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Earth Intelligence

25 Apr 2025 — 5 min read

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U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, appointed in 1997, issued a preliminary injunction on April 24, 2025, blocking key provisions of President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order on federal elections. The order mandated proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and imposed stricter election rules. In her 120-page ruling, Kollar-Kotelly found that the executive branch exceeded its authority, as the Constitution assigns election regulation to Congress and states, and the order violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

The blocked provisions required the Election Assistance Commission to include proof-of-citizenship documentation (e.g., passport or birth certificate) on the national voter registration form and directed federal agencies to verify citizenship before providing forms to public assistance recipients. Critics argue these measures could limit voting access while supporters contend the order ensures election security by preventing noncitizen voting. The injunction is temporary, leaving some provisions, such as state data-sharing, intact pending further legal proceedings.

Economics & Markets:

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Geopolitics & Military Activity:

As of Yesterday, April 24, 2025, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan following a terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front, a group India links to Pakistan. On April 23, 2025, India announced the treaty suspension and, on April 24, stopped the flow of the Ravi River into Pakistan by closing all four gates at its dams and canals, using the Shahpur Kandi barrage completed on March 1, 2025. India also closed the Attari-Wagah border, expelled Pakistani diplomats, and barred Pakistani nationals from entering under the SAARC visa scheme. Pakistan condemned the moves, with protests reported in cities like Lahore and Rawalpindi. Over the past 48 hours, minor border clashes occurred along the Line of Control in Kashmir’s Leepa Valley, involving small arms fire and limited Pakistani military response, with no major escalation reported.

The IWT, signed in 1960, allocates the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India and the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan, with Pakistan relying on the Indus basin for 90% of its irrigation, supporting 80% of its farmland. Stopping the Ravi’s flow pressures Pakistan’s agriculture, though fully blocking other rivers would require significant infrastructure India currently lacks. The situation remains tense, with minor clashes and protests signaling potential for further escalation unless diplomatic or legal steps are taken.

Environment & Weather:

Space:

Yesterday, April 24, 2025, at 9:17 AM UTC, China launched the Shenzhou-20 mission from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using a Long March 2F/G rocket. The spacecraft carried three taikonauts—Chen Dong (mission commander, third flight), Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie (both first-time space travelers)—to the Tiangong Space Station. Launched on China’s Space Day, the mission will dock with the station’s Tianhe core module for a crewed orbital mission, marking China’s 15th human spaceflight.

On April 24, 2025, at 9:52 PM EDT, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites. Part of the Starlink 6-74 group, the satellites were deployed to low Earth orbit to expand SpaceX’s global internet network, now exceeding 7,100 satellites. The rocket’s first stage landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Atlantic Ocean about eight minutes after launch.

Statistic:

Largest assets on Earth by market capitalization:

Gold: $22.579T
🇺🇸 Apple: $3.130T
🇺🇸 Microsoft: $2.879T
🇺🇸 NVIDIA: $2.596T
🇺🇸 Amazon: $1.979T
🇺🇸 Alphabet (Google): $1.952T
Silver: $1.888T
Bitcoin: $1.862T
🇸🇦 Saudi Aramco: $1.664T
🇺🇸 Meta Platforms: $1.345T
🇺🇸 Berkshire Hathaway: $1.146T
🇺🇸 Broadcom: $884.67B
🇹🇼 TSMC: $851.52B
🇺🇸 Tesla: $835.87B
🇺🇸 Eli Lilly: $772.02B
🇺🇸 Walmart: $768.33B
🇺🇸 JPMorgan Chase: $679.87B
🇺🇸 Visa: $647.58B
🇨🇳 Tencent: $558.12B
🇺🇸 SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust: $501.74B
🇺🇸 Mastercard: $488.18B
🇺🇸 Exxon Mobil: $469.85B
🇺🇸 Netflix: $466.79B
🇺🇸 Costco: $432.80B
🇺🇸 UnitedHealth: $386.16B

History:

The India-Pakistan conflict originated with the 1947 partition of British India, which created India, predominantly Hindu, and Pakistan, predominantly Muslim, triggering widespread communal violence and displacement that killed an estimated 200,000 to 2 million people. The partition left the status of Jammu and Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region with a Hindu ruler, unresolved, leading to the first Indo-Pakistani War (1947–1948) after Pakistan-supported tribal forces invaded and the region’s ruler acceded to India. A UN ceasefire established the Line of Control (LoC), dividing Kashmir between Indian and Pakistani administration. Further wars in 1965 and 1999 (Kargil War) centered on Kashmir, while the 1971 war resulted in East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh. Both nations’ 1998 nuclear tests heightened the stakes, and incidents of cross-border militancy, such as the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and 2008 Mumbai attacks, have deepened distrust.
As of April 24, 2025, tensions persist over Kashmir and water-sharing. A recent attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing 26 tourists, led India to close the Attari-Wagah border, downgrade diplomatic relations, and suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The IWT assigns the eastern rivers (Ravi, Sutlej, Beas) to India and western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan, but disputes over India’s dam projects, like Kishanganga and Ratle, have fueled concerns. Pakistan, heavily dependent on the Indus for agriculture, worries about reduced water flows, while India asserts its projects comply with the treaty and meet energy demands. The Kashmir dispute, marked by ongoing LoC skirmishes, and water disagreements continue to strain relations.

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