Arrest made in US leak probe raises big questions: Weekend Reads

Take a look at some of our top stories from the past week [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( US authorities arrested a 21-year-old man they believe is responsible for the biggest [intelligence]( leak in a decade, a breach that raises questions over how such a junior military IT specialist could be allowed to do so much damage to national security. US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and relatives reportedly sold three Georgia properties — without disclosing them — to a billionaire Republican [mega-donor]( who provided him with lavish trips around the world. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [backtracked]( on a decision to fire a defense minister who’d angered him by calling for the halt of a plan to weaken the judiciary because it was dividing the nation. Emmanuel Macron [defended]( his approach to the US and China after his call for Europe to avoid being dragged into a conflict for dominance between Beijing and Washington sparked a backlash. Delve into these and more of our top stories in this edition of Weekend Reads. — [Michael Winfrey]( Alleged leaker Jack Teixeira is taken into custody by armed tactical agents in Dighton, Massachusetts, on Thursday. Source: WCVB-TV Airman Charged Over Leak as Biden Clamps Down on Secrets The US [charged]( Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira over the disclosure of intelligence secrets, a major embarrassment for President Joe Biden’s administration. Investigators are probing whether foreign adversaries played a role in the leak, which could lead to a 15-year prison sentence. Ukraine’s Allies Fear War Breakthrough May Not Come Before Next Year Some of Ukraine’s allies are [skeptical]( that its military will make a decisive breakthrough this year because Russian invasion forces have dug in. The mood marks a departure from late last year, when Kyiv surprised its allies — and Moscow — by recapturing territory, [Alberto Nardelli]( and [Marc Champion]( report. - The Kremlin introduced harsh new [penalties]( for people who evade military call-up, adding to fears that the government is planning another mass mobilization as the war in Ukraine drags into its second year. Clarence Thomas’s Ethical Dilemma Won’t Change Supreme Court If you thought Thomas’s unreported gifts from a Republican billionaire would spur US Congress to impose [ethics changes](, think again. As [Laura Litvan]( and [Billy House]( write, divisions between Democrats and Republicans mean mandating a code of conduct is unlikely. Biden Says He’s Planning Reelection Bid As Ireland Tour Ends Biden concluded his tour through his ancestral home country of Ireland by declaring his intention to seek re-election. [Jennifer Jacobs]( and [Josh Wingrove]( report on a journey of intense personal nostalgia, with a look toward the [next chapter]( of his political life. Global finance chiefs stressed the need for more resilience in supply chains to insulate from risks ranging from pandemics to war a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But some officials, including from the International Monetary Fund, warned a [fragmentation]( of the global economy into competing blocs may hurt growth. Abortion Pill Battle Threatens to Further Box In GOP The future of the abortion pill — a legal fight likely heading to the US Supreme Court — risks becoming a [hazard]( for Republicans who’ve boxed themselves in. While the party hasn’t developed an effective message on reproductive rights, Democrats are using them to unify their base. Best of Bloomberg Opinion This Week - [Tennessee Shows Gun Debate Isn]([’]([t Hopeless: Francis Wilkinson]( - [‘Teflon Don’ as Inevitable as Death and Taxes: Joshua Green]( - [Don’t Forget That China Used to Be a Better Place: Minxin Pei]( - [An Epic of Incompetence — and Redemption?: Adrian Wooldridge]( - [Mexico’s Carnage Has No Military Solution: Shannon O'Neil]( IRS ‘Army’ Veterans Reveal Tax System Broken Beyond $80 Billion The IRS has already started to spend the $80 billion Democrats approved to help catch more tax cheats. But as [Ben Steverman]( reports, former employees say more than money will be required to restore a [dysfunctional](tax agency gutted by budget cuts, staff departures and lousy tech. Murdoch, Fox Face $1.6 Billion Trial Over 2020 as Trump Surges Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News empire is going [on trial]( for airing false 2020 election fraud claims, even as it continues to struggle over its relationship with the man who most stoked those conspiracy theories: Donald Trump. It’s facing a possible $1.6 billion in damages. Brazil, China Can ‘Change World Governance’ Together, Lula Says Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defended stronger ties with Beijing to [reorient]( the global political order. [Simone Iglesias]( explains how that could boost Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans to counter decades of US preeminence in world affairs. Macron Misstep Shows EU Can’t Sit on Fence in New World Order The French president’s [misstep]( on a state visit to China and the rush to reaffirm Western unity that followed were a clumsy reminder of the high stakes Europe faces as it wrestles to secure its place in a shifting world order. [Alberto Nardelli](, [Arne Delfs]( and [Alonso Soto]( explain. - Macron enacted his controversial [pension reform]( today after clearing a constitutional hurdle, allowing him to try to move past the episode that’s sparked months of protests and dented his popularity. Best of Bloomberg Explainers This Week - [All We Know About the Leak of Classified US Military Documents]( - [Conflicting Rulings Over Abortion Pill Add to Chaos Over Access]( - [How Irish Unity Got a Boost From Brexit, Demographics]( - [Why Turkey’s Election Is a Big Test for Erdogan]( - Malaysia’s $14 Billion Row With Heirs of Sulu Sultan]( Israel Generals Give a Stark Warning: Its Enemies Smell Blood Deadly violence scarred Israel’s Passover holiday and prompted a deeply divided society to [agree]( on one thing: Its enemies smell blood. [Amy Teibel]( and [Ethan Bronner]( look at how a surprising number of security experts say Netanyahu is to blame. Kim Jong Un’s ‘Respected Daughter’ Becomes Weapons-Test Fixture While children across North Korea spent the day in school, the preteen daughter of leader Kim Jong Un watched a test of a nuclear missile. The world doesn’t officially know her age or name, yet since November she has been a [staple]( of the state propaganda apparatus, [Jon Herskovitz]( writes. Kim and his daughter attend a celebration of the test-launch of an ICBM on Nov. 27 Photographer: KCNA via KNS Milk May Become a Hurdle in Modi’s Inflation Fight in India Milk is ubiquitous in India — from the morning glassful that most middle-class school kids drink to its use in Hindu religious rituals. Now it could become a [headache]( for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government as prices soar, [Adrija Chatterjee]( writes. Kenyan Runner’s Murder Opens a Window on Violence Against Women The western Kenyan town of Iten, a training ground for elite long-distance runners, is suffering from cases of alleged domestic abuse — and even murder — of female athletes. [Simon Marks]( reports on how women are confronting [violence]( that’s rising amid an influx of money tied to sports. And finally … Argentina’s record drought is worsening inflation, undermining economic growth and sending the peso to new lows ahead of October presidential elections. [Patrick Gillespie]( and [Jonathan Gilbert]( explain how it could also portend a [dramatic swing]( in the country’s political direction. A farmer holds a dried soybean plant in San Jose de la Esquina, Argentina, on April 6. Photographer: Natalia Favre/Bloomberg Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. 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