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Judges Block Florida, Kentucky Abortion Bans
Judges in Florida and Kentucky temporarily blocked their states from enforcing abortion bans or restrictions in the aftermath of a SCOTUS ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade and gave states license to regulate the procedure.
Florida's 15-week ban had been scheduled to take effect Fri., but Circuit Court Judge John Cooper determined that the law violates the state constitution's privacy rights. He is expected to sign a written order next week, which is when his decision would be enacted.
Meanwhile, a Kentucky judge blocked the state's near-total ban, which the state immediately appealed. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has indicated that the state will appeal Cooper's decision.
Left narrative
Although the decision to overturn Roe gave the power over abortion to the states, many of these trigger bans and abortion restrictions violate state constitutions and infringe on women's rights to bodily autonomy. It's absolutely necessary for judges to step in and block these cruel bans.
Right narrative
These trigger laws and restrictions were all legally voted on and implemented by their states' respective legislatures under the caveat that they would take effect if Roe was overturned. It's now the duty of state officials to enforce them. Opponents are free to challenge them, but they're in for a tough fight that they will eventually lose.
FBI Offers $100k Reward For Information on Cryptoqueen
The FBI has added Dr. Ruja Ignatova, also known as the "Cryptoqueen," to its Ten Most-Wanted Fugitive list - the 11th woman placed on it in its 72-year history - and is offering up to $100k for information that leads to her capture.
The 42-year-old German citizen is wanted for allegedly defrauding investors of more than $4B by selling a fake Bulgarian-based cryptocurrency called OneCoin.
Ignatova disappeared in late 2017 when she reportedly boarded a flight from Bulgaria to Greece after a US federal warrant for her arrest was issued. She hasn't been seen since.
Narrative A
Adding Ignatova to the FBI's Ten Most-Wanted list sets a good precedent for those who intend on pursuing crypto scams, and brings hope that this defrauder will finally be caught. Her arrest and conviction would send a powerful warning and bring awareness to crypto Ponzi scams.
Narrative B
Scams aren't a recent or uncommon phenomenon and today's digital world allows scammers to reach millions with ease. With cryptocurrencies' popularity on the rise, they're on the leading edge of new cybercrime opportunities, which are particularly painful as retrieving any stolen funds is near impossible.
Narrative C
It's not just the odd crypto scam that's the problem; the entire world of decentralized finance is there are no standards for risk management or capital reserves, no transparency requirements, investors often have no idea how their money is being handled, and deposits are not insured. Luckily, all Ponzi schemes topple eventually, and it looks like crypto is now capsizing by its own weight.
Libya: Protestors Burn Parts of Parliament Building in Tobru
On Sat., Libyan protesters said they will keep demonstrating until all ruling elites quit, after rallies on Fri. saw crowds burn parts of the parliament building in Tobruk.
Protestors outraged by feuding politicians and subpar living conditions also demonstrated in Benghazi, al-Baydha, Misrata, and other smaller towns - with many protesting over chronic power cuts and demonstrators in Tobruk accusing the government of treason and stealing money.
Libya has been torn between two feuding factions since 2014 after a 2011 NATO-backed rebellion ousted longtime leader Moammar Gaddafi.
Pro-establishment narrative
The people of Libya have a right to peacefully protest but the defacing of the parliament building and destructive rioting is unnacceptable. Libyan leaders have been working with the UN to bring about change, and violence will not help this process.
Establishment-critical narrative
The people of Libya are tired of feuding factions, the crumbling quality of life, and the UN who indulged the political class behind Lybia's instability. The possibility of elections seems slim, forcing Lybians to take action. Enough is enough; it's time for change.
West African Leaders Lift Economic Sanctions on Mali
Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sun. lifted economic and financial sanctions imposed on Mali with immediate effect and agreed to Bamako's proposal for a 24-month transition to civilian rule.
Though borders are being reopened and the region's diplomats are returning to Bamako, the bloc's Commission Pres., Jean Claude Kassi Brou, said that Mali's ECOWAS suspension and individual sanctions imposed on members of the military government and the transitional council will be maintained.
This comes as the UN Security Council decided on Wed. to extend the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) for another year and maintain its strength of more than 13.2K troops and 1.9K international police.
Establishment-critical narrative
To this day, the West, led by France, pretends to be committed to democracy in Africa, while it has no problem with autocratic governments as long as they serve its interests. It's high time for ECOWAS to break away from its role as a "Françafrique" tool and go its own way in solving West African problems. It remains to be seen whether the organizations' lifting of sanctions against Mali and Burkina Faso is a true sign of growing sovereignty and independence.
Pro-establishment narrative
ECOWAS's tough stance against Mali's junta seems to be bearing fruit. However, the democratic transition promised by Bamako must now be closely monitored, particularly since the new legislative law provides the junta with some loopholes for participation in the presidential elections announced for 2024. ECOWAS is well advised to firmly uphold its commitment to democracy and the rule of law, as well as the military leaders of Burkina Faso and Guinea.
Uzbekistan: At Least 18 Killed In Provincial Unrest
Uzbek authorities announced on Mon. that 18 people were killed and 516 detained during the unrest that broke out last week in the country's autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan over a planned constitutional reform.
On Sun., Uzbekistan's Pres. Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that there have been "fatalities" among civilians and law enforcement during "destructive actions" by rioters in Nukus, the regional capital.
Amid the large-scale protests, Mirziyoyev on Sat. dropped plans to curtail Karakalpakstan's autonomy from proposed constitutional reforms, which reportedly include strengthening civil liberties and extending presidential terms from five to seven years.
Establishment-critical narrative
The conflict and reaction to the protests highlight the reality that Uzbekistan is still a tightly controlled state reminiscent of its time as part of the Soviet bloc. In clamping down hard on any form of dissent, this is a reminder that freedom of opinion still comes at a cost for the Uzbek people.
Pro-establishment narrative
The actions of Uzbek law enforcement have been entirely justified to prevent violations of public order and to suppress illegal demonstrations and acts of conflict by protest organizers. The president's decision to reverse decisions and alter changes to the constitution affecting Karakalpakstan shows an awareness of and care for public opinion.
Abu Akleh: US Investigation Wraps Up
The US State Dept. announced on Mon. that the forensic analysis of the bullet that killed Shireen Abu Akleh was inconclusive, but it said that, based on the investigations done by the Israeli military and Palestinian Authority, Israeli forces likely killed the Palestinian journalist accidentally.
On Sat., Palestinian officials gave the bullet that allegedly killed Abu Akleh to US investigators amid pressure for investigations to be concluded before Pres. Biden's first visit to Israel and the West Bank.
This came after a phone call between the Palestinian Authority Pres. Mahmoud Abbas and US Sec. of State Antony Blinken, in which they discussed the question.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Rather than showing moral courage, the US is trying to compromise between Israel and Palestine to solve this quickly before Biden's visit. Abu Akleh's killing was clearly intentionally carried out by Israeli forces; countless outlets and research groups have concluded that she was killed by an Israeli sniper. She was clearly identified as a journalist, and there were several witnesses at the scene.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though the death of Abu Akleh is tragic, critics of Israel are always quick to jump to conclusions. This investigation was a good step in deducing who killed Abu Akleh, but, unfortunately, the results were inconclusive. Israel has been completely cooperative with the investigations into Abu Akleh's death, and if the IDF was responsible, it was not intentional.
Nerd narrative
There's a 7% chance that Israel and Palestine will hold peace talks in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 131 Roundup: Russia Turns to Donetsk After Taking Control of Luhansk
After Russian forces this weekend took control of Lysychansk, the last holdout in Luhansk, the region's exiled governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russia's sights will now turn to neighboring Donetsk, namely the cities of Bakhmut and Sloviansk. Gaidai also stated that: "Bakhmut has already started being shelled very hard."
According to the Mayor of Sloviansk, Vadym Lyakh, the city came under heavy shelling from multiple launch rocket systems over the weekend. He also claimed that six people had died and 15 more were wounded in attacks on Sunday.
Ukraine's Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sun. confirmed the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Lysychansk, but vowed the country will retake the territory thanks to advanced Western-supplied weaponry.
Pro-establishment narrative
As the war shifts to the strategically important region of Donetsk, the US and its allies need to continue to do everything in their power to arm Ukraine with all the weapons they need. Doing so is the only way to push Putin's forces back as was done in Kyiv.
Pro-Russia narrative
As stated by Putin, the whole purpose of the war was never to invade Kyiv, but to liberate the ethnically Russian people of Donetsk and Luhansk, who have been subjected to systematic killing by Ukrainian forces for not recognizing the 2014 coup in Kyiv. This tragedy would have been avoided if NATO had kept its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification.
Nerd narrative
There's a 33% chance that the US government will designate Russia a "State Sponsor of Terrorism" by 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Denmark: Gunman Kills Three in Copenhagen Mall
Danish police confirmed that three people were killed and four more were seriously wounded after a gunman opened fire at shoppers at a mall on the outskirts of Copenhagen on Sunday.
Søren Thomassen, Copenhagen's chief police inspector, said on Mon. that the gunman acted alone and appears to have selected his victims at random. He added that while the motive remained unclear, there was nothing to suggest it was an act of terrorism.
He said police received the first reports of a shooting at 5.37pm local time and that the gunman – identified only as a 22-year-old ethnic Dane – was arrested 11 minutes later. He was charged with manslaughter and will be brought before a judge on Monday.
Right narrative
Despite Denmark possessing some of the strictest gun laws in the world, lethal mass shootings - akin to those plaguing the US - can still occur. Clearly, even rigid gun control legislation cannot prevent attacks such as the tragedy in Copenhagen.
Left narrative
This tragedy was an isolated event. Gun laws might not prevent all gun crime, but they drastically reduce it. Denmark's restrictive gun laws mean that far fewer people own firearms compared to the US, and deaths by firearms are therefore far rarer.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that there will be at least 1.38 small firearms per capita in the USA by 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Italian Alps Glacier Collapse: 6 Killed, 15 Missing
At least six people are dead and 15 are missing after a glacier collapsed in the Dolomite mountain range of the Italian Alps.
The glacier broke loose on Sun. afternoon releasing a torrent of ice, snow, and rocks onto hikers on a popular trail. The glacier is the largest in the Marmolada range and while it's a popular ski destination, it has experienced rapid melting in recent years.
Rescue operations are ongoing and the death toll is expected to rise. The National Alpine and Cave Rescue Corps said that at least five helicopters and rescue dogs are being used in the search and rescue operations.
Narrative A
This glacier collapse is directly linked to climate change. This will, unfortunately, become a regular event in the years to come across similar mountain ranges. These high peaks with steep slopes require snow and ice to remain stable and with global temps increasing these hiker hotspots are vulnerable to tragedies like this.
Narrative B
It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with it. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.
Nerd narrative
There's a 23% chance that there will be 3.6°C of global warming by 2100 according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Illinois: Suspect in Mass Shooting Arrested
A person of interest in a mass shooting that occurred at a 4th of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois was taken into police custody on Mon. evening after an hours-long manhunt, authorities have confirmed.
Six people reportedly died and at least 30 were injured in the shooting that began shortly after 10 am local time. Police haven't released details on the victims or wounded, but at least five of those killed were reportedly adults, and four or five children are believed to have been injured. A suspected firearm - reportedly a rifle - was recovered from a nearby rooftop.
Law enforcement initially identified a white male, approximately 18-20 years old, as a suspect. A photo of the man in custody, 22-year-old Robert E. Crimo III, was later released and he was apprehended after a short chase by an officer who identified him during an attempted traffic stop.
Right narrative
If we really want to adopt "common sense gun control," then we need to use common sense. If gun-free zones and places where gun laws are more restrictive are actually more dangerous, then we need to do more to allow law-abiding citizens to protect themselves.
Left narrative
The facts are in and it's obvious the US needs more gun control and fewer guns to reduce the number of mass shootings. Guns are a public health crisis that needs to be studied and treated as such.
Jayland Walker: Autopsy Shows 46 Gunshot Wounds
On Fri., the Summit County, OH Medical Examiner revealed Jayland Walker died due to blood loss from internal injuries provoked by 46 gunshot wounds, including to his heart, lungs, and other organs.
Though impossible to confirm the number of shots fired by the police, 26 bullets were recovered in the preliminary autopsy. No trace of drugs or alcohol was found in Walker's body.
This comes a day after the NAACP asked Attorney General Merrick Garland for the DOJ to open a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting. Walker's funeral service was held on Wednesday.
Left narrative
Video footage has made it clear that the Akron Police Department's version of Jayland Walker's killing is inconsistent. While they're trying to present Walker as a dangerous individual, it's hard to believe that an unarmed man should've been shot a shocking 60 times.
Right narrative
While tragic, the investigation will prove that the police's actions were justified. Walker challenged lawful orders to stop and presented a danger by firing a weapon. The truth is that many officers go through their entire careers without once firing their weapons.