Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.
Venezuela says Guyana seeks to halt vote on disputed territory
Summary: Venezuelan officials have said that their neighbor, Guyana, is appealing a referendum that Venezuela has scheduled for December 3 with the International Court of Justice, intending to derail the voting process, that referendum focused on the issue of a territory on the two countries’ border that both governments claim.
Context: This territory has been a contentious issue between the two countries since colonial times, and that tension was increased when Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but for decades the region has been governed by Guyana while Venezuela has continued to claim it as its own, and tensions over this issue have increased as fossil fuel resources have been discovered in the area and Exxon Mobil and other oil giants have started seeking licenses to drill; the government of Guyana has said that it’s on heightened guard right now, as the Venezuelan military has reportedly been building up resources near their shared border.
—Bloomberg
Senate Republicans confront Tuberville over military holds
Summary: Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville was seriously confronted by Senators from his own party over his nine-month blockade of new US military confirmations and promotions in protest the military’s abortion policy, for the first time, during a recent session.
Context: Senators from both parties have criticized Tuberville for this blockade in the past, as it has resulted in a shortage of US military officers, but the issue has become more pointed since the conflict between Israel and Hamas took off a few weeks ago, as US military resources have been moved to the area and lack necessary upper-brass service-people; Tuberville has said he won’t drop his blockade until Democrats allow a vote on the Pentagon’s policy of allowing all troops access to reproductive healthcare—something that is no longer guaranteed across the United States, and is instead decided on a state-by-state basis—and this has led to nearly 400 military officers not receiving their promotions or confirmations, so far.
—The Guardian
President Joe Biden calls for 'pause' in Israel-Gaza conflict
Summary: US President Biden has called for a pause in the fighting in Gaza to allow humanitarian resources into the area, and to allow hostages free-passage out of the region.
Context: This represents a shift in policy by Biden, who has repeatedly said that the US government will fully back Israel, no matter what, while also encouraging the Israeli military to be careful about harming civilians as they pursue Hamas’ leaders and infrastructure; Israeli leadership has countered that a pause would only allow Hamas the opportunity to re-arm and rebuild, but a recent series of attacks on refugee camps in Gaza by the Israelis have sparked pushback from some of their staunchest allies, leading to more calls for humanitarian pauses, and more publicly voiced concerns about what constitutes a war crime in this kind of situation.
—BBC News
India’s winter rice output could decrease by as much as 8% this year, truncating the country’s overall production and increasing the likelihood that an ongoing rice export ban will be extended in order to shore-up in-country availability (which would not be ideal for the global rice market, as India’s crop is fundamental to it).
—Reuters
$8.61 billion
Minimum price Disney will pay Comcast for its 33% share of Hulu (the rest is already owned by Disney).
This will put the streaming service completely under Disney’s control, at a moment in which streaming services across the board (except for Netflix) are having trouble earning a profit from their offerings.
Hulu will be assessed to determine its fair market value, and Disney will pay more than that minimum price-floor if Comcast’s share is deemed to be worth more than the previous assessment indicated.
—The Verge
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