Your Tuesday Briefing

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/18/world/europe/israel-netanyahu-migrants-taylor-swift.html

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President Biden invited Benjamin Netanyahu to a meeting in the U.S. for the first time since the Israeli prime minister re-entered office in December, easing months of tensions about the direction of Israel’s government. White House officials declined to address directly what had led the president to issue the invitation.

The move reversed Biden’s decision in March to avoid meeting with Netanyahu “in the near term.” But White House officials said the prospect of a face-to-face meeting should not be interpreted as Biden’s abandoning his objections to some of the Israeli leader’s hard-line positions as part of what the president has called “one of the most extremist” Israeli coalitions since the 1970s.

Biden has voiced particular opposition to Netanyahu’s decisions to undermine the power of Israel’s Supreme Court, expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and retroactively authorize settlements that were built in that territory without government approval.

Timing: Biden’s invitation came a day before he was to meet with Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, at the White House, which had been widely seen as a slight to Netanyahu. No date has been set for the Netanyahu meeting, and it’s unclear whether it would take place at the White House.

Context: An increasingly deep divide among Democrats in Congress about how strongly — or even whether — to support Israel has reared its head on the eve of Herzog’s visit, as progressives openly condemn the Jewish state and others toil to reconcile their backing for the country with disdain for its current government.

For the second time in 10 months, explosions hit the Kerch Strait Bridge, the only bridge linking the occupied Crimean Peninsula and mainland Russia, briefly disrupting a major supply line to Russian troops in Ukraine. Two people were killed in the predawn blasts yesterday, and the bridge was temporarily closed.

The blasts inflicted far less damage than the ones in October, when an explosives-laden truck blew up. But they underscored the vulnerability of the bridge — and other Russian supply routes far from the front — as Ukraine wages a grueling counteroffensive to retake land. The attack was cited by prominent Russian bloggers as evidence of the failures of Russia’s military command.

Russia accused Ukraine of using maritime drones to assault the bridge. Ukrainian officials celebrated the attack, but neither claimed nor denied responsibility for it.

Consequences: Hours after the blasts, Moscow announced that it was pulling out of the Black Sea grain deal, an agreement that had allowed Ukraine to export its grain by sea despite Moscow’s naval blockade. A Kremlin spokesman said Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the deal, which had helped stabilize global food prices, was not related to the attack on the bridge.

History repeats: World War II has been an ideological battlefield in today’s war in Ukraine, and it is cropping up on the actual battlefield as well.

The E.U. has reached a deal with Tunisia to try to stem the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, amid heated debate over the fallout from the bloc’s migration policies, including a shipwreck last month that was the deadliest in years.

The Tunisian government committed itself to tightening its sea borders and combating human smuggling, as well as expediting the return of Tunisians who reside illegally in Europe. The E.U. will provide a broad package of support for the North African country’s embattled economy, as well as 105 million euros for equipment and for training of border guards.

Tunisia is both a source of migrants and a major transit stop for sub-Saharan Africans who are trying to reach Europe. The authorities there have come under fire for allegedly abusing the rights of sub-Saharan migrants, including rounding up hundreds of them and abandoning them at the desert border with Libya with no food or water.

Context: In June, more than 600 migrants died when their overloaded vessel capsized off the coast of Greece. The scope of that loss, as well as the failure of European officials to come to the aid of the flailing ship in the long hours before it tipped over, escalated the debate over the bloc’s role in the crisis.

More than 50 pilot whales died on Sunday after they were stranded along a beach in Scotland.

Iran is again deploying the police to force women to wear the hijab, an effort that was quietly suspended last year amid anti-government protests.

In France, calls to overhaul the police go back decades. But violent episodes of police enforcement continue — and so do violent outpourings on the street.

Smoke from Canada’s wildfires is again drifting over the U.S., blanketing cities with unhealthy air. And in the Canary Islands, a wildfire has forced evacuations.

China’s economy slowed this spring, according to official numbers released yesterday, dashing hopes of a speedy post-pandemic recovery.

Donald Trump and his allies are planning a sweeping expansion of presidential power if he is re-elected in 2024.

Treating Alzheimer’s patients early with an experimental drug provides a better chance of slowing cognitive decline, according to a new study.

The U.S. labor market has recovered by nearly every major measure. And, in a sign of consumer resilience, Americans are flocking to Europe.

Elton John and his husband testified as defense witnesses at Kevin Spacey’s sexual assault trial.

A large, mysterious metallic object was found on a remote beach north of Perth, Australia, the police said.

Furby got a makeover. It’s getting mixed reviews.

Each year, the Appleby Horse Fair draws tens of thousands of Irish Travellers and Gypsies, as many still refer to themselves, to a rural patch of northwestern England to celebrate their culture. Our photographer spent four days there.

“It gives a sense of place, a sense of belonging, a sense of ancestry,” said Billy Welch, an organizer. “We feel for that week that we are actually home.”

Women’s World Cup scouting guide: Welcome to The Radar, The Athletic’s pick of 50 players to watch.

How Premier League owners made their money: A closer look into the finances supporting the world’s richest soccer division.

The compelling rivalry tennis needed: Will Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon win on Sunday be the start of an elite battle with Novak Djokovic?

When Taylor Swift released her third rerecorded album — “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” — this month, there was no doubt it would debut at No. 1. The only question was how forcefully it would smash records.

Notching the equivalent of 716,000 sales in the U.S., it is Swift’s 12th No. 1 album, putting her ahead of Barbra Streisand for the most chart-toppers by a female artist. Drake also has 12 No. 1 albums; the only acts with more are Jay-Z (14) and the Beatles (19). Swift is the first living act to have four albums in the Top 10 at the same time since Herb Alpert in 1966.

Swift’s effort to remake and reclaim her first six albums began after her old record label was sold without her participation. But the project has turned into its own phenomenon, with fans using the opportunity to revisit their own relationship with the music.

Turn a sabich — a traditional Israeli sandwich — into a one-bowl meal.

In “The Good Ones,” a professor investigates her best friend’s mysterious disappearance.

The documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” charts Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian city.

Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Writing implement (three letters).

And here are today’s Wordle and the Spelling Bee.

You can find all our puzzles here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. Thanks for joining me. — Natasha

P.S. Warm words of advice for those enjoying a summer break: Wear sunscreen, and maybe throw on one of these podcasts.

The latest episode of “The Daily” is on the history of China’s economic challenges.

You can reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.