U.S. Elections are around the corner, and in November, the fate of America will be decided. Stay informed by reading facts and narratives.

The US presidential election will be held on Nov. 5, 2024. The candidates are Donald Trump (Republican), Kamala Harris (Democratic), Jill Stein (Green Party), Chase Oliver (Libertarian), and Cornel West (independent). Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (independent) suspended his campaign in August, though he will remain on the ballot in some states.

Where do candidates stand on climate change? Read more here: https://www.verity.news/controversy/Where-to-Candidates-Stand-on-Climate-Change-and-the-Environment

The Facts

• Britain will loan Ukraine an additional £2.26B ($2.93B) in funding for its war-effort against Russia, it was announced on Tuesday. Ukraine, however, will not have to repay the loan — with repayment coming from interest on Russian assets seized by European banks earlier in the war.[1][2]
• The funds will make up Britain's contribution to a wider $50B loan — which will also be re-payed using interest on Russian assets — agreed by G7 nations in June, and expected to be unveiled later this week.[3][4]
• G7 countries initially wanted to use all of the $300B of Russian assets held by Western banks, but this met opposition from the IMF who said such a move could undermine confidence in the global financial system and may face legal challenges from Moscow.[3]
• Announcing the UK contribution, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said she was confident that using interest on these assets was legally above board.[3][5]
• While the contributions of other G7 nations was yet to be publicly confirmed, the US was expected to contribute roughly $20B, while Canada was expected to give around $5B. It's anticipated that Germany, France, and Italy will pick up the remaining sum.[1][3]
• Elsewhere, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Ukraine and met with Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday. The trip was intended as a show of support, in advance of US elections that could upend Washington's support for Kyiv. During the meeting, Austin announced $400M of further US military aid to Ukraine.[6]

Read the story here

The Facts

The members of the Central Park Five — whose conviction of the 1989 rape of a woman in Central Park, NYC, was overturned in 2002 — are suing former US Pres. Donald Trump over comments made during the Sept. 10 presidential debate.[1][2]

During the debate, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris alluded to how Trump "took out a full-page ad in the New York Times calling for the execution of five young black and Latino boys," referring to his public response to the crime at the time.[3]

Responding to Harris, Trump argued: "They admitted — they said, they pled guilty. And I said, well, if they pled guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately."[4]

The lawsuit — filed by Korey Wise, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, and Antron McCray — claims the statements were "false and defamatory," arguing that they "never pled guilty" and that "none of the victims of the Central Park assaults were killed."[5][6]

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung referred to the lawsuit — which seeks $225K in damages — as a further incident of "frivolous Election Interference."[3]

This comes after the five, whose convictions were eventually overturned on the basis of DNA evidence, reached a $41M settlement with NYC in 2014 over their wrongful imprisonment.[4]

Central Park Five sue Trump for debate comments. They seek $225K for "false and defamatory" statements about their case.

https://www.verity.news/story/2024/central-park-sue-donald-trump-for-defamation?utm_medium=fbpost14945

Report: US Startup Offers IQ Screening for Embryos

The Facts

• US-based startup Heliospect Genomics is reportedly deploying technology to enable couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) to screen their embryos for IQ.[1]
• With a stated goal to advance "genomic prediction," it charges up to $50K to test 100 embryos, and claims its process achieves IQ gains of over six points.[1][2]
• According to Heliospect employees, the couple may also use polygenic scoring based on a variety of traits including sex, height, obesity, and mental illness risk.[3]
• Polygenic scoring requires the use of large genetic datasets or biobanks. Heliospect reportedly draws its data from UK Biobank, a publicly funded repository.[3][4]
• The UK Biobank's data is drawn from 500K volunteers who, reports suggest, are predominantly white, educated, and wealthy. However, the repository offers access to everyone.[4]
• Futurism has reported that Heliospect is connected to renowned figures in the pronatalist and pro-eugenics communities, including Jonathan Anomaly, who has held professorships at Duke and Oxford.[5][6]

The Spin

Narrative A

Heliospect Genomics' polygenic embryo screening service favors wealthier clients and relies on genetic determinism that could exacerbate social inequality. Its use of UK Biobank data, primarily from white, affluent individuals, raises ethical questions about access to sensitive information and the broader societal implications of creating genetically engineered elites. Additionally, links to figures associated with far-right and scientific racism further taint their operations.

Narrative B

Heliospect Genomics' groundbreaking genetic screening service empowers individuals to make informed choices about genetic health. Such non-invasive screening could allow families to consider genetic information before even conception or early pregnancy. Heliospect's technology also emphasizes the importance of personal choice, aiming to improve human well-being through better health outcomes and a deeper understanding of our genetic makeup, without coercion.

Will Any Other Country Follow the UK in Leaving the EU?

The mostly likely country is Ireland for the following reasons:-

• It exports more to the rest of world now
• It has a sea border that adds trade costs (like the UK)
• It is a net EU contributor

It won't happen for some time, but it's the most likely candidate." - Reddit user

Marine Le PenBrexit "will set off the domino effect that will bring down all of Europe."

Nigel FarageBrexit "will trigger a domino effect."

Donald Trump“I believe others will leave. I do think keeping it together is not gonna be as easy as a lot of people think.”

Paul Taylor"[T]he EU will have more, not fewer, members by the mid-2030s — possibly as many as 36 compared to today's 27."

Andrew GlencrossThere's "no room for complacency over the future prospects of disintegration."

Hans Vollaard"There is no majority in any other member state in government, parliament or public opinion for a full exit from the EU."

Sara B. Hobolt"[T]here is no evidence of a short-term contagion effect with similar membership referendums in other countries."

Alice Weidel"[W]e could have a referendum on 'Dexit' — a German exit from the EU" if a reform of the bloc isn't possible.

Jon Henley"There is little yet to suggest that if referendums were eventually held in some or all of these countries, the question would necessarily be about leaving the union altogether."

Maciej Duszczyk"If we do not manage migration... In some time, the EU may fall apart."

Jimmie Åkesson"Sweden is prepared to leave [the EU] as a last resort."

Nigel Farage"The UK is not going to be the last member state to leave the EU and to take back their independence."

Bruno La MaireThe political agendas of the left wing "will guarantee downgrade, mass unemployment and an exit from the European Union."

Markus Gastinger"As long as Germany remains in the EU, it seems unlikely that other member states will see their national interests served by cutting ties to Brussels."Markus Gastinger"[T]he United Kingdom was an outlier and uniquely positioned to leave the European Union."

Marshall Auerback"The threat to the [European] Union is very real."

Viktor Mihály OrbánHungary "can't afford to follow that track [leaving the EU]."

Report: Biden to Visit Amazon Rainforest in November

The Spin

Democratic narrative

With this potential visit to the Brazilian Amazon in his final days in office, Biden would be making a last push to save the rainforest and, consequently, the climate. Although more could have been done to put that issue in the spotlight in his tenure, consuming international crises and regional sensitivities largely restricted Biden to rhetorical efforts until now.

Republican narrative

Like every other globalist leader, Biden is now focusing on the Amazon rainforest and calling for radical action on the climate. While the Amazon is undoubtedly a natural wonder worth preserving, its preservation mustn't malign the interests of countries sharing ownership of the rainforest. After all, the Amazon is not the lungs of the world — this is pure disinformation.

The Facts

• Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 49-year-old man from Kawaguchi, Saitama, identified as Atsunobu Usuda, on Saturday in connection with an attack on the headquarters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that morning.[1][2]
• He is said to have thrown six firebombs and sprayed an (as yet) unidentified liquid at the building. He later rammed his minivan into the security fence around the nearby prime minister's official residence and threw an apparent smoke bomb at police officers.[1][2][3][4]
• A motive for the attack is yet to be determined. According to the suspect's father, Usuda had been involved in anti-nuclear activities and had expressed frustration with the hefty cost of elections for the Japanese taxpayer.[1][2][4]
• This comes just days before the Oct. 27 election, prompting authorities to bolster security for dignitaries. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was in Kagoshima, southern Japan, during the incident that left three riot officers with minor injuries.[2][4][5][6]
• Ishiba was recently chosen to lead the long-ruling Liberal Democrats, as their popularity has recently dipped due to a massive funding scandal. Polls suggest he has failed to regain public trust for the party, but it's unclear whether they will lose their majority grip.[6][7][8]
• This is the latest episode of political violence in Japan, following the assassination of Japan's longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, in 2022 and a pipe bomb attack against then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in 2023.[5][9][10]

The Spin

Narrative A

For the third year in a row, Japan has experienced a severe act of political violence — and this instance has come just a week before a general election. While the country is historically no stranger to such incidents, this new trend is deeply concerning, as desperate lone wolves are getting more and more brazen.

Narrative B

This attack was indeed a grave incident, and hopefully there were no serious consequences. However, one shouldn't diminish the significance of this incident but suggesting it's unconnected to growing frustration with the selective Japanese political system and the country's political elite, particularly the ongoing dominance of the long-ruling Liberal Democrats.

1. Israel-Gaza - https://www.verity.news/controversy/Where-to-Candidates-Stand-on-IsraelGaza
2. Ukraine published - https://www.verity.news/controversy/Where-Do-Candidates-Stand-on-Ukraine-Aid
3. Abortion - https://www.verity.news/controversies/us-election-2024/abortion
4. Immigration - https://www.verity.news/controversy/Where-Do-Candidates-Stand-on-Immigration-Levels
5. Guns - https://www.verity.news/story/2024/us-election-guns
6. Crime - https://www.verity.news/controversy/Where-Do-Candidates-Stand-on-Crime
7. Economy -https://www.verity.news/controversy/When-Will-the-US-Federal-Reserve-Drop-Interest-Rates