The Weekly Report: May 10-17 2026
United States
Kevin Warsh was confirmed by the Senate this past week as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. His confirmation is a win for President Trump, as he has been at odds with current Fed policies. Outgoing chair Jerome Powell has been under attack recently by President Trump over his failure to cut Interest to the extent President Trump would like.
Asia
For the seventh time, President Trump met with President Xi Jinping in Beijing for high-level talks. Throughout the two day summit, the leaders talked about different issues and areas of contention between the U.S. and China, such as Taiwan, trade, and the situation in the Middle East. At the conclusion of the summit, President Trump said, “We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to settle, and the relationship is a very strong one.”
Europe
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced it would no longer deploy 4,000 troops to Poland. This move comes as the DoD announced a realignment plan of U.S. forces in Europe. Only two weeks ago, the DoD said it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany and station them in the U.S and other bases overseas.
Americas
The Cuban government announced its country had reached a breaking point after months of an ongoing energy crisis. Specifically, the government said it had finally depleted their oil reserves, which is likely to result in an increase in blackouts across the island nation. A resident of Havana reported that blackouts can last up to 23 hours a day.
Africa
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report in which it said the current war in Sudan is being dominated by drones that are funded and supplied by foreign nations. The UN was able to identify over 800 civilian deaths caused by drone attacks launched by both sides. The country has been ravaged by civil war, with the Sudanese military fighting the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces.
Middle East
The Iranian government executed four people this past week, according to Iranian state media. Independent human rights groups have said that death sentences have surged over the last two months as the U.S and Israel have been fighting. Many of these death sentences have been handed down after the conclusion of unfair judicial proceedings in which defendants do not have access to proper legal representation, according to DAWN, a think tank.
