The World Bank has upgraded its 2026 global GDP growth forecast to 2.6% (from 2.4%), citing stronger U.S. economic performance at 2.2% growth, robust consumer spending, and the ability of major economies to absorb trade disruptions from new tariffs. However, the report warns of fading long-term dynamism, projecting the 2020s as potentially the slowest growth decade since the 1960s, with developing countries facing persistently lower per-capita income than pre-pandemic levels and increased poverty risks due to high debt, weak investment, and climate vulnerabilities. I think the U.S. will continue to outperform previous predictions. I think much of the sentiment expressed by members of the intelligentsia was grounded in a standing conviction that Trump's brash agenda would cause the U.S. to decline. The overall stagnation is troubling though as inequality is already so high; it would seem that a lack of sustained growth would lead to a tremendous amount of social unrest.

EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has proposed establishing a permanent, unified European standing army of approximately 100,000 troops to create a credible rapid-response capability independent of national forces, driven by Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine and uncertainty over future U.S. military commitments. He also called for a new European Security Council, comprising 10-12 members including major EU countries, EU leadership, and potentially the UK, to streamline decision-making, overcome veto paralysis in the current system, and foster stronger political will for joint defense initiatives. It is becoming clearer and clearer by the day that the European response to the U.S. backing out of the global sphere is to increasingly establish itself as a single unit. Europe is increasingly looking like the United States of Europe.

Russia launched one of its largest combined attacks of the winter, firing nearly 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles, and seven cruise missiles targeting energy infrastructure across eight Ukrainian regions, resulting in widespread blackouts affecting hundreds of thousands of civilians amid temperatures well below freezing. The strikes killed at least four people, injured several others, damaged hospitals, schools, and residential buildings, and further degraded Ukraine's already strained energy system, with officials reporting that repairs could take days or weeks while Russia continues its strategy of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure to create humanitarian crises. I've been trying to say from my little desk for years that this bloodshed is completely senseless; the conclusion is already there, Ukraine must give up the land it has lost to Russia in order to stop the war and allow the people of both Ukraine and Russia to live like human beings deserve to.

The U.S. State Department designated the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), named its leader as an SDGT, and labeled the Egyptian and Jordanian branches as SDGTs, citing their provision of material support, including financial and logistical aid, to Hamas. These actions freeze any U.S.-based assets, prohibit transactions with U.S. persons, and aim to disrupt funding networks deemed threats to U.S. national security and regional stability. As we have seen with the increased aggression against cartels, the terrorist designation is one of the most powerful tools the federal government has as it gives the government clearance to dismantle organizations without much constraint.

President Trump announced via Truth Social that effective immediately, any country conducting business with Iran will face a 25% tariff on all goods and services it exports to the United States, a measure expected to significantly impact major trading partners such as China, India, the UAE, and Turkey. The announcement came amid deadly nationwide protests in Iran, now in their second week with thousands killed, thousands arrested, and widespread internet blackouts, where the President directly addressed demonstrators, urging them to continue resisting and stating "help is on the way," while administration officials hinted at possible military or other forms of support. It makes sense that the U.S. would cheer on the revolutionary energy being expressed in Iran but it is quite odd for a president who presented himself as a noninterventionist to be inclined to use force to protect protesters on some "moral grounds." Perhaps this is more about breaking up an alignment of actors the U.S. sees as troublesome.

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers, including Democrats Bill Keating, Steny Hoyer, and Brendan Boyle alongside Republican Don Bacon, introduced legislation to prohibit the use of U.S. military force against NATO allies or their territories, including Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, by barring federal funds for such operations. The bill responds to repeated public statements from the administration about potentially acquiring Greenland through military means if necessary, and seeks to reinforce NATO's Article V mutual defense commitment while extending protections to prevent unilateral actions that could fracture the alliance. I'm of the mind that the U.S. should abandon NATO and reach a more reasonable agreement with the European nations. It would be great to gain Greenland but if it is impossible, so be it.

Tennessee state legislators are introducing multiple bills in the 2026 session to closely align state immigration enforcement with current federal priorities, including enhanced cooperation with ICE, stricter penalties for sanctuary-like policies, and measures to deter illegal immigration, with some lawmakers explicitly collaborating with White House advisor Stephen Miller. Proponents argue these changes will make Tennessee a national model for secure borders and cost-effective enforcement, while opponents raise concerns about potential economic impacts on agriculture, construction, and local communities, as well as increased state spending on detention and legal challenges. This to me is a progressive step as more alignment between state leaders and the federal government could surely help quell the chaos we see these days. What should our immigration policies look like is the looming question but in my eyes alignment is an obvious necessity given the federal government is responsible for setting the line for immigration policy.

Approximately two dozen Buddhist monks from the International Mahayana Buddhist Association, accompanied by their rescue dog Aloka, began a 2,300-mile "Walk for Peace" on October 26, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas, aiming to promote compassion, non-violence, and global harmony; the journey has gone viral, attracting over 1 million social media followers. After passing through multiple states, the group is currently in South Carolina and is scheduled to arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday, January 15, 2026, for a public event before continuing toward their final destination in Washington, D.C. This story is gaining increased intrigue and understandably so. I still don't understand it, but I don't really need to I guess.

Shelby County, home to Memphis and one of Tennessee's highest child food insecurity rates, has been excluded from the federal Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT/SUN Bucks) program after Governor Bill Lee declined full participation, citing administrative costs, and instead launched a smaller state-only program covering only 15 of the state's 95 counties. This decision means thousands of eligible low-income children in Shelby County will miss out on $120 per child in federal grocery assistance during the summer months, prompting criticism from local officials and food banks who argue the exclusion wastes available federal funds and places an unnecessary burden on already strained community resources. This decision seems insane, and a blatant manifestation of political underrepresentation and what people should be meaning when they express concerns about structural racism.

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the largest tribe east of the Mississippi with about 55,000 enrolled members, achieved full federal recognition when President Trump signed the Lumbee Fairness Act into law on December 18, 2025, following Senate passage after more than 137 years of advocacy efforts. The new status establishes a formal government-to-government relationship, unlocking access to federal health care services (estimated at $363 million over the first four years), housing programs, education grants, and the potential to place land into trust, significantly enhancing sovereignty and economic development opportunities for the tribe. This is great news; hopefully from this position they are able to interact with the federal government on more reasonable terms.