Narrative A

AI developers tout the need for safety regulations for good publicity before turning around and stifling any attempt to have it come to fruition. A well-funded group of developers and investors have spread misinformation and fear about the bill in order to shield themselves from the harms of their products and rake in cash without any oversight. This bill is full of common-sense provisions that are popular amongst researchers and the public and are necessary to mitigate the long-term harms of AI.

Narrative B

If SB 1047 passes, regulations will snuff out the AI industry in the US and allow countries like China to dominate the AI sphere. This bill is based almost entirely on hypothetical, worst-case scenario harms that will never materialize and rely more on fear than sound reasoning. The bill's liability clauses could penalize everyone who does any work with AI and end development entirely. We need rational regulation made on a national level in consultation with business leaders.

Nerd narrative

There is a 50% chance that concern about AI goes mainstream in the US by 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Pro-establishment narrative

The Taliban are silencing women and girls, confining them to homes, and robbing them of their futures. They have effectively turned women into ghosts within their own country. This systematic erasure threatens to leave a generation of women in darkness.

Establishment-critical narrative

The UN and other global actors have been complicit in erasing Afghan women from crucial discussions about their country's future. They are repeating past mistakes to appease the Taliban and legitimize policies that have virtually erased women from public life.

Nerd narrative

There's a 57% chance that Afghanistan will experience a successful coup d'etat before 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Pro-establishment narrative

That New Zealand has finally approved the US extradition request for Dotcom is a victory for justice and underlines the independence of the country's legal system. The flamboyant internet fraudster was the architect of a vast criminal enterprise, as indicated by the previous guilty pleas of two of his associates. With the New Zealand Ministry of Justice's decision, the largest copyright trial in US history is now set for a happy ending, and the case proves that there is no hiding from the long arm of US jurisdiction.

Establishment-critical narrative

The witch hunt against Dotcom proves that he is right in calling New Zealand a US colony. Similarly to the Assange case, the US is trying to punish the internet mogul for standing up for freedom of expression and using his popularity to criticize the corrupt and hypocritical US empire openly. Now, the entrepreneur is facing extradition to a country he has never set foot in, and where he can't expect a fair trial. The case is politically motivated, marking the latest example of the US justice system's bankruptcy.

Nerd narrative

There's an 80% chance that Freedom House will report that internet freedom has declined every year until 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Republican narrative

With the media refusing to hold Harris's socialist ideas and hollow policy agenda to account, Trump's campaign is bringing in savvy veterans with track records of defeating America's left-wing elite. With Trump once again up against the establishment machine, the GOP is wise to seek the support of those who know how to win.

Democratic narrative

This desperate decision to bring Lewandowski and other Trump lackeys back into the fold is a testament to Harris's continued momentum and the GOP's stuttering campaign. Hiring Lewandowski shows Trump remains set on ignoring internal advice to focus on policy and instead will double down on vulgar attacks against the Democratic ticket.

Nerd narrative

There's a 55% chance that Kamala Harris will be elected US president in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Narrative A

In a misguided attempt to prioritize diversity over competence, Cheatle's woke initiatives have potentially compromised the agency's core mission. Her focus on recruiting at Pride events, hosting pronoun seminars, and lowering physical standards for female agents have raised concerns about the agency's effectiveness. This has endangered those the Secret Service is meant to protect.

Narrative B

The criticism of female Secret Service agents in recent weeks has been both unfounded and sexist. They have demonstrated exceptional physical prowess and skill, often outperforming males. From protecting Abraham Lincoln to saving Ronald Reagan's life, females have long successfully contributed to presidential security. These recent attacks disregard that history.

Nerd narrative

There's a 28% chance that the next assassination of a sitting US president will occur after Jan. 1, 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Narrative A

The comet theory was understandable given the prevalence of carbonaceous chondrites in long-period comets, but the discovery of ruthenium proves it was more likely to have been an outer Solar System asteroid. The rocks from the impact site were from C-type asteroids, while most of the others were S-type, which are from the inner Solar System.

Narrative B

While scientists appear to have finally found the cause of the dinosaur's abrupt extinction, the species was likely on its way out — albeit at a slower rate — without the help of a celestial attack. At the time, the Earth was cooling, thus turning widespread tropical climates into a less vegetative climate. Dinosaurs, like most species throughout Earth's history, were slowly losing their food source.

Pro-establishment narrative

The US and its allies are confident that after some tough negotiating, a deal between Israel and Hamas can be reached. A guaranteed end to the war will ensure increased humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, release Israeli hostages, and create a better "day after" in Gaza without Hamas in power. The US will continue to work toward closing the gaps and ensuring that peace and stability can be restored to the region.

Pro-Israel narrative

Though Israel will do what it must to free those taken hostage in Gaza, it cannot rush into a deal that creates a lifeline for Hamas. Israel faces an entire network of Iranian-backed terror and must act wisely to gain as much as it can in negotiations with Hamas while avoiding full-scale regional escalation. Israel may have to make some tough, but necessary, concessions to ensure the release of the hostages and prevent further instability.

Pro-Palestine narrative

There is no indication that a cease-fire is on the horizon. Netanyahu has consistently sought to escalate the situation and prolong his political career. Israel's killing of Ismail Haniyeh was clearly a move to further complicate cease-fire negotiations and provoke an Iranian retaliation. The US has supported Israel every step of the way, including in its genocidal campaign in Gaza.

Democratic narrative

Harris is not latching herself to either side of the traditional economic debate but rather offering a nuanced approach focused on the middle and working class. While she believes in using the government to fight corporate greed, she also understands the need to cut the red tape that holds average citizens back from starting a business. And while she understands the need for innovation, she won't let companies overprice their products to the detriment of the consumer.

Republican narrative

When Kamala says she'll fight against "price gouging," what she really means is using the government to fix prices — one of the most illogical economic ideas ever invented. Prices naturally go up and down, whether at a large or small business and often to ensure goods don't run out when they're in short supply. If Harris gets her way, her price-fixing policy will prove ineffective against corporations while sending small businesses into bankruptcy.

Left narrative

This is pure nepotism, and Pheu Thai is nothing but a mouthpiece for Thaksin. The royalist courts dissolved the country's popular progressive opposition before parliament appointed an inexperienced figurehead to helm the nation in an arrangement that was surely forged in a smoke-filled room. The establishment cannot ignore the voice of Thai voters forever.

Right narrative

In a country hungry for change, Pheu Thai has struck a middle path between the status quo and the radically progressive agenda of groups such as Move Forward. The fact that there was consensus around a member of the Shinawatra family, which has never had a good relationship with the establishment, points to the potential of prudent government and compromise, and will hopefully bring stability to Thailand.