The 2026 Winter Games officially concluded on Feb. 22 with a vibrant closing ceremony at the ancient Verona Arena, capping 16 days of competition that brought together athletes from dozens of countries

Norway dominated the medal standings, while Team USA achieved a historic performance. Norway finished at the top with 41 total medals, including 18 gold, breaking their own previous records. The United States secured second place, breaking their Winter Olympics record with 12 golds.

• Global unity in a fractured media world: The Olympics remain one of the few events with truly global, simultaneous viewership. 

• Lasting legacy questions: Host cities like Milan are already planning post-Games infrastructure, such as permanent ice arenas, to maintain Olympic momentum. 

In one of the most significant blows to organized crime this year, Mexican security forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in a major military operation on Feb. 22. The mission, backed with intelligence cooperation from U.S. agencies, removed one of the most powerful cartel bosses in the world. 

Almost immediately after the operation, retaliation broke out with cartel members blocking highways, and setting vehicles and businesses on fire, which triggered alerts in multiple Mexican states, prompting travel advisories and shelter-in-place warnings for tourists. 

• Power vacuums can unleash instability. Takedowns often create splinter violence as factions vie for control. 

• Transnational security implications: U.S.-Mexico cooperation show signs the intertwined nature of cartel violence, drug trafficking (especially fentanyl), and border policy debates, which are hot political issues in Washington. 

• Tourism & perception: Violence in popular destinations like Jalisco directly impacts economic activity and international confidence, especially with the question of ICE in the States

Across the continent, uncertainty surged as U.S. leadership responded to a recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down much of the president’s earlier global tariff regime.

In response, the administration announced a new flat 15 % tariff on imports from all countries under a rarely used trade law provision, despite legal questions about executive authority. This move sent shockwaves through markets and drew both domestic criticism and international concern from major partners like the EU and UK. 

U.S. markets reacted sharply as stocks declined and assets like gold climbed as investors braced for trade disruptions and potential retaliation from trading partners. 

• Trade policy uncertainty can slow growth: Businesses facing unpredictable tariff schedules may delay investment and hiring decisions. 

• International relationships at stake: Allies and economic partners are watching closely to see if existing trade deals (particularly under agreements like USMCA will hold or need renegotiation)

• Consumer impact: Higher tariffs often translate into higher prices for U.S. consumers, increasing inflation concerns that already hit the U.S.

• #MilanoCortina2026 - Olympic closing ceremony highlights

• #ElMenchoDown — Cartel leader’s death sparks debate on security

• #TariffTurbulence — Wall Street and global markets react

• #GlobalTradeChaos — Tweets and threads try to explain tariff fallout

Until next time,

“zoom out, see what matters”