Report: World Wasted 1B Meals a Day in 2022
According to the UN's latest Food Waste Index Report, households globally wasted 1B meals a day in 2022, or about 20% of the world's food output, at a time when approximately 800M people were in need of food assistance.
The report found that the annual cost of food loss and waste, which generated between 8% and 10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, is estimated to be worth over $1T.
Narrative A
There's a tremendous systemic global issue in the world when a third of all food is wasted in production, a third of the population suffers from food insecurity, and hundreds of millions more go hungry. Food waste also drives climate change, making it one of the "hidden" emitters. Food should be in people's stomachs, not in landfills.
Narrative B
Such studies about food waste should be treated with caution. The findings are sometimes overestimated since some food waste may be used productively, such as animal feed and compost, and the value of wasted food is frequently priced at the retail level. Better defining context and definitions are vital in the global waste discourse.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the first fully automated McDonald's will open in the United States by January 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Obama, Clinton Help Biden Raise $25M at New York Fundraiser
Former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama joined their Democratic successor, Pres. Joe Biden, at a campaign fundraiser in New York on Thursday, which reportedly raised more than $25M for Biden's re-election campaign.
The fundraiser, hosted by actress Mindy Kaling, took place at Radio City Music Hall. First Lady Jill Biden delivered remarks during the event, which featured performances by musical guests, including Queen Latifah and Lea Michele.
Democratic narrative
Momentum is swinging the Biden campaign's direction, and the Democratic incumbent has all hands on deck as he is ramping up his re-election bid. Presidents Clinton and Obama both soared to victory twice and will look to bring that same magic to Pres. Biden. Thursday's fundraiser is a sign of power and strength for the Biden-Harris campaign, which already has a major cash advantage over Donald Trump. Big-time donors and celebrities aren't abandoning the president, and the Democrats' organization and infrastructural advantage will lead Biden to victory in November.
Republican narrative
While Biden was in New York for an elaborate fundraiser, Donald Trump visited the state to attend the funeral of a fallen police officer. While the elite class believes that money is all that matters in electoral politics, Trump is showing that grassroots support is far more important. It's no surprise that out-of-touch celebrities and wealthy elites are going all out for Biden. Meanwhile, Trump has made the GOP into the party for the working-class. No amount of money could buy Biden the support and enthusiasm that the nation has for Trump.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Joe Biden will be elected to be US President in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Greece: Govt Survives No-Confidence Vote Over Train Crash
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's conservative government defeated on Thursday, 159 to 141, a no-confidence vote tabled by opposition parties over the handling of an investigation into the country's deadliest rail crash.
Given that such a motion had to be approved by an absolute majority in the 300-seat parliament, some New Democracy lawmakers would have had to support the motion, or at least abstain, for it to have passed.
Narrative A
The opposition knew beforehand that this motion was likely to fail to remove the government, as New Democracy holds an absolute majority in parliament, so the goal here was to put the prime minister and his allies in a position they wanted to avoid. Legal troubles have just started, and most Greeks now deeply distrust them.
Narrative B
One year after the Tempi train tragedy, Greece must remain united to find the truth, hold those responsible accountable, and prevent similar disasters in the future. That's why this failed no-confidence motion could do no good for the country. It's time to let justice work with due diligence in a timely manner.
Nerd narrative
There's a 1% chance that Greece will experience a successful coup d'etat before 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
ICJ Orders Israel to Address Famine in Gaza
The UN's top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), voted unanimously Thursday to order Israel to act "without delay" to enable the delivery of aid and food to Gaza.
It said, "Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine…but that famine is setting in." It noted that 31 Palestinians — 27 of them children — had already died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza.
Pro-Palestine narrative
After months of UN warnings about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israel has not acted to facilitate the entry of much-needed aid. Children are now dying of malnutrition and the UN now finds it plausible that Israel is using man-made famine as an act of war. Palestinians are currently only receiving aid dropped from planes, which is the most inefficient way to deliver supplies. Israel must act immediately to address this suffering.
Pro-Israel narrative
Israel and its military are committed to complying with international law, delivering hundreds of thousands of tons of food and tens of thousands of tons of water, among several other packages of supplies. While aid convoys have to be checked for weapons that might be delivered to Hamas, Israel has worked tirelessly to quickly screen these deliveries and bring them through Egypt and safely into Gaza.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Israel will lift the blockade on electricity, food, gasoline, and medicine in Gaza by June 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Russia's Veto Ends UN Monitoring of NKorea's Nuclear Sanctions
Russia on Thursday vetoed the renewal of a UN panel that monitors North Korea's compliance with sanctions levied on the North's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
While the 2006 sanctions remain in place, the veto disbands the panel, which was probing Russia's alleged purchase of North Korean arms for use against Ukraine.
Anti-Russia narrative
Russia's veto is a clear case of collusion. It sparks concerns over nuclear proliferation and sanctions evasion. Although it safeguards Russia's interests, it dismisses concerns for the safety of the world should North Korea violate the sanctions. An axis between Pyongyang and Moscow is something the global community must be wary of.
Pro-Russia narrative
This panel needs to end because it's no longer unbiased and instead leans toward the whims and opinions of Western countries. These same Western nations have decided to single out Russia for its opposition despite China abstaining, which effectively was a second vote to veto.
Nerd narrative
There's a 33% chance of Russian territory being reduced by at least 1% before Jan. 1, 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Comer Wants Biden to Testify in House Impeachment Probe
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chair of the US House Oversight Committee, Thursday sent a letter to Pres. Joe Biden, inviting him to publicly testify before the chamber as part of the Republican-led impeachment inquiry.
So far the inquiry into alleged access trading with foreign entities by the president and his son Hunter's businesses hasn't uncovered any evidence of wrongdoing by the elder Biden while the former US Senator and vice president was in public office.
Democratic narrative
This letter is just a continuation of the Republicans' kangaroo court disguised as an impeachment inquiry. Republicans have hit a dead end, so they're desperately creating a spectacle by calling the president to testify about something completely fabricated. If Republicans had anything on Biden they'd vote to upgrade this inquiry into a full-scale impeachment, but they haven't.
Republican narrative
Upgrading this from an inquiry to a full-scale impeachment would be useless because it would die in the Democratic-majority Senate. It's more important to keep accumulating evidence against Biden and refer the case to the Justice Department to hold the president accountable. If Biden did nothing wrong, he should clear up any discrepancies by testifying in Congress.
Nerd narrative
There's a 16% chance that Biden will be impeached by the House of Representatives, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Texas: Woman Sentenced for Voter Fraud Is Acquitted
A Texas appeals court has thrown out a five-year prison sentence that was handed down to a Texas woman, Crystal Mason, over casting an ineligible ballot in the 2016 election.
Mason was serving the end of a tax felony sentence on probation, but she claimed she didn't know she was ineligible to vote while serving the sentence. Prosecutors argued that the necessary information was included on the ballot.
Democratic narrative
This is a win for voting rights, particularly for Black voters whom Republican-led states wish to make voting harder. Several Republicans have been convicted of far more egregious voter fraud, including a Georgia GOP vice chairman who voted nine times — but unlike Mason, he was given no prison sentence, only a $5K fine. The party that claims to care about voter fraud is letting its own members off the hook while giving criminals from their team a slap on the wrist.
Republican narrative
While Democrats will try and spin this into a civil rights issue, the truth is that Ms. Mason only completed three of her five years in prison, the following two of which she was still a convicted felon and couldn't vote. Mason, who upon her release swore not to lie about her felon status, was part of a growing problem in Texas, which continued years later when the state prosecuted over 30 cases in 2018.
Nerd narrative
There is a 10% chance a state will officially submit results to the Electoral College that are different from the projected winner of that state in the 2024 presidential election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Georgia Legislature Passes Sweeping Elections Bill
The Republican-majority Georgia state legislature Thursday passed Senate Bill 189, covering several election-related issues. It now goes to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's office for his signature or veto.
The bill, which passed 101-73 in the House and 33-22 in the Senate, would allow any presidential candidate who is qualified in at least 20 other states to be on the ballot in Georgia.
Republican narrative
Despite what Democrats may say, this common-sense bill will prevent dead people from voting and restrict those who are alive from voting twice. Pres. Biden's margin of victory in the state in 2020 was extremely small, so it's important to ensure that 2024 and every election is free and fair.
Democratic narrative
Republicans know this is a voter-suppression bill and that's why they rushed it through before the close of the legislative session and before the opposition could read it. If it becomes law, it will make it more difficult for those from marginalized communities to have their voices heard.
Nerd narrative
There's a 55% chance that the Republican nominee for president in the 2024 election will win Georgia, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Israel to Send Delegation to Egypt, Qatar for Gaza Truce Talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that, after speaking with the heads of the country's top intelligence agencies, he would send a delegation to Egypt and Qatar to continue negotiations to secure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for a temporary truce and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Negotiations, which reportedly made little progress this week, come as the US and Israel increasingly focus on Gaza's post-war future. Israeli media reported on Friday that war cabinet member Gadi Eisenkot presented a proposal stressing the need to dismantle Hamas, reach a hostage deal, and establish a "Palestinian entity" to run the strip's civil affairs.
Pro-establishment narrative
Though it must go through many changes beforehand, the only viable Palestinian political entity capable of governing Gaza after the war is the PA. Everyone can agree that the PA has many issues that must be urgently fixed, namely its corruption and the weakness of its leadership. Nonetheless, Israel cannot reoccupy the Gaza Strip, as this is both logistically and morally out of the question, and a revitalized PA will have to be created to take over Gaza's civil administration at the very least.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though the US may believe that it can force the PA to "reform," the reality is the PA is simply not a partner for peace. Like Hamas, the PA supports the destruction of Israel, teaches Palestinians to hate, and lacks democratic legitimacy. The PA would be incapable of demilitarizing Gaza or deradicalizing its population, meaning that the chance that an attack like Oct. 7 could happen again remains. Indeed, Israel may as well let Hamas stay in power if it is truly considering allowing the PA to take over Gaza the day after the war.
Pro-Palestine narrative
US Pres. Joe Biden must realize what Israel and Netanyahu plan to do with Gaza after the war — change the "facts on the ground" so that Palestinians cannot return and Gaza's beachfront real estate be transformed into luxurious Israeli settlements. At best, Biden is blind to what Israel's true desires are, and, at worst, fully complicit in Gaza's ethnic cleansing. Israeli officials continue to openly say what they want to do with Gaza and the Palestinian people, yet all the US can do is express concern. These crimes must end.
Narrative D
Hezbollah and the regional resistance will only end their attacks when Israel's war in Gaza ends and it withdraws its forces. Indeed, the resistance's primary goal is to end the war in Gaza, not start a far larger regional war. Foreign powers believe they can dictate to Hezbollah how it deals with Israel's aggression and impose concessions regarding the status of Lebanon's southern border. However, Hezbollah has the leverage needed to ensure that Lebanon gains if any agreement is reached.
Nerd narrative
There's a 5% chance that the Palestinian Authority/Fatah will have de facto power in the Gaza Strip on January 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
45 Killed After South Africa Bus Crash
On Thursday, 45 people were killed in South Africa after a bus carrying worshippers to an Easter weekend celebration crashed into a bridge, plunged down a mountain pass, and burst into flames, killing everyone except a seriously injured 8-year-old girl.
The bus was traveling from Gaborone, Botswana's capital, to a popular Easter festival in Moria in the northern Limpopo province. However, the vehicle crashed on a bridge in a mountainous area near Mamatlakala, descending 164 feet (50m) into a ravine before catching fire.
Narrative A
South Africa has failed to adequately invest in road safety, leading to a national crisis and major tragedies. Much of the country’s roads — especially in rural areas — are accidents waiting to happen, so the government must immediately invest in major infrastructure improvements.
Narrative B
South Africa is doing its best to allocate its financial resources in the most effective way. In 2024, the government is prioritizing infrastructure and transportation, building up roads and other public infrastructure. However, it will take some time for South Africa to achieve its ambitious infrastructure goals, which will help to prevent tragic accidents in the future.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that South Africa’s GDP per capita (PPP) will be more than $12.3K (in constant 2017 USD) in 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.