The UN Security Council voted 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining to adopt a US-drafted resolution endorsing President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza and authorizing a temporary international stabilization force to demilitarize the territory, expel remaining Hamas elements, and provide security during reconstruction. A Trump-chaired Board of Peace will oversee transitional governance, humanitarian aid distribution, and rebuilding efforts until at least 2027, while the plan includes strict conditions for eventual Palestinian self-rule, such as verifiable reforms, deradicalization programs, and recognition of Israel’s security needs. If this holds up, perhaps we have reached the end of the genocide in Gaza, and the path forward seems to hinge on the ability of the U.S. to constrain Israeli aggression and suppress the rise of whatever is left of Hamas.

In a highly fragmented first round, hard-right candidate José Antonio Kast, an admirer of Trump and Bukele-style tough policies, captured around 28% of the vote while Communist Party-backed former labor minister Jeannette Jara edged out with 26%. With these votes the two candidates will advance to a December 14th runoff amid voter fury over surging crime, illegal immigration, and the influence Venezuelan gangs like Tren de Aragua. Right-wing candidates collectively dominated with over 70% support, leading eliminated conservatives to immediately rally behind Kast, who pledges mass deportations of 300,000 undocumented migrants and emergency law-and-order measures, making him the clear favorite against a divided left. It is worth noting that we live in a time period where ideological divides are so stark that populations are literally forced to decide if they collectively would prefer to take the proverbial red or blue pill.

MI5 issued a rare espionage alert identifying two specific fake LinkedIn profiles operated on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security that pose as freelance geopolitical consultants or headhunters, targeting MPs, Lords, parliamentary staff, think-tank experts, and consultants with offers of lucrative paid reports, all-expenses trips to China, and cryptocurrency payments in exchange for non-public insights. The sophisticated campaign seeks to build long-term influence networks rather than immediate leaks, prompting the Speakers of both Houses to circulate the warning and the government to announce new countermeasures against relentless Chinese political interference. We think if you’re in parliament and can get scammed by a CCP LinkedIn page, perhaps you need to find another job.

The administration unveiled interagency agreements transferring major Education Department programs including student loans and aid to Labor, Pell Grants administration to Treasury, civil rights enforcement to Justice, and K-12 initiatives to Health and Human Services. The move effectively guts the department without congressional approval by exploiting executive reorganization authority. The moves fulfill decades-old Republican promises to eliminate federal overreach in education, with officials insisting services will continue seamlessly while reducing bureaucracy and ideological influence in schooling. A lot of people seem to be attached to the Department of Education because its branding suggests that American children will receive a worse education without it; however, there is a very strong case to be made that the department has actually made schooling in the United States far worse for American kids.

In her latest round of giving, the philanthropist awarded unrestricted gifts totaling over $700 million to 15 HBCUs and the United Negro College Fund, with Howard University receiving the single largest donation ever to an HBCU at $80 million, alongside multimillion-dollar awards to institutions like Spelman, Morehouse, and Xavier University of Louisiana. These no-strings-attached funds will bolster endowments, scholarships, faculty support, and campus infrastructure at schools that have historically received far less philanthropic and public investment than predominantly white peers. We continue to believe that HBCUs are the most important and salvageable institutions in Black America, and we hope that this windfall can be used to support their critical mission of providing a quality education to Black folks aspiring to be in the professional class (both blue- and white-collar).

During Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s first White House visit since 2018, President Trump confirmed the lifting of restrictions to allow sales of fifth-generation F-35 fighters, priced at $80–110 million each, to Riyadh, making Saudi Arabia the first Arab state besides Israel to acquire the stealth aircraft in a deal potentially worth tens of billions. The announcement, part of broader defense and energy agreements, overrides previous concerns about technology transfers to China and Israel’s qualitative military edge, signaling a rapid warming of US-Saudi ties focused on countering Iran. We find the Trump administration to be far too business-minded in its weapons dealings and would emphasize that selling high-powered weapons to corrupt governments is never worth it in the long run.

New projections for the cost of rebuilding the bridge more than double initial estimates. The rising costs are said to be caused by post-collapse inflation, supply-chain disruptions, enhanced safety requirements, and a redesigned taller cable-stayed structure with a 50% higher clearance to accommodate modern mega-ships. The delayed 2030 opening extends economic disruptions for the Port of Baltimore, though federal insurance and infrastructure funds are expected to cover most of the $5 billion cost without major taxpayer burden. It was some time ago that the bridge was damaged, so it is good to see that in the next five years the bridge might be operational.

Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal issued an injunction halting Governor Bill Lee’s deployment of state troops for street patrols under a federal crime initiative, ruling the governor likely overstepped authority by using military forces for routine policing without a declared emergency, in violation of state laws restricting militia to extraordinary circumstances. The decision, challenged by seven Democratic officials, pauses one of several controversial Guard activations in Democratic-led cities this fall and is set for appeal, highlighting tensions over militarized responses to urban crime. The fact that policing and legal phenomena can be described in such starkly partisan terms hopefully helps elucidate just how bad the problem of polarization has gotten in our nation.

Tenured law professor Ramsi Woodcock filed suit alleging First Amendment violations after being barred from campus and teaching for social media posts calling Israel a “colonial apartheid state committing genocide” and suggesting military intervention might be needed to end Palestinian oppression, claims the university deemed antisemitic under a state-mandated IHRA definition. The lawsuit seeks to end the investigation, restore duties, and invalidate campus policies equating certain Israel criticism with discrimination, amid broader debates over academic freedom and Title VI obligations. The First Amendment exists for many profoundly important reasons, but none are perhaps more important than preventing the government from suppressing the truth, which appears to be the case far too often when the government purports to be stopping antisemitism but is clearly invested in narrative suppression.

The new fully refundable credit, effective for 2026 taxes, provides up to $1,000 annually per dependent child under 18 for lower-income families (phasing out above $75,000 single/$90,000 joint), funded through budget surpluses and tax code adjustments, with projections it will cut child poverty by 25%. Combined with expansions to match the federal Earned Income Tax Credit fully, the measure positions DC as a leader in family anti-poverty policy without relying on congressional approval. We try to highlight efforts both domestically and globally that seem to be directed at the demographic crisis, given many people believe the falling birth rates are merely a reaction to economic constraints.