Former FIFA, UEFA Presidents Found Not Guilty of Fraud
On Fri., a Swiss court cleared former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini of fraud over a 2M Swiss francs payment from Blatter to Platini in 2011.
News of the payment emerged after an investigation by the US Department of Justice into corruption and malpractice at FIFA was launched in 2015.
Following the US investigation, both men were banned from football for eight years, although these bans were later reduced.
Establishment-critical narrative
The case against Blatter and Platini is just one among many scandals involving senior leaders of sports federations based in Switzerland, and the court's decision only highlights the Swiss law's inability to hold corrupt executives accountable. This has to change.
Pro-establishment narrative
Defendants are innocent until proven guilty, and in this case there was simply not enough evidence to charge Blatter or Platini. The court made the right decision to uphold the rule of law and side with the accused.
Watchdog Asked to Investigate IRS Audits of McCabe, Comey
The IRS announced on Thurs. that a Treasury Dept. watchdog has been asked to investigate decisions by the IRS to subject former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, along with their spouses, to rigorous financial audits.
The agency came under scrutiny following a NYT report on Wed. that detailed the audits of the two men.
The likelihood of any one individual being selected for the detailed audit was roughly one in 30,600 in 2019 - the year McCabe was audited. The odds of two top officials from the FBI being chosen within two years are very slim.
Democratic narrative
This is a serious abuse of executive power and possibly a federal crime. The Trump admin. was notorious for targeting perceived enemies, but it thoroughly crossed the line here. There must be detailed investigations into these audits.
Republican narrative
Though it is easy to jump to conclusions, a proper investigation must be undertaken to determine if any wrongdoing occurred. It is possible that these audits were politically motivated, but there are correct procedures for dealing with such accusations, and they must be followed.
Narrative C
This isn't the first time that a presidential administration has been accused of weaponizing the IRS. And regardless of whether or not it turns out that Trump singled out Comey and McCabe, this scandal should help awaken Biden to the need to reform and better support that vital but unpopular office.
Twitter Sues Elon Musk
On Tues., Twitter filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk to force him to close a deal accepted in April to take over the social media platform.
This comes in response to Musk's Fri. announcement that he plans to end the $44B agreement over allegations that Twitter has failed to fulfill its contractual obligations by not providing verifiable data on its spam accounts.
In May, Musk temporarily halted the deal as he awaited information on Twitter's fake accounts, which the social media platform reportedly then divulged.
Narrative A
Musk has given Twitter ample warning that the deal was in peril if the bot issue wasn't resolved. Twitter has not only failed to provide sufficient information on the number of bot accounts, but made false and misleading representations. Besides, the company has also failed to "conduct business in the ordinary course" as obligated through its recent hiring freeze and layoffs. Given Twitter's material breach of multiple provisions, Musk is entirely within his rights to walk away.
Narrative B
Musk has been setting the stage for this since he first signed the agreement. If he were truly unhappy about the Twitter bots, he should've investigated this before committing to the deal. Twitter has gone to great lengths to comply with all of his requests, and this is simply an excuse to rescind on his end of the deal after a recent slide in tech valuations. Either way, Musk will have to prove Twitter breached the agreement before he can break off his bid.
Nerd narrative
There is an 25% chance that Elon Musk will acquire over 50% of Twitter shares by the end of 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 136: First Ukrainian Troops Arrive in UK for Training, US to Supply More Advanced Rocket Systems
The first cohort of Ukrainian soldiers have arrived in the UK to receive military training from the country's armed forces. Britain aims to train 10K Ukrainian soldiers in the next 120 days, but defense minister Ben Wallace said the UK would be "open to more."
Meanwhile, as part of a new $400M weapons package, the US announced plans to send four more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine – so far, 12 HIMARS have been delivered. Russia said it destroyed two HIMARS on Wed., but the claim couldn't be independently confirmed.
Elsewhere, Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine's deputy PM, called on residents from the Russian-occupied southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia to evacuate by any means necessary, stating that Ukrainian troops will soon launch offensives in an attempt to retake the land.
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 5% chance that Russia will annex any part of any Baltic country by 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Bans Ballot Drop Boxes
The Wisconsin (WI) Supreme Court voted 4-3 on Fri. to outlaw absentee-ballot drop boxes, ruling that absentee-ballots must either be returned by mail or personally delivered to local election offices.
The court also ruled that only the voter may hand-deliver a ballot, barring in-person collection efforts by third parties that critics call ballot harvesting.
However, the court didn't address whether someone other than the voter can send a ballot by mail, likely meaning that people can still collect multiple ballots and send them via mail.
Democratic narrative
This decision not only complicates what had been a seamless voting process but also adds fuel to election-denying conspiracy theories - undermining free and fair elections under the guise of protecting them.
Republican narrative
This ruling is a win for those who care about maintaining election integrity. A legitimate election must work within the law, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court's decision is rightly enforcing this.
Report: WWE CEO Paid $12M in Hush Money
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE) CEO Vince McMahon reportedly paid over $12M in hush money to four women over the past 16 years regarding allegations of sexual harassment and infidelity.
According to the Wall Street Journal, one payment in 2018 was $7.5M to a former wrestler who claimed McMahon coerced her into sexual relations and then demoted her until her contract expired when she refused to further engage.
In 2008, he allegedly paid $1M to a former contractor following allegations of sexual harassment, while he reportedly paid a manager $1M in 2006.
Narrative A
McMahon has historically gotten away with a lot and strategically remained in charge of WWE business affairs despite a string of allegations. The latest news of sexual misconduct, however, could prove that his power and luck are running out.
Narrative B
Even with these recent allegations, the decision to resign is still in McMahon's hands. His disproportionate voting power among WWE shareholders means he can't really be voted out; unless overwhelming outside public pressure forces him to step down, he could be here to stay.
Day 137: Donetsk Strike Kills 15, Russia Accused of Planning to Annex Kharkiv
At least 15 people have died after Russian missiles struck a residential building in the Donetsk town of Chasiv Yar on Sat. evening, according to Ukrainian officials. Five more have been confirmed injured, and at least 30 are feared to be trapped below the rubble.
This comes as US-based military think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has warned that, in addition to its aim of capturing the Donbas region, Russia may be planning to annex part or all of the north-eastern Kharkiv region.
ISW's assessment comes after Russia-backed officials in the area reportedly claimed the region is an "inalienable part of Russian land," while unveiling a new flag for the region, which includes the Russian imperial double-headed eagle.
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 is a 14% chance that Ukraine will officially recognize a former Ukrainian territory as independent before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
South Africa: At Least 21 Killed In Bar Attacks
At least 21 people were reportedly killed and several others injured in a shooting at a bar in the South African township of Soweto, Johannesburg, early Sun. morning.
The incident occurred when gunmen opened fire on the young patrons at Emazulwini tavern in the Nomzamo informal settlement in Orlando East, Soweto.
This comes after tavern shootings in Katlehong, Johannesburg on Fri. and in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal on Sat. claimed the lives of two and four people, respectively.
Establishment-critical narrative
The recent shootings are further evidence of the government's failure to address the root causes of violence. Neither defending the rule of law nor an effective criminal justice system is being prioritized; the government stands idly by while the country is flooded with illegal weapons. And while socioeconomic conditions for the nation are deteriorating, the top 10% are lining their pockets thanks to the political, capitalist system.
Pro-establishment narrative
Yes, there's significant violence and crime in South Africa, but this needs to be put into perspective. All too often, for example, the legacy of inequality faced by the country after the end of apartheid is overlooked. Despite the enormous challenges, South Africa's social and political achievements are remarkable, and its democratic system is firmly rooted in society. The country serves as a shining example of how to govern a diverse people.
Report: Border Patrol Didn’t Whip Migrants
In a report released Fri., the Office of Professional Responsibility at US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) absolved agents on horseback of whipping Haitian migrants "intentionally or otherwise," but found they used "unnecessary force" to block them.
CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said they weren't carrying whips, but committed multiple infractions, including using offensive language and putting a child in harm's way. The report also blamed a "lack of command control and communication."
The investigation was opened following a Sept. 19, 2021 confrontation between Dept. of Public Safety troopers and migrants bathing in the Rio Grande River who then tried crossing back into the US.
Republican narrative
Once this non-controversy was debunked in the hours after it emerged, there was no reason to investigate. But since Biden and other Democrats were fooled into denouncing this manufactured issue, they had to save face.
Democratic narrative
The whipping misunderstanding aside, there was enough done wrong here to warrant the investigation and any disciplinary action that might come of it. The migrants in question were the victims of unprovoked and illegal acts of intimidation.
Establishment-critical narrative
You can't exclude black voices from an investigation into a potentially racially motivated attack. CBP's investigation lacks credibility and fails to mete out justice as long as it excludes testimony from the migrants themselves, who are the actual victims of what happened that day.
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