The United Nations proposes a $577 million reduction in its 2026 regular budget to $3.24 billion, slashing 2,681 positions or 18.8% of staff amid $1.6 billion in unpaid dues from member states, including major contributors like the United States and Russia. Special political missions face a 21.6% cut through closures and streamlined operations, while a new UN report warns that artificial intelligence could exacerbate economic, skill, and governance divides between rich and poor countries, risking spillover effects like increased migration and security threats. We are on the brink of a world without the U.N. as we know it, but perhaps because the U.N. was never truly capable of making good on its grandest promises.

India's telecom ministry has ordered manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi to preload the non-deletable Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices within 90 days to combat cybersecurity threats, including phone theft, smuggling, and fraudulent IMEI spoofing. The app, which tracks locations and accesses calls, messages, photos, and the camera, has already facilitated over 700,000 lost-phone recoveries and terminated 30 million fraudulent connections among 1.2 billion subscribers, though officials describe usage as voluntary despite mandatory installation. This is a textbook example of how pitches for increased safety often lay the groundwork for permanent and unavoidable government surveillance.

NATO's Military Committee chair has called for a more aggressive stance against Russia's intensifying hybrid attacks, including potential pre-emptive cyber strikes and physical sabotage responses, while European allies conduct training exercises to defend against invasion with limited U.S. support amid troop reductions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated his readiness to fight if Europe initiates conflict, claiming capture of Ukraine's strategic Pokrovsk city despite Ukrainian denials, as U.S. envoys discuss a peace plan requiring Ukrainian territorial concessions and military limits that Zelenskyy views as needing revisions for accountability and security guarantees. European leaders, particularly those tied to transnational entities like the EU and NATO, are putting the entire world on a fast track to World War III with their insistence that giving an inch to Putin will undermine collective security and national sovereignty.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recommends expanding the travel ban from 19 to 30–32 countries, including full restrictions on nations like Afghanistan already listed for vetting deficiencies and non-cooperation on deportations, following a D.C. shooting by an Afghan asylum seeker. The expansion halts visa processing for affected nationals, pauses all asylum decisions for enhanced screening, and reviews existing green cards as part of a broader crackdown on immigration deemed a national security threat. Much like the decision to review all the files of refugees from Afghanistan, this massive overhaul in reaction to a single shooting makes government officials look weak, scared, and reactionary.

The Justice Department has launched the Second Amendment Rights Section within its Civil Rights Division to safeguard gun owners’ rights, building on an April task force that proposed easing firearm access for former prisoners and other measures. Attorney General Pam Bondi described the initiative as establishing the most pro-Second Amendment DOJ in history, emphasizing that the constitutional right to bear arms is not an afterthought. Over the last several decades lawmakers at every level have been trying to chip away at Second Amendment protections, so it is refreshing to see the DOJ finally used as it should be to ensure Americans can fully enjoy the rights they are entitled to.

Jared Isaacman, renominated after a summer withdrawal amid a Trump–Musk dispute, testified before the Senate on priorities like beating China to a sustained Moon presence for scientific, economic, and security gains while expanding nuclear-propulsion investments for Mars and deep-space missions. The billionaire SpaceX veteran, in his second confirmation hearing, aims to accelerate commercial partnerships and address the U.S.–China lunar race through increased funding for advanced technologies. It looks like the new head of NASA will be a billionaire with deep private-sector experience. Somehow it seems to us that an academic type accustomed to working in the public sector might be better suited for this kind of role, because a country is not (and will never be) a corporation.

A state panel has released a blueprint for adult-use cannabis sales starting November 2026, featuring an 8% state tax plus up to 3.5% local excise, elimination of opt-out options for jurisdictions, and priority licensing for small Virginia-based micro-businesses capped at five outlets each. The plan includes direct-to-consumer delivery, zoning controls with buffer zones, revenue reinvestment in communities harmed by past drug policies, and support from Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger to curb illicit markets and boost public safety. We try to highlight the spread of marijuana legalization throughout the country; the piecemeal approach allows us to see the inner workings of each state as it pertains to adhering to the will of the people.

Mayor Muriel Bowser, in office since 2015, announced she will not run for a fourth term, paving the way for at least four declared candidates including Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, a 37-year-old democratic socialist who qualified for public funding by raising $40,000 in small donations within hours. Lewis George proposes expanding rent control, universal afterschool programs, renewable energy investments, and increasing police staffing to 4,000 officers, while potential rivals like At-Large Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie prepare campaigns in the Democratic stronghold. D.C. has long skewed left and Black in terms of political leadership, so we can expect to see the most progressive elements of the Democratic Party unveil what they envision as a winning platform for a major urban hub.

Metro Council is voting on a $15 million state grant, with $9 million for police tech upgrades like noise-detecting cameras, an armored vehicle, mobile command post, brighter lights, and public restrooms, plus $6 million for downtown partnership operations including safety ambassadors and outreach for the unhoused and mental-health support. Critics decry expanded surveillance via new software and monitors as risking overreach against vulnerable groups like immigrants and Black communities, despite assurances of no new cameras or added police powers and an emphasis on infrastructure for tourist safety. The question of surveillance has been triggering for many urban communities; many are attempting to reject the expansion of the surveillance state. It seems to us that such outcomes are inevitable, and while the pushback is laudable, it is similar to trying to hold back a pitbull with a piece of floss, because it won’t work.

The state has proposed allocating $1 billion over five years from a federal program to establish six regional ROOTS hubs in 85 rural counties for coordinated care, data sharing, and nonmedical services like nutrition and transportation. The plan expands the workforce, introduces payment models for distressed facilities, revives food-as-medicine initiatives, and could disburse funds as early as December 2025 to address longstanding health disparities. As the world increasingly becomes urbanized, it is interesting to see various localities figure out how to provide public goods to those in rural communities, groups that are often an afterthought when major policy frameworks and institutions are revamped.