16 September 2025

Daily Newsletter

Appeals Court Halts Trump's Push to Fire Fed Governor Cook

The Facts

  • A federal appeals court Monday ruled against the Trump administration's continued attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over allegations that she committed mortgage fraud. The administration said it would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • Cook has been under scrutiny since Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte accused her of mortgage fraud, claiming she listed both an Atlanta property and a home in Ann Arbor, Mich., as primary residences simultaneously. He submitted a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

  • But several media outlets reported that a loan estimate dated May 28, 2021, shows Cook declared her Atlanta condominium as a "vacation home" rather than her primary residence when applying for the mortgage and also described the property as a "second home" on a December 2021 questionnaire for a national security position. The Ann Arbor City Assessor also stated "there's no reason to believe" Cook broke any property tax rules.


The Spin

Republican narrative

Cook has by no means been exonerated in this case. Her documents reveal inconsistencies that raise serious questions about her integrity and fitness to manage the nation's money supply. The evidence shows she signed standardized federal paperwork claiming properties as primary residences, while simultaneously describing them differently elsewhere. These aren't minor clerical errors but potential violations of federal law.

Democratic narrative

The Trump administration is abusing its power to target the president's political opponents through selective prosecution. This tactic mirrors Nixon-era tactics of weaponizing government agencies against adversaries, with officials rummaging through the mortgage records of critics like a fishing expedition. Cook's documents actually show transparency with her lender, undermining the entire fraud narrative.

See sources

Google Announces $7B UK AI Investment

Photo: Unsplash

The Facts

  • Google this week announced a five billion pound ($6.8 billion) investment in the U.K. over the next two years, covering capital expenditure, research and development, and related engineering, with the funding aimed at developing the U.K.'s AI economy and supporting technological breakthroughs.

  • The investment is projected to create 8,250 jobs annually at U.K. businesses and includes funding for Google DeepMind's AI research in science and healthcare, which remains headquartered in London.

  • This comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves officially opened Google's first U.K. data center in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire on Tuesday, designed to increase capacity for AI-powered services including Google Cloud, Workspace, Search and Maps.


The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Google's U.K. investment is a game-changer for Britain's tech future. Beyond infrastructure, it creates thousands of jobs while training millions in AI skills. The focus on carbon-free operations also shows responsible growth. This partnership positions the U.K. as a global AI leader while ensuring ordinary Britons benefit from the revolution.

Establishment-critical narrative

This is yet a further instance of Big Tech's digital colonialism. Silicon Valley and the British government continue to force unwanted technology into the public's lives, increasing opportunities for surveillance and control under the guise of productivity. Unless we actively resist these changes, AI will end up taking over our lives.

Nerd narrative

There is a 15% chance that the CEO of OpenAI, Meta, or Alphabet will publicly commit to specific limitations on their company’s AI system autonomy before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

See sources

Israel Seizes 187 Crypto Wallets Linked to Iran's IRGC

The Facts

  • The Israeli Ministry of Defense ordered the seizure of 187 cryptocurrency wallets under the 2016 Anti-Terrorism Law, with Defense Minister Israel Katz and the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing announcing the action against wallets allegedly used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

  • Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic confirmed the wallets collectively received approximately $1.5 billion in USDT transactions over time, though they currently hold only about $1.5 million in remaining balances as of the seizure announcement.

  • Tether blacklisted 39 of the 187 wallet addresses on Saturday, effectively freezing the USDT held in those addresses and preventing any further transactions involving the stablecoin from those specific wallets.


The Spin

Pro-Israel narrative

This seizure is a crucial step in disrupting terrorist financing networks that exploit cryptocurrency to evade international sanctions. The IRGC has systematically used digital assets to fund proxy militias and military operations while circumventing traditional banking restrictions. Advanced blockchain analytics now make it impossible for terrorist organizations to hide behind cryptocurrency's perceived anonymity.

Anti-Israel narrative

Seizing cryptocurrency wallets without private keys remains technically impossible, making these orders largely symbolic gestures that demonstrate the limitations of government control over decentralized assets. Many seized addresses likely belong to legitimate cryptocurrency services. The pseudonymous nature of blockchain technology continues to provide financial sovereignty despite government intervention attempts.

Nerd narrative

There is a 25% chance that, on Dec. 31, 2025, Google, Meta, Amazon, Tesla, or X will accept crypto as a payment, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

See sources

UN Commission Says Israel Has Committed Genocide in Gaza

The Facts

  • A three-member team of independent experts appointed by the UN's Human Rights Council on Tuesday issued a report finding that Israel's actions in Gaza since October 2023 constitute a genocide. Israel has rejected the finding.

  • The 72-page report — penned by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, and headed by former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay — concluded that Israel has carried four of the five acts that, even if committed alone, would constitute genocide under the 1948 convention on the crime passed in the wake of the Holocaust.

  • The acts which Israel was found to have committed namely include killing members of a group, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to destroy the group and imposing measures to prevent births. There was no evidence of forcibly transferring children, the final act defined within the convention, the report said.


The Spin

Pro-Palestine narrative

While this report does not officially represent the UN, it is nonetheless authoritative as it comes from the organization's highest investigative body on human rights. Not only does it join the growing chorus of groups that have already labelled Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, it is significant in that it compels third states to take preventative action, as a final ruling from the International Court of Justice could yet be years away.

Pro-Israel narrative

Not only is this report written by three Hamas proxies that have repeatedly made antisemitic statements in the past, it is based solely on regurgitated Hamas propaganda that has already been debunked. The authors made no attempt at addressing the refutations and thank goodness they're resigning. Their positions should not be filled again and the whole inquiry should be shut down. It is Israel that was the victim of an attempted genocide when Hamas carried out its 2023 attacks.

Nerd narrative

There's a 4% chance that Israel will establish direct governmental control of the Gaza Strip in 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

See sources

Study: Climate Change Cost Europe Over $50 Billion in 2025

The Facts

  • Extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts and floods, caused an estimated 43 billion euros ($50.8 billion) in economic damage across the European Union (EU) in 2025, according to a new study released on Monday by the European Central Bank and the University of Mannheim.

  • The report found that a quarter of European NUTS3 regions, totaling 279, experienced extreme weather events, with 96 regions enduring heatwaves, 195 suffering drought conditions and 53 sustaining flooding between June and August 2025.

  • Droughts caused the most severe economic damage, with estimated losses of 29.4 billion euros across the EU. Damages from heatwaves and floods, on the other hand, totaled approximately 6.8 billion euros and 6.5 billion euros, respectively.


The Spin

Climate activist narrative

This study proves that climate change has transitioned from a future threat to the present economic reality across Europe. The staggering losses referenced in the report can only be prevented if European countries can successfully stabilize the climate by drastically reducing emissions through immediate action, lest they suffer even greater damage in the future.

Climate-skeptic narrative

The threat of climate change has been deliberately exaggerated by politicians and experts alike to justify their alarmist policies, including raising taxes, stifling free speech and increasing government control over the populace. Interestingly enough, these "solutions" always appear to favor radical left-wing ideology, the same creed that these parties abide by.

Nerd narrative

There is a 97% chance that there will be at least 2˚C of global warming by 2100, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

See sources

Trump Announces Second Strike Against Alleged Venezuelan Drug Boat, Three Killed

The Facts

  • U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that U.S. military forces conducted another kinetic strike against an alleged drug-carrying boat from Venezuela in international waters, killing three people aboard.

  • This comes just as Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro condemned the first strike, which left 11 people dead earlier this month, in a two-hour press conference. Last week, his right-hand man, Diosdado Cabello, contradicted U.S. claims that those killed were Tren de Aragua members.

  • Details such as the planning, execution and legal justification for both strikes remain secret, prompting questions about their rationale and legality among Democrats and at least one Republican — Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky — on Capitol Hill.


The Spin

Anti-Trump narrative

Yet again, the Trump administration has carried out extrajudicial killings in breach of international law. It's not because the U.S. has designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations that its military can use lethal force against suspected drug traffickers. America's renewed war on drugs is set to become a new forever war against vague actors who are not really engaged in hostilities against the country.

Pro-Trump narrative

These military strikes on drug-carrying boats are exactly the kind of bold action needed to protect U.S. lives from narco-terrorist organizations that have been allowed to flood the U.S. with a deadly weapon that poisons Americans for too long. Traditional law enforcement approaches have clearly failed to stop this carnage. Either Venezuelan drug traffickers surrender, or new strikes will follow.

Nerd narrative

There's a 17% chance that there will be a fatal clash between the military forces of the United States and Venezuela before Nov. 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

See sources

UK: MI5 Concedes it Unlawfully Obtained Journalist's Phone Data

The Facts

  • U.K. intelligence agency MI5 has admitted that it had illegally obtained communications data from a former BBC journalist as part of a judicial investigation by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT).

  • The investigation by the IPT comes after lawyers for the BBC wrote to the body requesting a hearing regarding its former journalist Vincent Kearney last year.

  • Allegations of spying against Kearney, formerly the BBC's home affairs editor in Northern Ireland, emerged from previous IPT proceedings that ruled the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had unlawfully spied on two journalists and filmmakers, Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney.


The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

MI5's staff perform vital work protecting Britain from serious threats. However, recent failures demand urgent reform. Director General McCallum's comprehensive review program and cultural shifts represent essential first steps in meaningful change. The public deserves absolute confidence in the integrity of its security services as it continues to shield the public from a dangerous world.

Establishment-critical narrative

The admission that MI5 rifled through a journalist's phone is deeply concerning and should worry anyone who cares about democracy and press freedom. What's worse is that this does not appear to be an isolated act but part of a pattern of continued disregard for the right of journalists to have their sources protected. The full rot at the heart of MI5 must be fully exposed.

Nerd narrative

There is a 15% chance that Northern Ireland will hold a reunification referendum before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

See sources

Robert Redford, Oscar-Winning Actor and Director, Dies at 89

The Facts

  • Hollywood actor and Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford died on Tuesday at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah, according to his publicist Cindi Berger.

  • Redford, 89, died in his sleep, surrounded by those he loved at the place he loved, according to statements from his representatives to multiple news outlets. No cause of death has been given.

  • The actor won an Academy Award for Best Director for "Ordinary People" in 1980 and received an honorary Oscar in 2002, along with multiple Golden Globe Awards throughout his career.


The Spin

Narrative A

Redford's death marks the end of an era for authentic American cinema and environmental activism. His commitment to independent filmmaking, as showcased through Sundance, gave voice to countless artists who might have otherwise gone unheard. The festival became a launching pad for directors like Quentin Tarantino, proving that meaningful stories don't need massive budgets to resonate with audiences.

Narrative B

While Redford championed independent film, his most incredible legacy remains his iconic performances in classic Hollywood movies that defined a generation. Films like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting" showcased the kind of star power and charisma that modern cinema lacks. His ability to embody the all-American ideal while maintaining artistic integrity set a standard that few actors have been able to match.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that a performer will win a fourth Oscar for Acting by February 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

See sources

Kennedy Names 5 New Members to CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel

The Facts

  • U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday appointed five new members to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) just days before a key meeting scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

  • The new ACIP members are Dr. Catherine Stein from Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Evelyn Griffin from Baton Rouge, Dr. Hillary Blackburn from AscensionRx, Dr. Kirk Milhoan from Hawaii and Dr. Raymond Pollak, a transplant surgeon.

  • Kennedy previously removed all 17 sitting ACIP members in June, claiming the panel was plagued with persistent conflicts of interest.


The Spin

Republican narrative

Kennedy's complete overhaul of ACIP was a long-necessary correction to restore public trust in vaccine recommendations. The previous committee operated as a rubber stamp, never rejecting a vaccine even when products were later withdrawn for safety reasons. Fresh blood will bring independence from the pharmaceutical industry's influence, which has compromised vaccine oversight for decades.

Democratic narrative

There are serious concerns that Kennedy's hand-picked panel lacks the necessary expertise to make decisions affecting all children in the country. The new appointees haven't been properly vetted and don't possess the areas of expertise traditionally required for such critical public health decisions. This dramatic reshaping threatens to make childhood vaccines harder to access.

See sources

Charlie Kirk Assassination Suspect Faces Charges, Death Penalty

The Facts

  • Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey Gray on Tuesday filed seven charges against Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the shooting of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, with prosecutors saying they would seek the death penalty.

  • This comes as FBI Director Kash Patel said that DNA evidence had linked Robinson to a rifle and a screwdriver found at the scene.

  • It was also revealed that the FBI is questioning more than 20 people in online Discord chats where — according to a spokesperson for Discord, Robinson appeared to confess to the crime just hours before his arrest — and at least seven social media accounts that appeared to show foreknowledge of Kirk's assassination.


The Spin

Right narrative

Given the evidence of leftists' online rhetoric — with posts predicting and celebrating Kirk’s assassination — it’s reasonable to suspect he may have had help in planning or covering up the crime. Leftists' shared fixation on identity politics and seething hatred of Kirk created a toxic echo chamber that bred violence.

Left narrative

Trump's team is exploiting Kirk's murder to vilify the left and minorities as terrorists, ignoring that Robinson's act was driven by personal rage, not a "radical left" conspiracy. Right-wing violence, from Jan. 6 to the recent assassination of a Democratic state politician, poses a far greater threat. By defending right-wing radicals, the administration fuels division, revealing its dangerous bias in this tragedy.

Cynical narrative

Law enforcement's failure to secure a surveillance-heavy campus, missing key footage of the assassination, has led Americans down a blind path, leaving the country unable to discern the true motives and causes of this tragedy. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans exploit the chaos with dangerous rhetoric, inflaming tensions for political gain. At a time when Americans need peace and clarity more than ever, their elected leaders choose partisanship and obfuscation.

See sources


© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.16.0

© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.16.0