No images? Click here
28 August 2024
The 46th | What RFK Jr could do for Trump
The decision by Robert F. Kennedy Junior to exit the presidential race and endorse Donald Trump could give Trump a small but important edge in some swing states, say some analysts.
The rogue scion of the Kennedy dynasty has a small, eclectic base that straddles both sides of the political divide. His views include skepticism of vaccines as well as environmental activism and concern for corporate power — most notably the influence of ‘Big Agriculture’ and ‘Big Pharma’ on Americans’ health and food supply. The broad leanings of Kennedy supporters were reflected in a March 2024 Ipsos poll showing that they are people generally dissatisfied with both major parties.
According to RealClearPolitics, Kennedy was recently polling at an average of 5% nationally – a thin margin that could gift Trump an edge in swing states where races will be decided by a fraction of the vote. Whether Kennedy can turn his supporters out for Trump however, remains to be seen.
NEWS WRAP
Trump not off the hook for January 6
Trump faces fresh indictment | Prosecutors filed a new indictment against Donald Trump for allegedly attempting to overthrow the 2020 election, revising it in light of the Supreme Court ruling granting former presidents substantial criminal immunity for "official acts." Prosecutors are arguing that Trump's actions on January 6 did not qualify as such. READ MORE HERE
US threats appear on Tinder in Lebanon | The United States threatened to send war planes to defend Israel and US interests last week, in ads in Lebanon on the popular dating app Tinder. Issued by the US Military, the ads are part of a broader ‘psyop’ to influence people in Lebanon and come amid concerns of a wider conflict spreading in the region. READ MORE HERE
Trump will debate Harris | Donald Trump has agreed to a live TV debate with Kamala Harris on 10 September, after initially threatening to skip it. Bickering over the terms of the debate on the ABC Network, including the use of hot mics, continues. READ MORE HERE
Zuckerberg admits COVID ‘censorship’ | Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the Biden administration “repeatedly pressured” Meta to censor COVID-related content during the pandemic. He expressed “regret” over the censorship in a letter to a congressional committee. READ MORE HERE
Trump vs. Foo Fighters | Foo Fighters frontman David Grohl hit out at Donald Trump for using the band’s song ‘My Hero’ at a rally in Arizona. The Trump campaign have since confirmed that they have the licence to use the song. READ MORE HERE
“I have reached an agreement with the Radical Left Democrats for a Debate with Comrade Kamala Harris.”
Donald Trump agrees to 10 September debate | 27 August 2024
EVENT
Expert discussion of Frances Clarke's prize-winning book: Of Age: Boy Soldiers and the American Civil War
On 29 August, the USSC will host historians Frances Clarke, Michael Green, Michael McDonnell and Kathryn Schumaker for a lively discussion of Associate Professor Frances Clarke’s award-winning book, Of Age: Boy Soldiers and the American Civil War (Oxford University Press, 2024).
Roughly 10% of all soldiers in the American Civil War were underaged. As Clarke and her co-author Rebecca Jo Plant reveal in Of Age, these boys and young men not only contributed vitally to the Union Army, but they also challenged the scope of American federal authority. As boys ran off to join the war effort, their parents often sought to bring them back home. The point at which a father’s authority ended and the US Government’s began became the subject of intense conflicts over the meanings of childhood, parental rights, and state power in America.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.
WHEN
29 August 2024. 6.00pm–7.30pm AEST
WHERE
Level 5 Refectory, Abercrombie Building (H70), corner of Darlington Lane and Abercrombie Street, The University of Sydney
COST
Free but registration is essential
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Did you USSC?
- REPORT | Does AUKUS Pillar I provide capability 'bang for buck?'
Two leading defence experts, Peter Jennings and Jennifer Parker debate whether the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines offer value for money. READ HERE
- COMMENTARY | The race to define Kamala Harris is not yet won
USSC Research Associate Ava Kalinauskas on the Democrat's opportunity to re-brand Harris. READ HERE
- COMMENTARY | Bruce Wolpe's notes on the Democratic National Convention
USSC Senior Non-Resident Fellow Bruce Wolpe on the five values distilling behind the Harris campaign. READ HERE
- COMMENTARY | Yes — the Democrats could win
USSC Research Associate Ava Kalinauskas on the momentum behind Harris. READ HERE
BY THE NUMBERS
AUKUS price tag is an overestimate, argues one defence expert
Australia’s plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) to the tune of $368 billion has triggered concerns that the procurement could compromise the budget and posture of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). In the latest instalment of its Debate Paper series, Does AUKUS Pillar I provide capability ‘bang for buck?', the USSC invited two leading defence experts to assess whether the AUKUS submarines offer the ADF value for money.
Arguing in the affirmative, Jennifer Parker, an Expert Associate at Australian National University’s National Security College said the projected cost of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine pathway is not $386 billion, but $244.7 billion over a period of 31 years. The difference between the figures is $122.9 billion in ‘contingency funding,' or a buffer for unforeseen costs. The 50% contingency funding assigned to AUKUS is indicative of its elevated risk profile.
Read the full debate paper here.
Manage your email preferences | Forward this email to a friend
United States Studies Centre
Institute Building H03
University of Sydney NSW 2006
