Argentina: Shock Win Called for Javier Milei in Presidential Primaries
Freedom Advances leader and libertarian lawmaker Javier Milei delivered a blow to Argentina's political establishment on Sunday, when he emerged as the most popular candidate in a key primary vote ahead of the October 22 presidential election.
With 97 percent of the ballot counted as of Monday morning, Milei held a lead just short of two-points over the combined vote of the Together for Change opposition bloc and a lead of more than two-points over the ruling left-wing Unity for the Homeland alliance.
These Argentinian votes will determine which candidates can compete in general elections, as only political groups that have reached a threshold of 1.5 percent of the weekend's nationwide primary ballots will be qualified to run.
Right narrative
Argentina has entered into its worst economic crisis in two decades under the Alberto Fernández presidency, as inflation has surpassed 100 percent and economic activity has stagnated, so it's no surprise that the outgoing leader gave up reelection ahead of a strong defeat. Only the pro-business opposition can offer Argentines hope for better days.
Left narrative
It's certain that Fernández's plans for reelection were abandoned due to his low approval ratings, but Sergio Massa is not cannon fodder in the face of an imminent electoral defeat. The Peronist presidential hopeful is a moderate business-friendly politician that may yet garner support from the center and the left, especially as he will compete against far-right rivals.
Ecuador: Slain Candidate's Party Names New Replacement
The political party of Ecuador's assassinated presidential hopeful Fernando Villavicencio announced on Sunday that his friend and close associate Christian Zurita will contest the Aug. 20 election.
Movimiento Construye had previously nominated vice-presidential candidate Andrea González to take the spot, but reversed this decision amid worries that her candidacy would be rejected by election authorities.
This comes as Villavicencio's widow Verónica Sarauz on Saturday deemed Construye's first replacement arbitrary and unlawful, as vice presidential candidates are not allowed to step down.
Pro-establishment narrative
Democracy is on the ballot in the upcoming Ecuadorian election, as the country desperately needs to tackle organized crime. If the nation refrains from electing candidates representing authoritarian ideas both from the right and the left, then Washington must ramp up security cooperation with Quito to show that lawful methods do work against violent drug gangs.
Establishment-critical narrative
One must be disturbingly naive at best to believe that further US interference is what Ecuador needs after the killing of a presidential candidate who had long been a CIA asset. Though Villavicencio fabricated lies to boost the Russiagate invention and resolutely obstructed the impeachment of US-backed Guillermo Lasso, his candidacy had turned him into a liability for the Agency.
Taiwan Vice President Vows to Fight Authoritarianism During US Stop
During an official transit stop in New York on Sunday, Taiwanese Vice President William Lai stated that Taipei would "not be scared nor cower" in the face of the "threat of authoritarianism."
Lai, expected to run for the presidency in January 2024, said he was "very willing" to engage in talks with China to "seek peace and stability."
Lai's speech was also attended by the managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, a US government-run nonprofit that assists in maintaining unofficial diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Pro-China narrative
The US' acceptance of Taiwan officials' transit stops goes against Washington's recognition of the One-China policy. Lai's pro-independence stance is just a distraction from the reality of his party's poor governance — and a sad attempt to win votes. However, his potential election victory will only damage relations across the Strait. Beijing should — and will — react strongly to continued attempts to undermine China's legitimate sovereignty over Taiwan.
Anti-China narrative
China continues to conduct aggressive military exercises in and around the Taiwan Strait, and subsequent regional tensions are only growing. While the US must help stabilize relations between Taiwan and China again, Washington must protect economic and political interests and provide sensible competition against Beijing. As military conflict must be avoided, maintaining the international status quo is necessary for the US' future.
Nerd narrative
There's a 57% chance that China will successfully control Taiwan within three years, if they invade Taiwan before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Scientists Turn Fly Carcasses Into Biodegradable Plastic
Findings presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society show that the carcasses of black soldier flies could be harvested to produce biodegradable plastic in an attempt to produce bioplastics from organic waste products to stem plastic pollution.
Head researcher Dr. Karen Wooley of Texas A&M University collaborated with Dr. Jeffrey Tomberlin, a leader in black soldier fly farming. While the nutrient-rich larvae are invaluable for animal feed, the researchers attempted to find a use for the adult flies, which are typically discarded.
The researchers found that the flies are rich in a sugar-based polymer called chitin, which helps strengthen the shells and exoskeletons of insects. While chitin is already harvested from some crustaceans, the black soldier fly chitin seemed to be more purified.
Narrative A
While this is no doubt a promising development, there is currently a lack of infrastructure to properly handle biodegradable plastics. Most bioplastics wind up in a dump, and many can only degrade in a controlled composting setting, meaning these efforts could be all for naught if the right conditions aren't in place. For now, we should focus less on single-use plastics and more on changing our single-use mindset.
Narrative B
This discovery is another leap forward in our fight against plastic pollution on many fronts. The plastics industry now has the potential to use an agricultural waste product to create a circular, self-sustaining supply chain for a product that is safe for the earth and bypasses the petrochemical industry. New advances are being made at record speed, as we inch closer towards finding a truly clean plastic.
Mexico to Pay Victims' Families in Migrant Detention Center Fire
The Mexican government said Sunday that it will pay 140M pesos ($8.2M) to the families of the 40 men — from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, and Venezuela — who died at a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas.
According to Mexican authorities, the fire started after a migrant, who was being held along with 67 other men, set fire to the mattress in his cell to protest his potential deportation.
Though detention center workers released 15 female migrants, they didn't try to free the men, with video footage showing guards apparently running away from the fire without making any attempt to unlock the doors of cells where migrants were held.
Narrative A
Though some authorities deserve the blame and to be punished for this unnecessary tragedy, this is a show of good faith and accountability from the Mexican government. Prosecutors are going after several low-to high-level agents involved, orchestrating new accountability and safety measures, and compensating the victims' families.
Narrative B
Though the blame game surrounding this fire has put irregular migration and the behavior of both migrants and Mexican officials in the spotlight, it still misses an important factor contributing to this tragedy. While not causing these deaths alone, American border policies have aggravated long-standing problems by restraining legal entry and failing to discourage migrants from attempting to enter the US.
Miss Universe Organization Cuts Indonesia Ties
The Miss Universe Organization has cut ties with its franchise in Indonesia after several contestants accused local organizers of sexual abuse during the beauty pageant's crowning ceremony in Jakarta.
The organization said it will also terminate its association with Indonesian beauty company, PT Capella Swastika Karya, saying that the franchise had not "lived up to our brand standards and ethics."
At least six contestants in the Miss Universe Indonesia pageant have recently filed police complaints, alleging they were forced to take off their clothes for "a body check for scars and cellulite" two days before the competition last month.
Narrative A
This is an unfair move against PT Capella Swastika Karya, shown by the way Miss Universe railroaded them by prolonging their renewal process and then issuing a last-minute email regarding their termination. As a company that celebrates the power of feminism and would never commit sexual abuse against women, the loss of its credibility and license is tragic.
Narrative B
This shameful incident has not only tarnished the image of Indonesia — a tolerant, secular, and pluralist society that respects freedom of expression — but also traumatized women who dared to win a competition. The Miss Universe Organization must evaluate its worldwide franchise agreements and policies to prevent sexual abuse from occurring in the future.
Hong Kong Protesters Win Partial Court Victory
Seven prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters won a partial victory in court Monday after a judge quashed part of their convictions related to their roles in the large pro-democracy protests of 2019.
In 2021, media tycoon and founder of now-defunct Apple Daily, Jimmy Lai, unionist Lee Cheuk-yan, prominent leftist Leung Kwok-hung, lawyer Albert Ho, former lawmaker Cyd Ho, and Civic Party and Democratic Party founders Margaret Ng and Martin Lee were arrested for organizing and taking part in an unauthorized assembly.
Lai, Cheuk-yan, Kwok-hung, and Ho all served between eight and 18 months in jail while Lee, an 85-year-old dubbed Hong Kong’s “Father of Democracy," Ng, and Ho were given suspended sentences as part of the controversial convictions.
Narrative A
This ruling shows that changes are occurring in Hong Kong. Just in the past few weeks, courts have ruled against the Hong Kong government's attempts to unfairly charge protesters and ban songs like “Glory to Hong Kong.” The 2019 protests and the latest string of court decisions have only added inspiration to the fight for democracy.
Narrative B
While some may laud this decision as a victory, the sad truth is that nothing has changed. Peaceful pro-democracy protesters still have to serve in jail for simply participating in an “unlawful assembly,” and Macrae’s ruling only further legitimizes the government’s authority to dictate whether protests are legal or not and jail dissenters.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance Hong Kong will no longer be a Special Administrative Region of China by September 2045, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Hunter Biden's Lawyers Say Prosecutors Reneged on Deal
Attorneys for Hunter Biden have submitted a court filing accusing federal prosecutors of reneging on a plea deal that would have ended tax and gun charges against Pres. Joe Biden’s son.
Although Biden’s attorneys accept that the plea deal is “moot” related to the tax charges, they hold that a diversion agreement on the separate gun charge is still in effect since the contract was signed and usually doesn't require a judge's approval.
Previously, US District Judge Maryellen Noreika rejected a plea deal that would have led to Biden pleading guilty to failing to pay taxes on $1.5M in income, and entering into the diversion agreement for committing a felony by owning a firearm while using drugs.
Republican narrative
Any judge could see that the original plea agreement was a sweetheart deal and the son of the sitting president was getting special treatment. Noreika was right to object, and prosecutors are correct in their intentions to take Biden to trial. Of course, it’s unprecedented for someone as connected to the case as Weiss to be named special counsel, so it’s still not clear whether Biden will still receive favoritism.
Democratic narrative
The prosecutors in this case are in disarray and they should abide by the agreement they made. After all, they dictated all the terms and Biden went along with them. There won’t be any new charges coming down the pipe, so something resembling the original plea deal would be the best resolution to this case.
Nerd narrative
There’s a 25% chance that Hunter Biden will be indicted before Nov. 5, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Kim Jong Un Demands 'Drastic Boost' in Weapons Production
North Korea's state media reported Monday that Kim Jong Un has called for a "drastic boost" in the production of missiles, rocket-launcher shells, and other weapons to meet the needs of frontline military units.
On Friday and Saturday, the reclusive leader visited military plants for the second time in recent weeks to observe the manufacturing of tactical missiles, mobile launch platforms, and artillery shells.
This request follows a meeting of the North Korean Central Military Commission last week, in which Kim reportedly urged his army to prepare offensively for a potential war amid high tensions in the Korean Peninsula.
Establishment-critical narrative
When Washington was truly committed to de-escalating tensions with North Korea, Pyongyang responded positively, halting missile tests and demolishing several testing sites. This changed when the US began to increase its military presence in the Asia-Pacific, posing an existential threat to the DPRK. Carrying out provocative drills will only escalate tensions.
Pro-establishment narrative
Seoul and Washington have demonstrated goodwill toward Pyongyang in the hopes of creating an environment conducive to disarmament talks for four years. However, as North Korea has failed to make good on its promises — resuming its missile tests and further developing its nuclear program — a posture shift is necessary for the South and its allies to prepare for an attack from the North.
Nerd narrative
There's a 15% chance that there will be a full-scale war between North Korea and South Korea by 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Fulton County Grand Jury Begins Hearing Trump Case
Proceedings in the Fulton, County, Georgia grand jury hearings against former Pres. Trump appear to be happening faster than anticipated after two witnesses slated to present Tuesday testified on Monday while county District Attorney and elected Democrat Fani Willis began her presentation.
Willis is expected to announce her charges against Trump for his alleged attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. Fulton County’s courthouse has been closed with barriers put around it in anticipation of Willis’ announcement.
Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and journalist George Chidi were supposed to testify before the grand jury Tuesday but are now expected to appear Monday. Former state Rep. Bee Nguyen and other state Democrats also testified against the former president on Monday.
Democratic narrative
Fani Willis has worked her entire career to prepare for this moment, and she's ready to take down Donald Trump for his efforts to destroy democracy in Georgia as well as the entire country. Willis has a sprawling case against Trump with ample evidence to show his elaborate scheme to “find 11,780 votes” needed to win Georgia and defy the will of the people. Willis is concerned with justice and justice only, which she will pursue as she takes down Trump for his attempted coup.
Pro-Trump narrative
As if all the politically-motivated indictments against Donald Trump weren’t enough proof of crooked prosecutors trying to jail their enemy, the leaked list of charges against Trump shows yet again that there's no justice in our so-called “justice system.” How can a district attorney post an indictment before a grand jury has even heard its entire presentation? All of this has been cooked up from the jump, and the American people see how hard the system is fighting against Trump. However, it will only make him more popular — just watch the polls.
Nerd narrative
There’s a 35% chance that Trump will be jailed or incarcerated by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.