Greetings! Happy World Kindness Day to those celebrating.

Let’s get into today’s top stories.

🇵🇸 UN plan for Gaza peacekeepers hits headwinds. The United States floated a stabilization force for Gaza at the United Nations (UN) that drew skepticism from Russia, China, and several Arab governments over mandate, troop makeup, and exit criteria. Critics argued that any security mission without a binding ceasefire and humanitarian surge risks entrenching the status quo. Human rights groups cite a pattern they describe as apartheid, collective punishment, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and occupation, terms that shape diplomatic optics even when parties dispute them. Backers say a transitional force could protect aid corridors, deconflict armed actors, and enable municipal services to restart. Skeptics counter that unclear rules of engagement invite mission creep and legitimacy gaps. The operational math is unforgiving since logistics, host consent, and legal authorities must align. Any plan will be judged by fewer funerals and fuller warehouses, not communiqués. Editor’s Note: The polycrisis afflicting Gaza was officially considered a genocide by the United Nations (UN) and International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), with famine declared formally by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), confirmed by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, World Food Program (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO), along with Global Sumud Flotilla eyewitnesses.

🇧🇩 Bangladesh braces for lockdown protests over Hasina trial. The former ruling party called for nationwide stoppages as court proceedings against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s allies and critics rippled through politics and streets. Business groups warned of supply chain delays in Dhaka’s garment sector that ships billions in orders each quarter. Police prepared cordons around courts and key junctions while universities shifted exams online to avoid crowds. Civil society monitors urged deescalation rules for both marchers and officers, including time limits and dispersion protocols. Telecom firms hardened networks for potential throttling or outages as rumors drive spikes in messaging. Economists fear even short disruptions will dent confidence and exports in a thin-margin calendar. Stability is measured in open factories and reliable buses, not slogans.

🏛️ Shutdown ends with President Trump’s signature after 43 days. The funding bill became law, reopening agencies and releasing back pay after a record disruption that stalled grants, inspections, and procurement pipelines. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) will tally retroactive costs and penalties that make long closures far pricier than headlines imply. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is issuing restart memos that agencies translate into staffing, contract catch-up, and site visits. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expects controller training backlogs to bleed into holiday capacity even with overtime. States will prioritize delayed disaster reimbursements and school funds to stabilize local budgets. Markets reflected modest relief while municipal borrowers shaved shutdown premia. The grade will come from on-time flights and cleared checks, not podiums.

📉 Economy feels the drag from a record federal pause. Analysts estimate the 43-day shutdown will shave growth through lost output, delayed consumption, and confidence hits that linger beyond reopening. Households faced suspended benefits and slower refunds that pinch cash flow in holiday months. Small contractors absorbed unpaid invoices and interest costs that do not vanish when lights come back on. Airlines cut frequencies while safety training slipped calendars, which compounds congestion later. Nutrition programs and rental assistance had to triage cases, raising downstream social costs that budgets rarely recapture. Bond desks priced uncertainty into spreads that function like a quiet tax on cities and schools. When government stalls, the multiplier runs backward.

✈️ FAA caps flight cuts at 6 percent as staffing improves. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said schedule reductions will stay at 6 percent because more air traffic controllers are returning to duty and training pipelines are refilling. Airlines will still thin peak banks to preserve safety margins around de-icing and low-visibility ops. Hub airports will lean on metering programs and longer taxi buffers to avoid cascading delays. The agency cited targeted overtime and accelerated simulators as near-term relief while academies ramp cohorts. Carriers will prioritize high-yield routes and consolidate late-night frequencies where connections are weakest. Passengers should expect fewer fringe options but steadier on-time rates once storms clear. Capacity is policy when runways are scarce and radios are finite.

🛒 Chicago rallies around street vendors amid immigration raids. Residents organized buyouts and bulk orders from sidewalk sellers as federal enforcement actions rattled immigrant corridors. Community groups set up rapid-response funds and legal triage tables to document encounters and connect families to counsel. City officials balanced assurances about non-cooperation policies with reminders about street vending permits and food safety. Faith coalitions opened basements for pop-up markets so income does not vanish during crackdowns. Retail economists note that microbusiness velocity matters for entire blocks since vendors anchor foot traffic. Civil rights lawyers pressed for body-cam footage preservation and consistent ID protocols. Solidarity became logistics and receipts, not just slogans.

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That’s all for today!

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See you tomorrow!