Today's Headlines and Commentary

Dozens of wildfires are scorching large portions of the Amazon rainforest, the majority intentionally set by farmers and loggers in the region, reports CNN. Environmental organizations and researchers argue that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s economic policies have contributed to this environmental emergency.

Hong Kong protesters joined hands to form a human chain across large sections of the city as they called for direct elections, the latest in the anti-government demonstrations continuing over the past few months, reports the New York Times.

The Pentagon identified the two United States soldiers killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday as Master Sgt. Luis F. DeLeon-Figueroa and Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez, and said the incident is being investigated, writes the Hill.

U.S. officials said that Israel was responsible for last month’s bombing of an Iranian weapons depot in Iraq, according to the Washington Post.

China announced it will impose new tariffs on American-made products if President Trump follows through on his promises to escalate the trade war between the two countries, says the Times.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the G-7 summit, set to take place this weekend in France, will not end with a multilateral agreement for the first time in its 44 year history—citing “a very deep crisis of democracy,” reports CNBC.

The Ukranian Secret Service is investigating a potential security breach at a nuclear power plant in which employees connected external computers and equipment to the plant’s internal network to mine cryptocurrency, ZDnet writes.

The head of U.S. Army Cyber Command is advocating to change the organization’s name to the “Army Information Warfare Command” as part of a change to distribute electronic information warfare expertise throughout the Army, Cyberscoop writes.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Bruce Riedel analyzed the ongoing interconnected conflicts among South Yemeni separatists and Saudi Arabia.

Elena Chachko explained the implications for the administrative state, the presidency and the courts resulting from the U.S. applying foreign and security measures that directly target individuals.

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