Israel conducted a precise strike in Doha, Qatar, targeting senior Hamas leaders, with measures taken to mitigate civilian harm using precise munitions and intelligence. Explosions were reported and smoke was observed rising above the city, though the exact nature of the incident remained initially unclear. The breadth of enemies Israel has recently attacked is truly turning much of the world against the Israeli government. Even the President of the United States denounced the move, noting he was disappointed that Israel decided to attack the location. An official statement from the U.S. government noted that this violation of the sovereignty of a U.S. ally does not advance U.S. or Israeli interests.

Violent protests in Kathmandu led to the parliament building and Singha Durbar being set on fire, with at least 22 deaths and hundreds injured over two days. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned amid the unrest, prompting the army to take control and appeal for dialogue while the government lifted a social media ban that had sparked the demonstrations. It appears that many of the protesters will not be satisfied with merely a reversal of the social media ban, or even a robust anti-corruption campaign, but rather they seek to have the current government overthrown. As usual, we try not to cover the same story multiple days in a row, but the situation in Nepal may result in a full-on revolution.

Ethiopia officially inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, a $5 billion project with 5,150 MW capacity aimed at boosting electricity access and exporting power. Egypt condemned the unilateral action as a violation of international law threatening its water supply, while Sudan expressed concerns but noted potential benefits like flood control. This project has been one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the 21st century and unfortunately, even amidst its completion, tension about its existence still seems to be high. Hopefully the project yields enough benefits to justify the amount of capital the project necessitated and tension the project provoked among other nations in the region.

The 2024 NAEP results revealed 12th graders' reading and math scores at their lowest in decades, with reading at its lowest since 1992 and math since 2005. Some believe the slide can be explained by pandemic disruptions, increased screen time, and widening achievement gaps, with 45% of seniors below basic in math and a re-emerging gender gap in STEM subjects. With both a demographic crisis and an educational crisis, it is apparent that we must become fervent about ensuring American children develop in a way that equips them to thrive in the contemporary world. This situation is clearly unacceptable and doesn't appear to be solvable through curriculum changes but will require a radical shift in the way American families approach child-rearing and day-to-day life.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised job creation statistics and revealed that there were 911,000 fewer jobs created between April 2024 and March 2025 than were initially reported. This revision indicates that the country has had a much cooler labor market than initially reported. This adjustment spans the end of Biden's term and the start of Trump's, highlighting weaker economic performance without specific administration reactions detailed. While there was huge consternation about Trump being a fascist dictator when he fired the last head of the BLS, it does appear that the agency is going to have to develop some mechanism for accountability because this level of incompetence has serious downstream consequences.

The commission's report identifies poor diet, chemical exposures, and overmedicalization as primary causes of chronic diseases in American children. Key recommendations include restricting junk food in SNAP, reviewing fluoride and vaccine risks, and promoting reduced screen time and pesticide use through industry collaboration. Similar to the ongoing decline in educational attainment, we will have to decide in short order if we want to raise healthy, thriving children or want to continue to mindlessly indulge in consumerism and vanity. Without being alarmist, there has to be a sense of urgency in reclaiming our society because the current trajectory doesn't head to a place we would like to end up.

ICE launched Operation Midway Blitz to target undocumented individuals with criminal records in Chicago. In part the operation was prompted by a recent fatal crash in the 'Windy City' involving an undocumented driver. Local leaders and advocates oppose the crackdown for instilling fear in communities, with four arrests confirmed and protests planned against potential National Guard involvement. I hate to sound like a broken record but we continue to advocate for cooperation between local and federal leaders in an effort to have immigration law enforced in an ethical and orderly fashion. If the situation with ICE continues to be this contentious it will absolutely lay the pretext for National Guard involvement and an even more heavy-handed use of federal capacity to enforce the law.

Attorney General Kris Kobach sued Governor Laura Kelly to force disclosure of SNAP recipients' personal data to federal officials, risking $10.4 million in funding if not complied with by September 19. Kelly defended her refusal to protect privacy, accusing the lawsuit of political theater while endorsing multistate challenges against federal overreach. This again reflects the breakdown in a shared understanding of the demands of our federalist system as all of this tension stems from the governor's unwillingness to cooperate with the demands of the federal government.

The Norfolk City Council reviewed a proposed budget for fiscal year 2025-26 amid challenging financial conditions. City officials described the budget as very conservative, following significant discussions to address economic hardships. Even smaller governments like those in Norfolk will have to come to grips with the fiscal constraints that will have to be adhered to in the coming years as the American economy will necessarily be restructured. We do appreciate that the local government is being clear and straightforward with the public regarding the hard decisions that must be made to ensure fiscal sustainability amid financial turmoil.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced his bid for reelection, committing to a full four-year term and ruling out a 2028 presidential run. Positioning himself as a person of action, the decision quells speculation about his plans to acquire a position in the Oval Office. This is noteworthy because currently the Democratic Party is experiencing a crisis in leadership and has been unable to produce presidential candidates that have broad appeal and Moore seemed to be the type of political actor that could fill that role for the party on the national stage.