Hungary vs. Sweden, Biden vs. Trump, & Teens vs. Sports Betting
February 6, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Tuesday! Today, we’re talking about Hungary resisting Sweden’s NATO membership, Biden’s polling numbers, power sharing in Northern Ireland, Chile’s wildfire, approval for the border bill, Apple & Tesla teaming up to make the roads riskier, and sports gambling for teens.
Here’s some good news: as sea otter populations begin to recover in California, they’re gorging themselves on burrowing crabs that have been eroding the salt marshes in the central California coastal area of Elkhorn Slough and having a “big impact” on the protection of sea grasses. In other good environmental news, the China Electricity Council said that by the end of this year, grid-connected wind and solar would make up around 40% of installed power generation capacity, compared to coal’s 37% – in other words, China’s wind and solar power is overtaking coal.
It’s a great time to be a sports fan! The next few months will bring the Super Bowl, March Madness, The Masters, and a spring full of NBA and NHL Playoffs. But let’s face it — you have a life, and watching everything can be difficult. That’s why The Sportsletter delivers a sports recap newsletter every weekday. With highlights, scores, and headlines, you can become a sports expert with just a few minutes each morning. Plus, it’s free. Sign up at TheSportsletter.com.
“To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy.” – Will Durant
Hungary Starves Out Sweden’s NATO Bid
On Monday, opposition groups within Hungary’s government called a special parliamentary session to bring about a vote on Sweden’s NATO membership bid. Unfortunately for the opposition (and Sweden), the vote was quickly stuffed when the country’s ruling party decided to boycott the session.
The parliamentary leader of PM Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, Máté Kocsis, said that any party support for Sweden’s NATO bid would be shown at a regular parliamentary session scheduled for later this month. He added that the support would be “contingent on a meeting between the Hungarian and Swedish prime ministers in Budapest,” a power play meaning that Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson would have to hop on a jet for bilateral talks in Budapest.
Kristersson has said that it would be only “natural” for him to visit Hungarian lawmakers, but on a different timetable. His theoretical visit would take place after Hungary’s parliament approved Sweden’s NATO bid, as he sees no need for bilateral talks with Orbán given the massive international pressure on Hungary’s approval.
The Donald Trumps Biden (For Now)
According to a new nationwide NBC News poll, President Joe Biden is in hot water ahead of his seemingly-inevitable rematch with former president Donald Trump. The poll shows that Trump is currently leading 47% to 42%. Of course, if you remember the 2016 presidential election, polling numbers don’t mean all that much, especially nine months out.
Despite the current upward trend in America’s economy, the polls show that Trump leads Biden by over 20 points in terms of which candidate Americans think will handle the economy better. Trump also leads Biden by 16 points when considering which candidate voters see as more competent and effective, an area where Biden led Trump by 9 points in 2020. Biden’s approval rating has also dipped to its lowest point in his presidency according to NBC polls, scraping 37% in part due to voters’ disapproval of his handling the war in Gaza – just 3 in 10 respondents think he’s handling that situation correctly.
While things might look grim for the Democratic incumbent now, a CNN poll found that many voters are keeping their eyes peeled for a decision in Trump’s election subversion lawsuit. 48% of respondents said that a verdict in the case is essential before the election, while a further 16% said that they’d like to see such a decision.
A Healthy Alternative To Sugary Sports Drinks
- Whether you need a morning boost while you read Daily Pnut, an afternoon recovery from a hike or workout, or a great mixer for a cocktail before a night out, LMNT can keep you hydrated for whatever life throws at you.
- Their science-backed electrolyte ratio of sodium, potassium, and magnesium provides the hydration you need to be at your best. With no sugar or artificial sweeteners, LMNT has everything you need and nothing you don’t.
- LMNT comes in a variety of delicious flavors, including a new Chocolate Medley with Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Chai, and Chocolate Raspberry – enjoy them hot! Get a free gift with your purchase and try LMNT today.
O’Neill’s Big Deal
- After a two-year hiatus, a power-sharing government has returned to Northern Ireland. The new government will include leaders from the British unionists and Irish nationalists – represented by Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the Democratic Unionist Party and First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Fein, respectively. O’Neill’s Sinn Fein party was the political arm of the Irish Republican Army during the Troubles when Irish Catholic groups attempted to make Northern Ireland part of the Republic of Ireland.
- With the new government in place, Northern Ireland’s lawmakers won’t be able to make any decisions without support from both O’Neill and Little-Pengelly. The deal will also free up over 3 billion pounds ($3.8 billion) from the U.K. The money will likely be spent on key public services, as Northern Ireland was left without a functioning government during the two years it took for the new agreement to take form.
Scorching In Santiago
- It’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere, meaning many countries in South America are facing the wildfire season that comes with warmer weather. The problem is especially bad in Chile, where blazes first sparked on Friday before growing out of control over the weekend. Now, the fires have killed over 112 people and burned down entire neighborhoods, with hundreds of people still missing. This has authorities worried that the death toll might continue to rise even once the flames are contained.
- According to a statement by Chile’s Deputy Interior Minister Manuel Monsalve on Sunday, there were at least 165 fires burning across the country, and 14,000 homes were damaged by the blazes. The military has been sent in to help firefighters corral the blazes, and authorities have set a 9 pm curfew in areas threatened by the fires. The disaster marks the deadliest natural disaster in Chile since a 2010 earthquake that claimed the lives of over 500 people.
Additional World News
- Militants attack police station in Pakistan, killing at least 10 officers (ABC)
- TikTok election? Indonesia’s presidential hopefuls battle it out on social media (CNBC)
- Australia appalled at China’s suspended death sentence for writer Yang Hengjun (AP)
- Putin will visit Turkey soon to discuss new Black Sea grain export ideas for Ukraine, minister says (ABC)
- Kosovo’s block on the Serbian currency raises alarm in the EU and US (AP)
- King Charles III has cancer, Buckingham Palace announces (ABC)
Middle East Reads
- A requiem for Gaza’s iconic sites, destroyed in the war (NPR)
- A seaside town shelters thousands of Israeli evacuees, but struggles without tourists (NPR)
- Israeli hostage families gain clout as political landscape shifts (Reuters)
Border Agents Just Want More Budget
- Republicans in Congress have lamented that the bipartisan border agreement released on Sunday doesn’t go far enough to address the issues at the border with Mexico, but a critical group disagrees with them – the National Border Patrol Council, the labor union that represents over 18,000 border agents.
- “While not perfect, the Border Act of 2024 is a step in the right direction and is far better than the current status quo,” Brandon Judd, president of the council, said in the statement. The union also says the bill would “drop illegal border crossings nationwide.”
- House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and his leadership team called the legislation a “waste of time.” But getting the labor union’s endorsement is no small feat – the group endorsed former President Trump back in 2020 and has been no friend to the Biden administration thus far.
VR Stands For “Very Risky”
- The Apple Vision Pro was released just days ago, but it’s already causing problems for regulators. A video has gone viral in recent days of someone in a Tesla Cybertruck, which appears to be driving itself while the driver wears the Vision Pro headset.
- “Reminder — all advanced driver assistance systems available today require the human driver to be in control and fully engaged in the driving task at all times,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg posted on X on Monday in response to the video, which had more than 24 million views.
- Tesla’s Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving modes require driver interference. Apple, for its part, has made it clear that the Vision Pro headset (which starts at a whopping $3,499) should not be worn while driving, so perhaps Tesla’s incredibly confusing names for its assisted driving features are to blame for the issue.
Additional USA Reads
- In Las Vegas, Biden Promotes Promises Kept to Black and Hispanic Voters (NYT, $)
- Supreme Court Shocker? Here’s What Happens if Trump Gets Kicked Off the Ballot (Politico)
- Victoria Spartz says she’s running for reelection, reversing her decision to retire from Congress (CNN)
- Democrats see a prime opportunity to finally break the GOP’s grip on Wisconsin (NBC)
- Biden challenger Dean Phillips vows to stay in race as ‘a mission of principle’ (Guardian)
- Dems invoke George Santos in last-minute ad buy for NY seat (Politico)
- San Francisco considers a measure to screen welfare recipients for addiction (ABC)
To Groom A Gambler
- You know how some games and apps let you spend real-life money to buy in-game currency? Well, now, a growing group of apps calling themselves “social sportsbooks” are taking the market by storm, allowing their users to make sports bets using “virtual currency.” This allows them to reach much younger users, as many of them have “Teen” ratings, and have very loose age verification policies.
- Problem gambling advocates say the “social sportsbooks” can create gambling addictions in very young people without the usual regulations from the federal or state governments, and even allow people to access sports betting in states where it’s prohibited. This is because the social sportsbooks operate as fantasy websites or sweepstakes competitions, allowing users to play and earn “prizes” for free.
- “We wanted the product to have kind of the look and feel of a sportsbook but just to do it with the virtual currency in a lot lower-stakes and free-to-play format,” said the CEO of one of the apps. “There’s a reason there’s not candy cigarettes anymore, right? And there’s a reason nobody gives kids [nonalcoholic] beer,” said a problem gambling administrator. “But that’s exactly what we’re doing with some of these activities.”
Additional Reads
- US pornography actor accused of posting propaganda for Iran (Guardian)
- They played for their country in their 20s. By their 40s, they had early onset dementia after playing this physical sport (CNN)
- Retired ‘hero’ 9/11 firefighter Bob Beckwith, who posed for photo at Ground Zero with President Bush, dies (ABC)
- Rare Roman funerary bed discovered in London (CNN)
- Ancient sea sponges at centre of controversial claim world has already warmed by 1.7C (Guardian)
- This Florida Mall Has Gucci, Prada … and Soon, Affordable Housing? (NYT, $)