Biden Signs Bill to Boost Microchip Production
On Tues., US Pres. Biden signed a landmark bill to provide $52.7B in subsidies to semiconductor protection and research to make the US more competitive in the field against China.
With bipartisan support, the CHIPS and Science Act was passed by lawmakers in late July.
The legislation also provides $10B to invest in regional technology hubs, a 25% investment tax credit for manufacturing expenses, and authorizes roughly $100B in spending over five years on scientific research.
Anti-China narrative
While the US continues to lead in the design of cutting-edge and essential semiconductors, it has become overly reliant upon foreign manufacturers, especially those in China and in Taiwan, which are subject to constant threats of PRC aggression. This bill is a crucial first step in the long overdue process of decoupling the US economy from China.
Pro-China narrative
The "Chips and Science Act," a bill intended to try and constrain China's inevitable rise as a global tech power, is too little too late as the US - the world's largest economy - continues to suffer from industrial hollowing-out, mounting debt, and runaway inflation. The bill effectively asks companies to choose China or the US, and the US is not going to like the answer.
Taiwan Begins Live-Fire Drills as China Extends War Games
On Tues., Taiwan's armed forces launched drills simulating defensive operations against an invasion on the island as China's Eastern Theater Command extended exercises near Taiwan that were first expected to end on Sunday.
While a military spokesperson asserted that Taiwan's defensive drills are part of its previously scheduled annual military war games, the island's Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, accused China of preparing to attack the nation.
Wu claimed that the PLA (China's People's Liberation Army) has been threatening Taiwan for years by carrying out war games and cyberattacks, launching missiles and imposing trade sanctions to undermine public morale.
Anti-China narrative
China is threatening to disrupt peace in the Indo-Pacific region with its provocative military drills around Taiwan. Beijing is attempting to routinize military exercises in the Strait, something Taipei can't allow to happen. The autonomously ruled island has a right to exist, and is justified in doing whatever is needed to protect its independence.
Pro-China narrative
China's exercises are necessary to both prepare the Chinese military for any potential engagement initiated by the US and push forward the reunification process. China has every right to assert itself over its own sovereign territory of Taiwan, and the US is playing with fire by disregarding its previous diplomatic agreements with China.
Nerd narrative
There is a 25% chance that China will launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Three Palestinians Killed During Israeli West Bank Raid
On Tues., three Palestinians were killed as Israeli forces carried out a military operation in the city of Nablus, in the West Bank. Following a gunfight, at least another 40 people were injured – four are reportedly in critical condition.
The deceased were identified as 16-year-old Hussein Jamal Taha, and two militants named Islam Sabouh and Ibrahim al-Nabulsi.
Al-Nabulsi, who was wanted by Israeli security forces and an Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades commander, was the main target of the raid that surrounded his home.
Pro-Israel narrative
This operation proved once again the Israeli commitment and determination to fighting terrorism. Al-Nabulsi was a wanted terrorist who took part in several attacks against military positions in the West Bank and at Joseph's Tomb. His neutralization will make the nation safer.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Al-Nabulsi has become a martyr and his example could well inspire other Palestinians to resist occupation forces. Israel must be aware that its campaign of aggression against Palestinians, which has claimed 129 lives so far this year, can only provoke more clashes and lead to an open conflict.
Nerd narrative
There's a 5% chance that Israel and Palestine will hold peace talks in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 168 Roundup: War Must End With Crimea, Zelenskyy Says; At Least 13 Dead in Dnipropetrovsk
After huge blasts rocked a Russian air base in Crimea on Tues., Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "This Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea – with its liberation. Today it is impossible to say when this will happen, but we are constantly adding the necessary components."
Zelenskyy didn't say who was responsible for the blasts. Although Ukrainian officials initially denied striking the Saky air base in Novofedorivka and suggested instead it could be the work of local saboteurs or a result of Russian mismanagement, an anonymous Ukrainian official said on Wed. that Ukraine's special forces were responsible for the attack.
Russia's defense ministry said that there had been no attack and the blasts were caused by the "detonation of several aviation ammunition stores." An unnamed Kremlin source told Russian outlet Tass the primary cause of the explosions appeared to be a "violation of fire safety requirements." One person was killed and 14 more were injured.
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 a 12% chance that Ukraine will officially recognize a former Ukrainian territory as independent before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Appeals Court Rules House Can Obtain Trump's Tax Returns
A unanimous three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Tues. that the House Ways and Means Committee can obtain several years of former Pres. Trump's tax returns.
The court affirmed a Dec. 2021 district judge's ruling, which dismissed Trump's lawsuit that looked to block the Treasury Dept. from complying with the committee's request.
Trump's tax returns have been sought since 2019.
Democratic narrative
This is a victory in a years-long battle, and it proves that not even a former president is above the law. While Trump's legal team will likely appeal the decision, this is a step in the right direction to bringing transparency and counteracting Trump's suspicious attempts to block the release of his tax returns.
Pro-Trump narrative
Democrats are still on a baseless mission to find something Trump is hiding in his tax returns. But if the regularly-audited Trump had violated any laws, wouldn't the IRS have already prosecuted him? There's no legislative purpose to Congress' request, and Trump is still under no obligation to release his returns.
Nerd narrative
There's a 15% chance that Donald Trump will be jailed or incarcerated before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Grand Jury Declines to Indict Woman in Emmett Till Murder
A Mississippi grand jury declined to indict 87-year-old Carolyn Bryant Donham, a white woman who accused Emmett Till, a black 14-year-old, of harassing her in 1955. The allegation ultimately led to his abduction and lynching.
In a Tues. news release, Leflore County DA Dewayne Richardson announced that, after hearing more than seven hours of testimony from investigators and witnesses, the grand jury last week determined that there was insufficient evidence to indict Donham.
As time has passed, legal avenues for the pursuit of Donham - or anyone else involved in Till's murder - have dwindled. However, there have been multiple attempts to seek charges in the past two decades as new evidence has emerged.
Left narrative
The fact that Donham, after nearly 70 years, has still not been held accountable for her lies is a disgrace. Though she may be old, she was able to live out her entire life with freedom, unlike Emmett Till, whose life was taken from him when he was only 14 years old. This is just another example of how systemic anti-black systems persist in America.
Right narrative
Justice has been done. The DOJ investigated every element and found that Donham did not lie about the original case. The statute of limitations has also run out on all potential federal crimes that could apply to Till's abduction. Although Till's death was a horrific injustice, there is no legal or just way Donham could have been charged over the terrible events surrounding it.
Taiwan: China Withdraws Promise Not to Send Troops
According to an official Chinese document released on Wed., China has withdrawn its pledge not to send troops or administrators to Taiwan if it takes control of the island - a promise previously included in the 1993 and 2000 white papers.
The updated document is titled "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era." The "new era" is often associated with Pres. Xi's rule, who is expected to secure a third term as China's president later this year.
The document repeated a previous proposal of "one country, two systems" which said Taiwan could retain some of its sovereignty and democratic systems upon reunification with China, similar to how Hong Kong is ruled.
Pro-China narrative
The political landscape has changed since the previous white papers were released and this is a much needed update to address the current tensions. The new document isn't a threat, but rather makes clarifications about what circumstances would require China to use force, and reaffirms the goal of reunifying China and Taiwan using peaceful measures.
Anti-China narrative
If China truly cared about Taiwan's political autonomy, it wouldn't be scratching the promises it made in its previous white papers. The removal of its pledge not to send troops, coupled with the recent military drills in the Taiwan Strait, serve as a warning that the sovereign state and its Western allies should prepare to defend the island from a likely invasion.
Nerd narrative
There is a 25% chance that China will launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Jan. 6 Committee Meets with Pompeo, Mastriano
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots met with former Trump-era Sec. of State Mike Pompeo and Trump-endorsed Pa. GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano on Tuesday.
Mastriano, a GOP Pa. state senator who was present outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, was allegedly involved in a plan for his state to submit fake or "alternate" electors to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Mastriano didn't answer any questions during his virtual session with the committee and ended the interview after 15 minutes. His legal counsel reportedly expressed concern over procedural matters regarding the deposition, as well as the legality of the subpoena from the committee.
Democratic narrative
The committee's investigation is gaining momentum and accumulating testimony from the highest echelons of Trump's administration. It's leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of information about both the lead-up to the riots and machinations to prevent the certification of the vote results.
Pro-Trump narrative
This unlawful committee is attempting to violate Mastriano's fundamental constitutional rights, including his rights to free speech and public assembly, as well as his right to record the panel's interrogation to prevent it from using his words out of context as a political weapon. The committee continues to be just a tool to demonize Trump and his supporters.
Report: US DOJ Prepping Anti-Trust Lawsuit Against Google
The US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly expected to file an antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet Inc.'s Google in the coming weeks over its dominance in the online advertising market.
The DOJ has allegedly been investigating Google's ad-tech practices since 2019 and has recently expedited the inquiry, with sources familiar with the matter saying the newest suit could come as soon as next month.
This would mark the DOJ's second case against Google following a lawsuit filed in 2020 for "unlawfully maintaining monopolies in the markets for general search services, search advertising, and general search text advertising in the US."
Pro-establishment narrative
Google is using its market power to crush competition and impede innovation. For far too long Big Tech companies have had vast amounts of unchecked power and influence. Even if this lawsuit is unsuccessful, it's still a step in the right direction toward challenging the power of Big Tech.
Establishment-critical narrative
Although Google dominates web search-based ads, it doesn't have a monopoly on the digital ad market; it actually faces stiff competition from other tech firms. To meaningfully increase competition as the DOJ seemingly seeks to do, Google would have to be broken into fragments, which would hinder technology and inconvenience users.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Google will be supplanted as the top search engine in the US by market share by 2056, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Trump Invokes Fifth Amendment, Declines to Answer in N.Y. Probe
Two days after his Fla. home was raided by the FBI in a criminal case, former Pres. Trump declined to answer questions under oath on Wed. in an NY state civil case investigating his business dealings.
NY Attorney General (AG) Letitia James planned on deposing the former president regarding potential misleading practices by the Trump Organization, but he invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify against himself.
James is looking into whether Trump improperly inflated the values of assets on financial statements, specifically his property in Westchester, NY, 40 Wall Street in NYC, and Trump Tower, also in NYC.
Pro-Trump narrative
This is a vindictive and self-serving fishing expedition against Trump from James and the Biden administration. For five years, all levels of government and the news media have scoured Trump's business dealings, private life, and presidency to no avail. The US Constitution exists to protect individuals from such abuses of power, and Trump rightly used the Fifth Amendment to protect himself from a politically-motivated witch hunt.
Democratic narrative
This is a seminal moment for James. She finally got the deposition she was looking for and that Trump battled to avoid. Trump is predictably "taking the Fifth" and painting her investigation as a kangaroo court. As James seeks a second term as NY Attorney General, she will benefit from the continued legal problems engulfing the former president.
Nerd narrative
There's an 86% chance that Donald J. Trump will run for the office of President of the United States in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.15.2