Canada Summons Chinese Ambassador, Mulls Expelling Diplomats
Canada's Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, announced on Thursday the summoning of the Chinese ambassador, Cong Peiwu, to assert that Ottawa "will not tolerate" foreign interference.
This comes as she confirmed media reports that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service believes a Toronto-based Chinese diplomat has harassed Conservative legislator Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.
In addition to summoning the ambassador, the Canadian government is believed to be considering additional options — including expelling Chinese diplomats.
Right narrative
Trudeau has long been advised that foreign interference was co-opting Canadian politicians and officials at all levels by bribery and threats, with his government being told to join forces with regional governments and create a foreign agent registration system to curb this problem. His neglect of this issue has now become a threat to Canadian national security.
Left narrative
The Canadian government obviously must take measures to tackle foreign interference but caution and moderation are needed. Policies such as registering foreign agents, backed by opposition parties, might prove disastrous for the civil rights of people in Canada as those expressing establishment-critical viewpoints would be treated differently than those liaising with Western foreign officials.
Pro-China narrative
Given that Beijing has unwaveringly opposed any country meddling in another country's domestic affairs, claims recently made by Canadian media outlets and politicians that the Chinese Consulate-General in Toronto was coercing a Canadian lawmaker are completely baseless. Once again, certain sectors of the West continue to engage in a smear campaign against the PRC to disrupt bilateral relations.
Serbia: 8 Dead in Second Mass Shooting in 2 Days
On Friday, Serbian police — after an overnight manhunt — arrested a suspect who killed at least eight people and critically wounded 14 others in a series of shootings south of Belgrade late on Thursday.
The 21-year-old gunman — identified by the initials UB — reportedly fired an automatic weapon from a moving vehicle in the village of Dubona, killing a police officer, among others. After fleeing from the scene, he is reported to have continued to shoot at civilians in the neighboring villages of Malo Orašje and Šepšin.
Thursday's shooting came a day after a 13-year-old student — armed with his father's handguns and two petrol bombs — killed eight children and a security guard at his school in the capital.
Narrative A
Decades of armed conflicts have already created a state of permanent insecurity, economic instability, and a highly divided country — which is why Serbia’s strict gun laws are not enough to curb a cultural tradition of owning guns. If guns continue to be part of celebrations, convicted war criminals continue to be glorified, and violence against minority groups continues to go unpunished, mass shootings will, unfortunately, become a norm sooner than later.
Narrative B
Thursday's shooting is a terrorist act, which has sent shockwaves through Serbia — where mass murders are rare, automatic weapons are illegal, and gun licenses are given only to people trained in handling firearms and with no criminal record in the past four years. Until the government addresses the roots of the violence and the authorities offer details about the motive for the shootings, the country must stand together in shared grief.
Russia Relieves Wagner Forces in Bakhmut After Prigozhin Video
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner PMC, launched an expletive-filled video tirade at Russia's top two defense officials late on Thursday. Standing in a field of Wagner corpses he said were killed that day, he lambasted Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, tasked by Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin to run the war.
Prigozhin, whose forces for months have been leading Russia's charge in the Donetsk city of Bakhmut, blamed Shoigu and Gerasimov for the death of the men, claiming his units had ammunition shortages of 70%.
He said: "You animals are hanging out in expensive clubs. Your children are enjoying their lives, making videos for YouTube." Referring to the dead men, he added: "Do you think that you are the masters of this life and that you have the right to control their lives? They came here as volunteers and are dying for you to be rolling in clover in your mahogany offices. Keep that in mind!"
Pro-establishment narrative
Russia's allegation that the US had anything to do with this attack is ludicrous. The US is still investigating the circumstances and has not come to any conclusion.
Establishment-critical narrative
If the Kremlin attack was genuine, it was incredibly stupid. If it was a Russian false flag, they're just as capable as anyone else of pulling off this centuries-old political maneuver. The truth is we still don't know and it's too early to say one way or another.
Pro-Russia narrative
It is clear to Russia that this attack could not have happened without the knowledge of the US. Russia will respond with concrete actions to this act of terrorism.
Nerd narrative
There is a 12% chance that in 2023 there will be another war with more casualties than the Russia-Ukraine War, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Indigenous Leaders Demand Apology, Reparations From King Charles
On Friday, the eve of King Charles' coronation, 12 Indigenous advocacy groups from former British colonies signed a letter demanding the new king "acknowledge the horrific impacts on and legacy of genocide and colonization.”
The letter, whose signatories included Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, New Zealand, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, and Canada, also called for the UK to begin the process of reparations. They also called for the UK to return stolen artifacts and human remains kept in museums and archives.
Calls for returning artifacts come as a 2016-2019 joint study between the Australian National University and the British Museum found roughly 38.4K Indigenous Australian objects in institutions across the UK and approximately 600 located in Ireland.
Left narrative
British leaders must apologize and pay reparations for the country’s brutal history. The Atlantic slave trade saw more than a million Africans forced into labor beginning around the year 1500, and the UK didn't abolish the practice until 1833. This is a matter of how the monarchy should compensate millions of Indigenous peoples, not whether it should.
Right narrative
The idea of any country paying reparations is absurd. If commonwealth countries must pay money to Caribbean islands, then Norway and Sweden should pay Britons for the actions of their Viking ancestors. Instead of acting like Britain today is the Britain of 300 years ago, it’s time to move on as every other generation has. Not framing within a historical context is bankrupt woke ideology.
Biden Signs Order to Levy Sanctions Related to Sudan Crisis
US Pres. Joe Biden signed an executive order on Thursday that authorizes future sanctions against individuals involved in Sudan's current conflict, saying that the fighting that started last month between the country's military and a powerful paramilitary force "must end."
Biden said that his admin. seeks to hold those responsible for threatening Sudan’s peace, security, and stability accountable, adding that anyone who undermines Sudan’s democratic transition and commits violence against civilians or other human rights abuses could also be sanctioned.
However, no sanctions have been put in place as of yet, and specific details haven't been divulged.
Pro-establishment narrative
Biden's sanctions authorization for Sudan is a good step in ensuring the end of the fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese military and assisting the country's transition to democracy, though it may take some time before the fighting comes to an end. The most substantial threat to a permanent ceasefire is foreign intervention, for which the Biden admin. will have to be vigilant. Russia's Wagner PMC could intervene on either side, which would be a serious risk for US interests in the region.
Establishment-critical narrative
The Biden admin. was too naïve regarding Sudan's warring military leaders after the 2019 overthrow of Omar al-Bashir, indirectly leading to the current fighting. Though one of the admin.'s foreign policy goals was to support democracy globally, it has failed in this initiative by not putting enough pressure on Dagalo and Burhan from the beginning. Sanctions might make the generals more likely to come to the negotiating table, but ultimately it's too little too late.
N.Y., Calif. Announce NFL Workplace Discrimination Probe
New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday announced a joint investigation into the workplace culture of the National Football League (NFL) related to several accusations of racial discrimination and sexual harassment.
The two Democratic Attorneys General issued subpoenas Thursday and made statements in which Bonta expressed concern about “an extremely hostile and detrimental work environment” at the NFL, and James vowed to hold the NFL “accountable.”
James and Bonta cited a 2022 New York Times article alleging discrimination and retaliation for human resources complaints at the NFL. The prosecutors also pointed to several recent lawsuits accusing the NFL of making retaliatory firings, and racial discrimination and sexual harassment suits filed by employees.
Narrative A
The NFL is doing all it can to prevent discrimination and harassment while ensuring that its workforce is as diverse as possible. It expanded the so-called Rooney Rule — the requirement that teams interview at least one minority candidate for head coach openings — to require the interviewing of at least one woman for open executive slots. There are women referees and coaches, and 41.3% of the league’s front office staff is female. Progress is being made and there is no need for government intervention.
Narrative B
A little bit of progress in the NFL’s attempt to diversify doesn’t mean the league has eliminated all forms of discrimination and harassment, and there should be a zero-tolerance policy. The league is still facing accusations of “pervasive sexism” at a workplace that operates with a “boys’ club mentality,” in addition to a multitude of lawsuits. If there’s smoke, there must be fire, so these attorneys general have to dig into what’s really going on.
Cynical narrative
Considering the raft of lawsuits and investigations the NFL has faced in recent years, it’s no surprise there’s another one coming down the pipe. Of course, just as the previous probes did nothing to lessen the league’s popularity, this investigation probably won’t affect anyone’s opinion of the NFL. The league machine will continue to operate with impunity as long as the American people pump billions of dollars into it.
Italy's Napoli Wins First Serie A Title in 33 Years
Italian soccer club Napoli won its first Serie A title in 33 years after its 1-1 draw at Udinese on Thursday, having only needed a tie to secure a 16-point lead with five games left and clinch the Scudetto.
Nigerian star Victor Osimhen, Napoli’s leading goal scorer, knotted the game up at 1-1 early in the second half after Udinese held a 1-0 lead after a Sandi Lovric goal. Visiting Napoli fans burst into celebration after Osimhen’s 22nd league goal of the season.
This year’s Napoli squad tied with club legend Diego Maradona’s team in the history books by becoming Serie A champions with a record five matches to play. The club’s stadium, Stadio Maradona, was named after the Argentine legend who led Napoli to titles in 1987 and 1990.
Narrative A
A day of celebration turned into a night of horror as scores of people wreaked havoc on the pitch, on the streets, and throughout Naples. Police were supposed to keep order, but the hundreds of injuries and videos of people beating each other with belts show that authorities were unsuccessful. It’s a shame that such calamity followed a joyous event for the people of Naples.
Narrative B
Of course, Napoli fans were excited about their club’s momentous Serie A title, and reports criticizing their celebrations are inaccurate. Napoli fans celebrated in a peaceful manner, and authorities did a great job maintaining order as people celebrated. There may have been firework-related injuries, but emergency rooms were at normal capacity. Also, the tragic shooting of a man was completely unrelated to the night’s festivities.
WHO Ends COVID Global Health Emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) downgraded the threat level of COVID on Friday, saying it no longer qualifies as a global emergency.
The WHO first gave COVID its highest designation on Jan. 30, 2020, and its panel has continued to apply the label at meetings held every three months. WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that yesterday the committee held its 15th meeting and recommended ending the public health emergency.
The change in status for COVID came more than three years after its original declaration, with more than 6.9M people dying from the virus. The change, the organization says, reflects widespread vaccination efforts, the availability of better treatments, and population immunity from prior infections.
Narrative A
Lifting the global emergency label on COVID is a sign of the progress the world has achieved. While the virus still poses a threat, many regions of the world have adapted and the pandemic has receded in these places. The situation must continue to be assessed, but for now, it is no longer a global health emergency and it is time to begin moving on.
Narrative B
COVID is not over. The virus continues to kill someone every three minutes. The ending of the global health emergency label sends a dangerous message that may cause people to become complacent. One of the worst things countries could do right now is to dismantle the programs and protections created to deal with the virus and its long-lasting effects.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that COVID will be eradicated by August 2086, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Rochelle Walensky to Step Down as CDC Director
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced Friday that she will leave the agency at the end of June, thanking Pres. Biden for her appointment to the position in her resignation letter.
During her tenure, Walensky oversaw the administration of over 670M COVID vaccine doses and provided guidance on social distancing and mask-wearing.
She didn't explain why she was stepping down other than that the nation is at a moment of transition as the US COVID public health emergency is set to end next week and the WHO said Friday that COVID is no longer a global emergency.
Democratic narrative
Using her expertise, courage, and leadership, Walensky saved many American lives during the unprecedented time of her tenure. She took a complex organization and geared it toward the sharp, focused goal of leading the country out of the darkness of the pandemic and into a post-COVID future. Every American should be grateful for Walensky's service to the American public.
Republican narrative
Walensky was an unacceptable public health leader, and the proof is shown through the wild inconsistency of messaging to Congress and the American people. After her claim that "vaccinated people do not carry the virus, they do not get sick" was proven false, she defended herself by arguing that that's what the data showed at the time. This was just one of many issues, including not listening to parents, that caused deep frustration for the American people.
Cynical narrative
Walensky's time as CDC director exemplified the disorganized, mechanical, and often detached nature of America's public health system. She was often at odds with both Republicans and the Biden admin., leaving no encouraging legacy as she steps down from the position. We don't know who will replace her, but hopefully, it's someone competent enough to whip the agency and the national public health apparatus into shape and restore more respect for human life.
US Labor Report: 253k Jobs Added in April
On Friday, the US Dept. of Labor released its monthly job report for April, as the economy beat expectations by recording a 53-year low 3.4% unemployment rate, with nonfarm jobs increasing by 253K — vastly outpacing the projected 180K.
The low unemployment rate, however, was partially driven by the first decrease in labor participation since November, as 43K people exited the workforce and weren't factored in. Wages also rose at the fastest pace since July, which could be a blow to the Federal Reserve's (Fed) fight against inflation.
The report also noted that the government revised job growth numbers for February and March, showing that a total of 149K fewer jobs were added over the last two months than were initially reported. The new totals were 248K and 165K jobs added, respectively.
Democratic narrative
The Biden economy continues to defy expectations and add jobs, culminating in the lowest unemployment rate since 1969. Fearmongers on the right have demonized the Biden admin. and predicted a recession for more than a year, and continue to be wrong. The economy has continued to improve, and Republicans have ignored all positive developments because the numbers show the Biden economy has performed much better than Trump’s.
Republican narrative
It takes a very simple look under the hood to see that the economy is heading down a path toward recession and that the unemployment rate fails to tell even a fraction of the story. While the Biden admin. touts job growth, there are still 2M fewer people working compared to pre-pandemic rates, as government handouts have driven so many out of the workforce entirely. This doesn’t even include the persistent inflation that the Fed’s 10 consecutive rate hikes haven't been able to curtail.
Nerd narrative
There's a 62% chance that the the US will enter a recession before January 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.