The Pentagon Can’t Help Ukraine & Elon Musk’s Aspirations
January 24, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Wednesday! Today, we’ll be talking about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a lawsuit by Mexico against gun manufacturers, more attacks on Houthis, Egypt and Israel butting heads, the Los Angeles Times lay-offs, the New Hampshire primary, and Elon Musk’s latest antics.
Here’s some good news: Rose Giron, who is believed to be the oldest Holocaust survivor, turned 112 years old this week. Her daughter says she is still full of life and “thumbing her nose at Hitler.” Giron lives in New York City still. And speaking of the concrete jungle, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday that the city will purchase millions of dollars of medical debt and then erase it in an effort to help as many as 500,000 residents. The city will invest $18 million towards the $2 billion goal set by nonprofit organization RIP Medical Debt.
The U.S. And Ukraine’s Capital Losses
On Tuesday morning, Russia bombarded Ukraine’s two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, killing at least seven people and leaving 60 more wounded. The attacks are part of a Russian effort to demoralize Ukraine by raining down missiles on civilian populations as frontlines in the war haven’t changed in months.
While Ukraine’s capital came under physical attack on Tuesday, America’s capital also showed signs of damage – in the monetary sense, that is. In a monthly meeting of over 50 countries held to organize funding for Ukraine, the Biden administration turned up empty-handed for the first time since the Ukraine conflict began.
Any further defense aid for Kyiv is being held up in Congress, meaning other countries will be forced to fill the multi-billion dollar gap left by the U.S. military-industrial complex. “I urge this group to dig deep to provide Ukraine with more lifesaving ground-based air defense systems and interceptors,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the meeting. NATO has already stepped up to the plate in that regard, announcing a $1.2 billion contract to send ammunition to Kyiv’s forces, which are beginning to run low on supplies.
Mexico Takes Aim At The U.S. Gun Lobby
On Monday, a U.S. appeals court revived a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Mexico against U.S. gunmakers. The lawsuit seeks damages from companies like Smith & Wesson Brands, Sturm, and Ruger & Co., claiming that the gun giants aided and abetted illegal gun sales in Mexico by facilitating firearms trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border.
The lower court had originally blocked the lawsuit using the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which protects gunmakers from litigation when their products are misused. The appeals court overturned that decision when Mexico’s lawyers claimed that the federal protection did not extend to misuse of the firearms in another country. The judge added that Mexico’s claims that gun manufacturers were abetting the illegal sale of firearms in another country were also not protected by the PLCAA.
“It should now be clear that those who contribute to gun violence must face legal consequences, regardless of borders,” said Mexico’s U.S. lawyer, Steve Shadowen. In its case, the country claims that over 500,000 U.S.-made guns are smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border each year, contributing significantly to Mexico’s gun violence problem.
The Only Strikes The U.S. Will Allow
- The U.S. and U.K. are continuing their strikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, firing off another round of targeted attacks on the Iran-backed militant group on Monday. The latest round of bombing marks the eighth Western attack on Houthi targets in the past two weeks, but they hit more crucial infrastructure than most past efforts – the Biden administration claims that the strikes hit radar and missile storage facilities, as well as drone and missile launch sites.
- “Let us reiterate our warning to Houthi leadership: We will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways in the face of continued threat,” said the U.S. and U.K. in a statement that accompanied the attacks. Experts say that the smaller scope of Monday’s strikes indicates that the Western powers are looking to slowly chip away at the Yemeni group until it’s unable to conduct attacks on the Red Sea.
Netanyahu’s Desire To Net New Dominions
- In December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that his country would need to take over a 100-yard buffer zone across Gaza’s 9-mile border with Egypt to fully end the IDF’s campaign in Gaza. Israel has long accused Egypt of allowing smugglers to operate through tunnels perforating its border with Gaza, claiming that weapons have made their way to Hamas through the corridor. Netanyahu said in late December, “It is clear that any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarization that we seek.”
- “Egypt is capable of defending its interests and sovereignty over its land and borders and will not leave it in the hands of a group of extremist Israeli leaders who seek to drag the region into a state of conflict and instability,” said Diaa Rashwan, the Head of Egypt’s State Information Service. “The true essence of Israel’s claims,” he added, “is to justify its continuation of collective punishment, killing, and starvation of more than 2 million Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip, which it has practiced for 17 years.”
Additional World News
- Death toll in China landslide rises to 20 with dozens still missing (NBC)
- French farming protests: woman dies after car hits road blockade (Guardian)
- Iran executes another prisoner detained during 2022 nationwide protests (ABC)
- Kim Jong Un: Is North Korea’s leader actually considering war? (BBC)
- 7.1 magnitude quake rattles western China, killing at least 3 people and collapsing 47 homes (AP)
Middle East Reads
- 24 soldiers killed on deadliest day for Israeli forces in Gaza combat (CNN)
- Torture allegations spiked in Israeli jails after Oct. 7, as one group warns jailers seek ‘revenge’ (NBC)
- A school in Jerusalem brings Arab and Jewish kids together to boost understanding (NPR)
- Israel’s spy chief proposed Hamas leaders leave Gaza as part of broader ceasefire talks (CNN)
- Dozens of people killed as Israel intensifies offensive in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis (NPR)
- How much aid Gaza needs to survive: A visual guide (CNN)
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller
Time For Layoffs In L.A.
- On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times announced that amidst a “financial crisis,” at least 115 journalists will be laid off. Over 90 of those cuts will be among unionized employees, union chief Matt Pearce said, meaning a quarter of the union will be laid off. This will mark one of the most drastic layoffs in the publication’s history.
- Pearce described the total number of employees being laid off as a “devastating” figure. The Washington bureau – “They haven’t been filling jobs for two years now and that reduced number was cut even more today. There are five reporters left covering DC,” tweeted former Washington bureau chief Kimbriell Kelly – along with the business and sports desks, saw the deepest cuts.
- The Los Angeles Times has been publishing for 142 years. It is currently owned by biotech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong. Soon-Shiong said the cuts were necessary as the newspaper continues to lose $30 to $40 million each year. The union caught a stray in his comments as well, with Soon-Shiong saying the one-day walkout last week “did not help” the situation.
No Wins For Nikki
- This news likely won’t come as any surprise to you all, but former President Trump won the New Hampshire primary last night. He is the first non-incumbent GOP candidate in the modern era to win both Iowa and New Hampshire.
- Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, despite the defeat, has promised to stay in the race, with the next stop being her home state. Current President Biden, despite not being on the ballot, won the primary thanks to write-in votes.
Additional USA Reads
- Emergency declared in San Diego as wettest January day on record brings widespread flooding (NBC)
- Plagiarism probe finds some problems with former Harvard president Claudine Gay’s work (AP)
- George Santos asks judge for more time to pursue plea deal ahead of court appearance (ABC)
- The trial of a Honolulu businessman is providing a possible glimpse of Hawaii’s underworld (AP)
- Austin says Ukraine coalition ‘must not waver’ in first appearance since hospitalization (Politico)
- Ex-Army soldier charged in Capitol riot was convicted of manslaughter for killing Iraqi man in 2004 (AP)
“But My Best Friend Is Jewish!”
- After revolutionizing the world of electric vehicles, Elon Musk is now shaking up the world of Judaism, claiming that he’s “Jewish by association” and “aspirationally Jewish.” Musk made the comments during a talk with right-wing talking head Ben Shapiro following a visit to Auschwitz, Poland, where the Nazis operated a massive concentration camp and killed an estimated 1.1 million Jews during World War 2.
- “I must admit to being somewhat frankly naive about this,” he said in a YouTube video taken at a European Jewish Association antisemitism summit. “In the circles that I move, I see almost no antisemitism. … Two-thirds of my friends are Jewish. I have twice as many Jewish friends as non-Jewish friends. I’m like Jewish by association.”
- Elon’s turn to Judaism comes after he received mass backlash for saying that a post on X, which claimed that Western Jews push hatred of white people, was “the actual truth.” Advertisers and groups like the Anti-Defamation League have criticized Musk for allowing bigoted and anti-semitic posts on X.
Additional Reads
- Husband arrested in Costa Rica in connection with wife’s death after more than 30 years on the run, police say (CNN)
- Remains of Green River Killer’s 49th and last known victim identified as teen Tammie Liles — but other cases still unsolved (CBS)
- Archaeologists say single word inscribed on iron knife is oldest writing ever found in Denmark (CBS)
- The crisis at Kyte Baby might not have happened if the US had a mandated paid leave policy for new parents (CNN)
- Woman arrested after police found $2,500 worth of Stanley cups in her car (NBC)
- ‘Oppenheimer’ leads Oscar contenders with 13 nominations (CNN)