It’s Monday, May 25. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. This Memorial Day, Aaron MacLean revisits one of the great novels about the sacrifices soldiers made during the Second World War. Plus: Tyler Cowen’s guide to how to save your job from AI. The betrayals of the LGBT movement. And more.
But first: Are we on the brink of a peace deal?
Deal or no deal? That is the trillion-dollar question looming over much of the world—and the White House—this Memorial Day. The president skipped his son’s wedding and spent the weekend at the White House, reportedly hammering out the details of an enduring peace plan to put an end to the war in Iran.
On Saturday, Trump said the “final details” of a deal were “being discussed” and would “be announced shortly.” By Sunday, a breakthrough seemed a little less imminent. “I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal,” the president said in a post on Truth Social. “Both sides must take their time and get it right,” he added.
So, what is the latest state of play? And why are we in this deadlock in the first place?
Eli Lake offers answers to those questions in his reported column this morning. Read his analysis to understand what is really pushing the president to make a deal.
—The Editors
Remembering Those Who Served
In a Memorial Day edition of Things Worth Remembering, Aaron MacLean revisits Herman Wouk’s 1978 novel War and Remembrance, which describes a soldier’s sacrifice and the American cause during World War II. It’s a captivating work, bringing the reader face-to-face with the horrors of the Holocaust and the heroic Allied victory in the Pacific, and braiding together a “tale of American sacrifice and Jewish tragedy, and the complex but profound links between the two.”
Such a work is desperately needed, writes MacLean, at a time when influencers on the left and right have begun to question the righteousness of America’s war against the Nazis, and the stories of the liberating generation who fought in Europe and the Pacific begin to fade from living memory.
For more Memorial Day reading, revisit H.R. McMaster on the soldiers he remembers, Joe Nocera on why America still has heroes, and assorted Free Press contributors on the heroes who never made it home
The trans agenda has left gays and lesbians behind, student Maeve Halligan argued in a recent Cambridge Union speech. Her remarks went viral. Why? Because she lays out, in persuasive details, how the transgender movement abandoned persuasion in favor of coercion, and pressured gay and lesbian dissenters to get on board.
If you ask any recent college graduate how they feel about AI, they will likely confess deep anxiety. Breakneck AI innovation and adoption across the workforce could spur major job losses, but Tyler Cowen advises job-seekers not to despair, but to prepare. Cowen provides seven ways not just to avoid an AI job loss, but to leverage AI to become better at your job and irreplaceable by a machine.
Last week the Justice Department unsealed an indictment for Raúl Castro for his involvement in an incident 30 years ago, when Cuban fighter jets shot down two unarmed civilian aircraft searching for refugees escaping the island to the United States. The coverage of the indictment has focused on whether it will lead to a U.S. intervention in Cuba—just like the charges that preceded the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. But Roberto González says that the underlying crime deserves to be remembered in its own right as an example of the viciousness of the Cuban regime.
Claude, the AI for problem solvers
AI helps most with the hardest work, not the simplest. Anthropic analyzed 2 million conversations and found Claude’s biggest impact is on complex, college-level tasks. The Economic Index tracks adoption across every state and occupation.
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THE NEWS
The Russian military pummeled the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv with missiles and drones late Saturday night, killing at least two and wounding 83. Russia launched 600 drones and 90 missiles, including a hypersonic ballistic missile. The attack targeted government offices as well as schools, supermarkets, and apartment complexes. “It is crucial that Russia does not get away with this,” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said after the attack.
A gunman was killed after opening fire just outside the White House on Saturday afternoon, prompting the Secret Service to return fire, killing the gunman and injuring a bystander. Approximately 15 to 30 shots were fired during the exchange, according to officials. President Trump was at the White House at the time, but was “not impacted.”
Douglas McCain, the eldest son of late, longtime Arizona senator and Republican presidential candidate John McCain, died Sunday. He was 66 years old. “He was a truly wonderful, joyful man who supported me throughout my life. He brought humor, fun, and great conversation to every room,” Meghan McCain, his sister, said in an Instagram post after the announcement of his passing.
A second Ebola screening center was made operational in Atlanta, Georgia, for Americans returning from countries that have experienced a severe Ebola outbreak in recent weeks. Located in the same city as the Centers for Disease Control, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport will be an additional point of entry, along with Washington’s Dulles Airport, for passengers returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan.
China began its first space mission set to last more than a year on Sunday afternoon, launching three astronauts into orbit. The Shenzhou-23 mission will carry the crew to the Tiangong space station to study space’s effects on the human body in preparation for China’s goal of sending humans to the moon by 2030. China has been effectively banned from using the International Space Station since 2011.
Felix Rosenqvist won the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday afternoon, overtaking David Malukas in a stunning last-second pass and winning by half a car length, the closest finish in race history. The race honored Kyle Busch—the champion NASCAR driver who died suddenly on Friday at the age of 41—during the 18th lap, commemorating Busch’s longtime number.
Claude, the AI for problem solvers
AI helps most with the hardest work, not the simplest. Anthropic analyzed 2 million conversations and found Claude’s biggest impact is on complex, college-level tasks. The Economic Index tracks adoption across every state and occupation.
Back in March this year, I wrote how the US was losing the conflict with Iran. But nooo — things were under control lol. Now we’re asking for a deal lol. Sounds like they won here: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/the-us-is-losing-the-iran-conflict