The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today on a case that could deal the latest blow to the Voting Rights Act, a 60-year-old law enacted to prevent racial discrimination in voting. The case, focused on Louisiana’s congressional map, examines whether it’s constitutional to consider race in redistricting . If the court says it isn’t, Republicans in some states may be able to redraw congressional and state legislative maps in ways that boost their party’s chances, at the expense of Black- and Latino-majority districts. – Staff

The U.S. struck another vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing six “narcoterrorists,” President Trump said yesterday. The administration said U.S. intelligence indicated the small boat was carrying drugs for “narcoterrorist networks.” It was the fifth such strike by U.S. forces, which have killed 27 people in total. Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are demanding legal justification for the strikes as well as evidence the vessels carried drugs. – Staff

The United Nations said countries are willing to help fund Gaza’s $70 billion reconstruction, including European and Arab nations, Canada, and the U.S. “We’ve had very good indications already,” said UNDP’s Jaco Cilliers, who estimated that the two-year Israel-Hamas war had generated at least 55 million tons of rubble. Since a ceasefire deal came into effect in Gaza , many Palestinians have returned to the ruins of their homes. – Reuters

A military coup in Madagascar toppled President Andry Rajoelina’s government yesterday, capping weeks of youth protests over poverty and power outages. Shortly after parliament voted to impeach Mr. Rajoelina, who fled the country for his safety, the leader of an elite military unit said the armed forces would form a governing council and appoint a prime minister to “quickly” form a civilian government. – Reuters

The U.S. Coast Guard will continue to receive pay amid the government shutdown, which has lasted two weeks. The announcement by the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Coast Guard, follows President Trump’s directive to the Pentagon to keep troops paid . DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Coast Guard members have halted flows of illegal drugs and migration while “Democrats have played politics with military pay to fight for illegal aliens.” – Staff

Cody Balmer pleaded guilty in the attempted murder of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. In April, Mr. Balmer scaled a security fence in the middle of the night and set fire to the governor’s occupied mansion. He was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison. Gov. Shapiro said he and his family support the plea deal and that it provides real accountability. – The Associated Press

Taylor Swift set a new record with her latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which launched to the No. 1 slot this week. With 15 No. 1 albums, Ms. Swift is second only to the Beatles, who secured 19. The singer’s latest release also broke the record for the number of albums sold in its opening week, with 4 million. The previous mark, set by Adele’s “25” in 2015, sold nearly 3.4 million copies in its first week in the U.S. – Staff

Also, President Trump awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom yesterday, a month after he was assassinated.

With harvest under way, China’s response to President Trump’s tariffs has frozen America’s soybean farmers out of the huge Chinese market. A soybean deal could lead to a broader agreement on trade.

Estonia is a minnow next to a very big, dangerous fish. Knowing the threat Russia poses, all of Estonian society contributes to national defense – including the women who join its volunteer reservist forces.

U.S. immigration enforcement isn’t focused on the agriculture industry. But some businesses have been hit, and the farm labor workforce is shrinking. One result is expected to be rising grocery prices.

Since achieving independence in the 1960s, Tanzania has essentially been ruled by one political party. What might the upcoming election hold for the East African country and others in the region?

With former federal employees looking for jobs, Maryland saw an opportunity to support its schools. A new program is offering them three months of teacher training – and the opportunity to make a difference in the classroom.

The last 20 living Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas two years ago are back home. The bombing in Gaza has stopped. And nearly 2,000 imprisoned Palestinians have been released by Israel.

For those reasons alone, many people might agree with what U.S. President Donald Trump told Israel’s parliament Monday: “Together, we have shown that peace is not just a hope we can dream about, it is a reality we can build upon.”

For Israeli peace activist Maoz Inon, whose parents were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, hope itself “is an action,” an essential first step to creating a better future. And, even as analysts caution it’s premature to declare peace a “reality,” support for Mr. Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war is widespread. Its goals cut across sectarian and national boundaries – from Israel’s ruling coalition to its opposition parties, from the leaders of Arab Gulf states to those in Turkey and North Africa.

This range of support signals a turning away from the acceptance or expectation of ongoing conflict to a new calculus, one of collaboration and change. In May, the Monitor’s Taylor Luck described an emerging “axis of cooperation” among Arab states and Turkey, which were instrumental in pressing Hamas to accept the peace deal.

Popular demands for moderation and modernization are propelling this shift. Across the Middle East, young people are demanding greater opportunity and representation. Gulf states realize that regional stability is essential to economic growth and to moving beyond dependence on finite oil revenue. Other Arab countries are seeking trade and investment to spur job creation and combat climate change.

Arab countries that have normalized ties with Israel maintained those ties throughout the two-year war in Gaza. In early 2023, Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shiite-led Iran announced “normalization” of relations. And earlier this year, Turkey reached an accord with the 50-year separatist Kurdish movement.

For Palestinians in Gaza, a consensus for cooperation and stability brings some hope for progress. The Trump plan would bring in peacekeeping troops as well as aid for reconstruction. Israelis, too, would benefit, with a break from war. Elections scheduled for 2026 offer an opportunity for them to take stock of political priorities.

It’s possible that there is enough hope and eagerness for peace that skepticism about the deal is not entirely warranted and that problems will be surmounted. As American poet Emily Dickinson wrote of hope, it “perches in the soul” – and never stops singing its tune.