Now more than ever, America is a country of immigrants and their descendants. Welcome to the Diaspora.

Newly American covers the most important world news from a Diaspora perspective — politics, business, and culture from East to West. It only takes 5 minutes to become a global citizen (thanks to us).

Today’s 3-by-3 travels across an increased U.S. military presence in Japan, a declining agricultural industry in Morocco, Novak Djokovic’s fight for gold at the Paris Olympics, and more. Let’s fly!

Politics

• Netanyahu leaves U.S. after protest-filled week

Making his first trip abroad since the Israel-Hamar War began, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress last week to emphasize the importance of Israel-U.S. ties, reiterate his commitment to a “total victory” against Hamas, and ridicule so-called “idiots” who protest the war on college campuses and beyond — especially topical given the 60 Democratic lawmakers who boycotted the speech and the thousands of protestors who were chanting outside the Capitol Building. Although Netanyahu did not directly mention the ongoing cease-fire and hostage-release negotiations that the Biden administration has mediated for months, Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized these efforts in a one-on-one meeting — expressing concern over the 39,000 Palestinians who have died and declaring that it is time to end the war. Netanyahu shortened his U.S. trip after a Saturday rocket strike killed 12 Israeli children and young adults in an attack he attributes to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, but he was able to visit former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago before leaving, whom the prime minister had notably praised during his congressional address.

• Two candidates claim win in Venezuela’s criticized election

After widespread suspicion that Venezuela’s presidential election would not take place ethically, voting has concluded with both President Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González claiming victory — despite public belief that Maduro’s officially reported 51% was doctored. Throughout Sunday’s election, the Venezuelan public became almost certain that Maduro and his unpopular United Socialist Party would lose power after 25 years of socialist rule, with opposition leaders receiving tallies from ballot box representatives that indicated a landslide victory for González. As the nation awaits its uncertain future, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has indicated “serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people” — referencing a lack of transparency from electoral authorities and a 6-hour delay in announcing the results after voting had concluded.

• U.S.-Japan strengthen military alliance amid Chinese strength

The U.S. and Japan have updated their alliance in what Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calls “one of the strongest improvements in our military ties with Japan in 70 years,” meeting with top officials in Tokyo to reaffirm their partnership after President Biden’s campaign withdrawal. The 50,000-member U.S. Forces Japan stationed in the suburbs of Tokyo will now be commanded locally by a three-star American general to increase deterrence capabilities, largely motivated by China’s aggressive territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region (from Taiwan to the South China Sea) and its perceived desire to “reshape the international order.” Also threatened by North Korea’s growing nuclear program and Russia’s strategic involvement, Japan will expand its production of PAC-3 and medium-range air-to-air defense missiles for export — which the U.S. relies on to effectively counter Asian and Middle Eastern threats alike.

Business

• UK and India launch tech initiative to fuel economic growth

As the UK’s new Labour Party government aims to reset its economic relations with India and reassert its relevance on the global stage, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited New Delhi to sign an agreement entailing collaboration on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, telecoms, and critical minerals — all aiming to spark innovation and job creation for both countries. Additionally increasing their security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Britain and India are perhaps most eager to achieve a free trade agreement that is years in the making, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicating his support directly. Began in 2022 by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the nations held 13 negotiation rounds for a deal they hoped would increase their bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 — ultimately failing to conclude and leaving room for the Labour Party to now rectify.

• U.S. states withdraw investments in Chinese companies

As U.S.-China relations intensify by the day, American states have taken it upon themselves to oppose Chinese interests — with Missouri, Indiana, and Florida restricting their public pension funds from investing in certain Chinese companies, two dozen states limiting foreign ownership of agricultural land, and Florida notably preventing Chinese citizens from owning property that is within 10 miles of military infrastructure. A recent Future Union analysis of 2018-2022 data reported that four-fifths of states have at least one public pension fund with investments in China and Hong Kong, contributing to an overall $146 billion investment from U.S. public pension and university endowments that many wish to decrease. Still, others suggest that such measures from state governments will reduce economic returns for American citizens and unnecessarily complicate dealings at the federal level — with the U.S. government already sanctioning Chinese companies that it regards as security concerns.

• Morocco’s agricultural industry suffers from climate change

Morocco’s wheat harvest declined by nearly 50% this year and continues to signal an economic crisis, caused by a six-year drought that has crippled the North African nation’s once-reliable agricultural industry. In one of the most climate change-susceptible regions of the world, farmers have struggled considerably throughout a decade of delayed rains and inconsistent weather patterns — leading Morocco to become the sixth-largest wheat importer this year that largely depends on France (which is also experiencing smaller yields). As the country navigates environmental forces likely to shift its entire economy, the government has begun conservation efforts to restrict and ration water — limiting the amount that can be used in the city’s public baths and car washes.

Culture

• Novak Djokovic aims to round out his historic resume

Two weeks after losing the Wimbledon final, Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic has arrived in Paris to add the last remaining achievement to his record-breaking career — hoping to win the Olympic gold that has eluded him for years. He defeated long-time rival and friend Rafael Nadal today in the second round of the competition, marking the 60th matchup (and maybe last considering Nadal’s recent injuries) between the two players with the most Grand Slam titles in men’s tennis history. Djokovic won rather easily in front of a packed stadium and celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Anna Wintour, getting a step closer to “one of [his] greatest priorities.”

• J.D. Vance sees big increases in memoir sales

Political viewpoints aside, the cultural relevance of the upcoming presidential election was highly apparent in the reignited success of J.D. Vance’s 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” — with his announcement as Trump’s running mate generating over 650,000 book sales. As leading publisher HarperCollins prints hundreds of thousands of copies to meet the physical demand, the book has been regarded as a resource for supporters to get to know Vance and for opponents to better understand Trump’s working-class appeal. Even more, the Ron Howard-directed biopic inspired by Vance’s memoir increased its viewership by 1,000% just after the announcement and still resides on Netflix’s top 10 films in the U.S. list.

• Pharrell advocates for arts in the Olympics

Hosting a star-studded Louis Vuitton event just before the Olympics’ opening ceremony to generate awareness, Pharrell Williams wants to see arts competitions included in the 2028 Olympics — tasking a group of world-renowned artists to design installations and reminding attendees that arts once was a section of the global games. Five categories across architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture were created for the 1912 Olympics but later removed by 1948. In addition to his advocacy objective, Williams solicited donations to support Olympic athletes who struggle to afford adequate gear and training equipment — especially focusing on the 36 individuals on the Refugee Olympic Team.

Please prepare for landing. We know you have many options when you read, so thank you for choosing Newly American. Until next time, subscribe below if you haven’t already done so. If this email made you smarter, forward it to a friend! See you soon.