On The Deals Shaping Our Economy
🇺🇦 Kyiv's Two-Front War
1 big thing: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is battling Russia on the front lines and a flaring corruption crisis at home.
Why it matters: The internal shakeup—including the firing of senior officials accused of taking kickbacks for reconstruction deals—comes as Kyiv desperately needs tens of billions in sustained Western aid.
The scandals risk undermining allied confidence and fueling arguments for cutting off support.
On the other front: Ukraine’s state energy firm, Naftogaz, secured a new gas deal with Greece’s DEPA to bolster its energy security following Russian strikes on its infrastructure.
By the numbers: The Greek deal, combined with another recent agreement, could cover up to 10% of Ukraine’s gas needs.
📉 U.S. Foreign Student Numbers Drop
Total international student enrollment in the U.S. dipped by 1% for the 2024/25 academic year, marking the first decline since the pandemic.
The real story is in the pipeline: the number of new international students fell 7%, according to the Fall 2025 Snapshot on International Student Enrollment.
Zoom in: The drop is driven by a 6% decline in graduate students, which offset a small 2% gain in undergraduates.
Why it's happening: University officials overwhelmingly blame visa issues.
71% cite visa processing delays and wait times.
54% cite an increase in visa denials.
The bottom line: Key markets are shifting. Institutions report strong recruitment from India (55%) and Vietnam (49%), but sharp declines from China (32%), Canada (18%), and Bangladesh (28%).
🔄 Trump's 180 on Epstein Files
What's new: In a "startling reversal," President Donald Trump on Sunday urged House Republicans to vote to release the Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The backdrop: Trump had previously fought the proposal, pressuring GOP lawmakers to block a bipartisan measure that would force the files' release.
Why the flip?
He lost the numbers: The bill had already secured enough support from Democrats and a "deluge" of defecting Republicans to pass the House.
Base pressure: Trump faced "fervent suspicion" from his own Maga base that the administration was hiding damaging information.
Damage control: The U-turn follows the recent release of select Epstein emails in which the financier alleged Trump "knew about the girls."
What he's saying: Trump framed the reversal as a move of transparency, while simultaneously dismissing the scandal as a "hoax."
"House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide."
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