Britain to Join France in Largest War Games Since Cold War
UK armed forces are expected to join France in Operation Orion, a two-phase "high intensity" war game that will take place in the French region of Champagne next spring, in order to prepare for a "major conflict."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense told the Express that British forces are "constantly active, working and exercising with its NATO allies, " adding that such drills "improve the combat effectiveness" of the alliance to deter potential threats.
Pro-establishment narrative
The West must enhance its readiness for a clash with Moscow as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has revealed that the Kremlin is prone to engage in direct military confrontation across Europe. As the risk of a high-intensity war has returned to the Continent, military exercises like Orion are needed since any peace deal with Moscow will be only a temporary ceasefire.
Establishment-critical narrative
NATO creates confrontation with outside nations to fabricate enmities and justify its existence. The alliance is already largely responsible for provoking the war in Ukraine by carrying out a clandestine expansion to Kyiv following the 2014 coup, despite Moscow's well-founded national security concerns. These war games are more provocation that risk further heightening tensions.
Cynical narrative
Both Russia and the West are pursuing dangerous policies and actions that are driving the world ever closer to nuclear war. Both sides must reconsider their approaches now and act decisively to prevent catastrophe before it's too late.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance the next "Great Power" war will occur before June 2047, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Dutch Judge Delivers MH17 Airline Verdict
On Thursday, a Dutch court convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian national of murder in the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 — the incident killed all 298 passengers and crew. All three men commanded pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donbas region.
The presiding Judge said the prosecutors had presented clear evidence that the Boeing 777, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down by a Russian-made missile fired by pro-Kremlin Ukrainian fighters on July 17, 2014. The three men were sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment; a fourth man was acquitted because of a lack of evidence.
Pro-establishment narrative
Family and friends of the victims have felt devastating pain for more than eight years, and now justice has finally been served. The Dutch court ruled on the state responsibility of the Kremlin for this tragedy. The verdict clearly shows that the international community will not accept impunity — those responsible for this heinous crime must be held to account.
Establishment-critical narrative
This is a politicized ruling and has no merit. The prosecutors failed to present any hard evidence. The court's double standards and one-sided approach are especially evident in light of the recent incident involving Ukrainian missiles striking the territory of Poland — once again, Russia was scapegoated.
Malta to Ease EU's Last Total Ban On Abortion
On Wednesday, Malta's Health Minister, Chris Fearne, announced that the Mediterranean island is set to propose a change to its abortion law to allow doctors to terminate a pregnancy if a mother's life or safety is at risk. Malta is the only current EU state to have a total abortion ban.
The reform comes after US tourist Andrea Prudente was refused an abortion in June for a non-viable pregnancy while facing a potentially deadly infection. She was eventually transferred to Spain, where she had the procedure.
Left narrative
Finally, political attitudes towards abortion in Malta are beginning to change. Often used within Maltese politics for self-serving, partisan interests, the topic of abortion is now being treated as a genuine ethical issue that requires long-overdue reform. This may be the first step to eliminating the Mediterranean island's archaic abortion law.
Right narrative
Media coverage surrounding Malta's abortion laws has often been plagued by misinformation. Polling has consistently shown that a majority support Malta's pro-life stance. While this latest reform purportedly attempts to balance this stance with women's health, Malta needs to be cautious not to bend to outside media pressure.
Day 267 Roundup: US General Doubles Down on Need for Negotiations; Biden at Odds with Zelenskyy
After raising eyebrows last week by suggesting it was the right time for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, America's top general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, doubled down on his comments at a Pentagon press conference on Wednesday.
"You want to negotiate from a position of strength. Russia right now is on its back," Milley said. "Now Ukraine has had great success," he added. "But Kherson and Kharkiv are relatively small. So in terms of probability, the probability of a Ukrainian military victory, defined as kicking the Russians out of all of Ukraine, to include what they claim is Crimea... is not high, militarily."
Narrative A
Almost everyone agrees a diplomatic solution is the only way to end this war. While Ukraine is in a position of strength and a slowdown of fighting is expected, this may be the optimal time for a negotiated settlement.
Narrative B
Driving Russia completely out of Ukraine is not only in Ukraine's interest, it's in the West's wider interests as it will prevent Putin's authoritarianism from spreading elsewhere. Now is the time to double down on support for Ukraine in pursuit of these aims.
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.
LA Elects First Black Woman Mayor
Over a week after election day, and with more than a 6% lead with 74% of ballots counted late Wednesday night, US Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) is projected to beat billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso in the Los Angeles, Calif. mayoral race. She is the first woman elected to the position.
Bass, a former community organizer who represents parts of Los Angeles in Congress, campaigned on unity in the wake of a recent city council racism scandal. Caruso, who outspent his opponent 10-1, campaigned as a political outsider who would cut bureaucratic red tape and build homeless shelters.
Democratic narrative
Bass has a challenging term ahead of her, but her governing experience and connections at all levels of government put her in a prime position to make an impact. The city needs a solution finder and consensus builder to tackle its housing and crime problems, making Bass the right woman for the job.
Republican narrative
While former Republican Caruso hoped he could pull off an upset by bringing a more conservative mindset to the city, Los Angeles is simply too far "woke" today. With only 13% of residents identifying as Republican and racial politics playing a growing role, Caruso was up against a Democratic establishment candidate who didn't need to spend much to win.
US Midterms: Republicans Win Control of the House
After over a week since the Nov. 8 midterms, Republicans are now projected to win a majority in the US House of Representatives. This portends two years of divided government as the Democratic Party retained control of the Senate.
The GOP secured the 218 seats needed to flip control from the Democrats on Wednesday evening following a win in California's 27th Congressional district. However, their majority will still be quite slim and narrower than was generally predicted before the midterms.
Democratic narrative
There was no so-called "red wave." Though Republicans eking out a majority is a win for them, their road ahead won't be a cakewalk. The Republican party is deeply divided, and Kevin McCarthy's first challenge will be formally getting elected House Speaker. Democrats only need to influence a few Republicans along the way to yield influence in the new House.
Republican narrative
Now that Republicans have control of the House, they can proceed with investigating Hunter Biden's business dealings, the process of the Jan. 6 Committee, and Biden's catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Democrats wrongly thought Americans were worried about access to abortion and so-called "threats to democracy," but, in reality, Americans are more concerned over bread-and-butter issues, like inflation and the economy.
UK: Chancellor Plans Billions in Tax Increases and Spending Cuts
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt released his Autumn Statement to the House of Commons and the British public on Thursday, which contained tax increases and spending cuts.
As expected, Hunt left the three main tax rates unchanged, although the £150K threshold to begin paying the 45% rate was slashed to £125,140 — a change that will affect approximately 250K people in the UK.
Right narrative
In what has been a shocking year for the Conservatives, the Autumn Statement must be the beginning of a party fightback. Hoping to calm the markets and ease pressure on government borrowing, there is still time for the Conservatives to relaunch and win over a skeptical British public in the next 18 months. With hope, through Hunt and Sunak's short-term policies, in 2023, the party can return to its tax-cutting normality.
Left narrative
The Tories have no remorse, employing the austerity strategy used by George Osborne twelve years ago. Siding with oil and gas companies rather than helping the average person, we will all continue to pay the economic price for the Conservative party's continued failings within government.
Nerd narrative
There is a 30% chance that the Conservative party will form the first government after the next UK general election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Yale, Harvard Law Schools Withdraw From Rankings
Yale Law School and Harvard Law School each revealed Wednesday that they would withdraw from US News & World Report’s annual law school rankings. Each school criticized the rankings for conflicting with their commitments to student diversity and affordability.
Heather Gerkin, dean of Yale Law School, wrote in a statement, “We have reached a point where the rankings process is undermining the core commitments of the legal profession.” Yale Law School has been ranked in the top spot since the magazine began publishing the list in 1990.
Left narrative
This could be a start of a reckoning for the higher learning ranking system, which for too long has worked in opposition to diversity and equity. The rankings had already been under fire after the Columbia situation showed how the data could be manipulated. Now the clout of Yale and Harvard could inspire other schools to join their protest and create necessary change.
Right narrative
It’s hypocritical that these left-leaning institutions are citing inclusivity for their decision to no longer cooperate with US News — especially when you consider the unfriendly environment they regularly create for conservative opinions and speakers on their campuses. Now, these institutions are just trying to look woke by criticizing the rankings’ emphasis on grades. There’s no reason these schools can’t diversify while still holding their students to a high academic standard.
Nancy Pelosi To Step Down as Democratic House Leader
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday announced that she will not be seeking re-election as leader of the House Democrats. The 82-year-old has held the position since 2003 when she became House minority leader.
She made her announcement in front of members of Congress, beginning her remarks by reminiscing about the first time she visited the Capitol building when she was six. She also spoke about her father, a former congressman, and the late Democratic representative and civil rights icon John Lewis.
Democratic narrative
Throughout her storied career, Pelosi has made history as not only the first female Speaker of the House but as a stopgap between her party's agenda and the GOP. From pulling together support to pass Obamacare to leading the charge to enact last year's Inflation Reduction Act, she's become a thorn in the side of Republicans for almost two decades. She will leave an indelible mark on the House of Representatives.
Republican narrative
Though stepping down from her official party leader status, Pelosi couldn't possibly let go of the nearly autocratic power she's held onto for so long. Just as she kept the halls of Congress locked down during COVID, she'll likely remain behind the scenes pulling the strings without being held to account in the public spotlight.
FDA Says Lab-Grown Meat is Safe to Eat
The US Food and Drug Admin. (FDA) on Wednesday ruled that cell-cultured chicken made from cells of live animals and grown in stainless-steel tanks by UPSIDE Foods is safe to be eaten.
UPSIDE will now work with the US Drug Admin. (USDA) on obtaining the remaining approvals before the chicken can be sold to consumers at a time to be determined.
Narrative A
Don’t get too excited. This chicken can get all the necessary approvals, but that doesn’t mean consumers are going to adapt their behavior and eat it instead of regular chicken. This could be a fad like the plant-based meats that were all the rage not too long ago, but have become less popular and put their manufacturers in financial trouble.
Narrative B
This technology is totally different than the plant-based meats, starting with the fact that it tastes just like regular chicken. Once consumers taste it, and they realize the benefits it can have to reduce climate change, animal cruelty, antibiotic resistance and zoonotic risk, they’ll buy it in sufficient numbers to make a major difference. FDA approval brings us just one step closer to this.