diplomatic set piece –It’s just a game, right? Today’s World Cup matchup between the United States and Iran is much more than that. It’s a testament to the global football tournaments that have proved nearly impossible to separate from global politics this year.
The resulting 1-0 victory for the United States caused a convulsion of joy and relief among American soccer fans. The United States has ruled out his 2018 World Cup qualification after a humiliating loss to Trinidad and Tobago, who were ranked 99th in the world at the time, but the U.S. men’s team is now out of the group stage. We’re in the top 16.
In a tournament where politics has always played a leading role, today’s match ranks among the most politicized to date. The 2022 World Cup has already been plagued by allegations of corruption within the competition’s governing body, FIFA. I am worried about the deaths of migrants in host country Qatar while the stadium is being built. Ongoing protests from multiple teams against Qatar’s anti-gay laws. Tournament favorites Brazil have wrestled with controversy over superstar Neymar’s endorsement of far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who was defeated in the recent Brazilian presidential election.
But tensions between geopolitical rivals the United States and Iran have heightened tensions. is
“There are many Iranians who feel clearly resentful of the national team for some of the signs of loyalty to the system,” said vice-president Suzanne Maloney. It’s impossible to avoid it.” He is also the director of the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy Program and has advised both Democratic and Republican administrations on Iran policy. “[The national team] I met with the President before leaving for Doha. And those photos caused a backlash. ”
But in Qatar, many of the Iranian teams chose not to sing the national anthem before their first match against England last week. threatened with “violence and torture” if they took part in further protests against the regime.
But heading into today’s match, it was the long history between the United States and Iran that took center stage. Discussions about both teams’ starting line-ups and the tactics they use were overshadowed by discord between the two countries.
At the pre-match press conference, Iran’s state-run journalists (and technically independent but regime-supervised Iranian journalists) spoke out about perceived injustice in the United States, US captain Tyler He lashed out at Adams and coach Greg Verhalter.
Among other questions, reporters asked Berhalter why he didn’t ask the US government to “take a military fleet out of the Persian Gulf” and why people with Iranian passports couldn’t travel to the US. After being scolded by a reporter for mispronouncing “Iran”, Adams was asked if he felt uncomfortable as a black person representing a country with a history of discrimination against black people.
Meanwhile, the United States Soccer Federation removed the Islamic Republic symbol from Iran’s flag after images on social media exacerbated the situation and were taken down. In response, Iran’s football federation called on the United States to be expelled from the World Cup.
As an indication of the stakes of the game, A sign was placed on the north lawn of the White House Before the game, he showed his support for the US team. President Joe Biden, who is not a prominent football fan, even thought it fit to comment after the win: united states of america! It’s a big game, man…they did it, God loves them.
Politics aside, the US victory helped ensure that their “golden generation” of young stars was authentic and mature. It wasn’t a defeat. The country’s highly talented national team was suddenly knocked out of the World Cup during a period of domestic turmoil.
“For Iranians, estrangement from Washington essentially shaped their future,” Maloney said. “There is a certain sensation. I imagine the bitterness associated with loss.”
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“Real Majority” — If Rafael Warnock wins Georgia next week, Democrats will win more than a seat in the Senate. Burgess Everett.
Warnock and Republican opponent Herschel Walker’s runoff vote on December 6 will be a very important individual Senate election, one that will determine whether the House will remain evenly divided, and Joe Manchin will be elected again. We are close to getting the deciding vote for the Democrats and control for the Republican Party.
A victory in Warnock would give Democrats a solid lead in nearly every corner of the Senate, from committees to the floor, while improving the party’s defenses ahead of a tough map in 2024.
Georgia is a prime example of the ability of a single race to reshape the composition of the Senate, even if it doesn’t determine a majority. Over the course of two years, we have learned that 50-seat dominance is a big limitation. The Senate floor and only one rogue Democrat can step on the brakes.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, with 51 seats, was finally able to adopt a more efficient tactical hold on the floor, and the committee’s Democratic majority decided which candidate and legislation would be passed across the Senate. can function with greater impunity in deciding who is sent to
“There’s probably more difference between 50 and 51 than any other two numbers in this place,” said Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut).
rest in peace – Rep. Donald McKeechin has died, his office said Monday. he was 61 years old.
McKeechin, whose constituency is based in the state capital, Richmond, was re-elected earlier this month with 64% of the vote against Republican challenger Leon Benjamin. After serving in the Virginia Senate and House of Representatives, he was first elected to the House in 2016, David Cohen writes.
His replacement in the Democratic-strong district will be determined by a special election, on a date chosen by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. In a statement Monday night, Youngkin said McKeechin “worked tirelessly to improve the lives of voters.”
— A jury found Oathkeepers guilty of a seditious conspiracy. A jury has found Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rose guilty of masterminding a conspiracy to violently overturn the transfer of power from Donald Trump to Biden, accusing him of sedition against the U.S. government. discovered to be involved in a conspiracy. The jury also found Rhodes’ ally Kelly Meggs, leader of the Florida His Oath His Keepers, guilty of seditious conspiracy. However, the jury acquitted three co-defendants who joined Rhodes in the conspiracy: Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell. Convicted of a felony.
— Mark Meadows was ordered to testify in the Trump investigation: The South Carolina Supreme Court has unanimously ordered former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to testify before an Atlanta-area grand jury investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn the Georgia election. . “We have reviewed the arguments raised by [Meadows] A South Carolina Supreme Court Justice wrote in a brief opinion:
— McConnell won’t say whether he’ll endorse Trump in 2024: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell today declined to say whether he would support Trump if he wins the Republican nomination in 2024. There is absolutely no room for anti-Semitism or white supremacy,” McConnell told reporters. “That would apply to any leader within the party seeking office.”
— Twitter will stop enforcing its Covid-19 misinformation policy. Twitter will no longer stop users from spreading false information about the Covid-19 virus or vaccine, according to an update to its content moderation policy. Another big change under new owner Elon Musk. His Covid-19 misinformation page on Twitter has been updated to add a note that after November 23, the platform will no longer enforce policies against the spread of misleading information about viruses and vaccines. This has resulted in over 11,000 account suspensions since 2020.
“WEAPONIZING WINTER” — The NATO military alliance and other Western officials today pledged to help Ukraine repair and defend critical energy infrastructure as Russia weaponizes its cold regions and Ukraine seeks faster assistance. writes Lili Bayer.
Russia’s bombing of key infrastructure across Ukraine has raised concerns about how civilians will cope with subzero temperatures this winter.
But the Kremlin’s tactics have also created a new set of challenges for its Ukrainian partners.
Many Western governments want to help rebuild Kyiv’s infrastructure, but there is a risk that Russia could target the refurbished site again. At the same time, it is difficult to find some spare parts that will help repair the Ukrainian system.
While providing Ukraine with more air defenses has become a key priority for Western governments, there is a recognition that not all infrastructure can be protected in such a large country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “trying to weaponize winter. He is trying to freeze Ukrainians or force them to flee,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today.
food rules — When Kenya’s new president William Ruto took office in September, he moved quickly to lift a ban on genetically engineered crops in an effort to address food shortages in the country. What started as an attempt to do so has turned into many other problems. Kenyan farmers are growing disgruntled, and Ruto’s opponents are going on the offensive, calling him a “puppet of the West.” Read the Muchira Gachange report from digital outlet Semafor. This report contains a nugget on how Bill Gates got involved in this issue.
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