Current Events

News and commentary

Russian invasion of Ukraine

began on the morning of 24 February, when Putin announced a "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine. Minutes later, missiles and airstrikes hit across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv. A large ground invasion followed from multiple directions --wikipedia

T/F: there is an impending food crisis in America

President Biden has continued to warn of food shortages due to “Russian sanctions” --nypost.com

airline industry: US, Europe

The airline industry in the US calibrated at 204 (TvF) in 2005. Also calibrated: SAS pilots strike, 2022.

correlation of psychiatric pharmaceuticals for adolescents and school shootings

Request: the school shooting phenomenon seems to coincide with increased adolescent use of antidepressant and antipsychotic medications. Is there a connection?

right to an abortion

a way of understanding the conflict between pro-lifers and pro-choicers

SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

The Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, a momentous break from a half century of rulings. --nbcnews.com

World swimming (FINA) bans transgender athletes from women’s events

Calibration of this decision

UK plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda

The government insisted the program was aimed at disrupting people-smuggling networks and deterring migrants from making the dangerous sea journey across the Channel to England from France --edition.cnn.com

T/F: Google's chatbot is sentient

conversations with LaMDA... support [the] belief that the chatbot is sentient and comparable to a seven- or eight-year-old child --AI researcher Blake Lemoine

police response to school shooter, Uvalde, TX

19 children and two teachers were fatally shot by 18-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos while police on the scene took over an hour to intervene.

Social Impact: Depp-Heard Trial

Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard

Wimbledon banning of Russian players

The All England Club (AELTC) -- the Wimbledon organizers -- said the decision was made to "limit Russia's global influence through the strongest means possible." —espn.com

Removing censorship on Twitter

Request: Good idea or channel for hate speech?

minimum wage

Legally required wage for unskilled labor.

Pope's Francis position on war on Ukraine

With various positions taken, here is the current calibration.