WHO Declares Mpox Outbreak a Global Health Emergency
Amid the rapid spread of a strain of the mpox virus, formerly known as monkeypox, across Central Africa, the World Health Organization declared an international health emergency on Wednesday — the second time in two years.
This comes as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared its first-ever public health emergency as the highly contagious disease from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spread to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda.
Narrative A
The latest strain of the mpox virus has quickly spread across at least 13 Central African nations. This outbreak demands urgent global action to avoid a worsening crisis. By declaring the mpox outbreak a public health emergency, the resources needed to effectively address and prevent the virus from spreading further can be mobilized.
Narrative B
While a new strain of mpox is spreading in Africa, the American public is less aware and fearful of it than in 2022. The majority of US adults know that individuals exposed to mpox can receive a vaccination for people with risk factors and to help prevent its spread. This is no cause for alarm.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the worldwide number of confirmed monkeypox (mpox) infections will be at least 6.7K in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Harris Campaign Says it was Targeted by Hackers
US Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign for president Tuesday said that it was informed by the FBI that it was the target of a "foreign actor influence operation," adding that it didn't seem to have suffered any "security breaches."
The FBI said these efforts date back to before Pres. Joe Biden withdrew from the race. They come on the heels of former Pres. Donald Trump's campaign saying it was the victim of a suspected Iranian hack.
Pro-establishment narrative
Right or left, everyone must take a stand against foreign election interference. These attempts span from the dissemination of fake news to hacking, and are intended to weaken the US and sow chaos. Countries like Iran must face consequences for these shameless attempts to undermine Washington's electoral system.
Establishment-critical narrative
The US is the world's biggest election interferer, and its pontificating about foreign interference is meant to distract from its misdeeds abroad. The US openly speaks of regime change in countries that don't toe the Washington line, with Iran being one of its biggest targets, historically. The US should stop its hypocrisy and stay out of other countries' business.
Bangladesh's Ousted PM Charged With Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity
A case was filed against former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and eight others, including former ministers, at the country's International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide.
This comes as at least 400 people have been killed during weeks of anti-government student protests that broke out in July and culminated in her resignation and fleeing to India on Aug. 5, after 15 years in office.
Narrative A
Hasina has tacitly confessed to being a criminal when she cowardly decided to flee — or was smuggled — to India once it was clear that her autocratic rule had come to an end. The former prime minister will have much to explain upon her possible return to Bangladesh — and she will have to pay for her crimes.
Narrative B
Agitators and terrorists have plunged Bangladesh into chaos only to put the blame on Hasina and initiate several politically motivated cases against her and other innocent top officials. This persecution is all too reminiscent of the sacrifices her family — and other martyrs — have had to make for the country.
Nerd narrative
There's a 10% chance that Sheikh Hasina will get asylum in the United Kingdom before October 1, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Arrest Warrant Issued for Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage Suspect
It has been reported that Germany in June issued a warrant for the arrest of Ukrainian diving instructor Vladimir Zhuravlev in connection with the September 2022 sabotaging of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines.
Authorities used traffic cameras to identify Zhuravlev's Ukrainian license plate in Germany, though he was in Poland at the time. Since Germany didn't put his name into a law enforcement database, Polish authorities couldn't apprehend him before he fled home to Ukraine.
Pro-establishment narrative
This warrant likely substantiates past theories about a joint operation between Ukrainian officials and a private group. Last year, a Ukrainian special forces officer — in defiance of Pres. Zelenskyy — was found to have coordinated a scheme to rent a boat and send divers to blow up the pipeline. Now that these individuals are being tracked down, the Nord Stream mystery will hopefully be solved.
Establishment-critical narrative
This is a further cover-up of the fact that the US government was most likely behind the attack. Over two years ago now, sources close to the government's plan confirmed that US Navy divers conducted the sabotage. This was at the behest of Pres. Biden's National Security Advisor, who ordered the military and CIA to draw up a plan to destroy the pipelines even before Russia invaded Ukraine.
Minnesota: Omar Staves Off Primary Challenge
US Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota on Tuesday defeated a second straight primary challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels and will seek her fourth term in Congress in the general election in November.
In a four-person race in the state's 5th District, Omar garnered more than 67K votes (56%), with 99% of the vote counted. Samuels finished second with 43% of the votes.
Democratic narrative
Omar may buck the Democratic Party line on some issues, but in the bigger picture, she's a progressive who delivers policies that benefit her constituents, including abortion protections that are under attack from Republicans. Omar's popularity showed up in her fundraising and endorsements from prominent Democrats who know it's important to keep her in Congress.
Republican narrative
What Omar's victory proves is that there's no longer a difference between the Democratic Party and the radical far left. Omar's fundraising and endorsements prove the strength of the far-left and anti-Israel factions in the party — elements that will destroy America if allowed.
Nerd narrative
There's a 49% chance that Republicans will win control of the US House in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Japan: PM Fumio Kishida to Resign in September
On Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he would step down and not seek re-election as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) next month. The head of the party with the most seats in parliament is the head of government in Japan.
At a press conference in Tokyo, Kishida said he made this "heavy decision" to allow the public to have "transparent and open elections" and to show that "the LDP has changed."
Narrative A
Kishida had been a dead man walking for quite some time. Slush fund scandals, a sliding yen, rising living costs, the LDP's ties to the scandal-hit Unification Church, unexpected recession, and ballooning debt levels have all fueled mistrust in his leadership. The LDP may deflect rising criticism to maintain its grip on power, but regardless of who its leader is, the party's nature will remain the same — the public must not fall for it.
Narrative B
Kishida's decision is regrettable. He pushed through Japan's biggest wage increases in decades, led Japan out of COVID with massive stimulus spending, revised a law to establish a support fund for children to fix the country's low birth rate, and propelled the Nikkei stock average to reach its highest level in nearly 34 years. Despite his departure, his three-year achievements — a testament to his dedication and service to the nation — will remain.
Narrative C
With unfavorable circumstances around him, Kishida probably had no choice but to step down and resurrect the party as well as the world's fourth-largest economy. However, the issues that troubled him haven't gone away with him. It will be very difficult to revive support for the LDP, and even if the LDP wins the next general election, the new prime minister may be hard-pressed to meet the nation's concerns without alienating a disgruntled electorate.
Narrative D
In a moment of pronounced geopolitical uncertainty, Kishida's resignation could have significant implications for Japan's security and defense strategies. His leadership saw Tokyo embark on its most significant military buildup since WWII, deterring China from its aggressive territorial ambitions. He also mended ties with South Korea and built a network of security alliances across the Indo-Pacific region. It remains to be seen whether the new administration will continue this trend.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the LDP will lose its status as largest party in the House of Representatives of Japan by 2043, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Thailand: Paetongtarn Shinawatra Nominated to Replace Ousted PM
In a 5-4 ruling, Thailand's Constitutional Court voted Wednesday to remove Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from his office over ethics violations concerning his appointment of ex-convict Pichit Chueban as cabinet minister.
Pichit was jailed in 2008 for trying to bribe Supreme Court officials, and was appointed to Srettha's cabinet in April this year. A petition by 40 senators consequently accused the appointment of breaching the office's ethical standards.
Narrative A
The court's decision to remove Srettha is a surprise to many who expected the former PM to be declared innocent after a minor wrongdoing. It is likely that, after an underwhelming start to his premiership and a stuttering economy, the political novice did not achieve enough to prove to the country's royal establishment that he was fit to continue.
Narrative B
Recent decisions by Thailand's Constitutional Court have once again exposed a great power imbalance rooted deep within the state. With Thailand now possessing neither a government nor an opposition, it is clearer than ever that the Constitutional Court's influence over the country must be limited if the interests of the people are to be truly represented.
Nerd narrative
There's a 2% chance that Thailand will experience a civil war before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
US Inflation Rate Slows to 2.9%
The US Labor Department on Wednesday reported that the consumer price index (CPI), a broad-based measure of prices for goods and services, increased by 0.2% for July, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 2.9% — the lowest it's been since April 2021.
The core CPI registered a 0.2% monthly increase and 3.2% annual rate when food and energy were excluded.
Democratic narrative
Democratic policies to relieve American families from the burden of inflation are working, but not everything will be fixed overnight. There's still a lot of work to do to bring relief to all Americans and there are several actions, including cracking down on corporate price gouging, that can be taken in order to completely vanquish inflation.
Republican narrative
The Biden-Harris administration, and Democrats across the country, may want to pass this modest news off as some sort of victory, but the American people are still losing. The cost of goods and services has increased by more than 5% since Biden took office, and very little has been done to relieve the pressure on consumers.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the average inflation in the US from January 2022 to December 2024 will be at least 4.18%, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Google Launches Gemini Live AI Products
Google on Tuesday launched its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Gemini Live, which can have "in-depth" conversations with users through a collection of 10 new "natural-sounding voices." It’s currently only compatible with Android but will be on iOS devices and in other languages besides English later this year.
During the company's live demo presentation, Google devices chief Rick Osterloh said that while currently it can be used for daily tasks — including creating grocery lists or checking Google calendars — it will eventually be able to assist in deep learning.
Narrative A
Google's technology isn't quite perfect yet, but this demo launch proves that Gemini Live is going to be a serious competitor in the AI race. Not only does it offer detailed, accurate answers to almost any question, it can do it on all mobile devices while sounding just like a human personal assistant.
Narrative B
This demo launch doesn't erase Google's past growing pains and doubts about whether the company is ready to launch new products. Google seems to be rushing products to market in an effort to catch up in the AI race, while throwing safety to the side of the road.