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Illustration: Lizzie Sokolich
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1. What country owns the most U.S. land? Here’s a hint: It’s not China.
Chinese ownership of U.S. land has been a hot topic among lawmakers lately — even becoming the center of a Senate race in Montana this year — but in reality, China only had a stake in 383,935 acres of U.S. land as of 2021, which is less than 1% of America’s foreign-held land. Canada, by contrast, held the most U.S. land at 12.8 million acres — more than the entire area of Vermont and New Hampshire combined.
According to a 2021 USDA Farm Service Agency report, four other countries held 12.4 million acres combined, or another 31% of foreign-owned land: the Netherlands (12%), Italy (7%), the United Kingdom (6%), and Germany (6%).
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Read the Blue Marble story for an explanation of foreign interest in U.S. land and to see which nations own land in your county.
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2. U.S. signs off on more weapons for Israel as Gaza famine spreads
The United States has “quietly authorized” the transfer of more weapons to Israel recently, according to The Washington Post. The weapons include fighter jets and nearly 2,000 bombs of a type that has been “linked to previous mass-casualty events.” U.S. public opinion on the Israel-Hamas war has shifted in the months since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel began bombing the Gaza Strip. Fifty-five percent of American adults now say they disapprove of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip — up 10 percentage points from four months ago — according to a Gallup poll published Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed dozens of Palestinians in Gaza, according to officials in both Israel and Gaza. A statement from Israel, summarized by Reuters, said “troops exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen before they killed them and located weapons and rockets.” Dozens of people near the Syrian city of Aleppo were also killed by airstrikes early Friday; state media says Israel is behind the attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 36 soldiers were killed in the strikes, which targeted a weapons depot for Hezbollah, one of several Iran proxies fighting Israel in the region. Hezbollah said it fired rockets at civilians in northern Israel Thursday in retaliation for strikes that occurred earlier this week in Lebanon.
Amid these skirmishes, famine in the Gaza Strip is spreading. On Thursday, the U.N.’s International Court of Justice said that Israel must ensure that food and aid reach the enclave, where millions have been subject to bombardment. 14-year-old Yousef Tafesh told NPR, " First there was flour, until it ran out. Then we could get wheat, and that ran out. Then corn kernels. Then we tried animal feed."
Related:
- The crisis that could bring down Benjamin Netanyahu, explained [Vox]
- A loyal Israel ally, Germany shifts tone as the toll in Gaza mounts [New York Times]
- Israel proposes regional security force in Gaza [Axios] / Egypt seeks border security support from US amid Gaza negotiations [POLITICO]
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3. WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich marks one year of Russian detention
As of Friday, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained in a Russian jail for a year. His detainment was extended this week through at least June 30 — the fifth time his pre-trial detention has been extended.
Gershkovich, a 32-year-old American born to Soviet emigrés, was on a reporting trip in Russia last year when he was arrested on espionage charges, although the Russian authorities have yet to release any evidence they have against him.
The journalist is being held in Lefortovo, a prison in Moscow that was used to torture political prisoners during Joseph Stalin’s reign.
The Wall Street Journal has denied the allegations against Gershkovich, and the U.S. government declared him wrongfully detained in April of last year — a designation that means the U.S. government will use its resources to try and secure the detainee’s release.
Roger D. Carstens, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, told CNN he remains hopeful that there will be a deal in the next few months to free Gershkovich.
Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a security executive detained in 2018 on espionage charges, are currently the only two Americans in Russia who have been declared wrongfully detained, although there are other Americans under arrest in Russia whose prospects for release are unclear, the AP reports.
Press freedom in Russia has been deteriorating since President Vladimir Putin first came to power as prime minister in 1999. The country currently detains more foreign journalists than any other, holding 12 of the world’s 17 total jailed foreign journalists. Between 2000 and 2023, 43 journalists and media workers were killed in Russia.
Related: ‘Hello from sunny Moscow’: My year of letters with Evan Gershkovich [POLITICO] / Evan Gershkovich’s sister was the quiet one. Now she’s his voice [Washington Post]
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In other news
- NATO nation scrambles fighter jets as Russian missiles rain down on Ukraine [Newsweek] / Putin’s F-16 threats could start a war with NATO, Swedish military official warns [Euractiv] / Why Sweden is telling its citizens to prepare for war [Blue Marble]
- Turkey's local elections — and whoever wins Istanbul — could dictate the future of the country [CNBC]
- France's Macron embraces Brazil's Lula — and the memes poking fun at their 'wedding' [AP]
- 'Oppenheimer' finally premieres in Japan to mixed reactions and high emotions [NPR]
- Invisible lines: How unseen boundaries shape the world around us [The Conversation]
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Say that again
“It’s not only a hair issue. It will give strength to people to be able to answer, when asked to straighten their hair, they can say: ‘No, this is not legal, you cannot expect that from me, it has nothing to do with my professional competence,’” French hairdresser Aude Livoreil-Djampou said.
A bill banning hair discrimination passed France’s lower house of parliament on Thursday. The bill, which would prohibit discrimination over the style, length, color, or texture of someone’s hair, goes next to the French Senate. The proposed law mirrors legislation that has passed in more than 20 U.S. states, which largely aims to prevent Black people from being discriminated against because of their hair. [Associated Press]
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Will Beyoncé bring country music to even more international audiences?
Blue Marble’s Kyra Dahring walks us through where in the world country music is popular and highlights some of the country-loving nations where Beyoncé’s new album, “Cowboy Carter,” could be a hit.
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What we’re listening to
If you’re looking for “Trojan horse pop music,” then boy, do I have the band for you. The Last Dinner Party is one of the biggest new bands in the U.K., winning the BBC’s Sound of 2024 contest. This band, made up of young women and a nonbinary person, is like if cottagecore met the Victorian era met goth. I read this great profile of the band in The New York Times, which led me to their debut album, “Prelude to Ecstasy.” It gives off Florence & The Machine vibes, but a little more dark and twisted. The most popular song from that album, “Nothing Matters,” has over 57 million listens on Spotify, but I’m partial to “My Lady of Mercy,” a musical whiplash between swooning, poppy verses and a massive, crunchy-guitar-led chorus. – Hope O’Dell, real-time reporter
Thanks for reading. We’ll see you Monday.
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