NATO members are projected to collectively spend over $1.5 trillion on defense in 2025 in response to geopolitical tensions and U.S. pressure. All 32 NATO allies are expected to meet the 2% of GDP defense spending target this year. If nothing else, this represents a successful push from the Trump administration to have NATO members share the burden of funding these defense efforts more equitably. However, such enormous amounts of capital being demarcated for the capacity to use violence does seem to suggest that the current priorities of major bodies are being shaped by an environment in which amassing raw power seems to be not only a strategy but a necessity.

The EU has extended an invitation to Moldova to join the union amid efforts to counter Russian influence from President Vladimir Putin. Leaders from France, Germany, and Poland have urged Moldovans to support pro-EU policies in the upcoming parliamentary elections centered around President Maia Sandu. It will be interesting to see if this maneuver has a significant effect on domestic politics in Moldova as there seems to be an increasing and organic effort to move the nation towards friendlier relations with Russia and taking a position of critical distance from Europe. Interestingly, the European union is framing the dispute as a clash of value systems, suggesting the people of Moldova share more values with Europeans than Russians, however, I'm not sure the people of Moldova would agree with that assertion.

The World Bank has frozen a $350 million grant for the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan due to unresolved concerns over debt sustainability and the project's commercial viability. Environmental risks include a potential 25% reduction in Amu Darya River flows, threatening the livelihoods of up to 10 million people in downstream countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. It is interesting to see the consequences of taking loans out from non-domestic entities when trying to build out critical infrastructure. It does make one wonder how the World Bank was unaware of these problems when they first approved the grant and if there are reasons that aren't being revealed which would explain their abrupt reversal in position.

Susan Monarez has been removed as CDC director after serving less than one month, marking the shortest tenure in the agency's 79-year history. The Department of Health and Human Services provided no explanation for her departure but thanked her for her service. Some of the rumors included her having issues with RFK Jr. about a host of medical concerns and being unwilling to work with the directives that she was given as the director of the organization. It truly has been fascinating to see the role ideological battles have played in the unfolding of scientifically focused areas of public policy but it appears that we will continue to experience significant instability as battles over what behavior is appropriate continue to rage on. Hopefully the next director of the Centers for Disease Control is able to stick around for some time.

President Donald Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on imports from India as punishment for its purchases of Russian oil amid the Ukraine war. This escalation from a previous 25% baseline may raise U.S. consumer prices and provoke retaliatory measures, impacting $87 billion in annual U.S. imports from India. At a moment when India and China are mending their relationship, it is interesting to see the U.S. government be unyielding in their demands of the Indian government. Here, we still believe tariffs ought to be high generally, so we are not necessarily distraught to see such a steep tariff applied to India. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised to see Modi stress the importance of self-sustainability in response to the news.

The U.S. government has acquired a 10% stake in Intel and is exploring similar investments in other major companies to influence key industries. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarified that a stake in Nvidia is not under consideration, though opportunities in sectors like shipbuilding may be pursued. The underlying tension around the role the government should play in the economy is coming to the surface as the administration continues to suggest the government should invest in industries considered critical for the U.S. to advance its security interests and increase its productive capacity. At Mituye we are wary of too much investment by the federal government and prefer the government to provide grants to actors in industry it wants to thrive domestically. Investment suggests the government will be unable to disinterestedly observe the outcomes in the market and therefore move too close to government-dominated markets as we see in communist and fascist states.

Mississippi has declared a public health emergency due to an infant mortality rate of 9.7 deaths per 1,000 births in 2024, the highest in over a decade. The state aims to expand maternal and infant care, eliminate maternity care deserts, and promote safe sleep practices to combat leading causes like preterm birth and SIDS. This story should be quite alarming as the maternal death rate really speaks to the trajectory and current health of the country. Although the current health care system is inadequate, it is hard to ignore just how problematic the current health situation is throughout the country. We need a dramatic cultural revolution that valorizes a holistic approach to health which reverses this jarring trend.

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed has condemned Senator Tommy Tuberville's vow to deploy National Guard troops to Montgomery and Birmingham to fight crime. The mayor has advocated for investments in jobs, education, and public safety over military intervention to deal with rampant crime. It seems like crime is dominating all of the political discourse and to some degree that seems to be just as important a topic that could be discussed. The question remains though how do we deal with crime? Is dealing with crime simply a matter of increased investment, or do American citizens deserve to be rid of crime even at the expense of local autonomy in policing?

Louisiana is petitioning the Supreme Court to prohibit the use of race as a criterion to evaluate the fairness of redistricting. If the Supreme Court sides with Louisiana they will need to overturn a key Voting Rights Act precedent that has been set since 1986. The state had been forced to create its current congressional map which contains two majority-Black districts because there is a requirement that it create a certain number of districts where minorities are the majority but it argues that race-based redistricting violates the Constitution. Obviously this is a tricky situation because while Louisiana presents a compelling case regarding the constitutional threats the Voting Rights Act poses, critics argue that without the heavy-handed approach, states like Louisiana will simply district in a way that totally dilutes the Black vote. What say you?

With Police Chief Joseph Wade's recent resignation, Jackson has now had 19 different police chiefs since 1988. Mayor John Horhn is forming a task force for a replacement while proposing legislative solutions to address youth crime, gangs, homelessness, and urban blight. Fundamentally, good governance requires stability and that will be hard to come by if cities are unable to convince public servants to stay in positions for a significant amount of time. It appears, from our point of view, that police chiefs in Jackson are often put in an impossible situation and therefore choose to step away quickly as opposed to being criticized for mismanaging the police force. We might ask what other reforms need to take hold in order for a police chief in Jackson to want to stick around.