Fiscal Watch: The U.S. national debt crossed $40 trillion for the first time, with Treasury reporting about $40.047T total debt and warnings that rising interest costs and spending pressures could worsen a fiscal crisis. Markets & Fed Tension: Treasury also said it will at least double buybacks of longer-dated Treasuries, a move that helped lift Asian stocks but raised questions about whether Treasury or the Fed is driving credit conditions. Foreign Policy Flashpoint: The U.S. sanctioned International Criminal Court officials, drawing condemnation from the ICC and allies, as Washington argues the court targeted non-consenting governments. North Korea Diplomacy: Pyongyang rejected any reduction in U.S.-South Korea drills, while South Korea’s defense minister estimated North Korea has 80–120 nuclear weapons, higher than Trump’s 57 figure. Election Politics: Alaska’s Senate race after the primary shows Mary Peltola leading Dan Sullivan, and Florida’s Senate primary produced a major upset for Democrats. Immigration/Enforcement Scrutiny: A Northern Virginia probe is underway after reports of ICE agents threatening a U.S. citizen with a gun, adding to broader criticism of ICE enforcement tactics. Tech & Security: A CareCloud breach highlighted how healthcare data can be exposed through cloud systems tied to electronic health records.