Hunter Biden to Plead Not Guilty to Gun Charges
Pres. Biden's son Hunter Biden will plead not guilty to three federal gun charges, his attorney said in a court filing on Tuesday.
Adding that his client is requesting not to appear in federal court in Wilmington, Hunter's lawyer said: "There is no reason why he can't utter those two words [not guilty] by videoconference."
Hunter was indicted last week, two months after a plea agreement over tax and gun charges fell apart. The charges include making false statements to the seller of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Democratic narrative
Hunter Biden is cooperating fully with this witch hunt of an investigation and indictment. The Republicans are desperate to take any avenue possible to bring frivolous charges against him and link Pres. Biden to alleged misconduct, even if that means fabricating ridiculous stories and trumping charges.
Republican narrative
Hunter Biden knowingly lied on a federal form and purchased a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance. He could have seriously injured someone while incapacitated by drugs and deserves to be punished to the full extent of the law.
Nerd narrative
There's a 10% chance that Joe Biden will no longer be US President before January 20, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: Yemen's Houthis Visit Saudi Arabia for Ceasefire Talks
A delegation of Yemen's Houthi rebels arrived in Riyadh on Thursday at the invitation of Saudi Arabia to continue ceasefire talks aimed at ending the long-running war in Yemen, according to Houthi and Saudi news sources.
According to Riyadh, the talks are aimed at a "permanent and comprehensive ceasefire" and a lasting "political solution acceptable to all Yemeni parties." The talks reportedly include payments to Yemeni employees, reconstruction efforts, and the opening of Houthi-controlled airports and ports.
Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthis’ supreme political council, said the 10-member Houthi delegation is visiting the kingdom "to continue consultations with the Saudi side" during the first visit by Houthi officials in Saudi Arabia since the war erupted.
Establishment-critical narrative
It's an encouraging signal that the Houthis and the Saudis are resuming their ceasefire talks in Riyadh. Yet it's important to remember the events that triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis. It was Saudi Arabia — with massive support from its Western allies — that launched a brutal campaign against Yemen in 2015 to reinstall the Saudi puppet government. Finally, the recent Chinese-brokered resumption of diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Iran gave new momentum to the peace process in Yemen.
Pro-establishment narrative
The fact that the Saudis and the Houthis are continuing talks in Riyadh to reach a lasting ceasefire is also an achievement of sustained US mediation efforts over the past two years. Now, it's up to the Iran-backed Houthis to seize the unique opportunity to demonstrate their willingness to end the crisis in talks with the official Yemeni government. Only successful Yemeni-Yemeni talks will lead to lasting peace, and Washington will remain committed to helping Yemen become a prosperous country free of foreign interference.
Narrative C
Despite the now resumed talks, peace is far from being achieved. This is, in part, due to the deepening rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which now support rival groups in Yemen fighting for control of the strategically important country and its oil resources. While the UAE supports secessionist forces seeking to establish an independent state in southern Yemen, Saudi Arabia views Yemen's unity as critical to its national security. The growing regional rivalry between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh threatens the recent efforts for permanent peace.
Dominican Republic Closes Borders with Haiti
The Dominican Republic on Friday closed all land, air, and sea borders with neighboring Haiti as a dispute over the construction of a canal on the Haitian side of a shared river has worsened.
This comes as Dominican President Luis Abinader announced Thursday a total border shutdown that will last "as long as necessary," with backing from their military and police forces, while talks with the Haitian government continue.
The closure is a response to a canal being excavated by a farming group in Haiti that would use water from the Massacre River, which runs along the border between the countries that share the island of Hispaniola.
Narrative A
The world is failing the Haitian people, and this dispute is yet another example of it. The Dominican government's unilateral decision to close the border essentially traps Haitians — who are already facing extreme levels of violence and struggling to feed their families and access clean water and health care — in a move to politically capitalize on anti-Haitian sentiments ahead of next year's election.
Narrative B
The border closure is a necessary measure that must remain in effect while the Haitian government, which has problems controlling its territory, fails to prevent the building of this provocative canal to divert water from the Massacre River. Talks to address this ongoing dispute are underway, and hopefully, Santo Domingo will soon come to good terms with Port-au-Prince.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that Haiti will become a World Bank upper middle-income country by January 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Ukraine Claims Recapture of Donetsk Village
Ukraine claimed to have recaptured Andriivka on Friday — a village in Donetsk roughly 10 km (6 miles) south of the Russian-occupied city Bakhmut.
Hanna Maliar, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, announced the recapture of the village a day earlier, but was forced to issue a clarification after the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade disputed her report.
On Thursday, the brigade said: "The statement about the liberation of Andriivka is wrongful and premature. At the moment, heavy fighting is ongoing near the settlements of Klishchiivka and Andriivka. Such statements are harmful, pose threat to the lives of personnel and hinder combat missions."
Pro-establishment narrative
Ukraine's forces have notched another victory in their belt with the recapture of Andriivka. The country's counteroffensive continues to advance and expel Russia from its territory.
Establishment-critical narrative
After months of fighting, Ukraine has made very limited gains in its counteroffensive. The reality is that Ukraine will likely not drive Russia out of all its territory and it needs to be realistic about how to bring the war to an end.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Ukraine will regain control of at least 50 km^2 of the Crimean Peninsula by January 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
ECB Raises Interest Rates to All-Time High
On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) raised its key interest rate from 3.75% to 4% as it claimed inflation was "expected to remain too high for too long."
The decision was the 10th interest rate increase in a row, reaching an all-time high since the establishment of the euro in 1999. It follows the ECB's benchmark deposit rate of -0.5% a little more than a year ago.
Alongside the benchmark deposit rate, the ECB's refinancing rate, which provides most of the liquidity to the banking system, increased from 4.25% to 4.5%. Its marginal lending facility, which is charged when banks borrow from the ECB, also climbed from 4.5% to 4.75%.
Narrative A
The ECB's decision-making has led to many European policymakers finding themselves in a precarious economic situation. Revised forecasts are extremely optimistic, while the bank's vision echoes similar choices made in 2011 that ultimately caused a severe economic downturn within the eurozone. The ECB may well be, slowly but surely, walking into a stagflationary trap.
Narrative B
The ECB has chosen to accept a period of stagflation over the danger of a hard landing and deeper recession. The lesser of two evils, the market's overreaction to the ECB's decision-making is a shocking one that may well be counteracted by the US' own release of data in the coming days.
Nerd narrative
There's a 15% chance that the ECB's deposit facility interest rate will be negative before 2033, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Dubai Police Seizes $1B Worth of 'Captagon' Amphetamines
Dubai Police have seized 86M tablets of the amphetamine known as "Captagon" — valued at over $1B — smuggled into the country hidden in a shipment of doors and wooden panels.
Six people were arrested in relation to the seizure. An international gang was allegedly planning to ship the illicit narcotics in five storage containers to the UAE.
However, Dubai police reportedly detained the first suspect after he submitted an extraction claim on three out of the five flagged containers. The officers then followed the shipment to an industrial area to apprehend the rest.
Pro-establishment narrative
The Arab Gulf states will have to reconsider normalization with the Syrian regime, as Damascus, with the help of Iran and its proxies, continues to act as a rogue narco-state, polluting the entire region and beyond with illicit amphetamines. The connection between the Syrian regime and the drug trade is well-documented. Curbing drug smuggling must be a top priority for the Arab League as it deals with Assad and his cronies.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though Gulf-funded media may seek to spread falsehoods that the Syrian government and Hezbollah are producing and smuggling Captagon, one should be dubious of these claims considering the links with Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is one of the biggest consumers of illicit amphetamines, and Syria and Lebanon have become Captagon production hubs due to US-backed economic collapse via war and sanctions. This trade is very much a Gulf-oriented phenomenon.
Zelenskyy to Meet Biden at the White House
Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit the White House and Capitol Hill next week, a US official confirmed on Thursday.
Zelenskyy — scheduled to visit the US to deliver his first in-person speech at the UN General Assembly — will also meet UN chief António Guterres, who has pledged to "do everything possible" to revive the Black Sea grain deal.
His appearance coincides with a debate in Congress over Biden's request to provide Ukraine with an additional $24B in military and humanitarian aid.
Pro-establishment narrative
Allowing Russia to triumph in Ukraine will embolden the Kremlin to launch further acts of aggression and encourage America's enemies to do the same. Continuing US funding for Ukraine is squarely in the country's national interest — preventing the spread of undemocratic regimes elsewhere.
Establishment-critical narrative
The US has not only continued to give Ukraine more money but has sharply escalated the types of weapons it's sending. Such a trend is bringing the world closer and closer to World War III, and we may only know when we've crossed that precipice once it's too late. Now's the time for de-escalation.
Nerd narrative
There's a 4% chance that there will be a deadly clash between the US and Russian armed forces before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
SCOTUS Pauses Order Prohibiting Gov. Social Media Contact
On Thursday, SCOTUS put a lower court’s order that limited the Joe Biden administration’s ability to communicate with social media companies regarding posts it believes to be misinformation on hold until Sept. 22.
The lower court’s order was scheduled to take effect Monday, but the administration requested the hold while it prepares its appeal. The court gave plaintiffs until Wednesday to respond.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals previously issued the order as part of litigation against the administration from Republican attorneys general from Missouri and Louisiana and a group of social media users.
Republican narrative
For too long, the American people have been suffering under pervasive government-led censorship, and SCOTUS is now giving the administration the green light to continue that campaign. Luckily, this is just a temporary hold, and SCOTUS will have a chance to end this massive violation of free-speech rights when it hears the full case.
Democratic narrative
The idea that an administration working with social media companies to stamp out misinformation and disinformation violates the First Amendment is an overreach by the courts. Content moderation is the only way to stop the country from being overrun by falsehoods, and the government has a right to participate in that effort.
Jury Acquits 3 in Mich. Gov. Whitmer Kidnapping Case
A jury in northern Michigan on Friday acquitted twin brothers Michael and William Null, as well as Eric Molitor, who had been accused of participating in the 2020 attempted kidnapping of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Prosecutors had argued that the three men — who were charged with providing material support for a terrorist act and illegally possessing firearms — of scouting Whitmer’s vacation home in Antrim County and conspiring in the plot to kidnap by participating in preparatory drills.
Marking an end to the trial, in which eight men were charged on the state level and six on the federal level, a total of nine were convicted or pleaded guilty while five were acquitted. Among those found guilty were the plot's leader, Adam Fox, who was sentenced in December to 16 years in prison.
Right narrative
This entire sham of a kidnapping plot, which was conveniently discovered right before the 2020 election, was all a ploy to make Republicans and Trump supporters look like violent criminals before America went to the polls. At least as many non-FBI agents and informants were part of it as there were actual Feds. The Democrats were successful in gaining consensus for this flawed presentation, so now it's time to admit that the FBI made it all up and entrapped innocent Americans for political purposes.
Left narrative
While some of these men have now been acquitted by a jury of their peers, that doesn't mean the militia members heading to prison were innocent, too. This was a violent attempt to use guns and explosives to kidnap a sitting US governor, and both the FBI and the jurors understood the need to put convicted domestic terrorists behind bars. All of these men should be in jail, but that shouldn't stop America from celebrating the convictions that were won to protect democracy from far-right extremism.
United Auto Workers Simultaneously Strikes at 3 Factories
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union Friday began a simultaneous strike at three factories owned by General Motors, Ford Motor, and Chrysler owner Stellantis.
Union President Shawn Fain said more plants could face strikes if the manufacturers don’t present better offers. Among the union's demands is a wage increase of 36% over four years, while the companies have offered around 17.5% to 20%.
Pres. Joe Biden voiced support for the workers during a brief appearance at the White House, saying that he understands their frustrations. He called for the record profits to be "shared by record contracts for the UAW."
Republican narrative
Democrats like to boast about how pro-union they are, but that unconditional support has empowered this all-to-powerful union to implement an economy-stifling strike. If Biden really had the workers’ well-being in mind his administration would have done more to prevent this walk-out that is going to crush the economy and, hopefully, his reelection chances.
Democratic narrative
Republicans have stood by for decades while these companies’ profits and executive compensation have skyrocketed — far outpacing employee compensation and benefits. The Pres. Biden and Democrats are doing what they can to help the workers but the only ones to blame here are the exploitive companies and their GOP allies.