Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Jamie Raskin takes on the rightwing fallacy that as Commander-in-Chief, the President has both the power to do whatever he wants and absolute immunity from any legal consequences for criminal actions.

The Unraveling: Reflections on Politics without Ethics and Democracy in Crisis by Bob Bauer

Part memoir, part rumination on the declining moral compass of the American political class, The Unraveling is the first book to place restoring political ethics at the center of the renewal of American democracy. Politics is a brutal game, but Bauer asks where does the line fall between the "hardball" of politics and attacks on the very foundation of democracy? Looking back on 46 years in the political arena, Bauer tries to better grasp what has gone wrong and to understand what shaped his own decisions and actions. He offers anecdotes, perspectives, and insights that are vitally relevant in our world today, including efforts in 2020 (and 2024) to defend our democratic system of elections from attack and distrust, and the struggles with social media, such as Meta, to combat disinformation in a post-truth politics. He writes about the various personal experiences along the way-the highs, the lows, and the absurd. Bauer presents a smart and serious look at our political culture and the role that he has played in shaping it. The Unraveling will be essential reading for anyone interested in American politics of the last 50 years-and the next.

Why Trump's team thinks he can survive any verdict
Politico | Adam Wren | 05/28/24

Donald Trump's pollsters have been tracking the impact of his indictments throughout his first trial and, moving to get ahead of events, are arguing that regardless of the verdict in the New York hush-money case, they can spin it in his favor.

In the campaign's internal polling, two-thirds of respondents say politics played a role in his criminal indictments.

That is at odds with public polling, which has found that somewhere between a plurality and a majority of Americans believe the case has been handled fairly, with a sharp partisan split. Some 60 percent of voters have said they think the charges are very or somewhat serious. Even 6 percent of Trump voters say they would be less likely to back him if convicted. ... Read more

Trump Throws TANTRUM After Jimmy Kimmel RIPPED Him Apart! | Speech Of Democracy | 05/26/24 | 13:51

Stephen Colbert DEMOLISHES Trump Who Throws A Tantrum Fit! | Speech Of Democracy | 05/29/24 | 14:52

600,000 PALESTINIAN KIDS IN RAFAH CAN'T "EVACUATE" SAFELY, UNICEF OFFICIAL SAYS
TheIntercept | Jeremy Scahill | 05/08/24

ROLLING ITS TANKS this week into Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military moved swiftly to take control of the Palestinian side of the border crossing with Egypt. The takeover severed the only corridor connecting Palestinians in Gaza to land not controlled by Israel. In a gratuitous symbolic act, an Israeli tank bulldozed the "I love Gaza" monument greeting visitors as they cross into the territory from Egypt.

The attack - and the looming full-scale invasion of Rafah being threatened by Israel despite heavily qualified White House objections - leaves Palestinian civilians bearing the brunt of the relentless assault. Israel quickly closed the Rafah border crossing. The closing leaves the trickling spigots of aid to Gaza virtually shut off. ... Read more

Prosecution: Trump hush money case "cloaked in lies"
Axios | Erin Doherty | 05/29/24

The defense finished delivering their closing arguments on Tuesday, making their final pitch to jurors that former Trump fixer Michael Cohen should not be trusted, while the prosecution called efforts to make the case about Cohen "a deflection."

Why it matters: Former President Trump's lawyer called star witness Cohen the "MVP of liars" during the trial's closing arguments, while a prosecutor accused the presumptive GOP presidential nominee of "overt election fraud."

The big picture: The first-ever criminal trial of a U.S. president is near conclusion after hours of closing arguments, with prosecutor Joshua Steinglass ending his summation about 8pm ET after nearly five hours. ... Read more

Trump on trial: New York vs. Donald Trump Day 21 Highlights | Rachel Maddow | 05/28/24 | 53:44

Why grocery bills feel so high, even though food inflation is technically low
Axios | Emily Peck | 05/28/24

The inflation rate for "food at home," basically the stuff you buy at the supermarket, is really low these days, with prices rising just 1.1% over the last year. But since January 2021, when President Biden took office, prices are up nearly 21%.

Why it matters: Every time Americans go food shopping they feel the sting of higher prices, making the grocery store the place where consumers are most regularly reminded about inflation.

The intrigue: Dining out is worse - prices rose 4.1% over the last year, far faster than costs at the grocery store or overall inflation.

And prices for "food away from home" are up nearly 22% since 2021. ... Read more

Is the EU already in a trade war with China?
Politico | Koen Vverhelst | 05/28/24

The European Union is investigating imports of these goods from China to find out whether they are being sold below cost or are being unfairly subsidized by Beijing. China, in return, suspects Europe of dumping premium cognacs on its market - and is dropping heavy hints that European luxury cars and pork meat could soon face restrictions.

The tit-for-tat dynamics suggest that the EU - which last year ran a bilateral trade deficit in goods of nearly EU 300 billion and now wants to narrow that gap - may soon slide into a trade war with China. ... Read more

Opioid Settlements: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | 05/16/24 | 25:08

Severe Memorial Day storms leave at least 20 dead across U.S. mid-South
Salon | Andrew O'Herir | 05/27/24

Amid early suggestions that another difficult summer lies ahead for North America, a series of devastating storms as well as a severe heat wave have hit several states in the central and southern U.S., leaving at least 20 people dead.

Most of the deaths have resulted from tornadoes in Texas - where seven people were killed in a trailer park in Cooke County, according to the AP - and Arkansas, where eight people died in different parts of the state. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency, announcing in a post on X that three people had died in that state amid "multiple reports of wind damage and tornadoes." Two people have also been killed near Tulsa, Oklahoma, reportedly after a storm devastated the site of an outdoor wedding.

The AP reports that more than 600,000 people across 12 Eastern and Southern states are without power as of Monday morning.

Just south of the storm systems, a near-record heat wave is bringing midsummer temperatures to late spring in parts of South Texas and South Florida. Miami hit a record high temperature for the date of 96f on Sunday, and the heat index near the Texas-Mexico border is expected to near 120f on Monday. ... Read more

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall

Five-year-old Milad Salama is excited for a school trip to a theme park on the outskirts of Jerusalem. On the way, his bus collides with a semitrailer. His father, Abed, gets word of the crash and rushes to the site. The scene is chaos-the children have been taken to different hospitals in Jerusalem and the West Bank; some are missing, others cannot be identified. Abed sets off on an odyssey to learn Milad's fate. It is every parent's worst nightmare, but for Abed it is compounded by the maze of physical, emotional, and bureaucratic obstacles he must navigate because he is Palestinian. He is on the wrong side of the separation wall, holds the wrong ID to pass the military checkpoints, and has the wrong papers to enter the city of Jerusalem. Abed's quest to find Milad is interwoven with the stories of a cast of Jewish and Palestinian characters whose lives and histories unexpectedly converge.

In A Day in the Life of Abed Salama, Nathan Thrall-hailed for his "severe allergy to conventional wisdom" (Time)-offers an indelibly human portrait of the struggle over Israel/Palestine and a new understanding of the tragic history and reality of one of the most contested places on earth.

Under U.S. pressure, Israel reverses crackdown against AP
magazine | author | date

The Israeli government on Tuesday reversed its decision to seize broadcasting equipment from the Associated Press.

Why it matters: The Israeli Ministry of Communications' decision earlier Tuesday to confiscate video and broadcasting equipment used by the AP for a live shot of northern Gaza is another point of tension between the Biden administration and the Netanyahu government.

The move is raising concerns in the Biden administration -and renewing them among press freedom advocates - about the Israeli government's intentions to limit freedom of the press around the Gaza war under a pretext of national security. ... Read more

Scorching heat wave to roast Texas, Gulf Coast over Memorial Day weekend
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 05/22/24

The first of what will likely be many extreme heat events this summer is on tap for much of Texas, Louisiana and the Southern Plains, along with Florida during the next week.

Why it matters: Extreme heat is the deadliest weather hazard in the U.S., and this event will bring triple-digit temperatures to some areas as soon as a full month earlier than average.

Threat level: According to the NOAA Weather Prediction Center, "oppressive" conditions across South Texas and southern Florida are expected to worsen throughout the week and expand to the Central Gulf Coast and parts of the Southern Plains.

Highs near 100°F with heat indices of 110°F or above are expected in this region into next week, making for "extreme" heat risk conditions. ... Read more

SNAP benefits fall short amid rising grocery costs, study finds
Axios | Tina Reed | 05/22/24

SNAP benefits fail to cover the rising costs of groceries in 98% of U.S. counties, according to a new Urban Institute analysis.

Why it matters: The report's release comes ahead of a Thursday markup of House Republicans' $1.5 trillion farm bill, as advocates say proposed cuts could further undermine the federal food aid program.

The big picture: The benefits, also known as food stamps, are a major sticking point in competing House and Senate versions of the annual farm bill this year, The Hill reported.

Republican lawmakers say the House version wouldn't cut SNAP benefits, but it would roll back changes made by the Biden administration to increase the benefit over 10 years to keep up with rising food costs. ... Read more

ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Hamas leaders
Axios | Barak Ravid | 05/20/24

The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor announced on Monday that he is seeking arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and three Hamas leaders.

Why it matters: The move, by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, will further isolate Israel internationally and increase pressure on the Biden administration to press Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza. It could also trigger legislation by Congress against the ICC.

This is the first time the ICC seeks arrest warrants against a major U.S. ally, as well as the first time it has issued warrants for the leader of a democratic country. Israel is not a member of the ICC.

Driving the news: Khan said in a statement on Monday that he seeks arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

"Based on evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant, bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 8 October 2023," Khan said in his statement. ... Read more

Toxic 'forever chemicals' ubiquitous in Great Lakes basin, study finds
The Guardian | Tim Perkins | 05/19/24

Toxic PFAS "forever chemicals" are ubiquitous in the Great Lakes basin’s air, rain, atmosphere and water, new peer-reviewed research shows.

The first-of-its-kind, comprehensive picture of PFAS levels for the basin, which holds nearly 95% of the nation's freshwater, also reveals that precipitation is probably a major contributor to the lakes' contamination.

"We didn't think the air and rain were significant sources of PFAS in the Great Lakes' environment, but it's not something that has been studied that much," said Marta Venier, a co-author with Indiana University.

PFAS are a class of 15,000 chemicals used across dozens of industries to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. The chemicals are linked to cancer, kidney disease, birth defects, decreased immunity, liver problems and a range of other serious diseases. ... Read more

Trump claims he wants to testify at his trial. No one else thinks he should.
The Guardian | Kyle Cheney | 05/20/24

On the eve of his criminal trial, Donald Trump told reporters in Florida that he would take the stand and testify if necessary. "All I can do is tell the truth," Trump proclaimed.

That boast is about to be put to the test, as Trump and his defense team decide in the coming days whether to present him as a witness.

But among legal experts and even Trump's political allies, there's already a unanimous verdict: He would be a fool to testify.

His Republican backers say the New York trial is a sham and prosecutors haven't proven their case - so why bother? Former prosecutors say he would open himself up to all sorts of damaging questions, from whether he had sex with porn star Stormy Daniels to alleged fraudulent business practices and inquiries about his honesty that could be political and legal landmines. ... Read more

Putin-Xi bromance flourishes as Russia-China summit kicks off
Politico | SEJLA AHMATOVIC AND EVA HARTOG | 05/16/24

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met Thursday in Beijing as part of a state visit to emphasize their strong relationship and China's wartime support for Russia's economy.

The Chinese president greeted his Russian counterpart at the Great Hall of the People, kicking off two days of discussions covering the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and cooperation on economics and defense.

"This partnership is without a doubt exemplary for how the relationship between neighboring states should be," Putin said. "Our cooperation in global affairs today is one of the main stabilizing factors in the global arena," he added, while ignoring his own role in ordering a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine. ... Read more

Lab-grown meat's PR problem offers an opportunity for plant-based products
Salon | Ashkie Stevens | 05/14/24

Alabama announced Tuesday they would follow Florida's lead in banning lab-grown meat

Slop. This is the four-letter word Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman used to describe lab-grown meat on social media, while seemingly begrudgingly praising "Crash-and-Burn Ron" Desantis after the Republican governor banned the manufacturing and sale of cultured meat in the state of Florida.

"I co-sign this," Fetterman wrote. "As a member of @SenateAgDems and as some dude who would never serve that slop to my kids, I stand with our American ranchers and farmers."

This is just the tip of the iceberg. As cultured meat has entered the culture wars, and questions around its production and distribution have become political fodder - for instance, on Monday, Alabama followed Florida's lead in banning the products - its detractors have hurled a series of colorful descriptors its way. ... Read more

Alleged 'deal' offer from Trump to big oil could save industry $110bn, study finds
TheGuardian | Oliver Milman and Dharna Noor | 05/16/24

A "deal" allegedly offered by Donald Trump to big-oil executives as he sought $1bn in campaign donations could save the industry $110bn in tax breaks if he returns to the White House, an analysis suggests.

The fundraising dinner held last month at Mar-a-Lago with more than 20 executives, including from Chevron, Exxon and Occidental Petroleum, reportedly involved Trump asking for large campaign contributions and promising, if elected, to remove barriers to drilling, scrap a pause on gas exports, and reverse new rules aimed at cutting car pollution.

Some of the tax breaks have been around for decades, and are a global issue, but the US oil and gas industry benefited disproportionately from tax cuts passed by Trump when he was president in 2017. ... Read more

Will Billionaires Destroy Worker Rights? | Robert Reich | 05/15/24 | 4:35

Are Presidents Above the Law? | Robert Reich | 05/01/24 | 3:00

Bibi's rant: Israel isn't a "vassal state" of the U.S.
Axios | Barak Ravid | 05/15/24

A day after President Biden warned Israel that a major attack on Rafah would cross a "red line" for U.S. support, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on a rant during a meeting with his security cabinet.

"We are not a vassal state of the United States!" he declared, according to three people with knowledge of his remarks, including one of Netanyahu's aides.

The tension began escalating two weeks ago, after Biden put a hold on 3,500 U.S. bombs that were on a ship about to depart for Israel. ... Read more

600,000 PALESTINIAN KIDS IN RAFAH CAN'T "EVACUATE" SAFELY, UNICEF OFFICIAL SAYS
TheIntercept | Jeremy Scahill | 05/09/24

ROLLING ITS TANKS this week into Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military moved swiftly to take control of the Palestinian side of the border crossing with Egypt. The takeover severed the only corridor connecting Palestinians in Gaza to land not controlled by Israel. In a gratuitous symbolic act, an Israeli tank bulldozed the "I love Gaza" monument greeting visitors as they cross into the territory from Egypt.

The attack - and the looming full-scale invasion of Rafah being threatened by Israel despite heavily qualified White House objections - leaves Palestinian civilians bearing the brunt of the relentless assault. Israel quickly closed the Rafah border crossing. The closing leaves the trickling spigots of aid to Gaza virtually shut off. ... Read more

Sun unleashes largest flare of this solar cycle
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 05/15/24

The Sun unleashed the largest flare of its current cycle on Tuesday, days after it generated a powerful solar storm that brought stunning auroras to Northern and Southern Hemisphere skies.

The flares were emitted from a super active sunspot cluster, Active Region 3664, which shot out coronal mass ejections (CME) - large bursts of plasma from the Sun.

These triggered severe geomagnetic storms directed at Earth, which resulted in the Northern and Southern Lights being visible to much of the world. ... Read more

First major wildfires of Canada's season hit northern U.S. air quality
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 05/14/24

Officials in western Canada warned of "volatile wildfire activity," as dozens of blazes burn in dry conditions across the country, triggering evacuation orders in affected regions and air quality alerts in several U.S. states this week.

By the numbers: Most of the 139 blazes burning in the first major wildfires since Canada's record season that finally abated in October were in British Columbia (46) and Alberta (46) as of early Tuesday, per the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

The CIFFC listed 41 of these fires as "out of control" — among them the Parker Lake fire in northern British Columbia, which has burned over 20,000 acres since it began on Friday and which was on Tuesday nearing the town of Fort Nelson, where evacuation orders have already been issued. ... Read more

Biden signs Russian uranium ban
Axios | Sareen Habeshian | 05/14/24

President Biden on Monday signed a bipartisan bill banning imports of Russian enriched uranium, with waivers for companies to continue bringing it in until 2028.

Why it matters: The U.S. spends an estimated $1 billion per year on nuclear fuel from Russia, so the new law cuts off a key source of revenue as Putin's forces escalate their war on Ukraine and drive military spending to levels not seen since the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s.

Congress moved to ban Russian oil, gas and coal soon after the full-scale Russian military invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, but Russia supplies about 20% of its enriched uranium for U.S. nuclear fuel. ... Read more

Israeli war cabinet votes to expand Rafah operation area, amid growing U.S. concerns
Axios | Barak Ravid | 05/10/24

Amid growing U.S. concerns about the humanitarian situation in Rafah, the Israeli security cabinet approved last night the "expansion of the area of operation" of the Israel Defense Forces in the southern Gaza city, according to three sources with knowledge of the details.

The big picture: President Biden said this week said if Israel invades Rafah, where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, the U.S. will stop supplying it with artillery shells, bombs for fighter jets and other offensive weapons.

The latest: Two sources said this is a "measured expansion" that does not cross Biden's "red line." ... Read more

Republicans want to force Biden to send arms to Israel
Axios | Andrew Solender | 05/10/24

Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation aimed at stopping President Biden from withholding weapons shipments to Israel.

Why it matters: The administration's move to block the arms sales has drawn backlash from pro-Israel lawmakers in both parties.

Most recently, Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) said in a statement on Thursday he is "deeply concerned" about the decision "as well as the President's comments about withholding security assistance to Israel."

What's happening: The administration has paused transfers of ammunition, 500-pound bombs and 2000-pound bombs - a way of signaling U.S. concerns about a potential invasion of Rafah, per Axios' Barak Ravid. ... Read more

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall

Five-year-old Milad Salama is excited for a school trip to a theme park on the outskirts of Jerusalem. On the way, his bus collides with a semitrailer. His father, Abed, gets word of the crash and rushes to the site. The scene is chaos-the children have been taken to different hospitals in Jerusalem and the West Bank; some are missing, others cannot be identified. Abed sets off on an odyssey to learn Milad's fate. It is every parent's worst nightmare, but for Abed it is compounded by the maze of physical, emotional, and bureaucratic obstacles he must navigate because he is Palestinian. He is on the wrong side of the separation wall, holds the wrong ID to pass the military checkpoints, and has the wrong papers to enter the city of Jerusalem. Abed's quest to find Milad is interwoven with the stories of a cast of Jewish and Palestinian characters whose lives and histories unexpectedly converge.

In A Day in the Life of Abed Salama, Nathan Thrall-hailed for his "severe allergy to conventional wisdom" (Time)-offers an indelibly human portrait of the struggle over Israel/Palestine and a new understanding of the tragic history and reality of one of the most contested places on earth.

"Dangerous" storms with potentially "intense" tornadoes threaten Central U.S.
Axios | Andrew Freedman,Rebecca Falconer | 05/07/24

A significant severe storm outbreak threatening much of the Plains and Central U.S. unleashed tornadoes across several states - including a destructive one that ripped through two northeastern Oklahoma towns late Monday.

Threat level: The Storm Prediction Center raised the risk level to "High," the most significant level on its risk scale that is rarely used, due to the tornado threat in central Oklahoma and southern Kansas into Monday night.

The storms are the result of a clash between cooler, much drier air from the west with fast-moving warm, moist air flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico and spreading across much of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.

The presence of strong winds well above the surface, associated with a dip in the jet stream, will help trigger severe thunderstorms and give them the energy needed to become supercells, which are thunderstorms that contain persistent, rotating updrafts. ... Read more

Exclusive poll: Most college students shrug at nationwide protests
Axios | Sareen Habeshian | 05/07/24

College protests against Israel's war in Gaza are dominating headlines. But only a sliver of students are participating or view it as a top issue, according to a new Generation Lab survey shared exclusively with Axios.

Why it matters: The poll hints that the war - and the accompanying protests - might not hurt President Biden's election prospects among young voters as much as previously thought.

By the numbers: Only a small minority (8%) of college students have participated in either side of the protests, the survey of 1,250 college students found.

Students ranked the conflict in the Middle East as the least important issue facing them out of nine options. ... Read more

Kristi Noem Defends Killing Dog & Trump Sizes Up VPs | The Daily Show | 05/06/24 | 12:05

Inside Trump's stunning flip-flop on early voting
Axios | Alex Thompson | 05/02/24

After years of calling voting by mail "corrupt" and "crooked," Donald Trump and GOP committees are scrambling to convince their voters that it's safe and secure ahead of the Nov. 5 elections.

Why it matters: Democrats have built a large mail-in voting advantage over the GOP in swing states that could decide the election, as many Republican voters have bought into Trump's stated distrust of voting by mail.

Driving the news: Trump - who has long cited mail-in voting in questioning the results of the 2020 election - abruptly shifted his public messaging this month.

- "ABSENTEE VOTING, EARLY VOTING, AND ELECTION DAY VOTING ARE ALL GOOD OPTIONS," he posted on Truth Social. ... Read more

Exposing the NSA's Mass Surveillance of Americans | CYBERWAR | VICE | 04/27/24 | 22:20