recession, but 2025 has delivered an especially challenging environment for new college graduates with tariffs, hiring freezes, and the advent of artificial intelligence. For the first time since 1980, new grads’ unemployment rate is higher than the overall unemployment rate. Part of that is due to higher education struggling to meet the labor market’s quickly changing needs, says Allison Danielsen, CEO of Tallo. “That’s why we’re seeing such a big gap between what students study and what employers actually need,” she says. 

From flying chunks of concrete to burning Waymo vehicles, Los Angeles protests this week have included violent acts. President Donald Trump and others have stirred discussion of whether paid “troublemakers” are trying to foment chaos. But by their very nature, protests are messy. It can be almost impossible to determine in real time whether actions have been planned by an organized group.

Syria’s Druze community, important to the country’s prospects for peace, is deeply divided among those wanting to work with the government, those seeking autonomy, and others looking for outside aid. These differences will have to be resolved if Syria is to prosper. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, one of three holy men revered by Syrian Druze who commands strong popular support and a militia, has called for international intervention and has welcomed Israeli help. “If the government won’t include us or protect us, then we demand self-rule and international protection,” says a spokesperson for Mr. Hijri.

Britain’s school system is notoriously fragmented, but it has one common anchor point. All state-funded schools in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland must offer a daily act of collective worship, in most cases of a “broadly Christian character.” It’s a core childhood experience that spans social, geographic, and economic divides. Now, thanks to social media, school singing is experiencing a second life, with events drawing hundreds of millennials – most of whom are not religious.

In 1862, Robert Smalls – a man born into slavery – daringly stole and commandeered the Planter, a Confederate ship, which he navigated past Confederate forts and later surrendered to the Union Navy. Smalls and 15 other enslaved people sailed to freedom, and he was later assigned as the ship’s pilot. The little-known Civil War figure caught the attention of Hollywood writer and producer Rob Edwards, who says that telling Smalls’ story could “change lives.” Read more in our Q&A with Mr. Edwards.

Nearly a quarter century ago, Argentina became famous for the world’s biggest debt default in history. A string of populist governments had overspent, while endemic corruption had cut tax revenues. On Tuesday, the second-largest country in Latin America became famous for something else.

In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court upheld a six-year sentence for a former president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, affirming her conviction for fraud on public contracts during her presidency from 2007 to 2015. The court said it acted to “protect our republican and democratic system.” The decision marks another corner-turning moment for a nation witnessing rapid reforms under the latest president, Javier Milei.

His reforms since late 2023, such as cutting the number of ministries in half, have eliminated many incentives for corruption. Under a new “anti-mafia law,” he has launched a crackdown on organized crime. In December, a Gallup poll found Argentines have “regained a large amount of lost confidence in their government.” The World Bank predicts the country’s economy will grow this year at a rate more than double the average for Latin America.

Argentina has a history of leaders using lawsuits for corruption as political weapons against rivals – a practice known as “lawfare.”. Between 1996 and 2016, barely 1% of cases for corruption ended in a conviction. Yet the evidence against Ms. Kirchner was strong.

In a region where convictions of former presidents for corruption remain rare, her legal downfall sets a precedent for honest governance and political accountability. Mr. Milei’s reaction to the court ruling on social media summed up the significance: “Justice. Period.”