Hello everyone!
Now, before we get started, I have a few announcements to make: first, I am pleased to say that I am adding another columnist to the newsletter! The schedule and topic has not been set in stone, but it is highly likely that it will be about particular countries, economics, or California. Again, it’s not been set in stone, so the column may be about something entirely different.
Additionally, now that I’m adding more authors, I have decided to change the title of the newsletter, so it is not just about me. I am open to suggestions, and please comment on this post if you have one.
Now, shall we get started?
The Nation
Unfortunately, after searching through several sources, I found that the top stories of the United States are anything but positive.
A Terrible Toll
It has been years since Covid-19 hit the United States, more than two. And, after so many months of fighting the worst pandemic of the 21st century, we have hit a truly awful milestone: we have officially lost one million people to Covid. These people were friends, family; mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters. Good people, whose only crime was living. People on the front lines, risking - and sometimes sacrificing - their lives to save America. Many of you reading this may know someone who’s passed. Absolutely awful; there is no silver lining.
The only thing we can do to get through this loss is to continue - continue helping others, keeping yourself safe with vaccinations, masks and distancing choices. Let’s keep fighting Covid with every last ounce of will we have.
Together, we can do this. We have to.
Let’s stop adding to that number.
10 Lost in Buffalo
The first section of “The Nation,” was somber, and I’m afraid that this section won’t be any different.
Today, an 18-year-old white teenager killed 10 people and wounded three more at a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. The act is considered “violent extremism” by the police, who arrested a suspect armed and wearing combat gear. The suspect - so far unnamed by the police - threatened to take his own life, but he was convinced to surrender. A ex-cop security guard for the grocery store had also tried to subdue the killer, but lost his life in the process.
The motivation of this murderer is as terrible as the deed itself: racism. Out of the 13 people hit, eleven of them were Black. There are more details I could add, but I have decided that they are too horrifying to describe.
Sadly, this is not a lone case. There have been several other deadly shootings in this year alone; six people were lost in three separate incidences, in Milwaukee, Sacramento, and Texas.
I know I’ve been complimented for my positivity and jokes, but there’s no happy spin on these stories.
The World
I’m sorry for how negative the last few stories were - I’ll try and add a little more positivity for what’s to come.
Europe
Alrighty! Our first world region! (Spoiler alert) I gotta say, if the British think their public transportation’s bad, they should visit America…
In London, United Kingdom, a multi-multi-billion dollar, long delayed railway system called the Elizabeth Line is being unveiled. It’s thirteen years in the making and even longer on the drawing board, so long that many Englanders started to doubt it would ever be finished.
Honestly, reading this as a guy who waited years for a tunnel to be dug, and equally as long for a single ferry to dock, that doesn’t seem so bad.
The operation is run by long-time train enthusiast Andy Byford, a man who’s subway crusades in New York earned him the nickname “Train Daddy.” Maybe that’s why he now says he enjoys the anonymity his work in London; he’s not the “Train Daddy” across the ocean. Now, as he gears up to open the new highly ambitious Elizabeth Line - who’s namesake, Elizabeth II, is going to be celebrating her platinum jubilee (70 year anniversary as queen) - might just earn that nickname again.
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Norway has recently announced that it fully supports Finnish and Swedish NATO membership. Here’s what this means.
Since the war in Ukraine, which was caused in part by Ukraine’s inching nearer to Western Europe, many eastern countries have suddenly found themselves with a gigantic neighbor that has shown that it will not hesitate to use violence to reach its goals. Since this rude awakening, many of these border countries have expressed their desires to join NATO (or are at least considering it), and thus earn themselves a little protection from Moscow’s territorial hunger. The two countries that seem to have earned the biggest publicity in their endeavors are Finland and Sweden. Now, with a longtime NATO member (Norway), pronouncing its support for their efforts, there seems to be a real possibility of success, which could lead to an overall strengthening of resolve against Russia’s ambitions.
Asia-Pacific
Train systems have got nothing on these stories:
Ever heard of Sri Lanka? Yeah, that Sri Lanka. The island off the coast of India, which just so happens to be suffering from economic collapse and complete chaos.
The economic crisis is, by and large, due to economic mismanagement and bad choices by the Sri Lankan government. This included things like cutting taxes and excessively taking on loans. Thanks to these poor decisions, prices of staples have skyrocketed, and many necessities have become scarce. This has set off widespread chaos that continues to reign; thousands of people have taken to the streets either in protest or support of the government, and clashes between these two have become deadly. A government party official was killed in a mob, and the government cabinet has practically been emptied by resignations. The newest quitter is the Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had his family’s home torched in the recent flurry of violence. His brother, the president, is being demanded to resign by the anti-government protesters, who are also resisting the placement of a new prime minister.
And with all this chaos, I struggle to imagine who would want the job.
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This story is an update on an event first documented in the last post. It has been four days since North Korea imposed a nationwide lockdown to combat an extremely belated first wave of Covid. The government now reports that 42 people have died, and that they are taking “swift state emergency measures” to prevent further spread. This sudden explosion of Covid in the secluded country raises questions about how well Pyongyang, armed with a poor health care system and absolutely no vaccines. Unsurprisingly, they don’t seem keen on outside help either. And, to top off the hardship sandwich, North Korea’s lockdown procedures are limiting its trade, increasing risks of food insecurity in a country where the people are already suffering.
Americas
Wish I had a great opener for this region… ah well, this filler will have to do.
Cuba has suffered a great deal the past few years. Covid hit them hard in all sectors, resulting in contractions across the board. Inflation has soared, and everyday staples like food and fuel have skyrocketed in price. The cost of imports has increased rapidly, and any economic recovery is easily outpaced. “Audacious” measures are needed to address these challenges, says the Cuban economy minister. To help fight some of these problems, Cuba has been focusing on the troubling exchange rate, which has been hampering everyday Cubans, who are already needing to line up for essentials. With the improved exchange rates, the minister claims, the country will slowly recover.
Outside of Cuba’s exchange rate measures, there is a slow and steady recovery that can be seen. The costs of nickel, an important export, are rising, aiding the 38% increase in exports. Tourism will also likely increase, as we are seeing a relaxing of regulations across the globe. However, the question of whether Cubans will be able to crawl out of crisis can only be answered in the coming months.
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In the coming weeks, Joe Biden is planning to have a “Summit of the Americas” conference to address key issues in the hemisphere. However, instead of a showcase of triumph for the Biden administration, it may just be a source of humiliation. The exact objectives of the conference remain unclear, leading many countries to doubt how effective the summit will truly be. Several countries may not even show up; after the US announced it would not be inviting Nicaragua or Venezuela, the Mexican president threatened to boycott the summit unless they were allowed to join. “If there are exclusions, if not everyone is invited, then a delegation from the Mexican government will go, but I will not go,” said the president to reporters. Brazil already has a poor relationship with the US, something that could upend the first talk between Biden and president Bolsonaro.
With all these problems and flaws in the US’s master plan to reestablish itself and its interests in the region, American diplomats hold out the hope that these threats are only to appeal to voters, and don’t reflect the governments’ actual stance on the summit. The truth will finally be unveiled in June, when the conference is held in Los Angeles.
Africa
Africa may be the last region, but don’t get relaxed. These news stories are just as important as any other.
In Nigeria, the rash of child malnutrition is swelling to enormous proportions, expanding from 1.4 million to 1.7 in a year. Just for years ago, it was less than half a million five years ago. The troubles started in 2009, when extremists in the north began an insurgency that forced many to uproot their lives and flee south. According to the United Nations, 2.1 million people in Nigeria and nearby Chad have been displaced, with 35,000 killed. These refugees are struggling to create new lives in the refugee camps, many cradling terrible injuries. Much of the humanitarian funds that would be used to combat this issue are being diverted to Ukraine. For now, hundreds of thousands of Nigerians are paying the price for a crime they didn’t commit.
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For years, Somalia has been ripped apart by strife and hardship. There is constant conflict with Islamist rebels, part of the country declared independence, the economy is suffering and the Horn of Africa is baking in Somalia’s worst drought in decades. This is the backdrop of the presidential election on Sunday. The government finally put off its squabbling and set the election date, though the main reason for doing so was to keep the foreign aid coming. The election will be done by 329 parliamentarians that are often more keen to bribes than representing the people, making popular vote unlikely. The election has to take place in a heavily fortified aircraft hangar, under guard by African Union Peacekeepers. Whether or not the presidential election actually happens, there is little chance of the best candidate winning; more likely it is the one with the least fiscal morals.
Congratulations! You have completed reading the May 14 post, meaning you are up-to-date on the biggest topics in the world. Stay tuned for more trustworthy news that actually makes sense! I will publish an announcement when new features are added.
Sources
Various sources from Reuters, The New York Times, Associated Press, and Foreign Affairs were used for this post. If you find an error of any kind, grammatical or informational, please comment and I will put it to rights.
Great newsletter! Congrats on the new columnist! Maybe a newsletter name could be: The Reporter. 💫