Category: Blogging

A weekly summary highlighting stories that might have missed your newsfeed.

The algorithm may show you the news, but that doesn’t mean you’re seeing every story. Compiled regularly by analyzing news coverage from multiple different outlets, this series highlights the headlines that you may have missed but shouldn’t overlook.

For a regular update on top stories, check out the Stories behind the soundbites.

1. Pentagon orders states’ National Guard units to prep for domestic crowd-control deployment: “An attempt to normalize a national, militarized police force.” —Janessa Goldbeck, former US Marine corps captain and CEO, Vet Voice Foundation

• An internal Pentagon memo reveals plans to train more than 20,000 National Guard members across all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories as “quick reaction forces” for crowd control, citing President Trump’s executive order on quelling civil unrest. The directive mandates riot-control training, including baton, shield, Taser, and pepper-spray tactics, and monthly state reporting, with units expected to be operational by January 2026. Critics warn the move could allow federal deployment of troops into states without governor approval, and even be leveraged to challenge election results, while the White House argues the effort is part of reducing violent crime and restoring public order.

2. Trump orders immediate resumption of U.S. nuclear weapons testing after 30-year pause: “We give up a little bit in terms of constraining ourselves when we have a test ban treaty and we uphold it, but when we break that, other countries who are our adversaries benefit more than we do.” –Beth Sanner, former intelligence official

• President Trump has directed the Defense Department to restart nuclear weapons testing “immediately,” ending a voluntary U.S. moratorium in place since 1992. The announcement, posted on Truth Social just before Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, cites nuclear activity abroad and asserts the U.S. must match “other countries’ testing programs.” National security experts warn the move could accelerate a global arms race and undermine decades of nuclear-test-ban diplomacy. The order follows recent Russian tests of nuclear-capable systems, raising fears of renewed geopolitical escalation.

Read the full blog on the Bite Back Substack.

From shutdown politics in the U.S. to fraying ceasefires abroad, leaders are leveraging fear, control, and public narrative to govern crises that affect millions of lives.

Do you get your news from social media and want to stay informed, but without all the doomscrolling? Do you want to hear from all sides, but there isn’t one place that gives you everything you need?

Welcome to the Stories Behind the Soundbites: a series dedicated to unpacking the big picture trends shaping each week’s headlines from multiple perspectives. Each blog breaks down the headlines dominating your feeds, how they’re being spun from different sides, and what they really say about the world we’re building.

Politics: Democracy on pause–Shutdown, silence, and symbolism in Washington

The federal government shutdown has now entered Day 22 with no breakthrough in sight. What began as a battle over extending Affordable Care Act subsidies has spiraled into a broader standoff affecting hundreds of thousands of federal workers, critical programs like SNAP and WIC, and national operations. Workers are preparing to miss their first full paycheck, health care enrollment begins soon without certainty around subsidies, and key welfare funds could dry up by early November. Rather than negotiating an end, the administration is using the shutdown to justify downsizing federal agencies, further eroding stability at a time when public trust in institutions is already fraying.

At the Pentagon, an unprecedented clampdown on press access is deepening concerns about government transparency. Major news outlets like The Washington Post and AP were stripped of credentials under a new policy requiring journalists to report only information pre-approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In protest, veteran Pentagon reporters walked out, warning of a chilling effect on the free press. Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling publicly condemned the policy, calling it a direct threat to the constitutional role of journalism in overseeing the military. Meanwhile, millions of Americans took to the streets in “No Kings” protests to denounce what they see as President Trump’s authoritarian drift, mocked by the president but widely seen as a show of solidarity, resistance, and democratic resolve.

In a symbolic move that has sparked fierce backlash, the White House began demolishing the East Wing to build a privately funded $200 million ballroom. While the administration touts it as a modern, patriotic addition paid for by donors, critics say it marks a troubling fusion of spectacle and power, prioritizing vanity over history, transparency, and public access. Preservationists warn the demolition permanently alters a historic part of “the People’s House,” echoing a wider theme playing out across Washington: as institutions strain under political pressure, battles over power, narrative, and symbolism are becoming just as consequential as policy itself.

The takeaway: Trust in American institutions is unraveling.

Altogether, the shutdown, Pentagon press restrictions, mass “No Kings” protests, and East Wing demolition point to a deeper national shift: democratic norms and public institutions are being strained not just by policy disputes, but by growing efforts to centralize power, control narratives, and weaken transparency. Governance is increasingly being used as a tool of leverage, from shutting down essential services and limiting press oversight to reshaping symbolic public spaces, while critics, citizens, and even military leaders warn of creeping authoritarianism and fading public trust.

At the same time, millions of Americans are responding through protest, civic engagement, and public dissent, signaling that resistance to these shifts is growing just as quickly. The broader story doesn’t just signal political dysfunction. It shows a country actively debating who holds power, how it’s exercised, and whether democratic institutions can withstand the pressure.

Read the full blog on the Bite Back Substack.

Amid the major stories and buried leads, there is some good news (believe it or not). Here’s a taste of it.

1. Green sea turtles rescued from brink of extinction

Green sea turtles are recovering after decades of decline, leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to reclassify them from “endangered” to “least concern” on its Red List. This global success is largely due to long-term conservation efforts such as legal protections and fishing gear modifications, which have helped increase turtle populations by around 28% since the 1970s. However, experts caution that certain regional populations like those in the North Indian Ocean and East Pacific are still at risk. Ongoing threats like climate change, habitat loss, and pollution mean continued protection is essential. While the green sea turtle’s comeback is a hopeful story, the broader picture remains troubling, as nearly one-third of species worldwide remain threatened with extinction. Read more on Smithsonian Magazine.

2. Increased marine conservation in Spain

The government of Spain has approved six new marine-protected areas, five dedicated to marine habitats and one designated for seabirds, covering about 17,000 square kilometers and bringing Spain closer to its target of protecting 25% of its waters by the end of 2025. These zones include sensitive ecosystems such as the seamounts of the Mallorca Channel, banks of the Alboran Sea and the Central Catalan Coast. While the move is celebrated by environmental groups as a major step toward preserving biodiversity, they note that management and enforcement plans must now follow for the protection to be effective. Read more on Oceanographic Magazine.

Read the full blog on the Bite Back Substack.