Jared Kushner briefed senators behind closed doors today on the Trump administration's Middle East peace plan, White House officials tell me.
Where things stand: Palestinian leaders swiftly rejected the plan last month, as expected, but Kushner told a bipartisan group from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the international reaction was otherwise encouraging. His briefing was part of an effort to build support for the plan in Washington and overseas.
The erosion of democracy around the world continued for the 14th consecutive year, according to an annual report from Freedom House.
Why it matters: Year after year, many of the world’s democracies become less democratic. This year’s report draws particular attention to India, where policies targeting Muslims are “threatening the democratic future of a country long seen as a potential bulwark of freedom in Asia and the world.”
China's migrant workers — approximately 288 million wage laborers locked into low wages with few social benefits — aren't just a human rights issue, a new book argues; they're part of an apartheid system undergirding China's 30-year economic miracle.
Why it matters: What Beijing has touted as a better model of economic growth is actually based on systematic exploitation of its rural population, writes Dexter Roberts, a former Bloomberg China correspondent.
The Trump administration this week announced unprecedented restrictions on Chinese journalists in the U.S. in an effort to pressure Beijing to ease its own restrictions on foreign journalists in China.
The big picture: The U.S. approach of late to dealing with Beijing is focused on reciprocity but analysts are split on whether the tactic will have the intended effect.
An Australian think tank has traced the supply chains of major U.S. companies back to Chinese companies that use Uighur forced labor.
Why it matters: It's against U.S. law for companies to import products made through forced labor — but proving those links is often difficult. As more information comes to light, expect more government action to combat tainted imports.
Schools and universities across much of China have closed due to the coronavirus outbreak and are being forced to hold classes online for the foreseeable future.
Zoom in: The video platforms being used are closely monitored by censors, and some teachers are finding their lessons unceremoniously ended when they hit on controversial topics, the AP reports.
As part of our What Matters 2020 series on the critical trends that will outlive this moment, Axios co-founders Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen discuss the rise of China and how it's reordering the world.
It's no Nixon to China moment, but President Trump made history today with what is apparently the first presidential phone call with a top Taliban leader.
Why it matters: The prospect of a peaceful end to America's longest war is on the line.
There is war on Turkey’s border with Syria and chaos on its borders with Europe.
Driving the news: Turkey launched an offensive against Syrian government troops after at least 36 of its soldiers were killed in an airstrike last Thursday. It shot down two Syrian aircraft and claims to have killed hundreds of Syrian forces.
Guyana goes to the polls today a relatively poor nation, but the winner of the election could soon be leading a very rich one.
Why it matters: A massive oil find has led the IMF to project the economy will grow a whopping 85% in 2020. Zoom out further, and estimates get truly stratospheric for the South American country of 780,000.
