Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an interview that Israel will conquer all of Gaza regardless of any ceasefire or hostage deal with Hamas. He went on to compare the operation to the Allies conquering Berlin in World War II. The move comes as Israel has also approved a massive settlement project in the West Bank, which could divide the territory and thereby hinder a future Palestinian state from developing. Israel continues to give credence to those who believe that its aim in this war may not simply be the defeat of Hamas but is rather the erasure of the Palestinian people.

A U.S. thinktank report revealed an undeclared North Korean base near the Chinese border housing up to nine nuclear-capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. The base is part of North Korea's expanding nuclear program, which has accelerated since failed 2019 talks with the U.S., and reflects closer ties with Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. North Korea's nuclear ambitions have long been a quagmire for the global community as many see the country's leadership as unstable and generally irrational. However, given the history of North Korea, it is not surprising that they would continue to position themselves to be a persistent threat to the enemies they view as posing their country an existential threat.

The three countries have established the Great Mayan Jungle Biocultural Corridor, a reserve covering over 14 million acres to combat deforestation and organized crime like drug smuggling. The initiative includes increasing security, engaging local communities with economic incentives, and forming oversight committees to avoid harmful megaprojects. These governments have had a hard time dealing with organized crime in their respective territory so this joint venture appears to be ambitious, though it does seem laudable and worthwhile if they can pull it off. This type of cooperation can also foster goodwill and key communication pipelines that can serve these countries well in the future.

The Ninth Circuit Court permitted the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Nepal, affecting over 60,000 people. Also, the State Department announced ongoing reviews of all 55 million active immigrant visas for potential deportable offenses. There is deep concern amongst many that such maneuvers by the federal government create an unreasonable amount of uncertainty for those in the country on these temporary arrangements. That fear is certainly understandable as having such a status leaves one vulnerable to being removed at the discretion of federal actors.

The New York Appellate Division ruled the $500 million civil fraud penalty against Trump excessive under the Eighth Amendment, though it upheld fraud liability and business restrictions. Trump hailed the decision as a total victory, while Attorney General Letitia James plans to appeal. Importantly, James currently faces investigations into her actions which seem to indicate that her use of judicial power was in fact politically motivated. It is not surprising that an attorney general in a state like New York allowed their animus for Trump as a political actor to override standing obligations like maintaining a commitment to fair prosecution. Perhaps it is best to defeat Trump and Trumpism electorally as opposed to through lawfare, especially if that lawfare requires going around procedural guidelines.

The U.S. sanctioned four ICC officials for pursuing prosecutions against U.S. and Israeli citizens, labeling the court a national security threat. The ICC condemned the move as an attack on its independence, while Israel welcomed it amid ongoing tensions over Gaza-related warrants. It's fine to push against international bodies like the ICC, but what concerns us is the motivation behind the pushback. Increasingly it appears that the United States government will follow the Israeli government into hell and back and the reasons for this allegiance are increasingly fraught with vague claims of allyship and mutual aid.

Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit alleging TikTok exploits children through addictive features, potentially causing mental health issues and financial harm. This action joins similar suits by 13 other states and D.C., as TikTok faces a September 2025 deadline for ByteDance to sell U.S. assets over security concerns. This lawsuit is quite interesting in that it wrestles with a question that has been at the heart of many concerns regarding social media which is how comfortable are we with the knowledge that we are allowing addictive applications to go more or less unregulated. Answering this question becomes all the more urgent when we are further forced to reconcile with what it means for children to have unfettered access to these addictive apps.

Mayor Joe Hogsett's 2026 budget proposal totals \(1.7 billion, a \)56 million increase, with nearly 40% allocated to public safety including police and fire enhancements. It also funds infrastructure, homelessness programs, and parks, marking the ninth balanced budget without tax hikes, now under City-County Council review. As you may know, I have a deep disdain for taxation, so I'm happy to see the city continue to find ways to fund the government without increasing the already significant burden on taxpayers. Also the city should receive high marks for routinely observing fiscal constraints and pursuing a balanced budget.

Governor JB Pritzker enacted laws requiring crypto exchanges to maintain financial reserves, cybersecurity, and consumer protections, while capping ATM fees and transactions. He also criticized the Trump administration for allowing industry influence on federal policy. Hopefully other state leaders are not as blind to the demands of the future as Pritzker is when it comes to cryptocurrency. Pritzker has been an outspoken critic of Trump's reign as president, however, he should not let his contentious relationship with the president cause him to be short-sighted in relation to tangential issues of governance like managing regulations related to cryptocurrency. No matter his motivation, it would serve us all well if political leaders embrace as opposed to attempt to thwart the advancement of crypto.

An investigation found cascading failures in St. Louis's emergency response to the May 16 tornado, which killed five and caused over $1 billion in damage, including non-functional sirens and absent staff. Mayor Cara Spencer implemented fixes like automatic siren activation and placed the emergency management head on leave to address systemic issues. Some have pointed out that in part the city's response may be reflective of a lack of care for Black residents as much of the damage took place in Black neighborhoods. While if that is the case that is truly abhorrent, it is worth noting that at least in this moment the city is attempting to take accountability for its failure and looking to create better systems for dealing with natural disasters going forward.