Underwater Cables Sabotaged (Maybe) & Amazon Gets Punished
February 29, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Thursday! Today, we’re talking about elections in Michigan and Israel, South Korea’s birth rates, Red Sea underwater cables, Mitch McConnell, Trump’s immunity, and Amazon’s issue.
Here’s some good news: Second man Doug Emhoff (VP Harris’ husband) announced $1.7 billion in new commitments to help end hunger in the U.S. by 2030. The money will fund over 140 initiatives led by health systems, insurance companies, nonprofit groups, philanthropic organizations, and local governments. Also, more cities are committing to depaving efforts – replacing concrete, asphalt, and other forms of hard landscaping with plant life. It helps prevent flooding, provides food or shelter for wildlife, and improves mental health.
“The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.” – Lucille Ball
A Bad Look For Biden
“Sleepy” Joe Biden just received a wake-up call in the Midwest. In the Michigan Democratic primary on Tuesday, about 13% of local Democrats voted “uncommitted” – not a historically unprecedented number, but certainly a troubling sign for the November election given Michigan’s swing state status.
“Over 100,000 Democratic voters choosing uncommitted and 75 percent of Arab American voters doing so should be a warning that the status quo policies on Gaza are eroding the broad, multiracial, modern Democratic coalition that Obama built,” said Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat who disagrees with Biden’s Israel policy. “I am proud of the president’s win last night and desperately want him reelected, but we need a change of course on Middle East policy.” Donald Trump surprisingly faced even bigger opposition within the GOP, with 27% of state Republicans casting votes for his challenger, Nikki Haley.
In response to the strong uncommitted vote, Democratic upstart Marianne Williamson announced her return to the Democratic primary. “Some people would say, ‘Oh, Miss Williamson, you’re delusional,’” she said. “I’ll tell you what’s delusional. What’s delusional is just crossing our fingers and just hoping that somehow Biden and Harris will be able to beat that juggernaut of dark, dark vision.”
Israel’s Internal Issues
On Tuesday, Israeli voters headed to the polls for the first time since the October 7 attacks. Israelis cast votes for municipal and regional officials as part of an election that was supposed to take place on October 31 last year. Results are expected to be released in a few days as officials count up absentee ballots, but even before the ballots are counted, this election isn’t expected to reflect well on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party.
National opinion polls show that Netanyahu is historically unpopular – thanks to a combination of his government’s failure to defend against the October 7 attack as well as its attempts to overpower the country’s judiciary throughout last year. According to one researcher, a high number of candidates declined to advertise their connections with Likud.
The incumbent government has declined to hold national elections any sooner than their scheduled date in three years’ time, despite polls showing that a majority of the country wants them held sooner. Protests against Netahyahu’s attacks on the court system have also picked up in recent weeks, though we’ll need to wait until the ballots are counted to get an early insight into how the country really feels.
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (Is Where We Need To Send The Cable Guy)
- As Houthi rebel attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea continue to interrupt global shipping lines, Israeli media has accused the group of attacking fiber-optic cables running along local seabeds. Those cables conduct about 17% of all international data traffic, especially communications between Europe and Asia. The Houthis have denied targeting the cables, noting that damage to undersea cables occurs naturally and quite regularly.
- While it’s unclear whether or not the Houthis are responsible for damaging the cables, they have definitely caused some other lasting damage to the Red Sea. Last Thursday, Houthi missiles hit a Belize-flagged, British-owned bulk carrier, which is now floating helplessly in the area. The ship, which is holding 41,000 tons of volatile fertilizer, has also begun leaking a 13-mile-long oil slick, which Yemen’s non-Houthi government says could lead to a major environmental disaster in the area.
The Babyless Capital Of The World
- According to government figures released on Wednesday, South Korea’s birth rate tumbled another 8% in 2023, dragging the country with the lowest birth rate in the world even closer to a demographic crisis. The new numbers show that Korean women are having about 0.72 children each, well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.
- Why is this happening? According to Korean women themselves, it’s a combination of societal expectations of women’s parenting roles and workplace pressures on women who decide to have kids. “There is an implicit pressure from companies that when we have children, we must leave our jobs,” said one woman, adding, “It’s hard to find a dateable man in Korea – one who will share the chores and the childcare equally.”
- The costs of housing and childcare are another reason for the decision to not have kids – cost of living in Seoul has skyrocketed in recent years (even for people without children), and prep schools can cost up to $900 per month. The Korean government has recognized the problem and says it will treat the issues presented by mothers as a “structural problem.”
More Mixed Nuts
- £31m package announced to counter threat to MPs’ security (BBC)
- Many in Iran are frustrated by unrest and poor economy. Parliament elections could see a low turnout (AP)
- Ghana passes bill making identifying as LGBTQ+ illegal (BBC)
- Two mayoral hopefuls of a Mexican city are shot dead within hours of each other (AP)
- Nearly two dozen European parliament leaders urge Johnson to act on Ukraine aid (Politico)
- Pentagon considering tapping last source of Ukraine military funding as Congress stalls on additional aid (CNN)
The Sun Sets On The Senate Minority Leader
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced yesterday that he will step down from his leadership role in November, though he will serve out the rest of his Senate term until 2027. The longest-serving Republican leader in history has struggled with his colleagues in recent months, especially over funding for Ukraine, and he doesn’t exactly have the best relationship with former President Trump.
- The senator made it clear that his decision isn’t related to his health – he was seen on two separate occasions freezing up in the middle of a conversation in recent months. His decision to take a step back will set up what’s likely to be a highly contentious race for the next leader – and we all know how well things have gone in the past when it comes to choosing leadership for the GOP.
Another Trumpian Show Trial
- In an order issued Wednesday, the Supreme Court said it will hear former President Trump’s argument that he should be immune from prosecution for things he did while president. The decision puts his election subversion case on hold, though the court is going to put the case on an expedited schedule, with oral arguments scheduled for late April.
- This means Trump’s trial will likely be pushed to the summer or even fall. Lower courts have rejected Trump’s claim that he should have immunity for actions he took while president, but until the Supreme Court rules, special counsel Jack Smith’s attempts to hold Trump accountable for attempting to overturn an election will remain in limbo.
More Nuts In America
- Lauren Boebert’s son arrested on charges of vehicle trespass and property thefts (NBC)
- Supreme Court appears torn over challenge to gun ‘bump stocks’ (NBC)
- Indiana’s ban on transition care for minors can take effect, appeals court rules (CNN)
- Tornadoes reported in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio as storm barrels through Midwest (ABC)
- Frozen embryos shouldn’t be considered people, two-thirds of Americans say (Axios)
- Hunter Schafer Taken Into Police Custody Over Pro-Palestine Protest Outside Biden’s ‘Late Night’ Appearance (Variety)
- Biden remains “fit for duty,” doctor says after annual physical exam (CBS)
No Prime In The European Parliament
- Amazon has been banned by the European Parliament. No, this doesn’t mean that the company will no longer be able to deliver goodies to our European readers – instead, it means that the 14 Amazon lobbyists who are currently allowed to access the European Parliament cannot enter the building without an invitation.
- The decision by the parliament is a response to Amazon’s decision to skip out on a January hearing about working conditions inside its fulfillment centers. “This is not a serious way to treat the European Parliament,” said Dragoș Pîslaru, the Romanian MEP who formally requested the ban. “We are representing 500 million citizens and it is not a joke. You cannot just say that your senior representatives are not available when the parliament is asking you.”
- The move is just the latest in a series of attacks on Amazon by Europeans. Last month, French lawmakers fined Amazon €32 million ($34 million) for its “excessively intrusive system for monitoring employee activity,” and Amazon workers in Germany and Italy walked off the job on Black Friday to protest working conditions and call for better pay.
More Loose Nuts
- Squatters set up at a Hollywood Hills home. When police knocked, an OnlyFans model answered (LAT, $)
- Walt Disney World has raised ticket prices for 2025 (CNN)
- Pope Francis visits Rome’s Gemelli hospital for tests, returns to Vatican (ABC)
- Christian nationalism’s support is strongest in rural, conservative states (NPR)
- A simple way to remove microplastics from drinking water (WaPo, $)
- Bag stolen from train in Paris did not contain Olympics security plans, says city hall (Guardian)
