Poster Children of Gaza’s Hunger Crisis Are Actually Suffering from Other Illnesses. Plus. . .

It’s Monday, August 18. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: The world’s oldest Christian monastery loses its autonomy. What Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce teach us. And Hong Kong dissident Jimmy Lai, after 1,600 days in solitary confinement for opposing the CCP, finally reaches closing arguments in his show trial.

But first: A Free Press investigation of viral photos from Gaza.

Two weeks ago, I noticed something strange. A photo of an emaciated toddler in Gaza—so powerful that it landed on the front page of The New York Times. And not just in the Times. The same child showed up in articles by CNN, CBS, and NPR. Different news organizations, different photographers, the same boy.

That set off alarm bells. So I did something simple that perhaps no one else had done: I ran the names of children who had been shown in viral images of starvation in Gaza through Google Translate and combed Arabic media for any other details. What my reporting partner Tanya Lukyanova and I found was staggering: We were able to identify a dozen instances in which children who had been framed by mainstream media outlets as victims of alleged famine also suffered from serious pre-existing health conditions.

The resulting investigation reveals how some of America’s biggest newsrooms misled the public about Gaza’s hunger crisis, using images of gravely ill children to create the false impression that an entire population was starving. What happened when we reached out to all those newsrooms to ask why they published these images? Read our story to find out.

It may lead you to ask: Is there ever a remedy for misleading news?

Jed Rubenfeld, a Free Press columnist and professor of constitutional law at Yale Law School, tackles that question today when he explains Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s threat to sue the Times for allegedly defaming Israel in a July 24 article headlined “Gazans Are Dying of Starvation.”

Consider these stories in The Free Press two sides of the same coin: the problem and the remedy, if one is even possible.

—Olivia Reingold

• Donald Trump warmly welcomed Vladimir Putin at their summit in Alaska on Friday, echoing the Russian president’s push for a “peace agreement” over a ceasefire in Ukraine. It was widely seen as a diplomatic win for Putin that pressures Kyiv and Europe. In response, European and NATO leaders will join Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday to show support for the Ukrainian president, including trying to help him avoid being cornered into concessions.

• Three people were killed and nine injured when gunmen opened fire inside a Brooklyn hookah lounge in a suspected gang-related shooting early Sunday. Victims ranged in age from 19 to 61, shell casings littered the scene, and no arrests have been made.

• Jonathan Bush, cousin of former president George W. Bush, is weighing a run for Maine governor in 2026, potentially reviving the Bush political dynasty. Backed by family fundraisers and an exploratory committee, he faces the challenge of appealing to both moderate Republicans nostalgic for Bush-style politics and to Trump-aligned conservatives who dominate today’s GOP.

• Hurricane Erin, downgraded to a Category 3 storm from a Category 5, packed winds of 125 mph as of Sunday night and was expected to stay offshore, but forecasters warned of life-threatening rip currents, flooding, and 50-foot waves along the East Coast. Heavy rains swept Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and hurricane warnings were posted in parts of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

• The U.S. suspended visitor visas for Gazans after right-wing activist Laura Loomer highlighted evacuees arriving for medical treatment, calling them a threat. The decision drew praise from pro-Israel Republicans but comes as Gaza faces malnutrition, disease, and civilian deaths.

• Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said 1.6 million undocumented immigrants have left the U.S. in her first 200 days on the job. Noem cited enforcement efforts that had “unleashed” federal agents on “criminal illegal aliens,” the locked-down U.S. border, and the offer of $1,000 and a free flight to illegal immigrants who self-deport. An estimated 14.2 million illegal immigrants remained in the U.S. as of July.

• Bolivians voted Sunday in elections that could end nearly 20 years of socialist rule amid inflation, shortages, and dwindling gas revenues. Pro-business challengers Samuel Doria Medina and Jorge Tuto Quiroga lead the field, promising changes and warmer ties with Washington.

• Over 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants continued their strike on Sunday in defiance of a back-to-work order from the government, canceling hundreds of flights. The union accused the government of undercutting workers’ rights, while Air Canada says it offered major raises. The airline said it hopes to resume flights Monday.

• In Minnesota, a mechanic found a wallet lost 10 years ago by a Ford worker lodged inside the hood of a car with 151,000 miles. Still intact with IDs, cash, and gift cards, the wallet was returned to its grateful owner, who plans to preserve it as a family heirloom.