Gypsy Rose Blanchard Released From Prison Early
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, 32, has been released three years early from her ten-year prison sentence for plotting with her boyfriend to kill her abusive mother, Dee Dee, in Missouri in 2015.
Blanchard, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016, faced a potential life sentence for first-degree murder, but struck a plea deal with prosecutors due to the abuse she had suffered.
Narrative A
This early release illustrates that even the court understands Blanchard's unique circumstances. A prison sentence was not what she needed after spending her entire life being exploited by her troubled mother. Support at a psychiatric institution would have been far more appropriate for Blanchard than incarceration, as she will likely struggle to reintegrate into society following her mother's abuse.
Narrative B
No one doubts the severe trauma endured by Gypsy Rose Blanchard, but her role in her mother's death still had to be addressed by law enforcement and the justice system. Under Blanchard's instruction, her boyfriend traveled to Missouri to commit murder. It's unfair that while she can re-enter the world and start a new life, Godejohn is languishing behind bars. Taking another life can never be justified, no matter the circumstances or motive.
Trump Removed From Maine Primary Ballot
Former US Pres. Donald Trump suffered another setback to his 2024 presidential election bid on Thursday after Maine's chief election official removed him from the state's primary ballot, citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars anyone who has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from holding office.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruled the Republican favorite ineligible due to his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 US Capitol riot in 2021.
Pro-Trump narrative
Democrats are playing the system to choke democracy in the US. Their hatred for Donald Trump is blinding them to the consequences of such political manipulation, as they attempt to paint Trump as an insurrectionist despite him having not even been found guilty of such a crime. Maine's ruling has only ensured that the 2024 election race has become ever more toxic.
Anti-Trump narrative
For all the victimhood Trump — or his supporters — will claim following Maine's decision, the fundamental fact is that Donald Trump weaponized his presidency to short-circuit America's most important democratic exercise. The consequences of his actions are now on display before the whole world, and he must not be allowed to return to the all-important position of president.
Nerd narrative
There's a 47% chance that Donald Trump will be elected president in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Venezuela to Hold Military Drills After UK Sends Warship to Guyana
Venezuelan Pres. Nicolás Maduro on Thursday ordered the country's armed forces to hold military drills involving 5.6K soldiers off the coast of Essequibo in response to the UK's decision to send a warship to neighboring Guyana.
Maduro argued that the "defensive" exercises are being launched as the vessel's deployment was "practically a military threat from London" and violated the "spirit" of a recent agreement between Venezuela and Guyana to peacefully settle their territorial dispute over the oil-rich Essequibo region.
Pro-establishment narrative
The Maduro regime knows very well that the deployment of the British warship is a routine measure and poses absolutely no military threat to Venezuela. Instead, Caracas is stoking tensions by blatantly seeking to annex Guyana's oil-rich Essequibo region illegally. Maduro is prepared to politically instrumentalize the dispute with his South American neighbor to suspend the 2024 presidential elections if necessary. The US eased sanctions against Venezuela in return for Maduro holding free and competitive elections in 2024, which the Venezuelan strongman could very well lose unless he declares a state of emergency beforehand.
Establishment-critical narrative
The British warship's deployment is a blatant military provocation coordinated with the US and a shameless interference attempt to secure access to Essequibo's enormous oil and gas resources. It's also well known that Washington seeks to establish a military base in Essequibo as a bridgehead for its aggression against resource-rich Venezuela after failing to overthrow Maduro. By allowing the militarization of the situation, Guyana is jeopardizing the recent bilateral agreement to refrain from steps that could lead to new tensions. However, Venezuela is prepared to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity by military means if necessary.
Nerd narrative
There's a 60% chance that the US will respond with military forces if Venezuela invades Guyana before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Russian Protesters Imprisoned Over Anti-War Poetry
A Moscow court on Thursday sentenced two protesters to prison for reciting poetry against the Ukraine war and attending a protest in a city square. Artyom Kamardin, 33, was sentenced to seven years for reciting the poem, with Yegor Shtovba, 23, given 5.5 years for attending the protest.
Both men were convicted of "undermining national security" and "inciting hatred" for their role in the September 2022 demonstration against Putin's mobilization of 300K reserve troops. During the protest, Kamardin read "Kill me, militia man!"
Anti-Russia narrative
Russia, especially during the war, has continued to ignore the right to free expression and protest. Tens of thousands of street protesters have been detained, fined, or imprisoned due to their opposition to troop mobilization against Ukraine. Those not sent to jail are still branded as spies or traitors, thus ruining their public reputation and limiting their access to employment. The Russian people are against Putin's invasion, which is why he is dangerously resorting to criminalizing dissent.
Pro-Russia narrative
The West has no leg to stand on regarding freedom of expression. For example, the US regime has used the exact same tactics against its political opponents regarding the Jan. 6 Capitol protests. After left-wing activists friendly to Washington stormed federal buildings and injured officers, there were few legal consequences. But when hundreds of Trump fans waved flags at the Capitol, they were labeled 'domestic terrorists,' kept in solitary confinement without trial, and physically abused by jail guards. US-backed hegemony should not throw stones when it comes to freedom of expression.
Nerd narrative
There is a 0.1% chance that Russia will be removed from the UN Security Council by 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Google Settles $5B Privacy Lawsuit
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has paused a scheduled class action trial against Google alleging breaches of privacy law, following the agreement of a preliminary settlement.
The suit, initially filed on June 2, 2020, accused Google of collecting and selling the private data of users in Chrome's private browsing ("Incognito") mode — allegedly violating the Wiretap Act, the California Invasion of Privacy Act, and the Comprehensive Data Access and Fraud Act.
Narrative A
The lawsuit has exposed Google's Incognito mode as a massive problem, and while firm in their defense against the lawsuit's allegations it's evident that the company's tool did not protect users as commonly expected. While Big Tech companies often treat such court cases as minor inconveniences, the truth concerning Incognito should be a warning to all about how vulnerable personal data really is online.
Narrative B
Although evidence certainly points towards Google's business model often seeking to undermine the privacy of its users, the reality remains that the search engine is by far the most popular of its kind. No matter what information the public absorbs concerning Google's malpractice, the consumers continue to use its product without hesitation. Unless there is an "e-revolution" capable of destroying the current status quo of the Big Tech monopolies, products like Google Chrome will continue to reign supreme.
Narrative C
Intentional privacy violations deserve to be punished. However, while the likes of Google have a responsibility to keep personal information as secure as possible, even the most successful Big Tech companies can't reasonably control and maintain the incomprehensible quantity of data that currently resides online. The safety of online data will only truly be secured through further technological advancements, rather than lawsuits focused upon commercial mistakes.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% that Google will implement a feature to explain targeted Google Ads before 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
GOP House Freedom Caucus Calls for Spending Cuts Ahead of January Deadline
Ahead of a potential January government shutdown, a statement released by the GOP House Freedom Caucus is urging Republican leadership to avoid making a spending deal with Democrats that is larger than the $1.59T cap set by the stopgap Fiscal Responsibility Act six months ago.
After their return from holiday recess, Congress will have only nine days left to pass a spending bill and avert a Jan. 19 shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is likely to advocate for a year-long extension of current spending levels, facing resistance from conservative GOP members.
Conservative narrative
Enough is enough. America can no longer afford to travel on this road to fiscal ruin, with many so-called Republicans willing to enable the obscene wastefulness of the Democrats. Mike Johnson has been stymieing conservatives in the House from taking bold action on issues such as the fiscal crisis and Pentagon funding for abortion. If they are excluded from serious consideration, House GOP patriots will have no choice but to revolt against Johnson's appeasement agenda.
Republican narrative
While the House has been unable to pass as many bills as they usually do, Mike Johnson is still pursuing a fiscally responsible agenda — listening to the concerns of the Freedom Caucus. Crucially, Johnson is doing everything in his power to maintain unity in the GOP and quell discord so the party is fit to face a bigger challenge unseating the Democrats in 2024. The Freedom Caucus has legitimate concerns but the larger focus within the GOP will unify around the year ahead.
Democratic narrative
America is experiencing political déjà vu, as the hardline Freedom Caucus once again threatens to hold the nation hostage if Congress refuses to capitulate to its radical agenda. Unsatisfied with unseating one speaker, the Freedom Caucus is already making threatening overtures towards the next if Mike Johnson doesn't decimate government spending — a move that would be disastrous for the country. There is no end to the GOP's dysfunction and self-destruction.
Nerd narrative
There's a 1% chance that the IMF approve debt service relief for the US before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: Global Population Rose 75M in 2023 But Growth Rate Slowed
According to the US Census Bureau, the world population will reach 8,019,876,189 on Jan. 1, 2024, which would be about a 1% increase of 75,162,541 people compared to the beginning of 2023. However, the report added that the global population will continue growing at a slower rate.
This means that at the beginning of 2024, there will be an estimated 4.3 births and two deaths every second globally. In the US, it said the population rose at a rate of 0.53%, or 1.7M people, to a total of 335.8M people. While the slowest decade growth rate in the US was 7.3% after the Great Depression, some estimate that at the current rate, the 2020s could become the country's slowest-ever growth rate.
Pro-establishment narrative
The global population has rapidly increased for over half a century and will likely continue on this path if we don't take countermeasures. The world has too many people, as shown by a lack of equitably shared resources and the current rate of energy use damaging our ecosystem. A main contributor to this is the marginalization of women and girls who, if they were given reproductive autonomy, would decide to have fewer children. As we give more education, medicine, and wealth to those already on our planet, the data show that the population will decrease to a more sustainable level.
Establishment-critical narrative
Many have rightly praised contraception for its ability to give people control over when and how they build families. However, the movement was quickly taken over by problematic plutocrats like the Rockefeller, Ford, and Bill and Melinda Gates foundations to micromanage populations. The rate of growth has been declining for decades, so we should all question why these global elites continue to push this debunked idea. In fact, underpopulation in countries in nations like Japan is a true demographic challenge that needs to be addressed.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the human population will peak at 10B before 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
California: X Suit Fails to Block Content Moderation Law
US District Judge William Shubb on Thursday issued an eight-page decision dismissing an attempt by the Elon Musk-owned X, formerly known as Twitter, to block a California state law requiring social media companies to disclose how they moderate content on their platforms.
Law AB 587 was signed in 2022 by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who described the law as an opportunity to protect the public by making companies reveal their policies on content moderation and release data related to the enforcement of such policies.
Left narrative
Nothing in this law would force Musk, the self-proclaimed free-speech absolutist, to do anything unconstitutional. The law merely requires X to report to the state data on what type of content it has banned, removed, or otherwise moderated. Musk’s decision to cut back on his content-moderation staff isn’t the state’s problem, and he’ll have to find a way to comply with the law.
Right narrative
This law is yet another move by those in government — in this case, leftists from a blue state — to stifle freedom of expression, particularly speech they don’t agree with or like. The law is so vague that social media platforms like X will have to block almost everything, and parody sites won’t be able to operate. The state should stay out of the content moderation game and allow the global town square to continue to function unhindered.
Tens of Thousands of Palestinians Flee Central Gaza
Palestinians continued to flee central Gaza Friday as the Israeli military bombarded the area in preparation for its troops to move in on the ground. Tens of thousands of Palestinians from the already crowded central districts of Bureij, Maghazi, and Nusseirat fled to the south of the strip of Deir al-Balah, pitching makeshift tents.
This comes as the Israeli military claimed that it had located and demolished a hideout apartment on the outskirts of Gaza City in the north of the strip belonging to Hamas political leader Yahya Sinwar, along with a large tunnel system under it. The military said that it had uncovered “many findings” in the apartment that indicated Sinwar used it as a hideout, though no details were given.
Pro-establishment narrative
Though, of course, Israel has a right to dismantle Hamas's military capabilities, it must wage this war in a humane way. The amount of civilians being killed will only galvanize Palestinians against peace and push them into the arms of Hamas. A more thorough and surgical campaign is now needed to eliminate Hamas's leadership in Gaza, as Israel is losing global support.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though this has been a tragic war, Israel cannot allow Hamas to survive. It seems that the Biden administration wants to pressure Israel into a ceasefire, but Israel must push back against such short-sighted thinking. Israel is a sovereign country and has the right to defend itself from terrorism and pursue its own interests. Hamas's military capabilities must be eliminated so that the group can never launch a terrorist attack like Oct. 7 again.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israel continues to demonstrate that its war is not against Hamas but against the Palestinian people as a whole. Nowhere in Gaza is safe, and Israel has effectively rendered the north of the strip unlivable, as it kills Palestinians at an unprecedented rate. Though the US, Israel's biggest ally, wants to minimize the war's intensity, it must instead exert more pressure to end the war completely.
Japan Protests SKorea Military Drills on Disputed Islands
Japan’s Foreign Ministry is protesting the South Korean embassy in Tokyo and South Korea’s foreign ministry over military drills practicing the defense of disputed islands. South Korea controls the islands, which it calls Dokdo, while Japan also claims authority over the islets, which it calls Takeshima.
A South Korean military source told the Yonhap News Agency Friday that it conducted its standard defense drill near the islands in mid-December. South Korea conducts island defense exercises twice every year near the disputed territories.
Narrative A
The Takeshima islands are — and have always been — part of Japan, and there is rich historical evidence dating back to the 1600s showing Japan's rightful claims. In addition to the robust history linking Japan to Takeshima, international treaties clearly established Japan incorporated Takeshima more than a century ago. Time and again, national and foreign entities have recognized Japan’s rightful control of the islands, and there should be no debate about to whom the territories belong.
Narrative B
While Japan claims that it has controlled the Dokdo islands for centuries, the fact is that Tokyo has continuously rewritten history, making false claims about its connection to the islands. Japan defies international orders and only publicizes its own rulings on the issue, and it has used its imperial might to push a false narrative and undermine Korea’s rightful control of Dokdo. South Korea has every right to defend its land — and that includes Dokdo — and Japan must stop lying about the territory.
Nerd narrative
There's a 74% chance that Japan Self-Defense Forces will have tested a Tomahawk missile by mid-2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.