Fact & Spin

January 28, 2023: Israel-Gaza airstrikes, more Ukraine tanks and COVID ‘misinformation’ law

Facts & 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/pod

January 27, 2023: Deadly Israeli raid, Pfizer COVID mutations and Trump Meta reinstatement

Facts & 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/pod

January 26, 2023: Tanks for Ukraine, impending Doomsday, and Pope-endorsed gay rights

Facts & 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/pod

January 25, 2023: Classified docs saga continues, Google ad lawsuit and $60B COVID fraud

Facts & 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/pod

January 24, 2023: Even more Biden docs, Japanese population decline and French sexism

Facts & 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/pod

January 21, 2023 top stories: No SCOTUS leak suspect, Alphabet job cuts, and Usain Bolt scammed

Facts & 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/pod

January 20, 2023: Arden resignation, US debt ceiling hit and Baldwin manslaughter charges

Facts & 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/pod

January 19, 2023 top stories: Ukraine helicopter crash, EU corruption deal, and Canada 2-drink limit

Facts & 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/pod

January 18, 2023: Chinese population drop, Russian troop expansion and laser-controlled lightning

Facts & 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/pod

January 17, 2023: German minister resignation, mafia boss arrest, and even more Biden docs

Facts & 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/pod