Biolab Monkeys Escape

Hi Global Recap readers,

Now, the US government cannot blame China for releasing COVID-19 from its biolab without sounding hypocritical.

💭 Why? Because a similar incident just happened in the United States—not with an invisible virus, but with flesh-and-blood monkeys that can run around and wreak havoc.

🫢 Sounds scary, right? But according to officials, there’s nothing to worry about. Just lock your doors and windows, and you’ll be fine.

The Planet of the Apes, anyone?

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
43 Monkeys Escape Research Facility

Chaos erupted in South Carolina as 43 monkeys escaped from a bio research facility, prompting a frantic search by authorities.

Many are questioning whether the Planet of the Apes is coming.

The Great Monkey Escape

43 rhesus macaque monkeys broke free from an Alpha Genesis facility in Beaufort County.

• The young female monkeys, weighing around 6-7 lbs, had never been used for testing.

• Authorities set up traps and used thermal imaging cameras to locate the fugitive primates.

• Residents were warned to keep their doors and windows secure to prevent the monkeys from entering homes.

Facility's Response

Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard provided updates on the situation.

• He said the monkeys are staying close to the facility and are "being goofy monkeys jumping back and forth playing with each other."

• Westergaard acknowledged it would be a long process to get the monkeys back, as chasing them would only spook them further.

• He explained that a caretaker inadvertently failed to secure a door, allowing the monkeys to escape.

Previous Monkey Escapes

This isn't the first time monkeys have escaped from Alpha Genesis.

• 8 years ago, 19 primates escaped but were recaptured within 6 hours.

• Last year in Pennsylvania, dozens of lab monkeys escaped after a truck crash, but were all later accounted for.

Public Health Concerns

Authorities assured the public that there is no health risk associated with the escaped monkeys.

• The CDC confirmed the monkeys were previously "free-range" on an island before being brought to the facility.

• They stated the risk to the public is low as long as people do not approach or contact the monkeys.

So, no Planet of the Apes?

🇶🇦 QATAR
Qatar Kicks Out Hamas

So get this—shortly after Trump's election as the 47th president, Qatar told Hamas to pack up and leave their Doha office completely.

While a lot of people online are giving Trump's “looming presence” credit for this big change in Qatar's position, the Biden team is pushing back, saying they're actually the ones who made it happen.

Pressure from the US

According to senior Biden administration officials, the US informed Qatar that it would not be able to maintain "business as usual" with Hamas after the group's recent hostage executions and ceasefire rejections.

• The US had previously viewed Qatar's hosting of Hamas as an important communication channel.

• But the administration now sees the terror group's continued presence in Doha as "no longer viable or acceptable."

• The US also unsealed indictments against top Hamas leaders, including Khaled Meshaal, who resides in Qatar.

Qatar's Compliance

Qatar has agreed to kick out Hamas officials from the country, though details on the timeline are still being worked out.

• Qatar had previously indicated it would expel Hamas if the US made a formal request.

• The Gulf state has played a key mediating role in the Israel-Hamas conflict, but its ability to do so may be limited now.

• Congressional Republicans have criticized Qatar for not doing enough to pressure Hamas in the past.

Implications

The US hopes Hamas's expulsion from Doha will increase pressure on the terror group.

• Washington is continuing efforts to secure a hostage deal before Biden's term ends.

• But the administration acknowledges finding a new home for the Hamas leadership could be challenging, with potential landing spots like Turkey and Iran posing their own concerns.

🤔 Question: Why is the US concerned about finding a new home for a terrorist organization?

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Harris' $20M Concert Debt

Remember what I mentioned in yesterday's newsletter about the Harris campaign? The part about them racking up over $20 million in debt?

Well, The Kamala Harris campaign reportedly blew up to $20 million on election-eve concerts, leaving staff and vendors worried they will never get paid.

Concerts Galore

The Harris campaign organized a slew of concerts across swing states on the eve of the election.

• The lineup included heavy hitters like Jon Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga.

• The concerts were meant to "woo lower-propensity voters" and boost turnout.

• But the massive production costs - estimated between $15-20 million - ended up draining the campaign's coffers.

Budget Crunch

As the campaign realized their war chest was nearly depleted, they tried to scale back the concert plans.

• They had to cut Alanis Morissette's performance just two days before it was scheduled.

• Insiders say the campaign was "spending to zero" and ended up overshooting that mark.

• Ultimately, the Harris campaign finished the race over $20 million in debt.

Fallout and Finger-Pointing

The concert fiasco has sparked plenty of blame game within the defeated campaign.

• Some fault the decision-makers like Stephanie Cutter and David Plouffe for pushing the idea.

• Others point the finger at the campaign's operations chief for not raising concerns earlier.

🇺🇦 UKRAINE
Russia Ramps Up Aerial Attacks

In a continued assault on Ukraine, Russia has launched a series of devastating aerial strikes across the country.

Nighttime Bombardment

Russian missiles, bombs, and drones battered three regions of Ukraine in targeted overnight attacks.

• The strikes severely damaged a high-rise apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring at least 25 people.

• In Odesa, a drone attack killed one person and injured nine others.

• Falling missile debris in Kyiv injured four people.

Relentless Onslaught

Russia has significantly ramped up its drone and missile strikes on Ukraine in recent months.

• In October alone, Russia launched around 2,000 drones at Ukraine, a 33% increase from the previous month.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country needs more Western aid to counter Russia's military might.

Uncertainty Ahead

The election of Donald Trump as the next US president has raised doubts about Ukraine's future Western support.

• Zelensky expressed the importance of "decisive" international action to achieve "a just peace."

• However, a 'just peace' means very different things to Zelensky and Trump.

  • For Zelensky, it's straightforward: Russia withdraws completely, and Ukraine gets all its territory back.

  • Trump's idea of peace, however, is most likely to include the possibility of Ukraine giving up some territory to Russia.

🛑 However: One of the dangers of Trump’s possible approach is that this could send a dangerous message to other world leaders: Start a war, grab some land, then agree to a ceasefire - and you get to keep what you took.

Civilian Toll

The ongoing war has taken a devastating toll on Ukrainian civilians.

• Over 10,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia's full-scale invasion began nearly three years ago.

• The relentless aerial bombardment continues to terrorize and traumatize the Ukrainian people.

📊 Poll

🤔 Personally: I believe it does send a dangerous message. However, this also means more Ukrainians and Russians die in a meaningless war.

😯 So what’s the solution? 

• Provide Ukraine with military support to end the war quickly, even if it risks WWIII?

• Keep sending aid?

From what I can tell, the quickest way to end the war would be for Putin to back down or for Ukraine to give up some land. Right now, the latter seems more likely—unless the EU steps up with ongoing support before Trump likely stops funding Ukraine when he takes office.

If you have any other opinions, let us know!