Reading Time: 3 minutes China’s crackdown on press freedom has earned itself a high ranking on the list of countries known to imprison their journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – the international non-profit specializing in issues related to freedom of information and the press.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), China is now the second-leading country to imprison journalists in its efforts to curb freedom of the press, with Turkey taking the number one position.

Go beyond the headlines…

– Who is Sophia Huang Xueqin?
– What are the other recent public detention cases in mainland China?

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Sunday, December 1, China’s new facial recognition law came into effect. The law requires that anyone who registers a subscriber identification module (SIM) card must submit to a facial recognition scan. The law, which was passed in September this year, has ignited a debate regarding privacy and consumer rights. It also raises questions about how the technology could potentially be used.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What warnings have been issued by human rights advocates?
– What are China’s intentions?
– How is facial recognition technology used in the US?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s announcement that he is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination has left many wondering what role his media corporation, Bloomberg L.P., might play in the race. Bloomberg told an Iowa radio host last year that he would sell his media company were he to run, explaining that in a situation such as this, a media company “can’t be independent and nobody’s going to believe that you’re independent.”

However, to date, Bloomberg has maintained his stake in Bloomberg L.P. and doesn’t appear likely to sell anytime soon.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What position has the company taken?
– How has the Trump campaign responded?

Reading Time: 3 minutes On November 30, after receiving instruction from the Singapore government, Facebook added a “correction notice” to an article posted by the States Times Review. Lawmakers from the city-state requested the correction notice after alleging the article contained false information. The note issued by Facebook and embedded in the article said the social media site “is legally required to tell you that the Singapore government says this post has false information.”

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is Singapore’s recent fake news law?
– What are some criticisms against the new law?
– What was the Singaporean government’s response?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Pope Francis has defined consumerism as “a virus.” Speaking during a service held in Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City on Sunday, December 1, he warned people about the dangers of overindulging, saying “it makes us believe that life depends only on what we have.”

This sermon comes amid a time when overconsumption and accumulation are soaring in the United States, with Black Friday sales reaching $7.4 billion – compared to last year’s $6.22 billion. Tech and gaming toys are the most sought-after items on Black Friday.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What predictions do researchers have for Cyber Monday?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Speaking to reporters on November 22, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said that despite having initial suspicions about the circumstances surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s death, he concluded that the billionaire financier accused of sex trafficking and sexually abusing young girls died following “a perfect storm of screw-ups.”

In an interview with the Associated Press, Barr said that he initially had concerns about Epstein’s death. He said irregularities at the jail where he was being held provoked this concern.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What were the prison irregularities reported in Epstein’s death?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Amazon filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Federal Court on November 22 to overturn the U.S. Defense Department’s decision to award a $10 billion cloud computing contract to rival bidder Microsoft. Federal Times first reported the news.

Amazon’s cloud computing subsidiary, Amazon Web Services, claimed that the company selection process for the government Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) cloud contract “contained clear deficiencies, errors, and unmistakable bias.”

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is the basis of Amazon’s claims?

Reading Time: 5 minutes As Hong Kong experiences its fifth month of violent protests, over 100 Iranians are killed during a nationwide demonstration and impeachment hearings take place in an already deeply divided White House, it is easy to grow overwhelmed and for our minds to conclude that there is no good news in the world. 

But the truth is, although negative media is overwhelmingly loud, good news does exist. To prove this point – in alignment with our mission of neutrality at Millennial Source – here is our attempt at shedding light on some of the positive developments happening in our world today.

1) Fourteen hospitals and institutions set out to address income inequality
2) Microsoft Japan grants employees a four-day workweek
3) Indian village plants 111 trees for every daughter born
4) First Ebola vaccine approved for global use

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Monday, November 18, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. no longer considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank – which the majority of the international community views as illegal as per Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention – as violating international law. The announcement reverses four decades of American policy and rejects a 1978 State Department conclusion deeming the settlements “inconsistent with international law.”

The shift is the latest pro-Israel move by the Trump administration which dismays Palestinians, and breaks with international law and consensus.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How does Trump’s stance on the issue compare to previous administrations?
– What was the Israeli reaction vs. the Palestinian reaction?
– How did the international community respond?

Reading Time: 6 minutes On Friday, November 15, Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, testified on the second day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.

Marie Yovanovitch was the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine between August 2016 and May 2019. Barack Obama appointed her in this position and the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed her appointment.

Go beyond the headlines…

– Why is Marie Yovanovitch a witness in the hearings?
– Why was Yovanovitch a victim of a smear campaign?
– What was her response to the July 25 phone call?
– How did Trump attack Yovanovitch via Twitter?

Reading Time: 4 minutes A new Wall Street Journal investigation into Google’s search algorithm has found that the search engine manipulates its search results to hide controversial results related to sensitive subjects such as abortion and suicide, as well as to favor big businesses.

The investigation analyzed over 100 interviews and compared organic Google Search results and auto-complete phrases with two other search engines – Microsoft’s Bing and the privacy-focused engine DuckDuckGo. The study was conducted over several weeks from July to September 2019.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What did the study find?

Reading Time: 3 minutes On November 11, over five months of Hong Kong protests culminated into an eruption of violence that left one person shot by police and another severely burned by protesters. Protests began in March this year after Hong Kong’s Security Bureau proposed a bill that would allow extradition to mainland China, something many Hongkongers view as an attack on Hong Kong’s autonomy.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is the history of protests in Hong Kong?
– What are the five demands of the Hong Kong demonstrators?

Reading Time: 3 minutes President Trump said on Friday, November 8, that he had not agreed to lift trade tariffs on Chinese goods. Officials from the US and China had previously suggested that an agreement was in place to remove some tariffs as part of a “phase one” trade deal.

However, Trump denied earlier indications of a deal. His remarks dampen hopes that the world’s two largest economies will end the trade war that has contributed to slow global growth.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What did President Trump say?
– How does this announcement compare to Trump’s earlier remarks on a possible agreement with China?

Reading Time: 2 minutes Amazon has settled a $68 million breach of contract lawsuit with film director Woody Allen, who sued after the company backed out of a four-picture movie deal in June 2018, citing sexual misconduct allegations from the 1990s.

The one-page settlement was filed on November 8 in a New York Federal District Court in Manhattan, saying the lawsuit had been voluntarily dismissed with prejudice, which means that the case cannot be brought back to court. The details of the settlement were not disclosed.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What are the details of Allen’s lawsuit against Amazon?
– What are the sexual misconduct allegations against Allen?

Reading Time: 3 minutes On Thursday, November 7, a New York Supreme Court judge ordered President Trump to pay $2 million in damages to various charities for using funds from his own charitable foundation to benefit his 2016 presidential campaign. The ruling follows acknowledgment from Trump that he had misused charity funds.

The fine relates to a lawsuit filed against Trump by the New York Attorney General last year. In it, the president and his family stand accused of using the Donald J. Trump Foundation’s funds for business and presidential campaign purposes.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What was the outcome of the ruling?
– What was the reaction to the ruling?
– What other ongoing investigations involve President Trump?

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Apple Card, a collaborative product between tech giant Apple and financial services company Goldman Sachs, is under investigation after a gender discrimination complaint went viral on Twitter.

Prominent software developer and entrepreneur David Heinemeier Hansson called the Apple card “a f**king sexist program” in a Twitter thread on November 7 after his wife, Jamie Hansson, was denied a credit line increase. He said that, although they shared finances, and Mrs. Hansson even had a better credit score than him, the Apple card algorithm still treated her like a credit risk.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What has been the response from Apple and Goldman Sachs?

Reading Time: 5 minutes On Friday, November 1, Senator Elizabeth Warren revealed a plan that sets out how she intends to fund the long term policy goals of her Medicare for All proposal.

The release of this detailed plan is in response to criticism over an alleged lack of clarity over the Medicare plan.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What exactly is Warren’s proposed plan?
– What is Warren’s financial strategy?
– What was the reaction to Warren’s plan?
– How important is the topic of healthcare for the upcoming 2020 US presidential elections?

Reading Time: 4 minutes The US government has launched a national security investigation into TikTok’s owner ByteDance Technology regarding its $1 billion acquisition of the US social media app Musical.ly.

At the time of the acquisition, Musical.ly had an estimated 60 million users in the United States and Europe.

Although the acquisition took place two years ago, US lawmakers are now raising national security concerns.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What is TikTok’s popularity in the US?
– What is the criticism against TikTok in the US?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Russia’s amended law on communications, information, information technologies, and information protection came into effect on November 1, allowing greater control over its citizen’s access to online information.

According to Radio Free Europe, the legislation was created in response to the US cybersecurity strategy adopted in September 2018.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What does the new internet law cover?
– What has been the international response to the new law?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Members of the US House of Representatives passed a resolution on October 31 to proceed with the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. The resolution sets out the rules and procedures for the next stage of the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What are the details of the vote?
– What will happen next?
– What was the reaction to the passing of the resolution?
– Why is Trump again, facing an impeachment inquiry?

Reading Time: 3 minutes On October 26, Taiwan hosted its 17th annual pride festival, the first since the legalization of same-sex marriage in May. Nearly 200 000 people marched through the streets of Taipei in celebration of this year’s historic win for the LGBT community.

On May 17, Taiwan approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, making it the first country in Asia to legally recognize same-sex marriage. The law officially came into effect on May 24.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How did Taiwan come to recognize same-sex marriage?
– How have some claimed that the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan was a political move to set itself apart from mainland China?

Reading Time: 3 minutes China’s “re-education camps” in Xinjiang province have sparked criticism from international communities.

In August 2019, the Atlantic reported that Uighurs’ activism abroad were “more numerous, more organized, and more energized than ever before.” Activists shared their stories and their grief on social media, in workshops, and during public meetings in the U.S. and Europe. Despite living abroad, they still report intimidation and threats from China.

Go beyond the headlines…

– How have Uighur activists used social media to try put pressure on China?
– How has China retaliated against activists and their families?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Just as the international incident began to recede, Lebron James has reignited public fury over Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s now deleted, pro-democracy Hong Kong tweet.

James, who is an outspoken critic of President Trump, police violence and other prominent issues, said that Morey’s tweet “wasn’t educated on the situation.”

Go beyond the headlines…

– How has James responded to the intense backlash?
– What have other public figures said about James’ comments?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey expressed his support for the Hong Kong protests on Twitter on October 4.

The tweet, which has since been deleted, caused a public outcry in China and resulted in a costly fight between the N.B.A. and China, the league’s highest priority and largest international market.

Go beyond the headlines…

– What other cases are there of China censoring the West?
– What are the concerns over freedom of expression vs. profit?

Reading Time: 4 minutes October 2019 – Forest fires continue to wreak havoc on Indonesia’s western island of Sumatra, as well as in Central Kalimantan on Borneo. Hundreds of wildfires have spread across the islands, devastating ecosystems and creating smog so heavy that some regions were forced to close schools and cancel airline flights.

Indonesia’s disaster management agency identified the leading cause of the forest fires as slash-and-burn agriculture – the deliberate setting of fires to clear land for palm plantations.

Go beyond the headlines…

– Who are accountable for the fires?
– What are the impacts of the Indonesian forest fires on wildlife?
– What are the human health risks created by the fires?
– Which neighboring countries have lodged complaints?

Reading Time: 5 minutes Amidst the unfolding Trump-Ukraine scandal, South Africa and France struggling to respond to femicide crises, and continual demonstrations and violence in Hong Kong and Indonesia, it can seem as if the world is spiraling backwards.

As part of our ongoing commitment to showcasing the good news stories alongside the bad, The Millennial Source has once again arrived at that time in our publishing calendar when we try to put current affairs into greater perspective.

1) Chinese conglomerate applauded by the UN for environmental protection initiative
2) UCLA is creating the world’s first research institute on kindness
3) After a year of experimenting, Ocean Cleanup vessel is successfully collecting plastic from the Great Pacific Vortex
4) Sales of plastic bags have fallen by 90% in the UK

Reading Time: 16 minutes On August 3, a gunman opened fire at a Walmart in the border city of El Paso, Texas, killing 22 people. Many of the victims were Latinos, including migrant workers and eight Mexican citizens.
Just four days later in Mississippi, ICE officials took almost 700 undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Central America into custody. Occurring on the first day of school, the raid left many children parentless for hours or days.
Despite undocumented immigrants adding value to the US economy and paying taxes, politicians claim that illegal immigration costs the country billions of dollars each month.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– Why is the US averse to punishing employers for hiring undocumented workers?
– Why have past attempts to reform US immigration laws failed to resolve long-standing issues?
– How do Trump’s words and policies on immigration compare with those of the president whose campaign slogan he borrowed?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Recently, The Millennial Source spoke with some citizens of Taiwan to learn what those on the eastern side of the Taiwan strait think of the current unrest in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has recently entered its tenth week of almost continuous protests, with increasingly bloody clashes and mounting tension gripping the city.
While President Tsai Ying Wen remains firm in her rejection of any mainland China involvement in Taiwan’s affairs, the people of Taiwan are more skeptical about her ability to maintain the status quo.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– What do the Taiwanese think of President Tsai’s ability to maintain the status quo?
– Why do some believe that the protests on Hong Kong island have been staged by Beijing?

Reading Time: 3 minutes As part of The Millennial Source’s mission to spread awareness of all global events, it is time once again for our monthly good news feature. By reporting on these events, we hope to spread awareness of the positive developments occurring in this fast-paced world.

1) Unemployed father is offered a job after handing out hundreds of resumes on the street
2) Wind power generation surpasses coal in Texas – the largest consumer of coal in the US
3) Man helps young boy doing homework on the streets of Peru
4) Ophthalmologist treks to rural areas of Nepal, restoring the sight of over 130,000 people

Reading Time: 11 minutes Images of the children, separated from their parents and huddled in detention center cages at the US-Mexico border, have shocked the world. Verified reports of these children being denied basic necessities like blankets, soap and toothbrushes, have escalated the global outcry. And detained adults are not doing any better.
The current humanitarian emergency at the US southern border is a complex problem with many causes. Sadly, some of those causes are rooted in US policies of the past.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– Who are the people being held at detention facilities today?
– Who were these detention facilities initially built for?
– How does the US spending $78 billion a year on a so-called War on Drugs relate to the central American violence causing so many to flee north?
– How did the “Banana Republic” era and the Cold War shape the situation we see today?

Reading Time: 8 minutes Headlines about the global “5G Race” are everywhere these days. We were told that China and South Korea jumped out to a big lead in 2018, but the US is now surging to the front of the pack. But is 5G really such a big deal? Is it really worth a cutthroat worldwide race?
In two words, yes and yes. Here’s why.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– What exactly is 5G, again?
– What are the Economic benefits for businesses, governments and regional economies during the 5G rollout phase?
– What are the benefits for the actual winners of this race?

Reading Time: 11 minutes After leading her country out of a deep darkness following the Christchurch Mosque Shootings, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern looked across the Pacific and was mystified:
“Australia experienced a massacre and changed its laws. New Zealand has had its experience and changed its laws. To be honest with you, I don’t understand the United States.”
Most of the world finds the intensity of US “gun culture” bewildering. At the root of it all is a lone sentence in the world’s oldest constitution still in use.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– What are some of the key facts and misconceptions about gun ownership in the US?
– What further context could James Madison have given when he wrote the Second Amendment – The Right to Bear Arms?
– How do most Americans view the Second Amendment today?

Reading Time: 5 minutes They started in March as a bottom-up push to block the China-Hong Kong extradition bill. Now, protests in Hong Kong have evolved into something much greater – an all-encompassing battle over Hong Kong’s future.

The following update is part of The Millennial Source’s continuing coverage of the months-long protests, which show no sign of slowing down. For further context, please see our feature article on the current situation in Hong Kong and its implications for Beijing’s One-China policy.

Reading Time: 4 minutes Some see Spokesperson Yang Guang’s use of the phrase “cost upon society” when describing the potential consequences of the ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong as a threat. However, from a purely economic standpoint, it must be acknowledged that negative effects can already be witnessed in the financial hub:

1) Property prices fall for the first time
2) Retail sales suffering
3) Broader economic impacts

Reading Time: 7 minutes After horrendous acts of violence, the youth of both countries took to the streets in different ways – the haka dances of New Zealand students and the angry protests of US teenagers.
A vacuum created by the absence of decisive leadership sucked the youth into the most bitter realms of American politics.
Both forms of public demonstration are rooted in debates over national identity that reach back long before the great grandparents of today’s youth were born.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– How have national myths divided one society and unified the other?
– How have haka dances and other Maori traditions evolved to embody New Zealand’s national identity and shared strength in the wake of tragedy?
– How do American ideas of freedom feed the strife over gun laws?

Reading Time: 5 minutes What started as a bottom-up push for the removal of an extradition bill has evolved into something much more significant – a fight for Hong Kong’s future.

This includes a fight for the island’s independence and the removal of Beijing’s ‘puppet’ Carrie Lam – the Chief executive elected by mainland China’s committee for the 7 million Hong-Kongers.

The Millennial Source is covering the ongoing two month protests that show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Reading Time: 8 minutes The US, plagued by an epidemic of mass shootings for decades, remains stuck in a bog of political paralysis.
Meanwhile, New Zealand, shocked by this modern evil’s arrival on its shores, springs to action.
Why does the global threat of mass violence so inspiringly unify one country, and so hopelessly divide the other?

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– What were the themes of Prime Minister Ardern’s and President Trump’s responses to the mass shootings?
– How did the youth of the two nations respond?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Consumers will soon start seeing “Taiwan, China”, or a similar phrase, on the websites and marketing materials of most major global corporations.
These companies are being coerced to use this language, fearing harm to their bottom lines if they do not comply.
An Air New Zealand flight bound for Shanghai was forced to turn back because airline documents seemed to refer to Taiwan as a separate country from mainland China.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– What is the economic significance of mainland’s China’s policy toward businesses?
– What happened to Palau when it refused to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan?
– Which American companies have been targeted by the mainland Chinese government for suggesting that Taiwan and China are separate countries?
– What does mainland China hope to achieve through these efforts?

Reading Time: 7 minutes One way to evaluate the “One Country, Two Systems” approach that Beijing is insisting on for Taiwan is to look at the relationship between Hong Kong and China. Hong Kong has been operating under this arrangement for over 20 years.
From the abduction of Hong Kong citizens in 2015 to recent protests that brought the entire city to a standstill, unrest has been on the rise in Hong Kong in recent years.
Mainland China points to Macau as proof of how well “one country, two systems” can work. However, Macau’s one-dimensional economy centered on gambling makes it an unsuitable comparison for Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– How much longer can Hong Kong keep its political and economic status quo?
– What are the language, political and population differences between Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau?
– With the Chinese cyberworld heavily monitored and censored, what do mainland China citizens know about the tensions in Hong Kong?

Reading Time: 4 minutes As part of The Millennial Source’s mission of informed neutrality, it’s time once again to remind you that there is good news occurring around the world:

1) A Chinese entrepreneur sends thousands of bikes to children in rural Myanmar.
2) Animals thought to be extinct have been rediscovered in the jungles of Honduras.
3) Renewable energy now accounts for one-third of global power capacity.
4) A South Korean school gives illiterate older women the chance to read.

Reading Time: 6 minutes In recent years, mainland China has ramped up efforts to achieve its One China goal. These efforts include:
meddling in Taiwan’s elections and interfering with day-to-day life in Hong Kong.
Chinese loans and other aid place poorer regions like the Pacific Islands in a position of economic dependence. As a result, nations like the Solomon Islands are under tremendous pressure to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
– The US policy of “strategic ambiguity” complicates the global response to increasingly worrisome China and Taiwan relations.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– Aside from the requirement of severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan, what other terms does China place on its foreign aid?
– How did China manage to occupy a port in Sri Lanka for the next 99 years?
– Which country now owes one-third of its GDP to the PRC powerhouse?
– How has the Taiwan-China issue developed under the Trump administration?

Reading Time: 5 minutes Japan ceded control of the islands of Taiwan in 1945. Almost immediately afterward, all of China descended into civil war. By the time the San Francisco Treaty was signed in 1951, the Communist Party had assumed control of the mainland, with the prior Chinese Nationalist government fleeing to Taiwan. Taiwan’s political status has been ambiguous ever since.

Go beyond the headlines with us…

– To which government did Japan actually return control of Taiwan?
– Which government officially represents Taiwan?
– Does one government have a legitimate claim to all of greater China?
– Why weren’t Taiwan and mainland China invited to sign the San Francisco Treaty?
– Is there a relationship between China’s economic boom and Taiwan’s disappearing diplomatic allies?

Reading Time: 4 minutes Honesty about life’s darker realities can spur us to action and progress, but too much negative news leaves us feeling paralyzed and completely helpless. So here’s a bit of balance – a showcase of good news and positive developments occurring around the world right now:

1) Extreme poverty is the lowest it has ever been.
2) New Zealand launches new “wellbeing” budget.
3) Large Amazonian region is now protected.
4) Global commitment to “No More Plastic” grows.