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Here’s five things you need to know this week in <5 minutes:
Russia’s war continues
Jimmy Carter falls ill
Toxic train derailment in Ohio
Another Tesla crash
Youtube head steps down
Is Putin rebuilding the Russian Empire?
Russia’s invasion of Europe is likely to continue beyond Ukraine, Fiona Hill warned Congress on Wednesday. Hill, who was a member of president Trump's National Security Council, cautioned the government against proposed spending cuts that could put its allies at risk.
Putin is "interested in reacquiring territory in what was the space of the former Russian Empire," Hill told the Senate Armed Services Committee. That means Western-friendly democracies like Moldova, Kazakhstan and Georgia (the birthplace of Putin’s idol, Josef Stalin) could be the next targets of the world’s largest military.
Already this year, despite stiff political opposition, the U.S and Germany have sent 31 M1 Abrams and 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine to aid President Zelensky’s efforts to repel the invading Russian forces. Zelensky praised the decision as “extremely good news”, but the Ukrainian military said that the tank order was “only the beginning” of the arms they needed, and called for “hundreds” of tanks in addition to fighter jets.
Without the support of U.S weapons including tanks and missile systems, Ukraine would almost certainly have fallen to Putin in a matter of months. Having committed nearly $50 billion in assistance to Ukraine, it would be insane for Washington to cut back on support so late in the day. America’s support for European democracy may be the only thing deterring Putin from continuing his attempted invasion of the whole continent.
OUR TAKE: Putin’s deadlock in Ukraine may force him to look for military glory and conquest elsewhere. If the U.S wants to remain a world power, Biden needs to take the Russian threat seriously.
Jimmy Carter needs hospice care
Former president Jimmy Carter will receive hospice care at home in his two-bedroom ranch in Georgia. The 98 year old has needed “a series of short hospital stays” to treat his ill health. In 2019, he underwent successful brain surgery and treatment for a urinary tract infection.
Although generally considered by historians to have been a weak president, Carter has been praised for his post-presidency work, including undertaking diplomatic efforts with Israel and Egypt, organizing hurricane relief, and working with the WHO to eliminate Guinea worm disease.
OUR TAKE: We wish Jimmy Carter the best of health
Toxic train derailment in Ohio
This week, officials have reminded us why we all hate bureaucrats. After the derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals potentially poisoned thousands of people in Ohio, politicians and rail company leaders have stumbled over their PR messages.
On a visit to the site of the catastrophe, Environmental Protection Agency chief Michael Regan patronizingly told residents: “All families need to know that they are safe.” As Ohioans report chest pains and violent coughs, and class action lawsuits line up, Regan’s message is unlikely to provide much relief.
Meanwhile rail firm Norfolk Southern – which potentially faces up to $100 million in damages related to the derailment – has released just two paragraphs worth of information about the crash to the public, promising that updates would come at some point in the future.
And after establishing a 1 mile evacuation zone, the sheriff of Columbiana County thought it would be a good idea to threaten scared residents with arrest if they didn’t immediately vacate their homes.
OUR TAKE: Biden’s infrastructure bill has been woefully inadequate to solve America’s infrastructure crisis.
Another Tesla crash
As Elon Musk looks set to regain the title of world’s richest man, 2023 has been a good year for TSLA stock. But it hasn’t been so kind to Tesla car owners.
This week, a driver in California died after his Tesla collided with a fire truck on an interstate highway. This comes after a string of crashes where investigators suspect that Tesla’s autopilot feature caused the cars to collide with parked emergency vehicles.
OUR TAKE: Self driving tech still has a long way to go
Youtube head steps down
Susan Wojcicki has stepped down as CEO of YouTube after nine years in the role.
Wojcicki said she had "decided to start a new chapter focused on my family, health and personal projects.” She will be replaced by YouTube's chief product officer, Neal Mohan, who was responsible for Youtube’s transition to a TikTok competitor, rolling out short-form content and attempting to integrate NFTs into the platform. He was also the mastermind behind the maligned “Youtube premium” plan.
At the invitation of Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai – who has himself faced calls to step down after the bungled launch of Google’s Chat-GPT competitor, Bard AI – Wojcicki will retain an advisory role at Alphabet.
OUR TAKE: Even with tech stocks rallying, Alphabet is still down 37% from all time high. With slowing ad spending and competition from China, Mohan might have his work cut out for him.
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