Alabama Gov. Suspends Executions
Alabama's Republican Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday suspended executions in the state, asked state AG Steve Marshall to withdraw motions seeking dates for the execution of two inmates, and requested for the state Dept. of Corrections to conduct a thorough review of the state’s execution process.
Ivey’s decision comes days after the state abandoned its scheduled execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was reportedly tied to the gurney for four hours while awaiting resolution of a delay over a stay.
Left narrative
It’s about time Alabama put a stop to the madness of these botched executions. It's certain that a review of the process is desperately needed to scrutinize these barbaric capital punishment practices, but it won’t mean much if the review isn’t conducted by an independent entity rather than the Dept. of Corrections itself.
Right narrative
There’s no problem with how the Dept. of Corrections conducts its executions, it’s the courts that are ruining the process. By interfering in the system in an attempt to protect the lives of convicted criminals, people are undermining justice and obstructing executions. Ivey should be confident that any problems do not lie within the Dept. of Corrections.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that capital punishment will be legal in at least 41% of US states in 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Brazil: Electoral Court Fines Bolsonaro's Party Over $4M For 'Bad Faith Litigation'
Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice and current leader of the electoral court, has ordered outgoing Pres. Jair Bolsonaro's Liberal Party (PL) to pay a fine of almost $4.3M for "bad faith litigation," and has suspended its public funding until the penalty is paid.
De Moraes rejected a petition filed on Tuesday by Bolsonaro and the leader of PL, formally challenging the results of this year's tight presidential run-off vote, which was won by leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. According to the justice, all models of electronic ballots were, "perfectly identifiable in a clear, secure, and integral way."
Left narrative
Bolsonaro is replicating former US Pres. Trump's undemocratic — and unsuccessful — efforts to overturn the 2020 US election, making good on his threats not to accept defeat. Bolsonaro and his party are litigating in bad faith and desperately trying to undermine Brazilian electoral institutions.
Right narrative
This challenge reflects widespread doubts in Brazil, as the corrupt Lula is set to return to office by a narrow margin of support over Bolsonaro. Brazilian institutions are to blame for this distrust, as they have screened questions about both the electoral process and results. It's as if they were trying to hide something while failing to make the country's electoral system auditable.
Nerd narrative
There's a 2% chance that Jair Bolsonaro will successfully stage a coup by January 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 273 Roundup: Ukraine Claims that Russia Struck Maternity Ward and Killed Newborn
According to Zaporizhzhia region head Oleksandr Starukh, an overnight rocket attack launched by Russia between Tuesday and Wednesday struck a maternity ward in the town of Vilniansk, killing a newborn baby. "Our hearts are overflowing with sorrow: a baby, who has just arrived in this world, has been killed," he said in comments published on Telegram.
Meanwhile, a Russian attack on the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region struck a residential building and an outpatient clinic, killing two civilians and injuring two others, local officials said.
Pro-establishment 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's a 16% chance that Ukraine will have de facto control of Sevastopol in Crimea on January 1, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
China: Apple Supplier Apologizes For Hiring Blunder at COVID-Hit Plant
After large-scale protests erupted at Foxconn's iPhone factory in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou on Wednesday, Apple's major supplier apologized to workers on Thursday, saying a "technical error" had occurred when hiring new recruits at the COVID-hit factory.
The Zhengzhou plant is the world’s largest iPhone factory, with approximately 200k workers. In mid-October, unconfirmed estimates said around 10% of the workforce had been placed in quarantine on site, and thousands were driven to flee when the company allegedly failed to address complaints about unsafe working conditions.
Pro-establishment narrative
China's “zero Covid” policy has slowed factory output and quickly turned Apple's close ties with the country from an asset into a liability. While Apple is taking steps to try and slowly extract itself, this is difficult given just how entangled its business is with Beijing. The Chinese government must loosen COVID restrictions if Apple is to recover any of its supply shortages and meet demand.
Establishment-critical narrative
The Chinese government’s insistence on strict COVID lockdowns should not be used as an excuse by companies like Foxconn and Apple to enact forced labor, and closed-loop management practices are exactly that. Foxconn is choosing to prioritize profit over workers’ health and human rights, and Apple refuses to acknowledge the harms committed under its watch. Western consumers have a responsibility to speak out.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that China will officially cease to be a socialist state by March 7, 2086, according to the Metaculus Prediction Community.
US Shooting: Gunman Who Killed Six at Virginia Walmart Identified
The city of Chesapeake, Va., has identified the gunman who shot and killed six people at a local Walmart as Andre Bing. The city added that the 31-year-old store employee "was armed with one handgun and had multiple magazines on his person."
There were approximately 50 people inside when Bing entered the employee break room where he shot 10 people, killing six before taking his own life. It's yet unknown if he owned the gun legally, but police say he was dressed in "civilian" clothing and was not wearing any protective gear.
Right narrative
While tragic, the idea that these shootings are very common in America is false. More Americans die from drowning every year than in mass shootings, but you don't hear about that. Politicians on the left focus on mass shootings to garner political points. More must be done to address the root causes of the violence — simply curbing the rights of law-abiding gun owners isn't the answer.
Left narrative
Once again, the utter lack of gun regulation has created a tragedy. No one should have to risk their lives while they shop for the holidays, but too many politicians have accepted this as a way of life. Gun violence can be reduced while also maintaining the rights of gun owners, but more must be done to ensure that guns don't fall into the wrong hands.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that there will be at least 1.38 small firearms per capita in the USA by 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
UK Court Denies Scotland's Independence Referendum
On Wednesday, the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Scotland cannot hold a second independence referendum next year, known as Indyref2, without the UK government's consent.
The five-justice panel judging the case argued that a re-run of the process used in the 2014 referendum — approved by Westminster — would be necessary, with temporary powers granted under Section 30 of the 1998 Scotland Act.
Narrative A
Although this Supreme Court decision was obvious to anyone who has already read the Scottish Act – or at least Holyrood's website – it could put an end to the Scottish Government's squandering of time and taxpayers' money. After years of discussing flags, it's time to focus on real issues, such as health, education, and the economy.
Narrative B
Contrary to the perception that the UK is a voluntary partnership, Scotland is legally prohibited from choosing its own future without Westminster's permission. Scottish nationalists are fighting not only for independence but also for democracy and their right to self-determination.
Narrative C
Holyrood should have acted as a real parliament by approving Indyref2 without requesting approval to implement their democratic mandate, especially not from a court in London. After leading the national movement to a dead-end, the Scottish Government must now find another way forward.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the next Scottish independence referendum will be held by October 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Biden Extends Student Loan Repayment Pause
On Tuesday, Biden announced that the student loan payment pause will be extended further while litigation against his student loan forgiveness program plays out. Student loans were expected to enter repayment in January 2023. Repayment will now begin either 60 days after the debt-forgiveness program begins, or after the litigation is resolved.
Miguel Cardona, the Sec. of Education, explained the extension saying it would be unfair to require loan borrowers to make payments toward a debt that may yet be forgiven.
Republican narrative
Biden's loan-forgiveness plan places an unfair burden on hard-working American tax payers. Surely he can't believe it stands a chance of surviving the numerous lawsuits, or the upcoming scrutiny it will get from a Republican-led House next year. Extending the pause is just a way to make it look like the president is doing all he can to keep the plan alive, even if he promised he wouldn’t extend the payback deadline the last time he pushed it back.
Democratic narrative
Student debt relief is still vital to strengthening the middle class. Republicans seemingly either want to keep their constituents in perennial debt, or are afraid of giving Biden a win on this matter. Either way, their lawsuits are all baseless, and this pause extension makes sense because people shouldn’t be asked to pay down a debt that will be totally forgiven in the near future.
Cynical narrative
Borrowers are rightly outraged at this political fight over debt relief, but they shouldn’t be surprised, as neither party seems to want to lawfully make changes to the student-loan industry. And regardless of how this current battle plays out, the nation will be right back at the same level of debt as soon as 2028. Instead of executive orders and rogue actions, solid, cohesive reform legislation are needed from Congress to prevent students from excessively borrowing in the first place.
Jerusalem: Twin Blasts Kill 1, Injure Several
Two bombs went off near bus stations close to Jerusalem entrances during peak commuter hour on Wednesday morning, killing an Israeli-Canadian teenager and injuring about 22 others, including two critically and two seriously.
The bombs reportedly contained nails to exert maximum damage and were detonated remotely via mobile phone. Parts of the main road linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were temporarily closed as police searched for other explosives, and two crossings into the West Bank were shut.
Pro-Israel narrative
This senseless attack is another example of Palestinian terrorism taking innocent Israeli lives. A year-old boy is now dead simply because he was Jewish. The nation's security forces and intelligence agencies, however, won't stop until those responsible are brought to justice.
Pro-Palestine narrative
While this is indeed a tragic incident, Israelis who have experienced this disaster are not even close to understanding what Palestinians face every day in the West Bank, where occupation forces have killed over 140 Palestinians so far this year. Israel is not free of blame.
Nerd narrative
There's a 4% chance that Israel and Palestine will hold peace talks in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
EU Designates Russia A State Sponsor of Terrorism
In a vote of 494 to 58, with 44 abstentions, the European Parliament on Wednesday approved a resolution declaring Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism," citing alleged "brutal and inhumane" acts inflicted upon Ukraine and its citizens.
The vote is mainly symbolic as the EU doesn't have legal enforcement mechanisms to back it up, though it has already imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow.
Pro-Russia narrative
Even the anti-Russia US state department understands the bogus nature of this declaration. Though the US has assisted Ukraine immensely in its fight against Russia, it's smart enough to steer clear of any "terrorist" declarations that would risk bringing its armed forces into the fight. This is just another cowardly attempt by Western states to justify their coercive measures against Russia.
Anti-Russia narrative
Russian tactics are clearly aimed at spreading maximum terror. While some minor states and international governing bodies have already formally recognized this, it's time for the leading Western powers — particularly the EU and US — to follow suit. This resolution is a good first step that will enable even more severe economic sanctions, as well as for Russian war criminals to be tried in the international court. Putin is only pressing harder, and it's time the entirety of the West match his efforts.
Establishment-critical narrative
While the horrors of Russian war crimes must not be minimized, Ukraine isn't free of blame either. In addition to facing their own allegations of war crimes against Russian soldiers and prisoners of war, Amnesty International has documented numerous instances of Ukrainian forces deploying fighting tactics that endanger civilians in violation of international humanitarian law, including by establishing bases in and operating weapon systems from hospitals and schools. All sides must be held accountable for their actions.
Nerd narrative
There's a 15% chance that Ukraine will receive a security guarantee from another country before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
SCOTUS: Trump’s Taxes to Be Released to Congress
On Tuesday, SCOTUS denied former Pres. Donald Trump’s attempt to block a lower court’s ruling that allowed the US House Ways and Means Committee to access his tax returns.
The Democrat-led committee first requested six years of Trump’s tax returns in 2019. This latest ruling comes after Chief Justice John Roberts recently issued a temporary stay to block Trump from having to turn over the documents.
Democratic narrative
Trump, who has fought for years to keep his tax returns secret, has been dealt a major loss. Even a Trump-appointed appeals judge and the conservative-leaning Supreme Court – with three judges Trump appointed – wouldn’t take his side in this matter. What exactly is he hiding? We’re about to find out.
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.
Canada: PM Trudeau Testifies in Emergencies Act Inquiry
Culminating six weeks of public hearings inquiring into the Canadian government's use of the Emergencies Act during the Freedom Convoy protests against COVID measures earlier this year, PM Justin Trudeau publicly testified in defense of his invocation of the law on Friday.
In his testimony, Trudeau said it was up to him and his cabinet to decide whether the threshold to declare a "public order emergency” had been met. “We could not say that there was no potential for threats of serious violence," he claimed. “We were seeing things escalate.”
Pro-establishment narrative
The radical far-right mob called themselves the "Freedom Convoy" to hide their true colors. The anti-vax trucker movement was made up of dangerous conspiracy theorists that posed a clear threat to Canadians' safety during an already-dangerous pandemic. The government and police responses were completely justified during a time of an unprecedented uprising.
Establishment-critical narrative
Trudeau was warned by his own intelligence agency that invoking the Emergencies Act would only escalate anti-government sentiment and potentially even violence. While protesters were exercising their rights to oppose extraordinary public health mandates, the government decided to exercise an assault on civil liberties. Labeling all protesters far-right conspiracy theorists is a deliberate distortion of the truth to justify this authoritarian crackdown.