Trump’s Shady Payment & Microsoft’s New Key
January 5, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Friday! Today, we’re talking about Trump’s payments from foreign governments, a general election in the U.K., the Red Sea, Russian hackers, DeSantis in Iowa, Trump’s latest legal woes, and a rare update from Microsoft.
Here’s some good news to hold you over through the weekend: last year wasn’t a great year for the climate, but many analysts think we may have reached our peak fossil fuel use, and renewable energy will start to replace it. There’s a new trend in cities across the country to get rid of rules that dictate how much off-street parking developers must provide in the hopes of creating more affordable housing, better transit, and walkable neighborhoods. Insulin maker Sanofi has capped monthly out-of-pocket costs at $35. Finally, the U.S. Mint released commemorative coins honoring abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
A Terrible Start For #Trump2024
According to a new report by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, former President Donald Trump received at least $7.8 million in payments from foreign governments during his time as president. Over $5.5 million of those payments were from China, with the rest of the funny money coming from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, India, and Afghanistan.
The payments tracked by the report were made to properties owned by Trump, including his hotels in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and New York City, “personally enriching President Trump while he made foreign policy decisions connected to their policy agendas with far-reaching ramifications for the United States,” states the report. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) added that the $7.8 million covered in the report is “almost certainly only a fraction of Trump’s harvest of unlawful foreign state money, but this figure in itself is a scandal and a decisive spur to action.”
Saudi Arabian diplomats and royals spent over $615,400 at Trump properties during his administration. In 2017, the former president signed a $100 billion arms deal with the Saudis. Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign has yet to comment on the report, but you can probably already imagine his TruthSocial post.
Sunak Holds Out For A Hero
Usually, you give two weeks’ notice before leaving your job. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is a little different – he’s given his at-least-six-months’ notice. This week, the sitting prime minister announced that his administration is working under the assumption that the government will hold a general election in the second half of 2024. Normally, general elections are held in May or June.
“I want to keep going, managing the economy well and cutting people’s taxes,” Sunak said in a statement. “But I also want to keep tackling illegal migration. I’m determined to keep delivering for the British people.” Sunak will need an economic miracle to change his prospects in what most experts say is a doomed election for Conservatives.
Labour leaders say they’re ready for an election at any time, and have called on the prime minister to call an election in May. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Sunak was “squatting in Downing Street for months on ends, dithering and delaying while the country wants change,” and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused him of “desperately clinging on to power rather than facing the verdict of the British people.”
Drone Deterrence Does Work
- On Thursday, the Houthi militant organization launched another drone attack on shipping lanes in the Red Sea, marking the 25th such attack since last November. While it was the first Houthi attack using an unmanned surface vessel (USV) drone, it didn’t end up accomplishing anything besides scaring some fish and making a mess in the sea.
- The USV traveled into international shipping lanes “clearly with the intent to do harm,” according to the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, who added that “there are no signs their irresponsible behavior is abating.” The drone detonated without any merchant vessels nearby.
- All jokes about harming local wildlife aside, Houthi operations in the Red Sea have largely succeeded in dampening trade in the area, which is home to some of the world’s most vital shipping lanes. A month ago, 22 countries agreed to begin protecting the area from Houthi attacks as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Caught In The Cyber-Crossfire
- On December 12, over 24.3 million customers of Ukrainian telecom giant Kyivstar lost access to their cellular networks. The outage, which lasted for days, was apparently the work of Sandworm, a Russian military intelligence cyberwarfare unit that has recently attacked targets in Ukraine and other nations. Now, Ukrainian cybersecurity leaders say the Russian hackers were inside Kyivstar’s networks as early as last May.
- The head of the Security Service of Ukraine’s cybersecurity department noted, “I cannot say right now, since what time they had … full access: probably at least since November.” Luckily, the hack didn’t affect Ukrainian military operations, and the outages didn’t coincide with any Russian air attacks as recovery efforts are highly dependent on communication networks.
Additional World News
- ISIS claims responsibility for deadliest attack in Iran since 1979 revolution (CNN)
- Vatican says no heresy in allowing blessings for same-sex couples after pushback by some bishops (AP)
- An Arctic blast bring extreme cold to Scandinavia while deadly flooding hits western Europe (CNN)
- Court deals blow to Argentine leader Milei’s plan for labour reform (BBC)
Middle East Reads
- Second administration official resigns in protest of Biden’s support for Israeli war in Gaza (AP)
- Israeli troops have withdrawn from some parts of Gaza City, a city official says (NPR)
- Blinken to go to Israel, visit other Middle East capitals (Reuters)
- Strike kills 12 people, mostly children, in Gaza area declared safe zone by Israel (AP)
“Dare to err and to dream. Deep meaning often lies in childish plays.” – Friedrich Schiller
… And You Are Probably Not Going To Be Leading Anything, Ron
- In the wake of a school shooting in Perry, Iowa, which left one dead and at least five wounded, Florida Gov. and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis gave his thoughts on gun control. His comments come just a few days before voting begins in the state. DeSantis is currently trailing his fellow candidates.
- DeSantis said that, if he became president, he likely wouldn’t get involved in gun control – “We obviously, you know, have a responsibility to create safe environments,” he said, but “the federal government is probably not going to be leading that effort.” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has endorsed DeSantis’ campaign for the presidency.
The Trump Camp Strikes Back
- Now, let’s take a look at how campaigning is going for our former President and current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Trump’s legal team wants special counsel Jack Smith and prosecutors in his office to be sanctioned and possibly even held in contempt. Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a stay on the case after Trump appealed her dismissal of the “The Apprentice” star’s argument that presidential immunity should protect him.
- Despite there being a stay in place, Trump’s lawyers say the prosecutors continued to submit filings in the case. They want Smith and his team to explain why they should not be held in contempt, withdraw their filings, be “forbidden” from submitting further filings, and face monetary sanctions – a super reasonable reaction! The Trump camp says that Smith used the stay as an opportunity to “spread political propaganda.”
Additional USA Reads
- Protesters arrested at People’s Park in Berkeley as police move people out; access blocked (CBS)
- Trump’s appeals on ballot access raise existential constitutional arguments (CNN)
- DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calls for bipartisan effort to address rise in migrant crossings (CBS)
- Who Will Investigate One of Georgia’s Most Ambitious Politicians in the Trump Case? (NYT, $)
- Christie ad says he made a “mistake” endorsing Trump in 2016 (Axios)
- Florida man charged with threatening member of Congress (ABC)
Computer Intelligence Comes To The Keyboard
- What do we need more of in 2024? According to Microsoft, the answer to that question is more AI – as if we weren’t stuffed full of the idea throughout all of 2023. For the first time since 1994, the company announced changes to the standard Windows keyboard layout – now, keyboards will be expected to include a dedicated Copilot key. What is a Copilot key, you ask? Well, Copilot is Microsoft’s new AI assistant that the company has been pushing across a whole range of products as part of its big bet on the world of AI.
- The key isn’t mandatory in products effective today, but a Microsoft representative told Ars Technica that it will become a requirement “over time.” The company has the ability to force large PC manufacturers to include certain hardware features that aren’t necessarily needed to run Windows on their devices, which means you can definitely expect to see this new key eventually.
- The change reflects Microsoft’s fanatical commitment to AI – other company projects like Bing, Microsoft Edge, and Cortana haven’t received their own keys despite being mainstays of the corporation for years. Also, keep in mind that some project manager probably got paid six figures to figure out this groundbreaking idea, and is probably getting a raise as you read this. Congrats, wherever you are, project manager!
Additional Reads
- Video shows felon leaping over bench to attack Nevada judge during sentencing (NBC)
- French supermarket Carrefour pulls Pepsi from shelves over rising prices (CNN)
- Largest male specimen of world’s most venomous spider found in Australia (NBC)
- Luna Luna: A Fantasy That Comes With a Price Tag (NYT, $)
- Oklahoma teenager finally defeats the unbeatable game: Tetris (CNN)
- NCAA agrees to $920 million, 8-year deal with ESPN for women’s March Madness, 39 other championships (AP)