The Brazilian Supreme Court sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for leading a criminal organization that plotted a military coup to overthrow the government following his 2022 election loss. Along with Bolsonaro, several high-ranking officials, including former defense ministers and his aide-de-camp, were also convicted in the trial that highlighted attempts to return Brazil to dictatorship, culminating in the January 2023 Brasília riots. This is another warning sign of just how much political institutions are failing to sustain a sense of legitimacy all throughout the world. While people are quick to dismiss dissent, it is perhaps more important that we begin to understand the origins of this level of distrust.

Cuba's national power grid recently collapsed, and this event marked the fourth nationwide blackout in less than a year. The blackout left nearly 10 million residents without electricity amid ongoing fuel shortages and an antiquated power system. By the next day, over half of the generating capacity was restored, with 80% of Havana back online, as authorities work to fully recover service while planning long-term solutions like solar power installations with China. Infrastructure is perhaps the most critical outcome of good politics, so it is all the more important that citizens and politicians remain adamant that infrastructural needs be presented as nonnegotiables by our representatives.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a plan to expand the E1 settlement area with over 3,000 new housing units, declaring there will be no Palestinian state and aiming to double the population of Ma’ale Adumim. This move, criticized for bisecting the West Bank and undermining a two-state solution, comes as the European Parliament voted to urge EU states to recognize Palestine amid international opposition to Israeli settlements. Israel increasingly appears to be willing to hold the entire world hostage if their demands are not met on their exact terms. The EU just moved to recognize a Palestinian state, so the question may not simply be settled by the edicts of Netanyahu.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed an approximately $893 billion defense authorization bill with a 231-196 vote, including a 3.8% pay raise for service members and an increase of 26,000 troops. The bill repeals two 2003 war powers authorizations but includes controversial restrictions on transgender health care and abortion services, leading to Democratic opposition and requiring further negotiations with the Senate.

The U.S. Department of Justice requested an emergency court ruling to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook before the upcoming interest rate meeting, following President Trump's attempt to fire her over allegations of pre-confirmation mortgage fraud. A lower court had blocked the removal, ruling that 'for cause' applies only to misconduct in office, prompting the appeal that could impact Fed independence and potentially reach the Supreme Court. It will be interesting to see how this jockeying for power plays out, as there is a glaring gap in constitutional precedent regarding the president's ability to force these changes at the Federal Reserve.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer forced a vote on an amendment to the NDAA requiring the Justice Department to release all Jeffrey Epstein files, which was narrowly tabled 51-49 with some Republican support for disclosure. This action highlights ongoing efforts to uncover Epstein-related information, including a separate bill for financial reports and a House discharge petition nearing the required signatures for a vote. The release of the Epstein files is paramount not only to bring forth justice but because it has become such an important litmus test for our commitment to transparency and the rule of law.

The Missouri House approved a new congressional map that splits Kansas City into three Republican-leaning districts, aiming to create a 7-1 GOP delegation by diluting Democratic votes in the 5th District. Critics, including the National Baptist Convention, denounced the plan for using the historic racially divisive Troost Avenue as a boundary and silencing Black and brown communities, with the map now heading to the Senate amid concerns over its constitutionality. Political gerrymandering has long been considered legal, so I think despite the frustration regarding the dilution of Black votes, this is a fight that can only be settled by persuading voters, in this case Black voters, to find representation through political jockeying in a geographic zone.

The Minneapolis City Council voted 6-4 to authorize a lawsuit against property owner Hamoudi Sabri for allowing a homeless encampment on his East Lake Street parking lot, citing public health nuisances like lack of sanitation and drug paraphernalia. Despite Sabri's refusal to clear the site after fines and city cleanup, the legal action aims to obtain a court order to remove the encampment, amid debates on addressing homelessness more comprehensively. This is interesting because tackling homelessness remains a tricky battle for all metro areas throughout the country. Perhaps this type of lawfare provides an unconventional path forward.

Bluesky has introduced age verification for users in South Dakota and Wyoming to comply with local online safety laws, requiring methods like ID or payment card processed through third-party services. Unverified or underage users in these states will be barred from viewing adult content or using direct messaging, distinguishing from broader laws in other states that Bluesky has chosen not to operate under. One of the major challenges going forward will be how to police the internet, particularly regarding ensuring youth aren't harmed by engaging in inappropriate activities. This patchwork framework might work as it is different in each state, but perhaps something more unified at the federal level is needed.

Illinois saw an increase of 27,000 union members in 2024, the first non-pandemic rise since 2017, following a constitutional amendment protecting collective bargaining rights. Michigan added 15,000 members after repealing its right-to-work law in 2023, marking the first such reversal in decades and highlighting the impact of pro-union policies amid national trends. Unionizing has to be allowed and is generally a good thing, especially at a time when the power of capital has gotten cartoonishly significant.