Biden Speaks with China's Xi As Tension Grows Over Taiwan
On Thurs., US Pres. Biden spoke for more than two hours with China's Pres. Xi Jinping. Xi voiced his concerns over a possible trip to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Xi also reportedly told Biden that the US must abide by the one-China principle, warning that "whoever plays with fire will get burnt," while Biden reaffirmed his opposition to any attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
Tensions have mounted following speculation that Pelosi could travel to Taiwan next month. Though not unprecedented, this move could signal US support for the island, over which Beijing claims sovereignty.
Republican narrative
This call shows that Biden isn't only weak in the face of the PRC, he's compromised. He didn't mention key security issues and came out with nothing except PRC threats. Biden is beholden to Democratic establishment donors and international alliances that aren't serving the best interest of the American people.
Democratic narrative
Biden is dedicated to a constructive relationship with Beijing - deepening communication, and forging a responsible approach to managing differences. There are many areas where US and PRC interests align, and this diplomacy will culminate in an important face-to-face meeting between Biden and Xi in the future. This is how great powers collaborate with dignity.
Nerd narrative
There is a 65% chance that Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Hawaii Couple Investigated for Identity Theft, Espionage
Walter Glenn Primrose - a US defense contractor - and his wife, Gwynn Darle Morrison, both in their sixties, have been charged with identity theft and conspiracy against the government, according to unsealed court records in Honolulu. The Hawaii-based couple is accused of living for decades under the assumed identities of two Texas children who had passed away.
The two, who allegedly lived under the names of Bobby Edward Fort and Julie Lyn Montague, were arrested Fri. on the island of Oahu. Prosecutors are seeking to have the couple held without bail.
The false identity allowed Primrose to gain security clearances with the US Coast Guard and as a defense contractor. Their attorney has stated that the two have lived law-abiding lives for three decades.
Narrative A
This odd and complex case suggests a tale of international intrigue. While the defense has argued the KGB uniforms were a Cold War-era prank, evidence of invisible ink, coded languages, and even maps showing US military bases point towards potentially a dark twist in this case. Ties to Soviet and Russian intelligence must be investigated to the fullest.
Narrative B
Allegations of international espionage have been blown out of proportion and demonstrate absurd government overreach. The case will show that Primrose and Morrison endured personal and financial issues, including losing their then-Texas home to foreclosure in 1987. Bad choices were made - including identify theft - but spying for a foreign government wasn't one of them.
Day 156 Roundup: Shelling Across Donbass Frontline, 40 POWs Killed
Russia shelled cities across the frontline on Fri., including Kharkiv, Sloviansk, Bakhmut, Mykolaiv, and Kramatorsk. The attacks on Mykolaiv and Kramatorsk killed five people and wounded 10 in total, according to Ukrainian officials.
The Ukrainian military also conceded on Fri. that Russian forces have made some gains in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia has been making a push for the past several weeks and has progressed slowly.
According to Russia-backed separatists in the Donetsk region, at least 40 Ukrainian POWs were killed and 130 were injured when Ukrainian shelling hit a prison in the town of Olenivka on Friday. Russia's defense ministry said Ukraine used US-made HIMARS rockets in the strike. The Ukrainian military has denied the claims.
Pro-establishment narrative
Allegations that Russian forces have been committing war crimes against civilians and Ukrainian soldiers are numerous. The withdrawal of Russian troops from Bucha saw harrowing accounts emerge of civilian executions and torture - the video of a Ukrainian POW is just the latest evidence demanding investigation of the conduct of Russian forces.
Pro-Russia narrative
There have been many brazenly false claims against both sides in this war, so allegations such as these need to be taken with a grain of salt until independently verified.
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.
At Least 28 Dead as Historic Floods Devastate Kentucky
At least 28 people have been killed in Appalachia, Kentucky by devastating floods caused by torrential rains and fast-rising water.
Flash flooding and mudslides were reported across the mountainous regions of eastern Kentucky, western Virginia, and southern West Virgina, where thunderstorms moved through the area unleashing several inches of rain throughout last week.
Kentucky's Gov. Andy Beshear called the weather of recent days "one of the worst, most devastating flooding events" in the state's history, saying that officials expect the death toll to climb as rescuers search the rising waters for people stranded and those unaccounted for.
Narrative A
This catastrophic flooding event isn't a one-off occurrence. As our climate continues to change, the frequency and magnitude of these events will increase, destroying property and taking lives. It's time to demand emergency climate action.
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 a changing climate. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that sea levels will rise by at least 577 millimeters by 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Manchin, Schumer Announce Inflation Reduction Act
After more than a year of negotiations, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have announced a compromise tax, health care, climate, and energy bill.
The bill - known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 - will lower Medicare drug prices, invest in clean energy transmission, implement a 15% minimum corporate tax, and increase IRS enforcement, among others.
Manchin's support comes weeks after he said he would refuse to pass any legislative package that went beyond lowering prescription drug prices and continuing Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.
Democratic narrative
While it's too soon to celebrate, this is promising news. The bill goes much further than anticipated not only would it lower prescription drug prices and extend ACA subsidies, but it would also cut the deficit and make significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. This is potentially a huge win.
Republican narrative
The proposed legislation is a political death wish. Raising taxes during the current economic turmoil is a dangerous policy, and Democrats are irresponsibly using reconciliation to bypass any discussion of alternative energy sources - ensuring the continued gas inflation that hurts so many Americans.
Whistleblowers: FBI Allegedly Exaggerates Domestic Terrorism Data
In a letter penned to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wed., Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) accused the Biden admin. of overstating the threat of domestic violent extremism (DVE), following purported reports from multiple whistleblowers.
The allegations include claims that FBI superiors are "pressuring" agents to meet "self-created performance metrics" to classify cases as DVE even if they don't "meet the criteria for such a classification."
In his critique of the alleged actions of the FBI, Jordan said that "padding its domestic violent extremist data cheapens actual examples of violent extremism."
Democratic narrative
Jordan's allegations show Republicans trying to obfuscate the clear and present danger of right-wing extremists pushing racist, anti-government, and authoritarian agendas. Despite the GOP's supposed "whistleblowers," pro-Democracy Americans have clear evidence of right-wing extremism as shown by the Jan. 6 committee's investigations.
Republican narrative
If the allegations of Biden's FBI "cooking the books" on domestic extremist numbers are true, this is exceptionally concerning and needs to be investigated. It's clearly in the Democrats' interests to paint an alarmist picture of growing right-wing, white supremacist terror. With elections around the corner, they're trying to use hyperbole to scare Americans into voting blue.
UN: COVID and Conflicts Halted Progress in Fighting AIDS
According to a report published by the UN on Wed., the COVID pandemic and other global crises - such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine - have hampered the progress against the spread of HIV over the last two years.
UN data suggested that some 650k people died of HIV and AIDS last year and 1.5 million people were newly infected with HIV. Experts say that the global focus on COVID was a key factor in the reallocation of resources and attention away from tackling HIV. The number of new infections also saw the smallest decline in six years, dropping by only 3.6% between 2020 and 2021.
At-risk regions include the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. The report also cites a disproportionate impact on women and girls.
Narrative A
Developed countries need to make a strong financial commitment to enable the UN to end AIDS by 2030. $29.3B is urgently needed by 2025 and the UN is currently $8B short. Only by prioritizing vulnerable nations and communities will humanity be able to end this horrific disease.
Narrative B
While COVID has temporarily hampered efforts to tackle HIV infections, a return to pandemic normality will likely see countries relocate their resources back to diseases like AIDS. In the meantime, there are lots of developments to feel positively about including new treatments and the prospect of reversing the infection in long-term sufferers. There are good reasons for optimism.
Nerd narrative
There is a 21% chance that there will be more people living globally with HIV/AIDS in 2037, than in 2017, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: Ex-Child Bride Among Women Executed In Iran
On Wed., the Iran Human Rights Group (IHR) reported that three women were executed by Iranian authorities for killing their husbands, including former child bride Soheila Abedi.
Abedi, who married at 15, was sentenced to death in 2015 by a criminal court that ruled she committed the murder due to "family disputes " 10 years into the marriage.
Meanwhile, Senobar Jalali, an Afghan national, was hanged in a prison outside Tehran and Faranak Beheshti was executed in the northwestern city of Urmia.
Pro-establishment narrative
The increase in executions - which disproportionately affects non-Persian minorities, such as the Baluch and the Kurds - is an attempt to spread fear and curb popular protests against the regime amid an economic crisis. The international community must act strongly to stop this course.
Establishment-critical narrative
The West should stop pushing its human rights standards on other countries and start respecting Iran's sovereignty. International law allows capital punishment in certain circumstances and it is used in more than 50 countries. Though Iran tries to convince victims' families to forgo "qisas" - or retributive justice - and pardon the convicted, this law ensures their rights.
Biden Admin. to Close Some Gaps in US-Mexico Border Wall
The White House on Thurs. authorized completion of part of the previously Trump-authorized US-Mexico border wall. The location is near Yuma, Arizona, where large openings make it one of the busiest places for illegal crossings.
Authorities have logged over 235k migrant encounters in that area since Oct. 1, 2021.
Biden pledged during his campaign to cease all future border wall construction, but later cited safety concerns and agreed to reinforce some barriers. The Biden admin. has been criticized by members of both parties over its management of the US southern border.
Establishment-critical narrative
The costs of closing the gaps in the border wall outweigh the benefits. Drugs and undocumented migrants will find their way across the border no matter what physical barriers are built, and the economic and ecological costs are not worth whatever optics of security the wall may provide.
Pro-establishment narrative
A solid and functioning border wall is a necessary part of protecting American security. Not only does it protect US citizens by keeping drugs and dangerous people out, but it also protects vulnerable migrants from attempting dangerous crossings and prevents human trafficking. Closing the gaps in the border wall is simply a necessity.
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