House OKs TikTok Ban

Hi Global Recap readers,

Uranus was discovered on this day by Sir William Herschel in 1781.

It is the seventh planet from the Sun, and its name inspired the name of the radioactive element uranium when it was discovered a few years later in 1789.

Now, in today’s atomic age, it has given us an abundance of both productive and destructive energy.

No, I am not letting the joke rip.

US

House OKs TikTok Ban

The US House voted to ban TikTok unless it separates itself from its Chinese parent company - ByteDance.

• 🔒 Security. The bill targets TikTok due to fears that Chinese laws may force ByteDance to surrender US user data, posing a national security threat.

• 🗽 Rights. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) contests the bill, citing a Montana court’s block of a state TikTok ban as evidence of its unconstitutionality.

• 🏛️ Politics. Amidst the 2024 elections, politicians including Biden utilize TikTok for outreach, complicating the ban’s prospects.

MTG

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has articulated compelling arguments against the bill.

• Instituting a precedent for prohibiting social media platforms could potentially empower politicians to outlaw other platforms they perceive as threats, thereby curtailing free speech.

• If an American company does end up purchasing TikTok, the question arises: Can we confidently entrust the sensitive data of millions of Americans to this new owner?

Was Congresswoman Greene genuinely expressing her views, or was she swayed by Trump’s flip-flopping?

• During his presidency, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting TikTok unless it was bought by a US company.

• But recently, he’s reversed his stance:

Click for more

LITHUANIA

Hammer Attack on a Putin Critic

Leonid Volkov, a Russian activist and previously the chief of staff for Alexey Navalny, was attacked with a hammer and tear gas outside his residence in Lithuania.

• 🚑 Response. Following the attack, authorities and medical services were promptly alerted and dispatched to provide assistance.

• 🚨 Context. The attack occurred just a few days prior to the scheduled Russian presidential election (Mar. 15-17).

• 🔍 Investigation. The incident is under investigation, with details emerging as the situation develops.

Here’s a crazy speculation… Could it be Putin?

Click for more

RUSSIA

Election Amidst Drone Strikes

Russian territories experienced a wave of drone strikes, allegedly by Ukrainian forces, aimed at hindering the upcoming presidential elections.

• 💬 Putin’s Stance. President Putin claims the attacks are an attempt to “interfere with the normal process of expressing the will of citizens,” and reiterated Russia’s readiness to use nuclear weapons if necessary.

• 🔍 Scrutiny. You can find numerous videos of oil refineries and facilities ablaze on X.

Click for more

EU

AI Rules the World

The European Union’s parliament has endorsed the world’s first major set of regulatory ground rules to govern artificial intelligence.

• 🚦 Regulation. The EU AI Act categorizes AI technologies based on risk levels, from “unacceptable” to low hazard, aiming to ban or regulate accordingly.

• 🌐 Global Impact. This pioneering legislation could set a precedent for international AI governance, influencing global tech policy.

• 🔍 Oversight. However, implementation remains a challenge, with staggered enforcement beginning in 2025 and the need for businesses to work closely with lawmakers who are trying to regulate them.

Will this act set a global standard?

Click for more

HAITI

US Sends Marine Unit to Haiti

The US deployed a Marine anti-terrorism unit to Haiti to safeguard the US Embassy in the country, reflecting the country’s deteriorating security situation.

• 🔒 Context. This comes amidst escalating gang violence and Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation on the condition that a transitional government be installed.

• 💰 Aid. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a $100 million multinational force deployment and an additional $33 million in humanitarian aid.

Click for more