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Today’s 3-by-3 travels across heightened attacks on schools in Myanmar, a rising battery storage industry in India, a near-upset for USA men’s basketball, and more. Let’s fly!

Politics

• Biden drops out and endorses Harris

After five decades of public service and amid considerable pressure from Democratic leadership, President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 race to focus on his remaining 6 months in the White House — endorsing his number two to become the Democratic nominee in an unprecedented move just over 100 days until the election. Vice President Kamala Harris has already raised $49.6 million in grassroots donations, received an endorsement from the Clintons, and begun calling many of the 4,700 Democratic delegates who will vote at next month's open convention (where she could still be challenged for the nomination). Since Biden’s alarming debate performance on June 27 left his party panicked and disorganized, leaders hope there is enough time to present a winning ticket against a strongly united Republican Party — with the most recent voter polls showing Harris slightly ahead of Biden but behind Trump by two points.

• School attacks increased by Myanmar’s civil war

Myanmar’s civil war began in 2021 when the military seized power from the democratic National Unity Government, and its surrounding violence has devasted the Southeast Asian nation’s education system — reportedly causing over 245 attacks on schools from 2022-2023 and over 570 children deaths, primarily through military airstrikes. According to the humanitarian organization Save the Children, about half of the country’s children (7.8 million) were not attending schools by mid-2022, with many choosing to avoid the safety risks and several others joining the resistance themselves. Thousands of teachers have abandoned their jobs to oppose military control as a “dual system” of government-run and externally sponsored schools takes effect, subjecting enrolled students on both ends to harassment if they are caught at an enemy checkpoint on their way.

• U.S. leads recovery efforts for Sudanese crisis

The United States has committed an additional $203 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan’s ongoing conflict between its military and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces, with the ambassador to the United Nations calling it “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis” and pushing other world leaders to fulfill their $2.1 billion commitment made in April (of which only a quarter has actually been delivered). With U.S. assistance to Sudan now totaling $1.6 billion since September 2023, the funds will go toward food supplies, shelters, cash assistance, health services, and more for the 11 million civilians who have been displaced, the 25 million experiencing food insecurity, and the 9 in 10 children specifically in the central Darfur region suffering from life-threatening malnutrition. With both sides using starvation as a war tactic, the United States will continue to facilitate diplomatic conversations in search of a peace agreement and justice for the immense death and violence — prioritizing the Sudanese people and refraining from taking a side within the conflict itself.

Business

• India invests in battery storage amid energy demands

As India’s world-leading population rises amid record-high temperatures and electricity demand increases by at least 6% annually, the country is turning to battery storage of wind and solar energy to meet these growing needs. Currently having just 0.1% of the globe’s battery storage systems, the Indian government announced $452 million last year to create 4 gigawatts of new battery storage by 2031 and expand the number of battery storage sites across the national energy grid to service remote regions — more recently estimating that a total of 74 gigawatts of energy storage will be required by 2032. As experts predict nearly double this amount will be needed and the private sector embraces renewable energy storage as well, industry leader Reliance Industries plans to invest $53 million by 2027 in a 5,000-acre battery factory.

• Nigeria fines Meta $220 million for data violations

Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission stated 5 ways that Meta has violated its data laws and failed to protect Facebook and WhatsApp users, concluding a 3-year-long investigation and fining the technology giant $220 million. As Africa’s most populated country with an Internet user base of 154 million in 2022, Nigeria has disputed Meta since its 2021 WhatsApp private policy, a failed proposal to address data concerns, and Meta’s lack of adherence to protection regulations and reporting requirements. The African leader has ordered Meta to discontinue its “exploitation” of local consumers and will consider further action if there is a failure to comply.

• Revivicor raises pigs for cutting-edge xenotransplantation

After years of research around xenotransplantation, Revivicor is operating a $75 million pathogen-free facility in Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains to revolutionize the viability of pig organs for human transplant — filtering their air and water, disinfecting their feed, and strictly monitoring human access to protects the pigs from all contamination. These efforts intend to prevent the pigs from carrying any infections that could hurt a transplant recipient, hoping to save the thousands of Americans who currently die from a human organ shortage. As the company prepares for clinical trials that will be critical in receiving FDA approval, Revivicor has also made strides in gene modification — removing native pig genes that immediately trigger the immune system and adding human ones that counter organ rejection.

Culture

• USA defeats South Sudan in an almost-historic upset

At a time when global basketball is as competitive as ever, the top-ranked U.S. Olympic basketball team nearly lost to the 33rd-ranked team in the world on Saturday — beating South Sudan by just one point thanks to a game-winning basket from LeBron James. As the team finishes its pre-Olympics warmup games and prepares to begin its official tournament on July 28, the close call serves as a reminder that the gold medal is far from guaranteed for the so-called American dream team. Reflecting on the experience post-game, superstar Steph Curry commented: “If we don’t play our game, we can be beat. We’re not invincible.”

• Ukrainian music festival returns for first time since war

With the Ukrainian War approaching its third year, the Atlas Festival (the nation’s largest music festival) returned for the first time since Russia’s February 2022 invasion — creating a 25,000-person venue this weekend for the Ukrainian people to temporarily escape their reality. Entertaining attendees with some of the country’s most famous singers, the festival aimed to raise $2.2 million for front-line supplies. The festival concluded on Sunday, just as Russian strikes wounded at least five people across southern and northeast Ukraine.

• Disneyland workers authorize strike if negotiations fail

As contract negotiations for increased wages between Disney and its Disneyland union workers continue, a coalition of four unions representing 14,000 ride operators, custodians, ticket takers, and more have voted for a potential strike if an agreement is not reached. Though the strike is not yet in motion nor guaranteed to happen, an inability to resolve the negotiations since April suggests one could be imminent — with workers saying that many of them are forced to work three jobs or live in a car to survive. Negotiations have resumed today as Disney affirms its commitment to its employees and their role “in creating memorable experiences for our guests,” knowing the devasting impact the strike would have on its iconic California-based theme park.

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