Pompeo Slammed for Criticizing Khashoggi in New Book
Mike Pompeo, who served as US Secretary of State and CIA director under Trump, was criticized Tuesday after it was revealed his new book questions the journalistic credentials of murdered Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and lambasts what he described as overly sympathetic media coverage of the killing.
Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen who lived in the US, had once been close to the Saudi royal family before becoming increasingly critical of its de facto leader, crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). He disappeared Oct. 2, 2018, after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul; it was later revealed that 15 Saudi officials took part in his assassination, and a CIA investigation concluded MBS ordered the killing.
In his book, titled "Never Give an Inch,” Pompeo writes, "He didn’t deserve to die, but we need to be clear about who he was – and too many in the media were not."
Narrative A
In one fell swoop, Pompeo managed to dabble in some light racism – claiming the killing of journalists is the norm in Middle Eastern society – and in normalizing the murder of journalists, which is a worldwide tragedy. He also misrepresents the career of Khashoggi, who worked as an editor and reporter for more than 30 years. Fortunately, Pompeo’s career and time spent around Trump have guaranteed no one will take him seriously.
Narrative B
The Washington Post’s attack on Pompeo is no surprise since the paper has been steadfast to undermine anything done by the Trump administration — including relationships forged with the Saudis to keep the US safe. The Post might be the ones taking an outrageous stance to make money.
Report: 42% of UK Asylum Seekers Facing Deportation To Rwanda Married
A new survey released Wednesday by the campaign coalition Together With Refugees found that at 42%, nearly half of asylum seekers facing deportation from the UK to Rwanda are married or engaged, and 20% have children.
According to the charity Care4Calais, which conducted the analysis in a sample of 213 people, the findings contradict government claims that the policy of sending asylum seekers to the African country "targets single men."
It also found that 13 of the people surveyed who received a Home Office Notice of Intent between August 2022 and January 2023 were women, and more than 60% reported evidence of modern slavery or torture in their country of origin or during their journey to the UK.
Left narrative
While the UK likes to present its humanitarian face when talking about Ukrainian refugees, brown or black migrants are treated as third-class humans. The Rwanda deal is the most prominent example of the increasing anti-human and perfidious policy of externalized migration control. Until the UK meets its responsibilities, it must forfeit any right to portray itself as a champion of human rights.
Right narrative
One thing must not be forgotten when discussing the asylum pact The majority of Britons welcome the deportation of illegal asylum seekers to Rwanda. At the same time, Britain is far more tolerant and welcoming of ethnic minorities than most of Europe. The problem is the misconceived ideology of "multiculturalism," which leads to uncontrolled immigration and puts Britain's social cohesion and political stability at risk.
England, Wales See Major Spike in Excess Deaths
The number of weekly excess deaths in England and Wales between Jan. 6-13 has hit its highest total in nearly two years, with 2,837 deaths above the average for the time of year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Over 17k people died during the week ending on Jan. 13, the most since both nations were in lockdown due to the Alpha variant of COVID in 2021. Outside of COVID-affected years, the weekly deaths are the highest since January 2015.
While in February 2021, loss of life involving COVID accounted for 37% of all deaths, in the most recent week, the virus has only accounted for 5% of total deaths. Health experts have pointed towards a surge in flu cases in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas as a factor.
Left narrative
Britain's excess death rate is at a disastrous high, and the issue far surpasses COVID. Dismal ambulance response times, the NHS staffing crisis, alongside the wider structural issue of social inequality in the middle of a cost-of-living disaster, are all to blame as part of Tory failures. Excess deaths are the result of a broken system pushed by an ideologically crazed government. This could've been avoided.
Right narrative
Although many blame the government for the excess deaths and the state of the NHS, in reality, the issue stems from COVID policies that led to long-term damage to the economy and the UK's health services. While anyone who pushed against lockdowns and masks was deemed radical, we are now seeing the results of these policies that were political rather than scientific, and the mainstream media refuses to admit its role in the disaster.
Study: Antidepressants May Be Linked to Antibiotic Resistance
A new study from Australia's Queensland University has shown that the use of antidepressants may cause antibiotic resistance in the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. If accurate, the link would mirror the broader causal relationship between the resistance of disease-causing bacteria to antibiotics and the overprescription of those drugs.
The study compared one E. coli strain — MG1655 — to five antidepressants, including Prozac and Lexapro, and compared their strength against that of six types of antibiotics, such as beta [β] -lactams (penicillin derivatives) and macrolides (e.g. azithromycin, erythromycin).
In the lab-grown bacteria, the antidepressants caused the cells to generate reactive oxygen species — toxic molecules that activate the microbe’s defense mechanisms — allowing the bacteria to eliminate various molecules, including antibiotics.
Narrative A
It is early days in studies concerning antidepressants and antibiotic resistance, and this evidence is not yet conclusive. However, we know for sure that the overuse of antibiotics itself causes problems for public health. Intensive farming methods mean most livestock and poultry are pumped with antibiotics which then enter humans through consumption. This, coupled with the contamination of our water supply, has left our species vulnerable to some of the world's most dangerous diseases.
Narrative B
The idea that antidepressants are linked to resistance to antibiotics has been known by the scientific community for years — this new research is only strengthening preexisting theories. As millions of people are set to die from this phenomenon in the coming decades, it's time to prioritize the issue, and look for ways to avoid what were once easily preventable deaths.
Narrative C
The drastic increase in antidepressant use over the last 30 years should, itself, be questioned. New research from University College London has shown that serotonin levels in those with depression are the same as those without, if not greater, suggesting that Big Pharma pushed the "chemical imbalance" theory of depression solely to make profits. If overuse of antidepressants could be contributing to antibiotic resistance, as well as causing unnecessary human suffering, the culture around their consumption may be in need of radical reform.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that there will be at least 64.2K deaths in the US due to antibiotic-resistant infections in 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 336: Germany, US Approve Tanks for Ukraine
Following days of hesitation and mounting pressure, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday announced that his government would provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks while approving requests for other countries to do the same.
Germany said it would initially send 14 tanks from its own stocks, while stating that the aim was for Germany and its allies to send a total of two battalions, equivalent to 88 vehicles. "This is the result of intensive consultations, once again, with our allies and international partners," Sholz said.
Following Germany's announcement, Russia's ambassador to the country, Sergei Nechayev, hit out at the decision and said it takes the conflict to a new level, saying "This extremely dangerous decision takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation..."
Anti-Russia narrative
The decision by Germany and the US to send battle tanks is momentous because these — unlike missile defense systems for instance — are not considered defensive weapons. Despite the slight disarray, this signals to Russia that Western allies are committed to fully backing Ukraine in the war and seeing that it comes out victorious.
Pro-Russia narrative
While Russia will destroy these tanks like all other NATO equipment, this escalation unmasks the West's real intention in Ukraine which is seeking the strategic defeat of Russia. This move should leave no illusions as to who the real aggressors are in this conflict.
Nerd narrative
There is a 2% chance that Ukraine will officially recognize a former Ukrainian territory (Luhansk, Donetsk, or Crimea) as independent before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
MH17: Court Can Adjudicate Case Against Russia
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that it can adjudicate on cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia over the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014.
The European Court's decision does not rule on the merits of the cases but instead shows that the court considers Russia can be held liable for human rights violations.
All 298 people on the MH17 flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur died when it was hit by a Russian surface-to-air missile in July 2014 during fighting between pro-Russia forces and Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region.
Pro-establishment narrative
Although the downing of the MH17 flight was perpetrated by Russian separatists and not Russia itself, Moscow still had a significant influence on the separatists’ military strategy. Russia provided the separatists with political and economic support — including providing weapons and carrying out artillery attacks requested by the rebels. Russia violated the European Convention on Human Rights and needs to be held accountable for its actions.
Establishment-critical narrative
Russia no longer belongs to the European Convention on Human Rights, so no matter what this court says, the rulings do not matter and have little standing as they can't be enforced. The impact of any ruling will be largely symbolic. Western countries are showing bias because of their support of the Ukrainian government and are trying to punish Russia for actions it had no part in.
Doomsday Clock's Hand Moves Closer To Midnight
On Tuesday, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the Doomsday Clock — a symbolic representation of global challenges — to 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it's ever been and 10 seconds closer than it had been for the past three years.
A group of atomic scientists, including Albert Einstein, created the Clock in 1947 to symbolize how close humanity is to the end of the world. The closer it moves to midnight — representing global catastrophe — the direr the warning.
The reasons for moving the Doomsday Clock forward were "largely but not exclusively" due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including concerns of greater risks of nuclear war.
Narrative A
Global threats have risen substantially from regional wars, climate change, and COVID. As the Doomsday Clock sounds an alarm for humanity, we need urgent multilateral global action and conversation to deter rising tensions. If there was ever a time for world leaders to turn back the Clock, it’s now.
Narrative B
The Doomsday Clock — having now arbitrarily ticked down the seconds to nuclear apocalypse for three-quarters of a century — isn't a predictor of global nuclear conflict but merely a metaphor. There's little to no science, data, indicators, or citations in the dire warning. It's only speculation and punditry, which is too often confused for scientific portent.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the Doomsday Clock will reach midnight by January 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: Half of US Mass Attacks Motivated By Grievances
A report issued on Wednesday by the US Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) found that half of the mass attacks in the US from 2016 to 2020 were sparked by personal, domestic, or workplace disputes.
It also highlighted that most attackers had experienced a significant personal challenge — financial, family, and health issues — in the year before they committed mass violence, with nearly two-thirds having a criminal history.
National Threat Assessment Center chief Lina Alathari stressed at a press conference on Wednesday that about a quarter of attackers were motivated by some kind of belief in controversial theories or hateful ideologies, of which at least six were radicalized online.
Left narrative
While each attack has a unique motive ranging from workplace disputes to mental health issues and hateful ideologies, it is indisputable that the widespread availability of firearms in the US is behind the country's epidemic of mass shootings. Given America's deep-rooted suspicion of authority and the inability of its political system to tackle this problem, there is little reason to believe that mass shootings will subside.
Right narrative
Despite homicides and gun ownership decreasing since the 1960s, mass attacks have been trending upward due to the erosion of traditional values and the social structure in the US. Liberals have turned US culture toxic by causing a harmful plunge in two-parent households, divisive gender issues, and excusing individuals from responsibility.
Pope: Being Gay is a Sin, Not a Crime
Pope Francis, speaking to the Associated Press, has criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” adding that “being homosexual isn’t a crime.”
But Francis reaffirmed the Catholic teaching that homosexuality is a "sin." In a divergence from previous popes, Francis also said that discriminating against LGBTQ+ people is sinful.
It is believed that 67 countries or jurisdictions have laws criminalizing homosexual activity. Of those countries, 11 can or do impose the death penalty; the UN has repeatedly called for an end to such laws.
Progressive narrative
Pope Francis was already more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community than his predecessors, and these words are a historic step toward further acceptance by the Church. Although the Church still might not be as open as it should be, Francis’ words could save lives in places where there are severe consequences for LGBTQ+ populations. Francis’ words come just as he’s about to make a historic visit to Africa where these rights are under threat.
Conservative narrative
While the LGBTQ+ community shouldn't be discriminated against, Francis’ continued pushing of the LGBTQ+ agenda is remaking Catholic teaching into another body espousing progressive ideology under the guise of traditionalism. There is no middle ground. The Church has nearly two millennia of teachings on the issue, and Francis’ attempt to reverse this is a repudiation of Catholic doctrine.
Nerd narrative
There is a 2% chance there will be an openly LGBT Pope before 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Tesla Announces Record Profit
On Wednesday, Elon Musk's electric vehicle maker Tesla reported nearly $3.7B in fourth-quarter profit, up 59% from the year prior and a record profits report for the company.
The company also announced that its revenue in the last three months of 2022 was $24.32B — up from some analysts' predictions of $24.16B — and its automotive operation margin was the lowest in two years at 25.9%.
Although Tesla adopted price cuts on its vehicles in the US, China, and some European markets, they didn’t kick in until the first quarter, so the fourth quarter report wasn’t affected by those cuts.
Narrative A
Musk can brag about setting another record for profits, but the positive news might not be enough to quell the anxiety of investors. Aside from what might be going on with Musk away from Tesla, the company could be facing softening demand, and the dip in its usually competitive automotive gross margin could lead to a major drop in its stock price.
Narrative B
Musk's success with all his businesses makes him a Wall Street favorite, and there’s no reason to shy away from believing in him now. The latest report paints an optimistic picture for 2023 and signals plenty of upside for the electric vehicle maker's stock, regardless of what else Musk is dabbling in.