Trash-filled balloons from N. Korea reach S. Korean president’s offices
For the ninth time since May, North Korea sent a round of trash-filled balloons to South Korea. However, for the first time, the balloons landed in South Korea’s presidential compound, violating a no-fly zone protecting the president on Wednesday, July 24.
The latest action by Pyongyang is raising even greater security concerns for the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The breach into the president’s offices in Seoul prompted the country’s security service to dispatch its “chemical, biological and radiological team” to pick up the balloons.
Although South Korean government officials said that none of the trash contained hazardous materials, they explained that the objects were not shot down in order to prevent the spread of the contents within the balloons. South Korean residents are routinely warned not to touch fallen balloons and to report them to law enforcement. The contents of the balloons have varied from soil filled with human feces and manure, to wastepaper and cigarettes.
North Korea has sent thousands of waste-filled balloons in retaliation for South Korean activists and North Korean defectors sending over anti-Pyongyang leaflets and the South Korean government blasting K-Pop recordings along a demilitarized zone between the nations.
A previous batch of balloons on Thursday, July 18, prompted Seoul to blast K-Pop on its loudspeakers near the border for 10 hours on Friday, July 19. K-Pop and K-Drama are banned by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
US Navy will get help fixing ships from South Korea
The United States Navy needs help repairing and maintaining its fleet of ships. Fortunately, help is on the way in the form of two companies from South Korea, Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The new partnership should bring a significant boost to the United States’ sea lift capacity. Currently, the Navy faces a backlog of repairs that could take about 20 years to clear at the current pace.
The United States Navy is no longer the largest in terms of the number of ships. However, it remains the largest in terms of tonnage, meaning the U.S. has the biggest ships and more of them than any other country.
But big ships require big spaces for big repairs, and the U.S. is running short on both repair facilities and companies capable of handling these tasks. This is why the news of two South Korean companies entering the market is so significant.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries was the first to do so. On July 11, HD Hyundai signed a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with the U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command. This MSRA grants HD Hyundai—the world’s largest shipbuilding company—the right to bid on maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) projects for the next five years.
On July 22, Hanwha Ocean signed a similar deal. Formerly known as Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, the company was acquired by Hanwha—a defense contractor in South Korea. Daewoo brought a long history of naval shipbuilding expertise to Hanwha.
Hanwha said the approval process for its MSRA went exceptionally fast. The application was submitted in January, followed by an on-site inspection in April at its Geojae shipyard. Certification then arrived in late July.
When signing its MSRA agreement, HD Hyundai estimated the naval repair and maintenance market’s value at $14.5 billion. The expanding relationship between the U.S. Navy and South Korea comes at a time of broader partnerships in the Indo-Pacific to counter the rising threat from China.
Both HD Hyundai and Hanwha view their MSRA certifications as an entry point into the broader U.S. naval shipbuilding market. HD Hyundai is an established warship builder, exporting 18 different vessels to countries like the Philippines.
Hanwha recently reached an agreement to purchase the Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania. This is further proof of what the company said is its “intent to accelerate expansion into the global defense market, focusing on technological innovation and quality improvement.”
While the next five years may focus on helping the U.S. Navy maintain its current fleet, South Korea could help the United States develop the next generation of maritime innovations in the next 25 years. Upgrades include increasing the number and capabilities of unmanned surface vessels. USVs are smaller than traditional ships, but in the era of great power competition, navies need to be nimble too.
US charges former CIA analyst of acting as an agent for South Korea
A former United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst has been indicted on charges accusing her of acting as a secret South Korean agent in exchange for lavish gifts. The indictment — issued by the United States government on Tuesday, July 16 — said that Sue Mi Terry, who worked for the CIA and White House National Security Council under the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, pushed for South Korea policy positions and provided private U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence as well as allowing South Korean government officials access to their U.S. counterparts.
In exchange, South Korean intelligence agents allegedly provided her with dinner at Michelin-starred restaurants, expensive handbags and clothes, and more than $37,000 in “covert” funding for a public policy program on the Korean affairs she ran.
According to the indictment, FBI agents warned Terry in 2014 of South Korean intelligence agents possibly offering to secretly pay for events. The indictment also said that during an FBI interview in 2023, Terry acknowledged she was a “source” for South Korea’s Intelligence Service, “meaning that she provided valuable information.”
The United States claims that Terry began work as a South Korean agent in 2013, just two years after she left the U.S. government. Allegedly, her covert efforts lasted a decade.
Terry is now reportedly a senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations and an expert on East Asia and the Korean Peninsula, which includes North Korea. The Council on Foreign Relations said it has put Terry on unpaid administrative leave and affirmed that it will cooperate with any investigation.
Terry’s lawyer called the allegations leveled in the indictment “unfounded” and said that they “distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.”
The charges from the indictment include failing to register under the Foreign Relations Registration Act and conspiring to violate that law.
South Korea is not a defendant in the indictment. Seoul’s National Security Service said that it’s working closely with United State intelligence authorities.
President Biden to hold press conference as George Clooney, Sen. Welch call for a change
President Joe Biden is set to hold a press conference as George Clooney joins the calls for him to step aside. And the NBA scores big with its latest TV rights deal. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, July 11, 2024.
Biden to hold press conference as Clooney, Welch call for a change
President Joe Biden will hold his first solo press conference of the year Thursday, July 11. It’s also the first since his rocky performance in the June 27 presidential debate, as calls for him to step aside as the Democratic nominee continue to grow.
On Wednesday, July 10, it was Hollywood actor and longtime Democratic donor George Clooney calling for Biden to withdraw from the race. This happened just weeks after Clooney hosted a fundraiser for Biden’s campaign that brought in more than $30 million.
In an op-ed piece for The New York Times, Clooney wrote that the Biden he saw at the fundraiser was not the Biden of 2010 or 2020, saying, “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”
“As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, whom we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question,” Clooney wrote. “Is it fair to point these things out? It has to be. This is about age. Nothing more. But also, nothing that can be reversed. We are not going to win in November with this president.”
Clooney joined a chorus of Democrats who have recently spoken up for Biden to drop out, including nine House members. And on Wednesday, Peter Welch of Vermont became the first Democratic senator to join the call.
Welch wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post that Biden should step down for “the good of the country.”
“We need him to put us first, as he has done before. I urge him to do it now,” Welch said.
On Thursday afternoon, Democratic senators will meet with senior advisers from the Biden campaign as they look to express their concerns following the debate. Then the president’s press conference — dubbed by Bloomberg News and cited by the White House as a “big boy press conference” — will take place at 5:30 p.m. ET as the three-day NATO summit winds down in Washington.
NATO calls China “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine
In recent months, the U.S. and European leaders have accused China of bolstering Russia’s defense sector with supplies critical to rebuilding the Russian military. Beijing has denied the accusations.
“China provides dual use equipment, microelectronics, a lot of other tools which are enabling Russia to build the missiles, to build the bombs, to build the aircrafts, to build the weapons they’re using to attack Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday, July 11, the second day of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. “And the fact that this is now clearly stated, agreed by all NATO allies, is an important message to China. And then, of course, we also then state that it cannot continue like this.”
The NATO nations also affirmed the importance of their Indo-Pacific partners, which are not members of the alliance, with leaders from Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia joining the summit.
NATO and the Indo-Pacific partners said they plan to launch four joint projects including supporting Ukraine, bolstering cooperation on cyber defense, countering disinformation and working on artificial intelligence.
China is accusing NATO of overreaching and inciting confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. to resume shipping 500-pound bombs to Israel
The United States is resuming shipping 500-pound bombs to Israel after pausing the shipment of nearly 2,000 of them in mid-May. However, U.S. officials said they’ll continue to hold back on a delivery of much larger 2,000-pound bombs over concerns they could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza.
The U.S. is specifically concerned the large bombs would be used in Israel’s ground invasion of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge since the war with Hamas began.
U.S. officials said the smaller 500-pound bombs had been put together in a shipment with the larger bombs, which is why they were delayed. They have since been separated and can now be sent to Israel.
AOC files impeachment articles against Supreme Court justices Thomas, Alito
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has introduced articles of impeachment against conservative Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Ocasio-Cortez is accusing them of what she calls “unchecked corruption” for refusing to recuse themselves from certain cases, like the recent decision to grant former President Donald Trump immunity and improperly failing to disclose gifts from wealthy donors.
However, it’s unlikely the justices will be impeached. A majority vote of 218 is required for the House to adopt the articles. Currently in the House, Republicans hold 219 seats and Democrats hold 213.
Reports: NBA finalizes 11-year $76B deal with NBC, Amazon, Disney
TNT Sports, which has been airing the NBA since the 1980s, will have a five-day window to match one of the deals once the league shares the finished contracts.
The agreement, which breaks NBA records for length and value, would take effect for the 2025-2026 season.
‘Inside Out 2’ becomes Pixar’s highest-grossing movie of all time
There’s a whole lot of joy over at Pixar studios; its latest movie has made box office history. “Inside Out 2” is officially Pixar’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
So far, the film about a teenager’s emotions has earned $1.25 billion worldwide, passing “Incredibles 2,” which made $1.24 billion in its run. “Inside Out 2” now ranks as the fourth-highest grossing animated movie of all time.
The top spot currently belongs to Disney’s 2019 film “Frozen 2” which grossed $1.45 billion globally during its release.
Biden’s physician responds to reports on Parkinson’s expert visits
President Joe Biden’s physician releases a letter as questions surround a Parkinson’s expert’s repeated visits to the White House. And former President Donald Trump’s deadline to pick a vice president nears with the Republican National Convention just days away. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
Biden’s physician responds to reports on Parkinson’s disease expert visits
Ever since President Joe Biden’s self-described “bad night” at the presidential debate, he and his team have had to field questions about his health. That was no different on Monday, July 8, when the concerns centered on a Parkinson’s disease expert who had recently visited the White House on several occasions.
According to public visitor logs, Dr. Kevin Cannard — a neurologist and “movement disorders specialist” from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center — visited the White House eight times in the eight-month span between July 2023 and March 2024, including a visit with the president’s personal physician.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked repeatedly about the visits during Monday’s press briefing. Jean-Pierre said Biden has seen a neurologist three times as part of annual physicals but would not confirm much else, saying the White House medical unit serves multiple personnel along with the president.
“I can tell you this — just going back to Parkinson’s for a little bit, so, to give you some answers here: Has the president been treated for Parkinson’s? No. Is he being treated for Parkinson’s? No, he’s not,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. “Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s? No. So those are the things that I can give you full-blown answers on but I’m not going to confirm a specialist, any specialist that comes to come comes to the White House, out of privacy.”
Hours later, White House physician Kevin O’Connor released a letter addressing the issue, saying Dr. Cannard was “the neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals,” including one in February that showed no signs of any neurological disorders. O’Connor also confirmed the president has not seen a neurologist outside of those physicals.
The president himself wrote a letter earlier in the day to Democrats in Congress amid growing calls for him to step aside, saying he is “firmly committed to staying in the race.” He added he “wouldn’t be running again if” he did not “absolutely believe” he was the “best person to beat Donald Trump.”
A defiant Biden joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe shortly after sending the letter, saying it’s the voters who chose him as the Democratic nominee, and he is not concerned about those calling for him to drop out of the race.
“I’m getting so frustrated by the elites — not you guys — the elites in the party, oh, they know so much more,” the president said. “Any of these guys that don’t think I should run, run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention.”
Biden to host NATO summit, will take questions from media
President Biden will look to answer critics’ calls for him to step aside as he welcomes world leaders to Washington, D.C. for the NATO summit that begins Tuesday, July, 9. Leaders from more than 30 NATO countries, as well as partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the European Union and Ukraine, will join the president to mark 75 years of the global alliance.
The summit will focus on supplying additional military and financial aid to Ukraine, including new steps to strengthen its air defenses. During the week, Biden will host an event with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and two dozen other leaders. He’ll also take part in his first bilateral meeting with new U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
On Thursday, July 11, the president will hold a press conference where he will take questions from the media.
Trump’s vice president search enters final days
Former President Trump is getting back on the campaign trail with a rally in Florida as the deadline to announce his pick for vice president looms. In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity Monday, July 8 night, Trump did confirm Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, R, are under consideration.
But as to when we’ll find out who the official pick is, it seems even the former president isn’t quite sure.
“I think probably within the next week, week and a half, probably sometime — I’d love to do it during the convention,” he told Hannity. “My people say that’s a little complicated. You know, in the old days, they would announce the vice president during the convention. Today, with modern day technology you can’t do things that you could’ve done 50 years ago very easily. But probably a little before the convention but not much. It could even be during the convention that we’ll do it. I’d love to do it during the convention. I think it would be a very interesting build up and important for the convention and would make it even more exciting.”
The Republican National Convention kicks off Monday, July 15, in Milwaukee.
At least 6 dead in Texas after Beryl, millions without power
At least six people have been confirmed dead and millions are without power after Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 storm on Monday, July 8. Dozens of people across the state also had to be rescued from flood waters after Beryl dropped up to ten inches of rain in some areas and tornadoes could be spotted across the state.
Officials in Texas said it’ll take “several days” to restore power, but they should be getting a clearer timeline at some point Tuesday.
Since making landfall, Beryl has weakened to a tropical depression. It’s now moving toward Arkansas, but rain from the storm is expected to hit as far north as Detroit by Tuesday night then dump heavy rain in Vermont by Wednesday, July 10.
Jury selection begins in Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial
On Monday, a judge ruled jurors will not hear evidence related to his status as a producer on the film, only his role as an actor in the movie.
Baldwin admitted he was holding a prop gun when a live bullet discharged. He’d previously stated that he did not intentionally pull the trigger and that the gun “went off.”
If convicted, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison.
Price of Forever stamps to increase starting next week
The price of stamps is going up again. Starting on Sunday, July 14, one Forever stamp will cost 73 cents — up five cents from its current price.
Growing concerns over gambling addiction in the military
Concerns over gambling addiction in the military are in spotlight as an Army veteran prepares to release a book about his experience with gambling. Former Army Sgt. David Yeager said his addiction started on a military base in South Korea at slot machines run by the Defense Department and quickly turned into an “obsession.”
Yeager is not alone. A 2021 study out of Rutgers University found active-duty service members and veterans were more than twice as likely to show signs of problem gambling than civilians.
The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates about 56,000 service members meet the criteria for the medical diagnosis of gambling disorder.
Slot machines were banned on military bases within the United States in 1951, and the Army and Air Force started removing them from overseas bases in the 1970s. However, the machines were quickly brought back overseas as a way to help keep service members from getting into trouble off base.
The latest data from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows as of 2017, the Defense Department operated more than 3,000 slot machines on U.S. military installations in a dozen foreign countries. The majority were found in Japan, South Korea and Germany. Those machines produce more than $100 million in annual revenue.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said diagnoses of pathological gambling disorders among service members and veterans are skyrocketing, with more people diagnosed in the first half of 2024 than all of 2022. The VA operates two residential treatment facilities for gambling addiction and has partnerships with civilian facilities throughout the country.
Service members are also now screened for gambling disorders during their yearly physical, after a provision was signed into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by former President Donald Trump. The Defense Department also said service members with a gambling problem will not be penalized for seeking treatment after they’re screened.
In the most recent NDAA, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., filed an amendment to stop the military from operating slot machines on all bases. The measure did not make it into this year’s final NDAA, which the House Rules Committee will consider at its meeting next Thursday, July 11.
North Korean defectors send balloons with leaflets, cash, K-pop
The battle of the balloons continues. Under the cover of darkness, North Korean defectors sent more balloons from South to North during the morning of Thursday, June 6.
The balloons included packages containing USB drives with K-Pop music, 200,000 leaflets critical of Kim Jong Un’s regime and American $1 bills, which are worth 900 North Korean Won each. It is a response to North Korea sending 1,000 balloons over the course of several days filled with trash and excrement.
The Pentagon said it does not plan to get involved with the balloon dispute.
“Does the U.S. have any plans to reciprocate and send American poop across the 38th parallel?” Jeff Schogol, a reporter for Task & Purpose, asked.
“Thanks Jeff. We do not,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said.
The U.S. did, however, make a show of advanced fire power. The military dropped GPS-guided bunker busters from long-range B1-B bombers. South Korean fighter jets escorted the bombers. It is the first joint exercise of its kind in seven years.
However, as if advanced weaponry was not enough to dissuade North Korea from sending more bags of poop, the threat of loud music appears to be. South Korea said if the North does not stop, it will resume playing music and anti-North messaging through loudspeakers in the demilitarized zone.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported North Korea threatened to send “one hundred times the quantity of toilet paper and filth” if the activists resumed their balloon activities.
Over 260 balloons were detected landing in various locations, including Seoul, with some traveling more than 180 miles from the border. The balloons carried items such as garbage, plastic bottles, old batteries and manure. Although no damage was reported, chemical and bomb disposal units are analyzing the collected objects.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned these acts by North Korea as clear violations of international law, posing serious threats to citizen safety. The attack follows North Korea’s declaration of a “tit-for-tat action” in response to anti-Pyongyang leaflets recently sent by South Korean activists. These developments further complicate relations between the two nations, which are technically still at war.
South Korea, the United States and Japan have denounced North Korea’s actions as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
For years, North Korean defectors and South Korean activists have used balloons to send leaflets northward, encouraging opposition to the Pyongyang regime. In efforts to break Kim Jong Un’s information control, these activists have also launched balloons carrying one-dollar banknotes, radios, CDs and leaflets denouncing the regime since 2014.
Study: 56 of leading brands responsible for more than 50% of plastic pollution
A new study revealed on Thursday, April 24, that 56 of leading brands are responsible for more than 50% of the plastic pollution plaguing the Earth. The study showed the Coca-Cola Company is the leading offender. Around 400 million tons of plastic waste are generated annually, with most of it ending up in landfills and oceans, according to the study published in Science Advances.
Researchers claim that the amount of waste is equivalent to 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic dumped into the world’s bodies of water every day. The top five global polluters listed in the study are Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, Danone and Altria.
In response to the findings, Coca-Cola issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to sustainability through its “World without Waste” strategy, which aims to make all packaging recyclable globally by 2025. The company also vowed to incorporate at least 50% of recycled material by 2030. However, the vast majority of plastic that people use is not being recycled, according to a study by Greenpeace.
Despite the response by Coca-Cola, researchers stressed that the need for action is now. They advocated for the phase-out of single-use and short-lived plastic products by major polluters to significantly reduce plastic pollution.
Meanwhile, negotiations are underway for a global treaty to combat plastic pollution and curb the environmental impact of plastic waste.
“The message is clear,” Luis Vayas Valdivieso, chairperson of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, said. “The world is counting on us to deliver a new treaty that will catalyze and guide the actions and international cooperation needed to deliver a future free of plastic. Let’s not fail them.”
Negotiators at the United Nations are hopeful parties will finalize a meaningful treaty in South Korea this fall.
The project will focus on advanced manufacturing, packaging, and research. Samsung’s new plants in Taylor, Texas, will produce the most advanced chips in the world. Additionally, the initiative will expand Samsung’s facilities to support the aerospace, defense and automotive industries.
The move comes as Samsung overtakes Apple as the world’s top smartphone seller, a change driven by Apple’s declining sales in China and competition from other phone companies like Huawei.
Reuters
President Joe Biden described this initiative as a response to supply chain vulnerabilities, noting concerns from lawmakers about the U.S.’ reliance on chips made in Taiwan, given China’s territorial claims on the island and its threat to force reunification.
“This announcement will unleash over $40 billion in investment from Samsung, and cement central Texas’s role as a state-of-the-art semiconductor ecosystem,” Biden said. “It will create at least 21,500 jobs and leverage up to $40 million in CHIPS funding to train and develop the local workforce.”
“The chips that Samsung will be making in Texas are important components to our most advanced technologies, from artificial intelligence to high-performance computing and 5G communications,” Raimondo said.
The 🇺🇸 and 🇰🇷 are strengthening economic ties with @CommerceGov's preliminary funding agreement for up to $6.4 billion for Samsung Electronics! #CHIPSActhttps://t.co/zP5KAlAaZd
— 주한미국대사관 U.S. Embassy Seoul (@USEmbassySeoul) April 15, 2024
