July 31, 2026

Photo credit: Florencia Tan Jun / Contributor / Sportsfile via Getty Images

Back in March, streamer Hasan Piker, Code Pink leader Medea Benjamin, and dozens of other progressive activists joined the Nuestra América Convoy, a trip to Cuba that was billed as an effort to bring “critical humanitarian aid” to the island. The terms of U.S. sanctions against Cuba make humanitarian aid one of the few justifications under which Americans may visit the Communist island. “But in practice, convoy activities were not restricted to aid delivery,” Stu Smith writes.

Indeed, Benjamin gave a speech alongside Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and broadcast on Cuban state media that criticized the United States. Speakers after her said that they were ready to take up rifles to defend the country from Americans. Piker, meantime, produced a documentary that included regime-approved talking points.

Now, both might be under investigation for potential violation of American sanction rules.

“Because Cuba is designated by the U.S. government as a state sponsor of terrorism, efforts to evade U.S. sanctions are subject to heightened legal and regulatory scrutiny,” Smith explains. “Benjamin, Piker, or other attendees’ activities may well have violated these restrictions.”

Read more about the State Department inquiry.

Earlier this month, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched an initiative called Talk to Tenants, in which volunteers will visit rental buildings that have housing violations and remind tenants of their right to organize.

Government’s proper role is to enforce the law neutrally, Nicole Gelinas points out. The administration has said that it wants to help tenants understand their rights, but the program could wind up hurting tenants more than it helps them.

‘“Widespread collective action to win better repairs’ could be code for a rent strike, in which tenants band together and withhold monthly payment to force better living conditions,” Gelinas writes. “But more rent strikes might mean more buildings falling into distress, above the current 9.3 percent of rent-regulated buildings.”

Read more about Talk to Tenants and why it’s so problematic.

How the United States fares in the race to advance artificial intelligence remains to be seen, but several key factors deserve thoughtful consideration, Senator Dave McCormick writes. Companies’ support for employees, Americans’ ability to own a stake in the technology’s advancements, sufficient safeguards to protect children, strong national security measures, and permitting reform for infrastructure development will all play a role in shaping the AI future.

“This moment demands leadership and alignment across all levels of society,” McCormick writes. “If we meet the AI revolution with humility, clarity, and faith in the American worker, it can usher in the next great American century.”

Read more.