Axios

The Israeli government is seriously debating the annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank in retaliation for the imminent recognition of Palestine by several western countries, according to three Israeli, U.S. and European officials with direct knowledge.

Why it matters: Most of the international community views the West Bank as occupied territory and would consider any Israeli annexations illegal and inflammatory.

New voices and previously hidden stories have been reinterpreting U.S. history and reshaping museums for the last 20 years, drawing conservative criticism that President Trump is now wielding against the Smithsonian.

Why it matters: The U.S. is more diverse than ever, and since the Cold War ended, pressure to promote a mythic, triumphalist national story has given way to a history of multiple views and complexities.

Senior White House officials believe some European leaders are publicly supporting President Trump's effort to end the war in Ukraine, while quietly trying to undo behind-the-scenes progress since the Alaska summit, Axios has learned.

• The White House has asked the Treasury Department to compile a list of sanctions that could plausibly be imposed by Europe against Russia.

Why it matters: Two weeks after the summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, there has been little clear progress toward ending the war. Frustrated Trump aides contend the blame should fall on European allies, not on Trump or even Russian President Vladimir Putin.

As Democrats nationwide blast President Trump's National Guard-backed policing crackdown in Washington, D.C., one Democratic governor who called in the National Guard is seeing violent crime decline in her state's largest city.

Why it matters: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's move in April helped cut homicides in Albuquerque by 24% in the first half of the year — but she rejects comparisons to what Trump is doing in D.C.

Royal Caribbean's newest mega-ship, the Star of the Seas, is more than the world's largest cruise ship — it's a floating city where a flying DeLorean features in a full-scale Back to the Future musical.

Why it matters: The cruise industry is in an arms race of scale and destinations that shows no signs of letting up.