Elvis's Cousin (Yeah, That Elvis) NOT the Governor of Mississippi, China Preying on the Global Poor in Africa & Asia, This Law The End of Airline Miles? (The Five for 11/08/23)
Hey, welcome to The Five, a publication about the stories that matter (but don’t always make the front page).
If you found this post via social media and like what you read…subscribe for free email delivery.
[one]
Let’s kick things off with a quick roundup of mid-term elections last night. At the current moment, I’m not going to predict what this could mean for the 2024 POTUS race.
Ohio put the right to abortion in the state’s Constitution. I’m horrified, but for the sake of time and space, we’ll cover that at a later date. Ohio also voted to legalize Marijuana.
There was a non-trivial percentage of voters who voted yes on Marijuana and no on abortion.Texas passed a strong legal defense of farmers and ranchers with Prop 1, as well as passed new laws that essentially prohibit new taxes based on net worth (something California is exploring), slashed property taxes…and generally set themselves up to get even more residents.
Democratic Governor Andy Beshear defeated the Trump-backed Daniel Cameron, who was on the blunt end of a blatantly racist campaign against him by a PAC (political action committee. See previous coverage in The Five here for the full story.
Virginia, a blue-leaning state which had previously flipped to Republican Governor Glen Younkin, gave both the state House and Senate back to Democrats.
Deep red Mississippi retained Republican governor Tate Reeves…which is mainly noteworthy because he beat Brandon Presley, cousin of the late music superstar Elvis. As you can see from the photo, Brandon apparently ran on “my dead cousin was super famous,” which didn’t prove to sway the voters like he’d hoped.
What does that mean for the 2024 election? That’s tough to call…voters seem to like local and state Dems more than Biden, who currently trails Trump in five of six key swing states, according to the most recent NY Times Poll (from 11/05).
But take that poll (as with all poles) with a large grain of salt.
[two]
China is essentially acting as the world’s loan shark, doling out money’s to developing nations in crisis for infrastructure improvements through their Belt and Road Initiative, then squeezing the poor nations for steep payments.
China has become the world’s biggest debt collector, as the money it is owed from developing countries has surged to between $1.1tn (£889bn) and $1.5tn, according to a new report. An estimated 80% of China’s overseas lending portfolio in the global south is now supporting countries in financial distress.
Since 2017, China has been the world’s biggest bilateral lender; its main development banks issued nearly $500bn between 2008 and 2021. While some of this predates the belt and road initiative (BRI), Beijing’s flagship development programme has mobilised much of the investment in developing countries.
But a new report by researchers at the AidData research lab at William & Mary, a public university in Virginia, found that China, the world’s second largest economy, is now navigating the role of international debt collector as well as being a bilateral funder of major infrastructure projects.
Lending from Chinese state-backed banks has helped to build railways in Kenya and power plants in Cambodia, along with thousands of other projects. The AidData researchers analysed 20,985 projects in 165 low- and middle-income countries, which were financed with grants and loans worth $1.34tn between 2000 and 2021.
Critics of the Belt and Road Initiative have long suspected that China is putting poor nations in debt they can’t pay back to gain more control over the globe…
[three]
You may be saying goodbye to those airline miles, if a new law is passed.
Lots of people pay by credit card to get cash back, or rewards for things like air travel or hotel stays. Those reward points could be in jeopardy if you believe critics of legislation in front of Congress right now.
The bill's co-sponsor, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) said the naysayers are overblowing its effects. He claimed his proposal would benefit all consumers.
CBS 2's Lauren Victory looked inside the heated debate.
Liz Wentick stays on top of headlines, especially ones that affect travel – her favorite activity. She and her husband have visited all seven continents.
"Last year, we went ... we flew to Singapore for free," she said.
The flight was free because they paid with miles; rewards the Downers Grove couple accumulated using their United Airlines credit card.
"We charge everything on our credit card," she said.
Their points might become pointless, according to United CEO Scott Kirby, who is among several airlines executives pushing a campaign to kill a federal bill they claim will kill travel rewards programs.
The full article is worth a read, as I haven’t formulated an opinion here…but losing credit card cash back rewards and airline miles is something that will make A LOT of consumers very angry if this happens.
[four]
The leadership of Hamas resides in extreme luxury in Qatar, which hosted the World Cup last year…seperated from the deep poverty of the Palestinian people.
Now, members of congress are attempting to force the arab nation to kick Hamas out of their borders…or lose allyship with the U.S.
While their people languish in poverty and are treated as human shields, the leaders of Hamas live billionaire lifestyles.
The terror group’s three top leaders alone are worth a staggering total of $11 billion and enjoy a life of luxury in the sanctuary of the emirate of Qatar.
The emirate has long welcomed the leaders of the terror group and installed them in its luxury hotels and villas at the same time as it hosts a vast American military presence.
Now US Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is sponsoring a bill that would strip Qatar of its status as a key US ally, The Post has learned, unless it kicks out the Hamas leadership.
The terrorist group, which is responsible for the antisemitic Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,400 innocent civilians and soldiers in southern Israel, continues to hold over 200 hostages in Gaza.
The difference in the Hamas billionaires’ lifestyle vs. the Palestinians they claim to lead is…staggering.
[five]
Finally, a former Spook is going to prison for being a serial rapist while serving the U.S. government in Mexico.
Former CIA officer Brian Jeffrey Raymond pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court to drugging and sexually abusing multiple women during overseas postings, according to court documents and the Department of Justice.
Raymond, 47, admitted to sexually assaulting several women at his embassy-leased housing in Mexico City and in other locations between 2006 and 2020, according to a news release from the Justice Department announcing Raymond’s guilty plea.
Raymond also admitted that he recorded and photographed 28 victims who were nude, or partially nude, “without their consent while they were unconscious or incapable of consenting,” according to the DOJ.
Under the plea agreement, Raymond is looking at up to 30 years in prison and will have to pay mandatory restitution to his victims, according to the Justice Department.
CNN has reached out to Raymond’s attorney for comment.
The investigation into Raymond began in 2020 after a naked woman was seen screaming for help from the balcony of Raymond’s Mexico City residence, according to a October 2021 news release from the US Embassy in Mexico asking for those with information to help investigators. The woman later said she could not remember what happened after consuming food and drinks provided by Raymond, according to the news release.
The CIA has long been accused of letting it’s staff get away with crimes while stationed overseas. In this case, one of their own became too brazen to ignore.
Until the next one,
-sth