RationalWiki:What is going on in the world?/January 2023

January 2023
[https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-vows-stop-gender-affirming-care-minors-re-elected-president-rcna68461 Donald Trump announces his plan to ban gender-affirming care and puberty blockers for minors nationwide, punish schools and teachers who raise the issue to students, and refocus education on traditional gender roles as part of his 2024 presidential campaign. He also suggested a federal law ensuring recognition for only two genders]. Bolsonaro applies for six-month US tourist visa  First openly gay (ex-)All Black comes out on national TV in New Zealand. For those in non-rugby playing nations - the All Blacks are the epitome of traditional male values, and the position of Prop in Rugby Union implies massive body and legs, no neck, and taking all the pressure from the opposing forward pack in a Scrum where the 8 forwards of each side push against each other. Most of the German population believes that the country should send tanks to Ukraine. The exceptions are those that support AfD and Die Linke.  Republican congressman George Santos performed as 'Kitara Ravache' in Brazil, say local drag queens. If the rest of the homophobic MAGA Dominionists he caucuses with still spoke to him before, this might be the final straw as they try to turn drag queens into yet another moral panic.  Satellite TV provider DirecTV has dumped Newsmax from its line-up of news channels, stating low viewing figures for the channel.  New (old) scapegoat? Putin targets LGBT in his new crackdown  Kevin McCarthy removes Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee. Also, Marjorie Taylor Greene is now on the COVID-19 subcommittee.  It has been revealed that the Paludan's stunt of burning the Qur'an outside the Turkish embassy to inflame Sweden's candidacy for NATO membership, was paid for by a far-right news website that is close to the Sweden Democrats.  After weeks of dithering, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has finally agreed to send Ukraine 14 Leopard 2 tanks and allow other nations to ship their German-made Leopard tanks as well.  The Doomsday Clock is now 90 seconds to midnight. Largely the result of the Russo-Ukrainian War, North Korean tests, and climate change. Whether this means anything objectively is anyone's guess. Another day in America: A mass shooting which allegedly targeted Asian Americans has killed at least 11 in Northern California. This is the 38th(!) mass shooting so far in 2023. [https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/jan-6-rioter-put-feet-desk-pelosis-office-convicted-counts-rcna66814 Richard Barnett, the Jan. 6 rioter who became famous for putting his feet on Speaker Pelosi's desk and stealing an envelope, is convicted on all eight charges brought against him. He is scheduled for sentencing on May 3].  [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/482829/who-is-chris-hipkins-set-to-become-new-zealand-s-newest-prime-minister Chris Hipkins has been put forward as the new leader of the New Zealand Labour party. He is set to replace Jacinda Ardern as prime minister.] US District Court orders Donald Trump to pay $937,989.39 to Hillary Clinton over frivolous lawsuits. [https://www.npr.org/2023/01/19/1150006177/debt-limit-ceiling-political-fight-janet-yellen The Treasury Department reports that the US has hit its debt limit, but House Republicans have vowed to block any increase without huge spending cuts. This sets the stage for a fight in Congress, a probable government shutdown, and a potential cataclysmic US default]. <vote poll=world3020933505260> Putin tried to blackmail Europe by cutting off Russian gas. But Europe successfully found alternatives and couldn't be blackmailed. <vote poll=world3020933505259> Jacinda Ardern [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/482724/live-jacinda-ardern-to-resign-as-prime-minister-in-february has announced she will be stepping down as Labour leader and prime minister of New Zealand on the 7th February. ] <vote poll=world3020933505258> Israel's new finance minister: "I'm a fascist homophobe but I won't stone gays" <vote poll=world3020933505257> Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, other Interior Ministry officials, and multiple civilians have been killed in a helicopter crash in an eastern suburb of Kyiv. <vote poll=world3020933505256>UK's Parliament has blocked Scotland's gender recognition bill, which would allow trans people in Scotland to change their legal gender without a medical diagnosis. <vote poll=world3020933505255> That coal protest from earlier? Greta Thunberg was detained by police there, though some people believe her arrest was staged. <vote poll=world3020933505254> Self-proclaimed "MAGA king", failed Republican candidate, and batshit crazy election denier arrested in New Mexico after multiple shootings targeting Democrats' homes <vote poll=world3020933505253> After shutting down most of its nuclear plants, Germany plans to destroy a village for a coal mine. Thousands are gathering to stop it. <vote poll=world3020933505251> The number of Poles that go to mass has fallen massively since the pandemic, from 37% in 2019 to just 28% in 2021. This continues the long-term trend of falling mass attendance since the 1980s, when it was 52.7% in 1981. <vote poll=world3020933505252> China confirms that its population numbers have fallen for the first time in 60 years, due to an aging population and lack of children. <vote poll=world3020933505250> Republican legislators in Wyoming have introduced a resolution that would ban electric vehicles by 2035. Update: It has died in committee.

<vote poll=world3020933505248>Sarah Huckabee Sanders bans ‘Latinx’ from use in government documents on first day as Arkansas governor <vote poll=world3020933505247> The Conservatives have decided to remove the whip (party affiliation) from MP Andrew Bridgen due to his COVID-19 anti-vax stance, in which compared vaccines to the Holocaust. This is despite getting the vaccine himself. <vote poll=world3020933505246> George Pell, the cardinal involved in a child abuse scandal that rocked the Roman Catholic Church in Australia, has died. <vote poll=world3020933505245> At least 17 dead in deadliest day of anti-government protests in Peru <vote poll=world3020933505244> “Diamond” of the conservative duo Diamond and Silk has died. She was 51 years old. <vote poll=world3020933505243> Neoconservative think tank Heritage Foundation spies on cell phones at migrant aid shelters and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities and traces their movements across the United States <vote poll=world3020933505242> Global heating has meant that snowfall is so low in the jet-set ski resort of Gstaad, they are having to helicopter in snow from elsewhere. <vote poll=world3020933505241> After a historic 15 rounds of voting, Trump henchman Kevin McCarthy has become Speaker of the House. <vote poll=world3020933505241> Supporters of recently-defeated former President Bolsonaro storm Congress and police respond with tear gas. <vote poll=world3020933505240> Degeneracy grows as British and American millennials become less conservative as they age compared to older generations <vote poll=world3020933505239>[https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/06/kansas-catholic-clergy-sexual-abuse-investigation-targets-14-suspects-prosecutions-unlikely/ The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has released the findings of its investigation into Catholic clerical child sexual abuse cases, referring 30 cases involving 14 clergy members to county prosecutors and finding that every diocese in Kansas violated their own policies regarding instances of abuse over decades by deleting records and transferring offenders to new parishes with continued financial support. At least 15 victims of abuse died by suicide since 1960. Unfortunately, prosecution is unlikely since Kansas has not eliminated the statute of limitations for child sex crimes prior to 2013]. <vote poll=world3020933505238>Rishi Sunak seems to go ahead with plans to undermine the right to withdraw labor as a form of protest. <vote poll=world3020933505237> The Supreme Court of South Carolina has struck down the state's abortion ban, saying it breaks the state's constitutional right to privacy.

<vote poll=world3020933505235> Ski's off; critical lack of snow in the Alps, record high temperatures across the continent only three days into the month. Slight upside; less energy usage, easing Putin-caused shortages.