Gabe Lipton is the Associate Editor of Signal responsible for editorial execution of GZERO Media's written newsletter content. He holds degrees in Government and Economics from Wesleyan University, where he was a member of the international economic honors society, and is studying German in his spare time. At the age of 11, the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) confirmed (in person) his take on an important political question of the day, forever sealing his fate as a close observer of global politics. His Spidey powers leave much to be desired.
1: As we reported last Friday, 2018 was just the second year in seven decades without a coup or coup attempt somewhere in the world. This week, a handful of soldiers in Gabon made sure 2019 didn't follow suit. They captured a radio station, but not the government. For 2019, that's one coup and counting.
18 million: The UN estimates there are up to 18 million guns in Libya, a country of 6.5 million people. That's why, according to UN envoy Ghassan Salamé, attempts to persuade warring militias to lay down their weapons are less likely to work than an effort to "persuade those who hold them to keep them silent."
60: Nicolas Maduro was sworn Wednesday for another term as Venezuela's president. Sixty countries refuse to formally recognize his election victory. A seemingly endless economic and political crisis has persuaded three million people to leave the country, and the exodus continues.
60: In France, "yellow vest" protesters have vandalized about 60 percent of the country's speed cameras, according to the interior minister. Some protesters reportedly claim that speed cameras exist mainly to help the state take money from poor people, who apparently drive very fast in France.
