About this Episode
Millions of demonstrators protested across the United States on Saturday during a third wave of “No Kings” rallies against the policies of President Donald Trump. Organisers said more than 3,200 events were planned across all 50 states. Large marches took place in New York, Washington, Dallas and Philadelphia, alongside many smaller gatherings. Protesters criticised immigration crackdowns, the war in Iran and other government actions. Authorities reported minor clashes in Dallas and Los Angeles, with several arrests following confrontations with counter-protesters and police.
A new study suggests poverty is higher in the United States than in several European economies when measured in a different way. Economist Olivier Sterck from the University of Oxford calculates “average poverty” as the time needed to earn one international dollar. In 2025, the figure reached 63 minutes in the United States. In Germany it was 26 minutes, in France 31 minutes and in the United Kingdom 34 minutes. Sterck says the gap reflects stronger income inequality in the United States.
Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East continued to rise. Three Lebanese journalists were killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon. Israel confirmed the attack and said one of the journalists, Ali Shoeib, was a Hezbollah operative “under the guise of a journalist.” At the same time, foreign ministers from Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia met in Islamabad to discuss possible ways to de-escalate the conflict. Missile and drone attacks continued across the region. Iran reported explosions in Tehran, while Iranian drones and missiles targeted sites in Gulf states. The United States has deployed around 3,500 additional troops to the Middle East, and Iran said it was ready to respond to any U.S. ground attack.
