Trump’s classified documents problem is getting worse

Trump recorded discussing sensitive materials he didn’t declassify; Ukraine regains territory Russia seized in 2014.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Trump taped discussing classified docs

Scott Olson/Getty Images

• CNN released a recording featuring former President Donald Trump seeming to show “highly confidential” Pentagon documents about a potential US attack on Iran to people without security clearances. [CNN / Jeremy Herb]
• The tape, recorded during a 2021 meeting at Trump’s New Jersey golf course and released Monday, appears to undercut Trump’s recent claim that he never held onto classified material. [Associated Press]
• During the two-minute recording, Trump says “I have a big pile of papers” while referring to “secret information.” [Axios / Erin Doherty]
• The tape could be key evidence in the investigation into whether Trump mishandled classified documents he kept after leaving the White House and obstructed efforts to retrieve them. [Vox / Li Zhou]
• Trump has pleaded not guilty to 37 federal felony charges in the case. His trial is set to begin August 14. [BBC / Max Matza]

Ukraine retakes Russian-held territory

• Ukrainian forces have likely retaken parts of the eastern Donbas region Russia has controlled since illegally annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. [BBC / Alys Davies]
• As part of its counteroffensive, Ukraine waged multiple attacks on Russian-backed forces and appears to have advanced near the city of Donetsk. [Yahoo / Ukrainska Pravda]
• The attacks came as the head of Wagner mercenary forces mounted a short-lived rebellion that analysts consider an opportunity for Ukraine. [Washington Post / Adam Taylor and David L. Stern]
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged Kyiv’s advances in several directions during a visit to the frontlines, but has warned progress overall could be slow. [Al Jazeera]

📍 If you read just one story

Vox’s Jen Kirby explains Putin’s response to the Wagner mercenary rebellion and what the revolt means for his control over Russia. [Vox / Jen Kirby]

Health officials in Texas and Florida have issued warnings after reporting five cases of malaria transmitted by local mosquitos — the first in the US since 2003. [Vox / Keren Lendman]

• In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court rejected a conservative-backed legal theory that would’ve given state legislatures more power over elections. [Vox / Ian Millhiser]
• The burning of fossil fuels heated Earth’s atmosphere and made the record-breaking heatwave engulfing parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico five times worse, according to recent research. [Guardian / Oliver Milman]
• Over 1,000 Afghan civilians have been killed by explosive devices in public areas and other attacks since the Taliban took over from foreign powers in August 2021. [Al Jazeera]

“He is reckless with the Russian state’s resources, but not with his own skin.”

[Beth Van Schaack, the US ambassador-at-large for Global Criminal Justice on the possibility of Vladimir Putin traveling to South Africa where he faces arrest for Ukraine war crimes / Guardian]

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