Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

California on track for record snow year as storms cause chaos across state
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 02/28/23

California is being hit with more severe winter weather - as forecasters warn more heavy rains and snow will continue to slam the West Coast through Wednesday.

The big picture: Schools and roads across Northern California remained closed, as the National Weather Service said the region faced "two more rounds of heavy snow" and dangerous blizzard conditions combined with wind gusts up to 60 mph in the Sierra Nevada until at least early Wednesday.

Additional snowfall of 4 to 7 feet was expected along the Sierra Nevada, with snowfall rates in excess of 2" per hour, according to the NWS - which warned travel "will become very dangerous to impossible at times" in the mountains. ...

In Southern California, officials were still responding to the fallout from a weekend storm that saturated the region — triggering flash flooding and prompting the NWS' San Diego office to issue its first-ever blizzard warning for the San Bernardino County mountains. ... Read more

Who is worst: NBA or NFL

Welcome to the circumboob - the cleavage trend for a chaotic era
TheGuardian | Arwa Mahdawi | 02/28/23

From sideboob, to underboob, to insideboob... now we have 'circumboob' bikinis.

Artificial Intelligence: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 02/27/23 | 27:52

Generative AI's money game
Axios | Scott Rosenberg | 02/27/23

The generative AI revolution will be monetized, but nobody can yet say exactly how.

The big picture: It seems logical that if AI can conduct conversations and produce images, companies will figure out how to use it to build revenue and profits — but there's no guarantee, and the technology could also become a money sink for early adopters.

What's happening: In the short to medium term, the winners will likely be the owners of the foundational AI models - like Microsoft and OpenAI — who can charge others to use them for experiments and new applications.

If those experiments in applying generative AI's capabilities to specific commercial problems and consumer desires succeed, then we might see broader new businesses emerge built on tech's two time-tested business models, advertising and fees or subscriptions. ... Read more

Supreme Court will consider constitutionality of CFPB
Axios | Emily Peck | 02/27/23

The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday it would take up a case that challenges the funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Why it matters: This case may be the most serious challenge yet to the decade-plus-old agency, which was founded in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to more closely regulate financial companies' dealings with everyday Americans.

Zoom in: The court will look at an October decision from the conservative-leaning U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit which held that the CFPBs funding was unconstitutional.

The decision overturned a regulation governing payday lenders that never went into effect, but the judges held that the CFPB's funding, which is not subject to Congressional appropriations, is unconstitutional. ... Read more

China calls for Russia-Ukraine war cease-fire
Axios | Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian Rebecca Falconer | 02/24/23

China's government called for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine and for the start of peace talks to end the yearlong war.

Driving the news: The Chinese Foreign Ministry made the call in a 12-point plan issued on Friday morning local time.

"All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually deescalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive ceasefire," the foreign ministry said in its plan.

Between the lines: The Chinese government's proposal takes a clear anti-Western position, calling for the end of Western-led sanctions, which Beijing has long opposed. But it also implicitly criticizes some of the Russian army's tactics, such as blocking grain exports from Ukraine and endangering nuclear plants. ... Read more

Displaced Ukrainians long to return home but feel stuck as war rages on
Axios | Naomi Shavin | 02/24/23

The vast majority of people forced to flee their homes due to the war in Ukraine intend to return - but very few can imagine doing so in the next few months, according to a pair of new reports from the UN refugee agency.

The big picture: The mass exodus caused by Russia's invasion a year ago was quickly labeled Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World World II. Today, roughly 8 million Ukrainian refugees remain scattered across Europe and more than 5 million are displaced within Ukraine's borders.

By the numbers: About 77% of Ukrainian refugees and 79% of internally displaced Ukrainians want to return home one day, the UN reports found. ... Read more

Whale Deaths Are Now Culture War Fodder
MotherJones | Gloria Oladipo | 02/23/23

Thousands gathered at New Jersey's Point Pleasant beach on Sunday with a united mission: to pause offshore wind projects in response to recent whale deaths along the New York-New Jersey coast.

The gathering unfolded even as officials dispute the notion that the projects may be to blame for the dead whales, a controversy that-like many-is breaking along political party lines.

Urbine survey projects were harming marine wildlife. "You are the ocean's voice," said organizer Cindy Zipf, encouraging protesters to get in touch with their local officials. ... Read more

Record warmth envelops Mid-Atlantic during uneasy, snowless winter
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 02/23/23

Temperatures will sizzle toward record territory for many in the Mid-Atlantic on Thursday. Baltimore and Washington, D.C., could reach 80°F.

The big picture: The freakishly mild winter in the East has led to a sense of unease. This is February, when Nor'easters normally churn the Atlantic and strong winds toss a messy wintry mix at the I-95 corridor, dumping heavy snow for millions.

Instead, the only thing that has been heavy in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington this season is rain. ... Read more

NEW FTX FILING PULLS BACK THE CURTAIN ON SAM BANKMAN-FRIED’S MASSIVE INFLUENCE-PEDDLING OPERATION
TheIntercept | Lee Fang, Ken Klippenstein, Daniel Boguslaw | 01/30/23

A FILING IN FTX's bankruptcy proceedings is shedding light on the true extent of the crypto-trading powerhouse's influence-peddling operation. Last week, FTX filed its creditor matrix, a document that lists former vendors and investors to the company.

The list includes nearly a dozen public relations experts - specialists who generate positive spin in the media on behalf of clients - as well as political consultants, think tanks, and trade groups.

Sometimes, the money went directly to political operations; Majority Forward, a dark-money group designed to elect Senate Democrats, received cash. In some cases, the hired guns, such as PR firms, were paid directly for their services. In others, the groups that received donations maintain that they are independent, but had interests aligned with FTX. ... Read more

Winter storm to slam U.S. with blizzard conditions, record temperatures
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 02/21/23

The big picture: The extreme weather on tap for the U.S. this week will feature record-breaking cold in the West along with heavy snow, facing off against record heat in the East.

In the battle zone between air masses, and aided by jet stream energy aloft, will be a powerful winter storm that is set to deliver the Twin Cities one of its top 5 snowstorms of all time from Tuesday through Thursday. ... Read more

What Will Earth Look Like When These 6 Tipping Points Hit? | PBS Terra | 2022 | 13:53

Lake Powell's Water Levels Sink to Another Record Low
MotherJones | Stephanie Mencimer | 02/18/21

The water level at Lake Powell, the massive reservoir on the Colorado River whose southern reaches straddle the Utah-Arizona border, hit a record low this week, sinking to just 3,522 feet above sea level. A 23-year megadrought combined with climate change has left the reservoir at just 22 percent of its capacity—so low that it threatens to cause the collapse of a water supply system serving 40 million people throughout the arid west.

Created by the 1963 construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell is the nation's second-largest reservoir. Over the past year, federal officials have ordered emergency water releases from upstream reservoirs, such as Utah's Flaming Gorge, to prop up the lake and keep the dam's turbines turning and providing electricity. While this year's above average snowpack may help, even the Bureau of Reclamation, which historically has wildly overestimated the Colorado River's flow, expects Lake Powell to drop another 30 feet by September. ... Read more

What a drought has uncovered about Lake Powell | CBS Morning | 2022 | 5:41

Bill Lipe - Before Lake Powell - Memories of Glen Canyon | Verde Valley Archaeology | 2012 | 1:13:59

Putin's war: A year of miscalculations
Axios | Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath | 02/22/23

The war in Ukraine has been defined in part by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military's miscalculations on and off the battlefield.

The big picture: A year on, Russia's military appears to have learned some lessons and made tactical adjustments, but those changes don't address bigger problems, indicating the Kremlin doesn't appear to fully understand where and how it went wrong, experts say.

The list of assumptions Moscow got wrong ahead of and during the war is long - and still growing. ... Read more

Putin: Russia to suspend participation in last remaining nuclear treaty with U.S.
Axios | staff | 02/21/23

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday that Russia was suspending its participation in the New START nuclear arms control treaty - the last remaining arms control agreement between Washington and Moscow.

The big picture: The announcement capped off Putin's state of the nation address to Russian lawmakers in which he raged against the West with many of the same claims he has previously used to justify the war in Ukraine.

It also comes a day after President Biden visited Kyiv in a major sign of unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine during the war.

Catch up quick: The U.S. earlier this year accused Russia of violating the terms of the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) pact by refusing to allow on-site inspections. ... Read more

Sen. Bernie Sanders on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" | Face the Nation | 02/20/23 | 26:52

"Log Off": 1 in 3 U.S. Girls Weighs Suicide. Will Congress Restrict Big Tech? | DN | 02/20/23 | 14:42

Putin and the Presidents: Timothy Snyder (interview) | PBS Frontline | 02/19/23 | 57:36

Top US conservatives pushing Russia's spin on Ukraine war, experts say
THeGuardian | Peter Stone | Dec 2022

Ever since Russia launched its brutal war in Ukraine the Kremlin has banked on American conservative political and media allies to weaken US support for Ukraine and deployed disinformation operations to falsify the horrors of the war for both US and Russian audiences, say disinformation experts.

Some of the Kremlin’s most blatant falsehoods about the war aimed at undercutting US aid for Ukraine have been promoted by major figures on the American right, from Holocaust denier and white supremacist Nick Fuentes to ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon and Fox News star Tucker Carlson, whose audience of millions is deemed especially helpful to Russian objectives. ... Read more

Is THIS the Climate Tipping Point of No Return? | PBS | 02/15/23 | 11:59

What is the RISKIEST Region in the US as the Climate Changes? | PBS | 02/01/23 | 13:29

"Potential Environmental Nuclear Bomb": The Disappearing Salt Lake | VCIE | 02/17/23 | 9:34

AI's turn: Tech finds its next platform
Axios | Scott Rosenberg | 02/17/23

When Silicon Valley insiders say that ChatGPT and generative AI are "the next platform," here's what they mean:

1. Users are rushing to try it out - and staying with it.
2. Entrepreneurs are finding endless new applications for it.
3. Companies haven't yet figured out how to make money with it, but they're confident that will come.

... Read more

Fox News hosts thought Trump's election fraud claims were 'total BS', court filings show
TheGuardian | Richard Luscombe | 02/17/23

Hosts at Fox News privately ridiculed Donald Trump's claims that the 2020 election was stolen while simultaneously peddling the same lies on air, according to court filings in a defamation lawsuit against the network.

Rightwing personalities Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham are among those named in the $1.6bn action brought by Dominion Voting Systems, the seller of electronic voting hardware and software that is suing Fox News and parent company Fox Corporation for maligning its reputation.

"He's acting like an insane person," Hannity allegedly wrote of Trump in the weeks following the election as the host continued to push the so-called "big lie" during his top-rated prime time show, aided by a succession of election deniers he had on as guests. ... Read more

Murdoch and Fox hosts knew election claims were "crazy" but worried facts hurt "stock price"
Salon | Igor Derysh | 02/17/23

Top Fox News executives and hosts privately trashed the false election claims they aired but worried that fact-checking TrumpWorld's lies would hurt their "stock price" and anger former President Donald Trump, according to texts and emails cited in a bombshell court filing by Dominion Voting Systems, which filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the network.

"Sidney Powell is lying," host Tucker Carlson told his producer Alex Pfeiffer after an interview with the Trump-allied attorney, according to the filing, calling her a "fucking bitch."

Fox Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch referred to claims peddled by Powell, who baselessly alleged that Dominion voting machines "flipped" votes from Trump to President Joe Biden, were "terrible stuff damaging everybody." ... Read more

Why aliens wouldn't spy on humans with balloons
Salon | Nicole Karlis | 02/16/23

On Friday, U.S. warplanes shot down a "high-altitude object" off the coast of Alaska, stating that it posed a threat to civilian airliners. On Saturday, an "airborne object" was shot down over Canada. On Sunday, one over Lake Huron in Michigan. The three incidents come after the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon over the Atlantic Ocean on February 4. Since then, misinformation about the objects, their origin and purpose have run rampant online.

When such misinformation reached the White House on Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made a point to extinguish the UFO rumors right away. "I know there have been questions and concerns about this, but there is no — again no indication — of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns," Jean-Pierre said. "I wanted to make sure that the American people knew that, all of you knew that and it was important for us to say that from here because we've been hearing a lot about it."

Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb agreed. "It's not likely because balloons have no propulsion, restricting their maneuvering capabilities," Loeb said, adding that it's common for balloons to reported as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). "In the 2022 report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, submitted by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to the US Congress, there were 366 new sightings in 2022; of these, 163 were balloons and 26 were drones." ... Read more

China sanctions Lockheed Martin and Raytheon over Taiwan sales
Axios | author | date

China announced on Thursday that it would impose sanctions against two U.S. defense companies in retaliation for their weapons sales to Taiwan.

Why it matters: Relations between the U.S. and China soured this month after a high-altitude surveillance balloon sent by the Chinese government was discovered flying over the U.S.

Context: The balloon discovery prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone his planned trip to Beijing, saying the surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace was "a clear violation of U.S. sovereignty and international law." ... Read more

Atlanta grand jury recommends perjury charges in Trump 2020 election probe
Axios | Emma Hurt | 02/16/23

An Atlanta judge released part of a grand jury report Thursday saying jurors believe one or more witnesses committed perjury during their probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The big picture: The pages, which include the report's introduction and conclusion, didn't reveal any names or details on any recommendations for charges of election interference by former President Trump and his allies.

Of note: The 26-member grand jury also said that after hearing "extensive testimony" from poll workers, investigators, experts and state officials: "We find by unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election."

Zoom in: The judge decided earlier this week to release the introduction, conclusion and a section where the grand jury discusses concerns about witnesses lying under oath - after a hearing on the matter. ... Read more

Big Tech, Big Returns? | Statista | 02/10/23 | 1:32

Revealed: the hacking and disinformation team meddling in elections
TheGuardian | Stephanie Kirchgaessner, etc. | 02/14/23

A team of Israeli contractors who claim to have manipulated more than 30 elections around the world using hacking, sabotage and automated disinformation on social media has been exposed in a new investigation.

The unit is run by Tal Hanan, a 50-year-old former Israeli special forces operative who now works privately using the pseudonym "Jorge", and appears to have been working under the radar in elections in various countries for more than two decades.

He is being unmasked by an international consortium of journalists. Hanan and his unit, which uses the codename "Team Jorge", have been exposed by undercover footage and documents leaked to the Guardian. ... Read more

Aims: the software for hire that can control 30,000 fake online profiles.

Nikki Haley to formally enter 2024 presidential race
Axios | Erin Doherty | 02/15/23

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will announce at a campaign event in South Carolina on Wednesday that she is running for president.

Why it matters: Haley is the second Republican to officially enter the 2024 presidential race and her announcement pits her against former President Trump, who was her boss, in the Republican primary.

Haley, 51, was the U.S. ambassador to the UN under Trump from 2017 through 2018. She was the governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017. ... Read more

Why China has both spy balloons and spy satellites
Axios | Miriam Kramer | 02/14/23

Balloons have some advantages over satellites when it comes to surveillance, but also carry different risks - as Beijing recently learned when the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon that flew into U.S. airspace earlier this month.

Why it matters: The U.S. and China are now embroiled in a deepening dispute over high-altitude balloons that is threatening to further derail the bilateral relationship.

Satellites can provide exquisite imagery and collect signals - from communications systems and other technology - but they are relatively easy to track, even by amateurs on the ground.

High-altitude balloons, however, can gather high-resolution images and signals, and fly in a part of airspace that make them relatively difficult to track. Balloons are also able to stay over one area for a longer time than a satellite. ... Read more

'I Was Just So Angry At The President's Speech Last Night': Schweikert Reacts To State Of The Union | Forbes | 02/09/23 | 24:18

Congressional Budget Office

The 2020 - Long-Term - Budget Outlook

"Bomb Train" in Ohio Sickens Residents: Railroad Cutbacks, Corporate Greed Led to Toxic Disaster
DemocracyNow | author | 02/14/23

Fears of a wider health and environmental disaster are growing, after a 150-car freight train operated by Norfolk Southern derailed and a so-called controlled burn released toxic chemicals last week in East Palestine, Ohio. Residents reported seeing a fireball and mushroom cloud of smoke fill the skyline. Data released by the Environmental Protection Agency shows the train contained more toxic and carcinogenic chemicals than initially reported, including phosgene, a poisonous gas that has been used as a chemical weapon in war. Officials lifted an evacuation order for residents last Wednesday, saying the air and water were safe, but residents have reported sore throats, burning eyes and respiratory problems, and wildlife has been found dead. Meanwhile, scrutiny has turned onto Norfolk Southern, which in recent years has challenged regulatory laws aimed at making the rail industry safer and made mass cuts to railroad staffing while spending billions on stock buybacks and executive compensation. We get an update from Emily Wright, community organizer based near the site of the derailment; Ross Grooters, a locomotive engineer and co-chair of Railroad Workers United; and Julia Rock, an investigative reporter with The Lever. ... Read more

Inflation may not recede in a straight line
Axios | Neil Irwin & Courtenay Brown | 02/13/23

Pretty much all the important data has been pointing to inflation receding through the final months of 2022.

Yet as we await 2023's first major reading on prices, there are some warning signs the pathway toward low inflation may be bumpier than advertised so far.

Driving the news: The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish the CPI data at 8:30am ET tomorrow. Consensus analyst forecasts suggest overall inflation will spike to 0.5% in January, from 0.1% in December, but core prices - excluding food and energy - will be steady at 0.4%. ... Read more

'I Was Just So Angry At The President's Speech Last Night': Schweikert Reacts To State Of The Union | Forbes | 02/09/23 | 24:18

Watch President Biden's full 2023 State of the Union address | NBC NEws | 02/07/23 | 1:13:12

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Delivers 2023 Republican Response to State of the Union | C-Span | 02/08/23 | 14:37

First UN aid convoy reaches northern Syria as quake death toll tops 19,000
Axios | Ivana Saric | 02/09/23

The first United Nations humanitarian aid convoy entered northwest Syria Thursday, three days after a devastating earthquake struck the region and flattened buildings in parts of both Turkey and Syria.

The big picture: The total death toll surpassed 19,350 Thursday, as search and rescue operations continued after a magnitude 7.8 quake struck Monday morning just north of Turkey's Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.

By the numbers: Erdo?an said at a press briefing Thursday that the country's death toll had surpassed 16,170, At least 63,794 people were injured following the quake.

The Syrian Civil Defense, first responders also known as the White Helmets, said Wednesday more than 1,930 people had died and another 2,950 were injured in opposition-held areas - bringing the country's death toll from the quake to at least 3,180 people, and the overall death toll to over 19,350.... Read more

WHO warns Turkey and Syria quake survivors face "secondary disaster"
Axios | Ivana Saric | 02/10/23

The death toll from this week's massive earthquakes and aftershocks in Syria and Turkey passed 21,700 on Friday, as hope for finding survivors trapped under toppled buildings began to fade.

The big picture: Freezing winter weather conditions and the sheer scale of the destruction have hampered rescue efforts for days after the 7.8-magnitude quake hit Monday.

The number of quake-related deaths recorded is now greater than the 2011 earthquake that rocked Japan and spurred a tsunami, killing roughly 20,000 people and triggering the Fukushima nuclear disaster. ... Read more

Rescuers comb rubble in Turkey and Syria as quake death toll passes 11,700
Axios | Ivana Saric | 02/08/23

Rescue teams were searching for survivors from the massive earthquake and aftershocks that flattened buildings in parts of Turkey and Syria this week, as the death toll surpassed 11,700 on Wednesday.

The big picture: Officials warned the death toll would likely rise, as rescue teams searched the rubble of buildings razed by the magnitude 7.8 quake that struck at 4:17am Monday local time (1:17 GMT) just north of Turkey's Gaziantep, near the Syrian border. Hundreds of thousands of others were injured in the disaster.... Read more

The FBI Paid a Violent Felon to Infiltrate Denver's Racial Justice Movement
TheIntercept | Trevor Aaronson | 02/07/23

AS RACIAL JUSTICE PROTESTS broke out nationwide in the summer of 2020, a man driving a silver hearse became a regular at the demonstrations in Denver.

He was a paunchy 5-foot-7 with a ruddy complexion and wore military fatigues with patches on the sleeves. By activist standards, he was an old-timer: pushing 50 as he swaggered through crowds of teens and 20-something protesters, a cigar clamped in his lips.

"I didn't know much about him, but he drove a hearse," said Zebbodios "Zebb" Hall, a Black activist in Denver. "Inside this hearse was a lot of guns: AR-15s and all other kinds of shit." ... Read more

Republicans Swing and Miss on Hunter Biden and Twitter
MotherJones | Dan Friedman | current

House Republicans spent much of their first big oversight committee hearing Wednesday attacking Twitter for denying American voters the chance to look at Hunter Biden's penis.

The hearing had a grandiose title: "Protecting Speech from Government Interference and Social Media Bias, Part 1: Twitter''s Role in Suppressing the Biden Laptop Story." But as Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the panel's top Democrat, pointed out in his opening statement, Twitter, a private company, was exercising its own speech rights in curating its own content. "If Twitter wants to have nothing but tweets commenting on New York Post articles run all day, it can do that; and if it makes it so tweets mentioning the New York Post never see the light of day, it can do that too," Raskin said. "That's what the First Amendment means." ... Read more

Magnitude 7.8 quake kills over 2,300 people in Turkey and Syria
Axios | Ivana Saric | 02/06/23

A massive earthquake flattened buildings as people slept in parts of Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing more than 2,300 people and wounding thousands of others.

The big picture: Officials warned the death toll would likely rise, with many reported trapped under destroyed buildings after the magnitude 7.8 quake struck at 4:17am local time (01:17 GMT) just north of Turkey's Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, per the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Tremors were felt in Cyprus, Lebanon and Egypt.

The latest: According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, 1,498 people died in 10 of Turkey's provinces and 8,533 others were injured following the quake. ... Read more

Koch network to use its millions to “stop Trump from winning GOP nomination” after yearslong silence
Salon | Matthew Chapman | 02/06/23

The web of conservative activist groups and donors informally known as the "Koch network" plans to oppose former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential primaries, reported The Washington Post on Sunday — breaking a years-long silence as the network has sat out "overt" politics for a few years.

"The move marks the most notable example to date of an overt and coordinated effort from within conservative circles to stop Trump from winning the GOP nomination for a third straight presidential election," reported Isaac Arnsdorf. "Some Republicans have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump after disappointing midterm elections in which he drew blame for elevating flawed candidates and polarizing ideas.

The Koch network's plans were laid out in a memo released on Sunday by Emily Seidel, director of Americans for Prosperity (AFP) - the flagship group that coordinates the Koch efforts. ... Read more

The Billionaire Koch Network Wants to Defeat Trump in 2024
MotherJones | Pema Levy | 02/05/23

Koch world is over Donald Trump. Americans for Prosperity Action, the group that spends millions on conservative candidates in American elections, backed by the billionaire Charles Koch, announced Sunday that it would take sides in the GOP presidential primary after sitting out the last few cycles-vowing to support a candidate who is not Trump.

The memo doesn't mention Trump by name, but it's clear that the group does not see him as a winning candidate. According to the Washington Post, the group plans to back a single alternative to Trump by the end of the summer. ... Read more

The coldest air in the Northern Hemisphere is invading New England

Axios | Andrew Freedman | 02/03/23

A potent cold snap descending on New England Friday morning that's expected to last into early Sunday threatens to bring wind chills approaching record low levels.

Threat level: With wind chills forecast to reach -10°F in New York City, -33°F in Boston, and as low as -60°F in northern Maine on Saturday morning, the cold could be deadly for anyone caught outside for extended periods.

The big picture: The air mass across northern New England Friday night through the weekend will be the coldest in the Northern Hemisphere, with the possible exception of a portion of Siberia. ... Read more

The man in charge of how the US spends $400bn to shift away from fossil fuels
TheGuardian | Oliver Milman | 02/03/23

Deep in the confines of the hulking, brutalist headquarters of the US Department of Energy, down one of its long, starkly lit corridors, sits a small, unheralded office that is poised to play a pivotal role in America's shift away from fossil fuels and help the world stave off disastrous global heating.

The department's loan programs office (LPO) was "essentially dormant" under Donald Trump, according to its head, Jigar Shah, but has now come roaring back with a huge war chest to bankroll emerging clean energy projects and technology.

Last year’s vast Inflation Reduction Act grew the previously moribund office’s loan authority to $140bn, while adding a new program worth another $250bn in loan guarantees to retool projects that help cut planet-heating emissions. Which means that Shah, a debonair former clean energy entrepreneur and podcast host who matches his suits with pristine Stan Smiths, oversees resources comparable to the GDP of Norway: all to help turbocharge solar, wind, batteries and a host of other climate technologies in the US. ... Read more

Ice storm causes power outages, flight delays from Texas to Tennessee
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 02/02/23

The combination of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Arctic air spilling south from Canada is resulting in a long-duration ice storm for millions of people across at least eight states.

The big picture: At least six people in Texas have died since Monday as sleet, snow and freezing rain snarled road and air travel. Waves of mixed precipitation are forecast to spread northeast with time, lasting through early Thursday.

Ice storm warnings were in effect for 12 million people across large portions of Texas, including the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro area, western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and much of Arkansas.

A swath of winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories were also in effect for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, West Virginia and Virginia. ... Read more

The Story of Citizens United v. FEC | | 2012 | 8:50

How the Citizens United Decision Changed U.S. Political Campaigns | PBS FRONTLINE | 02/01/23 (org. 2012) | 53:17

Biden's EV surprise
Axios | Joann Muller | 02/01/23

The Biden administration's plan to jump-start a domestic supply chain for electric vehicles (EVs) is on track to shatter expectations.

The big picture: Democrats offered carmakers new tax credits as an incentive to scale up domestic battery manufacturing - and they're racing to take advantage.

Some experts say the value of those tax credits may be four times higher than Congress' budget experts anticipated.

Why it matters: This is what President Biden and congressional Democrats wanted - to seed a domestic EV supply chain and reduce America's dependence on China, while accelerating the transition to cleaner transportation.

Companies announced more than $73 billion in planned U.S. battery plants in 2022 alone, according to Atlas Public Policy. ... Read more

I grew up evangelical. Terrifying rapture films scarred me for ever
TheGuardian | Josiah Hesse | 02/01/23

After millions of people vanish from existence, the world is thrown into violent anarchy, the streets a playground of theft, murder, rape, looting and suicide. Those "left behind" are about to endure seven years of a Cormac McCarthy nightmare: world wars, plagues and mass starvation, the streets littered with the decaying corpses of half the Earth's population.

It's a familiar story to anyone raised as an evangelical Christian in the last century, particularly if you grew up in the 90s with a shelf full of Left Behind rapture novels - which have sold 80m copies - or watched the Kirk Cameron film adaptation in 2000, or the Nicolas Cage version in 2014. Or if, like me, you just attended a screening of the most recent installment, Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist, starring and directed by Kevin Sorbo (best known for his starring role in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys).

Intended to be taken as a literal prophecy of events right around the corner, these stories terrorized me as a child - and haunt my dreams to this day.

I'm working on a memoir about these experiences and have interviewed dozens of people who grew up under this toxic theology. They all have the same story of being unable to reach their parents or siblings (a much more common scenario back in the pre-smartphone age) and suffering panic attacks at the thought of being left behind. It's a sensation that strikes to the core of your being, the overwhelming sense of abandonment reducing you to a crying infant unable to conjure its mother. ... Read more