In a week marked by escalating humanitarian crises and fragile governance, the world witnessed the harsh realities of displacement and conflict. Pakistan resumed its forced expulsion of 1.4 million Afghan refugees, ignoring UN pleas for compassion and leaving vulnerable families in limbo without viable resettlement options. Currently in Afghanistan, the Taliban is running an oppressive theocratic fascist regime, and this week the U.N. declared that the regime's treatment of women is tantamount to a crime against humanity. When the Taliban returned to power they promised to implement a modern and moderate government, but instead they have implemented rules which deny girls education, access to public spaces, and access to public positions.

Meanwhile, Syria's interim government grappled with internal Druze-Kurdish clashes and Israeli strikes, underscoring how elusive the quest for stable government has been given the country's fractured political and social landscape. Not only has Israel decided to bomb the capital of Syria, last week they moved to initiate a plan to occupy Gaza City. They framed escalation in their military efforts as an essential component of their mission to dismantle Hamas, but much of the world is no longer buying their disingenuous claims that this genocide is the only way to rid the area of Hamas's terroristic efforts. In fact, the decision drew UN condemnation, as both international bodies and world powers are increasingly reaching for tools to curtail Israel's violent campaign.

Speaking of war, it is worth noting that the war in Ukraine continues to rage on and last week NATO committed to purchase and deliver U.S.-sourced weapons. The move signals that the war is nowhere near a conclusion which makes sense given the fact that peace talks have stalled. The lack of concessions on both sides will continue to perpetuate mass suffering and highlight the human cost of entrenched pride. Amid these tensions, economic maneuvers offered glimmers of adaptation and innovation.

The Bank of England slashed interest rates to 4%, which may be a signal that other central banks throughout the world may move from keeping rates high to combat inflation. However, as I have routinely argued, the answer is probably to move away from the central bank system altogether and no country in the world is more aggressively moving in that direction than El Salvador. In fact, under President Bukele, El Salvador advanced plans for Bitcoin-only banks. This move stands as a bold rejection of the traditional finance system given the country is moving forward with the plan despite IMF warnings.

Our addiction to central banking system, however, is not the only thing putting pressure on the global economy. Much of the developed world is facing serious economic peril due to the dramatic and unyielding downturn in the birth rate. In fact, a report last week presented evidence that Japan's population declined by over 900,000 last year. The population decline Japan is actually accelerating and is demonstrating a need for a reevaluation of family and societal priorities before the fallout becomes irreversible and devastating.

Polarization deepened in American politics last week, as partisan battles over justice, borders, and elections exposed the fraying threads of institutional trust. Polarization continued to strain the system as our political leaders increasingly seem more committed to signaling partisan allegiance than running the country. For instance, the Senate's confirmation of former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as U.S. Attorney for D.C. along strict party lines raised alarms about impartiality in federal prosecutions given her history as a brazen partisan shill.

Redistricting also emerged as a flashpoint of partisan tension across various states, with a wide array of states threatening to engage in partisan redistricting processes to attempt to gain more seats in congress. Both New York and California Democrats explored redistricting plans targeting Republicans in response to Texas's decision to redraw its maps. In fact in Texas, Democrats engaged in an absurd attempt to delay the state's political process by fleeing the state. Not only has Texas issued warrants for the rogue officials, political leaders have recruited the FBI to use their law enforcement capability to find the fleeing Texas democrats and return them to Texas. The involvement of the FBI is perhaps the clearest evidence that the dominance of partisanship in this country is totally out of control. Importantly though, the battle over redistricting exists in a climate where state leaders are increasingly diverging in ideas about what is good governance.

The parting is to the degree that the disputes are no longer functioning as academic disagreements but accusations that the other side is looking to destroy the country. As an example of this type of breakdown in communication, citing irreconcilable divisions that fracture bipartisan dialogue on governance, last week Kansas's Governor Laura Kelly exited the National Governors Association. The federal government is increasingly trying to demonstrate its supremacy over partisan efforts at lower levels of government. Last week the DOJ doubled down on its efforts to penalize sanctuary cities and states for ignoring the orders of the federal government. The justice department has expressed frustration with state and city level efforts to defy federal immigration law and have promised to increase litigation to enforce uniformity.

On the international front, the U.S. escalated tariffs on India to 50% over Russian oil imports, wielding trade as a blunt instrument in geopolitical leverage, while agreeing to deport migrants to Rwanda, a controversial outsourcing that balances incentives with ethical quandaries.

Shifting to energy and health, the nation pivoted toward nuclear revival while curbing certain innovations. The Department of Energy invited Standard Nuclear into a pilot for advanced reactors, signaling a comeback for nuclear power to meet soaring demands in an electrified future. Conversely, the EPA rescinded a $7 billion solar grant, questioning its authority and halting Biden-era distributions mid-stream, a decision that underscores ideological rifts in green transitions.

Last week, many local leaders confronted crises in education and finance. In Newark, where only one in five third-graders reads at grade level, the mayor has decided to rally leaders around a unified effort to promote literacy. Many urban districts are struggling not only to educate children but also to keep schools open and functioning properly. In fact, in St. Louis, concerns were raised that the city's major public school district is headed towards bankruptcy due to illicit spending by the district's former superintendent.

Not only are cities struggling with school funding, some cities are struggling to keep city operations underway more broadly. In fact, Chicago's mayor declared finances at a "point of no return" with a $1 billion shortfall, forcing acknowledgment of mismanagement's inevitable reckoning. However, in brighter news, in a stand against unchecked tech expansion, Tucson's council rejected a data center amid resident outcry over pollution and resource drain, highlighting the tension between AI ambitions and sustainable community needs.

There is a tension in this country regarding the ability of political representation to reflect the actual will of residents and this can be seen for instance in Pittsburgh's mayoral race which drew in significant amounts of dark money. Recent investigative journalism determined that some of that money came from cryptocurrency firms who have a vested interest in ushering in a friendly mayoral regime.

On social fronts, states tackled youth well-being and health access with mixed progressive and restrictive tones. Tennessee and Oklahoma advanced cell phone bans in schools to curb distractions and foster development, a pragmatic break from digital dependency despite cries of overpolicing. Thinking about the health and development of children has been on many people's minds given the noticeable decline in the well-being of youth over the last decade. Interestingly last week the CDC released a report documenting that ultra-processed foods comprise 62% of children's calories. Reports like these fuel the growing calls for dietary and social overhauls to combat youth unhappiness and redefine nourishment in a convenience-driven society.

It should be noted that the ongoing health crisis in the country is not only affecting the youth but also adults. In fact, last week, Oregon signed five new mental health bills into law which were designed to address the behavioral crisis through innovative programs.

In brighter news, the country continues to move beyond using resources to promote a prohibition on Marijuana as last week Delaware initiated legal recreational marijuana sales. Meanwhile in Louisiana, defunding efforts have led to the closure of all the Planned Parenthoods in the state. Unlike the legalization of marijuana, which largely has broad support throughout the country, fights over Planned Parenthood have been quite contentious with many disagreeing about whether or not organizations which provide abortion services should receive public funds.