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IMPORTANT
| | |  | Digging In | Clashes Mar Protests in Peru as Thousands Descend on Capital Police fired tear gas at protesters Thursday in Lima’s downtown district, home to the congressional complex and the city’s business heart. Protesters from across the country, including isolated Andean regions, vowed to make their voices heard nearly six weeks after former President Pedro Castillo was ousted by Congress. “We want that usurper out, she doesn’t represent us,” one said of Castillo's replacement, President Dina Boluarte. But the movement lacks a “social agenda,” Boluarte argued, and just wants to “break the rule of law, generate chaos and disorder and seize power.” More than 50 people have been killed in the unrest. (Sources: AP, The Guardian) |
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|  | Hey, Big Spenders! | Calmer Heads Hope to Prevail as US Hits Debt Ceiling In a letter to Congress Thursday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called for a quick resolution to prevent the country from defaulting. While some House Republicans flexed their newfound muscle and vowed to hold out, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered a firm hand to markets. “America must never default on its debt. It never has and never will,” he said, noting that the process of raising the ceiling is always contentious. The White House took the offensive earlier in the week, refusing to negotiate and saying, “This is an easy one. This is something that should be happening without conditions.” (Sources: The Hill, NYT, Bloomberg) |
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|  | Spooked | Zelenskyy Hosted CIA Boss in Kyiv Last Week Ahead of Aid Package CIA Director William Burns made the secret trip late last week to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on what the American intelligence agency expects to see from Russia in the months ahead. The visit, just weeks before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, comes as Ukraine’s allies in Europe and the U.S. struggle to convince their citizens of the importance of funding Kyiv’s counteroffensive. Zelenskyy would likely have been briefed on a $2.5 billion security package announced Thursday by the Pentagon. Burns, who warned Zelenskyy in January 2022 of Russia’s impending invasion, visited Kyiv twice late last year. (Sources: WaPo, CNN) |
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|  | Courting Mystery | Who Leaked the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade Ruling? Eight months after the overturning of the 1973 abortion rights decision, investigators are no closer to knowing. Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley was tapped to lead the investigation by Chief Justice John Roberts in the aftermath of the May leak. Curley focused on 82 workers who had access to electronic or hard copies of the draft, and while some admitted discussing cases with partners, none fessed up to one of the court’s biggest ever scandals. There’s no evidence of a hack or outside intrusion, Curley found, but “investigators cannot rule out the possibility” the draft was simply left in a public place. (Sources: Politico, NYT) |
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|  | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Bye-bye, Byrdie. David Crosby of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash died this week at 81. Representatives for the American folk-rock legend did not announce a cause of death but Crosby was known to have serious long-term health issues, including diabetes and several heart attacks. (Source: NPR) It’s on. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dissolved Parliament and ordered an election for March, a year after anti-government protests turned violent and left 238 dead. In a statement, Tokayev said he hoped elections “will give new impetus to the modernization” of the country. (Source: Al Jazeera) Burning. Authorities in Seoul evacuated around 500 people from a shantytown as a fire ripped through Friday morning, destroying at least 60 houses. No deaths have been reported. (Source: Reuters) |
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INTRIGUING
| | | | | Closed Set | Alec Baldwin to Face Involuntary Manslaughter Charges A New Mexico district attorney announced Thursday that the actor and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will both be charged for the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in October 2021. They could see up to five years in prison if found guilty. Assistant director David Halls accepted a plea agreement on a charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, keeping him out of prison. “If any one of these three people ... had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple,” special prosecutor Andrea Reeb said. Baldwin has previously said he’d fight any charges. (Source: Deadline) |
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| | | Lines Drawn | DeSantis Turns On Black History, Gender Diversity in ‘War on Woke’ Florida’s state universities are being asked how many students accessed gender dysphoria treatment, including hormone prescriptions, after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to eliminate “the progressivist higher education indoctrination agenda.” And Florida high schoolers hoping to study an advanced placement course in African American studies have had that option stripped. According to DeSantis, the course “lacks educational value” and runs afoul of the state’s Stop Woke Act, passed last year, which curtails “race-based” conversations in schools. Florida House Democrats pushed back on the moves, suggesting these policies could see a “brain drain” exodus of bright students to other states. (Sources: AP, The Guardian) |
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| | | Gassed Up | Greta Thunberg and Climate Activist Friends Take On Davos The energy industry is throwing “people under the bus for their gain,” the Swedish climate activist told the World Economic Forum in Davos. Joining young campaigners from across the world — Uganda’s Vanessa Nakate, Helena Gualinga of Ecuador and Luisa Neubauer of Germany — they demanded new oil and gas projects everywhere be shelved. The “Cease and Desist” campaign targets CEOs, noting that the C-suite has long known about the dangers of fossil fuels, but prioritized profits. “It's time to put these CEOs on notice — showing them that 2023 will be a watershed moment for accountability,” the activists vowed in an online petition. (Source: Euronews) |
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| | | Tuning Out | The Show’s Over for Netflix’s Co-Founder Hastings After 25 years, Reed Hastings is stepping down as the entertainment company’s CEO. His tenure saw Netflix go from a DVD rental service to a platform near-synonymous with streaming. Content chief Ted Sarandos, appointed co-CEO in 2020, will now be joined in the role by Chief Operating Officer Greg Peters. Hastings’ announcement came as Netflix reported 223 million paid subscribers globally — a number execs hope to complement with the rollout of ad-supported streaming and a foray into mobile gaming. Still, the mastermind behind Netflix’s growth will not be fully retiring: Hastings will serve as executive chair “for many years to come.” (Source: The Verge) |
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| | | Where’s the Heckler? | Novak Djokovic Battles Injuries — and Spectators — at Australian Open “Shut up! Thank you!” the nine-time Open champion was heard yelling into the stands during his match against France’s Enzo Couacaud in Melbourne Thursday night. Djokovic, playing in his first Australian Open since his dramatic deportation last year over his unvaccinated status, turned to match officials during the fourth set to complain about the hecklers. The Serb’s off-court opponents — who were dressed in Where’s Waldo? outfits and at least one of whom, according to Djokovic, was “drunk out of his mind” — were eventually escorted out. Djokovic’s mood didn’t improve dramatically despite his 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-0 win: He sought medical treatment mid-set for a hamstring injury. (Source: Yahoo) |
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COMMUNITY
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