Trump-Backed Lawmaker Wins Ariz. Sec. of State GOP Primary
Trump-backed Arizona state lawmaker Mark Finchem won the Republican primary for Ariz. Secretary of State on Tuesday. Per the AP, he won with 41% of the vote; the second-place runner-up had just over 24%.
As a candidate, Finchem advanced controversial proposals including banning early voting, restricting mail-in ballots, and giving the state legislature the authority to overturn election results.
Finchem was a significant supporter of the GOP-led review of all the ballots cast in the 2020 election in Maricopa County Arizona, the state's largest county. The move was strongly opposed by election officials and the largely Republican county government.
Democratic narrative
Finchem is a dangerous conspiracy theorist, and if elected, voter rights in the state of Arizona will be severely threatened. His campaign platforms are a testament to the danger of the 'Stop the Steal' movement, suggesting that it isn't just focused on influencing the past 2020 election, but future elections as well.
Pro-Trump narrative
Finchem is a respected candidate for the office of Secretary of State in Arizona who has been brave enough to voice concerns about the validity of the 2020 election that others have been too cowardly to speak out about.
Kosovo-Serbia: New Border Rules Postponed
On Mon., ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo cleared blockades along the Serbian border, after increased tensions led to gunfire and air raid sirens over the weekend. Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, is recognized as sovereign by roughly 100 countries, not including Serbia or BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa).
The flare-up came after officials in the Kosovo capital of Pristina declared policies requiring Serbs in Kosovo to change their car licence plates and have new documents within 60 days. Roughly 50K Serbs live in northern Kosovo, many of whom don't recognize Pristina's authority and continue to have Serbian licence plates and papers.
The new measures, which Kosovo said reciprocate entry requirements for its citizens into Serbia, were opposed by local Serbs who proceeded to blockade roads to border crossings, escalating tensions. Despite gunshots being reported, no one was injured according to local police.
Establishment-critical narrative
This decision won't solve the long-lasting crisis between Serbia and Kosovo, which NATO provoked by bombing Belgrade and dissolving former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. On top of that, the West has made things even worse by backing Kosovo's self-declared independence. Now, Western countries are trying to de-escalate tensions to cover their own mistakes.
Pro-establishment narrative
Despite Moscow's accusations that NATO has created chaos in the Balkans, the alliance stabilized the situation in the 1990s and current tensions have nothing to do with the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It's the Kremlin's influence in Serbia that's been fueling conflicts not only with Kosovo but also in Bosnia and Montenegro as Belgrade follows Putin's expansionist strategies.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Serbia will recognize Kosovo by 2042, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 160 Roundup: Russia Accused of Using Power Plant as 'Nuclear Shield'; Ukrainian Grain Arrives in Istanbul
US Sec. of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of using the Zaporizhzhia plant – Ukraine's biggest nuclear energy plant that was occupied by Kremlin forces in the first days of the war – as a "nuclear shield." Speaking at non-proliferation talks at the UN's New York headquarters on Mon., Blinken said he was "deeply concerned" that Russian forces appeared to be stationed at the plant and were using the location to fire at Ukrainian troops who were unable to return fire due to the danger.
The allegation followed remarks by UN Sec. General António Guterres, who said: "Today, humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation." Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin also addressed the conference, insisting the country remained faithful to nuclear non-proliferation treaties, and adding that "there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed."
Meanwhile, after Russian forces were accused of using anti-tank missiles to strike a civilian minibus in the settlement of Dovhove in Kherson, Ukrainian officials confirmed on Tues. that the death toll had risen to three. Five people were reportedly injured in the attack.
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 an 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 an 5% chance that there will be a serious radiation incident at any nuclear plant in Ukraine by 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Al-Qaeda Leader Killed in US Drone Strike
US Pres. Biden announced Mon. that Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda and one of the masterminds of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, was killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan.
Osama bin Laden's successor was said to have been killed Sun. in a "precision strike" as part of a CIA counterterrorism operation, which had reportedly been planned for months.
According to US officials, the Egyptian surgeon, who had a $25M bounty on him, was on the balcony of a so-called safe house in downtown Kabul when he was hit by two "hellfire" missiles, with reportedly no civilian casualties.
Republican narrative
The whole case raises a key question Why was Zawahiri in Kabul in the first place? This killing is above all proof that the Afghan threat posed by al-Qaeda hasn't been averted following Washington's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan; al-Qaeda remains more present in the country – with the Taliban's permission – than the admin. is willing to acknowledge. This foreign policy "triumph" for Biden is also the admission of a massive defeat.
Democratic narrative
The Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan hasn't hampered US counterterrorism operations. Biden's approach to fighting terrorism is working, and the killing of this terrorist patriarch in downtown Kabul is also a confirmation that the Taliban cannot be trusted.
Establishment-critical narrative
The strike was a clear violation of the Doha agreement, and an attack on the sovereignty of Afghanistan. The US demonstrated that it continues to collect intelligence and even has military presence in the country. Such overt violations set a dangerous precedent and are condemnable regardless of the circumstances.
First Capitol Rioter to Face Trial Sentenced to 7 Years
Guy Reffitt, an associate of the right-wing Texas Three Percenters militia, was sentenced on Mon. to more than seven years in prison for taking part in the US Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021.
Reffitt was the first person to go on trial for Jan. 6, as opposed to taking a plea agreement, and his sentence is two years longer than the previous longest prison sentence for a Capitol riot defendant.
The District Judge who presided over the case, Dabney Friedrich, said "Mr. Reffitt's reluctance to admit early that his behavior is illegal is concerning."
Left narrative
Reffitt, like other Jan. 6 rioters, is facing the consequences of his own actions. He's lucky that the judge decided not to tack on domestic terrorism charges, even though his actions were deeply unpatriotic and threatened the foundations of American democracy.
Pro-Trump narrative
It's absurd to persecute those who participated in the Jan. 6 protests with such ferocity and jail a man for 7 years who didn't even enter the Capitol. The Democrats are the real anti-Americans, demonizing citizens who were simply exercising their democratic rights as "domestic terrorists."
Democrats Allege Coverup of Deleted Jan. 6 Texts
In a letter to Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General (IG) Joseph Cuffari on Mon., two House Democrats accused the IG office of a "lack of transparency" regarding its investigation into the deletion of Secret Service (USSS) texts on Jan. 5 and 6, 2021.
The leaders of House Oversight and Homeland Security committees claim in their letter to have obtained evidence that the IG learned of the missing texts in May 2021, and abandoned efforts to recover them in July 2021.
The evidence reportedly contains a July 2021 email from Thomas Kait, a deputy IG, that stated "we no longer request phone records and text messages from USSS relating to the events on January 6th."
Democratic narrative
This new evidence proves Cuffari was incapable of executing his duties as Inspector General in the past, and certainly shouldn't be in charge of any future investigations. Not only did he delay the process of uncovering details surrounding the Jan. 6 attacks, but he broke laws requiring him to promptly alert Congress and DHS to the information he had uncovered.
Pro-Trump narrative
There are no scenarios where this agency would've allowed crucial evidence to be destroyed nor would any employee have defied an Inspector General's orders. The Jan. 6 Committee's partisan witch hunt against Trump has now expanded to attack the integrity of the Secret Service.
Manchin Supports Inflation Bill in Exchange for Pipeline
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on Mon. detailed a 'side deal' made with Democratic leaders to fast-track the completion of the $6.6B Mountain Valley Pipeline in return for support of a health care, taxation, and environmental bill.
The pipeline, which was supposed to be finished by 2018 before several challenges of federal permits stalled its completion, would carry natural gas from the Marcellus shale fields in West Virginia to Virginia.
A US appeals court had delayed the pipeline by overturning several permits issued by numerous govt. agencies, with the project's certification set to expire in Oct. if not renewed for a second time.
Democratic narrative
This pipeline has its negatives, but if its approval is what it takes for Manchin to support the larger bill and bring to life the hundreds of billions in new clean energy investments, this deal is very much worth it. Ultimately this will help both the environment and inflation - a true win-win.
Republican narrative
Manchin thinks he's sly because he's bringing federal dollars to his home state of West Virginia, while simultaneously giving Biden a political victory. But what he's agreed to support is a so-called "inflation-reduction bill" that will tax big businesses and raise prices on low-income Americans - including the people of his home state.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that US crude oil production will reach 13M barrels per day by March 2024, up from 11.6M per day since at least Dec. 2021, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
VP Harris Announces $1B For Climate Resilience Projects
US VP Kamala Harris announced Mon. that the Biden admin. will dedicate over $1B toward state efforts to combat extreme heat and flooding as part of the government's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.
In a statement, the White House said: "We know that the impacts of the climate crisis are here, and we must invest in building resilience to protect our communities, infrastructure, and economy."
This is in addition to a $2.3B grant program Biden announced last month to help states cope with soaring temperatures. Spending on BRIC, which is dedicated to reducing hazards including preparing for extreme weather, has now been doubled.
Democratic narrative
Climate change is an existential threat to the planet, and that's why the Biden admin. has started a series of well-funded actions to combat heat-related illness and protect homes, infrastructure, and public health, especially in the country's most vulnerable communities.
Republican narrative
More government spending on climate change is not the answer to the most burning crisis inflation. The sum total of the broad-scale Biden climate agenda will just drive up the taxes of hard-working Americans and make inflation worse. Federal spending must be closely monitored and approached prudently.
Nerd narrative
There's a 23% chance that there will be a 3.6 degrees celsius increase in global warming by 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Climate Study: Risk of Human Extinction 'Dangerously Underexplored'
Catastrophic climate change outcomes including human extinction aren't being taken seriously enough by scientists, according to a study published on Monday.
The analysis, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), argues that the consequences of global heating beyond 3°C have been under-examined, with few quantitative estimates of the total impacts.
Mainstream science, the study argues, is failing to research or address how climate change could lead to global catastrophe. To properly assess these risks, the authors of the report are calling on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to conduct a special report on catastrophic global warming.
Narrative A
This study is an important first step in quantifying the very real and catastrophic threat to humans posed by climate change. The world must start preparing for worst case scenarios and these must be thoroughly researched by scientists so we can all better understand what we may be dealing with.
Narrative B
While an important issue, claims about global warming are often grossly exaggerated. The apocalyptic rhetoric of "climate catastrophe" may do more harm than good by alienating people on both sides and distracting from more pressing issues.
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.
California the Third US State to Declare Monkeypox Emergency
On Mon., Calif. joined Ill. and NY in declaring a state of emergency for the monkeypox outbreak. The CDC has confirmed at least 5,800 cases of the virus in the US.
Declaring a state of emergency enables states to suspend state and local laws to allow for temporary rules to better prepare for and manage the monkeypox outbreak. It also permits emergency workers to administer federally-approved vaccines.
Calif. Gov. Newsom said that his state is "working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox, leveraging our robust testing, contract tracing, and community partnerships." He also pledged to work with the LGBTQ+ community to fight stigma.
Establishment-critical narrative
The CDC has dropped the ball on monkeypox. They failed to learn any lessons from the COVID pandemic and monkeypox could become a long-term fixture in the US. The agency's testing system discourages doctors from ordering tests, and contact tracing is currently nonexistent. How can the government "stop the spread" when basic mitigation measures are not in place?
Pro-establishment narrative
The US government has the tools to significantly decrease the spread of monkeypox both in the US and around the globe. The US federal health care system has drastically increased the number of vaccines and more are on the way. This public health concern is well on the way to being effectively managed by the CDC and partner agencies.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that there will be at least 29.7k monkeypox cases in the United States by August 31, 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.15.2