Fact & Spin

June 01, 2023: NATO Arctic drills, debt ceiling drama, and NASA UFO hearing

Facts & 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/pod

May 31, 2023: AI extinction risk, China meeting snub, and alleged spy whale

Facts & 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/pod

May 30, 2023: Debt ceiling deal, Erdoğan re-election and Chinese passenger jet

Facts & 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/pod

May 27, 2023 Top Stories: Belgian-Iran prisoner swap, Rwandan genocide arrest and AI-discovered antibiotics

Facts & 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/pod

May 26, 2023: DeSantis presidential bid, German recession and cured paralysis

Facts & 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/pod

May 25, 2023 Top Stories: Civilians unprotected, DeSantis Twitter announcement, and Tina Turner death

Facts & 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/pod

May 24, 2023: Social media risks, increased Olympics security, and no Ethiopian prince repatriation

Facts & 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/pod

May 23, 2023: $1.3B Meta fine, Greek Conservatives win and 2M climate deaths

Facts & 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/pod

May 20, 2023: Debt ceiling talks pause, $3B accounting error and possible Nadal retirement

Facts & 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/pod

May 19, 2023: Italy floods, Montana TikTok ban and 1.5°C global warming

Facts & 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/pod