Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine must agree to a peace deal or face military conquest. Putin reiterated Russia's position that they will not allow Ukraine to attain NATO membership and they demand the country bolster protections for ethnic Russians in the Donbas region. Putin praised Donald Trump's efforts to broker talks between the nations but questioned the usefulness of a meeting with Zelensky as the Ukrainian president seems to be unwilling to agree to any of Russia's terms. This ultimately reflects the fact that the war in Ukraine seems to be completely resistant to diplomatic solutions and that until the Ukrainian government becomes open to negotiations, the violence will continue to escalate.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich proposed annexing 82% of the West Bank in response to international recognition of Palestine, aiming to counter what he calls a diplomatic assault without detailing impacts on Palestinians. The UAE warned that annexation would cross a red line, ending regional integration and the two-state solution. The war continues to have devastating and horrifying consequences. For instance, a recent UN report revealed that Israeli attacks have disabled at least 21,000 Palestinian children in Gaza since the war began.

The French Ministry of Health ordered hospitals to prepare for a major military engagement by March 2026, expecting to handle 10,000 to 50,000 wounded soldiers, including foreign ones, in coordination with NATO and the EU. This includes establishing medical transit centers near transport hubs to manage patient surges and staff shortages, amid rising concerns over potential European conflicts involving Russia. This is quite an ominous development as the French government seems to be completely convinced that large-scale kinetic conflict is looming and such a dynamic obviously has terrifying implications for global outcomes.

The U.S. military conducted a precision strike in international waters against a boat linked to the Tren de Aragua cartel, killing 11 members and destroying drug cargo as part of a broader counter-narcotics mission. President Trump and officials accused Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro of colluding with the cartel which the administration had previously designated as a terrorist organization. The U.S. secretary of defense warned that other "terrorist" actors will see similar fates if they find themselves in the crosshairs of the U.S. military. We have routinely praised Maduro's defiant disposition despite him leading a dictatorial regime; however, it is becoming quite clear that the ongoing tensions will result in serious conflict between the two nations as they have gone from exchanging threats to deploying militia members and blowing up ships.

The Pentagon approved deploying up to 600 military and civilian lawyers as temporary immigration judges to address a backlog of 3.7 million cases. The move was made possible by a rule change at the Justice Department that removed prior immigration experience as a requirement to serve as an immigration judge. Critics from the American Immigration Lawyers Association argue this compromises due process; however, proponents argue that the move is reasonable given the administration's push for stricter immigration enforcement and deportations. The current backlog in the immigration courts is obviously not sustainable so perhaps this allows for a clearing of the books which will allow the country to usher in significant immigration reform. However, this can be seen as a concerning trend towards the use of military personnel in issues of normal governance.

More than 1,000 current and former HHS employees signed a letter demanding Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s resignation, accusing him of replacing CDC officials and vaccine advisory panel members with skeptics, thereby endangering public health. The letter highlights Kennedy's verbal attacks on staff and spread of misinformation, following previous concerns and amid a related incident at the CDC. It's hard to imagine tensions at a federal agency being any higher than they are currently at the CDC given the recent ousting of a director and such a sizable amount of employees directly attacking the head of the agency. It seems that we are moving towards a world in which major institutions are seen as less authoritative and some have a tendency to conflate open inquiry with misinformation as they are concerned with investigation into debates they feel have been settled.

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and Governor Ron DeSantis announced plans to remove all vaccine mandates, starting with state health department rules and pursuing legislative changes to make vaccination a personal choice. This decision comes as Florida's kindergarten vaccination rates hit a 20-year low of under 89%, drawing criticism from health experts for potential risks to public health. This is one of the most fascinating outcomes in recent decades regarding our federal system and the ability for different states to implement different arrangements. While critics highlight the significance of the risks, we perhaps will get to see the consequences of meaningfully allowing choice in vaccination decisions.

Louisiana opened a new ICE detention facility at the Angola prison, adding 416 beds to house violent criminal migrants, including murderers and gang members, following expedited repairs and a state emergency declaration. Governor Jeff Landry and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated the move supports the administration's deportation goals, with 51 migrants already transferred to enhance national safety. Angola has long been known as one of the most violent, disorderly and inhumane prisons in the country, so it is no surprise that has been selected for migrants who have extensive rap sheets.

The Dallas City Council voted 10-5 to set the 2025-26 property tax rate at a level that would create a potential $5.5 million surplus despite proposals for deeper cuts to improve affordability. Critics highlighted higher rates compared to neighboring cities and concerns over public safety and infrastructure, with a final decision pending after a public hearing on September 17. Property taxes are one of the major ways American citizens are being forced out of ownership and unable to truly exercise their right to have property. While we often flirt with the radical position that all property taxes should be abolished, it is becoming increasingly clear that the abuses of property taxes in major cities is not sustainable.

The Birmingham City Council proposed an ordinance to acquire neglected non-owner-occupied properties with unpaid liens over $1,500 and multiple violations, aiming to hold absentee owners accountable and repurpose them for public use. Additionally, the city launched a critical home repair program offering up to $30,000 grants to 100 low-income owner-occupants for essential fixes like roofs and HVAC, targeting elderly and fixed-income residents. This is a beautiful use of government resources as establishing habitable and pleasant communities is squarely within the interest of the public good. Hopefully more cities follow suit!