Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Fed rate cuts look viable as inflation cools and job market stabilizes
Axios | Neil Irwin | 12/04/23

The war on inflation is mostly won. The job market is finally slowing down. And earlier Fed hikes are still rippling through the economy and set to do unnecessary economic damage if not reversed soon.

Why it matters: That, in three sentences, makes the case for a Fed policy pivot, which may lead to rate cuts in the early months of 2024.

Notably, it is not the stated view of chair Jerome Powell and other top leaders of the central bank. Just Friday, Powell poured cold water on the idea. ... Read more

Supreme Court weighs OxyContin maker Purdue's bankruptcy plan
Axios | Adriel Bettelheim | 12/04/23

A controversial bankruptcy reorganization plan for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reaches the Supreme Court Monday in a case with major implications for victims of the opioid crisis, as well as states, localities and Indigenous tribes still dealing with the fallout.

Driving the news: Justices will weigh whether members of the Sackler family, who owned the company, should be shielded from current and future lawsuits connected with Purdue in exchange for paying about $5.5 billion to address the addiction crisis.

That legal "release" poses a fundamental question that's split those with settlement money at stake: Should the desire to punish the ex-owners get in the way of paying long-awaited compensation for opioid victims?

Payments from Purdue's bankruptcy plan would be among the roughly $50 billion states and local governments are slated to receive in opioid settlements over two decades, filling a critical funding gap for a range of addiction and support services in devastated communities. ... Read more

We Spineless Politicians

COP28 has high stakes for planet as climate warms, extreme weather surges
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 11/29/23

Each COP summit tends to inch the world forward toward a lower carbon future.

Why it matters: Yet after 27 of these meetings, one thing is abundantly clear: Global emissions, as well as the resulting uptick in worldwide average temperatures, are dramatically outpacing outcomes from the COP process.

The big picture: At the same time, however, the COP rules give economic and emissions superpowers like the U.S. and China the same amount of votes (one each) as nations at the front lines of climate change, like Kiribati, Vanuatu and much of Africa. It's the only process of its kind. ... Read more

'A biodiversity catastrophe': how the world could look in 2050 - unless we act now
TheGuardian | Patrick Greenfield, Phoebe Weston, Ajit Niranjan | 11/29/23

The continued destruction of nature across the planet will result in major shocks to food supplies and safe water, the disappearance of unique species and the loss of landscapes central to human culture and leisure by the middle of this century, experts have warned.

By 2050, if humanity does not follow through on commitments to tackle the five main drivers of nature loss critical natural systems could break down just as the human population is projected to peak. ... Read more

The Middle Class by Robert Reich | 1995 | 6:00

How ChatGPT rewired the tech world
Axios | Scott Rosenberg | 11/28/23

The lay of the Big Tech landscape has profoundly shifted in the year since OpenAI released ChatGPT on Nov. 30, 2022.

Why it matters: Tech's own innovation - rather than government or any other external force - has once again driven a massive transformation of the industry.

By contrast, five years of techlash - including hundreds of congressional hearings and bills, a barrage of lawsuits and precipitous drops in public trust - failed to unseat, or even slow, any of the industry's five dominating companies.

What's happening: Every one of tech's giants has begun to reorder its world around generative AI, which most of Silicon Valley now views as the biggest new-platform opportunity since the iPhone arrived in 2007.

What’s Going on With the Economy? I Asked Biden’s Top Economic Adviser | Robert Reich | 11/28/23 | 15:02

Reporter Seymour Hersh on "How America Took Out the Nord Stream Pipeline": Exclusive TV Interview | DN | 02/28/23 | 33:23

How America destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines w/Seymour Hersh | The Chris Hedges| 03/28/23 | 38:25

Seymour Hersh Details Explosive Story on Bin Laden Killing & Responds to White House, Media Backlash | DN | 05/12/15 | 21:05

Wall Street analysts predict 2024 vibes, from inflation to stocks
Axios | Matt Phillips | 11/27/23

The big picture: Analysts think the economy and inflation will slow in 2024, with the Fed moving to cut rates by the end of the year.

Yes, but: There's less clarity about what that means for stocks.

Morgan Stanley: "A disinflationary cycle has been under way, mainly driven by core goods deflation and disinflation in housing."

Goldman Sachs: "At this point the hard part of the inflation fight looks over."

JPMorgan: "We think that core PCE inflation should moderate from a 3.4% annualized pace in 2023 to 2.5% in [the first half of 2024]." ... Read more

Lawmakers are ditching Congress at a record pace
Axios | Stef W. Kight | 11/27/23

Lawmakers are fleeing Congress at a record clip, with 13 senators and representatives announcing this month they won't seek re-election - the highest number in more than a decade, according to Ballotpedia.

Why it matters: Rancor and recriminations from the House speaker's battle, a surge in partisan censures and impeachments and yet another government shutdown threat have created a perfect storm for retirements.

State of play: The routine infighting and childish behavior - insults like "p***y" and "smurf" were exchanged on Capitol Hill this month - has exhausted some lawmakers. But the exits are also driven by ambition. ... Read more

Trump wishes "psycho" judge, "racist" attorney general a happy Thanksgiving
Axios | Dave Lawler | 11/23/23

Former President Trump took to Truth Social at 2:03am ET on Thanksgiving to attack people involved in the fraud case that threatens his real estate empire, along with his political opponents.

Why it matters: The early-morning diatribe is hardly a traditional Thanksgiving message, but it is classic Trump - and it comes as court officials argue that a gag order restricting just these sorts of posts relating to the $250 million New York civil fraud trial should be reinstated.

What he's saying: In a post beginning "Happy Thanksgiving to ALL," Trump called:

Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the civil fraud charges against Trump and other Trump Organization executives, "racist and incompetent;"

Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the trial, a "Psycho" who had purposely undervalued his assets, and ... Read more

Tim Alberta book rips open Falwell feuds
Axios | Mike Allen | 11/23/23

A forthcoming book about evangelicals by Tim Alberta - the acupuncturist-like reporter whose magazine profile doomed CNN's Chris Licht - includes detailed on-the-record allegations of drift and grift at Liberty University, founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.

Why it matters: The university in Lynchburg, Virginia - founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr., and formerly called Liberty Baptist College - once was an icon of New Right political power. It remains a popular backdrop for Republican presidential candidates.

Alberta's book, "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory," is out Dec. 5.

Jerry Falwell Jr. - the founder's son, who once was Liberty's president and now has sued the university — tells Alberta the current regime is "choosing piety over competence": "It's exactly what my dad didn't want to see happen." ... Read more

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta

Evangelical Christians are perhaps the most polarizing-and least understood-people living in America today. In his seminal new book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, journalist Tim Alberta, himself a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical preacher, paints an expansive and profoundly troubling portrait of the American evangelical movement. Through the eyes of televangelists and small-town preachers, celebrity revivalists and everyday churchgoers, Alberta tells the story of a faith cheapened by ephemeral fear, a promise corrupted by partisan subterfuge, and a reputation stained by perpetual scandal.

For millions of conservative Christians, America is their kingdom-a land set apart, a nation uniquely blessed, a people in special covenant with God. This love of country, however, has given way to right-wing nationalist fervor, a reckless blood-and-soil idolatry that trivializes the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Alberta retraces the arc of the modern evangelical movement, placing political and cultural inflection points in the context of church teachings and traditions, explaining how Donald Trump's presidency and the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated historical trends that long pointed toward disaster. Reporting from half-empty sanctuaries and standing-room-only convention halls across the country, the author documents a growing fracture inside American Christianity and journeys with readers through this strange new environment in which loving your enemies is "woke" and owning the libs is the answer to WWJD.

Accessing the highest echelons of the American evangelical movement, Alberta investigates the ways in which conservative Christians have pursued, exercised, and often abused power in the name of securing this earthly kingdom. He highlights the battles evangelicals are fighting-and the weapons of their warfare—to demonstrate the disconnect from scripture: Contra the dictates of the New Testament, today's believers are struggling mightily against flesh and blood, eyes fixed on the here and now, desperate for a power that is frivolous and fleeting. Lingering at the intersection of real cultural displacement and perceived religious persecution, Alberta portrays a rapidly secularizing America that has come to distrust the evangelical church, and weaves together present-day narratives of individual pastors and their churches as they confront the twin challenges of lost status and diminished standing.

Sifting through the wreckage-pastors broken, congregations battered, believers losing their religion because of sex scandals and political schemes-Alberta asks: If the American evangelical movement has ceased to glorify God, what is its purpose?

PENTAGON FAILS SIXTH AUDIT IN A ROW, CLAIMING "PROGRESS SORT OF BENEATH THE SURFACE"
TheIntercept | Ken Klippenstein | 11/17/23

THE U.S. MILITARY appears unfazed in its inability to account for billions of dollars. On Thursday, the Department of Defense failed its sixth consecutive audit - but hailed its "incremental progress."

As the Pentagon budget nears a watershed $1 trillion - the largest of any federal government agency - it has never passed a single one of the annual audits mandated by Congress. In a press briefing, the Department of Defense said it had no timeline for passing an audit.

"We've heard the same platitudes about audit progress for years," said Julia Gledhill, an analyst at the Project on Government Oversight's Center for Defense Information. "They’re meaningless, especially since the Pentagon can't even commit to a timeline for achieving a clean audit." ... Read more

Storm system likely to snarl Thanksgiving travel
Axios | author | 11/22/23

A series of storms threatening a large portion of the U.S. this week were "likely" to cause holiday travel disruptions for some of the 54.4 million people preparing for Thanksgiving trips, forecasters warned.

The big picture: Severe weather on Monday sparked powerful thunderstorms from eastern Texas to the lower Mississippi Valley and reports of tornadoes. A storm system was set to move from the southern Plains to the Northeast U.S. through Wednesday. Parts of the northeast could see a "white Thanksgiving." ... Read more

Cities are reaching their capacity to shelter migrants
Axios | Monica Eng, Steph Solis, Emma Hurt | 11/22/23

Many American cities have reached a breaking point this fall over the number of migrants they can shelter and support.

Why it matters: The deepening crisis has forced cities and states - even those known as sanctuaries - to make difficult choices about resource allocation as they continue pushing for billions in federal funding.

Driving the news: Chicago and Illinois just last week implemented strict policies limiting new migrants to 60 days in shelters and slashing migrant rental assistance. Officials also promised to fine bus companies that leave migrants in unsanctioned areas outside of curfew hours.

New York City a month earlier instituted a similar 60-day limit, forcing those still in shelter to reapply for housing if they're unable to find it on their own, the AP reported. ... Read more

What we know on Sam Altman's shock exit from Silicon Valley's hottest firm
Axios | Kia Kokalitcheva | 11/18/23

Silicon Valley experienced a huge earthquake with OpenAI's ouster of CEO Sam Altman - with the ripples reaching every headline, private group chat, and beyond.

Why it matters: The stunning leadership shakeup raises questions about the organization's future, and the unique structure that gives limited power to even its biggest shareholders.

In terms of excitement and copycats, ChatGPT is AI's iPhone. So as people on X, formerly Twitter, noted, Altman's exit is as shocking and disruptive as if Apple had fired Steve Jobs after he launched the iPhone.

The big picture: Altman has been the leading face and voice of AI with Congress and governments around world - the human embodiment of the most powerful technology in the history of the world.

The culture clash behind OpenAI's CEO firing
Axios | Scott Rosenberg | 11/18/23

The boardroom drama behind the firing of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reflects a deep cultural rift among the creators of Silicon Valley's hottest new technology.

Why it matters: AI is still young, and its parents are having a messy divorce.

We don't yet know the full story of what precipitated Altman's firing. But the root of the conflict appears to lie in disagreements over Altman's work to speedily popularize and commercialize generative AI.

OpenAI's six-member board appears to have split, with Altman and company president Greg Brockman on one side and the firm's chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, on the other, per Bloomberg. All three were co-founders of the non-profit, along with Elon Musk and others. ... Read more

Disinformation warfare and Russian hacking | 60 Minutes | 01/07/18 | 54:23

Amazon to sell cars in 2024 starting with Hyundai
Axios | Nathan Bomey | 11/17/23

Amazon plans to begin allowing Hyundai dealers to sell new vehicles on its platform, launching the e-commerce giant into the lucrative but highly competitive car market for the first time.

Why it matters: Amazon's sheer e-commerce heft means the company must instantly be taken seriously in the automotive retail space.

Driving the news: Amazon announced its plans Thursday during the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, and said Hyundai would be the "first" brand to sell cars on the platform.

Customers will be able to search based on model, trim, color and other features, while also choosing payment and financing options.

As part of their deal, Hyundai will begin incorporating Amazon's Alexa voice assistant into its vehicles beginning in 2025. ... Read more

Israel-Hamas War: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | 11/13/23 | 31:53

What really happened in Israel on Oct. 7 with Max Blumenthal? | TRNN Chris Hedges | 11/17/23 | 41:52

Israel's long war on Gaza w/Norman Finkelstein | TRNN Chris Hedges | 10/18/23 | 53:01

Israeli military raids Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital
Axios | Barak Ravid | 11/15/23

The Israeli military early Wednesday raided Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital, where thousands of injured and displaced people are sheltering amid Israel's bombardment and ground offensive in the enclave.

Driving the news: The hospital, Gaza's largest, has been a focal point of the Israeli Defense Forces in recent days, with troops and tanks surrounding the facility. Israel and the U.S. have said, without specifying, that they have evidence that Hamas houses its headquarters and tunnels under the hospital - a claim the militant group denies.

A senior Israeli official said that the purpose of the IDF operation at Al-Shifa hospital was to locate a Hamas tunnels hub that connects the hospital with other parts of the Gaza Strip.

The IDF called the raid a "precise and targeted operation against Hamas." It also said it had "delivered humanitarian aid to the entrance of the hospital." ... Read more

How China's economic slowdown factors into the Biden-Xi meeting
Axios | Matt Phillips | 11/15/23

China's economic struggles add an unpredictable element to President Biden's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday.

Why it matters: There's not much transparency into the decision-making process of China's ruling Communist Party, so little is known about how top officials are reacting to domestic economic difficulties.

Context: China's economy is arguably facing its biggest challenge in decades.

1. Growth is slow, youth unemployment is high, and deflation is setting in.
2. The housing sector, a cornerstone of the domestic economy, is heavily indebted, financially wobbly - and a money pit for the government.
3. Foreign capital is fleeing the country in what amounts to a vote of no-confidence in the leadership's ability to get things back on track. ...

Be very afraid: Trump's "Agenda 47" is no joke
Salon | Chauncey Devega | 07/14/23

Donald Trump is now describing himself as some type of new avatar for the Spirit of '76, Founding Father for the 21st century, a defender of liberty and freedom against tyranny. To that point, in fundraising emails and in other communications, Trump is proclaiming that he is waging a great battle against the so-called deep state and "Joe Biden, the Democrats, and their corrupt administration": ... Read more

Climate change altering U.S. in profound ways, major report finds
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 11//14/23

A sweeping new federal report finds the effects of climate change are increasingly evident across the U.S., from the Florida Keys to Alaska, and argues for transformational adaptation policies and steep emissions cuts.

Driving the news: The Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) shows how warming is rippling across regions and economic sectors, and emphasizes the steps governments are already taking to better adapt.

The report is likely to bolster the U.S.'s case for its own climate policies and the need for further actions at the upcoming COP28 summit in Dubai.

"Overall, we expect climate change to significantly impact the economic opportunities of nearly all American families - affecting their income, what they spend to maintain their standard of living, and the value of their assets, particularly real estate," said Solomon Hsiang of UC Berkeley, the lead author of the economics chapter. ... Read more

Republicans unite in opposition to new bank regulations
Axios | Felix Salmon | 11/14/23

As top bank regulators prepare to testify in front of Senate and House committees this week, they're going to face sustained opposition from Republicans who want to kill their plan to increase bank capital requirements.

Why it matters: The nitty-gritty of bank regulation has historically been dominated by technocrats rather than by elected politicians. This time seems like it might be different.

The big picture: The last big change to global bank regulation, Basel III, took place in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008-09.

Given the degree to which the crisis was caused by excess leverage and risk-taking at financial institutions, not to mention the billions that governments spent bailing out banks, there was little political appetite to oppose tougher bank regulation. ... Read more

Dozens of journalists killed in Hamas-Israel war
Axios | Sara Fischer | 11/14/23

At least 42 journalists have been killed since the Hamas-Israel war began Oct. 7, according to the latest tally from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) out Tuesday. Many others have been reported missing or injured.

The big picture: It's a staggering number of journalist deaths to be documented across such a short period of time.

For context, a total of 15 journalists have been killed in Ukraine between 2022 and 2023, per CPJ.

Details: Most of the 37 Palestinians killed during the Hamas-Israeli war died during Israeli bombardments, per CPJ. ... Read more

Internal State Dept. memo blasts Biden, U.S. policy on Israel-Hamas war
Axios | Hans Nichols | 11/13/23

An internal State Department dissent memo accuses President Biden of "spreading misinformation" on the Israel-Hamas war and alleges that Israel is committing "war crimes" in Gaza, according to a copy of the memo obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: The scathing five-page memo - organized by a junior diplomat who has suggested on social media that Biden's support of Israel has made him "complicit in genocide" in Gaza - offers a rare look at the raw divisions within the Biden administration over the Israel-Hamas war.

The memo - signed by 100 State Department and USAID employees - urges senior U.S. officials to reassess their policy toward Israel and demand a ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled health ministry. ... Read more

Behind the Curtain: Trump allies pre-screen loyalists for unprecedented power grab
Axios | Jim VandeHei,Mike Allen | 11/13/23

Former President Trump's allies are pre-screening the ideologies of thousands of potential foot soldiers, as part of an unprecedented operation to centralize and expand his power at every level of the U.S. government if he wins in 2024, officials involved in the effort tell Axios.

Why it matters: Hundreds of people are spending tens of millions of dollars to install a pre-vetted, pro-Trump army of up to 54,000 loyalists across government to rip off the restraints imposed on the previous 46 presidents.

The screening for ready-to-serve loyalists has already begun, driven in part by artificial intelligence from tech giant Oracle, contracted for the project. ... Read more

Biden and Xi make it official: U.S., Chinese leaders will meet next week
Axios | Mike Allen | 11/10/23

President Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday in San Francisco, where the APEC summit begins this weekend, the White House announced Friday morning.

Why it matters: The Biden administration has been working behind the scenes to improve communication between the superpowers as tensions rise over Taiwan and other military and economic issues.

Details: The leaders will focus on "the continued importance of maintaining open lines of communication, and a range of regional and global issues," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

They'll also discuss how the countries "can continue to responsibly manage competition and work together where our interests align, particularly on transnational challenges that affect the international community." ... Read more

Inside Mike Johnson's Ties to a Far-Right Movement to Gut the Constitution
Politico | Laura Jedeed | 11/10/23

The new House speaker has longstanding ties to the evangelical inspired Convention of States cause.

As the interregnum without a speaker of the House came to an end last month, people from across the political spectrum came together, in a rare show of unity, to ask a single question: Who in the world is Mike Johnson? But amidst the general bewilderment, one group of conservative evangelicals with a radical cause immediately recognized the new speaker's name.

For the last 10 years, the "Convention of States" movement has sought to remake the Constitution and force a tea party vision of the framers' intent upon America. This group wants to wholesale rewrite wide swaths of the U.S. Constitution in one fell swoop. In the process, they hope to do away with regulatory agencies like the FDA and the CDC, virtually eliminate the federal government's ability to borrow money, and empower state legislatures to override federal law. ... Read more

Ramaswamy, Haley bring the fireworks in third GOP debate
Axios | Erin Doherty | 11/09/23

Five Republican presidential candidates took the stage on Wednesday in Miami for the third GOP primary debate.

Why it matters: Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy had perhaps the biggest moment of the night as they sparred over the use of Tiktok, with Haley calling him "scum" after he brought up her daughter's purported use of the app.

Ramaswamy again spent most of the night attacking the other candidates - including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott - over a variety of topics.

At one point, he called Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis "Dick Cheney in 3-inch heels," a jab in part meant for the governor whose boots have become the subject of intrigue. ... Read more

Expert survey: Don't trust tech CEOs on AI
Axios | Margaret Talev,Ryan Heath | 11/09/23

Dishonest, untrustworthy and disingenuous - that's how a majority of experts surveyed from leading universities view AI companies' CEOs and executives.

What's happening: 56% of computer science professors at top U.S. research universities surveyed by Axios, Generation Lab, and Syracuse University described the corporate leaders as "extremely disingenuous" or "somewhat disingenuous" in their calls for regulation of AI.

Why it matters: The latest Axios-Generation Lab-Syracuse University AI Experts Survey shows how deep the divide has grown between those who make and sell AI and those who study and advance it. ... Read more

How Many Military Bases Does the US Have Around the World and in Saudi Arabia
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List of countries with overseas military bases | Wikipedia | current | article

Shop like a billionaire? I bought six items from Temu - the app that's sweeping the world
TheGuardian | Hilary Osborne | 11/09/23

Amid the cost of living crisis, China's answer to Amazon is proving wildly popular, with more than 100m app downloads this year. But are the items any good?

The adverts may be following you around the internet. Some are for practical things: reusable sandwich wrappers, rechargeable torches, T-shirts. The rest are far less practical: plush toys shaped like cups of bubble tea, teaspoons shaped like shovels, plastic covers for TV remote controls. What unites them all is that, on the face of it, they cost next to nothing. At a time when even your local poundshop has put up its prices, the Chinese online marketplace Temu - pronounced tee-moo - seems to offer every low- to mid-priced consumer item you could ever need. Its "1d or less" section goes on for pages and pages.

Its success has been swift: it is currently the most downloaded app in the UK and US and has had more than 100m downloads in the US and Europe since January. ... Read more

Abby Martin's "Gaza Fights for Freedom"
TheAnalysis.news | Paul Jay | 05/18/21

"When I spent a month in the occupied West Bank, I didn't hear one Palestinian and I spoke to hundreds of Palestinians. I didn't hear one person express outright hatred or say, expel the Jews or kill the Jews. I didn’t hear anyone say that. I just heard them say we want to live in peace. We want democracy." ... Read more

Ivanka Trump takes the stand in New York civil fraud trial
Axios | Erin Doherty | 11/08/23

Former President Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, took the stand Wednesday in the ongoing New York civil fraud trial that threatens the family's business empire.

Why it matters: Ivanka Trump is expected to be the last member of Trump's family to give testimony, after the former president himself testified earlier this week. ... Read more

Pro-Trump lawyer John Eastman on Georgia election conspiracy case | 60 Minutes | 11/07/23 | 13:14

Foreign investment in China goes negative for first time in decades
Axios | Matt Phillips | 11/07/23

Foreign investment into China turned negative for the first time on record in the third quarter.

Why it matters: The outflow of foreign direct investment, or FDI, is a reflection of the sharp deterioration in China's economic prospects. The world's second-largest economy continues to struggle with a sluggish COVID recovery, a deterioration in consumer and business confidence, and ongoing de-coupling and de-globalization trends.

State of play: A broad measure of FDI published by China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Friday showed an outflow of $11.8 billion in the third quarter, the first negative print since the agency began compiling the data in 1998.

What they're saying: "Some of the weakness in China's inward FDI may be due to multinational companies repatriating earnings," Goldman Sachs analysts wrote. ... Read more

All the Light We Cannot See | Official Trailer | Netflix | current | 3:25

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, All the Light We Cannot See tells the story of Marie-Laure Leblanc (Aria Mia Loberti), a blind French girl taking refuge with her father and reclusive uncle in St. Malo, France and Werner (Louis Hofmann), a brilliant teenager enlisted by hitler’s regime with an expertise in radio repair. Together they share a secret connection that will become a beacon of light that leads them through the harrowing backdrop of WWII.

Coming to Netflix, November 2nd, 2023. From Director Shawn Levy, All the Light We Cannot See stars Louis Hofmann, Lars Eidinger, Marion Bailey, with Hugh Laurie and Mark Ruffalo. And introducing newcomer Aria Mia Loberti.

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE - Behind The Scenes Talk With Aria Mia Loberti & Louis Hofmann | Netflix | 11/07/12 | 20:55

What Trump stands to lose in his New York civil fraud trial
Axios | Dan Primack | 11/07/23

Former President Donald Trump is at risk of losing the New York real estate empire that the rest of his career was built on.

The big picture: Forcibly dismantling Trump's company is so unusual that no one is quite certain how it would play out.

State of play: Trump already has been found to have inflated the value of his New York assets, via a partial summary judgment. The case now is in its penalty phase - and Trump testified yesterday, drawing a rebuke from the judge after veering off topic in his answers.

Details: In an earlier phase of the trial, the judge granted New York Attorney General Letitia James' request to cancel state business certificates that effectively allow many of Trump's properties to operate.

Trump successfully appealed that part of the lower court's ruling, but the possibility could come back once the trial concludes. ... Read more

Meet the Press NOW - Nov. 6 | NBC | 11/06/23 | 52:53

Behind the Curtain: Tearing apart Democrats
Axios | Jim VandeHei,Mike Allen | 11/05/23

No issue threatens to break President Biden's fragile Democratic coalition like Israel's response to the Hamas terrorist attack.

Why it matters: Infighting is spreading, slowly but meaningfully, at every layer of the Democratic Party over Biden's full-throated support of Israel. It runs much deeper than college campus protests or caustic comments from elected officials.

Many liberal Jews are furious that so many progressive Democrats aren't more outraged by the slaughter of family and friends back in Israel. Some are threatening to leave the party.

Pro-Palestinian Democrats are outraged at the rising death tolls in Gaza made possible by Biden's posture. ... Read more

Trump expected to testify in New York civil fraud trial
Axios | Erin Doherty | 11/06/23

Former President Trump is expected to take the witness stand on Monday in the New York civil fraud trial investigating his business empire.

Why it matters: Monday's hearing would mark the first time Trump has been called to give testimony before a judge on the allegations in one of his ongoing legal cases.

Trump briefly took the stand last month to answer questions about a possible violation of his gag order, but he was not asked about the fraud charges.

The big picture: New York Attorney General Letitia James filed the $250 million lawsuit last year accusing the former president, his associates and the Trump Organization of committing financial fraud over the course of a decade. ... Read more

Who Rules America? | Complete Series | ENDEVR | 09/06/23 | 02:25:22

War of Lies: How to Sell an Invasion | ENDEVR | 2022 | 51:15

New study warns climate is warming even faster than some think
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 11/02/23

A new study warns the Earth's climate is on track to warm significantly more than shown by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) projections.

Driving the news: The paper, published Thursday in the peer-reviewed journal Oxford Open Climate Change, is a synthesis of new and previous discoveries across multiple fields. It is peppered with policy prescriptions, unusual for a scientific paper.

The stark warning comes from ex-NASA scientist James Hansen, who is the lead author of the report. In 1988, he famously and accurately warned that human-caused warming would soon emerge from the background noise of natural variability.

Why it matters: Should the paper's authors be proven correct this time, the globe can expect more severe extreme weather events, species losses and sea level rise than currently projected. ... Read more

Israel's goal in Gaza - and what it means for Palestinians
Axios | Barak Ravid | 11/03/23

Israel has expanded its ground offensive in Gaza - entering what it calls the "second phase" of the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says its goal is straightforward: to destroy Hamas and bring home the hostages Hamas and other groups are holding.

The big picture: The ground operation is expected to be long and ugly, and result in the deaths of many Israeli soldiers and even more Palestinian civilians. But Israeli officials say it's necessary to "destroy" Hamas after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in which 1,400 people in Israel were killed and more than 235 were taken hostage.

Before the expanded ground operation began, more than 7,000 Palestinians had already been killed amid Israel's air raids on Gaza. ... Read more

Savage fights unravel GOP's newfound unity
Axios | Andrew Solender | 11/02/23

The big picture: The public fights appear to be tearing at the fragile appearance of unity created by Johnson's election last week.

After three weeks of internal discord in which three successive GOP speaker nominees failed to win over substantial blocs of detractors to secure the gavel, Johnson won it in a single ballot with zero GOP defectors.

But signs of disunity showed almost as soon as soon as Johnson took office, with some Republicans dismissing the GOP solidarity that swept Johnson into office as a one-off, Axios' Juliegrace Brufke reported. ... Read more

Foreigners, wounded Palestinians allowed to leave Gaza for first time since war began
Axios | Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath | 11/01/23

Palestinians with foreign passports and ambulances carrying wounded people began to leave Gaza through the Rafah Crossing with Egypt on Wednesday.

The big picture: It's the first time anyone has been allowed to leave Gaza since the war began more than three weeks ago.

While some aid trucks have been allowed to enter Gaza from Egypt, the crossing had remained closed to the movement of people since last month's Hamas attack on Israel.

There are more than 500 Americans and hundreds of other foreign nationals in Gaza, including UN workers, members of non-governmental organizations and journalists, according to U.S. and Israeli officials. ... Read more

Deep split erupts between Democrats on Israel-Hamas war
Axios | Justin Green | 11/01/23

The growing and personal Democratic split over the Israel-Hamas war is about to spill onto the House floor, with leaders bracing for fights on Israel-related legislation between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel members of Congress.

Why it matters: "Things could not possibly be any worse than they are right now," one House Democrat lamented.

Democratic aides and lawmakers told Axios that the upcoming votes on half dozen votes are exacerbating a tense situation.

The big picture: President Biden's initial response to the Israel-Hamas war sparked some of the harshest criticism he's received from progressives and people of color in his party - and those lawmakers think the party's base is on their side. ... Read more

China's military ambitions are mostly regional, not global — for now
Axios | Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian | 11/01/23

The goal of China's military modernization plan is to ensure China has the ability to win a war against the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific, not to replicate America's global military power projection capabilities, experts tell Axios.

Why it matters: Becoming Asia's dominant military power would support China's bid to be the center of regional trade and influence, and help secure its territorial claims. But Beijing is reluctant to seek that kind of dominance globally because it would risk embroiling China in responsibilities far beyond its borders.

"China certainly has global ambitions, but I don't think it has global military ambitions the way the U.S. does," says Raymond Kuo, director of the RAND Corporation's Taiwan Policy Initiative.

"It doesn't want to get involved in conflicts that are peripheral to its interests." ... Read more