UN: Australia Climate Inaction Violated Islanders' Rights
On Friday, a UN committee found that Australia violated the human rights of Torres Strait Islanders by failing to adequately protect them from the impacts of climate change.
The committee stated that Australia had violated two of the three human rights set out in the 1966 UN Treaty the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights — pertaining to culture and family life.
Narrative A
The Torres Strait Islanders have made international legal history with their landmark complaint, which has now been corroborated by the UN. This finding is a massive win for the islanders and also sets a firm legal precedent for governments worldwide to do more to fight the impending threat of climate change.
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's a 5% chance that if a global catastrophe occurs before 2100, it will be principally due to either human-made climate change or geoengineering, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
County Judge: Arizona Can Enforce Near-Total Abortion Ban
Pima County Superior Court Judge, Kellie Johnson, last week granted a request by Arizona's Republican attorney general to lift a court injunction that had barred the enforcement of a pre-statehood ban on abortion.
Friday's ruling means that clinics statewide will have to stop providing abortions - any that continue offering the procedure may face criminal charges unless a pregnant woman's life is in jeopardy due to the condition.
Democratic narrative
Arizona's abortion ruling is literally sending women's rights back more than a century and a half. Republicans have catastrophically eroded reproductive rights through this sickening, draconian setback.
Republican narrative
Corporate media is not interested in the reality that left-leaning abortion extremism is exceptionally unpopular among Americans. Dozens of mainstream outlets are failing to ask difficult questions about the dangerous and inflammatory ideas the left-wing are proposing, and that are opposed by their audiences. This reflects a serious journalistic failure.
Nerd narrative
There is a 5% chance that elective abortion will be banned nationally in the US before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Italy: Right-Wing Meloni Expected to Become Next PM
Giorgia Meloni, leader of Italy's right-wing coalition, is set to become the country's first female prime minister ever, as her bloc is projected to have clinched a clear majority in Italy's general election, which took place on Sunday.
An exit poll for state broadcaster RAI indicates that the conservative coalition has won between 41-45% of the votes. Full results are expected by later on Monday, but both the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement have conceded defeat and Meloni has claimed victory.
Left narrative
Europe must keep a close eye on Italy's far-right, as history has shown that what happens in Rome is soon replicated abroad. And it's hard to find a worse prospect than several Meloni-like leaders coming to power across Europe. Though she acts as if she is a political moderate, Meloni evokes the rhetoric of fascism, is inspired by Hungary's Orbán, and has an ambiguous approach to Putin.
Right narrative
The mainstream left campaign of fear and hate against Meloni hasn't deceived Italians. While Meloni being appointed PM surely is scary to the EU, markets, and those usurping Italy's sovereignty, the nation has expressed its support for this path, which is the only one to restore freedom and pride in Italy.
Nerd narrative
There's a 2% chance that any of Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and/or Germany leave the EU before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Bangladesh: At Least 50 Killed in Boat Capsize
50 bodies have been recovered so far after an overcrowded ferry carrying Hindu pilgrims capsized in the Karotoa River in northern Bangladesh on Sunday. The victims include 25 women and 13 children.
Police are continuing to search for bodies, with survivors saying that more than 70 people had been on the boat. The accident is the worst waterways disaster to hit the country in more than a year.
Narrative A
The Bangladeshi government must better address these tragedies. At least 5,000 people - mostly the poor - have died in ferry accidents in Bangladesh in the last 13 years, 35% of which are attributed to overcrowding. The international community must bring pressure on this safety issue, as it has in the past with Bangladesh's garment factory workers.
Narrative B
These accidents are tragic, and they will require efforts beyond the Bangladeshi government alone. Addressing economic stress, bolstering rescue services and healthcare, and building capacity for health and safety in the private sector are crucial. Private ferry owners carry a lot of political weight in Bangladesh. This is a complex issue requiring public-private collaboration.
Rep. Mace Says GOP is Considering Impeaching Biden
On Sunday, during an appearance on "Meet the Press," Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) suggested to NBC's Chuck Todd that there is "pressure" for Republicans to move to impeach Pres. Biden if they gain control of the House after the midterm elections.
She claimed to oppose the move, adding that an impeachment vote would be divisive and that the House should instead focus on tackling hyperpartisanship and improving collaboration across party lines.
Pro-Trump narrative
It is crucial the GOP regains the majority in the House and moves to impeach Biden, just as the Democrats twice tried to impeach Trump. This is the only way he will be held accountable for his terrible administration, his careless withdrawal from Afghanistan, and his loose immigration policies - he has undermined the safety of Americans, been responsible for the loss of American lives and provoked a border crisis. Biden must go.
Democratic narrative
It's clear that voting for congressional GOP candidates in the 2022 midterms will be a vote for an unfounded impeachment campaign that even GOP leaders would like to avoid. Unlike Trump, Biden has not committed any crimes. Yet, Republicans will likely make this petty and vindictive impeachment campaign a priority, pushing for the same failed plan they had against Obama in 2014.
Nerd narrative
There's a 17% chance that Biden will be impeached by the US House of Representatives, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
N. Korea Fires Suspected Missile Ahead of US Drills, Harris Visit
North Korea reportedly fired a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern territorial waters on Sunday ahead of military drills by South Korean and US forces and a visit by US Vice Pres. Kamala Harris.
According to the South Korean military, which called the test a "serious provocation," the missile was launched from the Taechon area in North Korea's North Pyongan province. It flew about 600 km (370 miles) at a speed of about Mach 5, reaching an altitude of about 60 km (37 miles).
Establishment-critical narrative
The policy of military "deterrence" against Pyongyang leads only leads to frustrating countermeasures. It's not helpful to make the complete denuclearization of North Korea a precondition for improving bilateral relations. Only when peaceful coexistence between North and South Korea is nurtured will Pyongyang reconsider its nuclear stance. This is basic common sense.
Pro-establishment narrative
Now is the time for Washington, Seoul, and the international community to make it clear to Pyongyang that serious consequences will follow if North Korea's provocations continue. The global community should retain the right to launch preemptive strikes should a North Korean attack be imminent.
Nerd narrative
There's a 70% chance that North Korea will conduct more than 20 missile test events in 2022 and 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Palestinian Prisoners Begin Hunger Strike
In Israel, 30 Palestinian prisoners have reportedly begun an open-ended hunger strike to protest their incarceration by "administrative detention," a process that allows Israel to hold prisoners for renewable durations based on secret evidence that requires neither charges nor trial.
The prisoners declared their hunger strike using the slogan "Our Decision is Freedom." They reportedly rejected a request from the prison management to postpone their action until Wednesday.
Pro-Palestine narrative
In the face of a brutal occupation and unjust detention techniques, the use of hunger strikes is one of the only ways Palestinian prisoners can reclaim their human rights. These prisoners are being wrongly held, and have little other option than to protest against the Israeli state and its abhorrent practices.
Pro-Israel narrative
Administrative detention is necessary to keep dangerous suspects off the streets without revealing sensitive intelligence that would harm Israel's security. This approach has been proven to prevent deadly terror attacks. This context must be applied when covering the stories of any hunger strikes.
Nerd narrative
There is a 45% chance that Israel will recognize Palestine by 2070, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 215: Gun Attack at Russian School; Two More Burial Sites Found in Izyum
At least 13 were killed and 21 injured on Monday, when a gunman opened fire at a school in the city of Izhevsk, central Russia. Seven of the school's 1k pupils were reportedly among those killed, as were two security guards and two teachers. The region will observe a period of mourning until Sept. 29.
The news came as Kazakhstan announced it will not recognize ongoing referendums on the potential annexation of eastern regions of Ukraine currently occupied by Russian forces. "We reconfirm our readiness to provide all possible assistance to the establishment of a political dialogue," said foreign ministry spokesperson Aibek Smdiyarov.
Anti-Russia narrative
As the war shifts to the strategically important Donbas region of Donetsk, the US and its allies need to continue to do everything in their power to arm Ukraine with all the weapons they need. Doing so is the only way to push Putin's forces back as was done in Kyiv.
Pro-Russia narrative
As stated by Putin, the whole purpose of the war was never to invade Kyiv, but to liberate the ethnically Russian people of Donetsk and Luhansk, who have been subjected to systematic killing by Ukrainian forces for not recognizing the 2014 coup in Kyiv.
Nerd narrative
There is a 5% chance that Putin and Zelenskyy will meet to discuss the peaceful resolution of the Russian-Ukraine conflict before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Russia’s Yevgeny Prigozhin Admits Owning Wagner Mercenary Force
On Monday, Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin admitted for the first time to having founded the private military company Wagner Group, reversing years of denials and court cases against media agencies that investigated him.
Kremlin-linked Prigozhin stated on social media that he founded the unit on May 1, 2014 – after Russia annexed Crimea's peninsula from Ukraine – staffing it with veterans of the Russian armed forces.
Anti-Russia narrative
This confession exposes the direct link between the Kremlin and Wagner Group, proving long-standing suspicions that Wagner mercenaries work for the Russian government as Prigozhin is a close ally to Putin. The private military company has committed war crimes in Ukraine, Libya, and Syria, acting in support of Russian troops.
Pro-Russia narrative
While Prigozhin has confirmed he owns Wagner and praised its fighters as "Russian patriots," it's a very long jump to claim that this admission proves Western accusations that the Wagner Group operates under Moscow's orders. His alleged personal ties to the Kremlin are merely catering service contracts.
Uganda: Ebola Count Rises to 35, First Doctor Dies
Ugandan officials said on Saturday that a Tanzanian doctor has been the first health care professional in the country to die from the latest Ebola outbreak. The caseload has now increased to at least 35 people. Fears are rising of a serious outbreak on the horizon.
Seven people - including the doctor - have already died from the virus. A vaccine for the current spreading strain hasn't yet been found.
Pro-establishment narrative
This current outbreak is a serious health risk to the nations of Central Africa. Ebola is a highly lethal disease, and the fact that there is no well-tested vaccine for this strain makes the stakes even higher. Outbreaks are difficult to contain, and dealing with the spread of Ebola must be a top priority for regional and international bodies.
Establishment-critical narrative
As history proves, the media has a penchant for exaggerating the risks that infectious diseases like Ebola pose to the world. Obviously, this is serious, but politicians and media entities have a habit of exploiting public health emergencies for their own ends, like a mass panic regarding Ebola in 2014. The international community has plenty of tools to handle flare-ups like this.
Nerd narrative
There's a 12% chance that there will be a novel pathogen that kills over 25 million people between 2022 and 2031(inclusive), according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Amended Autopsy Report: Elijah McClain Died from Sedative
An amended autopsy report released Friday by a Denver District Court Chief Judge revealed that Elijah McClain – a Black man killed in police custody in Aurora, Colo. in 2019 – died of ketamine overdose administrated by paramedics while forcibly detained.
The original autopsy report, which was written shortly after McClain’s death, didn't conclude how he died, or whether his death was natural, accidental, or a result of homicide.
Establishment-critical narrative
The police shouldn’t be rewarded with more federal funding, which Congress plans to give them. Instead, there should be more sweeping overhauls - including passing the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act. Tragedies like this show both the failures of many police procedures and the extent that the current system enables them.
Pro-establishment narrative
The bills currently working their way through Congress seek to provide meaningful reform for police departments as an institution. It's more than just an increase in funding - this legislation would also help the police de-escalate confrontations with the public, and provide better training, body cameras, and access to mental health assistance. Substantial law enforcement reform can happen by working within the current system.