Iran Protests: 1K People Charged Over Unrest in Tehran
On Monday, the Iranian judiciary announced that it has indicted over 1K people arrested during the seven-week-long protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's death in police custody. The Tasmin news agency reported that they were indicted on charges of carrying out acts of sabotage. Trials are expected to take place this week.
Chief Justice Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei urged an end to the protests on Sunday, deeming them "riots." He also claimed that those supporting demonstrations also fund terrorists, such as those who perpetrated last Wednesday's attack on the shrine in Shiraz in which 13 people died.
Protests persisted on Sunday, with rallies documented at universities in Tehran and in Sanandaj, the capital of the province of Kurdistan. They came despite Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on Saturday stating that it would be, "the last day of the riots."
Pro-Iran narrative
This unrest is the result of long term planning by the American regime with the support of other enemies of Iran, including Saudi Arabia and Israel — the tragic but natural death of Mahsa Amini is serving as a pretext for this terrorist alliance's ultimate goal of destroying the Islamic Republic. The riots have failed miserably to achieve their malicious purposes, having instead cost the lives of security personnel and innocent civilians.
Anti-Iran narrative
This is the most powerful and sustained Iranian protest in a generation and, significantly, it is led by women. The terrified Iranian regime has begun a deadly crackdown against protesters because they know that, if women can successfully emancipate themselves from the patriarchy-reliant government, the current administration will cease to exist. Although it faces challenges, we can only hope the movement prevails.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Iran will cease to be an Islamic Republic by April 2038, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: Russia Recruiting US-Trained Afghan Commandos
The Associated Press reported Monday that Russia is recruiting former Afghan special forces — who were allied with US troops in Afghanistan and fled to Iran following the US withdrawal — to fight in Ukraine.
According to three former Afghan generals, Moscow aims to enlist thousands of members of the elite former US-trained National Army Commando Corps in a "foreign legion." The ex-servicemen — trained by US Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets — are reportedly offered a monthly payment of $1.5K and security to avoid deportation to Afghanistan.
The elite unit consisted of about 20-30K volunteer troops who faced persecution after the US troops left Afghanistan and the Taliban regained control. While a few hundred high-ranking officials were evacuated during the withdrawal, many others fled to neighboring countries.
Establishment-critical narrative
The fact that former elite Afghan soldiers could end up fighting alongside Russia in the Ukrainian war is a remarkable irony in history. Washington only has itself to blame for this turn of events, having abandoned tens of thousands of Afghan US-trained soldiers after twenty years of war. Not for the first time, Washington's misguided military ventures could end up turning against the US itself.
Pro-establishment narrative
The fact that Russia is recruiting Afghan mercenaries shows one thing above all Russia is incapable of bringing Ukraine to its knees. Therefore, it's not surprising that Wagner recruited prison inmates to fight on the front lines. Given the incompetence of the Russian army and the declining morale among Wagner's troops, it's wishful thinking to believe that Afghan mercenaries will make any difference.
Day 251 Roundup: UN Watchdog Visits Sites of Russia's Dirty Bomb Allegations; Ukraine Grapples with Power Outages
On Tuesday, experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — the UN's nuclear watchdog — began inspecting two sites in Ukraine at the center of "dirty bomb" allegations leveled by officials in Moscow. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the inspections would be completed soon. The IAEA are visiting the sites at Kyiv's invitation, and Ukrainian and Western officials have widely dismissed Russia's allegations.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to grapple with power outages in many parts of the country after a fresh round of Russian strikes on the nation's energy infrastructure on Monday. According to the Ukrainian government, Russia has destroyed about 40% of the country's energy infrastructure, affecting a total of 16 regions.
As a result of Monday's strikes, Ukrainian officials said five civilians were killed and nine more were injured — reports say four people were killed and three more were injured in Donetsk, one was killed and five were injured in Mykolaiv, and one person was injured in Kharkiv. Officials added that the body of a civilian who'd been killed earlier was also discovered in Donetsk.
Pro-establishment narrative
Russia's allegations of a "dirty bomb" are transparently false. The claims are a ploy being utilized by the Kremlin to justify a drastic escalation of the war.
Pro-Russia narrative
Russia has collected evidence to back up its claims that Ukraine is plotting a dirty bomb, which it is prepared to provide to Western countries. These allegations must be taken seriously.
Nerd narrative
There's a 3% chance that at least one nuclear weapon will be detonated in Ukraine Before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
US Midterms: Biden Heads to Florida for Campaign Push
Pres. Biden is traveling to Florida on Tuesday, just a week before the 2022 midterms. He'll hold an event at Hallandale Beach to speak about Social Security and Medicare and will attend a campaign event at Miami Gardens.
He's planning to campaign for Charlie Crist, the Democratic nominee for governor, as well as Rep. Val Demings, who is challenging Republican Sen. Marco Rubio. Former president Trump is also expected to campaign for Rubio this week in Miami.
Biden is expected to include taxpayer-funded remarks, with the White House stating that he will highlight Republicans' "very different vision" for America. The White House has also revealed that Biden will emphasize the GOP proposals related to older Americans, such as raising the retirement age.
Democratic narrative
The Biden administration views Florida as the perfect political backdrop to frame the midterms as a choice between "extreme MAGA Republicans" and Democrats. The trip is also an important opportunity to size up a potential 2024 rival in DeSantis as Biden looks to solidify his own position as the incumbent Democratic nominee.
Republican narrative
So far, Biden has been missing in battleground states such as Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada. This could be due to his low approval ratings or simply because he cannot handle the campaigning at his age. Clearly, Biden is a liability to his own party — otherwise, he would be stumping where it matters at this vital time.
Nerd narrative
There's an 11% chance that Joe Biden will announce that he will not run for president in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Elon Musk Fires Twitter Board
According to a Monday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Elon Musk has fired Twitter's entire board of directors, making himself its sole director.
The dismissal of the nine-member board — which comes less than a week after Musk finalized his $44B takeover — includes chairman Bret Taylor and former Google CFO Patrick Pichette.
Last week, Musk fired Twitter's former CEO, Parag Agrawal, and other top company officials, who were reportedly escorted out of Twitter headquarters by company security.
Right narrative
Musk's acquisition is a real opportunity for Twitter to become free of biased censorship. With the billionaire entrepreneur at the helm, he can retain the general code of conduct to fight deceitful foreign influences while also allowing the marketplace of ideas to flourish, freeing it from nefarious "fact checkers."
Left narrative
While billionaires like Elon Musk may have the money to buy and influence social media platforms, they don't possess the character to manage them properly. Musk's Twitter history reveals an erratic personality with the potential to vastly alter the market with a single tweet simply to advance his own interest. With Twitter set to have no barriers to what can or cannot be said, the app is looking like a disaster waiting to happen.
Narrative C
The real concern regarding Twitter's workings is the Saudi Prince's financial stake in the company. Owning over 16% of the platform gives the authoritarian leader access to sensitive user data, which could have serious personal and national security implications. An investigation must be opened.
Tokyo Issues Same-Sex Partnership Certificates
On Tuesday, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government began issuing certificates recognizing the partnerships of same-sex couples. This makes Tokyo the largest municipality to recognize partnerships in a country where same-sex marriage hasn't been legalized.
The certificates don't provide equal rights as with a heterosexual marriage — and aren't legally binding — but they do allow same-sex couples to receive recognition and be treated as married couples for some services such as public housing, health, and insurance benefits.
The Tokyo Partnership Oath System will issue the certificates. The benefits don't cover inheritance, custody or residence rights, tax deductions, or in-law benefits.
Narrative A
While this is a win, there's much more work to be done for LGBTQ+ communities in Japan. Japan needs to step up and provide protections just as the other members of the G7 do. The overall lack of recognition reverberates through the country and leads to a lack of inclusivity.
Narrative B
Japan is overall moving in the correct direction, even though it's at a slow and methodical pace. With nudging from the international community, including the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, legal rulings are — one by one — catching up to the will of the Japanese people when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights.
Biden Condemns Oil, Gas 'War Profiteering;' Threatens Windfall Tax
On Monday, US Pres. Biden called on oil and gas companies to invest their profits in lowering costs at the pump and increasing production or risk facing a higher tax rate. This comes a week before the US midterm elections, with Republicans reportedly favored to win a House majority, while the Senate is a close race.
In a speech from the White House, Biden took aim at five of the biggest oil companies that have reportedly seen earnings soar as oil and gasoline prices surged this year — an "outrageous" advantage Biden says stems from the war in Ukraine.
Biden accused the oil giants of war profiteering, saying the oil companies' "record profits today are not because they're doing something new or innovative. The profits are a windfall of war."
Republican narrative
This latest move to bully corporations is nothing more than a desperate attempt to salvage the midterm elections. Biden's proposal of yet another dangerous policy will only increase energy prices and energy poverty while making America more reliant on foreign countries for its daily energy needs.
Democratic narrative
Biden is right to threaten energy companies that are driven by unadorned greed. While the average American struggles to make ends meet, oil and gas companies have taken advantage of the oil scarcity and racked up huge profits, and it's time this ends. Windfall taxes would ensure excess oil profits go back to help the Americans who are getting ripped off at the pump.
Algeria Hosts First Arab League Summit in 2 Years
Leaders from across the Arab world met in Algeria on Tuesday for the 31st summit of the Arab League as the region battles to find common ground over a series of divisive issues amid rising inflation, energy and food shortages, and drought.
The Palestinian cause, relations with Turkey and Iran, normalization with the Syrian government, and tensions between Algeria and Morocco are all expected to be on the agenda for the first summit since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic.
While normalization with Israel allegedly violates the core commitments of the Arab League, a condemnation is unlikely as influential states have supported it. This summit is also set to discuss other issues, including the conflict in Yemen and Libya's political disorder.
Pro-Palestine narrative
This Arab Summit is a great opportunity to put the Palestinian cause on center stage for the Arab world. Though some countries in the region seek to serve their own interests by normalizing with Israel, the Palestinian cause is the fundamental objective of the Arab people, and it will continue to play an essential role in the hearts and minds of Arabs across the region. The summit might not deter normalization, but at least the Arab world may be more united in confronting Israel.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though the Arab League's summit may give Algeria some extra points within the Arab world, it will change little regarding the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Normalization is a reality that countries like Algeria and Syria cannot stand up against. Political unity among the governments of the Arab world simply doesn't exist, and this summit will likely not change that.
Federal Judge Blocks Massive Publisher Merger
On Monday, Penguin Random House’s proposed purchase of rival Simon & Schuster was blocked. US District Court Judge Florence Y. Pan announced that she agreed with the US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) that combining two of the world’s largest publishers would “lessen competition” for “top-selling books.”
Pan’s ruling will remain sealed until Friday to protect confidential information and get feedback from both sides of the case on what details should be redacted.
Assistant DOJ Attorney General Jonathan Kanter celebrated the decision, which he said "protects vital competition for books and is a victory for authors, readers, and the free exchange of ideas.” He added, “The proposed merger would have reduced competition...and ultimately impoverished our democracy."
Narrative A
The DOJ has had some setbacks in its attempt to ensure a fair and competitive marketplace across industries, but this is a solid victory. The federal government can only hope it can convince other judges to break with precedent and make decisions that’ll wisely enforce antitrust laws and limit future consolidation attempts by companies. This is a win against rampant mergers and acquisitions that hurt consumers in the end.
Narrative B
The DOJ shouldn’t get too carried away celebrating this win. There are still several other cases working their way through the courts, and the government will need to convince business-friendly federal judges. Look for more consolidation attempts as companies continue to view the DOJ as a paper tiger while assessing the benefits of corporate mergers.
Jan. 6: Meadows' Challenge to Subpoena Dismissed
On Monday, a federal judge blocked two lawsuits from Mark Meadows — former Pres. Trump's last chief of staff — challenging subpoenas from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots.
The committee subpoenaed Meadows and his phone provider for documents and testimony in September 2021. He filed suit in December 2021, challenging the committee’s legitimacy based on it having fewer members than were originally authorized, and because none of them were nominated by the GOP.
US District Judge Carl Nichols ruled the committee is protected by the Speech or Debate Clause of the Constitution because Meadows’ contact with Trump on Jan. 6 made him a subject of the investigation.
Pro-Trump narrative
The Jan. 6 committee is out of touch with reality, and its existence is an overreaction to what was for the most part a legitimate protest of questionable election results. Meadows’ correspondence hasn’t been immune to the committee’s distortion of the facts and evidence, and no one should be compelled to cooperate with this illegitimate body.
Democratic narrative
Allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election are baseless. Meadows was deeply involved in Trump’s anti-democratic plan to overturn the results of the election, and his full cooperation, including testimony, must be obtained to get to the bottom of what happened before and on Jan. 6. His lawsuits are just his way of running out the clock until the GOP possibly takes over the House majority and disbands the committee.