The deal eliminates tariffs on nearly all goods, with India reducing duties on EU cars from 110% to 10% over time and on wines from 150% to 20%, while the EU cuts tariffs on 99% of Indian exports including textiles, marine products, and chemicals. The deal aims to boost bilateral trade from $136.5 billion to $200 billion by 2030, enhance strategic cooperation in defense and skilled worker mobility, and provides €500 million in EU support for India's greenhouse gas reductions. We are not free trade enthusiasts and in fact see this deal as the type of heralded free trade deal that in the end only serves the interests of capitalists looking to ensure they have access to cheap labor and can sell cheap goods.

Mexico has become Cuba's largest oil supplier, providing around 17,200 barrels per day of crude as a lifeline following the halt of Venezuelan supplies due to US actions against Maduro's regime. President Sheinbaum described the shipments as humanitarian aid and sovereign decisions, despite US President Trump's declarations against any oil or money to Cuba. Threats of retaliation include increased maritime blockades, and increased US Navy monitoring of tankers. The U.S. is increasingly exerting its dominance in the region which makes sense given the increasing moves by the world's powers to flex their might in their respective spheres of influence. Hopefully relations can normalize between the U.S. and Cuba as the Cuban people have long suffered due to oppressive U.S. policies that have served as a means to strong arm the political behavior of the island.

The ban prohibits all Russian LNG and pipeline gas imports in a stepwise manner, starting in 2027 with requirements for member states to submit diversification plans by March 2026 and penalties up to €40 million for non-compliance. Hungary and Slovakia, who are both heavily dependent on Russian energy, opposed the measure and vowed to sue the EU, arguing it harms their national interests and increases energy costs. We've continually presented the European Union as an entity consolidating power and increasingly behaving like a federal government instead of a platform for cooperation amongst sovereign nations and this is another example of that dynamic. Perhaps it would be best if they were able to drop the pretense and just admit they have, or desire to have, coercive power over member states making non-compliance not an option.

President Trump announced the tariff hike on South Korean imports including automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and lumber. The U.S. government is frustrated about the South Korean government taking quite a while to approve a prior trade agreement that included $350 billion in US investments. The threat of tariffs led to immediate drops in shares for companies like Hyundai and Kia, amid broader trade tensions, though some view it as a negotiating tactic with limited follow-through given past unfulfilled threats. Tariffs are a useful tool to apply pressure and diplomatically pursue outcomes. They must be treated carefully though as too much pressure can lead to countries like South Korea being left in between a rock and a hard place.

Users reported an inability to send messages with the word "Epstein" and upload or view videos critical of ICE and Trump, including content about fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. Users often said uploading this type of critical content lead to zero views or upload failures. California Governor Newsom launched a review into potential violations of state law, while TikTok attributed the problems to a data center power outage that caused widespread system failures. These allegations of censorship come amid broader concerns tied to TikTok’s new ownership. A lot of people have noted that the new ownership group of TikTok has been adamant about tamping down critiques of Zionism and one can not help but wonder if this is part of a broader effort to figure out how to manipulate the platform to ensure preferred narratives prevail. No matter the intention this is simply deplorable behavior and hopefully users ditch the platform for other social media apps not so fraught with questions of manipulation and censorship.

The potential shutdown stems from Senate Democrats refusing to pass the DHS funding bill without reforms to immigration enforcement following federal agents' fatally shooting Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis during protests and raids. Democrats are pursuing the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, with over 140 House cosponsors and calls from leaders like Elizabeth Warren for her resignation, accusing her of obstructing Congress, violating public trust, and failing to ensure accountability through independent investigations. We don't mean to sound like a broken record but the whiplash on the possibility of a shutdown is quite startling and it just doesn't feel like a good outcome in this particular moment. We already sit at all time lows in terms of public trust in our public institutions and another failure, at such a critical moment, to even keep the government open, seems like it would open the door to meaningful disaffection.

The bill designates all outdoor campus areas as public forums, prohibits penalties for protected online speech, and requires annual reports on speech restrictions be given to the legislature and the governor. Authors of the bill note is meant to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his assassination, as it aims to expand free speech protections across universities. However, some critics see the bill as redundant given we already have existing First Amendment rights which robustly protect free expression. Regardless of how one feels about Kirk it is critical that we cling to the principles which constitute a free society and there is perhaps no principle more important than the ensuring citizens have the right to speak freely in public spaces. This bill seems to be more related to conservative politicians signaling to their bases where they stand in the ongoing culture wars than providing needed legislation to protect speech.

Governor Stitt's executive order mandates a 90-day audit of programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and TANF to address fraud, eligibility rules, and incentives that discourage work. Agencies must seek federal waivers within 120 days, implement work incentives through job training in high-demand fields, foster public-private partnerships including faith-based initiatives, and issue annual public reports to promote self-sufficiency. This to me represents the type of orderly audit process that can allow for fraud to be dealt with in a way that is not hyperbolic and provocative. Recently, Oklahoma has been appearing as one of the better run states in the Union.

The ruling strikes down the automatic stripping of voting rights from felons, potentially restoring rights to thousands of Virginians. It finds the practice violates a Reconstruction-era law that allowed Virginia to rejoin the Union after the Civil War. This is an interesting ruling here as debates rage on nationwide about the role previous offenses should play in voting rights. We think it makes a lot of sense to re-enfranchise citizens after time served. What do you think, should people have their ability to vote restored after they serve their time? Does it matter what they were imprisoned for?

The bill mandates displaying the 1782 Aitken Bible in 4th, 8th, and 10th grade social studies classrooms. Funds to get this done would come from private donations as no public funds can be used for this type of tomfoolery. Sponsored by Republicans and approved by the Senate Education Committee, it reflects efforts to integrate religious elements into public education, raising concerns about violating the separation of church and state despite historical precedent. If you want your kids to have a Christian education that is flatly not the states' responsibility. Moreover, in a moment where most children can't read properly, this effort seems to us to be absurd and out of touch.