Medical Aid In Gaza & A Utopia For Tech Bros
January 18, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Thursday! Today, we’re talking about the war in the Middle East, China’s population, Houthis, the U.K. and Rwanda, Trump’s trial, tech layoffs, and a utopia in the Bay Area.
Here’s some good news: Idaho Gov. Brad Little proposed spending $2 billion over 10 years to help school districts upgrade their aging buildings, which would mark the largest investment in school facilities in state history. At the Emmy Awards this week, Elton John won an EGOT. He is only the 19th person to earn the honor.
Qatar Cuts A Deal
Qatar has brokered a deal between Israel and Hamas, guaranteeing medicine for Israeli hostages being held in Gaza in exchange for the delivery of medicine and other forms of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza. For every box of medicine allowed for the hostages, Israel will allow 1,000 boxes of medicine into Gaza for use by civilians.
At least one-third of the hostages still in captivity suffer from chronic illnesses requiring medicine, while Gaza hospitals have been targeted by the IDF offensive. Just one third of the enclave’s hospitals are operational in any manner, and many operations are now being performed without anesthesia thanks to Israeli blockades creating medical supply shortages.
Besides the increasingly dire medical situation in Gaza, the World Food Program estimates that 93% of Palestinians stuck in the enclave are facing crisis levels of hunger. The World Health Organization has released similarly grim predictions, stating that the death toll from sickness and hunger will eclipse 24,000 in the coming months. Aid agencies have placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of Israel, but Israel has blamed the U.N. and Hamas for the crisis as it defends itself in the International Court of Justice.
Big Demographic Trouble In Big China
For a second year in a row, China’s population growth has hit a record low. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the country’s population shrank by 2.75 million (0.2%) in 2023, marking the second year of decline after the population dropped by 850,000 in 2022. 2022’s population shrinkage was the first time that China’s population had decreased since the Mao era.
The country’s birth rate dropped to 6.39 births per 1,000 people, down 5.7% from 6.77 births per 1,000 in 2022. The new numbers are raising very real concerns about this “demographic timebomb” in China. The shrinking population will yield fewer workers and a smaller taxbase, weakening economic support for the country’s aging population.
Chinese officials predict that the population of people over the age of 60 in the country will reach 400 million by 2035, leading the current pension system to run out of money that same year. The government has tried to stem the tides of aging by offering financial incentives for families to have kids, but many of those efforts have fallen short as young people struggle to keep up with rising costs of living. Some things are universal, even halfway across the world.
A Designated Threat
- On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced that it would be re-naming the Houthi rebel group as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organization in response to its recent attacks against shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The group was removed from the list in 2021 so that the U.S. and other countries could better deliver aid to civilians in Yemen.
- The Biden administration could have also used the foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation, which bans members of the group from traveling and imposes sanctions on individuals who provide “material support” to the group. Instead, the SDGT designation will only impose sanctions on members of the group, which can be scaled up as necessary.
Rwanda Might Need To Refund
- At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Rwandan President Paul Kagame suggested that British infighting over the country’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is taking too long. “There are limits for how long this can drag on,” Kagame told reporters on the sidelines of the annual meeting. Kagame signed the deal with the U.K. in April 2022, but so far no asylum seekers have actually been sent to Rwanda.
- Since the agreement was signed, the deal has been stalled by multiple different legal challenges, and has even been declared unlawful by the British Supreme Court. In order to keep the deal alive, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is looking to pass legislation that suspends parts of British human rights law that apply to asylum claims. If that law fails to pass, Rwanda says it will be merciful to the U.K., offering to send back the millions of pounds that Britain gave it as part of the deal. “The money is going to be used on those people who will come,” said Kagame. “If they don’t come, we can return the money.”
Additional World News
- Argentina’s Milei tells Davos ‘heroes’ how it should be done (CNN)
- Officials in Thailand say an explosion at a rural fireworks factory has killed at least 23 people (AP)
- Comoros President Azali Assoumani wins fourth term in disputed poll (BBC)
- Heavy snowfall and freezing rain cause flight cancellations across Germany (AP)
- Police in Russia break up rare protest over jailing of activist (Reuters)
Middle East Reads
- Senate rejects Bernie Sanders’ bid to probe Israel over Gaza human rights concerns (CBS)
- What Palestinians in Gaza may fear even more than Israeli bombardment (NPR)
- At Davos, Blinken calls a pathway to a Palestinian state a necessity for Israeli security (AP)
“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” – Isaac Asimov
Trading Blows Before The Jury
- Writer E. Jean Carroll is suing former President Trump for comments he made about her while he was president. The typically even-keeled presidential candidate was almost removed from court after making repeated comments within earshot of the jury, calling the trial a “witch hunt” and a “con job,” among other things.
- U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said to Trump, “I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial. I understand you are probably very eager for me to do that.” Trump then shot back, “I would love it. I would love it,” to which Kaplan said, “I know you would. I know you would. You just can’t control yourself in this circumstance, apparently.” Not content until he got the last word, Trump replied, “You can’t either.”
The Bubble Is Popping
- Reports have emerged this week that Google is laying off hundreds of employees (after laying off over a thousand last week), specifically in the ad sales team. The tech giant is reportedly turning to AI to take over the responsibilities. The move isn’t exactly shocking – Google Ads has been getting multiple AI improvements in recent months, from a chatbot that helps people navigate ad products to a software that can make assets like images and text based on parameters provided.
- Yesterday afternoon, YouTube, which is owned by Google, also announced a round of layoffs. It’s unclear how many will lose their jobs, but the positions be eliminated from the video streamer are largely in the business operations, partnerships, and advertising departments. The news was announced internally on Wednesday by chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe.
Additional USA Reads
- 3 Tacoma officers found not guilty in the death of Manny Ellis in 2020 have resigned from the department (CNN)
- Trump leads Haley by 16 points in New Hampshire, poll shows (Politico)
- Ann Arbor School Board Set to Vote on Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Resolution (NYT, $)
- CNN cancels New Hampshire Republican primary debate (Politico)
- Coroner’s office that buried men without telling families releases a policy that leaves questions unanswered (NBC)
- Case against man accused in NYC subway chokehold death moves forward (USA Today)
Techies Flock To The Farmlands
- Remember when Californians were worried about a mysterious entity buying up land near an Air Force base? Well, that group was not the Chinese state as many had feared – instead, the mystery land buyers were a group of Silicon Valley investors looking to build a new utopia on farmland in Solano County, on the fringes of the San Francisco Bay Area. Now, those investors, working under the umbrella of an LLC named Flannery Associates, are bringing their tech utopia to local ballots.
- If their campaign gains enough traction with voters this year, the group will be able to put a ballot initiative before Solano County voters in November. If that initiative passes, the company would be authorized to begin building its new community – though experts expect legal roadblocks and government red tape to delay construction until 2026.
- Flannery and its backers promise that the new city, which now owns over 50,000 acres (which cost over $800 million in total), will be a walkable, green utopia. They also say they’re working to help local residents buy homes in the new city, and are promising to offer good-paying jobs well above the county average at early stages in the city’s growth. Local leaders and residents have criticized the group for not working with local populations and accused them of using “mobster tactics” to seize land from generational farm families.
Additional Reads
- 10-year-old Maryland boy attacked by shark in Bahamas while on ‘Shark Tank’ expedition (NBC)
- The 1994 Northridge quake was a shock. Here’s why the next one won’t be (LAT, $)
- Two Malaysian filmmakers are charged with offending the religious feelings of others in banned film (AP)
- Greenland losing 30m tonnes of ice an hour, study reveals (Guardian)
- Alligators get more intimidating after study reveals they have an amazing ability (Yahoo)
- Princess Kate hospitalized for abdominal surgery, postpones royal engagements, palace says (USA Today)