Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Tuesday, 01 November 2022.
TODAY’S BRIEFING:
- Inside the Beltway
- Geopolitics Brief
INSIDE THE BELTWAY
WHITE HOUSE: President Biden will travel to Florida today to participate in events for Democratic candidates Charlie Crist and Val Demings.
CONGRESS: Nothing Significant To Report (NSTR)
DEFENSE: Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction will participate in a virtual and in-person talk on the Nuclear Posture Review at The Atlantic Council.
GEOPOLITICS BRIEF
RUSSIA SEIZES DOMESTIC ECONOMIC CONTROL TO SUPPORT WAR MACHINE: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced a “strict control system” over Russia’s industrial base to boost production to meet the needs of its armed forces. This measure will enable the government to force adjustments to the “management systems” of domestic manufacturers and logistics companies to coordinate the supply of “raw materials and necessary components” to expedite the production and transport of goods and equipment destined for the Russian military. The measures also seek to increase the production of medicines and medical equipment to bolster access to healthcare and rehabilitation for soldiers.
CHINA LOCKING DOWN AGAIN AS COVID CASES RISE: COVID-19 cases in mainland China are rapidly increasing at nearly 3000 cases per day, prompting public health officials to call for widespread restrictions on individual movement. Unconfirmed social media reports and video from the British media giant BBC in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou show workers fleeing the Foxconn iPhone factory amid fears of severe COVID-19 restrictions following an outbreak of the disease at China’s largest iPhone factory. Photos showed Foxconn workers climbing fences to escape dormitories and walking in groups along highways in an attempt to return to their homes on foot. A separate BBC report said thousands were trapped in Disneyland Shanghai, unable to leave without showing a recent negative COVID test after Shanghai authorities reported ten COVID cases over the weekend.
BRAZILIAN ROADBLOCKS THREATEN AG EXPORTS: Following the announcement of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s victory in Sunday’s runoff elections, Brazilian Truckers blocked roads in 12 Brazilian states in protest. Port authorities in the Brazilian city of Paranagua said the roadblocks have blocked road access to the port facilities. The blockage of the nation’s highways has led to concerns amongst farmers that persistent roadblocks could interfere with the export of grain from Brazil’s agricultural states, where some cargos are stranded. Truckers are a key support group of incumbent President Bolsonaro and have previously shut down the nation’s highways to back Bolsonaro’s political moves. The moves come as Brazil’s incumbent president Jair Bolonaro has remained silent since the election despite previous statements that he would fight against the election results, adding to the ambiguity of how long the Trucker protests could last.
USAF PLANS DEPLOYMENT OF STRATEGIC BOMBERS TO AUSTRALIA: The United States Air Force announced the deployment of six B-52 strategic bombers to Air bases in Australia. Reports from Australian media indicate permanent facilities will be constructed at RAAF Tindal, an Air Force base in northern Australia near Darwin. The deployment marks a significant expansion of U.S. presence in the area, which regularly hosts U.S. Marines. Chinese government representatives denounced the move, saying it “seriously undermined regional peace and stability” and cautioned that it might “trigger an arms race in the region”.
In today’s Early Warning, the team covers a wide variety of domestic indicators, including Americans’ feelings toward the economy and worsening drought in the South. Get access to the full brief here: https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe