Public Policy
Regulation, trade, government and security, read for what they do to the businesses that have to live with them.
Public Policy is the vertical for the decisions made in capitals that land on companies. Regulation, trade and tariffs, elections and government, antitrust, and healthcare policy are the beats, and geopolitics and security appear when they change what a business can plan for. Three stories each weekday at 11, in our own words, linked to the publisher. We choose for the reader who has to model a policy risk rather than argue about it: the general counsel, the head of government affairs, the founder selling into a market whose rules are moving. Sources range from newspapers to think tanks and academic institutes, and we say which is which. The editor’s note beneath the day’s lead explains the choice and what to watch as the policy moves from proposal to enforcement.
Picture credit: By Touch Of Light - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=158822157
Every story we have kept in Public Policy, newest first. Headlines link to the publisher; the tags below narrow the list.
"Is Trump Media's Early-Access Feed Lawful?"
Legal scholars debate whether Trump Media's paid early-access feed to presidential posts, priced up to $100,000 monthly, effectively lets subscribers trade on nonpublic presidential information before the public sees it.
Editor's notePaid early access to a head of state's posts is a securities question wearing a media product's clothes. The price is the tell: a hundred thousand a month is not a subscription, it is an information advantage being sold. Watch whether the SEC treats it as one.
Americans Say the United Nations Is Doing a Bad Job. They're Right.
A new Gallup poll finds most Americans rate the United Nations poorly on human rights, law, development and peacekeeping; the author argues corruption and dysfunction justify that skepticism.
Congress — not the president — should appoint the next GAO head, bipartisan coalition argues
A bipartisan coalition of government-watchdog and advocacy groups urged Congress to strip the president from choosing the next Government Accountability Office comptroller general, citing the vacancy left by Gene Dodaro's retirement.
Trump wants an ‘AI Force.’ What would that actually look like?
Trump announced plans for an AI Force modeled on Space Force, though officials and experts say the proposal lacks detail on mission, legal authority, budget, and where it would sit in government.
Climate change and energy transition rise up national security agenda
At Climate Week NYC, global leaders including UK's Ed Miliband, Australia's Anthony Albanese and UN climate chief Simon Stiell framed clean energy transition and climate resilience as national security priorities, not just environmental policy.
Editor's noteFraming the energy transition as security rather than environment is a funding argument, not a rhetorical one. Defence budgets move on different timescales and survive changes of government. Watch which ministries end up holding the money, because that will tell you whether the reframing was strategy or a conference line.
Lawmakers call on leadership to override Trump’s planned pay freeze
A bipartisan coalition of 110 lawmakers led by Rep. James Walkinshaw and Sen. Chris Van Hollen urged Congress to reject Trump's proposed 2027 federal civilian pay freeze, citing recruitment risks and inflation.
MSNBC Pundit's Tweet Accusing Lawyer of "Coach[ing]" Jan. 6 Hearing Witness "to Lie" Wasn't Negligent
A federal judge ruled MSNBC commentator Andrew Weissmann's tweet accusing lawyer Stefan Passantino of coaching January 6 witness Cassidy Hutchinson to lie was not defamatory, finding the claim adequately supported by sworn testimony.
More from Jacob Mchangama on Frederick Douglass's Views on Free Speech
Historian Jacob Mchangama's essay series traces how Frederick Douglass championed counterspeech and press freedom, defending even a pro-slavery senator's right to speak when abolitionist crowds tried shouting him down.
Editor's noteDouglass's defence of a rival's right to speak, even while opposing him, is a sharper historical rebuttal to today's no-platforming arguments than most modern commentary offers. The essay is useful less as history than as a ready-made counterexample for anyone debating where counterspeech ends and suppression begins.
Solomon Islands: how 100 days of Wale reshaped its foreign policy
In his first 100 days, Solomon Islands PM Matthew Wale pivoted toward Australia, the US and Japan, launched a review of the 2022 China security pact, and signed a US shiprider deal.
Today in Supreme Court History: September 20, 1968
On this date in 1968, New York City denied a preservation certificate to Penn Central, a dispute that later produced the Supreme Court's landmark takings-clause ruling.
Canada Is Moving Closer to Europe. Trump's Tariffs Help Explain Why.
The EU offered Canada unprecedented associate-member status covering energy, trade and security, as tariffs and a collapsed negotiation pushed Mark Carney toward closer European integration.
Anthropic extends its GSA OneGov deal for Claude by one month
Anthropic's discounted one-dollar-per-user Claude for Government deal under the GSA OneGov programme was extended a month to 31 October, following OpenAI's new federal pricing agreement.
Editor's noteA one-month extension sounds procedural until you notice what it is holding open: a dollar-per-user price for federal agencies, set against a competitor's new federal agreement. Procurement at that price shapes which system government staff learn first, and that advantage outlasts any contract term.
A Russia Sanctions Bill Would Give Trump Vast New Tariff Powers
Congress passed a Russia and Iran sanctions bill letting the president impose tariffs up to 100 percent on top buyers of Russian oil and gas, with broad discretion over enforcement.
Use of Flock Cameras Is Not a Fourth Amendment "Search," District Court Rules
A California federal district court ruled that police queries of Flock Safety's licence-plate-reader network do not constitute a Fourth Amendment search, distinguishing the data from broader location-tracking precedents.
Montreal Economic Institute Webinar on Legal Challenges to the Trump Tariffs Against Canadian Goods
The Montreal Economic Institute will host a 23 September webinar examining legal challenges to Section 301 and 338 tariffs on Canadian goods, featuring scholars from George Mason.
Pentagon Auditors Say the Iran War Has Cost $33 Billion. The Real Price Tag Is Far Higher.
A Pentagon Inspector General audit put direct costs of the Iran war at 33.4 billion dollars, while Reason argues fuel-price inflation and unrepaired infrastructure make the true toll far larger.
Editor's noteAn inspector general's number is the floor, not the total, and this piece is useful precisely because it says so. Thirty-three billion covers direct costs only; fuel-price effects and unrepaired infrastructure sit outside the audit's scope, which is where the argument about the real price now runs.
More ‘Big Balls’-type young feds are what the OPM chief wants
OPM Director Scott Kupor says he wants more young, non-degreed federal hires like DOGE alum Edward Coristine, expecting short two-to-three-year tenures before recruits move to the private sector.
New in SCOTUSBlog: "Break The Supreme Court Law Clerk Cartel"
Law professor Josh Blackman proposes Supreme Court clerk reforms in SCOTUSBlog: mandatory post-clerkship public service, justices rotating through regional courthouses, and barring clerks from discussing cases across chambers.
Chief Justice Roberts Goes Postal on Trump's USPS Rule
The Supreme Court denied the Trump administration's emergency stay request in USPS v. California, letting a lower court injunction against a USPS rule stand, with minimal explanation from Roberts.
Editor's noteEmergency docket rulings arrive without reasoning, which is exactly why this one matters. The court declined to lift an injunction against the administration and said almost nothing about why, leaving lower courts and the Postal Service to read a result that carries no stated rule with it.
DHS secretary defends smaller FEMA workforce after judge challenges 50% staffing cut plans
DHS Secretary Mullin defended FEMA's reduced staffing as efficient, after a federal judge ruled the department unlawfully ordered a 50% workforce cut that had already shed 4,300 jobs.
Editor's noteA court has already called the cut unlawful and four thousand three hundred people have already gone. The secretary's defence of it is therefore the news: the department is arguing efficiency for a reduction a federal judge said it had no lawful authority to order at all.
Germany: Russia’s Enemy No. 1
Russia has escalated hybrid-warfare attacks against Germany, including a drone incident at Leipzig airport and an explosive attack near a Rohde and Schwarz facility, as Berlin backs Ukraine.
Armenia Battles to Buy Time
Armenia is weighing EU membership while resisting Russian pressure to remain in the Eurasian Economic Union, as Pashinyan pursues trade diversification amid falling Russian trade.
Taiwan’s Six-Year Hunt for China’s Undercover Chip Labs
Taiwan's Investigation Bureau examined 166 cases over six years involving companies concealing Chinese ownership in the chip sector, producing dozens of convictions including Xiaomi executives and a warrant for OnePlus's founder.
Editor's noteExport control is usually reported as policy. This reports it as enforcement: one hundred and sixty-six cases, six years, convictions of named executives and an outstanding warrant. That is what the rules look like when a state actually runs them, and the record is unusually specific.
Iran’s Covert Weapons Supply Chain Runs Through Canada and China — Fueled by Trade-Based Money Laundering
A covert network moves sensitive American technology to Iran through Chinese front companies and Canadian intermediaries, using trade-based money laundering to fund weapons procurement for the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
China-Based Artificial Intelligence Companies Conducting Industrial-Scale Distillation Campaigns Against U.S. AI Companies
NSA, CISA and FBI warn that Chinese AI firms including DeepSeek and Moonshot AI have systematically extracted capabilities from Claude, GPT, Gemini and Grok since 2024 using proxy accounts and prompt injection.
First Circuit Refuses to Stay District Court Injunction Against Trump's Executive Order on Mail-In Voting
The First Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously refused to stay a district court injunction blocking Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting, ruling the Postal Service rule oversteps constitutional election authority.
The Pentagon’s push for a clean audit is reshaping how it manages money and systems
The Pentagon’s drive to achieve a clean audit is forcing broad changes to financial management, including system consolidation, standardized data practices, and enterprise-wide process reforms aimed at improving accountability and audit readiness.
Editor's noteWe chose this as the lead story because it highlights a challenge that sits at the heart of effective governance: accountability. The Pentagon’s audit journey is not just about financial compliance but about modernizing systems, improving data quality, and strengthening institutional oversight. It offers a compelling example of how organizational reform often begins with transparency.
Dangerous Partners: The Russia-China Military Embrace
A CEPA analysis warns Russia and China are deepening military space cooperation through missile-warning data sharing and joint exercises, edging toward coordinated threats to US space systems.
Editor's noteTwo militaries sharing missile-warning data is a specific, verifiable act, not an alignment of rhetoric. That is why this leads: the analysis argues the cooperation is deepening in orbit without any treaty to point at, which makes it harder to deter and easier to underestimate.
OpenAI, GSA strike OneGov deal for ChatGPT through 2028
OpenAI and the US General Services Administration extended ChatGPT access to federal agencies through 2028, offering consumption-based pricing at a 50 percent discount with no platform fee.
Will It Matter That ABA Council Repealed The DEI Standard?
The American Bar Association's council voted 10-6 to repeal its DEI accreditation standard for law schools, though commentators expect little practical change since institutions may continue similar practices voluntarily.
Editor's noteA ten to six vote to repeal an accreditation standard sounds decisive and may change very little. That gap is the story: schools can carry on voluntarily, so the practical question is not what the council decided but who was relying on the standard being mandatory.
Donald Trump Hasn't Violated Twenty-Second Amendment
A federal magistrate rejected a lawsuit claiming Trump violated the Twenty-Second Amendment, ruling his 2020 election claims do not retroactively change that Biden won that year's vote.
Trump's Executive Order on Mail-in Ballots is an Assault on Federalism and Separation of Powers
Legal analysis argues Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting via USPS oversteps federal authority, as a district judge blocked it and the administration appealed again to the Supreme Court.
A Threshold Crossed in Saxony-Anhalt
Alternative for Germany won Saxony-Anhalt's state election outright, the first postwar far-right victory in a German state, straining Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition and raising doubts about Germany's continued support for NATO and Ukraine.
Alienation of Affections as Complicity
Responding to commenters on a suit against a former senator, the writer rejects the claim that a spouse's lover owes nothing, while still favouring abolition of the tort on other grounds.
Can an All-Female Nude Spa Bar Transgender Clients With Male Genitalia? The Supreme Court May Decide.
A federal appeals court is weighing whether a women-only spa may refuse clients who are transgender, in a case whose opening judicial line has already drawn attention for its bluntness.
Editor's noteThe petition asks the Supreme Court to decide whether state anti-discrimination law can override a private business's sex-segregated, nudity-based access policy under expressive-association and religious-exercise claims. A grant would test how far Tandon-era religious-liberty precedent extends into commercial anti-discrimination enforcement, beyond the narrower church and worship contexts courts have addressed so far.
Photo: AI Unfurls an Ancient Scroll
Italian researchers used machine learning to read a papyrus carbonised by Vesuvius without unrolling it, recovering Greek text on Stoic philosophy from a scroll far too fragile to open.
Do You Have the Right To Possess an AR-15? The Supreme Court Will Soon Decide.
The Supreme Court will decide next term whether bans on so-called assault weapons survive the Second Amendment, a ruling that would reach the dozen states with such laws and further.
Editor's noteThe court has stepped around this question for years, which is the reason to read the case now rather than after the ruling. A dozen state legislatures will be redrafting in the same week it lands, and the reasoning will matter more than the outcome for every other limit on what residents may own.
US troops can still be tracked by purchased location data, and Congress wants to know why
Two lawmakers have asked the Defense Department's watchdog to explain why measures meant to stop adversaries buying troops' location data from brokers are not working as promised.
Chinese Shipper COSCO Collects Intel for Beijing with Concealed Equipment, U.S. Officials Say
United States officials say a Chinese state-owned shipping line carries concealed equipment that listens to military communications near the countries its vessels visit.
The SCO’s Diminishing Usefulness for India
The regional bloc's summit in Kyrgyzstan showcased Xi Jinping's pull and India's shrinking room inside it, leaving Delhi to choose between two blocs or the work of building its own.
The Lindsay Clancy Trial Was Never Going To Answer the Question Everyone Was Asking
Reason's Billy Binion argues the deadlocked Lindsay Clancy jury faced an unanswerable question, whether postpartum psychosis negated criminal responsibility, reflecting the case's genuine complexity rather than a failure of the Massachusetts justice system.
Eleventh Circuit Holds Qui Tam Relators Are Not "Officers of the United States." What Happens Next?
The Eleventh Circuit unanimously held False Claims Act qui tam relators are not "officers of the United States," rejecting an Appointments Clause challenge and remanding separation-of-powers questions in USA ex rel. Zafirov.
"Incredulity" That "Competent Law Firm Representing One of the Largest Financial Institution[s] in the World" Filed Brief with AI Hallucinations
The D.C. Court of Appeals struck Deutsche Bank's appellate brief and referred its attorney to disciplinary counsel after finding four cited cases were fabricated by an AI research tool and never verified before filing.
Editor's noteA filing this error-ridden did not come from a solo practitioner cutting corners. It came from counsel to one of the world's largest banks, which is the part worth sitting with before any argument about AI tools in legal work.
Trump Is Back To Seeking Regime Change in Iran
A Reason column says Trump has resumed pushing for regime change in Iran after the inconclusive war launched in February 2026, arguing the campaign has killed civilians without weakening the government.
Fighting AI with AI: The US’s New Cyber Rules of Engagement
A CEPA analysis says a new White House memorandum lets vetted US firms conduct cyber-surveillance on foreign criminal networks with government approval, arguing AI's speed and scale demand pre-authorized public-private intervention powers.
"[A]n Unopposed Grant" of Sealing "Carries Little Weight in a Contested Posture"
Magistrate Judge Rachel Schwartz refused to seal LLC ownership disclosures in Townsend v. Gardens at Aldersgate, ruling generic privacy concerns do not justify secrecy and that a prior unopposed sealing order carried little weight.
Editor's noteSealing decisions shape what the public can ever learn about a case, and they are usually unopposed and unexamined. This ruling says an unopposed grant carries little weight once someone contests it, which is a small doctrinal point with wide practical reach.
Lion King Composer vs. Comedian Dispute Leads to ~$40K Attorney Fee Award Against Composer
A federal judge in California ordered Lion King composer Lebohang Morake to pay comedian Learnmore Mwanyenyeka roughly $39,560 in attorney fees after Morake dropped defamation claims following an anti-SLAPP motion.
Virginia Mom Gets 6-Month Suspended Jail Sentence for Letting 5-Year-Old Walk to the Pond
A Williamsburg, Virginia judge convicted law student Karyann Parkinson of child neglect for letting her 5-year-old walk half a mile alone, issuing a suspended six-month sentence and seven-year registry listing.
Editor's noteA suspended sentence sounds lenient until you read the second half. Seven years on a registry for letting a child walk half a mile is the actual penalty, and it is imposed by a standard no statute states, which is what makes this a policy story.
Statement: UNEP Report Warns World is Soon to Exceed 1.5°C ‒ but Return is Possible
UN Environment Programme's new report projects global warming will exceed 1.5C within years; World Resources Institute's David Waskow says emissions cuts, carbon removal and adaptation investment could still reverse the overshoot.
Defense Dept opens use of three major AI tools for employees
The Defense Department rolled out government versions of ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini for staff, permitting unclassified administrative and policy document review plus operational tasks like market research and supply-chain planning.
The Real Risk of a Trade War With Canada
Economist Chad Bown argues Washington should ease tariff pressure on Canada, warning that a US-Canada trade rift diverts Ottawa's resources and weakens North American unity needed to counter Chinese economic dominance.
'Let data reign'; Trump warns that those who don't let AI data centers proliferate will end up 'backwards and poor'
President Trump urged communities to support AI data center expansion, arguing it drives jobs and economic growth, while critics cite energy use, water consumption, noise, environmental concerns, and pressure on local infrastructure.
A Liberal Think Tank and an Air Force Major Are Trump's Latest Targets for Speech Policing
President Trump has targeted critics' speech through a threatened defamation lawsuit against the Center for American Progress and military charges against Air Force Maj. Jason Watson for anti-Trump statements.
Trump blasts data center critics: Backwards and poor
President Trump called communities opposing data centers backwards and poor, defending the AI infrastructure boom as the EPA proposed dropping public-notice requirements for industrial air-pollution permits near such projects.
Editor's noteThe quote will travel and the second half matters more. A proposal to drop public-notice requirements for air-pollution permits near these sites removes the mechanism those communities would use to object, which turns a rhetorical dismissal into a procedural one.
Negotiating AI Limits and Biological Weapons
International agreements restricting AI-enabled biological weapons are currently unrealistic, citing geopolitical rivalry, lack of shared threat perception among major powers, and the difficulty of securing meaningful multilateral cooperation.
Editor's noteThis ran precisely because it argues that the treaty everyone calls for cannot be negotiated yet. The reasons are the useful part: no shared threat picture, no trust between the powers that matter, no verification path. Treat it as a map of what has to change before the diplomacy can start.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul thinks AI should be ‘less evil’
New York Governor Kathy Hochul discussed conditions for lifting her data-center moratorium, surveillance concerns over Flock cameras, and enforcement gaps in the state's 3D-printed gun ban that a gunmaker says remain unenforceable.
Thousands of Ancient Human Brains Refuse to Rot—and Scientists Finally Know Their Strange Secret
Researchers have identified why thousands of ancient human brains survived for millennia while other soft tissues decayed: low-oxygen environments altered protein chemistry, creating stable structures that resisted decomposition.
All Rise! Coyote Court Is Now in Session
A personal-injury lawyer weighs, straight-faced, whether Wile E. Coyote could sue Acme over defective goods. Mock tort law on the most litigated product liability in cartoons.
New US export controls reportedly target Chinese access to remote AI servers — Trump admin's cut-down AI diffusion rule could be shared with industry as soon as September
The Trump administration is reportedly preparing new export controls aimed at preventing Chinese firms from accessing advanced U.S. AI computing power through overseas cloud and data-center infrastructure, closing a key loophole in existing chip-export restrictions.
How Might a ‘Super El Niño’ Affect Food, Forests and Water?
WRI examines the potential impacts of a developing 2026 Super El Niño, warning that stronger-than-normal ocean warming could intensify droughts, floods, heatwaves, food insecurity, ecosystem stress, fisheries disruption, and wildfire risks worldwide.
Aspen Institute pilots real-time EBT fraud blocking with states
The Aspen Institute and JPMorgan Chase partner to pilot real-time fraud detection and transaction blocking for EBT cards, aiming to stop SNAP benefit theft before it occurs, much like credit card fraud prevention systems.
Why did 1,000 Swiss citizens bury their underpants?
A citizen-science project asked more than 1,000 volunteers to bury cotton underwear to measure soil health. Researchers found decomposition rates varied widely, showing that land use and management strongly influence underground biological activity.
Editor's noteA thousand citizens burying cotton underpants for two months is a biological-activity meter that is cheap, repeatable and slightly ridiculous, which is why it led Public Policy rather than Funny. The finding is the policy: land use changed decomposition more than anything else measured. How ground is managed decides what lives in it, and that is a regulation question.
A Wall Of Separation Between LGB and T
Log Cabin Republicans’ decision to stop advocating on transgender issues, arguing that sexual-orientation and gender-identity debates have diverged politically. It examines internal disagreements, electoral considerations, and the organization's future advocacy priorities.
The Future of Ukraine’s Drone Democracy
Ukraine's shift to domestic drone production, now 95% assembled internally, has broadened civilian and military influence over strategy, straining President Zelensky's authority after his contested dismissal of digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
America Doesn’t Need More Nuclear Weapons
America’s nuclear stockpile would increase costs, escalation risks, and arms-race pressures without improving deterrence. Instead, Washington should modernize existing strategic capabilities and strengthen conventional forces to counter China and Russia effectively.
Editor's noteA Foreign Affairs argument against expanding the arsenal, chosen because it separates deterrence from stockpile size, a distinction the budget debate keeps blurring. The claim that conventional forces buy more security per dollar deserves testing rather than agreement. Watch where the modernisation money goes in the next authorisation.
NATO’s Missing Link: Shielding Vulnerable Infrastructure
NATO’s infrastructure investments need alliance-wide resilience assessment, not just national review. Critical assets such as energy grids, railways, data centers, and logistics networks should be evaluated for redundancy, survivability, and strategic military value.
Editor's noteGrids, railways and data centres are now military assets whether or not their owners think so. We ran this because it argues for assessing them alliance-wide instead of nation by nation, which is the difference between a plan and a wish. The private operators who own most of that infrastructure should read it as a preview of obligations.
Singapore to Require Stronger Social Media Age Checks for Young Users
Singapore plans to require stronger age-assurance measures on social media platforms, moving beyond self-declared ages. The government is considering age-based access rules and may impose stricter restrictions on platforms that fail to protect younger users.
Alternative Visions of the Internet
Today’s internet was shaped by policy choices, not technological inevitability. Reflecting on Rebecca Coyne’s spam-regulation analysis, contributors contend that stronger democratic governance and public participation can still redirect AI and internet development.
Watch out with Dancing; It Might Lead to Sex
A federal judge ruled expert testimony on dance instruction's heightened sexual-misconduct risk is admissible in a Minnesota college's vicarious-liability case, addressing foreseeability standards after a student's assault allegations against a former instructor.
Editor's noteEvidentiary rulings rarely lead a section and this one should. Admitting expert testimony that a specific activity carries heightened risk changes what an institution can claim it could not have foreseen, and foreseeability is the whole of a vicarious liability claim.
Can Competition Fix American Healthcare?
Hoover Institution fellow Scott Atlas argues expanding market competition and consumer choice in U.S. healthcare could lower costs while preserving quality and innovation, contending current regulations insulate providers from price pressure.
What Is El Niño? Here’s What It Means for Weather, Water, and Global Economy
A WIRED explainer examines an exceptionally strong El Niño event, outlining how unusual Pacific Ocean warming can alter rainfall, temperatures, storms, agriculture, water supplies, and economic activity across multiple regions worldwide.
Russia’s Nuclear Weapons: Sanctified by God?
The Russian Orthodox Church’s support for Russia’s nuclear arsenal, arguing that religious endorsement of weapons of mass destruction is unusual among major faith traditions and reinforces state nuclear messaging.
Editor's noteA church blessing nuclear weapons is unusual even by the standards of churches and weapons, and Alexander Motyl writes it plainly where most analysis is either too careful or too loud. It led Public Policy because the religious layer is part of Russia’s signalling, not colour. If you model Russia risk, the arsenal’s sanctification belongs in the model.
Buzzkill: How to defend Europe against drones
An ECFR report warns Europe faces escalating civilian and military drone threats, arguing that fragmented national responses leave vulnerabilities and calling for coordinated detection, data-sharing, and counter-drone defenses across EU and NATO members.
Editor's noteDrone incursions have been reported one airport at a time, which is exactly the problem this report names. Fragmented national responses leave the gaps, and detection and data-sharing only work if they cross borders, so the fix is institutional rather than technical, and slower for it.
Why land-use emissions have fallen by a third this century – in six charts
Global land-use emissions have fallen roughly one-third since the early 2000s due to lower deforestation rates, reduced peatland emissions, and stronger forest regrowth, though fossil-fuel emissions continue rising and remain the dominant climate challenge.
Nova Scotia’s Experiment in Research That Solves Real Problems
Nova Scotia is funding mission-oriented research around community-defined challenges, using multidisciplinary teams and long-term partnerships to generate practical solutions in areas such as health, aging, environmental management, and social wellbeing.
DISA starting small in proving out Mission Partner Environment capabilities
DISA's Mission Partner Environment portfolio executive plans to test and expand capabilities at INDOPACOM through initial pilot deployments before broader implementation.
What Trump’s Executive Order Means for Childhood Vaccinations
Trump's executive order modifies childhood vaccination recommendations by reducing the total number of vaccines and splitting the combined measles, mumps, and rubella shot into separate administrations.
White House signing deals with private hackers to combat cybercrime
The Trump administration issued a presidential memorandum authorizing private companies to conduct cyber surveillance and offensive operations against transnational criminal organizations under federal oversight and coordination.
The U.S.-Led Middle East Order Is Over. The Mecca Agreement Proves It.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey formed a defense pact, demonstrating declining U.S. influence in the Middle East and regional powers establishing independent security arrangements.
Are rising bond yields and elevated leverage a recipe for market turmoil?
Rising bond yields combined with elevated leverage levels may create financial instability, raising concerns about potential market disruption and economic consequences from higher borrowing costs.
Romania’s Gas Surplus? Bury it in Ukraine
Romania's increasing offshore gas production could be stored strategically in Ukraine rather than competing with US LNG in regional markets, strengthening European energy security and geopolitical leverage.
Tracking My Son to His Grave: Nina’s Story
Documentary follows Ukrainian mother Nina searching for her son, captured during 2014 Donetsk airport battle. She uses video evidence to confirm his execution, highlighting cellphone footage's role in war crimes investigations.
Flock is tightening its rules in response to a growing surveillance backlash
Flock, a police license plate reader company, is requiring criminal case numbers for location searches and expanding auditing systems in response to surveillance backlash. At least 30 cities dropped contracts amid privacy concerns.
A path toward sustainable security in Colombia
Atlantic Council releases issue brief examining approaches to achieving sustainable security and peace in Colombia through policy analysis and recommendations.
Editor's notePolicy briefs on Colombia are usually written for Bogota. This one is worth the lead slot because sustainable security is the test case for whether a negotiated peace can hold without permanent external funding, and the answer travels well beyond the country it is about.
What’s behind this summer’s heat, and why 2027 could be worse
Europe experienced record-breaking heat in June and July. Climate change accelerated warming patterns. El Niño could intensify temperatures further in 2027 as its effects typically lag by several months.
ICE agents could soon use gloves that give painful electric shocks
The Department of Homeland Security plans to distribute electric shock gloves called G.L.O.V.E. to ICE agents by March 2025, with spending up to $20 million. Over 700 local law enforcement agencies already use the device.
China's Alternative World Order
VIDEO: Xi Jinping is advancing an alternative global order centered on Chinese institutions, technology, and norms. Despite visible setbacks, China’s vision continues to attract support in parts of the developing world.
Editor's noteA Hoover video rather than a paper, chosen because it lays out the institutions China is actually building instead of arguing about intent. The setbacks are real and so is the appeal across the Global South. If you sell into either camp, the map of which norms are being exported matters more than the rhetoric.
‘ICJobs:’ Intel community gets new classified jobs portal
Intelligence community launches classified jobs portal to recruit talent for positions requiring security clearances, addressing staffing needs in AI and national security operations.
The missing component of government AI deployment: Trust
Government agencies should integrate verification mechanisms into AI system architecture to effectively deploy advanced AI tools for critical missions and operations.
DoD eyes accounting reforms to lower barriers for commercial firms
The Pentagon is seeking industry recommendations for contract accounting modifications designed to decrease compliance expenses and reduce obstacles for commercial firms working with the Department of Defense.
Clinical trials need participants, are the rules about compensation helping or hurting?
Healthcare regulators debate whether allowing higher compensation for clinical trial participants could increase enrollment while maintaining ethical standards in taxpayer-funded research.
Leaders’ Medical Secrecy Harms Public Trust
Lack of transparency regarding leaders' medical conditions undermines public confidence by suggesting hidden forces control governance without accountability or public oversight.
How I Got My Career in Foreign Policy: Sadanand Dhume
Sadanand Dhume, a former foreign correspondent and author, joined the Council on Foreign Relations as senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, discussing his coverage of economic, extremist, and international relations issues.
Apple Hires Airline Exec as Vice President of Government Affairs
Apple hired Nick Gatten, a former American Airlines executive, as vice president of government affairs. He will assume duties from retiring Katherine Adams and report to general counsel Jennifer Newstead.
Editor's noteApple’s new head of government affairs comes from an airline rather than a law firm or a lobby, and that led Public Policy because of what it says about the years ahead: operational, global and constant. Airlines are regulated in every jurisdiction they land in, a relevant CV for a company now regulated everywhere at once.
AI Confusion: Washington Struggles to Respond to China
US policymakers debate whether to restrict Chinese AI models through export controls and sanctions or allow competition. Startups increasingly adopt cheaper Chinese alternatives like DeepSeek and Qwen over expensive proprietary models.
“We Have To Smash the State”: The Left Prepares for War
Marxist and progressive movements remain active despite recent conservative political gains, warning that efforts associated with Black Lives Matter, DEI, and democratic socialism continue to challenge existing American institutions.
Global Imbalances Tracker
The CFR Global Imbalances Tracker measures country and global economic vulnerability to current account imbalances, including trade deficits and surpluses, tracking these metrics across time periods.
Analysis: Weaker EV targets could cost UK consumers £3bn a year by 2030
UK government considers weakening electric vehicle sales targets for 2030 from 80% to 50%, which analysis suggests could cost consumers £3 billion annually and increase oil imports by 8%.
Europe’s rare earth strategy is betting on allies
Europe is developing a rare earth strategy focused on partnerships with allied nations to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains and secure critical minerals for manufacturing.
Braw in Al Jazeera on Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian port infrastructure
Atlantic Council expert Braw provided commentary to Al Jazeera regarding Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian port infrastructure, analyzing military strategy and operational impacts.
China’s Fengwu AI Forecasted Typhoon Landfall Five Days Ahead
China is increasingly deploying AI weather forecasting systems such as Fengwu, Pangu, and Fuxi. Fengwu reportedly predicted a typhoon’s landfall five days ahead with high precision, highlighting AI’s growing role in extreme-weather forecasting.
America’s Fatal Attraction to War
The article examines why U.S. presidents face incentives to employ military force, analyzing the structural and political factors that encourage military intervention as a policy tool.
Apple Can't Delay App Store Fee Fight While Waiting on Supreme Court
Apple's request to pause App Store fee proceedings was denied. The company must propose fees for alternative payment options within 24 hours, with Epic Games providing legal analysis before court determines reasonable rates.
How the “censorship-industrial complex” is changing the Internet and US policy
A State Department office monitoring foreign disinformation was shut down after being accused of participating in a censorship-industrial complex allegedly suppressing conservative speech online under the guise of combating misinformation.
Editor's noteWe ran this from MIT Technology Review because it describes an institution being dismantled, not an argument being won. Whatever the office did or did not do, its absence changes who watches foreign influence operations in an election year. For policy readers the question is what replaces it, and whether anyone is funded to.
How Spain’s Migration Surge Tested EU Border Policy
Spain experienced unprecedented migrant arrivals in North African territory, serving as the first test of the EU's new migration pact and reigniting immigration debates across the bloc.
Editor's noteThe first live test of the EU’s migration pact happened on Spanish territory in North Africa, not in Brussels, and that is why it led Public Policy. A framework agreed in principle now has to survive a real surge and a real election cycle. Watch which member states invoke the pact’s solidarity clauses first.
Why We Should Fight
Article discusses areas where Trump made mistakes, without providing specific policy details or substantive arguments in the provided excerpt.
