Saturday Covfefe: The Institution Test

Who shapes our history, our security, and the public's trust?

Welcome back to Saturday Covfefe.

The World Cup may be over, but Washington clearly hasn’t run out of plot twists.

Before we dive in, one thing worth watching this week: if you’ve noticed gas prices creeping up, this may not be temporary. After months of fighting in the Middle East, energy analysts say oil markets are finally beginning to price in long-term disruption to global supplies.

Translation: the pain at the pump may just be getting started.

If someone shared this with you, welcome. Every Saturday, I break down five stories worth your time—and one reason to stay hopeful. If you'd like to join us each week, I'd love to have you subscribe.

Pour the coffee. Let’s get into it.

1. FIFA’s U.N. Tryout

The World Cup came to a close. Spain lifted the trophy. Argentina came up just short. Millions of us finally got our sleep schedules back. And then Donald Trump looked at FIFA President Gianni Infantino and reportedly thought: You know who should run the United Nations?

Yes. Really.

According to multiple reports, Trump has been privately pitching Infantino as the next U.N. Secretary-General once António Guterres steps down later this year. His reasoning? Infantino is “respected by everyone around the world” and knows how to bring people together.

Now, as someone who has spent years working with the United Nations from inside the U.S. government, let me translate what this would actually mean.

Running FIFA and running the U.N. are not the same job.

One manages the world’s biggest sporting event. The other tries to prevent wars, negotiate peace agreements, coordinate humanitarian crises, oversee refugee operations, manage sanctions, and somehow keep 193 countries from storming out of the room. Those are very different job descriptions.

The irony is that Infantino’s World Cup wasn’t exactly controversy-free. Between political pressure, officiating disputes, and criticism over FIFA’s decision-making during the tournament, many fans walked away questioning the organization’s credibility. So naturally, Washington’s next thought was: promotion.

Because in 2026, apparently every job is transferable if you’ve been photographed next to Donald Trump enough times.

⚽ From FIFA to the United Nations (The Independent)

2. Eight Countries and Counting

Remember when Donald Trump promised to end America’s “endless wars”? Well, the Pentagon may soon need another map.

This week, reports emerged that the administration is considering military strikes in Mali, targeting an al-Qaeda affiliate known as JNIM. If approved, Mali would become the eighth country where President Trump has ordered military strikes since returning to office. It may sound like another faraway conflict. It isn’t.

The Sahel region of Africa has quietly become the world’s epicenter for terrorism. Groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS have expanded dramatically, governments have fallen in military coups, and Russia has stepped in as the region’s security partner, with mixed and often disastrous results.

Military force can eliminate terrorists. It can also create new ones. That’s why this isn’t a simple “good guys versus bad guys” decision. After more than a decade of French military operations and years of Russian involvement, the security situation in Mali has actually gotten worse, not better. Some analysts worry U.S. strikes could strengthen ISIS by weakening its rival, or pull America deeper into yet another conflict with no clear endgame.

One of the administration’s strongest advocates for expanding military action has been counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka. The administration hasn’t made a final decision, but it’s another reminder that campaign slogans are easy. Counterterrorism is hard. Confidence and competence aren’t the same thing.

🌍 Trump Eyes Military Strikes in Mali (WaPo)

3. Proximity to Power Pays

Donald Trump Jr. says there’s nothing wrong with making money while your father is president.

Legally, he may be right. Ethically? That’s a different conversation.

A fascinating New York Times investigation this week details how Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm, 1789 Capital, has exploded in value by investing in companies whose fortunes have been boosted by policies coming out of the Trump administration. The firm has grown from managing a few hundred million dollars to more than $3 billion in assets in just two years. The investments include defense companies, AI firms, critical minerals, and even Polymarket—the prediction market that, after years of regulatory hurdles, recently received approval to operate in the United States. Its valuation jumped from roughly $300 million to $15 billion.

One venture capital professor summed it up in a sentence that should make every American pause: “People are paying for proximity to power.”

Now, let’s be fair. Nothing in the reporting alleges that Donald Trump Jr. broke the law. However, government ethics has never been just about what’s illegal. It’s also about avoiding the appearance that public power can be converted into private wealth. Those norms exist for a reason.

Once people start believing that political connections matter more than innovation, competition, or merit, trust in government doesn’t just erode. It becomes another commodity that can be bought and sold.

💰 How Trump Jr.’s Firm Is Cashing In (NY Times)

4. The White House Wants to Rewrite the Museum

This week, President Trump signed an executive order declaring that the Smithsonian has been “ideologically captured” and directing federal agencies to pressure the institution to change course.

But this executive order isn’t really about one museum. It’s part of a broader governing strategy that’s become increasingly clear throughout the past year. Rather than simply changing policy, the administration is using executive authority to reshape institutions it believes have become ideologically biased, from universities to museums and other cultural institutions. The Smithsonian is simply the latest example, but it almost certainly won’t be the last. Here’s the part that made me stop scrolling.

The order directs the National Park Service to install government signage outside the National Museum of American History warning visitors that the museum’s exhibits are biased and directing them to what the White House considers more accurate historical information. This is an extraordinary use of executive authority.

Visitors won’t just be walking into a museum. They’ll be walking past government-issued commentary telling them how to interpret what’s inside. And that, my friends, is Putin-style government propaganda.

🇺🇸 The White House vs. the Smithsonian (White House Executive Order)

5. America’s New Flash Flood Reality

There’s a Walmart in Weston, West Virginia, where floodwater burst through the automatic doors this week like it owned the place. Four and a half inches of rain fell in just 37 minutes. Two people died. Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in all 55 counties and activated 500 National Guard troops. This wasn’t an isolated disaster.

Just days earlier, the Guadalupe River in Texas surged roughly 30 feet in a matter of hours during catastrophic flooding. Missouri rescued hundreds of people from rising water. Tropical Storm Bertha brought flood threats from Louisiana through the Carolinas and into Virginia. As of this week, the National Weather Service had issued 32 flash flood emergencies, its highest warning level, putting July on pace to challenge the record. This isn’t just one state having a bad week. It’s becoming a pattern.

Whether you see this through the lens of climate, infrastructure, emergency management, or simply common sense, communities are getting less time to prepare and more to recover from. Preparedness isn’t partisan.

Cafecito... but maybe keep the life jacket nearby.

🌧️ Another Week. Another Flash Flood Emergency (CNN)

❤️ One Thing For Your

We’ve all seen how these videos usually go: a fender bender, two frustrated drivers, and an argument that’s about to go viral. But in Brazil, this one ended with something no one expected.

After a minor car accident, Paulo Amaral walked over to check on the other driver, Eduardo Santos. Instead of yelling, he noticed something was wrong. Eduardo had recently lost his father and was carrying more than the stress of a damaged car. So Paulo asked a simple question: “Do you want a hug?” The two embraced in the middle of the road, and then prayed together before exchanging insurance information. They have since become friends.

It struck me because so much of our public life teaches us to assume the worst about one another. Every disagreement becomes a battle. Every inconvenience becomes a reason to lash out. But we never really know what someone else is carrying.

Sometimes the kindest thing we can do is ask if someone is okay, and, even in the middle of life’s collisions, offer a hug instead.

Grateful for you. See you soon,

Olivia

P.S. If you found this edition worth your time, I'd be grateful if you'd share it with a friend. Word of mouth is still the best way this community grows.