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Morning rundown: Police brutality protests; Fed to raise rates

January 30, 2023

Protestors around the country honor the life of Tyre Nichols and call for police reform; Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel in the wake of a terrorist attack; and the matchup for Super Bowl LVII is set. These stories and more highlight the daily morning rundown for Monday, Jan. 30, 2023.

Police protests after Tyre Nichols footage release

Demonstrators marched in cities nationwide to protest police brutality in the wake of the release of body camera footage that showed Tyre Nichols being beaten by Memphis police.

The graphic body camera footage shows Nichols being hit with batons and pepper sprayed.

Over the weekend the police department also disbanded their scorpion unit, which was created in 2021 to put more officers in areas with violent crime. The five officers who beat Nichols were part of that unit but have since been fired and charged with murder.

Now, state and local lawmakers around the country say they’ll introduce police reform legislation.

Biden to kick off railway tunnel project

President Joe Biden will be in Baltimore Monday afternoon to kick off a railway tunnel project that will be partially funded by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

The new tunnel will replace the current 150-year-old tunnel that creates major problems for travelers between New York and Washington D.C. For perspective, more than 10% of weekday trains on this route are delayed.

The White House says the federal government will provide $4.7 billion for the $6 billion project. The construction is expected to create 30,000 jobs.

The president will also be in New York Tuesday to discuss a very similar project for a tunnel that goes under the Hudson River.

Secretary of State Blinken in Israel

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be in Israel Monday for a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken will also meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.

The trip was originally scheduled to talk about a two-state solution, U.S. support for Israel’s security, especially against threats from Iran, and improving Israel’s ties with other Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia.

But now it’s being overshadowed by recent violence, and the State Department says the meeting’s main theme will be deescalation. Last Thursday, Israel carried out a raid in the West Bank that left nine militants and one civilian dead. Then on Friday, a Palestinian gunman killed seven people outside a synagogue in Jerusalem.

Philips to cut jobs

In business news, the Dutch electronics maker Philips, which makes everything from MRI systems to electric toothbrushes, will cut 6,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years. The CEO says it will make the organization leaner and more focused. The company lost $1.7 billion last year.

Fed to raise rates by quarter percent

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates by a quarter percent on Wednesday. The Fed raised rates from nearly zero to over 4.25% last year. This hike is expected to put the rate between 4.5% and 4.75%.

Super Bowl LVIIl: Eagles vs. Chiefs

The matchup for Super Bowl LVII is all set. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona. Sunday night, the Chiefs beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game with a field goal in the final seconds. Philadelphia had a dominant 31-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers to take the NFC title.

This is an interesting game because Kansas City head coach Andy Reid will be taking on his former team, while the Kelce brothers will be facing each other. Travis is a tight end for the Chiefs and Jason is a center for the Eagles.
Pentagon taps US ammo stockpile in Israel to supply Ukraine

January 18, 2023

As the Russia-Ukraine War reaches its one-year mark, the United States is feeling the strain. Supplies are running low and the Pentagon is now tapping into a little-known stockpile of American ammunition in Israel to meet Ukraine’s need for artillery shells in the war.

This stockpile, located on Israeli soil, is typically used to provide arms and ammunition for the Pentagon to use in Middle Eastern conflicts, but the stockpile remains open for Israel to use in its own emergencies. Already, hundreds of thousands of 155 mm shells have been shipped to Ukraine as Kyiv shifts to firing ammunition almost exclusively donated by the U.S. and Western allies.

Military analysts believe the war’s end may hinge on which side runs out of ammunition first. U.S. officials say the Ukrainian army is using about 90,000 artillery rounds a month, or about twice the rate the artillery rounds are being manufactured by the U.S. and European countries combined.

To date, U.S. taxpayers have committed at least $18.5 billion in weaponry alone to Ukraine. When U.S aid as a whole is factored in, that figure jumps to nearly $100 billion, which is more than any other country in the world.
Russian drones, made in Iran, contain US-made parts

December 21, 2022

Most of the drones Russia is using in its war against Ukraine are made in Iran. Most of the components inside those drones, however, are made in America.

In November, the UK-based group Conflict Armament Research examined several drones downed by the Ukrainian military. They found more than 80% of the drone parts were manufactured by companies based in the U.S.

CNN reported the majority of parts Iran is using to make drones are widely available on the civilian market, making it easy for Iran to side-step sanctions.

The latest data indicates Iran is using parts from more than 70 manufacturers based in 13 different countries or territories to make its drones. One drone shot down in the Black Sea and captured by Ukraine had Japanese batteries, an Austrian engine, and American processors.

President Biden recently formed an expansive task force to find out how U.S. made components are winding up in weapons used by our enemies. The task force includes representatives from the Departments of Defense, State, Justice, Commerce and Treasury.

The White House National Security Council is overseeing the task force as part of what’s being labeled a holistic approach to dealing with Iran. With the war on terror over, the Pentagon is preparing for a potential war with the countries that make up the Big Four: Iran, Russia, China and North Korea.

The U.S. has NATO and Pacific Rim allies to deal with Russia, China, and North Korea. Now, there are plans in the works to create a regional alliance in the Middle East, with Israel as a major partner.

Thanks to the Abraham Accords negotiated under President Trump, relations between Israel and several neighboring Arab countries were normalized. The normalization is paving the way for potential military alliances between Israel and countries like Bahrain.

Israel is a partner worth having in terms of regional alliances. The Israel Defense Force has a vast amount of combat experience, and Israeli defense manufacturers are known for making some of the best weapons in the world.

The Pentagon said in a statement, “The easing of tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors after the Abraham Accords has provided a strategic opportunity for the United States to align key partners against shared threats in the Middle East.”
AP: Governments using pandemic-era tracking tools for surveillance

December 21, 2022

In the early days of the pandemic, governments around the world said they were using tools like facial recognition and location tracking to help “flatten the curve” and stop the spread of the COVID-19. Now, it looks like at least some of those governments are still using those tools to track people for reasons that have nothing to do with COVID-19.

Following a year of investigation, this week the Associated Press reported some governments are using those tools to impede peoples’ movements and harass marginalized communities. Some governments are even combining people’s health information with other surveillance tools used by law enforcement.

The AP found just like after 9/11, when the balance between privacy and national security shifted, COVID-19 gave governments a reason to justify the use of embedded tracking tools in society long after lockdowns lifted.

In Israel last year, police used phone surveillance technology to send messages to people it believed were involved in clashes at the al-Aqsa Mosque.

India said it used artificial intelligence and video feeds to find people not wearing masks during the pandemic. The AP reported police in India are still using the tech in predominantly Muslim neighborhoods to stop people at random.

In China, the last major country to enforce strict COVID-19 lockdowns, people could only move around during the pandemic if an app on their phone literally gave them a green light to do so. There is now evidence the Chinese government is using the same technology to stifle dissent in the country.

The AP said the U.S. government used the pandemic to build out its surveillance toolkit, signing two contracts in 2020 worth around $25 million to help support the Department of Health and Human Services’ pandemic response.
Lockheed Martin, Rafael Defense partner in ‘Iron Beam’ laser development

December 13, 2022

Whether it’s the Russians using drones and missile barrages to attack Ukraine, or Hezbollah firing homemade rockets to attack Israel, modern militaries need to find a way to handle incoming aerial threats. However, the solution needs to be budget-friendly. Enter, the Iron Beam.

The Iron Beam was developed by Israeli manufacturer Rafael Defense Systems LTD. It’s set to be the world’s first operational ground-based high-energy laser weapons system (HELWS).

The Iron Beam currently fires a 100kw-class laser. It’s designed to engage incoming rockets, missiles, drones and mortar shells. The Iron Beam is meant to augment existing aerial defense systems, like the Iron Dome, but not fully replace them.

Earlier this month, the maker of the HIMARS system, Lockheed Martin, announced it would partner with Rafael Defense Systems to further develop the Iron Beam, and integrate the weapon into American systems.

One of the main benefits of the Iron Beam is its operational costs. One Iron Dome interceptor missile costs about $50,000. One shot from the Iron Beam is about $3.50.

However, the Iron Beam does have its limitations. It doesn’t have the same effective range as other aerial defense systems, and it’s not an instant-kill weapon. The Iron Beam’s makers tout it can engage a target at the speed of light, but it typically takes a few seconds to bring its target down. The Iron Beam also performs poorly in low-visibility situations like fog, rain or sandstorms.

Lockheed and Rafael didn’t say when the world should expect to see the Iron Beam on the battlefield, but it likely won’t take too long. Ukraine has a standing request for the high-energy weapons system once it’s operational.
USAF & Israel Air Force conduct aerial drills, practice striking Iran

November 30, 2022

The air forces from the United States and Israel are working together this week on a series of joint aerial exercises. The two air forces are simulating what it would take to launch strikes against what many consider the greatest threat in the region, Iran.

According to the Chief of the Israel Defense Forces Aviv Kohavi, the exercises are taking place over Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. Fighter jets and refuelers from both countries are taking part in the drills, which will reportedly simulate “a number of scenarios in the face of regional threats.”

Several local news agencies report the exercises simulate attacks against Iran and its regional proxies. Any attack from Israel against Iran would require pilots flying 1200 miles one way from the Jewish State to Iranian air space.

The Pentagon’s press secretary, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, told reporters on Tuesday the drills were long-planned.

“They are exercising fighter escort and aerial refueling,” Ryder said. “It’s also not something that’s unusual. We exercise with Israel and other countries in the region on a regular basis.”

The exercises may be preplanned and nothing out of the ordinary, but they come at a time of heightened tension between Iran and the West.

Iran is enriching uranium to 60% purity at several nuclear sites now. Experts said the Islamic Republic has enough enriched uranium to reprocess it into fuel for at least one nuclear bomb.

President Biden said the U.S. is committed to stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Biden said he wants to exhaust all diplomatic efforts first but will use military action if necessary.

The head of the IDF said the U.S. and Israel are at a critical point in time that “requires the acceleration of operational plans and cooperation against Iran and its terrorist proxies.”
FBI investigating killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

November 15, 2022

The FBI is opening its own investigation into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. She was the Palestinian-American journalist with Al Jazeera who was shot in the head last May by Israeli forces while reporting in the West Bank wearing a press uniform.

After Palestinians accused the Israeli military of intentionally killing her, an Israeli investigation concluded the shooting was accidental and closed the case.

Now the U.S. Department of Justice is stepping in after more than 20 U.S. senators signed a letter to the Biden administration demanding an independent probe. But Israel said it will not comply. The country’s defense minister called the FBI’s move a grave mistake.

“We won’t cooperate with any external investigation and won’t allow any interference in Israel’s internal affairs,” Benny Gantz said.

ABC reported it’s not unusual for U.S. investigators to look into the death of American citizens abroad, but it is exceedingly rare for them to probe U.S. allied countries like Israel, which is recognized in Washington as having a credible and independent judicial system.

According to the Associated Press, this probe could strain the relationship between Israel and the U.S. They say it is a time when Israel, which is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign military financing, is bracing for its most right-wing government ever, and progressives in the U.S. are calling for a more critical approach toward one of America’s closest allies.

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