Trump Shouldn’t Make Another Iran Mistake in Cuba

Source: The American Conservative
by Chris McCallion & Daniel R DePetris

“Even as the Trump administration doubles down on its failed Iran war, it’s also laying the groundwork for military action much closer to home, in Cuba. The Trump administration claims Cuba is a nefarious presence in the Western Hemisphere and a local proxy for Russia and China. Now it seems intent on toppling the Havana government. … There’s a better alternative to Washington’s failed hardline policy. The United States could normalize relations with Cuba, an act that would increase trade, strengthen tourism, and open up Cuba to further liberalization and internal reform. This is precisely what the Obama administration began pursuing in its second term, a process aborted in President Donald Trump’s first year in office in favor of the kind of ‘maximum pressure’ policy he pursued against Iran. We know how well that turned out.” (08/17/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/trump-shouldnt-make-another-iran-mistake-in-cuba/

Thomas L. Knapp

Paramount seeks $1.88 billion bond from state AGs to cover costs of WBD merger delay

Source: CNBC

“Paramount Skydance will seek to force the states holding up its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery to pay for the fees and costs associated with the delay, according to a new filing in the antitrust case Monday. Paramount is requesting a $1.88 billion bond that would be paid by the states behind the lawsuit. In July, a dozen state attorneys general led by California’s Rob Bonta filed to challenge the proposed $110 billion merger between Paramount and WBD. … ‘By the time trial concludes and the parties submit their final briefs, Paramount will have paid Warner Bros. shareholders an unrecoverable $1.3 billion in ticking fees alone,’ Paramount said in the filing. ‘Delay also threatens to nullify the regulatory approvals that Defendants have already spent months securing. … That is precisely why federal law requires plaintiffs to provide security as a condition for receiving preliminary relief such as the court-approved order,’ the filing says.” (08/17/26)

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/17/paramount-bond-merger-delay-costs.html

Thomas L. Knapp

China and the Uyghurs: Truth vs. Tall Tales

Source: The Realist Review
by Stephan Ossenkopf

“Western media coverage is full of horror stories about the alleged repressive treatment by the Chinese leadership of Muslim Uyghurs in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang. It is rife with allegations, speculation, and accusations. But who really knows anything about the situation on the ground and is aware of where this slander originates, whether there are evidentiary sources for it, and what purpose it truly serves?” (08/17/26)

https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/china-and-the-uyghurs-truth-vs-tall

Thomas L. Knapp

Brazil’s Election: Lula, Bolsonaro, and the Battle for the Future

Source: Common Dreams
by Medea Benjamin

“This week marks the beginning of Brazil’s presidential campaign, with the two front-runners—current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro—officially launching their campaigns. After visiting Brazil and talking with politicians, activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens, I came away with the conviction that this is one of the most consequential presidential elections in Brazil’s recent history. The outcome on October 4 will shape not only Brazil’s future but also the political direction of Latin America. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, now 80 years old, is seeking a fourth presidential term. Brazil’s Constitution allows presidents to serve only two consecutive terms, but they may run again after sitting out at least one term. That is how Lula returned to office in 2023 after governing from 2003 to 2010.” (08/17/26)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/brazil-election-lula-bolsonaro

Steve Trinward

Chinese team aims to put “smart” diabetes probiotic on US shelves within two years

Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]

“Chinese researchers have engineered a probiotic that could make diabetes care as simple as drinking a cup of yogurt or swallowing a capsule. The ‘smart’ bacterium, designed to sense high blood sugar and automatically release a glucose-lowering hormone, performed on par with the blockbuster drug Ozempic in animal tests, according to a study published in Nature last week. The team at East China Normal University in Shanghai has already filed patents and is now scaling up production to meet pharmaceutical standards for the US and European markets.” (08/17/26)

https://archive.is/Og48D

Thomas L. Knapp

Korea and Brazil at the Negotiating Table

Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott

“In the coming weeks, a delegation of South Korean food safety officials will take an extensive tour of Brazilian meat processing plants, checking everything from chilling temperatures and drainage to the paper trail that charts the meat’s journey. The mission of officials was agreed at a presidential summit in July 2026 and is, in every sense that matters, the trade negotiation in action. Long stalled, the Korea–Mercosur trade talks have been revived as each nation adapts to the shifting sands of the international order; but the gap between political theater and technical progress is unusually wide between the two sides.” (08/17/26)

https://fee.org/articles/korea-and-brazil-at-the-negotiating-table/

Thomas L. Knapp