Farmers In Europe, Snow In China, & Tucker Carlson In Moscow
February 7, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Wednesday! Today, we’re talking about presidential immunity, farmers in Europe, greenhouse gases, snow in China, the Boeing investigation, Tucker Carlson interviewing Putin, and Taylor Swift trying to stop her jet from being tracked.
Here’s some good news: in a true underdog story, Jordan, who are ranked 87th in the world, defeated South Korea, ranked third in the world, 2-0 in their Asian Cup semi-final match. Jordan will now face either Iran or defending champions Qatar. Also, the Albanese government says it is “on track” to meet national climate targets in line with keeping global heating to 1.5C in a report to Unesco on efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef. This would keep the reef off the list of world heritage sites in danger.
“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.” – Helen Keller
Another Appeal Bites The Dust
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court struck down former President Donald Trump’s claim that he’s broadly immune to criminal acts he may or may not have committed as president. Those alleged crimes would likely include the actions he took to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and the subsequent attack on the Capitol. Trump is expected to quickly appeal the decision to the Supreme Court to prevent his election interference case from going to trial.
While Trump’s legal team has argued that “criminal liability for former Presidents risks chilling Presidential action while in office and opening the floodgates to meritless and harassing prosecution,” the three judges involved in the ruling said that “the prospect of federal criminal liability might serve as a structural benefit to deter possible abuses of power and criminal behavior.”
The ruling added that it doesn’t make sense for the executive in charge of carrying out the law to be the one person above the law. Special Counsel Jack Smith is pushing for the election interference trial to be held before the November presidential election to prevent Trump from either dismissing the charges against himself or pardoning himself if he’s elected.
E.U. Farmers Farm Brussels
According to Urban Dictionary, the term “farming” in video games is defined as “collecting a bunch of a certain item in order to power yourself up.” You might, then, say that European farmers are farming E.U. lawmakers for legal concessions through mass protests – and you’d be right!
On Tuesday, the E.U.’s executive branch announced another concession to farmers following a week of protests across the continent, agreeing to suspend a proposal that would regulate the use of pesticides in the bloc’s member countries. Aside from loosening regulations in the face of farmers’ protests, individual E.U. member states have promised hundreds of millions of euros in aid for their own agricultural sectors.
Farmers in Bulgaria, Spain, and Italy joined in on the fun this week using similar tactics to the ones seen in France and Germany. Roads leading to each country’s respective capital have been blocked by tractors and other heavy machinery, while farmers have set up camp in protest of regulations that they say have forced them to drive up the prices of their goods.
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Emissions Mission: Possible
- The European Commission has published a new plan aiming to cut Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040. The cuts would be a massive step in the bloc’s push to become the world’s first carbon-neutral continent. The proposal is, well, ambitious to say the least, given the country only managed to cut its emissions by 30% between 1990 and 2021, but it is in line with the emissions cuts suggested by the E.U.’s scientific watchdog last June.
- “Tackling the climate crisis is a marathon, not a sprint. We need to make sure everyone crosses the finish line and nobody is left behind,” said the E.U.’s climate commissioner. While the E.U. has managed to speed up its transition to green energy using massive investments in solar and wind power, it’s struggling to clean up the transportation and agriculture sectors – a problem only made worse by recent protests by European farmers, which have led to the commission editing out parts of the proposal regulating agricultural emissions.
CCP Stands For Cold, Cold, Place
- Heavy snows are ruining the Lunar New Year holiday in China, trapping thousands of drivers on highways crossing the country’s central regions as they travel to eat dinner with their families on Friday night. The snowfall, unusually high for the season, has slowed travel to a crawl in Central China, which usually doesn’t deal with this level of snow and ice.
- According to one Chinese travel influencer, she and her boyfriend were only able to drive 30 to 40 kilometers (20 to 25 miles) in 13 hours on Monday thanks to a combination of traffic and icy conditions. Authorities estimate that the weather had trapped over 4,000 people in Hubei province alone on Monday, and Beijing has disbursed 141 million yuan ($20 million) to affected provinces for highway snow removal and other work to alleviate the situation. Similar weather has also slammed Japan this week, with heavy snow in Tokyo disrupting trains and grounding over 100 flights.
Additional World News
- Paul Mackenzie: Kenyan cult leader charged with 191 murders (BBC)
- 5 people wounded and 2 assailants shot dead during attack at Turkish courthouse (ABC)
- At UN, Russia brings US election into Mideast attacks and US vows to respond to Iran-aligned groups (AP)
- First Russians are fined or jailed over rainbow-colored items after LGBTQ ‘movement’ is outlawed (NBC)
- Russian court orders the arrest of a bestselling writer over his support for Ukraine (ABC)
- Senegal opposition cries coup as presidential election delayed 10 months and violent protests grip Dakar (CBS)
Middle East Reads
- House GOP’s Israel aid package on brink of collapse as Democratic leaders come out against it (CNN)
- At least 32 of remaining hostages in Gaza are dead, report says (Guardian)
It’s Going To Be A Long Year For Boeing
- It’s been one month since all Boeing 737 Max 9s were grounded when a blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight triggered an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Yesterday, investigators announced that they discovered evidence that four bolts that hold the door plug in place were missing at the time of the incident.
- Boeing has said it is taking steps to improve how the planes are made. “Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened,” said Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun in a statement. “An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory. We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers.”
Carlson Kowtows To Moscow
- For the past few days, rumors have swirled after former Fox News host Tucker Carlson was spotted in the airport in Moscow, and on Tuesday, Carlson confirmed that he’ll be interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin. Video of the interview will appear on Carlson’s website and be shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Elon Musk, “uncensored,” on an unspecified date.
- “Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now,” Carlson said in his video announcing the interview, adding that interviews with Zelenskiy are typically “fawning pep sessions” and “government propaganda of the ugliest kind.” Russian media says Carlson is a celebrity “who speaks the truth.” Carlson’s recent interview subjects include Russell Brand and Andrew Tate, both accused of multiple counts of sexual assault.
Additional USA Reads
- Deadly storm in Southern California triggers hundreds of mudslides and floods roads, and rain is still falling (CNN)
- Maui police release 1st report after investigation into response to deadly blazes (ABC)
- Why Nevada’s holding a GOP caucus and primary for 2024—and why Trump and Haley will both claim victory (CBS)
- Nikki Haley requests Secret Service protection after increased threats (NPR)
- Fake Biden robocall linked to Texas-based companies, New Hampshire attorney general announces (CNN)
- Trump says he wants to debate Biden now “for the good of the country” (Axios)
- Far-right group Project Veritas admits it had ‘no evidence’ of voter fraud in Pennsylvania (Guardian)
My Legal Team’s Fly Like A Jet Stream
- Is there a tier of celebrity above a superstar? If there is, Taylor Swift is definitely one of those – and she’s looking to throw her weight around like the cultural juggernaut she’s become. Unfortunately, her wealth and legal team have taken aim at a college student. According to University of Central Florida student Jack Sweeney, who’s gained online notoriety for running multiple social media accounts that track the flights of the rich and powerful, the pop star’s legal team has sent him a cease and desist letter, claiming that his tracking of her private jet puts her life in danger.
- Sweeney has gained a following for tracking the private jet flights of people including Swift, Elon Musk, and multiple Russian oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin. “While this may be a game for you or an avenue that you hope will earn you wealth or fame, it is a life-or-death matter” for Taylor, according to her attorneys’ letter, which also accused Sweeney of “stalking and harassing behavior.”
- Sweeney responded to the letter by sending it to The Washington Post and added that he’s simply using public data published by the Federal Aviation Administration – which can be accessed by anyone who cares to look. He also pointed out that, in 2022, her lawyers claimed that “Taylor’s jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals,” which would contradict her assertion that the plane remaining untracked is critical for her personal safety.
Additional Reads
- Sailor missing more than 2 weeks arrives in Hawaii, Coast Guard says (CBS)
- Pod of at least 10 killer whales appears trapped by sea ice in Japan (CNN)
- Man awarded $25 million after Oklahoma newspaper mistakenly identified him as sports announcer who made racist comments (CBS)
- FAA ‘aggressively’ ramping up oversight after Boeing cabin blowout, says chief (Guardian)
- Prince Harry returns to UK to be at King Charles’ side, in rare moment of unity amid family rift (CNN)
- A New Creature Emerges From a Forest Drowned by the Gulf of Mexico (NYT, $)