Overview
- A new PIK assessment reports seven of nine planetary boundaries have been crossed, with biosphere integrity, biogeochemical flows, and chemical and plastic pollution in red alert and freshwater use in orange.
- Only stratospheric ozone and atmospheric aerosols remain within the safe zone, as rapid land-use change in parts of Latin America adds to the pressure.
- One of the warmest years on record brought repeated extreme events, reinforcing the scientific warnings about escalating climate risks.
- Under President Trump, U.S. policy pivoted to transactional bilateralism as Ukraine entered a tactical freeze, Syria’s Assad fell, and a U.S.–China ‘Chips 2.0’ confrontation deepened supply‑chain splits.
- Inside the U.S., ICE raids stoked fear among Mexican migrants while millions joined nationwide protests, even as local and labor gains stacked up, including a Starbucks $38 million settlement, a JBS national contract, a Los Angeles ‘Olympic wage,’ Nurses United wins, and progressive electoral victories in major cities and states.