Tunisia: New Constitution Passes with Low Voter Turnout
In a referendum on Mon., Tunisians overwhelmingly approved a new constitution proposed by Pres. Kais Saied. According to recent figures, it was approved by over 90% of voters, though turnout was only around 25%.
The new constitution, which strengthens Saied's executive control, replaces the 2014 constitution. Saied is given full executive control, full command of the army, and the ability to appoint a government without parliamentary approval.
Saied promised that Tunisia would now enter a new phase after a decade of political deadlock. However, Tunisia's main opposition parties boycotted the referendum, and Saied's opponents cited low turnout as proof that the vote was undemocratic.
Establishment-critical narrative
This is a tragic day for democracy in the Arab world. Saied's new constitution - which was approved with only a quarter of the Tunisian population's support - is an attempt to make himself Tunisia's new authoritarian strongman, reversing the free speech and democratic governance that were protected under Tunisia's post-Arab Spring government.
Pro-establishment narrative
Considering the severe economic and political crisis Tunisia has spiraled into since the so-called "Arab Spring," it's no wonder that Tunisians have decided to support the new constitution. This is just one more step to save the country from the grip of the Muslim Brotherhood and the political corruption and economic chaos that it would otherwise face. This election wasn't about a return to autocracy but about salvaging Tunisia.
Sen. Grassley: DOJ, FBI Allegedly Part of 'Scheme' to Bury Hunter Biden Stories
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Mon. said "highly credible" whistleblowers have come forward alleging a widespread effort by the FBI to discredit negative information about Pres. Biden's son Hunter.
In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and AG Merrick Garland, Grassley said the whistleblowers claim the FBI deliberately and falsely portrayed negative headlines about Hunter Biden as a "foreign disinformation campaign."
The Senator added that the FBI began compiling evidence on Hunter in 2020, but that the information was ultimately used to help "improperly discredit" anything that was eventually made public.
Right narrative
If these allegations are true, the FBI and DOJ will lose whatever faith Americans still had in the institutions. Beyond showing judicial favoritism for a sitting president's son, this news shows the lengths to which many high-level government officials went to shield Biden from bad publicity in 2020 and help his election campaign.
Left narrative
The right is trying to turn a story about Hunter Biden into one about his father. Besides the obvious fact that these are two completely separate individuals, the case against Hunter may never even come to fruition. Whether charges are brought or not, we should remember that this is a story about Hunter, not the president.
Nerd narrative
There is a 26% chance that Joe Biden will be re-elected President of the United States in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
NYC 'Central Park Five' Co-Defendant Exonerated After 3 Decades
On Mon., Steven Lopez, a co-defendant in the infamous "Central Park Five" case, had his conviction overturned. Arrested in 1989, he spent three years in jail after accepting a deal pleading guilty to robbery to avoid rape charges.
He was among six people accused of involvement in the rape and assault of Trisha Meili. The other five served up to 13 years in jail and were exonerated in 2002 after Matias Reyes, a serial rapist, was linked to the attack.
The case shocked a violence-ridden New York City at the time, fueling racial tensions as those accused of attacking a 28-year-old white woman – all Black or Hispanic – received extensive negative coverage by the police and the media.
Left narrative
The Central Park Five case is another example of how the US legal system operates, exposing how racial hysteria damages the pursuit of justice. False accusations against Black and Latino young men remain a systemic problem. This system must be reformed.
Right narrative
It doesn't make sense to consider the Central Park Five innocent of all charges just because Reyes confessed he attacked Meili. They were part of a person criminal gang that carried out assaults, robberies, and other crimes against eight other victims in Central Park.
Jan 6 Committee: Trump Deleted Lines Against Rioters From Speech
A new video released by the House Jan. 6 committee on Mon. suggested that former Pres. Trump was hesitant to condemn the violence at the Capitol, nixing lines in a draft of the speech he gave on Jan. 7.
The video includes interviews with several of his advisers debating the speech, including his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House official, affirmed in testimony that the speech was planned amid fears that Trump could be ousted from office via the 25th Amendment.
Democratic narrative
The evidence suggests Trump wanted this insurrection, and his people planned the riot. It's no coincidence that after the infamous Rose Garden video it took more than a day for him to address the nation, and he only did so because his aides were concerned his silence could provoke his impeachment.
Pro-Trump narrative
The Jan. 6 Committee is trying to undermine Trump's image to benefit the corrupt establishment in the upcoming elections. Instead of focusing on tackling criminal gangs and violence in Democrat-run cities, the Biden admin. has been attacking righteous Americans for their political ideology and religion.
Day 154 Roundup: Ukraine Strikes Key Bridge in Russian-Occupied Kherson; Russia Makes Gains in Donbas
A key bridge into Russian-occupied Kherson in the south of Ukraine was struck by Ukrainian forces late on Tuesday. Russian media reported that the Antonovsky bridge was targeted by US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and that it has since been closed to civilians. Ukrainian officials have also verified the reports.
The bridge, one of two crossing the Dnipro River in the region, is reportedly a key supply route for Russian troops and its destruction or takeover by opposition forces could potentially leave them isolated if Ukraine were to launch a successful counterattack on Kherson. While social media footage showed damage to the bridge, its structural integrity appeared to be intact.
Meanwhile, at least one civilian was killed and four more were injured in Bakhmut in the Donetsk region where Russian shells reportedly hit a hotel. At least six civilians were also reported injured in Russian shelling of the northeastern city of Kharkiv. The cities of Nikopol and Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region were also reportedly shelled overnight, injuring at least one civilian.
Pro-establishment narrative
As the war shifts to the strategically important Donbas 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.
Nerd narrative
There's a 3% chance that Kyiv will be under Russian control before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
China Seeking to Infiltrate US Fed, Senior Republican Claims
Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman published a report on Tues. alleging that China has for more than a decade targeted economists at the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, since at least 2013.
An investigation by Republican staff members on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs found that Fed employees were offered contracts with Chinese talent-recruitment programs.
These programs would allegedly offer cash payments in return for insight into monetary policy and access to internal data. Portman has stated that he urges the Fed "to do more" and that "the risk is clear."
Anti-China narrative
China's attempts to target and influence key areas of the US are no surprise and the scale of industrial espionage shows that Beijing maintains major capabilities in this arena. These latest attempts to influence the fields of economics and monetary policy should be worrying for politicians and policymakers in the US.
Pro-China narrative
The allegations of "espionage" come just as China and Japan, the world's largest holders of US debt, have dramatically reduced their holdings of US Treasury Bonds as the US faces sky-rocketing inflation and deteriorating economic conditions. Even the US public at large thinks that government policies are hurting its economy, so why wouldn't its foreign debt holders be concerned?
Cynical narrative
Whilst there are clear security issues with the Fed, the report by no means produces certainty. Rejected by both Chinese state media as well as the head of the Federal Reserve itself, we cannot simply take the report's conclusions as infallible.
Macron Visits West Africa
On Wed., while visiting Benin, French Pres. Emmanuel Macron pledged to support the West African nation by investing in security, education, and a new French cultural center.
This is the second stop of a three-nation tour of West Africa, which started on Mon. and will end in Guinea-Bissau on Thurs., to "renew" relations between France and the region.
Macron's first leg of the trip saw him visit Cameroon where he reinforced his commitment to the fight against Boko Haram and the spread of jihadist ideology, pledging to provide military support if requested.
Pro-establishment narrative
As several African countries are turning to Russia, France must focus on using its leverage to push for a political solution to the Anglophone separatist insurgency. Only by upholding its values will France be able to maintain its influence in Francophone Africa.
Establishment-critical narrative
This trip is an expression of an equally obvious and desperate attempt to revive "Françafrique," not least amid geopolitical tensions with Russia. And when it comes to neocolonialism 2.0, human rights simply don't matter. For Africa, that means more suffering, more corruption, and more coups.
Report: US, Taliban Exchange Proposals on Release of Funds
Negotiations between the US and the Taliban have reportedly made progress regarding the release of billions of dollars from the Afghan central bank reserves held abroad into a trust fund.
Significant differences still remain, though, including the Taliban's refusal to replace the bank's top political appointees, one of whom is under US sanctions, as are several Taliban leaders.
The Taliban hasn't rejected the idea of a trust fund, but they oppose the US proposal for a third party such as Sweden to control holding and disbursing the roughly $9B in reserves, $7B of which has been held in the US since its withdrawal.
Establishment-critical narrative
The money over which these negotiations are taking place isn't America's. All of it belongs to Afghan citizens, and the White House has unethically held it hostage. Concerning the $3.5B for 9/11 victims, Afghan citizens aren't responsible for that either and let's not forget about the thousands of innocents killed by the US military. The hypocrisy here is astounding.
Pro-establishment narrative
The US is extremely cautious in dealing with the Taliban. The goal of releasing these funds must be to help struggling Afghans, not support Taliban-affiliated terrorist groups. The US must ensure that funding will be allocated properly - this is a critical prerequisite.
Nerd narrative
There's a 25% chance that the US will recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: DOJ Investigating Trump's Inner Circle
The Washington Post reported on Tues. that Justice Dept. prosecutors have questioned witnesses, including top aides to VP Pence, about conversations with former Pres. Trump and his allies on reversing his election loss.
This disclosure indicates that the DOJ's investigation has entered into a new phase focused on Trump's actions, including an alleged fake electors plan. Nevertheless, no criminal investigation into him has been opened as of yet.
Sources familiar with the probe have said that federal prosecutors received phone records of officials and aides in the Trump admin. in April. They've also issued subpoenas and search warrants for Trump's allies.
Democratic narrative
The DOJ, after following the congressional hearings and conducting their investigations, now clearly has enough evidence to prosecute Trump. Though it would break the precedent of not taking legal action against a former president, the fact that even Republican lawyers and politicians have acknowledged his culpability proves the DOJ needs to act now so Trump doesn't get a pass on his egregious crimes.
Pro-Trump narrative
The Democrats already tried and failed twice to impeach Trump, so the Jan. 6 Committee and DOJ's investigations are their third attempt at preventing him from running in 2024. Neither the "Russia hoax," nor Robert Mueller's investigation, brought to light any real evidence of criminality, and the current investigations will come to the same conclusion. The Democrats are facing a trouncing in the upcoming elections.
Narrative C
There is little doubt that prosecuting Trump and the subsequent political violence from his supporters will strain the nation. It may even lurch America towards civil war if states threaten succession due to the trial or if Trump loses the 2024 election. It's deeply sad that the country could potentially tear itself apart in this process.
Nerd narrative
There's a 13% chance that Donald Trump will be jailed or incarcerated before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Philippines: 7-Magnitude Earthquake Kills At Least 5
On Wed., a 7-magnitude earthquake shook the northern Philippines island of Luzon, killing at least five people in four different provinces and injuring dozens more.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) identified the epicenter of the earthquake as 11km (6 miles) east-southeast of the town of Dolores and occurred at a depth of 10km (6 miles). Witnesses said the violent shaking lasted 30 sec. or more. [The USGS also downgraded the magnitude to 7.0]
The recently-elected Pres. of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has been in office for less than one month, plans to visit the hard-hit Abra province as soon as it's considered safe.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though multiple destructive earthquakes and seismic events remain in the minds of the Filipinos, the country sadly still has a way to go. Important changes to building codes were never fully implemented, which is painfully apparent during these destructive events.
Pro-establishment narrative
Pres. Marcos Jr. is ready and prepared to lead the people of the Philippines through this disaster. Just hours after a massive earthquake he has already proposed a Disaster Resilience Bill, building on a long and successful tradition of disaster management in the country. Marcos Jr. recognizes that the Philippines is not immune to these incidents and is committed to furthering disaster initiatives.
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.15.2