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| Happy Juneteenth, Insiders! We invite you to reflect on the importance of this (relatively new) federal holiday, which celebrates the end of chattel slavery in Texas after the American Civil War. As well as celebrating Juneteenth, today's newsletter explores scientific efforts to develop human embryos from stem cells and a Russian plot to assassinate a former Russian spy living in Florida. Your faithful IDB writer, Daniel
p/Dan-Smith | |
| 1 | | Today marks the third year in which Juneteenth has been a federal holiday in the U.S. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in Galveston, Texas, in 1865; two years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved Black people in Confederate territory. More: - On June 19, 1865, ~2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced that the 250,000+ enslaved Black people in the state would be freed.
- The Juneteenth celebration started in Texas and spread to other U.S. states during the 20th Century as the Black population migrated beyond the South.
- Texas made Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980.
- When Juneteenth was made a federal holiday in 2021, a Gallup poll found that only 37% of U.S. adults knew at least something about Juneteenth.
- By 2022, that number was 60%.
- Leslie Wilson, a history professor at Montclair State University, said that the holiday symbolizes "the transition from slavery to freedom."
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What the numbers say: 261,000 Americans filed new weekly unemployment claims in the week ending June 3, the most in nearly two years. Relevance: The uptick in new unemployment claims signals that more firms are laying off workers. The unemployment rate grew to 3.7% in May, from 3.4% in April, and the latest unemployment data shows that layoffs have continued even though the economy added 339,000 new jobs in May. What's Next: If unemployment and layoffs continue rising in June, the Federal Reserve may decide to keep interest rates flat again next month. | | | |
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| 3 | | Russian intelligence botched an attempt to assassinate a Russian C.I.A. informant who lived in Florida in 2020, according to a newly published book. The assassination plot, which was unknown to the public until the book's publication, led the U.S. to impose sanctions on Russia and expel 10 Russian diplomats in April 2021. More: - The book, "Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West," was written by Harvard scholar Calder Walton.
- According to Walton, former Russian intelligence officer Aleksandr Poteyev gave information to the F.B.I. that led to the arrest of 11 Russian spies living under deep cover across the eastern U.S. in 2010.
- After the spies were expelled, Poteyev was resettled within the U.S. under a C.I.A. protection program.
- In 2016, Poteyev registered to vote and obtained a fishing license in the Miami area.
- Two years later, a news outlet reported on his whereabouts.
- Russian intelligence then blackmailed a Mexican scientist named Hector Alejandro Cabrera Fuentes into visiting the Miami apartment complex where Poteyev lived to obtain information about his vehicle.
- Security cameras captured video of Fuentes' wife taking pictures of Poteyev's car, and the two were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol when they attempted to fly back to Mexico.
Zoom Out: - After uncovering the plot, the U.S. expelled 10 Russian diplomats and the chief of station for the S.V.R. Russian intelligence agency.
- In response, Russia expelled 10 American diplomats, including the C.I.A.'s chief of station in Moscow.
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| 4 | | Two separate teams of scientists claim to have grown embryo-like structures from human stem cells without sperm or eggs. The efforts, which are documented in preprint studies that have not yet been peer-reviewed, raise concerns about the ethical and regulatory dilemmas around making human life in a laboratory. More: - In both studies, researchers allowed human embryonic stem cells to self-assemble into embryo-like structures.
- In order to facilitate that formation, some of the cells were converted into cells resembling those in a placenta; while others were made to resemble the cells that compose the yolk sac that forms outside of a natural embryo.
- Both research teams said that the lab-grown embryos showed structures and gene transcription profiles that would normally be seen in human embryos at the gastrulation stage that follows 6-14 days after fertilization.
- Both studies claim to have developed the most advanced embryo-like structures using stem cells.
- Developmental biologist Alfonso Martinez Arias said the new studies do not posit the creation of actual embryos, but rather "masses of cells separated into compartments, but no embryo-like organization."
Zoom Out: - Research on human embryos typically follows the norm of not allowing embryos to be cultured in a lab for more than 14 days.
- Some countries have laws strictly barring this, while researchers in countries without such bans follow the rule more informally.
- Some researchers have called for a redefinition of what constitutes an embryo, arguing that the use of embryo models ― as in the two new studies ― is designed to circumvent the 14-day rule.
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| 5 | | The Australian Senate voted 52-19 to hold a constitutional referendum later this year on whether to add an Indigenous Voice to the country's parliament. Unlike elected members of parliament, the Voice would not be able to vote on legislation. More: - Activists say the Voice could help to improve living standards for Indigenous people, who have long been economically and politically disadvantaged.
- Opposition spokesperson Michaelia Cash said the bill would "irrevocably change this nation's constitution in a way that will destroy one of our most fundamental values: equality of citizenship."
- Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe, who is Indigenous, said she would oppose the bill because the Voice would be "powerless."
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who supports the referendum, said he would hold meetings with Indigenous leaders before setting a date for the vote.
Zoom Out: - The idea for the Voice was first proposed by a group of 250 Indigenous leaders in 2017.
- Indigenous people represent 3.2% of Australia's population.
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| 6 | | Chilean President Gabriel Boric has urged Codelco, the country's state-owned copper mining firm, to play a leading role in lithium extraction. In April, Boric gave Codelco, which is the world's largest copper producer, the authority to negotiate contracts with new and current lithium mining firms. More: - Codelco is trying to get lithium firms to agree to voluntary state-controlled partnerships before their existing mining contracts expire.
- One source told Reuters that Codelco may just contribute capital to lithium mining projects while allowing private firms to manage operations.
- Chairman Maximo Pacheco said Codelco will wait to see how the negotiations go before expanding its lithium team.
- The new focus on lithium comes after Codelco's copper output fell by 10% in 2022.
Zoom Out: - Demand for lithium, a key component of rechargeable batteries, is booming as carmakers turn their focus to electric vehicles.
- Chile, as well as neighboring Argentina and Bolivia, have huge lithium deposits.
- Chile is the world's second-largest producer of lithium after Australia.
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- Lauren Davila, a graduate student at the College of Charleston, found evidence of the largest-known slave auction in U.S. history. According to newspaper advertisements, 770 slaves were available for sale during a four-day auction in Charleston in February 1835.
- U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday. Both parties described the talks as positive and said they want to improve bilateral relations.
- France aims to become Europe's AI hub, President Emmanuel Macron said. France will face stiff competition from the U.K. and Germany, which are also trying to attract AI investments.
- The BlackCat ransomware group is threatening to release 80 gigabytes of confidential data that was stolen from Reddit if the company doesn't pay a $4.5M ransom and agrees to withdraw its controversial new pricing program.
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 | Writer | | Dr. Daniel Smith is an Inside writer with a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. Follow him on Twitter @DJS12321 or email him at Daniel@inside.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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