The first news from China, Meta Threads, and synagogue rubble
Yellen’s Last Days in Beijing: Bringing the U.S. Out of War and Finding a Way to Live Together and Protect Our Country
Treasury officials don’t anticipate any diplomatic breakthrough from Yellen’s visit, which will include meetings with Chinese citizens and US business leaders in Beijing. She’s going to China from July 6 to July 9.
New limits on Chinese exports of key minerals used in making solar panels were announced this week. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said the move was to promote national security.
It could also be seen as retaliation for export limits the U.S. has directed at China. The Wall Street Journal says the Biden administration is considering limiting China’s access to U.S.-based cloud computing services, and that it has restricted sale of advanced computer chips to China.
Relations between the two countries have been strained due to close calls between the U.S. and Chinese warships.
She supports efforts to keep high tech tools out of the hands of Chinese military, but she denies that the US is trying to sever economic ties with China.
A separation of the economies of the two countries would be bad for them, said Yellen in April. “It would be destabilizing for the rest of the world.”
That said, Treasury officials insist that Yellen will not shy away from raising complaints about China’s human rights record or trading practices that the U.S. sees as unfair.
In her speech, Yellen said that the United States and China need to find a way to live together and share prosperity. We can accept our differences, defend ourselves, and compete fairly.
Up First Briefing: Jenna in China Launches Threads: Syngogue Rubble Ununearth: What Do You Need to Know?
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Facebook’s parent company Meta launched Threads late yesterday. The text-based version of its app Instagram could be an alternative to Elon Musk’s Twitter. The app has 10 million members in the first seven hours.
Electric vehicles are in high demand in the United States. The biggest barrier to electric car ownership is the lack of public charging stations.
There’s a growing bipartisan push in local and state governments for tougher laws against drug dealers selling fentanyl, methamphetamines and xylazine. But a growing body of research suggests a tougher approach could harm people with addictions and worsen the overdose crisis.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/07/06/1186158660/up-first-briefing-yellen-in-china-meta-launches-threads-synagogue-rubble-unearth
Amini’s Story: An Iranian artist’s journey onto the streets to keep Amini from harming the fetus in the US
Texas’ abortion laws do not have an exception for when a fetus is diagnosed with a fatal condition. Pregnant mothers have two options: get an abortion out-of-state or carry the pregnancy to term. Lauren Miller left to abort one of the fetuses in her twin pregnancy to protect herself and the healthy twin. A baby named Halo died of anencephaly, a condition where the skull is not fully developed. The two mothers share their complicated pregnancy stories.
After she died in Iran last year, the morality police took her away for not covering her hair adequately. The slogan was ” woman, life, freedom” and sparked protests around the world. Iranian artists have taken their work onto the streets of the US to keep Amini’s story in the public eye and reflect on their hopes for a better country. See the stories behind their work.
