Far East
The Chinese crusade for influence continues around the world. The list of countries conducting trade with China or Russia in the Chinese yuan has grown. Pakistan now uses it to purchase Russian crude oil. Brazil and Argentina have signed agreements to use it for trade. Honduras has shifted recognition to Beijing, coming into line with the “one China” policy and leaving Taiwan only 12 formal acknowledgments of sovereignty.
Saudi Arabia and Iran formalizing relations through Chinese diplomacy marks a major shift for the region. The United States has been courting India, a long time rival of China and purchaser of Russian military equipment. The use of Indian port facilities for the U.S. Navy is significant, as is the purchase and even domestic manufacture of military technology.
Meanwhile, China is not immune to the economic woes of the west. Their GDP growth is failing to meet modest expectations, potentially falling below 5% for the year. While we have been raising interest rates to fight inflation, they have been lowering them to stimulate their economy. This could create a disparity in the value of our respective currencies with problematic aspects for both sides.
Best Picture
Nominations for this Oscar must now meet new Representation and Inclusion standards. Diversity quotas have to be met in 2 out of 4 categories for a film to be eligible for consideration, according to internal R.A.I.S.E. guidelines. These categories include: 1) The actors or movie narrative. 2) The creative department and all aspects of production. 3) Internships and training programs sponsored by the studio for specific communities. 4) Executive roles in marketing or distribution. The quotas vary by category. According to their website the standards are, “designed to encourage equitable representation on and off screen to better reflect the diverse global population.”
FedNow means Now!
FedNow is the name of a new instantaneous money transfer system developed by the Federal Reserve. It is launching as an alternative to the private clearinghouse method that causes transfers and checks to take days to process. Participant’s funds will be available immediately after completing a transaction, which is particularly significant for banks and other large institutions. It will likely have a significant impact on the government’s own payments such as federal employee salaries, social security and tax refunds. Role out of the system is in its early stages. Participation is optional, though the program is seen as potentially replacing the current, slower Federal system.
Big Tech Push-back
Big businesses make big targets, and the liabilities of processing enormous amounts of personal data are only just being explored. The Federal Trade Commission extracted a massive settlement from Amazon and its subsidiary Ring. Ring (video doorbells, surveillance and smart-home technology) did not properly protect or limit access to customer’s recordings. Cameras record continuously, though sometimes placed in a home’s private areas. Inappropriate access did occur, though Amazon holds the issues were resolved and predate their takeover of Ring. Their Alexa device also allegedly failed to delete children’s information when requested. By settling, no wrongdoing is formally acknowledged. This prevents subsequent civil liabilities.
Facebook is also taking a beating. Canada is demanding compensation for news outlets featured on the platform, similar to what Australia put in place but farther reaching. Facebook will likely eliminate their news page in the region. Malaysia has also vowed legal action. Their complaint, like many other nations where speech is not exactly free, is that content they don’t like is not removed quickly enough. The EU also hit Facebook’s parent company, META, with a fine of $1.3 billion for transferring user data to the United States.
To what extent companies can exploit user data is a volatile topic. Privacy is an issue as well as ownership when information is used to train A.I. algorithms. The Writers Guild in particular has contended that A.I. scripts are essentially plagiarism; that they cannot be anything more than an amalgamation of the works put in to it. Google’s Ad business is also being investigated under anti-trust laws.
Making a Splash
That’s what North Korea’s latest military spy satellite did… Right into the sea. Faltering after the first stage, it set off alarms in both South Korea and Japan before splashing down. Out of North Korea’s six attempted satellite launches, only two have been successful. This was the first attempt in years, though it is generally considered part of North Korea’s missile program. There has been no shortage of missile launches. Dozens have already occurred this year.
Blocking the Blocking of Blockers
20 states have passed laws prohibiting minors from receiving what is called “gender affirming care.” This includes the use of so-called “puberty blockers,” controversial drugs that stop natural development. Judges have blocked these laws from coming completely into effect in Indiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Florida. The resulting legal battles will likely take years. Many other states are considering similar legislation. The fight also extends to the classroom. Rules about what is appropriate to teach children and at what age have become very contentious.
Almost Remembering the Sabbath
A case regarding observance of the Sabbath day is before the Supreme Court of the United States. Only it is not over the actual Sabbath Day but Sunday. It involves a postal worker from Pennsylvania who is trying to tie the 4th commandment to the 1st day of the week. Possibly, he doesn’t realize that he is acknowledging Catholic authority over that of the Creator who sanctified, or set apart and made Holy, the 7th day at creation, but we digress… The case is still important. The court has previously ruled that religious observance accommodations do not have to be made if they create an “undue burden” on the company. This definition is broad enough that many have lost or not gotten jobs on account of the Sabbath, as some readers (and writers) of this magazine can attest. Whether the current court is willing to issue clear guidelines on what actually constitutes a “burden” remains to be seen. An operation as vast as the postal service may find it difficult to prove giving someone a consistent day off is really that much trouble.
Anti-LGBTQ Laws
African nations are passing laws that prohibit homosexuality. Uganda has legislation in place that criminalizes even the promotion of homosexuality. “Aggravated homosexuality,” with a minor, disabled person, or when a terminal disease like HIV is transmitted, now carries the death penalty. Neighboring nations like Kenya, Tanzania and South Sudan are attempting to get similar laws through their legislatures. This is in spite of pressure from the United States and many European nations. There have been threats to cut aid to the region and even sanction governments if they refuse to repeal the laws.
