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Far-Right Breakthrough In German Election

Your unbiased daily news brief

Author

James Kratch
September 02, 2024

Good Monday morning. It's Labor Day; here is a rundown of the businesses that are open today. Have a great holiday!

In Today’s Brief

  • Bus crash: Bad tires

  • Pope Francis: Long tour

  • Trump: Arlington fallout

  • Hotels: Workers strike

  • NFL: Player shot

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Historic result

Germany was roiled by a political event not seen since World War II.

  • The news: Alternative for Germany (AfD) leads the state parliamentary elections in the eastern region of Thuringia, according to exit polls. AfD was also running close to the rival Christian Democrats in Saxony; that race was too close to call. AfD's anticipated win will be the first by a far-right party in a German election since 1945.

  • The significance: AfD was founded about a decade ago and has made immigration its chief agenda item. Some of its branches are considered extremist groups by the German intelligence community. The lead candidate in Thuringia has been fined for using a Nazi slogan while campaigning. AfD has also faced accusations of antisemitism and Russian sympathizing.

  • Big picture: AfD will likely be blocked from any governing coalitions. But its success is a red flag for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who faces re-election next year, and it could have legislative might when it comes to decisions that require a two-thirds majority. The victory comes amid a wave of stabbing attacks involving migrants.

2) Tragic incident

A NHL star and his brother were killed in New Jersey last Thursday night.

  • What happened: Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, also a professional hockey player, were riding bikes around 8:30 p.m. on a South Jersey road near their hometown when an SUV hit them from behind after reckless driving. Both men died of injuries on the scene. The driver that hit them was allegedly drunk; he faces vehicular homicide charges.

  • On the ice: Johnny Gaudreau, 31, won the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best college player in the country, at Boston College. He was a seven-time all-star, spending nine seasons with the Calgary Flames before the last two with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matthew Gaudreau, 29, also played at BC and in the minor leagues.

  • Survived by: Johnny Gaudreau leaves behind a wife and two small children. Matthew Gaudreau's wife is pregnant with their first child; he was also a head hockey coach at Gloucester Catholic High, his alma mater. The brothers were in New Jersey to attend their sister's wedding.

3) Trial balloon

Russian President Vladimir Putin is rolling the dice. Well, sort of.

  • The news: Putin is scheduled to visit Mongolia tomorrow. The Russian leader will hold talks with President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and attend a ceremony commemorating the 85th anniversary of the Soviet-Mongolian victory over Japan in the battles of Khalkhin Gol.

  • At issue: This will be Putin's first trip to an International Criminal Court member nation since a warrant for his arrest was issued last year related to the invasion of Ukraine. Mongolia could theoretically detain him; Ukraine has called for that. However, the ICC has no enforcement mechanism, and Mongolia is presumed to have assured the Kremlin that Putin can visit safely.

  • Big picture: Mongolia is landlocked between China and Russia and gets almost all its fuel from the Russians. It is unlikely to perturb Beijing and/or Moscow. But it has also sought to strengthen ties with the U.S. and the West, so this is a tough situation for the country.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

  • Poor tires likely caused a fatal bus accident in Mississippi, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Seven people died and 37 were injured when a commercial bus overturned early Saturday morning; the deceased were from Mexico (More)

  • Florida wildlife officials busted an illicit saw palmetto berry harvesting ring. The fruit is promoted as a dietary supplement and the plants are a food source and habitat for over 200 species; over 10K pounds were recovered and seven people were arrested (More)

  • The city of Los Angeles will pay a $9.5M settlement to the family of a woman killed in a 2018 police shootout with a gunman at a Trader Joe's. The father and brother of Melyda Corado sued for wrongful death and alleged civil rights violations (More)

World News

  • Pope Francis will begin the most ambitious trip of his papacy today. The 87-year-old pontiff will visit East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore, traveling almost 21K miles over 11 days despite recent health struggles (More)

  • Israel recovered the bodies of six Hamas hostages in Gaza, including an American citizen. Officials said they were executed; protests broke out pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire deal in the enclave (More)

  • Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his nation needs $100B in foreign investment as it targets 8% annual economic growth, double the current rate. The country has double-digit inflation and unemployment as it struggles with international sanctions; Pezeshkian is viewed as a reformist (More)

Campaign News

  • Former President Donald Trump claimed the families of fallen service members requested photos at Arlington National Cemetary. His campaign has been engulfed in controversy after staffers had an altercation with a U.S. Army official; Trump has been accused of violating federal law with political activities at the site (More)

  • New Jersey State Sen. Nellie Pou will replace late Rep. Bill Pascrell as the Democratic candidate in the state's 9th Congressional District. Pascrell died last week at 87; Pou would be the state's first Latina in Congress (More)

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suing to have his name removed from North Carolina's ballot. The former independent presidential candidate said the state is violating his freedom of speech; election officials contend reprinting new ballots would cost six figures (More)

Business & Markets

  • Major indexes closed higher on Friday. Core personal consumption expenditure prices increased 0.2% MoM in July and 2.6% YoY (Dow +0.55%, Nasdaq +1.13%, S&P 500 +1.01%).

  • About 10K hotel workers went on strike yesterday at two dozen hotels in eight U.S. cities. Another 5K UNITE HERE union members have already authorized a work stoppage; the workers are fighting for hire wages and to reverse staff cuts (More)

  • The Canadian government is unlikely to intervene if Air Canada's pilots go on strike. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon did step in last week to end a worker lockout by the country's two largest rail companies; the roughly 5.4K pilots could hit the picket line as soon as Sept. 18 (More)

Entertainment & Sports

  • San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is out of the hospital after being shot during an attempted robbery. The first-round pick was wounded in the chest, but his mother said the bullet exited his back and did not hit any organs (More)

  • The Apprentice made its U.S. debut at the Telluride Film Festival. The controversial film about former President Donald Trump's rise in New York real estate is expected to have a theatrical release in October (More)

  • Convicted fraudster Anna Delvey will reportedly be on Dancing with the Stars. She spent four years in prison after impersonating a German heiress and bilking New York socialites out of thousands of dollars; Delvey was the subject of Netflix's Inventing Anna miniseries (More)

Quick Hitters

  • Very Cute: An orphaned baby elephant stumbled on her morning run. But with some encouragement from conservation workers, she picked herself up and kept going. The video is adorable.

  • Go Deep: Testing new vaccines and treatments can take decades. Scientists are controversially working to expedite the investigatory process by infecting volunteers with potentially deadly diseases.

  • Take Note: Don't feel bad if you only work out outside the work week. A new study found "weekend warriors" who hit recommended exertion levels enjoy the same health benefits as those who spread their exercise out.

  • Pet Hack: Your dog's collar is likely filthy and could lead to health and skin issues. Here are some tips on cleaning it, depending on the material.

  • Life Hack: Having low battery life on your phone is never fun, but it is a particular pain when traveling. Here are ways to ensure you do not inadvertently drain more power than necessary.

Newgate Prison is arguably the most notorious building in the history of London.

Looking Ahead …

Boeing will try to fly the much-maligned Starliner spacecraft back to Earth on Friday without a crew. NASA said it was too risky to carry astronauts due to thruster failures; the result of the trip back could play a major role in determining whether the aerospace giant's commercial crew program will continue.

Question of the Day — Monday Trivia

Who was the first U.S. president to visit all 50 states?

Make your pick

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Friday’s results:

Should airports have an alcohol limit for passengers before takeoff?

  • Yes (85%)

  • No (15%)