California Enacts Emissions Law for Big Businesses
On Saturday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law requiring large businesses to start disclosing a range of greenhouse emissions starting from 2026.
17 states already require direct emissions to be disclosed by major emitters. The California Air Resources Board must set up a reporting system by Jan. 1, 2025.
SB 253 applies to over 5.3K firms with annual revenues of over $1B. The emissions they must report include those from building operations, employee travel, and transportation.
Narrative A
California is leading the way in a growing movement that is nudging Big Business to give investors a better idea of the climate risks they face. As cleaner energy becomes increasingly the norm, businesses that don't comply could face expensive litigation. This is great news as the world's "fifth-largest economy" rolls out this vital green policy.
Narrative B
This has all the potential to backfire on California. The burden and complexity of the new law are likely to force companies out of California to states with lighter regulations. The "one-size-fits-all" emissions rules unfairly lump various metrics together, making the following of these rules expensive.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that California will carry through with Governor Newsom's plan to sell only zero-emission electric cars and passenger trucks by 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
SCOTUS Rejects Public Figure Defamation Case
SCOTUS on Monday declined to hear the case Blankenship v. NBCUniversal, which would have allowed the court to make it easier to sue public figures or media companies for defamation.
The case — brought by former Massey Energy CEO and West Virginia Senate candidate Don Blankenship, who was convicted in 2015 of a misdemeanor charge for violating mine safety standards and sentenced to one year in prison — takes aim at over a dozen media companies, claiming he was falsely called a convicted felon.
In its decision not to hear Blankenship's case, SCOTUS, which previously rejected his attempt to appeal his conviction, let stand both a district court and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling that CNN, Fox News, and 14 other outlets didn't act with "actual malice."
Left narrative
There are two things we know for sure at this moment ever since Donald Trump ran for office, the Republican party has been tearing down the credibility of the free press, and Justice Thomas, a conservative who has faced criticism from the press, wants to overturn NYT v. Sullivan. Even Neil Gorsuch, who during his confirmation hearing said the 1964 case is settled law, is now shifting opinion. No one knows what will happen, but it does seem that the GOP is looking to redefine free speech.
Right narrative
NYT v. Sullivan was brought by a man who was never even mentioned in the New York Times' alleged defamatory advertisement, but what about those who are specifically targeted by the press? We live in a very different world today, one in which regular, non-public figures can be thrust into the spotlight and hounded by the media simply because the internet made them go viral. NYT v. Sullivan wasn't meant to protect the press from defaming the average person and feeding them to the online mob; it's time we rethink this landmark case.
George Santos Charged With Defrauding Campaign Donors
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has now filed a total of 23 charges against New York Rep. George Santos in an updated indictment, accusing the congressman of "fraudulent criminal schemes" as well as "lying to the American public process."
The latest filing adds 10 new felony charges to the initial 13-count from a May indictment, after which he was released on a $500K bond. They also come a week after Santos' former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty to felony charges related to her campaign work.
Tuesday's indictment replaces the one from May accusing Santos of campaign embezzlement as well as lying to Congress concerning his wealth. The new charges also allege that Santos charged over $44K to his campaign using the credit cards of donors without their knowledge.
Democratic narrative
Santos continues to find himself in further heaps of trouble, with the representative's financial statements audaciously fraudulent and inconsistent. It is clear that much of Santos' behavior upon his campaign trail wasn't remotely legal, with Nancy Mark's guilty plea agreement seemingly the beginning of the end for the New York politician.
Republican narrative
Santos isn't the first politician to lie, and if such an offense were to be properly investigated, then the likes of Joe Biden would already be in prison. The two-tiered justice system consistently favors Democrats over Republicans, undermining the people's faith in the department. While it's up to judge or jury to decide what happens next, the same standards must be applied across the board.
Haiti Ex-Senator Pleads Guilty Over 2021 Assassination
In a U.S. court on Tuesday, former Haitian senator Joseph Joel John pleaded guilty in Miami for his role in the killing of Haiti's president, Jovenel Moise, who was slain in 2021.
The case is being heard in US federal court. John is now the third of 11 defendants to plead guilty in connection with a plot to kill Moise.
In the investigation, two other prominent suspects have also entered guilty pleas. Last month, German Rivera, a retired officer from the Colombian army, acknowledged providing material support. Rodolphe Jaar, a dual citizen of Chile and Haiti, pleaded guilty in March and has already received a life sentence.
Narrative A
This case is clear-cut from the perspective of US law. John is the third defendant charged with the July 2021 murder of President Moise at his home outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Due to the fact that the murder plot was organized in Florida, which has a sizable Haitian diaspora, the US has jurisdiction over the case. Along with his other defendants, the former senator from Haiti will probably spend significant time in prison.
Narrative B
This case goes far beyond the interest of the US or the former Moise administration. After President Moise was assassinated two years ago, violent gangs seized control of significant portions of the island and carried out murders, kidnappings, and gang rapes — plunging Haiti into chaos. This is a vital puzzle piece towards restoring order, democracy, and justice to the Caribbean nation as a whole.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that Haiti will not become an upper middle-income country before Jan. 1, 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
France Begins Withdrawing Troops From Niger
On Tuesday, the French military announced that it had begun withdrawing its troops from their bases in coup-affected Niger, a day after the country's military rulers said the first convoy of French troops would leave the West African country.
In a statement, Niger's military said French military personnel left their base in the town of Ouallam in southwestern Niger for neighboring Chad in an overland convoy escorted by the Nigerien military. Niger's military rulers urged citizens to cooperate in the operation.
The French armed forces said the withdrawal would be conducted "in accordance with the planning and coordination underway,“ with Niamey assuring on Friday that the removal of some 1.4K French soldiers in the country would take place "in complete safety."
Narrative A
France's forced withdrawal from Niger is a humiliation for Paris and heralds the final end of an era in which France considered the Sahel and West Africa effectively its own backyard. But not only that the withdrawal from Mali, Burkina Faso, and now Niger also fundamentally calls into question France's colonial self-perception as a great world power. Paris will have to fundamentally revise its African relations along with reducing its military presence if it wants to retain its remaining influence in Africa.
Narrative B
France's withdrawal from Niger is another setback for its influence in Africa, but Paris had no choice after the coup regime refused to restore the elected president. Moreover, the coup wasn't a response to growing insecurity but was purely politically motivated. While France achieved tactical successes in its local counterterrorism campaign, political violence is now rising in Niger, and countries such as Russia, China, and Turkey are expanding their regional clout. This does not bode well for the people of Niger.
Narrative C
The fact that the US only officially speaks of a coup in Niger months after Bazoum's ouster while leaving its troops in the country indicates that Washington is pursuing its very own agenda in Niger. France's withdrawal, from African countries like Niger, is a true gift for the US and provides it with a unique opportunity to expand its own geopolitical sphere of influence. This is crucial for Washington given the intense competition with powers like Russia to occupy the strategic vacuum left by France.
UK Home Secretary: Palestinian Flag Within Potential Pro-Hamas Behavior
In a letter to police chiefs in England and Wales on Tuesday, British Home Secretary Suella Braverman recommended that officers consider whether waving a Palestinian flag, as well as the chanting of pro-Palestine slogans, is a criminal offense if deemed to promote terrorist acts.
The letter comes following Hamas' attack on Israel over the weekend, with over 1K Israelis reported to have been killed alongside at least 830 Palestinians, after subsequent retaliatory air strikes by Israel on Gaza, according to UN data.
Braverman stated that, alongside "explicit pro-Hamas symbols and chants," behavior that constitute "cause for concern" as a potential "racially aggravated" section 5 public order offense included chants such as "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
Narrative A
The British government is rightly cracking down on any form of anti-Semitism in the wake of Hamas' terrorist attacks in Israel. Hamas is already proscribed as a terror organization, and anyone showing them support should be prosecuted with the full strength of the law.
Narrative B
While the atrocities committed by Hamas must be condemned to the fullest extent, they must not be conflated with legitimate Palestinian issues. Braverman's intentions may be true, but curtailing freedom of speech and expression is concerning.
Nerd narrative
There's a 30% chance that Israel will recognize Palestine by 2070, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
'Massacre' Reported at Kfar Aza Kibbutz in Israel
The bodies of dozens of Israeli civilians and Hamas fighters have reportedly been found at Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel just east of the border with Gaza. The Israeli military took foreign press through the site of the farming community on Tuesday while soldiers went house to house to take away the deceased.
Major General Itai Veruv of the Israel Defense Force (IDF) — who described the scene as a "massacre" — said troops under his command spent "about 48 hours" fighting Hamas militants before finally clearing the area.
Some reports suggested that as many as 40 babies were killed and that some of them were beheaded. However, the allegations appear to stem from a single reporter — Nicole Zedeck of the Israeli broadcaster i24 News — and the IDF has yet to publicly confirm the claim. Other reporters at Kfar Aza said they didn't see evidence of beheadings and that none of the officials they spoke to mentioned anything of that nature.
Pro-Israel narrative
Hamas terrorists committed unspeakable crimes at the Kfar Aza kibbutz, which reportedly included horrific and ghastly actions against extremely young children. These atrocities fully justify the firm Israeli response in Gaza to conduct operations against Hamas and urgently rescue hostages.
Pro-Palestine narrative
This tragic violence was incubated after decades of death and destruction imposed on Palestinians by Israel, which made Gaza into a veritable open-air prison. Israel will now impose a fierce "retaliation," which will not be condemned equally — showing the deep hypocrisy of the West and creating a humanitarian cataclysm.
Establishment-critical narrative
These reports of beheadings appear to come from a single journalist and have yet to be confirmed by the IDF. That is not to say these actions did not take place, but at these highly charged times, it is paramount to carefully verify the allegations.
Nerd narrative
There's a 55% chance that Hamas will lose control of Gaza before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Gaza's Sole Power Plant Shuts Down, Israel Forms Unity Government
The head of the Gaza Energy Authority announced that the last operational power plant in the enclave stopped working on Wednesday for lack of fuel, leaving only generators to power hospitals and maintain other critical services.
This blackout comes as Israel has adopted a "total" blockade on the Gaza Strip in retaliation against the Hamas surprise attack last weekend, cutting off the electricity supply and blocking the entry of food and fuel to the densely-populated enclave. The fuel stock to operate generators will reportedly end on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Unity party leader Benny Gantz announced the establishment of an emergency unity government, some four days after the single deadliest day in the country's history.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Extraordinary violence has been committed on both sides, with a humanitarian catastrophe in the making in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli occupation forces are collectively punishing harmless Palestinian civilians with a complete siege that has cut off food, water, and fuel in addition to continued bombardments targeting residential zones.
Pro-Israel narrative
While it's obvious that not all Palestinians are pro-terrorism, civilian suffering was foreseen by Hamas when it decided to carry out atrocities against Israel. The so-called moderate Palestinian Authority has exacerbated the violence by calling on its people to kill Israelis. While Israeli forces try to mitigate civilian suffering, they have been left with no option but to repel a violent attack.
Nerd narrative
There's a 52% chance that Israeli forces will reach the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza before Nov. 7, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
WHO Warns of Dengue Spread Within US, Europe, Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the southern US, southern Europe, and new parts of Africa could face a major threat from dengue fever over the rest of this decade. Jeremy Farrar, a WHO infectious diseases specialist, has suggested that dengue fever could "take off" in these regions.
Dengue causes approximately 20K deaths per year, mostly in Asia and Latin America.
Dengue, which is a virus spread through the bites of infected female mosquitos, is also known as "breakbone fever" because it can cause extreme pain.
Narrative A
While deniers of global warming continue to hinder progress in battling climate change impacts, a warming world is now making it easier for mosquitoes to spread another dangerous virus to a wider array of victims. It's vital to address the full scope of the climate emergency ranging from wildfires to storms to floods — and even new infectious disease threats.
Narrative B
Despite what climate alarmists may say, there's hardly a link between dengue fever and climate change. Numerous studies have shown that there has been no temperature rise in the areas where dengue is most widespread, and the disease hasn't changed or spread in any novel way since it was discovered centuries ago. Climate change can't be the common denominator of everything — including dengue fever.
Biden Proposes Banning Junk Fees
On Wednesday, US Pres. Joe Biden proposed a new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule that will prohibit private companies from hiding fees – widely known as “junk fees” – from consumers.
The president said that even if wealthy people aren’t bothered by these fees, they “matter to working folks” and make it “harder for honest businesses who are trying to do the right thing.”
The proposal would affect several industries, including car rental agencies, hospitality, and businesses that provide tickets to events.
Republican narrative
The federal government should stay out of regulating any fees companies charge and should instead let the market dictate. If consumers are offended by charges, they can take their money elsewhere. And if enough people choose this option, the business will suffer. The next step after regulating fees would be the disastrous policy of fixing prices.
Democratic narrative
Republicans might want to let the market dictate the application of hidden fees, but all that’s led to is corporate abuses and lost wages for average Americans. This is a winning proposal that will help ordinary folks fight back against the economic elites. Democrats should continue to do more of these simple actions that help a wide swath of people.