Democratic narrative

Endorsing Biden over Trump was an easy decision for the UAW, which follows in the path of several other unions that have pledged their support for the president earlier than usual this election cycle. While Biden comes from a working-class background and practices what he preaches to help blue-collar workers, Trump says he's pro-worker even though his presidency featured policies that weakened unions and their advocacy for working class people.

Republican narrative

It's absurd that at the same time the UAW is lamenting the damage done to its union in recent years, it also endorsed the president who's causing much of their pain. Biden opposes Trump's pro-US tariffs and supports free-trade agreements. If it wasn't for Biden's inflation and electric-vehicle mandates, there never would've been a UAW strike. Trump will still get plenty of blue-collar support in 2024, even if the UAW is misguided.

Nerd narrative

There’s a 50% chance that Trump would win a 2024 presidential election matchup with Biden, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Establishment-critical narrative

Denmark's long-kept secret has kept the families of those who lost loved ones waiting over a decade for answers. Without any nation taking responsibility for its actions, Libya has been left in the dark about who killed innocent civilians. Countries and international organizations such as NATO are not immune to the law and must become more transparent and provide greater accountability for their behavior.

Pro-establishment narrative

Although NATO operations in countries such as Libya and Syria were certainly controversial, the organization, now more than ever, remains a necessary tool for maintaining world peace. In the face of challenges to the West and the liberal international order from the likes of Russia and China, now is not the time to tear down this global defender of freedom — it's time to rebuild and maintain its presence and strength.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that NATO will have at least 32 member countries by Dec. 31, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Narrative A

The disaster is a depressing reminder of South Africa's profound political and social problems. Since the 2000s, buildings in cities like Johannesburg have been hijacked by gangs and drug dealers keeping homeless people in inhumane conditions, while the authorities either lack the resources or are too incompetent to do anything about it. Meanwhile, basic safety regulations are blatantly disregarded in hundreds of buildings that are left to decay. Safety and human lives are no priority in South Africa and it's only a matter of time before another tragedy strikes.

Narrative B

The deadly fire was a tragic incident and undoubtedly serves as a wake-up call for South Africa to redouble its efforts to tackle the issue of safe housing, stop the decay of inner cities, and revitalize urban areas. Municipal authorities need to apply regulatory and legal provisions to protect human life or will be held accountable. Moreover, additional steps will be taken to prevent migrants who are legally in the country from being exploited by criminals and to regulate illegal migration. South Africa will rise to these challenges on its way to a prosperous future.

Nerd narrative

There is a 50% chance, that the ANC will receive more than 50% of the vote in the 2024 South African general election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Narrative A

Any deal between Asante royalty and the UK will have inevitably required the Ghanaian community to accept the legality of the British Museum and V&A's possession of its treasures. With Greece, Nigeria, and Ethiopia amongst those vocally demanding the repatriation of items of cultural significance, there is certainly hope that this agreement may provide a foundation for further deals allowing artifacts to temporarily return to their original homes.

Narrative B

Museums that often cry theft as a consequence of mismanagement and poor security are the very same institutions that hypocritically refuse to return the product of the UK's colonial past back to its rightful owners. Westminster must change the 1963 British Museum Act — the legislation that prohibits the permanent return of objects that the UK should, in reality, be embarrassed to possess. Items looted and stolen as a consequence of a history of conquest and oppression should no longer be arrogantly paraded within British territory.

Pro-Ukraine narrative

While Russia is predictably rushing to conclusions and is already using this event to toy with the feelings of Ukrainian society, the Ukrainian government is taking all the steps necessary to find out exactly what happened with the plane going down. Kyiv will demand an international investigation so that all facts can be established.

Pro-Russia narrative

While a Russian investigation to establish the facts is ongoing, Ukraine's Armed Forces have already indirectly suggested they are responsible for the plane going down, saying that it will "continue to destroy" future flights in the Belgorod region. This was a reprehensible crime and Kyiv is the primary suspect.

Nerd narrative

There's a 30% chance that Ukraine will join the EU before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Narrative A

With two weeks to go for the general elections, it's obvious that this vote will be anything but free and fair as non-elected officials have singled out Imran Khan's PTI for systematic dismemberment. Such a manipulation of the election process can only aggravate the current political turmoil in Pakistan.

Narrative B

At first, the opposition and international observers said that there would be no elections. Now, they are claiming that the upcoming vote will be one of the most rigged elections ever based on false allegations of censorship. Actually, the media in Pakistan enjoys much more freedom of expression than many outlets in the West.

Nerd narrative

There's a 47% chance that Pakistan will experience a successful coup d'etat before 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Left narrative

Trump's rise to prominence has built an endemic culture of using threats as a censorship tactic. Though this has affected people of varying ideologies, the Trump team has monopolized this strategy and aimed it viciously at liberal women and people of color. Just as legislators pass laws and courts uphold them, Trump's role seems to be to threaten his opponents into submission when he's on the verge of losing his battles.

Right narrative

Blaming Trump is ironic coming from leftists who have been threatening — and in some cases physically attacking — ideas and speech they don't agree with as part of their notorious cancel culture. It's conservatives who have to watch what they say for fear of having their lives and reputations ruined because of their views on politics or religion. Until leftists learn to be more tolerant, this problem will continue.

Nerd narrative

There's a 30% chance that the United States drop below a 7 in the Democracy index by 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Left narrative

This was torture, plain and simple, and no state in any country should've been permitted to carry out an execution in this manner. In conflict with what Alabama predicted, Smith didn't lose consciousness in seconds and instead convulsed in an unprecedented manner on the gurney. He didn't die for nearly 22 minutes. Alabama has set the US back.

Right narrative

Like his accomplice before him, Smith has finally been made to pay for his crime — a heinous act that the victim's family has had to live with for decades. Nothing out of the ordinary happened during this execution, and the involuntary movement was expected. This first case of execution by nitrogen gas was a success.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that the US police-to-prison spending ratio will be 1.83 in 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Anti-Trump narrative

Peter Navarro helped cause the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and worked to undermine the congressional investigation into that tragic day. As a staunch Trump supporter, the former trade advisor pushed lies about the 2020 election results and then falsely claimed executive privilege protected him from testifying about the role he played on that day. Those are the criminal offenses that have led to his conviction and sentencing.

Pro-Trump narrative

All that can be said here is that Washington is biased against Trump and his supporters. This sentencing comes just weeks after the son of Democratic Pres. Joe Biden did the same thing Navarro did — but, of course, Hunter Biden won't face the same consequences. Even House Republicans — who had the power to charge Hunter with contempt — failed to do so. This is a sad state of affairs.

Nerd narrative

There's a 48% chance that Donald Trump will be jailed or incarcerated before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Narrative A

The Amazon rainforest serves as the lungs of our planet. A healthy Amazon equals a healthy world. Human-caused damage is destroying the forest's ability to keep a lid on global temperatures. Fortunately, this new data doesn't appear to be the tipping point, but we are close to an extremely serious situation. If drastic changes aren't made soon there will be no way to turn back.

Narrative B

Governments with equities in the Amazon rainforest have shown tremendous commitment to saving such a precious resource. During the first quarter of 2023, data shows that deforestation had been reduced by 40%. While the gains are immense and will have a significant impact on the planet and the communities of the Amazon, we must not become complacent. Nations must remain vigilant and continue the fight to uphold and establish new restrictions to restore the Amazon to the great beauty it once was.

Nerd narrative

There is a 50% chance that wildfires will destroy a total exceeding 10Mha of global tree cover in any year, by the end of 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.