India's Supreme Court ordered the release of all stray dogs captured in New Delhi back to their original locations after sterilization and immunization, reversing a prior mandate to relocate them to shelters. The Supreme Court's recent ruling is part and parcel of the country's efforts to address the issue of over 2,000 daily dog bites and an estimated 500,000 to 1 million stray dogs in New Delhi. The ruling also involved requiring designated feeding areas for the dogs and excluded aggressive or rabid animals. The problem of stray animals is undoubtedly a meaningful problem in a city the size of New Delhi, so it's interesting to see the Supreme Court backtrack from its initial proclamation that the dogs must be taken off the streets.

Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested for allegedly misusing state funds to cover a personal trip for his wife's graduation ceremony in London after an official U.S. visit. He was remanded in custody until August 26, becoming the first ex-head of state detained under the new government's anti-corruption drive targeting previous leaders. I have a feeling the accusatory sentiments run much deeper than the charges indicate and that this was the act that could most easily be documented and prosecuted. Hopefully, however, this is not an indication of the government falling into a perpetual cycle of retribution for the previous administration as such behavior can only trigger a race to the bottom.

Classified IDF intelligence indicates that 83% of the 52,928 Palestinians killed in Gaza through May were civilians, with only about 8,900 identified as fighters from Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. This data contradicts Israeli assertions of a low civilian-to-combatant ratio, highlighting one of the highest civilian death rates in modern conflicts. This number of casualties is also suspiciously lower than the numbers reported by Palestinian authorities, making one wonder what the exact scale of civilian death in Gaza is.

The FBI executed court-authorized searches at former National Security Adviser John Bolton's Maryland home and Washington office as part of an investigation into his handling of classified information. Vice President JD Vance stated the probe is in early stages and not politically motivated, with no arrests made and no public safety threats identified. Despite the downplaying of the maneuver by the Vice President, this is undoubtedly a clear indication that the accusations of corruption are about to be acted upon in unprecedented ways. From our point of view, Bolton's behavior appeared seditious over the last several years, and seemed to be driven by a fervor to ensure his political enemy (Donald Trump) did not attain the presidency.

Canada has removed most of its 25% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods effective September 1, following a constructive call between Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump. Tariffs remain on U.S. autos, steel, and aluminum as negotiations begin for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement review amid trade and security discussions. While I remain pro-tariff in principle, it is good to see things calm down amongst neighbors as too much tension in such a small space is obviously perilous for everyone involved. Also, this may serve as a useful check on the growing hubris of the Canadian government.

The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to permit the Trump administration to end $783 million in NIH grants tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, overriding a federal judge's order to continue funding. The ruling aligns with a prior decision on similar Education Department grants, drawing dissent for perceived inconsistencies in legal application. The research community, which ought to be protected, does have some serious explaining to do as to why so much of their effort was dedicated to ideologically grounded inquiry as opposed to research agendas which are purely scientifically justifiable.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills creating new congressional districts to help Democrats gain five seats, countering a partisan gerrymander in Texas designed to increase Republican representation. The plan requires voter approval in a November 4 special election and would apply to House races in 2026, 2028, and 2030. We here at Mituye again contend that political gerrymandering is a dangerous game but squarely within the rules. However, we remain skeptical that this move in California will be as widely endorsed as Newsom seems to believe it will be. The Democrats are hemorrhaging support, so I'm not sure they will be able to generate the popular coalition necessary to get the bill advanced.

Denver city officials laid off 169 employees and eliminated 666 vacant positions to address a $250 million budget shortfall, with notifications completed by mid-August. The cuts, representing about 2% of the general fund workforce, disproportionately affected smaller offices like Children's Affairs, amid broader financial challenges. Denver, like many cities that are looking to reflect the values of a largely progressive base of residents, will continue to struggle with funding as the breadth of issues voters would like to see acted upon are not within the fiscal constraints the city must adhere to. I hate to see reductions and harm like this so it is important that we engage in budgeting conversations with a clear-sighted understanding of what they entail for the future.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek both rejected U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's demands to repeal sanctuary policies, emphasizing compliance with federal law while protecting immigrant communities from targeted enforcement. Bondi's threats included potential criminal charges and loss of federal funding, but the governors affirmed their states' values and commitment to resident safety without aiding immigration enforcement. The federal structure cannot remain intact if subordinate bodies to the federal government continue to be noncompliant. This country has a long and fraught history of states refusing to recognize the authority of the federal government and nearly always ends in disaster with the federal government winning in the end.

Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley endorsed Sheriff Kevin McMahill's agreement with ICE, which allows local police to enforce federal immigration laws, including detaining undocumented individuals for up to 48 hours. The deal was signed shortly after the city was labeled a sanctuary jurisdiction by DHS, with Metro Police bearing all associated costs, potentially including significant overtime expenses. Again, this is a relatively controversial arrangement; however, it seems like the Sheriff, who has sworn a constitutional oath, has an obligation to behave in ways that sustain our constitutional order. If Americans are repelled by the decisions of the federal government they are going to have to electorally shift the logic of the federal government by changing out public officials.