Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Israel’s wartime government frays as frustration with Netanyahu grows Summary: A politically centrist member of Israel’s war cabinet, Benny Gantz, announced over the weekend that he would leave the government if Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn’t present a plan for the future of the war in Gaza by June 8. Context: This ultimatum is being seen as an indication that the temporary alliance of necessity between...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Former Kazakh minister gets 24 years in prison for murdering wife Summary: The former economy minister of Kazakhstan has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for murdering his wife, following a trial that was broadcast live over the past seven weeks, and which has stoked discussions and outcries about women’s rights in the country. Context: Kuandyk Bishimbayev was found guilty of torturing and then...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. US consumer prices increased 3.4% in April from year earlier Summary: For the first time in six months, core CPI inflation numbers have cooled, marking an increase of 3.4% in April of 2024 compared to April of 2023, which is the smallest increase since April of 2021. Context: This is being seen as an overall good sign, as it suggests that stubborn inflation numbers over the past half-year or so may be...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Georgia students walk out, PM passes 'foreign agent' bill Summary: Hundreds of university students in the Georgian capital city, Tblisi, walked out of classes in solidarity with the thousands of protestors who have been taking to the streets almost every night for a month in opposition to a bill that will ostensibly allow the government to clamp down on foreign NGOs, while also making eventual accession to...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Putin replaces Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister as he starts his 5th term Summary: Over the weekend, Russian President Putin, fresh into his fifth term running the country, announced the replacement of his long-time Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, replacing him with a close ally Andrei Belousov. Context: Belousov’s appointment will need to be approved by Russia’s upper parliamentary house, though the...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Pioneering gene therapy restores UK girl's hearing Summary: A British girl who was born deaf underwent a new gene-therapy treatment just before her first birthday, and now—six months after that treatment—can hear as if she was never deaf, and is beginning to talk. Context: This treatment uses a virus that is modified to be harmless, but which carries a working copy of a gene into the relevant portion of...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. 'Malign actor' hacked UK defence ministry payroll, Sunak says after China reports Summary: Following a wave of reports from the BBC and other news entities, British Prime Minister Sunak has said that a “malign actor” has likely compromised the payment systems used to pay British military personnel, and that personal information was likely accessed by the hackers. Context: Those reports indicate that China...

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...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Russian finance flows slump after US targets Vladimir Putin’s war machine Summary: A fresh round of US sanctions and bans have prompted many lenders to avoid working with anyone or anything even tangentially connected to Russia, which has triggered a slump in trade volumes between Russia and some of its largest trade partners. Context: The US, EU, and other primarily western nations have been slapping...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. South and Southeast Asian countries cope with a weekslong heat wave Summary: Portions of Southeast and Southern Asia have been enshrouded in a heat wave for weeks, charting record-high temperatures and disrupting everyday life throughout the region. Context: Cambodia saw the hottest temperatures in 170 years, clocking 43 degrees Celsius, which is about 109 degrees Fahrenheit, Myanmar hit 48.2 C (118.8 F),...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. US lawmaker Cuellar hit with bribery charges tied to Azerbaijan and Mexican bank Summary: A Democratic US House Representative from Texas, Henry Cuellar and his wife have been indicted for allegedly accepting bribes to use his position and influence for the benefit of an energy company in Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico. Context: According to the indictment, the Cuellars received bribes totaling around...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Office-loan defaults near historic levels with billions on the line Summary: More than $38 billion-worth of US office buildings are on the brink of defaulting or being foreclosed, marking the highest level of such debt-related distress in this real estate sector since 2012. Context: Commercial property owners typically borrow half (or more) of the money they invest in a building, so the current high...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Flash floods and landslide kill at least 45 in central Kenya Summary: Flash floods that were initially blamed on a burst dam, but which were later confirmed to have been caused by a river tunnel becoming blocked by debris, and a landslide have killed at least 45 people and injured more than 100 others in central Kenya. Context: This new wave of flooding brings the total death toll attributable to heavy...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. China ready to launch lunar far side sample return mission Summary: China’s space agency has prepared a rocket for its Chang'e 6 mission which will attempt to land on the far side of the Moon and collect lunar material, which it will then attempt to return to Earth; the launch is currently expected on May 3. Context: This mission is the first of its kind, as while China previously landed a lander craft and...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: my new book, How To Turn 39: Thoughts About Aging for People of All Ages is now available as an ebook, paperback, and audiobook! If you find value in my work, consider picking up a copy—it’s written for people of all ages who want to figure out what it means to grow older, better :) G7 to target sixfold expansion of electricity storage Summary: Representatives from the G7 countries, which includes...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. China EV price war to worsen as market share takes priority over profit, hastening demise of smaller players Summary: A wave of discounts on popular electric vehicles in China has resulted in price-drops of an average of 10% on 50 models over the past three months as carmakers compete to grab market-share in the hottest EV market on the planet. Context: Only a few Chinese EV-makers are profitable right...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: My new book about aging and growing older with intention, How To Turn 39 (howtoturn39.com), is available for pre-sale :) US Air Force confirms first successful AI dogfight Summary: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, confirmed earlier this month that it has successfully tested an artificial intelligence controlled aircraft in dogfight conditions, as part of its Air Combat...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: My new book about aging and growing older with intention, How To Turn 39 (howtoturn39.com), is available for pre-sale :) Four killed in Guangdong floods, sparking concerns over extreme weather defenses Summary: Heavy weekend rains triggered floods in the heavily populated Pearl River Delta in China, leading to four confirmed deaths, the evacuation of around 110,000 people, and 25,800 people in...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: My new book about aging and growing older with intention, How To Turn 39 (howtoturn39.com), is available for pre-sale :) UK Parliament approves Rwanda deportation bill, ending weeks of legislative stalemate Summary: Following months of unsuccessful attempts by British Prime Minister Sunak to kick off a program that would allow the government to send some migrants to the UK to Rwanda, the House of...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: My new book about aging and growing older with intention, How To Turn 39 (howtoturn39.com), is available for pre-sale :) China military's biggest shakeup in 9 years adds info, cyber, and space units Summary: The Chinese Defense Ministry announced a reorganization of the country’s military, the People’s Liberation Army, or PLA, late last week—a move that seems to give more direct control to Chinese...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: My new book about aging and growing older with intention, How To Turn 39 (howtoturn39.com), is available for pre-sale :) House approves $95 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan Summary: After months of delay and uncertainty, a large, bipartisan majority of US House representatives voted to approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, alongside a bill that will...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: My new book about aging and growing older with intention, How To Turn 39 (https://books2read.com/htt39), is available for pre-sale :) Historic Copenhagen stock exchange in Denmark goes up in flames Summary: One of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings, a stock exchange that was built in 1625, caught fire earlier this week, the cause of the fire currently unknown, about half of the building burning to the...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: My new book about aging and growing older with intention, How To Turn 39 (https://books2read.com/htt39), is available for pre-sale :) Heavy floods hit Dubai airport as Oman toll rises to 18 Summary: At least 18 people have been confirmed killed in Oman, and parts of the UAE, including Dubai’s airport and several major shopping centers, were shut down due to torrential rains and widespread flooding...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: My new book about aging and growing older with intention, How To Turn 39 (https://books2read.com/htt39), is available for pre-sale :) Fourth global mass coral bleaching episode underway Summary: Recent record-high ocean temperatures are causing coral around the world to turn white, indicating that these creatures and the ecosystems they support are deteriorating. Context: This new wave of widespread...

Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright. Note: It’s my 39th birthday today! It’s also the day my new book, fittingly called How To Turn 39 (https://books2read.com/htt39), goes on pre-sale (it officially launches in paperback, ebook, and audiobook form in a month, on May 16). This is a book about aging in general, not just for elder millennials like myself—so for folks who are older, younger, or around the same age and are thinking about what it...