Pro-China narrative

Wildlife products hold particular significance in Chinese culture and economy, though global forces are using the pretext of animal welfare to attack traditional Chinese medicines. China is currently exploring ways to minimize damage to the ecology, including implementing a permanent ban on wildlife trade and consumption. There is no reason to embroil TCM with these other complex debates.

Anti-China narrative

China is the world's largest illegal wildlife products market and has driven the growth of animal farms where wildlife species are bred in captivity. If the PRC is serious about protecting species from extinction and reducing poaching, it must fulfill the recommendations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, including applying it to the sector of TCM.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that at least 5 species of pangolin will survive until 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Narrative A

This study is a wake-up call. Preventing a catastrophe is still possible and reducing greenhouse gas emissions could give societies time to prepare for and adapt to rising sea levels. Cutting CO2 would prevent the rest of the Antarctic Ice Sheet — containing more than ten times as many meters of sea-level rise — from melting.

Narrative B

This isn't the first time scientists have raised the alarm regarding the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The region witnessed similar lows in 2017 and 2022. While climate change is an urgent issue, its catastrophic framing alienates and polarizes large portions of the population. Climate alarmism must be taken with a grain of salt as it can risk doing more harm than good.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that sea levels will rise by at least 591mm in 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Establishment-critical narrative

At best, the focus on seizing Russian billionaires' assets is a distraction from formulating a more realistic strategy to defeat Putin and restore Ukraine. At worst, it's evidence of clear hypocrisy, given the US wasn't sanctioned for invading Iraq for equally unjustified reasons. Either way, seizing superyachts doesn't help Ukraine.

Pro-establishment narrative

Seizing Russian assets, including those belonging to sanctioned individuals, is crucial for escalating economic pressure on the Kremlin. If the Western countries can navigate the legal complications, the assets should be transferred to Ukraine to help fund its defense and rebuild the nation.

Pro-establishment narrative

Current opposition by a minority of isolationist Republicans to a funding bill that includes both Ukraine and Israel lacks awareness of the nuances of the conflicts. Those Republican outliers are also counting on the failure of the party to unite and elect a House speaker to defund Ukraine. Criticism of the Biden administration's approach is foolish and naïve.

Establishment-critical narrative

Many in Washington are pushing the narrative that current events in Ukraine and Israel are so intertwined that the continued spending of billions of dollars from the American taxpayer shouldn't be questioned in any manner. The truth remains that only Israel holds the title of being one of the US' closest allies and unreserved financial backing for Ukraine isn't sustainable.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that the US government's spending to GDP in 2024 will be at least 40%, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Narrative A

While news of an attempted intentional plane crash by an airline staff member is alarming, the truth is that, since 1950 only 24 instances of passengers or crewmembers successfully doing this have occurred — including 9/11 — and most of them involved small planes killing just the pilot. Due to these tragedies, mandates such as having two pilots on board and narrowing access to the cockpit have been implemented, which is why the US aviation industry is the safest in the world.

Narrative B

Despite the current shortage of pilots, and although the industry is still incredibly safe, there's a reason for the strict requirements to become certified to fly commercial planes. Even under the current rules, some pilots end up becoming hazards, which is why calls for lowering requirements should be put to rest. Lowering the mandated training flight hours and raising the retirement age may help boost hiring, but it won't make passengers any safer. The bar for licensing pilots must be set higher.

Narrative A

While claiming the delay in Sweden's ratification to be down to a lack of progress in Ankara's demanded crackdown of the PKK, Erdoğan's unexpected demands last month for F-16 fighter jets from the US in return for its NATO approval makes any judgment on the outcome of the parliamentary process difficult to estimate. There's no telling when Turkey — and Hungary — will finally allow Sweden to join the alliance.

Narrative B

Turkey has upheld its promise despite Sweden repeatedly allowing the PKK to spread propaganda and hold anti-Turkey rallies, as Stockholm has reassured that it will not support such an organization to grow its influence. Given that a bilateral security mechanism, as well as a NATO Special Coordinator on Counterterrorism, has been agreed to be established if Sweden joins the alliance, there is confidence in a speedy ratification.

Nerd narrative

There is a 66% chance that Sweden will join NATO before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Pro-Israel narrative

Following Hamas' terror attack in Israel, the IDF is continuing to strike the network's targets in Gaza as it maintains its war against the terror organization. The IDF will not rest until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages in Gaza are safely returned. Israel's armed forces are ready and determined to launch a ground invasion of the territory but await a political decision.

Pro-Palestine narrative

Despite Hamas releasing two additional hostages, and aid groups vocally warning that the Gaza territory is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, Israel has continued to pound the Palestinian civilian population. More than 5K people are now dead, most of those women and children.

Nerd narrative

There's a 54% chance that Israel will launch a large-scale ground offensive into Gaza before Nov. 1, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Progressive narrative

Nearly half of Iceland's lawmakers are female, 90% of working-age women have jobs, and a woman leads the country. Yet, inequality, toxic masculinity, systemic wage discrimination, and gender-based violence persist in Iceland. This historic strike highlights the importance of women in the country's economy and is a step in the right direction towards eradicating the scourge of gender disparity for good.

Conservative narrative

Despite Iceland leading the world in gender equality, the prime minister is standing in solidarity with protesters and endorsing a distorted narrative. While everyone should be treated and compensated fairly, the mainstream portrayal of the so-called pay gap mischaracterizes it as a gender issue, neglecting to consider age, experience, personality, and a plethora of other factors.

Pro-China narrative

It's wonderful that the US has tamped down its combative rhetoric and is pursuing a dialogue with China, which has never wanted anything other than peace between the countries. True cooperation, however, will only be achieved when the US puts its words and actions into alignment by no longer politicizing its trade policy, avoiding military threats against China, and abiding by the agreed-upon One China principle.

Anti-China narrative

The US has always sought a constructive relationship with China, but Beijing has often made this difficult with its actions in the South China Sea and Taiwan, its unbalanced trade policies, and its unhelpful relations with countries like Russia and Iran. But meeting face-to-face in both countries will be the best way to ease any tensions moving forward.

Nerd narrative

There’s a 15% chance that there will be a US-China war before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Democratic narrative

This ruling isn’t surprising because so many Republican-led states have been removing women's autonomy over their own bodies since the reversal of Roe. Abortion access is withering away in Georgia, and similar bans in neighboring states are making it impossible to travel for crucial health care. Advocates have to keep faith, though, that the courts will eventually do the right thing to end these harmful bans.

Republican narrative

This pro-life law aligns with the pro-life protections most states have in their constitutions for unborn children after their heartbeats can be detected. Roe never should’ve been interpreted as a national right to abortion, and the will of Georgia’s voters is finally being exercised to protect the unborn and their mothers, despite Democrats' challenges to these types of laws.

Nerd narrative

There’s a 5% chance that elective abortion will be banned nationally in the US before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.