French unions have led nationwide strikes and protests against a proposed austerity budget featuring 44 billion euros in spending cuts to tackle a 5.8% GDP deficit, resulting in political instability and the resignation of a previous prime minister. Demonstrations involving tens of thousands across over 200 cities demand fiscal justice, a wealth tax, and reversal of pension reforms, with clashes leading to arrests and heightened police deployment. We have routinely returned to the situation in France as it is very much the canary in the coal mine given the fiscal irresponsibility of Western powers in the last half century.

China launched the K-visa on October 1, which is designed to attract foreign STEM professionals with bachelor’s degrees or higher, offering flexibility without requiring employer sponsorship to enhance technological competitiveness amid U.S. restrictions. The policy has triggered widespread social media backlash amid 19% youth unemployment and 12.2 million new graduates, with concerns over job competition and nationalist sentiments prompting state media defenses. Perhaps governments throughout the world will come to recognize that countries are not simply machines to improve GDP and that citizens have expectations that they will be able to find work and develop their talents in their homeland.

Ethiopia has started building its inaugural oil refinery at a cost of $2.5 billion, constructed by China’s Golden Concord Group Ltd., to produce 3.5 million tons of fuel annually and decrease reliance on imports. The project is divided into two phases, with the first phase slated for completion within 24 months to support domestic energy needs. Once again it appears that an African power does not quite comprehend what is lost when ambitious projects are not undertaken with African ingenuity and labor.

The U.S. Department of Energy has terminated over $7.5 billion in funding for more than 200 clean energy projects across 16 Democratic-leaning states, deeming them economically unviable and insufficient for national energy priorities. Impacted initiatives include hydrogen hubs in California and the Pacific Northwest, grid upgrades in Minnesota, and other renewables, with recipients given 30 days to appeal amid criticisms of targeting blue states. This decision feels aggressive, but perhaps there is good reason to rethink how much responsibility the federal government should have to fund infrastructure projects at the state level.

The U.S. proposed requiring Taiwan to produce 50% of America’s semiconductor needs domestically to bolster supply chain security, but Taiwan rejected it as exploitative and unfeasible given the complex global chain. Discussions instead centered on tariff reductions, with Taiwanese leaders emphasizing the “silicon shield” protecting against Chinese threats and potential economic coercion if complied with. This tension makes sense on both sides as a major bargaining chip in its rejection of Chinese imperialism is its relationship with the U.S. regarding chip production. At the same time, the U.S. obviously has tremendous interests in making sure this production is taking place domestically.

President Trump has declared the U.S. in a non-international armed conflict with drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations. In fact, the president authorized military strikes on Caribbean smuggling boats that killed at least 17 people just last month. The actions, targeting Venezuelan vessels linked to groups like Tren de Aragua, have sparked legal debates over executive authority, war powers, and whether drug trafficking qualifies as hostilities under international law. This seems to be a further demonstration that conflict between the U.S. government and Latin American regimes is not deescalating and in fact is going in the wrong direction. Hopefully Latin American countries can reject attempts to erode their sovereignty and at the same time can manage to rein in the significance of its criminal actors who violate U.S. law.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has launched a $50.6 billion infrastructure initiative funded by state, federal, and private sources to upgrade transit, rail, marine, and roadways statewide. Highlights include $270 million for Rockford-Chicago passenger rail restoration, $388.8 million for Chicago-Quad Cities service, and improvements to over 7,000 miles of roads, aiming to generate jobs and better connectivity. The country has failing infrastructure in so many areas so it is nice to see a governor focused on essential responsibilities such as improving infrastructure throughout the state.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has pledged to challenge Missouri’s new congressional district map, labeling the mid-decade redistricting as a regressive step. The mayor voiced these intentions in a radio interview, tying the issue to broader local concerns like traffic safety and community impacts. It remains unclear to us how the mayor intends to substantively fight this process but perhaps this is simply a way to indicate to his constituents that he shares their concerns about political gerrymandering.

Michigan lawmakers have approved a stopgap bill after missing the budget deadline, paving the way for a final budget that sustains universal free school meals and boosts per-pupil funding to $10,050. Key provisions include nearly $2 billion for road repairs, tax exemptions on tips, overtime, and Social Security, plus elimination of 2,000 unfilled positions and funding for military and disaster recovery. Fortunately, Michigan was able to overcome its difficulties in producing a budget and get something in place quickly given the recent failure of the federal government to keep itself open.

A bipartisan working group in Ohio has proposed 20 property tax reform recommendations, including $1.7 billion in credits over three years for owners in certain school districts and limits on levy increases to curb unvoted tax spikes. The measures focus on aiding seniors, closing loopholes like the LLC exemption, enhancing transparency in ballot language, and addressing housing shortages amid grassroots calls for full elimination. The rising property tax situation throughout the country has to be solved and perhaps this effort in Ohio can help demonstrate what can be done to keep property affordable for the majority of U.S. citizens.