This Week in the World

As the new Gaza ceasefire takes effect today, Israeli forces have begun pulling back, and thousands of Palestinians have begun trekking back to whatever remains of their homes.

After two horrific and painful years, the ceasefire agreement announced this week provides hope for a reprieve from the genocide in Gaza and the return of all hostages.

According to President Donald Trump, the United States is at war, both abroad and at home.

Trump notified Congress this week that he has “determined” that the U.S. is at war with drug cartels in Latin America. The U.S. killed another four people in another strike in the Caribbean on Friday.

This week, Congress is negotiating a stopgap measure for federal spending for Fiscal Year 2026 which begins October 1. Lawmakers must reach a resolution or discretionary spending halts and the government will shut down.

As the deadline approaches, Congress must pass legislation that:

1. Keeps the government open.

Government shutdowns halt vital programs and services and harm people across the country.

This Sunday, September 21, the world celebrates the International Day of Peace.

This year, the United Nations is observing the day with a timely call to action: Act Now for a Peaceful World.

As the U.N. theme reflects, this is a crucial time to raise our voices – not just against war and militarism, but for peace and our work to build it.

We are horrified and deeply saddened by the killing of political commentator Charlie Kirk on Wednesday. We are holding all of his loved ones in the Light.

This is not the way. In the wake of this traumatic act of political violence, we are called to sound the alarm over the dangerous direction our nation is heading, and to reflect on what we must do — as individuals and collectively — to help change course toward a better future.

Today, President Donald Trump announced that he is changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.

This move is not just semantic. It is ominously symbolic of the disturbing escalation in U.S. militarism and war-making under the second Trump administration —  both at home and abroad.

The start of the new school year is typically a time of excitement and joy. But as armed troops and masked agents roam throughout the district, this is anything but a typical year in Washington, D.C.

FCNL’s Bridget Moix provided a glimpse at how President Trump’s militarized takeover is impacting life in D.C. as kids return to school:

Today, we’re focused entirely on our Native American legislative work. This Week in the World is a newsletter which covers breaking news, world events, and actions in Congress every Friday. If you want more updates on Native concerns, the Native American Legislative Update is a monthly newsletter which explores FCNL’s Native American policy advocacy and ways for you to engage your members of Congress.

We are deeply alarmed by President Donald Trump’s authoritarian moves this week to deploy troops into Washington, D.C. and seize control of the district’s police.

This is unprecedented, unnecessary, undemocratic, and unjustifiable.

As an organization based in D.C., we reject President Trump’s offensive and baseless lies about the vibrant communities here that many of our staff love and belong to.

This week marks 80 years since the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

To commemorate these solemn anniversaries, we compiled reflections from a wide range of voices on the enduring legacy of those terrible days, and the road ahead toward a brighter future free from the shadow of nuclear weapons.

Hibakusha (Survivors)

Japanese survivors — known as hibakusha — have spent their lives advocating for peace and bearing witness to the horrors of nuclear war.