The elite Madagascar military unit CAPSAT seized power from President Andry Rajoelina following weeks of youth-led protests against his rule amid chronic water and power shortages and high living costs. Lawmakers impeached Rajoelina for desertion and endorsed Col. Michael Randrianirina as the new leader, with promises to form a transitional committee and hold elections within 18 months to two years. Military rule is only justifiable in the most extreme of circumstances and should be transitioned to a civil government as soon as possible. Gen Z’s protests, all throughout the world, are causing governments to reconcile their corruption with citizens who are literally willing to burn the country down.

Hamas executed eight men publicly in Gaza City hours after signing a peace treaty with Israel, accusing them of being criminals and Israeli collaborators without evidence to reassert control post-IDF withdrawal. The executions, part of Hamas’s internal security management under the deal, target rival clans that gained strength during the conflict, amid ongoing hostage returns and U.S. approval for such actions. Hamas is certainly in no position to be a reasonable government, so the situation for Palestinians in Gaza is far from being stable even given the absence of the violent onslaught of the Israeli government.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu suspended French President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform, delaying retirement age increases until 2028, to secure Socialist Party support amid a hung parliament and upcoming no-confidence votes from far-right and left parties. Lecornu must pass a 2026 austerity budget to reduce France’s deficit below 5% of GDP, with failure potentially triggering snap elections as warned by Macron. The fiscal crisis in France continues to erode the possibility of stable governance, and it remains unclear to us how the lawmakers can move forward and appease the demands of French citizens without causing permanent damage to the French economy.

The Trump administration imposed fees on Chinese-owned and built ships docking at U.S. ports to counter China’s 60% dominance in global shipbuilding and revitalize the declining U.S. industry. The policy, affecting companies like COSCO with potential billions in costs, aims to deter purchases of Chinese vessels but may lead to supply chain inefficiencies and higher consumer prices for imports. Manufacturing must come back to the United States, and we applaud the government risking economic volatility to force the hand of capital in relation to increasing the productive capacity of the United States.

Following the death of President Russell M. Nelson, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reorganized its First Presidency, naming senior apostle Dallin H. Oaks as the new president in a live broadcast from Temple Square. Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice and Brigham Young University president, assumes leadership under the church’s apostolic succession tradition. The LDS church is one of the most monied and influential organizations in the country, so it will be worth noting how this shift in leadership alters the efforts of the church and its members.

The U.S. Department of Justice seized $15 billion in bitcoin from Chen Zhi, founder of Cambodia’s Prince Holding Group, in the largest forfeiture action in its history related to a pig butchering scam. Zhi, charged in a Brooklyn federal indictment, allegedly oversaw forced-labor compounds where scammers defrauded victims worldwide, and he remains at large. This serves as a reminder that the DOJ plays a serious role in dealing with large-scale crime, and it is astounding to see that much value in Bitcoin be seized.

North Carolina eliminated $6.5 billion in medical debt for over 2.5 million low- and middle-income residents through a Medicaid program incentivizing hospitals to forgive debts dating back to 2014. All qualifying hospitals participated, implementing policies to prevent future debt, with notifications sent to beneficiaries and the initiative hailed as a model for other states. This is perhaps an example of the best use of public power in relation to relieving debt burdens, as medical debt stands as one of the most crippling forms of debt that American citizens endure. There is something that has been lost over time on the American public, and that is no one ought to live with permanent debt, and the economy ought to be orchestrated to avoid that fate.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown led a 24-jurisdiction amicus brief in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Trump administration’s federalization of National Guard troops in Illinois without state consent as unconstitutional and politically motivated. The brief, part of ongoing opposition to similar deployments in other states, supports a court ruling blocking the action pending appeals. While we appreciate the usefulness of lawfare as the means to peaceably resolve disputes amongst parties, in this case bodies of government, it does appear to us that the courts in the end will side with the federal government, making this effort somewhat of a waste of energy and resources.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced the allocation of $104 million for transportation projects under the “Choose How You Move” initiative, funded by federal grants and local sources to enhance public transit and infrastructure. The investment targets bike lanes, sidewalks, road safety, and mobility options to address congestion in the expanding city. The future of this country must be trains. Although providing a variety of alternative ways to move through congested areas is necessary and will be well worth the investment in the future, it is worth noting that bike lanes will not solve our transportation problem; only well-engineered train solutions will do that.

Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen addressed divisions with Mayor Brandon Scott and State’s Attorney Ivan Bates on key issues including transparency in the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund, the effectiveness of the Safe Streets program, and cultural changes at the Department of Public Works. Despite disagreements, Cohen stressed unity among leaders to leverage the city’s record drops in violent crime and advance collaborative solutions. Baltimore is increasingly seeing mass overdoses and struggling with basic public goods, so hopefully these differences can result in productive concessions that help get the city back on track.