White House: N. Korea Covertly Sending Weapons to Russia
The Biden admin. stated on Wednesday that Pyongyang has covertly shipped a significant number of artillery shells to aid the Russian war effort in Ukraine. A statement from National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby claimed that the resources have been sent through indirect routes, including via North Africa and the Middle East.
Kirby added that it was unknown if the artillery munitions had already reached Russia but stressed that this shipment wouldn't alter the course of the war.
Republican narrative
The Biden administration's failed domestic and international policy has pushed North Korea and Russia into an alliance that now threatens the security of the US. Despite the risks to America, Biden has promoted war games that could lead to unintended and undesirable confrontation on the world stage.
Democratic narrative
The fact that Pyongyang is providing weapons to aid Russia's war effort in Ukraine demonstrates the success of US sanctions in isolating and undermining Moscow. As Russian forces falter, the Kremlin is resorting to the support of other weak pariah states, such as North Korea, to try and plug gaps in munitions supplies.
Nerd narrative
There's a 10% chance that North Korea will send more than 100 troops to Ukraine, without Ukrainian consent, before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Elon Musk Begins Wide-Scale Layoffs at Twitter
Elon Musk began mass layoffs at Twitter on Friday, sharply reducing the social media platform’s workforce. Employees began reporting being locked out of the social media platform's information systems on Thursday night and Friday morning.
Per a reported internal memo, Twitter management informed employees it will be “reducing our global workforce.”
Right narrative
Musk's acquisition is a real opportunity for Twitter to become free of biased censorship. With the billionaire entrepreneur at the helm, he can retain the general code of conduct to fight deceitful foreign influences while also allowing the marketplace of ideas to flourish, freeing it from so-called "fact checkers" with ill intentions.
Left narrative
While billionaires like Elon Musk may have the money to buy and influence social media platforms, they don't possess the character to manage them properly. Musk's Twitter history reveals an erratic personality with the potential to vastly alter the market with a single tweet simply to advance his self-interest. With Twitter set to have no barriers to what can or cannot be said, the app is looking like a disaster waiting to happen.
UN Votes to Condemn US Embargo of Cuba
On Thursday, the UN General Assembly voted for the 30th year in a row to condemn the US economic embargo on Cuba. 185 countries voted in favor of the motion with only the US and Israel opposing it, and Brazil and Ukraine abstaining.
UN General Assembly resolutions are neither binding nor enforceable, but they reflect global perspectives and have given Cuba an annual platform to highlight the isolation of the US in its decades-long efforts to punish the island.
Establishment-critical narrative
In the name of promoting human rights, the US has blocked the Cuban economy from generating billions of dollars, which is why the entire world voted for this resolution. If the US cared about Cubans and their prosperity, it would open economic relations with Havana just as it does with other countries with poor human rights records.
Pro-establishment narrative
The US embargo on Cuba is a reasonable response to one of the most brutal regimes in the world, which has constantly violated human rights. Unlike critics' claims, the embargo doesn't affect Cuba's freedom to trade with the rest of the world nor does it prevent Cuba from importing goods from the US. Cuba's tragedy stems from its dictatorship, not from US trade restrictions.
Day 254 Roundup: Zelenskyy Says 4.5M Ukrainians Facing Electricity Shortages
In his nightly address on Thursday, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that an estimated 4.5M people across Kyiv, its outskirts, and nine other regions were facing rolling blackouts in the country. He also used the address to call on Ukraine's energy providers to be more transparent about planned blackouts to help tackle perceptions of unfairness.
Addressing the energy companies, Zelenskyy said: "Please be more active in explaining to people when and why you disconnect this or that street, this or that district. Now is the time for such microcommunications. People have a right to know." He added: "If someone stays without electricity for eight or ten hours, and everything is connected, including street lighting, across the street, then this is definitely unfair."
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 2% 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.
Trump Drops Strong Hint About 2024 White House Run
Speaking at the first of four midterm rallies in five days, former Pres. Trump stated that he will "very, very, very, probably do it again" — referring to a presidential run in 2024.
Speaking to a crowd on Thursday in Sioux City, Iowa, Trump said, "get ready, that's all I'm saying" to supporters. He was campaigning for Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who is in a close race against Democratic challenger Mike Franken.
Left narrative
When it comes to a 2024 Trump run for the White House, it's a question of "when" and not "if." Being in legal jeopardy, his desire to be president once again may come from a desire to avoid or complicate the multiple investigations that surround him. Whatever the reasons, American democracy must brace for Trump's anti-democratic onslaught.
Pro-Trump narrative
Anticipation is building — whether Trump makes the call right before the midterms or right after. The Democrats don't have a viable candidate who can beat Trump in 2024, and their only chance is through the corrupt Department of Justice, which will seek to bring the former president down at any opportunity. The engine is starting to crank on the Trump Train.
Narrative C
The Democratic Party is floundering. However, the upcoming red wave should be consolidated with a leader who will not be a continued potential danger to the GOP. It's time to pass the Republican torch to fresh candidates who can take Trump's values to the next level, with more stability and less self-destructive tendencies.
Nerd narrative
There's an 80% chance that Donald J. Trump will run for the office of President of the United States in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Germany’s Olaf Scholz Meets China’s Xi Jinping
Leading a high-level business delegation to China, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping on Friday, marking the first visit by the leader of a G7 nation to China since the start of COVID in 2019.
This visit to its main trading partner comes as Berlin faces challenges at home, with a deep recession looming and the need to bolster its export markets as its ties with Russia deteriorate amid the Ukraine war.
Anti-China narrative
Scholz's visit to Beijing comes as a bit of a shock across the continent. There is broad consensus among the political leadership of Europe about the need to rethink ties with China, and Scholz appears to be out of step. This isn't only a concern across Europe, but also in Washington. With Chinese aggression on the rise, now is the time for the West to present a united front.
Pro-China narrative
Scholz's visit to Beijing is much appreciated and needed, especially against the backdrop of significant turbulence and strife around the world. It's good that the leaders of two major powers can have a face-to-face meeting about bilateral relations and future economic cooperation and exchange views on heated topics. It sends a much-needed signal of stability to the international community.
Cynical narrative
This is an economic move. Having lost two pillars of Germany's economic success story — cheap Russian energy and low-security spending — Scholz has no choice but to guarantee that its third pillar — good business relations with China — remains. The chancellor's visit to Beijing is paramount to German industry, which is about to start an investment boom in China, moving production there from Germany.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Germany will elect a new Chancellor by October 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
US Midterms: Biden Campaigns in Calif., Promotes Tech Legislation
Pres. Biden will visit the Carlsbad, Calif. communications firm Viasat Inc. Friday to tout the Democrats' push to boost domestic manufacturing of semiconductors and reduce reliance on foreign manufacturing.
In a preview of his visit, the White House said Biden will laud three pieces of his key legislation — The Chips and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Republican narrative
With Republicans showing gains in the polls nationwide, Democrats are desperately sending their unpopular party leader to campaign for incumbent Democrats. Even in southern California, where liberal elites have begun to shift the region from red to blue, Rep. Mike Levin faces a potential loss due to his party's "woke" social policies and economic agenda. Biden's campaigning won't help.
Democratic narrative
Biden knows the importance of retaining control of the House, which is why he's campaigning for Rep. Mike Levin in California to protect Medicare, Social Security, and veterans' benefits. It's important for the president to showcase representatives like Levin who are up against Republicans who want to rip all of that away.
Nerd narrative
There is a 55% chance that Republicans will win both the House and Senate in the 2022 midterm elections, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
World Cup: FIFA Says to 'Focus on Football'
In a letter to all 32 teams due to compete at the World Cup in Qatar beginning Nov. 20, FIFA — the world soccer governing body — told them to "now focus on football," as the host country faces criticism for its human rights record.
FIFA Pres. Gianni Infantino and Sec.-General Fatma Samoura asked for the sport not to be "dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists," as some teams have protested Qatar's alleged treatment of LGBTQ+ people and migrant workers who constructed World Cup facilities.
Pro-establishment narrative
With billions of people around the world about to tune in to the World Cup, we should call out Qatar's hosting of the event for what it really is. With LGBTQ+ people treated like criminals and labor practices being compared to modern slavery, Qatar's winning bid to host the event was not from merit but rather corruption. The entire global community has a responsibility to criticize the event to save the integrity of the sport.
Establishment-critical narrative
The mostly Western-centric critique of the World Cup is an unfair smear campaign. Qatar has already disbursed $350M to workers last year alone and has doubled up on efforts to protect employees. While soccer fans are likely to be exploring Qatar for the first time, they should know that its people are very welcoming. As this year is the first World Cup hosted by an Arab nation, respect for differing cultures is a must.
French MP Suspended After "Return to Africa" Remarks
The French parliament has issued a 15-day suspension for MP Gregoire de Fournas, a member of the far-right National Rally party, who appeared to yell "return to Africa" as a Black MP discussed migrants.
While Carlos Martens Bilongo was speaking about finding a port for 234 migrants recently rescued at sea, the official account cited de Fournas as saying "he" should go back to Africa, with de Fournas claiming he said "they," the migrants. The two phrases sound identical in French — "Qu'il retourne en Afrique," and "Qu'ils retournent en Afrique."
Left narrative
De Fournas' penalty is the only just course of action. Le Pen's far-right party cannot get away with abjectly racist comments, and he deserves full censure for his disgraceful behavior.
Right narrative
If a clearly-misinterpreted comment is all it takes to induce a penalty, many other MPs should prepare to receive the same punishment. The day suspension was issued only once before, and now the left has decided to use it over a simple misunderstanding. This is unfair cancel culture.
CDC: Alcohol-Induced Deaths Rose 30% in 2020
According to a new Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report focusing on more than a dozen types of deaths directly caused by drinking, the alcohol-related death rate in the US rose nearly 30% in the first year of the COVID pandemic.
The CDC previously reported that such deaths had increased in 2020 and 2021, but the study released Friday provided more details, including the increase from 39k deaths in 2019 to 52k in 2020.
Narrative A
The pandemic was a traumatic event, and those types of events always cause an increase in drinking. Combine this with easy access to and the social acceptability of alcohol, along with the overuse of anxiety-provoking social media and the internet, and you have a huge crisis that can only be addressed with better government policies in terms of screenings and treatments.
Narrative B
It’s criminal government policies, like forcing workers into COVID-infested workplaces and children and teachers into schools too soon, that have brought us to this point. A moral and scientific solution is needed to help the working class defeat America's epidemic of addiction and take power back from the corporations and politicians that put wealth above safety.