First Trump and now Harris have both claimed foreign interference from hackers in their campaign bids. If disinformation and deepfakes involving politicians weren’t enough cause for alarm in 2024, reports of missing files from the Republican party by hackers allegedly linked to Iran should be. In June U.S. spy agencies said they would ring the alarm over foreign interference only if it was serious enough to affect the outcome of the election — now that Harris has echoed Trump’s warning that foreign influence could alter the elections, is it time to ring the alarm?
Hope that Iran will abandon or at least defer plans to retaliate against Israel is fading, as talks for a ceasefire in Gaza hang in the balance yet again. A host of diplomatic efforts are underway to try and prevent an all out escalation of conflict in the Middle East, which Iran has dismissed. Meanwhile the U.S. is increasing its military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, the people of Syria are tense and exhausted, and on the internet, it’s gallows humor per usual as Israel and Iran argue and meme over the alleged timing of retaliation.
It’s always a good time to think about what we learned from the last public health emergency, particularly when rising cases of mpox (a virus spread through close contact with no current cure) across the borders of Africa have implications for the rest of the world: in June 2024, there were 175 cases of mpox reported across North, Central, and South America; 100 cases in Europe, and 11 cases in Southeast Asia, as reported by the World Health Organization. But more than panic, the need of the hour is global solidarity and the sharing of resources: this is an important read from Vox on the origins of mpox and vaccine shortage. Pair it with this piece on how colonialism is linked to epidemics.
QUICK READS:
- Beavers have returned to London after 400 years according to the BBC — here is our story on the secret movement in Europe bringing beavers back from the brink.
- Olympic gold medallist Iman Khelif is suing JK Rowling and Elon Musk. Here is how the internet makes trans lives hypervisible and vulnerable.
- Indian women are protesting after news of yet another gruesome rape and murder in the country.
STAYING ON THE STORY:
What’s going on in Russia?
“Died 1943, born 2024. Welcome back to the Battle of Kursk” reads one of the memes flooding the Ukrainian – Russian cyberspace as millions, including (we assume) Vladimir Putin watch in disbelief as the Ukrainian invasion of Russia enters its second week. The reference is to the Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in history and a major World War battle between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which cleared the way for the Soviet offensive and the eventual Allied victory in 1945. Ukraine’s supporters are holding their breath as they hope that the 2024 Battle of Kursk will also change the course of the war.
Zelensky, who says his troops have captured over 100 Russian soldiers has clarified that he has no intention of annexing the Russian territory but is instead trying to create a “buffer zone” in Russia to keep town in Northern Ukraine safe.
Russians are scrambling to contain the attack on their own territory, but they are advancing on major towns in Donbas, in Eastern Ukraine, where Kyiv could lose more territory according to Meduza. In the meantime Saint Petersburg’s Fontanka.ru reports that over one hundred internally displaced people have fled the action along the border.
To make it all more surreal (because, why not?), Ukranian soldiers have been posting reviews for restaurants in the Kursk region on google. “I like everything. Delicious food, good service. Small parking lot. Couldn’t pack my tank,” read one. A full collection if your appetite permits here.
CODA RECOMMENDS:
What was Putin like as a kid? Russian-American journalist Julia Ioffe speaks to RFE/RL at Zeg Storytelling Festival, Coda’s annual flagship event in Tbilisi about Putin’s childhood and what goes into creating the image of a Russian “everyman”.
Not all heroes wear capes, this one favors tennis outfits: Naomi Osaka’s heartfelt letter about postpartum and recovering from giving birth is a must-read for tennis fans, mothers and anyone who needs to understand that the secret to resilience lies in acknowledging vulnerability.
Why do clowns and waxy skin terrify people? Why are we fascinated by things that creep us out? Why do inanimate approximations of human beings stir in us feelings of uncanny dread? Read this fascinating essay on fear and Freud.