The Wire Weekly Rollup - March 10-16, 2024

//The Wire Weekly Rollup//March 10-16, 2024//

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-International Events-

Haiti: This week marked a substantial increase in violence throughout the nation following an uprising that occurred as the Prime Minister departed the country for a state visit. Prime Minister Henry has since resigned. Over the past couple of weeks, much of the country has been in a state of bedlam as various gangs and local warlords vie for control. Currently, the main warlord that has succeeded in maintaining the most influence in Port-au-Prince is Jimmy Cherizier, an ex-police officer turned gang leader. Among the populace, Haitian society has devolved into even more desperation than in years past, with multiple reports of cannibalism in the capital city. The U.S. Embassy has evacuated non-essential personnel, and a USMC FAST team has been deployed to supplement the security teams in the vicinity of the Embassy in Port-au-Prince. A Kenyan-led peacekeeping mission is allegedly being prepared by the United Nations, but few details have emerged regarding this operation, or the timeline for deployment.

Middle East: Israeli PM Netanyahu has authorized the plans for the ground invasion of Rafah in Gaza.

Africa: Several nations along Africa’s west coast have observed internet connectivity problems arising from issues within the Africa to Europe (ACE) submarine cable network. AC: The cause of the outages has not yet been publicly disclosed.

-HomeFront-

USA: This week has been challenging for Boeing as nearly daily incidents have affected multiple Boeing platforms. Though increased scrutiny of aviation mishaps is likely contributing to a perceived increase in incidents, extenuating circumstances have tipped the scale of public opinion against Boeing. This week, Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in his vehicle as he was taking part in testimony against Boeing. Barnett, who had previously indicated concerns for his personal safety, has been the highest-profile whistleblower to highlight Boeing’s use of substandard parts in the construction of aircraft.

Washington D.C. – A report published this week by the Government Accountability Office has confirmed that video game companies are collaborating with federal agencies to identify and target “extremism”. The report also indicates that the end goals of this collaboration are unclear, and conducted without warrants.

Iowa: Tyson Foods announces the permanent closure of a large pork processing facility in Perry. The facility employs approximately 1,300 people and is scheduled to close in June. This follows Tyson’s announcement of plans to hire up to 52,000 illegal immigrants in New York.

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Analyst Comments: As Boeing remains in the media spotlight, it is challenging to determine if Boeing’s recent string of scandals are linked to a true increase in aviation mishaps, or the result of increased scrutiny. However, the highly suspicious death of a whistleblower while testifying against Boeing is not likely to result in the benefit of the doubt or good faith being granted to Boeing. Alternatively, it is important to remember that Boeing’s competitors are highly incentivized to amplify Boeing’s mishaps in the media.

Analyst: S2A1

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