Saturday, January 7, 2023

Happy new year from me and the weekend crew. We're pondering the future of U.S. politics, waiting to see how COVID reopening goes in China, keeping abreast of Ukraine developments and flinching over Prince Harry's accounts of life with the heir (as the spare).

Fifteen votes for one gavel. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

McCarthy becomes U.S. House speaker, at a cost

In the midnight hour: Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker of the House of Representatives early on Saturday, after making extensive concessions to a group of right-wing hardliners that raised questions about the party's ability to govern.
The foreseeable future: McCarthy secured the gavel only after agreeing to a demand by hardliners that any lawmaker be able call for his removal at any time. That will sharply cut the power he will hold when trying to pass legislation on critical issues including funding the government, addressing the nation's looming debt ceiling and other crises that may arise.

Sparrows and Bradleys for Ukraine

What's underway: A new $3 billion U.S. aid package to Ukraine will include Sparrow missiles for air defense and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The announcement came as Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged artillery fire at the front line despite Moscow's order for a ceasefire to observe Orthodox Christmas.
Speaking of Christmas: Vladimir Putin attended an Orthodox Church Christmas service by himself inside a Kremlin cathedral rather than joining other worshippers in a public celebration. Putin, wearing a blue jacket and a high-necked white sweater, was the sole worshipper and crossed himself several times before television coverage cut away to a public service in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

China in talks with Pfizer for COVID drug

This week: China may reach a deal to manufacture and distribute a generic version of Paxlovid, which Beijing really wants to accomplish before Lunar New Year vacations begin. Its relaxation of COVID curbs has sent infections soaring and is causing reverberations for business.
This Sunday: More countries are demanding that visitors from China take COVID tests, days before it drops border controls and ushers in an eagerly awaited return to travel.

At least 29 killed in Mexico capture of Chapo's son

Last Thursday: Nineteen suspected gang members and 10 military personnel were killed in the arrest of Mexican drug cartel boss Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, in Sinaloa.
What to expect: The arrest looks good for Mexico's president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, especially as he prepares to host a major North American summit, but reducing violence and the drug trade in Mexico will take much more than what the positive headlines would suggest, experts say.

Prince Harry's memoir is anything but spare

A bit of fight reading: Britain's Prince Harry says his older brother and heir to the throne Prince William knocked him to the floor during a 2019 argument over Harry's wife Meghan in his much-awaited memoir, which went on sale days early in Spain. Details abound, from genital frostbite to family frostbite, as well as accounts of combat in Afghanistan that prompted angry Taliban reaction.
Meanwhile, at the Vatican: Although Pope Francis often compared having former Pope Benedict living in the Vatican to having a grandfather in the house, a book by Benedict's closest aide shows that the immediate image one might imagine of the kindly old granddad is not what he had in mind.

Before I forget...
Air India's passenger urination situation makes for some turbulent reading, we have an excellent graphic on the bomb cyclone that's causing misery in northern California, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin had his breathing tube removed, Russian hackers targeted U.S. nuclear scientists, U.S. pharmacies consider whether they will sell abortion pills, and McDonald's is getting out of Kazakhstan. If you've made it this far, I'd also like to know: U.S. unemployment reports, Chinese manufacturing data, central-bank efforts to control inflation, economic milestones – does this sort of thing interest you? Would you like to see more of that kind of news here or would that be too much like homework? Write to me.

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