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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Political tumult in Seoul: “For decades, South Korea was an example of a vibrant democracy and economy. On Friday, the key United States ally was in uncharted territory when legislators voted to impeach the acting president less than two weeks after ousting the country’s previous leader.”
* In the Baltic Sea: “Finland has seized an oil tanker suspected of having severed undersea power and internet cables, with Finnish authorities saying the vessel may have been part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of ships aimed at skirting Western sanctions.”
* Speaking of alleged Russian wrongdoing: “An investigation into the deadly crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in Kazakhstan earlier this week suggests the crash came after the passenger plane experienced ‘physical and technical external interference,’ the carrier said Friday. ... According to a U.S. official, early evidence indicated the plane may have been struck by a Russian anti-aircraft system.”
* Meanwhile, in Ukraine: “Many Ukrainians were celebrating without heat or power after Russia launched a Christmas Day attack on the country’s energy infrastructure, an act that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as ‘inhuman.’”
* It doesn’t have to be this way: “Homelessness rose 18% in the U.S. this year as the affordable housing crisis, inflation, stagnant wages and natural disasters pummeled communities across the country, federal officials said Friday. More than 771,000 people — or about 23 of every 10,000 — experienced homelessness when the national count was conducted in January, according to an annual report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.”
* The long-awaited veto: “President Joe Biden has vetoed bipartisan legislation that would have added dozens of new federal judge positions in the coming years. The president had threatened to veto the bill because he didn’t want to give the president-elect new appointment opportunities, according to one of the outgoing president’s closest allies.”
* A preliminary victory for librarians and booksellers from an Obama-appointed judge: “A federal judge has struck down portions of an Arkansas law that could have sent librarians and booksellers to prison for providing material that might be considered harmful to minors. The ruling by Judge Timothy Brooks of the U.S. District Court, in the Western District of Arkansas, is certain to be appealed.”
* The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is getting real work done before the second Trump administration begins: “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is suing Walmart and a financial technology firm, alleging they illegally forced drivers into using costly deposit accounts to receive their pay.”
* Our intensifying climate emergency: “2023 was a chart-topper. A surge in global temperatures made it the hottest year since record-keeping began in the mid-1800s, producing heat that one scientist called ‘gobsmackingly bananas.’ Then came 2024. Scientists say this year is almost certain to take over the top spot as the hottest year.”
Have a safe weekend.