A Water Crisis, Social Media, & Electric Vehicles Keep On Truckin’
February 26, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Monday! Today, we’re talking about Mexico City’s water crisis, a social media case, farmer protests, a ceasefire deal, Haley losing support, the Israeli embassy incident, and how electric vehicles are doing.
Here’s some good news: Bangladesh’s High Court has suspended all licenses for adopting Asian elephants. This means the critically endangered species can no longer be captured and used for circuses. Also, the White House, the leaders of four Columbia River Basin tribes, and the governors of Oregon and Washington worked together to launch a $1 billion plan to help recover depleted salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest.
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” – Rabindranath Tagore
A Sinking City Without Working Sinks
Mexico City is home to over 22 million people and it’s staring down the barrel of a full-on water crisis that is just months away thanks to years of abnormally low rainfall, infrastructure issues, and deeply flawed urban planning. Mexico’s rainy season runs from June to September, meaning the taps in Mexico City might run dry before the rainfall can bail out the metropolis.
Mexico City is built atop a lake bed and sits over 7,300 feet above sea level. The Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, which stood in the same area hundreds of years ago, was built using the lakes to bolster its agricultural output. However, Spanish conquerors saw water as the enemy of expansion, and they chose to drain the lakes and canals to expand their urban center. Now, the aquifer that supplies 60% of the city’s water is reaching dangerously low levels – in fact, the city is sinking by 20 inches a year.
The rest of the city’s water is mostly piped uphill, but 40% of that water is lost due to leaky infrastructure. While officials say they’re not worried about being unable to provide enough water for its residents – experts say that such a situation could arrive as soon as June 26. There are also concerns about unequal access to water, as less-wealthy parts of the city are already facing shortages while richer communities have been unaffected.
The Bench Takes On Big Tech
It’s time for another episode of “how to regulate social media platforms.” SCOTUS’s social media hearings, scheduled for later today, will see justices consider whether Texas and Florida should be handed expanded control over social media platforms and the content that users post online.
The hearings will involve Florida and Texas laws that allow state residents to sue tech companies for any alleged violations of their First Amendment rights when social media platforms remove posts promoting hate speech or, say, pushing lies about elections.
The cases have both been brought by NetChoice, an industry group that says the states’ laws force platforms to treat “dangerous and violent election-related speech” the same as a post about your grandma’s favorite cookie recipe. The group also argues that the laws impose on platforms’ First Amendment rights. Officials from both Texas and Florida say their laws are designed to prevent social media platforms from unfairly silencing conservative opinions.
A decision on the cases will likely influence how platforms are regulated in the future. Former President Donald Trump hopes that justices will vote for platforms to be regulated like public utilities that must operate without bias, while the Biden administration has said that social media sites should be treated like publishers that can curate the content posted on their platforms.
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Blockades Break Down Brussels
- The farmers are still at it in Europe. Agricultural workers throughout the European Union have used tractors to blockade roads across the 27-nation bloc to protest what they see as over-regulation from Brussels. So far, they’ve cost local businesses tens of millions of euros in transportation delays, and have successfully pressured E.U. lawmakers into tabling or watering down multiple environmental protection bills.
- In a meeting with representatives from his nation’s agriculture sector on Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron appeared to crumble under pressure just like his colleagues in Brussels. After an hour behind closed doors with French farmers, he announced that he would be introducing a bill next month to address an “income crisis, a crisis of confidence and a crisis of recognition” for French farmers. “We need to show recognition, respect, pride for the agricultural model and for our farmers,” he said following the meeting.
No Deal For Netanyahu
- According to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, “The representatives of Israel, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar met in Paris” to hammer out a temporary ceasefire in Gaza and have come to an “understanding” of what a possible ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel might look like. He told CNN, “There will have to be indirect discussions by Qatar and Egypt with Hamas because ultimately they will have to agree to release [Israeli] hostages.”
- However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to have a different interpretation of the talks, saying that “you can’t have victory until you eliminate Hamas,” and pledging “total victory” in Gaza. He added that a planned IDF offensive in Rafah is just “weeks, not months” away. “If we have a deal it will be delayed somewhat,” he said, “But … if we don’t have a deal we’ll do it anyway.” His planning for a ground invasion of Rafah runs directly in contrast to the Biden administration’s warning that such an operation should not take place “unless there is a clear and executable plan to protect those civilians.”
More Mixed Nuts
- Navalny’s death a sign of Putin’s weakness, Sullivan says (Politico)
- Caribbean officials search for 2 people who were on yacht allegedly hijacked by 3 escaped prisoners (AP)
- Pope Francis cancels meeting with Rome deacons due to mild flu, Vatican says (NBC)
- US launches new strikes on Houthi fighters in Yemen amid continued Middle East unrest (ABC)
- Former justice secretary calls out Tory party colleagues over ‘dangerous’ rhetoric (Guardian)
- Belarusians vote in tightly controlled election amid opposition calls for its boycott (AP)
Nikki Haley’s Home Gets Invaded
- On Saturday evening, former President Trump handily won the South Carolina Republican primaries. The defeat was especially difficult for former Gov. Nikki Haley, considering it happened in her home state. Trump said he’s never seen the Republican Party “so unified as it is right now,” but Haley has vowed to stay in the race regardless.
- Haley’s supporters, on the other hand, might have other ideas. Americans For Prosperity Action, the Koch-aligned conservative group supporting the only person still challenging Trump, announced on Sunday that they would no longer be giving Haley’s campaign any money. The group announced to staff that they will now focus on House and Senate races.
Israeli Embassy Immolation
- Yesterday morning, Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. A spokesperson from the Israeli Embassy said, “No embassy staff were injured and are safe.” As of writing, it remains unconfirmed whether Bushnell succumbed to his injuries.
- Bushnell recorded the incident, saying, “I will no longer be complicit in genocide” before going on to say that what he plans to do is minimal compared with the suffering of Palestinians. U.S. Secret Service attempted to douse the flames while he repeatedly yelled “Free Palestine,” and Bushnell was transported to a local hospital.
More Nuts In America
- Sen. Duckworth skeptical Republicans will back IVF bill after court says embryos are people (ABC)
- Newsom defends Biden, says “he’s doing everything he needs to do” (Axios)
- Trump suggesting Black voters relate to his indictments prompts swift backlash (ABC)
- Man found guilty of killing trans woman in historic hate crime verdict (WaPo, $)
- Wisconsin’s extreme gerrymandering era ends as new maps come into force (Guardian)
- Trump exchanges a close hug with Argentine President Javier Milei at conservative summit (AP)
This Industry Needs A Jolt
- While Tesla cutting prices, Ford scaling back its electric vehicle production, and General Motors publicly considering investing in hybrids might make you believe that the EV bubble might be popping, experts say that’s not the case. Instead, the industry is just experiencing the growing pains that come with any emerging technology. In this case, the prohibitive price of many EVs and the lack of consistent charging infrastructure are holding back the industry, though analysts say that those limiting factors should be overcome soon.
- The charging infrastructure issue is one of the biggest for EVs – the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the country will need to install 182,000 fast charging stations by 2030, but we only have 40,000 built at the moment. To address this, carmakers have banded together to build 30,000 more chargers nationwide, and they’ve also shifted to adopt Tesla’s charging standards, meaning every EV in America will be equipped with the same charger within the next few years. Automakers hope this move will increase the convenience of charging for EV owners, making the cars more appealing.
- Things are also changing on the pricing front. EVs started as mainly premium offerings, with normally-budget brands like Kia competing in the same price range as higher-tier carmakers like Cadillac. Recent price drops are an attempt to adjust to the budget of the average carbuyer, which is significantly below the range that the industry started at, and new tax credits are being developed to make EV ownership even more affordable.
More Loose Nuts
- Death of beloved New York City owl, Flaco, in apparent building collision devastates legions of fans (AP)
- New anaconda species said to be largest ever found during filming of Will Smith docuseries (USA Today)
- Invasive Jorō spiders can live well with humans, according to new study (CNN)
- Here Are the Secret Locations of ShotSpotter Gunfire Sensors (Wired)
- Vending machine error reveals secret face image database of college students (Ars Technica)
- AT&T reimburses customers after massive network outage (CNN)