Brazil: Last Member Of Isolated Indigenous Tribe Dies
On Sat., Brazil's Indigenous Affairs Agency (FUNAI) announced the death of the last remaining member of an uncontacted Brazilian indigenous tribe, known as the "Man of the Hole" and believed to be about 60 years old.
A FUNAI agent found the man's feather-covered body in a hammock outside his straw hut on Aug. 23 – likely 40 to 50 days after his passing – in the Tanaru Indigenous Territory, in the Rondônia state, bordering Bolivia. There were no signs of violence and it is believed he died of natural causes.
After his tribe was decimated in attacks carried out by illegal ranchers that began in the 1980s, the unnamed man lived in total isolation for 26 years, rejecting contact with officials and rebuffing their strategically placed gifts.
Establishment-critical narrative
The "Man of the Hole" is a symbol of the genocide of indigenous peoples, who have been intentionally annihilated by criminals pursuing profit. The other members of his tribe were killed decades ago and if Pres. Bolsonaro succeeds in abolishing Indigenous land protections, more tribes are likely to disappear.
Pro-establishment narrative
Brazilian officials looked after this lonely man's interests and wellbeing for 26 years as it has done with all of its hundreds of indigenous groups. Aside from protecting the 14% of Brazil already earmarked as indigenous land, Bolsonaro has sought to strike a delicate balance that recognizes the diversity of indigenous customs and culture, while establishing plans to sustainably utilize the biodiversity and mineral richness of the Amazon rainforest.
Nerd narrative
There's a 21% chance that Brazil will reach net zero deforestation by 2031, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Study: Melting Greenland Ice to Raise Sea Levels By 1ft
According to a study released on Mon., global warming will eventually cause zombie ice from Greenland's huge ice sheet to melt, causing global sea levels to rise by at least 10 inches (27 cm),
Zombie or doomed ice refers to the material attached to thicker areas that is no longer being fed by glaciers. Co-author of the new paper, geologist William Colgan of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, has said that areas of zombie ice are melting because the parent glaciers are receiving less of the replenishing snow they need to survive.
The researchers have studied two decades worth of measurements to calculate the minimum ice loss from the Greenland ice sheet due to global warming so far. In the best possible situation, the report concludes, the Greenland ice sheet will lose about 110 trillion tons of ice.
Narrative A
This important study has produced a dire message - the rise of sea levels is coming, whether we act now to stop burning fossil fuels or not. Although the damage is not entirely reversible, if nations can effectively implement the Paris Climate Agreement, we could reduce the predicted rise in sea levels from 78cm to 27cm. There is still time to minimize the damage we are doing to the planet and avoid a more catastrophic future.
Narrative B
Climate and environmental disasters have been predicted by modern-day doomsayers for decades. None of the apocalyptic predictions have come true so far; why would this time be any different?
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that sea levels will rise by at least 577mm by 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Thousands Attend Gorbachev Funeral
On Sat., thousands of Russians attended the funeral of former USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev who passed away last week. To accommodate the high number of attendees the two-hour ceremony was extended an additional two hours.
He was laid to rest next to his late wife Raisa at the Novodevichy cemetery, where several prominent Russian leaders have been buried, including the country's first post-Soviet president, Boris Yeltsin.
Gorbachev wasn't given an official state funeral. He is globally seen as helping to bring down the Iron Curtain, but critics blame him for the collapse of the Soviet Union and pushing the country into economic despair.
Narrative A
Gorbachev and his willingness to stand up for democracy and freedom were well received across the world. His achievements, humility and the many awards and accolades he received for his statesmanship show his true character. It's shameful that, after all these years, he remains disliked and discarded by the people of his homeland.
Narrative B
Gorbachev wasn't a supporter of the western democratic model, but of the Soviet Union. Policies like glasnost and perestroika - that western media are trying to argue were democratic reforms - were designed to improve the USSR by fostering better communication and kickstarting Soviet institutions. We can only be thankful Gorbachev didn't understand the true consequences his reforms would eventually have.
Tony Ornato: US Secret Service Assistant Director Retires
The senior Secret Service official who served as a top aide in Donald Trump's White House, Tony Ornato, announced his retirement on Monday.
According to a statement, Ornato's exit was "long-planned," and he's leaving to "pursue a career in the private sector." He had been under intense investigation by the Jan. 6 committee, and his retirement potentially complicates an aspect of the panel's inquiry.
Ornato was scheduled to appear before investigators from the Dept. of Homeland Security on Wed., and he indicated that he still intended to attend the interview. However, as he is a private citizen, investigators don't have testimonial subpoena authority to compel his cooperation.
Democratic narrative
Ornato's departure raises a variety of questions. It seems that the official is loyal to Trump and clearly retired as a strategic move to complicate the Jan. 6 committee's investigation. The committee was already skeptical of his assertions during previous testimonies and now they have proof that he is trying to obstruct the investigation.
Pro-Trump narrative
Ornato has served his country for 25 years and his retirement had been planned long before this announcement. He has already met with the committee twice before and has denied Hutchinson's allegations.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that 19 or more people will be charged by the US DOJ with seditious conspiracy in connection with the Jan 6th Capital riots, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Ariz. Gov. Visits Taiwan To Discuss Semiconductors
On Tues., Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey traveled to Taiwan for a trade mission focused on the multi-billion dollar market of semiconductors, as the state seeks suppliers for a new $12B Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC) plant in Phoenix.
TSMC, which reportedly produced more than 90% of the world's semiconductors in 2021, announced last year that it would invest $3.5B in the Arizona factory.
Nearly all electronic devices, including computers, smartphones, medical equipment, modern vehicles and high-tech weapons systems, require semiconductors.
Pro-China narrative
Secessionist forces are using Taiwan's importance in the global semiconductor market as a political tool to advance their goals. But failing to adequately take into account foreign competition and provoking tensions by catering to the Cold War mindset still promoted by the US will only harm Taiwan's own development.
Anti-China narrative
Semiconductor deals between the US and Taiwan are part of a broader cooperation to ensure the island's security amid growing threats and hostility from China. The so-called "democracy chips" will strengthen their ties even more and demonstrate US commitment to democracy and security in the Indo-Pacific.
Establishment-critical narrative
Continued high-level visits to Taiwan merely serve to undermine the US's commitment to its "one-China" policy. The UN, along with most nations worldwide, recognize Taiwan as a province of China "with no separate status." US posture towards the island is becoming increasingly dangerous and is part of its efforts to contain China, now that the country has become an economic powerhouse.
Nerd narrative
There's a 65% chance that the US will respond with military force if China invades Taiwan before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Airstrikes Hit Capital of Ethiopian Tigray Region
Kibrom Gebreselassie, chief executive of Ayder Referral Hospital, said on Twitter that an area near Mekelle General Hospital in the capital of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region was hit in an airstrike late on Tuesday.
While the extent of damage and casualties remains unclear and difficult to fully verify, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) - the party that controls Tigray - claimed Tues. to have repelled an offensive against its troops and launched a counteroffensive.
According to Addis Ababa, which didn't respond to requests for comment on the suspected air attack, the TPLF had opened a new front in the Amhara region near Sudan.
Establishment-critical narrative
It was clear that the central government would seek to break the truce as it has continued its brutal siege of Tigray. Even with the ceasefire in effect, Addis Ababa restrained humanitarian aid deliveries in order to make the people of Tigray and the regional government capitulate.
Pro-establishment narrative
Though the TPLF may be able to fool the international media, in reality, they were undoubtedly the instigators of the renewed fighting. It was the government that proposed the truce in the first place and has offered peace to the terrorist TPLF on a number of occasions, but it has refused to negotiate.
Cynical narrative
Both sides are to blame for this conflict, which has seen civilians suffer the most. Human rights abuses have been committed by both the central government and Tigrayan rebels, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. Even though the number of casualties in Ethiopia's war dwarfs those of other conflicts, the media has consistently ignored the suffering of the Ethiopian people.
Day 189 Roundup: Putin Pays Tribute to Gorbachev, Russia Reportedly Welcomes Permanent IAEA Mission at Nuclear Plant
Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin offered his "deepest condolences" to the family of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union who died aged 91 in Moscow on Tuesday. "Mikhail Gorbachev was a politician and statesman who had a huge impact on the course of global history," Putin said in a telegram to the family which was published on the Kremlin website on Wednesday.
Putin reportedly had a strained relationship with Gorbachev, whose openness reforms ultimately led the Soviet Union to break up into 15 states, precipitating its collapse and his resignation in 1991. At that time, Putin had been a KGB agent in east Germany. The Kremlin said a decision was yet to be made about whether Gorbachev would receive a state funeral.
Meanwhile, as the departure of a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was confirmed by Kyiv, the agency's head, Rafael Grossi, called for a permanent presence of IAEA representatives at the site. According to Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's representative to the international organizations in Vienna, Russia welcomes the idea. Inspectors are expected to visit the plant on Thursday.
Narrative A
As demonstrated by Putin's telegram, the Russian Pres. and Gorbachev shared a friendship and respect that lasted until the latter's death. Putin considers him a bright and preeminent statesman that profoundly shaped the course of global history.
Narrative B
Given that Putin had been a KGB agent in east Germany when Gorbachev oversaw the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Pres. was never fond of the USSR's last leader - a fact reflected in how carefully worded his condolence message was. After all, it's Putin that described the collapse of the Soviet Union as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century."
Nerd narrative
There's a 35% chance that the next Russian Leader will disapprove of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Iran Allegedly Attempts to Capture US Drone
The US Navy has declared that it prevented the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy from capturing an American unmanned surface vessel (USV) in international waters in the Persian Gulf on Monday.
At 11 pm local time, the US Navy dispatched the USS Thunderbolt and an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter to demand the IRGC Navy release the USV Saildrone Explorer that was being towed.
According to the US Navy, the Saildrone Explorer operates commercial sensors, radars, and camera equipment for data collection and doesn't store sensitive or classified information.
Pro-establishment narrative
This incident once again demonstrates Iran's continued destabilizing, illegal, and unprofessional activity in the Middle East. The US naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international laws allow while promoting rules-based international order throughout the region.
Establishment-critical narrative
This latest incident shows that the illegal US military presence in the Persian Gulf threatens the region's security and stability. The IRGC acted solely to prevent accidents in shipping routes, promptly releasing the USV to a US patrol ship and instructing it on security risks.
Nerd narrative
There's a 19% chance that the US will rejoin the Iran Nuclear Deal before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Empty 'Classified' Folders Among Items Taken from Trump
On Fri., the inventory of items seized by the FBI's Aug. 8 search of former Pres. Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence was unsealed by a US District Judge who is overseeing the request by Trump's attorneys to appoint a 'special master.'
The inventory, filed earlier in the week under seal by the Dept. of Justice (DOJ), revealed more than 10K govt. documents and photographs without classification markings that were removed.
This includes empty folders marked "classified" that were empty. In addition, there were also dozens of empty folders marked "Return to Staff Secretary/Military Aide."
Democratic narrative
The DOJ has presented its strongest case yet against Trump, and the former president is clearly in hot water for not turning over these documents and obstructing justice. It's only a matter of time before he's held accountable.
Pro-Trump narrative
This is a continuation of the DOJ's effort to nail Trump on anything it can. They'll likely be able to add this to a growing list of failed attempts to take him down considering the search of Trump's home was unlawful, he has the right to maintain his presidential documents, and has the power to declassify them as he likes.
Report: Sri Lanka, IMF Reach Preliminary Loan Pact
Sri Lanka and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reportedly reached a preliminary agreement on an emergency loan to the island nation, which currently faces its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948.
A formal announcement is expected to be made on Thurs. as the IMF's second mission to Colombo in three months - which was scheduled to conclude on Wed.- was extended by a day.
This comes a day after Sri Lanka's Pres. Ranil Wickremesinghe announced reforms and tax hikes to reverse its economic breakdown.
Establishment-critical narrative
While this sounds like good news, this move won't actually solve the country's debt crisis. On the contrary, it will only further confine Sri Lanka to a vicious foreign debt circle that it has been trapped in for decades, with international financial institutions meddling in domestic affairs. If the intention is to help them handle this crisis, Sri Lanka's debt should be forgiven.
Pro-establishment narrative
The IMF has long been accused of creating vicious debt circles and interfering in domestic affairs, but these claims aren't accurate and those making them offer no viable alternative for countries in economic crisis. Sri Lanka is right to deal with the IMF as its assistance will be helpful to tackle the current crisis and to create a long-lasting positive macroeconomic environment.