North Korean COVID surge worsens: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-pandemics-south-korea-north-67e0b5093d66125242ddb3f00f44b690 . Ahem. Obviously, the disease has been spreading in North Korea for weeks. The reported numbers are just too high for any other explanation. Kim has brought in the military to help, which is not going to help: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/15/n-korean-leader-sends-in-military-to-help-tackle-covid-outbreak .
Chinese economy contracts in April as Zero COVID pounds activity: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/5/16/chinas-economy-slows-sharply-as-zero-covid-pummels-activity . Saving face continues to fail against reality. More: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-05-16/shanghai-targets-june-1-return-to-normal-as-covid-lockdowns-cool-economy .
WSJ: The strengthening dollar fights inflation: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-dollar-is-winning-in-a-messy-global-economyand-that-matters-in-the-fight-against-inflation-11652617801 . This is an important point. The stronger dollar lowers the cost of imported goods, assuming those foreign suppliers are not significantly raising prices. It would also help the US and Chinese economies if they could drop Orange Julius’ idiotic tariffs and China’s counter-tariffs.
Will Turkey block NATO membership for Finland and Sweden?: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-706747 . I don’t think so. They may use it for leverage, but Europe does not want Putin’s war, let alone an expansion. Zelensky is a hero to the West, Erdogan most certainly is not. Relations with Europe are important to Turkey, so they will find a way to settle this matter, as noted here previously.
NATO will move rapidly to approve the memberships: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/finland-launches-bid-to-join-nato-declaring-a-new-era/ar-AAXirFt?cvid=e12c483d82b24e57ab3d60f1092ef4af . So Turkey’s vote comes after an initial approval of the memberships. Also note that Turkey is not allowing warships to enter the Black Sea, which has cut off additional Russian warships from entering the war. And Turkey has been a major supplier of drones to Ukraine. As an old saying goes, the Turks know which side their bread is buttered on. More from the Times: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/for-putin-a-nordic-nightmare-is-springing-to-life/ar-AAXgNsk?cvid=7e7644db90f84c418b148de30c4ca5ce . Note that McConnell’s visit in support of Zelensky is an indirect repudiation of Orange Julius’ admiration of Putin. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/finland-plans-next-step-in-nato-bid-as-ukraine-mounts-counteroffensive-near-key-eastern-city-11652619553 .
The West continues to consolidate against Putin: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-kyiv-moscow-6dc968ea8d353132bd8b8cb58b04734c . And no one is missing the point that China has been warned to keep its hands off Taiwan.