US Senate Hearings Seek Solutions to AI Dangers
Congress is this week holding three hearings on the regulation of artificial intelligence, with top industry executives and experts set to attend.
The first hearing — titled "Oversight of AI: Legislating on Artificial Intelligence" — took place Tuesday and was headed by senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley, who lead the Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law. The hearing will be the subcommittee's third this year about AI regulation.
The hearing also came days after the two senators released their one-page legislative framework for regulating AI, which called for the creation of an independent oversight body AI companies would have to register with, among other legislative measures.
Pro-establishment narrative
Keeping society safe from the dangers of AI will require legislation. These hearings and meetings between lawmakers and tech industry professionals are crucial to keeping the public safe from the harms of AI. This technology, while exciting, has the possibility to cause great harm, and safeguards must be put in place to mitigate disaster and regulate this powerful innovation.
Establishment-critical narrative
While safeguards should be put in place to ensure AI technology is not used for nefarious purposes, government regulation of the technology could stifle creativity and innovation. It is also unclear how any government oversight body could possibly have the broad range of technical and legal knowledge required to oversee the use of AI technology in a plethora of sectors. This topic is going to need extensive discussion and research before any sort of legislation should be passed.
Nerd narrative
There's a 66% chance that Meta will claim there was AI-driven "coordinated inauthentic behavior" to influence the 2024 US Presidential election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Libya Floods: Aid Arrives, Death Toll Rises
As of Wednesday, the death toll from the catastrophic storm Daniel that hit Libya over the weekend, causing two dams to collapse in the city of Derna, reportedly stands at around 6K and is expected to rise as rescue operations continue.
With nearly 10K people unaccounted for and over 30K displaced, foreign aid — including rescue teams, food, clothes, and medical supplies — began to reach the nation Wednesday.
Libya has been divided between two rival governments — one in the east, another in the west — since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Despite the division, both governments have come together to assist in the storm's aftermath.
Narrative A
Years of conflict in Libya have left its 7M residents vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate, including droughts, extreme heat, sea-level rise, and food and water insecurity. Over-dependence on oil exports and a lack of investment in agriculture and energy infrastructure have left isolated local governments burdened with the responsibility of securing a livable future in the country.
Narrative B
Libya is politically divided thanks to the 2011 NATO-backed uprising. Still, though Libya remains in a state of conflict, both governments are united in sending aid and funds to the affected areas. Additionally, the country is collaborating with the UN to create a bright future fit with renewable energy, environmental sustainability, and clean water — all of which will be contributing factors toward its future political stability.
Nerd narrative
There's a 30% chance that Libya will hold a presidential election before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Kim Pledges Support for Russia's 'Sacred Fight' in Meeting With Putin
In his first trip outside North Korea since 2019 — when he traveled to Russia and met with Pres. Vladimir Putin — Kim Jong Un again went to the country and met with his Russian counterpart on Wednesday.
Meeting Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's far east, where the two men toured the Soyuz-2 space rocket launch facility, the North Korean leader pledged "full and unconditional support" for Russia, adding that Pyongyang will always stand with Russia in the fight against anti-imperialism.
"Russia is waging a sacred fight to defend its sovereignty, security interests and justice," Kim said. "I take this opportunity to affirm that we will always stand with Russia on the anti-imperialist front," he added.
Pro-establishment narrative
The fact that Putin has traveled all the way to Russia's far east to meet with Kim shows just how desperate the isolated leader is to secure weaponry while his country struggles to keep up with the production of munitions needed to fight his war in Ukraine.
Pro-Russia narrative
North Korea is Russia's close neighbor. As such, Moscow will strive to strike deals that mutually benefit both countries. What outside administrations have to say about this diplomatic relationship is of no importance and will not factor into Russia's decision making.
Nerd narrative
There's a 29% chance that there will be a major famine in North Korea before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Mali: Dozens Killed in Clashes With Tuareg Rebels
According to the Malian military, 10 soldiers and 46 militants were killed in fighting between the Malian army and a Tuareg rebel group in the northern town of Bourem on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, an alliance of Tuareg-dominated groups calling itself the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) announced that it had taken control of a camp and several forward posts from the army and the allied Russian paramilitary group Wagner during an offensive on the town.
However, following what the rebel alliance said was "intense fighting" to capture the strategically important town located between Gao and Timbuktu, the Malian army claimed its troops regained control of their positions with air force support.
Pro-establishment narrative
The recent clashes and the brief capture of Bourem are the latest signs that the 2015 peace agreement between the Malian junta and the Tuareg rebels is all but history. Violence in the country, which is on the rise again due to Bamako and the brutal Wagner mercenaries' failure to honor the agreement, is also being exacerbated by the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission. The expulsion of French forces and the UN, who were also monitoring the peace agreement's implementation, is also likely to strengthen regional Islamists.
Establishment-critical narrative
The recent and tragic upsurge of violence in Mali demands a clear analysis of the underlying causes. It was Libya's collapse following the 2011 NATO intervention that triggered the Tuareg rebellion and regional Islamist insurgency. France and the US aren't part of the solution but of the problem in Africa, while pretending to only want to "help" in fighting terrorism. Yet, far from taking their share of responsibility for insecurity and destabilization, they have declared the Sahel's new governments and the Wagner forces to be the scapegoats.
Ukrainian Attack on Crimea Damages Russian Warships
Two Russian warships were reportedly damaged after Ukraine launched a missile attack on a naval shipyard in Crimea in the early hours of Wednesday.
Russia's defense ministry claimed that Ukrainian armed forces attacked the shipyard in Sevastopol with ten cruise missiles, seven of which it said Russian troops shot down.
It added that three unmanned motorboats were also directed at the site but were intercepted and destroyed by patrolling vessels.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
The fact that Ukraine used cruise missiles on targets inside Crimea, pierced through Russia's air defenses, and caused substantial damage to its weaponry reminds Moscow that attacks like this will continue until Crimea is rightfully returned.
Pro-Russia narrative
Wednesday's incident will have no bearing on the overall direction of the conflict. Moreover, as Crimea has always been integral to Russia, it's futile to think that Ukraine can seize it by attacking Sevastopol and the Black Sea fleet.
Nerd narrative
There's a 1% chance that Ukraine will have de facto control of Sevastopol on Jan. 1, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Five Former Officers Indicted in Tyre Nichols' Death
On Tuesday, five former Memphis police officers involved in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols were charged in federal court for violating Nichols' civil rights.
The four-count indictment charged each with wilfully depriving Nichols of his constitutional rights under the "color of law" through excessive force, failure to intervene, and deliberate indifference, in addition to conspiring to tamper with witnesses and obstruction of justice through witness tampering.
The federal charges come nine months after the officers violently hit Nichols following a traffic stop that resulted in his death three days later. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to state charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and official misconduct.
Narrative A
The indictment of the five officers responsible for the death of Tyre Nichols is what justice should look like in America. Officers who abuse their authority and betray their oaths destroy public relationships and trust nationwide. This announcement sets a new precedent, puts officers on notice that they are not above the law, and signals that using their badge to apply excessive force, intimidate, and kill will not go unpunished.
Narrative B
Increased crime in Memphis has forced law enforcement to lower the requirements to become an officer, putting many new, untrained, and inexperienced officers on the beat. Even more so, what is notably missing from the police department are veteran, tried, and actual supervisors. Having a seasoned officer in charge, who would have stepped in and superseded the actions of those five young officers, could have avoided this tragic ending.
Nerd narrative
There's a 1% chance that a large American city will fully abolish its police department before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: China's Navy Begins Large-Scale Pacific Drills
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has reportedly launched this week unannounced military drills in waters between Taiwan, the Philippines, and Guam, allegedly the largest ever involving an aircraft carrier in the western Pacific.
This comes as Taiwan claimed to have detected at least 84 warplanes and 33 warships around the island in the past three days, adding that some of them have joined the Shandong aircraft carrier for combat training.
At least 35 military planes — including J-10 fighters — were seen around the island on Wednesday, with 28 of them crossing the Taiwan Strait median line or entering the southwestern corner of Taipei's self-declared Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Anti-China narrative
Beijing is waging psychological warfare on Taiwan by periodically sending Chinese military aircraft into the island nation's Air Defense Identification Zone. This pressure campaign aims to intimidate Taiwanese leaders and their citizens to achieve a political outcome favorable to China. The US must stand with its democratic ally and reject efforts by the PRC to undermine Taiwanese sovereignty.
Pro-China narrative
The island of Taiwan has been an integral part of Chinese territory for centuries. However, the Chinese people on both sides of the Straits are yet to be reunified following the 1949 split. Beijing has long sought to peacefully reunify the motherland under the agreed-upon One China policy — which the US signed off on — but secessionist Taiwanese officials backed by the US have recently begun to pursue provocative actions that are threatening the status quo.
Nerd narrative
There's a 1% chance that China will launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan in 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Gaetz Threatens McCarthy’s Speakership
On Tuesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) accused House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) of being “out of compliance with the agreement that allowed” McCarthy to assume the speakership, and threatened to lead a removal of McCarthy from his post.
Gaetz cited a list of promises he said McCarthy hasn’t kept — including not holding votes on term limits for lawmakers and balanced budgets, and not releasing the full security tapes from the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol building.
Gaetz’s statement came the same day McCarthy conceded to pressure from Gaetz and a portion of the House GOP by announcing a formal impeachment probe for Democratic Pres. Joe Biden in several House committees.
Republican narrative
By granting the request of much of his caucus to open an impeachment inquiry, Kevin McCarthy is finally allowing House committees to dig deeper into Biden’s alleged crimes and solidify the case against the president. Republicans should rally around this decision and then remain unified for the upcoming budgetary battle. If Republicans stick together, they can accomplish their goals and save the country from the Biden administration.
Establishment-critical narrative
McCarthy was voted speaker based on assurances he gave about numerous issues, yet all he’s followed through on is this inquiry. This is just a baby step towards what the House GOP wants to accomplish. It’s time for McCarthy to act or get out of the way.
Democratic narrative
McCarthy is proving he’s vulnerable in the face of a small faction of his party, and now he’s finding out what happens when you’re indebted to the so-called "Freedom Caucus" — no amount of meeting their demands will ever be enough. He should know that they can’t oust him because no one else is willing to stand up for the speakership. If he doesn’t toughen up, he might wind up taking down Congress and perhaps the whole government with it.
Nerd narrative
There’s a 25% chance that Biden will be impeached by the US House of Representatives, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Whistleblower Claims CIA Bribed COVID Team to Reject Lab-Leak Theory
An anonymous senior-level CIA whistleblower, who testified Tuesday before the US House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has claimed that the agency bribed analysts to cover up their findings that COVID originated in a lab in Wuhan, China.
The testimony alleges that only one analyst of the seven-member COVID Discovery Team originally believed the virus emerged from zoonosis, with the others believing "the intelligence and science were sufficient to make a low confidence assessment" that it was spurred by a lab leak.
According to a letter sent by House Coronavirus Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner to CIA Director William Burns, the whistleblower is a "multi-decade, current Agency officer."
Democratic narrative
Despite more mainstream media outlets now entertaining the lab leak hypothesis, there is still no more evidence of such a theory today than there was when the only ones pushing it were Trump-supporting conspiracy theorists. Wet markets selling dangerous animals have always been more plausible than trained scientists leaking a deadly virus, and that fact stands true today. Serious researchers from America to China have thoroughly investigated this matter, and none have found evidence to the contrary.
Republican narrative
For years, US intelligence agencies, bureaucrats, media outlets, and tech companies worked tirelessly to censor any and all talk of the lab leak theory. Now that both the FBI and Dept. of Energy have given it credence, it's time to investigate why the CIA still hasn't shifted its view on the matter and what this whistleblower can tell us about it. If the most powerful people in the nation tried hiding a story for years, it would behoove the public to listen to the loan dissenter who is risking it all to challenge them.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that a majority of US Intelligence Community organizations will support a lab leak hypothesis for SARS-CoV-2 over a natural origin hypothesis by 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
White House Asks Media to 'Scrutinize' Biden Impeachment Inquiry
In a memo addressed to editorial leadership at media outlets and released Tuesday, the White House called on the media to "ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans" regarding their impeachment inquiry into Pres. Joe Biden.
The memo, written by Special Assistant to the President Ian Sams, argued that "After nearly 9 months of investigating," the House GOP has "uncovered none of" the constitutionally required violations deserving of impeachment, which are "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."
The letter, which said the lack of evidence should "set off alarm bells for news organizations," was reportedly sent to executives at media outlets including CNN, The New York Times, Fox News, the Associated Press, and CBS News, among others.
Democratic narrative
The reason House Republicans are pushing an evidence-lacking impeachment inquiry is to distract from their lack of interest in policymaking. With a potential government shutdown just three weeks away, Speaker McCarthy (R-Calif.) is trying to ensure that the public doesn't blame him for government employees not getting paid and small businesses not being able to apply for federal loans. The GOP would rather wave a tiresome impeachment inquiry in their constituents' faces instead of passing a meaningful appropriations bill.
Republican narrative
As more evidence of Biden's corruption record emerges every day, the White House has shifted its response from "there's no evidence against him" to "there's no direct evidence against him." Since the American people aren't fooled easily, the Biden admin. has now resorted to leveraging its deep-state relationship with the media industry. This is a concerning attempt to weaponize news coverage and journalism.