Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Biden tells Bibi he's not in it for a year of war in Gaza
Axios | Barak Ravid | 01/29/24

President Biden last week pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale down the Israeli military operation in Gaza, stressing he is not in it for a year of war, two U.S. officials told Axios.

Why it matters: Biden's comments during the two leaders' call last Friday reflect the growing U.S. concern about the continuation of the war and the president's desire to see it end long before the November elections.

A Biden adviser told Axios the White House is very concerned about losing young voters, many of whom are opposed to the president's policy on the Gaza war.

The Jan. 19 call was the first between the two leaders in nearly a month. During their previous call on Dec. 23, a frustrated Biden ended the call by saying the "conversation is over" and hanging up the phone.

In the first two months of the war that began Oct. 7, the two leaders had talked almost every other day. ... Read more

Israeli defense chief tells U.S. he won't allow rebuilding of settlements in Gaza
Axios | Barak Ravid | 01/29/24

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant told U.S. officials last week that he and the Israeli military will not allow the rebuilding of illegal outposts or settlements by Israeli settlers inside the Gaza Strip, four U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.

Why it matters: The Biden administration is concerned that a one-kilometer buffer zone Israel is planning to establish inside Gaza will be used for the rebuilding of the settlements that were dismantled during the 2005 Israeli pullout from the enclave.

This concern has been growing in recent weeks after the settler lobby in Israel and members of the governing coalition started to increase pressure and call for full occupation of Gaza and the rebuilding of settlements. ... Read more

Evergrande collapse: Hong Kong court orders liquidation of China property giant
TheGuardian | Helen Davidson in Taipei | 01/28/24

Judge says 'enough is enough' after developer, which has $300bn in debt, fails to provide convincing restructuring plan

Embattled Chinese development company, Evergrande, has been ordered to liquidate by a Hong Kong court after an 18-month long hearing.

Evergrande, which holds the ignominious title of the world’s most indebted property developer with about $300bn in liabilities, failed to convince the court that it had a viable restructuring plan, after having been given seven extensions since court proceedings were first brought in June 2022.

Evergrande had been working on a $23bn debt revamp plan but this fell apart in September when the company announced its founder, billionaire Hui Ka Yan, was under investigation for "suspected illegal crimes". ... Read more

Behind the Curtain: Trump's exponential power surge
Axios | Jim VandeHei,Mike Allen | 01/25/24

Something shocking - and telling - has unfolded beyond Donald Trump's onstage, online and courtroom theatrics: He's running a professional, well-managed, disciplined presidential campaign.

His 2024 operation is more sophisticated - dare we say traditional - than the slapdash improvisation of his White House and two previous runs.

Why it matters: Trump likely will wrap up the nomination in record time, with almost universal GOP establishment backing.

If he were to win — and run the White House like he has his campaign - he could reshape America and its government more quickly, and in more lasting ways, than he did during his first term. ... Read more

New Hampshire primary exposes Trump's shrinking tent
Axios | Zachary Basu | 01/25/24

Former President Trump's 11-point victory in New Hampshire has been upstaged not just by Nikki Haley's refusal to drop out, but by a set of flashing red alarms about his weaknesses with independents and moderate voters.

Why it matters: Trump, like any candidate, will need a broad coalition to win in November - one that casts a far wider net than the core MAGA base responsible for his dominant victories in Iowa and New Hampshire.

As the primary gives way to the longest general election campaign in modern history, there's no indication that Trump will moderate or change to the degree necessary to bring back swing voters he lost in 2020.

MSNBC's Steve Kornacki pointed out, New Hampshire's GOP primary has never seen a wider gap between the preferences of independents and Republican voters than last night's results:

Trump won Republican voters 74% to 25%, while Haley won independents 58% to 39%, according to CNN's exit polls.

83% of Haley voters - and 42% of voters overall - said they would not consider Trump to be fit for office if he were convicted of a crime. ... Read more

Atmospheric rivers to threaten California, raising flood concerns
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/24/24

San Diego's dangerous flash flood on Monday may not be the state's last such event of the next couple of weeks, as a weather pattern favorable to atmospheric rivers takes shape across the Pacific Ocean.

Why it matters: Atmospheric rivers are responsible for the majority of the Golden State's precipitation, and are associated with some of its worst floods on record.

Zoom in: On Monday, a relatively weak atmospheric river, along with favorable winds in the mid-to-upper atmosphere, combined to deliver a deluge to San Diego, with the city seeing 2.73 inches of rainfall. ... Read more

DOJ tells SCOTUS curbing abortion pill access "threatens profound harms"
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 01/24/24

The Biden administration told the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday that a lower court's decision to curtail the widely used abortion pill mifepristone would have "disruptive consequences" for women and the FDA if it's allowed to stand.

The big picture: The Supreme Court has agreed to review the New Orleans-based federal appeals court's ruling - setting the stage for another significant abortion case following its June 2022 decision to end federal abortion protections and overturn Roe v. Wade. ... Read more

Why replacing fossil fuels is "a whale of an issue"
Axios | Ben Geman | 01/23/24

It will take far more than renewables growth to sustain communities facing local revenue loss if strong climate policies curtail fossil fuel production and use.

Driving the news: New research from Resources For the Future and the University of Michigan explores how different forms of energy provide revenues in 79 counties across 10 states.

Why it matters: Limiting climate change will require moving away from fossil fuels. Yet they provide vital tax revenue and other money streams for services like schools, roads, and safety. ... Read more

Israelism Documentary

New Film Examines American Jews' Growing Rejection of Israel's Occupation | DN | 01/22/24 | 19:30

U.S. debt hits record high as rich economies pile on IOUs
Axios | Deena Zaidi | 01/22/24

The world's richest economy is piling on more debt, with no end in sight as the stakes get higher.

Why it matters: The U.S. public debt surged during the pandemic and recently passed $34 trillion — a record even when accounting for inflation, according to recent data.

Public borrowing is expected to set records this year in many of the world's major economies.

Between the lines: As Washington bickers, the long-term solvency of entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security remains an open question.

Another fight over the debt ceiling looms early next year. An agreement reached to raise it last May expires in January 2025.

By the numbers: In the last century, the U.S. federal debt has risen from an inflation-adjusted $403 billion in 1923 to $33.17 trillion in 2023.

The U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio surpassed 100% in 2013 and currently stands at 123%, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). ... Read more

War warnings everywhere: Global risks are heating up
Axios | Dave Lawler | 01/19/24

While the U.S. has been focused on Gaza and Ukraine, several other long-simmering global threats are getting hotter.

Why it matters: The last 72 hours have seen menacing Chinese patrols near Taiwan, an exchange of fire between Iran and Pakistan, and further escalation between the U.S. military and Houthi rebels.

Then there's North Korea, which has been largely off Washington's radar - but where the risks appear to be growing.

China conducted joint air and sea patrols around Taiwan on Wednesday in the first significant military activity in the Taiwan Strait since Taiwanese voters elected Democratic Progress Party presidential candidate William Lai - whom Beijing has condemned as a "separatist through and through."

Pakistan conducted airstrikes inside Iran on Thursday in response to strikes inside Pakistan by Iran. Both sides said the rare cross-border attacks targeted militants.

The latest: The U.S. conducted a fifth round of strikes on weapons and other assets belonging to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday.

Fears continue to grow that the war in Gaza will spread to Lebanon. Hezbollah militants there have far greater capabilities than Hamas. ... Read more

Who Donald Trump Should - and Shouldn't - Pick for Vice President
Politic | Opinion by RICH LOWRY | 01/19/24

The usual rules apply to any vice presidential selection: First, do no harm, and then try to find someone who can help either in the campaign or during an administration, or ideally both.

The Establishmentarians
Nikki Haley
Mike Pompeo
Tim Scott

The True Believers
Kari Lake
Tucker Carlson
J.D. Vance

The Other Contenders
Kristi Noem
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Elise Stefanik
Kim Reynolds ... Read more

Greenland Ice Sheet lost 20% more ice mass than thought, study says
Axion | Andrew Freedman | 01/18/24

Scientists may have underestimated the amount of Greenland Ice Sheet melting since 1985 by as much as 20%, a new study found.

Why it matters: Such an underestimate of Greenland ice mass loss indicates a heightened risk of shifts in ocean currents and global weather patterns, the study notes.

According to the new research, published in the journal Nature, since 1985, the Greenland Ice Sheet has lost about 5,091 square kilometers (1,965 square miles) of area due to its retreating calving front, which amounts to about 1,034 gigatons of ice that has slid into the sea.

The study combines 236,328 manual and AI-generated observations of glacier terminus, or end, positions with a model to capture ice flow. The researchers used this to provide insights into the monthly aerial extents of the entire ice sheet between 1985 and 2022. ... Read more

House Republican hardliners plot revenge on Mike Johnson
Axios | Andrew Solender, Juliegrace Brufke | 01/18/24

The House Freedom Caucus may begin to routinely hijack Republican messaging bills as an act of retaliation against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), according to multiple members of the right-wing group.

Why it matters: It would mark a significant escalation in hardliners’ rebellion against Johnson after he pursued bipartisan deals to pass critical government funding bills.

What they're saying: "If they don't want or need our votes for the material legislation that impacts the country or the large spending packages ... you shouldn't presume that you have our votes for the messaging bills that will go nowhere in the Senate," said Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.). ... Read more

The huge open question for business leaders on AI economics
Axios | Neil Irwin | 01/16/24

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND — When it comes to the economic impact of artificial intelligence, is 2024 going to be more like 1987 or more like 1995?

Driving the news: That, in a nutshell, is the question beneath much of the (abundant) AI discussions taking place among global leaders and top thinkers at the World Economic Forum this year.

Why it matters: In the 1990s and early 2000s, a revolution in information technology helped fuel a productivity boom - and with it, an environment of rapid growth, rising wages and low inflation.

Many in the Davos crowd envision something similar - or more significant - emerging from AI advances. Less clear is when. ... Read more

In 2021 the artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepMind stunned many scientists with the release of predicted structures for some 350,000 proteins, part of the work recognized as Science's 2021 Breakthrough of the Year.

Yesterday (07/29/2022), DeepMind and its partners went much, much further. The company unveiled the likely structures of nearly all known proteins, more than 200 million from bacteria to humans, a striking achievement for AI and a potential treasure trove for drug development and evolutionary studies. Thus determing the 3D stuctures of a protien used to take many months or years... now it takes seconds!

The New York Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft over use of its stories used to train chatbots
Politico | Associated Press | 12/xx/23

NEW YORK — The New York Times has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, seeking to end the practice of using its stories to train chatbots.

In the suit filed Wednesday in the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, the Times said OpenAI and Microsoft are advancing their technology through the "unlawful use of The Times’s work to create artificial intelligence products that compete with it" and "threatens The Times's ability to provide that service."

OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Media organizations have been pummeled by a migration of readers to online platforms and while many publications have carved out a digital space online as well, artificial intelligence technology has threatened to upend numerous industries, including media. ... Read more

Extreme weather alerts cover every state as bomb cyclone intensifies
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/12/24

A rapidly intensifying storm that could be one of the most intense on record for the Midwest in January is helping to prompt watches and warnings for the entire Lower 48 states on Friday.

Threat level: The storm's hazards are multifaceted, from "life-threatening" blizzard conditions in Iowa to powerful winds that may cause damage in at least a dozen states.

Conditions in Iowa have disrupted campaigning as all eyes are on turnout ahead of Monday's caucuses.

In addition, more rounds of severe thunderstorms with possible tornadoes are likely Friday and Saturday across the Southeast, with flooding rains along the East Coast.

Details: The storm, which will reach its maximum intensity over Michigan this weekend - causing waves on the Great Lakes to reach or exceed 20 feet - will help accelerate a push of Arctic air south and southeastward from Montana to the Gulf Coast. ... Read more

"Tectonic shift in power": How MAGA pastors boost Trump's campaign
Axios | Sophia Cai | 01/12/24

DAVENPORT, Iowa - Donald Trump doesn't have the support of Iowa's most prominent evangelical leader in Monday's caucuses. But in Iowa and across the country, MAGA pastors are among Trump's most loyal backers.

Why it matters: It's not just that they like the former president for appointing three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn abortion rights.

Some of Trump's most enthusiastic believers are pastors who share his dark view of U.S. politics - or who've touted him as they've risen to prominence on social media.

Zoom in: Faith leaders who've endorsed Trump include hundreds of traditional conservatives a lot like Bob Vander Plaats - the influential Iowa evangelical leader who's backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

They also include MAGA pastors who, in speeches and podcasts, offer an apocalyptic view of U.S. politics — casting Democrats as demonic, promoting Christian nationalism and touting Trump as chosen by God to save Christianity. ... Read more

Buckle Up, The 2024 Election Is Here | Robert Reich | 01/12/24 | 2:31

Swytch eBikeKit | swythhbike.com | 2:00

Winter whiplash: Why a parade of storms is suddenly slamming the U.S.
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/11/24

The winter of 2023-24 has suddenly shifted from being delayed, with snow-starved ski areas and balmy northern cities, to highly active.

Driving the news: After a mild and tranquil start, a parade of storms are bringing cold and snow for millions, and rain and wind for others, all within a matter of days.

The big picture: The multiple winter storms crossing the country can be partially traced to weather patterns high above the Arctic, specifically the contortions of the polar vortex and a strong area of high pressure meandering near Greenland.

Yes, but: A new study published Wednesday found that over the long term, there is a detectable trend toward less spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere, including in many places where the liquid contained in the snowpack is crucial to water supplies. ... Read more

Microsoft overtakes Apple as largest U.S. company on AI boost
Axios | Matt Phillips | 01/11/24

Microsoft has overtaken Apple as the largest U.S. company by market value.

Why it matters: It's a potential changing of the guard among tech titans.

The big picture: Microsoft has briefly overtaken Apple as the most valuable U.S. company on a couple of occasions since COVID hit.

Microsoft's recent romp higher - it's up more than 60% over the last 12 months, compared to Apple's 38% - reflects the fact that it's seen as well positioned for the AI boom that many investors view as a near certainty.

State of play: Microsoft was roughly flat on Thursday while Apple had slipped by about 0.8% shortly before noon. ... Read more

"A sorry record:" World Bank warns of miserable decade
Axios | Neil Irwin & Courtenay Brown | 01/09/24

The global economy of the 2020s will be more bleak - with sluggish economic activity, less trade growth and crushing borrowing costs - than the decade that preceded it.

Driving the news: This is the new warning from the World Bank Tuesday morning that says the global economy so far had its weakest performance in more than 30 years.

Why it matters: Economic prospects appear much brighter than a year ago as the global inflation shock recedes without tipping the world into a recession. But growth is slowing, with further threats from geopolitics and tightening credit conditions.

"As the world nears the midpoint of what was intended to be a transformative decade for development, the global economy is set to rack up a sorry record by the end of 2024," the World Bank says in its release.

Global growth will slow for the third consecutive year to 2.4%, down 0.2 percentage point from 2023, the "Global Economic Prospects" report projects. ... Read more

Intense winter storm causes power outages, snares travel across U.S.
Axios | Rebecca Falconer & Andrew Freedman | 01/09/24

One in a fusillade of winter storms is bringing blizzard conditions, damaging winds, heavy rain, flooding and the threat of additional tornadoes across large parts of the U.S. Tuesday into Wednesday.

The big picture: A whopping 196 million people are under wind advisories, warnings and watches, including entire states from Florida to Maine, as a powerhouse cold front associated with an intensifying storm pushes east. ... Read more

Boeing 737 near-catastrophe lands company back in hot water
Axios | author | 01/09/24

Last week's near-catastrophe involving a Boeing 737 is drawing fresh scrutiny of the company and its manufacturing, quality control and safety practices.

The big picture: Boeing had been trying to revive its once-sterling reputation ever since a combined 346 people were killed in crashes involving its 737 MAX 8 in 2018 and 2019.

But then Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 - a Boeing 737 MAX 9 - returned to Portland International Airport shortly after takeoff last Friday after a "plugged" emergency exit door flew off, exposing passengers to the open air.

The aircraft landed safely with no fatalities. ... Read more

How the Republican Party memory-holed Jan. 6
Axios | Zachary Basu | 01/05/24

Three years on from Jan. 6, the GOP establishment's shock, shame and fury at the Trump-inspired mob that ransacked the Capitol has melted away in favor of realpolitik and revisionist history.

Why it matters: President Biden is preparing a full-court press - starting with two anniversary speeches and his first campaign ad of 2024 - to remind Americans of former President Trump's actions after the 2020 election.

Biden's bet is that when a binary choice is presented in November, voter fears about the threat Trump poses to democracy will outweigh their concerns about the economy and the border.

How we got here: The GOP's journey of reconciliation with Trump and Jan. 6 - to the point where 34% of Republicans recently polled falsely believe the FBI organized the Capitol attack - can be broken down into five key inflection points. ... Read more

The UFO Movie THEY Don't Want You to See (2023) | Brian Dunning | 2023 | 1:33:19

Sirius | Dr. Steven Greer | | 1:58:26

Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind: Contact Has Begun - Dr. Steven Greer | unidentifiedtv.com | | 1:58:43

Unacknowledged | Dr. Steven Greer | 2021 | 1:43:41

From the Sierra Nevada to the Great Lakes, winter is running late
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/04/24

Ski areas across the U.S. and Canada are in increasingly desperate need of natural snow for a ski season that typically would already be in full swing.

The big picture: From the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada on eastward, milder and drier than average conditions have prevailed, preventing resorts from building up a wintry base for would-be skiers.

This season offers a preview of future winters, as the season warms faster than any other, partly in response to human-caused climate change. ... Read more

Winter storm to bring long-awaited snow to mid-Atlantic, Northeast this weekend
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/04/24

The long-running snow drought from Washington to Boston could end, or at least ease, as a winter storm develops and moves across the region this weekend.

Threat level: The event does not look like a major snowstorm for D.C., Baltimore or Philadelphia, but the New York to Boston corridor stands a much higher chance of receiving a more significant, plowable snowfall.

The big picture: The storm system likely to affect the heavily populated Amtrak Acela corridor is projected to spin up from a combination of atmospheric disturbances moving across the country. Into the weekend, these will tap into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. ... Read more

BYD's Rapid Pivot to Electric Cars
Statista | Felix | 01/04/24

There is perhaps no better example of China's rapid transformation towards electric mobility than BYD. The carmaker successfully pivoted from international combustion vehicles to what's known as "new energy vehicles" in China, i.e. battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. As our chart shows, the company did so at breakneck speed, ramping up production of its electric passenger vehicles at a pace European or American legacy carmakers can only dream of. ... Read more

Epstein-linked John Does are about to be named publicly.
CNN | Allison Morrow, Michelle Watson, Kara Scannell, Emma Tucker and Samantha Delouya | 01/03/24

New York (CNN) The identities of dozens of people linked to Jeffrey Epstein are expected to be revealed as soon as this week, potentially removing a cloak of anonymity that had shielded much of the accused sex trafficker's prominent network of friends and business partners from public scrutiny.

The expected revelations in a trove of court documents come more than four years after Epstein, a convicted sex offender who nevertheless kept elite company, died in jail while awaiting federal sex-trafficking charges.

For years, the names of many of Epstein's accusers and associates had been redacted in court documents, referred to only as a John Doe or Jane Doe.

But last month, a federal judge in New York ordered the documents to be released with nearly 200 names unredacted. Some names, including those of accusers who were under 18, will remain anonymous. ... Read more

Iran: Scores killed in blasts near ceremony honoring slain commander Soleimani
Axios | Barak Ravid | 01/03/24

More than 100 people were killed on Wednesday in two explosions near a ceremony honoring a top Iranian commander killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020, Iranian state media reported, citing an emergency services official.

The big picture: It was unclear what - or who - was behind the explosions, but state media quoted an official in Kerman, the province where the blasts took place, as saying they were caused by "terrorist attacks." More than 100 others were injured. ... Read more

Who Funds Canary Mission? James Bamford on Group That Doxes Students & Profs for Palestine Activism | DN | 12/27/23 | 11:47

The world's hottest year may soon be an average one
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/02/24

Humanity's hottest year in at least 125,000 is now over. But with further warming ahead, we may soon look back on it as an average year, rather than an aberration.

Why it matters: Climate change dominated the headlines at several points during 2023, despite armed conflicts around the world, the unprecedented criminal indictments of a former U.S. president, and other major stories.

The big picture: Last year's warming surprised many climate scientists and policymakers alike, and contributed to the sense of urgency diplomats addressed during the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. ... Read more

I Calculated How Much of My Money the U.S. Sent to Kill Palestinians. You Can Too.
The Intercept | Jon Schwarz | 12/28/23

AS 2023 ENDS, I've been asking myself: How much money am I, personally, contributing to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories and its attack on Gaza?

The Israeli assault on Gaza launched after the October 7 attacks by Hamas has so far killed more than 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including thousands of children and over 100 journalists. Nearly 90 percent of the territory's residents have been displaced, and it has been calledOpens in a new tab "one of this century's most destructive wars."

So how much have I chipped in to create this hell on earth? The best answer I've come up with is $150. There are two ways of looking at this number. ... Read more