The U.N. General Assembly got off to an impassioned start on Tuesday.

Tuesday, Sept 19, 2023
BY JULIA CLAIRE & CROOKED MEDIA

- Donald Trump ([link removed]) talking about the leader of the far-right Proud Boys

The United Nations General Assembly convened on Tuesday with leaders from around the world, and tensions surrounding Russia’s incessant war on Ukraine were high.

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a rousing speech at the assembly on Tuesday in an appeal for sustained support for his country ([link removed]) as it continues to fight against Russia. More specifically, his rare visit across the Atlantic was meant to shore up support from the United States, Ukraine’s most important ally in the conflict, and as an act of perseverance before Russia and the world.

* Leaders of the Global South and congressional Republicans say the war is eating up too many resources and diverting attention from other priorities. Although Zelenskyy received a warm welcome at the General Assembly, he also delivered his address to a half-full house, because many delegations declined to appear to listen to his speech. Shame! Shame! Shame!

* This was Zelenskyy’s first address at the U.N. General Assembly since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Zelenskyy warned that the Kremlin is weaponizing nuclear energy by dispersing “unreliable nuclear power plant construction technologies. He also said that Russia is weaponizing essentials like food and energy ([link removed]) , “not only against our country but against all of yours as well.”

Economic and military support to Ukraine is estimated to be about $73 billion globally.

* Since the war began, Zelenskyy has generally been lauded as a wartime leader. Members of his opposition, and even some more critical allies, have at times raised questions about the Ukrainian government’s dedication to fighting corruption and embracing good governance ([link removed]) . In June, the International Monetary Fund stated that donors and foreign investors in Ukraine need to see reforms to governance and transparency, and directed the government to tackle corruption “without delay.” The European commission called corruption in Ukraine “a serious challenge that requires continued attention,” as the group assesses the country’s viability for joining the E.U.

* Meanwhile, our nimble Grandpa President Joe Biden also spoke at the General Assembly in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia ([link removed]) , partly in the hopes of convincing Republicans in Washington. “Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence…If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?” Russia’s brutal expansionism and posture as an aggressor on the world stage is well-documented in recent years with Moscow’s military interventions in Moldova, Georgia, and Syria, its creeping control of Belarus, and its threats against the Baltic States.

Americans have earned a weariness of U.S. involvement in wars halfway around the world, but this is not like Iraq or Afghanistan, and the GOP’s allergy to sending continued aid to Ukraine does not stem from dovishness. (Remember which party started those other wars?) When asked this weekend on 60 Minutes ([link removed]) “Can you give up any part of Ukraine for peace?” Zelenskyy answered with “No, it’s our territory.” And that answer should be sufficient. Would we expect France to give up part of its territory “for peace?” Would we ask that of ourselves in the United States? Obviously not.

Extremely dumb book bans are on the rise, and we need to fight back. What can you do other than bake your librarian an elaborate cake and run for school board? Wear Free The Books merch from the Crooked Store. Express your appreciation for literature and our comrades the orcas with tees and magnets inspired by Free Willy. These have a very scholastic book fair vibe, they bring me back to the good days when racist parents weren’t threatening librarians’ jobs. High tail it over tocrooked.com/store ([link removed]) to shop.
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Lawyers for the Justice Department and the Chamber of Commerce began duking it out over the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug pricing program on Friday ([link removed]) . The Chamber of Commerce requested a ruling from Trump-appointed Ohio federal Judge Michael Newman, on its motion for a preliminary injunction by October 1, the date by which manufacturers of drugs chosen by the Center for Medicare Services for the first round of negotiations must decide whether or not they will participate. The Chamber of Commerce says the program violates the drug manufacturers' “due process rights” by giving the government power to dictate prices for their medicines. Clearly they believe the current system—in which drug manufacturers charge whatever eye-popping number their wheel of greed lands on and sick people go into medical debt or abandon needed treatment—is working for them. Polling data
shows that the American public overwhelmingly opposes Big Pharma’s scheme to overturn Medicare negotiation ([link removed]) , but they also aren’t giving our boy Joey B credit for the measure in the Inflation Reduction Act. What gives!

An anti-affirmative action group sued West Point on Tuesday because of the school’s use of race as a factor in student admissions ([link removed]) .


Red states keep severing ties with the American Library Association ([link removed]) as right-wing culture warriors continue their battle to remove books from libraries.


Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research has laid off an undisclosed number of staff just over three years after its launch ([link removed]) and is shifting to a “fellowship model.”


Former GOP Congressman Stephen Buyer was sentenced to 22 months in prison on Tuesday for insider trading when he was a consultant to T-Mobile in 2018 ([link removed]) , before the company’s merger with Sprint.


India expelled its Canadian diplomat from the country, and Canada’s allies remain reticent to join in on criticism of the superpower ([link removed]) after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian officials of involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.

Despite spending way more time in Iowa than disgraced former president Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) still lags behind him in the must-win state by double digits ([link removed]) .
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After a truly dubious White House tweet praising Saudi Arabia on 9/11 ([link removed]) , the United States is discussing terms of a mutual defense treaty with the Middle Eastern nation that would resemble similar military pacts with Japan and South Korea. This move is central to President Biden’s diplomatic effort to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel ([link removed]) . Under the agreement, the United States and Saudi Arabia would pledge to provide military support if the other country is attacked in the region or on Saudi territory. Feels…bad! The United States continuing to pursue a relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is a dubious foreign policy choice that has been criticized by some top Congressional Democrats. The treaty would also contradict the White House’s expressed goal of reorienting American military resources and capabilities away from
the area.
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What A Day readers,

This is urgent. As students are heading back to school, politicians around the country are continuing to ban books. Freedom of expression protects our right to read, learn and share ideas free from viewpoint-based censorship—but these recent legislative efforts threaten that right.


Book bans in schools and public libraries—places that are central to our abilities to explore ideas, encounter new perspectives, and learn to think for ourselves—are unconstitutional—and we need your support to fight back. Sign up today if you’re with us. ([link removed])


The vast majority of book bans that are taking hold across the country—whether through legislative proposals or direct school district or board actions—specifically aim to remove books that are by and about communities of color, LGBTQ people, and other marginalized groups.


The ACLU has been fighting these book bans in the courts, in the streets, and in statehouses around the country. And we’ve been winning. In Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals left in place a preliminary injunction blocking the Stop WOKE Act. But this fight is not over yet, and we’re going to need every resource at our disposal.


We all have a right to read and learn free from viewpoint-based or partisan censorship. Sign up today to help us fight for our right to read and learn. ([link removed])


Thank you for taking action,

The ACLU Team

Pennsylvania became the 24th state to make automatic voter registration a reality ([link removed]) . (Calm down, I know Pennsylvania is a Commonwealth, not a state.) Any Pennsylvanian who gets a new driver’s license or ID card will automatically be registered to vote.

A pair of bears raided a Krispy Kreme van on an Alaskan military base ([link removed]) , which is pretty fun.
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