Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.
Judge postpones start of Trump documents trial without new date
Summary: As anticipated, the judge in former President Trump’s classified document trial has indefinitely postponed the start of the trial, citing unresolved issues that need to be figured out before things could get started.
Context: The judge in the case, Aileen Cannon, who was appointment by Trump in his final days in office, has been accused of dragging her feet in this case, and it was expected that she would further delay things when she failed to expeditiously act on some of the fundamental issues that need to be resolved in a classified documents case, like what information a jury can hear and what needs to be held back, while also seeming to slow-walk some otherwise fairly standard issues that typically would move quickly in this sort of case; the main concern for prosecutors, now, is that the case will almost certainly be scheduled for sometime after the November election, at which point—if Trump wins—it will likely be moot, as he may be able to either pardon himself, or get someone in his administration to do away with the charges.
—The New York Times
Whooping cough epidemic sweeps Europe, health agency says
Summary: A surge in whooping cough cases have been reported across Europe, beginning in 2023 and into the first quarter of 2024, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, with ten-times as many confirmed cases compared to the same period in recent years.
Context: Whooping cough is a lung- and airways-based bacterial infection that is especially dangerous for babies and older people, and even in countries with high vaccination rates, we tend to see outbreaks every 3 to 5 years—though this year’s outbreak is historically high, with as many confirmed cases in the first quarter of 2024 as are typically tallied in an average year.
—Reuters
US paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
Summary: The US has paused a shipment of bombs to Israel due to concerns that the Israeli military is planning to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah, which the US has warned against.
Context: Israel told Gazan citizens to flee to Rafah, where they would be safe, but it now says they need to invade the city in order to weed-out the last remnants of Hamas’ leadership in the region; the US government has been criticized for providing weapons to the Israeli military, which they’ve then used to kill Gazan citizens, and the pause on this shipment was reportedly meant to send a signal that the US is reconsidering what sorts of weapons and support it sends to Israel, due to concerns about how they’ll be used, but also because these bombs in particular would be devastating if dropped in a densely populated city like Rafah; a recent ceasefire proposal that Hamas agreed to was dismissed by Israel as not aligning with their demands, though Israel’s government has said it will engage in further ceasefire talks, and that they’ll continue to prepare for their assault on Rafah in the meantime.
—The Associated Press
Rebels in Myanmar continue to rack up victories over the military government, now controlling about half of the country’s territory, including some important bases, towns, and trade-related choke-points.
—The New York Times
~40%
Portion of all the plastic produced, globally, that’s used to make disposable foodware and packaging.
That’s a lot of “made to throw away almost immediately” production, and a big part of why many governments are trying out regulations that either reduce the impact of such waste, or introduce reusable options meant to replace some of it.
—Grist
One Sentence News / May 9, 2024