Democratic narrative

Giuliani is a media hound and his last-minute decision to renege on his agreement is likely another grab for attention. The committee might want to consider letting him turn the cameras on, though, considering how valuable his testimony could be and his propensity for revealing too much.

Pro-Trump narrative

Those subpoenaed to speak before the Jan. 6 Committee are well within their rights to skip it. Trying to criminalize dissent in the US is merely political theater.

Pro-establishment narrative

This is a clear sign of a dictatorship at work and the trial was a sham. Sofia Sapega has become collateral damage of Lukashenko's attack on her boyfriend Protasevich and the dictator's attempts to maintain control of the opposition. Political prisoners face ill-treatment in Belarus - Sapega must be released immediately.

Narrative B

Sapega was arrested for and charged with legitimate crimes, and will have to face the consequences. Nevertheless, Russia - which has strong political ties with Belarus - has provided her with all necessary assistance from the moment of her arrest, and will continue to protect her interests through diplomatic and other channels. So far she has been held in good condition and has no complaints about her health or detention conditions.

Narrative A

This is a milestone for online market regulation and it's promising to see the UK empowering the watchdog to implement the new rules. It comes at a time when many countries, especially in Europe, are trying to figure out the best ways to control the potentially damaging influence of big tech on consumers and small businesses. The UK is leading the way with action.

Narrative B

The Digital Markets Unit is a nice idea but the UK government is implementing it all wrong. One of the argued benefits of Brexit is the ability to be more agile with regulatory implementation - so why, then, is the UK dragging its feet on this? Without the proper legislation, the watchdog will only be able to watch, lacking the power to reshape digital markets.

Right narrative

Starmer is a hypocrite and an opportunist. If he's found to have broken the law by attending the event with as many as 30 others, he will be forced to resign. These developments are a clear blow to the Labour party.

Left narrative

The timing of these allegations reflects the deceitful opportunism that characterizes Conservative Party politics. This story first emerged earlier this year, yet only gained traction when it was electorally convenient for the Tories. There's no equivalence between this event and Johnson's outrageous rule violations.

Cynical narrative

Brits are stuck for who to vote for, as the revelations that Labour leaders also attended events during lockdown make it clear that all politicians are as bad as each other. Voters have been reduced to picking the best of a bad bunch.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance Keir Starmer will cease to be the leader of the Labour Party by Oct 28, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Anti-China narrative

Lee isn't fit to solve Hong Kong's social issues or revive its status as a global financial hub. He was favored because of his background in security and policing, as pro-Beijing politicians are paranoid about subversive activities that seek to halt the "mainlandization" of the city.

Pro-China narrative

The landslide victory of Lee proves that the people of Hong Kong support patriots ruling the territory, despite decades-long Western ambitions to undermine Chinese sovereignty. He's the right choice to ensure that order prevails and stability and unity are promoted.

Narrative A

Sinn Féin's victory takes NI one step closer to leaving the UK and reunifying with the Republic of Ireland. Though support for a united Ireland is still unclear, with only 37% of the population fully supporting it, the momentum is growing, and a referendum could be in sight.

Narrative B

Sinn Féin's victory doesn't mean that a united Ireland is on the horizon. The party was once the political appendage of the terrorist IRA, which wrought 30 years of havoc and misery, and its victory is certainly not good for the union. However, its overall support has only increased by around 1%. The true unionist majority has been obfuscated by the Single Transferable Vote system.

Narrative C

This election was a massive victory and important milestone for the Alliance party, whose success reflects a growing dissatisfaction with NI's traditional parties. The sectarian political rivalries that dominated the country's creation (and its politics since) have only hurt the Northern Irish people, and Alliance's gains indicate that voters want to move toward a more inclusive future.

Pro-establishment narrative

North Korea's actions pose a severe threat to the stability of the Korean peninsula and the security of the rest of the world. The US has so far failed to negotiate an end to nuclear weapons in exchange for humanitarian aid - it's time for some new ideas about how to resolve this threat.

Establishment-critical narrative

Though Kim may seem like a madman, he's simply using the only leverage he has in dealing with South Korea and the US. His nuclear ambitions are designed to seek political gains and sanctions relief, after successive American administrations derailed diplomatic routes to denuclearization.

Nerd narrative

There is a 50% chance that there will be more than 9800 nuclear weapons globally in 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Republican narrative

The current attacks on women's rights in Afghanistan are a direct result of the Biden administration's decision to withdraw from the country. His administration may pontificate about women's rights, but it has no way of enforcing them without troops on the ground.

Democratic narrative

While US involvement in Afghanistan saw significant gains for women's rights, the fact that Afghan security forces collapsed so quickly following its withdrawal indicates that the yields weren't sustainable without indefinite US presence, which itself wasn't sustainable or realistic.

Left narrative

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, it will be catastrophic for women. Particularly for young women, poor women, and women of color, who will not have the time, resources, or ability to travel out of state for safe abortions.

Right narrative

SCOTUS justices have rightly indicated that abortion is not a federal issue and should be decided by states. Left-wing extremists are trying to bully the court into reversing its decision.

Nerd narrative

There's a 92% chance Roe v. Wade will be overturned before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Anti-Russia narrative

This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after a fraudulent election a "coup". This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.

Pro-Russia narrative

NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking their promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.

Nerd narrative

There's a 95% chance that Mariupol will be under Russian control by June 1, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Democratic narrative

Esper's allegations are shocking and shed light on how disturbingly authoritarian Trump wanted to steer the US. Not surprisingly, Trump has lashed out at Esper, who joins a growing list of his former confidents who now are targets of his ire. Esper is part of a growing exodus from Team Trump, eager to let the public know that he's unsuited for national leadership.

Pro-Trump narrative

Esper is just the latest former Trump official trying to cash in on supposed salacious stories about the former president. But all he does with his anecdotes is show how bad his instincts were and how right Trump was at every turn.

Cynical narrative

If Esper had dignity and a sense of public service he would've resigned in protest before Trump fired him in 2020, and he would've told the public these stories sooner rather than saving them for his book. With the firehose of similar stories that have come out during and since the Trump presidency, these stories won't move the needle at all now or come 2024.