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This morning’s 3-by-3 travels across a U.S.-supported deportation plan in Panama, a social justice coalition behind TikTok, a lifetime achievement award for Usher, and more. Let’s fly!

Politics

• U.S. military partners with Japan & South Korea

With North Korea and China strengthening their alliance in the Indo-Pacific and China now boasting the world’s largest navy, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea have partnered to conduct a 3-day military exercise in the East China Sea — aiming to increase their trilateral abilities across missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, and surveillance. The so-called Freedom Edge exercise joins the U.S. with its most militarily sophisticated Asian allies where 80,000 American troops are currently stationed, as South Korean officials hope to formalize a security framework in the face of growing North Korean nuclear threats that would allow its allies to respond immediately. Though relations between Japan and South Korea have historically been challenged due to Japan’s brutal occupation during World War II, the Biden Administration has been diplomatically helpful amid a self-interest in developing its Asian presence.

• New Panama president seeks deportation deal with U.S.

José Raúl Mulino has just been sworn in as Panama's next president, he is committed to ending irregular migration through his country’s Darien Gap, seeking a deal with U.S. Homeland Security and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas specifically — who attended Mulino’s inauguration alongside the presidents of Costa Rica and Colombia. The Darien Gap is the world’s busiest migration route and provides South Americans with an often dangerous route into Central America on their way to the U.S., with half a million individuals crossing it last year and an estimated 186,000 people so far this year. Whereas Panama has previously bussed migrants across this territory and facilitated their journeys, Mulino’s charge to repatriate those found crossing will likely reduce the number of migrants who reach America’s southern border — with this new deal asking the U.S. to cover the cost of deportation flights.

• Israel tells Palestinians to evacuate Gaza’s 2nd largest city

The Israel Defense Forces has ordered Palestinians to evacuate the Gaza Strip’s second-largest city Khan Younis, likely signaling an upcoming ground assault on Hamas militants who are suspected to be regrouping in the area. After Khan Younis was extensively attacked earlier this year and reportedly eradicated of Hamas presence, the city has been a refuge for many amid Israel’s intense offensive in the southern city of Rafah — all of whom would be devasted to see violence follow them north as Prime Minister Netanyahu pursues Hamas’s total destruction. The prospective invasion will likely cut off a critical water line and compromise the Kerem Shalom crossing which has served as a major aid route into southern Gaza, further worsening liveable conditions for the Palestinian people.

Business

• TikTok receives legal support from social justice groups

Amid TikTok and 8 of the platform’s creators suing the U.S. government for legislation that would block the company’s domestic operations, a dozen justice groups have submitted a legal brief arguing that the forced ban or sale of TikTok would suppress speech from minority communities in an unprecedented social media targeting. Sponsored by the Asian American Federation, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation among others, the coalition spoke to anti-Asian sentiments surrounding the law and TikTok’s unique empowerment of diverse communities in breaking down “stereotypes that persist in America and globally” — giving them more reach than other platforms in advocating for social issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice. Seven free speech groups separately submitted a brief supporting TikTok on the basis of First Amendment protections, as the Justice Department remains committed to defending a measure intended to protect American data from the Chinese government.

• Paramount considers a merger with streaming competitors

In an era of excessive content and platform saturation, Paramount Global is reportedly exploring a merger that would consolidate its Paramount+ with another platform to attract customers who want to avoid multiple subscriptions. Warner Bros Discovery seems to be the top prospect for a deal, in which the Max streaming platform and its 99.6 million subscribers would join with Paramount+’s 71 million subscribers — projected to earn Warner a larger split of the unbalanced joint venture if confirmed. Even further, industry executives have speculated that Paramount+, Max, Peacock, and Disney might ultimately partner to offer a single application that competes against Netflix (the streaming market’s leader with approximately 269 million subscribers).

• U.S. Ambassador condemns China’s tech sales to Russia

U.S. Ambassador to Beijing Nicholas Burns condemned China’s economic relationship with Russia during a seminar on China-U.S. relations, calling it a “major mistake” for Chinese companies to supply Russia with massive amounts of components, microprocessors, and other technological materials that strengthen the European power in its invasion of Ukraine. Though China maintains an official position of neutrality and claims not to provide direct military aid, its consumption of Russian oil and gas has been critical in supporting Russia’s war economy — especially amid sanctions from the U.S. and its global allies. The comments were taken poorly by the Chinese foreign ministry, as Washington and Beijing relations continue to deteriorate across economic and political lines.

Culture

• BET honors Usher with lifetime achievement award

The 2024 BET Awards (the premier recognition forum for Black entertainment) was full of iconic moments last night, most notably including Usher receiving the lifetime achievement award and an incredible tribute performance from a mostly-female lineup — Keke Palmer, Coco Jones, Summer Walker, Tinashe, Marsha Ambrosius, Chlöe, Teyana Taylor, Victoria Monét, and Latto. Women dominated the night, with actress Taraji P. Henson hosting, South African superstar Tyla winning best new artist, and Megan Thee Stallion even performing her latest track “Where Them Girls At” to open the show. In another impactful moment, rapper Killer Mike used his album of the year speech to encourage viewers to vote in the presidential election but added that “it’s more important you know who your city council person is.”

• San Francisco bookstore tackles conservative book bans

Based in San Francisco’s Castro District, one of the U.S.’s oldest gay neighborhoods, local bookstore Fabulosa Books has pioneered a “Books Not Bans” effort to send books about queer history and sexuality to places where they are restricted — largely due to a growing conservative movement to ban such books from public schools and libraries. According to a PEN America report, 40% of the country’s book bans from July 2022 to July 2023 occurred in Florida (followed by Texas and Missouri), 30% of the banned books contained people of color or racial themes, and 30% of the bans had LGBTQ+ characters or themes. With a focus on the aforementioned red states where conservative advocacy groups like Moms for Liberty work to ban such works, Fabulosa Books has shipped 740 books so far and hopes to normalize queer stories nationally.

• Jacksonville Jaguars make plans for $1.4 billion stadium

After decades of speculation that the Jacksonville Jaguars would change locations and leave one of the NFL’s smallest markets, the city of Jacksonville has approved a new $1.4 billion stadium that will guarantee the team for the next 30 years. The city government will contribute 55% of the total project alongside the Jaguars’ contribution of $625 million, though no new taxes are expected to fund the rebuild. Pakistani American billionaire and owner Shad Khan has advocated for major stadium upgrades and the team’s continued commitment to Florida since buying the team in 2012, finally scoring a big win against countless naysayers who criticized the franchise’s ability to sell tickets and suggested the team should shift to Los Angeles or St. Louis.

Written by James A. & Philly Mathew

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