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Iran: US Imposes New Sanctions
The US Treasury Dept. announced on Wed. that it has imposed new sanctions on several companies and two UAE-based Iranian nationals accused of helping illicit sales and shipments of Iranian oil and petrochemicals to East Asia.
Also on Wed., Sec. of State Antony Blinken revealed penalties on entities and individuals located in Hong Kong, Iran, Singapore, the UAE, and Vietnam for their support of Iranian energy trade.
Meanwhile, the IAEA UN nuclear watchdog's deadline to salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) passed on Thurs. without Iran reactivating surveillance cameras in nuclear facilities as demanded.
Establishment-critical narrative
The Biden admin. is continuing to pursue failed Trump-era strategies despite previously criticizing them and claiming to be committed to diplomacy. Continued sanctions, which have had little overall impact on Iranian industries, will only hurt the West, forcing them to pay even more for energy.
Pro-establishment narrative
The US has attempted to engage in diplomatic efforts to revive the JCPOA, but Iran appears bent on rejecting any deal to implement the agreement. Sanctions against Iranian exports - even if they come at a sacrifice - effectively exert pressure and must be enforced until Tehran changes its approach.
Nerd narrative
There's an 11% chance that the US will rejoin the Iran nuclear deal before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Treasury Accused of Refusing Access to suspicious Hunter Biden Transactions
Rep. James Comer (R-KY), the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee, claimed in a Wed. letter to Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen that the Treasury Dept. is refusing to release records of potentially suspicious banking transactions linked to Hunter Biden and members of his family.
Comer, who first requested the records on May 26, and gave the Treasury until June 8, cited a June 13 phone call during which he says Republican committee staff members were refused access to the records, known as suspicious activity reports (SARs), "unless Democrats join the request."
Comer and his GOP colleagues are looking into the president's son's business dealings, which they believe might "compromise US national security."
Democratic narrative
On the one hand, Republicans claim they care about voters' concerns, like inflation and immigration. On the other hand, they're fixated on outlandish claims about Hunter Biden, many of which have already been proven false. It will certainly be no benefit to the US if the GOP is voted into office.
Republican narrative
Where there's smoke there's fire. Beyond all the evidence and flagged transactions tying Hunter Biden to shady deals and people, the Biden admin. even leaked a false story to the media saying that the Treasury had made all SARs available to Republicans. If that's not a sign of guilt, what is?
Cynical narrative
Weak ethics laws have opened the door for the exploitation of connections by those close to presidents. While the Republicans continue to go after Hunter Biden, no one has produced information on Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner's dealings with the Saudis. Meanwhile, even after complaining about nepotism in the Trump admin., the Biden regime has hired numerous children and relatives of Democratic power brokers. It's an endless cycle of abuse of power from both sides.
UK Announces Seizure of Iranian Weapons Bound for Yemen
UK officials announced on Thurs. that the Royal Navy's HMS Montrose earlier this year had seized a shipment of Iranian advanced surface-to-air missiles and engines for land-attack cruise missiles in the Gulf of Oman.
The cargo was allegedly heading to Yemen. According to the UK Ministry of Defense, Houthis have fired this type of weapon against Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the past.
Supported by the US Navy destroyer USS Gridley, the British warship reportedly interdicted suspected speedboats during two operations - in Jan. and Feb. - to enforce UN Security Council resolutions aimed at repressing Iranian arms supplies to the Houthis.
Establishment-critical narrative
Having sold almost $10B of advanced weapons to the anti-Yemen coalition so far, Britain has no credibility to make such accusations against Iran. Though London blames Tehran for the humanitarian crisis and the conflict, it's Britain who is partnering with a war criminal coalition.
Pro-establishment narrative
This seizure confirms a longtime suspicion that Iran has been sneaking arms to Yemeni Houthis in a breach of the UN weapon embargo. By doing so, Tehran has been undermining peace efforts in the country and is prolonging the conflict.
Japan: Former PM Shinzo Abe Fatally Shot at Campaign Event
Shinzo Abe has died after being shot at a campaign event in the city of Nara, near Osaka, multiple sources confirmed. He was Japan's longest serving prime minister and was in office between 2006-2007 and 2012-2020.
News reporters and camera crews were covering the event when they heard two shots ring out just after 11.30am local time on Fri., shortly after Abe began to speak. Footage from the scene showed security services detain the man responsible, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-yr-old resident of the city.
He was arrested on charges of attempted murder, and local media reported that police said he told investigators he was dissatisfied with the former PM and that he intended to kill him. Military sources confirmed to publications that the man had served in Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force for three years until around 2005.
Pro-establishment narrative
Abe, a world statesman, devoted himself to Japan and its people for years. This event is a great shock and tragedy – particularly in one of the world's safest countries where gun laws are extremely strict.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though nothing justifies this tragedy, Abe, despite being widely respected, came under increased criticism for his handling of COVID and the economic slump that followed. He also became a more controversial figure as he pushed to revise Japan's pacifist constitution, a contentious subject.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that the Liberal Democratic Party will lose its status as the largest party in the House of Representatives of Japan by May 2046, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Endangered Species Act Protections Restored by Federal Judge
A US federal judge in California has restored a range of protections under the Endangered Species Act that were removed under Trump in 2019.
Trump-era changes to regulations included rolling back restrictions designed to protect endangered species and allowing federal agencies to factor in economic assessments when deciding whether to protect species, among other measures.
The ruling - brought foward by EarthJustice, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and others in 2019 - will restore protections for hundreds of species
Pro-establishment narrative
This court decision is a win for environmental and conservation groups as well as climate activists. With Trump's limitations on the desperately needed ESA gone, endangered animals stand a better chance at survival in the fight against climate change.
Establishment-critical narrative
Despite the Biden administration's desires to revise or rescind much of Trump's changes to the ESA, it must be noted that more restrictive regulations aren't always better for helping wildlife. Trump-era rules removed regulations that were counterproductive and the ESA doesn't do enough to tackle the issue that most endangered species live on private land.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that a wild grizzly bear will be sighted in Colorado by July 2046, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 135 Roundup: At Least 9 Civilians Killed as Ukraine Official Warns of Humanitarian Disaster in Severodonetsk
At least nine civilians have been killed and more than 26 injured by Russian shelling in the last 24 hrs, local officials said on Friday. Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said six civilians were killed and 21 were injured in Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Avdiivka, Siversk, Pokrovske, and Orlivka. The remaining casualties reportedly occurred in Kharkiv.
Meanwhile, Serhiy Gaidai, Ukraine's governor for Luhansk – a region now fully occupied by Russian forces – warned that Severodonetsk faces a humanitarian disaster as there is no water, gas or electricity in the city. Furthermore, he claimed that 80% of the buildings have been destroyed.
This comes as foreign ministers from G20 nations met in Bali on Friday. Diplomats reportedly struggled to find common ground amid an East-West divide on the topic of Ukraine. Disruptions also plagued the summit, including the news of the shooting of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, as well as the resignation of UK PM Boris Johnson.
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 its 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 50% chance that Vladimir Putin will be charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Ex-Theranos President Sentenced to 13 Years
More than four years after the collapse of blood-testing company Theranos Inc., its former president and COO, Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, was sentenced to almost 13 years in prison on Wednesday after his conviction in July of seven counts of wire fraud and conspiracy against investors and five counts against patients.
Balwani received a slightly longer sentence than his former romantic partner and Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who was sentenced to more than 11 years last month after being convicted of four counts of defrauding investors.
As co-executives and former romantic partners, the two were originally charged together, but a federal judge separated the cases after Holmes alleged Balwani emotionally and sexually abused her.
Narrative A
Sunny Balwani was never part of defrauding Theranos' investors or its patients. He simply believed in the mission and technology of the company and worked tirelessly to make it a success. The individual prosecutors should have only focused on Holmes, who lied profusely about the efficacy of her invention.
Narrative B
The evidence was clear, which is why Balwani faced far more convictions than Holmes. Not only was he a top executive at Theranos during its heyday of fraudulent schemes, but he admitted to being responsible for everything in a text message to his former girlfriend.
Biden Signs EO to Protect Abortion Access
On Fri., Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) aimed at protecting abortion rights, in response to the Supreme Court's recent overturning of Roe v. Wade.
The EO will pressure Health and Human Services (HHS) Sec. Xavier Becerra to take steps to ensure that services like emergency contraception, long-lasting contraception like IUDs, and FDA-approved abortion medication are accessible.
The Biden admin. will also take steps to protect patient privacy by "combatting digital surveillance related to reproductive health care services" and protect those seeking care from "inaccurate information, fraudulent schemes, or deceptive practices."
Left narrative
While this executive order is a step in the right direction, even it is limited in scope and the impact will likely not be very large. Congress needs to step up and codify the protections of Roe v. Wade to ensure women's rights to choose. This is an urgent human rights issue.
Right narrative
Abortion laws were left up to the states for almost 200 years before the Supreme Court nationalized the procedure in 1973. While pro-abortion activists may want us to believe that overturning Roe is the end of women's rights, the truth is that returning the power to the states is simply about upholding democracy and putting the issue back into the hands of the people.
US Charges Haitian Man for Role In Kidnapping
On Thurs., the DOJ formally accused Jean Pelice, an alleged member of Haiti's "400 Mawozo" gang, of taking part in the abduction of American Christian missionaries on Oct. 16, 2021.
This comes as a 27-year-old Haitian man also known as "Zo" appeared for the first time in a US court. He was extradited to the US in May to face charges of hostage-taking for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping.
Pelice is the second person charged in the US in connection with this crime as Joly Germine, a leader of the gang, was also transferred to US custody in May under accusations of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and weapon trafficking.
Establishment-critical narrative
Haitian police are unfairly positioned to tackle gang violence. While the criminals are heavily armed with smuggled US-made assault-style rifles, security forces are underequipped and must rely on seized weapons as US laws ironically restrict their access to arms. Foreign governments aren't doing enough.
Pro-establishment narrative
The US has been taking bold measures to help Haiti to counter the concerning surge in gang violence, including providing armored vehicles and weapons. The possibility of establishing an international coalition involving Canada and France to back Haitian law enforcement agencies is being examined, and US personnel are expected to train Haitian defense forces this year.
Texas Gov. Orders State Assets to Return Illegal Migrants to Border
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Thurs, authorizing the Texas National Guard and Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) troopers to arrest immigrants who illegally crossed the border and return them to the US-Mexico border.
Abbot claims that the federal government is not upholding its constitutional duty to protect states "against invasion," giving him the right to deploy his own state National Guard and state/local public safety assets.
Under the current Operation Lone Star, the National Guard, DPS, and local law enforcement work to detain migrants on state charges such as trespassing. These operations currently don't interfere with federal authority.
Democratic narrative
Not only has Abbott's Operation Lone Star completely failed and cost Texans billions of dollars, his actions defying the federal government has recklessly put state and local officers on a potential collision course and done little to deter drug and human trafficking at the border. The court will likely overrule this order for good reason.
Republican narrative
Abbott has to do this. The federal government under Biden has done nothing to deter illegal border crossings. The status quo of "catch and release" policies is what led to record-breaking illegal immigration, so the Governor has stepped up and taken action while the president and federal law enforcement sit on their hands.