Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

The stock market's surprising first-half strength
Axios | Matt Phillips | 06/30/23

With the first half almost in the books, stocks are up nearly 15%.

Why it matters: The rally - which some argue is the early stage of a new bull market - reflects relief that inflation has eased without a recession, as well as a dash of AI hype for a bit of speculative spice.

By the numbers: With one trading day left in the second quarter...

Supreme Court strikes down Biden's student debt relief plan
Politico | MICHAEL STRATFORD | 06/30/23

The Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Joe Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 of student debt for tens of millions of Americans, thwarting a major domestic priority of the president as he seeks reelection.

In a 6-3 decision, the conservative majority on the court ruled that Biden's effort to erase roughly $400 billion of student debt was an illegal use of executive power.

The decision immediately upends debt relief that the Education Department approved last fall for 16 million borrowers and the pending applications of millions of additional borrowers. ... Read more

how much longer will the Thames Barrier protect London?
TheGuardian | Karen McVeigh | 06/30/23

The last time the Thames broke its banks and flooded central London was on 7 January 1928, when a storm sent record water levels up the tidal river, from Greenwich and Woolwich in the east as far as Hammersmith in the west. Built on flood plains, the capital was defended only by embankments. The flood waters burst over them into Whitehall and Westminster, and rushed through crowded slums. Fourteen died and thousands were left homeless.

After another catastrophic North Sea storm surge in 1953 caused floods along the east coast of England that were even more deadly - killing 307 people, including 59 at Canvey Island on the Thames estuary - discussion began about how to protect London.

Three decades later, the Thames Barrier was completed. A colossal engineering project, it spans 520 metres (1,700ft) of river near Woolwich and has so far protected 1.4 million Londoners (and about 320bn worth of properties) from more than 100 tidal floods. ... Read more

Supreme Court rejects sweeping conservative bid to control elections
Axios | Sam Baker | 06/27/23

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected one of Republicans' most audacious attempts to control elections.

The big picture: In a 6-3 decision, the justices said states' election laws can be challenged in court - a rebuke to a burgeoning conservative movement that has sought to block the courts from hearing such cases.

Context: A group of North Carolina GOP lawmakers had asked the court to embrace a sweeping legal theory called the independent state legislature doctrine.

The theory holds that state legislatures have total control over their state's election rules, including the procedures that govern presidential elections. ... Read more

The Last Honest Man: The CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, and the Kennedys?and One Senator's Fight to Save Democracy

For decades now, America's national security state has grown ever bigger, ever more secretive and powerful, and ever more abusive. Only once did someone manage to put a stop to any of it.

Senator Frank Church of Idaho was an unlikely hero. He led congressional opposition to the Vietnam War and had become a scathing, radical critic of what he saw as American imperialism around the world. But he was still politically ambitious, privately yearning for acceptance from the foreign policy establishment that he hated and eager to run for president. Despite his flaws, Church would show historic strength in his greatest moment, when in the wake of Watergate he was suddenly tasked with investigating abuses of power in the intelligence community. The dark truths that Church exposed-from assassination plots by the CIA, to links between the Kennedy dynasty and the mafia, to the surveillance of civil rights activists by the NSA and FBI—would shake the nation to its core, and forever change the way that Americans thought about not only their government but also their ability to hold it accountable.

CNN obtains audio of Trump's 2021 meeting about military documents
Axios | Erin Doherty | 06/27/23

CNN released exclusive audio on Monday seeming to show former President Trump discussing sensitive documents during a 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Why it matters: The two-minute audio recording could hold key evidence in Trump's indictment over his handling of classified information after he left the White House.

Driving the news: In the clip, which seems to have sounds of papers shuffling, Trump appears to say that the papers he is discussing are secret.

"He said that I wanted to attack Iran; isn't it amazing?" Trump said, according to the audio.

"I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him. They presented me this - this is off the record but - they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him," Trump said, per the clip.

"All sorts of stuff, pages long. Let's see here," Trump continued. "Isn't that amazing. This totally wins my case, you know, except that it is like highly confidential, secret, this is secret information." ... Read more

Former president Trump caught on tape discussing sensitive documents | MSNBC | 06/27/23 | 16:03

The next president's $4 trillion problem
Axios | Caitlin Owens | 06/26/23

Whoever is in the White House in 2025 will quickly face a series of legislative deadlines with impossible price tags: $3.6 trillion in tax cuts and $350 billion in Affordable Care Act subsidies are expiring - and that's after the debt limit will need to be addressed again.

Why it matters: The deadlines could force political horse-trading of epic proportions. Alternatively, gridlock or alarm over the nation's debt may lead to Americans seeing higher taxes and fewer benefits.

The big picture: Republicans' 2017 tax law and the enhanced ACA subsidies that Democrats first passed in 2021 are signature policy accomplishments for each party. They're also both extremely polarizing, and became law under party-line votes. ... Read more

Texas' record heat wave enters 3rd week as storms slam southern U.S.
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 06/26/23

Over 50 million people in the southern U.S. were under heat advisories and many others were facing the threat of severe weather that spawned tornadoes and thunderstorms over the weekend and into Monday.

State of play: The severe storms saw an estimated 168,000 customers lose power in Georgia, along with some 132,000 others in both Kentucky and Tennessee and a further 126,000 in Arkansas early Monday, while a series of suspected tornadoes late Sunday damaged property in Indiana and killed a person in the state's Martin County.

Thunderstorms caused flight delays in major transport hubs Sunday in New York City, Atlanta, Detroit, Cleveland, Louisville, Cincinatti, Philadelphia and Detroit, while flights to and from D.C.-area airports were suspended in the evening due to an air traffic control issue before the FAA switched to a "backup facility," per the Washington Post. ... Read more

Wagner chief breaks his silence: Prigozhin releases 11-minute audio file on since halting mutiny | FRANCE 24 English | 06/26/23 | 6:31

Why did Putin give Prigozhin a pass and how safe is he? | DW News | 06/25/23 | 10:19

Money, Power, Impunity: The Bankers Who Stole The World | 2008 Bank Crisis & Recession Documentary | Java Discover | 2023 | 54:53

America's Largest Wealth Transfer Has Begun. Are You Ready? | On The Market | 06/01/23 | 53:44

Texas' scorching heat wave to expand, intensify
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 06/23/23

The heat wave scorching much of Mexico, Texas and parts of New Mexico is forecast to worsen and last into the week of July 4, weather forecast models and National Weather Service (NWS) guidance show.

Why it matters: Extreme heat is the top weather-related killer in the U.S., and long-duration heat with little overnight relief makes this event particularly hazardous.

Zoom in: Rio Grande Village, Texas, already has seen its high temperature reach 118F, 2 degrees away from the all-time state record.

Other parts of the South and Central states, including Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, are forecast to see oppressive heat as well. ... Read more

3M agrees to $10.3 billion settlement in "forever chemicals" claims
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 06/23/23

3M has struck a $10.3 billion settlement with U.S. cities and towns over claims of water pollution from "forever chemicals," the chemical and manufacturing company announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The settlement in the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) case that'd be paid over a 13-year period marks a major step in efforts to curb the threat of the chemicals that've been linked to health problems, and which were found to have contaminated drinking water systems.

Minnesota-based 3M is facing thousands of lawsuits over PFAS contamination claims and has pledged to stop making and using "forever chemicals" by the end of 2025 following increased scrutiny from regulators, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Yes, but: 3M did not admit liability in its settlement that's subject to court approval. ... Read more

The Trump Divide that Should Have Republicans Terrified
Politico | Rich Lowry | 06/23/23

The conventional wisdom is that Donald Trump's interview with Bret Baier of Fox News on Monday night was a disaster for the former president.

This is a reasonable view, assuming, that is, you believe that it's a bad thing that he talked about having boxes with his clothes mixed in with classified documents, maintained he didn't have time to comply with federal demands for the return of documents, and stated baldly, once again, that he won the 2020 election.

But it is a profoundly erroneous take if you fail to account for what many Republicans likely saw and heard - a man beset by a two-tiered justice system fighting back spiritedly against unfair charges, and a former president who still fills the screen and never loses his sense of command.

It's pretty typical that partisans regard their leaders differently than the rest of the public, but the divide between GOP opinion of Trump and the way the middle of the electorate regards him is deep and abiding. ... Read more

Extreme heat in Texas and southern U.S. may linger until Fourth of July
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 06/22/23

An "oppressive" record-breaking heat wave that's helped fuel deadly storms in Texas and surrounding states could continue through the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the National Weather Service warned Wednesday.

Why it matters: Extreme heat poses a threat to people's health, can lead to hospitals dealing with an influx of patients with heat-related illnesses, and it's the top weather-related killer in the U.S. in a typical year. It also puts a heavy strain on power grids. ... Read more

Poll: Latinos' slow drift from Dems
Axios | Russell Contreras | 06/22/23

A plurality of Latinos now says "neither" when asked which major political party cares more about them, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo.

Why it matters: More Latinos continue to favor the Democratic Party, but their allegiance is drifting. Some Latinos signal growing differences on cultural issues and crime - and give Republicans an edge in handling the economy.

The big picture: That hasn't translated to a major realignment among Latinos to the GOP, Ipsos pollster and senior vice president Chris Jackson tells Axios. ... Read more

China's economy may be in a "liquidity trap"
Axios | Matt Phillips | 06/21/23

The world's second-largest economy may be in treacherous macroeconomic terrain known as a "liquidity trap."

Why it matters: China's massive economy has been the main source of global economic growth for most of the last three decades.

While it had long been expected to slow from the double-digit growth rates it regularly hit between 2000 and 2010, its current performance is far worse than many forecast just a few years ago. ... Read more

Ghost Cities in China, Wikipedia

House GOP fumes as the right goes "rogue" on impeachment
Axios | Andrew Solender | 06/21/23

House Republicans erupted into infighting on Wednesday as leadership and members across the conference pushed back on a burst of impeachment votes being forced by right-wing lawmakers.

Why it matters: It's an escalation of an increasingly acrimonious internal GOP dynamic as members of the right-wing Freedom Caucus try to seize control of the party's agenda.

"I think they've kind of gone rogue," said Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), an ally of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Driving the news: McCarthy, in a closed-door conference meeting on Wednesday, argued against Rep. Lauren Boebert's (R-Colo.) resolution to impeach Biden, according to multiple sources in the meeting. ... Read more

Fed chair expects interest rates will increase "somewhat further" this year
Axios | Courtenay Brown | 06/21/23

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers on Wednesday there is still "a long way to go" to cool inflation and interest rates are expected to rise further this year.

Why it matters: Powell began two days of appearances before Congress, where he is facing questions about the rate hiking campaign that the Fed paused as inflation continues to runs hot, as well as the impact of higher rates on the economy and labor market.

What they're saying: "[I]nflation pressures continue to run high, and the process of getting inflation back down to 2 percent has a long way to go," Powell said in his opening statement at a House Financial Services Committee hearing.

Reducing inflation will likely require slower economic growth and "some softening of labor market conditions," he added. ... Read more

Sherrod Brown strikes banking deal with Tim Scott, Elizabeth Warren and J.D. Vance
Politico | ELEANOR MUELLER | 05/21/23

The compromise represents Congress' most viable option for revamping the banking system following the rescue of Silicon Valley Bank and other lenders.

The Senate Banking Committee in a bipartisan vote Wednesday agreed to ratchet up penalties for the executives of failed lenders, increase oversight of the Federal Reserve and restrict megabank takeovers, in Washington’s most significant response yet to this year’s banking turmoil.

The committee approved the bill in a 21-2 vote, overcoming a rift between Senate Banking Chair Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who negotiated the legislation with Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who had been pushing her own bipartisan plan in recent weeks. Warren on Wednesday called the final product a "reasonable compromise." Just two Republicans - Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee - voted against the bill.

"For years and years, we've tried to hold banks accountable," Brown told reporters. "Of course, there will be some people that think it didn't go far enough or went too far. This is a huge victory for consumers, for the banking system, for honest bankers and for the whole country." ... Read more

Canada is on fire, and big oil is the arsonist
TheGuardian | Tzeporah Berman | 06/20/23

Governments need to represent us, not fossil-fuel profiteers. We need plans to phase out fossil fuel production and emissions

Canada is on fire from coast to coast to coast. Thousands have been evacuated, millions exposed to air pollution, New York a doom orange and even the titans of Wall Street choking.

Catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, back-to-back cyclones in the Pacific islands and droughts in Africa haven't been enough to create a tipping point for action. Now that climate impacts have hit the economic capital of western power, will it spur governments in the global north to get serious?

A lack of scientific knowledge about climate change is not the barrier. Nor is a lack of cleaner, safer, cheaper energy alternatives. The IPCC said as much last year - the barrier is vested fossil fuel interests putting their profit above our safety. ... Read more

Judge sets August trial date for Trump documents case
Axios | author | 06/20/23

A federal judge in Florida on Tuesday set a preliminary start date of Aug. 14 for the criminal trial of former President Trump in connection to his handling of classified documents.

Driving the news: Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner, pleaded not guilty last week after facing a historic 37-count indictment.

Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that all pre-trial motions should be filed by July 24.

Yes, but: The start date is unlikely to hold. Trump and his legal team are expected to push a flurry of motions and challenges in an attempt to delay the trial, Axios' Alex Thompson reports.

Zoom out: A federal judge in Florida ruled that Trump and his legal team cannot keep or publicly disclose any federal evidence in the case. ... Read more

America has Ignored GOP Crimes to Seize the White House Long Enough - It's Time to Put this One in Prison
hartmannreport.com | Thom Hartmann | 06/20/23

It's dizzying: in this one week we learn that there's a witness to Reagan's 1980 treason to seize the presidency, and that Donald Trump, who gave the Russians a spy in his first week in office (among other treasons), will be indicted for the crime that helped him avoid losing to Hillary Clinton. This is on top of Nixon's well-documented treason with Vietnam and Bush's explicit lies about Iraq.

It's now a certainty that the last legitimately elected Republican president who wasn't a traitor to the United States was Dwight D. Eisenhower. In aggregate, this should be the biggest story in the media. ... Read more

Is it possible that every GOP president since Ike has had treason in their heart? | Ep 286 of Rumble | Michael Moore | 03/21/23 | 1:06:00

Watch Rachel Maddow Highlights: June 19 | Rachel Maddow MSNBC | 06/19/23 | 20:23

Heat wave fuels deadly storms and power outages across southern U.S.
Axios | Rebecca Falconer & Andrew Freedman | 06/19/23

An extreme, prolonged heat wave from Texas to Louisiana is helping fuel deadly southern storms that have resulted in the deaths of at least five people and left hundreds of thousands without power.

State of play: The severe weather caused power outages for more than 220,000 people in Oklahoma, over 95,000 others in Texas and some 88,000 in Louisiana as of early Monday, per utility tracker poweroutage.us. An estimated 37,000 people in Mississippi and 34,000 others in Arkansas also experienced outages. ...

1. By the numbers: Heat indices have reached 120 degrees in Texas and Louisiana, and the heat index in Kingsville in the south of the Lone Star State hit 125F on Thursday.
2. Of note: What's particularly unusual is the extent of 80F dew points, leaving the air feeling extremely sultry. More humid heat can be tied in part to warmer-than-average waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
3. Context: Climate change is causing heat waves to be more intense, longer-lasting and more frequent.

Blinken has "robust conversation" with China's Xi Jinping in Beijing
Axios | Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian | 06/19/23

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Monday that he had a "robust conversation" with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a meeting that capped off a two-day visit to Beijing to stabilize strained ties between the two superpowers.

Why it matters: Though fundamental disagreements remain, the consensus on Monday between Blinken, Xi and other Chinese officials to continue high-level discussions going forward is a crucial step towards ensuring that tensions between the two superpowers do not escalate into conflict.

Blinken is the first U.S. secretary of state to visit China in five years and the most senior Biden administration official to make such a trip. ... Read more

China is Throwing Away Fields of Electric Cars - Letting them Rot! | | 06/16/23 | 9:51

No Place to Place II - Graveyards of shared cars and network cars in China | | 2021 | 2:48

The financial toll of right-wing backlash: At least $28B in market value
Axios | Javier E. David | 06/16/23

Social issues are creating a market downdraft for America's mainstay brands — just ask Target, Anheuser Busch, Kohl's and their collective $28.7 billion loss in market value since the beginning of April.

Why it matters: Fiercely contested cultural issues have always aroused political passions, and held sway over electoral politics.

Driving the news: Anheuser-Busch InBev is still feeling the reverberations of its April decision to engage transgender social-media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Boycotts have come at a cost to both its stock and beer sales.

The controversy has shaved billions off its market capitalization amid a 20% swoon in its stock (it's since recovered, but sits well below the 52-week high it hit in March). ... Read more

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TRUMP'S MISTAKE WAS COMMITTING SMALL CRIMES BY HIMSELF
TheIntercept | Jon Schwarz | 06/09/23

I MAY HAVE let out a weird animalistic hoot of joy when the news broke that former President Donald Trump had been indicted on federal charges. There's something about Trump's essence that maddens all former children who long ago always did the assigned reading, only to see their lazy bully classmate bloviate their way into the Ivy League thanks to their rich dad. "At long last he's paying the price for not following the rules," we think.

And yet, there's something discordant about hearing from the New York Times that this is "the first time a former U.S. president has faced federal charges."" The Washington Post made the same point, with a subheadline saying, "Political earthquake as GOP frontrunner is now first ex-president indicted by the DOJ." ... Read more

AI is already causing unintended harm. What happens when it falls into the wrong hands?
TheGuardian | David Evan Harris | 06/16/23

Meta, where I used to work, is developing powerful tools. I'm worried about what could happen if they're picked up by malicious actors

Aresearcher was granted access earlier this year by Facebook’s parent company, Meta, to incredibly potent artificial intelligence software - and leaked it to the world. As a former researcher on Meta's civic integrity and responsible AI teams, I am terrified by what could happen next.

Though Meta was violated by the leak, it came out as the winner: researchers and independent coders are now racing to improve on or build on the back of LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI - Meta's branded version of a large language model or LLM, the type of software underlying ChatGPT), with many sharing their work openly with the world. ... Read more

Fears of hottest year on record as global temperatures spike
TheGuardian | Oliver Milman | 06/15/23

Global temperatures have accelerated to record-setting levels this month, an ominous sign in the climate crisis ahead of a gathering El Niño that could potentially propel 2023 to become the hottest year ever recorded.

Preliminary global average temperatures taken so far in June are nearly 1C (1.8F) above levels previously recorded for the same month, going back to 1979. While the month is not yet complete and may not set a new June record, climate scientists say it follows a pattern of strengthening global heating that could see this year named the hottest ever recorded, topping 2016.

There has been "remarkable global warmth" so far in June, confirmed Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation arm, which said that the first few days of the month even breached a 1.5C increase compared with pre-industrial times. This is probably the first time this has happened since industrialization, the agency said. ... Read more

The Fed grows confident its Goldilocks scenario might come true
Axios | Courtenay Brown | 06/15/23

The economy just might be able to avoid the painful slump that Federal Reserve officials warned could be the unfortunate result of their rate-hiking campaign.

Driving the news: That, at least, is the message that comes through via new forecasts from the central bank that projects a smaller rise in joblessness and faster economic growth than it predicted three months ago.

Why it matters: If they're right, the U.S. may not have to sacrifice the economic gains achieved in the pandemic recovery in order for inflation to recede.

Catch up quick: The Fed held off on raising interest rates, but most officials project at least two more increases by December. Wall Street called it a "hawkish skip." ... Read more

Trump loyalists circle the wagons
Axios | Zachary Basu | 06/15/23

Former President Trump's allies in Congress have begun furiously pulling on every lever available to ensure his enemies - from federal prosecutors to President Biden himself - pay a price for his historic indictment.

Why it matters: Republicans have little recourse for saving Trump from the federal justice system to which he's now beholden. Instead, they're embarking on a political revenge campaign in a bid to prove their loyalty to Trump and muddy the waters in the court of public opinion.

Driving the news: House GOP leadership backed a resolution - which ultimately failed on the floor - that would have censured Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and fined him $16 million for his investigations into Trump's ties to Russia as former chair of the Intelligence Committee. ... ... ... Read more

Global inequality at lowest level in nearly 150 years
Axios | Felix Salmon | 06/14/23

This century has seen a stunning decrease in global inequality, bringing it down to levels not seen in well over a century. That's the conclusion that Branko Milanovic, one of the world's foremost inequality researchers, comes to in an important essay for Foreign Affairs.

Why it matters: The U.S. has only about 4% of the world's population. Increasing equality is good for the planet as a whole, but it foreshadows an end to U.S. hegemony. ... Read more

Saudi Arabia's Oil; Saudi Arabia and 9/11; Sportswashing | 60 Minutes | 06/11/23 | 52:44

Ukraine’s failed Mala Tokmachka assault lays bare counteroffensive challenges
TheGuardian | Peter Beaumont | 06/14/23

Russia has had 12 months to prepare defensive positions supported by superior air power

The footage that began circulating on Russian social media channels last week depicted what was portrayed as a significant military setback for Ukraine at the beginning of its counteroffensive. ... Read more

The USA Loves To Meddle In Other Countries | Independent | 02/14/23 | 29:08

Inside Wagner, Russia's Secret War Company | WSJ Documentary | 06/10/23 | 40:21

Trump's strategy to defuse court's "rocket docket"
Axios | Alex Thompson | 06/13/23

Southern Florida's federal courts are known as a "rocket docket" for their speedy trials, but former President Trump's legal team is likely to unleash a flurry of motions and challenges to delay his criminal trial there, former Trump lawyers say.

Why it matters: The moves could push the trial back, a few months at a time, as Trump's team challenges how prosecutors gathered evidence in the classified documents case, former Trump lawyer Tim Parlatore tells Axios.

"I wouldn't foresee this thing getting tried within a year," said Parlatore, who left Trump's legal team last month.

And after a trial, the appeals will go all the way to the top, he predicts. "If there's ever a case that you know from the inception that it's going to go all the way to the Supreme Court this is it." ... Read more

Trump's attorney-client curse
Axios | Zachary Basu | 06/13/23

Former President Trump's tortured relationship with his own lawyers has been at the root of his most consequential scandals, including two special counsel inquiries, two impeachments and - now - two indictments.

Why it matters: Trump's history of treating lawyers like attack dogs and personal fixers - shaped by his mentorship under the infamous Roy Cohn in the 1970s - has put him in the most precarious legal jeopardy of his life.

In New York, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen is expected to testify at trial in March that he arranged illegal hush money payments during the 2016 campaign at Trump's direction.

In Miami, where Trump is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court Tuesday, notes and testimony from his lawyer Evan Corcoran gave prosecutors a detailed roadmap to indict the former president in the classified documents investigations. ... Read more

'Devastating': Current and former officials shocked over military secrets found at Mar-a-Lago
Politico | Alexander Ward | 06/09/23

The unsealed indictment on former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents has current and former national security officials claiming the case is "devastating" against him and that "damage" may have been done to U.S. national security.

Trump is facing 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act through "willful retention" of classified records and six counts related to his alleged effort to obstruct the investigation, according to the 49-page document released Friday. The indictment also alleges that Walt Nauta, a Trump aide during his presidency and now in private life, moved boxes with classified records to obscure them from investigators.

The indictment includes information about the kinds of documents in the former president's possession, some of them "regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack." ... Read more

Trump's 40 Biggest Broken Promises Revealed | Robert Reich | 2021 | 10:35

The Biggest Deficit You've Never Heard Of | Robert Reich | 2022 | 6:25

Scoop: Israel to announce plans for thousands of new settlement units in West Bank
Axios | Barak Ravid | 06/12/23

The Israeli government told the Biden administration it intends to announce later this month the building and planning of thousands of new housing units in the settlements in the occupied West Bank, three Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios.

Why it matters: The Biden administration has said it is vehemently opposed to new building in the Israeli settlements, which it sees as undermining the prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Much of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. ... Read more

Opinion | How Screwed Is Trump?
Politico | ANKUSH KHARDORI | 06/11/23

Two years from now, Donald Trump could be in prison or he could be president.

Those scenarios occupy the two ends of the spectrum of Trump's legal exposure now that he has been indicted by the Justice Department over his deliberate retention of classified documents and his refusal to return them to the government. That remarkable duality also underscores an unavoidable element of the prosecution - that it is both a legal proceeding subject to established rules and procedures, and that it is also closely intertwined with the political process that is currently playing out in the Republican presidential primary and that will continue through next year's general election.

There is little question that Trump's federal indictment is much more serious than the criminal case brought against the former president in Manhattan. In the simplest terms, that case exposes him to a maximum four-year term of imprisonment, while the most serious charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith and his colleagues have a 20-year statutory maximum (or "stat max," if you want to sound like you're in the know). ... Read more

Trump's "peril is extreme": Former federal prosecutor on the historic Mar-a-Lago indictment
Salon | ANDREW O'HEHIR | 06/12/23

As the entire world now knows, Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith's sweeping indictment of Donald Trump on a range of charges relating to the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation was released in full last Friday afternoon. Numerous explications of this remarkable document are available from many different media sources; criminologist and Trump expert Gregg Barak supplied an analysis for Salon over the weekend. Even former Attorney General Bill Barr, a staunch defender of Trump's dubious conduct while in office, now forecasts a dire legal future for the embattled former president.

But I still have questions; I imagine we all do. On Sunday I reached out to another frequent Salon contributor, former federal prosecutor Dennis Aftergut, now of counsel to Lawyers Defending American Democracy, a self-explanatory nonprofit. I wanted Dennis to share not just his legal expertise, although that's extremely important, but also his larger, atmospheric sense of this extraordinary indictment and its historical moment. ... Read more

Trump says aide has been indicted in classified documents probe
Axios | Erin Doherty | 06/09/23

Walt Nauta, an aide to former President Trump, has been indicted in the investigation into his handling of classified documents, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.

The big picture: The news comes less than 24 hours after Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was being charged in the criminal investigation. ... Read more

Could Trump go to prison? Federal charges over classified docs show momentum is building
TheGuardian | David Smith | 06/09/23

Donald Trump is the first former president in US history to face federal criminal charges - is this a gamechanger or just another chapter in the drama?

He really might be going to prison. Donald Trump just became the first former president in American history to face federal criminal charges.

On Thursday night it emerged that Trump had been indicted for allegedly mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

He has reportedly been charged with seven counts including wilfully retaining national defence secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements and an obstruction of justice conspiracy. He is due in court in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday afternoon after most likely surrendering himself to the FBI there. ... Read more

Trump loses two lawyers just hours after being indicted
Politico | Kyle Cheney | 06/09/23

Two of Donald Trump's top lawyers abruptly resigned from his defense team on Friday, just hours after news broke that he and a close aide were indicted on charges related to their handling of classified documents.

Jim Trusty and John Rowley, who helmed Trump's Washington, D.C.-based legal team for months and were seen frequently at the federal courthouse, indicated they would no longer represent Trump in matters being investigated and prosecuted by special counsel Jack Smith, who is probing both the documents matter and efforts by Trump to subvert the 2020 election. ... Read more

MONETARY BLOWBACK: HOW U.S. WARS, SANCTIONS, AND HEGEMONY ARE THREATENING THE DOLLAR'S RESERVE CURRENCY DOMINANCE
TheIntercept | staff | 06/07/23

A growing number of countries are preparing to shift from using the U.S. dollar in trade, which could undermine the greenback's global supremacy.

Strtategists at JPMorgan, the biggest U.S. bank, warned there are signs of "de-dollarization" around the world. Dedollarization is the push by countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and others, to move away from the U.S. dollar as the world's primary reserve currency. This move poses a big challenge to U.S. economic hegemony. This week on Intercepted, Canadian businessperson and mining financier Frank Giustra joins Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain to discuss the prospective move toward nations' dedollarization. ... Read more

Part 2/2 - Chomsky on Ellsberg and the Danger of Nuclear War | theAnalysis-news | 05/06/23 | 29:50

Ukrainian dam collapse is a "monumental" catastrophe, UN chief says
Axios | Jacob Knutson | 06/07/23

Thousands of Ukrainians who were already on the front lines of the war in Ukraine now face a "monumental humanitarian, economic and environmental catastrophe" after the destruction of a key dam on the Dnipro River, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Tuesday.

The big picture: The collapse of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam unleashed floodwaters downstream, destroying the homes of at least 16,000 people, threatening drinking and irrigation water supplies in the region, and raising concerns about the potential consequences for the massive Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. ... Read more

El Nino 2023 could be a monster! | Just Have a Think | 05/07/23 | 11:59

Destruction of key dam in Ukraine causes flooding, raises nuclear risks
Axios | Dave Lawler | 06/06/23

A dam along the river that separates Russian and Ukrainian troops in southern Ukraine was destroyed early Tuesday morning, with each side blaming the other.

Why it matters: The explosion carries the immediate prospect of severe flooding in communities around the reservoir, which is near the city of Kherson, and a longer-term risk of overheating at the massive Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Water from the Kakhovka dam's reservoir was used to cool the plant's reactors.

The UN's nuclear watchdog says there should be enough water from another source to last "some months" so long as that supply isn't also disrupted. ... Read more

Apple debuts Vision Pro, its mixed reality headset
Axios | Ina Fried | 06/06/23

Apple announced Vision Pro, a long-awaited mixed reality headset on Monday, alongside several new Macs and updates to the software that powers the iPhone and other devices.

Why it matters: The headset is Apple's most significant new device in years and a big bet that augmented and virtual reality are more than just a fad.

The big picture: The device, which resembles a futuristic set of ski goggles, allows users to view digital content on top of the real world and is controlled using voice, eye gaze and hand gestures. It's due out early next year for $3,499. ... Read more

Scoop: Trump pollster tells donors DeSantis electability is a "myth"
Axios | Alex Thompson | 06/02/23

Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio is telling GOP donors that it's a "myth" that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is more electable than the former president, according to a private memo obtained by Axios Thursday.

Why it matters: DeSantis and his super PAC have used surveys showing that he polls better than Trump against President Biden as a key argument in his race to become the Republican nominee.

Trump's team has been pushing back on that argument, with Fabrizio's polling the latest effort to convince donors and other prominent Republicans that Trump can win a general election. ... Read more

BlackRock: the Company That Controls* the World's Governments | Aperture | 05/07/23 | 13:42

More than 800m Amazon trees felled in six years to meet beef demand
TheGuardian | Andrew Wasley | 06/02/23

Investigation involving Guardian shows systematic and vast forest loss linked to cattle farming in Brazil

More than 800m trees have been cut down in the Amazon rainforest in just six years to feed the world’s appetite for Brazilian beef, according to a new investigation, despite dire warnings about the forest’s importance in fighting the climate crisis.

A data-driven investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), the Guardian, Reporter Brasil and Forbidden Stories shows systematic and vast forest loss linked to cattle farming.

The beef industry in Brazil has consistently pledged to avoid farms linked to deforestation. ... Read more

Navy Puts Climate Change at Top of Threat List with Larry Wilkerson | TheAnalyysis | 02/01/23 | 35:08

Watch All In With Chris Hayes Highlights: June 1 | MSNBC | 06/01/23 | 18:36

After debt ceiling vote, McCarthy takes a victory lap
Axios | Hans Nichols | 06/01/23

With a 314-117 House vote to lift the debt ceiling until 2025, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) proved he could harness his narrow majority to force President Biden to make policy concessions on issues that are deeply important to both parties.

Why it matters: Now Biden and McCarthy will have to decide whether their debt deal will be the first of their political compromises - or their last.

Both leaders demonstrated a willingness to forsake their party's base to find common ground. ... Read more

Climate-fueled insurance crisis hits California

Politico | Arianna Skibell | 05/31/23

From massive wildfires to turbocharged hurricanes, disasters linked to climate change are racking up billions of dollars in damage across large swaths of the country, and insurance companies are struggling to keep up.

State Farm, the largest property insurer in California, announced on Friday that it would no longer write new policies for homeowners or businesses in the state due to the high wildfire risk, writes Thomas Frank.

The stunning decision is largely due to laws and policies in California that limit the ability of insurance companies to raise rates, industry officials say. Although State Farm has huge financial reserves, the company decided that the increase in wildfires - combined with the inability to increase premiums to profitable levels - was too risky for its shareholders, Tom told Power Switch. ... Read more

The Dark World of Megachurches |James Jani | 2022 | 32:16