Report: South Korea Military Govts to Blame for 'Vagrants' Facility' Atrocities
On Wed., South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) reported that past military governments were responsible for human rights abuses at the state-funded Brothers Home facility from the 1960s to 1980s.
This comes 35 years after the case came to light, when a prosecutor first exposed the atrocities in the infamous facility in Busan.
The TRC said that "direct and indirect exercises of government authority" legitimated the arbitrary detention of people designated as "vagrants" and led to the attempted cover-up of multiple rights violations.
Pro-establishment narrative
This is a first and important step in forcing the South Korean government to take responsibility for vast human rights abuses carried out by authorities. Though the past can't be changed, Seoul is showing that it's ready to work with and for the victims as quickly as possible, so that they can finally see the justice they deserve.
Establishment-critical narrative
The fact that this news has only just come out shows that the government knew of and ignored these human rights abuses long after Brothers closed and the dictatorships fell. The government should not just apologize, but also be forced to compensate any and all victims of this tragedy.
Cynical narrative
Unfortunately, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions don't always deliver justice. Forcing victims, who have often moved on with their lives, to relive and "reconcile" wrongs can sometimes lead to amnesties at the cost of mental well being. Governments have also been known to cynically use such commissions to assert their legitimacy by suggesting they've dealt with a painful past. We will have to wait and see what comes of this investigation's results.
Germany Launches World's First Hydrogen-Powered Train Fleet
On Wed., Germany inaugurated the world's first hydrogen-powered railway line, with a fleet of 14 trains due to replace the current 15 diesel engines on the 60 mi track connecting the cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde, and Buxtehude near Hamburg.
Five of the hydrogen trains have already been launched, with the remainder expected to gradually replace the rest of the diesel engines by the end of the year.
Hydrogen trains are expected to decarbonize the railway industry. The "zero emission" trains mix hydrogen with oxygen from the ambient air, producing the electricity needed for powering travel.
Narrative A
Hydrogen-powered trains are the future of railway transportation. They provide a zero-emissions option for travel, can be deployed anywhere, and existing infrastructure can be retrofitted for hydrogen use. These new fleets also have economic benefits because they are cost-effective and require little maintenance. This is groundbreaking work.
Narrative B
At first glance, hydrogen trains appear to be a huge step forward to sustainable travel but they may not be the answer we're looking for not all industries are able to convert to hydrogen, and, more importantly, not all hydrogen is carbon-free. With most hydrogen used coming from fossil fuel emissions, the true carbon-cost is concealed in the manufacturing process.
Thailand: PM Suspended Pending Term Limit Ruling
On Wed., Thailand's Constitutional Court suspended PM Prayuth Chan-ocha from his official duties, by a 5-4 majority vote, until a ruling on his term limit is delivered.
Prayuth must submit his defense to the court within 15 days of receiving a copy of the complaint, but a date to decide the issue hasn't been announced yet.
Following the suspension order, Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon has taken over as acting leader of the country, while Prayuth will continue to serve as defense minister.
Establishment-critical narrative
Prayuth needs to let go of power and call for a snap election to solve this political impasse and prevent further crises and legal battles. This solution is unlikely, however, as he has already shown he isn't willing to return the power he illegitimately seized from the people in 2014.
Pro-establishment narrative
The constitutional law concerning the expiration of PM Preyuth's term is immensely complex. Whatever the Constitutional Court decides will be respected by the government and, in order to avoid political interference with the court, there shouldn't be any speculation about the outcome of the case.
Day 183 Roundup: Death Toll in Independence Day Attack Rises to 25; Zelenskyy Addresses UN Security Council
The aftermath of a Russian rocket attack that struck a railway station in the Dnipropetrovsk region on Wed. has left 25 civilians dead, Ukrainian officials confirmed on Thursday. The strike came as Ukraine marked its 31st independence anniversary.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office for the Pres. of Ukraine, said: "Rescue and search operations have been completed in the village of Chaplyne. As a result of shelling of the residential area and the railway station, 25 people died, two of them are children."
The attack came shortly before Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed a UN Security Council meeting, convened by Russia, to discuss the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia opposed Zelenskyy's attendance, saying it was a breach of the Security Council's rules, but the matter was put to a vote and his presence was approved.
Pro-establishment narrative
Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine has turned the territory around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant into a war zone, placing the world at risk of nuclear catastrophe. Russia must unconditionally leave the plant and let officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency permanently take control of the situation.
Establishment-critical narrative
Western media continues to portray Ukraine as a sainted nation that can do no wrong, while the Russian military are vilified as a threat to global stability. However, given that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been under the control of Russian forces since early March, Kyiv's forces are far more likely to be the ones shelling it. Are we really to believe the Russians are shelling themselves?
Nerd narrative
There is an 17% chance that there will be a serious radiation incident at any nuclear plant in Ukraine by 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Jamaica to Investigate Working Conditions on Canadian Farms
Jamaica has appointed a special "fact finding team" to investigate working conditions of Jamaicans employed on Canadian farms, after workers in Ontario last month claimed of "seismic" levels of exploitation.
In a statement on Thurs., Jamaica's Minister of Labour and Social Security Karl Samuda said a six-person team would travel to Canada to observe conditions and "provide a report to the Minister".
Under an initiative called the Season Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), migrants from Mexico and 11 Caribbean nations can travel to Canada for up to eight months for work. Some of these migrants have claimed they've been verbally abused, physically intimidated, and exposed to pesticides.
Establishment-critical narrative
The Canadian govt. has sat idle watching this human rights disaster unfold. Nobody should be abused and forced into unsafe living and working conditions. With staggering numbers of injuries and deaths, coupled with the lack of rights given to them, it's time the govt. offers these workers permanent resident status.
Pro-establishment narrative
Any reports of abuse on certain Canadian farms should be investigated and brought to an end, but the cases are far and few between. Canada's migrant worker programs offer the same rights and privileges to foreign workers as are given to citizens, and most employers follow the law and treat their employees with dignity - those who don't should be shut down and prosecuted.
Narrative C
While Canada must do more, this issue isn't Canada's alone Jamaica's Ministry of Labor - which has liaised with this program - is also responsible for the well-being of the workers, whose calls for action they've so far ignored. Their recent trip to Canada's farms did nothing to address the concerns brought forward in the letter, but merely offered empty words of encouragement.
California to Ban Sale of New Gasoline Cars
In a unanimous vote on Thursday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued a sweeping plan that will ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
The rules will require all new cars sold in California by 2035 to be free of fossil fuel emissions - up from the current 12% goal - with interim targets requiring 35% of vehicles sold in the state by 2026 to produce zero emissions, rising to 68% by 2030.
The move won't ban the sale of any used vehicles, and owners of gasoline-powered cars will still be able to use California's roadways.
Left narrative
This move will be a positive step in cutting back on carbon emissions and fighting climate change. Californians and, hopefully, Americans nationwide will move towards more sustainable vehicles.
Right narrative
This is another lofty California idea that will be easier said than done. There are a variety of external factors that could hamper the ban, including lack of infrastructure and mineral availability. Markets don't respond well to such extreme mandates.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that at least 82.9% of US car sales will be all-electric by 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Uvalde School Shooting: Police Chief Fired
The Uvalde, Texas school board on Wed. voted unanimously to fire Uvalde school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo over his response to the school shooting at Robb Elementary School earlier this year.
Arredondo was placed on leave on June 22 amid wide condemnation of the handling of the shooting, which left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Investigations into the response are still currently underway, but details have suggested there was confusion among officers who took more than an hour to kill the shooter.
Narrative A
While those responsible for the terrible handling of this massacre should be held responsible, Pete Arredondo was thrown to the wolves. There were a multitude of law enforcement mistakes that expand far beyond just one commander or agency.
Narrative B
Arredondo's failures on the day of the shooting were so blatant anybody could see them. He failed at protecting the most vulnerable in his community - his primary job - when it mattered most. This is the right decision.
Report: Facebook, Twitter Disrupt Pro-US Influence Operation
According to a new report from the Stanford Internet Observatory and the research company Graphika, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter have removed an influence operation from their networks that allegedly promoted US foreign policy interests abroad.
The social platforms reportedly took down a network of fake accounts pushing pro-Western narratives in Central Asia and the Middle East, often criticizing countries like China, Russia, and Iran.
The tactics outlined in the report resemble similar strategies that US officials have accused Russia and China of using to sow division and discord at home.
Establishment-critical narrative
Most people still believe the US is the target of social media influence ops when in fact it is one of the most frequent global offenders. Facebook ranks the US as number four on its lists behind Russia, Iran, and Myanmar and just ahead of Ukraine. Today, influence operators are much more sophisticated than just a few years ago and offer their services to state and private clients who want deniability if caught.
Pro-establishment narrative
The real problem here is that the tech giants have failed to keep up with removing thousands of tweets, YouTube videos, and other social media posts that serve as Russian propaganda or spew anti-Ukrainian hate speech. In the wake of the war, social media apps banned Russian state media accounts, restricted ads, and bolstered fact-checking, but even this hasn't been enough.
Narrative C
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the first full-blown social media war, where the social media audience is caught in the crossfire. They must decide who to believe, making them an easy target for social media influence campaigns. Living in a disinformation age or a post-truth world, it's important that we learn how to detect deception.
Nerd narrative
There is a 73% chance the US will claim that a Russian disinformation campaign attempted to influence the 2022 midterm elections, according to Metaculus Prediction Community.
Biden Admin. to Forgive up to $20k in Student Loan Debt
On Wed., Biden announced that the federal government will forgive $10k in student loan debt for individuals earning less than $125k annually or couples earning less than $250k combined. He also said the pause on repayments will be extended through January 2023.
Additionally, borrowers who were recipients of Pell Grants - a program that provides need-based grants for low-income undergrad students - are eligible to receive $20k in debt forgiveness.
Student loan debt has kept many borrowers from buying homes or starting families, though Biden acknowledged that the loan forgiveness will relieve some, like low-income earners, more than others.
Right narrative
Biden's socialist move will not only make inflation worse but it is a scathing insult to every American that has made sacrifices and paid off their debts. This announcement is simply an unfair vote-buying scheme and just the next step toward the Democrat's agenda for delivering handouts.
Left narrative
Biden has fulfilled his campaign promise to provide relief from an undue burden on Americans. There is more work to be done but we should take a moment to celebrate this win for hard-working middle-class borrowers.
Federal Judge Blocks Part of Idaho Abortion Ban
On Thurs., a US district judge temporarily barred the state of Idaho from enforcing an abortion ban in medical emergencies, citing its potential violation of the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor ACT (EMTALA).
While the Idaho law includes exceptions for saving the mother's life, rape, and incest, it allowed for the prosecution of doctors when it was uncertain whether the mother would actually die.
The Biden admin. sued Idaho over the ban earlier this month, and the judge's ruling will apply as the lawsuit moves forward. EMTALA requires hospitals to provide medical care not only in life-threatening situations, but also if a person's health is at risk.
Right narrative
The ruling in Idaho is a poor interpretation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which is why the courts should eventually side with the decision made in Texas. Idaho's law is in no way a violation of federal law.
Left narrative
Though the Biden admin.'s fight to protect abortion rights isn't over, the ruling in Idaho is a big win after a wave of states tried to strip women of their most basic reproductive rights. With the temporary injunction in place, the DOJ must now prepare to further defend EMTALA in any future litigation.
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