No images? Click here
18 December 2024
Tech titans dine with and donate to Trump
Elon Musk may be the most prominent titan of the tech industry in President-elect Trump’s orbit, but he is far from alone. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI’s Sam Altman have all pledged US$1 million donations from their companies towards the inauguration fund for Trump. While not unheard of for corporates to donate to presidential inauguration funds (Amazon donated ~US$58,000 in cash and in-kind donations to Trump’s 2017 inauguration) the donations are larger and more public than previously.
Other tech leaders have made the pilgrimage to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to meet with the incoming leader. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai both dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in the last week. While not openly endorsing the president, they are all seemingly seeking to strengthen ties and win Trump’s favour as the question of federal regulations could re-write the tech industry over the next four years.
NEWS WRAP
Congress works to avoid Christmas shutdown
- Stopgap Congressional budget bill nearly ready | Ahead of a looming government shutdown at midnight on Friday, Congressional leaders have said they are close to sharing a short-term budget bill that will keep the government running through 14 March. By then, the new Congress will see Republicans control both the House and the Senate. READ HERE
- ABC settles with Trump | The US-based ABC News has settled with President-elect Trump in the defamation case he brought against the network. Anchor and former Bill Clinton staffer George Stephanopoulos said Trump was found “liable for rape” in his civil case with E. Jean Carroll, but he was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming the author. READ HERE
- US debates lifting sanctions on Syria | Following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, countries are providing aid to the war-torn country. Some US officials are pushing to lift the sanctions that were imposed during the Assad regime, but this is complicated by the fact that the faction that overturned Assed, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is labelled a terrorist organisation by the United States. READ HERE
- Dems elect committee leads | Following the Democratic Party’s recalibration following their significant losses in November, the progressive and centrist parts of the party are tussling for power in the new Congress. Democrats chose Rep. Gerry Connolly to continue in the top position on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee over progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but elected new leaders for the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees. READ HERE
- Unexplained Flying Objects | Thousands of drone sightings have been reported across New Jersey and other parts of the United States, leading many to call for the release of information about their genesis. An FBI spokesperson said that only a fraction of those reported merited investigation, but no one has yet provided an answer about why they are flying in large numbers over the United States. READ HERE
"President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead."
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on his company's donation to Trump | 11 December 2024
BY THE NUMBERS
97.7% of US active shooters from 2000-2019 were male
By Mari Koeck, Director of Engagement and Impact
Police have identified a 15-year-old girl as the shooter in the school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin this week. According to data from the FBI, she is in the minority. In their report Active Shooter Incidents 20 Year Review, 2000-2019 the FBI found that of the 345 active shooter incidents they recorded, in 332 of the cases, the shooter was male. The shooter was female in only 2.3% of shootings. The FBI defines an active shooter as "one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area."
A number of factors are noted for the gender discrepancy in shooting incidents. Some experts say male shooters can identify more with historical precedents and others point to the psychology behind different motivations.
The reason for the school shooting in Wisconsin is still unknown. In a statement on Monday night, President Biden said, “We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart.”
Geopolitical trends to watch in 2025
On Monday, 20 January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. He has said he’ll end the war in Ukraine before he takes office and war continues to escalate in the Middle East. Australia itself will host a federal election in 2025 which may shift international relationships.
What sort of impact would Trump’s economic, trade, and technology policies have on Australian businesses? How do the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East impact the Indo-Pacific? What are the key international watch points for Australia in 2025?
To discuss these issues and provide a briefing on geopolitical trends and what they mean for government and business, United States Studies Centre (USSC) CEO Dr Michael Green and Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer will host a public briefing followed by audience Q&A.
Dr Michael Green and Hayley Channer are also leaders of the University of Sydney | Sydney Executive Plus+ Geopolitics and business sprint. Registrations now open for the 20 March – 03 April 2025 cohort. Download a sprint outline here.
WHEN
6:00-7:00pm AEDT
Thursday, 30 January 2025
WHERE
The Michael Spence Building (F23) at the Corner of Eastern Avenue and City Road, The University of Sydney
COST
Free, but registration is essential
Manage your email preferences | Forward this email to a friend
United States Studies Centre
Institute Building H03
University of Sydney NSW 2006
