© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.17.2
Ex-GOP Rep. Fortenberry Sentenced to Probation
Former Republican US Rep. Jeff Fortenberry was sentenced on Tues. for lying to federal authorities about an illegal, foreign campaign contribution.
Prosecutors alleged Fortenberry lied to federal agents about a total of $30k he received from a Nigerian billionaire in 2016. Donations from foreigners aren't allowed under federal law.
He was found guilty of one count of concealing material facts and two counts of making false statements. Each count carries up to five years in prison and fines.
Republican narrative
This is a sad end to Fortenberry's career and not an accurate representation of him as a politician. He fairly represented voters for nearly two decades, focused on important issues including refugees and healthcare, and was an important player in bridging politics in a fractured nation. He made mistakes, like everyone does, but the price he's paying is high. Hopefully justice will be served during the appeal process.
Democratic narrative
A couple of years of probation and a small fine is a slap on the wrist for this type of infraction. Fortenberry should be facing jail time for his corruption, as federal prosecutors originally recommended. He knowingly lied to the FBI on multiple occasions to hide "straw" donations to his campaign. There is ample evidence of his crimes, so why such a light sentence?
Day 127 Roundup: Heavy Fighting in Lysychansk, UK to Provide Additional £1B in Aid
Fighting continued in and around the city of Lysychansk in the Luhansk Oblast on Thurs., as Russian forces continue moving to encircle Ukrainian positions in the area. The UK Ministry of Defense have advised that Ukrainian troops should ultimately withdraw to avoid encirclement.
The city has been under constant Russian shelling, making evacuation difficult, and around 15k people remain in Lysychansk, according to Ukrainian officials.
Elsewhere, Russia's defense ministry said that its troops withdrew from Snake Island in the Black Sea on Thurs. as a "gesture of goodwill" aimed at demonstrating Moscow's support for efforts to restart food exports from Ukraine's ports.
Establishment-critical narrative
Sweden and Finland's decision to join NATO wouldn't be without risks. Despite the rapid evolution of public opinion there isn't clear majority support for the move in either nation and even an immediate application could take months to process, leaving them vulnerable to a strike by an enraged Vladimir Putin.
Pro-establishment narrative
Putin has sorely miscalculated this invasion. Western nations have shown exceptional resilience and solidarity in response to Russia's assault on democracy and the geopolitical power balance in Europe. It is very unlikely the Kremlin will retaliate against Finland and Sweden joining NATO, especially as it's reckless attack on Ukraine has decimated its military resources.
Nerd narrative
There's a 12% chance that there will be more than 4 deaths between Russia and NATO forces outside of Ukraine before July 1, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
SCOTUS Expands State Power Over Native Land in Okla.
On Wed., SCOTUS ruled 5-4 that Oklahoma can prosecute non-Native Americans for crimes committed on tribal land when the victim is Native American.
In 2015, Victor Manuel Castro-Huerta was charged by state authorities for neglect of his five-year-old stepdaughter, who is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. However, the conviction was rejected by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on the grounds that state courts didn't have jurisdiction in Native American territory.
In the dissenting opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch described the ruling as allowing "Oklahoma to intrude on a feature of tribal sovereignty recognized since the founding."
Pro-establishment narrative
This decision is a big victory for the power of Oklahoma state, now able to prosecute non-Natives on Native American territory, and do justice in new jurisdictions. The ruling will also likely reduce the burden of federal prosecutors as the state of Oklahoma becomes able to charge and convict on Tribal land.
Establishment-critical narrative
This ruling is a disappointment for Native lawyers and advocates of Native American rights. The Court has failed in its duty to honor the traditional rights of Native Americans, undermined tribal sovereignty, and highlighted the tension between Oklahoma state and its indigenous members.
US Senators Call on FTC To Investigate TikTok
On Tues., Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) of the Senate Intelligence Committee called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate TikTok's security practices.
This comes as FCC member Brendan Carr called on Apple and Google to remove the platform from their app stores last week, claiming that the app violates its safety policies.
Carr's concerns referenced a recent BuzzFeed report that claims ByteDance - TikTok's parent company - has frequently accessed US users' data.
Narrative A
TikTok is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and it's time to take action. It packages itself as entertainment when in reality it's used for surveillance by the Chinese government - this app is a national security threat and it's the US government's job to combat threats to Americans.
Narrative B
While concerns regarding the Chinese-owned app are understandable, banning it isn't the answer. There's no evidence that TikTok is any more of a threat than other Chinese-owned apps, and to ban it would only create America's own version of China's Great Firewall. The US needs to find a way for Chinese apps and American democracy to coexist.
Cynical narrative
This is part of a broader ploy by Meta to destroy one of its main competitors. Facebook's parent company has been planting dishonest op-eds and spreading rumors for some time, and this apparant smear campaign is a clear indication that the once-popular social media platform may be approaching stagnation.
Crypto Hedge Fund 3AC Falls into Liquidation
A British Virgin Islands court has ruled that Singapore-based crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) has become insolvent and must liquidate its assets.
The ruling came just days after the fund was accused of defaulting on payments of a loan valued at over $665M that was issued to it by the crypto bank Voyager Digital.
Founded in 2012, 3AC was noted for making bullish bets on the price of cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and bitcoin, as well as other coins and tokens. It was reported to have over $3B in assets prior to the most recent market downturn.
Narrative A
We are still in the early stages of "Crypto Winter." The total market value of all crypto assets has shrunk to under $1T - from a high of over $3T just a few months ago. Many lower-level exchanges are already insolvent at these prices, they just haven't admitted it yet. As in most cases of financial collapse, the burden will fall most heavily on retail investors.
Narrative B
Some players in the crypto space were clearly over-leveraged and under-capitalized, but one person's tragedy is another's profit. Investment banking giant Goldman Sachs has been in talks with investors to raise capital for a fund to snatch up distressed crypto assets at a discount. The smart money sees this crisis as an opportunity.
Nerd narrative
There's a 6% chance that Coinbase will file for bankruptcy protection in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
SCOTUS: Justice Breyer Retires, Ketanji Jackson Sworn In
On Thurs., Justice Stephen Breyer retired and his successor, Ketanji Jackson, was sworn into the Supreme Court - marking the first black woman to sit on the SCOTUS bench.
Biden nominated Jackson in Feb. - a month after Breyer announced his retirement - and in Apr. the Senate confirmed Jackson in a 53-47 vote.
Breyer's retirement comes after nearly 28 years on the court, and in a letter to Biden he expressed that "It has been my great honor to participate as a judge in the effort to maintain our Constitution and the rule of law."
Democratic narrative
Breyer's exceptional tenure and service should be celebrated. He has worked tirelessly on blockbuster cases and now, in a progressive step forward for representation, Kentanji Brown Jackson will take over his position and continue his efforts to uphold the rule of law.
Republican narrative
The Democrats are scrambling for influence in US branches of government. Jackson was only confirmed with the help of moderate GOP senators, and replacing Breyer with SCOTUS' first Black, female Justice will do nothing to strengthen the politicized, liberal wing of the court.
Cynical narrative
The confirmation process for SCOTUS nominees is broken. The hyperpartisanship in US politics has contaminated and politicized the nomination system and the Supreme Court is now a creature of political will and power.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that the next SCOTUS vacancy will arise by Feb. 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Ben & Jerry's to Continue Sales in Israel, West Bank
Ben & Jerry's parent company, Unilever, has reached a deal to continue selling the ice cream in Israel and the occupied West Bank, despite objections from the ice cream makers.
Ben & Jerry's announced last summer that their agreement with Israeli licensee, American Quality Products (AQP), wouldn't be renewed after expiring at the end of 2022. The ice cream would continue to be sold in Israel "through a different arrangement," they said, but sales would be halted in "occupied Palestinian territory."
Unilever's decision, announced Wed., comes after legal action from AQP and its owner Avi Zinger. There was also pressure from shareholders, activists and American politicians.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank is illegal. Ben & Jerry's has every right to protest this, and their activism shouldn't be undermined. Unilever is putting profits ahead of people. Other companies should follow Ben & Jerry's and use their platforms to speak out against human rights violations like those in Israel.
Pro-Israel narrative
Ben & Jerry's efforts to prevent sales in Israel were anti-semitic, and this decision reaffirms that no amount or form of anti-semitism is ever acceptable. This is a victory for Israel and Israeli jobs.
SCOTUS Restricts EPA's Authority to Regulate Emissions
On Thurs., SCOTUS ruled 6-3 that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesn't have the authority under the Clean Air Act to cap carbon emissions from power plants already in operation.
The Clean Air Act was established in 1970 to combat the rising rates of air pollution. It directed the EPA to create and regularly update rules to limit pollutants that "endanger human health".
Although the Biden admin. hasn't established a rule governing how much the EPA can regulate carbon emissions, GOP-led states and coal companies sued the admin. to restrict the EPA's authorization.
Right narrative
This decision is a win against climate change extremists in the EPA who have sought to minimize the voices of America's energy producers. While Congress may have granted EPA the right to create rules on certain toxic pollutants, it didn't give it the right to adopt regulations that could have nationwide repercussions. This was the right decision.
Left narrative
The Supreme Court sided with the fossil fuel industry over the fight against climate change and stripped EPA of the very power that Congress conceded to it. Choosing money over saving lives is clearly indicative of a broken system that must be fixed.