Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Friday, 28 January 2022. You can receive this daily briefing by signing up at https://forwardobserver.com/daily-sa
TODAY’S BRIEFING:
- China warns U.S. over Russia’s ‘security concerns’
- Justice Breyer retirement official
- Winter drought conditions persist
- Biden adds water utilities to cyber defense
- Hazards Warning
UPGRADE TO EARLY WARNING AND GET THESE BRIEFINGS:
- Russia-NATO SITREP: RUSSIA LIKELY TO REJECT U.S. PROPOSALS, AIRCRAFT PRE-MISSION TRAINING & ESTIMATED FORCES ON THE GROUND
- Indo-Pacific SITREP: CONCERNS; PROXY ARMS RACE IN THE PACIFIC, IS THE QUAD ENOUGH?
- LIC Summary/ INTSUM
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
CHINA WARNS U.S. OVER RUSSIA’S ‘LEGITIMATE SECURITY CONCERNS’: In a call to the U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Russia’s security concerns over growing tensions in Europe over Ukraine should be “taken seriously.” Yi referred to Moscow’s demands for promises that Ukraine would not be admitted into NATO as a “legitimate security concern.” Yi went on to state, “All parties should completely abandon the Cold War mentality and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiation.” Wang also complained that the U.S. was interfering in the safe and smooth operation of Beijing’s 2022 Winter Olympics. (Analyst Comment: Beijing is most likely in consultation with Moscow on its plans to invade Ukraine and is performing appropriately to support its temporary ally against the U.S. The call will likely be written off as a performative influence operation. The claims of the U.S. interfering in Beijing’s Winter Olympics is likely about a State Department request to withdraw U.S. Embassy and Consular officials during the Olympics for fear they would be detained in COVID lockdowns facilities in accordance with China’s zero-COVID policies. – M.M.)
JUSTICE BREYER RETIREMENT OFFICIAL: Supreme Court Justice Breyer officially announced his retirement on Thursday with a hand-delivered letter to the President. Justice Breyer’s retirement leaked to his dismay but will provide the Democrat-controlled Senate the opportunity to confirm his replacement before the November midterm elections. Democrats fear if they are unable to confirm Breyer’s replacement before then, another Supreme Court seat could go unfilled until 2024. The administration hasn’t released an official short-list but reiterated Breyer’s replacement would be a progressive African American woman. (AC: As the administration searches for a “win” before the midterms, concerns over the court’s legitimacy will be reignited. The Far Left’s current push for progressive, activist judges will likely further divide the Senate and slow the confirmation process. Unprecedented Constitutional questions remain over the Vice President’s ability to be the tie-breaking vote in confirmation. Rumors of Vice President Harris being nominated are simply that. Such a move would induce severe disunity and expend unavailable political capital in the Democrat party prior to November’s elections. – D.M.)
WINTER DROUGHT STAYS PERSISTENT: Winter drought conditions in the United States stayed persistent at 68% of land area this week. Notable increases were in Nebraska, going from 82% to 91%, and Kansas increasing from 81% to 86%. North Carolina saw significant improvement declining from 83% to 60%. (AC: Winter drought conditions are forecasted to start improving in March. Constraints on wheat production will continue in the near term. Food prices increase are set to continue as contributing factors, such as rising fertilizer costs, are passing additional cost on to the consumer – D.F.)
BIDEN ADDS WATER SYSTEMS TO CYBER DEFENSE: The President’s Industrial Control System Cybersecurity Initiative is expanding cooperation to more than 150,000 water facilities in the U.S. Participation is voluntary, and the administration is reaching out to larger suppliers for major cities. The push comes after reports of increased cyber threats against U.S. utilities and an attack on a Florida facility last February. Notably, the Environmental Protection Agency does not manage this effort, which lacks the authority to enforce cybersecurity standards in water systems. (AC: Water operators are “reluctant” to share threat data with the government, like other critical infrastructure sectors. The administration is exploring new requirements from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to compel utilities to participate in reporting and defense programs. Sustained, disruptive cyber intrusions in a conflict scenario could invoke the federal government to nationalize utilities under national security authorities with almost assured permanence. – D.M.)
HAZARDS/WX:
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