Fuel To Be Kind
May 20, 2022
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“All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Under Lock And Turkey
Things were looking good on Wednesday when Finland and Sweden’s filed to be admitted into NATO. The countries requested admission in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and delivered a blow to Russia’s plans. The smooth sailing was interrupted on Thursday, however, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told students in Ankara, “We told relevant friends that we will say no to Sweden’s and Finland’s entry into NATO and we will continue our path like that.” To be allowed into NATO, a consensus is required among existing members.
Turkey accused the two countries of being “like guesthouses for terror organizations,” saying they are harboring members of the separatist militant Kurdistan’s Workers Party (PKK) that seeks an independent state within Turkey. The U.S., E.U., and Turkey have all designated the PKK a terrorist organization, and Turkey has been in armed conflict with the group for years. Erdogan specifically singled out Sweden, saying the country needs to return the “terrorists” they believe the country is harboring and saying that requests for extradition have gone unanswered. They’ve also accused them of providing support to Kurdish militants in northern Syria, considered an extension of the PKK. Ankara has also demanded that Sweden and Finland drop an arms embargo from 2019 handed down in response to its military offensive in northeastern Syria.
Both Finland and Sweden have said they feel confident these are just misunderstandings that can be handled. Sweden’s finance minister Mikael Damberg said the country takes “very seriously anything that has to do with terrorism,” and that they will “clarify any possible uncertainties.” Meanwhile, President Biden met with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö to discuss their NATO applications and assured them they’d have America’s “complete backing,” and Biden told reporters, “I think we’re gonna be OK” when asked if he thought Turkey could be convinced. However, experts say Erdogan is facing low approval ratings amid high inflation, and this show of his obstinance may be an attempt to get a boost before voters head to the poll booths next year, which means he likely has no plans to back down. (CNN)
No Spain, No Gain
- Spain approved a draft proposal with sweeping reproductive rights protections on Tuesday. One such provision would make the country the first in Europe to offer paid “menstrual leave,” wherein the government will pay for women to take time off each month if a doctor has diagnosed them with “severe menstrual pain.”
- Equality Minister Irene Montero, who pushed especially hard for the bill, said, “No more going to work with pain, no more taking pills before arriving at work and having to hide the fact we’re in pain that makes us unable to work.” Over half of women globally are estimated to experience acute pain one to two days each month.
- Other provisions will allow people 16 and older to obtain an abortion without a parent’s permission, and will do away with a rule that someone seeking an abortion has to confirm they still want it three days after making the initial request. Another provision would expand access to period products for students. The plan will still need to be debated and could take months to confirm. (WaPo, $)
Fuel To Be Kind
- On Wednesday, the European Commission announced a 210 billion euro ($220 billion) plan to wean the European economy from its reliance on Russian fossil fuels over the next five years, while also pivoting to green energy. The plan comes as Europe has struggled to meet energy demands during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- Currently, Russia supplies 40% of the E.U.’s gas and 27% of its oil imports. An E.U. ban on Russian coal is set to start this August and E.U. countries have pledged to lower their demand for Russian gas by two-thirds sometime this year, but some landlocked E.U. members have noted their reluctance to fully switch to alternative sources due to cost issues.
- The new plan includes investments in a variety of technologies, including renewable energy, hydrogen infrastructure, power grids, energy savings, and heat pumps. Other, less-green investments look to build out the E.U.’s gas and liquefied natural gas projects as well as oil infrastructure. On the bright side, though, the plan includes a goal of renewable energy supplying 45% of the EU’s energy by 2030 and doubling its renewable energy capacity to 1,236 gigawatts in the same year. (Al Jazeera)
Additional World News
- UN hopes to restore Ukraine grain exports amid global food crisis (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli military ID’s gun that may have killed journalist (ABC)
- Iran says reviewing request to delay Swedish doctor’s execution (WaPo, $)
- Climate change benchmarks all set records last year, report finds (Axios)
- UK police end Downing Street party inquiry, 126 fines issued (Reuters)
- Japan OKs plan to release Fukushima nuclear plant wastewater (AP)
- Kenney steps down as leader of Alberta’s Conservatives (Politico)
The Slip Has Sailed
- In a speech at his presidential center in Dallas on Wednesday, George W. Bush said that it was the “decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq.” He meant to refer to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as “unjustified and brutal,” but his (Freudian) slip gave critics of the U.S. invasion of Iraq a new opportunity to pounce.
- Just after his slipup, Bush added “Iraq, too, anyway,” under his breath as his audience laughed. “I’m not laughing, and I am guessing nor are the families of the thousands of American troops and the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who died in that war,” said Mehdi Hasan, a host on MSNBC.
- According to the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, at least 200,000 civilians died during the invasion of Iraq, though that number is on the low end of possibilities as death tolls are notoriously hard to calculate. Bush, currently 75, blamed the error on his age. (WaPo, $)
Case The Facts
- The Covid-19 situation in the U.S. is getting worse, with a 53% increase in cases and a rise in hospitalizations as a new wave of Covid-19 sweeps across the country. Last week saw 96,000 new cases every day, almost a 50% increase from 62,500 new daily cases two weeks ago.
- The states with the biggest jumps include Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, and Delaware. Connecticut and Rhode Island have over 76 cases per 100,000 people. Eight states recorded rises to 10 new daily cases per 100,000. Luckily, the U.S. has averaged around 300 daily deaths from Covid-19, down from roughly 340 two weeks ago.
- According to an Ipsos poll, respondents were more concerned about spreading the disease to others or being inconvenienced by public health measures than actually contracting or dying from the disease themselves. Despite the worsening situation, “There’s absolutely no behavior change. If anything, behaviors are moving in the other direction,” said Ipsos VP Chris Jackson. (Axios)
Additional USA News
- 911 dispatcher who took Buffalo shooting call put on leave (NBC)
- After delay, Senate poised to send $40 billion in Ukraine aid to Biden (NBC)
- New York is now at a ‘high’ Covid alert level, according to health officials. The mayor says he’s not reinstating mask mandates (CNN)
- Democrats intensify efforts to stop implementation of draft New York congressional map that pits incumbents against each other (CNN)
- Navy desertions have more than doubled amid suicide concerns, as sailors feel trapped by contracts (NBC)
- Senators announce bipartisan deal to help veterans exposed to burn pits (NBC)
The Elephant In The Room
- Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey unveiled a plan on Wednesday to bring back a modernized version of the “Greatest Show On Earth” circus performance. By “modernized,” they mean without elephants and other animals – all the acts will be performed by humans.
- Feld Entertainment, which is producing the show, said, they want to “celebrate amazing talent from around the world, displaying incredible feats that push the limits of human potential and create jaw-dropping moments.” Auditions for the new circus are already underway, in countries including Ethiopia, France, Mongolia, Argentina, and the U.S.
- The U.S. tour will kick off in September of 2023. The Ringling Bros. circus shut down about five years ago due to financial concerns after 150 years of performing. Animal rights activists have long begged the group to do away with animal acts. The circus said they also hope to incorporate digital content and other products to bring the act into the 21st century. (NPR)
Additional Reads
- Happy is an Asian elephant. But is she also a person? (AP)
- Florida homeowner finds 11-foot, 550-pound alligator enjoying family pool (USA Today)
- Melvin Capital to Close Funds, Return Cash to Investors (WSJ, $)
- Scoop: Chris Wallace to anchor new show on CNN (Axios)
- Man in Japan gambles COVID town funds mistakenly sent to him (ABC)
- Teenage pilot lands in Kenya amid record-setting flight attempt (CNN)