World

Israel-Hamas war continues to evolve

Israel-Gaza update. While overwhelmed hospitals continue to face a dire shortage of medicine and supplies due to the Israeli siege, a second convoy of trucks carrying supplies entered Gaza from Egypt. Concurrently, Israeli forces continue to clash with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group, along their northern border. Israel’s retaliation strikes hit a Syrian airport, killing two workers and sparking fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

To counter an increase in attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon has prepared 2,000 troops to be deployed to the region. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated the troops would be used in a support role to help reduce losses, if possible.

Convoluted circumstances

Qatar brokered a deal with Hamas that allowed two American hostages to leave Gaza, however, 203 still remain held by the group. The deal sent a mother and her daughter home after they were captured during Hamas’s brutal attack on Oct. 7th.

• While writing this article, the NYT reported the release of two additional hostages for “compelling humanitarian reasons”, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which facilitated the deal.

• Qatar was also the mediator in a recent deal that sent four Ukrainian children back to their families.

Why would Qatar do this? Qatar holds a strategic US air base within its borders, which earned it a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) designation that the US usually reserves for countries it has close ties with, such as Japan or Australia. However, Qatar continues to be a financier for Hamas and host their troops within its country.

• Qatar’s capital, Doha, is the center of Hamas operations, acting as its international headquarters. The group’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh, is also stationed there.

Although their role as the middleman for the release of the hostages has boosted their international prominence, their continued support and housing of a designated terrorist organization has sewn discontent. Some critics have pushed Western governments to sanction the country and their extensive portfolio.

If you would like live updates on the ever-evolving situation, here are a few sources: The WSJ, AP News, and The Economic Times.

Biden asked Congress for $106 billion aid package

Whoever takes up the speaker gavel next will have their hands full. The President just asked Congress for a massive $106 billion foreign aid package to arm Israel and Ukraine as well as secure the US-Mexico border. This comes to a Congress without a speaker, and thus no means of passing legislation.

“The world is watching, and the American people rightly expect their leaders to come together and deliver on these priorities,”

White House budget director Shalanda Young said in a letter to congressional Republicans

The all-encompassing package could help speed things up, as Congress is already divided on Ukraine and Israel among other things, however, the bipartisan bill could have a chance of appeasing enough of the members to get passed.

How will the money be allocated?

The biggest ask comes with almost $62 billion being allocated toward Ukraine, which the Republican majority will not find attractive. The White House partly addressed this issue by requesting $13.6 billion to secure the southern border, and another $7.4 billion going towards national security priorities — like the aid of Taiwan.

The rest of the package grants $14.3 billion for Israel, including $10 billion for humanitarian efforts that will encompass sizable assistance for Palestinian citizens. Whether it can get through Congress is a good question, but you’ll be hearing more about it as election season starts to rear its head.

Top companies are unsure about speaking up

Your favorite corporation might stop posting about social issues. Finally. In recent years, the heads of top companies have been increasingly vocal about domestic social and political issues. And now, are giving their two cents on international affairs… or are they?

The 2020 killing of George Floyd and the recent war in Ukraine threw most executives into the sociopolitical sphere. Nearly all of the S&P 500’s companies made formal statements on the war in Ukraine last year, according to Bloomberg.

What’s changed?

However, things have been different with the Israel-Hamas war. Since last Tuesday, only around 20% of companies on the S&P 500 have commented on the conflict, per Bloomberg. Some companies, like Nike and Instacart, have drawn criticism from employees for not responding to the issue in a sufficient manner or quickly enough.

• Nike’s Middle East division reportedly took a week to issue a company-wide message condemning the “horrific attacks in Israel, tragic loss of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives.”

“If you say something, it’s about what you say. But equally you are at risk if you say nothing, because silence is a statement, so silence is controversial, as well.”

Said Davia Temin founder of New York crisis consultancy Temin and Company

Since the Bud Light fiasco this summer, indicators show that the public is far less inclined to be interested in what corporations have to say, especially with sociopolitical issues.

• In a recent poll by Gallup and Bently University, only 41% of Americans said they want businesses to take stances on events

• Less than 30% said they should take stances on international events

Since 2020, public statements of this kind have become commonplace for businesses. “Once you get into this game, you cannot get out. That’s the expectation now, post-George Floyd,” said Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communications at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Domestic

Americans confidence in media hits record low

Well, well, well. Look what we have here. American confidence readings in TV news and newspapers have nearly hit their lowest point, while ratings of honesty and ethics in journalists found record-low results.

This comes as American’s confidence in mass media to report fully, fairly, and accurately is at its lowest point since 2016, with only 32% of Americans saying they trust the mass media “a fair amount,” according to Gallup.

• Another 29% of US adults say they have “not very much” trust, while a record-high 39% say they have “none at all.”

Nearly four in 10 Americans completely lack trust in mass media, which is the highest on record by one percentage point. Looks like starting this newsletter was a good idea after all.

Is this exclusive to one group?

The current lack of faith in mass media is a bipartisan sentiment. Democrat’s confidence in media has consistently outpaced Republicans, however, this year’s gap of 47 points is the lowest since 2016.

Democrat’s trust in media has fallen 12 points over the past year to 58%, compared to Republicans 11% and Independents 29%.

With so much wavering confidence in the media, Americans could use an alternative outlet to get their information. Preferably one that is objective, up to date, and a bit humorous… wait a second.

Sick of work? So is everyone else.

At least you aren’t alone in calling in the day after your birthday. Americans, now more than ever, are using their sick days. Especially younger ones. The number of US workers taking sick days has skyrocketed since the Covid-19 pandemic due to heightened awareness of viruses, and also, well, because they feel like it.

The days when US workers wear their unwillingness to take sick days as a badge of honor are over, says the WSJ. Employees between the ages 25 and 34 are the most prone to take them, with their use rates jumping 45% from before the pandemic.

• Some companies, such as Stellantis, claim worker absences are driving up costs.

Millennials and Gen Z lead the charge

While younger workers used to take stride with their older counterparts, this is no longer the case. Crystal Williams, chief human resources officer at global business payments company Fleetcor, says young people just aren’t taking the cues like they used to.

Bosses have different opinions on sick days. Williams stated that she thinks “[sick days] are a liability to the company,” and that the accounting team isn’t happy with her providing time off for workers.

Others, like Kenneth Matos (a global director at employee analytics software company Culture Amp. Companies), say sick days offer a chance for his workers to catch up on sleep and thus be more productive than if they were working sick.

More employers are coming to view sick days as a net positive, even if it does cut into the checkbook now and then. Giving workers a chance to cope with the unexpected, whether it be a cold, kid trouble, or parental health issues, can prove to be an effective way to keep morale up and employees ready to return.

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Grab Bag

Amazon robots are getting more human-like

Are robots finally going to replace us all? Probably not, at least not yet. Amazon is under fire from its employees over trying out experimental droids that can lift, grasp, and walk like a human.

Amazon says they don’t foresee a future in which these droids (named Digit) run their warehouses, but it hasn’t stopped workers from worrying. A union said, “Amazon has been treating their workers like robots for years”. Amazon claims its robotics systems helped create “hundreds of thousands of new jobs” within its warehouses.

• According to the tech empire, it has more than 750,000 robots working collaboratively with their human staff, and they only take on highly repetitive tasks

As pressure to cut costs has grown, Amazon has increased its robot usage. They say the experiment with Digit is just to see if the robots can work safely with humans and then possibly integrate them into their warehouses. As long as they don’t give them a brain with access to ChatGPT, I think we’re good.

Think you’ve heard a ghost before? Here’s why

I can’t be the only person who hears footsteps when I’m home alone. Apparently, about 5-10% of people without psychiatric conditions have reported hearing a bodiless voice at some point, and scientists might just have figured out why.

In a set of trials conducted in Switzerland, volunteers listened to pink noise (a softer version of white noise) and pushed a button triggering a rod to touch their backs.

Researchers found that participants were more likely to hear a nonexistent voice when there was a lag between pressing the button and feeling the rod. Spooky right?

But how does that work?

This suggests the time delay between action and sensation created the feeling of a ghostly presence and primed people to hear a voice, which shows that hallucinations stem from how the brain processes contradictory signals.

• As the trial went on, people who reported feeling a ghostly presence were increasingly likely to hear voices

• This implies that the brain was somehow drawing on past experiences to build the impression of someone speaking

The research findings could go to help those with psychiatric conditions and possibly find the root cause of why people have auditory hallucinations. As convincing as the study is, I’m still 90% sure a ghost lives under my basement stairs. Just saying.

Snippets

Your Vote Matters: To mark the 25th anniversary of the National Toy Hall of Fame, you can vote for one overlooked toy from your childhood to finally be inducted. Justice for Transformers.

Jumbo Jet: Japan Airlines had to add a third plane to escort a team of sumo wrestlers because they greatly underestimated the weight limit of the aircraft.

Bad Taste: A Lithuanian man was arrested in Spain for faking a heart attack to get out of paying for his food. Turns out it was his 20th time doing so.

Shark Discovery: Researchers discovered a new shark species in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park. Say hello to the petal-toothed shark… and goodbye I guess. Because it’s extinct.

Croc Cowboy: Crocs released their very own cowboy boots for the low price of $120 yesterday. Glad to see fashion is still alive.

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