"Block Everything" protests erupted across France in opposition to proposed budget cuts exceeding $50 billion. The protests led to widespread disruptions including blocked highways and halted train services. The government deployed 80,000 police officers, resulting in 473 arrests amid clashes, following the collapse of President Macron's administration via a no-confidence vote. The situation in France appears to be very tense, and given the spirit of revolution that seems to be in the air, it would not be surprising if the situation continues to escalate.

Poland reported 19 Russian drones violating its airspace during a large-scale attack on Ukraine involving over 400 drones. The violation of Polish sovereignty prompted NATO to scramble jets and shoot down several in the first such engagement over allied territory. This incident led Poland to invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty for consultations, escalating tensions amid Moscow's denial of the drones' origin and reports of minor damage in Poland. We again must wonder if all of this is posturing or if we are seeing the beginnings of a broader conflict between Western powers and Russia.

Iran has agreed to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency access to its main nuclear facilities to evaluate damage from recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes and inspect its near weapons-grade uranium stockpile. The agreement, reached without specified timelines, follows Tehran's previous suspension of cooperation with the agency after the attacks. It is good to see at least some provisional interactions between the Iranian government and the U.N. given the understandable distrust the Iranian regime has for the oversight bodies.

Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck during a speech at Utah Valley University, with the shooter firing from a nearby building approximately 200 yards away. The incident prompted condemnation from political figures across parties, including President Trump who announced Kirk's death, ordered flags at half-staff, and described him as a key voice for American youth. On the other hand, many took the moment to celebrate what they felt was the timely demise of an abhorrent political actor. We here stand appalled at the political violence his death reflects. Perhaps those giddy at this moment are either prepared to foment serious civil unrest or truly do not understand what this moment reveals about the health of American society.

NASA's Perseverance rover collected a sample from the "Cheyava Falls" rock in Jezero Crater, revealing textures, chemicals, and organic signatures indicative of potential ancient microbial life. The findings include minerals formed through microbial sulfate reduction, similar to early Earth life evidence, marking a significant advancement in the search for extraterrestrial life. It is interesting to hear NASA start to produce findings after the agency endured some serious restructuring over the last several months.

The U.S. Department of Education plans to terminate $1.3 billion in grant funding for minority-serving institutions, affecting hundreds of colleges that serve underrepresented students from racial and ethnic groups. This decision excludes historically Black colleges and tribal colleges, though specific reasons for the cuts were not provided. The exclusion of HBCUs is quite interesting as the Trump administration in both iterations has seemed to be very interested in providing support for HBCUs in particular.

The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, rejected South Carolina's emergency request to enforce a law that would cut 25% of funding to schools allowing transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity. The ruling upholds a lower court's injunction citing violations of Title IX and the equal protection clause, though it does not address the case's merits and leaves room for future review.

A Georgia judge ruled to dismiss racketeering charges against all 61 "Stop Cop City" protesters, determining that the Attorney General lacked authority to indict without gubernatorial permission. The decision affects allegations tied to opposing the $115 million police and firefighter training facility in Atlanta, though some defendants still face domestic terrorism and other charges amid ongoing appeals. This story is interesting because of how aggressive protesters were in resisting lawful orders including things like shooting at officers and using other guerrilla tactics.

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced that Little Rock's extended curfew, which was implemented in mid-July 2025 for minors under 18 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. citywide following downtown shootings, is set to conclude. The decision follows an 18% drop in reported crimes in the city. I guess we will see if something like a curfew can cause enough of a shock to the system to allow for the problem to simply ramp back up in short order.

The Trump administration's spokeswoman accused Democrat-led cities like Birmingham, Alabama, and Jackson, Mississippi, of fostering crime through "disastrous policies" such as de facto sanctuary measures and bail reforms, noting that 19 of the 20 most violent U.S. cities are Democrat-run. Birmingham recorded a record 151 homicides in 2024 but saw a decrease to 57 in 2025, while Jackson's mayor expressed openness to federal support despite state bans on sanctuary cities.