| | | Today's read: 5 min 37 sec |
| |
| | First time here? I'm Ari, and this is Upward News. Every day, we scour 100s of sources to bring you need-to-know news and insights you won't see in the MSM. Sign up here. |
| |
| | WHAT WE'RE WATCHING | | π³ The 2024 Republican ticket is officially Trump/Vance. Donald Trump selected J.D. Vance, the junior Senator from Ohio and fierce populist, as his vice presidential pick. The former president praised J.D. Vance for his impressive resumΓ© as a Yale Law School graduate, a U.S. Marine, and as being a champion for American workers and farmers. | π« MSNBC's Morning Joe was pulled off the air on Monday. The popular morning news program Morning Joe was not aired on Monday due to the network's concern that the hosts would say something "inappropriate" about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. | π¨ President Biden agreed to provide Secret Service for RFK Jr. Since Kennedy began his presidential campaign, Joe Biden has refused to provide him with crucial Secret Service protection. Only in light of Donald Trump's near-assassination did the president finally direct Homeland Security to supply RFK with agents. | π©πΌ Secret Service director says she will not resign. U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was interviewed on Monday about the agency's failure to secure the area around Donald Trump's rally. Though Cheatle asserted, "The buck stops with me," she said she would not resign from her position. |
| |
| | WHAT WE'RE HEARING | A senior House Democrat said, "We've all resigned ourselves to a second Trump presidency." President Biden is expected to announce legislation to cap annual rent increases at 5 percent. The Teamsters Union is considering not endorsing any candidate — a major hit to Biden, whom they endorsed in 2020.
|
| |
| | IN THE LOOP | Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was booed at the Republican National Convention. RFK Jr. is not dropping out of the race despite speculation after meeting with Trump. BlackRock pulled a TV ad off-air that briefly featured the Trump shooter. Republicans are demanding the DOJ's top civil rights official to resign for lying under oath. India is maintaining friendly relations with both the West and Russia, to address their concerns about China. (Member-only) The most clicked link in our last newsletter was the Congressional staffer who got fired after posting, "Please get you some shooting lessons so you don't miss next time."
|
| |
| | GEOPOLITICS | NATO shifts its focus to Ukraine | | NATO held a summit in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding Present were all 32 heads of state and government, along with non-NATO allies Ukrainian President Zelensky attended, receiving promises of aid and future membership
| The story | Leaders of the 32 member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) recently held a summit in Washington, DC. The cause was ostensibly NATO's 75 anniversary; its founding treaty was signed in Washington in 1949. But the deeper intent was to make an argument for its existence. | The alliance was founded to oppose the Soviet bloc. When the USSR fell in 1991, NATO had no enemy to defend against. Its interventions in the Balkans and Afghanistan bolstered its approval rating, but the alliance seemed to exist without cause. That status changed when Russia launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine; NATO sprang into action, overseeing aid flowing into Ukraine and strengthening ties. | The new relationship was on display at the 2024 summit. Though not yet a NATO member, Ukraine was mentioned 59 times in the official summit declaration. Leaders announced that NATO would provide Ukraine with a "minimum baseline" of €40 billion ($43.6 billion) for weapons procurement, military training, operations costs, and various measures to deter Russia's advance. | While NATO stopped short of offering Ukraine membership, allies confirmed its "irreversible path" to joining. NATO members signed individual security deals with Ukraine, serving as a "bridge to NATO." And to further support Ukraine, NATO agreed on a program providing consistent military aid and training, ensuring the country's preparedness for future membership. | The politics | Polling shows that Americans are generally supportive of NATO, with a recent poll indicating 60 percent favorability. When broken down by party, only 43 percent of Republicans view NATO favorably (with 55 percent unfavorably), while 75 percent of Democrats are in favor. | That view is reflected in statements made by major party leaders. President Biden has repeatedly referred to America's NATO membership as "sacred"; in his remarks at the summit, he did so twice — the second time saying Americans "understand this is a sacred obligation." | Former president Donald Trump has been less supportive. As president, he hesitated to commit to NATO's Article V, which articulates that an armed attack against one or more NATO members is an attack against all members. | Reporting indicates that Trump plans to drastically scale back America's NATO involvement should he win a second term. While in office, Trump complained that member states "rip us off on trade (they pay only a fraction of the cost—and laugh!)" | Beyond the headlines | In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron said NATO was experiencing "brain death." And while Russia's invasion of Ukraine seemed to give it a new lease on life, in reality, it swept serious problems under the rug. | First, it is likely that China — not Russia — will be the West's primary antagonist in the 21st century. China's economy is ten times larger than Russia's, and its military is bigger. After the Russia-Ukraine war resolves, it may become apparent that a military organization centered around Western Europe is not in the best geographic position to challenge an Eastern power. | Since NATO no longer serves America's national interest, a future president — Trump or otherwise — will likely expose the chink in NATO's armor: it cannot compel member states to undertake military action. | Article V is commonly regarded as the end-all-be-all; if invoked, member states must act to defend the country invoking it. The treaty states, "An armed attack against one or more … shall be considered an attack against them all." Each member will take "such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area." | The inclusion of those four words — "as it deems necessary"— means that a member state could choose to do nothing, if that's what it deems necessary. A future U.S. president, for instance, could send well-wishes in response to invocation of Article V. | Why it matters | NATO's recent meeting in Washington D.C. underscored its commitment to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. In NATO's view, Russia must be stopped from taking all of Ukraine lest it invades further into Eastern Europe, potentially threatening the continent. | Overall, the post-World War II order was largely shaped by NATO. But as America reorients itself to prepare for potential decades of struggle against China, NATO may require fundamental changes. As it evolves to remain relevant, the entire world order will likely change as well. |
| |
| | Paid members can join the discussion | | A MESSAGE FROM PUBLIC REC | The Executive Upgrade: Dealmaker Pants That Command Respect and Comfort | | Imagine closing a million-dollar deal in pants so comfortable, you forget you're wearing them. The Dealmaker Pant is the ultimate power move for the modern gentleman. Featuring a timeless design, impeccable craftsmanship, and unparalleled comfort, these pants are the embodiment of understated luxury. Save 15% with code READ15, exclusive to readers. | | Please support our sponsors! |
| |
| | OUR QUESTION TO YOU | π Should the U.S. withdraw from NATO?Poll results will be in tomorrow's newsletter. | | | POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY | Who deserves the most blame? | π©π©π©π©π©π© πΊ The Media (332) | π¨π¨π¨π¨⬜️⬜️ π΅️ Secret Service (224) | π¨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ π️ Politicians (95) | π¨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ π€ Other (69) | πΊ The Media: "The more monstrous they make Trump appear, the more money they make." — Joshua π΅️ Secret Service: "It's the Secret Service's specific job to protect him. They failed to secure the perimeter…" — Quinn π️ Politicians: "Biden's own words absolutely set the stage." — Anonymous π€ Other: "All of the above." — Jerry π€ Other: "The local police had an opportunity to take the shooter down." — Anonymous | | 720 votes |
|
|
| |
| | See you tomorrow |
| Today's newsletter was written by Brandon Goldman, Anthony Constantini, and Ari David. | |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment