North Korea to Partially Reopen to Tourists After 5 Years
After nearly five years of border closures due to the COVID pandemic, North Korea will gradually resume tourism. Foreign tourists will have the opportunity to visit Samjiyon in December, as reported by two China-based travel companies on Wednesday.
Following stalled imports and worsening food shortages due to both border closures and international sanctions, North Korea’s restrictions started to ease up in the middle of last year.
Pro-North Korea narrative
Although no official statement has confirmed a full reopening plan, this news is consistent with Pyongyang's aspirations. The North took an appropriately cautious approach to manage the pandemic but is now ready to relaunch international tourism. Kim Jong Un has also outlined plans to reconstruct the airport, turn a military ski base into a ski resort, and build railways, hotels, and other amenities — ambitions that could see the nation become a top tourist destination.
Anti-North Korea Narrative
Any news from North Korea should be approached with caution. In reality, its goal of reinvigorating the tourism industry by December is likely too lofty to achieve in a few months, and it's unlikely that Samjiyon is ready to welcome tourists in any larger numbers. What will probably happen is a resumption of the status quo, which is a few groups of Chinese and Russian visitors.
Nerd narrative
There is a 6% chance there will be a major famine in North Korea before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Columbia University President Resigns Over Gaza Protests
Columbia University president Minouche Shafik resigned Wednesday, citing the "considerable toll" on her and her family after she received sustained criticism — in addition to "threats and abuse" — for her handling of the Gaza protests that broke out on campus.
Shafik, the third Ivy League president to step down over the protests, was criticized by pro-Israel and pro-Palestine factions alike. On the one hand, for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students, and on the other hand, for allowing officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) to enter the campus in order to break up the student encampments, leading to hundreds of arrests.
Narrative A
Shafik fell short of her responsibilities as president of Columbia, particularly in failing to protect Jewish students and stop the spread of antisemitism on campus. Among her sins was saying that a slogan that calls for the extermination of Jews was not a breach of university policy. She had to be replaced.
Narrative B
After Shafik allowed the NYPD on campus — leading to dozens of arrests, as well as many students getting bloodied and battered — she thanked the police for their "professionalism." This was a betrayal of her students that rendered her position at the university unsustainable. She had to go.
Nerd narrative
There's a 5% chance that an Israel-Hamas conflict ceasefire lasting at least 30 days will be agreed to before Nov. 5, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons Opposes Trans Treatment for Minors
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has become the first major US medical association to publicly announce that it "has not endorsed any organization’s practice recommendations for the treatment of adolescents with gender dysphoria."
The 11K-member ASPS, representing about 90% of the field in the US and Canada, has now gone against the pro-medical treatment stance of other major medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Medical Association (AMA).
Right narrative
It's vital that prominent groups such as the ASPS confront the experimental transgender youth medical industry. The so-called doctors behind this movement take perfectly healthy children, some as young as six and often with autism or other mental issues, and perform risky and irreversible procedures without exploring alternative routes. Doctors and ordinary individuals alike must take a stand to protect the most vulnerable.
Left narrative
Despite claims from the anti-LGBTQ+ side, liberal-minded people are following the science on this issue as much as anyone. As more evidence emerges, public officials have decided to delay surgeries for minors while retaining their right to transition through other means. Such medical procedures are also very rare, which is why we shouldn't allow this debate to blur the lines between surgery and the myriad of other gender-affirming treatments.
Progressive narrative
While it's true that gender-affirming surgery for minors is rare, that doesn't mean it should be banned. This is a highly complex issue with unique circumstances affecting each case, which is why each treatment plan must be made on a case-by-case basis. Most nationally recognized medical associations still support all gender-affirming treatment, and they shouldn't cower in the face of right-wing attacks.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that at least 13.1% of American adults will identify as LGBTQ in 2070, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
South Korea Seeks Dialogue, Cooperation with North
In a speech on Thursday to mark the end of Japanese rule over the Korean peninsula, South Korean Pres. Yoon Suk Yeol called for a working-level dialogue consultative body to ease tensions with North Korea.
In his speech, Yoon outlined his "freedom-based unification" vision with North Korea and said he would begin political and economic cooperation if Pyongyang "takes just one step" toward denuclearization.
Narrative A
Yoon proposes unification by absorption, not by uniting two equals. His "vision" primarily focuses on challenging and inducing change within the Kim Jong Un regime and influencing North Koreans. It's a plot to consolidate his pro-Japan, pro-US, ultra-right forces and instigate war with Pyongyang.
Narrative B
North Korea insults Yoon and threatens to annihilate South Korea. Yet, the South Korean president is reaching out to his neighbor to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges to create a free and unified Korean Peninsula, which would ultimately end the misery and despair of the North Korean people.
Narrative C
Yoon's offer isn't feasible under current realities. Locked in acute confrontation, liberal South Korea and totalitarian North Korea don't share the same culture, language, identity, and history — preconditions for reunification. Seoul and Pyongyang would be better off peacefully coexisting as separate political entities.
Nerd narrative
There's an 8% chance that North Korea and South Korea will be recognized as a unified sovereign state by 2045, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Biden Administration Announces First Medicare-Negotiated Drug Prices
On Thursday, the Biden administration revealed new prices negotiated between Medicare and pharmaceutical companies for 10 common medications used by older Americans, including widely used blood thinners and arthritis medications.
The list of drugs includes Eliquis, which is used by nearly 4M Medicare enrollees for the treatment and prevention of blood clots; Jardiance, which is for heart failure, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease and is used by more than 1.5M enrollees; and Xarelto, another blood clot medication that's used by more than 1.3M enrollees.
Democratic narrative
Finally, the US has joined the rest of the world and negotiated the prices of several medications. Now the users of these medications won't have to decide between paying the highest prices in the world for their drugs and paying for their families' basic needs. It's telling that pharmaceutical companies who are suing the government are also negotiating with the administration — even they know this is the best policy for all involved.
Republican narrative
This program has already failed. In order to ease the burden of rising premiums that have resulted from the lowering of drug prices, the Biden administration is misusing taxpayer money. This is a blatant political move to pretend this plan is working and quell voters' concerns a few months before the election. This plan won't withstand the scrutiny of the courts.
Five Arrested in Connection to Matthew Perry's Death
Five people were arrested and charged on Thursday in connection with the months-long investigation into the death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry last year from "acute effects" of ketamine.
Three of them, including his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and Dr. Mark Chavez, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, and two others — Jasveen Sangha, alias "The Ketamine Queen," and Dr. Salvador Plasencia — were set to be arraigned later on Thursday.
Narrative A
Despite last year's fatal overdose of Matthew Perry triggering panic at infusion centers in Los Angeles and prompting safety worries among patients, this tragedy has actually nothing to do with ketamine medical treatment.
Narrative B
The FDA approved ketamine as a general anesthetic in 1970, so it would be odd to deny that this drug can be safe and even highly effective if used under careful medical supervision. The death of Matthew Perry, however, demonstrates the risks of individuals using ketamine at home and alone.
Study: Stonehenge Altar Stone Came From Scotland, Not Wales
A new study published in the journal Nature has found that the Altar Stone at England's historic Stonehenge site came from the "Orcadian Basin in north-east Scotland" about 800km (497 miles) away. This opposes the century-old theory that it came from Wales.
The new theory was made after scientists discovered the altar was made of Old Red Sandstone. This is the last time the stone fragments can be touched given that Stone Henge is a World Heritage Site.
Narrative A
Through remarkable chemical analysis, these researchers have blown to bits a theory that was held for a hundred years. This also proves that the Altar Stone — one of the most famous rocks in the world — was carried even further than previously thought. With this debate settled, the next step is to pinpoint exactly where it came from in Northern Scotland.
Narrative B
While it appears this Altar Stone mystery has been solved, the origins of other Stonehenge rocks, and whether they were brought by humans, is still up for debate. Strong evidence has been provided to argue on behalf of human transport, but rocks from glaciers have also been identified. Humans and Mother Nature may have worked together to build this historical landmark.
UK Riots: Multiple People Arrested for Social Media Posts
A British woman Wednesday was sentenced to 15 months in prison over a Facebook comment in which she said mosques shouldn't be protected and should be "blown up." This comes amid a wave of arrests over social media use in the UK in the aftermath of the stabbing of three girls in Southport and subsequent protests and riots.
In July, three British children were stabbed to death by a British native of Rwandan descent. After that ignited protests and riots, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new initiative made up of specialist officers to address the demonstrations against immigrant communities.
Pro-establishment narrative
The UK's dark underbelly of racism has been raging out of control, so obviously the government must prosecute those behind any violence to the full extent of the law. Arrests alone, however, won't solve the social problems that plague UK society. In addition to incarcerating those who engage in anti-immigrant and violent behavior, the UK must invest time and resources into educating Brits while promoting empathy and tolerance toward immigrant communities.
Establishment-critical narrative
This is the UK’s two-tiered justice system on full display, as the government callously cracks down on disaffected British patriots and turns a blind eye to migrant crime. For decades, the British people have voiced their concerns over an unending wave of immigration that has led to a massive rise in violent crime. Instead of listening to its citizens, the government has criminalized dissent.