The Israeli cabinet has approved a plan to systematically register land in the occupied West Bank under Israeli civil law, a move that applies property regulations previously limited to inside Israel’s 1967 borders. Palestinians and neighboring countries condemn the decision as de facto annexation that formalizes control over contested territory and accelerates settler claims. The process is expected to prioritize state land declarations, making it harder for Palestinians to prove ownership and deepening displacement concerns in Area C. It appears evident that Israel's ambition is to incorporate all of Gaza into the Israeli state and they've increasingly hinted at occupying areas far beyond the current borders of Israel. The only constraint on Israel's ambitions would have to come from external confrontation as those with the most official sway in Israel seem to be unabashed in their ambition to dominate the area.

A UN investigation concluded that the Rapid Support Forces killed at least 6,000 civilians in a single assault on El Fasher last year, with evidence pointing to deliberate targeting of ethnic groups and possible war crimes. The attack has intensified Sudan’s civil war, displacing thousands more in Darfur and straining humanitarian access. As the African Union summit opened in Addis Ababa, leaders confronted multiple continental conflicts, climate extremes, and geopolitical rivalries, including Saudi-UAE tensions in the Horn of Africa. Africa's population is going to explode at a much greater pace over the course of this century than many other continents. The level of instability in so many regions on the continent is deplorable and we collectively must put our heads together to create sustainable institutions and economic arrangements to ensure the people of Africa thrive going forward.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, drawing France's Macron and Brazil's Lula, along with CEOs from major tech firms to address AI’s societal risks and governance needs. Discussions focused on equitable access, ethical frameworks, and preventing job displacement in developing economies. Attendees faced long queues and logistical confusion on opening day, but the event still spotlighted India’s push to shape global AI standards. The public at large does not have a good grasp on the intensity of the rapid changes occurring in AI and that seems to me to be a much more important imperative going forward than ensuring elites are on the same page in terms of regulation. It appears the cat is out of the bag and much like regulating the internet, regulating AI in a meaningful way will be a nearly impossible task.

Court-ordered unsealing of documents containing hundreds of names associated with Jeffrey Epstein has implicated prominent figures and triggered scrutiny of institutions including Goldman Sachs, Harvard, and Yale over past ties. The broad release has fueled accusations that the list was intentionally expanded to dilute focus on specific high-profile connections. Political reactions include warnings of internal MAGA tensions and claims the documents were handled to obscure clearer accountability. The conspiracy theorists deserve a round of applause; now we are all aware that there is a ring of well-connected elites who have been operating as though they are above the law for quite some time now. The looming question is how the general public will respond and how institutions will comport their behavior such that the American public has any reason to believe the rule of law is even somewhat intact.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., leading health policy efforts, is challenging the FDA’s GRAS designation that lets companies self-certify thousands of food additives as safe without mandatory agency review. The current system has allowed widespread inclusion of ultra-processed ingredients linked to health risks, with roughly 60% of the American diet now consisting of such foods. Kennedy and allies aim to close regulatory loopholes, require stricter testing, and shift toward whole-food priorities. The American public is absurdly unhealthy and undoubtedly a key element in those outcomes is a food supply riddled with detrimental substances. If the MAHA effort is successful in both rewriting food guidelines and creating wellness-based regulations on the food supply it may in the end be a success.

At the Munich Security Conference, Secretary Marco Rubio delivered a sharp critique of European policies on immigration and culture, warning they risk “civilizational erasure” and urging alignment with U.S. priorities. He outlined the Trump administration’s expectations for NATO burden-sharing and signaled red lines on issues like energy dependence and relations with China. The speech, alongside other U.S. addresses, left European leaders navigating mixed signals on transatlantic commitment and America’s global role. The consensus seems to be that the old world order established after WWII has completely broken down and now we all wait with bated breath to see what emerges in its wake. I remain optimistic that it is the multipolar world and that this arrangement will be superior to the liberal world order that preceded it.

The New Hampshire House approved legislation to legalize psilocybin for supervised therapeutic use, allowing regulated access for mental health treatment. Separate measures advanced to broaden medical and religious vaccine exemptions and reconsider school immunization mandates. Vaccine-skeptic lawmakers renewed efforts to roll back requirements, citing parental choice and concerns over past policies. New Hampshire has a deep libertarian sensibility so it is not surprising that they would advance these measures which give residents more choice in health-related decisions. It also is a good reminder of the utility of federalism as we all may get to learn from the outcomes which occur in New Hampshire.

Governor Josh Shapiro and regional grid operator PJM reached agreement to extend a temporary cap on wholesale electricity capacity prices, preventing projected spikes that could have raised consumer bills significantly. The cap addresses market distortions in the 13-state PJM region and buys time for longer-term reliability fixes. Consumer advocates and state officials hailed the deal as critical protection against volatile energy costs. This is an important measure as it is unreasonable to have people buried under the cost of energy; however, it is clearly a stopgap measure and the real question looms which is how do we sustainably get energy costs down.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced resumption of four paused transit and housing projects, including bus and bike lane improvements in Brooklyn and the Bronx previously halted under the prior administration. The city secured $1.5 billion in state aid to ease immediate fiscal strain, though a looming multi-billion-dollar deficit continues to threaten ambitious plans. Budget watchdogs urged spending restraint and cautioned against new tax proposals to close gaps. The people of NYC have spoken in terms of the direction they would like to see leaders head in but it does seem like too much aggression in that regard may collide with current fiscal constraints in a way that leaves the city in a worse situation than it previously was.

Mayor Michelle Wu endorsed a proposed statewide ballot question that would lift Massachusetts’ ban on local rent control and stated she would personally vote for it. The measure faces legal challenges from opponents seeking to block it from the ballot, while supporters argue it is needed to curb housing costs. Wu expressed preference for a legislative compromise but maintained strong support for giving cities tools to stabilize rents. While nearly everyone on the side of working people agrees that rent prices have got to come down, what I foresee is that rent control is not a sustainable solution.