Food Prices, Sanctions, & A Writers’ Strike
April 28, 2023
A Failure Of A Food Price Fall
Food prices are dropping around the world – are you feeling it? According to research, most people aren’t. While the U.N.’s Food Price Index shows food prices have fallen for a full year as of March, experts say that relief isn’t making its way to wallets around the world.
Earlier this month, the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization released data tracking the prices of various food items in global markets. The index shows that prices for cereals (grains), vegetable oils, and dairy products all decreased last month, while meat and sugar prices increased slightly. The March Food Price Index marks the 12th consecutive month that overall food prices have fallen in the global market.
Despite these findings, food prices at the grocery store were up significantly compared to a year earlier. March food prices increased by 15.4% in Europe year-over-year, 19.2% in the U.K., and 8.5% higher in the U.S. Kenya, Afghanistan, and Hungary have also noted food cost hikes, and Hungary saw the largest spike out of all European countries, with prices 45% higher than last year.
According to Joseph Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the prices of actual ingredients aren’t the problem. “75% of the costs are coming after it leaves the farm,” he said. “It’s energy costs. It’s all the processing costs. All the transportation costs. All the labor costs.” The White House has also blamed the fact that four meatpacking companies control 85% of beef production, and four firms control 70% of the pork market and 54% of the poultry market.
Outside the U.S., a strong dollar is also to blame. Most price indexes track corn and wheat in dollar prices – meaning that weaker local currencies don’t feel price drops. Even worse, drought and the war in Ukraine have also affected many poorer countries. Glauber predicts that food inflation “will come down, but it’s going to come down slowly.”
Some Good News
- Washington becomes 10th state to ban assault weapons sales (Axios)
- Pope allows women to vote at upcoming bishops’ meeting (AP)
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It’s Iran’s Advantage Now
- On Thursday, Iran’s navy seized an oil tanker flying the flags of the Marshall Islands as it cruised through the Gulf of Oman off of Iran’s northern coast. The U.S. Navy says the tanker was named the Advantage Sweet — satellite data shows that it was on a journey from Kuwait to Houston, bringing that sweet, sweet black gold to the land of the free on behalf of oil giant Chevron.
- The ship issued a distress call at 1:15 pm local time on Thursday while in international waters off of Iran’s coast, says the U.S Navy. “Iran’s actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability,” the Navy’s 5th Fleet said in a statement. “Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.” Iranian state media claimed that the tanker was seized after an “unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured.”
- The Advantage Sweet’s seizure is the fifth such action by Iran’s government in the past two years as tensions rise over Tehran’s nuclear program. “The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority,” said the Turkish firm that operates the vehicle. “Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.” The ship’s crew of 24 Indian nationals appear to be safe.
Erdogan Is Ill Again
- He’s a sick, sick man — literally. On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fell visibly ill during a live television interview, putting the broadcast on hold for a full 20 minutes before returning and finishing the job. The president was in a room with multiple press members giving the interview, before one journalist asking a question began appearing increasingly alarmed on camera and the feed was cut. Erdogan returned to the program after 20 minutes, explaining that he’d initially considered canceling the interview. “Of course, we sometimes encounter such situations amid such busy work,” he said.
- The video made the rounds on social media, making people wonder if the president had suffered a heart attack on live television. Later, a health minister clarified that Erdogan simply had “infectious gastroenteritis.” Prior to the interview, Erdogan had canceled multiple media appearances due to his illness, even as the Turkish presidential election approaches. The first round of voting will be held on May 14, with more runoff elections possible after that. Erdogan has been Turkey’s president for over 21 years, and has even fallen sick during a TV interview before. No big deal for Turkey’s big man!
Additional World News
- Sudan’s rival generals share a troubled past: genocide in Darfur (NPR)
- In win for UK government, court nixes part of nurses’ strike (AP)
- Russian ground forces ‘bigger today’ than at start of the war in Ukraine, general says (CNN)
- Israeli forces say soldier shot Palestinian during stabbing attempt (Reuters)
- Second pastor in Kenya accused of “mass killing of his followers” (CBS)
- Indian and Chinese defense ministers to meet face to face (CNN)
- How Colombia’s Petro, a former leftwing guerrilla, found his opening in Washington (CNN)
“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.” – Anton Chekhov
Sanction Salvo
- On Thursday, the Biden administration announced new sanctions against Russia’s Federal Security Service and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization in retribution for the countries’ wrongful detainment of American citizens. Both organizations are already under quite a few other sanctions, so these are largely symbolic.
- Officials didn’t name specific detainees as the driving force behind the sanctions, but rather a long pattern of detaining Americans for no reason. They did note, however, that the sanctions were being discussed before Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia. The hope is that, in exchange for bringing Gershkovich and Paul Whelan home, the U.S. can offer up the easing of sanctions.
Locking Up The Leaker
- Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts airman accused of leaking highly classified U.S. intelligence documents, appeared in court on Thursday to request that he be released from pretrial detention. Prosecutors were adamant that Teixeira is not only a flight risk, but poses a safety risk to the public as well.
- The federal magistrate judge, David Hennessy, said he needed more time to consider the information before making a decision. Prosecutors pointed out that not only could Teixeira disseminate more classified information, but that he may be welcomed with open arms by foreign adversaries. They also noted that he had a “virtual arsenal of weapons” stashed at his home, though his father says all weapons have been removed.
- Teixeira’s lawyer, Allen Franco, also addressed his client’s suspension during his sophomore year of high school for making violent and racist threats, saying the incident “was thoroughly investigated” and “fully known and vetted by the Air National Guard prior to enlisting and also when he obtained his top-secret security clearance,” which isn’t exactly a comforting thought, now that we see it written down.
Additional USA News
- Montana governor lobbied by non-binary son to reject anti-trans bills (Guardian)
- E. Jean Carroll concludes direct testimony in trial accusing Trump of rape (CNN)
- Parents of gunman who killed five at a Louisville bank wracked by grief and confusion (NBC)
- Republicans get Justice in West Virginia Senate race (Politico)
- Appeals court denies Trump request to block Pence testimony (CBS)
- Trump previously backed policies on Social Security for which he’s now attacking DeSantis, calling the program a ‘Ponzi scheme’ (CNN)
- GOP’s climate counter punch: pushing more fossil fuels (Politico)
Hitting Hollywood Where It Hurts
- In the words of Post Malone, Hollywood’s bleeding – scripts. As the nature of television has changed with the growth of streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu, Hollywood writers say that the new world of entertainment is creating an existential crisis for writers, with fewer episodes and smaller residuals impacting their incomes.
- The Writers Guild of America, which represents TV and film writers, is currently in negotiations with production companies and streaming services attempting to hammer out the details of a new contract that would allow writers to make a better living as their incomes have decreased. If the two parties can’t reach an agreement by May 1, a writers’ strike is expected to hit Hollywood.
- On the docket are a couple of main issues. As studios have begun implementing “mini rooms” – writing rooms with a skeleton crew of writers – the WGA wants them to turn back to the more traditional writers’ room to allow more members to get a piece of the pie. The WGA is also pushing for performance-based residual, where writers are paid based on shows’ “success factor,” earning them more money for a more successful show – though streaming services are wary of this option as it would force them to release viewership data. While it’s possible that Hollywood is able to work this out over the next few days, productions could slow to a crawl if a strike gets struck.
Additional Reads
- Joe Biden’s Secret Oval Office TV (Politico)
- Carolyn Bryant Donham, whose accusation led to the lynching of Emmett Till, has died at 88, coroner says (CNN)
- Roy Wood Jr. talks all things WHCD: ‘There will be Clarence Thomas jokes’ (Politico)
- South Korean President Yoon sings ‘American Pie’ at White House state dinner (NBC)
- Jerry Springer, politician turned TV ringmaster, dies at 79 (AP)
- Pras Michel found guilty in scheme to help China influence US government (CNN)
- Brittney Griner thanks media for coverage while she was detained in Russia (CNN)