Domestic Affairs
Introduction House Republicans are locked in marathon negotiations over President Trump’s sweeping budget bill, a legislative package that would permanently extend the 2017 tax cuts, ramp up spending on defense and immigration enforcement, and enact deep reductions to health and social programs. As the bill advances through Congress, the
Domestic Affairs
Global Affairs
Introduction The killing of seven young men at a church festivity in San Bartolo de Berrios, Guanajuato, stands as a grim reminder of the relentless cartel violence that has come to define large swathes of Mexico’s heartland. This latest massacre, carried out by gunmen who opened fire in the
Domestic Affairs
Introduction President Donald Trump’s visit to Capitol Hill on Tuesday marks a pivotal moment for his sweeping tax and spending package, a legislative centerpiece of his second-term agenda. The bill, which seeks to permanently extend the 2017 tax cuts, add new tax incentives for tips and overtime pay, and
Global Affairs
Executive Summary Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s whirlwind tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in May 2025 has redrawn the diplomatic map of the Middle East. The trip yielded unprecedented arms and business deals, signaled a decisive shift toward a new Sunni-led regional order,
Global Affairs
Introduction The global semiconductor industry stands at the center of technological competition, economic resilience, and national security. In May 2025, Taiwanese semiconductor materials giant GlobalWafers announced a landmark $7.5 billion investment to expand its U.S. operations, with the centerpiece being a new and rapidly expanding 300mm silicon wafer
Domestic Affairs
Introduction President Donald Trump’s ambitious tax and spending package-dubbed by Republicans as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill”-has cleared a critical hurdle in Congress. Late Sunday, the House Budget Committee narrowly advanced the legislation, which aims to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent and boost federal spending on defense
Domestic Affairs
Introduction The U.S. economy is showing mounting signs of deceleration as a broad array of economic indicators point to a weakening outlook. The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the U.S. fell sharply by 1.0% in April, marking its largest monthly drop since March 2023.
Domestic Affairs
Introduction In a historic move, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the United States’ sovereign credit rating from Aaa to Aa1 on Friday, May 16, 2025. This action, driven by mounting concerns over the nation’s $36 trillion debt and the fiscal trajectory set by President Trump’s push to extend
Global Affairs
Introduction Chinese President Xi Jinping’s May 2025 state visit to Moscow marked a watershed in Sino-Russian relations, transforming their “no-limits” partnership from rhetorical flourish into operational reality. Against the backdrop of Russia’s protracted war in Ukraine and escalating U.S.-China tensions, the summit produced a 7,000-word
Global Affairs
Executive Summary In May 2025, Côte d’Ivoire and the United States reached an agreement in principle to allow U.S. drone operations from Ivorian territory, marking a pivotal shift in West African security architecture. The accord, which centers on U.S. access to the Bouaké air base and possibly
Global Affairs
Introduction Romania’s 2025 presidential runoff marks one of the most consequential moments in the country’s post-communist history. The election pits George Simion, a hard-right nationalist and eurosceptic, against Nicușor Dan, the centrist, pro-EU mayor of Bucharest. This contest comes after a year of unprecedented political turmoil, including the