- Brian Kilmeade touting the high standards Fox News has for its endorsed candidates
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Russia’s war in Ukraine has been stymied by a strong coalition of Western support for Ukraine, but a Tuesday incident has brought the United States as close as they’ve come to direct conflict.
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Russian fighter jets downed an American surveillance drone as it made its way over the Black Sea today, according to U.S. military officials. One of the Russian jets collided with the drone’s propeller after both aircrafts dumped fuel on it. This prompted the U.S. Air Force to bring the MQ-9 Reaper down in international waters, and called the incident part of a “pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots.” Officials said the actions of Russian aircrafts were “reckless and environmentally unsound,” and that such provocations could lead to “miscalculation and unintended escalation,” between the two countries.
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These are the most serious hostilities between the United States and Russia since the war in Ukraine began. The United States and NATO have provided billions of dollars in aid, weapons, and intelligence to Ukraine, but deny what the Kremlin characterizes as a Western conspiracy to destroy Russia. And this is the first time during the war that Russia has destroyed military-surveillance equipment that was under U.S. (as opposed to Ukrainian) control.
- The Russian Defense Ministry denied striking the MQ-9, and blamed the “sharp maneuvering” of the unmanned drone for the crash, and further claimed that Russian jets did not make contact. Nevertheless, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that senior officials would be in contact with their Russian counterparts to relay “our strong objections.” Western geopolitical analysts have described the incident as thus far unprecedented, though fortunately the two countries are responding diplomatically—after Price’s comments, the U.S. officially summoned the Russian ambassador, which is diplomacy-speak for “we’re really pissed about it.”
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It increasingly appears that regular citizens of Russia are not feeling the consequences of the war at home.
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Western sanctions have impacted Russia’s banks, technology imports, and Russia’s famed population of wealthy oligarchs, but have not had the intended effect of fomenting public discontent with the war. The Russian economy is largely holding up, and doesn’t look markedly different than it did before the war began. All of that might change, however, now that sanctions are finally falling on Russia’s central cash cow: oil. Sanctions on Russian fossil fuels could deplete the resources funding the Kremlin’s attacks on Ukraine, and some economists predict that signs of true economic strain will emerge in the coming months.
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Other economists, however, say that the Kremlin has plentiful reserves of money that haven’t and most likely won’t be hit by sanctions, and its new trade partners in Asia will help Moscow continue to stay afloat. There’s also the issue that though 1,300 corporations have left Russia or are working to do so, another 1,600 or more are either staying or pulling a wait-and-see. Russia enjoyed record fossil-fuel profits last year, and even cutting its revenue by one-third, as sanctions are intended to, wouldn’t lead to a crash. Rich Russians are still rich, and many of them are fleeing to Dubai, as the UAE has maintained direct flights to Russia throughout the conflict and staked out a neutral, “apolitical” posture on the war.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin began conscripting Russian nationals to fight his war, there was fleeting hope that perhaps the thousands of men who fled the country in defiance of the draft would foil his plans. Time and again, hopes of the war resolving itself quickly or in a predictable fashion have proven idealistic.
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Congratulations to Hysteria for being featured in Amazon Music’s Women in Podcasting collection. Throughout Women’s History Month, this collection shines a light on the women doing the work to break barriers and recognizes the women in podcasting that have made an impact on society, history, entertainment and beyond.
Each week on Hysteria, Political commentator and comedy writer Erin Ryan and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco are joined by a bicoastal squad of funny, opinionated women to talk through everything from reproductive rights to rom-coms to the cultural stories that are affecting women’s lives.
Tune in every Thursday for new episodes on Amazon music or your favorite podcast platform, and subscribe to the Hysteria Youtube channel for more.
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Inflation eased slightly again in February (though it remains high), but the whole “collapse of multiple major banks” thing has drawn renewed scrutiny to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest-rate hikes. Nevertheless, the Fed is still expected to raise interest rates 0.25 percent next week, and then again in May. In the wake of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank over the weekend, the Fed and other regulatory agencies are seeking to shore up confidence in the American banking system. One option would be to slow the pace of rate increases in tandem with the slowing pace of inflation, while letting banks run by reckless executives fail without bailouts—a morally just option that would also be anti-inflationary. But Fed Chairman Jay Powell et al seem inclined to do the reverse.. The U.S. economy is in something of a straight jacket: Inflation has decreased but still remains too high, while the labor market remains strong but still vulnerable to more interest rate increases. And for now at least, American consumers still feel the pinch of higher prices.
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The state of Ohio has sued Norfolk Southern after the disastrous train derailment and resulting environmental damages.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) called Russia’s war in Ukraine a “territorial dispute,” and claims it should not be considered a top national security interest for the United States, in his effort to win the pro-Kremlin/Tucker Carlson primary. Thanks for your input, Meatball Ron!
Facebook parent company Meta officially announced it will lay off another 10,000 employees this week.
Disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) may mount a primary challenge against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). It’s almost like this guy doesn’t understand that no means no!
A California appellate court reversed most of a ruling that had invalidated Proposition 22, the state’s law allowing Uber, Lyft, and other gig economy companies to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees entitled to benefits and other protections.
The EPA proposed the first federal limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water on Tuesday, a measure the agency said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses including cancer.
Wellesley College in Massachusetts held a student referendum today to decide whether the school will admit transgender applicants including trans men. It should be noted that Mount Holyoke, another historic women’s college, decided to admit trans and nonbinary students back in 2014 without much controversy!
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has officially filed paperwork declaring his 2024 candidacy and we simply…have to laugh!
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Australia will once again prohibit Indigenous people in “prescribed areas” from purchasing or possessing alcohol, after trying the “equal rights” thing for a few months. Like many Western governments founded by White colonizers (hello), Australian officials have publicly wrestled with the country’s relationship to Indigenous communities in recent years. And not just the actions of their ancestors, but their own actions. Back in 2007, the Australian government banned alcohol in prescribed areas, and imposed other race-based restrictions on Indigenous Australians. The alcohol ban lapsed last year amid complaints from hundreds of Aboriginal communities that the policy was racist. But now a new uptick in crime in surrounding areas has revived the bad old times of 2022, as the government apparently found no other way to reduce crime in the past 15 years. The resurrected alcohol bans have coincided with another politically charged moment, as the country begins to discuss amending the Australian constitution to enshrine an Indigenous body to advise on policies that affect Aboriginal communities. Decades of race-based, paternalistic policies imposed by White Australian officials over Aboriginal communities, which are largely impoverished due to decades of discriminatory policies, have left many Aboriginal people feeling hopeless. The 2007 ban did not solve any of the underlying issues in Aboriginal communities, and many argue that there is little reason to expect reinstating it will serve as anything other than a bandaid, and a renewed source of stigma.
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