Facts & Spins for March 8, 2024 Top Stories: The US reportedly plans to build a Gaza port for aid delivery, three people are killed in a Houthi attack on a cargo ship, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un orders heightened war preparations, an ex-Google engineer is arrested for allegedly spying for China, US lawmakers push to ban TikTok, Victoria Nuland will retire in the coming weeks, Rust’s armorer is found guilty of Halyna Hutchins' death, Alabama’s governor signs a law protecting IVF providers from lawsuits, last month was the warmest February on record and Hollywood stars join an anti-nukes campaign.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for March 7, 2024 Top Stories: Trump and Biden win big on Super Tuesday, Haitian gangs attempt to seize Port-au-Prince’s airport, Ukraine’s first lady declines an invitation to the US State of the Union address, Five UK SAS soldiers are allegedly under investigation for Syrian war crimes, Pakistan’s Supreme Court says an ex-Prime Minister was denied a fair trial, Nikki Haley drops out of the GOP race for president, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema announces she won't seek reelection, The FBI is on the lookout for an Iranian national accused of targeting Mike Pompeo, The UK announces national insurance cuts in its spring 2024 budget, and a whale not seen in the Atlantic since the 1700s makes a surprising reappearance.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for March 6, 2024 Top Stories: The UN says Hamas likely committed sexual violence on Oct. 7, China sets an ambitious 2024 economic growth target, Trump wins the North Dakota GOP caucuses ahead of Super Tuesday, Australian PM Anthony Albanese is referred to the international criminal court, the EU aims to shift to 'war economy mode,' ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg pleads guilty to perjury, the Biden admin. announces its latest crackdown on ‘junk fees,’ Bitcoin hits an all-time high, France makes abortion a constitutional right, and a study claims the Arctic could be 'ice-free' in a decade.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for March 05, 2024 Top Stories: SCOTUS reinstates Donald Trump on Colorado’s primary ballot, Haiti declares a state of emergency after a mass jailbreak, Nikki Haley wins her first GOP primary as Trump builds his lead, Germany launches an investigation after a military recording was leaked, The US airdrops aid to Gaza as mediators rush for a cease-fire deal, US Congress presents a bill to avert a partial government shutdown, Shehbaz Sharif is sworn in as Pakistan’s prime minister, China scraps the premier's annual press conference, Australia pledges hundreds of millions to ASEAN countries, The EU fines Apple nearly $2B following a Spotify lawsuit, and the first over-the-counter birth control pill is set to hit US markets.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for March 02, 2024 Top Stories: A US judge rules that Pegasus spyware’s owner must give data to WhatsApp, Iran holds key parliamentary elections, The US Congress passes another stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown, A tragic shopping mall fire claims over 40 lives in Bangladesh, Donald Trump’s classified docs case leads to sparring over the trial start date, The White House announces a delay in power plant regulation plans, Meta scraps its news tab in the US and Australia, The culprit is found in a US healthcare system cyberattack, Elon Musk sues OpenAI for allegedly abandoning its founding mission, and a study indicates more than 1B people worldwide are obese.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for March 1, 2024 Top Stories: SCOTUS agrees to hear Trump's immunity appeal, Trump is disqualified from the Illinois primary ballot, over 100 Palestinians are killed after Israeli troops open fire near aid trucks, a Chadian opposition leader is killed in a gun fight, the US will investigate Chinese-made 'smart cars' for national security risks, transportation staff strike in Greece on the anniversary of a tragic train crash, France’s parliament votes to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution, Ghana’s parliament passes an anti-LGBTQ bill, wildfires rage through the Texas Panhandle, and the South Korean government threatens legal action over a doctor strike.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 29, 2024 Top Stories: Mitch McConnell says he’ll step down as Senate minority leader in November, Drug lord Ridouan Taghi is sentenced to life in a prominent Dutch trial, Biden and Trump surge to big wins in the Michigan primaries, The US and other NATO allies rule out troop deployments to Ukraine, EU+ sees asylum claims at their highest level since 2016, South Korea’s birth rate drops to a new record low, Marianne Williamson throws her hat back into the ring for the US presidency, An LGBTQ parade in Australia allows out-of-uniform police to march following a high-profile murder, Two men are convicted in the 2002 killing of an iconic Run-DMC rapper, and Apple reportedly scraps its driverless Electric Vehicle project.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 28, 2024 Top Stories: Slovakia’s prime minister says the EU and NATO are considering deploying troops in Ukraine, the European parliament passes a nature restoration bill, Italy’s Sardinia elects a leftwing president, Biden says he’s hopeful for a Gaza cease-fire soon, Biden urges Congress to avoid a looming partial shutdown, an FAA panel finds Boeing’s safety culture to be ‘inadequate and confusing,’ Tennessee’s House passes a bill banning expelled representatives from reappointment, US Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin is cleared of wrongdoing over his hospitalization, Japan's new births fell to a record low in 2023, and New Zealand reverses course on its tobacco ban.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 27, 2024 Top Stories: Hungary ratifies Sweden’s NATO accession, The CIA reportedly has 12 secret bases in Ukraine, Donald Trump beats Nikki Haley in the South Carolina primary, A US airman immolates himself outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, Benjamin Netanyahu vows to enter Rafah, Belarus holds a controversial parliamentary election, Thousands attend a Jair Bolsonaro rally amid a coup probe, A former colleague claims Alexei Navalny was about to be freed in a prisoner swap, Raiders kill at least a dozen worshippers in a Burkina Faso church, Meta prepares a team to counter election disinformation, and the Supreme Court hears a landmark social media free speech case.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 24, 2024 Top Stories: NATO powers back the Netherlands’ outgoing premier for the alliance’s top role, German lawyers sue Olaf Scholz over Gaza, Honduras’ ex-president faces a US drug trafficking trial, Shamima Begum loses her citizenship appeal in a UK Islamic State group case, A magician takes responsibility for the New Hampshire Biden deepfake, A gold mine collapse in Venezuela kills over 20, A deadly apartment block inferno strikes Valencia, Spain, Vice lays off hundreds of staff and will no longer web-publish, Reddit files a long-awaited initial public offering, and a US company makes a historic lunar landing.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 23, 2024 Top Stories: Albania agrees to host migrants for Italy, Japan’s Nikkei index surges past 1989's record high, leaked files allegedly expose China’s international hacking efforts, a UK House of Commons speaker faces calls to resign over a Gaza cease-fire vote, the CIA’s chief travels to Paris for Israeli hostage deal talks, the US faces multiple cell service outages, a Texas judge rules a school can enforce short hair, a study finds COVID deaths are likely higher than official records, Google apologizes for its AI image generator’s historical inaccuracies, and a defunct European satellite crashes to Earth.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 22, 2024 Top Stories: AI experts and public figures sign an urgent letter about deepfake dangers, A US drone is shot down by a Houthi missile, At the ICJ, the US says Israel shouldn't be ordered to leave Palestinian territory, Farmers in India plan to resume their protests, Estonia detains 10 Russians in an alleged “sabotage” plot, Donald Trump compares his legal issues to Navalny’s death, Hunter Biden claims Alexander Smirnov’s claims collapsed a DOJ plea deal, Alabama’s supreme court rules that frozen embryos can be defined as children, The Biden admin. announces 150K new borrowers will receive student loan relief, and a notorious international cybergang is disrupted.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 21, 2024 Top Stories: The US shares an alternative resolution for a temporary Gaza cease-fire, the House leaders launch a bipartisan AI Congressional task force, SCOTUS declines to hear a Trump legal ally's sanctions appeal, Australia plans to build its biggest navy since World War II, South Korean doctors protest plans to add more physicians, military leaders dissolve Guinea’s government, the wife of Haiti’s assassinated president is accused in his killing, Capital One reaches an agreement to acquire Discover, China launches a new passenger jet internationally, and a COVID vaccine study finds links to health conditions.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 20, 2024 Top Stories: Navalny's body is reportedly found bruised in an Arctic morgue, Tribal violence kills at least 26 in Papua New Guinea, Ursula Von der Leyen seeks another term leading the European Commission, Wisconsin approves new legislative maps, China offers to back Hungary in security matters, Israel warns of an assault on Rafah by Ramadan, Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine, The US strikes more targets in Yemen, The Falkland Islands dispute causes concern for marine life, Trump launches a $400 sneaker line, and the NBA All-Star Game sets a historic scoring milestone.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 17, 2024 Top Stories: Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny dies in prison, An FBI informant is charged with lying about Biden bribe claims, Trump’s Stormy Daniels hush-money trial is set for March, Israel responds to South Africa's 'urgent request' in its ICJ genocide case, Israeli military intelligence warns Hamas will survive the Gaza war, Britain's Labour Party wins big in a special election, Greece legalizes same-sex marriage, The US Border Patrol's second in command is suspended for alleged misconduct, Tech giants pledge to fight AI election interference, and OpenAI launches a new AI video-creation tool.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 16, 2024 Top Stories: Putin is accused of developing a space-based nuclear weapon, India’s Supreme Court scraps a controversial election funding system, one person is killed and 21 injured in a Super Bowl parade shooting, the US and its Middle Eastern allies discuss an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, NATO’s chief says there’s been an 'unprecedented rise' in member defense spending, a UN envoy warns of ‘dangerous’ escalation in Yemen, Japan unexpectedly slips into a recession, a report says 'safety failures' led to 344 federal inmate deaths, Google plans to map methane from space, and scientists develop a beef-rice hybrid for the first time.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 15, 2024 Top Stories: The US House votes to impeach homeland security secretary Mayorkas, Russia puts Estonia’s Prime Minister on the Kremlin’s wanted list, South Africa urges the ICJ to consider action on Israel’s Rafah assault, Indonesia’s Subianto claims victory in the Presidential election, A coalition Government Selects Shehbaz Sharif as Pakistan’s prime minister, Dozens of civilians are reportedly killed by Ethiopian forces in Amhara, Democrats pick up a key seat in US House in a New York special election, The US’ immigration agency is considering releasing migrants due to budget shortfalls, A report claims that the Obama-era CIA recruited other nations to spy on Donald Trump, and Microsoft claims Russia, China, and others are using OpenAI tools to support hacking.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 14, 2024 Top Stories: The US Senate passes a $95B aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, Cairo hosts talks on a potential Israel-Gaza cease-fire, Trump seeks a Supreme Court pause in his 2020 election case, DA Fani Willis could be disqualified from Trump’s Georgia case, Indonesia’s outgoing president is accused of election interference, former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra will be released from prison early, global defense spending reached a record $2.2T last year, US inflation was worse than expected in January, the CDC plans to end its five-day COVID isolation rule, and a study finds proteins may be able to predict dementia.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 13, 2024 Top Stories: Trump says the US shouldn’t protect NATO allies who don't pay, Israel rescues two hostages held in Gaza, US defense secretary Lloyd Austin is hospitalized again, Alexander Stubb wins Finland's presidential election, A report contradicts Washington’s account of the dismissal of Ukraine’s top general, Indian police block roads as farmers advance on New Delhi, France rescinds birthright citizenship for Mayotte, Hungary's president resigns over a sex abuser pardon, The marathon world-record holder is killed in a crash, The Biden campaign joins TikTok, and a new prosthetic hand enables amputees to sense temperature.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 10, 2024 Top Stories: Imran Khan’s allies take an early lead in Pakistan’s election, a federal judge raises concerns about Joe Biden’s age in the President’s classified docs case, Benjamin Netanyahu says Rafah will be evacuated before Israel’s offensive, the White House reacts to the dismissal of Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Malaysia’s top court says some Islamic laws in Kelantan state are unconstitutional, Donald Trump soundly wins the Nevada GOP caucus, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announces his Senate bid, Tucker Carlson releases his interview with Vladamir Putin, a prominent climate scientist wins a $1M defamation suit, and Brazil declares a dengue public health emergency ahead of Carnival.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 09, 2024 Top Stories: SCOTUS hears a case seeking to kick Trump off Colorado’s ballot, Brazilian police seize Bolsonaro’s passport, Internet access is cut off as Pakistanis head to the polls, A Putin critic is disqualified from Russia’s election, Zelenskyy replaces Ukraine’s military chief, The US Senate advances a $95.3B foreign aid package, A US strike kills an Iran-backed militia leader in Baghdad, The world sees its first year-long breach of the key 1.5C warming limit, A Japanese court approves gender change recognition without sterilization, and the US outlaws AI-generated robocalls.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 8, 2024 Top Stories: Netanyahu rejects Hamas’ proposed ceasefire, election eve blasts kill more than twenty in Pakistan, House Republicans fail to impeach homeland security secretary Mayorkas, Papua rebels agree to release a kidnapped New Zealand pilot, Russian missiles target Kyiv, the UN Requests $4.1B For Sudan, the mother of a Michigan shooter is found guilty of manslaughter, a helicopter carrying five Marines is found crashed, missing bolts are found to have caused Alaska Airlines' mid-air door blowout and AI is used to decode an ancient text.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 7, 2024 Top Stories: An appeals court rules against Trump’s presidential immunity claim, UK King Charles III is diagnosed with cancer, Yemen appoints a new prime minister, former Chilean Pres. Sebastián Piñera dies in a helicopter crash, Senegal postpones its elections until December, an independent panel will review Israel's UNRWA allegations, a child dies every two hours in a Sudanese displacement camp, the UK announces a £100M investment in AI regulation, CERN aims to build a new atom collider, and Dartmouth basketball players could unionize.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 06, 2024 Top Stories: The US Senate unveils a $118B national security bill, More than 100 are killed in Chilean wildfires, Antony Blinken visits the Middle East, El Salvador's Bukele claims election victory, An Australian writer is given a suspended death sentence in China, Tucker Carlson travels to Russia, The US launches further strikes against Yemen’s Houthis, Boeing flags additional faults in its 737 Max 9 planes, Meta’s board criticizes the company over an altered Biden video, Southern California is hit by another atmospheric river, and a study finds the Earth may have already reached +1.5°C in 2010.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 3, 2024 Top Stories: The US launches retaliatory strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria and Iraq, a former software engineer is sentenced to 40 years for the largest leak CIA leak ever, the Ukrainian military chief speaks out amid firing speculation, Israel’s defense minister states Israeli forces will push into Rafah, a deadly gas explosion strikes Nairobi, Kenya, injuring over 300, the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee subpoenas Fulton Co. Ga. DA Fani Willis, South Dakota Gov. Noem considers deploying razor wire and personnel to Texas, the US economy reportedly added 353K new jobs in January, the WHO predicts cancer rates will soar 77% by 2050 and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 2, 2024 Top Stories: South Africa confirms five countries’ accession to BRICS, Trump’s Steele dossier suit is dismissed, the EU approves a €50B aid package for Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of prisoners, dozens in Jordan are targeted by the Pegasus spyware, crypto exchange FTX agrees to repay investors following its collapse, Disney's lawsuit against Ron DeSantis is thrown out, protesting farmers bring their grievances to an EU summit, the US House passes a $78B tax relief bill, and eBay settles a $59M suit over its sales of pill-making tools.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for February 1, 2024 Top Stories: Big Tech CEOs are questioned on child safety, a court voids Elon Musk's $56B Tesla pay package, the US Fed holds interest rates steady, the DOJ investigates Democrat Cori Bush’s security spending, a Putin critic submits his bid for president, an Israeli official says a hostage deal could soon move ahead, Zelenskyy reportedly considers firing the head of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, agricultural protests continue to simmer in France, Oregon declares a state of emergency over its fentanyl crisis and a famine ‘wonder pill’ is trialed in Africa.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 31, 2024 Top Stories: Ex-Pakistani PM Imran Khan is sentenced to 10 years in prison, Republicans move closer to impeaching homeland secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, South Africa’s ANC party suspends former Pres. Jacob Zuma, Hamas considers a proposal for a hostage release deal, a watchdog says the global fight against corruption is losing steam, the Trump tax return leaker is sentenced to 5 years, Northern Ireland’s DUP agrees to restore power-sharing, Citibank is sued for allegedly failing to protect customers from scammers, UPS says it will cut 12,000 jobs this year, and a Neuralink chip is implanted in a human brain for the first time.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 30, 2024 Top Stories: Three US soldiers are killed in a drone strike in Jordan, Droves of farmers descend on Paris, A Texas-bound 'take our border back' cef onvoy raises $125k, China's Evergrande Group is ordered to liquidate, Palestinian aid is pulled after UN staff are accused of participating in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso withdraw from Ecowas, Alexander Stubb wins the first round of Finland’s presidential election, Joe Manchin suggests he could potentially run for US president, the UK says it will ban disposable vapes, and politicians criticize EU calls for 'gendered language' to be scrapped.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 27, 2024 Top Stories: The International Court of Justice says Israel must take steps to prevent genocide in Gaza, A jury finds Donald Trump must pay $83.3M in the E. Jean Carroll case, The EU is likely to agree to Ukraine aid next week per Latvian officials, A report claims that the US tipped off Iran about the recent Islamic State group attack, A Kenya Court blocks police from deploying to Haiti as part of the UN support mission, China and Taiwan eye election outcomes in climate-vulnerable Tuvalu, The White House temporarily pauses natural gas exports, The UK halts trade negotiations with Canada over beef and cheese concerns, The US economy reportedly grew by 3.3% last quarter, and George Carlin’s estate sues over an AI-generated comedy special.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 26, 2024 Top Stories: The United Automobile Workers union endorses Biden, Denmark admits it’s linked to civilian casualties in Libya, Ukraine gives contrasting statements on a Russian plane crash, a report accuses Pakistan of censoring the media, over 40% of US lawmakers are found to have faced threats in the last 3 years, former Trump adviser Peter Navarro is sentenced to 4 months, a suspect is arrested over a South African fire that killed 77, Alabama prepares to carry out the US’ first nitrogen execution, the Amazon’s record-breaking drought is linked to global warming, and the UK agrees to lend back the Asante monarch’s ‘crown jewels.’
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 25, 2024 Top Stories: Trump wins the New Hampshire GOP primary, 65 Ukrainian PoWs are killed in a Russian military plane crash, a judge rules that Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act was ‘unjustified,’ Turkey’s parliament ratifies Sweden’s NATO bid, the US strikes Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Arizona’s GOP chair resigns amid bribery allegations, the UNHCR says 569 Rohingya died at sea in 2023, an Oregon jury awards $85M to wildfire victims, measles cases surge in Europe and a study finds that going to school improves life expectancy.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 24, 2024 Top Stories: Biden announces new abortion and contraception measures, the US and UK launch fresh strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, Hamas rejects an Israeli deal, the UAE is accused of funding political assassinations in Yemen, the UN’s Migration Agency puts out an appeal for $7.9B, SCOTUS allows agents to cut the Texas-Mexico border razor wire, a UN advisor criticizes the UK’s crackdown on environmental protesters, a leading cancer institute retracts or corrects dozens of studies, Amazon is fined for excessive surveillance of its workers, and the ‘Doomsday Clock' is kept at 90 seconds to midnight.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 23, 2024 Top Stories: Ron DeSantis pulls out of the 2024 US presidential race, Narendra Modi inaugurates a controversial Hindu temple, 1.4M protest against Germany’s right-wing AfD party, Netanyahu rejects a Hamas proposal to end the war in Gaza, A US air base in Iraq is attacked by an Iran-backed militia, UN staff in Iraq are accused of demanding bribes, SCOTUS rejects an appeal from a Hunter Biden associate, Sports Illustrated’s publisher says it will lay off most staff, Storms across the US kill at least 90, and Cameroon launches a landmark malaria vaccine program.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 20, 2024 Top Stories: A top NATO official urges Western civilians to prepare for conflict with Russia, North Korea claims a successful test of an underwater nuclear-capable drone, The US State Dept. says there’s “no way” to ensure long-term Israeli security without a Palestinian state, Somalia rejects mediation with Ethiopia over the Somaliland port, The White House cancels nearly $5B in student debt for almost 74K borrowers, Trump's legal team urges the SCOTUS to keep him on the Colorado ballot, Biden inks a short-term Congressional spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, Another transgender political candidate is disqualified over a naming row in Ohio, OpenAI removes its ban on the military use of its AI tools, and Mark Zuckerberg enters the race for Artificial General Intelligence.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 19, 2024 Top Stories: A Beijing lab is found to have mapped COVID weeks before the global outbreak began, India rescues a Houthi-struck cargo ship in the Red Sea, Western nations consider funding Ukraine with frozen Russian assets, a Serbian opposition leader claims he was tortured by the secret service, the Ecuadorian prosecutor investigating a live-streamed TV studio attack is killed, a federal report on the Uvalde school shooting is published, Democratic lawmakers introduce a bill to protect IVF access, Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson loses his social media training court case, AI takes center-stage at the World Economic Forum, and Apple removes its blood oxygen feature from its smartwatches.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 18, 2024 Top Stories: An Iranian missile strike on Pakistan kills two children, China’s economic growth reaches a three-decade low, Belarus updates its military doctrine, Marine vet Daniel Penny loses a motion to dismiss his subway chokehold case, E Jean Carroll’s $10M defamation trial against Trump begins, a Judge blocks Spirit Airlines merger deal with JetBlue, France announces parental leave reforms, a report finds 90% of online child abuse content is 'self-generated' through extortion, the FDA clears an AI-Powered handheld cancer detector and a cloned rhesus monkey reaches adulthood for the first time.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 17, 2024 Top Stories: Donald Trump wins big in the Iowa caucuses, Vivek Ramaswamy drops out of the GOP race, Iran strikes an alleged Israeli ‘spy base’ in Iraq, US Secretary of State Blinken expresses Arab nations’ caution over rebuilding Gaza, Nauru cuts ties with Taiwan, Zelenskyy visits Davos to garner support, Elon Musk requests a bigger stake in Tesla, the Biden campaign raises $97M in Q4 of 2023, global tobacco use declines, and a study finds having more siblings negatively impacts mental health.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 16, 2024 Top Stories: NATO is allegedly preparing for a Russian attack in 2025, William Lai wins Taiwan’s presidential election, US congressional leaders unveil a stopgap bill to avert a shutdown, Missiles hit a US ship off Yemen’s coast, North Korea claims to have tested a solid-fuel hypersonic missile, Biden is reportedly “running out' of patience with Netanyahu, US climate envoy John Kerry plans to step down, Frederik X is proclaimed King of Denmark The White House warns Texas against blocking border patrol access, and the IMF warns AI could effect 40% of jobs.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 13, 2024 Top Stories: Israel responds to South Africa’s Gaza genocide claims in the Hague, US and UK bomb Houthi targets in Yemen, US House Speaker Johnson and Sam Altman discuss AI regulation, Rishi Sunak promises a ‘100-year partnership’ with Ukraine and inks a security pact, Poland’s opposition holds a mass anti-government protest, Texas blocks federal immigration agents from a key area on the US southern border, Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to federal tax charges, The FAA will audit Boeing following the recent Alaska Airlines door incident, A new study reports that UK maternity deaths hit a 20-year high, and a new discovery of deep space “megastructures” yields cosmic questions.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 12, 2024 Top Stories: Chris Christie drops out of the Republican presidential race, as Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis face off in the 5th GOP debate, Papua New Guinea declares a state of emergency after violent riots break out, the US Pentagon warns that $1B in Ukraine aid is at 'risk of theft,' Morocco is elected to lead the UN Human Rights Council, US regulators approve Bitcoin ETFs, Argentina secures $4.7B from the IMF, Donald Trump speaks as his New York civil fraud trials closes, NFL coach Bill Belichick leaves the New England Patriots, and a study finds that climate change drove the largest-ever ape to extinction.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 11, 2024 Top Stories: Gunmen storm an Ecuadorian television studio live on air, Houthi rebels launch one of their largest-ever attacks in the Red Sea, AI-powered misinformation is labeled the highest short-term threat, Rishi Sunak announces a law to exonerate post office scandal victims. Hunter Biden appears at a House committee hearing to hold him in contempt, the SEC confirms its X account was hacked, a secret tunnel under a New York synagogue sparks chaos, Afghan girls are arrested for violating hijab rules, the WHO is accused of putting women at risk with its trans self-ID plan and scientists reveal a DNA test for detecting early stage cancer.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 10, 2024 Top Stories: 2023 was the hottest year on record, German farmers block roads in protest again agriculture policies, Macron appoints France's youngest-ever prime minister, Antony Blinken meets with Israeli officials, Taiwan’s presidential frontrunner vows to maintain the status quo, Ecuador declares a state of emergency after a druglord escapes prison, Trump claims immunity from prosecution in the Georgia election case, Nikki Haley narrows her gap with Trump in New Hampshire, Norway approves the world's first commercial deep sea mining, and South Korea outlaws dog meat trade.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 09, 2024 Top Stories: Congressional negotiators agree to a $1.6T 2024 spending cap, NASA’s first moonlander launch in decades suffers a rocky start, the US grounds Boeing 737s after a door falls off mid-flight, German football start Franz Beckenbauer dies aged 78, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is re-elected, Antony Blinken meets with Middle Eastern leaders, multiple explosions rock Ukraine following renewed Russian attacks, SCOTUS rejects X’s challenge to disclose surveillance requests, Lloyd Austin faces scrutiny over a secretive hospital stay and mass killer Anders Breivik sues Norway over his prison isolation.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 06, 2024 Top Stories: The US economy caps off the year with the addition of 216K jobs in December, House Republicans move to hold Hunter Biden In contempt of congress, North Korea fires over 200 shells toward the South’s border islands, The US claims Russia has used North Korean missiles in Ukraine, India renders aid to a hijacked Liberian merchant ship, A new poll shows Americans are divided on whether the 2024 elections will be 'fair,' Long COVID is found to cause exercise intolerance, A study finds a ‘widespread’ presence of plastic chemicals in food, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge installs suicide-prevention nets, and global grocery chain Carrefour pulls PepsiCo products in Europe.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 5, 2024 Top Stories: 950 pages of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents are finally unsealed, a tragic school shooting takes place in Iowa, Ukraine discloses a Russian cyber infiltration of its main telecom provider, the US strikes an Iran-backed militia in Baghdad, Bangladesh’s opposition sounds the alarm on fake candidates ahead of a major election, a prominent trial begins in Turkey over the catastrophic 2023 earthquake, arrests are made in Argentina over a possible terror plot emanating from the Middle East, Trump asks SCOTUS to intervene in the Colorado ballot ruling, an Imam is shot and killed in Newark, New Jersey, and Microsoft will debut a new “Copilot” key on PC keyboards to “amplify” AI experiences.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 04, 2024 Top Stories: Nearly 100 are killed in blasts at a commemorative procession in Iran, Harvard president Claudine Gay resigns, A Hamas official is killed in Lebanon, The US extends its military presence at a Qatari base, India's top court rejects a new fraud probe into the Adani Group, US national debt tops $34T for first time in history, The US House committee moves forward to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, A court rules Texas can ban emergency abortions, 48% of British teens report feeling addicted to social media, and scientists study “exercised plasma” to treat Alzheimer’s.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for January 03, 2024 Top Stories: Five are killed following a Japan Airlines crash, A powerful earthquake strikes Japan, South Korea’s opposition leader is stabbed, Israel’s High Court of Justice strikes down Netanyahu's judicial reform, Danish Queen Margrethe II abdicates, An armed man breaks into the Colorado Judicial Center, Police say there’s not evidence of terrorism in the NYE Rochester car crash, Ethiopia signs a 'historic' pact to use Somaliland's Red Sea port, Kim Jong Un orders the military to 'annihilate' South Korea and the US if provoked, UK small boat channel crossings fell by 36% in 2023, and early versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse enter the public domain.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 30, 2023 Top Stories: Donald Trump is removed from Maine’s 2024 primary presidential ballot, Venezuela plans military drills after the UK sends a warship to Guyana, Tens of thousands of Palestinians flee central Gaza, Russia jails two protestors for anti-war poetry, Japan logs a complaint following South Korean military drills on disputed islands, The GOP House Freedom Caucus warns against bipartisan spending deals, X, formerly Twitter, loses a court bid to block California’s content moderation law, Google settles a $5B consumer privacy lawsuit, Gypsy Rose Blanchard is released from prison early following her famous 2015 Missouri murder conviction, and a new US report shows that the world’s population is still growing, but more slowly.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 29, 2023 Top Stories: The House GOP suggests Biden may have obstructed justice in its impeachment inquiry, North Korea's Kim vows to bolster the nation’s war readiness, the US releases its last package of authorized aid for Ukraine, oil prices stabilize as Red Sea transport disruptions ease, Western powers express concern over Iran’s uranium enrichment, Nikki Haley faces backlash following controversial comments on the US Civil War, Poland’s culture minister liquidates all public media, General Motors sues San Francisco for $121M in back taxes, toxic smog blankets South Asian cities, and the Inventor of the 'Glock' firearms dies at 94.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 28, 2023 Top Stories: Ex-EU president Jacques Delors dies aged 98, Michigan’s Supreme Court keeps Trump on the 2024 ballot, Ukraine aims to mobilize 500K new troops, Turkey’s foreign affairs commission approves Sweden’s NATO bid, the New York Times sues Microsoft and OpenAI for alleged copyright infringement, Turkey strikes 71 targets in Iraq and Syria, China sanctions a US firm researching alleged Ughyur abuses, South Korea sanctions eight North Koreans, a migrant caravan advances north as US officials hold talks in Mexico and a report finds nearly 400 UK children under seven were sent to the Tavistock transgender clinic.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 27, 2023 Top Stories: The US launches airstrikes against Kataib Hezbollah sites in Iraq, Israel allegedly kills an Iranian commander in Syria, The FBI investigates pro-Trump threats to Colorado justices, Project Veritas considers appealing an Ashley Biden diary case ruling, Russia bans an anti-war candidate from it presidential election, An Egyptian journalist who accused Zelenskyy of corruption is found dead, Paramedics are found guilty for the 2019 death of a Colorado teen, AstraZeneca announces plans to buy China's Gracell Biotechnologies, An import ban on two Apple watch models takes effect, and Thailand faces severe flooding.
Facts & Spins for December 23, 2023 Top Stories: The US is preparing to lift its ban on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, Russian drones make a rare breach of Kyiv’s missile defenses, Protests flare in Argentina over Milei’s austerity measures, The UN Security Council finally passes a Gaza resolution after several days of delay, Washington and Beijing resume high-level military dialogue, Ireland is taking the UK to court over its “Troubles” amnesty law, The US is charging an alleged Hezbollah member over a 1994 bombing in Buenos Aires, The US Supreme Court declines to hear Trump’s Jan. 6 immunity case, Rudy Giuliani declares bankruptcy, and Joe Biden commutes 11 drug sentences and pardons marijuana offenders.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 22, 2023 Top Stories: Xi warns Biden that China plans to reunify Taiwan, anti-war activist Duntsova challenges Russia’s Putin for the presidency, Ukraine seeks to conscript its overseas citizens, Prague faces its worst mass shooting in the history of the Czech Republic, a study warns AI image-generators are being trained on explicit photos of children, Meta is accused of censoring pro-Palestinian accounts, a California ban on firearms is temporarily blocked, the UN releases a scathing report on Australia’s prison system, Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount contemplate merging, and Italy drafts a law to “safeguard” school nativity scenes.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 21, 2023 Top Stories: A top Colorado court bars Trump from the state's 2024 ballot, the EU agrees to an overhaul of its migration system, Hamas’ leader arrives in Egypt to discuss a potential hostage deal, Russia advances in four parts of Ukraine, the US trades a Maduro ally for American detainees, France’s parliament adopts a controversial immigration law, polls open in the DR Congo, the US sanctions a multinational network for allegedly supplying Iran's drone production, a former doctor is jailed for his participation in the Rwandan genocide and Rite Aid pharmacy is banned from using AI facial recognition.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 19, 2023 Top Stories: Over 120 are killed in an earthquake in northwest China, the US announces a Red Sea force to counter Houthi attacks, US intelligence claims foreign actors tried to influence the 2022 midterms, Trump remains slightly ahead of Biden according to a new poll, Texas’ governor signs a bill allowing police to arrest illegal migrants, President el-Sisi wins Egypt’s election, international observers claim Serbia's elections were unfair, Pope Francis allows priests to bless same-sex couples, the UK releases trans guidance for teachers, and a volcano in Iceland erupts after weeks of seismic activity.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 19, 2023 Top Stories: The CIA’s director meets with Mossad and Qatar’s PM to discuss a new hostage deal, Florida's GOP suspends chair Christian Ziegler, Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai’s trial begins, North Korea resumes missile launches, Nikki Haley makes gains in New Hampshire, Trump says immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of America, War reaches Sudan’s second-largest city, Polish farmers continue blockading a Ukrainian border, Northeastern Australia is ravaged by floods, A report finds that the UK releases 80% of detained immigrants, and US homelessness hits a record high.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 16, 2023 Top Stories: Hungary blocks a €50B EU aid package to Ukraine, The US reportedly warns border agents about improvised explosive devices found by Mexico, Venezuela and Guyana agree not to use force over Essequibo, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan suggests Israel can’t reoccupy Gaza, A former bank manager in China is sentenced to life in prison for corruption, US finance officials express concerns over AI risks, Donald Trump loses his immunity bid in the Carroll defamation suit An ex-FBI counterintelligence chief gets over 4 years in prison, The UK will begin building “next generation” stealth fighters, and the US FDA warns of lead-tainted applesauce intentionally snuck into the supply chain.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 15, 2023 Top Stories: The US Fed forecasts three rate cuts next year, former Pakistan PM Khan is charged with leaking state secrets, the US House approves the Biden impeachment inquiry, Japanese PM Kishida ousts four cabinet ministers amid an ongoing fraud scandal, Russia’s Putin holds his annual press conference, heavy rainfall worsens the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Armenia and Azerbaijan exchange prisoners amid an effort to normalize relations, the UK moves to protect controversial speech regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, the US’ terrorist watchlist nearly doubles to 2M in six years, and Australia’s “worst female serial killer” is acquitted of killing her children.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 14, 2023 Top Stories: COP28 nations agree to transition away from fossil fuels, SCOTUS agrees to review abortion pill restrictions, The UK’s Rwanda law passes an initial parliamentary vote, Over 50 people are injured in strikes on Kyiv, Israel is accused of using white phosphorus munitions, Biden says Israel's 'indiscriminate bombing' jeopardizes international support, Hunter Biden defies a House GOP subpoena to testify in private, Argentina devalues its peso, Tesla launches its improved Optimus Gen 2 humanoid robot, and AstraZeneca buys a US vaccine company.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 13, 2023 Top Stories: COP28 climate talks face a standoff over fossil fuels, Harvard’s president keeps her job following an antisemitism row, Zelenkskyy visits the White House, the Supreme Court is asked to rule on whether Trump can be prosecuted, a new poll suggests Trump would lead Biden in the popular vote, three Japanese ex-soldiers are found guilty of sexual assault, a whistleblower claims China had access to Tesla employees’ data, the UN officially ends its peacekeeping mission in Mali, US Republicans delay a vote on extending controversial surveillance powers, and Sports Illustrated’s publisher fires its CEO following an AI scandal.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 12, 2023 Top Stories: Donald Tusk is elected prime minister of Poland, India’s supreme court upholds the decision to remove Kashmir’s special status, European countries seek additional sanctions against Hamas, Argentina’s new president warns of a looming economic 'shock treatment,' Trump won’t testify in his fraud trial, Rudy Giuliani appears in court for defamation, The UK is accused of betraying elite Afghan troops, Voter turnout slumps to a record low in Hong Kong, The UN warns of a massive funding shortfall, Tucker Carlson launches a paid streaming service, and a new study links the AstraZeneca vaccine to Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 09, 2023 Top Stories: Vladamir Putin announces his re-election bid for Russia’s presidency in 2024, Joe Biden signals he’s ready to compromise with the GOP over Israel and Ukraine aid, US Secretary of State Blinken voices concern over Gaza casualties, Hunter Biden is indicted on nine new tax charges, Peru’s ex-president is released from jail after 16 years, A watchdog group sounds the alarm on dangers for journalists worldwide, A Texas judge grants a pregnant woman an emergency abortion, The US FDA approves a breakthrough sickle cell disease treatment, X (formerly Twitter), reportedly adds 10M new users in December, and McDonald’s spins off a new chain to compete in the beverage market.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 8, 2023 Top Stories: GOP presidential hopefuls clash at the party’s 4th debate, UN Chief António Guterres invokes the rarely-used Article 99 over Gaza, Ukraine is accused of assassinating two pro-Russia officials, Russia’s Putin makes a rare foreign trip to the Middle East, the US warns of alleged ethnic cleansing in Sudan, EU talks on world-leading AI regulations stall, Cambridge researchers find COVID jabs can cause an unintended immune response, the Biden administration forgives another $4.8B in student debt, the US House censures Jamaal Bowman for falsely pulling a fire alarm, and Meta launches end-to-end encryption on Facebook and Messenger.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 7, 2023 Top Stories: Kevin McCarthy plans to quit Congress, Israeli forces reportedly surround the house of Hamas’s leader, Kyiv’s mayor accuses Zelenskyy of becoming an autocrat, Boris Johnson faces a COVID inquiry, Biden says he’s only running for re-election to counter Trump, Trump says he'll only be a dictator for one day, the Hollywood actors union approves a new 3-year contract, a US senator claims foreign governments use push notifications for spying, the World Food Program suspends distribution in North Yemen and a study claims the Earth is nearing five climate tipping points.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 6, 2023 Top Stories: Liz Cheney considers running for US president, Israeli forces enter Khan Younis, Israel investigates claims that traders had prior knowledge of the Hamas attacks, the UK reveals new measures for its "biggest-ever" migration cut, a whistleblower claims US and UK military contractors sought global censorship, teen math and reading skills plummet in the US and around the world, a Nigerian military drone attack mistakenly kills 85 civilians, child pneumonia cases increase in Europe, cyclone Michaung causes severe flooding in India, and Calif.-based DNA tester 23andMe says hackers accessed the data of 6.9M people.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 05, 2023 Top Stories: The White House says funds for Ukraine are running out, A former US ambassador is accused of secretly serving as a Cuban spy, Israeli troops advance on the southern Gaza Strip, The corruption trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumes, Burkina Faso and Niger quit a regional anti-jihad force, The US continues naval engagement with Houthi drones in the Red Sea, The UN sounds the alarm on two adrift boats with 400 Rohingya migrant passengers, A Hong Kong activist won’t pay her bail to the PRC and is remaining in Canada, Doug Burgum suspends his GOP bid for the US presidential nomination, and the US Supreme Court is divided over a landmark opioid settlement.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 02, 2023 Top Stories: George Santos is expelled from Congress, SCOTUS’s first female justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, dies at 93, A federal appeals court rules that Trump can be sued for Jan. 6, Fighting in Gaza resumes after a week-long truce expires, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says the war has reached a new phase, A senior Paraguayan official is sacked after signing a deal with a non-existent country, The UK joins an effort to patrol vulnerable undersea cables, Russia extends the detention of a US journalist, A judge blocks Montana's TikTok ban, and hundreds of nations commit to a climate damage fund at the COP28 climate summit.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for December 1, 2023 Top Stories: Henry Kissinger dies at the age of 100, Meta shuts down thousands of China-based accounts allegedly intended to sway voters, Taiwan’s president says that a Chinese invasion is unlikely, Brazil mobilizes its military amid a potential Guyana-Venezuela conflict, the US links a Sikh separatist's attempted assassination to an Indian official, New Zealand seeks to strengthen its ties with the US, Saudi Arabia is selected to host the 2030 World Exposition, a dozen new countries secure the IAEA's approval to build nuclear power plants, SCOTUS hears arguments over the Security and Exchange Commission's powers, and a US military aircraft crashes off the coast of Japan.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 30, 2023 Top Stories: The CIA warns its personnel after a staffer makes a pro-Palestine social media post, Israel and Hamas are considering a broader hostage and ceasefire deal, Argentina’s Milei looks for an IMF reset after meeting with US officials, Iran says it’s finalized a deal to buy Russian fighter jets, the UK and Greece have a diplomatic squabble over cultural artifacts, Joe Biden and Barack Obama reportedly have a rift in ideology over Israel, an EU court says public employees can be banned from wearing headscarves, Hunter Biden says he will testify before the GOP-led House, but only in public, Hawaii’s Attorney General subpoenas three Maui agencies over the deadly wildfires and the CDC says life expectancy rose in 2022 after two years of decline.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 29, 2023 Top Stories: The billionaire-backed Koch network endorses Nikki Haley for president, two missiles are fired toward a US Navy ship from Yemen, three Chinese Navy ships arrive in Myanmar for joint drills, Russia intensifies its assault on the Donetsk city of Avdiivka, the UN warns that the global response to AIDS is 'under threat' due to stigmas, Idaho asks SCOTUS to allow its near-total abortion ban, Portland’s first-ever teachers’ strike comes to an end, Mozambique authorizes an $80B energy transition plan, New Zealand scraps its world-leading ‘generational’ smoking ban, and an outbreak of bird flu in Argentina kills hundreds of flamingos.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 28, 2023 Top Stories: The US, UK, and 16 other nations ink non-binding AI security guidelines, Israel and Hamas agree to a 2-day Gaza temporary ceasefire extension, A House Republican suggests Israel and Ukraine aid is unlikely before 2024, Sierra Leone’s government arrests alleged attackers of a military barracks, A Ukraine negotiator confirms that Boris Johnson squashed a 2022 peace deal, Three college students of Palestinian descent are shot in Burlington, Vermont, A cargo ship sinks off the coast of Greece with multiple people missing, Three kidnapped journalists are freed in Mexico, Meta’s chief spokesperson makes Russia’s wanted list, Joe Biden won’t be attending COP28 in Dubai, and US employers are expecting to hire fewer seasonal workers this holiday season.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts and Spins For November 25, 2023: Anti-immigrant riots erupt in Dublin after a knife attack, Gaza’s temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal begins, a US warship in the Red Sea reportedly shoots down Houthi drones, a report suggests that the US disrupted a plot to murder a Sikh separatist, a Pakistani court orders Imran Khan to appear before a public trial, the expiration of the NY Adult Survivors Act prompts a wave of allegations, reports suggest that Iran secretly executed a man over 2022 anti-govt protests, Joe Biden declares an emergency in the US Virgin Islands over lead contamination, the WHO says no novel pathogens are found in a China pneumonia outbreak and a NASA spacecraft beams back a laser message from 10M miles away.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts and Spins For November 23, 2023: Israel and Hamas reach a breakthrough hostage and temporary ceasefire deal, a suspicious car explosion strikes the US-Canada border in Niagra Falls, the Kremlin suggests “colossal” Ukrainian losses in Russian-occupied territory, Sam Altman reunites with OpenAI after a tumultuous week, House Speaker Mike Johnson endorses Donald Trump and meets him at Mar-a-Lago, Niger’s junta asks West Africa’s regional court to order the lifting of coup sanctions, South Africa’s lawmakers vote to suspend ties with Israel, a report suggests that China is closing mosques in its northern regions, a Ga. judge won’t revoke the bond of a Trump co-defendant for social media posts, and scientists sound the alarm about “super pigs” entering US ecosystems.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts and Spins For November 22, 2023: The US and the Philippines launch joint military patrols, China reaffirms its support to expand BRICS, the US House gears up to impeach Biden by January, Israel makes moves to approve a hostage release deal with Hamas, Ukraine sacks two cyber defense officials, Musk sues Media Matters over its claims that X promotes ads beside hateful content, the US Senate subpoenaed the CEOs of X, Snap, Discord to testify on child safety, the UK’s Sunak announces an initiative to produce climate-resilient crops, Papua New Guinea’s tallest volcano erupts, and over 200 are convicted in Italy’s biggest organized crime trial in decades.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts and Spins For November 21, 2023: Sam Altman joins Microsoft after his expulsion from OpenAI, The Israeli army shows alleged footage of foreign hostages in Gaza’s main hospital, Javier Milei is elected as Argentina's president, A Colorado court rules that Donald Trump can remain on the 2024 ballot, Yemen's Houthi rebels seize an Israeli-linked cargo ship, NATO’s chief expresses concern about successionist rhetoric in Bosnia, Taiwan’s William Lai names the island’s former US envoy as his running mate, The Biden admin. will approve new controversial Native American tribal gambling rules, SCOTUS rejects Derek Chauvin’s appeal in the George Floyd murder case, and former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter passes away at 96.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 18, 2023 Top Stories: Axios reports that Biden’s campaign is considering joining TikTok, The ratification of Sweden's NATO bid is delayed in Turkey’s Parliament, Ukraine prepares for another winter of Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure, Sudan calls on the UN to end its political mission, Spain’s Pedro Sánchez is reelected as prime minister, A man is convicted for last year’s attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Russia moves to declare the LGBTQ+ ‘public movement’ extremist, Florida’s Desantis is sued over a ban on a pro-Palestinian student group, WHO declares loneliness a ‘pressing global health threat,’ and YouTube launches an AI tool that mimics the vocals of nine artists.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 17, 2023 Top Stories: Biden and Xi agree to resume military communications, a UN watchdog warns of Iran’s advancing nuclear enrichment, the UK's David Cameron meets Zelenskyy in Ukraine, the Pentagon fails its accounting audit for the sixth year in a row, George Santos announces he won’t seek reelection following a scathing House report, Biden reportedly won't face charges in the classified documents case, a Russian artist is sentenced to seven years for spreading anti-war messages, child and teen cancer deaths in the US are found to have fallen 24% in the last two decades, a study links a drop in global fertility to pesticides, and Meta calls for parental control on app stores.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 16, 2023 Top Stories: A Ukrainian lawmaker is arrested on suspicion of Russian-linked terrorism, Israeli forces enter Gaza’s largest hospital, Donald Trump’s legal team demands a mistrial in the New York civil fraud case, the World Food Program says 25% of Sudan’s population faces climate-exacerbated hunger, North Korea reportedly tests a new engine for its intermediate ballistic missiles, the US House passes a stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown, Biden announces 5 federal judicial nominees, including the first Muslim appellate court judge, Nikki Haley softens controversial comments about social media verification, Mexico’s first nonbinary magistrate is found dead and the UK inks a major trade pact with Florida.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 15, 2023 Top Stories: SCOTUS publishes its first-ever code of conduct, a poll shows Trump beating Biden in the Electoral College, Biden and Xi collaborate to crack down on Fentanyl, Blinken acknowledges State Department dissent over Gaza, Gabon’s military junta announces elections for August 2025, Liberians vote in a tight presidential runoff, Nations gather in Kenya to hammer out a treaty on plastic pollution, US inflation hits a two-year low, Nepal bans TikTok due to its alleged effect on 'social harmony,’ and two Kentucky Ford plants reject a labor agreement.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 14, 2023 Top Stories: Suella Braverman is sacked in a UK govt reshuffle after the Palestine protest row, Fighting rages around Gaza’s largest hospital, Leaders from throughout the Arab and Islamic worlds convene in Riyadh, The UN sounds the alarm over violence and humanitarian needs in Sudan, US House Speaker Mike Johnson gets pushback on his govt shutdown avoidance plan, Ukraine claims 3 Russian officers are killed in a Melitopol blast, Donald Trump makes waves with controversial remarks on Veteran’s Day, Former speaker Kevin McCarthy mulls not running for re-election, Tim Scott is out as a contender for the GOP presidential nomination, Iceland declares an emergency over a looming volcano threat, and the former “Qanon Shaman” is running for US Congress.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 11, 2023 Top Stories: Israeli forces advance on Gaza City, Donald Trump’s trial date delay request is rejected in his classified docs case, Russia masses 40K troops in preparation for a renewed Donetsk assault, Germany reportedly aspires to become Europe’s military backbone, the leaders of Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey convene in Central Asia, Marjorie Taylor-Greene moves to impeach the US homeland security chief, Fentanyl-laced envelopes are sent to US election officials in multiple states, an industrial robot kills a worker in South Korea, deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon dips to a 5-year low and US surgeons perform the world’s first eye transplant.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 10, 2023 Top Stories: Israel agrees to a daily four-hour pause in Gaza strikes, Republican rivals spar in the party’s third presidential debate, DeSantis' biggest donor considers switching to Trump, the US Treasury's Yellen hosts China’s vice premier, Turkey takes issue with the EU’s review of its bid to join the bloc, Germany decides to send fighter jets to Romania, Biden's son and brother are subpoenaed in the ongoing impeachment probe, Meta outlines new rules for AI-based political ads, India considers inducing artificial rain to tackle New Delhi’s toxic smog, and Hollywood actors reach a deal to end their strike.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 9, 2023 Top Stories: The G7 presses for Gaza humanitarian pauses but stops short of a ceasefire, Rishi Sunak affirms a pro-Palestine rally can proceed after law enforcement talks, Ukraine admits to killing a pro-Russian politician in a car bombing, Ohioans enshrine abortion in the state constitution amid national Democratic Party wins, while Danica Roem becomes Virginia's first transgender state legislator, RFK Jr. leads Biden and Trump among younger voters in a new poll, the House votes to censure Rashida Tlaib over her criticism of Israel, Colombia demands the release of soccer star Luis Díaz's kidnapped father, the US Supreme Court hears a case over gun ownership by domestic abusers and a climate study suggests 2023 will be the hottest year of the last 125K.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 8, 2023 Top Stories: Researchers report that the personal data of US military personnel is for sale online, the Hunter Biden special counsel denies claims of improper political meddling, Russia and Myanmar begin their first-ever maritime exercises, Israel expects to manage Gaza's security after the war, France plans to send armored vehicles to Lebanon, regional voting begins in two key Indian states, a jailed Iranian Nobel Peace laureate goes on hunger strike, US feds announce a historic bust in Massachusetts, Biden pledges $16B in rail projects along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, and China announces plans to mass produce humanoid bots.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 07, 2023 Top Stories: Jordan and Israel coordinate an airdrop of medical aid to Gaza Hospital, Gaza’s death toll reportedly exceeds 10K as Israel essentially splits Gaza in two, A new poll suggests Trump leading in five of six battleground states, US and EU officials reportedly broach the topic of peace negotiations with Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Russia will continue voluntary cuts in oil production, US Secretary of State Blinken travels to Iraq amid brewing regional tension, Republican Peter Meijer enters the Michigan senate race, Donald Trump testifies in his tense civil fraud trial, A tragic earthquake kills over 150 in Nepal, and a prominent radio journalist is shot to death on air in the Philippines.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 04, 2023 Top Stories: Fallen crypto tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried is found guilty of fraud, The US Senate bypasses a block on military promotions, US Sec. of State Antony Blinken visits Israel, South Korea reportedly lines up loans to finance a $22B arms sale to Poland, Russia ramps up its drone attacks in Ukraine, New Zealand’s final election results are released, The FBI raids the home of the NYC mayor’s top campaign fundraiser, The UK’s AI summit sees Big Tech agree to government vetting of their AI products, Elon Musk’s AI startup prepares to launch Its first product, and storm Ciaran causes deadly flooding in Italy.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 03, 2023 Top Stories: Trump’s sons testify in his New York civil fraud trial, George Santos survives a Congressional expulsion vote, global democracy declines for the sixth consecutive year, Bangladesh’s opposition party threatens to boycott January’s election, the EU urges Serbia and Kosovo to normalize their relations, foreign nationals and injured Palestinians leave Gaza for a second day, the Bank of England leaves rates unchanged, a Tennessee ban on transgender procedures for minors is brought before SCOTUS, the Panama Canal reduces its traffic amid an ongoing drought, and Kentucky declares a state of emergency following the collapse of a coal plant.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 02, 2023 Top Stories: Gaza’s Rafah border with Egypt opens for limited evacuations, a new report suggests Volodymyr Zelenskyy is feeling betrayed by Western allies, hundred of thousands of Afghan migrants are preparing to leave Pakistan, Jack Lew is confirmed as the US ambassador to Israel, Myanmar seeks to repatriate Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, SCOTUS hears two cases about public officials blocking citizens on social media, the US Federal Reserve keeps interests rates steady despite stubborn inflation, US infant mortality rises for the first time in 20 years, southern California wildfires force thousands to evacuate, and Saudi Arabia is on track to host the 2034 World Cup.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for November 01, 2023 Top Stories: The Senate Judiciary readies three subpoenas in its SCOTUS ethics probe, The US moves to expel four nations from its African trade program, Israel's Netanyahu rules out a cease-fire with Hamas, Apple warns several Indian opposition leaders of an attempted hack on their iPhones, The US claims that a Russian group was behind a Pentagon cyberattack earlier this year, Meta announces a paid ad-free plan in Europe, China’s Evergrande is given a 5-week reprieve to revise its debt, Boston prepares to dismantle a homeless tent city, Striking auto workers reach a tentative deal with General Motors, and the FDA warns of tainted eye drops circulating in the US.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 31, 2023 Top Stories: Israel expands its military operations in Gaza, Vladamir Putin calls a security meeting after a violent mob storms a Dagestan airport, The White House unveils action to mitigate AI risk, An Australia/EU free trade deal stalls and now may be years away, China pledges to renew military ties with the US, Police probe a deadly bombing of a Jehova’s Witness prayer meeting in India, Emmanuel Macron moves to enshrine abortion in the French constitution, Colorado will vote on whether the 14th Amendment can disqualify Trump in 2024, Mike Pence calls off his run for US president, and Nikki Haley surges to a second-place tie in the GOP race in an Iowa poll.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 28, 2023 Top Stories: The US strikes Iranian-linked facilities in Syria as Middle East tensions simmer, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips will challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination, Alleged North Korea weapons shipments to Russia are condemned by the US and its allies,Hungary's Viktor Orbán defends his meeting with Putin, The Taliban releases a prominent girl’s education activist in Afghanistan, Estonia claims three damaged Baltic pipeline incidents are “related,” A US judge determines Georgia’s new congressional map is illegal, A SKorea court upholds a same-sex relationships ban within the nation’s armed forces, Arizona's Blake Masters launches a new GOP bid for the US House, and Rep. Jamaal Bowman pleads guilty to pulling a fire alarm before a key vote.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 27, 2023 Top Stories: A mass shooting in Maine kills at least 18, the UN warns that a record 114M are displaced worldwide, Israel conducts a raid into Gaza, 15 Chinese planes enter Taiwan’s air defense zone, Sudan’s warring sides resume peace talks, Indonesia’s defense minister announces his presidential bid, a deadly hurricane kills dozens in Mexico, the US economy expands at its fastest rate in nearly two years, Ford reaches a tentative deal with striking auto workers, and China sends its youngest-ever crew to space.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 26, 2023 Top Stories: Israel demands the resignation of the UN Secretary-General over Gaza remarks, Mike Johnson is elected House speaker after a historic impasse, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warns Iran not to attack US troops, China will replace a defense minister not seen in two months, Joe Biden meets hosts Australian Prime Minister Albanese at the White House, a Russian anti-war activist dies in a reported fall, Spain’s socialists reach a coalition deal with the far left, Texas’ Attorney General sues the Biden admin. for cutting razor wire, the National Hockey League drops its ban on colored tape to express social issues and 33 US states are suing Meta over its apps’ alleged impact on kids’ mental health.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 25, 2023 Top Stories: Turkey's Erdoğan submits Sweden's NATO bid to parliament, China’s foreign minister schedules a visit to Washington, Israel amps up its bombardment of Gaza as two Israeli hostages are freed, the US seeks the forfeiture of a sanctioned Russian businessman's $300M yacht, several Republicans call for Ukraine-Israel aid to be separated, Iceland’s prime minister joins the largest women's strike in decades, Georgia upholds a six-week abortion ban, an off-duty US pilot is accused of trying to tamper with a plane mid-flight, three Chinese drugmakers are accused of using endangered animals in their products, and the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is found to be 'unavoidable.'
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 24, 2023 Top Stories: The US and European nations push for a delay in Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza, The UN claims to have new evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, María Corina Machado claims victory in Venezuela’s opposition primary, Milei and Massa head for Argentina’s election runoff, Democrats seek a classified briefing on whether House chaos helps China, A second Trump lawyer pleads guilty in the Georgia case, Detroit police find no evidence of a hate crime in the murder of a synagogue president, A search is underway for the suspected killer of a Maryland judge, A key Stallantis pickup truck plant joins the simmering US autoworkers strikes, and the Philippines bans its military from using AI image generators.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 21, 2023 Top Stories: Trump pulls young voters away from Biden, Several bases housing US forces are attacked in Iraq, The US warns of China’s expanding nuclear arsenal, The US soldier who fled to North Korea faces several charges, Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India, Trump is fined for violating a gag order, France arrests 18 after fake bomb threats trigger nationwide evacuations, The US says it recorded over 270 UFO sightings in the last 8 months, OpenAI considers selling its shares at an $86B valuation, and Amazon tests humanoid robots in its warehouses.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 20, 2023 Top Stories: The US temporarily lifts Venezuelan oil sanctions, Biden secures aid for Gaza, Rep. Jim Jordan presses on with his House speaker bid, Ex-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell pleads guilty in the Georgia election case, the UK’s MI5 warns of an 'epic scale' of Chinese espionage, Russia detains an American journalist, Nicaragua releases 12 jailed Catholic priests to the Vatican, Texas installs a razor wire barrier along its border with New Mexico, China joins an IAEA survey over the release of water from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, and Pfizer more than doubles the price of its COVID medication Paxlovid.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 19, 2023 Top Stories: Biden suggests the Gaza hospital bombing was not Israel’s fault during his historic trip, the US imposes sanctions on Hamas-linked people and entities, Venezuela agrees to hold 2024 elections, the UK says ethnic cleansing was committed in Sudan’s Darfur region, the US accuses China’s air force of “risky” behavior in Pacific skies, same-sex couples are awarded public housing rights in Hong Kong, a US police deputy in Georgia kills a Black man who was wrongly incarcerated, a powerful PAC pulls the plug on Tim Scott’s TV and digital advertising, X, formerly Twitter, will pilot a $1/year plan for basic features and Amazon will soon begin delivering prescription medicines by drone.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 18, 2023 Top Stories: Jim Jordan loses the first-round vote to become House speaker, China kicks off its Belt and Road forum, Biden makes plans to visit Israel, Liberia’s presidential election heads to a likely runoff, India declines a petition to legalize same-sex marriage, SCOTUS allows Biden to continue regulating ‘ghost guns,’ Trump faces another gag order, the former Bank of China chairman is arrested on bribery charges, violent crime in the US is found to have decreased to pre-pandemic levels, and the Amazon rainforest’s water level falls to a 121-year low.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 17, 2023 Top Stories: Iran says it won’t be a “bystander” if a political solution isn’t found in Gaza, Vladamir Putin claims Ukraine is suffering “massive losses” in its counteroffensive, The US claims North Korea has shipped arms to Russia, Daniel Noboa wins Ecuador's presidency, Christopher Luxon is elected New Zealand’s prime minister, Poland’s Law and Justice party looks set to lose its majority, Australians vote “no” in a historic indigenous rights referendum, Joe Biden is far outspending Donald Trump in the quest for the White House, Biden’s polling still sags amid the Israel-Hamas war, Republican Jeff Landry is elected as Louisiana’s new governor, and Pfizer plans to slash jobs and expenses as its COVID-related revenues plummet.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 14, 2023 Top Stories: Israel warns over 1M civilians to immediately evacuate northern Gaza, Human Rights Watch alleges possible use of white phosphorous munitions by Tel Aviv, the US and Qatar blocks Iran’s access to $6B from the prisoner swap, while the White House and Ron DeSantis alike criticize Trump’s Hamas comments, Pro-Palestinian protests become heated in France and other nations, Russia launches a major offensive in eastern Ukraine, Jim Jordan is the GOP’s latest nominee to make a run for House speaker, a report states that the US must prepare for a two-front war with Russia and China, US Senator Bob Menendez is indicted as a ‘foreign agent’ for Egypt, and Japan seeks to revoke the Unification Church’s legal status.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 13, 2023 Top Stories: The GOP nominates Steve Scalise for House speakership, Media host Cenk Uygur announces his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Israel says its Gaza blockade will stand until all hostages are freed, Saudi’s Crown Prince and Iran’s president hold their first talks since resuming ties, the White House says it’s nearing its end on Ukraine aid, Poland and the Czech Republic extend border controls with Slovakia, a China-detained Australian journalist is released after three years, the UK’s prisons near their capacity, Goldman Sachs sues Malaysia over a dispute about their 1MDB scandal settlement, and SCOTUS hears a South Carolina racial gerrymandering case.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 12, 2023 Top Stories: Gaza’s sole power plant shuts down while Israel forms a unity government, a ‘massacre’ is reported in the Kfar Aza Kibbutz in Israel, the UK recommends police consider whether waving a Palestinian flag is a criminal act, the US Supreme Court rejects a public figure defamation case, France begins withdrawing troops from Niger, an ex-senator in Haiti pleads guilty for his role in that nation’s presidential assassination, George Santos is charged with defrauding campaign donors, the Biden administration takes aim at eliminating junk fees, California enacts an emissions law for big businesses, and the WHO warns dengue fever may “take off” in the southern US, Europe, and Africa.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 11, 2023 Top Stories: Israel claims to have regained all settlements bordering the Gaza Strip, the EU backtracks on its announcement to freeze Palestinian aid, Morocco hosts the IMF and the World Bank’s annual meeting, Germany and France kick off a two-day retreat to smooth EU diplomacy, Biden is interviewed by the special counsel in the classified documents case, a man crashes his car into San Francisco’s Chinese Consulate, Kari Lake is set to announce her US Senate bid in Arizona, former baseball star Steve Garvey enters California’s Senate race, Hong Kong sees heavy rainfall following Typhoon Koinu, and Harvard professor Claudia Goldin wins the Nobel Prize in Economics.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 10, 2023 Top Stories: Israel announces a Gaza “total blockade” while a Hamas rep. is reportedly open to a truce, A report suggests alleged Iranian support for Hamas’ attack, A catastrophic earthquake in Afghanistan claims 2K lives, Senator Tuberville pledges to continue his block of military appointments despite the conflict, US senators meet with Xi Jinping, German voters deal a blow to Scholz's coalition, The UK’s highest court hears an appeal on the Rwanda migration plan, RFK Jr. announces his run as an independent for US president, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsome vetoes an anti-caste discrimination bill, and Walgreens’s pharmacy staff plans to walk off the job this week.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 07, 2023 Top Stories: Trump endorses Jim Jordan for House speaker, Putin announces the successful test of a nuclear-powered missile, A drone attack on a Syrian military academy kills dozens and wounds hundreds, A Russian strike in Kharkiv kills at least 52, The EU initiates new talks on the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, A jailed Iranian activist wins the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump is accused of revealing US secrets to an Australian businessman, A man is arrested twice in one day for bringing firearms to Wisconsin’s Capitol, The US exceeds expectations by adding 336K jobs last month, and the world records its hottest September in history.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 06, 2023 Top Stories: Biden approves the construction of the border wall in Texas, The EU agrees on a migration policy, Russia withdraws its Black Sea Fleet from Crimea, Biden expresses concern over the future of Ukraine military aid, Iran’s police are accused of assaulting a teenage girl for not wearing a hijab, Global carbon emissions plateau as wind and solar power surge, Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto fraud trial opens in New York, US layoffs are found to be up nearly 200% in 2023, TikTok shutters its e-commerce services in Indonesia, and FIFA announces the men’s 2030 World Cup will be hosted across three continents.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 05, 2023 Top Stories: Members of the House GOP float the idea of Trump as House Speaker, Pakistani officials order illegal immigrants — including 1.7M Afghans — to leave the country, North Korea slams the US for labeling Pyongyang as a “persistent threat,” regional Russian officials claim Ukraine has used cluster munitions, Rishi Sunak cancels a major UK rail link, Nancy Pelosi is asked to vacate her private Capitol office space by the interim House Speaker, the US Dept. of Justice charges members of China’s private sector over fentanyl, the US and Switzerland team up to donate $8.4M to Brazil’s Amazon rainforest fund, while over 100 dolphins perish in the Amazon’s sweltering waters, and 75K workers strike at Kaiser Permanente health centers across the US.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 04, 2023 Top Stories: The US House ousts McCarthy from his speakership, Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to three federal gun charges, India orders Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats, The EU proposes a €5B military aid package for Ukraine, The UN approves sending a Kenya-led force to Haiti, WHO approves a second malaria vaccine, Bangladesh grapples with its worst dengue outbreak on record, Yelp and Texas sue each other over a dispute about crisis pregnancy centers, Two mRNA researchers win the Nobel Prize, and the US issues its first-ever space junk fine.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for October 03, 2023 Top Stories: Trump makes a high-profile court appearance in his New York trial, A UN team enters Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time in 30 years, The US Congress avoids a government shutdown at the last minute, The UK awards a $4.9B contract to build a submarine with Australia and the US, While Prime Minister Sunak insists there’s no plan to send British troops to Ukraine, Slovakia’s populist party wins parliamentary elections, The Afghan embassy in India closes operations, Clarence Thomas recuses himself in the Jan. 6 case, The US United Auto Workers Union reaches a deal with Mack Trucks, and Tom Hanks sounds the alarm about his AI deep fake hawking dental plans.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 30, 2023 Top Stories: Senator Dianne Feinstein passes away at 90 years old, More than 50 are killed in multiple mosque attacks in Pakistan, The US accuses China of global “information manipulation,” Vladimir Putin meets with an ex-Wagner commander, The UN says that 2.5K migrants have perished in the Mediterranean this year, Sweden’s prime minister meets with the military to address gang violence, 3 are killed in twin killing sprees in Rotterdam, Netherlands, US Sec. of State Blinken meets with his New Delhi counterpart amidst the India-Canada row, US General Milley reportedly takes safety measures after Trump’s comments, and the US Senate unanimously passes a dress code.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 29, 2023 Top Stories: GOP presidential hopefuls spar in the party’s second debate, North Korea enshrines its nuclear ambitions into its constitution, self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh announces its dissolution, Republicans hold their first hearing on the Biden impeachment inquiry, a flurry of leaders arrive in Ukraine for aid talks, Burkina Faso claims to have thwarted an attempted coup, Iraq’s prime minister visits the victims of a deadly wedding fire, China's Evergrande founder is placed under police surveillance, OpenAI and a former Apple designer collaborate to create the ‘iPhone of AI,’ and Japanese scientists find microplastics in clouds.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 28, 2023 Top Stories: US soldier Travis King is back in US custody following his detention in North Korea, Canada’s House Speaker resigns after the controversy honoring a WWII Nazi soldier, the House GOP ties Hunter Biden’s China wire transfers to Joe Biden’s home, Iran claims the launch of its third-ever military satellite, the European Commission labels X, formerly Twitter, as a major hub of disinformation, the US Federal Communications Commission plans to re-implement net neutrality rules, a Texas law banning some drag shows is deemed unconstitutional by a US judge, the UK’s biggest untapped oil reserve is approved for development, Antarctic sea ice tallies another record-low benchmark, and teenagers ransack Philadelphia shops in flash mob-style robberies.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 27, 2023 Top Stories: Biden joins Michigan’s picket line to support autoworkers, The Palestinian Authority welcomes its first Saudi ambassador, South Korea holds its first military parade in 10 years, Ukraine claims the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was killed, US and Kenya sign a defense deal, Mali’s junta postpones the nation’s presidential election, the US sues Amazon in a landmark monopoly case, SCOTUS rejects Alabama’s congressional map, heavy rain kills at least six in Guatemala, and ChatGPT is upgraded with a new voice feature.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 26, 2023 Top Stories: France plans to withdraw its armed forces from Niger, Thousands of ethnic Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh, A Washington Post/ABC poll shows Trump with a sizeable lead over Biden, The Pope urges Western nations not to “play games” with Ukraine, Protestors march in Spain over potential amnesty for Catalan separatists, Writers reach a tentative deal in the ongoing Hollywood strikes, Senator Bob Menendez pushes back against calls for his resignation, Tucker Carlson is promoted on Russian state television, California Gov. Gavin Newsome signs bills to enhance protections for the LGBTQ community, and Amazon inks a massive $4B deal to invest in AI start-up Anthropic.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 23, 2023 Top Stories: The US prepares for a government shutdown, Washington and Beijing announce two new working groups, the India-Canada row escalates, the White House sets up its first gun control office, Sudan’s army chief warns its war could spill over into neighbors, Ukraine attacks Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters, the UK prepares to charge five Bulgarians with espionage, the US considers banning medical debt from Americans’ credit reports, the Philippines accuses China of damaging its coral reefs, and chunks of an asteroid collected by NASA are set to land in Utah.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 22, 2023 Top Stories: China hosts Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Saudi Crown Prince MBS says Israel normalization is getting 'closer,' Biden expands Temporary Protected Status to 472K Venezuelans, Poland decides to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons, Iran moves to increase penalties for dress code violations, The US Senate confirms the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Venezuela seizes control of a gang-run prison, The US Fed leaves interest rates unchanged, Cisco buys AI firm Splunk for $28B, and Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 21, 2023 Top Stories: The US and Saudi Arabia are reportedly exploring a defense pact, global debt soars to $307 trillion, Merrick Garland is grilled by a key House Committee, Zelenskyy accuses Russia of genocide at the UN General Assembly, Japan calls on China to remove buoys in disputed territorial waters, six Palestinians are killed in the West Bank and Gaza, the UN identifies 1.6K abuse cases of detainees in Taliban custody, a unit of Huawei is reportedly shipping new surveillance camera chips despite US protocols, Donald Trump Jr.’s X account is hacked, and a report says over 35M US homes are “essentially uninsurable” from climate change.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 20, 2023 Top Stories: The annual UN General Assembly begins, Hunter Biden sues the IRS, Azerbaijan announces a 'military operation' in a contested region, evidence suggests Ukraine is responsible for a deadly Donetsk strike, UN experts warn of crimes against humanity in Ethiopia, Italy passes stricter migration measures, Virginia Rep. Jennifer Wexton says she won't seek re-election, a missing F-35 jet is located in South Carolina, Australia announces the arrival of El Niño, and Elon Musk floats the idea of a fee for X.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 19, 2023 Top Stories: Iran releases five American prisoners in a major hostage swap, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso ink a controversial security pact in West Africa, The G77 calls for a new geopolitical order centering on the needs of the Global South, Ukraine claims recapture of another key village near Bakhmut, Pres. Erdogan alludes to Turkey parting ways with EU’s ascension process, US House Republicans finalize short-term budget deal as a shutdown looms, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pleas for Secret Service protection following a security incident, Texas GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton is acquitted on corruption charges, Antarctic sea ice reportedly surpasses a 36-year low, and a cyberattack on Clorox disrupts the company’s supply chain.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 16, 2023 Top Stories: United Auto Workers strikes against the “big three” US vehicle makers, The Dominican Republic closes its border with Haiti, Hunter Biden is indicted on federal gun charges, Yemen’s Houthi delegation travels to Riyadh for ceasefire talks, Ukraine claims recapture of a key village in Donetsk, Zelenskyy plans a White House meeting with Pres. Biden, Three men are acquitted in the kidnapping plot of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, The US Supreme Court limits government contacts with social media organizations, The European Central Bank raises interest rates to an all-time high, and $1B in 'Captagon' amphetamines are confiscated in Dubai.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 15, 2023 Top Stories: The US plans to withhold military aid to Egypt, Canada’s Trudeau faces slumping polls, Ukraine launches another attack on Crimea, the UN finds 13 mass graves in Sudan's Darfur, a US judge rules against DACA, Trump’s Georgia election trial is separated from two co-defendants, the EU launches a Chinese EV subsidy probe, India’s Kerala faces a deadly Nipah virus outbreak, US inflation accelerates, and a stranded cruise ship is freed.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 14, 2023 Top Stories: The US Senate holds meetings to explore solutions to AI dangers, Kim Jong Un pledges support for Russia in his meeting with Putin, while a Ukrainian naval attack in Crimea reportedly damaged two Russian warships, China’s navy begins its reportedly largest-ever Pacific drills, in Mali, dozens are killed in clashes with Tuareg rebels, the Biden Admin. sends a memo to the media about his impeachment probe, Kevin McCarthy could see his House speakership challenged, five former officers are indicted in Tyre Nicols’ death, an alleged whistleblower accuses the CIA of bribery over COVID lab leak theory and rescue teams battle a rising death toll in Libya’s catastrophic floods.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 13, 2023 Top Stories: McCarthy announces a Biden impeachment inquiry, France’s Macron visits Bangladesh, Ukraine claims to have retaken four Black Sea drilling rigs, Poland maintains its Ukrainian grain embargo, the US sees record disasters in 2023, Amnesty warns of rights abuses stemming from mining in the DRC, Trump asks the judge in the federal election case to recuse herself, Colombia’s cocaine production surges, TikTok Shop launches in the US, and a stolen Van Gogh painting is recovered.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 12, 2023 Top Stories: France offers aid to Morocco after a catastrophic earthquake, The US commemorates the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, G20 leaders reach a “consensus statement” but soften their language on Ukraine, The G20 summit makes a historic choice to admit the African Union as a Permanent Member, Vladimir Putin’s party dominates local Russian elections amid tensions, The US boosts ties with Vietnam, A controversial dam is completed in Ethiopia, Gun rights groups sue New Mexico’s governor over an emergency firearm ban, Google begins a prominent antitrust trial, and speculation mounts about India’s potential name change to “Bharat”
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 09, 2023 Top Stories: The Georgia grand jury is found to have recommended 39 indictments, Former Trump advisor Navarro is convicted of contempt, Canada launches a public inquiry into alleged foreign interference, Dozens are killed in twin attacks on a passenger boat in Mali, Musk faces criticism for allegedly stifling a Ukrainian attack on Crimea, Palestinian factions clash in a Lebanese refugee camp, Hurricane Lee rapidly intensifies in the Atlantic, A report claims the US border wall disturbed Native American burial grounds, Apple shares slide following China's recent iPhone ban, and Japan launches a lunar mission.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 8, 2023 Top Stories: Biden faces negative job approval ratings, as VP Harris expresses re-election optimism, Google readies an AI disclosure on political ads, Palestine sets its terms for a potential Saudi-Israeli deal, the US approves the shipment of depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine, Mexico decriminalizes abortion nationwide, China considers banning clothes that 'hurt feelings,' a climate scientist admits to overstating the impact of global warming on wildfires, New Zealand tries to produce lab-grown fruit, and cancer rates are found to have surged by 80% in the last three decades.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 07, 2023 Top Stories: Cuba allegedly uncovers a human trafficking ring linked to the Russia-Ukraine war, France is reportedly discussing a withdrawal from Niger, Georgia’s Attorney General charges 61 “Cop City” protesters with racketeering, at least 16 are dead in a Russian strike on Donetsk, Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys is sentenced to 22 years in prison, Moderna says its updated vaccine is ready for new COVID subvariants, the US will investigate chips in Huawei's new smartphone, deadly floods impact Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, the UN says dredging sand is destroying the ocean floor and the US is investing in surveillance clothing — including socks, underwear, pants, and shirts.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 06, 2023 Top Stories: Texas AG Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial begins,
the ASEAN Summit kicks off, North Korea’s Kim schedules a meeting with Putin on weapons, A Russian General is seen publicly for the first time since the Wagner mutiny, China is predicted to dominate the tech sector, Hong Kong's top court rules in favor same-sex partnerships, Moroccans protest the killings of two tourists in Algeria, Hollywood strikes are said to have cost the California economy $5B, A study estimates that online pharmacies could save Americans millions, and the UN warns of an unprecedented invasive species threat.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 5, 2023 Top Stories: Israel’s Netanyahu calls for deportations after clashes between Eritrean migrant groups, India’s opposition parties plan to collaborate in the 2024 elections,Democrats float the idea of disqualifying Trump from running for office, Russia strikes port facilities in Odesa as Putin and Erdoğan discuss the Black Sea grain deal, Rustem Umerov officially replaces Ukraine’s sacked defense minister, the US alleges that PRC nationals are “gate crashing” military facilities, a key African climate summit begins in Kenya, Biden stumps for the economy and unions — and against Trump — on Labor Day, flooding and mud swamps Burning Man, and an ADHD drug shortage stresses many American families as the school year starts.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 02, 2023 Top Stories: The White House ramps up a “war room” anticipating the GOP’s impeachment probe, Ukraine’s defense minister will reportedly be replaced amid graft allegations, Xochitl Galvez is set to enter Mexico’s dynamic presidential race, Donald Trump pleads not guilty in the Fulton Co., Georgia case, The Lebanon-Israel border dispute may be mediated by Washington, Rishi Sunak appoints a new defense secretary for the UK, The US authorizes military aid to Taiwan under a program reserved for sovereign nations, A trial is set for the shooting case of Ralph Yarl, GoFundMe freezes donations for The Grayzone, and X’s new privacy policy reportedly allows for biometric data collection.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for September 1, 2023 Top Stories: Xi is expected to skip next month’s G20 summit, a deadly building fire in South Africa kills dozens, a new book claims Zelenskyy 'bombed' his first meeting with Biden, the head of Gabon’s Republican Guard is named interim leader, Trump is accused of inflating his net worth, Justice Thomas discloses donor-funded trips, Alabama seeks to prosecute those who aid out-of-state abortions, Meta reportedly modifies its moderation policy, China’s Baidu launches its ChatGPT rival ERNIE, and the US proposes mandatory overtime for workers.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for August 31, 2023 Top Stories: Gabon’s military seizes control in Gabon following a contested election, Hurricane Idalia slams Florida, Paul Whelan is seen in a Russian prison video, while a Ukrainian strike in Russian territory damages a key airfield, Meta deletes over 7.7K accounts allegedly linked to a PRC influence campaign, sentencing is delayed for two former Proud Boys leaders, Australia eyes its Indigenous 'Voice' referendum, a failed push for gun reform in Tennessee spills into tension on its house floor, Google tests a new watermark for AI images and a “7-minute” cancer jab rolls out in the UK.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for August 30, 2023 Top Stories: Trump's Jan. 6 trial is set for March, Imran Khan's corruption sentence is suspended, Russia is accused of intimidating US Consulate staff, the US turns to “autonomous systems” to counter China, a PRC county offers cash rewards to young brides, Iraq executes 3 over a 2016 bombing, a study warns that air pollution is the greatest threat to human health, the US lists 10 drugs subject to Medicare price negotiations, a live worm is found in an Australian woman's brain, and Mozart is found to potentially reduce pain in infants.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for August 29, 2023 Top Stories: Russia confirms Prigozhin's death, Zimbabwe’s opposition claims “massive fraud” in election, Three are killed in a racially motivated mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, Libya’s Foreign Minister is dismissed after meeting with her Israeli counterpart, The US Commerce Secretary calls for stability during a China visit, Foxconn’s billionaire founder enters the Taiwan presidential race, A US court cancels a hearing on a Mexican suit against gun makers, A Texas judge blocks a ban on transgender procedures for minors, France plans to ban students from wearing the Islamic abaya in state schools, and Idalia bears down on Cuba — and eyes a Florida landfall as a major hurricane.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for August 25, 2023 Top Stories: Fox News hosts the GOP’s first presidential debate, Trump turns himself in in Georgia, a Pakistani court allows ex-PM Imran Khan to be arrested, BRICS leaders agree to add six new members, the US seeks to extend a scientific research agreement with China, Nvidia sales surge amid the AI boom, an Ontario court upholds Jordan Peterson’s social media training order, scientists allow a paralyzed woman to speak through a digital avatar, a report finds Vietnam's 'Kissing Rocks' are at risk of collapsing, and the male sex chromosome is decoded for the first time.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for August 24, 2023 Top Stories: A plane crash presumably kills Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, Kevin McCarthy suggests a Biden impeachment inquiry could begin soon, the US imposes new visa restrictions on China over Tibet, Iran unveils a drone reportedly capable of attacking Israel, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago information technology director recants his testimony, Rudy Giuliani turns himself in for the Fulton Co., Georgia case, a Chinese dissident flees to South Korea via jet ski, the UK hails the world’s first womb transplant as a “massive success,” UPS’s union inks a 5-year contract, avoiding a disruptive strike and India makes a historic landing near the moon’s south pole.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for August 23, 2023 Top Stories: Trump confirms plans to turn himself in in Georgia, Cambodia’s outgoing PM is replaced by his son, Wagner’s chief vows to “make Russia even greater,” the US urges its citizens to leave Belarus, the UN reports over 200 slain former Afghan officials since the Taliban takeover, Japan is set to release treated radioactive water, Biden visits fire-ravaged Maui, a judge considers the future of Texas’ buoy border barrier, Biden names a new White House counsel, and 8 are rescued from a trapped cable car in Pakistan.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for August 22, 2023 Top Stories: Trump says he won’t attend any GOP presidential debates, Ecuador’s presidential race heads to a runoff, Saudi border guards are accused of killing hundreds of migrants, Russia's lunar mission ends in failure, ECOWAS rejects Niger’s coup leader's transition plan, Russia warns against sending F-16 jets to Ukraine, London’s mayor is accused of trying to silence dissenting scientists, Japan’s armed forces are accused of covering up harassment, A storeowner in California is shot over a pride flag dispute, Biden admin is set to urge Americans to get new COVID boosters, and Spain beats England to win the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Sources: https://www.verity.news/
Facts & Spins for August 19, 2023 Top Stories: Georgia police investigate threats against a Trump jury, The head of Maui’s emergency agency resigns, China property giant Evergrande files for US bankruptcy protection, Ethiopia's Tigray says 1.4K have died following food aid suspension, The US says Kyiv's counteroffensive will fail in its key goal, Iran's foreign minister visits Saudi Arabia, Disney files another lawsuit against DeSantis' oversight board, Hurricane Hilary moves toward California, Jordanian intelligence is accused of targeting the LGBTQ+ community, and the International Chess Federation bars trans players from women's events.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 18, 2023 Top Stories: ECOWAS threatens to intervene militarily in Niger, wildfires rage through Canada’s Northwest Territories, over 100 are arrested over church burnings in Pakistan, over 60 migrants are feared dead off Cape Verde’s coast, RFK Jr. is granted an emergency hearing for his lawsuit against YouTube, a US appeals court upholds limits on abortion pill access, New York City bans TikTok on government devices, a study finds ChatGPT holds ‘systemic’ left-wing bias, a pig kidney functions for a month in human body, and UK scientists think they’ve discovered the cause of smoking addiction.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 17, 2023 Top Stories: The UN says more than 1M people have fled Sudan’s spiraling conflict, Mark Meadows asks for the Fulton Co., Ga. case to be moved to federal court, a NATO official floats a territorial concessions-for-membership solution for Ukraine, while Ukraine captures a key town in its counteroffensive, North Korea says the US soldier who crossed its border was fleeing racism, Kevin McCarthy proposes a stopgap bill to avoid a US government shutdown, extreme water stress faces countries home to 25% of the global population, a former FBI official pleads guilty to supporting a Russian businessman, X was reportedly delaying access to content on some media platforms and 3.5M people worldwide lose their millionaire status.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 16, 2023 Top Stories: A US watchdog plans to regulate the “surveillance industry,” Suspected Russian spies are reportedly detained in the UK, The ruble slides to a 17-month low, Trump is indicted in the Fulton County, Georgia case, A deadly explosion strikes the Dominican Republic, China stops reporting on youth unemployment, Vice allegedly blocked stories that could offend Saudi Arabia, Former police officers plead guilty in the torture of two Black men in Mississippi, A US judge backs youth activists in a historic climate case, and NASA logs the hottest July on record.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 15, 2023 Top Stories: Fulton County Grand Jury begins hearing Trump’s case, Javier Milei wins Argentina’s presidential primaries, Taiwan’s vice president stops in the US, several Hong Kong protesters have their convictions partially quashed, the slain candidate’s VP is picked to run for Ecuadorian presidency, Hunter Biden's lawyers say US prosecutors reneged on a plea deal, Kim Jong Un calls for a 'drastic boost' in weapons production, Mexico says it will pay the families of migrants killed in a detention center fire $8M, Miss Universe cuts ties with Indonesia, and scientists turn fly carcasses into biodegradable plastic.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 11, 2023 Top Stories: A presidential candidate in Ecuador is assassinated, the US is accused of pushing Pakistan to oust former PM Imran Khan, a Utah man who threatened Biden is killed in an FBI raid, wildfires kill at least 36 in Hawaii, Iran claims to be testing a supersonic cruise missile, India passes a data protection bill amid surveillance concerns, Russia and Ukraine exchange drone attacks, the FBI is accused of a widespread campaign to label traditionalist Catholics “radicals,” Twitter is fined for delayed compliance with a Trump election probe, and US scientists say they’re close to discovering a fifth force of nature.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 12, 2023 Top Stories: A special counsel is appointed in the Hunter Biden probe, China arrests an alleged CIA spy, Biden calls China a 'ticking time bomb,' at least 23 Rohingya are killed after their boat sinks off Myanmar, Trump and an aide plead not guilty to new classified documents charges, Biden asks Congress for an additional $24B in Ukraine aid, India looks to scrap colonial-era laws, US mortgage delinquency rates fall to an all-time low, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp sees profits plunge 75%, and data reveals the US recorded its highest number of suicides in 2022.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 10, 2023 Top Stories: Dozens are feared dead after a migrant boat capsizes off Tunisia, China’s economy slips into deflation, Ohio voters reject changes to the state constitution, the US Supreme Court temporarily reinstates Biden’s ‘ghost gun’ regulation, the UK and Turkey announce a deal to tackle illegal migration, the White House plans to restrict some US investments in China, Russia continues to claim gains in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, ABC leaves Elon Musk’s X, a study finds Facebook's global spread hasn’t caused psychological harm and scientists say 4,000 daily steps are enough to boost health.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 9, 2023 Top Stories: Brazil hosts a landmark Amazon summit, Montana missile silos spark cancer concerns, at least seven are killed in Russian missile strikes on Donetsk, China drafts rules for using facial recognition technology, prosecutors seek to prevent Trump from sharing Jan. 6 case evidence, India bars military drone makers from using Chinese parts, Disney creates an AI task force, Norway says it will fine Meta $98,500 a day for breaching user privacy, air pollution is linked to a rise in antibiotic resistance, and a study finds AI is 90% effective at identifying passwords from keyboard sounds.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 08, 2023 Top Stories: Niger closes its airspace after rejecting an ECOWAS ultimatum, Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan is sentenced to jail, The Philippines summons China’s envoy over a water cannon incident, US scientists achieve a net energy gain for a second time through nuclear fusion, Data reveals that half of crimes solved by UK police result in no charge, Four Syrian soldiers are killed in an Israeli missile attack, PayPal launches a dollar-backed stablecoin, A survey finds that a third of Britons can’t define ‘transgender woman,’ Musk's X says it will pay the legal bills of anyone 'unfairly treated' for posting on the platform, and the FDA approves the first pill for postpartum depression.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 5, 2023 Top Stories: Two US Navy sailors are charged with spying for China, Putin critic Alexei Navalny is sentenced to 19 more years in prison, two expelled Tennessee Democrats win back their seats, the world’s oceans break record temperatures, a defense review recommends New Zealand boost its military spending, new US migration offices are announced for Colombia, a Trump ally is charged in an alleged 2020 Michigan vote scheme, the UK’s NHS expands its use of the private sector, controversy mounts over the LK-99 superconductor and malaria-preventing bacteria is discovered by chance.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 4, 2023 Top Stories: Trump appears in court for his Jan. 6 arraignment, the US orders the evacuation of its Niger embassy, Ukraine changes its counteroffensive tactics, deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon falls 66%, two migrants are found drowned in Rio Grande, Moderna projects up to $8B in 2023 COVID vaccine sales, a UK report predicts a 25% chance of a ‘catastrophic’ pandemic in five years, France's AFP sues Musk's X social media, China proposes limiting kid's daily phone use, and a groundbreaking cancer pill is found to kill tumors.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 03, 2023 Top Stories: America’s credit rating gets downgraded, Details emerge regarding Trump’s Jan. 6 indictment, Russia strikes key grain silos in Odessa, India’s top court hears a petition to remove Kashmir’s special status, A report says thousands will die from UK foreign aid cuts, The Pittsburgh synagogue attacker is sentenced to death, Severe floods are triggered by China’s heaviest rain in 140 years, Iran shuts down for two days because of severe heat and CDC research suggests Leprosy may be endemic to Florida.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 02, 2023 Top Stories: A poll shows Trump is leading his GOP rivals, Xi replaces the leaders of China's elite nuclear force, The US and the Taliban wrap up their first formal talks in 2 years, Another drone attack strikes Moscow, A former Australian childcare worker is charged with abusing 91 children, The UK acknowledges that IS attacks on Yazidis constitute genocide, The White House recommends curbing the FBI’s surveillance powers, Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi is pardoned on some charges, A new Illinois law allows foreigners to become cops, and UNESCO recommends adding Venice to its endangered list.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for August 01, 2023 Top Stories: African leaders warn Niger's junta to cede power, A political rally bombing in Pakistan kills at least 45, Saudi Arabia will host a Ukraine peace summit without Russia, The DOJ is accused of intimidating a key witness in the Hunter Biden probe, A Georgia judge rejects Trump’s bid to block a grand jury report, An Australia army helicopter crash leaves ‘no hope’ for survivors, Rival Palestinian governments form a ‘reconciliation committee,’ A judge blocks an Arkansas law allowing librarians to be charged for ‘harmful’ materials, X threatens legal action against a hate speech non-profit, and scientists induce a 'virgin birth' in fruit flies.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 29, 2023 Top Stories: The US and Saudi Arabia hold talks, Researchers find that Meta’s algorithm has little effect on polarization, Trump faces new charges in the classified documents case, Ukraine liberates a village in western Donetsk, A survey finds that China is facing a faltering global image, A Hong Kong judge rules against Beijing’s bid to ban a protest song, Biden signs an order on military sexual assault cases, The US Justice Dept. opens a probe into Memphis police, Biden announces measures to tackle extreme heat, and Netflix seeks an AI expert.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 28, 2023 Top Stories: Niger soldiers declare a coup, More details of US-Russia diplomacy talks emerge, Mark Zuckerberg risks being held in contempt of Congress, The US Fed hikes rates again, El Salvador introduces mass trials for gang members, Mitch McConnell says he's 'fine' after a press conference incident, Singapore prepares to execute its first woman in 20 years, US officials plan to meet Taliban representatives in Doha, Canada’s Trudeau unveils a cabinet shuffle, and over half of the US women’s World Cup soccer team refuse to sing the anthem.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 27, 2023 Top Stories: Hunter Biden’s plea deal falls apart, Rudy Giuliani admits to making false statements regarding the 2020 election, Zelenskyy rebukes Ukrainian officials accused of corruption, Russian and Chinese delegations visit North Korea, NatWest's CEO resigns following the Nigel Farage controversy, Harvard's legacy policy comes under investigation, Japan’s population declines by a record 800K, UNESCO recommends banning smartphones in schools, wildfires across the Mediterranean kill dozens and a Congressional UFO hearing begins.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 26, 2023 Top Stories: Speaker McCarthy suggests a possible Biden impeachment inquiry, China installs a new Foreign Minister, An arrest warrant is issued for Imran Khan in Pakistan, A UN watchdog discovers mines at Ukraine’s Russia-controlled nuclear plant, Biden establishes a national monument for Emmett Till, The US Dept. of Justice sues Texas over a floating barrier in the Rio Grande, TikTok adds support for text posts, Former Pres. Obama’s chef tragically drowns, Transgender swimmers will now be included in world competitions, and a new report ties the recent global heatwaves to climate change.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 25, 2023 Top Stories: Israel's parliament passes a key judicial overhaul, The UN holds talks with North Korea over a detained US private, Elon Musk begins rebranding Twitter as 'X,' Spain faces a hung parliament, OpenAI's Sam Altman launches a new crypto project, China unveils steps to boost private investment, PM Hun Sen claims victory in Cambodia’s general election, Corfu becomes the latest Greek island to evacuate over wildfires, Bangladesh grapples with a dengue ‘epidemic,’ and a gymnasium roof collapse kills 11 in China.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 22, 2023 Top Stories: Leading tech firms agree to voluntary AI safeguards, a date is set for Trump’s classified documents trial, China is accused of hacking the US ambassador's email, NASA spots 37 space boulders from a deflected asteroid, Google says it’s building an AI tool for journalists, Threads’ user engagement plummets, Coutts apologizes for Nigel Farage’s bank account closure, Amazon says it will offer 'pay-by-palm' at all Whole Foods, eating less meat is found to reduce greenhouse emissions and Amsterdam bans cruise ships.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 21, 2023 Top Stories: RFK Jr. testifies before the House Weaponization subcommittee, protesters set fire to the Swedish embassy in Iraq, Russia continues retaliatory missile strikes on Odesa, Henry Kissinger meets with Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping, Stanford’s president resigns amid data manipulation controversies, Apple tests a new chatbot, the iPhone maker threatens to remove some applications from UK services, Netflix gains more new subscribers than expected, Alabama resumes executions, and a top US college says it will end 'legacy' admissions.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 20, 2023 Top Stories: Putin bails on the BRICS Summit with his arrest warrant in play, US Democrats pursue Supreme Court ethics legislation, an IRS whistleblower testifies about Hunter Biden, the IMF cites “exceptionally high” economic risk in Pakistan, Biden shows a slight polling edge for 2024, Israeli airstrikes in Damascus injure two Syrian soldiers, Michigan presses charges over an alleged 2020 fake elector scheme, Hollywood strikers say NBC-Universal blocked their picket area, thousands of writers rail against AI,and more than 1,300 experts pen an AI “no threat” letter.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 19, 2023 Top Stories: A US soldier is detained after defecting to North Korea, Turkey’s Erdoğan begins his Gulf tour, Russia launches “retaliatory” strikes after the Crimea bridge attack, Trump says he expects an indictment in the Jan. 6 probe, global debt dominates the G20 meeting in India, Israel recognizes Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara, McCarthy pitches planting 1T trees to combat climate change, the UK’s migration bill passes parliament, Tesla directors agree to settle an overcompensation suit, and J&J allows global access to its tuberculosis drug.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 18, 2023 Top Stories: Russia’s bridge to Crimea is attacked for a second time, Floods kill at least 40 in South Korea, Tunisia and the EU finalize deal on migration, China’s economy misses forecasts, Iran's morality police resume headscarf patrols, The UN Security Council is set to hold its first talks on AI risks, Musk says Twitter has lost nearly half its advertising revenue, Tucker Carlson lands his first ad deal, Ron DeSantis fires several staffers, and Alcaraz beats Djokovic at Wimbledon.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 15, 2023 Top Stories: The US House passes a defense bill, India launches a historic moon mission, The Pentagon says US cluster bombs are already in Ukraine, Thailand’s parliament fails to elect a new prime minister, Jared Kushner testifies before the Jan. 6 grand jury, Hollywood actors join the writers strike, Myanmar’s military regime is accused of murdering political prisoners, Australia names its first woman to lead the central bank, Russian lawmakers pass a bill outlawing gender reassignment, and the WHO says aspartame is safe within limits.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 14, 2023 Top Stories: Several tax filing firms are accused of sharing private data with Big Tech, Fox news faces a new defamation lawsuit related to the Capitol riots, 3.3B reportedly live in countries spending more on debt than health and education, a Russian general says he was fired for airing battlefield concerns, the FDA approves the US’ first over-the-counter birth control pill, deforestation in Colombia is found to have dropped by 29% last year, the FTC is investigating OpenAI for possible consumer harm, the UN says 87 people were found buried in a mass grave in Sudan, Huw Edwards is named as the accused presenter in the recent BBC scandal, and archaeologists say humans arrived in the Americas earlier than previously thought.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 13, 2023 Top Stories: Russia blocks Syrian aid at the UN, FBI Director Wray is grilled before a House Committee, Ukraine’s NATO bid falls short, while China warns against NATO expansion in Asia, Iran inks key Africa agreements, Iowa’s GOP passes a 6-week abortion ban, the US Justice Dept. changes course in the Trump E. Jean Carroll case, Canada probes Nike and Dynasty Gold over alleged Uyghur labor, Bank of America is fined over junk fees, and Elon Musk launches a new AI company.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 12, 2023 Top Stories: The US Senate probes the PGA-LIV Golf merger, Trump requests the classified documents trial be postponed, Zelenskyy reissues calls for Ukraine’s NATO accession, Libya jails 38 for human trafficking, the Hunter Biden “whistleblower” is charged with acting as a Chinese agent, China and the Solomon Islands announce a strategic partnership, Meta's Threads hits 100M users, Foxconn withdraws from its Vedanta chip deal, Olympic champion Caster Semenya wins her testosterone appeal, and transparent mice are found to potentially improve cancer drug tests.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 11, 2023 Top Stories: Turkey backs Sweden joining NATO, Six are killed in a kindergarten stabbing in China, The US destroys the last of its chemical weapons stockpile, The BBC meets with police over an alleged sexual abuse scandal, Yellen ends her trip to China with 'productive' talks, The US kills an IS Leader in Syria, Three migrant boats go missing near the Canary Islands, Silicon Valley Bank’s former owner sues a US banking regulator, A former reporter sues CNN, and a Belarusian tennis player is booed after losing Wimbledon to a Ukrainian.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 08, 2023 Top Stories: Yellen urges China to adopt market reforms, Samsung predicts a 96% drop in Q2 profits, Zelenskyy calls for commitments on Ukraine’s NATO membership, The FDA approves a new Alzheimer's drug, Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon drops, Twitter threatens to sue Threads, Long COVID-like symptoms are linked to vaccines, Biden launches a new push to limit health care costs, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene is removed from the US House Freedom Caucus, and a Harvard professor believes he's found fragments of alien technology.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 7, 2023 Top Stories: The CIA is accused of engaging in a clandestine war with Russia, a Trump aide pleads not guilty in a Florida classified documents case, the Dept. of Justice reveals more details related to the Mar-a-Lago search warrant, Biden voices support for Sweden’s NATO membership, the Dow index plunges 500 points, the US accuses Russia of harassing its drones in Syria, Hong Kong arrests five for allegedly aiding activists abroad, Canada says it will stop advertising with Meta, nearly half of US drinking water is found to contain potentially harmful chemicals, and a study suggests the brain-boosting benefits of exercise are negated by a lack of sleep.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 06, 2023 Top Stories: Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of an imminent attack on a key nuclear plant, July 4 is logged as the hottest day on Earth in 125,000 years, Russia and the US consider a prisoner swap, Special Forces are the focus of a UK war crimes inquiry on Afghanistan, A man arrested last week near Obama’s house threatened a government facility, Macron suggests blocking social media amid French protests, A US judge restricts Biden officials from contacting social media firms, Talks between UPS and its union break off, Cocaine briefly shuts down the White House, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy is discovered in a female athlete for the first time.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 05, 2023 Top Stories: Turkey and Egypt mutually reappoint ambassadors, China announces new chip export restrictions, the Kremlin repels a drone attack on Moscow, the Taliban bans beauty salons in Afghanistan, a shooting in Philadelphia leaves five dead, a Russian journalist and lawyer are attacked in Chechnya, Hong Kong issues bounties for eight exiled activists, Meta readies Twitter rival “Threads,” three advocacy groups file a complaint against Harvard’s legacy admissions, and Toyota announces a battery breakthrough for electric cars.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 04, 2023 Top Stories: Israel launches a massive operation into Jenin, US Treasury Secretary Yellen plans to visit China, The US and Mexico consider a new refugee program, Israel inks a $3B deal for American F-35 fighter jets, A UK building society admits to closing the accounts of those who 'discriminate,' Two are killed and dozens injured in a Baltimore shooting, Twitter is sued over unpaid office fees, UK police are given more power to crack down on climate protests, A fund for the French police officer who killed Nahel M. tops $1M, and a study links COVID to youth diabetes
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for July 01, 2023 Top Stories: The US Supreme Court rejects student loan forgiveness, while making key rulings on LGBTQ+ protections, Bolsonaro is banned from running for office in Brazil, The US mulls sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, The World Bank approves $700M for crisis-hit Sri Lanka, $400M in US arms sales is approved for Taiwan, A Parkland shooting police officer is found not guilty of neglect, Google will remove news search functionality in Canada, A tragic lynching of a Muslim in India is tied to beef sales, and astronomers say a planet has escaped death in a binary star system.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 30, 2023 Top Stories: A UK court rules against deporting migrants to Rwanda, SCOTUS says race-conscious college admission policies are illegal, Rudy Giuliani is interviewed in the 2020 election interference investigation, a former Ohio House Speaker is sentenced to prison for bribery, Iran takes Canada to international court for violating its sovereignty, a Russian general is arrested following the Wagner rebellion, the Solomon Islands and Australia renew their security pact, an inquiry finds UK ‘spy cops’ operations were unjustified, several countries condemn the desecration of a Quran in Sweden, and Canada faces its most severe wildfire season on record.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 29, 2023 Top Stories: Protests rock Paris after a teen is killed by police, a report estimates $200B in US COVID aid funds were stolen, at least 10 are killed in Russian missile strikes on Donetsk, two Russian warships are detected near Taiwan’s coast, Trump counter-sues writer E. Jean Carroll for defamation, a BBC report exposes the prevalence of AI child sex abuse images, gymnastics star Simone Biles will return to competing, deforestation is found to be increasing despite global pledges, a Klimt painting sets a European auction record, and South Koreans become younger under a new age-counting law.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 28, 2023 Top Stories: The US Senate says the FBI and DHS “dropped the ball” ahead of Jan. 6, The UN puts Afghanistan’s civilian death toll at over 1,000 since 2021, Putin addresses the Wagner rebellion, Moscow confirms the mercenary group is continuing its operations in Africa, SCOTUS denies state legislatures control over elections, Trump appears to discuss classified files on a publicized tape, Switzerland says it’s a “hotbed” for Russian spies, Japan approves over-the-counter emergency contraceptives, The CDC sounds the alarm about malaria in Florida and Texas, and a report finds English cricket is rife with racism and sexism.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 27, 2023 Top Stories: Colorado’s Club Q shooter is sentenced to life in prison, Wagner leader Prigozhin could reportedly still face charges for mutiny, The conservative New Democracy party wins a landslide victory in Greece, Indian PM Modi makes his first trip to Cairo, SCOTUS unfreezes a Louisiana redistricting case, Governments are advised to cut public spending or raise taxes to curb inflation, The UK’s Prince William launches a homelessness project, Virgin Galactic names the crew for its first commercial space flight, Fox News names a replacement for Tucker Carlson, and an error in a UK weight loss tool makes people fatter.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 24, 2023 Top Stories: The DOJ is accused of slow-walking a Hunter Biden probe, India and the US sign key deals in defense and tech, The US House postpones a possible vote to impeach Biden, Meta says it will end news access to Canadians, Russia is added to the UN 'List of Shame' for child killings, A Wyoming judge blocks a ban on abortion pills, SCOTUS upholds Biden’s immigration enforcement plan, A study estimates that over 1.3B will have diabetes by 2050, The IOC strips the International Boxing Association of it status, and a US climate change lawsuit seeks $50B over the 2021 heatwave.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 23, 2023 Top Stories: OceanGate says the Titan submersible crew have most likely died, dozens are killed in an explosion at a restaurant in China, US students’ math and reading scores hit a record low, the Bank of England hikes rates to 5%, Canada Bread agrees to pay $38M for price fixing, US House Republicans vote to censure Adam Schiff, cardiovascular deaths surge in the UK, a US court strikes down a Florida transgender Medicaid rule, Australia threatens to fine Twitter over hate speech, and the USDA approves the sale of lab-grown meat,
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 22, 2023 Top Stories: A Pentagon accounting error leads to $6.2B in Ukraine aid surplus, Rishi Sunak says Russia “must pay” for Ukraine’s reconstruction, Biden calls Xi Jinping a “dictator” a day after high-level talks, Musk and Modi discuss major investments, the FTC sues Amazon over Prime subscriptions, 100 letters with white powder are sent to Kansas officials, a prison riot in Honduras kills at least 41, the search for the Titanic submersible reaches a crucial moment, a study claims 1 in 5 women conceive naturally after fertility treatment, and a former New Jersey cop is ensnared in a PRC harassment scheme.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 21, 2023 Top Stories: Hunter Biden strikes a plea deal with the DOJ, Biden warns of a “real” threat of Putin using tactical nuclear weapons, India's Modi leaves for his first state visit to the US, four Israelis are killed in a West Bank gas station attack, China and Cuba are reportedly in talks to open a military site, US news chain Gannett sues Google, Intel confirms plans to build a $33B chip plant in Germany, French police search the 2024 Olympics organizers’ offices, the UN adopts its first-ever treaty to protect the high seas, and researchers find naps help aging brains.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 20, 2023 Top Stories: Antony Blinken meets with Chinese Pres. Xi Xinping in Beijing, Australia approves a landmark Indigenous rights referendum, Putin reveals a peace agreement allegedly signed with Ukraine last spring, Malians vote on a new constitution, More than 1.5M are reportedly dropped from Medicaid, Israeli helicopters fire missiles in a West Bank raid, Extreme heat kills over 170 in Northern India, Biden plans $600M in climate investments, A new study finds a small group of “supershedders” spread the most COVID, and a Titanic tourist vessel disappears.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 17, 2023 Top Stories: The Pentagon Papers whistleblower dies, Japan passes sweeping changes to its sex crime laws, Military leak suspect Jack Teixeira is indicted on six felony charges, Chinese hackers are accused of breaching hundreds of global networks, An African peacekeeping mission visits Ukraine, Canada’s Supreme Court upholds a migrant pact with the US, Former Mayor Bill de Blasio is ordered to repay NYC $500K, Texas shuts down diversity offices at public universities, The UK’s ex-police watchdog chief is charged with rape, and a deadly collision kills 15 in Manitoba, Canada.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 16, 2023 Top Stories: The UK releases its long-awaited “Partygate” report, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China this weekend, Germany approves funds for an Israeli Arrow-3 missile defense system, SCOTUS rules Native Americans must be given priority for adopting Native children, Australia blocks a new Russian embassy from being built near Parliament, music publishers sue Twitter for alleged copyright infringements, India’s wrestling chief is charged with sexual harassment, a survey finds distrust is the main cause of partisanship in the US, India and Pakistan brace for a major cyclone, and scientists create the world’s first synthetic human embryo.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 15, 2023 Top Stories: The UN says a record 110M are displaced worldwide, Washington launches a push to cool relations with Tehran, Putin claims Ukraine’s counteroffensive is failing, the US Fed pumps the brakes on rate hikes, Amnesty reports possible war crimes in Gaza fighting, Meta unveils 'Human-Like' AI image creation, a judge clears the way for more damages in Trump’s E. Jean Caroll case, the Microsoft-Activision blockbuster merger is paused, Malaysia asks Interpol to pursue an American comedian over a joke, and Reuters says the public is losing its news appetite.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 14, 2023 Top Stories: Trump pleads not guilty to mishandling classified docs, the UK’s COVID inquiry begins, a report finds global nuclear weapons stockpiles are rising rapidly, Illinois passes a law to prevent book restrictions, NYC mandates the nation’s first minimum wage for food delivery workers, the UN voices support for a global AI watchdog, a British mother is jailed over her late-term abortion, Twitter’s new CEO details her vision for the company, the US’ first climate action case goes to trial, and a study finds that the UK’s breast cancer mortality rate is down 66%.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 13, 2023 Top Stories: Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi dies aged 86, Four Colombian plane-crash children are found alive after 40 days, Saudi Arabia announces $10B in Arab nation deals with China, George Soros says he’s passing his empire onto his son, The US rejoins UNESCO, Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon is released without charge after being arrested, The UN says gender biases haven’t changed in a decade, An ex-Samsung executive is accused of stealing trade secrets, JPMorgan agrees to a $290M settlement with Epstein victims, 'Unabomber' Ted Kaczynski is found dead in federal prison, and Novak Djokovic wins his record-breaking 23rd grand slam title.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 10, 2023 Top Stories: Trump is federally charged for retaining classified documents, Boris Johnson resigns from the UK parliament, The EU agrees on migration reforms, A businessman linked to the impeachment of Texas AG Ken Paxton is arrested, Kyiv claims a 'Russian sabotage group' blew up the Kakhovka dam, A UK court rejects Julian Assange’s extradition appeal, Turkey names an ex-Goldman Sachs banker to run its central bank, Binance halts US dollar deposits amid a SEC lawsuit, The UK government is accused of stifling COVID policy dissent, and a study finds that energy drink ingredient taurine may slow aging.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 9, 2023 Top Stories: A knifeman injures several in the French Alps, Trump is under criminal investigation for retaining classified documents, conservative tension puts the US House on pause until next week, Britain announces plans to host the first global AI safety summit, Cuba reportedly agrees to host a secret PRC spy base, Japan rules banning same-sex marriage is at odds with the constitution, California’s governor proposes a constitutional amendment on gun control, Edward Snowden warns 2013 surveillance was ‘child’s play’ compared to today, Canadian wildfires place tens of millions under air quality alerts, and Costa Rica records the first 'virgin birth' in a crocodile.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 8, 2023 Top Stories: Chris Licht is out as CEO at CNN, the humanitarian scope of the Ukraine dam break worsens, funding for Atlanta’s “Cop City” is approved, South Korea and Japan scramble jets during a China-Russia air patrol, Canada rules an incel attack as “terrorism,” a panel says a Florida judge should be reprimanded over the Parkland shooting, Merck challenges the US government’s power to negotiate drug prices, a study says Instagram’s algorithms boost pedophile networks, a lawsuit claims China spied on Hong Kong activists through TikTok, and New York City sues Hyundai and Kia over easy-to-steal cars.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 7, 2023 Top Stories: A US panel seeks contempt charges against the FBI, Russia and Ukraine trade blame for the collapse of a major dam, Saudi-backed LIV Golf merges with the PGA Tour, Iran presents its first hypersonic ballistic missile, US Sec. of State Blinken visits Saudi Arabia, a US LGBTQ+ group declares a national state of emergency, convicted spy Robert Hanssen dies in prison, an mRNA cancer vaccine is found to reduce the spread of melanoma, Apple launches its first augmented reality headset, and a whistleblower makes claims about a secret UFO retrieval program.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 06, 2023 Top Stories: The US SEC sues crypto exchange Binance, A study finds the costs of COVID lockdowns far outweighed the benefits, Ukraine launches its much-anticipated counteroffensive, Saudi Arabia says it will cut oil output by 1M barrels per day, India’s top detective agency is asked to investigate a catastrophic train wreck, Trump’s attorneys meet with the Department of Justice, China's defense minister warns of an 'unbearable disaster' in a US-PRC conflict, NBCUniversal’s Joe Benarroch joins Twitter, An AstraZeneca lung cancer drug is found to halve the risk of death, and Utah primary schools ban the bible.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 03, 2023 Top Stories: Mike Pence won’t be charged for retaining classified documents, The US military denies that an AI-controlled drone killed its operator, The US Senate passes the debt ceiling bill, New documents on Jeffrey Epstein's death are released, The US and Taiwan sign a new trade deal, Zelenskyy renews calls for Ukrainian NATO membership, An abducted Pakistani lawyer and activist returns home, Twitter’s head of safety resigns, The US Senate halts Biden's student loan relief plan, and the FDA reportedly considers importing unapproved cancer drugs.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 02, 2023 Top Stories: Trump was reportedly recorded admitting he retained classified documents, Amazon settles Ring- and Alexa-related privacy complaints, a decorated Australian soldier loses his war crimes defamation case, Mike Pence is reportedly set to announce his 2024 presidential bid, Senegal’s opposition leader is sentenced for 'corrupting youth,' Russia claims the US spied on thousands of iPhones, BRICS foreign ministers meet in South Africa, a study finds 7 of 8 safe boundaries for human life have been surpassed, Australian researchers make a breakthrough in endometriosis treatment, and Canada announces plans to label individual cigarettes with health warnings.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for June 01, 2023 Top Stories: NATO launches Arctic exercises, China warns of AI risks, The US debt ceiling drama continues, Chris Christie throws his hat into the 2024 ring, Ron DeSantis stumps in Iowa, Ukraine continues strikes on Russia, The UAE withdraws from a key maritime treaty, China is warned about South China Sea airspace, The US is urged not to use bomb-grade uranium in a power experiment, and NASA holds a public UFO hearing.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 31, 2023 Top Stories: A group of experts warn AI could lead to extinction, several GOP members consider ousting House Speaker McCarthy, China declines a US request for a defense chiefs meeting, Moscow and Kyiv are targeted in an exchange of drone attacks, El Salvador’s former president is sentenced for negotiating with gangs, blood-testing start-up Theranos’s founder begins her prison sentence, a transgender-critical professor’s speech is interrupted by protesters at Oxford, a top Chinese scientist says the COVID lab leak theory shouldn’t be ruled out, Nepal shelves plans to move its Everest base camp, and an alleged Russian spy whale reappears off Sweden’s coast.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 30, 2023 Top Stories: Biden and the House GOP reach a tentative debt ceiling deal, Erdoğan wins re-election in Turkey after a presidential runoff, Japan says its on alert for a North Korea ‘satellite’ launch, Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine face a fresh wave of Russian attacks, The Texas House of Representatives votes to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, A deadly vigilante movement in Haiti is reported to be deterring gang violence, China’s first home-built passenger jet makes its inaugural flight, London’s Met police say they’ll stop attending emergency mental health calls, The Texas GOP passes bills targeting elections administration in a Houston-area county, and a pencil given to Adolf Hitler by Eva Braun goes up for auction.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 27, 2023 Top Stories: Russia summons German, Danish and Swedish envoys over their Nord Stream investigations, a Belgian aid worker and Iranian diplomat are released in a prisoner swap, Nvidia is close to becoming the first trillion-dollar chip firm, a US doctor is reprimanded for discussing an abortion provided to a child rape victim, a Rwandan genocide fugitive is arrested in South Africa, DeSantis’s campaign says it raised $8.2 million in the first 24 hours, the US unveils a national strategy to combat antisemitism, Amnesty alleges that Peru displayed racial bias in its crackdown on protests, Elon Musk’s Neuralink says it has received FDA approval to test brain chips in humans, and a new superbug-killing antibiotic is discovered using AI.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 26, 2023 Top Stories: DeSantis officially launches his 2024 presidential bid, UN officials and others in Armenia were reportedly hacked by Pegasus spyware, Germany enters a recession, Net migration to the UK hits a record 606,000, The Oath Keepers’ founder is sentenced to 18 years in prison, Canada and Saudi Arabia announce plans to restore diplomatic relations, 14M Syrian refugees are reportedly at risk of losing their homes, The UN says 500 migrants are adrift in the Mediterranean, US cities will reportedly pay a record $80M to people injured in the 2020 BLM protests, and a paralyzed man walks again following brain and spine implants.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 25, 2023 Top Stories: The UN says the world is failing to protect civilians in global conflicts, Ron DeSantis is reportedly set to announce a 2024 run via Twitter, a new report finds 50M people are trapped in “modern slavery”, South Carolina approves a six-week abortion ban, Donald Trump’s criminal trial is set for March 2024, OpenAI calls for more regulation, the UK’s inflation rate drops but concerns remain, an Illinois probe reveals Catholic Church abuse, Greenpeace says recycled plastics may actually be toxic, and rock icon Tina Turner passes away.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 24, 2023 Top Stories: The US’ general surgeon warns of social media’s risk to children, Colombia suspends its ceasefire with a rebel group, two anti-Putin militias overrun Russia's Belgorod region, Florida faces a lawsuit over its foreign property ban, Italy is accused of exerting its influence over state media, France signs a security protocol for the upcoming Olympics, a Twitter buyout lawsuit against Musk is thrown out, the EU seeks to make Apple pay $14.B in Irish taxes, Guam braces for a super Typhoon, and the UK says it won’t repatriate an Ethiopian prince’s remains.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 23, 2023 Top Stories: The EU fines Meta a record $1.3B over data privacy, The ruling Conservatives win the Greek election, China bans US chipmaker Micron from infrastructure projects, The FBI is accused of misusing a database for Jan. 6 and BLM protests, An Indian court issues the BBC with a summons over its Modi documentary, Russia warns the US not to allow Ukraine to attack Crimea, A soccer stadium stampede in El Salvador leaves at least 12 dead, SpaceX sends Saudi astronauts to the International Space Station, Trump was reportedly warned about keeping classified documents, and The UN says climate change has caused 2M deaths in the last 50 years.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 20, 2023 Top Stories: US debt ceiling talks are reportedly paused, The Pentagon says it made a $3B accounting error in weapons shipments to Ukraine, The G7 summit begins in Japan, A US Congress report accuses the FBI of retaliating against whistleblowers, The US and Taiwan reach a trade pact, Disney cancels plans to build a $1B facility in Florida, Lebanon receives a “red notice” from Interpol for its central bank governor, Nadal says he’ll miss the French Open and likely retire after 2024, A 95-year-old Australian woman is tased by police, and a study finds that New York City is sinking.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 19, 2023 Top Stories: Italy faces its worst flooding in nearly 100 years, Montana completely bans TikTok, world leaders push for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, Russia agrees to extend the Black Sea grain deal, Turkey’s opposition questions the fairness of Sunday's election, the US Supreme Court dismisses two social media liability cases, Telecom giant BT announces plans to cut 55,000 jobs by 2030, sources say DeSantis will formally enter the 2024 presidential race next week, a study finds that global warming is set to break 1.5°C by 2027, and an injectable HIV-prevention drug will be made in South Africa for the first time.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 18, 2023 Top Stories: The CIA pushes to recruit Russian spies, Ecuador's president dissolves Congress, the UK and Netherlands want a coalition for Ukraine fighter jets, four are killed in Nigeria in an attack on a US Embassy convoy, the North Carolina legislature enacts an abortion ban, Lizz Truss visits Taiwan, Maryland tests the Supreme Court’s gun laws, 8 in 10 South African children reportedly struggle to read, the Biden Admin approves a key oil pipeline, and Oxfam says wealthy nations owe a whopping $13 trillion in climate pledges.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 17, 2023 Top Stories: Durham’s report on the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s potential ties to Russia is published, Amnesty reports a record number of global executions, OpenAI’s CEO testifies before Congress, Ukraine claims to have thwarted another round of Russian drone strikes, the head of Ukraine's Supreme Court is arrested, Florida’s Ron DeSantis bans funding for college diversity programmes, a man attacks two of Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly's staff, the BBC reports an elaborate visa scam, Tunisia’s opposition leader is jailed, and the US begins its first human trial of a dirty bomb antidote.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 16, 2023 Top Stories: Erdoğan and Kılıçdaroğlu face an unprecedented runoff in Turkey’s election, The opposition dominates the vote in Thailand’s election, documents reveal that Zelenskyy allegedly pushed for attacks inside Russia, China jails a US citizen for life on espionage charges, Vice Media files for bankruptcy, Cyclone Mocha batters Myanmar, Google says AI shouldn’t be considered an inventor, China launches a 'new-era' marriage and childbearing initiative, New York City opens its first asylum-seeker center for migrants, A study finds talking to babies may help shape their brain structure, and a Florida scientist breaks the record for the longest time spent underwater.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spins for May 13, 2023 Top Stories: The US officially lifts its Title 42 immigration ban, Elon Musk announces a new Twitter CEO, The US and China hold talks to improve relations, Moscow denies reports of a Ukrainian breakthrough in Bakhmut, A Philippines court acquits Leila De Lima in a drug case, An ex-Marine is charged with fatally choke holding a homeless man on a subway, A UK software company co-founder is extradited to the US, Toyota says data from more than 2 million customers in Japan was publicly accessible, New York City passes a law barring weight discrimination, and astronomers capture the largest cosmic explosion ever witnessed.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for May 12, 2023 top stories: Pakistan's Supreme Court says Imran Khan’s arrest was illegal, An Israeli strike kills another high-level Islamic Jihad commander, Google unveils its AI-powered search engine, The US transfers seized Russian funds to Ukraine, Trump stirs controversy with a CNN townhall, The House GOP releases a memo on Biden family foreign deals, Muharrem Ince withdraws last-minute from Turkey’s upcoming elections, Nicaragua orders the closure of the Red Cross, A Texas man who shot a BLM protester is sentenced to 25 years in prison, and a report finds 71M people have been internally displaced worldwide by war and disasters.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for May 11, 2023 top stories: Doctors sound the alarm about AI's "existential threat,” the US says it disrupted a Russian cybercrime network, Imran Khan is indicted on bribery charges, the Biden admin. reportedly plans to release migrants as Title 42 nears its end, George Santos pleads not guilty to 13 federal charges, Florida makes sweeping changes to education materials, the EU Parliament considers an AI facial recognition ban, the UK names its first 'Free Speech Czar', Tucker Carlson announces a Twitter relaunch, and the first baby is born in the UK from three people’s DNA.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for May 10, 2023 top stories: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan is arrested, Trump is found guilty of sexually abusing columnist Jean Carroll, Putin draws parallels with World War II during a Victory Day address, Canada and China exchange “persona non grata” labels for their consuls, at least 13 are killed during Israeli air strikes on Gaza, a report finds the DOJ was aware of bribery allegations against Joe Biden in 2018, Goldman Sachs settles a gender discrimination lawsuit, LinkedIn announces plans to cut over 700 jobs, a study says a test to detect drowsy drivers may be available in five years, and an experimental Chinese spacecraft returns to Earth after 276 days.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for May 09, 2023 top stories: The UK’s King Charles III is crowned in a historic ceremony, The Arab League readmits Syria following a 12-year suspension, Eight are killed in a Texas mall shooting, Antony Blinken is threatened with contempt of Congress over classified Afghanistan cables, The US and Saudi Arabia discuss Yemen peace efforts, Conservatives in Chile win a majority to draft a new constitution, Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine ahead of Victory Day, The EU proposes sanctions on Chinese firms for allegedly helping Russia, At least 22 are dead after a tourist boat capsizes in India, and over 100 wildfires in Canada displace thousands.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for May 06, 2023 top stories: The WHO says COVID is no longer a global health emergency, The leader of Russia’s Wagner Group says he’ll withdraw his forces from Bakhmut, Eight are killed in Serbia’s second mass shooting in two days, Rochelle Walensky announces plans to step down as the CDC’s director, The US unemployment rate hits a 53-year low, Biden signs an executive order to levy sanctions related to the Sudan Crisis, Canada summons the Chinese ambassador over alleged legislator harassment, New York and California announce a workplace discrimination probe into the NFL, Indigenous leaders demand an apology and reparations from King Charles, and Italy's Napoli wins its first Serie A title in 33 years.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for May 5, 2023 top stories: The White House hosts tech CEOs to discuss AI policies, US students’ history and civics scores reach a record low, a Human Rights Watch report claims China is monitoring the phones of Uyghurs, Senate democrats launch a renewed effort to counter China, India and Brazil are deemed to be among the most dangerous nations for activists, an Israeli raid kills three Palestinians accused of a deadly settler attack, the NYC subway death of a homeless man is ruled a homicide, four Proud Boys are charged with seditious conspiracy, the FDA approves the world's first RSV vaccine, and astronomers spot what appears to be a star swallowing its own planet.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for May 4, 2023 top stories: Russia accuses Ukraine of attempting to kill Putin, a ceasefire is inked in Israel and Palestine, lawmakers hold a hearing on US Supreme Court ethics, Iran’s president begins a historic visit to Syria, an active shooter in Atlanta kills one, while a school shooter in Belgrade kills nine, a rights group says global risks to journalists are increasing, three McDonald's franchises are fined for child labor violations, an Alzheimer’s drug shows promise, and the US Surgeon General declares an epidemic of loneliness.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for May 3, 2023 top stories: Biden approves the deployment of 1.5K troops to the Southern border, a senior member of Palestine’s Islamic Jihad on hunger strike dies in an Israeli jail, the US estimates that 20K Russians have been killed in Ukraine since December, the UN approves a travel exemption for Afghanistan’s Taliban, Biden calls a meeting as the Treasury Dept. warns of a June default, the White House announces plans to end most COVID vaccine mandates, Australia says it will ban non-prescription vapes, the "Godfather of AI" warns of looming AI dangers, Hollywood writers strike after negotiations stall, and a Korean student devours a $120K banana art piece.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for May 02, 2023 top stories: JP Morgan buys First Republic Bank, Turkey claims to have killed the Islamic State’s alleged leader in Syria, Police continue their search for a Texas shooter, The Pope says the Vatican is involved in a secret Russia-Ukraine peace mission, Santiago Peña wins Paraguay's general election, Jordan hosts Arab normalization talks with Syria, UK chip giant Arm files for US share listing, A New York gun buyback program nets over 3K firearms, A report claims Epstein met with several high-profile individuals after being convicted, and several European organizations call for research into the health impact of racism.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 29, 2023 top stories: Former US Vice President Pence testifies before a grand jury, at least 23 are killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine, the US announces plans to open Latin America migration centers, thousands rally in support of Israel’s judicial overhaul, Iran seizes an oil tanker headed for Texas, Turkey’s leader Erdoğan cancels a third day of election appearances, the BBC’s chairman resigns over Boris Johnson cronyism allegations, a poll finds that public support for the British monarchy is at a historic low, abortion bans are blocked in Nebraska and South Carolina, and scientists release the first direct image of a supermassive black hole.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 28, 2023 top stories: US House Republicans pass a bill to raise the debt ceiling, Xi and Zelenskyy hold their first call since the start of the war, longtime talk show host Jerry Springer dies at age 79, an Iranian court orders the US to pay $313 million for 2017 ‘terrorist’ attacks, the UK House of Commons approves a controversial asylum bill, a Uyghur refugee dies after nine years of detention in Thailand, Chinese police question consultancy firm Bain & Co. staff, Tucker Carlson breaks his silence since departing Fox News, a study finds Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug leads to significant weight loss, and Pope Francis gives women the right to vote at bishops’ meetings.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 27, 2023 top stories: The US and South Korea announce plans to cooperate on nuclear arms, The Taliban kills an Islamic State group leader, UK officials say China’s military build-up risks ‘tragic miscalculation,' Disney sues DeSantis, A British economist says people must tolerate financial stress, Half of New York City households face a cost-of-living crisis, The UK rejects Microsoft’s deal for Activision Blizzard, A trans lawmaker in Montana is censured, Singapore executes a man over two pounds of cannabis, and a Swedish rocket accidentally crashes into Norway.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 26, 2023 top stories: US President Joe Biden announces his re-election bid, an explosion in Pakistan kills at least 17, a report claims the US talked Ukraine down from attacking Moscow, a panel alleges the US’ COVID response was “incompetent,” Russia hosts talks between Turkey and Syria, India rebukes a magazine’s depiction of its growing population, North Dakota’s governor signs a strict abortion ban, a mob burns 13 suspected Haitian gang members to death, Spain exhumes the remains of fascist leader Primo de Rivera, and Nepal issues a record 454 permits to climb Mount Everest.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 25, 2023 top stories: Global military spending reaches an all-time high, Tucker Carlson leaves Fox News, Ex-Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo is extradited from the US, Australia unveils its biggest defense overhaul since WWII, Police investigate 70 deaths in an alleged starvation cult in Kenya, Fugitive Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh is arrested in India, China’s ambassador to France faces backlash over remarks on ex-Soviet states, Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy, Credit Suisse says it lost $68 billion in assets last quarter, and Biden’s team reportedly picks Julie Chavez Rodriguez as his 2024 campaign manager.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 22, 2023 top stories: Hungary casts doubt on Ukraine’s long-term NATO membership, A whistleblower alleges the Hunter Biden tax probe is being mishandled, UK Deputy PM Dominic Raab resigns over a bullying probe, Russia accidentally bombs its own city, Manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin are dropped, Twitter starts removing blue ticks from verified users, Buzzfeed says it will close its news division, Sri Lankans protests on the fourth anniversary of the Easter bombings, Juventus's 15-point penalty for illicit transfer activity is reversed, and $15M worth of gold and other valuables go missing from Toronto Airport.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 21, 2023 top stories: A deadly stampede in Yemen kills dozens, SpaceX's Starship rocket explodes minutes into its first test flight, the US House passes a federal ban on transgender athletes from women’s sports, a mysterious flash over Kyiv triggers speculation, a US watchdog warns that aid to Afghanistan may be going to the Taliban, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launches his 2024 US presidential bid, scientists warn that El Niño could bring record global temperatures this year, UNICEF reports a drop in childhood vaccinations due to COVID lockdowns, F1 champion Michael Schumacher’s family threatens legal action over a fake AI interview, and scientists discover why hair turns gray.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 20, 2023 top stories: India is about to become the world’s most populous country, a bipartisan group in the US House proposes a debt ceiling plan, Kim Jong Un orders the launch of a North Korean spy satellite, the US charges four Americans and three Russians in a “malign influence” campaign, Mitch McConnell says the GOP won’t help replace Dianne Feinstein on a key committee, British police arrest a French publisher, Chinese-Australians report a drop in racist incidents, 64M Americans face daily spikes in harmful pollution, Netflix limits password sharing in the US, and a cat-killing contest for kids is axed in New Zealand.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 19, 2023 top stories: India’s Supreme Court hears pleas to legalize LGBTQ+ marriages, Dominion settles with Fox News over its airing of vote-rigging claims, Putin visits troops in Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine, McCarthy calls for a 1% federal spending cap as a condition for raising the debt ceiling, a Kansas City man is charged with shooting a Black teen, UK PM Rishi Sunak faces an investigation over his wife's childcare firm, US officers responsible for Jayland Walker’s killing won't be charged, the US claims China began working on a COVID vaccine before the official outbreak, a new study says a male contraceptive pill could be available in five years, and the Sony World Photography winner turns down his prize after revealing he used AI.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 18, 2023 top stories: Clashes in Sudan continue for a third day, An Alabama birthday party shooting leaves four dead, The US says it killed an IS leader in northwest Syria, A French court acquits Air France and Airbus over the 2009 Rio-Paris crash, Iran issues prison sentences for the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian airliner, A Kremlin critic is jailed for 25 years, Ex-Chancellor Merkel is granted the highest German honor, SpaceX’s Starship launch is postponed, Trump’s campaign is revealed to have raised $34 million in early 2023, and 11 are killed by heatstroke at a government event in India.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 15, 2023 top stories: Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia exchange hundreds of prisoners, a French court clears Macron’s pension age rise, Florida Gov. DeSantis signs a six-week abortion ban, a survey finds 36% of researchers fear a “nuclear level” AI catastrophe, Ukraine bans athletes from competing against Russia and Belarus, the Women's Tennis Association ends its boycott of China, Japan approves a plan to open the nations’ first casino, Trump is deposed in a New York civil suit, the European space agency launches a mission to Jupiter's icy moons, and over 18,000 cows are killed in a Texas dairy farm explosion.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 14, 2023 top stories: The US arrests a suspect in connection to the leaking of secret documents, A US court preserves limited access to abortion pill mifepristone amid an ongoing legal battle, Iran is accused of using the death penalty to instill fear following a 75% surge in executions, North Korea fires a possible ‘new type’ of ballistic missile, Syria’s foreign minister visits Saudi Arabia for the first time since 2011, US inflation eases to 5%, its lowest since 2021, A spokesperson alleges Putin critic Navalny may be being slowly poisoned in jail, Trump sues his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, Biden proposes tighter privacy rules around abortions, and Ghana becomes the first country to approve Oxford’s malaria vaccine.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 13, 2023 top stories: Biden urges Northern Ireland parties to restore power-sharing, Italy declares a state of emergency to tackle a surge in migrants, Russia says it won't 'tolerate' US pressure over a detained WSJ reporter, Macron outlines the need for 'European sovereignty,' four Indian soldiers are killed in a Punjab army base shooting, Deutsche Bank will reportedly close its IT operations in Russia, a survey finds one-in-five Americans have a family member killed by guns, Trump’s lawyer asks for a delay in a civil trial, NPR leaves Twitter and China reports the world’s first human bird flu death.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podvFacts & Spin for April 12, 2023 top stories: Myanmar’s military is accused of killing 100 people in an airstrike, the Philippines and US launch their largest-ever joint military drills, leaked US documents suggest Egypt secretly planned to supply rockets to Russia, key lawmakers get access to classified documents found at Trump, Biden, Pence’s homes, the DNC says the 2024 Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago, British and Australian lawmakers call on the US to drop its prosecution of Julian Assange, the mother of a 6-year-old who shot their teacher is indicted, Chinese tech giant Alibaba announces plans for a ChatGPT rival, the Biden admin. weighs possible rules for AI tools, and Britain names it first female intelligence, cyber, and security agency boss.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 11, 2023 top stories: A shooting in Kentucky leaves four dead, A ship carrying 400 migrants goes adrift in the Mediterranean Sea, Ukraine alters its military plans following recent Pentagon leaks, A Saudi-Oman envoy meets with Houthi officials for peace talks, Iran and Saudi Arabia look set to reopen embassies, Expelled Tennessee lawmakers seek reappointments, A building collapse in Marseilles kills six, The Biden admin begins appealing last week’s abortion pill ruling, A court backs the firing of a teacher who wouldn’t used preferred names, and Fox News settles an election defamation lawsuit with a Venezuelan businessman.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 8, 2023 top stories: Israel strikes Gaza and South Lebanon following rocket fire, SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas comes under fire for failing to disclose luxury trips, The Pentagon is reportedly investigating a Ukraine war plans leak, The latest US labor department report shows 236K jobs were added in March, The Biden admin defends the US Afghanistan withdrawal, Thousands flee to Thailand amid renewed fighting in Myanmar, Tesla workers are accused of sharing sensitive images recorded by customer cars, The US Supreme Court rules in favor of a transgender track runner, Ron DeSantis picks a finance director for his prospective presidential campaign, and Protesters in France storm the BlackRock investment company building.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 7, 2023 top stories: Tennessee’s House GOP expels Democrat Justin Jones over a gun protest, Robert F. Kennedy Jr announces his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, a Russian defector reports details on Putin, Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers meet in China, a Maryland report reveals 'staggering' church sex abuse, a kindergarten attack in Brazil leaves four children dead, Idaho passes a law restricting travel for out-of-state abortions, Oklahoma eyes the US’s first religious charter school following a SCOTUS ruling, the British government leases a barge to house 500 asylum seekers, and NPR criticizes Twitter after being labeled 'state-affiliated media.'
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 6, 2023 top stories: Democrat-backed Janet Protasiewicz wins Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race, Gaza militants fire rockets into Israel following a police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque, Zelenskyy travels to Poland amid a farmers' dispute on Ukrainian grain, Scottish ex-Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon's husband is arrested, The US flies nuclear-capable bombers to the Korean Peninsula, The UK’s so-called “perfect war” in Iraq and Syria comes under renewed scrutiny, Twitter is accused of censoring critics of Indian Prime Minister Modi, J&J agrees to an $8.9 billion talc settlement, The Vatican accuses China of breaking a bilateral pact on appointing bishops, and an Australian mayor prepares a defamation lawsuit over ChatGPT content.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 5, 2023 top stories: Trump is arrested and appears in court in New York, US House Speaker McCarthy confirms he’ll meet with Taiwan's president on Wednesday, the US military says it killed a top IS leader in Syria, Wisconsin votes in a pivotal Supreme Court election, US officials claim February’s alleged Chinese spy balloon collected US Intelligence, Russia continues to make gains in Bakhmut, Florida passes a bill allowing concealed carry without a permit, Amnesty accuses El Salvador of ‘systematic’ abuses in its purge on gangs, Australia bans TikTok from government devices, and a massive fire destroys a clothing market in Bangladesh.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 4, 2023 top stories: PM Sanna Marin is defeated in Finland’s parliamentary election, Oil prices surge after OPEC+ announces surprise output cuts, Finland is set to join NATO on Tuesday, Israel’s cabinet approves Ben-Gvir’s ‘private militia’ plan, A St Petersburg blast kills a Russian blogger, Malaysia moves to end the mandatory death penalty, Twitter strips the New York Times of it’s blue check, Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces his presidential bid, A DeSantis-supporting super PAC has reportedly raised $30M, and NASA names the first woman and Black man for a Moon mission.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for April 1st, 2023 top stories: Former US president Donald Trump is indicted by a New York grand jury, the Turkish parliament ratifies Finland’s NATO membership, Bucha marks one year since the withdrawal of Russian forces, an India temple well collapse kills at least 36, Wimbledon reverses its ban on Russian and Belarusian players, the Egyptian army is accused of turning Sinai schools into military bases, the UK joins the Trans-Pacific Trade Pact, Japan announces plans to restrict semiconductor equipment exports, the US House passes a GOP energy agenda, and the US Census Bureau may include a slave descendant question in its survey.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 31, 2023 top stories: Nine are killed in a military helicopter crash in Kentucky, Jair Bolsonaro returns to Brazil, Russia detains a Wall Street Journal reporter on espionage charges, the ICJ orders the US to pay compensation for freezing Iranian assets, the EU removes Pakistan from its list of 'high-risk' countries, evicted Kyiv monks refuse to leave their complex, Meta reportedly considers banning political ads in Europe, a Bangladeshi journalist is arrested for reporting on rising food prices, Kentucky and West Virginia move to limit transgender therapies for minors, and Mexico opens a homicide probe into Monday’s migrant center fire.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 30, 2023 top stories: Experts urge for a pause on training AI systems more powerful than GPT-4, China warns of retaliation if Taiwan’s president meets with the US House speaker, Zelenskyy warns against a possible reversal of US support, Kamala Harris speaks in Ghana, A US House Committee subpoenas the State Department over an Afghanistan cable, The New York Trump Grand Jury will reportedly take a weeks-long break, A new report finds TikTok's popularity is growing among British children, The Guardian apologizes for its founders’ links to transatlantic slavery, The WHO considers adding obesity drugs to its 'essential' medicines list, Italy introduces a bill to ban lab-grown meat.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 29, 2023 top stories: A fire at a migrant center in Mexico kills 39, police say Monday’s Nashville school shooting was planned, the Taliban arrests a prominent girls' education activist, Taiwan's former Pres. Ma begins a landmark visit to China, Sam Bankman-Fried is charged with bribing a Chinese official, Kyiv is attacked as British and German tanks arrive in Ukraine, the US Senate votes to advance a repeal of the Iraq War Authorization, Biden bans government use of commercial spyware, new polls show Trump leads DeSantis as the GOP presidential nominee, and a study claims China has spent $240B bailing out 'Belt & Road' countries.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for March 28, 2023 top stories: Netanyahu delays Israel's judicial overhaul following mass protests and strikes, NATO condemns Putin's decision to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Honduras officially cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Trump holds his first 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Texas, First Citizens agrees to buy much of Silicon Valley Bank, US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives in Africa to boost ties, Hong Kong holds its first authorized protest since 2020 under police surveillance, Burkina Faso suspends France 24 broadcasts, The Lebanese government reverses its decision to delay daylight savings, and a new study concludes the world ‘population bomb’ may never go off as feared.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 25, 2023 top stories: The US conducts air strikes in Syria after a contractor is killed, Canada and the US agree to roll back asylum access, a Ukrainian commander says Russia is 'losing steam' in Bakhmut, North Korea claims to have tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone, World Athletics bans trans women from competing, the jailed ‘Hotel Rwanda' hero has his sentence commuted, the US House GOP passes the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act, Utah passes a law requiring parental consent for child social media use, French protesters set Bordeaux City Hall on fire, and a Michigan Appeals Court rules the parents of a mass shooter can be tried for manslaughter.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 24, 2023 top stories: TikTok’s CEO testifies before Congress, Israel's Knesset passes a law making it harder to remove a prime minister, Biden is accused of feeding the media 'false stories' on the Nordstream pipeline blasts, Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi is jailed over a Modi comment, the New York grand jury investigating Trump is postponed for a week, ex-UK prime minister Boris Johnson is grilled by MPs over “Partygate,” Yemen sees renewed fighting after ten months of relative calm, a US Judge Orders a $1.68 billion payout over the 1983 Beirut bombing, the Bank of England raises interest rates by 0.25%, and Canada sees a record 1 million in population growth.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 23, 2023 top stories: At least 13 are killed in an earthquake in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, Uganda passes a bill criminalizing identifying as LGBTQ+, at least 4 are killed in a Russian drone attack on the Kyiv region, Israel allegedly strikes Syria’s Aleppo airport again, US home prices fall for the first time in 11 years, Beijing's population falls for the first time since 2003, a US court rules against an ex-Haitian mayor for $15 million, Google launches its ChatGPT rival, Bard, in the US and UK, a deadly fungus sweeps across the US, and the UN warns against 'vampiric' global water use.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 22, 2023 top stories: Biden orders the release of intel potentially linking COVID to a Wuhan Lab, Nigeria’s Peter Obi petitions a court to challenge last month’s presidential election, Sri Lanka secures a $2.9 billion bailout from the IMF, A report finds the UK's Met Police to be institutionally 'racist, misogynistic, and homophobic,' Ukraine launches a drone attack on Crimea, The US concludes that war crimes were committed by all sides in Ethiopia's Tigray conflict, Saudi Arabia releases a jailed US citizen, The GOP Freedom Caucus opposes guaranteeing bank deposits above $250,000, A Fox producer sues the network over alleged coaching before her Dominion testimony, and Texas adds HSBC to to its energy sanctions list.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 21, 2023 top stories: Donald Trump says he expects to be arrested on Tuesday, UBS agrees to buy Credit Suisse for $3.24 billion, France’s Macron survives a no confidence vote, Xi Xingping arrives in Moscow for a state visit, The latest Twitter Files reveal a US government-backed initiative to censor COVID information, A former Taiwan president announces a historic trip to China, An ex-Australian soldier is charged with war crimes in Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine agree to reduce tensions ahead of Ramadan, Amazon announces plans to cut another 9,000 jobs, and scientists release a 'survival guide' to avert a climate disaster.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 18, 2023 top stories: The ICC issues an arrest warrant for Putin, Turkey's Erdoğan approves Finland's NATO bid, France’s Macron overrides Parliament and passes a pension reform, First Republic secures $30B from 11 banks, Iran agrees to stop arming Houthis in Yemen, 440K gallons of radioactive water leaks from a Minnesota nuclear plant, at least 22 are killed in an alleged massacre at a Myanmar monastery, Lebanon’s Central Bank Chief appears before a corruption hearing, FDA advisers back full approval of Pfizer’s Paxlovid COVID treatment, and EU countries seek to weaken livestock emission limits.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 17, 2023 top stories: Eastern forces in Libya say they’ve recovered 2.5 tons of missing uranium, South Korea and Japan renew ties at a summit in Tokyo, the US charges a Chinese businessman with fraud, the Dutch Farmers Protest Party wins a victory in provincial elections, the US releases footage of the Black Sea drone clash, the Biden administration threatens to ban TikTok unless ByteDance sells its ownership stake, Myanmar officials visit a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh for a repatriation project, Israel says it killed a bomber suspected of coming from Lebanon, GOP governors align to oppose 'ESG' investing, and a report finds that maternal mortality in the US is the highest since 1965.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 16, 2023 top stories: The UK economy looks set to avoid a recession as the Chancellor announces the 2023 Budget, Honduras seeks a diplomatic switch from Taiwan to China, The US releases a third of electronics detained under the PRC Forced Labor Act, The Dow Jones Index falls as Credit Suisse shares plummet, A Texas judge considers banning abortion pills in the US, Syria’s Assad holds talks with Putin in Moscow, Russia’s Ambassador to the US is summoned over the Black Sea drone crash, A US House Panel reviews Biden Family bank reports, A whistleblower doctor who alleged China covered up the SARS outbreak dies, and FIFA confirms an expanded 2026 World Cup.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 15, 2023 top stories: A US drone crashes after allegedly colliding with a Russian fighter jet, Australia, the US and the UK unveil a major nuclear submarine deal, Russia agrees to extend its grain deal with Ukraine by 60 days, a controversial judicial bill passes the first vote in Israel’s Knesset, clashes erupt in Pakistan as police try to arrest ex-PM Imran Khan, Biden signs a new gun safety executive order, the US approves the Alaskan oil and gas 'Willow Project,' Lahore is found to be the world's most polluted city in a new survey, the FBI says US hate crimes increased by nearly 12% in 2021, and a new report says extreme poverty could be eradicated by 2050.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 14, 2023 top stories: US regulators close another bank amid financial concerns, Yemen’s warring sides hold prisoner exchange talks in Geneva, Xi Jinping will reportedly meet Putin and speak to Zelenskyy next week, 1000 migrants storm a US-Mexico border crossing, McCarthy announces plans to release Jan. 6 footage to more media outlets, China will reportedly host a Gulf Cooperation Council-Iran summit, A report finds last week’s Rohingya refugee camp fire was 'planned sabotage,' North Korea claims to have tested submarine-launched cruise missiles, Saudi Aramco reports a historic $161 billion profit in 2022, and Storm Freddy kills dozens in Malawi and Mozambique
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 11, 2023 top stories: Regulators shut down Silicon Valley Bank, Xi Jingping secures a third term as China's president, At least seven are killed in a Jehovah's Witness hall shooting in Hamburg, Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to restore relations, Wagner reportedly takes an 'operational pause' in Bakhmut, The US House votes unanimously to declassify intelligence related to the COVID lab leak theory, Ron DeSantis visits Iowa ahead of a potential presidential election bid, ‘Twitter Files’ journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger testify before Congress, Human Rights Watch says Lebanon is failing to uphold the ‘right to electricity,’ and a new report warns global freedoms and democracy are backsliding.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 9, 2023 top stories: Biden reveals a $6.8 trillion budget proposal for 2024, Republicans kick off their first hearing on the Afghanistan withdrawal, at least 40 are killed in alleged rebel twin attacks in the D.R. Congo, several are killed in Russian missile attacks across Ukraine, the US Senate clears a bill to block a D.C. crime law, Australia is reportedly planning to buy nuclear subs from the US, the UK government is revealed to have censored Matt Hancock’s Wuhan lab leak comments, the federal trade commission ramps up its investigation of Twitter, a new idea for removing CO2 from the air shows promise, and Japan arrests several people for alleged ‘sushi terrorism.’
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 9, 2023 top stories: Tucker Carlson defends his Jan. 6 footage commentary, a new report claims a pro-Ukraine group was likely behind the Nord Stream pipeline attack, protests erupt in Georgia over a proposed 'foreign agent' law, Wagner’s chief claims control over eastern Bakhmut, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says US troops will remain in Iraq, US House Speaker Keving McCarthy confirms plans to meet with Taiwan's president, China blasts Germany over its reported plan to ban Huawei and ZTE from 5G networks, texts reveal Tucker Carlson “passionately hated” Trump, France faces more massive strikes, and Californians are warned to prepare for another atmospheric river.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 8, 2023 top stories: China rebukes the US and warns of a potential ‘conflict,’ the UK unveils a bill to stop illegal entry from the English Channel, Canada’s Justin Trudeau orders a probe into alleged Chinese election meddling, sources say the White House may begin detaining migrant families again, Israel allegedly strikes Syria’s Aleppo airport, Zelenskyy pledges to continue defending Bakhmut, US Fed Chair Jerome Powell says interest rates may increase more than expected, Turkey’s opposition names Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as its presidential candidate, South Korea announces deal on a Japan forced labor dispute, and Japan is forced to destroy its flagship H3 rocket in a failed launch.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 7, 2023 top stories: A fire blazes through a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, China announces an increase in military spending, A pro-Russia official claims Ukraine is preparing a counter-attack in Zaporizhzhia, Taiwan warns China’s military may make a ‘sudden entry’ into its territory, Texts reveal the UK’s former health minister aimed to 'frighten' Britons into lockdown compliance, Iran agrees to more joint nuclear site inspections, 35 are arrested after clashes at a proposed Atlanta police training center, Nine security officers are killed in a suicide attack in Pakistan, Trump delivers the closing CPAC speech, California announces it will end business with Walgreens over abortion pill issues, and nearly 200 nations agree to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 4, 2023 top stories: Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg reveals he has terminal cancer, Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski is sentenced to 10 years in Belarusian prison, the G20 summit again ends with no agreement over Ukraine, new leaked texts show UK government officials mocking people in hotel quarantine, the US Department of Justice rejects Trump’s claims of lawsuit immunity, Argentina urges the UK to resume negotiations over the Falkland Islands, Tennessee curbs gender reassignment treatment and drag shows for minors, the US says executives should pay for corporate misconduct, Newcastle's £305M Saudi takeover faces fresh scrutiny, and a report suggests half of the world could be overweight by 2035.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 3, 2023 top stories: A report finds half of Sri Lankan families have had to reduce their children's food intake, Robert Kennedy's assassin is denied parole for the 16th time, Olaf Scholz joins the US in urging China not to provide Russia with weapons, Eli Lilly announces plans to cap insulin at $35 per month out-of-pocket, a US House panel approves a bill allowing Biden to ban TikTok, the UK navy intercepts alleged Iranian missiles headed for Yemen, an Indian court orders a bipartisan panel to select election officers, a judge allows Brian Flores' discrimination lawsuit against the NFL to proceed, Starbucks is ruled to have illegally fired workers after unionizing, and a new report finds that carbon dioxide emissions hit a record high in 2022.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 2, 2023 top stories: At least 40 are killed in a train collision in Greece, Bola Tinubu wins Nigeria's presidential election, Leaked government texts raise questions about the UK’s COVID response, Putin orders Russia’s border with Ukraine to be strengthened following drone attacks, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot loses her re-election bid, UK house prices fall at their fastest rate in over a decade, US intelligence says foreign adversaries are unlikely to blame for so-called 'Havana syndrome,' Tesla plans to build a plant in Mexico, Denmark scraps a public holiday to boost its defense budget, and the CDC issues an alert for a drug-resistant stomach bug.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for March 1, 2023 top stories: The UK and EU announce a new post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, The US Supreme Court voices skepticism over Biden’s student loan cancellation plan, Iran investigates the poisoning of hundreds of schoolgirls, Zelenksyy says the situation in Bakhmut is growing 'more and more difficult,' A watchdog blames the US withdrawal and lack of planning for Afghanistan’s collapse, An Israeli-American is killed in a Jericho attack, The US requests druglord El Chapo's son to be extradited from Mexico, Canada bans TikTok from government devices, Rupert Murdoch says Fox hosts endorsed false election claims, and Twitter is reportedly under fire for allegedly censoring Palestinian public figures.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 28, 2023 top stories: Peter Obi wins Lagos but Bola Tinubu leads overall in Nigeria’s elections, nearly 60 migrants are killed after their boat sinks near Italy, thousands of protesters across Europe call for peace in Ukraine, a Belarusian group claims responsibility for an attack on a Russian surveillance aircraft, a US government report says COVID was likely leaked from a lab, two Israelis are killed in a West Bank attack, sparking a rampage of violence, the GOP says candidates will be made to pledge loyalty to the 2024 presidential nominee, the House GOP probes the government response to the Ohio train derailment, Ron DeSantis signs a bill to take over Florida’s Disney district, and Dilbert comics are dropped following the creator's controversial comments on race.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 25, 2023 top stories: Zelenskyy pledges victory on the one-year anniversary of the war, A Nigerian Senate candidate is killed days before the elections, A US government agency concludes the Ohio train derailment was preventable, North Korea claims to have fired long-range cruise missiles, The Taliban confirms the conditional reopening of a key Pakistan-Afghan trade route, Russia launches a rescue ship to the international space station, Australia announces plans to limit early access to retirement funds, New data shows that US strikes increased by nearly 50% between 2021 and 2022, The IMF unveils a crypto plan advising against legal tender status, and Southern California faces a blizzard warning for the first time since 1989.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 24, 2023 top stories: The WHO warns that one woman dies every two minutes during pregnancy or childbirth, tensions between Russia and Ukraine rise over the breakaway region of Transnistria, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are subpoenaed by a Special Jan. 6 Counsel, the US reportedly plans to send more troops to Taiwan, Google blocks news content from some Canadian users, a report says US extremist mass killings spiked over the last decade, Turkey fines broadcasters for criticizing the government’s earthquake response, the Horn of Africa faces a severe drought, an app designed to protect children online gets £1.8 million in EU funding, and scientists predict robots may do 39% of domestic chores by 2033.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 23, 2023 top stories: 10 Palestinians are killed and over 100 injured in an Israeli raid, a British woman who joined IS loses her UK citizenship appeal, fresh attacks and air raid sirens are reported across Ukraine, Mexico's ex-security minister is convicted of drug trafficking, the US Supreme Court hears a case on internet freedom, Malcolm X's daughter sues government agencies for their alleged role in his murder, China and Japan hold their first security talks in four years, a North Korean paper warns against accepting 'poisoned candy' amid a food shortage, the foreperson on a Georgia grand jury says indictments were recommended in a Trump probe, and fertility rates drop to a new record low in South Korea.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 22, 2023 top stories: Putin blasts the West and withdraws from a nuclear treaty in a major address, Kevin McCarthy gives Tucker Carlson Jan. 6 footage, Israel’s Knesset passes the first reading of a judicial reform, eight police officers are killed by suspected rebels ahead of Nigeria’s election, the Russian economy and banks are reportedly performing better than anticipated, final arguments begin in Elon Musk's $56 billion Tesla pay plan trial, a South Korean court recognizes same-sex couples' rights, prosecutors downgrade Alec Baldwin’s charges in the Rust shooting case, a fifth person is confirmed to be cured of HIV, and Venice canals run dry amid drought concerns.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 21, 2023 top stories: A new 6.4 magnitude earthquake hits southern Turkey, At least 53 civilians are killed in an attack in the Syrian desert, Biden makes a surprise visit to Ukraine, A report finds that Trudeau's use of emergency powers to quell protests was justified, North Korea warns of turning the Pacific into a 'firing range' as it tests more missiles, A report finds that US prison deaths rose nearly 50% during the pandemic, Roald Dahl books are edited for more inclusive language, Meta announces plans for paid verification for Instagram and Facebook, Idaho state lawmakers propose a ban on mRNA vaccines, and dozens in Brazil are killed in deadly storms.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 18, 2023 top stories: A study finds energy costs could drive 141 million people to extreme poverty, Microsoft Bing’s AI chatbot provides unsettling responses, the US sends mixed signals on Crimea as Zelenskyy rules out land concessions, ex-officers plead not guilty over the death of Tyre Nichols, the World Food Program announces plans to cut aid for Rohingya refugees, North Korea warns against joint US-South Korea drills, court filings show Fox stars privately doubted 2020 election fraud claims, Tiktok announces plans to open European data centers, Tesla recalls more than 362,000 cars over self-driving software concerns, and a study finds that prior infection offers similar protection against COVID as vaccination.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 17, 2023 top stories: A Georgia judge releases a grand jury report on a Trump election probe, the Congressional Budget Office warns the US could default as soon as July, Russia launches renewed missile strikes on infrastructure facilities, China sanctions Lockheed Martin and Raytheon over arms sales to Taiwan, Armenia proposes a peace treaty project with Azerbaijan, the US and Iran are reportedly in indirect talks on a prisoner swap, Israel passes a new law revoking citizenship for terror convicts, Chinese retirees protest over plans to cut health benefits, the FBI searches for more classified Biden docs at the University of Delaware, and the FDA considers making an opioid addiction drug available over-the-counter.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 16, 2023 top stories: Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon resigns, An investigation claims Israeli hackers meddled in over 30 global elections, Ukraine is said to be re-enforcing its troop numbers in Bakhmut, Mike Pence confirms he’ll challenge a special counsel's subpoena, Iranian Pres. Ebrahim Raisi visits China, Human Rights Watch condemns UK and US actions on the Chagos Islands, The US says the three unidentified objects recently shot down were likely 'benign,' The House GOP launches a probe into the origins of COVID, The White House says Tesla will open its EV charging network to rivals, and a reversible male contraceptive pill shows promise in mice.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 15, 2023 top stories: Three are killed in a Michigan State University shooting, thousands of fish are found dead after an Ohio train derailment, Ukraine seeks warplanes from NATO, Syria agrees to open two more border crossings for earthquake aid, the Philippines accuses China of using a laser at sea, Nikki Haley announces her 2024 US presidential bid, BBC offices in India are searched by tax authorities, EU lawmakers approve a ban on gas-powered cars from 2035, New Zealand declares a state of emergency over a cyclone, and the CDC finds mental health issues are rising in teens.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 14, 2023 top stories: A Georgia judge orders a partial release of a Trump grand jury report, Turkey investigates 131 people over building collapses, Russia claims gains along Ukraine’s frontline, China says it has detected at least 10 US spy balloons in the last year, Israel legalizes nine West Bank settlement outposts, The Bank of England says Brexit has cost $29 billion in lost investment, The FBI finds another classified document at Pence's home, The US military says it killed 12 al-Shabaab fighters, The US government warns Americans in Russia to leave 'immediately,' and Cambodia shuts down its last independent broadcaster.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 11, 2023 top stories: The US issues sanctions relief for Syria earthquake aid, Mike Pence is subpoenaed by a special counsel investigating Trump, Ukraine says Russian missiles crossed into Romanian and Moldovan airspace, Two are killed in Jerusalem car ramming attack, The US House GOP requests documents in a Biden family probe, Poland closes a main Belarus border checkpoint, A Belgian MEP is arrested over corruption allegations, South Africa declares a 'state of disaster' over its energy crisis, Florida passes a bill to relocate undocumented immigrants, and an Australian study finds a lung protein may prevent COVID.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 10, 2023 top stories: US lawmakers try to end 'forever war' authorizations, Zelenskyy addresses an EU summit as fighting rages around Bakhmut, North Korea displays a possible new missile at a military parade, The EU reprimands Twitter for an 'incomplete' content-moderation report, Eight civilians are killed in clashes with UN peacekeepers in the DRC, The Church of England approves same-sex union blessings, Missouri votes not to ban children from carrying guns in public, A survey finds that half of Americans are worse off than they were a year ago, Disney plans to lay off 7,000 workers, and India urges citizens to ‘hug a cow’ on Valentine’s Day.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 9, 2023 top stories: An investigative journalist claims America bombed the Nord Stream pipeline, Biden delivers his second State of the Union address, Zelenskyy visits the UK, UK MPs claim HSBC is complicit in China’s alleged human rights abuses in Hong Kong, Amnesty says Thai children may face prison for protesting, ex-Twitter executives testify over the handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story, Sri Lanka’s president says the nation’s economy may return to growth by the end of the year, Iran reveals an underground air force base, CVS strikes a deal to buy Oak Street Health, and Super Bowl betting is projected to hit a record $16 billion.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 8, 2023 top stories: US Fed chairman Powell says the inflation fight may last a while, Fighting intensifies in Eastern Ukraine, A UN report finds unemployment is driving militants in sub-Saharan Africa, A court rules South Korea must compensate a Vietnam War victim, A Kenya Judge says that Meta can be sued by an ex-moderator, Migrants in New York City are given one-way tickets to Canada, A report concludes NYPD officers should be punished for their 2020 BLM protest response, Polls show Low enthusiasm for a Biden re-run, Antibiotic Use in Farming is projected to Climb Amid Fears of Drug-Resistance, and More Than a Third of US Plants and Animals are believed to be at Risk of Extinction.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 7, 2023 top stories: A deadly earthquake kills thousands in Southern Turkey and Northern Syria, China accuses the US of 'indiscriminate' use of force after it downed an alleged spy balloon, The trial of 16 Hong Kong democracy activists begins, Kyiv prepares for renewed Russian attacks, Former Pakistan Pres. Pervez Musharraf dies, Dell announces plan to slash over 6,000 jobs, Moscow and Tehran are reportedly advancing plans for a drone facility, Protests break out across India as Adani loses $110 billion, Kamala Harris pledges $4.2 billion in Central America investments, and Koch network says it won’t back Donald Trump in 2024.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 4, 2023 top stories: The Pentagon says it’s tracking an alleged Chinese 'spy balloon,' a US labor report finds 517,000 jobs were created in January, the Ukraine and EU hold a summit in Kyiv, Brazil's former president is accused of planning the Jan. 8 riots, the Pope arrives in South Sudan, US Lawmakers call for Azerbaijan to end its blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, the trial over Elon Musk’s Tesla tweets heads to closing statements, Swiss prosecutors probe Credit Suisse’s dirty money leak, a Guantánamo detainee is freed to Belize, and the US proposes new rules to limit sugar in school meals.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 3, 2023 top stories: The US military gains expanded access to Philippine bases, Shell reports its highest profits in 115 years, EU leaders arrive in Kyiv for talks, Rep. Ilhan Omar is kicked off the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Bank of England raises interest rates to a 14-year high, Italy renews its migration pact with Libya, a report finds that a record $3.8B in cryptocurrency was stolen in 2022, the US College Board revises its African American Studies course, Merck’s COVID drug is found to potentially cause virus mutations, and Australia says King Charles won't appear on its $5 bill.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 2, 2023 top stories: The FBI searches Biden's home in Delaware, Russian forces claim 'operational encirclement' of Bakhmut, the UK faces its worst strikes in a decade, Bush is revealed to have attempted to replace Palestine's Yasser Arafat, Myanmar’s junta extends the country’s state of emergency, a report reveals French forces seized Yemen-bound weapons from Iran, Biden moves to slash “junk fees,” Nikki Haley will reportedly take on Trump in 2024, the EU sets forth a 'Green Industry Plan,' and Tom Brady announces his retirement.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for February 1, 2023 top stories: Biden announces an end to the US COVID emergency in May, the UK falls in the Global Corruption Rankings, Biden says the US won't provide F-16 fighters to Ukraine, the IMF lifts its global growth forecasts, Rep. George Santos steps down from his House Committees assignments, France is criticized over it Olympics security plan, Trump sues journalist Bob Woodward over audio recordings, school closures are reported to have cost children one-third of a year’s learning, Canada’s British Colombia experiments with decriminalizing hard drugs, and Rhino poaching surges by 93% in Namibia.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 31, 2023 top stories: 59 are killed in a mosque attack in Pakistan, The British army is accused of spying on lockdown critics, Russia claims control over nine Zaporizhzhia villages, A watchdog blames Syria for the alleged 2018 chlorine attack in Douma, TikTok’s CEO is set to testify before US Congress, US officials say Israel was behind a weekend drone attack on Iran, US arms left in Afghanistan are reported to be surfacing in Kashmir, Trump kicks off his presidential campaign in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Utah bans gender-reassignment health care for transgender minors, New Zealand braces for more flooding, and officials in Australia hunt for a missing radioactive capsule.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 28, 2023 top stories: Israel and Gaza exchange airstrikes, The US military says it killed a senior IS official in Somalia, Canada and Poland announce plans to arm Ukraine with Leopard tanks, Myanmar’s ruling junta announces strict new election laws, The International Criminal Court says it will reopen its Philippines drug war probe, Japan and the Netherlands discuss chip restrictions on China, Chevron records a record annual profit, CVS and Walmart announce plans to cut their pharmacy hours, A judge blocks a California COVID 'misinformation' law, and a study establishes a blood test to detect early Alzheimer's.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 27, 2023 top stories: The Palestinian Authority suspends security coordination with Israel following a deadly raid, Pfizer is allegedly exploring 'mutating' COVID for new vaccines, Meta agrees to reinstate Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts, at least one is killed in renewed missile attacks on Kyiv, the UN says Myanmar's opium production is surging, the FBI says it hacked a criminal ransomware gang, India's plan for digital IDs in Kashmir sparks concern, new data shows the US economy grew by 2.9% in the last quarter, two US lawsuits challenge state bans on abortion pills, and thousands attend 'Invasion Day' protests in Australia.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 26, 2023 top stories: Germany and the US approve tanks for Ukraine, The Doomsday Clock is set closer to midnight, The Pope says being gay isn’t a crime, A report finds that 42% of UK asylum seekers facing deportation to Rwanda are married, England and Wales see spikes in excess deaths, The European Human Rights Court rules it can adjudicate the MH17 case against Russia, A reports finds that half of US mass attacks are motivated by grievances, Mike Pompeo is slammed for criticizing Jamal Khashoggi, Tesla announces record profits, and a study links antidepressants to antibiotic resistance.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 25, 2023 top stories: Classified documents are found in Mike Pence’s home, the DOJ sues Google over ad dominance, Ukraine faces a string of sackings and resignations, France repatriates 47 nationals from Syrian camps, Burkina Faso’s junta ends its military pact with France, South Africa hosts Russia’s Foreign Minister, Turkey threatens to block Sweden's NATO bid, the US charges an ex-FBI agent with violating Russian sanctions, Microsoft confirms a ‘multibillion-dollar’ investment in OpenAI, and a new report finds US COVID unemployment fraud may have exceeded $60 billion.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 24, 2023 top stories: More classified documents are discovered at Biden's home, A California shooting leaves 10 dead, UK prime minister faces pressure to sack Nadhim Zahawi, Poland says it will formally ask for permission to re-export German tanks, Economists say India is likely to borrow a record $198B this fiscal year, Japan’s prime minister says the country must act on its population decline, Biden’s chief of staff announces plans to step down, Chris Hipkins is selected as New Zealand’s next prime minister, Spotify announces plans to lay off 6% of its workforce, Rolling blackouts leave 220M in Pakistan without power, and a watchdog warns that France remains ‘very sexist.’
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 21, 2023 top stories: An investigation fails to identify the source of the SCOTUS draft leak, Google’s parent Alphabet says it will cut 12,000 jobs, Germany comes under more pressure to provide tanks to Kyiv, the IMF chief says the global economic outlook is ‘less bad’ than feared, Usain Bolt loses $12M in an alleged scam, police and protesters clash in Peru as thousands try to ‘take Lima,’ India denounces a BBC documentary on Modi's alleged role in the Gujarat riots, Trump and a lawyer are fined nearly $1 million for a lawsuit against Clinton, a US judge orders Boeing to be arraigned on MAX fraud charges, and a new program lets private citizens sponsor refugees in the US.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 20, 2023 top stories: Jacinda Ardern resigns as New Zealand’s prime minister, the US hits its debt ceiling, four are killed in a soccer stadium stampede in Iraq, Alec Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter, Zelenskyy presses the West for tanks, South Africa confirms upcoming naval drills with Russia and China, Senegal’s opposition leader says he’ll run for president despite being on trial for rape, Trump allies are given seats on the House Oversight Committee, the Harvard Medical School joins a boycott of the US News Rankings, and a French soccer star wins a landmark maternity lawsuit.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 19, 2023 top stories: Several Ukrainian officials are killed in a helicopter crash, an Italian suspect strikes a deal in an EU corruption scandal, a Macau gambling kingpin is jailed for 18 years, NGOs in Afghanistan resume some operations with female staff, Trump says his first 2024 campaign appearance will be in South Carolina, Florida Gov. DeSantis proposes permanently banning all COVID restrictions, France braces for a ‘Black Thursday’ general strike, Trump’s campaign asks Facebook for reinstatement, Canada recommends a maximum of two drinks per week and Sint Maarten approves a plan to cull its entire population of vervet monkeys.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 18, 2023 top stories: China's population drops for the first time since 1961 and faces one of its worst GDP growths in decades, Russia announces plans to expand troops to 1.5 million, police officers go on trial in Indonesia over a soccer stampede, the US Supreme Court hears a Turkish bank’s case, the UK blocks a Scottish gender recognition bill, a former New Mexico GOP candidate is arrested, Elon Musk faces a trial over 2018 tweets, the Taliban start buying blue ticks on Twitter, and scientists steer lightening bolts using lasers.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 17, 2023 top stories: Germany’s defense minister resigns, Italy's most-wanted mafia boss is arrested in Sicily, The death toll from a Russian attack on Dnipro rises to 40, A third set of classified documents are found at Biden's home, A plane crash in Nepal kills at least 68, McCarthy renews calls for spending cuts, Tens of thousands protest legal reforms in Israel, New York’s mayor says there "no room" in his city for migrants, Pakistan launches a nationwide anti-polio campaign, A report says 10% of all new cars sold in 2022 were electric, and Oxfam says the world’s richest 1% bagged two-thirds of new wealth last year.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 14, 2023 top stories: ExxonMobil reportedly predicted climate change, A BLM co-founder's cousin dies in police custody, Ukraine again denies that Soledar has fallen, The CIA director visits Libya, Two Trump businesses are fined a combined 1.6M, The final report on the deadly Seoul Halloween crush is released, US lawmakers renew a push to ban congressional stock trading, Japan says it will release Fukushima water in the spring or summer, The UAE names its oil chief to lead the COP28 talks, and a Swedish company finds a large supply of rare minerals.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 13, 2023 top stories: More classified documents are found in Biden’s garage, Kyiv says it’s 'holding on' to Soledar, The US and Japan bolster military ties, A suicide bomb kills several in Afghanistan, Australia and Papua New Guinea pledge a new security pact, The US House passes a ‘Born Alive’ abortion bill, Pakistan denies ties to uranium found at Heathrow, Over 17 are killed in California storms, A NASA rover finds gemstones on Mars, and a Syrian refugee who lived in an airport becomes a Canadian citizen.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 12, 2023 top stories: Uganda declares its ebola outbreak over, Russia's Wagner group says its taken control of Soledar, a report finds that US and UK weapons killed 87 Yemeni civilians in just over a year, flights across the US are grounded due to a computer glitch, a British Tory MP is suspended over COVID vaccine comments, Australian Cardinal George Pell dies at age 81, the GOP vote for an investigation into Biden’s presidency, FTX lawyers say $5B in crypto assets have been uncovered, four Trump lawyers face prosecution, and the UK government introduces controversial anti-strike legislation.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 11, 2023 top stories: Classified files from Biden's term as VP are found in a private office, Myanmar jails 112 Rohingya, donors pledge $9B in flood relief for Pakistan, NATO says it hasn’t ruled out arming Ukraine with modern battle tanks, a watchdog asks the US government to investigate George Santos, the UN Security Council votes to extend cross-border aid to northwest Syria, the US Navy seizes Iranian assault rifles bound for Yemen, a historic UK rocket mission fails, a US safety agency considers banning gas stoves, and a UN report finds the Ozone layer could heal by 2066.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 10, 2023 top stories: Protesters breach government buildings in Brazil, Kevin McCarthy wins the House speakership, Russia rejects peace deal speculation as a hoax, Biden visits the Southern border, an armed group abducts 32 people from train station in Nigeria, China carries out ‘combat' drills near Taiwan, Israel bans the Palestinian flag from being flown in public, a Seattle school district sues several tech giants, 7,000 nurses strike in New York City, ‘one-in-100-year’ floods force evacuations in Australia, and study finds ‘disruptive’ science has declined.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 7, 2023 top stories: Biden marks the second anniversary of the Capitol riots, Mexico captures the son of drug lord 'El Chapo,' Interpol arrests the world's most wanted human smuggler, The frontline situation in Ukraine remains unclear after Russia declares a ceasefire, McCarthy fails again to become House Speaker, Prince Harry is criticized over claims he killed 25 fighters in Afghanistan, A US court strikes down a South Carolina abortion ban, A security expert says 200M Twitter users had their data leaked in a hack, A former Human Rights Watch head is denied a Harvard fellowship, and a UK mRNA cancer vaccine trial is set to begin in September.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 6, 2023 top stories: Ukraine rejects a Russia-proposed ceasefire, China and the Philippines commit to a peaceful South China Sea solution, a Turkish court suspends funding for the pro-Kurdish party, Israel releases its longest-serving Palestinian prisoner, India’s Supreme Court halts the demolition of 4,000 homes, data shows that the US labor market is surprisingly strong, the mastermind behind a US college admissions scam is sentenced to prison, Amazon says it will cut 18,000 jobs, multiple US states introduce policies targeting homelessness, and Jordan Peterson challenges a "remedial" training order.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 5, 2023 top stories: Mitch McConnell becomes the longest-serving Senate party leader, Russia revises the Makiivka death toll to 89, Florida Gov. DeSantis is sworn in for a second term, Sri Lanka announces its first election amid recent unrest, the suspect in the killing of 4 Idaho undergrads agrees to be extradited, Jerusalem's Anglican Archbishop denounces the desecration of a cemetery, Colombia’s ELN rebel group denies agreeing to a ceasefire, FTX-founder Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty, Twitter says it will allow political advertising, and the US’s FDA approves the sale of abortion pills at retail pharmacies.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 4, 2023 top stories: Kevin McCarthy loses three House Speaker votes, Russia faces backlash following a Ukrainian strike on Makiivka, Israel's National Security Minister is criticized for visiting the Al Aqsa Mosque, two children are killed in a blast in Kashmir, Mexico's Supreme Court elects its first female President, Australia's Health Chief is revealed to have urged against COVID restrictions for China, Tesla announces record sales for 2022, a player collapses during an NFL game, a US study reveals an increase in children sickened by edibles, and Japan offers a reward for families to leave Tokyo.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for January 3, 2023 top stories: Kevin McCarthy makes concessions in his bid for House Speaker, Attacks continue across Ukraine following Putin and Zelenskyy's New Year's speeches, Former Pope Benedict XVI passes away, Lula is sworn in as Brazil's president, Kim Jong Un vows 'exponential' increases in North Korea's nuclear arsenal, South Korea and the US are reportedly discussing joint nuclear exercises, The IMF warns of a 2023 global recession, The UK’s health chief calls for NHS pressures to be declared a major incident, A US study links poor hydration to early aging and chronic disease, and New York Gov. Hochul legalizes human composting.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 31, 2022 top stories: Trump’s tax returns are officially released, Andrew Tate and his brother are arrested in Romania, Belarus downs an air-defense missile over its territory, 10 oil workers are killed in Syria, Bolivia’s opposition leader is arrested on terrorism charges, Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi is jailed for seven more years, Indonesia tightens its palm oil exports, The FDA is accused of breaking its rules on an Alzheimer's drug, The trial for a China-made COVID antiviral pill finished, and Hersheys is sued over metals in its dark chocolate.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 30, 2022 top stories: The Jan. 6 Committee withdraws its subpoena of Trump, declassified papers reveal London braced for 'turbulence' following Clinton’s election, over 120 missiles are fired into Ukraine, Netanyahu is sworn in as Prime Minister of Israel, the US approves $180M in military aid for Taiwan, Australia agrees to extradite a former US Marine over China training, a US study finds abortion bans may increase the risk of suicide, Uzbekistan links 18 child deaths to cough syrup made in India,a hotel-casino fire in Cambodia kills 19, and Twitter suffers a major outage.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 29, 2022 top stories: The US Supreme Court temporarily halts the termination of Title 42, the UN says the number of civilians killed in Ukraine is likely much higher than known, India investigates the death of a Russian politician, Ethiopian Airlines resume flights to Tigray, a US judge denies a request to sanction Arizona’s Kari Lake, 40% of junior doctors in the UK plan to quit the NHS, the UN calls for the Taliban to reverse restrictions on women, Spain announces a $10B aid package amid inflation, Hong Kong is set to scrap almost all its COVID rules, and Novak Djokovic returns to Australia.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 28, 2022 top stories: Putin bans oil exports to price cap countries, Taiwan extends its mandatory military service, Ukraine hopes for a UN-backed peace summit by February, Serbia erects more roadblocks in northern Kosovo, Representative-elect George Santos admits to fabricating details on his CV, Peru arrests generals amid a probe into former-President Castillo, a man is sentenced to 16 years in prison for plotting to kidnap Michigan’s governor, China announces an end to its COVID quarantine for travelers, the US probes Southwest Airlines over flight cancellations, and the FDA explores regulating CBD in foods and supplements.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 27, 2022 top stories: The latest batch of “Twitter Files” suggest Twitter rigged the COVID debate, An unprecedented US storm kills at least 28, The UN says 180 Rohingya are presumed to have drowned, Putin reiterates his readiness to negotiate, China holds drills around Taiwan, Migrants are dropped off at US Vice President Kamala Harris’s home, South Korea fires warning shots after Northern drones enter its air space, Maoist leader 'Prachanda' becomes Nepal’s new prime minister, and a rescue mission for trapped miners continues in China.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 24, 2022 top stories: The Jan. 6 committee releases its final report, At least three people are killed in a Paris shooting, The US dismisses Putin's claim he wants to end the war, M23 rebels pledge to retreat from a key position in the DR Congo, Chile announces plans to open an embassy in the Palestinian Territories, Shell agrees to pay $15 million for oil spills in Nigeria, FTX's Bankman-Fried is released on $250 million bond, Meta settles a Cambridge Analytica scandal case for $725 million, ByteDance confirms TikTok accessed journalists' data, and Molnupiravir antiviral treatment is found to hasten Covid recovery.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 23, 2022 top stories: A CDC report finds US life expectancy is at its lowest in 25 Years, Fiji's military is called in after a disputed election, Zelenskyy invokes the fight against Nazi Germany in a request for aid, the IRS’s mandatory presidential audit policy faces scrutiny, a House GOP report blames security failures for the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, Israel’s Netanyahu announces the formation of a new government, a UN resolution calls for peace in Myanmar associates of FTX’s founder plead guilty to criminal charges, Asia's “El Chapo” is extradited to Australia, and the WHO says it’s ‘very concerned’ over the COVID situation in China.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 22, 2022 top stories: Zelenskyy travels to Washington, Algeria slams the EU’s gas price cap, Twitter is accused of secretly boosting a US covert propaganda campaign, New York Representative-elect George Santos faces "serious" questions about his resume, Peru’s Congress tentatively approves plans for early elections, A coup attempt is foiled in Gambia, Musk says he’ll step down as Twitter’s CEO, Freezing temperatures in the US draw concerns over migrants, Scotland begins voting on amendments to the Reform Gender Recognition Bill, and Germany returns Benin bronzes to Nigeria.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 21, 2022 top stories: Lawmakers unveil a $1.7 trillion government funding bill to avert a shutdown, the Taliban ban women from universities in Afghanistan, Putin tells Russian security services to root out 'traitors and spies,' South Africa’s Ramaphosa is re-elected leader of the ruling ANC Party, Kari Lake's lawsuit challenging the Arizona midterms results heads to trial, FTX's Bankman-Fried is reportedly set to agree to US extradition, a Palestinian prisoner and cancer patient dies in Israeli custody, a former Nazi secretary is convicted in a German court, Puerto Rican cities file a racketeering suit against oil companies, and Stanford releases a new guide to eliminate ‘harmful' language.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for December 20, 2022 top stories: The Jan. 6 Committee votes to refer Trump to the Department of Justice, Putin Heads to Belarus as Russian drones again rock Kyiv, Pakistani Taliban militants seize a counterterrorism center, The UK’s Rwanda deportation plan is ruled lawful, Peru's president says she’ll replace the prime minister in a Cabinet shakeup, Sweden blocks the extradition of a Turkish journalist, North Korea said it has completed an ‘Important’ test of a spy satellite, Elon Musk puts his future as Twitter’s CEO to public vote, Epic Games reaches a record US government settlement, The UN agrees to conserve 30% of the Earth's surface, and Argentina wins the World Cup.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 17, 2022 top stories: More JFK assassination files are released, Twitter suspends the accounts of at least five journalists, Russia launches renewed missile attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Japan announces plans to build a more powerful military, The US Senate passes a record $858 billion defense act, The UK launches a probe into claims its troops killed Afghan civilians, Biden Calls for the African Union to join the G20, A California county considers secession to become new US state, Denmark wants to scrap a public holiday to boost its defense budget, and a new study finds Parkinson's is more prevalent than earlier estimates.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 16, 2022 top stories: The UN expels Iran from its women’s rights body, Russia and Ukraine exchange dozens of prisoners, Istanbul’s mayor is sentenced to prison for insulting officials, UK nurses hold the biggest strike in NHS history, Biden says the US is 'all in' on Africa's future, the US House approves a Puerto Rico referendum bill, Georgia's Secretary of State calls for an end to runoffs in the state, a US Senate report finds widespread abuse of female inmates by prison workers, a US House report alleges missteps in the intelligence community’s handling of COVID, and Scotland proposes allowing children to be elected to parliament.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 15, 2022 top stories: Meta is sued for allegedly inciting violence in Ethiopia, Flooding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo kills at least 141, The US is reportedly ready to provide advanced missile defense systems to Ukraine, Four migrants die after their boat capsizes in the English channel,US Senator Bernie Sanders withdraws his Yemen War Powers Resolution, The UN says a famine declaration in Somalia has been narrowly averted, Business magnate Rupert Murdoch is deposed over Fox New’s 2020 election reporting, The US Fed increases interest rates by another 0.5%, Florida Governor DeSantis calls for a grand jury on COVID vaccines, and the CDC finds that long COVID can be deadly.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 14, 2022 top stories: Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is arrested in the Bahamas, the EU breaks a stalemate with Hungary and agrees to €18B in aid for Ukraine, the US Senate looks to avert a government shutdown, Bangladesh arrests the leader of the largest Muslim party, Bolsonaro supporters attack police headquarters in Brazil, China takes action against US chip curbs with the World Trade Organization, Alabama and Utah ban the use of TikTok on State government devices, official data shows that the UK saw its greatest number of strikes since 2011 in October, Moderna and Merck have some success with a cancer vaccine, and Israel gene-edits hens to lay only female eggs.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 13, 2022 top stories: Four people are charged in an EU parliament corruption investigation, Previous Twitter management is accused of tweaking the rules to permanently ban Trump, Peru’s president seeks early elections as protests rock the country, Biden and the G7 pledge more military assistance to Ukraine, The UN says over 11k children have been killed or maimed in Yemen's civil war, A Libyan man suspected in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing arrives in US custody, The second Oath Keepers Jan. 6 sedition trial begins, Twitter's paid blue tick is re-launched, China deactivates its national COVID tracking app, A girl is cleared of incurable cancer with a new base editing therapy, and the US is set to announce a breakthrough in fusion energy.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 10, 2022 top stories: Twitter is accused of keeping “secret blacklists” to limit users, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema leaves the Democratic party, Italy, Japan and the UK announce plans to merge projects for a new fighter jet, a Moscow shopping mall catches fire, the US House backs a record military spending bill, 28 oil tankers get logjammed in Turkish waters, China and Saudi Arabia sign a strategic partnership agreement, the Keystone pipeline is shut down following a Kansas oil spill, economists agree the US is heading into a shallow recession, and scientists discover a lost world in Greenland after sequencing two-million-year-old DNA.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 9, 2022 top stories: Brittney Griner is released in a Russian prisoner swap, Putin admits the Ukraine war could be a “long-term process,” Iran carries out its first protest-related execution, more classified documents are found at a Trump storage site, Narendra Modi’s BJP is set for a record win in India’s Gujarat state, Pakistani investigators say journalist Arshad Sharif’s killing in Kenya was “planned,” FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is said to be facing a market manipulation inquiry, the Biden admin. urges SCOTUS to hold Big Tech liable for recommending dangerous content, NFL’s Dan Snyder is accused of obstructing a House probe into the Washington Commanders, and Croatia joins Europe's free-travel zone.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 8, 2022 top stories: Peru’s president is impeached and arrested after attempting to dissolve Congress, Raphael Warnock defeats Herschel Walker in the Georgia Senate runoff, Washington says it 'neither encouraged nor enabled' Ukraine to strike Russian territory, Germany arrests 25 people accused of plotting a coup, Argentina’s vice president is sentenced to six years in prison for corruption, Turkey reportedly sets a two-week deadline for the Syrian Democratic Forces to withdraw from Northern Syria, The US Supreme Court hears arguments on congressional district maps, Twitter fires its general counsel over possible internal document suppression, China loosens more COVID restrictions, and the EU agrees that airlines should have to pay more to pollute.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for December 7, 2022 top stories: Indonesia passes a new criminal code outlawing extramarital sex, the International Criminal Court (ICC) opposes the EU’s plan for a Ukraine tribunal, Al Jazeera urges the ICC to investigate the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Trump Organization is found guilty of multiple counts of criminal tax fraud, the US Department of Justice subpoenas election officials in key swing states, Google launches an anti-misinformation campaign in India, the EU says Meta can’t run targeted ads without consent, Australia raises interest rates to a 10-year high, Musk’s Neuralink faces a federal probe over animal tests, and a report finds that child marijuana use has soared nearly 250% in the last 20 years.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/
Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/podFacts & Spin for December 6, 2022 top stories: The US secret services says Chinese hackers stole millions in COVID relief funds, Elon Musk releases the “Twitter Files” on Hunter Biden, Multiple blasts strike Russian airfields, An anti-government protest turns deadly in Syria, Iran’s Attorney General says the Morality Police will be disbanded, A power grid attack leaves a North Carolina county in the dark, A web designer takes on Colorados’s Anti-Discrimination Act, Senate candidates Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker make their last pitch in the Georgia midterm election runoff, India signals it will continue to buy oil from Russia, The Confederation of Business Industry says the UK economy will shrink in 2023, and three Chinese astronauts return to Earth.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for December 3, 2022 top stories: Arizona County certifies its election results, The Pentagon unveils its first new bomber in 30 years, Biden and Putin say they’d be open to talk under certain conditions, The EU sets a $60 price cap on Russian oil, An appeals court gives the Justice Department access to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago documents, The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces announce they’re halting anti-IS operations, The Democratic Republic of Congo accuses M23 rebels of killing 50 civilians, The US labor department reports job growth and wage increases for November, Pfizer says it will invest more than $2.5 billion to expand its European manufacturing, and Caltech physicists simulate a tiny “wormhole” in a lab.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for December 2, 2022 top stories: A blast kills at least 15 in northern Afghanistan, CDC's Director is under fire for her Tuskegee Syphilis tweet, five more letter bombs reported in Spain as nine killed in fires across Ukraine, a US House committee receives Trump's tax returns, IS acknowledges leader's death, the EU reportedly threatens a Twitter ban over content moderation, South Africa's President under pressure over 'Farmgate' scandal, 2k have allegedly been killed fighting Myanmar's Junta, a Hong Kong protester shot by police in 2019 is jailed for Six Years, the UN seeks record $51B In aid for 2023, and Elon Musk's Neuralink is ready for human testing.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for December 1, 2022 top stories: San Francisco Police get approved to use lethal robots, Pentagon claims China will quadruple its nuclear warheads, the EU proposes a special court for Russian war crimes and using frozen assets for Ukraine, the US Senate passes a bill protecting same-sex marriage, NYC will involuntarily hospitalize mentally ill, Hakeem Jeffries will succeed Pelosi as Democratic House Leader, the Oath Keepers founder is convicted of seditious conspiracy, four are killed by a suicide bomb targeting a Pakistan polio campaign, an Alzheimer's drug slows cognitive decline but may have killed people, and the French Baguette controversially makes UNESCO's Cultural Heritage List.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 30, 2022 top stories: Twitter ends its COVID misinformation policy, Musk says Apple threatened to boot Twitter from its app store, China cracks down on COVID protests, 4 Palestinians are killed in the West Bank, The US accuses Russia of using winter as a weapon, The Georgia runoff sets an early voting record, Congress and Biden intervene in planned railroad strikes, Another crypto company goes bankrupt, Pakistan's Taliban ends its truce, and Qatar says up to 500 World Cup migrant workers died.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 29, 2022 top stories: China cracks down amid unprecedented COVID protests, newspapers urge US to drop Assange charges, at least 14 are killed in a Somali hotel siege, the US reportedly mulls 100-mile weapons for Ukraine, Trump is criticized for meeting with far-Right Nick Fuentes, Musk says he'll back DeSantis for President, the Buffalo Mass Shooter pleads guilty to murder, police bust a cocaine 'Super-Cartel' in Dubai and Europe, the US allows Chevron to pump oil in Venezuela, China is portrayed as a military space threat, and the WHO renames Monkeypox to "Mpox"
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 26, 2022 top stories: Vaccinated people now make up a most US COVID deaths, The US claims that Turkish airstrikes in Syria directly threatened its troops, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo agree to a ceasefire, The EU struggles with a Russian oil price cap amidst deadly Kherson strikes, Georgia reinstates a 6 week abortion ban, A US writer sues Trump for defamation and battery, Alaska's Murkowski and Peltola win reelection, Musk will reinstate suspended Twitter Accounts, Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim sworn in as Prime Minister after year in jail, Pakistan's Army Chief admits military meddling in politics, and Europe will fund a study on beaming solar energy from space.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 24, 2022 top stories: The EU designates Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, The Supreme Court rules that Trump's tax returns will be released, the gunman who killed six at a Virginia Walmart is among the dead, Canada's Trudeau will testify about his controversial use of the Emergencies Act, twin Jerusalem blasts kill 1 and injure many, Ukraine claims that Russian struck a maternity ward and killed a newborn, iPhone factory protests erupt in China, the UK Supreme Court vetoes Scotland's Independence Referendum, Brazil's Bolsonaro challenges his election loss, Alabama's governor suspends executions and Biden extends his student loan repayment pause.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 23, 2022 top stories: CBS verifies Hunter Biden's laptop, Republican states look to preserve a Trump border policy, Republicans accuse the Pentagon of harmful race and gender-based policies, Iran boosts uranium enrichment and the IAEA condemns them, Ukraine evacuates Kherson and Mykolaiv residents, A factory fire kills at least 38 in China, Fight between armed Colombian groups kills at least 18, The EU raises alarm over the license place dispute between Kosovo and Serbia, The Senate investigates a 2nd potential Supreme Court leak, and Two Estonian men arrested over $575M crypto scheme.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 22, 2022 top stories: An Indonesia quake kills over 160, an LGBTQ+ nightclub shooting kills 5, Russia pounds Ukrainian strongholds while the UN urges an end to nuclear power plant attacks, rocket attacks against a Turkish border town kills 2, Kazakh President Tokayev wins re-election, Malaysia's currency and stock are volatile after a hung Parliament, House GOP leader McCarthy plans a Special Committee on China, a $6B student loan settlement is approved, Bob Iger is returning to Disney as CEO, the Climate Summit adopts a historic "Loss and Damage" Fund, and European World Cup soccer teams scrap "OneLove" armbands
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 19, 2022 top stories: House republicans move forward with a Hunter Biden probe, A special counsel appointed to investigate Trump, Jeffries will run for House democratic leader, Lake refuses the Arizona Governor race and enlists legal support, Twitter locks out its staff after mass resignations, Remains of explosives are found at the Nord Stream blast sites, A Gaza residential building fire kills 21, The Biden government says that the Saudi crown prince is immune from the Khashoggi lawsuit, A Quebec man is charged with terrorism over a Haiti coup plot, and climate negotiations stalled on a "loss and damage" fund.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 18, 2022 top stories: The Republicans win control of the House, Nancy Pelosi steps down as the House Democratic leader, Los Angeles elects its first black female mayor, A US general reiterates his recommendation for Ukraine to negotiate as Biden and Zelenskyy clash, A Dutch court convicts three of murder over a downed Maylasia Airlines flight, Britain and France announce their largest war games since the Cold War, The UK chancellor announces billions in tax rises and spending cuts, Malta moves to ease its total ban on abortion, Yale and Harvard law schools shun US News rankings, and the FDA approves lab-grown meat.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 17, 2022 top stories: US Sources suggest that the missile that killed Poles was Ukrainian, a Federal Judge blocks the Title 42 border policy, the US Senate advances a respect gay marriage law, McConnell wins Senate GOP leader reelection, Guangzhou sees violent COVID protests, Kuwait hangs seven people in its first executions since 2017, an Israeli oil tanker is hit by a mystery drone off the Oman coast, the FTX Bahamas Unit seeks US bankruptcy protection, Tesla says its $55B Pay Deal to Keep Musk 'Engaged' and NASA launches Artemis moon rocket.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 16, 2022 top stories: Trump prepares to launch a 2024 White House run, Walmart agrees to a $3.1B opioid settlement framework, The Ukraine war spills into Poland and kills 2, The G20 Summit opens in Bali, The world population reportedly reaches 8 billion, The US to open investigation into Israel's killing of a journalist, Trump defies a subpoena from the Jan 6. committee, Giuliani won't face charges in his Ukraine lobbying probe, Hobbs projected to defeat Lake for Arizona governor, and Djokovic to be granted a visa for the Australian Open.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 15, 2022 top stories: Biden meets Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit, Biden moves to secure abortion access for unaccompanied migrant youth, Turkish police arrest 46 over an Istanbul bombing, Iranian rockets hit Kurdish headquarters in Iraq, Zelenskyy visits Kherson and alleges Russian atrocities committed, Israel strikes an air base in Central Syria, killing 2 soldiers, three are killed in University of Virginia, Trump-backed Mastriano concedes defeat in the Pennsylvania governor's race, Morgan Stanley predicts that recession might strike Europe but not the US, Iran issues its first death sentence tied to protests, and Ghana's Junior Finance Minister fired over gold mining scandal.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 12, 2022 top stories: Ukraine reclaims dozens of towns in Kherson following Russia's withdrawal, The crypto exchange FTX files for bankruptcy, Musk warns of Twitter bankruptcy as executives quit, Arizona and Nevada won't finish counting midterm ballots until next week, Young voter midterm turnout was the second highest in 30 years, Boston will pay $2.1M for refusing to fly a christian flag, Putin will skip the G20 summit, CO2 pollution to reportedly break all records this year, COVID reinfections may increase the risk of serious disease and death, and a study identifies neurons that restore walking after paralysis.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 11, 2022 top stories: Biden mulls a 2024 run, DeSantis resoundingly defeats Crist for Florida governor, Iran claims to have built a hypersonic missile, Ukraine is skeptical of Russia's claimed withdrawal from Kherson, Sudan accuses Ethiopia of killing seven soldiers and one civilian, Musk bans remote work at Twitter, British police will apologize to a Russian businessman, chances of figuring out COVID's ancestry are reportedly almost nil, Indonesia's Dengue vaccine rollout is marred by concerns, and Australia plans a potential referendum on Monarchy.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 10, 2022 top stories: The US Midterms remain too close to call, Trump warns DeSantis against running for president, Russia may be giving up on Kherson, Congo jets bomb M23 rebels, an Iranian fuel convoy is attacked on the Syria-Iraq border, the UK Military reportedly killed at least 64 Afghan children, a Cyber-Extortionist leaks Australians medical records, Brittney Griner is moved to a Russian penal colony, Microsoft faces an antitrust complaint in Europe, and China ponders a climate compensation mechanism
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 9, 2022 top stories: A judge suspends New York gun restrictions, The Oath Keepers founder denies ordering the capitol breach, The US announces seizure of over 3 billion dollars from a Bitcoin heist, The US and Russia officials confirm high-level yalks about Ukraine, Pakistan tells the climate summit that they're a victim of climate change deserving reparations, Algeria applies for BRICS membership, Nvidia slows down a processor for the Chinese market to meet US controls, The UN begins hearings on alleged Israeli human rights abuses, Greece will ban spyware amid a phone-tapping scandal, and US voters head to the polls.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 8, 2022 top stories: Italy blocks male migrants from disembarking rescue ships, Russia’s Wagner Group founder admits to US election interference, a Tanzania plane crash kills 19, Kyiv urges residents to consider evacuating, the UK faces a 50 billion pound fiscal hole, Biden and Trump make their final campaigning pushes, a Wall Street Journal poll says the GOP are gaining traction with Black and Latino voters, Elon Musk lays out Twitter’s new mission, the US economy added more jobs than expected in October, the UN issues climate warnings as COP27 begins, and lab-grown red blood cells are transfused into patients in a new UK trial.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 5, 2022 top stories: Germany's prime minister visits China, 185 UN nations condemn America's Cuba embargo, Zelenskyy says that 4.5M Ukrainians face electricity shortages, Alcohol-induced deaths rose by 30% in 2020, Trump drops a strong hint about running in 2024, US Midterms: Biden campaigns in California and promotes tech legislation, Elon Musk begins major layoffs at Twitter, The White House accuses North Korea of sending weapons to Russia, A French MP is suspended for "return to africa" remarks, and FIFA says the World Cup should be about football, not politics.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 4, 2022 top stories: Pakistan's most popular politician survives an assassination attempt, the UN Security Council rejects Russia's call for a Ukraine bioweapon probe, Patel is granted immunity to testify against Trump, Biden Says democracy is on the midterm ballot, corporate America is playing it safe in their midterm funding, a Myanmar opposition politician is sentenced to 173 years, a Russian protester and family is stripped of citizenship, Bank of England warns of the longest recession ever, and World Heritage Site glaciers will reportedly disappear by 2050.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 3, 2022 top stories: The Supreme Court blocks the release of Trump's tax returns, North and South Korea fire missiles off each other's coasts for the first time, US Troops are allegedly in Ukraine inspecting weapons, The Ethiopian government and rebels agree to a Tigray truce, a Pennsylvania Court says that misdated midterm mail-In ballots won't be counted, Biden's approval ticks up ahead of the midterms, tear gas reportedly caused the deadly Indonesian soccer stampede, 50 countries condemn China's actions In Xinjiang, the Colombian and Venezuelan presidents meet as ties keep improving, and Europe's climate is reportedly warming at twice the global average.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 2, 2022 top stories: Biden condemns oil, gas and war profiteering and threatens a windfall tax, 1000 people are charged over unrest in Tehran, A UN watchdog visits sites of Russia's dirty bomb allegations, Russia is reportedly recruiting US-trained Afghan commandos, Biden heads to Florida for a midterm campaign push, Meadows loses his challenge to his Jan 6. committee subpoena, Elon Musk fires the Twitter board, A massive US publisher merger is trust-busted, Tokyo issues its first same-sex partnership certificates, and Algeria hosts the Arab League summit.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for November 1, 2022 top stories: The Supreme Court takes on Affirmative Action, Lula defeats Bolsonaro to become President of Brazil, South Korea promises investigation of Halloween stampede that killed 154, an India bridge collapse kills over 130, Somalia car bombings kill over 100, Russian missiles again target Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the US will reportedly deploy nuclear capable bombers to Australia, South Korea and the US launch war games, US midterm concerns remain despite no specific threat, Kemp and Abrams debate for a Georgia Senate seat, and a 'Planet Killer' asteroid is found hiding in the Sun's glare.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 29, 2022 top stories: Elon Musk buys Twitter, Putin says the world is in the greatest danger since WWII, Iraq gets a new government, Pelosi's husband is attacked with a hammer, A Jan. 6 rioter gets 7.5 years for assaulting an officer, Zeldin's NY campaign is investigated over super PACs, Obama campaigns for Georgia democrats, Republican Liz Cheney endorses a democrat, An Ex-CIA officer investigated for allegedly spying for Qatar, and over 30 killed by a storm in the Philippines.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 28, 2022 top stories: Russia and NATO are doing nuclear drills at the same time, Iran's Supreme Leader vows revenge for a Shia shrine bombing that killed 15, Oregon could get its first republican governor in decades, over 100 lawsuits filed over the upcoming US election, a report alleges pro-China election meddling, Meta is fined $24.7M for campaign finance violations, Russia considers expanding its ban of LGBTQ+ 'propaganda', Mexico's Senate votes to end Daylight Savings Time, a report claims that climate change threatens global health, and women become a majority in New Zealand's Parliament for the first time
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 27, 2022 top stories: Kyiv says the heaviest of battles is coming to Kherson, a court orders New York to reinstate unvaccinated employees, two In five US voters worry about intimidation at polls, Fetterman and Oz face off in Pennsylvania's senate debate, Italy's new prime minister Meloni wins her confidence vote and condemns fascism, UK's new prime minister Sunak appoints his cabinet, Pakistan's former prime minister Khan announces a 'Long March' on the capital, economists claim that the global economy is approaching recession, a UK court hears demands to ban Xinjiang Cotton and NASA identifies 50 methane 'Super-Emitters'
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 26, 2022 top stories: NASA launches a UFO study, A Myanmar air strike kills at least 80, Democrats press Biden to engage with Russia, DeSantis and Crist have a heated Florida gubernatorial debate, Obama endorses Beaseley for the NC Senate, An Arizona county approves a hand recount, The US charges 13 for alleged Chinese influence operations, 6 Palestinians are killed in the West Bank, Amnesty urges an ICC probe of possible Gaza war crimes, and China's overseas power plants reportedly produce significant CO2.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 25, 2022 top stories: A second Russian jet crashes and the US dismisses Russian dirty bomb claims, China's Xi Jinping wins a third term, Rishi Sunak will become next British Prime Minister, US math and reading scores drop nationwide, jury selection begins for the Trump Organization fraud trial, Murray and Smiley debate for the Washington Senate election, Pelosi and Sanders press Democrats' election case on talk shows, North and South Korea trade warning shots, Turkey is forcing refugees back to Syria, the UN suspends its anti-torture mission to Australia because of denied access, and the US will expand access to opioid addiction medicine for pregnant women
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 22, 2022 top stories: January 6 committee subpoenas Trump, Over 150 killed in two days of Sudan violence, About 50 are killed as protesters demand civilian rule in Chad, Ukraine and Russia blame each other for trying to blow up a huge dam, Steve Bannon is sentenced to four months in prison for snubbing the January 6 committee, The Supreme Court won't hear an attempt to block Biden's student-loan relief, Lindsey Graham is ordered to testify in a Georgia election probe, Pfizer eyes quadrupling the price of COVID Shots, Pakistan's most popular political figure is barred from office, and Colombia's cocoa crops reportedly grew to historic levels.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 21, 2022 top stories: Liz Truss resigns as British Prime Minister after just 45 days, Ukraine plans rolling blackouts as more energy infrastructure is struck, New York opens a tent shelter for asylum seekers, a US midterm poll shows that crucial Latino voters are cool on both parties, Arizona asks Feds to probe alleged voter intimidation, an Iranian schoolgirl is allegedly beaten to death by security forces, Pakistan says it's ready to buy Russian oil, France repatriates ISIS sympathizers and their children from Syria, Australia commits to controversial military cooperation with Indonesia, and FDA panel votes to remove a pregnancy drug from market
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 20, 2022 top stories: Russia announces Kherson evacuations, Iran will reportedly ship missiles and drones to Russia, the Ethiopian Army captures three towns In Tigray, the US will release 15M barrels of oil from its reserves, the US rolls out nearly $3B for electric vehicle batteries, Rubio and Demings clash in Florida's senate debate, Biden vows a push to restore abortion rights, a jury acquits the Trump Dossier source Danchenko, North Korea fires artillery shells In "grave warning" to Seoul, and Sweden drops its 'Feminist Foreign Policy'
Video Link: The abortion controversy: whose rights count most?
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 19, 2022 top stories: The government wants Bannon jailed for 6 months, Somalia could face its worst famine in half a century, Russia continues targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and 13 die in a Russian warplane crash, Mossad is allegedly behind kidnapping incident in Malaysia, Australia reverses its recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, The Utah Senate debate focuses on Jan. 6, Abrams and Kemp debate in the Georgia Gov. Race, The Taliban says the US won't support non-state actors, Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan dominates by-elections, and over-the-counter hearing aids are now available in US.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 18, 2022 top stories: Russian Drones rock Kyiv and target energy infrastructure across Ukraine, Xi Jinping opens China's Communist Party Congress, Syrian rebel infighting worsens after a truce collapses, the Biden administration launches its student debt relief website, economic jitters are boosting Republican midterm chances, Biden will campaign opposite DeSantis, Jill Biden stumps for key midterm campaigns, a mine explosion kills 41 in Turkey, Paris sees mass protests, bad medicine kills at least 10 children in Yemen, and Credit Suisse pays $495M in a mortgage-backed securities settlement.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 15, 2022 top stories: Russia will evacuate citizens from the annexed Kherson region, the US extends its COVID Public Health Emergency, Biden releases his national security strategy, the EU is called on to recognize Russia as terrorist regime, at least 11 are killed in a Mali bus blast, the North Carolina mass shooting suspect is arrested, North Korea tests another missile and flies warplanes near South Korea, Switzerland proposes $1000 Fines for burqa ban violations, Amnesty accuses Latvia of mistreating migrants, and the British Prime Minister U-turns on taxes and fires her finance minister.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 14, 2022 top stories: Trump is ordered to do a deposition under oath, Alex Jones is ordered to pay $965M to Sandy Hook families, Drones strike the Kyiv region as the UN condemns Russia, Putin offers to resume gas supplies to Europe, A Syrian bus blast kills 18 soldiers, Iraq elects a new president, The Jan. 6 Committee conducts its hearing before the midterms, An LA councilwoman resigns over racist remarks, A Pfizer executive says that before the rollout, they didn't test if their COVID vaccines reduced transmission, Human brain cells are implanted in rats.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 13, 2022 top stories:
Russia detains eight for Crimean bridge blast, while another pipeline starts leaking, NATO plans nuclear exercises, The Supreme Court hears a challenge to a California's animal cruelty law, Biden's approval rating remains low ahead of the midterms, Putin meets with Brazil's Bolsonaro, Meta debuts a new VR headset, Russia labels Meta a terrorist organization, TikTok reportedly profits from exploitive kid live streams, US mortgage rates rise to their highest level in 14 years, and Biden vows consequences for Saudi Arabia over oil cuts Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 12, 2022 top stories: Tulsi Gabbard leaves the Democratic party, The US and Germany promise advanced missile defense systems after wave of attacks on Ukraine, Israel and Lebanon reach a historic border deal, US banks cut their political donations and boost democrats' share, J.D. Vance and Tim Ryan clash in an Ohio senate debate, A Kashmiri separatist leader dies in Indian custody, Hong Kong won't act on a sanctioned Russian superyacht, Putin meets with the President of the United Arab Emirates, A report says that microbial Life may have self-destructed on Mars, and New Zealand proposes a tax on greenhouse gases from farm animals.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 11, 2022 top stories: Russia launches massive strikes at Ukraine as retaliation for bridge bombing, Iran oil workers strike and join protests, North Korea says that its missile launches were nuclear attack simulations, Germany says that its train service was sabotaged, a trial starts over the Steele Dossier about Trump, thousands March in US abortion rallies, the NYC Mayor declares a State of Emergency over migrant arrivals, Uvalde suspends its Police Force over their school shooting response, Two are shot outside the home of an NY governor candidate, Israel will pay the family of Palestinian-American who died in detention, and the NFL agrees to revise its concussion protocols.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod
Facts & Spin for October 8, 2022 top stories: Zelenskyy calls for a preventative strike against Russia while Biden warns of nuclear armageddon, The FBI reportedly has enough evidence to prosecute Hunter Biden, President Biden will pardon federal marijuana possession convictions, Parts of a NY gun law are blocked, Amnesty calls India police flogging muslims a serious civil rights violation, The US blacklists a Chinese drone giant, The US sanctions alleged Myanmar arms traffickers, The UN dismisses debate on alleged Chinese Xinjiang abuses, Bank of America will pay $1.8B in a mortgage crisis settlement, and the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian activists.
Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod