May 7, 2024 - 5:00pm

→ Senior Democrat hints at US boots on the ground in Ukraine

Emmanuel Macron walked so that Hakeem Jeffries could run. Months after the French President turned himself into Europe’s hawk-in-chief on Ukraine, the US House Minority Leader has picked up the baton on the other side of the Atlantic. In a new 60 Minutes interview, Jeffries hit all the right (and familiar) notes on the need to support Ukraine. Accusing Republicans of harbouring a “growing pro-Putin faction”, the Democrat warned that Putin would “not stop” if he was successful in Ukraine before adding that the newly re-anointed Russian President wanted to “recreate the Soviet Union”.

 

Okay: nothing new there. But in the same interview, Jeffries also went on to suggest that boots on the ground were now an option. “There’s a significant likelihood that America will have to get into the conflict,” he said. “Not simply with our money but with our servicemen and servicewomen […] It’s a Churchill or Chamberlain moment.” Is this election-year sabre-rattling or is WWIII on its way?

→ Brits growing increasingly concerned with crime

Crime appears to be back on the agenda for British voters, as it creeps up the list of issues that the country is most concerned about. A poll from More In Common found that 20% of Britons think crime is one of the most important issues facing the country, the highest proportion in two years and a higher figure than for either climate change or affordable housing. Unsurprisingly, the two problems which topped the poll were the cost-of-living crisis followed by support for the NHS. There’s an election strategy in there somewhere.

Interestingly, further down the list of concerns was Brexit, which 8% of Brits think is still one of the most important issues facing the country — almost eight years after the referendum. Among other issues, the decision to leave the EU ranked above the conflict in the Middle East for voters. Maybe all this talk of a ceasefire has calmed some nerves…

→ CNN comes out in defence of ‘penis owners’

Uterus-havers appear to have overreacted about the erasure of “women”, per a new CNN article.

According to the piece, phrases such as “penis owner” and “pregnant person” can help create a sense of inclusion for those who are marginalised and vulnerable — an experience that women wouldn’t really understand, of course. The outlet defends such terms, explaining that sex is “assigned at birth based on biological characteristics of maleness or femaleness”, while gender is a “social construct” which any given culture may associate with biological sex.

Inclusive language is not just a matter of politeness — it’s a matter of medical accuracy, one Dr. Dennis Baron told CNN. His title isn’t derived from a medical degree, though: he’s actually an English professor. Rest assured, birthers.