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We can’t imagine the call included a lot of chitchat.
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Photo: Fatima Shbair / AP
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1. Strikes on aid workers, humanitarian situation in Gaza ‘unacceptable,’ Biden tells Netanyahu
During their “tense” phone call on Thursday, President Joe Biden also told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that U.S. policy in the Israel-Hamas war will be determined based on how concretely Israel acts to address civilian harm and the safety of aid workers.
The 30-minute call was the first time the two leaders have spoken since Israeli airstrikes on a World Central Kitchen convoy on Monday killed six workers and their driver.
Biden also impressed upon Netanyahu that an immediate cease-fire is necessary to stabilize the region and protect civilians.
Read the full White House statement on the leaders’ conversation.
In other Israel-Hamas news:
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2. America remains divided over war in Gaza — especially younger vs. older people
Americans are slightly more likely to say Israel has gone too far with its military action in the Gaza Strip (32%) than to say it’s justified (27%), according to a joint Chicago Council on Global Affairs/Ipsos survey released Thursday.
In the same survey — conducted in March among 1,024 American adults — this divide became more distinct when broken down by generation, with most people in the Silent generation surveyed (55%) saying that Israel’s military actions are justified. That number is far higher than the 14% of Gen Z-ers, 18% of Millennials, and 29% of Gen X respondents who say the same.
It’s worth noting, however, that the youngest two generations especially had a far higher rate of respondents who said they don’t know enough about the conflict to have an opinion.
Another survey, published by Pew earlier this week, found an even greater distinction in opinions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war in younger vs. older people.
For example, a third of adults under 30 said their sympathies lie entirely or mostly with Palestinian people, whereas 47% of people aged 65 and older said their sympathies lie entirely or mostly with the Israeli people.
See the full results of the Council/Ipsos and Pew surveys.
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3. Amazon has reduced plastic packaging globally — mostly in countries where it has to
Amazon used 11.6% less plastic globally in 2022 than in 2021. But, according to a report released Thursday, reductions largely took place in countries where the online retailer has to comply with laws that restrict some plastic packaging, or countries that threatened to enact such laws.
Much of Amazon’s plastic reduction has been in India and the European Union, both of which have plastic packaging regulations in place, the report found.
India passed regulations in 2021 banning single-use plastics, and the EU has had plastic waste regulations in place for years, including one that says plastic plastic packaging should be reduced across the EU by 55% by 2030. The EU is also in the middle of revamping these laws to include provisions like making all packaging recyclable by 2030.
By contrast, in the U.S., where no such federal laws exist, Amazon created more plastic waste from packaging in 2022 than it did in 2021: 208 million pounds, an increase of 9.6%.
In the U.S., the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act was introduced in the Senate in October, but it has not been acted on since.
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In other news
- On Wednesday, Zimbabwe joined Zambia and Malawi in declaring a state of disaster due to a drought that’s taken over southern Africa. While making the announcement, President Emmerson Mnangagwa also asked for $2 billion in aid. [SkyNews]
- Today is day 45 of the South Korean doctors strike, and it’s not looking any better than day 44: After meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, the doctors’ negotiator said on Facebook, “There is no future for medical care in Korea.” [Reuters]
- Support is building in Africa and the Caribbean for the creation of a U.N. tribunal that would address atrocities suffered by people within the transatlantic slave trade and discuss reparations for their descendants. [Reuters]
- Tree felling, well, fell in Brazil and Colombia last year due to political action in both countries, according to a new analysis, with deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon down a whopping 39%. However, tree losses were up globally due to last year’s Canadian wildfires. [BBC]
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Say that again
“After [I got] the glasses, the average time that I take for each task has reduced significantly. And I can do more work ... [and] I have this sense of independence.”
That’s Bangladeshi farmer Jasmin Atker, whose life improved — and income increased greatly — after she got a pair of simple reading glasses. (Yes, the glasses that people in the U.S. can pick up at a drugstore.)
While reading glasses aren’t as readily available outside the U.S., a study published Wednesday found that they can boost earnings by 33% in low-income communities. [NPR]
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Can we thrift our way out of the climate crisis?
In short, definitely not. But how big of an effect does buying secondhand have? Blue Marble’s AJ Caughey explains.
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What we’re listening to
Today, in an effort to combat the gray Chicago sky, I’ve been listening to “Ebo Taylor and The Pelikans” from the selfsame Ghanaian funk and highlife musician.
Originally released in 1976, the album is one of the rarer releases among Taylor’s catalog, marking the first time he sang on any tracks, including on the funk anthem “Come Along.” For my money, though, opening tune “Enye Nyame Nko” is more likely to put you in a sunny mood.
—Laura Adamczyk, staff writer
Thanks for reading. We’ll see you tomorrow.
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Hope O'Dell contributed writing and reporting to today's newsletter. Questions, comments, or corrections? Email us at theoverview@globalaffairs.org.
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