Israel Begins Ground Invasion of Gaza The Israeli military initiated a major ground incursion into Gaza City, escalating operations against Hamas amid heavy fighting and civilian displacements. A United Nations inquiry has determined that Israel's conduct in the conflict meets the criteria for genocide, highlighting evidence of intentional destruction and violations of international humanitarian law. We continue to wonder what it will take for the genocidal campaign to come to an end.
Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates, Indicates More to Come TIndicates More to Come. The Federal Reserve has implemented a quarter-point interest rate cut, lowering the key rate to a range of 4.00% to 4.25%, in response to a slowing job market with only 22,000 jobs added in August and unemployment at 4.3%. Officials have signaled potential for three additional cuts this year, adopting a data-dependent approach amid inflation at 2.9% and mixed market reactions including gains in the Dow. Short of abolishing the Federal Reserve, there is not much that can be done but hope the decision-making of the Federal Reserve does not cause more harm than good. In this case, it does appear that if they don’t continue to cut rates, unemployment will get too high, so in the end, this is the right decision.
French Unions Strike Against Budget Cuts as Demands Increase for Higher Taxes on the Ultra-Rich Hundreds of thousands participated in strikes and protests across France against budget cuts, demanding higher taxes on the wealthy and more spending on public services, amid a deeply divided parliament. Perhaps France can serve as a prescient warning to other Western powers that fiscal instability cannot be swept under the rug forever.
Trump Considers Imposing $100,000 Fee on Companies for Each H-1B Visa Employee President Donald Trump is set to impose a $100,000 yearly fee per H-1B visa as part of his immigration reforms, potentially via a proclamation that will be signed soon. This measure aims to limit the program's use, which primarily benefits tech sectors employing skilled foreign workers. American capital is going to have to work with American labor as opposed to going around them to exploit foreign labor.
TikTok Will Continue to Operate in the U.S. A federal court ruled against a proposed ban on TikTok, allowing the app to remain available in the U.S. despite national security concerns tied to its Chinese parent company. The decision emphasizes free speech protections while the company commits to enhanced data safeguards for American users. The real problem with TikTok seems to be about the nature of the algorithm and the scale of addiction to brain-rotting content in the American youth. But it’s hard to imagine that there are good legal grounds for the company to be banned outright, so we might be left with some interesting questions about regulation.
Oklahoma Supreme Court Says State's New Social Studies Standards Look Too Much Like Christian Indoctrination The Oklahoma Supreme Court has blocked the rollout of new K-12 social studies standards, ruling they unconstitutionally promote Christianity. The decision follows challenges arguing the curriculum violates church-state separation by emphasizing religious themes in public education. The culture wars increasingly are having serious policy implications, and nowhere is that more true than in the fights in the Bible Belt regarding the relationship between educational standards and Christianity.
Tennessee Governor and President Team Up to Deploy Troops to Memphis Tennessee's governor and the U.S. president have jointly authorized National Guard deployment to Memphis to combat surging violent crime rates. Local residents and business owners have largely supported the initiative, citing improved security in high-crime areas as a key benefit. The National Guard is not a sustainable solution to crime; however, it's hard for me to describe the situation in Memphis as anything other than an emergency that requires swift and decisive action—like deploying the National Guard.
The Taliban Are Trying to Shut Off the Internet in Afghanistan to Fight 'Immorality' The Taliban ordered internet shutdowns in several Afghan provinces to curb "misuse of the internet" and prevent "immoral acts," with Wi-Fi and fiber internet services suspended in some areas. There are not many freedoms more important than the freedom to obtain information. Hopefully, the people of Afghanistan push against this repressive tactic by this illegitimate government.
Elon Musk Calls for Revolutionary Change Elon Musk addressed a massive anti-immigration rally in the UK, urging sweeping governmental reforms and criticizing current policies. The event, attended by over 100,000 people and labeled as far-right by critics, prompted widespread condemnation from British politicians for amplifying divisive rhetoric. Hopefully, people take seriously the growing tension in the UK. If the country cannot slow the rate of immigration, the consequences may be the disintegration of social harmony and possibly physical altercations amongst balkanized segments of the population.
