The Bulletin

Welcome to the Bulletin,

• Thunderstorm warning: Severe thunderstorms are expected to hit two states today, with people in affected areas warned to be "prepared to take action." Find out which ones.
• Abbott challenges Biden again: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has warned Texas A&M University "they are jeopardizing state funding" amid media reports it will comply with a Biden administration update to Title IX, which extends legislation to ban discrimination over gender identity. Learn more.
• Delta plane bursts into flames: Delta Air Lines plane caught fire shortly after landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a video posted online showed.
• In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia is increasingly employing a weapon known as the glide bomb. These weapons, which take the form of kits added to Russia's Soviet-era unguided high-explosive bombs, have played a role in Russia's recent territorial gains, particularly in the eastern parts of Ukraine.

With the U.S. military preparing to attach a long-anticipated floating pier to deliver aid to the shores of war-torn Gaza in the coming days, U.S. forces could find themselves at risk of being dragged into the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Why it matters: President Joe Biden has vowed to keep U.S. personnel off the ground and out of harm's way, but the Pentagon has acknowledged that hostile fire was a possibility, and reports have already emerged of mortar attacks taking place in the vicinity of the pier's construction. The $320 million operation aims to safely facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza without putting American forces directly on the beach. Still, its success is uncertain amid escalating tensions and the involvement of other actors in the region.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Joe Biden Says Israel's Gaza Bombings 'Just Wrong'

Joe Biden's Rafah Red Line Upends US-Israel Relationship

Army Major Resigns Over Biden's Response to Israel

TL/DR: The site of the pier remains a further target than any location that has been known to have been hit thus far by such groups operating from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

What happens now? The site of the pier remains a further target than any location that has been known to have been hit thus far by such groups operating from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Meanwhile, Yemen's Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthi movement, vowed to begin the "fourth stage of escalation" in its ongoing maritime offensive against ships deemed to be supporting Israel.

Deeper reading Can Biden Keep American Troops Out of the Line of Fire in Gaza?

The cross-examination of Michael Cohen is going to be dangerous territory for Donald Trump, a legal analyst has said.

Why it matters: Greg Germain, an attorney and law professor at Syracuse University, told Newsweek that challenging Cohen about his payments to adult film star, Stormy Daniels, could be embarrassing for Trump and open up new areas for the jury to consider. Germain said that the defense team may ask Cohen if he had considered his payment to Daniels to be an illegal political campaign contribution. He added that covering up negative information during a political campaign is not illegal, but the issue is Trump's alleged failure to disclose the Daniels payment as a campaign contribution.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Michael Cohen's Testimony Appears 'Credible,' Legal Analysts Say

Eric Trump Says Michael Cohen 'Giddy' in Court

Donald Trump's Been Using Same Legal Strategy for Almost a Decade: Cohen

TL/DR: Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for 2024, is the first former president in U.S. history to stand trial in a criminal case.

What happens now? Cohen’s cross-examination is expected to begin today.

Deeper reading Michael Cohen Cross-Examination Dangerous Territory for Trump: Attorney

Republicans are not making substantial investments in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' challenger, Courtney Kramer, despite outrage over the prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

Why it matters: Georgia is a swing state that narrowly backed President Joe Biden. Willis, a Democrat facing criticism from Republicans in the Georgia election interference case against Trump and 18 others, is scrutinized for hiring prosecutor Nathan Wade. Despite controversies, her fundraising outpaces Kramer's. Brent Buchanan, president of Cygnal, suggests Kramer could use the election fraud investigation and conservative media for national exposure and increased funding.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Fani Willis Raised Nearly Six Times as Much as Her Republican Challenger

Fani Willis Gets Award From Democrats as She Prosecutes Donald Trump

Trump Team Lawyer Wants to Replace Fani Willis

TL/DR: Georgia is a swing state that narrowly backed President Joe Biden.

What happens now? Willis is set to face voters this month in the Democratic primary, where she has drawn a challenge from lawyer Christian Wise Smith. The only public polling for the race found Willis with a significant lead, and he is favored to go against Kramer in November.

Deeper reading Republicans Aren't Donating to Fani Willis' GOP Challenger

Following the deaths of two Boeing whistleblowers, an attorney who represented them says there are at least ten more who are determined to come forward.

Why it matters: Conspiracy theories have swirled after Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems turned whistleblower, died last week after a sudden illness. Dean died less than two months after Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, who was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Boeing has been under pressure following a series of high-profile safety issues this year, including a section of fuselage that blew off an Alaska Airlines flight in midair.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Boeing Whistleblower's Family Speaks Out After Sudden Death

Boeing Whistleblower Warned Family Friend 'It's Not Suicide' Before Death

Attorney for Dead Boeing Whistleblowers Speaks Out

TL/DR: "I think these folks now feel an even greater need to speak out and come forward," attorney Brian Knowles told Newsweek.

What happens now? Knowles told Newsweek that the deaths of Barnett and Dean had not deterred his other whistleblower clients. He said the whistleblowers are a mixture of current and former employees of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. "I think these folks now feel an even greater need to speak out and come forward," attorney Brian Knowles told Newsweek.

Deeper reading Dead Boeing Whistleblowers' Lawyer Says 10 More Raising 'Serious' Issues

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is preparing to elevate the nation's demographic decline to a top-tier political priority, hoping to reverse a trend that threatens the long-term health of Asia's fourth-largest economy.

Why it matters: The country's fertility rate, already the lowest in the world, fell further last year, with the average number of expected babies per woman dropping to 0.72 from 0.78 in 2022—far below the replacement rate of 2.1. Despite spending over $200 billion on initiatives to support new mothers and encourage larger families, the fertility rate declined for the fourth consecutive year in 2023. A falling birthrate reduces the size of a country's workforce, which can lead to slower economic growth, higher dependency ratios, and increased pressure on public services and pension systems.

Read more in-depth coverage:

South Korean Company Offers $75,000 Baby Bonus Amid Population Crisis

South Korea's Baby Bust Reaches Crisis Level

South Korea's Population Collapse Is Set To Deepen

TL/DR: "If Korea's birth rate remains low, the country will face extinction," Lee Joong-keun, Construction giant Booyoung Group chairman, told workers.

What happens now? Yoon announced a forthcoming secretarial office and a Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counter Planning tasked with handling the "national emergency." The moves are part of Seoul's intensified efforts to reverse its plummeting birthrate, fueled by shifting societal norms and economic pressures.

Deeper reading South Korea's Ambitious Plan To Rescue Its Population