The Know Daily - Monday 27th March 2023

_{Read in 5m 18s ∙ Listening to Ellie Goulding}

A five-hour “wine train” linking London with the vineyards of Bordeaux, in the south of France, could become a reality by 2026. It’s hoped that the new route will be the first of several linking the capital with other European cities including Cologne, Frankfurt and Geneva, said CNN. The news follows reports of Switzerland unveiling a revolutionary high-speed rail route called the Shania Train - that does impress me much…

 🇮🇱 Why are people protesting in Israel?

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Israel last night after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defence minister in a row over legal reforms.

What’s going on?
Yoav Gallant was a senior member of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, but he spoke out on Saturday against the PM’s controversial plans to overhaul the judicial system. Gallant, a former soldier, said that members of the Israeli Defence Forces were angry and disappointed about the proposed reforms.

After Netanyahu sacked his defence minister, large and spontaneous protests erupted across the country. In Jerusalem, water canons were sprayed on demonstrators who broke barricades outside the PM’s home and marched towards the Knesset (Israel’s parliament).

Why are these reforms so controversial?
Israel’s right-wing nationalist government is determined to push through legislation which would move power from the judiciary to politicians. The proposed reforms would give the government decisive control over the committee which appoints judges, and make it harder for courts to remove a leader deemed unfit for office.

This has angered Netanyahu’s critics, who consider the overhaul to be in the PM’s interest as he faces an ongoing trial for corruption. Netanyahu says the move is designed to stop the courts from over-reaching their powers.

What will happen next?
Netanyahu is aiming to get the new legislation through parliament by the end of the week. But even after 12 weeks of protests, the anger in Israel has not dissipated. Universities have announced a strike and Israel’s biggest trade union is expected to follow suit.

Early this morning, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog took to Twitter to call on the government to halt the reforms. “For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of responsibility, I call on you to stop the legislative process immediately,” he wrote.

📺 The rise of “eat the rich” content

The fourth and final season of Succession begins airing weekly from today, with the dysfunctional Roy siblings still battling for control of their father’s business empire. But why do scenes of backstabbing and bickering fill us with glee - and what’s behind the film and TV trend of satirising the excesses of the ultra-rich?

Tell me more.
Humans have long been fascinated by those at the top of the social pecking order. But these days, countless films and shows (think: The Menu, Glass Onion, Triangle of Sadness, White Lotus) not just focus on the exploits of the elite, but also revel in their downfall.

Carlos Montero, co-creator of the Netflix hit Élite, thinks these so-called “eat the rich” films are so popular because they provide an insight into the world of the 0.01% while also appealing to our collective sense of injustice. “As a viewer, you want to laugh at the rich. But you also want to belong to that class,” he said. “It’s the catch-22 of [The Great Gatsby]. We fall in love with this inaccessible world while being told how pernicious and selfish it is.”

What explains their popularity right now?
It’s no coincidence that the proliferation of this type of content comes at a time of extreme economic instability and inequality. Films and shows where the super rich experience some sort of comeuppance “express a deep-rooted anger” said Grace Dodd in Vice. “It’s white-hot rage at a class of society that lives so opulently while the rest of us sit and suffer.”

Are there any other theories?
Not everyone shares Dodd’s view. In an interview with Stylist, psychologist Dr Elena Touroni put our thirst for watching the misfortunes of the wealthy down to our desire to confirm “that money and success don’t always equate to a happy, fulfilled life”.

This theory extends to reality TV shows which focus on the super wealthy, like KUWTK and the Real Housewives franchise. As the producer of Bling Empire told The Guardian: “It’s perhaps secretly satisfying to learn that the wealthy also have lots of problems - and sometimes their problems are even worse than our own.”

Will you be watching Succession tonight? Share your predictions with us by hitting reply.

👃 Stinky socialising: Smelling other people’s sweat could help reduce social anxiety, a new Swedish study has found. When trial participants were exposed to others’ body odours, they then responded better to mindfulness therapy.

🎈 NOS outlawed: Nitrous oxide - commonly known as laughing gas or “NOS” - is set to be made a criminal offence under government plans to reduce anti-social behaviour. The decision goes against recent advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 SNP leader: The Scottish National party’s new leader will be announced this afternoon, following Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation last month. The bookie’s favourite is Humza Yousaf, who is widely regarded as the continuity candidate.

🌊 Poole oil leak: A major incident has been declared after around 200 barrels containing “reservoir fluid” - made up of water and oil - leaked into the Dorset harbour. The public has been warned against swimming in the area for the time being.

📚 “Modern sensitivities”: Agatha Christie’s novels are being updated for a 2023 audience, with “descriptions, insults or references to ethnicity” stripped out. Books by Roald Dahl and James Bond creator Ian Fleming have undergone similar treatment in recent months.

Trivia answer: B) Rupert Grint’s daughter with the actor Georgia Groome is called Wednesday G. Grint - she was named after Wednesday Addams.

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