Diplomacy, Floods, Bad Diplomacy, & A Lab-Grown Meat Conspiracy
May 6, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Monday! Today, we’ll be talking about the Israel-Hamas war, China’s president visiting Europe, Brazil’s floods, Biden’s misstep with Japan and India, Trump’s comments about Biden, money to secure houses of worship, and a conspiracy theory about lab-grown meat.
Here’s some good news: Much of the turf, fencing, set pieces, and other materials used for this year’s NFL Draft in Detroit will be donated to help build the Detroit Dog Rescue’s free and low-cost spay and neuter clinic. Also, new research suggests that the Antarctic blue whale population might be recovering.
“How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg? Four. Saying that a tail is a leg doesn’t make it a leg.” – Abraham Lincoln
Jinping Goes Eurotripping

Chinese President Xi Jinping began his first Eurotrip in over five years this weekend. His itinerary includes three European countries – France, Hungary, and Serbia – that don’t vibe with the current U.S.-dominated world order – French President Emmanuel Macron has recently called for Europe to avoid being a “vassal state” of the U.S., and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has aligned with China and Russia while criticizing the E.U.’s liberal policies. China is Serbia’s second-largest trading partner. Serbia is also the site of the 1999 NATO strike on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, which killed three Chinese journalists and elicited a White House apology.
The biggest fish that Xi wants to net on his trip is the French president. “Macron is trying to bring a third way in the current global chaos,” said one expert on the Sino-French relationship. “He is trying to walk a fine line between the two main superpowers.” A year ago, France and China declared a “global strategic partnership.” “As long as China and Europe join hands, bloc confrontation will not occur, the world will not fall apart, and a new Cold War will not take place,” said Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
Another Cessation Of Ceasefire Talks
Usually, no news is good news, but that’s not the case with the Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks. According to Hamas representatives, the latest round of talks held in Cairo ended over the weekend when Israel rejected Hamas’ key demands. Israel didn’t actually send a delegation to the talks, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he “cannot accept” Hamas’ call to end the war in Gaza.
Talks are still focused on Hamas releasing Israeli hostages in exchange for ceasefire periods, and Egyptian officials said they’d made “significant progress” in the negotiations before the talks blew up. However, Hamas’s demands for a guaranteed Israeli withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza are too steep a price for Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel has ordered the closure of the Al Jazeera news network within its borders, a move that the Qatari news company has described as a “criminal act.” A spokesman for the Israeli government said that “broadcast equipment will be confiscated, the channel’s correspondents will be prevented from working, the channel will be removed from cable and satellite television companies, and Al Jazeera’s websites will be blocked on the Internet.” The government described Al Jazeera as a “mouthpiece of Hamas” and alleged it has “harmed Israel’s security and incited against IDF soldiers.”
Want To Know More?
- Queen Rania of Jordan says U.S. is seen as “enabler” of Israel (CBS)
- World Food Programme Director Cindy McCain: Northern Gaza is in a ‘full-blown famine’ (NBC)
- Hamas Claims Rocket Attack That Closes Key Crossing Between Israel and Gaza (NYT, $)
- Israel tells Hamas to accept ceasefire terms or risk new onslaught ‘in near future’ (Guardian)
Record Floods Hit The Rios

- Extreme weather continues to make waves across the globe – and this time, the waves are literal. Late last week, Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, experienced record-breaking floods affecting almost two-thirds of the area’s 497 cities. According to local officials, the floods have displaced over 80,000 people, killed 75, and left 101 still missing.
- Some cities in Rio Grande do Sul have seen the highest levels of rainfall since record-keeping began almost 150 years ago, with some areas experiencing rainfall of up to 6 inches within 24 hours during the week. Rescue workers continue to work around the clock to help those affected.
Commander-In-Chief Puts Foot In Mouth (Again)
- Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden implied that his uncle had been eaten by cannibals from Papua New Guinea during World War II, which was not well received. Well, folks, he’s done it again! Last week, the president described Japan and India as “xenophobic” countries, grouping two key U.S. allies with Russia and China as he attempted to contrast the four countries’ immigration policies with America’s identity as a nation of immigrants.
- Over the weekend, India and Japan (unsurprisingly) spoke out against Biden’s statement. Japan said that Biden’s assessment was not based on an accurate understanding of its government policies, while India described itself as the most “open, pluralistic, and diverse society anywhere in the world.”
- Biden’s latest stumble came during a speech at a fundraiser event with a largely Asian-American audience. He said that America’s economy was thriving “because of you and many others … Why? Because we welcome immigrants.” India and Japan have stricter immigration policies than the U.S., but India’s economy grew by over 7% last year compared to the U.S.’s 2.3% growth.
More Mixed Nuts
- Australian police shoot dead armed teen after stabbing attack that had ‘hallmarks’ of terror (CNN)
- Teenager turns himself in for assault on German lawmaker (Politico)
- Panamanians vote in election dominated by former president who was barred from running (AP)
- Cyclone Hidaya weakens as it moves toward Tanzania’s coastline, officials say (AP)
- Rishi Sunak to face pressure to shift right after disastrous election results (Guardian)
Palm Beach Talks About Courtroom Benches
- Over the weekend at a donor retreat in Palm Beach, former President Donald Trump, who’s been spending hours on end in courtrooms over the last couple of weeks, decided to speak out about his distaste for the justice system. “These people are running a Gestapo administration, and it’s the only thing they have, and it’s the only way they’re going to win,” he said.
- He added, “Until I got indicted, I was respectful of the office of the president. Once I got indicted, I said, ‘well now the gloves have to come off.’” The donor retreat was hosted by the Trump campaign and was expected to be attended by at least 400 people. Among the guest list were some rumored potential VP picks, including Sen. Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, and J.D. Vance, and Gov. Kristi Noem.
The State Separates Some Bills For The Churches
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced yesterday that there will be a $400 million increase in federal funding for security at places of worship amid concerns over rising antisemitic and anti-Muslim behavior. Places like synagogues and mosques could apply to use the money to hire security personnel or install cameras.
- This comes on top of $305 million set aside last year that went to nonprofits to help protect their facilities from potential attacks. “We’re going to keep funding so that no synagogue or other religious institution is going to have to live in the fear that they now live with,” Schumer said.
More Nuts In America
- An expensive, personal, very close presidential race careens toward an uncertain end (NBC)
- Many Florida women can’t get abortions past 6 weeks. Where else can they go? (ABC)
- A look at commencement ceremonies as US campuses are roiled by protests over the Israel-Hamas war (AP)
- Don’t give in to ‘the smallest, angriest group,’ university president says (Politico)
- Sen. Tim Scott dodges on whether he would accept 2024 election results (NBC)
Sunny With No Chance For Lab-Grown Meatballs
- Last Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning the sale of lab-grown meat across the Sunshine State. While Florida’s commissioner of agriculture said the legislation would protect “our incredible farmers and the integrity of American agriculture,” the governor’s statement on the new law shows that it’s more of a culture-war issue – he’s trying to protect Floridians from eating bugs.
- “Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals,” DeSantis said in a statement accompanying the bill’s passage. Another press release from the state described the new law as “taking action to stop the World Economic Forum’s goal of forcing the world to eat lab-grown meat and insects,” touching on a right-wing conspiracy theory that the world’s elite are trying to make people eat bugs.
- Ultimately, DeSantis’ lab meat ban won’t have much of an impact at all because the FDA has only approved lab-grown meat from just two companies, and a grand total of zero companies are actually selling lab meat to consumers. The bill is more of an appeal to believers of the “Great Reset” conspiracy theory, which holds that “globalists” are trying to get the masses to eat bugs and live in pods. You know, normal Ron stuff, really.
More Loose Nuts
- A FAFSA Fiasco Has Students Still Asking: Which College Can They Afford? (NYT, $)
- An Old Abstract Field of Math Is Unlocking the Deep Complexity of Spacecraft Orbits (Wired)
- Escaped zebra captured near Seattle after gallivanting around Cascade mountain foothills for days (NBC)
- Why North Korea’s latest propaganda bop is a huge TikTok hit (BBC)
- Lionel Messi breaks more Major League Soccer records in astonishing performance (CNN)