The News Not Noise Letter: Putin Foe Alexei Navalny’s Sudden Death
Navalny’s wife says Putin “will bear responsibility” for his death. Plus: what cost Trump $355 million? And monkeys, molly and other news that doesn’t suck.
Please take a short 3-minute survey about News Not Noise here.
Here are the headlines:
Alexei Navalny, Dead at 47: Alexei Navalny, a longtime critic and political opponent of Vladimir Putin, reportedly died in prison Friday according to Russian state media. They say he “felt unwell” and collapsed unconscious “almost immediately” after a walk on Friday. In footage from a prison hearing just a day earlier Navalny was joking and laughing, apparently in good health. Navalny’s sudden collapse is straight out of the Putin assassination playbook (if he is, in fact, deceased). In 2020 he was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok and has been in jail ever since he was arrested after returning to Russia in Jan. 2021 to challenge Putin. Today President Biden declared Putin “responsible” for Navalny’s death and Navalny’s wife called on the world to defeat his “evil.” Here’s a powerful piece about Navalny by Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic. Despite his incarceration Navalny still had political influence in Russia and his apparent death comes as Putin stands for “re-election” and as Russia makes gains in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US still has not renewed its funding for Ukraine’s resistance against Russia.
American Traitor? Now, this man may be the exact opposite of Navalny in nearly every conceivable way. Tucker Carlson recently interviewed Putin in Russia, but didn’t mention Putin’s history of assassinations. When asked why he didn’t bring it up, Carlson said “every leader kills people.”
Deadly Inaction? Congress is adjourning today for a two-week recess without reaching a deal to fund Ukraine (or our government). Without sufficient ammunition, a critical Ukrainian border town looks poised to fall to Russia. When Congress returns to session, they will have just days to approve funds for Ukraine and avoid a government shutdown with no signs of leadership.
How To Become (Not) A Billionaire: Former President Trump and the Trump Organization must pay $354 million in damages to the state of New York for civil business fraud. That’s the ruling by New York Judge Arthur F. Engoron. Trump sons Eric and Don Jr. were each ordered to pay more than $4 million. Trump will appeal the ruling, which he called a “Complete and Total SHAM.” Between this fine and the millions Trump owes E. Jean Carroll for defamation, The Hill notes Trump stands to lose at least 13% of his net worth – “if the estimations of his wealth are accurate.” (Given he was fined for exaggerating his assets, we have some doubts.) Trump and his sons were also barred from doing business in New York for at least 2 years. Given this, who will run the Trump Corporation now?
For your consideration: Tronald Dump. Atlanta Smear Campaign: The efforts to derail the Georgia election interference case against former President Trump and 18 co-defendants has taken a nasty personal turn. The defendants are essentially alleging that Fulton County DA Fani Willis brought the case to personally profit from it, and now they’re bringing in her sex life and spending habits in a series of hearings on alleged misconduct. Imagine if this level of scrutiny were brought to every male prosecutor in the country…
FBI Informant Charged: This story should get more attention. An FBI informant who claimed to have proof that Hunter and President Biden took illegal payments from the Ukraine energy company, Burisma, has been charged with lying. The Special Counsel prosecuting Hunter Biden has now charged Alexander Smirnov with making false claims and making a false record. Those false allegations ignited a massive MAGA conspiracy theory about unproven Biden “corruption.” Smirnov’s false allegations were reviewed and dismissed by Trump’s own Attorney General Bill Barr; despite this the House GOP used his allegations as the basis of their investigations into the Bidens. It is rare for the FBI to charge one of their own informants.
Israel/Gaza Updates: Tensions between President Biden and PM Netanyahu are rising, over growing disagreements over Israel’s plan to attack Rafah – where the majority of Gaza’s population is sheltering. The Biden administration is also increasingly at odds with Netanyahu on the PM’s decision to pull back on hostage negotiations and his refusal to accept a two-state solution as part of a post-war plan. Despite the tension, they are still in regular contact with two phone calls this week.
Here’s some news that doesn’t suck (We really need it):
Economic Optimism: Consumer sentiment is even higher this month as Americans begin to feel cooling inflation’s effects on their wallets. Sentiment is at the highest it’s been since July 2021. Short-term inflation predictions have also fallen to the same range they were in the two years leading up to the pandemic. (We feel obliged to acknowledge that there’s less great news about US credit card debt. But that’s for another day…)
MDMA for PTSD: Imagine prescription Molly! (For the uninitiated, “Molly” is the club name for MDMA, known to Gen X’ers as Ecstasy.) Scientists have shown that MDMA (as well as psilocybin) have astonishing potential for treating intensely resistant mental health issues where traditional interventions — including antidepressants and therapy — have failed. These drugs haven’t been available for widespread legal therapeutic use due to bureaucratic hurdles, special interest opposition, and the D.A.R.E program which made everyone terrified of Schedule 1 drugs. But now the FDA is MDMA-curious. Lykos Therapeutics, the company that’s been working to bring MDMA to market, says the FDA is reviewing an MDMA-assisted therapy regimen for the treatment of PTSD with priority status. Priority review status means the drug will undergo a faster (though no less rigorous) process for drug approval. The regimen calls for licensed healthcare providers to supervise the use of MDMA and provide talk therapy. If approved, the DEA would have to reclassify it, so it’s no longer a Schedule 1 drug. Just a question: does HealthCare.gov cover body glitter?
Solar Bowl: For the first time ever, this year’s Super Bowl was entirely powered by the sun. 621,000 solar panels provided juice for the big game, and Allegiant Stadium where the game was held has a 25-year contract with a solar company to continue using its green energy for any games hosted there.
Monkeying Around: Why does an ape tickle a fellow ape? According to scientists, because it’s funny. A new study found our closest cousins in the animal kingdom, the great apes, have a sense of humor, or at least the beginnings of one. Researchers found that orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas all engage in “playful teasing,” “show laughter,” and display behaviors “similar to teasing in human infants” like tickling, poking, and pulling on hair. They believe this suggests that humor played a role in human development, writing that “joking draws on complex cognitive abilities: understanding social norms, theory of mind, anticipating others' responses and appreciating the violation of others’ expectations.” This doesn’t mean they can do ape-stand-up (though they might fit in at some of the open mics we’ve seen) but they believe it suggests having a sense of humor goes back at least 13 million years. And, before any scientists complain, we know apes are not monkeys, but if the apes have a sense of humor, we figure they’ll forgive us for the pun.
A laughing baby orangutan, Kendari, at the Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria.
