Cameroon’s government attributes widespread internet outages to a technical cable cut, but protests have erupted across major cities like Douala and Yaoundé following allegations of electoral fraud in the October 2025 presidential election. Violent clashes between protesters and security forces have intensified, with opposition leader Maurice Kamto calling for electoral transparency, while significant disruptions to internet connectivity severely limit communication and access to information amid growing public unrest over President Paul Biya’s prolonged rule. The claim that the internet was disabled due to a technical problem feels like a cover story for government repression meant to obfuscate legitimate questions regarding the nature of the presidential election.

The European Union has adopted its 15th sanctions package targeting Russia’s energy sector, including measures to restrict oil exports, curb financial transactions, and impose asset freezes and travel bans on key Russian figures, in response to Russia’s ongoing aggression and a recent violation of NATO airspace over Lithuania. The sanctions aim to disrupt Russia’s economic stability and counter hybrid threats like cyberattacks, while Lithuania’s condemnation of Russian military aircraft entering its airspace prompted NATO to scramble fighter jets, confirming the incident as a deliberate provocation by Russia. It is increasingly difficult to not see these protracted proxy conflicts as a pretext for World War III and the structural realignment of the global power balance.

China’s Communist Party, under Xi Jinping’s leadership, has intensified its anti-corruption purge, promoting veteran military leader Zhang Shengmin to the rank of general, signaling a strategic reshuffle within the military elite. The campaign has reduced the ranks of political and military leadership, investigating over 50 senior officials in 2025 alone, framed as a fight against systemic corruption, though critics argue it serves to eliminate political rivals. It seems the CCP is focusing on those Xi sees as most loyal and valuable, indicating the country anticipates the need for alignment in the future, likely due to plans that may not sit well with much of the Chinese population and leaders likely to express dissent. Americans can observe the CCP’s behavior to better understand what authoritarianism looks like and means in relation to the use and abuse of power.

A Washington, D.C. man, detained in 2025 for playing the “Imperial March” from Star Wars to mock National Guard troops during a protest near the Capitol, has filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful arrest and violation of his First Amendment rights. The lawsuit claims excessive force and unlawful detention, seeking damages and policy changes, with the case raising broader implications for free speech during protests. It will be interesting to see how the courts handle this dispute, as such a frivolous use of policing power cannot be sustained by our constitutional order. People must have their rights protected, no matter the need or effectiveness of the Guard; they cannot arrest people for making jokes if we want to continue living in a free society.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy warns that the 23-day government shutdown threatens to disrupt air travel due to unpaid air traffic controllers, potentially causing delays at major airports. Controllers are working without pay, exacerbating staffing shortages, with stalled Senate negotiations and the broader impact on federal employee compensation risking further travel chaos during the busy holiday season. While much attention has rightly been paid to the shutdown’s implications for government programs aimed at meeting people’s needs, it is worth noting that the government is responsible for managing many public systems we use regularly, and the strain this prolonged shutdown will place on those systems will become more impactful soon as we approach the longest shutdown ever.

U.S. cybersecurity progress has stalled for the first time in years, exposing critical infrastructure to heightened risks from cyberattacks, with vulnerabilities in government and private sector systems. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has raised alarms about the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s outdated strategies, urging immediate reforms to address growing threats from state-sponsored hackers and ransomware groups. This warning comes amid growing global tensions and clear manifestations of security gaps, as bad actors have demonstrated the capacity to hack into our technological systems, posing an existential-level risk.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget proposal includes nearly $500 million in tax hikes, targeting large businesses and property owners to address a $1 billion deficit. Businesses are alarmed by a proposed tax revival on high payrolls, while Governor JB Pritzker warns that the increases could drive businesses out of the city, though Johnson defends the plan as necessary to protect Chicago’s fiscal stability. In short order, due to mismanagement, we could see fiscal problems lead to the collapse of the city of Chicago if things do not change quickly. Although such dire consequences seem impossible, many cities, including places like Oakland, Denver, New Orleans, and Philadelphia, may find themselves in the position Detroit was in if they do not dramatically alter their fiscal priorities.

Ohio’s House has passed legislation to cap property tax increases to the rate of inflation, aiming to alleviate financial burdens on homeowners, particularly in rapidly developing areas. The overhaul could defund public schools, potentially leading to the closure of free education programs, sparking heated debates over balancing tax relief with public service funding. The problem in Ohio cuts to the heart of the crisis in much of the country: we have lost the capacity to fund programs that are laudable and often necessary, like free education, without driving up tax rates to a degree that makes property ownership nearly impossible for large swaths of the public.

The Minnesota Supreme Court, in a nuanced ruling, found that USA Powerlifting’s 2019 ban on transgender athlete JayCee Cooper violated the state’s Human Rights Act, affirming the right to participate in women’s sports events. The 2025 decision sets a legal precedent for trans inclusion, ensuring equal access in athletic competitions across Minnesota and potentially influencing national policies. We believe the solution lies in an open category to protect competition spaces for females in sports; however, more importantly, this ruling sets a legal precedent for the nation to reach a conclusion on policy for this culture war issue. Even as we find cause to be upset with the implications of this ruling, it is useful in settling often heated debates about what is right and what is legal.

Virginia Democrats have launched an unexpected redistricting effort to redraw congressional maps, aiming to undo GOP gerrymanders that have favored Republican candidates, following years of legal battles over district lines. The surprise legislative push, focusing on fairer electoral boundaries, has sparked Republican accusations of political overreach, with the new maps potentially impacting the 2026 midterms. As we routinely note, political gerrymandering is a legal political maneuver, and if we wish to see this race to remake congressional seats cease, we the people need to collectively abandon our political allegiances in this failing two-party system.