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The Factual, San Mateo, CA (2025)

01/27/2023

What might the end of the Russia-Ukraine War look like and how do we get there?
George Beebe, director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute and former director of the CIA's Russia analysis, joined the Unbiased Podcast to talk about the past, present, and future of the Russia-Ukraine War.
Topics discussed include:
- Was the war in Ukraine inevitable?
- What is America’s current role in the Russia-Ukraine war?
- Are Russia-Ukraine peace talks possible?
- Redistribution of World powers
- Potential Russia-Ukraine fallout

Full episode: https://hubs.ly/Q01zv5jD0

01/26/2023

The United States has sent an extraordinary amount of aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the war nearly a year ago. What does this mean for both the U.S. and Ukraine?
George Beebe, director of Grand Strategy at Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and former director of the CIA's Russia analysis, joined the Unbiased Podcast to talk about the past, present, and future of the Russia-Ukraine War.
Topics discussed include:
- Was the war in Ukraine inevitable?
- What is America’s current role in the Russia-Ukraine war?
- Are Russia-Ukraine peace talks possible?
- Redistribution of World powers
- Potential Russia-Ukraine fallout

Full episode: https://hubs.ly/Q01zggKd0

01/18/2023

Another accusation for Rep. George Santos

Yahoo News has a highly-credible article on this which received an 82% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
- Navy vet Richard Osthoff's service dog needed surgery in 2016 and contacted George Santos (who went by Anthony Devolder at the time) to get help from his pet charity 'Friends of Pets United'.

- Santos agreed to raise the $3,000 and set up a GoFundMe page for Osthoff's dog, but when that goal was reached, Santos never gave the money to Osthoff, according to Osthoff and a second New Jersey veteran, retired police Sgt. Michael Boll
Full article: https://hubs.ly/Q01ywNkg0

For more articles on Santos from across the political spectrum, visit: https://hubs.ly/Q01ywB3Z0

01/09/2023

Why did Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil’s Congress?
No. 1️⃣ World News Story, January 9

Vox has a highly-credible article on this which received a 91% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
- Similar to rioters who stormed the US Capitol building almost exactly two years ago, the Bolsonaristas are animated by the belief that Brazil’s 2022 elections were rigged, and that Bolsonaro is the true winner of the election.

- Bolsonaro repeatedly intimated that the election was rigged or unfair, and instructed his followers to “go to war” if Lula “stole” the election. Even before Lula’s victory in the second round of elections, Bolsonaro’s supporters were protesting, camping out near military bases and pleading with the armed forces to step in and keep Bolsonaro in power by preventing Lula’s inauguration. Other protests involved blockades of roads and highways, including blockades by semi truck drivers, after Bolsonaro posted a video of himself driving a tractor, a semi and a bus, which was interpreted by some of his supporters as encouragement.

- Throughout the afternoon, protesters destroyed windows in the Supreme Court building, flew the Brazilian imperial flag above the Congress building, set fire to a carpet in the lower house of Congress, looted gifts from foreign dignitaries, and reportedly attacked a photojournalist from the news outlet Metropoles.

Full article: https://hubs.ly/Q01xnfWp0

For more trending topics, check out today's free newsletter: https://hubs.ly/Q01xm_Jt0

01/06/2023

Reuters has a highly-credible article on this which received an 82% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:

- The United States will expand Trump-era restrictions to rapidly expel Cuban, Nicaraguan and Haitian migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, President Joe Biden said on Thursday in his first major speech on border security.
At the same time, the United States will allow up to 30,000 people from those three countries plus Venezuela to enter the country by air each month, Biden said.

- The two-pronged approach is designed to blunt criticism from Republicans who have attacked Biden as record numbers of migrants cross the U.S.-Mexico border while also placating Democrats and immigration advocates who say "Title 42" restrictions adopted under former President Donald Trump block migrants from exercising their right to apply for asylum.

- In November, U.S. border officials encountered 82,000 migrants from those countries and Venezuela who were attempting to enter without permission at the border with Mexico, according to U.S. government data.

Full article: https://hubs.ly/Q01xg2-N0

01/06/2023

Illinois House approves ban, bill now heads to Illinois Senate

The Chicago Sun Times has a highly-credible article on this which received a 74% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
- ...the House voted 64-43 to pass the measure that would also ban “rapid-fire devices” that turn fi****ms that fire one shot per trigger pull into fully automatic weapons.

- Six months after the Highland Park Fourth of July parade massacre, the Illinois House on Friday cleared a measure that would immediately ban the sale of assault weapons in the state and prevent sales of large-capacity magazines that hold more than 12 rounds.

- “We’re talking about gun crime. We’re talking about urban gun crime. We’re talking about mental health issues. And these are two things we’re not combatting in this,” said state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville. “We are going after legal gun owners who have done nothing wrong. Ninety-nine point nine percent — 99.999, right — have done nothing wrong, and we’re going after these individuals, and I think it’s wrong. We’re drawing at straws. I agree with you on the problem. But your solution is going at all the wrong people.”

Full article: https://hubs.ly/Q01xfPXr0

01/04/2023

No. 1️⃣ in US News

Yahoo News has a highly-credible article on this which received a 78% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
- Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., lost two more votes for House speaker on Wednesday, extending the process to at least a sixth ballot
- McCarthy lost three rounds of voting on Tuesday, marking the first time in a century that the selection of a House speaker needed more than one ballot. After 19 Republican defections on the first two rounds, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida voted against McCarthy on the third ballot, bringing the number of Republican votes against him to 20.

- The last time the selection of a House speaker took more than one ballot was 1923, when nine ballots were required for Frederick Gillett to take the gavel.

Full article: https://hubs.ly/Q01x1-Fw0

For more news articles surrounding McCarthy from across the political spectrum, visit: https://hubs.ly/Q01x1_r-0

01/03/2023

Why is the leader of NASA warning about China's space exploration?
No. 1️⃣ in Science News, January 3rd

Politico has a highly-credible article on this which received an 80% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
- “It is a fact: we’re in a space race,” (Bill Nelson) the former Florida senator and astronaut said in an interview. “And it is true that we better watch out that they don’t get to a place on the moon under the guise of scientific research. And it is not beyond the realm of possibility that they say, ‘Keep out, we’re here, this is our territory.’”

- ...looming ever-larger is China’s aggressive space program, including its recent opening of a new space station. Beijing has announced a goal of landing taikonauts on the moon by the end of this decade. In December, China’s government laid out its vision for more ambitious endeavors such as building infrastructure in space and creating a space governance system.

- “There is potentially mischief China can do on the moon,” [Terry] Virts (former commander of the International Space Station and Space Shuttle) said. “If they set up infrastructure there they could potentially deny communications, for example. Having them there doesn’t make things easier. There is real concern about Chinese meddling.”

To see more of today's trending topics, check out our free newsletter: https://hubs.ly/Q01wVd-C0

12/26/2022

🤔CONTEXT: Newly-elected Representative George Santos (R-NY) has come under scrutiny since a New York Times investigation revealed major gaps in his resume and background.
Despite Santos' claim that he received degrees from New York University and Baruch College, both institutions told ABC News they have no record of him attending.
Similarly, Santos' official biography states he worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, but both banks said they have no record of him working there.
Claims from Santos about running a nonprofit do not appear backed by IRS records.
He also claimed to have been openly gay for the last decade, but was married to a woman until 2019.
The New York Attorney General's office said it was looking into Santos in response to these allegations, but it has not advanced to a formal investigation. The Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that there is only one mechanism to stop an elected representative from taking their seat: a two-thirds majority vote in Congress.

We asked: Should it be illegal for political candidates to lie about their resumes or backgrounds?
Here's how The Factual community responded:

📊 Yes: 89%
📊 No: 7%
📊 Unsure: 4%

📲Let us know your thoughts below and if you would like to check out other recent polls, you can visit: https://hubs.ly/Q01wx4MX0

12/20/2022

J6 committee makes criminal referrals against Trump to DOJ
#1️⃣ in US News, December 20th

United Press International has a highly-credible article on this which received a 75% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
- U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said the panel recommends Trump be charged with obstruction of an official proceeding of the U.S. government, as well as conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to make false statements and to "incite," "assist" or "aid or comfort" an insurrection.

- "Former President Trump did not engage in a plan to defraud the United States acting alone. He entered agreements, formal and informal, with several other individuals who assisted him with his criminal objectives," Raskin said.

- In a statement, (Trump lawyer John Eastman) said the committee's referral to DOJ, which is not binding, "carries no more weight than if a regular person had done it."
"In fact, a 'referral' from the January 6th committee should carry a great deal less weight due to the absurdly partisan nature of the process that produced it," he said.

◾ Full article: https://hubs.ly/Q01wg2vk0
◾ More stories on the J6 committee from across the political spectrum: https://hubs.ly/Q01wg4Zc0
◾ Today's free newsletter: https://hubs.ly/Q01wg42g0

12/19/2022

Father of Highland Park shooting suspect facing seven felonies.
(No. 1️⃣ in US News, December 19)

The Associated Press has a highly-credible article on this which received an 82% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
- A judge on Saturday set bond at $50,000 for the father of an Illinois man charged with killing seven people at a July 4 parade who is accused of helping his son get a gun license years before the shooting on a suburban Chicago main street.

- Crimo, a rare case of a parent charged after a child is accused in a mass shooting, faces seven felony counts of reckless conduct — one count for each person fatally shot during the summertime parade.

- Authorities have previously said the accused shooter, Robert Crimo III, attempted su***de by machete in April 2019 and in September 2019 was accused by a family member of making threats to “kill everyone.”

Full article: https://hubs.ly/Q01w9mK60

Today's free newsletter: https://hubs.ly/Q01w9rFL0

11/29/2022

Second Amendment sanctuary jurisdictions facing scrutiny
#2️⃣ in US News: November 29

Business Insider has a highly-credible article on this which received a 78% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy proposed withholding funding from law enforcement agencies that refuse to enforce gun safety laws.

The Connecticut senator's comments to CNN on Sunday was in response to a string of recent mass shooting, particularly the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, which left five people dead.

The suspected gunman in the Club Q shooting had previously threatened his mother with a bomb in 2021, an incident that could have triggered Colorado's Extreme Risk Protection Order that permits a judge to temporarily seize one's fi****ms if they are a serious risk to others or themselves.

However, the sheriff's office in El Paso County declared itself a "Second Amendment preservation county" in 2019 and refused to exercise the red flag law, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette.

To see more articles on this topic, visit: https://hubs.ly/Q01ttvtf0

Today's Free Newsletter: https://hubs.ly/Q01ttpVC0

11/16/2022

No.2️⃣ in World News, November 16

CBS News has a highly-credible article on this which received a 73% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
- The world's population milestone of 8 billion people has long-term significance for both rich and poor countries. While it took hundreds of thousands of years for the world's population to reach 1 billion, the world grew from 7 billion to 8 billion just since 2010, a reflection of advancements in health.

- The global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950 with under 1% growth in 2020. The report estimates that there will be 8.5 billion people in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050 and then peak at 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and remain at that level until 2100.

- Half of the increase in population up to 2050 will take place in the following eight countries, the U.N. says: Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.

To see more of today's trending topics, check out our free newsletter: https://hubs.ly/Q01srVMT0

11/14/2022

Manhunt continues for UVA shooting suspect who killed three, wounded two Sunday night.

The Daily Beast has a highly credible article on this which received a 78% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the important pieces of information:
- University President Jim Ryan issued a statement early Monday confirming that the suspect, Christopher Darnell Jones, Jr., was “one of our students.”

- Jones is included on the university’s athletics website as a 2018 football player who did not appear in any games, though it is unclear if he remains a student at UVA.

- The three victims were all football players at the university.

More articles on this breaking news can be found here: https://hubs.ly/Q01scxY00

Full article: https://hubs.ly/Q01scyQb0

11/08/2022

When it comes to social media and politics, the "loudest" and most extreme viewpoints are typically amplified. How does this impact politicians and elections?
Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at NYU, joined the most recent Unbiased podcast to discuss this and much more.
Full episode: https://hubs.ly/Q01rPs--0

11/08/2022

Russian billionaire admits to US election interference; says Russia will continue doing so

Business Insider has a highly-credible article on this which received a 74% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
- In a post on [a Russian social media site], via his catering firm, (Yevgeny) Prigozhin said: "We have interfered, we are interfering and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, accurately, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do."

- Prigozhin has previously been targeted for sanctions by the US and EU over his alleged involvement in attempts to subvert US elections, with the State Department in July offering a $10 million reward for information about him.

- He also controls the Wagner Group, a mercenary organisation whose fighters have played a key role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in furthering Russian objectives in conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.

For more trending topics, check out today's free newsletter: https://hubs.ly/Q01rNj2C0

Search all news with The Factual search engine: https://hubs.ly/Q01rNmP50

11/07/2022

Rising college tuition costs have been blamed on many things, but one that is rarely mentioned is the increasing number of administrative staff.
A recent article featured on Quillette outlines this very issue.

Here are some of the key points and highlights:
- At Yale University, for instance, there are now as many administrative staff as undergraduates. Even among university academics, there seems to be far more resources dedicated to busywork. Every dean, it seems, has a deputy dean; with deputy deans sometimes having several assistant deputy deans. Many of these positions come with secretaries and other forms of administrative support.

- All of these orientation activities are overseen by administrative staff, who are now basically running a school within a school, teaching content based on the mandate of their respective offices (disability accommodation, diversity, anti-discrimination, sustainability, student-life enhancement, and so forth). As of 2019, for instance, the University of Michigan was paying $10.6 million annually to employ 76 diversity officers on a single campus.

Full article: https://hubs.ly/Q01rG1CS0
More underreported stories: https://hubs.ly/Q01rF-fz0

11/05/2022

What has a relatively large study on a psychedelic found about its therapeutic value?

STAT News has a highly-credible article on this which received an 86% Factual Grade.

Here are some of the highlights and key points:
The study, sponsored by Compass Pathways, had 233 participants who were randomly assigned to receive a single dose of 25, 10, or 1 milligram of the company’s synthetic psilocybin formula. The researchers found 29% of participants who received the highest dose were in remission three weeks after treatment, while 37% saw their depression score fall at least 50%...
The patients all had treatment-resistant depression, meaning they had tried at least two approved depression therapies that afforded them no relief. So any response in a significant number of patients is promising, though the effects were not as long-lasting as seen in earlier and smaller studies...
Compass is the leading private company conducting research on psilocybin, and is seeking to get FDA approval for the drug as a treatment for depression. It has aggressively pursued patents around synthesized psilocybin to help ensure profits. While the results provide a solid basis for further investigation, [Harvard Medical School's Bertha Madras] noted that the overall response rate of 37% was lower than in antidepressant trials.

For more trending topics and credible articles, visit The Factual's news search engine: https://hubs.ly/Q01rz1xB0

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