Readers of this newsletter are largely split into two groups: 40% are based in America, and 60% are from 61 different countries.
I am proud of this statistic, but it also means there is a vast spectrum of knowledge about certain topics.
Hopefully, these “Focus on America” issues will help international subscribers (and maybe a few Americans) better understand what is registering for us small folk, of which I am a member.
I will avoid election news as it is easy to find that toxic stew on other outlets.
I am calling this a “secondary offer” because I do not expect to publish these issues more than once per month, and even that rate may be ambitious.
If you enjoy A6, you can use this link to buy me tea to keep this project moving forward.
Follow up on A6 Topics
Blaming Hamas for Gazans’ Suffering, Many Israelis Feel Little Sympathy
As U.S.-supplied weapons show impact inside Russia, Ukrainian soldiers hope for deeper strikes
Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh Pressured to Join Myanmar’s Civil War
A6 - Where the World Happens
Louisiana blurs the lines between church and state
Far-right lawmakers are on the march in Louisiana, which became the first state in the union to mandate that every public school classroom display the Ten Commandments.
The law appears to directly violate the separation between church and state, a core tenant of American governance since 1848. It will inevitably be challenged in court, and it seems very likely that it will reach the Supreme Court.
That could be a huge win for religious ideologues, who see the far-right nature of the current Supreme Court justices as an opportunity to set a precedent.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said last week, “I can’t wait to be sued,” and added that the US was founded on Judeo-Christian values, which is a deliberate simplification of American history.
The Ten Commandments rule is also another example of increasingly extreme policies making their way through American governments. Politicians are tying themselves in knots to support the laws because it benefits their culture war.
To this point, Landry went on Fox News and said, “I didn’t know that it was so vile to obey the Ten Commandments. I think that speaks volumes about how eroded this country has become.”
Beyond the separation of church and state, basic decency is at stake here. The US is a multicultural society, and Louisiana public schools are certainly filled with Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist children, who now will feel “othered” by the state government.
Palestine continues to simmer as a political topic
Dozens of Democrats signed an official letter urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security, to ease conditions for certain Palestinians to move to the US as refugees.
The lawmakers pointed out that Israel’s bombardment of Gaza killed an estimated 37,266 Palestinians and injured 85,102 others. Additionally, they pointed out that 1.7 million of the 2.2 million Gazans have been displaced.
“Since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, many congressional offices have received distressing requests for assistance from constituents desperately seeking to reunite with their loved ones,” the Democrats wrote.
Only 56 Palestinians were resettled as refugees in 2023, and 16 so far in 2024.
“Given the dire conditions currently on the ground in Gaza, it is time for this to change. Specifically, we urge you to designate certain categories of Palestinians and their eligible family members, particularly close relatives of American citizens and US lawful permanent residents, for access to [refugee status],” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter included Democrats from both the Senate and House of Representatives across a wide ideological spectrum.
The letter comes as Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant is set to visit Washington to discuss the future of the war. It is clear that the Biden Administration would like Israel to stop the rampage but is also unwilling to pull the levers that would pressure Benjamin Netanyahu into stopping the attacks.
Over the past few days, Netanyahu has claimed the US is withholding arms shipments to Israel.
Supreme Court takes on gun restrictions
Last week, the Supreme Court made two contradictory decisions that highlight the Gordian Knot that is American gun policies.
In the first decision, the court struck down a federal ban on bump stocks, which are a firearm accessory that leverages a gun’s recoil to turn the weapon into an automatic firearm. The justices argued that the bump stock does not make the gun automatic because it does not fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Bump stocks were banned after a lone gunman in 2017 used the technology to open fire on a concert crowd of 22,000 people, killing 60. He was able to fire over 1,000 rounds into the crowd in less than 11 minutes.
The second decision upheld a federal law that prohibits people under domestic violence restraining orders from purchasing guns. The challenge was brought by a Texas man who assaulted his girlfriend in a parking lot and then threatened to shoot her.
Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, the lone dissenter, argued that the regulation threatens America’s Second Amendment right to bear arms.
The decisions came as mass shootings continue to plague the US.
Last week in Arkansas, a shooter opened fire at a supermarket and killed four people. In Round Rock, TX, two innocent bystanders died after multiple people opened fire in a large crowd at a Juneteenth parade after two groups got into an argument.
Abortion rights continue to animate the population
This election season could see nine states deciding citizen-led ballot measures that aim to expand American rights to abortions.
Colorado, Florida and South Dakota will see constitutional amendments on their ballots, and it seems likely that Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and Nevada will also vote on the topic. Maryland and New York could also add abortion measures.
The right to abortion is broadly popular among the American public, even in states that are traditionally conservative. In Texas, which has one of the strictest abortion laws in the country, 71% of Democrats and 33% of Republicans want it to be easier for people to access abortions.
Organizers behind the ballot measures believe that the median American voter has diverged from the median lawmaker (with the politician being more extreme than the voter).
Republican lawmakers have tightened signature restrictions in an attempt to stop the measures, arguing that out-of-state and big-city interests could create false ballot measures. But a few have told the truth and said the rules are meant to thwart abortion initiatives.
Recently, the Supreme Court rejected an attempt to ban mifepristone, a drug commonly used to induce abortions, across the country.
The court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, and the topic continues to inform how people vote across the country.
Environment: US to make it easier to build nuclear reactors
The US Congress is expected to pass an energy package next week that should remove some red tape that has slowed America’s ability to build nuclear reactors.
The bill won’t solve the biggest problem facing nuclear reactor development, which is the access to financing for the projects. A typical power plant will cost US$6 billion to US$9 billion, depending on its size and complexity.
While nuclear reactors are a crucial source of renewable energy, they are fairly pointless unless the US upgrades its electricity grid. Currently, the grid struggles with transmission, not generation, which makes liquified natural gas essential because it can be more easily throttled.
Politics have thwarted attempts to improve the system through better storage and deployment capabilities.
All that being said, nuclear reactors are so complicated and expensive to build that the best time to start is now.
Kevin’s Article: Singapore vs. Hong Kong – the battle for startups and funding
From the introduction:
Hong Kong and Singapore have been long rivals in the East, and this has especially been the case since Hong Kong started facing challenges like COVID restrictions, social tensions and a talent exodus. With this, the question of whether Singapore is now the “it” city in Asia for business has been a huge topic of discussion – and this is especially the case when it comes to startups and funding.
On the one hand, Singapore is the undisputed startup hub of Southeast Asia, and its government has poured a ton of resources into building a vibrant ecosystem, which is an important part of the country’s economic future.
Hong Kong, on the other hand, has long been known and pitched as the “gateway to China,” and the government has actively pushed the city’s integration into the Greater Bay Area (GBA) economy over the past few years, which includes Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau.
But even though they’re different, the cities’ statistics are very similar.
Charity to consider: The Trevor Project
I donate to this charity every so often. Here is the landing page:
You deserve a welcoming, loving world.
And so do the people you care about. Here you can reach out to a counselor if you’re struggling, find answers and information, and get the tools you need to help someone else.
What I am reading
Vegan banh mi, hold the racism
In Southeast Asia, the Authorities Are the Biggest Gun Dealers in Town
The Father-Son Drama of LeBron and Bronny James
Ten Commandments making a comeback. Confederate statues returning to Virginia. We are certainly taking two steps forward and three steps back.