France Invaded By Tractors & Gas Stoves Aren’t Over Yet
January 30, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Tuesday! Today, we’re talking about prison labor, the UNRWA, France protests, Evergrande, Pelosi’s claims, gas stoves, and psychedelics helping with PTSD.
Here’s some good news: the IRS is piloting Direct File, a software that would help Americans file their taxes directly to the government for free. It’s only available in 12 states for now, but it could go a long way to making doing taxes more accessible. Also, Deep Sea Vision, a South Carolina-based team, said this week that it had captured a sonar image in the Pacific Ocean that “appears to be [Amelia] Earhart’s Lockheed 10-E Electra” aircraft. One of the biggest mysteries in history, Earhart disappeared on July 2, 1937.
Israel Drops A (Diplomatic) Bomb
At the end of last week, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire. Just hours after that decision was released, Israel proclaimed that 13 workers for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA for short) had been involved in Hamas’ October 7 attacks.
Israel presented a dossier containing its claims yesterday to the U.N., the U.S., and other countries. The U.N. responded quickly to the accusations, firing nine UNRWA workers and announcing it would be launching an investigation into the issue. The U.S., its allies, and other Western nations announced that they would be temporarily suspending funding for the UNRWA. Three of the ten countries who’ve suspended funding of the UNRWA are among its top donors – the U.S., Germany, and Japan. The agency said the funding cuts could force its life-saving operations in Gaza to be reduced as soon as February.
Israel has long criticized the agency, claiming that it’s been infiltrated by Hamas and perpetuates anti-Israeli sentiments in the populations it serves. However, some voices within Israel have raised concerns about attacking the funding of Gaza’s main aid agency – if the UNRWA is unable to operate anymore, Israel will be forced to provide services to the 5 million Palestinians living within its borders.
The Prison-To-Farm-To-Table Movement
According to a two-year AP investigation into U.S. prison labor practices, the beef in your Big Mac may have been made with the forced labor of prisoners made to work for pennies on the hour. The investigation shows that hundreds of millions of dollars worth of American agricultural goods have been produced with prison labor, making their way to other countries and the supply chains of massive corporations like McDonald’s and Walmart.
The 13th Amendment bans slavery and involuntary servitude, except when it’s used as a punishment for a crime. State prisons have happily benefitted from this exception, forcing many prisoners to work by threatening to deny parole or solitary confinement. Many are forced to work in fields during three-digit heat waves and are denied protections afforded to normal workers.
Although following the money trail of prison labor is an almost impossible task, the investigation shows that the industry is booming. For example, Alabama raked in over $32 million over the past five fiscal years by garnishing 40% of prisoners’ wages. The report is especially damaging to the U.S.’s international image – the White House has blocked shipments of Chinese cotton because the product might be made with prison labor, while it’s been exporting its own prison-made products worldwide.
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The Intractable Tractors Of France
- In the words of Mao Zedong, “the countryside surrounds the city.” Who would’ve thought that a group of capitalist farmers in France asking the government to deregulate the agricultural sector would be the ones to take those words to heart? On Monday, farmers from across France descended on Paris in their tractors, setting up roadblocks with their vehicles and hay bales hoping to pressure the government into supporting the already-well-subsidized farming industry even further.
- They claim that the government has overregulated the industry, which is also suffering from cheap imports from less-regulated countries like Ukraine. The encirclement of Paris is a response to concessions offered up by the government last week, which farmers say did not go far enough to make their jobs easier or more lucrative. “Our goal isn’t to bother or to ruin French people’s lives,” said the president of one major agricultural union. “Our goal is to put pressure on the government to rapidly find solutions out of the crisis.”
Evergrande’s Not-So-Grand End
- If a butterfly flapping its wings in China can cause a hurricane in America, what happens when a giant falls in Hong Kong? The world is about to find out thanks to the collapse of Evergrande, which was just ordered to liquidate its assets by a judge in Hong Kong. China Evergrande was once the second-largest property developer in China before its default in 2021, but the liquidation order has struck the final blow on the real estate giant, causing shockwaves across the Chinese stock market.
- Evergrande stock took a 20% nosedive before trading was closed, and analysts say they’re expecting the liquidation order to send other Chinese companies’ stocks into a tumble tomorrow as well. The liquidation process will be especially important to determine if China is treating foreign investors fairly. “People will be watching closely to see whether creditor rights are being respected,” said one financial specialist. “Whether they are respected will have long-term implications for investment into China.”
Additional World News
- Drone that killed US soldiers in Jordan followed American drone onto base, causing confusion (CNN)
- Italy’s Meloni seeks new partnership with Africa, funds limited (Reuters)
- US, UK impose sanctions on network that targeted Iran dissidents for assassination (Reuters)
- Yemen’s Houthis say they attacked US warship without evidence (AP)
- South Africa: ANC suspends ex-President Jacob Zuma after rival party launch (BBC)
- Secret EU plan ‘to sabotage Hungarian economy’ revealed as anger mounts at Orbán (Guardian)
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” – Bob Marley
Pelosi Pushes A Thought-Provoking Postulation
- Former Speaker of the House and current Representative Nancy Pelosi has called for the F.B.I. to investigate protesters demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. Pelosi suggested the protesters have ties to Putin, saying, “Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see. Same thing with Ukraine. It’s about Putin’s message.”
- She went on to explain, “I think some of these protesters are spontaneous and organic and sincere. Some, I think, are connected to Russia.” Pelosi presented no evidence for her claims, but when pushed by the CNN anchor on whether she thinks those protesting are Russian plants, she said, “Seeds or plants. I think some financing should be investigated. And I want to ask the F.B.I. to investigate that.”
- Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said, “Instead of baselessly smearing those Americans as Russian collaborators, former House Speaker Pelosi and other political leaders should respect the will of the American people by calling for an end to the Netanyahu government’s genocidal war on the people of Gaza.”
Old President, No New Stoves
- You may recall the kerfuffle last year when there was talk of banning gas stoves in the U.S. Well, fear not – on Monday, the Biden administration released new energy efficiency standards for ovens and stoves, and roughly 97% of gas stoves on the market are safe.
- In fact, the main changes from the new efficiency standards will be required of electric stoves. All new electric models will have to use at least 30% less energy than the lowest-performing models today – only about 77% of electric stoves on the market already meet these standards.
Additional USA Reads
- Man who stole and leaked Trump tax records sentenced to 5 years in prison (CNN)
- Juror testifies comments by clerk of court influenced her decision to convict Alex Murdaugh of murder (CNN)
- Republican senator censured by Oklahoma GOP for negotiating with Democrats on fragile border deal (USA Today)
- House eyes vote this week on child tax credit bill, which faces some speed bumps (NBC)
- Biden’s LNG pause tees up pre-election risks (Axios)
Popping A Pill For PTSD
- According to a new study recently published in the journal PLOS One, MDMA might be the key to treating PTSD. You’ve probably heard this all before if you’ve read anything about psychedelic treatments for trauma, but we promise this story’s different – the study is the final phase in a larger examination of MDMA treatments by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) as part of the organization’s attempt to get FDA approval for the drug.
- The study was conducted on a group of 90 people suffering from different types of PTSD. Half of them received psychotherapy with MDMA treatments, while the other half received psychotherapy with placebo pills. The group that took the real MDMA saw improvements in their ability to notice and describe their internal feelings, increased levels of self-compassion, emotion regulation, and fear reduction compared to the control group.
- Of course, the researchers emphasize, the main improvement in the study came from psychotherapy. But patients who lack certain emotional awareness and regulation can often struggle in therapy – MDMA improved those factors, allowing them to gain better results from therapy.
Additional Reads
- World’s largest cruise ship sets sail, bringing concerns about methane emissions (Reuters)
- ChatGPT: Italy says OpenAI’s chatbot breaches data protection rules (BBC)
- Nvidia’s Big Tech Rivals Put Their Own A.I. Chips on the Table (NYT, $)
- How Valuable Is A Taylor Swift Endorsement? Joe Biden’s Campaign Has Good Reason To Want Her Backing in 2024 (Deadline)
- Mystery surrounding 3 Kansas City Chiefs fans found dead outside man’s home leads to accusations from victim’s family (CBS)
- King Charles III and Princess Kate are both out of the hospital after procedures (NBC)
- Return of bullfighting met by protests in Mexico City (CNN)