The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was signed in Egypt, officially ending the two-year conflict that began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack. Hostages held in Gaza for two years were freed as part of the deal, with Trump pushing for regional peace expansion through the Abraham Accords and potential Gulf nation involvement in Gaza’s reconstruction. While the genocide in Gaza will likely haunt our collective memory and geopolitics for years, it is a wonderful thing to see the hostages released and the war come to an end.

Renewed fighting in South Sudan between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and suspended First Vice President Riek Machar has displaced about 300,000 people in 2025, with many fleeing to neighboring countries like Sudan and Uganda. The crisis arises from the breakdown of a 2017 power-sharing agreement, fueled by corruption, ethnic violence, and leadership failures, resulting in over 2.5 million refugees overall. The situation in Sudan is one of the most tragic in the world and really does not appear to be heading in the direction of peace.

Indonesia, aiming for quick membership under President Prabowo Subianto, has allocated funds for paid-in capital to join the BRICS-sponsored New Development Bank (NDB). The NDB, founded in 2015 with $100 billion authorized capital, has financed $39 billion in projects focused on infrastructure and renewable energy across its expanding membership. It is an astounding time we are living in as U.S. hegemony is eroding and creating the opportunity for what many have called the multi-polar world. BRICS is a necessary counterbalance to the Western dominance the world has endured since the Liberal International Order was forged after WWII.

The surge in U.S. stock futures was driven by a tech stock recovery after a $2 trillion market value loss the previous week. President Trump’s reassuring statements on Truth Social about resolving issues with China, following tariff threats, eased trade war fears and boosted investor confidence in potential negotiations. While we remain quite skeptical of the role of speculation in a healthy economy, it is somewhat refreshing to be reminded that volatility in the market is a consequence of many actors making choices and not always something to panic about.

The U.S. Supreme Court is rehearing a case that could weaken or eliminate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act which is the primary safeguard against racial gerrymandering in electoral districts. A report warns that this ruling, paired with Republican mid-decade redistricting, could add 27 safe GOP House seats, entrenching Republican control for a generation and disproportionately impacting minority voters in states like Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The VRA is one of the trickiest pieces of legislation in the 20th century as it is well-intended but clearly problematic and controversial. Likely the court will strike down this piece of the legislation and we will likely find their reasoning to be sound.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that U.S. provision of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could have dire consequences for all parties due to the inability to distinguish nuclear from conventional versions in flight. President Trump suggested supplying these offensive weapons if the Russia-Ukraine war remains unresolved, while continuing efforts to negotiate peace between the two nations. It seems that it would be best to heed the warnings of Russia in this case as providing these types of weapons to Ukraine gives good reason for the Russian government to see the conflict in Ukraine as an attempt by Western powers to create an existential threat.

Pennsylvania’s budget impasse has now persisted for 100 days past the June deadline, escalating tensions between House Democrats and Senate Republicans during their first joint sessions. Democrats passed a $50.3 billion budget emphasizing education and Medicaid funding, while Republicans push to maintain last year’s $47.6 billion spending level amid mutual accusations of political maneuvering. The inability of the government to be productive and accomplish its critical tasks like creating a budget is particularly troubling given so many agencies and institutions are reliant on the state’s budget to chart their plans.

Massachusetts municipalities are facing unprecedented fiscal pressures from escalating costs and insufficient state aid, while at the same time being constrained by legislation which created an annual property tax increase cap. Local officials report challenges in funding essential services like health care and education, with real spending growth at just 0.6% annually from 2010 to 2022, far below the state’s 2.8%. There is a looming fiscal crisis at the local levels in nearly every region of the country, and we can not voice strongly enough that the American public’s preoccupation with the federal government has got to be addressed in short order or we will begin to see signs of real decay.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signed an executive order mandating Project Labor Agreements for city-funded contracts to ensure fair wages, benefits, safety, and training standards. Union leaders commended the order for leveling the playing field between union and non-union contractors and prioritizing local, skilled workers for projects. It seems like this deal is intended to bolster the bargaining power of labor, which is typically a good thing.

The New York City Council approved amendments requiring employers with 200 or more employees to submit annual pay data reports to detect disparities based on gender, race, and ethnicity. The city will perform yearly pay equity studies using aggregated data and issue public recommendations, with penalties for non-compliance including civil fines and public listing. While well-intended, this is the type of dangerous legislation which can entrench government bureaucracy in the day-to-day operations of businesses in NYC.